On Friday, June 27, 2025 at approximately 12:30pm, I took notice of the Moreno's family owned Mexican restaurant across the street after dropping off my truck at an establishment for a 7-window tint and complete hand wash detail expected to exceed 4 hours in labor. In hopes of preparing for a final exam due later that evening, I decided to patron Moreno's located at 4328 E Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92869 for lunch and drinks. Unable to access what I presumed the front entrance, I walked around the venue to find outdoor patio dining by business colleagues and friends juxtaposed to the nearly empty tables inside and completely unoccupied bar area. I asked the hostess seating me if I could utilize the table nearest a power outlet which she was able to find in a corner of the bar beneath a television. In the ensuing 4-5 hours, I would not receive nor be offered a menu or food service, endure extremely condescending and unprofessional responses to my requests for salt from across the restaurant such as, "Can I help you? What are you looking for?" and "Well, we don't have salt shakers but you're getting warmer!" before putting her cell phone down to walk over and search for salt packets as if she did not know where things were situated, and would later learn that the rude and disrespectful woman frightened by bartenders and staff is one of the several owners. A "regular" set up his office nearby at the bar countertop and demanded "Miguel" retrieve his usual unsalted margarita as he took a business call via speaker phone, made personal sexual advances towards the obviously uncomfortable female client, and then proceeded to ignore my polite requests to remove her from speaker as I was studying for my Human Rights degree. I could not focus and whilst offended by his blatant disorderly conduct, he was never asked to subdue his behavior or leave. In disbelief, I began to record his stares and glances to maintain record of the discrimination omnipresent within management until he realized that he was becoming a disturbance and chose to leave. However, upon returning from the restroom, before being able to place an order for food, and following several distasteful incidents by the owner and customers, a check was placed on my now cleared table of chips and water; not upon request. The very few Spanish speaking employees that tended my drinks were able to emerge from the kitchen to notify me that I needed to speak to the owner to find out why. As I searched inside and out inquiring on her whereabouts, a bus boy made me aware that she was "hiding in the back on the phone with police." Now receiving disgruntled remarks, xenophobic threats, and harassment by guests on the patio, it quickly became very apparent that I was the only minority present aside from staff and chose to leave on my own accord. Appalled, refused meal service, and racially profiled, I am pursuing legal matters into my experience including an investigation into the restaurant, ownership, staff certifications, and compliance. Do not frequent if marginalized, POC LGBTQ+, or both and alone. read more

Another delicious meal! Beans were PHENOMENAL You will not be disappointed! Would DEFINITELY RECOMMEND 10/10! read more

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When I walked in the ladies room, a male worker was in there!!! I was in shock . He said "sorry, checking to see if everything in here was OK. " I waited for him to leave . I talked to the owner to see if there should have been a sign up before going in because it was a bit shocking. The female owner didn't acknowledge my concern. She kept asking "but he left right?" I told her that's not the point. I don't trust strangers and that's little sketchy not to have a sign up. What if this was your child? Your teenager? The owner didn't seem to care about my concern, so not coming here again. I thought this was a family friendly business. Apparently it's not so be careful ladies, don't sent your young children or teenagers to the women's restroom by themselves. Disappointed. read more

Best atmosphere in Orange for Mexican food, BUT!!!!..... for all that is holy, remove the stupid frigging COVID chains from the outside seating area. Hard to keep coming to this place with prison chains surrounding the beautiful outside area. No excuse for these, remove!! read more

Moreno's - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

I was recommended to this restaurant and my family went to celebrate "Fathers Day" on 6/15/2025 and was greeted by the hostess which was not very nice, not even a smile. She then asked do you have a reservation and my family "Sorry we do not," and the hostess then asked, "Would you like to be seated inside or outside? and then was told "We do not have a table for you outside" So why did she ask? then as we were being guided to our table inside another guest arrived and was asked "Would you like to be seated inside or outside" and then was taken to an outside table. This seemed like a racist gesture to my family which was really looking forward to having an experience at Moreno's which we will never go there again, and my cousin asked to speak to the manager and was refused to talk to. This is a horrible experience and we will inform our entire circle of network of friends, family & co-workers. On a scale 0 - 10 you get a Minus 10 read more

If you need someplace to go for Taco Tuesday, this is your place! They offer crispy or soft tacos with your choice of shredded beef, ground beef, shredded chicken or potato at just over $2 per taco. These are HUGE for the price. Plus lots of chips and homemade salsa. We also get a side of beans to dip the chips in. Tonight I splurged and got a shrimp cocktail. Yum yum! I would definitely get that again. read more

Moreno's - Shrimp Cocktail - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

Went there and the silverware is horrible. So thin. Almost like a kids play set of utensils

This was a lovely decorated building hidden behind some beautiful trees and an arch way. The chips and salsa were complementary and were fair (most of our basket was small crumbles). Their was plenty of patio seating and some tables and booths inside along with bathrooms. It looked as if most people preferred their beautiful patio. I had their fiesta salad and added chicken to it. The cilantro dressing was tasty but the salad was lacking and seemed to be plain. I much prefer the Mexican Cesar salad at El Torito as far as taste. The service was good. read more

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This 2 star review might be slightly misleading as I've never been here. I hear the food is great but my review is based solely on phone conversations to the restaurant. While at a party I heard someone mention 'mariachi' so I joined the conversation to inquire about where to find a good restaurant with mariachi, Moreno's in Orange came up, they just weren't sure when the mariachi played. I checked their website and there is a YT video screen displayed, but it was covering up most of the wording in an announcement, you can only see part of the words...banquet...closed and,...temporarily...mariachi...this time. In the video, on a screen which you cannot move out of the way of the announcement, mariachi are playing throughout and the voiceover actually says "...our guests enjoy live entertainent with our strolling mariachi band". I called the restaurant and asked the person who answered when the mariachi played and he said "we haven't had mariachi here since 2019!!" I told him about the misleading video and he gave me some inane answer and actually said "Everyone sort of knows we don't have mariachi any more". Really?? What about people who have never been there and trusted your website to make a decision about dining there? I couldn't get through to this guy that he has a video proclaiming entertainment the restaurant hasn't had in 5 years and might want to take it down so he doesn't mislead any others, or at least take the time to move the video screen out of the way so customers can read the announcement, which probably says there isn't any mariachi any more. Their food may be great but this clueless and disingenuous answer left such a bad impression on me that I will not be dining here. read more

Moreno's - Mariachis my foot - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

The food is ready good nice atmosphere the shredded beef tacos are the bomb I highly recommend this place

The restaurant and staff is nice. However, the food is so nasty and the water taste like it came out of the garden hose. My burrito meat looked it came out of a canned dog food. I took the left overs and my dogs love it. I'd rather eat at Taco Bell. read more

Moreno's - Nasty! - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

Hoy día es mi favorita comida mexicana . Enchiladas de mole están riquisisismas sin duda no he podido tratar otra cosa porque me encantan las enchiladas en especial . Servicio siempre rápido y respetuoso En el bar drinks are so so good Beer super fría no hay duda Precios rasonables para convivir en familia Ambiente tranquilo aunque estaría muy bien un poco de música mexicana con volumen razonable Ambiance lovely around the garden read more

So I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of Mexican food. I do like carnitas but not a fan of bean and cheese. However, I am a fan of the big Margaritas as Morenos. Also, the chips and salsa and their amazing pickled carrots (my favorite thing). So you have to be careful with your timing when you go here. I've now been a few times. In the middle of the day when it is dead and on the weekends when you better plan on a long wait. Brace yourself if you are going on a taco Tuesday. This place gets popular. read more

The reason for my one star is the lady at the front desk. She really needs to understand that her tone of voice is very alarming. I witnessed her talk to her coworkers if her sh#t don't stink. She was demeaning and rude not only to me but also to the people around her. I used to work and run restaurants, I would have fired her for her tone alone. Also, I got a Mexican pizza togo, and they gave me hair for free! The ambiance is nice, but that's all this place has going for it read more

Moreno's - Hair in food! Waste of money - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

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If you value where you spend your money, please read this review & consider eating at another restaurant. I've been eating at Moreno's for over 15 years. I was disappointed by the lack of value & appreciation the daughter of the founder's, Linda Moreno, displayed to me & my family in our last visit. She was very disrespectful to a recommendation I made suggesting that in the future may a large party (40 people) such as the one that came in during my visit could be seated in a more private space. The large party sat at the bar & tables near the bar. Before the party arrived, the person organizing the gathering allowed us to have a table at the bar. Once all convened, they were extremely loud & obnoxious with yelling & cheering football team chants. Instead of Linda apologizing for our bad experience & enjoyment of the restaurant, she became defensive & told us we could have sat somewhere else. She also went on to explain that the party was a walk-in & that she didn't have control of where they sat because that's where they wanted to sit. All the latter contradictory to their restaurant policies that are posted on their website. Additionally, she as an "owner" should be in control of the seating but apparently lacks experience in restaurant management despite having worked there since was 9 years old, so she relayed. When I mentioned we come in almost weekly she said, I've never seen you before. When I told her your bartender knows us well, she said she didn't care what he said. Clearly, if she doesn't respect her employees, the roots of their business, she wouldn't respect & value her customers. The employees are so hospitable & provide great service. The conversation was unproductive as Linda continued to be defensive & insult us & even insinuating I was drunk. We've spent a lot of money supporting the restaurant throughout the years with celebrations & family dinners & quick bites at the bar. I would never expect her to know who I am because she hides behind the register in the lobby & doesn't make any effort to walk the restaurant to say hello or ask how everything is from the customers. She doesn't even greet you when you walk in. She has very poor judgment on customer service. If you read Yelp reviews, you will find that she has treated other customers similarly. What a shame. read more

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We came to introduce Morenos to our local friends to enjoy our favorite, special Mexican food restaurant. The patio is lovely, food was fantastic and our server was attentive and spot-on. One of our party wanted black beans...no they just offer refried beans. One of our party ordered the Fiesta salad (served with black beans) but can't eat beans so asked to hold the beans. I suggested they serve the beans on the side that would serve the other person's request and was told they can't do that. I was told it was a manager's decision and our server would get yelled at to even put in the request. After our lovely dinner, I wanted to suggest they offer black beans for an extra fee (if necessary) so searched out Linda to speak with her. Perhaps it was an off night, but she was confrontational and disrespectful to me stating she was going to walk away with no regard for my suggestion. It's a shame she's the owner/manager...I sure wouldn't want to work for her! That nasty attitude will motivate us to drive out to Rose Cantina...love their patio, their food AND THEIR ATTITUDE. read more

You can never go wrong with Moreno's. It's the only place for Mexican food, the selection is to die for and the staff is the best!!

Came Here To Celebrate My Brother In Laws Bday & It Was A Fun Experience. Our Servers Were So Friendly And On Top Of It!!! Chips & Salsa, BOMB!!! I Had The Shrimp Cocktail & Amazing It Was. A Lot More Than It Looks Like. Had me Full Half Way Through. Not Overly Tomatoey, Just Enough Cilantro & Onion To Make It Delicious. Thanks For A Great Meal read more

Moreno's - Shrimp Cocktail - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

Good food and a great patio to eat out on a summer evening Service is good, but can be slow on busy summer weekends read more

We went here for lunch with a few family members (part of 8, I think). It's entirely outdoors at the moment, which is great considering the beautiful scenery of the patio area. I really liked this, especially considering the pandemic and the rising rates. The food was 3.5/5 stars, probably. It's definitely more expensive than the local type Mexican food restaurant, so I expect the food to match the increase as well. I would say it didn't. It's no better than the $6-$10 local spot near my house. The service was good. They weren't busy when we arrived, but it seems our first guest worked out some sort of time window with them since we hadn't made reservations. They held us to that window and kindly asked us to depart when our time was up. Seemed fair to me. I choose 4 stars because though the food was "OK", the server was kind and speedy, the bathrooms were clean, the ambiance was nice, and they accommodated the large party without any snafus. Despite all of this, the food was just OK, so I'm not sure I'd go back with frequency, but maybe to give it another shot in the future. read more

Moreno's - Patio - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

Taco Tuesday is really good here. Tacos are $2.25 each and in my opinion 2 is enough. You cannot forget to order one of their margaritas either. I always get the strawberry banana with Don Julio (just because I know I won't get a headache after). A must try. Go early because parking is packed. You can park across the street and pay $7 to Bagel Me if you can't get a spot. Definitely worth it! read more

Best taco Tuesday ever!! Love the atmosphere there. Outside is best but inside is good too

My favorite part about going to Moreno's is sitting outside on their beautiful patio. The service is generally good and so is the food. It is a great place to go with a group of friends. Great ambience! read more

I've been to morenos a few times but never wrote a review. My fiancé and I came by with our puppy. I called the restaurant first to make sure we can have our dog on the patio. They said yes and we're fine with it. We ordered the strawberry banana margarita, steak and shrimp plate and 2 item combo. The strawberry and banana margarita was okay. It could have been blended a little better. My steak and shrimp plate was huge! I couldn't finish it. The steak and shrimp had alot of flavor. The service was excellent. The servers checked on us frequently and got us a refill on chips and salsa. Overall I have a good experience every time I come here. They also have a beautiful patio seating. read more

Moreno's - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

I really enjoy this mom and pop Mexican restaurant that has been around for many years. Taco Tuesdays are great, and certainly worth the price. With each order, they give you a bag of chips and salsa, which I enjoy. I do wish their salsa was hotter, because it I has no kick to it. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give their salsa a 3 1/2. Their Cadillac margaritas are fantastic when you are eating anything, Mexican. They do use a lot of cheese which I enjoy. read more

Taco Tuesday is the only reason to come. Sit on the patio if you can get a seat. The tacos are good, but you have to get the shredded beef in my opinion. I prefer the crunchy tacos. The salsa can be good or shit, depends on who makes it. Make sure you get some pickled carrots, because they are a must. read more

Beautiful scenery outside patio. Hard shell taco Tuesdays my favorites are the ground beef and shredded beef with a lot of meat. They have the BEST Churros way better than The Mouse gives its crunchy outside and great texture inside, makes me want to go back every week read more

Absolutely fantastic ambiance, service and food!!! This is our go-to Mexican restaurant when e are in the Orange area.

I've picked up food here for my family twice now, and I have been greeted by the same host twice. His name is Paul and he is very kind and respectful, he confirmed my order and even reopened all the food to make sure it was all there as he did last time and even open the door for me without me asking overall just a very nice restaurant and I definitely will be back kudos to Paul! read more

You need to know what you're getting with Moreno's. The ambiance is as good as it gets. The service is spectacular (shout out to Abraham!) The Margaritas are huge and hit the spot every time. The food, although delicious, is not what you're coming for. But that doesn't stop me from taking my family literally every weekend. read more

Man, what to say about this place? I hate to be that mean but man this place sucks the beans are OK. The rice is OK. The taco Tuesday the hard shell it's chewy. The decor in there is old. If you look up you see a lot of dust. on those fake plants they need to get new cooks. They need to step their game up and out of all the places I eat in that Mexican restaurants I've never heard them putting a gang of onions in their cheese enchiladas if you really want to try good little place. It's called the whole enchilada in Placencia. I had to go eat somewhere else. There's one right up the street called. The parrot really was disappointed in that place. read more

My boyfriend and I were going to eat here and he had his service animal with him. He asked for a to-go box to put water in for his dog before we ordered our food so his dog can have water. The owner refused to give us anything for water saying she didn't want to waste her to-go boxes. We are business owners as well and cannot understand how you wouldn't want to accommodate your customers with a small request who are spending money at your establishment. Hmmm I wonder if it's because he's black and she's white. she was looking at him like he shouldn't be there. this has never happened to us before, everywhere we go this has never been an issue everyone has always been more than welcoming at other restaurants whenever we ask for a water bowl. We will be filing a complaint with BBB. Thank you. read more

Margarita Monday's and Taco Tuesdays are absolutely amazing. The tacos are so delicious and the drinks are great. You must get there early on Tuesdays because the place becomes packed inside or outside. Definitely will make my way back there. read more

Moreno's - The beef , chicken and and Shredded Beef tacos and margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

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We were pleasantly surprised by Moreno's. Our plan was to just get tamales from the bakery but it was such a beautiful afternoon we decided to dine outside by the fountain. This place has so much authentic mission style architecture, it's really nice for the kids to walk around and look at everything. That is a big plus for us since the kids can get restless at the table. As for the food, they have very generous portions! The tamale and taco combo with rice and beans was good. The masa was moist and sauces were adequate. The fish taco was average, not a ton of meat and toppings were basic. The carne asada taco was kinda dry but drenched in their house salsa helped. Finally, the service was impeccable! They were very friendly and attentive. We will come back for the ambiance and ability to easily handle very large groups. read more

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I ordered the Chili Verde with rice/ beans, and two mango margaritas. Food & the margaritas tasted decent. It was an enjoyable dining experience in the patio. Service was attentive. Not sure if it was the food or drinks, had the run next morning. My husband had tamales and margaritas on the rocks. He had no issues. So the culprit might be the mango margaritas. Just not sure. read more

The food is traditional Southern California Mexican and the portions are generous. They seem a little disorganized at times but once our server discovered that we were seated, he was great. It was a cold and cloudy day so everyone was seated inside that made it quite noisy, but not unenjoyable. read more

CHIMICHANGAS ARE ABSOLUTELY TO DIE FOR! They either come in 4 or 8 and they give you options for chicken and beef or Mixed. I highly recommend getting the 8 count of mixed. It comes with a salad with a generous serving of guac and sour cream and these little bites of perfection will easily satisfy you. If you're still hungry get two tacos and you're set! read more

The food here is amazing! The drinks are amazing! I love the service! The staff was very friendly and attentive! The amtosphere is awesome and great all together! Would totally recommend this place! read more

We had ten people and everyone enjoyed the food. I had Albondigas soup that was some of the best I've ever had - and that's from someone who used to go to Mexico a couple of times a month. Quesadilla con carne was my second order but I'll have to take most of that home. Nice portions and friendly, knowledgeable server made dining at Moreno's a pleasure. read more

My son and I stopped in for dinner to try Moreno's. It's always packed, but there was room in the parking lot so we gave it a whirl! Everything was delicious! This was the real deal Mexican food with incredible flavor and lots of cheese! (Definitely not diet friendly) The atmosphere on the patio was beautiful except for the occasional fly... something to note if eating outside. The servers were friendly and accommodating ensuring a good dinner. We will definitely be back. read more

Moreno's - Chile Relleno, Taco & Cheese Enchilada, carnitas tac - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California