Tacos Super Tonaya lays down the pastor gauntlet

not just tonaya—super tonaya

Located at 1456 Mangrove Avenue, Tacos Super Tonaya (TST) might be one of Chico’s best hidden gems. I discovered the taco truck in 2015 and have been visiting weekly ever since. With how busy they are each day, I considered myself lucky to get a few minutes with the family to find out more about the truck I had come to love so dearly.

Owner Jose Quintero moved to Chico in 1999 to work with his brother who owned the Tacos Tonaya truck on Nord Avenue, which has since moved to a brick and mortar location. After a few years, he began working in the local agriculture industry, but he continued dreaming of being an entrepreneur someday. In 2014, Jose and his wife, Ana, decided to make their dream a reality, and started Tacos Super Tonaya at its current location on Mangrove.

TST, as my friends and I call it, has been a family operation since day one, with all five of Jose and Ana’s kids working on the truck over the years, giving their parents a much needed break from the long hours it takes to have a successful operation.

Tacos Super Tonaya’s menu offers something for just about everybody, including enchilada plates, sopes, breakfast burritos, California burritos, tortas, and tacos. Each has numerous meat options available including Jose’s famous birria recipe, which he’s been perfecting for many years. The queso birria tacos are always a crowd pleaser. If you like hot and flavorful, make sure to ask for the extra hot salsa. My go-to is pairing it with some of their amazing pastor on perfectly grilled corn tortillas.

The pride the family puts into making everything is beyond refreshing, from the second they greet you with a hello and smiling face, to the preparation, quality, and delivery. They truly want to make every customer happy and will accommodate special requests—they’re even willing to try new suggestions. Recently, TST started serving keto tacos; they aren’t listed on the menu as of yet, but all you have to do is ask. Pushing the envelope to try new things is how the family thanks Chico and their customers for all their support over the years.

TST is open 6 days each week from 10:30AM - 8PM, and it’s unlikely you won’t see a line of patrons. Being busy at their Mangrove location and also offering catering services meant only one thing to Jose and Ana—it was time to purchase a second truck. Now with two trucks, customers won’t find themselves brokenhearted seeing the spot empty while the couple is off serving some other lucky souls their tasty fare.

If you are interested in catering for an event or just need your taco fix, I’d highly recommend visiting this amazing family and trying their delicious menu. You can find them at 1456 Mangrove Avenue in Chico, visit them on Instagram at @tacos_super_ tonaya, or contact Jose at (530) 519-2212.