Every morning, long before the Texas sun reaches its blistering afternoon heat, the Reyes family gets to work—not in the restaurant they spent years building, but in a food truck parked outside the shell of what was once one of Cleveland’s favorite gathering places.
It has been months since a devastating fire destroyed Reyes Mexican Grill, located at 810 N. Washington Ave., yet the family continues to do what they have always done: show up, fire up the grill and serve the community.
The restaurant may be gone for now, but its heart never left.
Operating out of a food truck was never part of the plan. Yet it has become the family’s lifeline while construction continues on the new restaurant. Through scorching Texas summer days, with temperatures climbing into the triple digits, the Reyes family and their staff have worked in the cramped quarters of the mobile kitchen to keep serving their customers.
For owner Erlin Reyes, giving up was never an option. The decision to continue operating was not just about preserving a business. It was also about preserving livelihoods.
Behind every order of tacos, enchiladas and fajitas is an employee who depends on a paycheck to support a family. Rather than closing indefinitely and leaving his team without work, Reyes chose to keep the business going one meal at a time until the restaurant is ready to reopen.
The rebuilding process has taken far longer than anyone expected. Construction delays and the many challenges that follow a major fire have tested the family’s patience. What many hoped would be a short interruption has turned into months of uncertainty.
Still, each day the Reyes family returns. Customers have continued to return, too. They line up at the food truck, eat under the tent and continue supporting a business that has been part of Cleveland for years.
Local businesses, friends and neighbors have also offered support, encouragement, prayers and donations. Many customers return week after week, not only because they enjoy the food, but because they want to see the Reyes family succeed.
That support has helped the family through a difficult rebuilding process. The building may have been lost in the fire, but much of what made Reyes Mexican Grill special survived—the people, the food and the relationships built over the years.
Employees continued showing up for work. Customers continued waiting in the Texas heat for their favorite meals. Friends and neighbors continued checking on the family and offering encouragement. The fire could not erase the years of memories made there or the relationships built around its tables.
Until the restaurant is rebuilt, the Reyes family will keep doing what they have done for months—showing up, serving Cleveland and looking forward to the day they can welcome customers through their doors again.
As we are just one of many families that enjoy the great food, We also enjoy being able to enjoy the family and having Erlin out talking to people and making sure what you got is what you ordered and how you ordered it. At least the people waiting on you are always the same and you don’t have to get an interpeter to order because of the employee turnover. Great people, great family and fantastic food with enough to take home.