Richard Sitts
Claudia Mora and Basilio Serrano have worked in the catering industry for more than 20 years and say that it is a great pleasure to run their own snack bar.
HHusband and wife Basilio Serrano and Claudia Mora make no secret of how happy and grateful they are to be serving hungry Redmond residents from their downtown back alley food stand in front of Kobold Brewing’s The Vault. Their 14-month-old business, El Imperio Mexican Food, received the most votes for Best New Food Stand in Redmond.
They are no strangers to the local restaurant scene, having lived in Central Oregon for 20 years. Before that, they worked in restaurants in California and Texas. They helped family members who had another downtown Mexican restaurant, Cinco Hermanos, which has since closed, after those relatives left Redmond to open restaurants in Texas, Kentucky and New York. Serrano also worked at The Pumphouse in Terrebonne for about 12 years.
Courtesy of El Imperio Facebook
Besides tacos, there’s a lot more to discover on El Imperio’s menu.
Serrano says it makes a big difference having his own business. “It’s more exciting being your own boss,” he adds. Mora nods in agreement. “There’s a lot more pressure too. Now you can call this your own home. It took us years to get to where we are now.”
Both say they find Central Oregonians “friendlier and nicer” than people in other places they’ve lived. They also like the weather and that there’s so much to do here. Their free time is limited, though, as they operate the food truck Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To get established, they were open seven days a week for the first seven months. They get help from Mora’s mother and sister on busy event days, but otherwise the operation is run by two people.
In addition to the tacos, the Queso Birria is a customer favorite. There is also the Agua Fresca, orange-pineapple or cucumber-lime, which are prepared fresh every day.
Serrano and Mora invite everyone to check out their extensive menu and express their gratitude to the Central Oregon community.
Reporter’s note: After our interview I was offered tacos but had to politely decline as I had to go to another interview. Since I had more interviews the next day I stopped by the food truck to try them. OMG! These tacos are amazing! THICK, freshly made corn tortillas wrapped in an incredible amount of meat, onions and cilantro with lime and delicious salsa. Two makes a complete meal but I was persuaded to try a third and went home very full and happy. No wonder they got the most votes.
Second place: Jonny’s Joint
El Imperio Mexican Food
Open: Tue.–Sat. 11am–9pm, Sun. 11am–8pm
245 SW Sixth St., Redmond
541-325-6415
