Hard to find but worth the search! As mentioned frequently, this place serves New Mexico style food - not Mexican and not TexMex! New Mexican food is a genre all on its own, and should not really be compared to other styles of Mexican food, in my opinion. After looking over the menu and the specials, I ordered for my husband and I at the counter and was given a pager. I chose to have the stacked enchilada bowl and got the smothered enchilada with red sauce. I also ordered the Arlene sampler so we could try several of the appetizers. Everything was delicious and I can't wait to go back and try more! read more

Arlene's Beans & Salsa - Arlene's Sampler - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Monument, Colorado

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Arlene's Beans. Very casual restaurant ~ order at counter...paper plates ...grab your plastic utensils...water in a plastic cup. Not bad mex~~~ actually very tasty. My taco was served in a plastic basket on PAPER that basically melted and blended w the green and red chili, making it difficult to determine what was paper or the tasty crunchy chili relleno. The red and green chili had a bit of an 'attitude' but very tasty! Items ordered: 4-star chef-created green chili: 10 stars Red chili: 8 stars Cleanliness: 2 stars we wiped our table. Food under the table ...no excuse read more

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This review is a bit overdue... Arlene's Beans was just meh. To a green chile aficionado, their "green chile" does not meet the standard of what most people would consider is true green chile. While it is green and it does have green chilies in it, it is a tomatillo base, not a tomato base, so it's like they're trying to converge Tex Mex and Authentic Mexican sauces into one. For someone who was born and raised in North Denver on traditional green chile, this is a travesty. On the other hand, for someone who has an open mind and loves trying new things, it wasn't bad, but it just wasn't for mine or my family's tastebuds. I just can't sugar coat it... as much as I'd like to, because it's a nice place, with nice people, and I see that they get a lot of business. We tried several items, smothered fries, smothered burrito and their enchiladas. The other problem with their green chile is, it's just too runny, so it made the burrito and fries soggy... and soggy food is definitely not my friend. The last issue for me was that their red and green chile sauces also play reverse roles from how I grew up and how neighborhood restaurants made it... their red chile(what I consider enchilada sauce) was hot, but the green chile was not. I wish I could say I really liked it, but it just didn't hit and it's not something I would be seeking out in the future. You may disagree, and that's ok. Edit: Before I get corrected... I know it's New Mexico green chile not Colorado green chile, however, I have tried some awesome New Mexico green chile from other restaurants here in Colorado... and it sure wasn't made with tomatillos! read more

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Amazing taste of New Mexico. I see some comments that it doesn't taste like the Mexican or Tex Mex food they are used too. The reason is New Mexican food is an amazing combination of Mexican, Spanish and Native American foods using green and red chile as a primary ingredient. This brings the unique, rich palate of flavors you find at Arlene's. I stop here as often as I can. They are authentic. It helps when they are UNM Lobo and Manzano Monarch supporters. read more

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Extremely nice staff, excellent food, and quick service! Forgot to order the beans hahaha

This place. Yummy street tacos. Go here you won't be sorry. Mi gusta es mio! Xoxoxxoxoxoxox read more

I am a retired Marine veteran and have supported this establishment. However, today We ordered food via their app for pickup. App gave us a time to pick up in the restaurant (not pick up via doordash). We arrived on time and no food. They stated the food had already been pickup up. We asked if the name had been verified. They said yes, obviously it was not us. They refused to answer any more questions other than stating it WAS NOT THERE FAULT for giving our paid for food away. We will not eat here again read more

The Food is so wonderful. If you are looking for true New Mexican flavors, this is a must. Great ownership. Great variety. I will visit as often as I can. read more

I grew up in New Mexico and this is NOT New Mexican food. I repeat....this is NOT New Mexican food. I couldn't have been more disappointed. Paper plates and plastic folks is a good metaphor for the type of "New" Mexican food this place serves. Thank you for your attention on this matter. read more

Seriously love Arlene's Beans! The food is fresh and full of flavor--my kids eat the green chili straight with a spoon, it's that good. The chips and guac are also a must. Such welcoming service and atmosphere ...you can tell this is a family-run spot that truly cares about their community. If you haven't been, go! read more

For those who don't cook, Yall have to understand how hard it is to mess up Mexican, Tex Mex, southwestern - whatever - food. Somehow Arlene's figured out not only how to mess it up, but to charge you for eating their mess. Those praising this place clearly have never cooked or experienced real Mex. Aside from the fact that they serve food on STYROFOAM "dishware" (what?!!), their food has a similar flavor profile to said styrofoam. Even more curious - the owners comically and routinely rant back to those who find their styrofoam food insulting which is so junior high. Why don't they instead take the feedback into account and learn to make an excellent dish? For extra fun, check back to experience their rant to this post lol read more

They had 2 for 1 guacamole because the avocados were old and it tasted gross. When we asked for our money back the person at the counter said they did not have the authority to return the money and we had to contact the owners. We haven't and won't be back... read more

LOVE Arlene's Beans! We budget for Arlene's almost every week. We enjoy the food and Margaritas; we love everything from the queso to the tres leches cake. The biggest blessing is Larissa; she makes us feel like we are an honored guest at Arlene's. She remembers our names, remembers the regular staples in our order, and takes the time to check on us throughout the evening. Her smile and hugs make us feel like we are home. read more

Ok. So I really wanted to like this place. Locally owned yada yada. I just can't. Ambiance = none existent. Basically It is a take out place that has some seats. Service is hard to grade as it is a take out window. I like that it is high school kids learning how to work hard so was ok with the young kid working the register. So here we are... In a land of good Mexican food or solid "Tex-Mex" this is neither. Food was meh and buried in sauce (they say smothered, I say drowned.). Ordered a burrito and nachos and spent the night regretting not making a sandwich and staying home. I know the locals like it, but I am local and would recommend you drive a little further for a better meal. read more

I generally don't like giving 5 stars for a few reasons... 1: no one really reads them 2: 5 stars should be rare... VERY rare But in this case.... 5 stars is absolutely appropriate. Is there better Mexican food? Yes. Faster food? Yes. Cheaper food? Yes. Can you find somewhere that has all of that with a very clean restaurant AND great staff while making your food perfectly? I doubt it. I haven't seen it, until today. Great place. Great value. The location is not great but people have been flooding in and now I know why. Must eat place if you are anywhere near monument CO. read more

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Cute Mexican restaurant in Monument's downtown. Large menu of the traditional Mexican dishes you'd expect (tostadas, burritos, nachos, enchiladas...) I ordered the veggie burrito smothered with hatch green chile sauce. It was very filling and just the right amount of kick with the green option. You can also choose red if you want even more spice! Or try both and order it Christmas style. The salsa was tasty too! There is an ample amount of space with tables, booths, and bar seating. If you have a party over 4 you will need to combine tables or pull seats up to the booth as we had to. read more

Arlene's Beans & Salsa - The Bosque Veggie Smothered Burrito - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Monument, Colorado

The good) the smothered La Bamba burritos were very good and the green chili was tasty and authentic. The bad) the Margaritas were pre-made and average at best. The ugly) no waitresses, eating on paper plates, chips in a little sack. Go for the food, but little else. read more

I saw the high reviews on Yelp so I decided to try this place. Unfortunately, this did not live up to my (and my family's ) expectations. The serving size is small especially the meat portions and for the price it's quite expensive. I asked for green chili for my carne asada fries and they said it doesn't come with it. Gave me a tiny little ounce but have to pay extra if I want more. I think this is the only Mexican place that I've eaten that charges extra for green Chile sauce. The beans are a little salty. Except for the carne asada fries, we did not finish our meal. The food lacks flavor. I was really disappointed. The place has ample parking and the inside is cute, cozy and clean. Staff and service were okay. They give military discount. read more

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This place should be named "Sysco's Beans" I have eaten at Arlene's (Sysco's) Beans in Monument twice in the last 3 years. Nope, never, ever again. Rice, beans, a little bit of pork in an enchilada "stack". (lazy way to serve enchiladas), after tip and tax, was over $15. read more

Great traditional moderately priced Mexican food. oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo read more

Great little local Mexican food joint. The food is made to order and is always fresh. This time I had a Loco burrito smother in green and red sause (Christmas style). The red sauce is perfect but maybe too spice for many, the green sauce is very good and is mild. We had a full group with us so a large variety of food was ordered. The kids really enjoyed the quesadillas (chickens and beef). Chicken was better. Definitely recommend this place. read more

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We visited last night for the first time in person. It's a great place with a fun ambiance and a lot of seating options inside and outside. It's very very popular! My husband and I had a pretty good experience. I had read the reviews before so I asked for the combo plate with a chi taco and tamale. I asked for no dairy which they got correct but they gave me a corn taco rather than the chi taco and didn't seem to care about that so I said I'd just eat the taco they gave me. It was good- the pork was pretty spicy which I was surprised about but very good. The pork tamale was very soft and very very mild. I liked the beans and rice a lot. My husband asked for the margarita mojito special drink that was on the sign but they said they didn't know how to make it so to pick something else. He enjoyed his steak chimichanga with the spicy red sauce. We also ordered the tres leches cake. It was still frozen but when we took it home and had it later it had great flavor. They gave us some free chips and salsa because it was our first time there, which we thought was really nice. The chips were great and perfectly salted which made me happy. I liked the chips with the green chile sauce even more than the salsa. Their combo plate sign is right under the counter where people stand to order so it was hard to see most of the time. I was glad to find it, though. Overall, I can see what people love it here. There were several mistakes with our order that were kind of looked over but the food that we had was still good. read more

order at counter no waitress drink you get on on all paper and plastic plates cups and utensils food was standard Mexican read more

Finally had the chance to try Arlene's Beans & Salsa. Honestly, I can't remember when I last had a burrito that good. Place was clean, staff was nice, food came out as soon as it was done, and good music. read more

Fed some Arlene's enchiladas, tacquitos and tacos to a bunch of hockey players and coaches last night, all I heard was compliments!! Took the leftovers to the office this morning and got the same from the boys at work!! Awesome as always!! We love Arlene's!!! read more

Very authentic New Mexican food in humble Monument, CO. Best burrito I've had in a very long time! Great use of green chilis and beans, without overdoing the meat filling. Atmosphere is relaxed and easy going. I'm already dreaming of going back read more

Arlene's Beans & Salsa - Street tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Monument, Colorado

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Had an excellent experience at Arlene. Actually met Arlene, and she and her husband are just the type you'd want in charge, friendly and welcoming. Same with the staff. According to Arlene, her Mexican has a "New Mexico" touch to it, so it's not your typical Mexican restaurant. I tried the Chimichanga with Carne Asada. You get several choices of meat. The Carne Asada was great, and so was the chimichanga. I had it with the green sauce, but I hear the red is great too. I'll be coming back soon, go check it out, it's one of the good places here in Monument. read more

What you are about to experience is me, waxing poetic about beans Let me tell you, I love beans. I mean LOVE. And what you may have thought you read implies, "Wow, this chick likes beans a lot." NO. I truly could eat them in every form for every meal (if my husband would let me ) for the rest of my life. I LOVE them in every different ethnic style of food, but Mexican food is my favorite of all! So when we were traveling through Monument, asking google about restaurants near us "Arlenes Beans" popped up and I did that whole lightly slapping my husband as he tries not to loose control of the car thing shouting "babe! Babe! There's a bean restaurant here! Someone loves beans as much as I do!!!! Can we go pleeassssseeeeee?!?!?!" He sighed, knowing I would resent him forever if he denied my dream of eating at a place that was so beans-centric and headed toward the restaurant. When we got there, there was plenty of parking and good things too because it was BUSY. I liked what I saw! When you go in, it's counter service, so you look at the menu, order, and wait at a table. They are apparently military and offered a military discount, which my husband appreciated. We both got the La Bomba smothered burritos (ground beef, beans, rice in a white tortilla) done Christmas style (half red chile and half green chile) topped with lettuce and cheese. As we waited, about 5 mins, I noticed the very small hometown feel, and it was just so dang cozy. Nice and warm, good music and beautiful views. I 1000% regret not taking a picture of the *framed picture of beans* on the wall. All I could think was that Arlene lady knows what's up! Enough about that. When I tell you this was *the best smothered burrito I've had in all of Colorado,* I am not exaggerating! The green chile sauce was savory and light, while the red sauce was spicy in all the right ways, like reminding you you're alive and eating amazing food. Now on to the STAR of the show..the beans inside the burrito.. Imagine Homer Simpson drooling about to eat a donut... that's how I felt. They were soft but not mushy. Salty but flavorful in a good way, not too salty at all. And also savory? I was, to say the least, incredibly happy about it. As a self-proclaimed bean fanatic, I could honestly just eat these beans by the bowl alone and be completely content. Inside the burrito, they just tied the whole dish together, and that made my bean loving little heart so damn happy. If you haven't tried this place, I highly recommend you give it a shot! As we all do, I saw a few negative reviews, but never let that stop you from trying it for yourself! You might just find, in a tiny restaurant at the base of the rockies, a restaurant that is an ode to a girl and her beans. I live a good distance away, but knowing this place exists is just..good for my soul. Arlene, if you're reading this, and I truly hope you do, I loved your beans and so look forward to trying more stuff off your menu read more

Great service, great food. Vegan beans! Hard to find. :) haven't eaten I. Yet, but have gotten takeout several times.

Certainly our favorite local restaurant for Mexican! Family owned and operated and you are not just a number. Community service minded and always busy. Food is authentic and will keep you coming back. If it's summer grab a margarita and seat outside while soaking up the views from Monument! read more

Came in after being invited by the legend Arlene herself and absolutely loved it. The staff were so friendly and very fast with getting me seated. One of the BEST if not THE BEST mexican food ive had in a long time, (Spare me Abuela). Highly recommend to anyone looking for a great time with family and friends while having some amazing food at a reasonable price. read more

My son and husband really liked the food. I felt it was good but nothing I'd rush back for. My son had the ground beef soft tacos. Husband had the enchilada bowl and I had the chicken enchiladas with rice and beans. We also got a carne asada soft taco. The meat portions in each were good. Flavor wise my husband and I preferred the chicken over carne asada. My son said this was the best taco he's had since moving here. You order at the counter and when it's ready have to go pick it up. The staff at the counter was very friendly and I felt they provided great service. read more

Small town pub vibes, food was 110% worth the 20ish min wait for it. Quick and speedy service. Totally delicious food.

Family owned small local business serving up DELICIOUS food and always with a smile. One of my favorite places!

Just wow! The green Chile here is absolutely scrumptious!!! the beans and rice are wonderful. The restaurant is clean. The staff is awesome. It's a little bit of a drive from where I'm at in Colorado Springs but it's 100% worth it. read more

I've heard so much about this place and read about all the vegan options, so when my other favorite place (Jarrito Loco) was closed while they move to their new location, I decided to give Arlene's a try. Super nice staff. The menu didn't have an actual Vegan section, it's just the same things without meat, and in this case, without the flavor. I got a veggie burrito with Xmas smother and inside it was 70% mushy bland rice and 20% tasteless beans and maybe 10% of just plain grilled onions and peppers. Not one unique flavor stood out. The Chile sauces were not what I had read so much about. The green was super plain and very thick and the red was like spicy tomato paste. So much for $10 for a burrito! The salsa was so thick it was awkward. I wanted to love this place, truly. Maybe they just forgot to add flavor to everything today? When I asked to have something else instead of my burrito and explained (quietly) that it was just tasteless and I didn't care for it, the girl told me she was sorry and she would have to charge me for something else. What? Really? This is customer service in a pandemic? Last visit here... The owner responded and said I ate my whole burrito...really? I maybe had 4 bites before I realized it was awful and prayed it would get better. I even showed my full plate to the employee (with ~90% left on my plate) who refused to replace it and went back and ate just the rice and beans, avoiding everything else...who argues with an unhappy customer? I also paid for my chips and salsa as my meal was almost $17. read more

I absolutely love this place and the food was amazing! I am new to the Monument area and I am trying as many new places as possible. I am just glad that I was able to find this gem. read more

This place is the bomb!! Authentic homemade recipes and I love that there are vegan options for me! Best homemade margaritas to boot!

Such an amazing place. Best Mexican food around. So authentic and the margs are amazing!

If you're searching for Americanized Mexican (Tex-Mex) food, this is not your place. However, if you're searching for REAL authentic New Mexican style food - THIS IS YOUR PLACE! The fresh Mean Arlene Margaritas (no pre-made mixer junk) are to die for! The food? Ah-Mazing! The Chimichangas, Taquitos, Tamales, Burritos, and my favorite, the steak street tacos are freshly made with love. Oh, let's not forget the delicious Queso Blanco and Chips and the breakfast items! Arlene has fun with adding special items to the menu such as Pozole, Chicken Wings, and (one of our favorites) Irish Nachos! On top of her love for making fresh, homemade food... Arlene and Bobby love their community by hosting countless give-back nights for our local schools, Police, scholarship programs, Rotary club, and our very own Tri-Lakes Cares! Additionally, if they catch wind of a family in need - they reach out and help. Ah-mazing food, loving hearts, and fellowship. Not much more you can ask for from a small business owner who started their business out of their home years ago! read more