Review of Taqueria Morenita

For the past 25 years or so that I've lived in Roseville, Taqueria Morenita, formerly known as Morenita Market and Taqueria has been one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Placer County, thanks to delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine, and friendly service.

As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.

Photo: It's just before noon on Saturday, December 16, 2023, and after enjoying the holiday parade, I'm in the mood to enjoy a delicious bowl of menudo on this chilly Saturday morning in late December. I'd just had the pleasure to enjoy the 62nd Annual Sylvia Besana Holiday Parade, in downtown Roseville, CA, and I decided to pass on a hot dog at the parade, and enjoy a bowl of menudo at Taqueria Morenita.

Photo: Weekends are a busy time for this fine restaurant, as Roseville locals who appreciate authentic Mexican cuisine line up to place their orders. Taqueria Morenita is the most authentic Mexican restaurant that I've visited during my "foodie" adventures in western Placer County. You get a peek into the kitchen through the door to the left of the line.

Photo: Friendly Maria was a busy lady, as she took orders, rang them up and waited tables.

Taqueria Morenita operates on what I refer to as the "taqueria format," in that you walk up to the order counter, make your selection from the menu posted on the wall, pay for your order, and seat at any open table of your choice. When your order is ready, it will be brought to you by a friendly staff member, sometimes even Pancho, the talented head chef. There is a tip jar on the counter, as tips are greatly appreciated, but not expected.

Photo: These two gentlemen were sitting at the bar, and were enjoying their meal, along with rounds of beer, which fueled their happy laughter. Chef Pancho emerged from the kitchen to serve them another round of beer from the cooler. Good times!

Photo: Maria placed an order of menudo on the bar for one of the gentleman. Menudo seemed to be a very popular selection today, as most everybody in the dining room was enjoying an lunch of menudo. Menudo is a favorite dish of northern Mexico and is said to be a cure for a hangover. I grew up in California's San Joaquin Valley, and I've been enjoying menudo since I was a kid.

Photo: I took a peek into the kitchen so I could watch that talented staff hard at work. Chef Pancho must be making a "Super Burrito" from the breakfast menu, as look at the size of his flour tortilla. The sous chef is making green salsa from scratch, and placing it into small serving cups.

Photo: Chef Pancho brought a bowl of corn tortilla chips, along with a small cup of in-house-made salsa, and a Pacifico beer for dessert. A bowl of chips and salsa is included with all meals, and if you're in the mood for a second bowl, just ask, as it's on the house.

Photo: Meet Maria, my amazingly friendly hostess, who brought my bowl of menudo to the table with a smile. Two minutes later, she brought out the tortillas, cilantro, onion, lime, oregano and red chli pepper flakes. My order arrived about 10 minutes after I stat down, and I'd only just started on my chips!

Photo: I'm a happy guy, as I "salute" Taqueria Morenita with my Pacifico beer, which served both as appetizer and dessert.

Photo: From the "Weekend" section of the menu, I went with a bowl of menudo, which worked out perfectly after attending the parade in nearby downtown Roseville. Menudo and pozole, both favorites of northern Mexico are only served on weekends, unless you're lucky enough to arrive on a Monday morning when there is some left over from the weekend. Four toasted corn tortillas, a bowl of lime wedges, chopped chilantro, diced white onion, along with a shaker of Mexican orgegano and red chili pepper flakes arrived after my bowl of soup for enhancement. I squeezed lime juice into my bowl of menudo, and added the cliantro, onion and sprinkled a bit of oregano into my soup, but I passed on the chili pepper flakes. The Pacifico beer served double duty - for both appetizer and dessert - and I didn't even touch the bottle of supermarket grade Tapatio hot sauce.

Every amazing soup or stew begines with a good broth, as broth is the foundation of soup, and menudo isn't an exception. The broth was simply delicious, as I could tell it was made from scratch, most likely using beef bones and scraps for the stock. Thanks the the chili peppers in the broth, the broth was a rich, brick red, flavorful, tastey, with just a little bit of "kick," and on the thick side, the way a superior broth for menudo should be. Words can't describe how wonderful this broth was...

Taqueria Morenita doesn't skimp on tripe, as the stew included a generous portion - maybe even a pound - of succulent, tender, well-seasoned and juicy tripe, cut to the perfect size, and cooked just right. When I placed my order, I was asked if I wanted hominy - that's a nice touch - of course I wanted hominy, and I wasn't disappointed, as my bowl of menudo included a good helping or Mexican hominy, cooked just right.

On my first spoonful of this amazing stew, I was simply hooked, as I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, or maybe a small town in northern Mexico. The broth, the tripe and the hominy all worked together to create a bowl of menudo to remember... as one of the most delicious bowls of menudo I've enjoyed during my 25 years as a resident of Placer County.

Photo: My bowl of menudo, complete with chopped cilantro, diced onion, squeezed lime juice, and a toasted corn tortilla for dipping.

Just a couple of weeks ago, on Tuesday, December 05, I enjoyed an amazing breakfast at Taqueria Morenita, after a long hiatus...

For some reason, or reasons - maybe I've just been too busy - it has been FOUR YEARS since I've paid a visit to Morenita Market and Taqueria, located on Douglas Blvd. in Roseville, CA. I got up this beautiful Tuesday morning in December, and decided to do the right thing... and I paid a visit to Morenita Market and Taqueria, to enjoy an outstanding brunch of authentic Mexican cuisine.

On the other hand, I walked into a new, completely re-vamped restaurant under new ownership... Taqueria Morenita.

Since my last visit, a little over four years ago, the restaurant has been sold, and has been under new ownership for the last two years. The name of the restaurant has changed to Taqueria Morenita, as the market is completely gone, and it's now a restaurant. The old signage still reflects the "market and taqueria" the restaurant was until the current owners took charge, and removed the market section completely. With the exception of the current Christmas decorations, the exterior of the restaurant hasn't changed over the years...

Photo: I walked in to a completely renovated and remodeled restaurant, with not a bit of "market" to be seen, as it was all restaurant. I recognized the menu and many of the tables, but the large drink coolers were gone, the floor was completely tiled, all groceries were gone, and the room was painted a bright pink-orange. The new owners have completed a major overhaul. It's just after the 10:00 morning time on Tuesday, December 05, 2023, and I'm in the mood to enjoy a great Mexican breakfast.

Photo: As you enter the restaurant, look to your left, as there is now a bar, where racks of groceries and a checkout counter once stood. All alcohol, which is only beer, is now in a cooler, behind the bar, and there is only a fraction as much beer stocked as there was during the previous owners. The new owner, Manny, told me he's trying to make the restaurant more "family friendly."

Photo: Meet super friendly Manny, who brought a cold Corona beer to me with a smile. He along with his wife have owned the restaurant for the past two years and have made many changes. I wish them well in their endeavour!

Photo: The menu is posted above the order counter, and with the exception of the prices, is virtually identical to the menu offered by the previous owners. The restaurant now has online presence, which can be seen at the end of this article.

Taqueria Morenia operates in what I call the "taqueria format," as you make your choice from the menu, pay for it at the counter, take your seat anywhere you choose, and when your order is ready, it will be brought to you. In the case of this fine restaurant, your order will be brought to you with a smile.

Photo: I took a peek into the kitchen and caught a view of talented chef Pancho hard at work, grilling my delicious breakfast on the griddle.

Photo: Meet friendly Demi, co-owner of the restaurant, who brought my basket of chips, along with a cup of salsa to me with a smile.

Photo: My appetizer of a Corona beer, along with a cup of salsa and a basket of corn tortilla chips. Such a great way to get breakfast started!

The corn tortilla chips were nothing special, as they were simply corn tortilla chips, warm, crisp and great to eat. The cup of salsa was made in-house, fresh and delicious. It was definitely chili-pepper based, with a touch of vinegar and cumin, blended well, which worked together to make for a great dip for the chips.

Photo: Meet Pancho, the talented chef who prepared a perfect breakfast, and brought it to my table.

Photo: I toast Pancho, my friendly chef and server, along with the great food and atmosphere I'm enjoying at Taqueria Morenita. I have an amazing breakfast... but since it's almost 10:30 in the morning... brunch? The Corona beer truly put me in good spirits, and was a great way to jump-start my morning.

Photo: From the "Desayunos" - breakfast - section of the menu, I went with "Chorizo and Eggs." Like all selections on the menu, my breakfast included refried beans, Mexican rice, a small salad, salsa, lime wedges, four corn tortillas and a jalapeno pepper.

At nearly every Mexican restaurant, chorizo and eggs are scrambled together, but I prefer them separately, and I prefer my eggs fried either over easy or sunnyside up. The friendly staff at Taqueria Morenita was happy to accompany request that the chorizo and eggs were plated separately, and not mixed together.

The "star" of this delicious breakfast was the chorizo, and it wasn't the sloppy, greasy type - like you find in your supermarket - as this chorizo resembled ground beer in texture. The sausage was solid, tender and well seasoned, but not spicy hot, and a beautiful deep red in texture. It held together well, it was delicious, and not at all greasy. This was one of the better breakfasts of chorizo that I've had the pleasure to enjoy for a long time. The restaurant includes a large portion of the delicious chorizo, which will keep you happy for the rest of the day.

As with the previous owners, the new Taqueria Morenita offers some of the best refried beans in town. You can taste the lard, which gives the beans a "nutty" taste, just like refried beans you enjoy in Mexico. The "health police" may frown upon these refried beans, but all it takes is one taste to turn you into a believer.

The Mexican rice was a good, solid side, well prepared, flavorful and delicious. Nothing really stood out to me about the rice, except it was great. Ditto with the eggs, fried over easy... what really can you say about fried eggs? I mixed the eggs with the rice, added the cup of red salsa, and I was in business.

My breakfast included a small side salad of shredded lettuce, topped with a slice of tomato and sprinkled with cotija cheese. On the side was a jalapeno pepper, two lime wedges, along with two cups of salsa, one red and the other green. I squeezed the lime juice on my salad, added the green salsa, and spooned the red salsa on to my rice.

You get your choice of corn or flour tortillas - I went with corn - and my breakfast included a generous portion of four warm tortillas, made by hand, in-house.

Not only was my breakfast a pleasure to look at, it was simply delicious! Everything was perfectly cooked, as ordered, and the "warm" items were warm, while the salad was chilled. This was an outstanding Mexican breakfast, which really got my Tuesday going in the right direction.

Photo: My amazing breakfast of "Chorizo and Eggs," chips and salsa, along with a Corona beer that was both my appetizer and dessert. Muy sabroso!

I've been a believer in Taqueria Morenita for well over 10 years, and although they are no longer similar to a Tijuana loncheria, I love this restaurant, and I'll be returning to enjoy more of their delicious Mexican cuisine. Come for the food but stay for the refried beans...

Let's go back to my previous visit to early Saturday afternoon, November 23, 2019...

Photo: Early Saturday afternoon, November 23, 2019, I paid a visit to Morenita Market and Taqueria, located on Douglas Blvd., in Roseville, CA.

The restaurant is under new ownership since my last visit, nearly five years ago, and has undergone significant changes. Gone is the "Tijuana loncheria" atmosphere, for a more, "upscale" atmosphere. It's a very different dining experience today than I've enjoyed in previous visits, but like life... everything is dynamic.

Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll see a few offerings of snacks, and other offerings, but your attention will be directed to the counter, where you place your order. You can still grab a beer or a soda from the cooler, and the bottle opener is still on the wall, as it was "back in the day," the last time I visited.

Morenita Market and Taqueria operates in what I call the "taqueria format," as you make your choice from the menu, pay for it at the counter, take your seat anywhere you choose, and when your order is ready, it will be brought to you. In the case of this fine restaurant, your order will be brought to you with a smile.

Photo: The dining room is open, and is furnished with tables and chairs. The order counter can be seen, behind the partition, in the center of the photo. I find the name Morenita Market and Taqeuria very interesting, as the "market" part is very tiny.

"Market" accounts for a small counter of Mexican pastries, a rack of chips and other snacks, a case of vitamins, over-the-counter medicine, pills - a very curious "mix" with everything - a rack of candy, and a cooler of soda and beer. I would say "Taqueria" would be a more accurate description of this fine restaurant.

The "third world" atmosphere is mostly gone, and the staff all speak fluent English, so the "charm," along with the "loncheria" atmosphere from the previous owners is now history. When you enter Moremita Market and Taqueria, you don't have to leave your English at the door like you did under the previous owners.

Photo: There is no printed menu, as the menu is posted behind the counter. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served, and you can order anything on the menu, any time you visit. Case-in-point: During my visit today, at 1:30 in the afternoon, I ordered "Chorizo and Eggs" from the "Desayunos" ... or breakfast menu. No problem at Morenita Market and Taqueria, as the restaurant and staff are flexible.

Photo: The "Chip Bar" is located next to the order counter. Unlike most Mexican restaurants, this isn't a "chip and salsa" bar, as there is no salsa... you "make do" from bottles of Valentina and Tapito hot sauce. The chips are kept warm under a hot lamp, and you scoop your tortilla chips with tongs, and put them in a little paper dish thing. There are little plastic cups, complete with lids, for you to put the salsa - or lack of salsa - into, to carry back to your table. I simply took a bottle of Valentina sauce back to my table, to enjoy with my tortilla chips.

Photo: The "open" kitchen from previous days is gone, but you can still look behind the counter, and watch the staff prepare your meal.

Photo: Meet my friendly server, Maribel, who delivers my breakfast of '"Chorizo and Eggs" with a smile, in only about fifteen minutes after I placed my order. Great, fast service!

I got a laugh, as I had to coax her to allow me to take her photo, as she was concerned about the photo, as she said she hadn't put on makeup today. I got a laugh out of that! She's a beautiful person, with or without makeup, a great conversationalist, and a professional server, with, or without makeup.

Photo: Thanks, Maribel, for taking my photo, as I prepare to enjoy my amazing breakfast... actually it's brunch. Perhaps the quart of Modelo beer is working on me, or maybe the photo was taken at the wrong moment, but this photo is not flattering to me in any respect!

Photo: From the "Desayunos" - breakfast - side of the menu, I ordered "Chorizo and Eggs." I didn't ask what was included with my breakfast, and honestly, I was surprised. My breakfast is shown with chips and hot sauce from the "chips" bar, near the counter.

When you order "Chorizo and Eggs," normally the sausage and eggs are scrambled together, so when I placed my order with friendly Maribel, I requested my chorizo and eggs to be separate, and that's how my breakfast... or should I say, "brunch" arrived. Silly me, as I didn't request my eggs to be cooked over easy - my de facto standard - so my eggs arrived scrambled. No worries, as the eggs, chorizo and everything else was simply delicious!

I certainly appreciate the flexibility of my server Maribel, and the kitchen staff, for preparing my brunch of "Chorizo and Eggs" with the chorizo separate. Thanks!!!

The meal was "plated" on a rectangular plate, which is definitely a "first" for me in a Mexican restaurant. Since "Chorizo and Eggs" was the order, my brunch started with chorizo, and a helping of scrambled eggs. The chorizo was perfect, and ... what really can you say about scrambled eggs except they were perfectly scrambled?

My meal included a generous helping of Mexican rice, and refried beans. The rice was good, but not all that memorable, but the beans... oh the beans! Delicious! I could taste the LARD in the beans... take me back to a loncheria in Tijuana! If you're a lover of refried beans, the way they taste in Mexico, Morenita Market and Taqueria will be your "go to" restaurant.

For a breakfast offering, I was totally surprised to see macaroni and bean salad to be included with my meal, yet I remember enjoying this same side dish at many loncherias, during past trips to Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali, and other Mexican cities. So... I counted my blessings and simply enjoyed. To round out your meal, you get a stack of six fresh, hot, corn tortillas, which will put a smile on your face, especially when you roll them up, and dip them into the beans. Muy sabroso!

Morenita Market and Taqueria has changed drastically since my last visit, YEARS AGO, but the food is still great, the prices are low, the staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is welcoming. You simply can't go wrong when you pay a visit to Morenita Market and Taqueria, located in Roseville, CA.

Saturday, December 15, 2012, was a foggy, chilly day, where the high temperature struggled to reach 45, and the sun never came out from behind the clouds. Such a great day to take a hike to enjoy a steaming hot bowl of menudo at Morenita Taqueria and Market!

Photo: La Morenita could best be described as a "Mexican grocery store with a small taqueria," as the restaurant seems to be a side business. They sell almost any variety of Mexican branded items distributed north of the border, including Mexican-bottled Coke. If you've ever enjoyed a bottle of Mexican Coke, you know the difference!

Photo: The "dining room" consists of six small tables in the middle of the restaurant. There is a tv playing Mexican soap operas to add to the atmosphere. You grab a beer from the cooler to the left, and in the center of the photo, on the wall, there's a bottle opener where you open your bottle of beer, and the cap drops off into the container. For those "not in the know," in Mexico, all bottles beverages require a bottle opener, as twist-off bottles don't exist.

Photo: Mom toasts tortillas, dad is in the background, and daughter, Greselda smiles for my camera. The kitchen is open to the restaurant, which makes it easy to snap photos. Mom and dad don't speak English, but Griselda does, and she's very friendly, and a really great person. The family is from the state of Jalisco, in Mexico. The restaurant has a menu posted above the order counter, but it's sparse, and is only a general guide to what they do. They will gladly prepare custom orders for you, and very reasonable prices. Like most Mexican restaurants, menudo is only served on weekends. I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant, as it has become my favorite place in Roseville!

Photo: There is nothing like a steaming hot bowl of menudo to warm you up on a foggy, 45-degree day like today! Oh, the "ballena" of Carta Blanca beer helps ward off the chill, along with the corn tortillas, and the chips and salsa.

Photo: La Morenita serves menudo, Jalisco-style, which does not have hominy. The staff at La Morenita is from the Mexican state of Jalisco, so the cuisine reflects upon that particular genre of Mexican cuisine. Note the abundance of perfectly cooked tripe in the menudo; a bowl of this keep you full for the rest of the day. During my visit, dad came over to my table and asked me if I wanted seconds, on the house, but one bowl was all I could eat! I politely declined his kind offer, and left Griselda a generous tip.

Photo: Griselda took a photo of your author doing what he does best: Enjoying lunch at Morenita Taqueria and Market!

Photo: Sunday, February 9, 2014, La Mornita is undergoing extensive remodeling, as the most of the groceries have been removed, and what remains has been located to the front of the store. It appears as they will be concentrating on tortillas and salsa. Thankfully, the beer and soft drinks haven't changed. I talked to the staff and they told me remodeling should be complete in about a week, so I promised to stop by in a couple of weeks, bring my camera, and do a new article on their remodeled operation.

Photo: Mom and dad in the kitchen, hard at work, preparing my order. Unlike many restaurants, at La Morenita, if what you want isn't on the menu, all you have to do is ask, and the friendly staff will prepare your food to order.

Photo: Friendly Alicia poses with my order, which was not on the menu... see next photo. Complimentary chips and salsa are included with each meal. As for the beer, a quart of Mexican beer is only priced at $4.00, as you simply grab the beer from the cooler, grab a frozen mug from the Ice Cream Sandwich cooler, pour, and enjoy.

Photo: Today, I enjoyed a "brunch" of two eggs, fried over easy, rice, refried beans, corn tortillas, chips, salsa, and a large "Tecate" beer. The main course of eggs, rice, beans and tortillas is not on the menu, but if you're familiar with Tijuana loncherias, you'll note this is a favorite breakfast in Mexico. So, I ordered, and La Morenita delivered. By the way, I'm in here all of the time, so the staff know how I like my eggs cooked.

Photo: Saturday, January 16, 2015, and I take a peek into the kitchen, as dad, and daughter, Griselda, work in the kitchen. La Morenita features an open kitchen, where you can actually see the staff at work. This charming restaurant is as near to a loncheria in Tijuana that can be found north of the border.

Photo: Appetizers: Chips, two varieties of salsa, guacamole, and a quart of Pacifico beer. Does it get any better?

Photo: Seriously, this is a breakfast that I live for, or maybe I'd die for! This breakfast isn't on the menu, but the staff at La Morenita are more than happy to fix whatever you want, as long as they have the ingredients on hand. I specifically asked for eggs over easy, rice, beans, corn tortillas, with fried chorizo, not mixed in with the eggs, and the friendly staff at La Morenita cooked my breakfast exactly to order. That's service! In addition to the chips and salsa, I asked for guacamole, and they provided a bowl, free of charge. The price of this meal, including tax and a quart of Mexican beer, came to just slightly over $10.00; what a bargain! I gave my friendly hostess, Griselda, a $5.00 tip. I have nothing but great things to say about La Morenita!

La Morenita is a family owned and operated restaurant, and in the last year, has become my favorite Mexican restaurant in Roseville. It's the closest to a Tijuana loncheria that you can come to in Roseville. If you're looking for great food, custom-made orders, and friendly people, La Morenita is the restaurant of choice. I can truly say that it has become my favorite Mexican restaurant in Roseville.

Now, let's take a look at previous visits...

Morentita Market and Taqueria is a very unique operation, and during the 13-plus years I've lived in Roseville, I've never seen another operation like it. The "place" wears two hats, 1) a market, featuring Mexican grocery items, and 2) a taqueria. Morentita Market and Taqueria has carved themselves a niche into the market/dining scene of Roseville, as they're a "one-of-a-kind" operation in Roseville...

Photo: Morentita Market and Taqueria is very low-key from the outside, but they offer plenty of parking, and a small outdoor dining area along busy Douglas Blvd. The market is located to a busy auto repair business, so if your car is being fixed, Morentita would be a good place to enjoy lunch, while you wait.

Photo: Mom and dad in the kitchen. Mom doesn't speak any English, and Dad speaks passable English, and I speak passable Spanish, so we meet in the middle. The kitchen is the order counter, so as you order your food, you can look into the kitchen, and if you're inclined as I am, you can easily take photos.

Photo: My breakfast on Saturday, July 14, 2012 of two eggs over easy, guacamole, refried beans, corn tortillas, a ballena of beer, along with chips and salsa. Beans and eggs aren't on the menu, but I talked with "dad," and he agreed to fix this for me. So if you want something at La Morenita that's not on the menu, just ask! The price for the breakfast, six corn tortillas, a ballena of beer and sales tax came to only $9.09! How can you beat that?

Photo: This family enjoys a fine meal on this Sunday morning, July 01, 2012, in the "dining room," such that it is, at Morentita. You dine among shelves of Mexican canned and bottled goods... as for me, I love the ambiance!

Photo: Morentita Market and Taqueria maintains a bank of three phones, dedicated to providing inexpensive calls to Mexico. You pay by cash at the register, or a pre-paid calling card. The phones are early 1970's vintage, touch-tone, large, bullet-proof, clunky phones... the kind AT&T provided in every household during that era. However, these phones are red... maybe refugees from the Soviet Union? Anyway, in this photo, Dad calls home to Mexico, using one of the bank of phones, while the rest of the family explore the wonders of Morenita Market.

Photo: As I sit at my table and wait for my order of menudo to arrive, I wonder, "Am I in a grocery store, a restaurant, or a taqueria?" Morentita is definitely a unique operation in Roseville. On this Sunday morning, I noticed many empty shelves... restocking time Monday morning? Quien sabe?

Photo: Friendly Greselda places my order of menudo on my table. Immediately after I was seated, she brought a bowl of chips and salsa, and the condiments for menudo. I didn't even check out the menu, as when I walked in, I asked her if they serve menudo on Sundays - doesn't every great Mexican restaurant offer menudo on weekends? - and she said they do, so I ordered a bowl of menudo. Of course... I like beer with my menudo... heck I like beer with almost anything, so I just walked over to a cooler, grabbed a bottle of Tecate beer, and told Griselda to add it to my tab. Muy sabroso, y no problema!

Photo: Ah yes, me, Eric Rench, your urban menudo commando, about ready to partake in one of my favorite breakfasts, as I pose, with a shelf of Mexican grocery items in the background. Greselda, who is a daughter of the owners of the market and restaurant, took my photo. Note that I'm wearing a Roseville tee shirt, which is quite appropriate, since I'm in Roseville.

Photo: What a breakfast! Chips, salsa, beer, in-house-made corn tortillas, and... menudo. My friendly hostess told me that the menudo is made the night before, and just slowly cooks in the pot all night until it's ready for serving in the morning... such is the way of menudo.

Photo: Saturday, January 05, 2013. My favorite breakfast, reminiscent of a Tijuana loncheria! This breakfast isn't on the menu, but when I made my request to Greselda, she said, "No problem, dad will be happy to make it for you." Two eggs, over easy, corn tortillas, rice and refried beans. Avocado slices and anjo cheese for garnish. Breakfast doesn't get any better. The price for the entire meal, including the Ballena of Pacifico beer, came to less than $10.00!

Photo: My breakfast on Saturday, December 03, 2012 at La Morenita. Three eggs, fried over easy, beans, chorizo, and corn tortillas, garnished with a slice of anjo cheese. Dad apologized profusely for not serving guacamole, as he said they were out of avocados, but I told him, "No problema." This breakfast is the kind served at a Tijuana loncheria, and it's fantastic! Muy sabroso!!!

Photo: Saturday, February 10, 2013, finds Greselda, mom and dad hard at work in the kitchen. You place your order at the window to the kitchen, which makes for ideal photography. Although Greselda is friendly, she's definitely camera shy!

Photo: For lunch on February 13, 2013, I decided to have something a bit different, so I chose a full carnitas plate. Carnitas wasn't on the menu, so I asked Greselda, and she enthusiastically told me that they could serve me carnitas. They were out of Pacifico beer, so I had to settle for a Corona. For the first time today, I was served salsa cruda, in addition to the house salsa. There are six corn tortillas in the stack! Lunch at La Morenita will definitely fill you up!

Photo: March 09, 2013... Dad is in the kitchen, doing what he does best... cooking the best Mexican food in Roseville! Note the menu posted above the counter, which is for "short" order items. Combination dishes are posted on the wall; check out the next photo.

Photo: Combinations and featured items are posted on the wall; I love the combination of photos and handwriting. Today, I ordered a #4, which is an "Orden de Mojarra," which was advertised as "Tilapia." No, it wasn't tilapia, as it was simply a deep fried mojarra, which is a bait fish common to the Gulf of Mexico.

Photo: My hors d'oeuvres I enjoyed before my order arrived: Chips, salsa cruda, smoky red salsa, and a ballena of Carta Blanca beer.

Photo: Lunch of a whole, deep fried mojarra, advertised as tilapia, beans, rice guacamole, six corn tortillas, chips, salsa, and a ballena of Carta Blanca beer. Muy sabroso!!!

Photo: Prior to lunch, on March 30, 2013, I enjoyed hors d'oeuvres of a quart of Carta Blanca beer, served in a frosted glass, two varieties of in-house made chips, and garnishes, which were placed on the table, prior to my order of birria.

Photo: I ordered from the menu #7, "Orden de Birria," which includes birria, refried beans, rice, corn tortillas, two varieties of in-house made salsa, and tortilla chips. On the side, I grabbed a quart of Carta Blanca beer from the cooler, and Dad obliged by bringing a tall, frosted mug to the table. La Morenita has morphed into becoming my favorite Mexican restaurant in Roseville.

Photo: Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013, I enjoyed a delicious carne asada torta, rice, beans, two varities of salsa, and an ice cold Carta Blanca beer. Delicious!

What a unique place to enjoy great Mexican food? When you walk into Morentita, it reminds me of entering a combination grocery store/taqueria, which are common in small-town, Mexico. It is way too cool to enjoy a bowl of menudo, sitting next to shelves filled with Mexican canned items, and to walk over to the cooler, and grab a cold Tecate beer at your leisure. I think I'm in love... with Morentita Market and Taqueria.

The new owners have certainly upgraded and modernized the restaurant, and the menu has been completely changed and revamped. The food is delicious, as always, but with a new "twist," so to say, and the service under the new owners is as friendly as every.

When you're in the mood for some of the finest Mexican cuisine in Placer County, look to Taqueria Morenita, located on Douglas Blvd. in Roseville, CA.

Taqueria Morenita
1078 Douglas Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95678
916 786-4721
https://www.morenitataqueria.com