Upon our arrival the restaurant looked very welcoming from the outside, it sits right on a canal and had a quaint view. But once inside the experience went downhill. First, they tried to sit my family right next to the window where all the servers gather to grab the food from the kitchen. I asked to be moved but that turned out to be a bad idea. The hostess moved us to a large round table where there was an a/c vent right above one of the chairs so water kept dripping on the seat and floor. We kept letting other patrons know to be careful because the floor was wet. The next distraction we immediately noticed was the LOUD mariachi group that was going around from table to table playing music. At first it was nice but after being there for over 30 minutes the music was beyond frustrating and annoying. My family could not talk throughout the meal because the damn band was OBNOXIOUS! It's one thing to have some light music but a damn 8 piece group going around and around is beyond obnoxious. My father sent an email to the owner the next day letting him know that we are also own a local restaurant and we enjoy supporting local businesses but that the 8 piece group was too much. Well it's been over 3 weeks and he still has not acknowledged my fathers email. We finally left dinner with half our meals in to-go boxes because we could not enjoy ourselves. Once outside we saw a group of 4 who had left before us and they were in the parking lot talking because they could not converse in the restaurant because was too loud. My steak fajitas were very good and I would definitely order them again but unless the band is gone or the number of members is drastically reduced then we won't be visiting this place again. read more

Waited 40 minutes. But it was well worth it! Salsa was delicious. Ordered the nachos for dinner which is an appetizer, plenty to share and they were loaded with toppings. My husband got the mega burrito, it was also delicious and full of goodness. Although it was very Hot and the table we sat at was literally in the kitchen. Waitress was friendly food amazing. 9/10!!! read more

4 stars because the service always slow or kinda sucks don't bring back what u ask for but the food is Sooooo GOOD I don't care and will always keep going back I just order 2 drinks right away even if water and u will be set lol but yes drinks and food is amazing read more

The place looks fantastic as other reviewers have mentioned. You walk into the place and it looks like it is going to be a great dining experience. That is pretty much where it ends unfortunately. Our service was OK but glasses were frequently empty and we had to ask for everything. The place wasn't particularly busy either. The food... very hit and miss. Our chips were OK but a bit stale. The salsa was basically water with some tomato and seasoning but mostly water. It also came out in a tiny plastic cup. It did taste fresh so it could have just been a weak batch. They should up the quantity and work on a better consistency. The cheese dip... ughh. It is yellow cheese with a smokey flavor. It tasted very processed and not particularly smooth. The guacamole was plentiful and very good so it seems they have ironed that out. Tacos were OK as the chicken and beef was seasoned well but they were sparse and the shell was chewy. The chimichangas were good. Pricing was reasonable for the decor but WAY over the mark for the quality of the food. They may have priced themselves out of much of the Cape Coral market as well. read more

love it!! super good food, margaritas, desserts and more, i enjoyed every part from being served with the nicest people to the very good food and presentation ! read more

We have gone here for the last three years and everything was great. The last 2 times were a disaster. The food was very poor and the service was worse. I absolutely cannot reccomend them If a Mexican restaurant cannot make decent salsa give up read more

WATCH YOUR WALLET!!! This was the second time we had been there, with a pleasant experience the first time. First visit, I recall the food was tasty, margaritas not too tart & crept up on you, and the chips were good. Unfortunately our second visit was memorable but not for the same reasons. We waited more than the normal amount of time to get our drinks once the order was place (prompt in taking the order, not so much in delivering them). So much so, that a second waitress came around to see if our drink order had been taken. A few minutes later the 2 for 1 margaritas came out and all was well. Except that we had ordered a side of guac which again, took for ever to come out. We reminded the waitress about it and also asked for more chips (3 of us polished them off pretty quick while waiting on the drinks). She brings out the guac, no chips. But again, we're now enjoying our margaritas and are patient as we're enjoying the patio and live music. The food: The tacos al pastor had a tinge of sweetness due to pineapple chunks which totally threw the al pastor flavor off. My daughter's chicken tacos were fine, and my chicken and mole was a bit heavy on the salt and the mole sauce was on top of the shredded chicken, not marinated in it, as it is in authentic dishes and how it was on the last visit. The flavor of the mole was also more bitter and not enough chocolate flavor, again as traditional poblano flavor has. But edible and we brought the left overs home. The service and the killer: Aside from waiting initially for our drink order, the 2nd round on the 2 for 1 was timely and that was enough for all of us for the evening. The food came out at reasonable time frame. No desert ordered, but we did ask for a to-go box, and the waitress (Ariannis) left the check at that time. Not more than 3 minutes later she returned, without the to-go box, but asked if our check was ready! REALLY??! We've been really patient with the service but we're not even given 5 minutes to pay? Well, my significant other pulled his wallet out right away and inserted the card in the jacket and off she went. She wasn't gone an excessive time, normal time frame I'd say. She returned, we signed, paid, lingered and finished our 2nd round of drinks and off we went. On our way out, our waitress and a male waiter were at the register near the entryway and didn't even acknowledge us as we left, even though we gave her nearly 20% tip. Approximately 6am we are awaken with 3 texts messages. From the credit card company. Someone tried using our credit card at MotorWorld for an online purchase, as well as a payment at Prince of Peace Villas in Ormond FL. Both of which occurred back to back but were declined for suspicious activity. Our creditor's fraud prevention dept. was on top of this and blocked what could have been thousands of dollars (the online purchase alone was over $450!). Now this could easily be blamed on anyone or anything, except this card is only used for recurring household purchases and this was the one time we used it for discretionary spending! I really wanted to like this restaurant but now we just have a bad taste in our mouth in every sense of the word. If you still feel like putting yourself at risk, well... you've been put on notice. If the credit company's investigation uncover's differently I will update this review, but again, we know how we use the card and it is a lightly & carefully used account. Sad. read more

This place is amazing! Excellent food, service, atmosphere, just perfect! We have been here before & will definitely be back! Best food & margaritas in town!!!!! read more

Monarca's - Mexican Near Me - Cape Coral, Florida

Monarca's is our favorite restaurant. We especially love the vegetable fajitas and charro beans (with tasty bacon). Timing is everything, and because we prefer a quite place, we go about 4 PM. The service and food are perfect at that time and we almost always sit in the coveted window seat. read more

Second visit and still disappointed. I am writing this whilst seated at Monarchs on Cinco de Mayo. I visited Monarca's soon after they opened. 5+ month's later I visited for lunch on Cinco de Mayo, a day one would expect a Mexican restaurant to be at the top of their game. No Cinco de Mayo lunch specials but "compliments of Monarca's" I was given a cheap cloth bag that was provided by Patron advertising there XO Cafe tequila liquor. As for the food, I was hoping for improvement. Alas, it has deteriorated further. The fish tacos have gone from fresh, grilled fish to frozen, pre-breaded, as supplied by typical major food vendor, deep fried. I must drive past Monarca's on my daily commute and have noticed that the food supply truck is a different vendor. The beans tasted as though they came straight out of the can. The server was great and honest, telling me that they have changed managers 3 times in a few months along with many of the other staff. DON'T BOTHER they are neither authentic Mexican nor worth your hard earned money. Save your Palate as well. Two stars for the server an decor. read more

If there were a way to add a half star it would be 2.5. With that said this place is the kinda place where dan the accountant from hoboken can go while on vacation because he wants "authentic mexican food." Order the most mexican thing on the menu and still not have eaten authentic mexican food. Touristy to say the least.. A bit overpriced and we already have an Iguana Mias... Basically the same Americanized southwest "mexican" food. My wife, who is actually from Mexico, and I had nachos (not real mexican food) because the appetizers were few to choose from. The ground beef a tad over spiced but not spicey hot, just over use of the spices. We ordered a pitcher of sangria, tasted more like kool aide not sure there was any alcohol involved. I won't be going back. I'll leave the place to the out of towners from Hoboken! read more

Had been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened. We liked it just from walking in and seeing the fantastic decor - carved tables, chairs, etc.... plus loved that you can boat up to the restaurant as well. The staff was attentive and really seemed on top of things. The food was great, fantastic Mexican food, plus they had some other items on the menu for those that might not feel like Mexican. They have some tables outside on the water, which is a very nice view. Pretty large portions, especially the burrito - it was the size of a large dinner plate - you'll need a box. We'll definitely be back and it's our new go-to Mexican restaurant in Cape Coral/Fort Myers! read more

A little disappointed this evening. We got sat by the hostess and we waited for 20 minutes and no one came by our table. A couple got sat behind us and they had immediate service. I asked what about our server and she had no idea who was taking care of us. We decided it was time to leave and this disinterested older hostess didn't seem to care one bit if we got help. We've been coming to this restaurant for over a year for both lunch and dinner and this was the first time we couldn't get service and the older woman at the hostess station didn't care one bit. I guess we'll go to our other favorite Mexican Restaurant, Las Casitas in Ft Myers. I guess it's okay not to care about how your treated by an old hefer. read more

Great place margaritas are great and service is awesome food is good and ask for elwado good serval will come soon

This was our first time here. We had driven by the location several times and it looked really appealing. We were able to sit outside which offered a great ambience as it's right on a canal. The noise level is doable and they have lights and fans. We ordered a appetizer of guacamole which never did come. So we had to cancel that as our dinners came quickly. My husband ordered the combination of a Chili Relleno , chicken enchilada and Beef tamale. Unfortunately there was not a lot of flavor in any of those choices. The salsa is good, it is chunky but some what on the sweet side. I ordered the chicken fajitas and the chicken was superb however the rice and beans left a lot to be desired. I think this restaurant has the potential of becoming great... It just needs more flavors and better staff to upsell drinks and appetizers and actually deliver on the appetizers. When we checked in to Yelp we received a free margarita so that is a positive. We will definitely give this restaurant a second chance... read more

The two times I've eaten here the service was slow. The food was good but lacked in variety. They also don't have a selection of hot sauces. One thing I ordered they were out of so I had to make another choice. Service also was not that great. I waited among time to pay my bill. read more

The food was less than OK and the service was terrible. The only nice thing I can say is they have a "pretty" sign out front to pull you in - but it did nothing to enhance the quality of the meal! read more

We are vacationing from NY/NJ had dinner and drink here sat night. It was VERY crowded however we were seated right away bc we chose to sit outside. It was very hot but they do have fans. The server was wonderful and very accommodating. They made a few errors with our orders like cheese quesadilla was supposed to be chicken quesadilla's but they quickly fixed the error. Also another order came out wrong but they were more than willing to take it off the bill. The food was all very tasty and fresh! I must say they have THE BEST Flan I have ever had! I will definitely go back! read more

Ok we are in Cape Coral for 3 months in the winter and my wife just loves eating at waterfront places therefore Monarca's. Sure I read the reviews but she loves the water . Ok the highlights were the chips and salsa and house margaritas. That was it! Downhill from there. COLD beans , rice enchiladas and chimichanga. Absolutely no flavor period. Steak chimi was so tough you couldn't chew it! Not a good wait staff and they were not busy. VERY disappointed and will not go back. Such a shame good location good drink good chips but Nothing else. We eat a lot of Mexican and this was awful! Certainly not authentic ! read more

My husband and I have been to this establishment many times as a couple. Tonight we went with 3 other couples because we told them how great the service and food was. So there were 8 adults and it was the WORST SERVICE EVER. Our waiter, Victor, took our drink order and it was over twenty minutes before we got the drinks. One of us actually went over to the bar to ask where are drinks were because the place was not busy and it was a good twenty minutes. One person ordered tea and she waited over forty minutes for it. Four of us got the house margarita so it was not a difficult drink order. Food service was even worse. We ordered two guacamole appetizers and got one. We told the girl as soon as she came to the table we wanted two, but by the time she reappeared to make the second one we were over it. This was at least 15 minutes later. Lastly the dinners, two of us received our dinners and thirty minutes later the other six received theirs. No lie because one person happened to look at their watch. At the end we got our bills with a 20% added for tip. The waiter, Victor, did not say anything about this and took forever to provide separate checks for each couple ( 4 checks) even though we mentioned to him prior to ordering that it was how we were going to pay. Two couples left after paying as they had enough of the situation and the four left thought we should say something to the manager on duty. We wanted to tell the manager that the food was good but not hot-warm at best. Also that we had terribly slow service. However, we were presented with another helper who explained that the manager works dayside Monday through Friday and not on weekends. Really? No manager at all was in over the weekends was asked and she said no, the managers don't work nights or weekends. I cannot believe this, but this is what we were told. The young girl apologized just like Victor did throughout the time there. Victor apologized and blamed everyone else, the bartender for the slow time to get a drink and the kitchen for the food not coming out together. I really would like to speak to the manager and ask how you can run a restaurant without having someone in charge at times when you make your most money. So sad! On the way home, we were discussing restaurants in general and it was mentioned that usually when service sucks the restaurant would offer something. It got me to thinking that it was indeed strange how this place just dismissed us with an "I'm sorry " Guess they could care less if we return or tell a hundred people how they were so terribly. But then again there was no one in charge without a man read more

This place has terrible service, they charge for every little thing. If you feel the guacamole salad is too dry and you'd like some more guacamole they will charge you four dollars for a guacamole dip, if you would like more than one refill on your drink they will charge you for it, if you're with a group and you have a basketful of chips they will charge you for a second basket. This is not a customer friendly restaurant at all read more

I found this place last year by accident. It was excellent then and excellent again this year. The salsa and guacamole is in my opinion perfect. I had the taco salad this year and was pleasantly surprised how delicious it really was. The chicken was marinated perfectly and the layers to the salad were nicely balanced. I will absolutely be back again next year. To the people who complain about the price well you get what you pay for. You want cheap go to Taco Bell because this is the real thing. Thank you for another wonderful meal. read more

Great food, drinks, and atmosphere. Delicious quesadillas and excellent guacamole (made fresh table-side).

Nice rustic interior with lots of carved wood. Service is average. Food is good, but had better Mexican food. Extended menu with non-Mexican items for those 'traditional customers' as well. Lots of showcooking with smoking skillets and table prepared fresh guacamole. All sizes of very low alcoholized Margarita's. We know that we look like tourists, but we have been visiting Fort-Myers and Cape Coral 3 to 4 times per year for over 9 years and we own a place there as well. We know the customs, but were very surprised they added 20% gratituide to our check. When I decided that 15-18% was enough, the waitress came to ask for her last $5 to reach her 20% tip. I know that they have to live from tourists and I am aware that lots of them 'forget' to tip, but I found this quite arrogant. It is up to the customer how much he tips, not to the waiting staff of mgnt. Won't be back for this reason. Plenty of other mexican food joints out there! read more

Horrible serves. There was no one to greet you at the door. They appeared to be put out to seat you. Once they sat you down, you had to wait 30 mins for someone to talk to you! They were nasty when we left!!! read more

Not too sure what all the negative feedback is due to, I just assume this place has worked through its new restaurant hiccup issues. My wife and I really enjoyed the food and the service was well above average and very attentive. Glad to have found this place, we will be back! read more

This place was wonderful! Im not sure why all the mixed reviews. They are very laid back and take their time with courses, but everything was hot and delicious. The ambiance is awesome! We sat outside and loved the water view. Scarlet was our server, and she was delightful and did a great job. Loved the guacamole she made us at the table. The only problem I had was deciding what to eat since everything on the menu looked amazing. I decided on a burrito, which was delicious! They won an award for best of Cape Coral recently, which is why we decided to try it. We were not disappointed! Come, relax, and have a giant, wonderful margarita! read more

Was super excited to try this place. Unfortunately, the service was terrible. Several servers passed our table multiple times, but no one stopped. After about 10 or 15 minutes I finally went to find the hostess to see if we could get a server. I could not even find the hostess! Finally, somebody said she would try to figure out who our server should be. Mind you... They were not remotely busy!! The food was just okay. Certainly not worth the cost. They get two stars because the margarita was very good! That said, we will definitely not be returning. read more

Back again, Service is 100% food as always 110%, I had some concerns a while back after eating dinner here and these guys TOOK IT TO HEART. They have bent over backwards to take care of our meal take care of our service they have done everything they possibly can to make monarca's the number one Mexican food place in Cape Coral. I believe they have succeeded. read more

I ordered the crispy chicken tacos. The chicken was pretty good. The taco shells weren't crispy due to the dampness in the chicken. We got the guacamole to start. That was pretty good. In general the food was pretty plain. Not a lot of flavor or spice. So it's average. read more

Good food & service but the place needs a good cleaning or even a remodel. Old chairs, very dusty and carpet was dark & dank, needs replacing, cleaning won't help. The prices are high so they can afford to clean house. read more

I'm not sure why this place has such low reviews. I headed to Monarca's last month while visiting family in the area. The food and drinks were absolutely delicious. I got the steak fajitas and mango margarita. You're given chips and salsa when arriving and I couldn't stop myself from eating them, they were so tasty. The service was quick, our group of 6 were in and out within an hour. read more

Looks nice inside and out but food sucks, waitstaff bad and when I asked to speak to manger he could care less.

We were visiting family and they suggested this place. The food was okay. The Margarita was good. It wasn't anything great or bad. It's just average. The service was a little slow. We sat outside which was nice. I probably won't come back next time we're I town. read more

Really good chips and salsa. Large plates of food. Great decor, all hand carved from Mexico. Not the best service on busy weekends.. its just too popular, also is a tight squeeze for space, and very loud. But still, awesome for a tasty lunch, but go easy on the chips..very filling. Or, just get a drink and eat chips. Cool spot, wish the Cape had more...so sad. read more

Lived here on the cape for the past 10 years and never had Mexican, but i heard this place was the best. Ambiance was a 10. We were seated promptly and the waitress brought us the menu and asked for our drink orders. Chips and salsa were not offered until we asked. Waitress said that most people don't want it so she never just assumes and therefore didn't bring it automatically. One other thing....no napkins on the table....just one wrapped around the silverware....had to ask for additional napkins...... Ordered a large burrito and the wife ordered chicken and steak fajitas with flour tortillas. I asked if i could sub pork for the shredded chicken and was told that they were out of pork (Monday at 4pm). Order came out 22 mins later. And as the waitress was placing the plates in front of us she tells my wife....oh, I am sorry but we are all out of flour tortillas so i brought you corn. My wife never gets corn and she was too shy to tell the waitress to bring her something else. She ended up pretending everything was ok, but was really miserable. The corn flavor really changes the taste of the dish. Our waitress was not the most attentive and i could see her just chatting with other employees....I looked around around for a manager but nobody stood out as a leader or supervisor.....Maybe it is just a family operation and people do what they want there....... This isn't a cheap meal........2 dinners, a beer, and a margarita was $41 plus tip.......$41 could buy a nice meal at a steak house...or a seafood meal somewhere downtown...I won't be going back to this place.......... read more

This restaurant used to be a great spot. Now you wait an hour to get your food, and they are not busy. Food was good. Drinks were mixed up, and no follow up service after original order. Had to ask 3 times and another server to get any results. Too many other local places with better service. read more

We made reservations and the restaurant was very prompt in seating us even though the restaurant was busy and we had a party of 10. Our waitress was very pleasant and accommodating to all our needs. She was very efficient and concerned regarding our dining experience even though, due to the size of our party, our tips were included as part of the bill. The food was excellent for each and everyone in our group. This was my second visit to this restaurant and I've been equally pleased on both occasions. The prices were very reasonable and the portions were huge. Two Thumbs up on this Mexican Restaurant. read more

My husband and I both ordered carne asada soft tacos. They were Mexican style which we liked, but the meat tasted like grease and that was about it. The salsa taste like marinara sauce. The server was really really really peppy, which is fine but was a little to much. Don't go to this place. read more

Everything was great!!! Went there two days ago and have been thinking about it ever since. Service was great, food was sssoooooo good. Still my favorite salsa. Everyone loved everything. Can't go wrong here read more