What's at stake:
Taco Truck Throwdown had another successful annual competition with big-name music headliners and lucha libre wrestling.
More than 10,000 people showed up to the 14th Taco Truck Throwdown, and it was a Saturday night to remember at Chukchansi Park.
The small kitchens inside more than 20 taco trucks were extra busy all night, keeping up with the long lines of people eager to have some of the best tacos in Fresno.
This year’s Taco Truck Throwdown winners weren’t new to the competition: the judges crowned Taco Pinto with their fourth title. The people crowned Tacos La Vaporera with their fourth title, too.
As always, the annual competition had more than just food: everything from refreshing aguas frescas to lucha libre wrestlers battling it out in the ring. This year’s throwdown also showed off a bunch of music artists, some of them big names.
Local DJs FYR, DJ Smiley and Sum Slight spun their mashups to popular songs, and local singer Mia Mei put on a show. That was before the headliners came up: including singer Connie and also the S.O.S Band — which first made their mark in ‘80s.
Later in the night, R&B artist Baby Bash performed some of his biggest hits, including “Suga Suga” and “Baby I’m Back.”
Bay Area rap and hip hop icon E-40 delivered some of his hits, too, including “Tell Me When To Go” and “Choices (yup).”
R&B Singer Baby Bash performed his hits Satruday night at Taco Truck Throwdown, including “Suga Suga” and “Baby I’m Back.” Gisselle Medina | Fresnoland 
Bay area rap and hip hop icon E-40 performed his hits at Taco Truck Throwdown, including “Tell Me When To Go” and “Choices (yup).” Omar Rashad | Fresnoland 
Abdul Ra-oof of The S.O.S. Band plays his trumpet — something he’s been doing for more than four decades, since before the band reached fame in the ’80s. Omar Rashad | Fresnoland 
Marleen Thimas and Kayla Cox of The S.O.S. Band sing their hearts out Saturday night at Taco Truck Throwdown. Gisselle Medina | Fresnoland
But before Baby Bash and E-40 came on stage, this year’s judge’s choice and people’s choice winners got announced. Fresnoland caught up with most of them Saturday night. Here’s what they had to say:
Taco Pinto
The judge’s choice Taco Truck Throwdown trophy will probably sit next to the other three that the Taco Pinto food truck has won since 2019.
Maritza Morfin told Fresnoland that she feels like Taco Pinto is a heavyweight at the annual competition with yet another great year at Taco Truck Throwdown. But most of all, what feels good is the support from the community, she said.
“It just feels like everyone’s supportive. We just have a lot of gratitude,” Maritza told Fresnoland.
When Luciano Morfin first came to Fresno more than a decade ago, he wasn’t impressed with the tacos in town. So he and his wife Maritza decided in 2019 to open up a food truck: Taco Pinto.
“I made tacos, but I made them for me first,” Luciano said.
That same year, Taco Pinto won its first trophy. They’ve been able to win the same title three more times since then.
This year, Taco Pinto won with their fish tacos. Luciano and Maritza said they leaned into seafood — something most taquerias don’t do. But they both said two things are more important than everything else: “Freshness and quality ingredients.”
Tacos La Vaporera
Diego Alvarado, along with his wife and four sons, took home the People’s Choice Award for their business, Tacos La Vaporera, with their signature dish, Cabeza al Vapor.
This marks their fourth People’s Choice win after missing last year’s event because Alvarado was catering a wedding.
“I’ve won four times now and I still can’t believe it—just grateful to God,” Alvarado said. “It’s awesome because it helps your business and lets people see what you do and what your food is all about.”
The winning dish, Cabeza al Vapor, is a steamed beef head taco that includes ox cheek, ox lip, and lengua.
“It’s something I sell that nobody else really does,” Alvarado explained. “You might find one or two places in the Valley that make it, but it’s my most popular item. Everything is cooked over steam—the meat and even the tortillas—so the tacos come out soft and flavorful, kind of like a wet taco or wet burrito.”
Tacos La Vaporera began about 10 years ago, in 2015, when Alvarado and his wife started selling tacos from a small cart.
“We’re just a small, family-owned business that started from nothing,” he said. “Everything we do, we do with heart. We grind every day—sometimes we don’t even take days off. To have people come out and support us, and to win something like this, it means the world to us.”
Pro Mix 559
For David and Isis Tapia, the husband-and-wife team behind ProMix 559 Micheladas, winning the Judge’s Choice Award is the result of eight years of hard work, family dedication, and community connection.
Based in Stockton, ProMix 559 started as a side venture while the couple ran their professional car audio business. The name “ProMix” actually comes from that first company, and the Michelada mix was born out of their car shows.
“We’d bring our mix to events, and people kept telling us, ‘You should sell this,’” Isis said.
What sets ProMix 559 apart, they said, is the freshness of their product. Unlike many Michelada mixes on store shelves, theirs is made with fresh juices and no preservatives.
Now, ProMix 559 supplies more than 60 stores in Fresno and continues to expand throughout the region. The Tapias said they focus on working with local, family-owned businesses, mainly mom-and-pop liquor stores, to keep their profits and relationships within the community.
The Tapias credit their success to the strong family support of their family, who help serve drinks, and the loyalty of their community. They said giving back is just as important, and they regularly donate to local organizations that make a difference, especially those serving children.
“Everyone in the family puts in work,” Isis said. “It feeds all of us, and we’re proud of that.”
Michelada Mix El Cejas
Jesus Hernandez took home the People’s Choice Award for the first time for his Michelada mix. His business, Michelada Mix El Cejas, which started in 2015 in Stockton, has been steadily growing ever since.
“I feel great. I’m excited,” Hernandez said. “We’ve participated in this event for many years, but this time was a little different. I brought my son with me for the first time and he came all the way from Stockton to help. Even before the results, I told him, ‘Even if we don’t win, I’ve already won just having you here.’”
He credited the achievement to a collective effort that included his distributor, a collaboration with Estrella Jalisco, and team members who helped run the booth. Support also poured in from Stockton, where friends and family voted online—along with his son, who eagerly encouraged people to “vote for my dad.”
“It’s not even about the trophy,” Hernandez said. “It’s about everything we’ve been through. Last year, we lost by just two votes. So this year, I told myself I’d prepare better—get my team right, stay disciplined, and trust that things align when they’re meant to. All glory to God. I wasn’t even going to come today because I got hurt at the gym, but I had a feeling we were going to win, so I showed up.”
Over the past five years, his business has expanded from local markets to big-box stores, including a debut at a Costco roadshow. Another roadshow is planned in Fresno, and 2026 is expected to be a milestone year with a full rebrand, the relaunch of his gummy line and an official sponsorship of Chukchansi Park.
Judge’s Choice
- Taco Pinto – Taco Truck – located on Shaw and West avenues.
- Papi’s Mex Grill – Salsa – two locations in Fresno and Madera
- Pro Mix 559 – Michelada – located in dozens of Fresno liquor stores
People’s Choice
- Tacos La Vaporera – Taco Truck – Visit Instagram for locations
- Chatita’s Salsita – Salsa – Visit Instagram for locations
- Michelada Mix El Cejas – Michelada – Visit Instagram for locations
