COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Don Guillo Puerto Rican Native Cuisine opened about a month ago at 2551 Delta Drive. From the outside, you’re wondering if you’re at the right place, but when you walk in, you feel like you’re at home, even if you’ve never been to Puerto Rico.

Scott Kilbury and I stopped into Don Guillo on Friday for a pre-work lunch. When we walked inside, the place was packed. There’s only a few community-style tables for dine-in customers to share.

The smell alone will make your mouth water. You walk up to the counter to order, where you can see four or five people, including Chef Guillo himself, cooking up authentic Puerto Rican food in the kitchen.

Scott ordered the Carne Frita, which is fried pork seasoned with grilled onions and mojo, with a side of Mofongo, or fried green plantain mashed with garlic, stock, butter, and adobo for $11. The crispy edges of the pork literally melt in your mouth, and the flavor of the Mofongo is like grandma’s mashed potatoes with delicious island vibes.

Carne Frita with Mofongo

It’s mashed right back in the kitchen the same it’s done in Puerto Rico, with giant, wooden mortar and pestles.

I ordered the Tripletas Don Guillo, which is an enormous three meat sandwich. It comes with pork, chicken, and ham packed inside a pillowy bun, slathered with a mayo/ketchup mix, and topped with potato stix all for only $8. Each meat is cooked to perfection, overflowing the bread with the tanginess of the mayo-chup, and the added crunch of the potato stix makes for the perfect bite.

Tripletas Don Guillo

Chef Guillo Beachamp came out to the dining room and chatted with Scott and me during our meal. He told us he moved to Colorado Springs about three years ago after spending time in Miami. Chef Guillo worked in several high-end kitchens across the Springs, including The Antlers Hotel and Cheyenne Mountain Resort.

Chef Guillo says the Tripletas Don Guillo is an original sandwich that got its start after he sold them from his car on weekends. He tells us he would sell hundreds in a very short amount of time, and we can see why.

For a tasty trip to Puerto Rico, stop in to Don Guillo and tell them FOX21 sent you.