My husband made reservations for dinner for my birthday but we never made it that far. We arrived ten minutes early and were asked to wait in the lounge which we expected being Friday night. We found a nice table in the corner and had mojito's while we waited. Our drinks were good and the music made our wait pleasant. But after an hour of waiting, a second drink and checking with the host several times (always being told it would be just a few more minutes) we were tired of waiting. We figured our experience wasn't going to get any better so we left. We have enjoyed our previous visits but probably won't be back. read more

I've eaten here every time I'm in town. It's an absolute gem. The service is amazing, Felipe is the absolute man. Professional, kind, great at his job. Promote this gentlemen immediately. If you enjoy amazing food with great vibes and friendly staff this place is for you. The only "downside" is it's normally very busy but, all places worthwhile are busy. They don't take reservations over the phone however if you go to their website you can make reservations there. Anyone who rates this place negatively is not worth spending time to read their reviews. I couldn't recommend more. read more

Beautiful restaurant, great food & drinks but hampered by poor service. We started out at the bar and things were off to a great start. Very friendly bar staff that make a great drink. Once seated we waited at least 15 minutes to be greated by our server, Blane. This was after numerous servers walked by our table of 6, including Blane. Once we finally ordered and received our food it was great, no complaints about the food, it was fantastic. The service however was terrible. You'd think after a $300 tab you'd get a bit of service but that didn't happen. Again, drinks and food were top notch but the service we received was disappointing. read more

Restaurant is in an old home and very clean and rustic decoration. Waiter was very friendly and attentive ! Ordered the Margarita shrimp. It was delicious! My wife ordered the Chimichurri steak and she love it. Food was seasoned well! Prices are a little high but worth it! read more

Villa Montez - The top one is margarita shrimp. The bottom one is Chimichurri steak. - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

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Everyone I know raves about this place and honestly after trying it on 4 separate occasions, twice at lunch, I just don't get it. The food was inconsistent and took forever even when the restaurant was damn near empty. Our waitress didn't know anything about the menu or what to suggest. They ran out of a wine and she brought us "something comparable" that was a different color and sparkling. On one occasion we waited 20 mins for a dessert and it came out cold. read more

It is a rare and beautiful thing when a restaurant aces all facets of the experience - service, ambiance, and food quality. Tuesday evening, Villa Montez achieved this and earned five stars. From my call in the morning for reservations through delivery of the check, the service was impeccable. I didn't know it at the time, but I was speaking with one of the owners when I called for reservations. When I told him we were first time visitors seeking a nice place to celebrate our 19th anniversary, he gave me a 7:00 reservation even though they were booked up. On arrival at 6:45, we sat at the bar and guess who served us! My wife ordered a glass of cabernet. I saw a few glasses with the remnants of mint leaves in them, so I ordered a Mojito. They were outstanding (yes, I had two). Mundo had me try a cucumber Mojito for my second. He told me it was invented at Villa Montez - the slice of cucumber adds a nice flavor but is not overwhelming. I would order it again. We were seated just past seven at a window table overlooking their beautiful patio. Throughout the meal, the service was friendly and attentive. Even before we got to dinner, we knew they "get it". We started with their Ceviche - fresh, delicious, and wonderfully seasoned it was a splendid start to a fine dinner. My wife ordered the NY Strip and I enjoyed the bone-in ribeye. Both steaks, priced around $20, came with sauteed veggies and rice. Seasoned with a Latin flair, they were perfectly prepared and tasted great. A bottle of Argentinian Malbec from their reserve list ($49) accompanied the meal nicely. We shared a vanilla creme brulee for dessert. As for prices, Villa Montez is extremely reasonable, especially given the overall quality of the experience. Our bar tab (two cabernet and two mojitos), before tip, was $27. Most entrees are priced at $20 or less. Good quality wines can be enjoyed for around $20 per bottle. Their "Reserve" wines are priced in the $40's and there is an top shelf list on which the most expensive bottle is $130. Villa Montez is now "our place" for an enjoyable evening in Tyler, TX. We will be back! read more

This place is perfect for special occasions. I love the entrees and they are not too expensive. The service is terrific! In fact, every time I go, the owner makes his way around the restaurant to introduce himself to everyone. I have ordered some of their seafood selections while my husband orders something hearty- like the steak. Most of the portions are plenty but the burrito was HUGE. It could easily feed two people. But in any case, the food is fabulous- nothing like the typical Tyler fare. read more

Food excellent sea bass and the black beans. Chips salsa and guacamole all excellent. Wonderful place and the staff was great very friendly. read more

My husband and I had dinner there last night. It's a beautiful mansion up on a hill, with rustic decor interior. We were greated by many smiling faces and very polite staff. We were seated at a table and handed me menus. Out waitress came by and offered for is to move if we would like because it may become cold where we were sitting because of the way the front door opened and the air traveled down the hall. We declined but thanked her. There was a heater on behind is so that helped also. The atmosphere was nice, it had an elegant feel but a comfortable, relaxing feel also. There were 3 people I say in their late 20s on side of us that were rather loud. I was glad to see them leave. Now onto the amazing food! They brought out chips and salsa first. The salsa was amazing. It wasn't the typical "tex mex" salsa, I think I could have just sat there and ate chips and salsa! I ordered a tea while my husband ordered the house wine. It was very good but VERY sweet. If you like dry wine do not order the house wine. We chose the Chicken Lettuce Wraps for our appetizer. Diced chicken breast with bell peppers onions and several other things in his light brown sauce, served with crisp leafy lettuce and jalapeño pepper jelly. It had great flavor alone but don't let the jalapeño jelly intimidate you. It's a subtle flavor that adds perfection to every bite. For our entree, we looked long an hard at the menu. There's so many options! We opted for two steak dishes. My husband had the chimichurri New York strip, and I had the the villa Montez filet Minion, both with a side of rice beans and shrimp. The NY strip was perfectly crusted packed with subtle flavor so the meat could still be tasted. On top, not 100% sure what it was but it was a creamy green sauce. The sauce was tangy but complimented te steak very well. The rice is just a white rice, the steak comes on top the beans. For myself, the filet was great! It again came perfectly crusted with a mushroom chiveche on too. The chiveche was thinly sliced jalapeño and mushrooms. If you don't like it. It's very easy to scrape to the side. I mixed by rice and beans scoop by scoop and liked it, but it wasn't until I mixed the sauce from my shrimp with the rice that I saw a glimpse of heaven! The shrimp sauce was a sweet caramelized sauce with onion and bell peppers. After I couldn't possibly take another bite, I saw the waitress walk past with the most amazing looking cake! I opted to find room and order it. It was a 7 layer chocolate cake. On the outside and between each layer was almost like a mousse. Very rich, although very much worth the nectar calories! We also ordered a mojíto. I couldn't fit even a sip, but my husband said it was one of the best he had! Overall this place is a must! Some on yelp say it is kid friendly, but I would leave the kids at home. We had a sitter for our 2 yr old and it was best. With eating by candle light and dim over heads. most come here for a quiet dinner. read more

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Lovely atmosphere in a reworked mansion. Bar is modern yet cozy. Drinks made well, but had to remind the waitress that I wanted Tanquery and tonic not well gin and tonic. Second drink was much better. Food is not standard Tex-Mex. Good guacamole appetizer and the best spinach artichoke dip I've had. The hot sauce is very good with lots of cilntro. My sea bass was quite good though a bit over cooked (rubbery). Dining companions pork chops were fabulous. Mega burrito and torta not my thing, but companions liked them. The black beans were excellent but the rice was a bit bland. Didn't have room for dessert. Maybe next time. Service was good. Reservations not accepted and we had a 30 minute wait at 6:15 on Friday. Don't come in a hurry - enjoy the bar or, if weather permits, dine outside. Parking could be difficult and one of our group was on crutches and had to navigate steps a few times. May have wheelchair access, but I didn't see it. Call first. read more

The salsa for the chips kinda tasted like spaghetti sauce and was runny. :( But they gave each of us our own bowl! :) Their cheese and nachos were very bland and dry. The ceviche was good but a little too spicy. The margarita shrimp was great. And the service was great. There's a pokemon gym at the restaurant. Best to go with only pokemon lovers. read more

Went there for take out. My family thought that it had too much pepper, but I personally loved the food, especially the pesto dishes. Look forward to going back. read more

I came here for a group dinner the other night and this place is absolutely captivating at night! It's a beautiful mansion up atop a hill and lit up with beautiful lights. If the weather had been warmer, I would have loved to sit out on the balcony! I loved the ambiance of this place - it was buzzing with excitement and you could tell that people love coming here for a nice date or group engagements. The artichoke dip was was a delicious appetizer, big enough for a large group to share. For my main dish, I had camarones a la cazuela. I thought the sauce would be more liquidy, but it was very hearty and creamy than I expected. It was rich, earthy, and had an amazing garlic base. The shrimp was well cooked as well. The brown rice and black beans went well with the sauce too. I was extremely impressed with this diamond of a restaurant in Tyler. I would definitely recommend this charming restaurant to anyone passing through! read more

One of the best meals that I have had in my summer out in East Texas. First, my roommate and I arrive and we are told there is a 45 minute wait, but we are welcome to go to the bar to watch sports and eat appetizers/drink. Normally, this could be an opportunity for a restaurant to make seizable margin off you, but in this case, we were there for no longer than 10 minutes when our name was called. We were taken to the second floor where they brought up our appetizer, spinach artichoke dip. It was great and fairly priced at 7.99. They also gave us chips and salsa. Now, my advice would be to not eat so many chips, because their portions are huge. I got the fajita burrito and my roommate got the sea bass. The waitress was not joking when she said the burrito was essentially the size of her arm. Both of us were happy with our meal. I wish we got a chance to try the desserts; we were just too full. Now, the atmosphere is what also is really great about this place. It is one of the nicest looking restaurants in East Texas. It used to be a home and it is settled up on a hill. It would be a great place to take a date or your family for a special occasion. read more

I don't know how to express how impressed I am by this establishment. I have had outstanding food all over the world and the last thing I ever expected to find in Tyler, Texas was this gem. This place has the atmosphere I would expect to find in a five star restaurant in San Diego or Las Vegas. It is outstanding inside and out. The service has been impeccable, the staff was attentive without being anxious or overbearing. I was left in peace for my meals, my drink was never empty and I never felt bothered or rushed. In fact I was asked if i would like to stay awhile after dessert, which surprised me as I was drinking ice tea and reading a book, aka I wasn't spending any more money tonight. The food there is simply outstanding. The first night I had a beef tenderloin, prepared in what they called Durango. At first, I was kind of disappointed when it arrived, the steak was round, about the size of the palm of my hand, although it was at least 4 inches thick. I cut into it, and took note they had cooked it to perfection (rare for me) and it was VERY tender meat. That, and they had taken the time to let the steak rest before serving. Now, I have made it a point to eat steak everywhere I have gone in my travels and this was the best steak I have ever had. Argentina, Japan and the rest of the world should take note! I won't spoil the whole story and tell you about the rest of the plate, but I almost licked my plate clean! The next night I had a chicken dish and was equally impressed. I detest bell peppers and avocados, and this dish was loaded with both. Again, I cleaned my plate. I decided on dessert, and had the chocolate cake. The rest is in my fridge and I will think about it all day tomorrow until i get back to my hotel. Yum! To say the least I am dedicated fan. The servings are bountiful, the service outstanding, the atmosphere pleasant and the quality of everything from start to finish is amazing. The best part of this? I have left both nights for under $30 and just stuffed to the gills, and I'm no small guy. When I stay anywhere near Tyler in the future, I am driving in and heading straight to the Villa! read more

I made a reservation at 7:30 and was served around almost 9pm. I ordered chicken which fried with a sauce with lime cilantro rice. The rice was half cook. Talked to the manager and told us that they got a lot of customers. But for me that's not a valid Reason. Anyways, she gave us discount for our drinks. But the fact is, I did not enjoyed their food. read more

Love this place. Regulars since 2009. Food delicious and lots of variety. Favorite is the Brazilian coconut soup !! read more

Had the Chimichurri Steak- NY Steak marinated in Argentine chimichurri then grilled and topped with chimichurri served on a bed of beans, with rice, and grilled vehetables. Good sized portion too! Well worth the price! Worth returning to the next time I am in town. read more

Villa Montez - Chimichurri Steak! - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

Nice atmosphere, excellent, friendly service, and tasty salsa... really, what else do you need? Enjoyed the perfectly cooked chimmichurri steak (a NY Strip) and it's accompaniments. Veggie side was flavorful and not cooked to death, and rice and beans were, well, rice and beans. All in all, a great experience. Recommended! read more

The first time I went to Villa Montez was not worth the hype. Yesterday I thought I would give it another try. The chicken I ordered was so dry. The sides of beans and rice were ok but nothing special. I just don't understand all the rave reviews of this place. read more

Food is good. You can tell they try hard to serve autentic mexican food, but they are not quite there yet. Queso fundido and salsa are still veeery Tex-Mex. We were here for lunch on a Monday, and even though there were only a couple more tables eating, the place was a little dirty. The building is beautiful, it has a great view and a nice patio. read more

Wonderful experience when it comes to food and service. Chef specials off the menu are always a real treat. Our special place.

Hit and miss here always. We have tried time and time again to give Villa Montez redemption but just can't go anymore. Food is only okay, drinks are better, but service is a zero. If you end up here the jalapeño margarita may help you have a good time. read more

5 stars!!! The best shrimp margaritas ever!!! I stop here every time I'm in Tyler the food is soooo good. I love the ambiance too! Feel soft and homey read more

Went on Sept. 14 for an early anniversary dinner. Arrived before dining room opened at 5 so went to bar area for drink and appetizer.I guess they were still in process of setting up because service was slow and had to track down bartender several times. Got our drinks and ordered guacamole appetizer. Decent portion but absolutely no seasoning or spice. Very bland. Nothing like the guacamole at sister restaurant 1836. Bar,which is very small,had music playing which was loud for the small room and couldn't carry on conversation. Very nice hostess alerted us that dining room was open at 5 so sat us in nice open dining room overlooking the back. Ordered and honestly food was not as good as compared to previous visits. Enchiladas were try and lacked any pizzaz. The whole place needs an update. Bar had funny odor and a fresh coat of paint would help a lot.Service was OK but not real attentive. This is a personal thing but I think wait staff at any restaurant should at least dress for the job. The wait staff we saw were all "frumpy" with wrinkled shirts and ill fitting slacks. I don't mean formal attire is due but attractive. That is my take on appearance. Probably be awhile before going back and stick with 1836 which is our tried and true place to go. read more

This is a great place. I've been a regular for years, and it's one of the few restaurants I miss from back home. My only complaint is that the menu hasn't changed much over the years (but if it ain't broke...). They do have specials that change constantly, and most of them are good. The spinach dip is out of this world. Chino latino rolls and queso are other great apps. The portions are generally pretty generous on the entrees, and the price is definitely right. They can make a mojito in pretty much any flavor you want. A few years back, I asked for a vanilla mojito, and I've been hooked on them ever since. So good. Wine selection is great, and I honestly really like the house wines. They also do catering, and they have large reservable spaces (wine cellar, upstairs dining room, patios, amphitheater), so you really can do anything here. read more

The ambiance here was amazing! It seems to be a former mansion with antique decor that reminded me of a 1960's movie. From the outside the building resembled a mansion in Spain. I would highly recommend this place for a nice evening with that special someone or a casual night with friends. While I admired the decor, I cannot say the food was amazing. I ordered the chicken lettuce wraps for an appetizer and they were quite satisfying. The taste of my appetizer I would rate a 7 on a scale of 1-10. For dinner I ordered the pineapple chicken. I found the chicken to be lacking in taste. It was rather bland with a pineapple sauce poured on top. My friend had the Carne Asada and said it tasted fairly well. While I did not have dessert, my friends opted for the Tres Leches and alleged that it was the best Tres Leches they ever had, it was also highly recommended by the waitress. The service was great. Our waitress was very polite and efficient. She took the time to explain our menu options and provided great recommendations. Most people were dressed in business casual attire for our evening dinner; considering it was my first time, I was dressed in jeans and a polo. I never felt out of place, but you may want to choose a business casual attire for your evening dinner. The location also provides a nice backdrop for pictures. read more

I eat here all the time and it's fantastic! I love the Chino Latino rolls...I get them every time and the banana eggrolls (AKA Turron) are to die for! Entrees of choice vary depending on the day, but it is always good. Lat time I got the morizqueta with yucatan pork (mouth watering) and the time befor that I got the Tequila lime pasta, which is my favorite, and the time before that I got the salad (the name has slipped from my memory) with the yucatan pork as well ALL GREAT CHOICES! I graduated from the nursing program at UTTyler and did my lunch here and the service was great. I have seen better waiters there, and some came in to help, but all in all it was great (besides the fact that they didn't have my banana eggrolls lol eventhough I had requested them ahead of time) but it was still great. Attentative service, great food, and timely service...my kind of place! read more

The food and drinks are 5 star. The Sea Bass was excellent! I've had their coconut shrimp soup and the ceviche and they were both awesome. I will say their salsa leaves something to be desired. Drinks are exceptional. The problem was that we had a party of 10 And out reservations were made 5 days out. It was a Business party and we were ready to pay for great service and time. The server up front told us we had to be out of our table by a certain time. That was setting a bad time for a party of 10 who wanted to spend some time. Finally they did come up and kick us out telling us they would move us to the lounge. As we came down the stairs the lounge was full. It was just sorry that a night which was so good and fun with great food and drinks, people and conversation. They moved us and the area they told us to move to was full. All of our people just left. I love their food and beverages and even most of the service is impeccable. The fact that they overbooked really put a wrench in our night and our experience with Villa Montez. read more

Everyone raves about this place. Is it the romantic location that makes people forget about the poor food and mediocre service? Worst chicken chimichanga ever...not a shred of chicken to be found . $15 for a deep fried tortilla and some unidentifiable paste. Service was rushed by what looked like family youngsters put to work ...until our party wanted something, then everyone had vanished or walked past us without acknowledgement. Maybe just an "off" night; but left us wanting. read more

A fantastic locally-owned , independent restaurant in a town that is dominated by chains. Great food! Great bar! Great facility! Great service! Owned by two brothers. One runs the front of the house and one is the Executive Chef. Both do as good a job as you will find in this town. This is not a Mexican food joint. This is a gourmet Latin kitchen that is great for families and date night. A must-dine experience in Tyler! read more

Well management won't return messages left on the VM machine. I called 2 times leaving VMs asking for a reservation for 2 people at 7:30. When I called back at 5:30 to check on if I was able to confirm or deny if I got a reservation because no one had called me back. The hostess I assume that's who she was let me know I wasn't on the book so apparently I didn't get my reservation. End of phone call. Then I called back a few minutes later and another girl answered the phone this one at least let me ask a few questions about if we could get a table as a walk-in. She informed me that apparently they have a ton of large parties and to that end NO other tables will be accepted until after 8:30. read more

Best outdoor location for dining under the stars. Tasty menu with great variety. Local ownership who gives back to the community

Veggie Burrito... amazing! I have never had anything bad here. And the service is always great. read more

Villa Montez - The chocolate cake was amazing... of course I had to get it to go. No way I Could eat it after having the veggie burrito - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

We just happened to go here randomly on a trip to Lindale TX. It is beautiful the food was delicious and they had white queso (which is not popular in Dallas). I am now in a food coma. The server was probably the most polite server I have ever had! read more

Villa Montez - It was a beautiful restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

Great food - friendly waitstaff - perfect location! Just wish they put the lunch salad options also on the main menu and offered small combination entrees The chocolate cake is a real feast - one portion required 4 forks ! read more

I brought some friends here last night to celebrate a birthday in the group, and we couldn't be happier about the choice! This beautiful mansion sticks out on the dark street at night with all its pretty lights and decor. It's such a gorgeous and romantic location, I can't say enough about it, truly! The ambience is mellow and soft but the bar, oh my the bar. It will transport you to a casual, intimate, but charged place and time! Definitely try their house margarita, the gin basil fizz, and/or the pimms cup - they knocked these out of the park! I succumbed to Yelp's recommendation of their spinach artichoke dip - and it was worth it! It's enough for 6 people comfortably and it's cheesy and melty and has enough kick at the end because it has roasted jalapenos in it! We also tried the Brazilian coconut soup cup appetizers and they served well for some of us that weren't too hungry. Very flavorful broth and they serve plenty of cilantro and pickled onions on the side, which is uhmazing. We also got the Carne Asada, Burrito Maya with barbacoa, Tequila Lime chicken pasta, and the Monterey chicken. All very well cooked and full of flavor and honestly not that expensive at all! My friend is hosting her rehearsal dinner here so I can't wait to come back and enjoy some more of their hospitality, decor, and friendly service! Shout-out to their service staff though, they walked us to our cars with umbrellas in the torrential rain last night, what homies! read more

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The dishes were excellently prepared. The restaurant grounds were exquisite. Lots of trees on the balcony. I didn't eat inside but it looked like an intimate setting. I will definitely be going back there. No complaints. I will be recommending it to all of my friends and colleagues. Very reasonable prices for the experience read more

Villa Montez - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

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Definitely a favorite of mine in Tyler. I have never had a bad experience in the 7 years I have dined here. Food is always cooked correctly and deliciously, I never have to wait a long time for anything, the staff is incredibly attentive, and the restaurant itself is beautiful. Do not overlook this restaurant when it comes time to choose where you eat, for any occasion. Definitely a winner. read more

We stopped on Saturday afternoon. I had the Carne Asada and it was great. Our waitress (Gloria) was awesome and took time to tell us a little history about the business. Music was perfect. Definitely on my A-list for eating. read more