BILLINGS — After years of serving up fan-favorite Mexican street food from a food truck, Billings’ beloved It’s Roasted has officially opened a permanent location.
On Saturday, a long line of eager customers formed down 12th St. W., waiting outside the doors of the new birria restaurant for its grand opening. The Eide family made sure they were one of the first in line that afternoon.
“We're excited to see them do really well," said Jeremy Eide. "It's been fun just getting to know them since getting started in the food truck scene. It's fun watching their journey."
"Best birria you’ll find in Billings, I'll tell you that," said his son Cameron, a former It's Roasted employee. "I just fell in love with the people, fell in love with the owners and the food.”
For many food truck owners, the dream is to one day open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. For owners Gabriel Espino and Celeste Rocha, that dream was finally achieved, but one they never saw themselves doing five years ago when they were both working full-time jobs.
“God's plan. He put this opportunity in our footsteps to open a brick and mortar and here we are," said Espino.
The couple, who moved from California to Montana briefly in 2016 and came back in 2020, missed the familiar flavors they grew up with from back home during the pandemic.
"We couldn't find Mexican street corn at all, so we were like, 'Why don't we bring it here?'” said Rocha. "I quit my job. Two days after, that we opened up the tent, and we've been here ever since.”
Having never worked in the food industry before, they decided to take the risk. Originally, they started in a small tent that year, selling Mexican street corn, or elote, and loaded baked potatoes. The immediate response and high demand for their food were overwhelming.
“We quickly realized, like our first day ever opening, it was just me and Celeste and we thought that we could handle the volume and there was 20 people in line, and we're like, oh my goodness, this is not possible," recalled Espino.
After a year, they upgraded to a trailer and eventually expanded their menu to include birria. The popularity of It's Roasted only grew from there. The unique combination of birria tacos, elote, and other Mexican-inspired bites earned them a loyal following.
“We have so many customers from California, Arizona, Texas. They're like, 'I can't buy no good Mexican food, and you guys just did that for me,' and it's just so heartwarming to hear stuff like that all the time," said Rocha.
It is not uncommon to see a long line for their food, whether it is in the hot summer heat for elote or the winter cold for their birria tacos, but the wait is worth it.
“Anytime they open up, it's going to be a line of 50 plus. When the demand is high, you know it's good," said the Eides.
The food that keeps those customers coming back is created all by Rocha on her own. Each of the recipes is made from scratch, and she prepares food for six to eight hours a day.
“People always (say), 'Oh, is this your grandmother's recipe?' I don't know how (Rocha) does it, but she hits it every time. The flavor is always consistent every time and she's the mad scientist to what we do," said Espino.
Rocha's passion for cooking comes from her mother, who always cooked at home. It is something Rocha sees as a form of love and tradition.
“Traditionally, we eat birria at quinceanera's, birthday parties, that's a go-to meal," said Rocha. "(My mom) would always cook for us, and I would see that passion in her, and now that I have my own family, I feel like, I learned how to have that passion.”
After five successful years in business, their dream of owning a permanent restaurant is now a reality. The opening took nearly a year of remodeling, and while the restaurant is take-out only, it currently offers a birria-focused menu, from tacos and burritos to ramen and pizzas.
“Times have changed. People are looking more to eat at home. People are looking for quality ingredients and looking for different flavors, so, that's kind of how we fit in here," said Espino. “We're here for a reason, and it's just time to execute."
The new location offers more space, a larger kitchen, and the ability to serve even more customers who have come to love their food.
“It's the local food with a not-so-local taste,” said Cameron.
That motto is proudly displayed on a sign inside the lobby and serves as a reminder of how far they’ve come. From humble beginnings to finally a place to call their own, they are committed to serving the community that they have grown to love, and that has loved them back, for years to come.
“We never wanted to open a restaurant, never wanted to be in this position, but sometimes life has its own plan for you. We're just excited that we're able to be in this position, and we will never stop working hard for our people," said Espino.
