In This Post, You’ll Learn
- How private patio reservations work at Backyard Taco
- Why you don’t need a big venue budget to throw a great party
- Which Arizona locations can accommodate private events
- How many guests our patios can hold
- Whether to order catering or let guests order individually
- What you can bring to personalize your celebration
- How to plan school, sports team, and fundraising events
- How to request a patio reservation
Planning a party sounds fun until you start looking at venues.
First, there’s the rental fee. Then you have to figure out the food, seating, decorations, and whether the space is big enough for everyone. Before you know it, your simple birthday party or team celebration has turned into a much bigger project than you expected.
Amigos, we have a better idea.
What if you could bring everyone together, enjoy fresh Mexican food, and reserve an outdoor space for your group without paying a separate venue rental fee?
At Backyard Taco, you can!
We offer private patio reservations at six of our seven Arizona locations with no separate rental fee and no minimum food spend, as long as your group purchases food from Backyard Taco.
You don’t even have to order catering. Guests can purchase their own meals directly from the restaurant, or you can arrange food for the entire group.
That means less worrying about the venue and more time enjoying the celebration.
Birthdays, graduations, sports teams, family reunions, and company parties? Bring them on.
Explore Backyard Taco Patio Parties & Events to see participating locations and learn how to reserve your space.
You Don’t Need an Expensive Venue to Throw a Great Party
Sometimes the biggest expense of planning a celebration is simply finding somewhere to have it.
A traditional event venue may charge for the space before you even start thinking about food, decorations, or entertainment. And if you’re organizing an end-of-season soccer party, a graduation celebration, or a gathering with friends, that can be a lot to spend just to get everyone together.
That’s why we love offering our patios for private events.
At participating Backyard Taco locations, there’s no separate patio rental fee when your group purchases food from us.
And there’s no minimum food spend, either.
Want to invite 20 friends for a birthday dinner? Perfect.
Planning a bigger gathering with parents, coaches, and the whole team? We’ve got options for that, too.
The idea is simple: you bring the people, enjoy the food, and make the most of the space.
No need to pay for a separate venue just to celebrate with your favorite people.
Of course, patio reservations depend on location availability, your event details, and confirmation from our team. But if you’ve been searching for an affordable place to host a party in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, or Laveen, this is an option worth checking out.
What Kinds of Parties Can You Host at Backyard Taco?
We’re pretty sure tacos make almost every celebration better.
And our private patios work for more occasions than you might think.
Birthday Parties
Kids’ birthdays, milestone celebrations, or just another year of being awesome.
Bring the birthday cake, decorations, and your favorite people. Let everyone enjoy their favorite Mexican food, and leave the cooking to us.
No kitchen cleanup required. That’s a birthday gift all by itself.
Graduation Parties
Graduation season in Arizona usually means a lot of celebrating.
Whether your graduate is finishing elementary school, high school, or college, our patios offer a casual place for family and friends to gather, eat, take pictures, and congratulate the guest of honor.
Add decorations in your graduate’s school colors, and you’ve got yourself a fiesta.
Sports Team Celebrations
After months of practices, games, tournaments, and early mornings, the whole team deserves a celebration.
Backyard Taco is a great option for end-of-season parties, team dinners, awards celebrations, and gatherings with players, coaches, and parents.
The kids can celebrate together while everyone enjoys a fresh meal.
And nobody has to volunteer their backyard for 40 people.
Company Parties and Team Gatherings
Not every work event needs a conference room or formal banquet hall.
Our patios offer a relaxed setting for employee appreciation lunches, office celebrations, team-building gatherings, and casual company events.
Whether your coworkers want to order individually or you’d rather arrange catering, we can help you choose an option that makes sense for your group.
Family Celebrations and Reunions
Baby showers, anniversaries, family reunions, and those get-togethers where someone says, “We should really get everyone together soon.”
You know the ones.
Instead of figuring out whose house can accommodate everyone, bring the familia to Backyard Taco.
The atmosphere is casual, the food is fresh, and everyone gets to spend time together without someone being stuck in the kitchen.
Six Arizona Locations With Private Patio Reservations
Backyard Taco has seven Arizona restaurants, and six offer private patio reservations.
Participating locations include:
- Gilbert on Higley Road: A spacious patio that’s a great option for celebrations in Gilbert.
- Chandler on Gilbert Road: Convenient for groups gathering in Chandler and nearby communities.
- Mesa South on Stapley Drive: An outdoor gathering option near Mesa Grand.
- Mesa East on Signal Butte Road: Great for groups in East Mesa and surrounding neighborhoods.
- Queen Creek on Ellsworth Road: An option for family celebrations and group events in the Queen Creek area.
- Laveen Village on 59th Avenue: A private patio option for smaller gatherings in Laveen.
Many of our participating patios can accommodate groups of up to approximately 75 people, depending on the setup and availability.
Our Laveen patio is better suited to groups of approximately 35 guests.
Our original Mesa North restaurant on University Drive has outdoor dining, but its patio isn’t available for private event reservations.
Do You Have to Order Catering to Reserve a Patio?
Nope! And this is one of our favorite parts.
You have options.
Option 1: Let Everyone Order Their Own Food
Maybe you’re planning a casual birthday party, a team dinner, or a gathering where everyone has different tastes.
Your group can reserve an eligible patio and purchase food directly from the restaurant.
One person wants carne asada tacos. Another wants a burrito. Someone else is craving a Papa Loca.
Perfect. Everyone gets what they want.
This option works especially well for informal celebrations where you don’t need a coordinated catering setup.
Option 2: Arrange Catering for Your Group
For larger gatherings, or when you’d rather have everyone’s food planned in advance, catering may be the way to go.
Our Backyard Taco catering menu offers several ways to feed a crowd, including Mexcellence Taco Bars, Tostada Bars, Papa Loca Bars, burrito trays, and more.
Want everyone to build their own tacos? A taco bar lets guests choose their favorite meats, tortillas, and toppings.
Planning a hearty dinner for the whole group? Our other catering options make it easy to serve a satisfying meal without spending hours preparing food yourself.
Depending on your event, our team can also coordinate buffet-style setups.
And don’t forget the drinks!
Our homemade horchata, Jamaica, and limonada are refreshing additions to almost any Arizona celebration. Learn more about Backyard Taco’s aguas frescas.
For a closer look at group food options, read What to Expect From Backyard Taco Catering.
Whether your guests order individually or you choose catering, the important part is that everyone gets to enjoy the food without all the extra work.
Make the Patio Your Own
A party should feel like your party.
That’s why we’re flexible when it comes to personalizing private patio events.
Want to bring balloons, banners, or decorations? Go for it.
Celebrating a birthday or graduation? Bring your cake.
Planning a school event or a team awards celebration? Talk to us about signage, special activities, or entertainment.
We’ve even hosted gatherings featuring student performances and community groups coming together for a special occasion.
Just let our team know what you’re planning ahead of time so we can help coordinate the arrangements.
And because we’re in Arizona, outdoor comfort matters.
Our patios offer amenities such as misters, fans, or heaters depending on the location, helping make outdoor dining more enjoyable during different times of year.
There’s something especially nice about an Arizona patio party when the weather is beautiful, the tacos are fresh, and everyone can relax and enjoy being together.
What About School Fundraisers and Dining to Donate Events?
Here’s another great reason to bring people together: helping your community.
Backyard Taco’s Dining to Donate fundraising program gives eligible schools, sports teams, nonprofits, and community organizations a way to raise funds when supporters come out to eat.
It’s a great fit for school communities, parent organizations, youth sports groups, and local causes.
And yes, participating patios can also be reserved for approved fundraising events.
Think about bringing together families, students, teachers, coaches, and supporters for an evening of tacos and community spirit.
Guests get to enjoy a meal, spend time together, and help support an organization they care about.
One important difference: Dining to Donate events have their own approval and scheduling process.
Fundraising requests must be submitted at least three weeks before the proposed event date, rather than following the standard 48-hour patio reservation timeline.
If your goal is to raise money for an organization, start with our Dining to Donate program so our team can help you follow the right process.
How Far in Advance Should You Reserve a Patio?
We ask guests to request private patio reservations at least 48 hours in advance.
That gives our team time to review the event details, check the preferred location, and help coordinate the space.
For larger parties, special entertainment, or popular dates during Arizona’s beautiful outdoor season, reaching out earlier is always a good idea.
Most private patio events are generally planned for about two hours, although the final timing depends on the season, location, time of day, and availability.
Before submitting your request, it’s helpful to know:
- Your preferred Backyard Taco location
- The date and approximate start time
- How many people you expect
- What kind of event you’re planning
- Whether guests will order individually or you’d like catering
- Any decorations, entertainment, or special arrangements you’d like to discuss
You don’t need every detail figured out before contacting us. Our team can help you work through the options.
Ready to get started? Request a patio reservation through our event inquiry form.
FAQs About Backyard Taco Patio Parties
Bring the Party. We've Got the Patio!\
Your next celebration doesn't need an expensive venue, hours of cooking, or a complicated plan.
Sometimes all you need is a place to gather, good food, and the people who make life worth celebrating.
At Backyard Taco, we bring the mesquite-grilled flavor, fresh ingredients, and a welcoming space where your familia can enjoy the moment.
You bring the party. We'll bring the Mexcellence.
Explore our new Patio Parties & Events page to see participating locations and learn more about private reservations.
Ready to get your fiesta on? Request Your Patio Reservation.
We can't wait to celebrate with you!
¡Al Dr. Tyler le encantan los tacos! Es uno de los dueños de Backyard Taco y a veces se le puede encontrar trabajando allí por las noches o los fines de semana.
El Dr. Tyler Robison es exalumno de la preparatoria Mountain View de Mesa. Se graduó de la Universidad Brigham Young antes de ser aceptado en la Universidad de Louisville en Kentucky, clasificada entre las diez mejores a nivel nacional, donde obtuvo su Doctorado en Medicina Dental y una Maestría en Biología Oral. Se graduó con honores, estando entre el diez por ciento superior de su clase. El Dr. Robison continuó en la Universidad del Pacífico en San Francisco, donde obtuvo una segunda maestría en ciencias dentales y su certificación en ortodoncia.
Al Dr. Tyler le gusta servir a su comunidad. Es proveedor de la Fundación Smile Back, que ofrece becas para tratamiento dental gratuito a estudiantes de bajos recursos del East Valley. También es Mayor en la Reserva del Ejército de EE. UU. y sirvió durante la Operación Libertad Duradera en 2008.
Entre los pasatiempos favoritos del Dr. Tyler Robison se encuentran pasar tiempo con su familia en el lago, en la playa o en las pistas de esquí. ¡Es un snowboarder apasionado y un poco loco! Tiene tres hijos increíbles y una hija encantadora: Caden, Jace, Crew y Bliss.
