MONARCA MEXICAN TAQUERIA — Restaurant in Hayward

I was craving a super burrito on a Monday and another taqueria I usually go to is closed on Mondays so I thought I’d try this place, especially with the great reviews. This spot didn’t disappoint at all for many reasons and they offered things my regular taqueria doesn’t so I loved it even more. To start, there’s restaurant parking in the driveway, the super burrito I ordered came out pretty quickly, they got it right(since I always make a few dietary adjustments and it’s usually a 50/50 chance it comes out right for me), they have non-dairy traditional rice-based horchata, which is more rare to find these days in restaurants and my stomach favors this. During my short wait, I loaded up on the sauces, which were all flavor full, spiced well and still well rounded in flavor. They also had El Yucateco Habanero hot sauces and I believe it was Crystal as the other option, but this sauce bar told me how considerate they were of having sauces available for everyone’s pallet and preference. I also admired the decor, lively colors and paintings, and the fact that they also have games while you wait that are friendly for kids and your inner-child. They even provided courtesy house made tortilla chips which tasted great! Unfortunately many taquerias now are charging for chips and it’s a hit or miss for freshness or flavor. When I bit in to the burrito, I did it without the sauces I got and it was great! Almost all of the ingredients were in the first bite and it was very well balanced and distributed throughout. Many taquerias now are watering down their guacamole and/or using more tomatillo to keep it green and getaway with calling it guacamole but the guacamole here was actually thick avocado green fresh yummy guacamole! They weren’t stingy with the guacamole portion either! I’m feeling fulfilled and not just full after eating here. I...

I’m on an endless quest to experience the best burritos. This restaurant is under new ownership. The new beautiful orange color of the building caught my eye. I was going to go somewhere else but I had to drive around the block to come check this place out. I was not disappointed. I got my usual vegetarian super burrito. The owner told me that the rice was not veg and she had the cook make me a burrito with everything except the rice. The ingredients were super fresh. The beans were cooked to perfection. The grilled onions were sweet and caramelized. It had the perfect balance of hot and cold. I swore to myself that I would only eat half but I had to eat the whole thing. The plate came with a generous helping of pickled jalapeños, fresh lime and fresh radish slices. The salsas were also incredibly delicious. The spicy sauce could have been a little more spicy, but that’s a personal preference. It can never be too spicy for me. The chips were also very fresh and warm. The owners are super kind and you can tell when someone is putting their heart and soul into a restaurant. They have a TV playing Spanish music videos and one of my favorite songs just came on as I am writing this review. The atmosphere is super charming. I hope the best for them. Thank for the...

If you haven't had a chance to stop by Monarca on foothill Blvd in Hayward, take an opportunity to head over. It feels like a family run restaurant with delicious food and such a cute and cozy atmosphere. You can't miss the building, in fact the bright orange facade with the Monarch butterfly logo at the top of the building was the first thing I saw and peaked my curiosity, so I made my husband got around the block so we could check it out. The people running the place are so kind and attentive. The tacos are delicious. I had shredded beef tacos and my husband had al pastor. I had originally ordered the Chile Verde, but it sounded like they were out of a full serving of the dish, but when they brought out our tacos, they were so kind to provide a little sample sized serving of the Chile Verde with some rice and beans because they felt bad about being out. That was the sweetest and says a lot about how they care for their customers. For the record, the Chile Verde was delicious! I wish them much success and cannot wait to return to...