SAN ANTONIO – Every spring during A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA), the aroma of sizzling food draws thousands to historic La Villita. From kabobs to chicken on a stick, festivalgoers have no shortage of choices.
A long-standing tradition continues to be Maria’s Tortillas — a crowd favorite for more than seven decades.
Long before the gates open daily, tortilla makers at the booth are already hard at work. The sounds of rolling, patting and flipping echo through the area as they prepare for the long lines that are sure to follow.
“These are still one of the most popular items here,” said Rose Moran, area chairman of the Haymarket section of NIOSA. “Here we are, about 77 years later, still selling Maria’s Tortillas.”
Moran has overseen the area for more than 12 years and knows the booth’s deep history. The tortillas were first sold along the San Antonio River 70 years ago for just five cents.
They were originally made by Maria Luisa Ochoa, who worked as the housekeeper for the president of the San Antonio Conservation Society in the early 1950s. She was brought in to make fresh corn tortillas. They have been a staple at NIOSA ever since.
“It’s a freshly made tortilla. We can have them at home, but being here with everybody that has a party in their heart, it’s just different,” Moran said. “Everybody is excited, and I think that’s what keeps them coming back.”
Making the tortillas isn’t as easy as it looks. Festival staff hire professional “patters” who are skilled at shaping the perfect round corn tortilla by hand.
Once the tortillas are cooked, they’re topped with butter, cheese and salsa before they are served fresh.
Chris Graham, a longtime NIOSA attendee, said buying the first tortilla of the event has become a family tradition.
“Me and my Pops have been doing it for 20 years,” Graham said. “It’s just like going to a baseball game. This is our thing.”
More than 6,600 tortillas are sold at the booth each year. Despite the long wait, many said the experience is worth it.
“I heard these are the best tortillas in San Antonio,” one festivalgoer said while waiting in line for a tortilla for the first time.
After getting their hands on a tortilla, the festivalgoer offered their verdict.
“Oh yeah, worth the wait? Yeah, it is,” they said.
“I love the tortillas, like mom used to make them,” Roberto Gonzales, another attendee, said. “It’s worth two. Or three. Or four.”
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