Chef Beto Reyes carved out a name for himself in Colorado Springs as the executive chef at Milagro’s Cocina Mexicana, but his introduction to the culinary world goes back much farther into his childhood. Today, Chef Beto is integrating years of experience in the Chicago restaurant scene with family recipes passed down by an impressive lineage of cooks and an affinity for multicultural influences, and he is distinguishing his own creative, flavorful brand of Mexican food at downtown taqueria Eleven18.
“I wanted to create a unique menu that no one else was doing,” Reyes says. “It was an easy decision to move to Colorado, and I was very excited to bring that concept to life.”
Reyes is outspoken about his commitment to sourcing premium ingredients and reimagining authentic Mexican, and you can taste the care and consideration that goes into his handcrafted plates. Since it opened in December 2023, Eleven18 focuses on seasonal dishes, robust tacos featuring slow-braised proteins and a masterful sauce game, featured in his exemplary 30-plus ingredient mole wings. Don’t miss traditional sides too, especially the esquites (a Mexican street corn) and just-like-your-abuela-made-them frijoles charros.
“Operating my own chef-driven, from-scratch restaurant is important to me because I love what I do, and I love the industry,” says Reyes. “I am very passionate about the kitchen, and everything on my menu takes time and takes patience.”
Chef Reyes ensures that his food is a departure from what most people are used to, offering an eat-with-your-eyes-first experience through well presented plates with a reasonable price tag.
“To create my menu I had two thoughts, comfort and quality,” Reyes says. “A place where you could come and enjoy good quality food without it costing an arm and a leg. I grew up making dinner with whatever we had available in the fridge, and I think that helped me a lot. Being able to build dishes from the simplest ingredients, from different cuisines to create depth and different flavors.”
Reyes’ food encourages guests to venture out — he calls his popular Poblano Pappardelle “a cross between a Cajun pasta and mom’s green spaghetti.” For a more traditional order, the carnitas are a must. They highlight “a genuine Michoacan recipe” that Reyes’ grandfather made for the Mexican president in Michoacán and his dad and godfather prepared at the Chicago Firehouse restaurant for President George W. Bush.
“They put on quite a spread for him, but I’m pretty sure the family carnitas stole the show,” beams Reyes.
Although tacos might lure patrons in as the main attraction, Eleven18 differentiates itself from other taquerias in the city because it pushes the envelope of what Mexican food can really be. Reyes clearly has a good foundation that has been passed down from generation to generation, but he isn’t afraid of taking risks and executing his fusion techniques as a way to diversify and amplify his special blend of South of the Border cooking.
“One thing I learned about my culture is that you get taught recipes and you don’t change them because you will be told you are doing them wrong,” says Reyes. “I may make some people uncomfortable or even unhappy in the sense that it’s not what they’re used to, but my years of culinary experience and working with many great chefs has allowed me to substitute ingredients in traditional Mexican recipes with ingredients from Italian, French or even Japanese cuisines.”
Reyes attributes his work ethic and adventurous nature in the kitchen to lots of invaluable lessons bestowed upon him by brilliant culinarians, but he also notes the way he runs his restaurant is a major post-COVID leap forward, toward progressive restaurant culture.
“I think the industry after the pandemic has changed so much that our styles as chefs have had to adapt,” he explains. “I’ve created an open door policy with my staff so they know, yes, we can have fun and enjoy what we are doing, but when the dinner rush hits we must be ready to go and be focused.”
Whether you’re jonesing for crossover cuisine like you’ve never had before or a la carte tacos, Eleven18 is articulating a distinguished mashup of craft food that sets it apart from other Colorado Springs destinations.
“My hope is for people to come here and be able to taste the quality in the food,” says Reyes. “Even if it’s just tacos, they are really good freaking tacos with small details that bring out different flavors and our own style.”
To Check Out Eleven18
If you’re wondering where the name comes from, Nov. 18 is the birthday of Reyes’ twins. Find Eleven18 in the space formerly known as Folklore and Lucky Dumpling at 26 S. Wahsatch Ave. It’s now open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner 5-10 p.m.
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