Out to Lunch with Payton: Ashland's best Mexican food truck

Sep 4

Hello again, foodies!

Last month I got to try the comforting soulful flavors of Around the Table, now the winner of the 2025 BLK RVA Rising Community Impact Award. This week, I got to sink my teeth into mouth-watering Mexican dishes from Los Regios Tienda Latina in Ashland.

Teresa Lopez De Ocanas, owner of Los Regios Tienda Latina, moved to the United States from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico 22 years ago. Monterrey is in the northern part of Mexico, about three hours from the border. “Regios” in the name of her business is in honor of a Spanish term to describe a person from Monterrey.

De Ocanas and her husband moved to the U.S. 22 years ago and opened the store side of Los Regios Tienda Latina on April 8, 2022.

“[The United States] is a totally different world, but I love it,” said De Ocanas.

Da Ocanas had previously lived in Chesterfield, Va., but the family moved to The Town of Ashland in 2010.

“I love this town. I love Chesterfield too, but when I moved to Ashland, it’s like a little town, and I think all of us know each other,” said De Ocanas. “We can see each other at the school, some of the events that we have around [here], so I love that feeling.”

De Ocanas has exemplified a strong love for her home, wherever she goes, as her business logo even includes pieces of each place she’s called home, such as the mountains of Monterrey, Nuevo León, a heart for “Virginia is for lovers” and images from Hanover and Ashland.

What began as a party store concept blossomed into a hub for culture and community. After opening in 2022, De Ocanas gathered feedback for what her customers were looking for, which often included different food, groceries, candy and other products from across Mexico and South America that brought comfort and familiarity.

“I was like, ‘No, you guys have the other Latino stores,’” said De Ocanas. “They were like, ‘No, they don’t have a lot of stuff,’ So, that’s how we started adding stuff.”

On top of groceries, candy and convenience store products, the storefront now also offers pastries and, of course, their well-loved food truck.

The truck started as just tacos until people continued to ask for more dishes that they were not able to get anywhere else.

The food truck now also features dishes like gorditas, tamales, tortas, quesadillas, pupusas, burritos and more.

Given that both sides of their families love to cook, the De Ocanas worked to curate their food truck menu from their own recipes that had been passed down through generations.

“In every part of the recipe, we have our parents there,” said De Ocanas.

According to De Ocanas, their style of cooking reflects the way that dishes are prepared regionally in Monterrey.

“A lot of people say that we still keep the flavor [authentic], you know, we’re not Tex-Mex,” said De Ocanas. “That’s something that a lot of the clients who come say, ‘Oh my god, please don’t change the flavor of the meats,’ and everything. You know most of the restaurants, sometimes, are like the same now. I love that it’s different.”

De Ocanas has shown a lot of compassion for people and has worked to be a beacon of support for those around her and her neighbors.

“I have six different girls who are from Town, all of us are living here in Ashland, so I really enjoy having the opportunity to create employment for people who live here.”

It’s clear how De Ocanas values her community, not only making the effort to listen to her clients’ wants and providing them food with authentic flavors of home, but in her service work within the community as well.

“My other company, I have a YouTube channel where I help the Spanish community,” said De Ocanas. “It’s a lot of different information that I think sometimes for us, or if you’re from here, you see it as a normal lifestyle or whatever you need to do daily; but for people who migrate here, sometimes they don’t even know what to do, where to go, maybe there’s a language barrier and they need some help.”

De Ocanas has worked to translate important government documents and has provided accessible information and guidance for individuals who are trying to get established in the United States and may not know what steps to take.

“I’m like a bridge, I’m connecting people who are in need, with people who are able to help,” said De Ocanas. “Every day I work thinking on what we can do best for our community and here we are.”

The review highlights

Tacos: The tacos come with a large variety of meats to choose from that all have extremely flavorful marinades that make every bite pop. My favorite meat options for the tacos were the tacos de lengua and tacos al pastor. The beef from the lengua is super juicy and the pork from the al pastor has a bright and almost citrusy marinade that created an impactful flavor. All the tacos come with chopped onions and cilantro that adds a crisp balance.

Steak quesadilla: The quesadilla left me speechless. The beef is extremely tender and melts in your mouth almost like the melty cheese that it is paired with. The quesadilla was also very big for an excellent price.

Pupusas: The pupusas also come with different flavor options. My favorite of the selection was the pupusas de chicharron. These pork-filled pupusas had a slightly crispy outside and a pillowy, doughy inside. The dish comes with salsa roja and curtido, a cabbage slaw, that gave the dish a refreshing crunch and boost of flavor.

Overall, I highly recommend visiting my new neighborhood favorite food spot, Los Regios Tienda Latina. This small food truck and store has not only brought the best Mexican food I’ve ever had to Ashland but has provided a space to support one another as family, friends and neighbors alike.

Los Regios Tienda Latinacan be found at 109 S. Washington Highway Ashland, VA. For more information, visit theirwebsiteor Facebook