Last month, Yelp Dallas officially launched Yelp’s Best in Business, an award celebrating top-rated business that embody the very best of the Dallas community. And this month, we are recognizing El Palote Panadería for their business excellence and dedicated spirit.
Apparent from its 200+ reviews and 4.5 Yelp rating, it’s easy to see why everyone loves this East Dallas hidden gem. They uniquely serve vegan Mexican cuisine, a guilt-free, delicious indulgence. But the story behind their success goes far beyond tantalizing our taste buds. This business has touched many hearts and is changing lives in our community.
Most people can’t imagine vegan + Mexican food ever working – in fact, El Palote wasn’t even a vegan dining destination when it first opened. However, when business owner and Dad, Aurelio, suffered a health scare due to his heart and cholesterol levels, he decided it was time for a change. After eliminating animal products from his diet, he instantly felt better and so the family decided to introduce this new lifestyle to their customers.
What you might not know is El Palote faced some tough times before their triumph, and the family credits the Dallas community for keeping their dream alive. Aaron, the son behind this family business, explains. “During our first year of Operation we were struggling so bad we had 4 months left before having to liquidate. During that time I reached out to the vegan community of Dallas to try our vegan Thursday food. From one week to another we went from 2 customers a day to a 3-hour wait and a line out the door. The vegan community made sure my parents’ original dream of running a vegan restaurant stayed alive.”
All we can say is THANK YOU Dallas, for ensuring El Palote Panadería would be around to keep our taste buds happy!
Now, let’s taco ‘bout the food! Vegan or not, you’re likely to find a favorite dish (or two) at El Palote. Sopes, tacos, tamales, burritos, flautas, pan dulce – there’s no shortage of Mexican staples on the menu. Textured soy meat, fresh veggies, vegan sauces and sour cream all come together to create dishes that are so meat-like people have to ask, “Are you sure this is vegan?!”
The best part? Just as they intended when opening the restaurant, all of the recipes have been created by the Arias family – Lily and Aurelio even process the soy themselves and created the egg and lard substitutes for their pastries. It doesn’t get any more homemade than this, y’all!
Dallas is happy to recognize this deserving business as a recipient of Yelp’s Best in Business award. El Palote Panaderia will be honored with an official Best in Business certificate and an array of local goodies. Want to hear more of their story? Check us out Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And don’t forget to bookmark El Palote Panaderia on Yelp.
Do you know of a Dallas-area business that is killin’ the game? Share their story with us at dallas@yelp.com to nominate them for a chance to be spotlighted.
