Monte’s Riverside Inn
903 E Norris Dr, Ottawa, IL, 61350
Monte’s Riverside Inn Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Ottawa for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Ottawa for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Ottawa for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
903 E Norris Dr
Ottawa, IL, 61350 - Phone (815) 434-5000
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :4:00 pm - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Michelle G.
My co workers and I ate there. It was very dark so be prepared. It is a nice place to eat. Food was good. Our only issue was we get as if they put everyone in one area so we felt cramped. The prices were a bit high for the area. Also there is no outdoor seating which would be nice for being along the river.
(3)Aaron W.
By far the best dinner club era restaurant I've ever been to. Missy is such a fantastic waitress. Tip her well and then find your way to the retro bar!
(5)George W.
Our son decided to stay at school for an extra day, so DATE NIGHT! We wanted to go someplace new to us, so we tried Monte's. This is your father's steak place - I suspect little has changed from when this place opened except for perhaps the carpet and some light bulbs. While it's interior is vintage, the food was great. I ordered their 12 ounce filet - I've had some recently that I would prefer to forget - this wasn't one of them. This one, I'd like to remember. It was cooked as I requested (think this is the status-quo - you haven't been to Chilis) and was a nice piece of meat - not some 1/2" thick - a solid 1 1/2" thick. It could have used a little salt, but they had it at the table, and it was easy to fix. My wife went with their Queen's Cut of Prime Rib (available Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, with everything on the menu half-price on Wednesday, FYI!), which would have been big enough for me to eat. She ended up taking a good sized piece home for their smallest cut! The place makes all their own salad dressings except for the French, and our salads were nice and fresh. The creamy garlic was the best of the two dressings we tried. The breadsticks were around 15 inches long - but they weren't warm. They were still fresh. This was a good date night place. The drinks ($5 drafts!) included a menu full of interesting martinis, a cab for $20, and our waitress was great - she was able to keep the water glasses full, and knew all their specials. We'll be back!
(4)Eric D.
If you want a high priced piece of prime rib that is full of fat and bad flavor this is the place for you. I came here for 13 years. The grade of steak has changed for the worst!! Don't waste your time or money
(1)Rachel J.
This place is great!! Wednesday night special.... 20.00 anything on the menu yea anything!!(except lobster). Friday $12.00 cod or pork chop dinner!! And Sunday $12.95 for 1/2 chicken!! Really. It's true. I have never had better service. I also chatted with some employees that had nothing but good things to say about the owner. My favorites... Ask for the Grecian Cod on your Friday visit, it's still $12.00 (they fry it then bake it) Beef tenderloin mignonettes 25.00 melts I your mouth a filet with fettuccine and Gorgonzola omg!!! I could continue all day my husband and I are frequent customers. Never a bad visit.
(5)Thomas K.
My family has been dining at Monte's for years and it has never disappointed. The care and preparation that goes into the meals is second to none! I usually go with the prime rib, but tonight I had a ribeye, which was nicely cut and aged. Excellent place for a great meal!!!
(5)Kevin C.
Your first impression when you walk in, is OHHH, this place is OLD.. Well it may look that way, but when your eyes adjust to the darkness. It's quit the unique place. We had great service, and the food was?? well it tasted like it came out of a bag from Sams club. I had the raviloli special. It's something I make at home, it wasn't nothing special. My Girlfriend has the stuffed chicken.. it was so dry, she didn't finish. Not sure if we will return or not...
(2)Rich M.
My wife and I ate there yesterday- we had driven by more than 20 years, were always curious about the place, and finally went in. The decor is dark, heavy and does make you think you have gone back in time. But, the food and service was good. For the area, the prices were high, but in Ottawa there are not a lot of high end choices. My wife had the London Broil - meat was great, cooked just right, but it was in chunks, not thinly sliced on the bias as it is usually served. I had the baked cod which was fine. The sides were uninspired - rice pilaff, baked patato, soup. The flatbread crackers and thin bread loaves were served with a chedar cheese spread. After a weekend of Octoberfest enjoyment, we passed on the desserts.
(4)Alison C.
Awesome food, always have a great time.
(5)David R.
This place gets 4 stars because of it's location. I would give it 3 stars if it were closer to Chicago or the Suburbs. Food is great. I had the Prime Rib, cooked to perfection. My wife had the special of Chicken and BBQ pork chops. Holy cow that plate was HUGE!...and a great price. She only ate the chops and they were delicious. Chicken was great the next day. Prime Rib was delicate and cooked just like I wanted. Yes, it is a dark restaurant, but I think it fits the typical 'Italian' style. Server was attentive and helpful with selections. Not a fan of the breadsticks, crackers nor cheese. But everything else was great!
(4)Melinda V.
Food was excellent and service was great! I will certainly be back...
(4)Joanne F.
I read the three reviews and would not have gone to Monte's except we were with a group that had a dinner outing planned there. First of all, one of the reviews was right on - the place is as dark as can be - we were wondering how bad it might look if the lights were turned up. Secondly, when we arrived, we stood at the hostess stand while the host was talking to a couple of women. He then looked at us and just walked away - never said "I'll be with you in a minute" or even acknowledged that we were standing right in front of him. A hostess then walked by us a couple of times and also ignored us. We finally went up to the host guy as he was prepping a table, and asked him where our party was seated - he looked at us with with a look like "why are you bothering me, can't you see I'm busy". Yep, we felt very welcome right away. We were then taken down a dark hallway to meet the others in our party. From the time we ordered, it was at least 30 minutes before our salads arrived. In the meantime, they've got some cheese spread and crackers on the table - not enough crackers. The menu was boring, the meal was overpriced. My hubby and I both had the prime rib special and mine was good - his was mostly fat. The bread consisted of three soft breadsticks placed down in front of every six people. The meal included choice of potato unless you wanted twice baked and then it's an additional $3 charge. The waitress was attentive and friendly. Monte should meet with his insurance agent soon and up his liability insurance as the steps leading in and out the front door are as dangerous as can be. Overall, I'd definitely skip this place - for the price, not worth it. Sorry Monte!
(2)Hugh B.
This is one great place. We were looking for an old-fashioned supper club and this one fit the bill perfectly. Decor is dark and old fashioned, but done correctly. So while the place looks like it was last decorated in the 1970s, it works. It is not seedy at all. You sit down and you get these flatbread crackers and a ball of what appeared to be Merkt's cheddar. So right away things were looking good. For appetizers we got fried mushrooms -- a HUGE plate of perfectly fried whole mushrooms. Great batter. Not greasy at all. And we got a shrimp cocktail, which was just fine. For the main course, the BF and I both couldn't resist the prime rib, which is a weekend special. We are both good eaters, but we got only two regular sized orders, not the larger trenchermen-size. Mind you, the regular sized portion was 18-20 oz, so we didn't exactly starve. The beef, which we both ordered medium-rare, was so soft and tender you almost didn't need a knife. And the jus it came with was pure tasty salty goodness. The horseradish sauce served on the side was almost an afterthought. While good, there was no need to distract ourselves from the delicious beef. Too full for dessert. Service was efficient and pleasant. The best part: 3 cocktails, 2 glasses of wine, fried mushrooms, shrimp cocktail, 2 salads with blue cheese dressing and real blue cheese crumbled on the top, 2 huge prime ribs, rice or potatoes on the side -- $115 before tip. In Chicago, where we live, the exact dinner we had would be $100 more at least. Thumbs WAY up on this one.
(4)Andrea B.
We stopped here three years ago while driving cross country - and arranged a trip this year to be certain to eat at Monte's again. Dated decorations from the 50's, yet fun and immaculate. Food is exceptional, from the generous drink pour to the fresh salad ingredients to the entrees prepared by an obviously talented chef. Definitely worth the detour off the interstate!
(5)Mike L.
Good food large portions great service. Drove there from joliet after I saw their truck in naperville. Worth the trip. Had the mushrooms for appetizer. Pretty good. Cesar salad was huge and loaded with cheese, very good. Ordered ribeye steak med rare and though it was slightly over cooked it was still quite tasty. Staff was friendly and helpful. Waitress brought out a sample of sauce that the fish my girlfriend ordered was marinaded in to be sure she would like it before she put in the order as In her words she wanted to make sure she was satisfied with her order. I'll go back and try the pasta as all the orders I saw being served were huge and looked very good.
(4)Brady S.
Don't be fooled by the outside or inside for that matter. When you drive up its pretty plain. Inside it is dark and like you stepped back in time a few decades. The service was perfect. The food (steaks) were tender and melted in your mouth like butter. I would recommend it to anyone.
(4)Mike S.
Top notch establishment with delicious food! Wonderful warm atmosphere! Fantastic service! Hearty portions!
(5)Christie J.
There are so many opportunities for improvement here, but they consistently miss the mark. Most recently, two cuts of prime rib were served colder than room temperature. A guest order a spinach salad with a chicken breast, and the butterflied, over-cooked breast was unappealingly thrown in the center of the salad without any attempt to dress it up. The hot bacon dressing was served in a soup cup after having been microwaved so long that the waitress urged the guest not to touch it because of how hot it was. The service is fine, and there are some good dishes, and the bar tender is great, but it seems as though not much attention is being paid to what comes out of the kitchen, which is disappointing in light of the exorbitant prices.
(2)Bob S.
We have been dining at Monte's for over 15 years and have never been disappointed. This is classic steak house atmosphere. Warm and quiet. Top notch food cooked perfectly. If you are looking for fast and cheap you should skip Monte's. If you are looking for first class dining I highly recommend it. As previously mentioned it's not cheap. We usually spend $15 - $20 per person not including beverage and gratuity.
(5)Tom B.
Was in the area on a weekend getaway and chose Monte's. My prime rib and my wife's fillet were excellent as well as the service. Would definately go back.
(5)Charity W.
My husband and I went here on an anniversary trip after being recommended by our hotel. We walked away with full stomachs and absolute happiness, far better than what we were expecting. Ambiance: very dim lighting that took our eyes a couple seconds to adjust to, but it was romantic and exactly what we wanted, especially since we were dressed up. We were seated in a small private booth outlined by elegant curtains and set with flowers and a candle. It felt like it was just us there. Service: our waiter was completely on his game the entire time. Our drinks came fast, appetizer came fast, and even our food did not take that long. He got everything we needed and made sure of it. Definitely deserving of a nice tip and we were very pleased. Food: Amazing. We started with their new fried mozzarella cheese, and I've never had such a delicious appetizer. Id go back just for those! The starter salads were a good size and tasted yummy. For meal I chose the chicken piccata with fettuccine alfredo, and even the half order was too much for me to eat. But boy was it tasty. My husband had the salmon and raved about it. For dessert (can't believe we even had room) we had a mixed fruit cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. Deeelish. My hubs and I are used to the bigger cities and suburbs, so we were a little leery of finding a high quality restaurant for our anniversary all the way out in little Ottawa. Instead we were surprised and pleased, and hope to one day return.
(5)Kaelyn W.
It's a little pricey, but totally WORTH IT. Great drinks, super friendly staff, great atmosphere, and even better food. I have had everything from the bacon wrapped scallops to the shrimp pasta to steaks. All of it is amazing. Not to mention the homemade soup and breadsticks. Let's not forget the crackers and cheese. Love this place. My favorite place for any celebration.
(5)Vicky M.
I enjoy Monte's. The decor is dated, but I always enjoy the food. Steaks are consistently cooked perfectly, service is always excellent. The menu is predictable but tasty. It's a little pricey, so we don't dine here as often as we would like, count on $50 a person if you get drinks. Avoid the hot bacon dressing, it's a poor mixture.
(4)Steven K.
Last night I had one of the best prime ribs ever. The poppy seed bread sticks are wonderful. I am a meat and potatoes guy, in this place fits the bill perfectly. When I want prime rib, I go to Monte's.
(5)Arin A.
A nightmare. Undeserving of a single star. I wish I could advise on the quality of food however we were so disgusted with the service we decided to dine elsewhere (Bianchi's Downtown Ottawa..which was superb). Aside from the lighting, that is so dark seeing the company of your table and your food is nearly impossible, the rudeness of the host was liken to Simon Cowel in his Idol days. He even once curtly demanded that my father (who is the biggest gentleman in the world) to "get out of (the hosts) face." Additionally, I watched the host tell another potentially paying customer "don't stand there you're in my way." Service aside, in the 10 minutes we were there I even saw one woman refuse to pay for an unsatisfactory meal. Again, I haven't tried the food so it may be phenomenal...but I certainly have no intention of ever finding out.
(1)Carol K.
From the homemade tortilla chips to the shrimp to the prime rib and lamb chops, everything was completely awesome! Brad and team does an excellent job. Nicely done!
(5)Michele D.
We loved this place! I had the 3 piece chicken dinner, which was on special on Sunday night for $10. It was huge! The breading was pure perfection. The mashed potatoes were real and the gravy was excellent. My friend had the pasta and she said it was homemade. We also loved the flat, seed crackers and the scoop of cheese spread. The decor was dark, but classy. It reminded me of a "fancy" place my parents used to take us for special occasions in the late '70s and early '80s. We will definitely be back. It was well worth the drive from the Chicago suburbs.
(5)E P.
Looks like not much has changed since the Sep 2009 review. Crackers and cheese, blue cheese crumbles...side salad was fresh and larger than average...service was very good. Had the Montes chilean merlot which was not bad for the price...had the grilled jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and sausage with a strip of crisp bacon on top appetizer...very tasty if you like spicy ! Steak was ordered medium and was more like medium rare but very tender...did not order the mushroom sauce on the side but I guess comes with it...bread sticks that come with the main dish were stale...very dark inside but not so much that you can't read the menu...nice atmosphere...they have booths if you want a quieter environment
(3)Justin D.
I really hate how dark they keep it in the restaurant. At times its hard to even see what your eating, which makes me worry. I've been to some Nice and expensive restaurants, and I've never been to one that is this dark, It makes you worry. Enough that I haven't been back. I've been here a couple times, I can't say the food is Bad, but Its not the best I've ever had, for the area its on par with my expectations, its no Maggianos.. But its definitely not slummy.. Just Brighten up the joint.
(2)E P.
Looks like not much has changed since the Sep 2009 review. Crackers and cheese, blue cheese crumbles...side salad was fresh and larger than average...service was very good. Had the Montes chilean merlot which was not bad for the price...had the grilled jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and sausage with a strip of crisp bacon on top appetizer...very tasty if you like spicy ! Steak was ordered medium and was more like medium rare but very tender...did not order the mushroom sauce on the side but I guess comes with it...bread sticks that come with the main dish were stale...very dark inside but not so much that you can't read the menu...nice atmosphere...they have booths if you want a quieter environment
(3)Thomas K.
My family has been dining at Monte's for years and it has never disappointed. The care and preparation that goes into the meals is second to none! I usually go with the prime rib, but tonight I had a ribeye, which was nicely cut and aged. Excellent place for a great meal!!!
(5)Kevin C.
Your first impression when you walk in, is OHHH, this place is OLD.. Well it may look that way, but when your eyes adjust to the darkness. It's quit the unique place. We had great service, and the food was?? well it tasted like it came out of a bag from Sams club. I had the raviloli special. It's something I make at home, it wasn't nothing special. My Girlfriend has the stuffed chicken.. it was so dry, she didn't finish. Not sure if we will return or not...
(2)Steven K.
Last night I had one of the best prime ribs ever. The poppy seed bread sticks are wonderful. I am a meat and potatoes guy, in this place fits the bill perfectly. When I want prime rib, I go to Monte's.
(5)Arin A.
A nightmare. Undeserving of a single star. I wish I could advise on the quality of food however we were so disgusted with the service we decided to dine elsewhere (Bianchi's Downtown Ottawa..which was superb). Aside from the lighting, that is so dark seeing the company of your table and your food is nearly impossible, the rudeness of the host was liken to Simon Cowel in his Idol days. He even once curtly demanded that my father (who is the biggest gentleman in the world) to "get out of (the hosts) face." Additionally, I watched the host tell another potentially paying customer "don't stand there you're in my way." Service aside, in the 10 minutes we were there I even saw one woman refuse to pay for an unsatisfactory meal. Again, I haven't tried the food so it may be phenomenal...but I certainly have no intention of ever finding out.
(1)Carol K.
From the homemade tortilla chips to the shrimp to the prime rib and lamb chops, everything was completely awesome! Brad and team does an excellent job. Nicely done!
(5)Michele D.
We loved this place! I had the 3 piece chicken dinner, which was on special on Sunday night for $10. It was huge! The breading was pure perfection. The mashed potatoes were real and the gravy was excellent. My friend had the pasta and she said it was homemade. We also loved the flat, seed crackers and the scoop of cheese spread. The decor was dark, but classy. It reminded me of a "fancy" place my parents used to take us for special occasions in the late '70s and early '80s. We will definitely be back. It was well worth the drive from the Chicago suburbs.
(5)Hugh B.
This is one great place. We were looking for an old-fashioned supper club and this one fit the bill perfectly. Decor is dark and old fashioned, but done correctly. So while the place looks like it was last decorated in the 1970s, it works. It is not seedy at all. You sit down and you get these flatbread crackers and a ball of what appeared to be Merkt's cheddar. So right away things were looking good. For appetizers we got fried mushrooms -- a HUGE plate of perfectly fried whole mushrooms. Great batter. Not greasy at all. And we got a shrimp cocktail, which was just fine. For the main course, the BF and I both couldn't resist the prime rib, which is a weekend special. We are both good eaters, but we got only two regular sized orders, not the larger trenchermen-size. Mind you, the regular sized portion was 18-20 oz, so we didn't exactly starve. The beef, which we both ordered medium-rare, was so soft and tender you almost didn't need a knife. And the jus it came with was pure tasty salty goodness. The horseradish sauce served on the side was almost an afterthought. While good, there was no need to distract ourselves from the delicious beef. Too full for dessert. Service was efficient and pleasant. The best part: 3 cocktails, 2 glasses of wine, fried mushrooms, shrimp cocktail, 2 salads with blue cheese dressing and real blue cheese crumbled on the top, 2 huge prime ribs, rice or potatoes on the side -- $115 before tip. In Chicago, where we live, the exact dinner we had would be $100 more at least. Thumbs WAY up on this one.
(4)Rich M.
My wife and I ate there yesterday- we had driven by more than 20 years, were always curious about the place, and finally went in. The decor is dark, heavy and does make you think you have gone back in time. But, the food and service was good. For the area, the prices were high, but in Ottawa there are not a lot of high end choices. My wife had the London Broil - meat was great, cooked just right, but it was in chunks, not thinly sliced on the bias as it is usually served. I had the baked cod which was fine. The sides were uninspired - rice pilaff, baked patato, soup. The flatbread crackers and thin bread loaves were served with a chedar cheese spread. After a weekend of Octoberfest enjoyment, we passed on the desserts.
(4)Alison C.
Awesome food, always have a great time.
(5)David R.
This place gets 4 stars because of it's location. I would give it 3 stars if it were closer to Chicago or the Suburbs. Food is great. I had the Prime Rib, cooked to perfection. My wife had the special of Chicken and BBQ pork chops. Holy cow that plate was HUGE!...and a great price. She only ate the chops and they were delicious. Chicken was great the next day. Prime Rib was delicate and cooked just like I wanted. Yes, it is a dark restaurant, but I think it fits the typical 'Italian' style. Server was attentive and helpful with selections. Not a fan of the breadsticks, crackers nor cheese. But everything else was great!
(4)Melinda V.
Food was excellent and service was great! I will certainly be back...
(4)George W.
Our son decided to stay at school for an extra day, so DATE NIGHT! We wanted to go someplace new to us, so we tried Monte's. This is your father's steak place - I suspect little has changed from when this place opened except for perhaps the carpet and some light bulbs. While it's interior is vintage, the food was great. I ordered their 12 ounce filet - I've had some recently that I would prefer to forget - this wasn't one of them. This one, I'd like to remember. It was cooked as I requested (think this is the status-quo - you haven't been to Chilis) and was a nice piece of meat - not some 1/2" thick - a solid 1 1/2" thick. It could have used a little salt, but they had it at the table, and it was easy to fix. My wife went with their Queen's Cut of Prime Rib (available Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, with everything on the menu half-price on Wednesday, FYI!), which would have been big enough for me to eat. She ended up taking a good sized piece home for their smallest cut! The place makes all their own salad dressings except for the French, and our salads were nice and fresh. The creamy garlic was the best of the two dressings we tried. The breadsticks were around 15 inches long - but they weren't warm. They were still fresh. This was a good date night place. The drinks ($5 drafts!) included a menu full of interesting martinis, a cab for $20, and our waitress was great - she was able to keep the water glasses full, and knew all their specials. We'll be back!
(4)Eric D.
If you want a high priced piece of prime rib that is full of fat and bad flavor this is the place for you. I came here for 13 years. The grade of steak has changed for the worst!! Don't waste your time or money
(1)Rachel J.
This place is great!! Wednesday night special.... 20.00 anything on the menu yea anything!!(except lobster). Friday $12.00 cod or pork chop dinner!! And Sunday $12.95 for 1/2 chicken!! Really. It's true. I have never had better service. I also chatted with some employees that had nothing but good things to say about the owner. My favorites... Ask for the Grecian Cod on your Friday visit, it's still $12.00 (they fry it then bake it) Beef tenderloin mignonettes 25.00 melts I your mouth a filet with fettuccine and Gorgonzola omg!!! I could continue all day my husband and I are frequent customers. Never a bad visit.
(5)