Mexican food on an Indian Reservation in Eastern Washington

In my 10 hour out and back to check out my 2019 Chenin today, I grabbed takeout from a new to me restaurant on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation in Toppenish, WA. Both vineyard manager Patrick Rawn and Syncline winemaker James Mantone have recommended Los 3 Panchos to me so I figured it was worth a pit stop. I mean, these guys know what they’re talking about.

This place is so authentic they spell Toppenish wrong

Independently these guys both told me to get the whole chicken (pollo entero). As I walked up to the plywood doored, hand lettered CASH ONLY sign, I passed by the grill. Segments of cherry trees? apple trees? aromatic hardwood were piled next to the big open grill with orange embers still smoking. Good sign, right?

The interior of the shack has photos of Pancho Villa and a framed lenticular print of Jesus with an actual rosary draped over the frame. The menu includes snout and pork stomach. It’s too authentic for my dad, OK? But there is an old tortilla machine and they sell delicious smoky roast chickens, with rice and beans with a bunch of fresh corn tortillas for $18.

I drove around with this lovely smell in my car for the next 5 hours, after which time I had to stop by the winery to process my vineyard samples, check in with my lab intern and touch base with the Baer crew. When I finally got home, I zapped the bejesus out of the chicken in my microwave (you can take the food science grad outta Davis …) and fired up my cast iron to toast up some of these fresh tortillas to make some delish chicken tacos. en serio. Doctored with a couple squeezes of Aardvark hot sauce. Que rico.

Los 3 Panchos

998 W 1st Ave
Toppenish, WA 98948