Small little hidden gem in Merced right off the 99 fwy, only open from 10am-3pm, small seating area... the food is delicious. I tried the bay shrimp tostadas with rice & beans, I also was able to sample a little free nacho plate since my co worker knew the staff members and I have to say the green sauce blew my mind! Will definitely be back to try the pozole and chili relleno. Also, they have specials each day of the week! read more

La Morenita - bay shrimp tostadas - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

Food is excellent been coming here for years. I love the salsa and cabbage. Service is always on point. Restaurant is clean and they have an outdoor patio if you want to sit outside. read more

This amazing mexicano restaurante. I have had several dishes and each dish is consistant and deliciosos. I isn't fancy place, it is clean and have up graded the sitting area and you get more than you pay for. I have never seen this restaurante skimp on servicios or size remains in the same. Even in this Inflated economy. I can say it a favorite mexican restaurant. read more

Food is always delicious and consistent on flavor ! Their service is evident, They serve you and treat you as Family. Their ambiance is very welcoming and family oriented! It's a small Restaurant but it's the consistent all aspects! Kitty read more

Grown up eating here. Now 26 years later after I left Merced any time I come to visit I still come and eat here. They catered my mom's 75th birthday too. It's amazing food like it came from your grandmas kitchen, the workers are more like family and nothing has changed. Good decent food and I've always been addicted to the cabbage salsa. My fav, the sopes. They are one of the best I've had. But anything you order is great! read more

Literally a hole in the wall. I gave this place a few tries and their food is just not good, there is nothing amazing nor even ok they need a better cook. service is decent, greeting, timing. Etc. read more

The service was on point , nice employees. The food was delicious and well priced and the ambiance was relaxing not loud, so you. An have a conversation. read more

La Morenita - Cheese enchiladas with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

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Hot chips and salsa as soon as you sit down. Now that's what I'm talking about. Got the lunch plate with a burrito, beans and rice. Tasty and Fast service. I'll be back. read more

Best ever! I had the red sauce enchiladas with rice & beans. Their salsa, chips and cabbage salsa is simply delish too. So glad I ate at this establishment. You'll won't be disappointed. read more

La Morenita has the best Mexican food in town. their down fall is it's a very small inside but does have some outside tables

Diner style restaurant. Gets pretty busy during lunch time so your having to fight for seating. There was no seating available so we opt to sit outside this was during summer and finally gave up after we found a booth bc it was just toooooo hot! I mean they were busy it was hard to get service we just kind of had to ask for stuff here and there. Food was typical I didn't taste much different from the flavors super extreme where I loved it hate it. Chicken enchiladas/Taco plate: 3.5/5 rice was good, beans good, face meat was big chunks flavor was decent on a crunch shell so everything kind of broke when you bite into it, enchilada dry but dipped in the red sauce and you'll be fine read more

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Must try chicken a la diabla iv been being this dish since 2007 and never disappointed read more

La Morenita - Chicken a la diabla with vegetables - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

On this visit I has the chilaquiles which were delicious as always! The food here is always fresh and reminds me of home cooking. I also highly recommend the shrimp tostadas for a nice summertime meal! The complimentary cabbage salsa with fresh hot chips are a very nice touch read more

La Morenita - Chilaquiles! - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

Depends on what you're looking for.. imo, it's a bit Americanized but if you're into that then it's good. But I was caught off guard when they advertised authentic Mexican read more

Service was great the best burritos in Merced would recommend forsure coming again everyday

Excellent authentic food. Great service. Always a great stop for us. Don't let the outside looks fool you. Great food great service. ALWAYS.

What is so upsetting about this restaurant is the 6 hour drive from our home! The carnitas, tacos and enchilada we had was delicious and the service was great too. We'll be back! Every time we visit our son at UC Merced we make it a point to eat here right before driving back to OC and we have not been let down! It is now a tradition for us! My sombrero is off to the chef! read more

I recently ordered fajitas to go for a small birthday lunch gathering I hosted. I was very pleased with La Morenita's quality and service. The food was ready on time, it came with all the fajita fixings and chips and salsa. And most importantly everything was delicious! I will definitely use them again in the future. read more

Damn damn good! The molcajete was an unbelievably great meal! I want all of my food served in a red-hot bowl of lava rock! Citrusy sauce and wonderful beef. The shrimp and chicken were very good, too, but the beef was out of sight. Many thanks to the Yelpers who got here before me. Without you, I'd have never found this place. read more

La Morenita - It's easy to miss their sign. - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

It's all about the Molcajete! The Molcajete sauce has great flavor. I have no idea what else is in it other than chorizo, tomatillo and cheese. It's a little spicy and savory. When it was brought to our table, it was still sizzling and hot. Pollo Ranchero is good too but be sure to order Chicken Molcajete! Service was great. We went on a weeknight for an early dinner around 5:30. There was just one waitress working 3-4 tables and she offered us more chips & salsa, tortillas. It's very easy to miss this place. Just look for the DMV next door. read more

This was a great stop on our way to Yosemite. The food was excellent, the service was really friendly, and everything was pretty prompt. We were quickly seated and served salsa and... pickled items? My husband mentioned that there was a complimentary bean dip that would be on the way (according to other reviews he'd read), and soon enough, that turned up! All of these complimentary items were quite good and I was especially taken with the bean dip, which seemed to be warm refried beans with a salsa verde. Quite good! We ordered pork chile colorado, which was good, and I got the three item combo and chose a bean tostada, chicken enchilada, and pork chili verde burrito (which was entirely too much food, so I saved the burrito and some rice and beans (which came with both meals) as leftovers). Everything I tried was very tasty. The chicken was probably the most bland, but the red sauce, additional salsa, and some of the bean dip rescued the enchilada just fine. We would definitely come back here the next time we're in Merced. Compared to other places we saw, it looked very inviting and pleasant, in addition to having great food! read more

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If Diners, Driveins, and Dives came to Merced, I would recommend La Morenita. This dive is, in my opinion, Merced's best restaurant. I have going here for years. The staff here treat you like family, and the food is always excellent! The decor is old and ugly, but it feels like home away from home. I love this place. read more

wonderful food and service been going there for years and enjoy each time we get to go thanks so much for excellent food great service

Let me start off my saying our waitress was beyond nice. She was super friendly and attentive, everything you want when you come to a restaurant in an unfamiliar location. The food was decent. Complementary chips and salsa were delivered to the table immediately. I ordered the super burrito (which isn't on the menu but they still make). While waiting for the food the waitress brought over a small plate of nachos (I think) and said while it wasn't a regular thing that they do, she wanted to have us try it on the house. When my burrito came it was steaming and huge. My only two complaints were that there was just a little too much green sauce smothering it, and that the carne asada could have used a little more salt. OVERALL: pretty good. Not the best Mexican food I've had but the service was exceptional and the meal was under 20$ for two people. read more

La Morenita - Super burrito with green sauce - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

Love coming here the menudo. Friendly staff and great services. Prices aren't that bad. read more

La Morenita - Menus - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

Had a chicken taco it was the perfect crunchiness and price was under ten. Waitresses were friendly. read more

La Morenita - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

It was 97 today and I came to have a comfortable dinner. Walked in and there was no air conditioner on. This was the 2nd place I tried tonight where it was as hot inside as it was out. I left and went somewhere else. read more

I'ts a small little restaurant almost hidden from the public,is located beetwen jack in the box and the DMV over 13th street,first time a saw it I thought it was out of bussiness,I have tried many mexican restaurants but this one have something special,their portions are huge and their prices are fair,not to mention the food quality and service. I go there in a regular basis,my favorite dishes are:el molcajete,scampi in garlic and their homemade sopes!! every meal comes with chips and their dipping salsa which is the best you"ll ever find around town. read more

La Morenita - At la morenitas - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

My favorite wet burrito in Merced. It took me awhile, about 3 years to find a spot that I really liked. It's well priced and delicious. I love that I can order my food to go, so I will call in and pick it up when it's ready and continue on with my day. The biggest appreciation i have for this restaurant is its consistency. read more

Stopped by here for dinner on the way home from Yosemite. Found it on Yelp and was very happy to have an alternative to fast food drive thrus. I like that they brought out chips, salsa, and a spicy cabbage slaw right away. They also brought a complimentary plate of beans. The food was pretty good. We shared chicken enchiladas with green sauce and a beef dish with peppers, tomatoes, and onions (not fajitas, but like it). The only thing I didn't like was my mango agua fresca. It tasted more like a syrup than fresh juice. Service was decent and the place was packed when we left around 7:45pm. Happy to have supported a local business and have some real food. read more

I got a plate of combination plate with green enchiladas and this was in one my enchiladas! Thank god i didn't let my baby take a bite out of this!! Food was okay- average but wth who wants a piece of bone in their food!!! Yuck!!!! read more

La Morenita - a fork with some food on it - Mexican Near Me - Merced, California

This place is proof that looks on the outside tell you nothing about the inside. Without Yelp I never would have known this place existed. Even knowing where it was we drove right by it. It is a small place with a handful of tables inside. Our server was quite attentive and very nice. You get chips and salsa right off the bat, and she brought over a bean dip. I am not a fan of beans, but my coworker enjoyed every bite of it. For my meal I chose the supper burrito with the green sauce. The burrito is large and packed full of flavor. The sauce has a ton of flavor too. I enjoyed each and every bite. I nearly managed to finish it, but I was able to find a little bit of self control and stopped before I burst. This is a great place for a quick lunch or even a quick and casual dinner. Given there are only a few tables I would keep take out as an option. read more

Well I guess I'm a sucker for Mexican food. This is nice Mexican food made by very nice Mexicans. I was happy to get the food I needed it was reasonable, okay and we will sit down on our way to our next stop. We were happy, we were full and and the nice thing was the people. They just treated us graciously and we liked it read more

La Morenita is an unpretentious restaurant just off highway 99. We parked our RV with toad at the DMV next door so parking is never a problem. Excellent and friendly service with a large menu. Chips with excellent red and also cabbage salsa were served right away along with our drink order. My wife said her enchilada were the best in years. My chicken fajitas were also outstanding but needed some of the salsa to warm them up a bit. My order was so large that I had some for lunch today with more left for tomorrow. This is my first experience with cabbage salsa. Excellent! Both salsas are pretty warm and go well with the fresh chips. Our total was $32 with a glass of wine and a beer. This place is a WINNER. Will put it on our road map so we can schedule a stop here. No more I-5, It's 99 and Merced the next time. read more

Food is always bomb, Never has a bad experience. Only thing is if you eat at the restaurant it's very small, but again everything is still so good. read more

Stopped here on the way home with a craving for some Mexican food. It was right off the freeway, and not too crowded. Ordered the molcajete plate and it was like nothing I've ever had. Beef, chicken, and shrimp simmering in a spicy green sauce, served with beans, rice, tortillas, and guacamole on the side. La Morenita gets extra points for bringing out cabbage salsa with the chips, and for the nacho appetizer. I've seriously considered making the drive back to Merced just to stop at La Morenita. It's that good! read more

This hole in the wall is far too delicious. Every time I go to Merced, we always stop here. I've been to the other La Morenitas, but they are NOT THE SAME!! Their red sauce is like heaven. Their beans and rice are amazing. Everything is so savory and delicious... I love it. GO HERE! I can't say enough powerful words to describe my love for it! read more

For a place in Merced it is not bad at all. The chicken soup was very very good with the oregano flavor throughout the broth. My husband ordered a red chile arbol carne asada plate which wasn't that great, the salsa they used to cook the beef in was sour so it wasn't a pleasant taste to the mouth. Our waitress wasn't the most friendly, but she got the job done considering it was a full house and there were only two of them running the tables and being cashier. All in all if I was stuck in Merced again I would come back. read more

While waiting for our Nissan Leaf to charge, we Yelped eateries and this one popped up. Based on all the reviews we decided to walk over and give it a try. The establishment is a hole in the wall with great food that come in generous portions. As soon as we sat down chips, salsa and pickled cabbage was put in front of us followed by a small and delicious plate of nachos! I got the chicken salad: chicken was succulent and the spicy verde sauce was a great compliment to all the flavors. Man friend ordered a CA burrito which was very good too. Next time we are in the neighborhood I'll try the molcajete everyon raves about. read more

1. As far as Mexican food goes this place is way overpriced, especially in a town like Merced where you can get great AUTHENTIC Mexican food for cheap. 2. The carnitas were mostly fat. 3. The camarones a la diabla were made with a ketchup based sauce they use in the shrimp cocktail. 4. The meal everyone on here raves about is the mocajete. It's basically over reduced green sauce on chicken or beef and served in a sizzling mocajete. It's not authentic, and not very good food. It's white people's mexican food. It's expensive for what it is. The best part of the meals was the rice and that was dry. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more