Walla Walla’s lively taco truck scene has a cult-like following for good reason – there are a whopping eight and counting. Steeped in tradition and the authentic recipes passed down through generations rival the best Mexican food on wheels anywhere. Here are some standouts to get your taco on:
Agapas Mexican Cravings
Tacos and craft beer? Yes, please. You’ll find Agapas at Quirk Brewing (in the Airport District) where on Thursdays and Sundays, you can enjoy the Tacos y Cerveza special with two tacos and a beer from Quirk for $13. Founder Guadalupe Rivera, who named the truck after her mother, grew up in the barrios of Mexico City where street vendors were aplenty, and she took note how to stand out. Guadalupe’s daughter, Ruth Perez and grandson, Mario Medina carry on her legacy weaving her spice cabinet into staples including the carne asada and al pastor tacos. You won’t want to miss the green chicken tacos marinated in Guadalupe’s green salsa. Other Mexico City Street favorites include the pambazo, a bread dipped in red guajillo pepper and fried, filled with chorizo, potato and other toppings, and the Grilled cactus huarache, named after the shape of a Mexican sandal and made with flattened masa dough that is fried and finished with a variety of toppings. If you’re with a group, start off with the Mexinachos Agapas style.
425 B Street, Walla Walla / 509-386-2023 / Thursday & Friday, 4 – 8pm, Saturday, 12 – 8pm, Sunday, 12 – 7pm(ish) / Closed Monday-Wednesday
El Taco Loco
This unassuming truck was the second in the valley opening in 1990 by Fortunato Tiscareño and his wife, Maria Inés who created the recipes blending two cultures: Tijuana, where Maria Inés is from and from Fortunado’s hometown of Zacatecas. Here you’ll be wowed by the family’s prized adobo sauce with special New Mexico peppers, cumin, clove, and bay leaf used to marinate the beef, pork, and chicken. The asada is differentiated by using chuck roll instead of shoulder or top round which makes it extra tender with the fat to meat ratio allowing it to go straight to the grill with no oil. For those more adventurous, try the ultra-tender cabeza (beef cheeks) or the al pastor, smoky pork with grilled pineapple and onion – the perfect hit of sweet and savory. Late night revelers can partake until 10pm (later on weekends) when the massive burritos are the call. While waiting for your food, you can peruse the collection of funky metal art at Melody Mufflers.
415 Short St (near S. 9th Ave & Chestnut St), Walla Walla / 509-386-2023 / Sunday – Wednesday, 11am – 10pm; Friday & Saturday, 11am – 10:30pm / Closed Mondays & Thursdays
La Monarca
Locals still recall the classic 1965 International, home to the third taco truck in the valley opened by the Reyes family in 2000. La Monarca was hit immediately and people flock to the now fancy bright orange truck emblazoned with the monarch butterfly named for chef Efrain Reyes’ home state of Michoacán, known for its monarch butterfly migration. The expansive menu showcases the family’s savory recipes from Michoacán with a playful twist. Home to the original Walla Walla taco with Walla Walla sweet onions grilled to perfection, try the Hawaiian with Asada, bell pepper, pineapple, ham, and mozzarella cheese. The fish taco made with breaded tilapia has a crema that is addictive, and the cabeza (ox lips) is a specialty. The family prides itself on the use of locally sourced meats and the chorizo is made in house – try the campechano where it is mixed with beef. Don’t be surprised to see one of their fleets out and about – they’re known for their catering gigs (180 last year)!
901 W. Rose St., Walla Walla / 509-522-2866 / Monday – Saturday, 10:30am – 7pm / Closed Sundays
Memos Tacos
The newest taco truck in the fleet has local royalty in the driver’s seat: Guillermo Gonzales, who spent 15 years as chef of the beloved Walla Walla bistro Brasserie Four. The Jalisco native dreamed of owning a taco truck for years and he cooks alongside his wife, Mary, a longtime fixture in the kitchen at Bacon & Eggs. Their culinary reputations draw crowds for dishes Guillermo learned to cook in his hometown of Ojuelos, Jalisco from his grandparent’s recipes. Favorites include their chicken taco, which is grilled, not boiled, with peppers and onions, the shrimp taco with a killer cilantro sauce and the carnitas tacos, the first thing he learned to cook on his family’s farm. This truck opens earlier than others with breakfast tacos. Their “special burrito” offers a twist with chilaquiles, and the chicken and pork tamales are exceptional.
Memo, the nickname for Guillermo, is plural in honor of Gonzalez’s son, Guillermo Jr., who you might find in the kitchen one day.
85348 Hwy 11, Milton-Freewater / 509-386-0473 / Monday – Saturday, 9am-5pm / Closed Sundays