Tres Amigos, owned by Janet Hamill and her husband David Betancourt, concentrates on providing delicious recipes while offering quality prices that allow guests to return as often as they would like.
Our biggest thing is we concentrate on freshness," says David Janisch, manager of the Ooltewah location. "We prepare things as freshly as we can."
Tex-Mex favorites such as quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas and nachos are always available and are made from scratch. Vegetarian recipes are also available, like the Polocingo quesadilla brimming with melted cheese, fresh spinach, sautéed mushrooms and onions. For dieters, the menu is full of options such as the low-carb Ensalada Fresca filled with fresh lettuce and topped with grilled chicken, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, two slices of avocado and shredded white cheese.
At Tres Amigos guests can save and enjoy special deals five days a week. There is a different food, drink and beer special every day.
Every Monday is 75-cent taco day, and Tuesday is date night with $2 margaritas (Ooltewah location) and 27-ounce draft beers. Wednesday is vegetarian day, when $1 off all vegetarian meals is offered and a few special vegetarian recipes are added to the menu. Every Saturday and Sunday, guests who bring in a church bulletin receive a 10-percent discount on their meal. No matter what the day, Southern Adventist University students also receive a 10-percent discount at the Ooltewah location.
To support the communities of Ooltewah and Ringgold, Tres Amigos, which has locations in both areas, often sponsors local sports teams and helps out with fundraisers for small organizations by providing gift cards when possible. The restaurant is a perfect place for sports teams simply looking to beat hunger. Entire teams often gather at Tres Amigos after a game to eat, as there is space for everyone and the food is prepared quickly, says Janisch.
"We have enough room we can have large groups come in," he says. "On Sundays we have groups of 35 coming in with no wait. We are so quick we can get food to the table within a good amount of time."
Those who prefer to eat at the game don't have to relegate themselves to a concession stand meal. Tres Amigos offers several packages to make it easy for groups to take their meal to a game. The tailgate packages available include a $55 Fajita Pack with five fajita platters of chicken or steak, one large queso dip, two large salsas, 2 gallons of tea and 20 flour tortillas, which feeds 15-20 people. The $25 Taco Pack is a perfect family meal to feed four to six people and includes 10 tacos, one large queso dip, one large salsa, two large bags of chips and 1 gallon of tea. The $35 Nachos Pack is extremely popular on game days, as it's perfect to share with 10-15 football party guests. It is served with nachos and toppings, including 1 pound of shredded chicken, 1 pound of ground beef, two large queso dips, one large salsa and 1 gallon of tea.
To-go orders are always welcome at Tres Amigos and fast, fresh food is always guaranteed, Janisch notes. Each order comes with a bag of chips and a cup of salsa.
Tres Amigos offers a Frequent Dining Rewards card for guests. With the card, any guest receives a stamp after spending $20 at the restaurant. After earning 10 stamps, the diner can present their card and will be given $20 off their next ticket.
"We have a lot of people who save them and when they get a bunch they bring a big group in," Janisch says. "We have a lady who comes in and says she's going to give it to her grandkids for Christmas."
Traditional gift cards are also available and make perfect stocking stuffers and gifts for co-workers, he adds.
LOCATION: 4793 Battlefield Parkway and 9219 Lee Highway.
PHONE: The Ringgold location at 706-866-3311 and Ooltewah at 521-7711.
HOURS: Seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
NICE TO KNOW: Watch for Tres Amigos at the Christmas parade at Hamilton Place Mall.