Tacos Don Chayo鈥檚 big, familiar food truck could be sporting some new decorations soon 鈥 they鈥檒l have three fresh awards to display after this year鈥檚 Readers鈥 Choice voting.
黑料福利社 readers helped them run the table in the newspaper鈥檚 annual competition, giving them first-place wins in all three of the categories in which they were eligible: Best Tacos, Best Catering and Best Food Truck.
Vanessa Castro and her father, Juvenal Castro, have been running the beloved local business since February 2022, when they took it over from Vanessa鈥檚 husband鈥檚 grandparents.
Most weekdays, they still set up in their permanent location at 2810 W. Washington Ave. It鈥檚 a convenient spot, near the Yakima Air Terminal, Perry Tech and Triumph. The airy outdoor seating area can accommodate about 20 people, the indoor dining room seats eight and there鈥檚 a wide green lawn right across the street 鈥 the perfect hideaway for some quiet, relaxing lunch-hour eats.
Thursdays, however, they shut down the home location and haul their food wagon to Bale Breaker Brewing Co. in Moxee 鈥 because not much beats pairing a cold beer with a refreshing taco or a filling burrito.
Vanessa Castro says she and her dad have added a few new touches to the menu, but for the most part they still follow the traditional recipes that diners have been savoring for years.
The flexibility of the mobile business makes Tacos Don Chayo a popular option for 鈥減op-up鈥 events at vineyards, sporting events, weddings 鈥 even funerals. They鈥檙e also a fixture at the annual Dozer Day event for kids. When they鈥檙e catering, Vanessa鈥檚 mom, Maria Villa, pitches in to help.
What keeps customers coming back to Tacos Don Chayo 鈥 and how did the business sweep those Readers鈥 Choice categories?
鈥淗onestly, I don鈥檛 know,鈥 Vanessa says with a light laugh.
Her guess, though, is that it鈥檚 at least partly because she and her dad put so much emphasis on connecting with their patrons.
鈥淚t sounds cheesy,鈥 she says, 鈥渂ut you build a community with your customers.鈥
Much of the credit for that goes to Vanessa, who enjoys serving the food and mixing with lunch crowds while Juvenal takes the lead in the kitchen.
Both have extensive experience at local restaurants.
Vanessa carries her share in the kitchen, but much of her background has focused on customer service. Juvenal, on the other hand, started out as a dishwasher, working his way up to being a prep cook.
Between the two of them, they clearly have the chemistry and ingredients just right.
While Vanessa admits working a lunch rush and keeping up with a handful of orders at once can be 鈥渧ery stressful,鈥 interacting with the diners keeps her smiling.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have any rude customers,鈥 she says brightly.
She and Juvenal say they鈥檙e 鈥渢hankful鈥 for the public鈥檚 support and for the votes that won the day for Tacos Don Chayo.
Their advice to other businesses:
鈥淛ust always keep your head up,鈥 Vanessa says.
Taco Don Chayo posts weekly hours on , and it鈥檚 reachable by phone at 509-910-0481.
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