Visited this place and it was your standard Tex mex. We didn't have any issues with service but the chicken fajitas were good and the daiquiri was weak (more flavor and ice than anything). Not much to it but not a bad place to get your Tex mex from. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Food and service was so good, we went twice in one week! The drinks are delish were made just right. Service was good and quick. The restaurant was clean and provided lots of seating and food specials. Great prices! read more

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Monterreys has the best positive environment with the kindest servers and staff. The food is also extremely affordable while being delicious!!! I wish it didn't have to close. Monterreys is the best! read more

I love Monterrey! Is it the best Mexican food in the world? No. Is the service always great? No. However, you always know what you're getting when you go to Monterrey. Great atmosphere, good enough service, and good food at a very reasonable price. This is why I've gone here for years and will always come back! read more

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IF YOU ARE BLACK, DO NOT EAT HERE! My sister was there on Sunday, with other colleagues, and they would not/ did not take their order for at least 20 minutes before they left! They didn't take even a drink order! She was the only black person in the group and in the restaurant! DO NOT GO THERE! read more

I was at this establishment today and was sat with me and my girlfriend, during this time, we weren't greeted by our waitress for almost 25 minutes, once greeted, she had a stank ass attitude and was completely rude and made us feel bad to even eating there. Our food was okay, but took quite along time to receive it. The craziest ordeal of this all, was that the same waitress who was rude to me, got into a screaming match with another customer over the same sh*tty service that she gave me, I wish I knew her name, because I would tell you to fire her, completely rude, unprofessional and overall a big bimbo. This establishment needs to do better, almost wish I would've stayed home and starved instead of wasting my money on this service. Please review the common sense with staff and hopefully it turns around. STAY AWAY UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE BELITTLED AND HAVE TERRIBLE SERVICE. read more

Service was terrible!! I never received my mild salsa and they forgot to bring us silverware. The horchata tasted like it had mold in it and I had to request another drink. The chips were stale and the service was just bad. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I had the best Mexican meal I can remember at lunch today. I ordered the tortilla soup and it was perfect. I've never had tortilla soup before but I can't imagine it being better elsewhere. I'll be going regularly for this one item. The waiter was top-notch concierge type interaction. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - This tortilla soup though! - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Hello. Staff were attentive. Food was yummy! (I ate too much) Lol Their margaritas were okay. Service was acceptable. Ambience authentic Mexico! I liked the vibe tho a bit noisy, however was a Friday evenings to be expected! I give 5 stars. Ty read more

Fast service Good good Family atmosphere Bar Tasty authentic Mexican cuisine Will come back again! read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Amazing - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Terrible service. Usually we come here sometimes and have a good experience, but today that was not the case. Had some friends here for the weekend and we went to eat here today just trying to find a place that didn't have a long wait. We were a party of 6 people. We got there as they were unlocking the door to open. They did have a good crowd of people so we all came in at the same time. They didn't have a wait so we decided to eat here. They sat people in front of us and as soon as we were next to be sat, they said "we will come back for y'all" and proceeded to pull people from behind us to sit them before us. Not an issue, that is fine. Then 20 minutes later we finally got sat. Multiple tables around us were sat after us (including other big parties) and they all had drinks and food before we ever even saw our waitress. After waiting 30 minutes with zero service, we flagged someone down and asked where our server was because we haven't gotten drinks or anything at all. The host proceeded to tell us "well your server has the most tables right now and she is just really busy so it's gonna be a little bit of a wait." What?? We have been sat for 30 minutes already. We asked the host if we could just have some waters while we waited and she acted like we were asking too much by asking for some waters. After waiting probably another 20 minutes our server finally came to the table and took our order. The food took 45 minutes to come out and my friend's food was wrong. We were gonna get them to remake it but we didn't want to wait another hour so we didn't. After our food came out we immediately asked for boxes and the check. She comes back after another 15 minutes with the checks and we realized there was gratuity added on to the checks. Now, I am fine with gratuity always, and since we were a party of 6 I can understand why there would be gratuity added, but not when our service was awful. Never once did our waitress or anyone in that restaurant ask us if we needed anything, never refilled a single drink, and all the other stuff added to that. We just paid the bill and left but truly an awful experience. I don't understand why they sat us in the first place or why they couldn't have just given us another server if they weren't planning to give us service for 45 minutes after being sat. Wish I could give zero stars. read more

Carne Asada Loved the portion size and variety! Sometimes Mexican food can be a little salty for me but this was great. I really loved the carne asada and it also comes with flour tortillas read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

They will steal your money! Had a check for $36 and after taking my card and talking to his buddy's table for 10 mins he charged me over $50 for his friend's food. When confronted and asked for my original check to see the price he started counted out cash for the difference because it was an "accident" I could see the register from my table and he did not have any other cards or tickets with him when he swiped my card...he just expected me not to be paying attention. He said he was the only manager and said he wasn't allowed to void it that I just needed to accept the cash. When I asked if someone was there that was above him an owner or GM he said "what do you want me to void it? It will take too long just take the cash" read more

We love Monterrey's‼ we have been eating at this Mexican restaurant since they were on Knox Abbott Drove in Cayce‼ they are VERY quick to get fresh, hot dishes to your table and the food is always hot & delicious‼ Wish there was still a Lexington location‼ read more

I stumbled on to this wonderful little hole in wall restaurant and my experience was amazing!! Very authentic food, very flavourful, very delicious. This was my first time here and I look forward to coming back to. The staff is very helpful, everyone one of them is taking great precautions during the pandemic. The tables are wiped down constantly, the servers wear masks, social distancing is strictly enforced. They are doing everything they can to keep their employees and their patrons safe. I can't wait to come back again for lunch. BTW...the enchiladas supreme are amazing!! Plenty of food and very authentic. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas supreme - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

a solid lunch. service was quick, food was tasty, the price was terrific. was at the greatest thing I ever had, Of course not, but it was definitely a really good lunch, served quickly, and for a good price. definitely above average and a solid four stars. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - taco and chile relleno - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great little whole in the wall find in downtown Columbia! I sat at the bar, so I didnt have any issues being seated. Bar service was attentive and timely. This was by far one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants around the area. The food was hot, delicious and plentiful. Free street side parking. I shall return in the near future. Try out if your in the area, you wont be disappointed. read more

I tried every way I could to give this restaurant a higher rating but they just continually fell short. I read numerous reviews about how bad the service was but I had just gotten to town and this was an easy walk from the hotel. I walked into the restaurant and waited nearly five minutes to be seated - I considered leaving it took so long. Eventually I was seated, by the busy boy. As I was walked to my seat I heard another table shout at the bus boy "can we at least get drinks and chips". This should have been a sign to me to leave but I didn't. I sat another five minutes until chips and salsa were brought to me and a waiter took my order. From there is was 10 minutes for my drink to come and 25 minutes for my order to be brought out. And when when order was brought it was incorrect. The waiter came back and got it - went in the kitchen and came right back carrying to to another table. I ordered a cheese quesadilla that came out COLD abs hard and beef tip burrito which was mostly onions and peppers. While I was there I watched two tables leave before their food arrived because it took so long. As stated earlier - I tried to like this place but the food wasn't that good, the kitchen was struggling, and even though the staff was trying hard to keep things going it just wasn't enough to save the review. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant on Senate Street in Columbia is a great place to go for delicious and flavorful Mexican food. I really like the location and atmosphere that they have here. I have had an enjoyable experience every time I have been here. Cool place. read more

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I had a good time here, my enchilada was great and so was our queso. Recommend this place!

Despite having a large group (10 people) and it being a busy Friday night, we were able to be seated quickly. It took a couple minutes for our server to come which meant we just missed happy hour (4-8pm), but the waitress was nice enough to give us the happy hour prices anyways since we were technically seated before 8pm. In terms of the food, it's nothing special. I was satisfied, nothing more, nothing less. I will say, either their chips and salsa are superb, or we were just all starving! We went through several baskets of chips. The only issue we had was that since we had a big group, the gratuity was included and was calculated wrong. Some of us were charged 40% whereas it should have been 18% tip. Always make sure to check your bill!! read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

If I could star this place lower I would. This restaurant is DISGUSTING. The service was awful. They were not nice at all. There was a BUG that crawled out of my taco. Which means it was ALIVE. I left a low tip and when I went to check my bank account I noticed they gave themself more of a tip than what I left. This is outrageous. I will never be back at this establishment ever again. They need to be shut down FOR GOOD. I paid $32 for 3 tacos and a queso. I spent way much more here then I do at other Mexican restaurants. read more

My group and I were not a second late after opening to hop inside the restaurant and grab a bite. Choosing my meal at Hispanic restaurants can be difficult as I love every single item on the menu, but this time I had to opt for the lunch fajitas. The fajitas did not come out sizzling on a skillet but were already plated with the sides so that was a little disappointing. Nonetheless, the fajitas tasted great along with all the sides. I was also able to try some of the Arroz con Pollo and it was great. The portions were hefty in size so you definitely get your moneys worth. The staff was also incredibly kind and attentive, which can be difficult with bigger groups. All in all, I enjoyed trying out the place and look forward to future visits. read more

I ordered the chicken burrito with freshly cut jalapeños and their house salsa - muy bien and muy grande!

This is one of my favorite restaurants! The food and service is immaculate. The servers are always welcoming and attentive. The queso and guac are so tasty and authentic, everything hits the spot. I highly suggest trying this place and get the nachos, they come in a bath of queso! read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - The bean nachos with Pico de Gallo, guac, and carnitas. - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

As generic as any Mexican can possibly be. It's fast and consistent I guess, but most any Mexican option would be better in my book.

The food made up for the service. We came in to place a to go order, to no hostess at the door, had to walk to the bar and call for someone to take our order, felt rushed to place the order, and couldn't get service to get a drink while we waited. However, the food is good, I think they should rethink some packaging options for certain items on the menu. read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

This is a great little place with fantastic food! I was staying across the street at a hotel and it was a cozy, peaceful retreat for me after a long days work. The food was excellent! Drinks great also! read more

The food is excellent! The staff is very friendly and makes the atmosphere so fun and festive!

Brought my girlfriend here to grab some food and drinks before a Post Malone concert. We both got the quesadilla Mexicana, which I thought was delicious. My girlfriend didn't like it because it had onions, which she isn't a big fan of. The server saw she wasn't eating her quesadilla and he brought out a fresh quesadilla with no onions. Very good service read more

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Mexicana quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Awful service like the worst dining experience i've ever had. Took very long time for someone to even speak to us about being sat. Got seated 15 minutes before happy hour ended and did not get approached by a server until two minutes after happy hour. Did not accommodate for having to wait 17 minutes for a server to approach us. Food was ok but the service was just so horrendous I'm not coming back. read more

Been sitting at a table for 4 people for 25 minutes without even receiving water whereas as the group of 8 that came after us has already put in food order and received their alcoholic beverages. I'm outraged at the waitress we asked for water who just completely ignored us and waved her hand. The old lady taking orders needs to be fired. I will never come back. read more

Love this restaurant! The servers are full of life and always helpful! Chewy and Santos are our favorites and provide amazing service! I always order the bean nachos, they come in a bath of warm queso, I then add pico de gallo and guacamole on top. This establishment will forever be me and my friends favorite! read more

One of my favorite cheap Mexican places in Columbia. Never have had a bad time here. Service is always phenomenal and have great cheap margaritas. read more

The food was not worth the price, we came in as a group and hardly any of us enjoyed our food enough to finish. They parked two long tables and two different parties so close together our chair bashed into each other when the other party got up. When we got up our backsides where in their personal space. When you go out to eat a customer does not want their butts in other folks personal space and definitely not vice versa. Some of the prices for the food isn't super expensive but all in all was not worth it. read more

When it came to Mexican fare, it was as comparable to Chili's as you can possibly can get, although with slight variations. A couple of friends traveling to Columbia, SC arrived here for the night and met up with another friend, who was local to the area and we decided to go to dinner at Monterey Mexican restaurant. Navigating the roads after winter storm PAX was a challenge, but we made it here decently, especially when there was ice still on the side of the roads, but still drivable. Downtown Columbia was a ghost town, even on a Thursday night before 7pm, but I'm assuming that it was due to the winter blast that came through earlier in the week. And so, we arrived here around 6:45pm and the place was busy. Monterrey's Mexican restaurant is located in West Columbia, SC at 931 Senate Street in downtown Columbia, SC. It was minutes away from the SC State House grounds. We were lucky that we found parking, just as someone was leaving, so that was perfect timing! There was a couple people ahead of us, but there was an empty corner table near the left side of the restaurant, so we just sat ourselves and not wait for the hostess to sit us. Kind of bold, but the local friend of ours knew what she was doing, I think. The ambiance of the restaurant was fast paced and somewhat loud, since the waiters were so busy. I was famished from a day of travel, so I ordered the Carne Asada plate, along with a corona and water. I mooched off a friend's chip and salsa, so that was cool. It was definitely crowded, but we made due. The prices here are typical. $12 for the Carne Asada plate and $6 for a beer. I ended up paying for myself and my local SC friend, just because it was nice to finally meet her in person. The restaurant was reasonably clean and the service was decent to okay. Nothing really to say otherwise, since they were busy trying to get everyone's orders right and fast as they could. The Carne Asada was decently good, although I expected more meat. The meat that I did have was tender and went pretty well with the alcohol I drank. Overall, the experience was typical and probably won't be here again, if it was my choice to pick. While it wasn't a bad choice, I wouldn't have picked Mexican, but my friends seem to enjoy it. It was great company and that part I did enjoy. They accept credit cards, so that is great, as well as cash. The time spent here was relatively short and we must've been here around an hour before departing. I would rate this place a seriously a 3.0 stars. Nothing really stood out to me and we just wanted a quick meal before heading out for more fun. The service here was alright, although the wait for the food was a little ho hum. While the prices here were typical, I probably wouldn't come back here if I wanted too anyway, if I were to be back in Columbia, SC. Support local! C *reposted from my experience in February 2014 read more

I love Monterreys in the vista! If you go, I recommend the molcajete (enough food for 3), the fajitas, and the steak chipotle. The owners, Chuy and Pancho, are always around making sure the best service is being given. If you ask, they will make you a special guacamole that's so delish! read more

If I would fewer stars I could. I had a group of 11 people, and then a group of 13 people came in and then they gave the table that we were supposed to have to them, even tho they came in after us. Terrible service would not reccomend read more

I had a really good experience here. I ordered the shrimp tacos and cheese dip. The food was fresh the service was fast and friendly and I couldn't have asked for anything better. read more

I'm on the road every week and I enjoyed Mexican food. First impressions are very important when the chips and salsa suck the food is going to suck. This place has great chips and salsa and also had some great hot green sauce . I I had the chicken fetus unbelievable fantastic with red peppers and green peppers onions and tomatoes your not getting that Chili's brother. read more

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