2021 Best Mexican Restaurant: Fiesta Mexican Restaurant & Catering

Isidro Ortiz helped his mother, Teresa Ortiz, fulfill her dream of owning her own Mexican restaurant, which happened in the Tri-Cities in 2001.

Isidro and his siblings came together and started the restaurant. Mom was the chef and the others worked as servers.

At that time, 80 percent of the staff consisted of immediate family members.

It was exciting.

“We giggled through our very first order,” said Ortiz on the restaurant’s website, “and celebrated ‘en grande’ when we opened our second restaurant.”

And now, the family has three restaurant locations, one in each of the Tri-Cities.

Today, customers enjoy the family feel on which the restaurant was built. Fresh guacamole is made table-side and there’s a fresh salsa bar with homemade tortillas, plus live music every Thursday through Sunday. And margaritas “as big as your head.”

“We have a very good, loyal staff that keeps that engine running,” says Isidro.

All of the recipes are Isidro’s mother’s from the small town the family came from in the state of Michoacán, Mexico.

This is the seventh consecutive year and eighth overall the restaurant has won this category.

1. Fiesta Mexican Restaurant & Catering

8524 W. Gage Blvd., Suite 130, Kennewick

509-586-4456

5210 N. Road 68, Suite L, Pasco

509-543-6884

2731 Queensgate Drive, Richland

509-219-0552

fiestarestaurant.com

2. Inca Mexican Restaurant

201 N. Edison Ave., Suite 248, Kennewick

509-735-6098

1813 Leslie Road, Richland

509-628-1070

incamexican.com

3. Chapala Mexican Restaurants

El Chapala - 107 E. Columbia Drive, Kennewick

509-582-7848

Chapala Express - 1028 Lee Blvd., Richland

509-943-6589

Chapala Express II - 7704 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick

509-820-3811

This story was originally published June 3, 2021 at 10:18 PM with the headline "2021 Best Mexican Restaurant: Fiesta Mexican Restaurant & Catering."