SAY “BETO’S” AND MOST LOCALS KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT. To those outside the circle, Beto’s Mexican Food is where you go for an authentic taste of Mexico.

The taqueria’s healthy following grew through word-of-mouth. Then came official recognition: Sunset Magazine named it best taqueria in Reno in March of 2000, and it often wins annual Best of Reno surveys.

The place is busy almost any time of day. The breakfast crowd stops by for huevos rancheros, chorizo and eggs, menudo — or just ham and eggs. Breakfast business slips briskly into lunch. Owing to its proximity to the university, students were among the first to discover Beto’s.

“Now everybody comes here — even the FBI,” says manager Lorena Hurtado. Like everyone else, the FBI’s search here isn’t for clues, but good food. And they find it with a menu as straightforward as a shot of tequila. (Not to mislead: alcohol drinks sold are beer, pina coladas, and margaritas.)

Some swear by the burritos, but others rave about tacos and sopes (masa dough holding a filling, cooked on a hot griddle).

Filling choices for the tacos, burritos, and sopes are authentically Mexican, in particular carne asada (grilled beef), al pastor (spicy pork), lengua (tongue), and tripas (tripe). Add seafood dishes, such as camarones a la diablo (spicy shrimp) and oysters on the half shell, or fajitas, carnitas, tostadas, and posole, plus daily specials, and you face mighty decisions.

The mind — and heart — behind Beto’s is owner Rosalba De La Torre, who opened her restaurant nine years ago. She came to Reno from Los Angeles in 1996 with her two daughters.

“She worked here for two years, all day, 14 to 16 hours, seven days a week. She was the only cook,” daughter Lorena said.

Lorena and her sister also worked with their mother during vacations and after school. Now look at Beto’s. It has an eight-person kitchen staff, including two cooks, two prep cooks, and one person responsible for handling oyster orders. Rosalba is out of the kitchen and has handed the responsibility of the restaurant to Lorena.

“My mom didn’t know how to cook when she got married,” said Lorena, who has huge brown eyes and a Hilary Swank smile. “Now she says she knows how to cook more than she should.”

BETO’S MEXICAN FOOD 575 W. Fifth St., 324-0632 Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Sandra Macias is an incurable foodie and former food editor at the Reno Gazette-Journal.