Around Salem Avenue, Los 3 Camachos is quickly becoming a local sensation. Making succulent asada burritos and the best corn tacos in town will do that. Their example shows that running a food truck full of flavor will also earn you the kind of passionate following most restaurants only dream of.
“We’ve been here for a little over two years now and are very grateful to all our customers who support us,” said Maria Bernardo, who runs the portable taqueria with her husband, Alfredo Montero.
The couple from Puebla have lived in the Dayton area for 19 years, have become a mainstay of their local community, and are now fulfilling the American dream as independent business owners.
“In Mexico my mom used to own her own business. My husband and I also sold tacos for awhile. The idea for Los 3 Camachos came because I was working in Kettering and my boss treated me very badly. I left that job and stayed home for a year. That is when we decided to make our food truck: so that we could work for ourselves,” she said.
Bernardo is the driving force of the thriving food truck. She chose the name and is the person that most customers interact with. There’s a reason she’s known to customers as ‘La Jefa’; when not taking calls or making runs, she’s helping in the back.
“The recipes are my husband’s. He learned how to cook from his mother because she did not want him to have to rely on anyone to make food for him,” said Bernardo.
For the most part, the gleaming hot stove and the many recipes that grace its surface, is the domain of Los 3 Camachos chef Montero. Their food truck’s not so secret ingredient is hard work, ambition, and service with a smile.
The pair aren’t the only friendly faces you’ll see there, however. The titular ‘tres camachos,’ the couple’s children, are often there to help. Brianna, Angela, and Marcos are gaining first-hand business experience and their parents could not be prouder.
“I named it after them,” said Bernardo. “They are my tres comachos.”
Puebla is widely renowned for its food and place in Mexico’s storied history. As Los 3 Camachos demonstrates, there’s much more to the state’s cuisine than their legendary mole. It says a lot that in a place that’s home to sights like Cholula and historic Puebla, rarely does a tourist go there and return not raving about its food.
“Words can’t describe the feeling I get when I see our customers eating and enjoying our food,” said Bernardo. “We’re just so appreciative of them all.”
Not everyone can head down to Angelopolis. Thankfully, Bernardo, Montero, and their three comachos are here to give us the next best thing: a slice of Puebla right in the heart of Dayton.
Ismael David Mujahid, Executive Editor
(Featured Image: Alfredo Montero and his wife Maria Bernardo are the proud owners of the Los 3 Camachos food truck. Photo Credit: Ismael David Mujahid)