BY EVA MURPHY
The Monarch butterfly species is known for its annual migration from the eastern United States to overwintering sites in Mexico.
Irlanda Huff named her new downtown Morgantown restaurant — Monarca-Taqueria, which opened on Feb. 9 — after those butterflies.
“Monarca means Monarch in Spanish,” Irlanda said. “I like to relate the butterflies to my family. We left our home and made a new one here in Morgantown.”
Before moving to the United States, Irlanda often worked in restaurants owned by family members in Mexico. “I liked the environment. It’s very fast-paced. I don’t like to stay still,” she said before adding, “I thrive on the stress.”
She harbored a dream of opening a restaurant of her own and reserved her chosen business name many years ago. She remained in constant motion while she dreamed: she married Christopher Huff, a WVU graduate. Together they took over a local pool cover business, started a family and saved money. Irlanda committed herself to her chosen community, serving as chair for North Central West Virginia Community Action and on an advisory board for a local school.
In mid-2022, the couple felt comfortable enough to begin the process of making Irlanda’s dream a reality.
Irlanda found a lot of support from the many contacts she made in the Morgantown community during the last several years, as well as family members who make up much of Monarca’s staff. In January, the Huffs signed a lease on 236 Walnut St., the space formerly occupied by Burger & Bites. Renovations were called for, and Irlanda orchestrated them with her trademark energy and enthusiasm. The restaurant opened in record time, less than six weeks after signing the lease.
Irlanda is passionate about bringing more diversity to the Morgantown food scene.
“Food can help expose people to different cultures,” she said. “You learn a lot from food — the names, how to pronounce them, where they come from.”
The food served at Monarca is made according to Irlanda’s family recipes.
“My grandma is flying in from Mexico soon,” she said with a laugh. “She wants to see what we’re doing with her food.”
The menu centers around what Irlanda calls “Mexican soul food.” Many of the offerings are dishes commonly sold by street vendors in Mexico such as tacos, elotes (grilled corn in a mayonnaise cream sauce) and tortas (similar to a hoagie sandwich).
The restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 11:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. It is closed on Sundays.
In addition to dine-in, Monarca offers delivery through Doordash and GrubHub. Monarca makes free deliveries if there are more than five orders going to the same location.
Irlanda, always moving, is planning to expand Monarca-Taqueria’s reach by opening a food truck in the fall. After that, an additional location at the University Town Centre is in the works.
“I love what I’m doing,” she said. “I want this restaurant to be part of the community. This is our home, and we love it here.”
