We wanted to grab something to eat that was close and convenient. We had heard good things about…read moreMonte De Ray as well so off we went. We arrived about 3pm and it appeared busier than we would have expected. We were seated right away in a booth near the front, immediately provided menus and offered drinks. As we walked in, it appears they occupy three or more units with frontage in this strip mall because we saw at least two entrance doors not in use. We began to peruse the menu which is huge. We each looked for items we normally get at Mexican restaurants. We were provided chips and salsa and had to ask our server to give us more time to look at the menu. The salsa was not extremely chunky which is what I prefer and it had a very nice flavor. When our server returned, my wife chose the shrimp fajitas with a side of guacamole and I chose the Chili Colorado with double rice and no beans. Our meals arrived in a timely manner and looked great, the fajitas were sizzling and my wife thought the chunky guacamole looked great. We each enjoyed our meals but the service was just okay, it felt like we had to seek out our server. Overall it was a decent experience but nothing blew our socks off.

We love Monte De Rey! We go to this location and the one across town. We nearly get the same thing…read moreevery time and the food is always fresh, hot, delicious, and consistent. If you like a regular ACP, they have a great one. I've recently gotten hooked on the Pollo Chipotle and it is so yummy! We love all of the servers we have at both locations that we frequent! This is a great place to put in your regular routine of eating-out or take-out dinner options.

Best Mexican food in the area!! The service is top notch…read more The food is actually filled with flavor, and spice!! Most places I've been to will label things as hot or spicy and it tastes exactly the same as everything else on the menu. I love that they aren't afraid of heat. I had the Texas version of the Cali burrito, which includes chicken, shrimp, and steak. Each protein was cooked absolutely perfectly! We love coming here, it's definitely our go-to for Mexican.

Delicious food, generous portions that are well worth the price, fantastic and friendly service,…read moreand a nice atmosphere to enjoy your meal. 10/10 would recommend visiting!

I had a great experience at Ma'luz today! Christian was absolutely amazing. he was very friendly,…read moreattentive, and made sure everything was taken care of. The food was delicious, and the service made the whole experience even better. I really appreciated how welcoming and helpful Christian was. I'll definitely be coming back!

I recall when this location was named Mi Pueblo, and my last visit was well before the name change…read moreoccurred. Dropping in recently, I didn't see many changes to the interior of the restaurant from its previous incarnation. The menu seemed a bit different, at least in design and layout, and I noticed at least a few options I didn't recall from the Mi Pueblo days. I picked once of those, pork in salsa verde. In the meantime I sipped on a simple margarita and ate a few chips. My time here was during dinner hours, and I was really surprised to see how few patrons were present. The waiter said that wasn't unusual for an evening early in the week, and that business was substantially heavier in the later half of the week. Throughout my time in the eatery, I'm certain there were more employees on site than there were diners. The kitchen was able to process my order very quickly, likely a result of the low patronage, and so I didn't get to eat many of those chips before my plate showed up. The chunks of pork were tender enough to pull apart with my fork, and the green sauce surrounding them had a pleasant flavor and the right amount of potency for me. I hardly had enough of the salsa to accompany the meat though; a less stingy portion would have been appreciated. Rice and beans were about what you'd find at any Mexican restaurant in our area. The guac salad seemed very light on guacamole though, and the lettuce shreds were pale white. The menu has mentioned there would be avocado slices on the plate too, but no avocado was provided aside from that found within the tiny blob of guacamole. I remember hearing that the transition to Ma'Luz was intended to represent an upscaling, a somewhat fancier option. My experience didn't really feel that way. The food wasn't bad, especially the meat and salsa verde, but this didn't come across as any more special or satisfying an experience as in visits past. And maybe that's why the traffic they're getting isn't all that hectic or busy.

Food was great. ACP Chicken, added mushrooms and corn, potion size huge. Service perfect, on point…read morewith refills.

My ordering habit here is so boring. I order the Carnita Platter, a beer, and head for the salsa…read morebar to the right of the bar area! But what I was served today may well change that order, or even if I visit this spot again! What I was given was not carnitas, but grey colored, shredded pork, not the dark brown chunks with a nice outside crust I'd enjoyed in the past! Obviously, something has changed in the kitchen, and not for the better as it relates to this dish. I'm not saying this was a bad item, but it damn sure wasn't the same, and it wasn't worth $18.99.

I was recommended to come here to try the chicharrons. So that I did! We got a full one which was…read moremy favorite great taste not to hard also not super greasy which was a plus for me. I can definitely just eat it like that straight up. I also got the pork rinds which I love to eat with lime and hot sauce. The prices for this were pretty fair and better than any where else I've been in Winston. I can't wait to go back and get some more and definitely would like to try the food that they offer so stay tuned!

I decided to revisit this place and try some different items. I've tried the Chile Rellenos and the…read moreCarnitas which were a bit of a mixed bag - declared by the spot to be authentic - opinions vary! In this visit I was looking to try the Chicharron Con Carne, which is pork rind with meat (pork belly). The Chicharron Con Carne were individually huge, featuring a large amount of meat (pork belly) and fat attached to the pork skin. You buy them by the pound, so I ordered a pound and received 3 Chicharron and the cost was a little over $26! These were excellent, loaded with well cooked meat, streaks of fat, and crunchy pork skin. I will definitely get these bad boys again.

Food, service and ambience were all great. The service was on par and better than expected. Value…read morefor money is great. Will add pictures next time I go. Usually end up finishing the food before I take a picture of it.

We love Monte De Rey! We go to this location and the one across town. We nearly get the same thing…read moreevery time and the food is always fresh, hot, delicious, and consistent. If you like a regular ACP, they have a great one. I've recently gotten hooked on the Pollo Chipotle and it is so yummy! We love all of the servers we have at both locations that we frequent! This is a great place to put in your regular routine of eating-out or take-out dinner options.

Stumbling across this restaurant was one of the best things I did this week! I was quickly sat and…read moregreeted by my server to take my order. She was very helpful with the questions that I had and made sure I was content with my choice. Just look at this amazing platter. The way I devoured this food, I should be ashamed of myself lol I don't know if it was just so visually pleasing or if it was just the taste, but this was some of the best Mexican food I have had to date! Everything was so fresh down to all the sides, the lime, I mean everything! The flavors were just so authentic! I'll probably make this my number one choice for a while. It's safe to say I will be back anytime I'm in the Winston area!

I don't know what changed but we felt very rushed last night which has never happened before. We…read morewere still eating, my husband had just started his second slice of Birria Pizza when the server came to our table and asked if we needed boxes. We were surprised and thought, "Um... we barely started." We knew we'd need boxes eventually so we took them anyway but later, another server came by asking if we needed boxes and the check while we were still eating. The food wasn't great either. Both of our dishes were overly salty and my husband's birria was very fatty and greasy overall. It was quite a disappointing visit.

I haven't been to El Rancho Taqueria in years and they still did not disappoint. You get to seat…read moreyourself and the service was quick and super friendly. I ordered a combo which allowed me to try multiple things on the menu. I tried tacos with carne asada and a sope with carne asada. Not only were both items very delicious, but it was served fresh with your usual toppings. I also tried their tasty Jamaica juice, which is hibiscus, and I've heard many good things about their horchata. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, and it makes you feel as if you're eating at an authentic Mexican restaurant. It's a must try for a casual lunch, or dinner with friends.

If you don't want typical Mexican food, go here. It's the real deal. We had Texan fajitas…read more Everything was delicious and quick service. .

Our server was great--very friendly, attentive, and definitely the highlight of our visit…read more Unfortunately, the food was a disappointment. My ceviche was dry and lacked the freshness and flavor I was expecting from a Mexican mariscos restaurant. I probably should have trusted my first impression when I arrived not a single mexican in there because the overall experience just didn't live up to expectations. If you're looking for good Mexican seafood, I'd recommend going to Marlins instead. Giving this place 3 stars mainly because our waiter was excellent and genuinely made an effort to provide great service.

Y'all have heard of seafood boils. Some call them Low Country Boils. I call this the LOWER Country…read moreBoil. Mariscada en Bolsa. Seafood in a bag. Not only did I have the pleasure of trying this absolutely amazing dish, I had the pleasure of having leftovers. Let me tell y'all. This? This is food. This is where culture means Cajun. This is where innovation meets culinary. A quick run down of what we're looking at here. First, I have the seafood boat. A LITERAL boat topped with a fish as the sail. Ugly fish staring at me, but absolutely delicious. Crispy. Yummy. The boat had the BEST ceviche I've ever had the pleasure of devouring. Fresh, seafoody, and scrumptious. Pair this with crab, extremely crispy fried shrimp, oysters, more shrimp, and so many things I could write a post about just this item and still feel like it's not enough. Second, I have the House Sauce Seafood Boil. Now, this is just the prototype. They're also wanting to add sausage to this, make different types, as well as do a headless shrimp version. This was... What can I say? Delicious? Juicy? Scrumptious? What I do know to say is this: I'd buy it again. It was massive, it was filling, it was messy. Last and not least, we have the Super Fajitas. 4 kinds of meat, vegetables, tortillas. This is a meat lover's dream with sour cream. Delectable. Sizzling. Fresh. Mmm. Leftovers. The fancy drink? Locarita. Pink Flamingo or something like that. That was allllll my wife's and she savored every sip. There was more than enough food here. We ended up with enough leftovers to last us a year, I swear. Try it out. Let me know. Let's geek out about fresh food from a fantastic staff with the best food, and honestly, the best family environment. Bonus picture of my wife kissing the ugly fish. She's my better half and the more adventurous eater.