Excellent food. Fun atmosphere. Something for everyone in this relaxed, warm, busy restaurant.

By far the worst Mexican food I think I've ever had... or maybe the worst service... or both. We got there after a movie across the street around 3:45. Place was empty. We waited to be seated. Sat in the back area. Waited about 4 minutes for a venue. THEY only serve Pepsi products so I ordered water. The server appeared to be annoyed woth my water and lemon order. My friend got a Pepsi. Chips were average but fine but the salsa was bitter and tasteless and very watery. Tasted like the juice from a can of stewed tomatoes. Took 10 minutes to come back for the order. She didn't greet us ; just stood there with her pad and waited for us to order. Weird. We ordered a shredded chicken nachos to share. She rolled her eyes when I said to share and asked if "thats it?". Then left without a word. Rude doesn't even come close to what an awful server she was. Took 15 minutes for horrible nachos. Cold shredded chicken and very little of it, wilted shredded lettuce, white American cheese!!! Gross! Who has white American cheese on nachos??? And canned tasteless jalapeños. The tomatoes were pithy and tasted grain like they were old. More chips than toppings. I had to ask for a water refill. She just snatched it off the table and brought it back full. No words. She never came back to check on us or ask if we needed anything or if everything was okay. Not once. She dropped off the check and again said nothing but seemed annoyed. Awful experience. Yuck. Absolutely won't ever go again nor recommend. read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - Barely any meat, cold and gross white American cheese. We took off the flavorless canned jalapeños before the photo. Yuck for $15.00! - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

I visited this restaurant a few nights ago and ordered the three-taco plate with a side of plantains, while my daughter had a combo meal. Overall, the food was mediocre; the tacos lacked flavor and were sparsely topped with just a little cheese and shredded lettuce. While the plantains were acceptable, they weren't particularly impressive either.The service was also disappointing. Our server was inattentive and made us feel like an inconvenience rather than valued guests. She never checked to see how we were enjoying the meal or offered basic necessities like extra napkins, and her lack of communication made the experience feel unwelcoming. I certainly won't be returning. read more

Pretty amazing food! I usually don't like to go to chain Mexican food restaurants cause it seems to be the same just ok food, but this one was great! I would go here again. I ordered fajitas with steak and shrimp! Really tasty! Pricing is fair! Can't wait to go back again. read more

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Greeted with a warm welcome and seated immediately. Our waiter Noah was friendly, prompt, courteous, brought us chips and salsa, took our order and checked back on our meals. The meals were great! Presentation, amount, cooked perfect, the fajitas came sizzling and the shrimp were a good size. The peppers were just how I like them not overdone just right. I asked For guacamole instead of cheese and sour cream and it was no problem. They aim to please. Great selection, large menu, lunch options, specials, and fun drinks. Ambiance is authentic! read more

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Tacos are hard not to love--so many flavors packed into one perfect little package! Whether you're a fan of classic carnitas, tangy fish tacos, or a creative veggie twist, they're always a treat. read more

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My favorite taco salad of all time. The soups and enchiladas are also always amazing, and you can't go wrong with the margaritas. read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - Taco Salad - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

Their menu was extensive, and it was difficult to choose just one entree. The al pastor tacos were delicious with the exception of a few pieces of pork that were difficult to chew--a bit sinewy. Honestly, I could overlook that because they were so tasty. The tacos were served with a spicy salsa that I enjoyed very much. Guac was good. The complementary house salsa was very flavorful (a bit of a kick). Service was friendly and food was served quickly. As we ate, we watched as they watered their planters outside, and it was only after we left that we noticed they weren't just beautiful tropical flowers, but also peppers and tomatoes. I loved the fact that I felt like I was on a Mexican getaway--not just the food--but by way of the music, the decor, and the Latino/a restaurant workers who clearly demonstrate pride in their product, their work environment, and service to others. This establishment echos all that I appreciate about Mexico. Will definitely be back! read more

The food was absolutely amazing and all the staff were very nice. Plus the mood inside was amazing it felt like I was in Mexico.

I got take out for lunch because they have such good lunch deals! If you have a hankering for some Mexican food and don't want to spend a ton this is a great place. The queso isn't my absolute favorite, leaves a slight aftertaste, but it does the job. read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

Been going here since I moved to Rochester, 3+ years ago and this place never disappoints. When you first walk in, you automatically feel welcomed. Everyone always has a smile on their face and you know from the start, you're going to have great service. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. My boyfriend and I ordered frozen strawberry margaritas, very delicious. I ordered the steak street tacos and my boyfriend ordered the BURRITOS DE PUERCO, both VERY delicious. I would always give this place a 10/10! read more

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We hadn't been here in a few years and decided to go since we were next door getting a hair cut at Great Clips. The chips and salsa tasted great after our morning hike. I had the La Changa specialty item. The queso was an indulgent addition to the plate. There was a lot of robustly seasoned ground beef and I appreciated the scoop of guacamole included on the shredded lettuce side included with the dish. Overall we seemed to like the food better than the last time we were here. read more

I'm writing this review based on being a pescatarian. While I think the taco salad with shrimp is pretty good, it's really the only "healthy" option. At most Mexican restaurants you can find a lot of healthy vegetarian options, with fresh veggies, the only vegetarian options on the menu here are all filled with cheese and no fresh veggies. My husband eats meat and really likes it here, so we eat here a decent amount. The strawberry margaritas are really good. I'm not opposed to eating here, just think there are a lot of better Mexican places out there. read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - Taco salad - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

Very friendly waitress. Very much liked the food. I thought the guacamole was excellent. Liked the seating. Booths, tables or sit at the bar. Neat decorations. I would return read more

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Went to Monte Alban with friends last night again. Nice ambiance, good food, horrible service. The young man taking care of us was slow, non-responsive, basically missing in action. I believe training is needed, and someone overseeing the servers. read more

We lived in Florida for over 20 years before moving to Rochester 4.5 years ago. We were blessed with amazing authentic Mexican food in Florida. We tried this place in Greece and were disgusted. So, we've been craving good Mexican for a LONG time. Monte Alban did not disappoint! First and foremost, forget about the food and drinks. Just LOOK around this place! It's like an art museum! The hand carved furniture, hand painted murals on the booths, chairs and tables, wall art, and metal sculptures are all a kaleidoscope of colorful wonder. Imagine what a few margaritas could do! We arrived just at opening time and had no wait. The service was fast and spot on. Quiet as can be expected. I can only imagine how lively this place can be in an evening or Cinco de Mayo. At first, I wanted to go for my staple order: one beef burrito, one beef taco and one cheese enchilada. With that, I could do a fair comparison against the Florida experience. Well, so much for that idea, La Changa jumped off the pages of the colorful, well designed, hard-plastic spiral-bound menus. Then our server sealed the deal by calling it a "must have, deep fried". OMG. Amazing! My wife thoroughly enjoyed her taco salad: "Very tasty and filling." On the way out we asked the server if the Irondequoit and Webster locations were as good and he said "No way! This is the best." Not sure if that's a "My House" kind of pride or if it's true. Only on way to find out... read more

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Penfield Monte Alban......fabulous dinner and super efficient and friendly service ...waitress "Yadis" and another French speaking waitress were absolutely terrific and friendly. we've been there before and will DEFINITELY be going again. yummy Margaritas and delicious Polla Fundito , flautas, Monte Alban burrito read more

Service is good they are friendly and attentive Food now as good as the service need to get their arms around consistency read more

Excellent service. The Mexican guac was amazing. Good vegetarian options too. I had enchilada and tostada that was delicious. My friend had carnitas that she enjoyed. Margarita was ok, a bit blah. Flan for dessert was well made and quite good. AND LADIES, the mirror on the back of the ladies room door is like one of those fun house mirrors that makes you look taller and thinner. A perfect end to a dinner that included food, drinks, desserts and too many chips. read more

Hello again, my husband and myself came here tonight for dinner. The night be for we went to a Mexican place on 96. The food was.nothing to take about. So as I was disappointed I had to go back to where I new the service and the food was to be notice.Along with the drinks. I felf badnfor yaties because all the help called in and she was left ton tened to all the tables.they filled up atfer we got there? Still they did not rush us out. I felt bad formour waitress. I wish I could of helped.her out with the tables. If you visited after 5pm on 4.6.21 I hope you are for giving to the help they where dining the best they could manage with what was available! God bless read more

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Great little Mexican restaurant. I had a skinny margarita (large), chicken soup and shared a veg large quesadilla. Staff is sometimes a bit short, but they are very friendly and accommodating! read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

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We have picked up food from here several times. It has always been very good. We don't like spicy food and we really enjoy their fajitas. This time the portion was much smaller than usual. We don't eat the rice and beans so we ask for extra veggies in place of those. Plus, they added some topping to it which was spicy and unpleasant. read more

The restaurant closes at 9:30 pm. We arrived at 8.. with plenty of time to have a nice dinner. The server was not very friendly [but not rude]. The food was very good, but while we were eating, we were surrounded by the "cleaning" crew.. swabbing the floor next to us [as we were eating] and wiping down tables, etc. It was very uncomfortable and did not provide a relaxing vibe. The restaurant should close 1/2 hour before the cleaning begins so they can serve people without being surrounded by mops and dirty water. read more

Ordered 2 hours ago. Haven't received a text or any communication. Called Yelp and they tried to " re-order " . Yelp said they couldn't do that as they were blockked for some reason. We then cancelled. Had to re-order from someone else. Hope you are not hungry. read more

This place has great Mexican food. Service is always quick, waitstaff are friendly and the portions are big. Great guac.. outdoor seating.. great summer spot! read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - La Changa! - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

This place is simply amazing, good food and great service and the bartender Mikle makes the best piña coladas in the state, take my word for it read more

Wonderful place! This is in my opinion the best Mexican you can get in Rochester! I love the chips and salsa that come with the meal and their horchata is delightful! Always wonderful service and delicious food. Monte Alban is of my favorite places to eat in Rochester! read more

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Monte Alban is my go-to Mexican restaurant in Rochester. First of all, their chips and salsa is incredible and unlimited. They won't skimp out on the chips and salsa and will always offer free refills. I typically always order the Baja shrimp tacos and I'm never disappointed. The tacos are delicious and well-stuffed with shrimp, cabbage, pico, and chipotle crema. The prices here are also reasonable and it's not too hard to get a table, even on weekends. I've been going to Monte Alban for years and I'll definitely continue! I've never had a bad meal here! read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - Baja Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

I was eating here last Saturday and left a nice tip $20 for just one person eating. And now it says I left a $30 tip on my card. When I know my total bill at the end was $53 and my meal was only $23 read more

I went here with as a family of four and 4 orders took 9 Minutes to get our food which is amazing. The including chips helps me wait. I really like how there is free refills. Overall the customer service was amazing and the food was great. I would recommend. read more

Asked them to remake tacos because I said I could NOT have dairy and the waiter verified with me. The lady came back with a piss poor attitude and they clearly scraped off the top because I could still see the sauce on it, and proceeded to come out and give me a dirty look. Halfway through eating the "new" tacos I find a hair in my food. Health department is on their way to pay y'all a visit. read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

Looking for a real good Mexican meal we went across the Penfield border to Monte Albans. Usually we have great service and amazing food. This time however it was a totally different story that I will share with you now. We arrived and we were told it would be a 15 minute wait. As if Speedy Gonzalez was clearing tables, we only waited 5 minutes and sat down. I was very optimistic at this point that this was going to be a great meal. Like a hungry wishful thinker on hopium my positive experience was about to turn for the worst. I have had bad experiences at other places but this one is about to top the cake. We sat down and our waitress brought us chips and salsa. Now these aren't your ordinary store bought chips and salsa, they are homemade and very scrumptious. Then she brought us our water and took our order. We waited and waited, thought it was going to be my birthday again, and waited. Then after 50 minutes the waitress came out and said they lost our ticket and we were a top priority and that she was advocating for us. Advocating? I don't need an advocate, I need our food. If I wanted an advocate I would have called the number on the magnate on the side of my refrigerator. Then 5 minutes later they brought out our food. My wife's burrito and rice were cold, my daughter's quesadilla and rice were cold with no cheese in them. My Taco salad was warm but it's salad so that was OK. When the waitress came back she asked how it was and my wife told her it was cold. She apologized and took it back to have it remade. Another 10 minutes later our advocate, I mean waitress brought the food back. This time it was warm but still not hot. Then the manager came over and my wife explained what happened after he asked her. He argued with her and said they don't serve cold food. Well if to him cold means hot and hot means cold then I guess I can't argue with him. But since that is not how the world works he was pretty absurd in how he talked to her and handled the situation. Then he only took her dish off and not my daughter's that was also made incorrectly. I wasn't looking for a free meal, it was just the principle. They did ask us if we wanted free dessert but we declined because instead of cold it would have probably been served hot. read more

Monte Alban Fluctuates in quality. The food is just ok depend on cooks and day. Chips are ok, Salsa is horrible watered down tomato . Service is fair. Not authentic Mexican food mix Tex mex. Their rice is fair , beans are orange goop, most meat is dry chicken and beef. Food is poorly heated. Cheese is a lot of times not melted on top of food. Don't expect chip refills unless asked for and water refills. My experience over the last couple years have gotten worse for quality and service. My beans once had a rock in my food, no joke . Menu is over priced and you are charged excessively for any changes you request. Only thing going for it is the atmosphere and drinks. . read more

These food my boyfriend and I ordered. It was absolutely delicious and I loved my waitress who served last night. She is an amazing woman and she got everything we need. Thank you!!! I'd recommend anyone who love to eat Mexican food and this place is a great place to go!!! read more

Very busy on a Friday night! We didn't have to wait long to be seated about 15 mins, they do not take reservations which was risky. Patio seating was nice weather wise, but the tables were kinda small and wobbly. Food was okay needed salt! My dinner was bland and my friends said the same for theirs as well. Margaritas were delicious! Can't complain there. Flan was yummy but my husband was disappointed with his fried ice cream as it was not really fried at all :-( we will try the Webster location (friends ate at that location before but this was closer). read more

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I enjoy coming here often with friends for margaritas and tacos... the atmosphere is loud, and fun, and they immediately give you chips and salsa, so it's a good place on week nights if you have kids. Weekends the place is packed, but they do a decent job of getting you to a table as soon as they can. You can always wait at the bar which is right up front- grab a drink and wait. On busy nights be prepared to wait for your food. Last night (a Friday), we waited 35 minutes for ours. Which, again, wasn't unexpected. On week nights, or times it isn't busy, I've been surprised at how fast the food came out. So like anywhere, it's just really busy on weekends. The servers are very busy. It seems this place runs very lean when it comes to waitstaff... meaning they each have lots of tables. Order quickly, so your food gets to you faster. Otherwise, be prepared to wait to have your order taken. And be kind to your servers if you notice they have a lot of tables, they're doing the best they can. Overall, I've never had a bad meal here. The California Burrito is huge and the carnitas is tender. All the food has always been really good, and like I said before, the margaritas are great. If you like peach- try the peach margarita frozen with sugar on the rim. It's yum! read more

Always a great meal and good service. Highly recommended. Customers remain very loyal

I stopped at the Monte Albans in Penfield and it is a great place! Very kid friendly with a festive atmosphere, very clean and welcoming with great staff from the hostess to the wait staff. They serve very good original margarita. I like mine on the rocks. They have daily drink and food special. A I was seated quickly with a menu to look at. A couple of minutes later my waitress arrived carrying my basket of chips with a mild/medium salsa (refillable). She took my drink order and when she brought that I was ready or order. Today I ordered the MEXICANAS: Three shredded chicken enchiladas, one topped with green mole sauce, one with cheese dip and one with traditional mole, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Served with rice and pico de gallo. The food arrived in minutes! Delicious! I love their mole sauce. I have yet to have anything other than a great meal but, I must admit, I have never had room for dessert! My waitress was very attentive but not smothering! Big plus! She was great. Very nice as they always been. I noticed many varieties of alcohol, beer and non-alcohol beverages offered too. Try this restaurant soon read more

Monte Alban Mexican Grill - My seat was a booth/chair combo. All are decorated like this. - Mexican Near Me - Penfield, New York

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I've never been disappointed with the food or service here. We've done dinners and lunches, all of it delicious. The staff is so nice, friendly and very accommodating. I often come here with my boyfriend who is lactose intolerant and they have always made sure his order accommodates his dietary needs. During normal dine in situations our tables are comfortable, we are never rushed and we love the menu selections. Today was my first time receiving a delivered order and the food was prepared correctly and, as usual, was plentiful as well as flavorful. I admittedly came here to rave about how great Monte Alban is because my delivery didn't go well due to the service's driver and so the review there got a low score but it was no fault of the restaurant so please please please give them a try and support local business! I'd add pictures, but I've already finished all my food! read more

Ordered Santarrita pork tips in chili verde and steak tips in in chile rojo served w corn cheese quesadilla and avocado slices. Wished there were more corn cheese quesadillas, sooooo delicious for scooping all the tasty tid-bits up in. The meat was well cooked, flavorful, and well sauced. Ordered, a side of beans, and a side of rice, and a side of cilantro and a side of sour cream....all the side ordering is a little ridiculous, it would be nice to have a bit of the "extras" included. Salsa and chips were yum. Tres Leches for dessert, cause they were out of flan. It was a good solid piece of yummy cake. read more

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