McAllen, TX zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in McAllen, TX?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: Regional Commercial.
It needs a conditional or special use approval in: Local Commercial, Local Mixed Use.
It is not allowed in 14 districts: Agricultural & Open Space (New), City Core Downtown, City Core Uptown, Duplex-Fourplex Residential, Heavy Industrial (New), High Density Residential, Light Industrial (New), Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, Mobile Home & Modular Home, Multifamily Residential Apartment, Multifamily Residential Condominium, Multifamily Residential Townhouse, Single Family Residential.
9 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural & Open Space | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Agricultural & Open Space (New) | Not allowed | Use Table 3.1.3: Restaurant is permitted only in C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2 and C-C (DT/UT) columns. UDC district; restaurant not listed as permitted (column positions read from PDF text coordinates). | UDC Use Table 3.1.3 | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| City Core Downtown | Not allowed | City Core (C-C) District ... No drive thrus are allowed. UDC City Core district. | UDC 3.2.5.F.3.a | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| City Core Uptown | Not allowed | City Core (C-C) District ... No drive thrus are allowed. UDC City Core district. | UDC 3.2.5.F.3.a | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Commercial Industrial | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Duplex-Fourplex Residential | Not allowed | Residential district (Old Code). Old Code (OC) district: former Chapter 138 zoning was repealed by Ord. 2024-133 (eCode360 shows Ch. 138 Reserved) but OC districts remain on the map and staff still cite Ch. 138; OC text not available online. City is rezoning OC districts to UDC districts (e.g. C-3 OC -> C-2 UDC, cases REZ2026-0192 etc.). | former Ch. 138 (OC) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| General Business | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Heavy Industrial | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Heavy Industrial (New) | Not allowed | Use Table 3.1.3: Restaurant is permitted only in C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2 and C-C (DT/UT) columns. UDC district; restaurant not listed as permitted (column positions read from PDF text coordinates). | UDC Use Table 3.1.3 | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| High Density Residential | Not allowed | Use Table 3.1.3: Restaurant not permitted in residential districts. UDC residential district. | UDC Use Table 3.1.3 | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Light Commercial | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Light Industrial | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Light Industrial (New) | Not allowed | Use Table 3.1.3: Restaurant is permitted only in C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2 and C-C (DT/UT) columns. UDC district; restaurant not listed as permitted (column positions read from PDF text coordinates). | UDC Use Table 3.1.3 | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Local Commercial | Conditional | A Restaurant with a drive thru is only allowed by CUP. Speakers not within 150 ft of a residential district unless screened; stacking lane per Access Management Policy; escape lane around drive-thru required. UDC C-1 (new code). | UDC 3.2.5.F.1.a (C-1 and M-1) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Local Mixed Use | Conditional | A Restaurant with a drive thru is only allowed by CUP. Speakers not within 150 ft of a residential district unless screened; stacking lane per Access Management Policy; escape lane around drive-thru required. UDC M-1. | UDC 3.2.5.F.1.a (C-1 and M-1) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Low Density Residential | Not allowed | Use Table 3.1.3: Restaurant not permitted in residential districts. UDC residential district. | UDC Use Table 3.1.3 | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Medium Density Residential | Not allowed | Use Table 3.1.3: Restaurant not permitted in residential districts. UDC residential district. | UDC Use Table 3.1.3 | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Mobile Home & Modular Home | Not allowed | Residential district (Old Code). Old Code (OC) district: former Chapter 138 zoning was repealed by Ord. 2024-133 (eCode360 shows Ch. 138 Reserved) but OC districts remain on the map and staff still cite Ch. 138; OC text not available online. City is rezoning OC districts to UDC districts (e.g. C-3 OC -> C-2 UDC, cases REZ2026-0192 etc.). | former Ch. 138 (OC) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Multifamily Residential Apartment | Not allowed | Residential district (Old Code). Old Code (OC) district: former Chapter 138 zoning was repealed by Ord. 2024-133 (eCode360 shows Ch. 138 Reserved) but OC districts remain on the map and staff still cite Ch. 138; OC text not available online. City is rezoning OC districts to UDC districts (e.g. C-3 OC -> C-2 UDC, cases REZ2026-0192 etc.). | former Ch. 138 (OC) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Multifamily Residential Condominium | Not allowed | Residential district (Old Code). Old Code (OC) district: former Chapter 138 zoning was repealed by Ord. 2024-133 (eCode360 shows Ch. 138 Reserved) but OC districts remain on the map and staff still cite Ch. 138; OC text not available online. City is rezoning OC districts to UDC districts (e.g. C-3 OC -> C-2 UDC, cases REZ2026-0192 etc.). | former Ch. 138 (OC) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Multifamily Residential Townhouse | Not allowed | Residential district (Old Code). Old Code (OC) district: former Chapter 138 zoning was repealed by Ord. 2024-133 (eCode360 shows Ch. 138 Reserved) but OC districts remain on the map and staff still cite Ch. 138; OC text not available online. City is rezoning OC districts to UDC districts (e.g. C-3 OC -> C-2 UDC, cases REZ2026-0192 etc.). | former Ch. 138 (OC) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Neighborhood Commercial | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Office Building Office | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Regional Commercial | By right | Regional Commercial (C-2) District ... Drive thrus are allowed. Speakers not within 150 ft of a residential district unless screened; stacking lane per Access Management Policy; escape lane around drive-thru required. UDC C-2 (new code). | UDC 3.2.5.F.2.a(i); Use Table 3.1.3 (Restaurant P) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
| Regional Mixed Use | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 | |
| Single Family Residential | Not allowed | Residential district (Old Code). Old Code (OC) district: former Chapter 138 zoning was repealed by Ord. 2024-133 (eCode360 shows Ch. 138 Reserved) but OC districts remain on the map and staff still cite Ch. 138; OC text not available online. City is rezoning OC districts to UDC districts (e.g. C-3 OC -> C-2 UDC, cases REZ2026-0192 etc.). | former Ch. 138 (OC) | mcallen.net | 2026-11-12 |
"By right" means permitted with site plan and building permit review only. Overlay districts, planned developments (PD/PUD) and conditions attached to a past rezoning can change the answer for a single parcel.
Official zoning map layer
To find the district for a parcel, query the jurisdiction's own GIS zoning layer: https://gismap.mcallen.net/publication/rest/services/DevelopmentZoning/MapServer/1 (district field: ZONEDESCRIPTION)
McAllen map mixes Old Code (OC) and new UDC districts with the SAME codes (e.g. C-1 = Office Building OC or Local Commercial UDC; C-2 = Neighborhood Commercial OC or Regional Commercial UDC), so the district key is the ZONEDESCRIPTION text, not ZONE. UDC adopted Feb 9, 2026 (eCode360 MC6775 App. E). 26 district values.
Sources
How to confirm before you buy
- Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
- Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
- Call the planning office and ask whether a drive-thru restaurant needs anything beyond site plan review at that address.
Why this library exists
I'm Luke Smith. I find land for drive-thru brands like 7 Brew, Ellianos Coffee and Starbucks, sign the tenant, build the shop and sell it as a net lease property. Every deal starts with the same question: is the use allowed here without a rezoning? Getting that answer takes too long, so we read the codes (with AI research help), and I publish what we find with a link back to every source so you can check it yourself.
If you have a site that fits a drive-thru, or you want to learn how these deals are put together, join the free Reverse Deal Finder community on Skool, see cap rates and land prices by brand, or call 1-760-392-1525. Brokers welcome: I pay commissions.