Visited Taqueria La Monarca at about 8:00 PM on a Saturday evening. There were a handful of tables…read moreoccupied, but plenty of seating available (seat yourself). We were greeted immediately and given menus. They have a wide selection of margaritas, as well as wine and beer. I chose a cherry margarita, and it was great! We started off with the dip sampler (salsa, guacamole, and queso). Guac needed salt, but was good otherwise (7/10). Queso has some spice to it, and was great (8.5/10). I had the Fajita Trio and it was very good - a solid 8/10. Spouse had the Beef Quesadilla and said it was also very good - 8/10. I took about half of my fajita to go and also brought home a piece of Piña Colada Cheesecake. It had crushed pineapple and cherries on top and was delicious (8.5/10) - the perfect ending to a great meal! Overall an 8/10 - would definitely eat here again.

We were passing through Ashland, and we were hungry. SO glad we stopped here for lunch…read more The service was great, and food was even better. If you like Mexican, they'll have something to make you happy. I'd return to this restaurant any time.

A quiet place at the time we went. We stopped in for lunch. Portions are very large. I had a…read morespecial order : mole enchiladas with cheese/ beans and rice. My husband had carne asada tacos with beans and rice. The food was good. Huge amount of meat in each taco. My husband enjoyed his meal. The rice was a bit bland for me but I enjoyed the beans . The enchiladas were oaky. It is a place I would stop in again at if I wanted some authentic Mexican food in the area. We are on mini vacation. Very patient and helpful wait staff.

Salsa was delicious. Chips were good. We had the steak fajitas for 2 and the bean dip. Other than…read moreit all coming out at once. It was overall amazing. I'm so glad we stopped on our way through the area and we'll definitely stop by on our next trip.

Always great service and the best food available for miles. And perfect limey margaritas!read more

Stopped here on a little Easter weekend trip. Absolutely wonderful! Fantastic fresh salsa and…read morechips, taco salad with chicken was wonderful and my husband loved the carne asada tacos. We're from California and laughed about how much better the food was here than at home! Great service as well. Thank you!

On your drive up to the North Shore, if you're real hungry and feeling for Mexican, this Lucha…read moreLibre inspired spot was a good place to fill up! I went for the "Neck Breaker" burrito - filled with ribeye/shrimp/chorizo and it was a giant monster covered in green salsa and sour cream. I'll leave out one small detail, but it was a funny way of serving. Surf and turf meal and super filling, I had to pack the other half to go. Chips and salsa, complimentary were pretty good. Draft beer at $3.25 for Spotted Cow is a no brainer - cheap, generous and tasty!

Horrible service. Was dinning in and yet my food was delivered in a takeout bag. I reiterated that…read moreI was dining in and even needed to ask for silverware to eat my food. No apology was given. And worst yet they still attempted to charge me a takeout fee. Take your time and money to other establishments in the area.

Hotel gave rave reviews so I went there but I'm not sure about the rave reviews…read more Ordered carne asada dinner and was disappointed at best. I would compare the steak to a Waffle House steak. It was a flank steak as it should have been.

First visit and was just ok with everything. Margaritas…read morewere very tasty but too much ice and not enough "drink". Received the customary chips/salsa when we sat down. Salsa was too watered down and not enough substance to it. Also needs a bit more spice. Main meal was fajitas. Tasted good and came out fast. Kinda made me feel like not made fresh? The beans definitely were a bit light. Service was great. Lots of help. Nice place to visit and a decent dinner crowd. I would say we give it another try.

Basing this entire review off of one singular taco but it was delicious, well priced, and the vibes…read moreare high at this spot. Perfect place to grab a couple tacos to go, walk to the beach or grab a bench on the boardwalk and eat vs having to wait to sit down somewhere and get a huge/overpriced/underwhelming meal like a majority of other options in Canal Park. Employee recommended the salsa I got for my side and it was a spot on suggestion. In hindsight I wish I had ordered more!

We stopped by today for a snack to hold us until dinner. We tried the three meat tacos. They were…read moreall good, but the birria taco was really really good! You order outside, but then you can either sit outside to eat or go inside a dining room. So there's plenty of seating and clean restrooms. We would come by again for the birria tacos. We have to say that the guy who helped us at the window today was really nice and had great customer service Skills.

It was pretty authentic! Especially being the only real Mexican restaurant in town! I say it was…read moredelicious. And def worth the time to go The service was fast and helpful! Super nice they also give you lots of food haha

Yummy yummy tacos! Although the menu offers a wide selection of Tex Mex style food, given the…read morename I had to try the tacos. The fish tacos were amazing! GRilled not fried and perfectly seasoned. The black bean avocado were a bit ho hum but the cactus paddle were also tasty. The MIchaelada (beer with tomato juice and spices) was excellent though The margaritas were a bit sweets THe staff was attentive and service was quick. This place is perfect for an easy post ride meal.

Food was subpar. Not enjoyable at all. My son ordered the shredded beef burrito and said it tasted…read morelike Italian beef.

Don't come here if you don't want a Northwood's lively atmosphere. Don't come here if you want…read moreboring, quick pre-prepared Mexican food. This would not be your ideal place. Do come if you want a fun time hanging out with genuine hardworking staff and locals. Do come if you want great food delivered with personality. The menu is not huge and at first look is kind of ordinary, however it's the flavors of the food that elevate the ordinary to really great stuff. Again, the food is not batch prepared and warmed up to serve it out fast. Be prepared to sit back enjoy the chips and the banter of the staff and patrons as the kitchen works on your food. The restaurant overlooks a beautiful lake, can't ask for better scenery. The owner and her staff are real and you can feel the heart they put into what they do. We will definitely make another trip up to Chico's North of the Border. Note that they're open at like 5pm Thursday-Saturday

great food, wonderful expeditious staff, large servings with a huge variety of entrees !!!…read moreambiance is muy bueno !!! will return next week with 5 peoplr !!....love el tarasco !

I gave it three out of 5 stars because it was good, but not great. There was no "wow" to the…read moreflavors or menu. Very tourist friendly, I get it (protein choices chicken, beef, steak shrimp). I was looking for more options, like tripa or lengua, lomo en res de arbol to be honest. Elote. Menudo. The menu has all the classic Mexican fare I would call it - tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, fajitas, quesadillas. Traditional dinners as well like Carbe Asada, Bistec ala Mexicana, Huevos Rancheros, and Chilequelles. The restaurant itself is very nice inside and clean, with a beautiful bar area. When you walk in you can see directly into the kitchen and how clean the floors and equipment is. We stopped on a Friday around 3pm, not an ideal time but we had been traveling for half the day and needed to eat. Big points for having a selection of hot sauces at every table, including Tapatio or my favorite El Yucatec Habanero; roja AND verde. Our server was Uriel (great name), who seemed to be the only server on duty, which I understand considering the time and day but he had several tables aside from the 3 of us and spread throughout the place so he was in and out of the dining room constantly. My wife ordered the chile rellenos enchiladas with salsa roja, and my daughter chicken quesadillas. I ordered the bistec Mexicana, with corn tortillas. The meal came with chips and salsa. The salsa had good flavor, timid on the cilantro though, and the chips were good but didn't taste made in house, in my opinion. Our meal arrived soon after ordering, and it was good! The bistec was made with canned or pickled jalapenos, and not fresh, so they lost major points for that. The meat was good, but the jalapenos brought a salt and brine flavor instead of the Smokey fresh and vibrant pop that fresh jalapeños provide. The rice and beans that accompany the meals are well prepared with good flavor. The beans were well executed and almost velvety, and the rice had flavor and consistency. In all, a good meal at a great price point. Would definitely eat here again.