Traveling to this area of Texas, I expected decent BBQ but did not expect to encounter wonderful south American cuisine. I drove up to the restaurant in awe. The grounds and chateau like restaurant is gorgeous. Half of the restaurant displays beautiful landscaping, the other half has a patio strung with white lights and all mostly shaded by over sized shade trees. Inside is a maze of rooms, very similar in decor yet slightly unique. The restaurant is also available for events and would make a picturesque wedding venue. They have an impressive wine list yet if you linger around the bar long enough the smell of mint is a clue that mojitos are their thing. The menu items are fairly priced with good portions. I ordered El Dorado Veracruz, a pan seared white fish, corn tortilla, with tomato olive caper sauce served on rice with a side of black beans. The fish was served in a hearty portion and surprisingly, the tomato olive caper mix worked well. The black beans were decent as was the rice and went better with the tortilla chips than the tomato-ey salsa. This dish was $12.99 which considering the quality and portion was a well priced meal. One of the owners was on site and could be seen busily making his way through the restaurant greeting regulars and new customers alike. I had the chance to chat with him on the way out the door and found out one of his favorite spots in Austin is Hudson's on the Bend. Clearly, he has good taste. read more

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EAT HERE! Stopped here while on a business trip and it was wonderful! It's located in a fabulous old mansion on top of a hill. It looks quite imposing and like a place that would be overly priced. Not true! It has a wonderful ambiance and extremely reasonably priced food. I had seared ahi tuna and my boss had enchiladas suits. The enchiladas were $11.99 and my tuna was $14.99. Both plates were quite large and came with rice and beans. I completely recommend this place!!!! read more

I moved to Tyler in August, dined here for the first time Saturday night. I am mad at myself for waiting this long to enjoy this delicious food. Went on a Saturday night at 6 PM, had to wait thirty minutes for a table. Which I believe to be about average for any Tyler area restaurant. We gladly waiting in the bar area, as many nicely dressed people were coming in and out. I believe there was a Christmas party in one of the rooms upstairs. The food was simply amazing! We started off with ceviche and spinach dip for our apps. Both of which were some of the best I have ever had. For my main course, I had the Chimichurri steak, which was absolutely amazing! The steak was cooked just how I liked it, and had a great flavor to it. Finishing off the meal with a delicious Crème Brûlée. The service was on point. The waiter was at the table no more than three minutes after being seated, and was knowledgable of the menu. My water glass was never empty, and any need was taking care of promptly. I can not wait to go back! read more

Villa Montez - Ceviche. Very delicious! - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

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I have tried Mexican restaurants in Texas before, and there more often Tex-Mex, but this place was a little more what I dig. I wasn't sure what to order so I asked the waitress to pick something for me, we she brought me the Cillian Sea Bass with Shrimp Sauce. O man it was so good, full of flavor, and the appetizer was yummy artichoke dip with some kind of small burrito cut in half. The draft DosXX was on point, and the dessert was over the top. The place is like an big old house that has been converted over to a restaurant and it's very cool. I will be back next time I'm in the area. read more

Villa Montez - Oh so good Chilean sea bass - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

Great location and fun atmosphere for evening with friends. Attentive staff. Steak was excellent. GF options for our daughter! read more

Villa Montez - Fun food with friends! - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

Alright y'all, here's the deal. I'm gonna start this review with the only three words you need to know: INDIVIDUAL. SALSA. BOWLS. LIKE, WHAT?! In case you're a dumb-dumb that needs more than that, here's the deal: I'm bringing you this review from INSIDE THE RESTAURANT. That's how stoked we are on this place. Yeah, I COULD be enjoying this family dinner, but instead I'm letting you, the reader, know just how bad you need this place. So first we roll up and my wife says "oh look at that nice house!" GUESS WHAT DUMMY, THAT'S NOT A HOUSE THAT'S THE RESTAURANT WE'RE GOING TO IT'S SO NICE. So my dad is with us. He's got a cane. There's a bunch of stairs. Historically, those two things don't go well together. Guess what folks? No problem, just tell the hostess there's a mobility issue, they'll hook you up with a good table that's easily accessible. On that note, they're either terrible at telling time, or they want to blow your mind by telling you there's a 45 minute wait and then only making you wait 20 minutes. In the summer. In the height of tourist season. Are you kidding me?! THAT IS SO RAD IT'S BASICALLY TIME TRAVEL. So let's circle back to the beginning of my review. We sit down. They bring the chips. Nice. That's good. I expected that. There's four of us. They set down a salsa bowl. Then they set down another. THEN THEY SET DOWN ONE MORE. I'M ALREADY FREAKING OUT AND THEN YOU BEST BELIEVE THEY SET DOWN ONE MORE SALSA BOWL. COUNT 'EM FOLKS, THAT'S FOUR PEOPLE, FOUR SALSA BOWLS. DOUBLE DIPPERS DELIGHT Y'ALL. So then we order some queso fundido, emphasis on the FUN. Y'ALL THIS QUESO IS SOME LEGIT CHEESE. None of that watered down BS. AND IT CAME OUT LIKE BASICALLY INSTANTLY. So you wanna know about the food, huh? Guess what, y'all, I'm traveling with some seniors aka my parents so they just ordered the Chino Latino Rolls and nachos, and both were thoroughly impressed. My wife also opted for the Latino Rolls, and I got the sweet pork quesadillas. Y'ALL, I AM FROM HOUSTON AND IF YOU SAID "HEY DAVID GUESS WHAT THE BEST QUESADILLAS YOU'LL EVER HAVE ARE IN TYLER, TX" I'D SAY "GUESS WHAT YOU DUMB DINGLEBERRY: NO." Well that is egg on my face because holy cow these quesadillas (and the Latino Rolls) came with some jalapeño jelly that will make you want to slap your mother, which is unfortunate because mine was DEFINITELY sitting across the table from me. I know what you're thinking: "Oh David, you're so hyped on this place, but surely the service must be terrible!" GUESS WHAT IDIOT, THAT KIND OF STUPIDITY WOULDN'T EVEN GET YOU THROUGH A GED EXAM THAT'S HOW DUMB THE THING YOU JUST SAID WAS. Brandon GOT US THE HOOK UP. He was kind. He was friendly. He put up with my dad's stupid dad jokes. HE WAS DELIGHTFUL. Here's the deal y'all. You need to try this place. If you don't love it, YOU. ARE. THE. PROBLEM. Trust me. It's worth the trip. read more

Delish! My husband and I came here for our anniversary because we'd seen how neat it looks from the outside. It is a hillside old huge home turned restaurant. I had been a little nervous about the prices since the location was so fancy looking, but there were many tasty and reasonably priced entrees. I was glad to see so many affordable options! I had the salmon and it was cooked perfect! We also had chocolate cake, which was way too big for only 2 people, but moist and scrumptious! By far my absolute favorite thing we ordered (besides the margaritas) was their queso- best in town for sure!! read more

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So glad I had the opportunity to dine at Villa Montez. I loved the view of villa as I approached from the parking lot. It is warm and wlcoming. I loved the interior design and killer ambiance. I had the ceviche which was really fantastic. I had the Maya which was $10 and on a 15" plate, I swear. Both for $20! I could hardly beleive it! They could jack up their prices and get away with it. My server was super kind and likeable. I highly recommend this place for a weeknight dinner, a date, a family gathering, special occasion, etc. You'll be satisfied. read more

Villa Montez - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

This was one if the best meals I have ever had! I'm sad it's almost gone. Why is this gem in Flint, TX and not San Antonio where I live?!? No Tex Mex here. This place has a Latin fare. Although it is casual dining, the restaurant is gorgeous. As soon as you drive through the gated entrance you're transported to an elegant place. It reall is a villa set on top of a hill. The cucumber mojito is cool and refreshing not too minty, not too sweet. I had the Chino Latino rolls for an appetizer. The chicken was so tender. Careful though these rolls are a little spicy. For the meal I had the Margarita Shrimp. Unlike the other dishes reviewed this was not a large portion but it was sooooo good! The pesto was creamy with just the right amount of garlic. Yum! Yum! Yum! Finally the prices are comparable to chain sit down restaurants. I spent about $25 for 2 drinks, an appetizer and shrimp. Don't be intimidated by the fancy decor, this is a great place for a casual meal! read more

Villa Montez - The winding hill leading to the villa - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

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Every time my family and I get together for dinner we always choose this restaurant. The setting is just beautiful and the staff is super friendly. I recommend sitting at the patio if the weather is nice. The chips and salsa are complimentary, which I recently found out is unheard of up north. The salsa is fantastic! The perfect blend of sweet and spicy. I typically go through three to four bowls, myself. As far as drinks go, they have a full bar and a pretty good beer and wine selection. My favorite is the Top Shelf Ultimate Margarita. They place half a lime in the concoction and it is so refreshing on a balmy Texas summer night. The menu has a pretty good selection but I always go back to the California Chimichanga. The flavors are rich and there's always plenty of leftovers. Highly recommend this restaurant! Great for parties and gatherings, especially during the holidays! read more

Villa Montez - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

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Hostess staff super friendly & welcoming. Patio area really pretty. Waitress very attentive & personable. Felt good to support a local business in Tyler. We were visiting from Ft. Worth. Great date night place. Food was flavorful & not over salted. Pretty plating. Good enchiladas and the spinach artichoke dip is like a meal in itself. Rich & garlicky. read more

Villa Montez - Chicken enchiladas - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

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Hidden GEM! I'm always surprised when I meet someone in Tyler who hasn't eaten here yet. Their food is fantastic, excellent presentation, large portions in an upscale, quaint venue. Great selection of drinks and beers to choose from. And to top it off, my wife and I can walk out under $40 for an amazing dinner! You won't go wrong with Villa Montez. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Trash service. Poor management. Would give zero stars if I could. Horrible customer service. This place completely cancelled my reservation for an event after having placed my reservation months in advance because another party 'wanted the patio, and we're giving it to them instead.' Unbelievable. read more

My family and I have been going to Villa Montez for years, but the service and food have gone increasingly downhill. Our latest visit was the absolute worst, and I'm not sure we'll return. Once we were seated, it took 10 minutes to be greeted by someone who wasn't our server. Once we finally got our drinks, my Moscow mule tasted nothing like a Moscow mule, so I asked for a beer instead. That took another 15 minutes and they brought it in the bottle only, saying they were out of cold glasses. The food took forever and was just okay. My iced tea glass was consistently empty. Once we got the bill, the Moscow mule was still on it, so I asked for it to be removed. One of our many waiters apologized and went to fix it. But when the bill was brought back, he had only comped half the drink even though I only had one sip and sent it back because it was awful!? What the heck!!? To top it all off, even though we had barely seen our actual server the entire night, he immediately came back to gather up our signed checks, which is just bad form, particularly when you've been MIA all night. Bottom line: the service, food, and drinks at Villa Montez are extremely inconsistent and underwhelming, particularly considering their prices. The cozy atmosphere and treehouse views are what they are obviously banking on to stay in business. read more

Great food, great service staff in such a lovely, unique setting! Sit outside, it's beautiful!

Excellent!!!! This place was so good! I was a little worried because of Covid but I'm they did a great job. The service was like VIP! The food was fabulous and the price was perfect! This place made my anniversary very memorable. Would recommend this place all the way! read more

Service was very poor. We arrived for our dinner reservations and waited 20 mins to be seated. Had 4 different inattentive waiters. Waited a long time for our check while all the waiters ran around closing down the restaurant. It was odd you think giving us our check so we could leave would help them close down the restaurant faster. Rice was seasoned so well and delicious, but ended up disappointing when I realized it was crunchy because it was under cooked. My boyfriend's steak was delicious, though, and cooked to perfection. My burrito was yummy and huge for the price! Also, my strawberry mojito was really good. read more

This place has a lot of charm and ambience. Great for a date night or dinner with a small group of friends. Not a great place for big groups in my experience. The servers are really friendly, but often times the operations seem to be running a bit chaotically. We come here with friends who have kids and they always make sure to kindly request the kids food come out first, as soon as possible to keep them occupied, and more often than not the kids food comes after all the appetizers, soups, salads, AND other entrees. (Honestly it's not a great place to take kids and it baffles me that my friends keep taking their kids here even after so many fumbles.) A lot of times the entrees come out in two waves, which is awkward. The food is also somewhat inconsistent, especially the tortilla soup. My mother gets it a lot and the last time we went it was so spicy she couldn't eat it. I like spicy so we swapped plates and even I had a hard time eating it. We come here because it's a favorite of our friends and my parents really love it, but I'd rather go to Margaritas on Front Street any day. read more

First time here and they get a great 4 stars. Food was really incredible. I am not a fan of their salsa but it is my wife's favorite so far. The carne azada was the best I've had in years. The have a cilantro lime shrimp dish that knocked our socks off. Ordered a slice of chocolate cake to share and it could have fed 6 ppl. Service was good but we felt rushed a little. Staff was really friendly, place is clean. Prices were good for the atmosphere. Will definitely be back a lot. read more

We are transplanted Foodies from Houston to East Texas. If you love a complete food experience, you will fall in love with Villa Montez!!! From the moment we entered the magical grounds of the private home turned restaurant, our fabulous experience began!! Beautiful plantings and smells enveloped us as we walked up the steps to this historic spot. The very cordial hostess whisked us immediately to our beautiful table overlooking palatial grounds. We ordered guacamole and the best Mexican eggrolls I have ever had! Japaleno jelly comes with the Chino Latino rolls and they are not to be missed!! My husband got the Carne Azada and I had the Salmon with truffle rice for our main courses. Wonderful spicing on both dishes and portion sizes were perfect!!! The meat was juicy and tender and my fish was flaky and moist. We ended our meal with a rich tres leches cake!! We have found our new favorite restaurant!!!!! Run to make reservations for this glorious place! You will love it!!! read more

Villa Montez - Sorry I chomped some before I remembered to photograph it but it tasted Soooooooo GOOD!!!!!! - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

This delightful Mexican food experience took place in a lovely mansion sitting on a hill. The parking was fairly painless and free. The hot sauce was very good and distinctively different from most. The steak tenderloin was exactly as I ordered and so tender. The polo Monterey had a cream sauce with mushrooms that had a hint is smoke flavor. The price was surprisingly reasonable for the quality of food and dining read more

Villa Montez - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

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The salsa, food and staff are awesome. Best place to eat in Whitehouse.the restaurant is very clean and nice.

Been here multiple times and this was the first time we had an issue. Food is always great. Today, 2/15/20, we had reservation at 7:30. We arrived at 7:15 and were told it would be a few minutes. At 8:05, we were still not seated. No explanations or apologies. No Hospitality. After being told they still had people to seat before us, we decided to leave. The hostess did not apologize, just watched us leave. I've been in hospitality for 30+ years and would have at least offered a beverage for the inconvenience. Stay away from here on Holiday weekends. read more

The absolute best bartender around!!! It is so hard these days to get someone to give a little extra. Angeline was so very gracious to my family...and fun! We decided to eat in the bar. Yes, we definitely made the best decision. I will recommend it highly. Food is outstanding, drinks are fresh and creative. You can't go wrong. You can't train personality, however she should be training the entire staff. I grew up in the restaurant business and let me tell you, best dining experience I have had in years. read more

Had an amazing experience in the bar area last weekend!!! Took such good care of us and the spicy watermelon margarita was amazing! Highly recommend the spinach dip! Went again a last night and was so good! Bar staff is amazing and owner always checks on us! read more

Villa Montez is a lovely 'Latin Kitchen' inside a large renovated mansion headed out of Tyler, a must visit if you're in the area. You will not be disappointed with the food or drink and the pricing is very fair for the setting, ~$40 for dinner and one drink each for two people. The service is not very consistent but everything else more than makes up for it. Also, remember to make a reservation and don't be upset if you still have to wait for a bit, this place stays pretty packed on the weekends so expect it. I recommend the Chino Latino Rolls for an appetizer, they come with Jalapeño jelly and are a great start to your evening meal. Most everything on the menu is great, my wife and I have tried several different entrées and they have all been delicious. My favorite is the Morizqueta, it's a layered rice dish with your choice of Barbacoa beef or Yucatan pork, I recommend the pork. The mixed drinks are great, very strong and not overly priced. They also have a very large selection of beer, lots of Brazilian beers that I've not seen anywhere else. The only part of the menu that I think is lacking is the dessert, they only have about three items. The chocolate cake is very tasty and they offer a stuffed banana dish that is supposed to be great but they were sold out last time we went. Overall highly recommended, great food and great drinks in a very nice setting. read more

Villa Montez - Fajita Burrito - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

Husband and I made reservations at this lovely restaurant for our anniversary. Romantic atmosphere and courteous staff. I love how involved the owner is with his staff and customers. You really feel like special guests here. We enjoyed delicious mojitos at the bar and I had the margarita shrimp. It was delicious! I look forward to going back for another date night!! read more

Love the patio & view. Very nice design. Waiter brought chips & salsa. Neither of us were impressed with salsa. Tasted like tomato sauce. Ordered the sashimi tuna with vegetables with pineapple flavor. Sashimi was slightly over cooked but wonderful flavor of the sauce with the vegetables. My skirt steak was tender & flavorful. Served with black beans & rice. Black beans were a little runny. Friend had chicken with cheese & mushrooms with the same 2 sides. She said it was tender but no flavor. Bill was $45. read more

We were visiting from out of town and this was on a list of top restaurants in Tyler. It was evening and the outside was lit up and looked pretty and welcoming. We were asked if we had reservations and we did not, but we were set pretty promptly in an area where there were no other patrons. The host who sat us said he would bring us silverware, which he did not. Nearly 10 minutes went buy before someone brought chips and salsa and offered us water. When she returned we ordered food, still waiting for silverware from the host. Our food came and we told the food runners we had no silverware. They said they were "making more in the back," but said he'd bring us some. We sat and stared at our food nearly 10 minutes before I walked back to the host and told him we still had no silverware and my water was empty. He said, "did you ask your bartender? Oh have y'all never been here before?" That was very confusing as we were not sitting at the bar, nor were we drinking alcohol. Finally he brought us silverware and we were able to eat. We all ordered the Baja Chicken Pasta, which was very good and the only reason I'm giving two stars. The service was horrific. There were extremely long gaps in between our server checking on us, so I literally walked to the bar to request a to-go box and the check. We will not be back. read more

This is a surprising Latin cuisine gem nestled on that outskirts of Tyler. Grabbed a weekday lunch here: Barbacoa enchiladas, cilantro lime rice, and refried beans. The barbacoa was nicely chopped and very moist. The enchilada red and green sauces were very balanced. The rice had a very nice fresh cilantro lime flavor and the refried beans had that well cooked pinto beans with fresh onion taste. Very well prepared and presented. While the tortilla chips were homemade, the salsa was a little disappointing and no sweet tea. The waiter was very attentive and provided great service. Very elegant atmosphere. read more

Love this place! If you're looking for a perfectly sweet and romantic spot this is THA place!!

Food was great, but wait was long for water, drinks, appetizers, etc. It was a large group so I was forgiving but our reservations were at 530, and we didn't finish dinner until 845. read more

We enjoyed our meal at Villa Montez we went back the next week!! The rice was delicious! I got the nachos with fajita meat and wow I did not want to share. Also got the meat entrees which was shared and everyone enjoyed it. Ate outside and it was a perfect evening. Will definitely return on our next trip to Tyler. read more

Nice environment and delicious food! Sitting outside on their patio was super nice. We enjoyed the bruschetta and then a fish and meat dish. Both were super large portions! Will return whenever we are in town! read more

Villa montez is worth all the hype! I've been here twice already and have enjoyed everything on the menu. They're chocolate cake is so heavenly! Everyone must try it atleast once! I'm not a big cake fan but this was nothing like any other cake I've tasted! I wish they expanded this place to Dallas because that's where I originally live. Great place for dates. Very good drinks as well. Will definitely come back again! read more

Villa Montez - One of their chicken pastas (don't remember the exact name) - Latin American Near Me - Tyler, Texas

Poor management and terrible customer service. They canceled a rehearsal dinner that was planned six months in advance. Their reasoning, "another group has priority and needed the space". This is unacceptable and nobody should trust this place when it comes to scheduling events. read more

This place is a real jewel. Our family got together here to celebrate the wedding of one of my close friends, who I view as a brother. Our group was huge and the staff was extremely professional, responsive, and accommodating. They even allowed us to separate the checks, which for a party this large is a huge task in and of itself. The food was amazing, and I can't say enough nice things about the staff. Thanks so much for making our evening with our family from all over a great one. read more

It would've been more pleasant if they would've told me and my party that they were full. 5:30pm to 7:20pm wait!!! No food, no concern! Never again!!! No stars read more

So good! With amazing flavors and perfectly crafted meals, nothing on the menu will disappoint.

Love this place for dinner and even lunch. They have great free chips and salsa. Tip: ask for chimichurri to did chips in and you will not be disappointed. Definitely go check this place out!! Try the seafood enchiladas as it has an amazing chipotle sauce on it!! read more