Hunt no more for your next authentic meal
The lack of quality Mexican food in Boulder’s otherwise thriving restaurant scene is surprising as well as frustrating. One needn’t worry one second more.
Tucked away on 30th and Valmont is a small yet colorful restaurant called Taqueria y Tortilleria El Rey. You won’t miss it, as the windows are cluttered with flamboyant paintings and words advertising their food. And apparently it works.
According to Maria Murillo, an employee at Taqueria El Rey and a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, the restaurant has been up and running for four years.
Why isn’t the eatery located closer to downtown? The answer is plain and simple: it would probably fail. Downtown Boulder has become a hub for the hip, a spotlight for the trendy. If you look on Pearl St. for Mexican food, all you’ll find is a handful of restaurants with tacos on their menu and Latin music playing in their dining rooms.
These fashionable restaurants, while tasty and innovative, are mere replicas of food from our Southern neighbor. Unfortunately, they aren’t genuine. Real Mexican food is honest and unpretentious; it doesn’t come in doll-sized portions or involve anything “infused.” With authenticity in mind, the chefs at Taqueria El Rey have created wholesome food that’s fit to satisfy any set of taste buds.
Murrillo said Taqueria El Rey attracts a fairly diverse crowd.
“There is an even mix of old people and young people,” Murillo said.
The menu offers a wide variety of authentic foods. From tacos to enchiladas to carnitas plates, each dish imparts Mexican flavor that is as close to authentic you’ll find in Boulder.
“It’s easy to get unique ingredients in Boulder now, like cactus and Mexican cheese,” said Betty Cormaine, owner of Casa Alvarez, another local Mexican restaurant that boasts authenticity. “Five years ago this wasn’t so easy.”
Since Colorado is in the middle of the country, it can be a challenge to create the same flavors found in the heart of Mexico. But with Boulder’s increase in demand for unique and cultural foods, specialty ingredients are becoming more and more available.
Perhaps this is a factor that has contributed to Taqueria El Rey’s recent success.
“Good Mexican food is creative; it has diversity in its flavor,” said Garret Naughton, a recent CU graduate.
If there’s anyone who knows this more, it’s the chefs at Taqueria El Rey. According to Murillo, they are all from Mexico, as are the owner and employees.
In addition to excellent food, customers are treated with excellent service. It’s down-to-earth and friendly, without an ounce of pretense. The prices are also reasonable. Almost everything on the menu is under $11, and portions are hearty as well.
You haven’t eaten Mexican food in Boulder until you’ve been to this quaint taqueria. Pay a visit, and you’ll wonder if you are, in fact, south of the border.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Lauren Duncan at lauren.duncan@colorado.edu.
