Typically excellent choice for me; a taco and guacamole stop. Last experience the carne asada on the taco salad was delicious but the meat barely edible it was every other bite of grizzle. I'm sure it has to do with the price of meat. At lunch, music was so very loud the waitress could barely hear my order. Not the usual fare for this restaurant. read more

The local Monterrey chain still has the best salsa that comes with the complimentary chips. A little bit of heat but not too chunky or watery. I noticed they have changed the lunch plates food is served on to a smaller size. I wonder if it's the same for dinner too. I guess they've done this because of the recent downturn in the economy. Probably easier than upping their prices. Didn't look to see if the price of guacamole has gone up. However, my ACP with vegetables was still tasty. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - ACP with vegetables Lunch - Mexican Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

I found myself at Carrboro Plaza, Carrboro, NC and found myself at the local Monterrey Mexican Grill, a small franchise that has three locations in Chapel Hill, Durham, and Carrboro. The place was happening, with people outside discussing their evening plans, some folk picking up a mobile order, and a family coming in behind me. Voices and laughter filled the space, as mobile orders kept piling up, treasures waiting to be taken home - it is clear that Monterrey Mexican Grill not only keeps its atmosphere inviting and warm (72°F!) but caters to a large number of hungry families who want to sit at their own table. I was quickly seated, and almost instantly chips and salsa appeared at the table. The waiter and waitresses at Monterrey never stop; one can see them running with steaming plates of food, opulent cocktails, and endless chips without pause, and there are few establishments that can replicate the rigor and speed. I asked if a gift card balance could be checked, and though it took jumping through a few hoops, the staff worked through their payment system with patience and kindness. Monterrey Mexican Grill is not just food, it is a whole experience, and though I was eating alone, the restaurant and everything it had to offer guaranteed that I would have a great time. Even if you don't appreciate the traditional Mexican music ubiquitous at Tex-Mex restaurants, the space itself is worth a visit. The décor of the space reflects this also, but Monterrey achieves their aesthetic without falling victim to kitsch. Instead, there's a sense of elegance, combined with TVs that show sports or other entertainment, warm lighting that makes the space seem intimate, and architectural facades that transport you to a Mexican restaurant you'd hope to find during your dream vacation. All in all, going to Monterrey is instantly familiar - I am not family, but a happily welcomed guest, and I can ask for nothing more. Finally seated, food starts coming my way. I order the guacamole, and it appears at breakneck speed, and I have to stop myself from devouring the bowl within moments of it hitting the table. Clean, fresh, and melt-in-your-mouth creamy, Monterrey has some of the best Tex-Mex guacamole in recent memory. If you crave guac, Monterrey is there waiting to serve you something delicious, there is no contest. As I eat, the smell of browning meat fills the air, and I know someone is splurging with fajitas - eating here is both a solo affair (I am a table of one), and a community celebration of Tex-Mex flavors. My Burrito Pepe comes to the table, and I am warned the plate is hot, more proof of the kitchen's speed. It's massive, and I appreciate the size on the cusp of an economic downturn. Indeed, by the end, I will manage to eat half before needing to ask for a box, delighted that I will leave with tomorrow's dinner as well! Cutting into the burrito is cutting into delight, and I am met with black beans, steak, and onions cooked to delicious perfection. The burrito itself is topped with different sauces, giving an exciting and shifting eating experience as you make your way through it. As I type, I surrender to the burrito, bested by its rich flavors, generous filling, and impressive size. Yet, I do not throw in the towel completely, for any solo dining experience demands either a drink or a dessert, and since I don't drink, dessert is in order. I get the Chimi Cheesecake (pictured), and regret only that I ate too much of the burrito to fully appreciate the fried cheesecake, ice cream, and cherry sauce in the way it deserved. It was indulgent, rich, and perfect when you need to cheat on your diet. This restaurant is exactly what a local Tex-Mex establishment should be. Big portions, charismatic staff, and an inviting atmosphere all come together to make Monterrey Mexican Grill a must-visit, though if I were you, I would plan on visiting often. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Chimi Cheesecake - Mexican Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

LOVE this place. I enjoy their quesadillas or their three choice combo. Their cheese dip is great . Online orders always come with salsa and chips too! read more

Cannot get an order correct. DO NOT LEAVE THIS RESTAURANT WITHOUT CHECKING YOUR ORDER THOROUGHLY. This is my second straight order where items were left out. Yes, I agree that's partially our fault. Food is generally good, but will be exploring other options. read more

I really enjoyed this place! I thought the food was very good and was surprised as reviews (on Yelp) aren't all that impressive. I also thought it was going to be more of a hole in the wall judging from the outside but it's super nice (and big!) inside. Parking was easy, it's located in Carrboro Plaza so plenty of spaces. Our waiters were great, attentive and friendly. The menu prices are definitely more expensive than your typical casual Mexican restaurant, although being that it's located to Chapel Hill this may be on par (I'm not a CH local). We came in for a late lunch on Sunday afternoon and were sat immediately. There's tons of tables and the bar is huge. My friend got the Birria Tacos and a Raspberry Marg. She loved them! A great first birria experience for her. I got the Enchiladas Sampler which was so, so good. Again, was pleasantly surprised. It's a shredded chicken enchilada covered with mole sauce, shredded beef enchilada with ranchera sauce, and spinach enchilada with salsa verde. Everything was really fresh and hot. The salsa is spicy (but not too spicy) and flavorful. I probably wouldn't drive way out of my way to go, but I'll definitely be back here! I like that it's close enough to the university (I work there) for convenience/lunch, but far enough out of the way to miss the constant crowds and traffic. A solid option for Mexican food in the area, for sure! read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Birria Tacos & Raspberry Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

See all

The food was delicious and the ambiance was delightful. The service was excellent. If you are a burrito kind of person like me, I'd recommend ordering the Burrito California with meat of your choice. It's a large burrito well worth the price. read more

Food was great -- service was better than average although my disappointment was in that' after 1 glass of their house Chardonnay wine (and on a Monday night) they were apparently out of all Chardonnay and I had to resort to a Sauvignon Blanc blend for a second glass! read more

Best food ever been going here since they opened lived in Chapel Hill my whole life food has always been delicious. Everyone's always so nice read more

Service was great, but the chefs and kitchen were garbage. Actually, worse than that. Had us waiting for 30+ minutes before they decided to even make our order. Never coming to this one again until they change the kitchen staff/chefs read more

I've been here with my family on special occasions. The food is amazing with a whole variety to choose from and the service is amazing!!

Ordered To Go on Saturday night and had a great experience - pickup was fast and the server handling orders was very courteous & quick! Inside is spacious and really well decorated. I got the bean dip and Yolanda enchiladas - portions were giant and everything was well made. Tortillas were nice, thin + tender. I only wish there was a bit more mole on the enchiladas! read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Dining room - Mexican Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

See all

The food here is great. They were decently busy for lunch. We got here about 12:30-1:00. Music is pretty loud and dim lighting but it is a nice atmosphere. We got a table right away, chips and salsa as soon as we sat down. They had drink menu and lunch menu as well as a normal menu. Everyone really enjoyed the food. You get a lot of food so don't be scared if you see prices ranging up to about $20 for a meal, you will get a lot! Our server was very friendly and constantly kept the chips and salsa full and the drinks topped off. I highly recommend this place if you are close to chapel hill or Carrboro! read more

See all

Not sure what happened to Monterrey,but their revamped menu is pretty bad.I would go there for Mexican food.Not sushi,or ramen,or calabash baskets (lol).The "Mexican food" I did order was cold & the meat was dry.Not much flavor.We used to go a couple times a month.I will never go back.Unbelievable how bad it is & how expensive it is now. read more

Dinner at Monterrey was amazing tonight. El mesero a todo dar. Ask for Julian,Los va a atender super bien... 5 estrellas we got birria ramen and the Mar y Tierra tacos deli deli deli read more

The customer service is amazing , and they also have amazing lunch specials.10/10 would recommend, they have many things to choose from on there menu and everything I get has been excellen. read more

We went with my family! Julian is an excellent server whom others should model themselves on! the salsa is quite high quality too.

We enjoyed the food, the menu is extensive and service was fine. But this is just another restaurant with awful acoustics, exacerbated by the volume of the "background" music, which made conversation with my companion frustrating and exhausting - we got some to-go boxes and got out of there. Nobody is there for the music, we're there to spend time with friends and family, for conversation. read more

Great and amazing food but even better service. Our server Julian was really nice and respectful to everyone at my table. I would definitely recommend coming to this restaurant, all of the employees were really enthusiastic and friendly. read more

Amazing service and better service by the young men. I love it here, food is outstanding. His name was Julian and if you don't get a raise by the next time I come we going to have a problem read more

A regular spot for us. Margaritas are on the sweeter side but they're fun and big. They have the best ACP which is essentially ordered on every visit for us. Also great salsa. Fast, hot, fresh, and consistent. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Quack - Mexican Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

I've been here a few times and have no complaints! I typically get shrimp tacos or fajitas ALWAYS paired with a Margarita ( If I stress always you'll probably judge me...but Mexican Restaurant= Margarita for me!!!!) The other day I decided to pop in and have a drink at the bar around lunch time! The server was very friendly and bartender very fun and they both made sure I was comfortable! Try the Berry Margarita it was delicious! read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Berry Margarita & Salsa and Chips - Mexican Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

I wanted some hot pozole or some Mexican soup. I have ordered from this restaurant before, and it was pretty decent and tasted good as compared to other Mexican restaurants in Chapel Hill. The spicy chicken soup was way better than expected! I did order a bean dip too, I thought it would be more than just beans and cheese, but it still tastes decent. I would add pico or guac to enhance this. read more

Visiting my daughter in Chapel Hill, we went here for dinner and it didn't disappoint. I will begin with how friendly and attentive the staff was. Multiple servers stopped by to make sure they were meeting our expectations. Beverages, chips and salsa were always full. The food was great! I'll begin by apologizing for not taking any pictures.....my bad. We tried the Arroz con Pollo and it was quite good. I wondered about the cheese and it definitely complimented the dish. I highly recommend Enchilada Sampler. I never had a spinach enchilada before and I must say it was great. The salsa verde on top brought it all together. The other two were chicken with a mole sauce and shredded beef with a ranchero sauce. We also had surf and turf tacos that were outstanding.....great flavor, fresh veggies and pico, and a side of rice the steak and shrimp were cooked perfectly. I will say either come hungry or expect to bring some food home....the portions are big! Great experience and definitely will come back. read more

Great value for price. We usually order the steak/chicken/shrimp fajitas for 2 . Customer service is excellent. Order was fast and fresh, food is authentic. Nachos and salsa are also good. One of the best Mexican spots in the Triangle, for sure. read more

Our favorite restaurant in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area!! I order differently everytime and have never been disappointed. But I really come for the margaritas!! the Skinny Margarita!! read more

Food is always good but when my friends ordered margaritas and I got a Diet Coke the server asked if I "had a problem". Assuming he was asking if I was an alcoholic. Didn't appreciate the disrespectful comment and could be triggering for truly recovering alcoholics (I just don't drink). read more

Good food. Great service. Fair price. Would go again with friends and or family. Easy parking.

Absolutely amazing!! Highly recommend!!! Never fails to exceed my expectations! And the service is always top tier!

Pablo is the best server here!!!! He's very courteous and helpful. Plus the salsa slaps. One of the best Mexican restaurants in chapel hill for sure. read more

I really enjoyed the food and environment. Jesus was a great waiter as well! The kids and I will DEFINITELY be back soon!!!!!!!!!

Cindrin and Pablo were great servers! thank you for your help :). love this place xoxo

This place is absolutley awesome! Our servers was such amazing people! Shoutout to Pablo and Cindrid!

I've been here twice. First time was a sit down experience and it was great. Service was quick and friendly and reasonably priced. Ordered camarones chimichanga, camarones con arroz and a strawberry mango margarita. The second time I went I ordered for pick up and the girl who rang me up kind of messed up my order. I asked her for a daiquiri instead of a margarita not realizing I said daiquiri, I was reading the online menu. I told her over the phone I wanted alcohol in it and the half gallon. I guess it didn't register to her that I may have been ordering the wrong thing. That's not even my problem though....When I got to the restaurant to pick up they didn't bring me a half gallon they brought me a little single serve bag. I spoke to I guess the manager on duty at the time and he corrected it but it went from $8 daiquiri to a $32 half gallon margarita that didn't taste like it had any alcohol in it at all. Next time I'll just order food when I pick up. read more

My husband and I are former restaurant owners. He is a trained chef and I have waited tables in more restaurants than I can count. We also travel to Mexico a lot. Monterrey has been our favorite Mexican restaurant for years because they believe in excellent service, high quality food, and a festive atmosphere. It is is a pleasure to have dinner at Monterrey. It is clearly one of the most well-run restaurants in the area. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. read more

My family and I love to eat at Monterrey Mexican Restaurants (carrboro) when we are celebrating a special occasion or just to enjoy authentic Mexican food and always great service read more

We enjoy going here, but it depends on the location for the type of service you get. The one in Carrboro is great Chapel Hill not so much.

I've been anticipating this particular Monterrey's to open since I saw their coming soon sign last year and it has finally opened! As a new addition to the Carrboro Plaza, I'm excited to have a Monterrey's closer to my place and on this side of town although their other location is not too far away in Chapel Hill. My friends had already dined here for dinner and really enjoyed the food and drinks so I was eagerly waiting for my turn to try them out and finally did this past week for lunch. Their menus are similar to the other location and I couldn't get the smell of their delicious fajitas out of my mind (coming from a table close by) so I went with the chicken and steak fajitas which were so delicious I finished it even though I had already filled up on chips and salsa. And the salsa! I love a good chunky and spicy salsa that is not too overbearing and this salsa was the latter but a bit runny, yet I loved it! I was actually really surprised with how much I enjoyed it and proceeded to order more so I could use it with my entree as well. I was celebrating with a friend (yay done with grad school) so we ordered a pitcher of margaritas. Our glasses came garnished with an orange which was a nice touch but the margaritas left much to be desired. It was a bit too sweet for my taste and my friend agreed. The service was great. It wasn't too crowded so our server was attentive but constantly bombarding us which I appreciated. The decor of the restaurant is nice, there's a few TVs along the walls, and different artwork as well. There's lots of space which I like because similar restaurants always feel too crowded but this also could have just been the room I was in. There was an additional back room where the bar is located but I only briefly checked it out. Also their booths are huge! Love a good booth I can have some room in! Comparing this Monterrey's to their other location, I prefer this one. Not only is it closer for me but their service was much better here although I hope they work on their margaritas a bit more. So hooray, I'm a fan and will certainly return! Finally a Mexican restaurant convenient for the people of Carrboro (or Chapel Hill, I guess) with delicious food that won't break the bank! read more

See all

The best most authentic Mexican food in Carrboro! Placed a togo order 10mins red before close and the staff was as friendly as if I was their first customer of the night! read more

I'm disappointed I'm Latino and 9/10 times I go there we get mistreated by the Hispanic waiters and it's disgusting how they expect a huge tip when your choking on your food waiting for a drink or them not being rude or disgusting this bigger gentleman we've had before is so rude and visibly annoyed to have to attend a Latino person because they only treat white people amazing because they feel they can only tip well. I've only had one person there jose who is amazing at his job and should be manager of wait staff and teach them to treat everyone the same. Do that and your almost good the food isn't half bad read more