Mony’s Taquería, a Mexican restaurant local to Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, recently opened a new location on UC Santa Barbara’s campus in the University Center with a variety of bowls, burritos and tacos. 

From classic style street tacos on corn tortillas to a large flour tortilla burrito, Mony’s goal was to create a menu for students and faculty that is quick and efficient. Lauren Solway / Daily Nexus

Mony’s is on the first floor of the University Center in the Hub and sits next to Root Burger and Panda Express. Carlos Diaz, the son of the owners, currently works as the owner and operator of the UCSB location. Mony’s is currently open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

“I have worked here pretty much since the inception in about 2001, but of course I would roll with them throughout the summers in my childhood on the food truck. But I officially started working with them in 2013 when they opened up the store,” Diaz said. 

The original restaurant location opened in 2013 and was created by Monica “Mony” Diaz, who wanted to offer authentic Mexican food from her hometown of Colima, Mexico. Beginning as a small food truck offering family recipes, they have continued to grow and are now bringing their comfort food to UCSB students. 

The biggest selling point for Mony’s is that they are the only establishment on campus that will sell alcoholic beverages. Mony’s hopes to obtain a beer license in the next two to three weeks to start selling beer and wants to remain open on Saturdays. 

“We are hoping to activate the space, especially when there are concerts and dances, as well as selling [alcohol] throughout the day when we are open and of course, for those concerts we will have a special designated area for beers,” Diaz said. 

The menu consists of five options of meat to choose from, as well as a vegetarian option. Rajas con queso is their style of fajita veggies which includes shredded poblanos, grilled onions, tomatoes and cheese. From classic-style street tacos on corn tortillas to a large flour tortilla burrito, Mony’s goal was to create a menu for students and faculty that is quick and efficient. 

Fourth-year communication major Molly Ford grabbed a burrito for lunch at Mony’s. “You have to get the avocado salsa, it perfectly ties it together,” Ford said. 

According to Diaz, Mony’s is famous for its spiced salsas, offering three classic flavors at their campus location — red, green and avocado. 

Third-year biopsychology major Jean Kalaw had never been to Mony’s before and grabbed a breakfast burrito before class. Kalaw said, “I don’t think it’s worth the price of $12 for a burrito.”

The street tacos are $3.50 and the burritos and bowls range from $9-$13. They offer sides of rice, beans, chips, avocado and guacamole for an additional price. Mony’s is currently hiring students for its on-campus location.33

Diaz said the aim of Mony’s is to create a welcoming atmosphere.

“Since my family and I decided to start Mony’s, it has always been surrounded by moms cooking. We hope that within the flavors, even the basics like beans and the rice you can see, feel and sense that this is a mom or family member cooking this meal. If we focus on the food, we know it carries over to the service,” Diaz said. 

A version of this article appeared on p. 5 of the Oct. 9, 2025 print edition of the Daily Nexus.