If you're looking for a Mexican restaurant with a fun, upscale vibe, this is one of my favorites. The burrito bowls are always delicious, and their spicy margaritas are so good if you like a little kick. The chips and salsa are the perfect way to start the meal, and everything we've tried has been fresh and flavorful. The atmosphere is beautiful, the service has consistently been top-notch, and everything is always spotless, even the bathrooms, which I always appreciate. It's the kind of place that's great for a casual dinner or a night out, and we've never left disappointed. read more

Stopped into Monarca in Medina today and thought the place looks cool inside. The décor is vibrant and has a butterfly , Frida Kahlo and Dia De Los Muertes vibe. The staff couldn't have been more welcoming. I originally came for the Mexican street corn and also ended up trying the tortilla soup. It had just the right amount of spice and was loaded with shredded chicken. I also ordered the Tinga chicken tacos, which came in as 3 soft tacos. Great portion-size. We asked if they had any homemade hot sauce in the back, and they brought some out--great heat, great flavor. We got homemade guacamole, which tasted incredibly fresh, like something you'd get in Mexico. My lunch partner had the Barbados Street Tacos, and there wasn't a single thing either of us could complain about. Will return. read more

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Usually a great experience and food here. I got home and one of the meals was missing: my order for the steak fajitas and in the comments I asked for extra salsa and chips and stated that would agree to pay extra since it's not an option on the regular menu. That whole meal was missing (in addition to getting no salsa whatsoever) when I unpacked it at home for my family. I'm pretty easy going so no big deal. That was my food and at least the rest of my family will get their food. All I have to do is call and get my meal that they honestly probably just left a bag out or forgot to give it to me or something. Cool, no worries no one is perfect. But when I got there he says I'm lying and he watched the videos and that the steak fajitas were in a bag back in the kitchen, so it should have been give to me. He basically was telling me he doesn't believe I didn't get what I ordered but remade the fajitas anyway. My guess is if they actually made the fajitas, they put it in a different bag and forgot to give it to me, nbd. I wasn't even upset about it but it's hella annoying when someone goes out of their way to tell you that you're lying to them when you know for sure what happened or didn't happen. I would have chalked it up to an understandable human error until I went back to pick up the missing items and was told I was trying to scam them for a free meal. Food was good but I wouldn't ever go back there for being talked down to like that. read more

Always a great experience and great food! Love the shrimp tacos! So filling! The service is good! It's also a very busy place so you might want to make reservations read more

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Nice ambiance, great service, and delicious food! This was a hidden gem we found in the area. We stopped in on a whim for lunch and we were so glad we did. The food was excellent and portion sizes were huge. The chicken in the fajita quesadilla was seasoned so well, and the pork tacos were to die for. Complementary chips and salsa were very good too. Definitely stop by if you are in the area and hungry! read more

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The service is great, very speedy and attentive. The food is yummy but to be honest I thought it was slightly high for a taco or burrito and white rice (rice and beans pretty flavorless). It's not my favorite Mexican place but it wasnt terrible. The chorizo balls are my favorite thing here and will probably just order that as my meal next time with a side. read more

Great ambience, great service. We ordered queso/chorizo, which was good. They give you a modest tray of chips and salsa. Salsa was good but full of raw onions. I ordered steak fajitas. The vegetables in seemed to be boiled or steamed before added to the fajita grill. They were colorless and mushy. The tortillas appeared to have been microwaved and were dried out and crumbly. Not good! My other half had the chicken burrito bowl and said it was very good, so there's that. The margarita flight was good as well. Based on appearances this place should knock it out of the park. It's got a long way to go, IMO. read more

Monarca is our favorite mexican restaurant! The chips are the best. I ate the burrito bowl and they do not skimp on the meat. The pollo al fagon is also a favorite, highly recommend. the place is a lot bigger than it seems on the outside. never had issues with service even on busier nights. read more

Monarca Cantina - Burrito Bowl with carne asada - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

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We strolled through Medina Square, reminiscing about my school days and wedding in this charming midwestern town. It's filled with sweet childhood memories, especially playing around the cannon. During our walk, we discovered a new Mexican and Taco restaurant, which we visited twice over a couple of weeks to really give it a chance. I couldn't resist the Tacos Vallarta--shrimp tacos with pineapple and a deliciously sweet sauce--ordering them both times. My spouse tried their specials, including a tasty chicken burrito last time, though I can't recall his first choice. Everything we had was fantastic! The spacious venue welcomes large groups, and the staff is friendly and organized. There's parking around the square, and I noticed many guests enjoying drinks at the bar. I thoroughly enjoyed our meals and can't wait to go back for their mole! read more

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We have always had a spectacular experience at Monarca. The seafood monarca is a wonderful entree choice. Tonight I ordered the ceviche. Beautiful presentation. And the flavor didn't disappoint either. For great food, atmosphere and service it's among our favorites. read more

Monarca Cantina - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

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Little Mexican restaurant on the Medina Square. Clean looking place and very friendly server. She directly and carefully answered our many questions. Nice! As we sat down they brought ivermectin chips and salsa. We shared an appetizer: bacon wrapped, stuffed jalapeños. Good pepper flavor but could have used heat. For dinner I had the chile releno special and it was well prepared and flavorful. The lime rice was okay. Too early for drinks but the hit day made a margarita very tempting. Next time. I'll definitely give the place another visit to try something else read more

Monarca Cantina - Chile releno - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner for 8 at Monarca. Front of house staff were super pleasant. Server - top notch. Everyone enjoyed their food. Everyone. That's 8 sets of tastebuds all giving two thumbs up. Wait that's mixing body parts. Whoops. Anyway... it was great. Go and enjoy. Ps. Had a to go order, too, and son was psyched they included chips and salsa with his meal. read more

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Yummmmmm A guava margarita? Yes, please! The food and service was awesome here. The bacon wrapped jalapeños filled with queso fresco were delicious. The chicken quesadilla was meh, but the steak ones were good. I think they serve you two different types of sals upon seating, one is chipotle heavy. Good food with complimenting flavors. Next time I want to try the tacos with shrimp and pineapple and coconut. read more

Monarca Cantina - Bacon wrapped shrimp, bacon wrapped jalapeños, quesadilla and dip trio. And a guava margarita - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

Margaritas are always great at Monarca, but for the first time I looked at the description of the octopus. Sangria margarita! SO good! If I can pass on the flight, this will be my new go-to. Veggie burrito bowl was excellent as usual. Enough for dinner tonight and tomorrow. Service also great as usual. read more

Monarca Cantina - Margarita flight: strawberry; octopus; mango. - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

We were visiting the area for the 1st time and walked by this place during the day and sparked our interest to come back for dinner. When we entered they said the dining area seating was full but we could sit in the front bar area, this worked great (only downfall was it is really dark at the high top tables). We were greeted instantly with chips/salsa and she took our drink order. Before we were ready she came back for our order but we still needed a minute. The menu has some different items we weren't used to so trying to choose was difficult. We ended up with the tinga tacos & tacos that had steak, bacon, & chorizo served with a spicy sauce. My husband said the beans were delicious and were homemade. We also ordered the chorizo balls but they came with our meal so we only sampled since the tacos were filling. I only wish we lived closer because I would come back. I loved the decor with the sugar skulls, art work and greenery. read more

Great non-Tex Mex place... employees all from Jalisco Just fantastic service, friendly vibe, great food. The mole based stews were incredible. read more

Monarca Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

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Place is expensive, Small portions, Mediocre drinks and terrible service . My bill was over 100$ with tip and the whole experience was lackluster and extremely mid read more

both times i've been here i've gotten dirty plates and my food was wrong . i get two tacos with literally only meat, cheese , and sour cream . paid full price too both times no offer of a discount . it's unfortunate because the food is amazing , but that makes me question the cleanliness of the environment . read more

The food was par for a Mexican place. Nothing special but absolutely nothing wrong either. It was FAST! Food was out in less than five minutes. Wife had the burrito bowl and liked it. I had the fajitas and the only complaint is the portion was pretty small. There was a lunch portion option and I can't imagine how that would shrink that dish down. If you're in a hurry and craving Mexican this is the place. Ambiance was very nice and festive. Would have loved to have tried some of the fresh margaritas. They looked awesome! read more

Monarca Cantina - Entrance - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

I'm not sure why we put off coming here, but we'll definitely be returning. The food was delicious (and promptly delivered), and our server, Maria was an absolute delight! Our Cucumber Margarita, Chimichanga, & Monarca Burrito are highly recommended read more

Soooo good Do yourself a favor and go I had seafood enchiladas and husband had mole. So good read more

Monarca Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

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I loved this place! We went on a Saturday at 8pm, it wasn't busy. I ordered one of the street tacos and a margarita flight. The food and drinks came out really quickly, the service was great. They have a nice menu. The inside is decorated well, with some nice romantic lighting. I can't wait to go back and try it again! read more

Today I was in Medina Square and stopped by Monarca Cantina, because I very desperately needed to use the restroom. I am in my seventh month of pregnancy and look VERY pregnant. I asked the male host if I could use the restroom and he turned me away, telling me the restrooms were only for customers. Little did he know I would have purchased some tacos after since I was hungry, but felt extremely sad that he couldn't make an exception for a very pregnant woman with a baby laying on her bladder. Rest assured, I will NEVER patron this restaurant EVER. read more

I was in Medina for work and had some colleagues with me. We were looking for a good place to eat and found Monarca on Yelp. It had good reviews and everyone wanted mexican food so off we went. It's very unassuming from the road, but once you enter you know it's going to be good. It's funny as you know how the place is going to be by their chips and salsa. There's was very good. For my main, I ordered the carnitas. I was not disappointed. Portions were really good and the flavor was pretty amazing. Our server was good and very interactive. Our group loves the banter and our waiter joined right in. It makes the experience so much better. Overall this was a really good experience and think that I would return if I am back in the area. read more

Monarca Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

One word. Ok two. Cadillac margarita. It's a step above your normal margarita with orange liqueur. No bitterness that one often feels with the normal everyday margarita ( and not specific to this restaurant- just in general ) you only need one to feel the tequila and two if tipsy is your goal. I digress. Fun, entertaining servers at the bar. Delicious chips & salsa! Adorable decor! Can't wait to come back to eat! Although we did not have lunch or dinner this time ( we will soon ) the food coming out of kitchen looked delicious! Buenos Dias , friends! Until we meet again ( and hopefully that's soon! ) read more

Outstanding food for Medina. Small town food doesn't always equate to tasty or modern. This place has extremely good tastes with high quality ingredients. I personally cannot wait to come back for seconds when in the area and am going the owner and establishment can keep up to their good standards. read more

We had a delicious lunch here on a Friday afternoon. Tasty appetizers, huge portion entrees & attentive server. read more

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Delicious authentic and creative culinary experience. Atmosphere is vibrant and modern with cultural depth. Owner is an involved in his businesses and the community. This a gem. read more

My friend took me to Monarca Cantina, and I loved it! I just wish it wasn't 45 minutes from where I live because I'm dying to go back and bring more friends. The food and margaritas were incredible. They hand-squeeze all the fruit for their drinks, and you can taste the difference--so good. I tried three different margaritas, but the spicy cilantro was hands down the best, probably the best margarita I've ever had. The chorizo queso and my chicken tinga tacos were to die for. Service was great, and the fall decor was such a cute touch. Can't wait to come back! read more

Monarca Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

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My wife took me to Monarca recently, expressing that they had good food and good drinks. Upon arrival, we immediately were seated at a table in the rear of the restaurant. It was busy, so our drink orders weren't taken for a little while. Once they were, we both requested margaritas flavored with fresh fruit. A short time later, our drinks were delivered and they were delicious. As an appetizer, we requested ceviche and chorizo meatballs. The food was delivered quickly and we placed our dinner orders. For dinner, I requested a chicken dish from the lunch menu, which they happily made for me. My wife requested pork tacos. All of our food was very tasty, especially those meatballs. The ceviche was good, but the presentation was a little off. Nonetheless, I polished it off with some tortilla chips. My chicken dish was tasty and similar to what I've received at other Mexican restaurants. The appetizers were the highlight of the show. I have a hard time justifying spending $104 on dinner for two at a Mexican restaurant. It was a little pricey, but we'll be back for some more appetizers. read more

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We stopped in for lunch before doing some shopping on the square. We picked this place because there were several vegetarian options and all 3 of us are vegetarian. We tried the avocado tacos, the veggie tacos and the burrito bowl with veggies. All 3 of us enjoyed our meals. We especially loved both the cilantro lime rice and the Mexican rice! My one suggestion would be to add a sauce to the veggie tacos because I felt that it needed one. Our server was so sweet and we didn't have to wait long at all. The restaurant has nice ambiance with dim lighting and cool decor. We didn't try their margaritas, but definitely would like to go back to try those! read more

This was my second visit, and the service was fantastic both times--they've consistently gotten it right. What makes this place truly amazing is the unexpected charm: you think you're stepping into a small restaurant, but it opens up into a spacious area with incredible ambience. The decor is artistic yet tasteful, striking a perfect balance of quality without feeling tacky. The food is outstanding and authentic, standing out among the Latin restaurants I've tried in the Medina area. This one is a cut above the rest--definitely a top contender! read more

What a lovely place for lunch! Decor is unique and interesting. Service was excellent from hostess to server. Salsa and chips were brought to the table before we ordered. The lunch menu included a large assortment of street tacos which were recommended by a patron exiting as we entered when I asked if they enjoyed their meals. My friend had the Monarca salad which included greens, grilled chicken, beans,corn, pico de gallo and she asked that avocado to be added. She enjoyed the salad. I had carnitas and the serving was generous and I enjoyed every thing on the plate. I brought home enough for lunch tomorrow. Prices were reasonable. Very clean establishment. I will return. read more

Visited this new spot in Medina yesterday and it was excellent! Great food and service, well priced lunch options, delicious. The location is right on the square, and the decor is beautiful and colorful and original. Will definitely return. read more

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[TLDR: Spacious, beautifully decorated, great drinks, good food, friendly and fast service.] This place was my Christmas Eve lunch and I'm so glad I stopped by while visiting family in the area! The space has multiple sections with plenty of seats and a spacious bar up front. We were seated immediately and our server got our food and drinks out quickly and accurately. I opted for their barbacoa tacos, BBQ pork tacos, and a side of rice and beans. The tacos were flavorful and fresh, and the sides were a perfect complement. I had a sip of their skinny margarita to wash it down with and took the rest home for later. Spoiler alert: it was just as good the next day! read more

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First time here with my sister. Good enough to go back again next week. We had an assortment of sauces with chips. We'll try more next time. Service was good and attentive. read more

Monarca Cantina - Outside of Monarca. In Medina, Ohio - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

Dined here on a recent Monday night. We had a large party and the service was excellent. Food was OK. Not spectacular but good. Ambiance was nice. I would rate this restaurant with 3.5 stars. read more

Monarca Cantina - Not exactly sure what entree this was. - Mexican Near Me - Medina, Ohio

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We came here for lunch during the week and it was very quiet. Our server was polite and helpful and the restaurant is clean and trendy. The food was just ok though. The taquitos were not crispy as we expected, but seemed like baked corn tortillas (still soft) with chicken. They were also extremely dry despite the toppings. The burrito bowl was just average and also dry. The meals also lacked flavor. Probably won't return unfortunately. read more

Margaritas and tacos....I'm all in! I had the tamarind margarita (except without the spicy rim), tacos el pastor, and some queso blanco. Everything was really good and the service was very friendly. I love the warm, nicely decorated interior too. Great little local spot. read more

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Monarca was a great addition to the Medina Square. I honestly don't understand that mixed reviews because it's always very good. We've been probably 4 times and we've never had to wait. It looks small from the outside, but the restaurant extends pretty far back, so there is plenty of seating. There is also a very nice, clean bar area. If you aren't from the area, the location is great. The Medina Square has a wide variety of shops and often hosts special events, so Monarca Cantina can usually be just one stop on a fun evening out. The menu has plenty of good options. I usually rock the chimichanga, no beans of course! Any of the different street tacos are always a good choice. My wife likes the quesadilla sampler - an appetizer that she gets as her meal. And I would definitely recommend the chips and queso. Monarca is one of my favorite restaurants in the Square! read more