Here's the one thing I don't want to think about when entering an authentic Mexican taqueria: toilets. Â And yet, I do. Â Yes, there's a line of deep shag bath and toilet mat sets hanging over head as you approach the counter. Â It's a restaurant and a mercado.
The food is good, probably the most authentic I've had in Eugene. Â Each plate is less expensive than usual at about $6, smaller than you'd get at restaurants aimed at whiteys and comes with radishes and pickled carrots & peppers on the side. Â It tastes good.
Take a stroll around and drink in the market:
Mexican cupboard items, produce (guavas, cactus), herbs, tons of hats, gaudi plastic purses, a spice rack with little ceramic spice jars that look like fat Italian chefs, a baby stroller for your dolly, a clock lamp that looks like a pirate ship, gigantic piñatas you keep banging head against.
As we were eating, I thought, "Who would buy this cheap shit?" Â We were joined in the room by a family that snatched up a plastic man's belt, a giant and glossy black vinyl purse with a giant and glossy black vinyl flower on the side and, yes, some rugs to throw around the toilet. Â So there ya go.
This is not one of those fastidiously clean, carefully decorated, sit-down, menus-in-laminate kind of Mexican restaurants. Las Morenas doesn't even seem to have a sign with their name on it outside. But what they do have is authentic Mexican food and a ton of charm.
The menu is up on the wall in Spanish with the eight or ten basic plate choices, including pictures. The TV is on and tuned to Spanish television, and the clerk totally sings along when he's not helping anyone. The voices in the kitchen call out in Spanish, and there's a little shop adjoining the restaurant area with Mexican food, spices, clothes, and cookware for sale.
My husband and I tried the enchiladas plate with rice and beans and the burrito with cheese and sour cream. The enchiladas were divine! The sauce was incredibly flavorful without being overly tomato-y and the chicken pulled apart easily. The burrito was so huge that we could barely finish it with the other plate on hand, filled with beef and all the fixings. Both plates came with peppers, carrots, radishes, and limes on the side. The horchata was a little grainy, but still sweet and yummy.
This is a little restaurant, not especially clean or well-maintained from the outside, but the food that is served here is quick, cheap and delicious.
The tortas are the sh*t, with a fabulous foundation of delicious specialty, fresh baked bread. You can't go wrong with the standard meat options (carnitas, al pastor, carne asada, pollo) but I haven't tried the more adventurous choices, so I can't speak for those. With the addition of cheese, lettuce, avocado and sauce, I must say my tortas purchased are consumed quickly before I inspect if there is any additional ingredients to the sandwich worth mentioning.
The buritto supreme is also very tasty, generous sized, and incredibly filling. The chile sauce they asked if I wanted wasn't that appealing; it tasted like a slightly spicy and bitter enchilada sauce, so I am glad I requested it on the side. I love their complimentary sides of pickled carrot, radish and peppers that comes with most entrees.
Agree with Yelper Emily S and wish the plates weren't styrofoam.
All in all: Very tasty, very filling. Food coma probability is high.
For authentic Mexican food in Eugene, this is as good as it gets. Â The carne asada and chicken tacos are excellent. This isn't a place you go to for atmosphere, but rather authentic and reasonably priced food. Actually, I don't think you will find a better meal in the area for the price. Â The staff are very nice and welcoming. Â I've been going there for years and have not been disappointed.
Review Source:Walk up to a aged and decrepit brick building. Â Open a heavy metal door into a rather shabby interior. Â Walk up to the counter & place your order from the gentleman or lady with a heavy mexican accent. Â Sit down & enjoy the spanish channel on the TV (if you speak spanish) & wait for the wonderful meal soon to arrive. Â Las Morenas may not look like much from the exterior or interior, but they make up for it with their wonderful authentic Mexican food. Â I have yet to order something I didn't really enjoy. Â They also offer Coca Cola with real sugar (like you get in Mexico) & other mexican drinks. Â Try this place & you'll be happy you did.
Review Source:Solidly tasty joint. Â The torta is where it's at. Â While the burritos, et. al are good, the torta is their speciality. Â They claim that the bread is baked down the street, though I didn't actually see said bakery. Â Regardless, they make the torta bread all browned and toasty on the inside and it's good. Â Would like a variety of salsas, but the pre-bottled stuff on the table does the job. Â More importantly, I wish they didn't use styrofoam plates but that seems to be the norm with taquerias. Â Perhaps they would offer a real plate upon request, like Mi Tierra.
Review Source:what eugene gem. sadly, this place is a bit far for us since we live downtown and don't have a car. but we went here recently when we had a rental for the weekend and i was so impressed.
this is a real (no-frills, kind of dingy) taqueria, with the menu posted on the wall in spanish. you seriously could imagine yourself in pilsen in chicago because it was that non-eugeneish. i ordered the pastor tacos and they were so good! i love super spicy food, so i enjoyed the salsa they put on them even though my mouth was burning. just a warning... unless you're like me and love a spicy challenge, ask for it on the side.
i can't wait to go back here.
Las Morenas is an easy to overlook small Mexican restaurant. Though they seem to have a full authentic menu, my friends and I go for their very affordable and very hooked up vegetarian burritos and tacos. At a place like Laughing Planet, you spend 6 bucks on a veggie burrito, then have to pay something like 2 more bucks for guacamole and sour cream! Las Morenas puts all that goodness into their $3.50 veggie burritos and even gives you some pickled carrot and jalapeno garnish.
The service is friendly. The horchata is mighty. Las Morenas rarely disappoints for cheap and fast Mexican. And I am happy to spread the word!
Authentic as it gets. Â They make the best tortas in Eugene, as good as they were in Mexico =] Â It's okay if your Spanish is nil, just say exactly what you want off of the menu and they'll make it on the spot. Â It's a popular hangout and place to eat for the latino families and high schoolers in the area. Â I've never seen the place empty!
The food!! Â So here:
Meats are cooked well done, crisp edges with tender insides.
Chicken is nicely boiled, moist, and meaty
Vegetables chopped and mixed in to make the tortas are fresh and also crisp.
Seasonings and spices are used just right so they add a little kick to enhance the flavors of everything else in the torta. Â If you want more heat, just add the sauce they provide on the side. Â
Good stuff, I promise!
Es muy bueno, amigos. Â Las Morenas is the real deal, as if you couldn't tell by the staff and the majority of the patrons.
My personal faves are the frijol and the pastor, but you really can't go wrong with much of anything. Â The tomatillo sauce is served warm and is just spicy enough - get some on the side, and pour it all over everything.
ZERO atmosphere, of course. Â The TV is often blaring Univision, and while Las Morenas usually manages to stay warm in the winter, it is way too hot in the summer. Â Worse, the place is filthy. Â The kitchen is reasonably clean - one of the owners once took me back there and proudly showed me around - but keeping the tables and booths wiped down is not a priority. Â Eww.
I could forgive this enough to rate Las Morenas four stars, but for two things: Â (1) Â It is impossible to score a decent glass of ice water there, and (2) the plates and "glasses" are exclusively styrofoam.
Still some of the best Mexican food in town (no, I won't tell you which places are better), even though every item on the menu has become smaller and more expensive, but Las Morenas is a real dive.
You know it's authentic Mexican when you call in your order and they answer in Spanish! Thankfully they speak enough english to always get your order right.
I cannot stress how super fast and super friendly service they are.
The frijoles here are so much like my grandmother's (may she rest in peace) that the first time I had them I almost cried.
It doesn't look like much from the outside (or the inside) but that's probably because they don't charge you an arm and a leg for their giant burritos! My ONLY complaint is that they don't have chips and salsa.
A fantastic taqueria. So far I've had the carnitas, carne asada, birria and pollo in burritos and tacos and all four were terrific. I love the pickled carrots and jalapenos and lime wedges that come with each plate. Excellent service as well, and a comfortable interior that also sells a few grocery staples.
Far superior to other establishments in the area such as burrito boy.
The only downside and the reason for the 4 starts instead of 5--the food is served on styrofoam plates. I still go though, even though I hate styrofoam--that's how good it is!!
Las Morenas, please consider serving your food on paper, starch or some other compostable plates!
I recently tried this place after reading the review that they had chunks of avocado in the burritos. I love me some Avo!!
I was pleasantly surprised at the good quality of food here. My Nachos were piled high with LOTS o AVO on them. My boyfriend's burrito was rockin' good with tons of yummy sauce and avo as well.
These people don't skimp on servings or sauces. So, if you are a sauce/extra condiment person like myself, be prepared to smile:)
Whenever I'm craving a burrito, I go to Las Morenas. Â I order their steak burrito supreme with hot sauce. Â I like it so much that I haven't tried anything else on their menu. Â I still remember the first time I ordered it... it had big chunks of avocado instead of guacamole. Â Mmm. Â It may be a seasonal thing because I don't think I've gotten as much avocado since then. Â It's a pretty big burrito, too. Â I have a hard time finishing it in one sitting. Â
I usually do take-out, but sat down to eat once when I was with a friend. Â The store front and the interior is not much to look at, but I really dig their steak burrito supreme... with hot sauce. Â Yummy.
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