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New Tri-Cities food truck opens. It’s an upscale twist for Taco Tuesday

Wendy Culverwell
·3 min read

A second food truck has opened at Kennewick’s newest food truck plaza, Edison Food Park.

Taqueria Los 3 Amigos is making its debut today to coincide with Taco Tuesday, joins the Local Bite at 5222 W. Okanogan Ave., north of Kamiakin High School at Edison Street.

The newest taqueria on wheels is owned by partners Whitney Garcia and Christy Ortiz, Tri-City entrepreneurs who graduated from Kennewick and Kamiakin high schools, respectively.

Partners Christy Ortiz and Whitney Garcia pose outside of Taqueria Los 3 Amigos, the second food truck to locate at Kennewick’s newest food truck plaza.
Partners Christy Ortiz and Whitney Garcia pose outside of Taqueria Los 3 Amigos, the second food truck to locate at Kennewick’s newest food truck plaza.

They launched the food truck business to honor Ortiz’s parents, who long wanted to be in the food business. When Margarita Ortiz retired, the couple decided it was time to make her dream come true.

“It’s our time,” Ortiz said.

Both work in the medical field and operate rental properties that provided money to start the new business.

They bought a new food truck from PDX Cart Builders in Portland. Fast Signs wrapped it in red and artist Ernest Toscano designed the rooster-themed logo.

Taqueria Los 3 Amigos food trailer, owned by partners Whitney Garcia and Christy Ortiz, Tri-City entrepreneurs who graduated from Kennewick and Kamiakin high schools, respectively, is the second tenant of the new Edison Street Food park at 5222 W. Okanogan Ave. in Kennewick. Artist Ernest Toscano designed the rooster-themed logo.
Taqueria Los 3 Amigos food trailer, owned by partners Whitney Garcia and Christy Ortiz, Tri-City entrepreneurs who graduated from Kennewick and Kamiakin high schools, respectively, is the second tenant of the new Edison Street Food park at 5222 W. Okanogan Ave. in Kennewick. Artist Ernest Toscano designed the rooster-themed logo.

Garcia works in the background while Ortiz works in the truck beside her family, scheduling it around her day job. Her three-day, 12-hour schedule gives her the flexibility to take on both.

The new truck is heavily influenced by the Ortiz family and its dream of sharing good food with friends and family.

“This is to support her parents’ dreams,” Garcia said.

Mexican fare

Taqueria Los 3 Amigos offers a full menu of Mexican standards, including tacos, burritos and quesadillas, and family favorites. The opening day menu offers four tacos and a soda for $10.

On Saturdays, they will dish up the traditional Mexican soup menudo and barbacoa.

Barbacoa, which is like a Mexican pot roast, is an Ortiz family staple made with Margarita Ortiz’s secret sauce. Even her daughter isn’t in on the secret.

Garcia and Ortiz opted to lease space at Edison Food Park after searching the Tri-Cities for a suitable location.

They contacted developer Tim Bush about a site on Steptoe, and he guided them to the five-spot food park he was developing near the Fat Cat complex he built with sons Blake and TJ.

Taqueria Los 3 Amigos food trailer, owned by partners Whitney Garcia and Christy Ortiz, is the second tenant of the new Edison Street Food par in Kennewick.
Taqueria Los 3 Amigos food trailer, owned by partners Whitney Garcia and Christy Ortiz, is the second tenant of the new Edison Street Food par in Kennewick.

The neighborhood includes a fitness gym, Bruchi’s, Black Rock Coffee Bar (soon to rebrand as Wake Up Call) and a Mister Car Wash.

They loved the area and its mix of neighbors.

The food truck plaza is on the same side of Edison as Kamiakin High, making it a safe and easy walk for students during lunch or after school. Local apartments and the on-ramp to Highway 240 ensure lots of traffic past their front door.

Edison Food Park made its official debut on June 1 when Local Bite, led by owners Rachel and Scott Lundgard, opened on the spot closest to Edison.

Local Bite serves sandwiches and American-style fare as well as Hawaiian plate lunches under a separate name, “Tropic Hunger.”

Tropic Hunger will eventually move into a brick-and-mortar restaurant space on the same property.

The food truck is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

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