We finally made our way to Monterey Restaurant after multiple "you HAVE to go" recommendations…read more.. and I'm here to report: our friends did not lie. Walking in on a Sunday afternoon, I expected a sleepy, post-brunch wind-down. Instead? The bar side felt like someone accidentally hit "Saturday night" on the playlist. Music, people dancing, great energy--like a low-key fiesta you didn't know you were invited to but are immediately glad you showed up for. Not overwhelming, just the right amount of "should we stay longer than planned?" (we did). Let's talk food--because this is where things get interesting. They start you off with chips and salsa, and let me say: this is NOT your standard "here's some chips while you wait" situation. These were dangerously good. The kind where you keep saying "one more" until you realize you've eaten your body weight before appetizers even arrive. Speaking of appetizers--we went full commitment mode: - Chips & queso: excellent, no notes. Creamy, flavorful, gone in seconds. - Mexican street corn: above average and honestly appreciated--why don't more places put this on the menu?? - Nachos: THE HEADLINER. The Beyoncé of the table. The reason we will absolutely return. Perfectly built, generously topped, and somehow every chip got invited to the party. These alone are worth the trip. Then came the entrées... and here's where things leveled out a bit. They were good. Solid. Enjoyable. But after that appetizer performance, expectations were sky high and they just didn't quite hit that same level: - Shrimp enchiladas: shrimp played it a little too safe--kind of like they didn't want to offend anyone. - Burrito Loco (with queso on the side): crowd-pleaser, no complaints. - Beef birria burrito (mine): tasty, but leaned a little heavy on the rice--like it was trying to bulk up for winter. Still good, just not the star of the show. Important note: none of this was bad. Not even close. Just overshadowed by how strong the opening act was. Now, the service? Outstanding. Attentive, friendly, and genuinely fun--like they actually enjoy working there, which makes a huge difference. The kind of service that keeps your drinks full and your mood even better. My one critique--and it's coming from a place of love: The menu is... ambitious. Like "we can do EVERYTHING" ambitious. It feels about 50% too big. At some point you start wondering, "what's the signature here?" Trim it down, focus on the hits, and this place could go from great to elite. Final verdict: Will we be back? 100%. Am I already thinking about those nachos? Also 100%. Would I sit on that bar side again and pretend it's Saturday even if it's Sunday? Without hesitation. Monterey delivers great vibes, killer apps, and a fun experience overall. Next time, I'm coming hungry... and maybe just ordering three rounds of nachos and calling it a day.

The good, the bad, and the ugly…read more... We met some friends for dinner, we made a reservation as there was a handful of us (5). We arrived and they didn't see our reservation. After realizing there was a communication issue, John somehow turned into Johann and we were seated. We all laughed it happens. We put drink orders in right when we sat.... 7:05pm This is where the ugly comes in... 40 minutes, no drinks, apps already came, we ate most, still no beverage. The table next to us who sat 15 min after us, got their drinks. I asked 3 different servers what was happening.,, no one could answer , no manager, no one followed up One by one our drinks came over the next 15 minutes.... So literally over an hour for beverages, no sorry, no we are busy, nothing.... Had a manager come over and apologized, I'd be a little better.. I am extremely disappointed . I would honestly not go back because of this . The food is amazing- absolutely so delicious, this is where I am torn. Maybe I go back and just have water?!?! We had a Monterey combo, enchiladas, a burrito, a quesadilla, and another entree I didn't catch. We wanted dessert, the server let us know it was gonna be a bit. THANK YOU for telling us.... I'm cool waiting just tell us. I wanted one more beverage, I asked if it was going to be a while, she told me she would rush it, she did and I appreciate that. (Still no apology for the first round) All in all good food, shitty bar service, NO manager . I would have taken an apology , or a discount or something, instead you ignored it and avoided us. Not sure if I'd go back at this point

Amazing service. Best tasting steak. Perfect seasoning. And the hot sauce was actually hot!…read more Yummy. Very clean and spacious. Will be back again and again.

From the outside , the building is something you may pass by without thinking of . But inside ,…read moreit's warm and welcoming . The food was amazing and fresh . Service wonderful too . I believe it was the owner , Augustine , who checked on us frequently. We've been out to Avon frequently for Mexican . This is our new go to place . Prices are reasonable , and the food is excellent.

What a find!! This quaint taqueria is serving up huge authentic flavors. With a couple booths to…read moreeat-in or a counter to pick-up the service is friendly and welcoming. I opted to order a couple tacos to-go and try their chicken and mole tamale on special. Wow!! The proteins were cooked perfectly with flavor - so all the taco needed was cilantro and onion - like they are supposed to be done. The tamale was probably the best I have ever had. Using a black mole inside the tamale the chicken was moist and tender. My favorite value was the salsa bar - at no additional cost you can choose from about 6 different salsas, from a variety of spicy levels and flavors. Also included is Jalepano, radishes and some other small things. A great idea that adds true value to the customer. Overall this is a taqueria that I will drive to!!! When I am in the mood for tacos I am here. I should also mention they do have a full Mexican menu with entrees and such. So many items to try to keep you coming back.

Good tacos, good prices, small shop…read more Came here on a whim. Missus liked the tacos here and wanted me to try. So we made the trek to give them a shot. Inside is all business. Sparse decoration and the kitchen takes up a majority of the tiny space. There are tables, but it's very much a To-go place. We ordered some tamales, some tacos and some chips. Went to the salsa bar and got a bunch of sauces to try. Drove to a parking lot to take pics and dig in. The tacos were a little overcooked and under seasoned. They tasted good and were dressed simply. They all needed salsa to really shine. The chorizo was the best bite. Just enough spice and seasoning to stand well on its own. The weakest being the ground beef, which was dry and not seasoned beef. The tamale was good, cooked in a banana leaf, good masa and the mole filling was hot and sweet which chicken used as the protein. A well balanced bite. The chips and salsa were basic but plentiful. Price was reasonable given the quality. It's not a date night Mexican place. It's a place for regular folk to get decent Mexican fare at decent prices, good portions, and basic but executed well tacos. It's great for those who are around the area, but not a space I would try to hunt down

The service The food…read moreWow If your in the area you have to try them out The food is authentic and very fresh Thank you for a great meal

Always wanted to stop by and try this place. My excuse was " it's a Tuesday so we need tacos "!! I…read moretried the Al pastor tacos and was satisfied with the taste . The ingredients looked fresh and my portion was perfect. They had these big bottles of Mexican Pepsi which I never saw before and I had to try some. The service was fast, only 2 ladies working the line. The ambiance is cute.

Cute little restaurant. The decor was awesome and colorful. The server helping us out was helpful…read morein making decisions on what to get. Food and drinks were great.

I absolutely love this place . When I asked my Mexican neighbors where ti go for authentic food…read morethey sent me here. Everyone here is wonderful. The food is authentic, great portions and a great interior .Everyone I have brought here loves it and raves about it. The inside brings me back to happy days as a sailor cruising down to Mexico on my R & R . They do great drinks, food and takeout.

They changed up the chips and salsa brought to the table to be a little more upscale and brought…read moreout a dinner light for every table so you can see the menu. Service has always been fast and excellent!

OK. so this pains me to say but they changed everything and not for the better…read more so we love this place. Come here for birthdays, fun dinners, and anytime we want Mexican. walked in today for Father's Day and completely new menu. Seems like they are trying to go upscale and my best wishes for them just not feeling the vibe myself. The chips and salsa, which are always amazing is now replaced with a circle tortilla which looks fancy, but tastes rather bland. We ordered chips with queso just because we love their chips so much. Food was much smaller selection and was still pretty good definitely cut back on portions, which is fine. New drink menu is much smaller missing lots of the frozen drinks so I wish them all the luck just doesn't feel like this is a good old fun Mexican restaurant looks like they're trying to be something they're not

Excellent Food and service. I first discovered them on Door dash. For me, I judge a Mexican food…read moreplace by their corn tortillas. This place has excellent soft corn tortillas which are very authentic tasting. And these aren't the homemade tortillas. I've had the chicken street tacos and the carne asada tacos both are excellent. Same thing with the chips and guac. I had a surprise party for my girlfriend at my house where we had about 30 people. I was looking to have it catered so I met with Rosendo who is the owner. He and I designed something together where people could make their own tacos. The day of the party, he delivered everything needed including his home made corn tortillas to more than feed everyone who raved about the food. Chips, guac, Pico, salsa verde, salsa roja, pre-cooked chicken, chopped cilantro, chopped onions, chopped fresh jalapenos, etc. I could not have been happier!

The tacos are great however prices are a bit on the high side compared to other local taco spots…read more Highly recommend the chicken street tacos, elote, horchata and their fresh baked breads.

I came here for the first time for lunch on a weekday. The ambiance is clean and welcoming and they…read morehave a lot of seating. We were seated right away and got our order taken too. The prices on the lunch menu were reasonable and they had a good variety of options for lunchtime. We tried the shrimp fajitas, quesadilla oaxaca, and quesadilla tijuana. Plenty of food for our party of 3. The quesadilla oaxaca was definitely our favorite but all food was great. They give complimentary chips and salsa too; chips were good but the salsa could use some improvement, perhaps more onion or fresh herbs rather than a tomato sauce like base.

First time visiting after the move. Nicely renovated space, the margheritas are still top notch,…read morebut the food has changed. Still quite good and on the money, but new chefs and ovens have changed the recipes. Not a big problem, still better than Salsas or Puerto Vaillarta. Overall, still a top notch establishment

Me and the missus went to this diner and were impressed by the value of the meals. The food was…read moregreat. The service was what you would expect of a good restaurant. The ambiance was okay. We have to go back. This was my first time.

Dropped in for breakfast with my friend, w both had never been here before, but heard raves about…read morehow great the food was, first we ordered two apple juices, and our cups smelled wet dog, we couldn't finish our drinks due to the smell, and the ketchup bottle that was given to us was dirty, the cleanliness definitely turned me off, my sandwich was really yummy, hash brown could've been crispier however no serious complaints about my sandwich, my friend ordered an egg Benedict and her eggs were not poached, however our waiter immediately fixed this for her, and took eggs off the table and did not charge her for them. Our server Fernando was excellent and his service definitely made the experience. However don't know if I'll be back due to the cleanliness.

Tacos are amazing. Delicious and the staff is great too. They use fresh ingredients and the meat…read moremelts in your mouth. Please check them out!

From the owner: Catering authentic Mexican tacos cooked over fire and cooked at your event location. Prime meats,…read moreorganic chicken, locally sourced tortillas, and small batch salsas.