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Karen Rasmussen, owner of Taco Trio, stands in the under-renovation kitchen at the popular Mexican restaurant’s former location, to which the staff will return in January. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald SOUTH PORTLAND — Taco Trio, a popular traditional Mexican restaurant in the city’s Knightville neighborhood, will return in January to its original location on the rotary at Ocean and E streets. The move two blocks down Ocean Street will realize the wishes of founder Manuel “Manny” Peña Cerrito, who died in October at age 60 following a 10-year battle with metastatic prostate cancer.
It also will fulfill more recent efforts by his wife and business partner, Karen Rasmussen, to preserve his legacy as a dedicated restaurateur and community member who loved his adopted Maine home. The late Manuel “Manny” Peña Cerrito prepares mangos for Willard Fest 2018, a celebration in one of South Portland’s waterfront neighborhoods. Photo by Karen Rasmussen A year ago, the couple sold the building at 60 Ocean St.
, where Taco Trio has been located since May 2021, and set their sights on renovating and moving back to its smaller previous storefront spot at 119 Ocean St. “It just never felt like Taco Trio,” Rasmussen said of 60 Ocean St. “It always felt like what that space was meant to be – a pub or a nightclub.
And we just missed our old place.” Cerrito and Rasmussen purchased 60 Ocean St. from the builder, Ginger Cote, who had developed the property to be a restaurant, pub and music venue with six apartments upstairs.
It’s the former site of The Griffin Club, a longtime favorite watering hole that closed in 2017 . The pandemic hit less than two months after Cote opened Big Babe’s Tavern in January 2020, forcing her to shut down at a critical time. The financial challenges that followed led her to sell the modern, two-story property.
Workers are renovating Taco Trio’s former location in the Knightville neighborhood of South Portland. The popular Mexican restaurant will be moving back to its original spot in January. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald Although Cerrito and Rasmussen initially saw potential for growth at 60 Ocean St.
, it soon became clear that the modern, two-story property wasn’t well suited for the traditional Mexican street food served at T3, their nickname for Taco Trio. “It was more (space) than we needed and it wasn’t designed for our needs,” Rasmussen said. “The prep kitchen was in the basement.
It wasn’t designed for a restaurant that does everything from scratch. But mostly he and I just wanted to be small again and be back here.” MEETING A NEED Cerrito, who left Mexico in 1988, met Rasmussen in 2006, when she was doing a two-year, post-doctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for board certification in clinical genetics.
She frequented his food truck and mutual friends encouraged them to get together. Now 63, she works half-time as a geneticist with South Portland-based Spectrum Healthcare Partners. Brian Garcia carries a bucket of concrete while helping to renovate Taco Trio’s former location.
The popular Mexican restaurant will soon be moving back to its original spot. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald The couple moved to Portland in 2007 and together began renovating and managing rental properties. He saw a need for traditional Mexican food in Greater Portland, but the food truck scene had yet to develop here.
So they opened Taco Trio at 119 Ocean St. in 2011 and later purchased the property. The late Manuel “Manny” Peña Cerrito and his wife, Karen Rasmussen, on a rare vacation in Hungary in 2018.
Photo courtesy of Karen Rasmussen Plans to expand Taco Trio to locations in Portland and Saco were scuttled when Cerrito was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2014. He fought the disease bravely through surgeries, chemotherapy and clinical trials that often took them to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. The last trial didn’t take.
“He just got so sick so fast,” she said. In September, a Food & Wine article said Knightville is “Maine’s next big dining destination,” with a growing number of bakeries, craft brewers and restaurants. “When we opened here, there wasn’t much else for restaurants,” said Rasmussen, who lives in the neighborhood and still owns several apartment buildings there.
“Now, there are lots of places.” LESS SEATING, EXPANDED HOURS The building at 60 Ocean St. is currently on the market for $3.
4 million and the restaurant space is available for lease at $120,000 annually, according to Moody’s listings by Thomas Gadbois, an agent with F.O. Bailey Real Estate.
Rasmussen said rental costs didn’t play a role in the decision to move Taco Trio, but operating rent-free at 119 Ocean St. will help trim costs overall. So will reducing seating from more than 70 to 24, including several stools at a new white-tiled bar that’s been installed, plus some outdoor seating.
Roberto Mendoza saws a piece of wood while renovating Taco Trio’s former location. The popular Mexican restaurant will soon be moving back to its original spot. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald Despite a smaller footprint, hours at the original location will be expanded, so Rasmussen intends to retain the current staff, which is 80% Hispanic, she said.
The menu will remain the same – tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, sopes and tamales filled with chicken, pork, beef or vegetables. The margarita selection and challenging-to-choose-from salsa bar also will continue. In the future she may try regional specials.
“Some people will be disappointed that (the original location) is smaller,” she said, “but we hope most of our customers will be happy.” Her husband definitely would be pleased. “He’d be really excited that it’s finally happening after two years of talking about it,” she said.
“He loved this place. He loved Knightville.” We invite you to add your comments.
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