Decent food, nothing truly horrible, but go for the salsa bar. It's in the back by the hall to the bathrooms. If you ask for hot salsa, the server will usually just bring back a bowl of the chipotle stuff they've been serving for years, so just get up yourself and walk to the back. If you like spicy food, the salsa made solely of chile de manzana and red onion will be your jam. The other salsas are pretty great too. As for the other food, it's not much different from your basic massive Mexican-American place, but the salsa bar is the best around (including the massive salsa bar at the late great Los Comales)
(4)
Jinju K.
Monterrey is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the Chapel Hill area. I am a big fan of their fajitas! They have a $6 chicken fajita special on Saturdays :) Service is great. Waiters are VERY attentive and the food comes out very fast!
(5)
Victor L.
I had a great experience at this Monterrey's. It was late on a Friday, the staff were attentive, brought out mounds of tasty food and pitchers of alcohol and didn't charge me a lot of money for it, which is more than I can say for a lot of restaurants I've been to and thus, Monterrey gets four stars. Nothing really made it stand out from other Mexican places I've been to, so it doesn't get a fifth star, but I wasn't really looking for 'destination cuisine' anyway so w/e. I get snooty about other cuisine, but I'm easy to please with Mexican. Seriously, beans, rice and marinated meat? It's hard to screw that up (yet some places do unfortunately). Anyway, if you want to eat Mexican food and you see a bunch of Mexicans eating in a Mexican restaurant and they seem to be enjoying themselves, then eat at that Mexican restaurant.
(4)
Warren N.
If you're looking for awesome, cheap, and huge portions of Mexican food, Monterreys is where you need to try. This is by far my favorite Mexican restaurant in Chapel Hill. The chips aren't greasy and are extra crispy. I went on Saturday night and the service was a bit slow, but the food was excellent per usual. This time, I tried the pollo dish with rice, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and melted cheese. I'm always shocked to see how big the portion is, which is perfect because I always have leftovers and it tastes just as good the next day. The vegetables were cooked to perfection and the melted cheese makes the rice creamy and adds a tasty touch to the dish. I also tried the enchiladas filled with shrimp and scallops. The dish came with fresh avocado and salsa salad that paired nicely with the rice. The shrimp was flavorful and the scallop was cooked just right and was not chewy at all. If you're looking for the best Mexican food of Chapel Hill, definitely head over to Monterreys and you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Ruben G.
Oh, Monterrey... the years have taken their toll. (or is it my memory that is at fault?) I used to see you as the happy little place for Tex-Mex in Chapel Hill, but now, not so much. On the plus side: your staff was prompt, courteous, and ready. Our lunch specials were very reasonably priced, especially for the amount of food. There was even plenty of chicken in those burritos! The down side? Relying on an overabundance of salt and cheese (especially the former) on everything. :-P Perhaps it was an anomaly. I don't know... but it was disappointing.
(2)
Erin W.
There are days when I crave those super saucy, cheesy, "oh you KNOW it's not good for you" Tex-Mex dishes, and then days when I just want good, old-fashioned authentic Mexican food. I'm not sure if Monterrey's belongs to any of these two categories above. It doesn't strike me as authentic Mexican, and though it's pretty close to Tex-Mex, it definitely doesn't have the appeal of good Tex-Mex food. The dishes are salty and cheesy, but not particularly flavorful. Although I suppose living the first 20 years of my life in Texas, the only U.S state where Tex-Mex is as authentic as it gets, leaves me severely biased. Either way, their dishes are a big enough portion to make your pants significantly tighter if you finish it too fast. They give you enough rice and beans and sauce to knock you out of commission for the rest of the night. I feel like the main appeal of Monterrey's is the aesthetics. The whole south of the border vibe, with the loud waiters and waitresses, Mariachi music, and the great presentation of dishes. You order a margarita, and when the cups are about the size of your face, you're pretty impressed. Also you want a place to just sit down with friends and spend good money for the big portions. Where can you go? Monterrey's! Conveniently located, fairly decent, and one of the few Mexican restaurants in Chapel Hill. Their enchiladas and burritos are fair. Dinner selection can get pricey. Their chicken dishes, I've heard, are good too! I give it 3 stars because I never actually find myself craving their food, enjoying the aftertaste, or appreciating how it settles in my stomach. Honestly, I only go there whenever a large group of friends want to meet up and we can't decide on a place to go.
(3)
Sheila D.
3 star food with an added star for the pricing! This is one of the few, non-fast food places where I can get a meal (with tip added for dine-in customers) for well under $10. The lunch menu is the bomb and has so many options within $5-7. The food is pretty average Mexican food - cheesy and sometimes overly oily, but still satisfies. The rice in particular is very tasty - definitely recommend the rice over the beans for your side! Quesadillas were satisfying and filled with veggies and meats rather than just cheese. Lots of options as well for vegetarians and pescetarians, which is fantastic. Speedy service as well; a friend and I got our food within 5 minutes of placing our order. The lighting inside the restaurant is super dim though, so if you do have the chance and the weather permits, choose to sit outside for a much more comfortable dining experience!
(4)
Jim N.
Good food; fast & friendly service; nice sauces & flavors; we had fajitas, shrimp tacos, and the daily special, plus marguerites & sangria. Excellent! We will return.
(4)
Hoai Xuan P.
The best thing about this place is the free chips and salsa. Service is quick and efficient. This place gets pretty busy during lunch but I can't understand why other than the fact that Chapel Hill is seriously lacking in Mexican food. Got the carnitas enchiladas and while there was plenty of meat, it just wasn't good enough to eat more than a few bites. Definitely needs more sauce and seasoning. Didn't even bother with the beans and rice. I honestly think I would've preferred Taco Bell.
(2)
Nicholas S.
I've never particularly like Monterrey and today put the nail in it. We went in and asked about the wait for a group of 6. It looked pretty busy, but they said only 10 minutes so we decided to stay. After about 20 minutes, I asked if they had an update. They said 25 minutes. I asked if there was some confusion since we were told 10 minutes 20 minutes ago. She checked the list and said it was a mistake- we were 2nd on the list and it would be 10 minutes, which was odd because we were definitely there before all the other groups. Just a minute or so later, they called our name. However, they looked surprised by our group, talked in Spanish, looked away and called another group without saying anything to us. I then asked again if they had an update. She said they were waiting on a table to finish up and that it should be "just another 10 minutes." I asked where they were getting this "10 minutes" from since that was the 3rd time we were told that and she laughed saying she didn't really know. Finally, I let them know our group would try somewhere else. Not one "sorry." No apology. No customer service whatsoever. As I've said before, mistakes are easily forgivable in my book as long as there is proper customer service following it. I was very disappointed by their lack of concern. As for their food, I prefer Cinco de Mayo's food much more. They're literally right down the road. Their only saving graces are their stellar drink specials and cheap prices... assuming you can get in to try them.
(2)
Kaitlyn M.
Pros: Cheap food, cheap booze, and incredibly fast service. Cons: You can get better Mexican food almost anywhere else if you're looking for quality. My boyfriend and I return here time and time again. I've tried to get us to other places, but the fact of the matter is, these guys do cheap and cheesy Mexican food right. I'm usually craving a big basket of chips and salsa, or greasy cheesy Chori Queso on real comfort food evenings, delivered to my table less than moments from walking through the door. There's always a drink special, at least half their menu is doused in cheese sauce, and they've got the fastest service you can imagine. You have to deal with the sometimes incredibly noisy and loud atmosphere of college student birthday parties and drinking nights, but that never takes away from your service. It's our go to place for cheesy goodness, and we'll keep coming back. P.S. I warn you against the $0.99 margaritas on Thursday night. It's an amazing deal and couldn't be beat in college, but nowadays I'll pay far more than that to avoid the splitting headache you get from this stuff.
(3)
Lucy B.
The food is very reasonably priced, and it comes out shockingly quickly, and as ordered. I made some tweaks to my menu item, and it was no problem at all. The waitstaff is friendly and very accommodating--when I was with a large party, Monterrey took care of all of us. Amazing lunch specials, as well. Fun atmosphere, if a little bit crowded to navigate the central tables, sometimes.
(4)
Crystal R.
They have outdoor seating which is nice, but I never take advantage of that. I do, however, take advantage of their great specials on margaritas during the week ($1.50 Monday-Thursday) and delicious food. I wouldn't say they have the best margaritas but for $1.50, I'll keep coming back. Plus, I've always had great service here and the food always comes out quickly. FYI: I've heard of some people having crappy service or experiences here but that hasn't been the case for me.
(3)
Anila Y.
I never thought I could eat--let alone like--Mexican food after living 15 minutes away from Mexico and experiencing what is probably the most amazingly authentic Mexican food scene in San Diego. And then I was forced to come here! We were seated almost immediately on a Saturday night. Maybe I just hadn't eaten Mexican food in a long time, but even the chips and salsa were hitting the spot. You should also ask for the bean dip to go with your chips--it's the only bean dip that I have ever liked. Simple: just cheese and beans and nothing else fancy and annoying. I had the Burrito California with no meat. I was just thrilled to see so many "enchilada style" burritos on the menu. Everything about the burrito was perfect EXCEPT the "grilled onions". I felt that they were still a little raw, which ruined almost every bite of the burrito. Next time, I will ask for it without the onions. I like that the burrito was just simple and to the point-- no unnecessary elements such as guacamole and rice that just fill you up and don't even taste that great. The staff was great as well, and the ambience was fun. There were families, students, etc. and it was a very lively atmosphere. They also have a great and extensive vegetarian menu. I was so happy to be at a Mexican restaurant where my only option WASN'T "vegetarian burrito." All in all, my first successful Mexican meal after a long time!
(4)
Nancy G.
I love the food at Monterrey's. It's always really good. Whenever we're in the mood for some chips and dip, we always try to go to Monterrey's. In my opinion, what really sets Mexican restaurants apart is the SALSA. Monterrey's salsa is smooth, fresh and has bits of cilantro in it. They also have some great drink specials. My only bad experience there was when we came in with a group of 7 at 6:30. The hostess told us it would only be a 10 minute wait. After about 15 minutes, we asked when we would be seated, she said another 10 minutes. This went on until 7:20 when we left to go to another place down the road. I don't mind waiting, but really dislike being mislead.
(4)
Tori H.
Let me first say I still love this place. The staff are great, the drinks are cheap, the food is good, but lately, every time I have went my food has been cold in the middle. It really grosses me out to have cold cheese in my enchilada. Usually I am starving after going to the gym so I eat it anyway. This is def my go-to Mexican restaurant. Where else can you go and get a margarita during the week for less than a soda? Oh and their salsa is always delicious- it just tastes so much fresher than other places. I am still wanting a pina colada special night!!! ;)
(3)
Trinity G.
I ordered combination 1 with cheese enchiladas and a taco. The food came out very quickly, but the cheese in the enchiladas was not melted and didn't have much flavor. The taco shell was soggy and fell apart as soon as I picked it up. The service was pleasant and quick, but the food missed the mark.
(2)
Andrew H.
Watered down margaritas that were expensive. Luke warm food. The best thing was the table salsa. Service was just OK.
(2)
Ryan M.
Used to love the one on eliot rd. El pronto was my favorite dish. But i went to the new one in carrboro plaza on monday... never again. For context, I work as a server and was going out to have some dinner, a few margaritas, and tip well because it makes me feel good. The new one has a really nice interior, i was impressed, and it was all downhill from there. Curly haired girl gave me suchhhh bad service, I dunno if she's severely depressed or just had a bad day but I was willing to overlook it. Ordered guac, never got it, but it was still on my bill. Had a strawberry margarita and barely tasted or felt any of the bottom shelf tequila. So i figured i would have another. To clarify, I wanted to give monterrey more money for more stuff. Instead she comes by with my bill that I didnt ask for, and I wait about 15 minutes to order another margarita, which was possibly weaker than the first, which says a lot cause I had no buzz going, I am clearly drinking cheap margaritas to feel groovy and I felt far from groovy. After pounding my possibly virgin margarita we were ready to leave. After waiting and being unable to find her, we go to the hostess stand to pay and our server comes up, ignores us, says something in Spanish to the hostess (which frankly seemed kind of rude) takes the guac off our bill and walks off. I still left her over 20% because I dont need bad karma, and maybe she profiled us as young college kids that dont tip and I wanted to prove her wrong (thanks to all of you guys, looking young and getting good service is rough). Regardless, mediocre texmex places are a dime a dozen in chapel hill and I'm gonna go ahead and shred my monterrey club card and never go to either one again.
(1)
Daniel D.
I come here often for dinner and lunch. The lunch is affordable: ~$6 if you don't get a drink. I usually get the pollo fondido or the chicken chimichanga. For dinner, go for the steak fajitas and don't forget to add cheese. I have an insatiable urge for their food now after just writing that. They are going to be opening a new restaurant near HWY 54 and Main St. Once they do that I'll probably be there every other day -- my body will slowly turn into chips and salsa and I will become one with Monterrey.
(5)
Emily E.
I went to Monterrey in college for the big beers and the arroz con pollo. I have missed it everyday since graduation 3 years ago. The ACP is exactly what it should be--rice, chicken, and white queso. The big beers are what they should be--cheap and BIG! I love you, Monterrey.
(5)
Brad V.
Meh? I repeat m-e-h. Beyond salsa, I always judge on the quality of the carnitas. They were not browned and tasted very "boiled". Reasonable.
(3)
Latesha H.
Ballin' on a budget? Come here for lunch! Delicious food as low as 5 bucks!! I had the Texas fajitas with chicken, steak, & shrimp ( I was ballin' outta control) for $7.75! Delicious food, fast & friendly service
(4)
Stuart F.
I always thought Monterrey's was popular mainly because of their drink specials. But I went recently and realized there food is great! As a vegan, I appreciated that they cook with vegetable oil and that they say this right on the menu. The prices were decent, they were generous with the chips and salsa, and the veggie plate was solid. I do wish they would abolish tipping though, just read this paragraph: Studies have shown that tipping is not an effective incentive for performance in servers. It also creates an environment in which people of color, young people, old people, women, and foreigners tend to get worse service than white males. In a tip-based system, nonwhite servers make less than their white peers for equal work. Consider also the power imbalance between tippers, who are typically male, and servers, 70 percent of whom are female, and consider that the restaurant industry generates five times the average number of sexual harassment claims per worker. And that in many instances employers have allegedly misused tip credits, which let owners pay servers less than minimum wage if tipping makes up the difference. Citations for those claims can be found here: washingtonpost.com/blogs…
(4)
Courtney F.
come here practically weekly for lunch and it's always delicious. lunch prices are pretty good, dinner is a bit pricier though. also awesome they let the dog eat with us outside.
(4)
Craig S.
Absolutely awesome!! The staff busts their butts to get your food to you as fast as possible. The steak tacos rock and the beer is reasonably priced. My favorite Mexican place in the Hill!!
(5)
carson s.
I have tried several dishes here as my wife and son are very enthusiastic about the food and reasonable pricing. The difficulty I have with this establishment is the very liberal use of green bell peppers in all the dishes I have tried. I experience major digestive distress whenever I eat green bell peppers, either cooked or raw. I can eat red or yellow bell peppers but please no green bell peppers for me. There are too many excellent Mexican offerings in this area for me to pick through my dinner plate and remove the dreaded green BP's from my dish. I realize this is my idiosyncracy but I have heard others complain of GBP digestive problems and this review is for them. If you find a excellent MMR dish that does NOT have green bell peppers please let me know so I can give it a try.
(2)
Paul V.
Unbelievable. Prompt & fast service. Fajitas for two would feed 4-6. This has been the best service since moving to Chapel Hill.
(5)
Rob W.
I like the food here, and the service is excellent. I usually stop by for lunch when in the area. They have a very extensive menu and the prices are reasonable.
(4)
Melissa T.
Your typical Mexican restaurant. Delicious food and drinks. What sets Monterrey's apart is that their prices are a bit cheaper than comparable restaurants. The portions are still huge- don't worry! Best part: $1.99 margs mon-thurs!
(4)
Tina W.
Really love here. The free chips are fantastic and they serve vegeterian choice are plenty
After reading the Yelp reviews and seeing the crowd here Friday night I thought I must have stumbled upon my next new favorite gem but for me it was only a 3 star experience. We probably ended up having the worst seat by the front door and the cashier so people would stand in line right next to the table and I was paraded with bum after bum when I was trying to eat. Not much space on a Friday night so it would have been difficult to move. The chips and salsa were thrown unceremoniously on the tabletop and then nary a word uttered.Thankfully they were good so I could overlook the presentation. The staff in general are rushed which means you get your stuff superfast but in a way I felt like I was a table that needed to turn over quickly. The food itself was okay. The chicken nopales was huge and well made. The desserts weren't listed on the menu nor the full bar array but their margaritas are great and I enjoyed the fried ice cream at the end. I might go back during a calmer time so I can really concentrate on the food but for now I'll stick with a generous 3.
(3)
Andrea L.
Tried this place twice, the mole enchiladas which were mediocre and the tacos al pastor which smelt like a cheap scent from a public restroom. Unable to finish my meals both times. Our neighbors got sick from eating here. It's dark inside, did not smell clean. Service is good and the pricing is decent.
(2)
Heather M.
Yummy margaritas! Frozen. This place has the sweetest staff and the food is really stellar. Kind of dark inside, so if it's nice, I love to sit outdoors. Great prices, and again, AMAZING margaritas.
(5)
Alex P.
Love this restaurant. Most of their food items are so good. My favorite is their tortilla soup! I love the flavor - the hint of acidity goes very well with the earthiness of the avocado and the umami of the soup! Love it!
(4)
Mike C.
I don't know why it's taken me so long to discover how good this place is. I think it's because I always used to hear about their cheap margaritas, so maybe I assumed the food wouldn't be that great. I was wrong. I've tried several things on the menu by now, and everything is done well. My favorite though, is the Chori Pollo. It's two big chicken breasts topped with chorizo and cheese. You get beans or rice, pico and guac, and tortillas. It's just awesome. Hard for me to get something different now, but I'm sure I'll branch out again soon. The chips and salsa may be my favorite in the area. The service is on point too, even in the 3:00 afternoon lull time.
(4)
Victoria S.
Perfect for lunches the last couple weeks with my husband. We can have a really nice booth spot and enjoy our favorite Mexican foods served quickly and attentively. The food completely hits the spot. For example, yesterday I had a yen for shrimp and also for chorizo, so I ordered the chorizo cheese dip and the shrimp salad. And I used my dip as the dressing. Even at 6:30AM I am salivating thinking about how delicious this was. I usually like all Mexican food, no matter what. But there is something about their simplicity, the refusal to add other fillers, that makes this place sing. The shrimp was big, perfectly seasoned and fantastic texture. And the perfect amount. With maybe half an avocado sliced with maybe a dozen shrimp, this was delightful. Not tons to have to lug home mind you, it was a salad, but I was especially hungry and did actually eat it all. Which is unusual for me. Their sweet tea was a little sweet, which I like, the lemon was already in the glass awaiting my squeeze. I will be anxiously awaiting our next luncheon.
(5)
Alison L.
If you're deciding between this and Bandido's, go with Monterrey's. The atmosphere is so much cooler with neon lights (especially with beers) and the quesadilla comes out completely steaming and perfectly cooked. My new go-to for Mexican food in the Chapel Hill area.
(4)
Courtney B.
Monterrey has always been the go-to spot for my friends - probably because we're all addicted to Mexican food! It's your standard fare, and yeah, you could probably find the same menu at just about any Mexican restaurant. However, the drink specials are killer, the prices are cheap, and we usually have great service. I always get bean nachos, but my friends really like the Veggie Fajitas and the California Burritos. If you want more variety, try the Monterrey sampler as a meal (it comes with wings AND Mexican food. Score!) Look out for their drink specials. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can get a HUGE pitcher of Margaritas for $12. We've split them between five people, and everyone can usually get two full drinks out of it. Service is usually great. There's one guy I'm not a fan off - I can't remember his name, but he's bald - who ALWAYS messes something up, whether it's not bringing an item but still charging for it or bringing the wrong thing. If you politely try to correct him, he'll act like it's your fault. Everyone else is great, though. Is it sad that quite a few of the staff recognize me? Probably. Don't forget to grab a punch card; for every five dollars you spend, you get a punch. After eight, get five dollars off (that's 3 margaritas on the rocks during the week!).
(5)
Amanda H.
Gross. That's all I can say. I gave them two stars because they are inexpensive. The taste deserves a one star, sorry. I picked Monterrey over Bandido's (I am testing the waters for Mexican restaurants since moving to Chapel Hill) because from the photos it appeared not to have vegetables in their Spanish rice. I was wrong and have absolutely no clue why Mexican restaurants think this is tasty. I HATE (and everyone who eats with me) peas, carrots and green beans in their rice. It didn't even taste like Spanish rice, more like Dirty Rice without the good seasoning. The enchiladas were so bland and the sauce tasted like something out of the can. The salsa was bland and smelled awful. I wish I could find a substitute for Mi Casitas (in the Harnett County area, so excellent) but so far, no other Mexican restaurant has even came close. Blah.
(2)
Anonymous C.
Monterrey always hits the spot for cheap and tasty Mexican food. There are more options than just "burrito" or "combo" meals and we appreciate the many different preparations of the dishes.
(5)
Jade h.
Worst Margarita I have ever had! The server made us feel like he wanted us out as quick as possible. Yuck. Chapel Hill you need a real Mexican Restaurant!
(1)
Donna B.
The Monterrery Mexican Restaurant from my previous haunt was something missing around here, so I was rather happy when I found this one in Chapel Hill. The Pollo Fundido is one of my guilty pleasures...there, I admitted it! I like their chimi, too. Their sweet tea is usually pretty awesome. I've not had their margaritas because I'm usually driving, so can't speak to those. The food you get here is what you'd usually expect from a Mexican restaurant, I suppose, although theirs is a bit better than some other Mexican restaurants I've frequented. The waiters are very friendly -- one of them even moved the booth bench seat for me because it was too close to the table. If you're in the area and jonesin' for some Mexican, stop here!
(4)
Cristina L.
I grew up in a border town and I was searching for good, home-cooked Mexican food when I came across this restaurant. There are definitely a few things that are lacking (for example, the salsa they bring out at the beginning and the horchata) but other items are absolutely delicious. I really like the enchiladas verdes, the tacos, and the sopes. The prices are amazing too so this is a regular spot for my boyfriend and I to eat.
(4)
Lynn W.
I get Monterreys delivered. I am quite picky about my Mexican food. The quesadilla is solid. Lots of vegetarian options.
(3)
Stacie D.
Last night we went for our 2nd visit and it was delicious! The service is good and the quality of food is fresh and cooked to order because I'm a picky eater. The place was packed and the noise can be a little loud but we are always pleased.
(4)
Nick N.
Most of the food I have had here has been fair to good.
(3)
Harry P.
This is my go-to mexican place. I've tried quite a few in town: Habanero's, La Hacienda, the place in White Cross, Torero's, Cinco de Mayo, but I always keep coming back here. The service is always friendly and prompt. The good is consistently good and the prices are really good. My recommendations are: - Chunky guacamole - $3.50 for fresh made guacamole, oh yeah. Usually needs a shake of salt on it though. - Tacos de carnitas - Pork tacos. Their shredded pork is really tasty. They have some homemade hot sauce that goes great on these. Usually you have to ask for the sauce. - Fajita quesadilla - sometimes fajitas are too much trouble to make. This one has lots of cheese on it too. Pretty large also. - Lunch fajitas - cheap and plentiful. They're always great with large groups too. I'm impressed that they seem to not get psyched out with the huge groups and ignore the regular tables. And when I've been in the group, my orders were still delivered as quick as at a regular table.
(4)
Anna W.
Last night was my first trip to Monterrey Mexican Restaurant. To me, it did not stand out from any other Mexican restaurant menu-wise, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't good. I had the Pollo Feliz; I couldn't even finish half of my entree because there was so much food.The waiters were very attentive to our needs and even provided tea-to-go for me! Overall, I was pretty pleased with my first trip to Monterreys.
(4)
Kellye M.
Tasty tasty tasty. I love this place. It's a classic Mexican restaurant, and extremely tasty. I've enjoyed everything I've had here and I like the prices. They bring your food out hot and fresh. Their salsa is tasty, the chips are unlimited and tasty. I love their fajitas, fajita salad, tacos, anything. I really enjoy this place. So if you like Mexican food(the american/tex mex kind) This is a great place. All of their waiters are extremely friendly too and care about getting you exactly what you want. Their drinks are really delicious as well :D
(5)
Betsy A.
It's a cheap Mexican restaurant; lots of fun on their $1 margarita nights! Good place to go with a big group of friends. Food is a-okay, way better than Bandido's (gross!) on Franklin St. Lots of options on the menu, vegetarian friendly, and all the chips and salsa you want. Had the cacti burrito the last time I went - interesting!
(4)
Alex G.
It's one of the better Mexican restaurants in town but still not amaaaaazing. Service is good, prices are good, everything is good. Go on cinco de mayo and get a free T-shirt!
(4)
Brandon W.
Authentic mexican food great service corn tortillas warm beer was ice cold, the bathrooms were super clean, very plese with everything except the music to loud but in general a great place to have Authentic mexican food Chicjen enchilas great
(3)
Samantha E.
Nothing beats Thursday night margaritas at Monterrey! Not only are the drinks delicious but so is the food. Your glass is never empty and your chips are never low with the super attentive staff. It's always good to have choice in Mexican restaurants beyond main Franklin.
(4)
Kareb B.
My husband and I eat here at least once a week. This place is one of the best Mexican place in the area. We always get the same thing for the most part so i recommend the pollo tropical and shrimp cocktail. The service is always outstanding! The prices are low and the drink specials are great!
(5)
Kristen T.
Service and food is always good and I appreciate that I can substitute things because I can't have them!
(5)
William J.
I started going to Monterrey on Thursday nights because they have 32oz draft beers (Dos Equis and Blue Moon) on special. As far as I can tell, that's the real reason to go. The food is typical for a cheap Mexican place, right down the middle of the road on quality. Their chili rellenos are very cheesy, which I like. The chips and salsa tend to be very good, as evidenced by the fact that I usually eat about two baskets full all by myself. The staff is friendly and mostly attentive, but they don't even pretend to speak English most of the time. Keep your order simple or be prepared to face the Three Trials, of which the first is the Trial by Combat.
(3)
Greg B.
Not sure why people give this place good reviews, been here twice, nothing special. Margaritas are not good.
(2)
Anna S.
Monterrey is the best Mexican place in the triangle (I also love the Charlotte locations)! The food is delicious, the service is good and the margarita's are humungous. I highly recommend it!
(5)
P C.
Love this place! It's by no means gourmet, but it's the best greasy mexican in town. Super cheap, fast service, and the margaritas have never let me down.
(5)
Chas F.
We were hanging out at the playground by the community center and I found this place on yelp of course! We ordered, Mixed fajitas for two Kids quesadilla with rice Kids taco with beans and rice Kids taco and enchiladas Churros The salsa was good and the chips were fresh. After we placed our order it took maybe 5 min before the food was brought out to us! I was amazed that they cooked it that fast! It was hot and yummy! Everyone liked their food and right off said we have to come back here. My only dislike was with the meat in our fajitas. They cut the meat up into small pieces, it made it difficult to get only chicken and to pick out the onions and peppers. It was still really good though and it wouldn't stop me from ordering them again. The Churros came out just as fast as the food and were piping hot. I didn't have any of them but everyone else said they were good and there were none left! I'll be back here to enjoy some yummy Mexican food! One tiny minor thing to add was the table kept sliding ALL over the place! We'd barely touch it and it would slide and slide, it was quite annoying but it's just a minor thing and it wouldn't stop me from going.
(4)
Scott A.
excellent Mexican, best value in Chapel Hill
(4)
Katarina S.
This is my 'go-to' Mexican restaurant in Chapel Hill, not because of the taste, but mostly because it's so freaking cheap and they have a parking lot. I prefer Bandido's, but you can't beat Monterrey's prices and I really hate parking in the deck or on Franklin. Though, I will tell you that they recently got new menus and everything went up a 25 cents. I really like the monterrey cheese steak, delicious, and the queso dip is great (but when is it not?). Oh, and the beer prices, GOOD LORD, I wish I had a nickel for every time I've had one too many sips of Blue Moon, or the occasional margarita. This is the type of joint that 95% of people love (the other 5% being foodies out to get mass produced Mexican food, understandably). Service is super quick, though I must warn you that the waiters can get a little handsy after your 5th margarita.
(4)
Christina G.
I once ordered a daiquiri here and wound up with a frozen drink concocted from daiquiri mix and tequila. Now, I admit, it was silly of me to ask for anything non-margarita from a Mexican restaurant, but --my folly aside-- daiquiri :is: on the menu, and that was a truly disgusting cocktail! The worst was, I couldn't even send it back because I felt so bad! The servers here are reeeally nice and I have Catholic guilt, so that's how I got stuck with the daiquirita. Despite touting themselves as "authentic Mexican', the food is what you might expect from any other Mexican restaurant. That is, if you order off the combinations menu. A friend of mine who is actually from Mexico, picked up a few dishes from here that he'd selected from the "mixed dishes" menu. I don't know what they were exactly -- kind of fajita-style, with foil-wrapped warm tortillas and a dish of seasoned meat and veggies you spooned into them, and definitely a step above the usual stuff I'd had dining in there. We had some incredible flan to top it off --but sorry to disappoint, dear friends--that came courtesy of Adrien himself.
(4)
Danielle D.
I have an issue with restaurants that are hit-or-miss to this extreme. I have had some good things at Monterrey, but the bad things have been bad enough to keep me away. The margaritas are by far the worst I have ever had-- think fluorescent lime kool-aid. The beef fajitas were of such low quality that for the first time in my life I ate not one bite beyond that first taste. The other two people at my table also could not eat them. As I said, I have had some good things here. But the nasty surprises are just so unpredictable that I can't recommend Monterreys.
(2)
Ha N.
My girlfriend and I used to come here for our guacamole fix. We would get a boat-dish full of guac and a decent supply of chips for less than $5 which is a decent price for how much guac you get. You get even more if you order to-go, we found, which was great for a while. Flash forward to now...when we returned to the place and the portion of guac has been greatly reduced for the same price. It's about the same as what you would get at other places in Chapel Hill and the taste is not spectacular enough for me to come here just for guac and chips. The ceviche is also pretty decent, but you can get better ceviche at Fiesta Grill on the weekend. The hot food is decent here. It's not as good as Fiesta, but the prices are cheaper and it is in a very convenient spot so sometimes I have more of an inclination to go here instead of there. Overall, if you're looking for some decent Mexican food for a nice atmosphere, this is the place.
(3)
Fred L.
Step 1: Admit that we live in NC, not Texas or CA and that our Mexican food just isn't quite the same here in the Old North State. Step 2: Make the best with what we've got. Monterrey's is the best of what we've got. No question. A very full menu. Every possible combination meal you can imagine. A full list of appetizers and queso selections. Great margaritas, Really good specialty platters. Very good truly authentic Mexican style tacos al pastor. Monterrey's is one of the best Mexican food places in RTP and it is a bargain as well.
(5)
Shannon S.
3 of 4 meals were inedible. We went last night based on the reviews here ... Service was fine. Drinks were fine. Thank goodness there was rice. Do not recommend.
(1)
Lindsay T.
Monty's is the highlight of my week, every week. $2 32 oz. bud light and $3 32 oz. blue moon and dos equis every thursday. the food is typical of a cheap mexican place, but you can get stuffed and have a beer for $10 with tip. the chips are salsa are free and top notch. there are TONS of vegetarian options also. the waiters are friendly and funny and if you can speak spanish, they're even friendlier and funnier. it's worth coming just to see their serving skills. i sure couldn't carry ten plates of hot food stacked from my wrist to my shoulder or six huge beers at once. ps - the guacamole is terrible, don't waste your money.
(5)
Michael P.
Simply put, Monterrey's has good cheap Mexican food. Great place to go to when you're jonesing for some Mexican food and want to spend less than $10. The staff is probably the biggest strength of the place, as they're incredibly attentive with chip and drink refills. They definitely work for those tips.
(4)
Toshi T.
Great friendly atmosphere with good quality, tasty food. Menu selection is very large, with the usual selection of Tex-Mex dishes. One dish to recommend is the two person fajita. As other reviewers mention, the service is friendly and speedy.
(4)
Cody S.
Something about it just keeps me coming back weekly for 5+ years. The food is good and most of the time you can get a table pretty quickly. The portions are quite large and CHEAP!. definitely good if you are on a college budget. free chips too!
(4)
Brandy D.
Cheap lunch specials, decent Mexican food, sometimes quite crowded, lost one star because the servers like to flirt with every woman that walks in the door...
(4)
Portia H.
Went went here last night, Sunday night approx 8:50 PM and the place closes at 9PM. There were many things on the menu. It took us a while to decide. The business was nice about letting us take our time to order. I would like to see fewer good things on the menu and better quality. We ordered the chicken quesadillas (2), shrimp & steak fajitas, and chore quaso dip. The chicken quesadillas were meh in my opinion. Luis liked them. The shrimp & steak fajitas were well cooked. The sauteed onions, green peppers, and tomatoes were cooked nicely. The steak tasted good when dipped into the delicious tomato sauce. The shrimp was meh. They only gave us (4) very small flour tortillas for the fajitas for (2). By the time we picked got home they were all stuck together. We could not pry them apart. In Texas they always give so many flour tortillas w/ our Mexican take out meals that we wonder who is going to eat all of them. By the time we go home some of the fajita juice and chore quaso dip had spilled out into the bag. Just be wary of this. You may want to take your own Tupperware if your getting take out and have to drive a bit and wanna protect your car. The side items of the fajitas: guacamole, sour cream, rice a roni, and lettuce were not worth opening the foil container. The (2) small bas of nacho chips that came w/ this meal left a lot to be desired. The were bland. We only have another (2) days to be here so we wont be back. We fed (3) people for $22.00 so that was good.
(2)
Owen H.
Great casual Mexican place. Friendly atmosphere, the waitstaff are funny and fast too. Lots of options, all the standard Mexican fare plus seafood fillings too, salsa was a little mild but still flavorful.
(4)
Adrienne E.
I actually appreciate the food at Monterrey enough to have ordered take-out from there at one point, so while I understand that it's not totally authentic, I do think it's pretty tasty. I usually just get the chicken quesadilla, but they do also have pretty good tacos carnitas. The drinks are huge and cheap, whether it's margaritas or beer. I don't love the layout - the tables are way too close together, and it gets very loud on busy nights. Service is always, always friendly, regardless of crowd size.
(4)
Henry S.
Monterrey is the perfect place to go if looking for a strong margarita, but not necessarily the best food. It's nothing terrible, but it isn't anything outstanding either. Special requests are typically not accepted, and attempting to communicate with the staff can get frustrating on a busy night. The queso dip here is delicious though, and I highly recommend it in addition to the salsa served with their chips. Oh, and order the margarita 'Texas' and the server will put extra Tequila in it for a better time.
(3)
Chris P.
Pretty good Mexican food here
(3)
Leah P.
We love this place. They call you "my friends" as soon as you walk in! The fajitas are flavorful and the veggies are fresh. Strong (good) margaritas.
(4)
Ryan S.
Looking for a quick Mexican fix, we happened by here the other day, and were very pleasantly surprised. Salsa = 4. Good quality ingredients, good heat (though it could have been a touch hotter). Entrees = 4. Excellent selection, and the two we ordered (Camarones Monterrey, Camarones de la Diabla) were quite tasty. Margaritas = 3.5. Good, but not great. Service = 5. Maybe a side effect of the arriving on a Saturday when they were fully staffed, but before the crowd came in. Incredibly speedy and friendly.
(4)
Ian R.
Forget La hacienda or any of the other Mexican places in Chapel Hill this one is the best. Huge portions, all the chips you can handle and huge beers. Gigantic, bigger than your head, in frosted mugs. If you can eat the chips, an entree and finish two of those beers then you are a better man than I am (even if you are a lady).
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Evan D.
Decent food, nothing truly horrible, but go for the salsa bar. It's in the back by the hall to the bathrooms. If you ask for hot salsa, the server will usually just bring back a bowl of the chipotle stuff they've been serving for years, so just get up yourself and walk to the back. If you like spicy food, the salsa made solely of chile de manzana and red onion will be your jam. The other salsas are pretty great too. As for the other food, it's not much different from your basic massive Mexican-American place, but the salsa bar is the best around (including the massive salsa bar at the late great Los Comales)
(4)Jinju K.
Monterrey is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the Chapel Hill area. I am a big fan of their fajitas! They have a $6 chicken fajita special on Saturdays :) Service is great. Waiters are VERY attentive and the food comes out very fast!
(5)Victor L.
I had a great experience at this Monterrey's. It was late on a Friday, the staff were attentive, brought out mounds of tasty food and pitchers of alcohol and didn't charge me a lot of money for it, which is more than I can say for a lot of restaurants I've been to and thus, Monterrey gets four stars. Nothing really made it stand out from other Mexican places I've been to, so it doesn't get a fifth star, but I wasn't really looking for 'destination cuisine' anyway so w/e. I get snooty about other cuisine, but I'm easy to please with Mexican. Seriously, beans, rice and marinated meat? It's hard to screw that up (yet some places do unfortunately). Anyway, if you want to eat Mexican food and you see a bunch of Mexicans eating in a Mexican restaurant and they seem to be enjoying themselves, then eat at that Mexican restaurant.
(4)Warren N.
If you're looking for awesome, cheap, and huge portions of Mexican food, Monterreys is where you need to try. This is by far my favorite Mexican restaurant in Chapel Hill. The chips aren't greasy and are extra crispy. I went on Saturday night and the service was a bit slow, but the food was excellent per usual. This time, I tried the pollo dish with rice, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and melted cheese. I'm always shocked to see how big the portion is, which is perfect because I always have leftovers and it tastes just as good the next day. The vegetables were cooked to perfection and the melted cheese makes the rice creamy and adds a tasty touch to the dish. I also tried the enchiladas filled with shrimp and scallops. The dish came with fresh avocado and salsa salad that paired nicely with the rice. The shrimp was flavorful and the scallop was cooked just right and was not chewy at all. If you're looking for the best Mexican food of Chapel Hill, definitely head over to Monterreys and you won't be disappointed.
(4)Ruben G.
Oh, Monterrey... the years have taken their toll. (or is it my memory that is at fault?) I used to see you as the happy little place for Tex-Mex in Chapel Hill, but now, not so much. On the plus side: your staff was prompt, courteous, and ready. Our lunch specials were very reasonably priced, especially for the amount of food. There was even plenty of chicken in those burritos! The down side? Relying on an overabundance of salt and cheese (especially the former) on everything. :-P Perhaps it was an anomaly. I don't know... but it was disappointing.
(2)Erin W.
There are days when I crave those super saucy, cheesy, "oh you KNOW it's not good for you" Tex-Mex dishes, and then days when I just want good, old-fashioned authentic Mexican food. I'm not sure if Monterrey's belongs to any of these two categories above. It doesn't strike me as authentic Mexican, and though it's pretty close to Tex-Mex, it definitely doesn't have the appeal of good Tex-Mex food. The dishes are salty and cheesy, but not particularly flavorful. Although I suppose living the first 20 years of my life in Texas, the only U.S state where Tex-Mex is as authentic as it gets, leaves me severely biased. Either way, their dishes are a big enough portion to make your pants significantly tighter if you finish it too fast. They give you enough rice and beans and sauce to knock you out of commission for the rest of the night. I feel like the main appeal of Monterrey's is the aesthetics. The whole south of the border vibe, with the loud waiters and waitresses, Mariachi music, and the great presentation of dishes. You order a margarita, and when the cups are about the size of your face, you're pretty impressed. Also you want a place to just sit down with friends and spend good money for the big portions. Where can you go? Monterrey's! Conveniently located, fairly decent, and one of the few Mexican restaurants in Chapel Hill. Their enchiladas and burritos are fair. Dinner selection can get pricey. Their chicken dishes, I've heard, are good too! I give it 3 stars because I never actually find myself craving their food, enjoying the aftertaste, or appreciating how it settles in my stomach. Honestly, I only go there whenever a large group of friends want to meet up and we can't decide on a place to go.
(3)Sheila D.
3 star food with an added star for the pricing! This is one of the few, non-fast food places where I can get a meal (with tip added for dine-in customers) for well under $10. The lunch menu is the bomb and has so many options within $5-7. The food is pretty average Mexican food - cheesy and sometimes overly oily, but still satisfies. The rice in particular is very tasty - definitely recommend the rice over the beans for your side! Quesadillas were satisfying and filled with veggies and meats rather than just cheese. Lots of options as well for vegetarians and pescetarians, which is fantastic. Speedy service as well; a friend and I got our food within 5 minutes of placing our order. The lighting inside the restaurant is super dim though, so if you do have the chance and the weather permits, choose to sit outside for a much more comfortable dining experience!
(4)Jim N.
Good food; fast & friendly service; nice sauces & flavors; we had fajitas, shrimp tacos, and the daily special, plus marguerites & sangria. Excellent! We will return.
(4)Hoai Xuan P.
The best thing about this place is the free chips and salsa. Service is quick and efficient. This place gets pretty busy during lunch but I can't understand why other than the fact that Chapel Hill is seriously lacking in Mexican food. Got the carnitas enchiladas and while there was plenty of meat, it just wasn't good enough to eat more than a few bites. Definitely needs more sauce and seasoning. Didn't even bother with the beans and rice. I honestly think I would've preferred Taco Bell.
(2)Nicholas S.
I've never particularly like Monterrey and today put the nail in it. We went in and asked about the wait for a group of 6. It looked pretty busy, but they said only 10 minutes so we decided to stay. After about 20 minutes, I asked if they had an update. They said 25 minutes. I asked if there was some confusion since we were told 10 minutes 20 minutes ago. She checked the list and said it was a mistake- we were 2nd on the list and it would be 10 minutes, which was odd because we were definitely there before all the other groups. Just a minute or so later, they called our name. However, they looked surprised by our group, talked in Spanish, looked away and called another group without saying anything to us. I then asked again if they had an update. She said they were waiting on a table to finish up and that it should be "just another 10 minutes." I asked where they were getting this "10 minutes" from since that was the 3rd time we were told that and she laughed saying she didn't really know. Finally, I let them know our group would try somewhere else. Not one "sorry." No apology. No customer service whatsoever. As I've said before, mistakes are easily forgivable in my book as long as there is proper customer service following it. I was very disappointed by their lack of concern. As for their food, I prefer Cinco de Mayo's food much more. They're literally right down the road. Their only saving graces are their stellar drink specials and cheap prices... assuming you can get in to try them.
(2)Kaitlyn M.
Pros: Cheap food, cheap booze, and incredibly fast service. Cons: You can get better Mexican food almost anywhere else if you're looking for quality. My boyfriend and I return here time and time again. I've tried to get us to other places, but the fact of the matter is, these guys do cheap and cheesy Mexican food right. I'm usually craving a big basket of chips and salsa, or greasy cheesy Chori Queso on real comfort food evenings, delivered to my table less than moments from walking through the door. There's always a drink special, at least half their menu is doused in cheese sauce, and they've got the fastest service you can imagine. You have to deal with the sometimes incredibly noisy and loud atmosphere of college student birthday parties and drinking nights, but that never takes away from your service. It's our go to place for cheesy goodness, and we'll keep coming back. P.S. I warn you against the $0.99 margaritas on Thursday night. It's an amazing deal and couldn't be beat in college, but nowadays I'll pay far more than that to avoid the splitting headache you get from this stuff.
(3)Lucy B.
The food is very reasonably priced, and it comes out shockingly quickly, and as ordered. I made some tweaks to my menu item, and it was no problem at all. The waitstaff is friendly and very accommodating--when I was with a large party, Monterrey took care of all of us. Amazing lunch specials, as well. Fun atmosphere, if a little bit crowded to navigate the central tables, sometimes.
(4)Crystal R.
They have outdoor seating which is nice, but I never take advantage of that. I do, however, take advantage of their great specials on margaritas during the week ($1.50 Monday-Thursday) and delicious food. I wouldn't say they have the best margaritas but for $1.50, I'll keep coming back. Plus, I've always had great service here and the food always comes out quickly. FYI: I've heard of some people having crappy service or experiences here but that hasn't been the case for me.
(3)Anila Y.
I never thought I could eat--let alone like--Mexican food after living 15 minutes away from Mexico and experiencing what is probably the most amazingly authentic Mexican food scene in San Diego. And then I was forced to come here! We were seated almost immediately on a Saturday night. Maybe I just hadn't eaten Mexican food in a long time, but even the chips and salsa were hitting the spot. You should also ask for the bean dip to go with your chips--it's the only bean dip that I have ever liked. Simple: just cheese and beans and nothing else fancy and annoying. I had the Burrito California with no meat. I was just thrilled to see so many "enchilada style" burritos on the menu. Everything about the burrito was perfect EXCEPT the "grilled onions". I felt that they were still a little raw, which ruined almost every bite of the burrito. Next time, I will ask for it without the onions. I like that the burrito was just simple and to the point-- no unnecessary elements such as guacamole and rice that just fill you up and don't even taste that great. The staff was great as well, and the ambience was fun. There were families, students, etc. and it was a very lively atmosphere. They also have a great and extensive vegetarian menu. I was so happy to be at a Mexican restaurant where my only option WASN'T "vegetarian burrito." All in all, my first successful Mexican meal after a long time!
(4)Nancy G.
I love the food at Monterrey's. It's always really good. Whenever we're in the mood for some chips and dip, we always try to go to Monterrey's. In my opinion, what really sets Mexican restaurants apart is the SALSA. Monterrey's salsa is smooth, fresh and has bits of cilantro in it. They also have some great drink specials. My only bad experience there was when we came in with a group of 7 at 6:30. The hostess told us it would only be a 10 minute wait. After about 15 minutes, we asked when we would be seated, she said another 10 minutes. This went on until 7:20 when we left to go to another place down the road. I don't mind waiting, but really dislike being mislead.
(4)Tori H.
Let me first say I still love this place. The staff are great, the drinks are cheap, the food is good, but lately, every time I have went my food has been cold in the middle. It really grosses me out to have cold cheese in my enchilada. Usually I am starving after going to the gym so I eat it anyway. This is def my go-to Mexican restaurant. Where else can you go and get a margarita during the week for less than a soda? Oh and their salsa is always delicious- it just tastes so much fresher than other places. I am still wanting a pina colada special night!!! ;)
(3)Trinity G.
I ordered combination 1 with cheese enchiladas and a taco. The food came out very quickly, but the cheese in the enchiladas was not melted and didn't have much flavor. The taco shell was soggy and fell apart as soon as I picked it up. The service was pleasant and quick, but the food missed the mark.
(2)Andrew H.
Watered down margaritas that were expensive. Luke warm food. The best thing was the table salsa. Service was just OK.
(2)Ryan M.
Used to love the one on eliot rd. El pronto was my favorite dish. But i went to the new one in carrboro plaza on monday... never again. For context, I work as a server and was going out to have some dinner, a few margaritas, and tip well because it makes me feel good. The new one has a really nice interior, i was impressed, and it was all downhill from there. Curly haired girl gave me suchhhh bad service, I dunno if she's severely depressed or just had a bad day but I was willing to overlook it. Ordered guac, never got it, but it was still on my bill. Had a strawberry margarita and barely tasted or felt any of the bottom shelf tequila. So i figured i would have another. To clarify, I wanted to give monterrey more money for more stuff. Instead she comes by with my bill that I didnt ask for, and I wait about 15 minutes to order another margarita, which was possibly weaker than the first, which says a lot cause I had no buzz going, I am clearly drinking cheap margaritas to feel groovy and I felt far from groovy. After pounding my possibly virgin margarita we were ready to leave. After waiting and being unable to find her, we go to the hostess stand to pay and our server comes up, ignores us, says something in Spanish to the hostess (which frankly seemed kind of rude) takes the guac off our bill and walks off. I still left her over 20% because I dont need bad karma, and maybe she profiled us as young college kids that dont tip and I wanted to prove her wrong (thanks to all of you guys, looking young and getting good service is rough). Regardless, mediocre texmex places are a dime a dozen in chapel hill and I'm gonna go ahead and shred my monterrey club card and never go to either one again.
(1)Daniel D.
I come here often for dinner and lunch. The lunch is affordable: ~$6 if you don't get a drink. I usually get the pollo fondido or the chicken chimichanga. For dinner, go for the steak fajitas and don't forget to add cheese. I have an insatiable urge for their food now after just writing that. They are going to be opening a new restaurant near HWY 54 and Main St. Once they do that I'll probably be there every other day -- my body will slowly turn into chips and salsa and I will become one with Monterrey.
(5)Emily E.
I went to Monterrey in college for the big beers and the arroz con pollo. I have missed it everyday since graduation 3 years ago. The ACP is exactly what it should be--rice, chicken, and white queso. The big beers are what they should be--cheap and BIG! I love you, Monterrey.
(5)Brad V.
Meh? I repeat m-e-h. Beyond salsa, I always judge on the quality of the carnitas. They were not browned and tasted very "boiled". Reasonable.
(3)Latesha H.
Ballin' on a budget? Come here for lunch! Delicious food as low as 5 bucks!! I had the Texas fajitas with chicken, steak, & shrimp ( I was ballin' outta control) for $7.75! Delicious food, fast & friendly service
(4)Stuart F.
I always thought Monterrey's was popular mainly because of their drink specials. But I went recently and realized there food is great! As a vegan, I appreciated that they cook with vegetable oil and that they say this right on the menu. The prices were decent, they were generous with the chips and salsa, and the veggie plate was solid. I do wish they would abolish tipping though, just read this paragraph: Studies have shown that tipping is not an effective incentive for performance in servers. It also creates an environment in which people of color, young people, old people, women, and foreigners tend to get worse service than white males. In a tip-based system, nonwhite servers make less than their white peers for equal work. Consider also the power imbalance between tippers, who are typically male, and servers, 70 percent of whom are female, and consider that the restaurant industry generates five times the average number of sexual harassment claims per worker. And that in many instances employers have allegedly misused tip credits, which let owners pay servers less than minimum wage if tipping makes up the difference. Citations for those claims can be found here: washingtonpost.com/blogs…
(4)Courtney F.
come here practically weekly for lunch and it's always delicious. lunch prices are pretty good, dinner is a bit pricier though. also awesome they let the dog eat with us outside.
(4)Craig S.
Absolutely awesome!! The staff busts their butts to get your food to you as fast as possible. The steak tacos rock and the beer is reasonably priced. My favorite Mexican place in the Hill!!
(5)carson s.
I have tried several dishes here as my wife and son are very enthusiastic about the food and reasonable pricing. The difficulty I have with this establishment is the very liberal use of green bell peppers in all the dishes I have tried. I experience major digestive distress whenever I eat green bell peppers, either cooked or raw. I can eat red or yellow bell peppers but please no green bell peppers for me. There are too many excellent Mexican offerings in this area for me to pick through my dinner plate and remove the dreaded green BP's from my dish. I realize this is my idiosyncracy but I have heard others complain of GBP digestive problems and this review is for them. If you find a excellent MMR dish that does NOT have green bell peppers please let me know so I can give it a try.
(2)Paul V.
Unbelievable. Prompt & fast service. Fajitas for two would feed 4-6. This has been the best service since moving to Chapel Hill.
(5)Rob W.
I like the food here, and the service is excellent. I usually stop by for lunch when in the area. They have a very extensive menu and the prices are reasonable.
(4)Melissa T.
Your typical Mexican restaurant. Delicious food and drinks. What sets Monterrey's apart is that their prices are a bit cheaper than comparable restaurants. The portions are still huge- don't worry! Best part: $1.99 margs mon-thurs!
(4)Tina W.
Really love here. The free chips are fantastic and they serve vegeterian choice are plenty
(4)Roora H.
This restaurant is wonderful. The staff was friendly, the restaurant was clean, the prices were very reasonable and the food was great! They even have a lunch menu on the weekend, which is really cheap! I ordered a Fajita Taco Salad. The steak strips were perfectly cooked and seasoned. There were tons of sautéed steak, onions and green peppers. My only con was that it was greasy at the bottom of the taco shell from all of the sautéed onions and peppers. We had a BOGO coupon, but we would definitely come back here without coupons.
(4)Felecia L.
After reading the Yelp reviews and seeing the crowd here Friday night I thought I must have stumbled upon my next new favorite gem but for me it was only a 3 star experience. We probably ended up having the worst seat by the front door and the cashier so people would stand in line right next to the table and I was paraded with bum after bum when I was trying to eat. Not much space on a Friday night so it would have been difficult to move. The chips and salsa were thrown unceremoniously on the tabletop and then nary a word uttered.Thankfully they were good so I could overlook the presentation. The staff in general are rushed which means you get your stuff superfast but in a way I felt like I was a table that needed to turn over quickly. The food itself was okay. The chicken nopales was huge and well made. The desserts weren't listed on the menu nor the full bar array but their margaritas are great and I enjoyed the fried ice cream at the end. I might go back during a calmer time so I can really concentrate on the food but for now I'll stick with a generous 3.
(3)Andrea L.
Tried this place twice, the mole enchiladas which were mediocre and the tacos al pastor which smelt like a cheap scent from a public restroom. Unable to finish my meals both times. Our neighbors got sick from eating here. It's dark inside, did not smell clean. Service is good and the pricing is decent.
(2)Heather M.
Yummy margaritas! Frozen. This place has the sweetest staff and the food is really stellar. Kind of dark inside, so if it's nice, I love to sit outdoors. Great prices, and again, AMAZING margaritas.
(5)Alex P.
Love this restaurant. Most of their food items are so good. My favorite is their tortilla soup! I love the flavor - the hint of acidity goes very well with the earthiness of the avocado and the umami of the soup! Love it!
(4)Mike C.
I don't know why it's taken me so long to discover how good this place is. I think it's because I always used to hear about their cheap margaritas, so maybe I assumed the food wouldn't be that great. I was wrong. I've tried several things on the menu by now, and everything is done well. My favorite though, is the Chori Pollo. It's two big chicken breasts topped with chorizo and cheese. You get beans or rice, pico and guac, and tortillas. It's just awesome. Hard for me to get something different now, but I'm sure I'll branch out again soon. The chips and salsa may be my favorite in the area. The service is on point too, even in the 3:00 afternoon lull time.
(4)Victoria S.
Perfect for lunches the last couple weeks with my husband. We can have a really nice booth spot and enjoy our favorite Mexican foods served quickly and attentively. The food completely hits the spot. For example, yesterday I had a yen for shrimp and also for chorizo, so I ordered the chorizo cheese dip and the shrimp salad. And I used my dip as the dressing. Even at 6:30AM I am salivating thinking about how delicious this was. I usually like all Mexican food, no matter what. But there is something about their simplicity, the refusal to add other fillers, that makes this place sing. The shrimp was big, perfectly seasoned and fantastic texture. And the perfect amount. With maybe half an avocado sliced with maybe a dozen shrimp, this was delightful. Not tons to have to lug home mind you, it was a salad, but I was especially hungry and did actually eat it all. Which is unusual for me. Their sweet tea was a little sweet, which I like, the lemon was already in the glass awaiting my squeeze. I will be anxiously awaiting our next luncheon.
(5)Alison L.
If you're deciding between this and Bandido's, go with Monterrey's. The atmosphere is so much cooler with neon lights (especially with beers) and the quesadilla comes out completely steaming and perfectly cooked. My new go-to for Mexican food in the Chapel Hill area.
(4)Courtney B.
Monterrey has always been the go-to spot for my friends - probably because we're all addicted to Mexican food! It's your standard fare, and yeah, you could probably find the same menu at just about any Mexican restaurant. However, the drink specials are killer, the prices are cheap, and we usually have great service. I always get bean nachos, but my friends really like the Veggie Fajitas and the California Burritos. If you want more variety, try the Monterrey sampler as a meal (it comes with wings AND Mexican food. Score!) Look out for their drink specials. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can get a HUGE pitcher of Margaritas for $12. We've split them between five people, and everyone can usually get two full drinks out of it. Service is usually great. There's one guy I'm not a fan off - I can't remember his name, but he's bald - who ALWAYS messes something up, whether it's not bringing an item but still charging for it or bringing the wrong thing. If you politely try to correct him, he'll act like it's your fault. Everyone else is great, though. Is it sad that quite a few of the staff recognize me? Probably. Don't forget to grab a punch card; for every five dollars you spend, you get a punch. After eight, get five dollars off (that's 3 margaritas on the rocks during the week!).
(5)Amanda H.
Gross. That's all I can say. I gave them two stars because they are inexpensive. The taste deserves a one star, sorry. I picked Monterrey over Bandido's (I am testing the waters for Mexican restaurants since moving to Chapel Hill) because from the photos it appeared not to have vegetables in their Spanish rice. I was wrong and have absolutely no clue why Mexican restaurants think this is tasty. I HATE (and everyone who eats with me) peas, carrots and green beans in their rice. It didn't even taste like Spanish rice, more like Dirty Rice without the good seasoning. The enchiladas were so bland and the sauce tasted like something out of the can. The salsa was bland and smelled awful. I wish I could find a substitute for Mi Casitas (in the Harnett County area, so excellent) but so far, no other Mexican restaurant has even came close. Blah.
(2)Anonymous C.
Monterrey always hits the spot for cheap and tasty Mexican food. There are more options than just "burrito" or "combo" meals and we appreciate the many different preparations of the dishes.
(5)Jade h.
Worst Margarita I have ever had! The server made us feel like he wanted us out as quick as possible. Yuck. Chapel Hill you need a real Mexican Restaurant!
(1)Donna B.
The Monterrery Mexican Restaurant from my previous haunt was something missing around here, so I was rather happy when I found this one in Chapel Hill. The Pollo Fundido is one of my guilty pleasures...there, I admitted it! I like their chimi, too. Their sweet tea is usually pretty awesome. I've not had their margaritas because I'm usually driving, so can't speak to those. The food you get here is what you'd usually expect from a Mexican restaurant, I suppose, although theirs is a bit better than some other Mexican restaurants I've frequented. The waiters are very friendly -- one of them even moved the booth bench seat for me because it was too close to the table. If you're in the area and jonesin' for some Mexican, stop here!
(4)Cristina L.
I grew up in a border town and I was searching for good, home-cooked Mexican food when I came across this restaurant. There are definitely a few things that are lacking (for example, the salsa they bring out at the beginning and the horchata) but other items are absolutely delicious. I really like the enchiladas verdes, the tacos, and the sopes. The prices are amazing too so this is a regular spot for my boyfriend and I to eat.
(4)Lynn W.
I get Monterreys delivered. I am quite picky about my Mexican food. The quesadilla is solid. Lots of vegetarian options.
(3)Stacie D.
Last night we went for our 2nd visit and it was delicious! The service is good and the quality of food is fresh and cooked to order because I'm a picky eater. The place was packed and the noise can be a little loud but we are always pleased.
(4)Nick N.
Most of the food I have had here has been fair to good.
(3)Harry P.
This is my go-to mexican place. I've tried quite a few in town: Habanero's, La Hacienda, the place in White Cross, Torero's, Cinco de Mayo, but I always keep coming back here. The service is always friendly and prompt. The good is consistently good and the prices are really good. My recommendations are: - Chunky guacamole - $3.50 for fresh made guacamole, oh yeah. Usually needs a shake of salt on it though. - Tacos de carnitas - Pork tacos. Their shredded pork is really tasty. They have some homemade hot sauce that goes great on these. Usually you have to ask for the sauce. - Fajita quesadilla - sometimes fajitas are too much trouble to make. This one has lots of cheese on it too. Pretty large also. - Lunch fajitas - cheap and plentiful. They're always great with large groups too. I'm impressed that they seem to not get psyched out with the huge groups and ignore the regular tables. And when I've been in the group, my orders were still delivered as quick as at a regular table.
(4)Anna W.
Last night was my first trip to Monterrey Mexican Restaurant. To me, it did not stand out from any other Mexican restaurant menu-wise, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't good. I had the Pollo Feliz; I couldn't even finish half of my entree because there was so much food.The waiters were very attentive to our needs and even provided tea-to-go for me! Overall, I was pretty pleased with my first trip to Monterreys.
(4)Kellye M.
Tasty tasty tasty. I love this place. It's a classic Mexican restaurant, and extremely tasty. I've enjoyed everything I've had here and I like the prices. They bring your food out hot and fresh. Their salsa is tasty, the chips are unlimited and tasty. I love their fajitas, fajita salad, tacos, anything. I really enjoy this place. So if you like Mexican food(the american/tex mex kind) This is a great place. All of their waiters are extremely friendly too and care about getting you exactly what you want. Their drinks are really delicious as well :D
(5)Betsy A.
It's a cheap Mexican restaurant; lots of fun on their $1 margarita nights! Good place to go with a big group of friends. Food is a-okay, way better than Bandido's (gross!) on Franklin St. Lots of options on the menu, vegetarian friendly, and all the chips and salsa you want. Had the cacti burrito the last time I went - interesting!
(4)Alex G.
It's one of the better Mexican restaurants in town but still not amaaaaazing. Service is good, prices are good, everything is good. Go on cinco de mayo and get a free T-shirt!
(4)Brandon W.
Authentic mexican food great service corn tortillas warm beer was ice cold, the bathrooms were super clean, very plese with everything except the music to loud but in general a great place to have Authentic mexican food Chicjen enchilas great
(3)Samantha E.
Nothing beats Thursday night margaritas at Monterrey! Not only are the drinks delicious but so is the food. Your glass is never empty and your chips are never low with the super attentive staff. It's always good to have choice in Mexican restaurants beyond main Franklin.
(4)Kareb B.
My husband and I eat here at least once a week. This place is one of the best Mexican place in the area. We always get the same thing for the most part so i recommend the pollo tropical and shrimp cocktail. The service is always outstanding! The prices are low and the drink specials are great!
(5)Kristen T.
Service and food is always good and I appreciate that I can substitute things because I can't have them!
(5)William J.
I started going to Monterrey on Thursday nights because they have 32oz draft beers (Dos Equis and Blue Moon) on special. As far as I can tell, that's the real reason to go. The food is typical for a cheap Mexican place, right down the middle of the road on quality. Their chili rellenos are very cheesy, which I like. The chips and salsa tend to be very good, as evidenced by the fact that I usually eat about two baskets full all by myself. The staff is friendly and mostly attentive, but they don't even pretend to speak English most of the time. Keep your order simple or be prepared to face the Three Trials, of which the first is the Trial by Combat.
(3)Greg B.
Not sure why people give this place good reviews, been here twice, nothing special. Margaritas are not good.
(2)Anna S.
Monterrey is the best Mexican place in the triangle (I also love the Charlotte locations)! The food is delicious, the service is good and the margarita's are humungous. I highly recommend it!
(5)P C.
Love this place! It's by no means gourmet, but it's the best greasy mexican in town. Super cheap, fast service, and the margaritas have never let me down.
(5)Chas F.
We were hanging out at the playground by the community center and I found this place on yelp of course! We ordered, Mixed fajitas for two Kids quesadilla with rice Kids taco with beans and rice Kids taco and enchiladas Churros The salsa was good and the chips were fresh. After we placed our order it took maybe 5 min before the food was brought out to us! I was amazed that they cooked it that fast! It was hot and yummy! Everyone liked their food and right off said we have to come back here. My only dislike was with the meat in our fajitas. They cut the meat up into small pieces, it made it difficult to get only chicken and to pick out the onions and peppers. It was still really good though and it wouldn't stop me from ordering them again. The Churros came out just as fast as the food and were piping hot. I didn't have any of them but everyone else said they were good and there were none left! I'll be back here to enjoy some yummy Mexican food! One tiny minor thing to add was the table kept sliding ALL over the place! We'd barely touch it and it would slide and slide, it was quite annoying but it's just a minor thing and it wouldn't stop me from going.
(4)Scott A.
excellent Mexican, best value in Chapel Hill
(4)Katarina S.
This is my 'go-to' Mexican restaurant in Chapel Hill, not because of the taste, but mostly because it's so freaking cheap and they have a parking lot. I prefer Bandido's, but you can't beat Monterrey's prices and I really hate parking in the deck or on Franklin. Though, I will tell you that they recently got new menus and everything went up a 25 cents. I really like the monterrey cheese steak, delicious, and the queso dip is great (but when is it not?). Oh, and the beer prices, GOOD LORD, I wish I had a nickel for every time I've had one too many sips of Blue Moon, or the occasional margarita. This is the type of joint that 95% of people love (the other 5% being foodies out to get mass produced Mexican food, understandably). Service is super quick, though I must warn you that the waiters can get a little handsy after your 5th margarita.
(4)Christina G.
I once ordered a daiquiri here and wound up with a frozen drink concocted from daiquiri mix and tequila. Now, I admit, it was silly of me to ask for anything non-margarita from a Mexican restaurant, but --my folly aside-- daiquiri :is: on the menu, and that was a truly disgusting cocktail! The worst was, I couldn't even send it back because I felt so bad! The servers here are reeeally nice and I have Catholic guilt, so that's how I got stuck with the daiquirita. Despite touting themselves as "authentic Mexican', the food is what you might expect from any other Mexican restaurant. That is, if you order off the combinations menu. A friend of mine who is actually from Mexico, picked up a few dishes from here that he'd selected from the "mixed dishes" menu. I don't know what they were exactly -- kind of fajita-style, with foil-wrapped warm tortillas and a dish of seasoned meat and veggies you spooned into them, and definitely a step above the usual stuff I'd had dining in there. We had some incredible flan to top it off --but sorry to disappoint, dear friends--that came courtesy of Adrien himself.
(4)Danielle D.
I have an issue with restaurants that are hit-or-miss to this extreme. I have had some good things at Monterrey, but the bad things have been bad enough to keep me away. The margaritas are by far the worst I have ever had-- think fluorescent lime kool-aid. The beef fajitas were of such low quality that for the first time in my life I ate not one bite beyond that first taste. The other two people at my table also could not eat them. As I said, I have had some good things here. But the nasty surprises are just so unpredictable that I can't recommend Monterreys.
(2)Ha N.
My girlfriend and I used to come here for our guacamole fix. We would get a boat-dish full of guac and a decent supply of chips for less than $5 which is a decent price for how much guac you get. You get even more if you order to-go, we found, which was great for a while. Flash forward to now...when we returned to the place and the portion of guac has been greatly reduced for the same price. It's about the same as what you would get at other places in Chapel Hill and the taste is not spectacular enough for me to come here just for guac and chips. The ceviche is also pretty decent, but you can get better ceviche at Fiesta Grill on the weekend. The hot food is decent here. It's not as good as Fiesta, but the prices are cheaper and it is in a very convenient spot so sometimes I have more of an inclination to go here instead of there. Overall, if you're looking for some decent Mexican food for a nice atmosphere, this is the place.
(3)Fred L.
Step 1: Admit that we live in NC, not Texas or CA and that our Mexican food just isn't quite the same here in the Old North State. Step 2: Make the best with what we've got. Monterrey's is the best of what we've got. No question. A very full menu. Every possible combination meal you can imagine. A full list of appetizers and queso selections. Great margaritas, Really good specialty platters. Very good truly authentic Mexican style tacos al pastor. Monterrey's is one of the best Mexican food places in RTP and it is a bargain as well.
(5)Shannon S.
3 of 4 meals were inedible. We went last night based on the reviews here ... Service was fine. Drinks were fine. Thank goodness there was rice. Do not recommend.
(1)Lindsay T.
Monty's is the highlight of my week, every week. $2 32 oz. bud light and $3 32 oz. blue moon and dos equis every thursday. the food is typical of a cheap mexican place, but you can get stuffed and have a beer for $10 with tip. the chips are salsa are free and top notch. there are TONS of vegetarian options also. the waiters are friendly and funny and if you can speak spanish, they're even friendlier and funnier. it's worth coming just to see their serving skills. i sure couldn't carry ten plates of hot food stacked from my wrist to my shoulder or six huge beers at once. ps - the guacamole is terrible, don't waste your money.
(5)Michael P.
Simply put, Monterrey's has good cheap Mexican food. Great place to go to when you're jonesing for some Mexican food and want to spend less than $10. The staff is probably the biggest strength of the place, as they're incredibly attentive with chip and drink refills. They definitely work for those tips.
(4)Toshi T.
Great friendly atmosphere with good quality, tasty food. Menu selection is very large, with the usual selection of Tex-Mex dishes. One dish to recommend is the two person fajita. As other reviewers mention, the service is friendly and speedy.
(4)Cody S.
Something about it just keeps me coming back weekly for 5+ years. The food is good and most of the time you can get a table pretty quickly. The portions are quite large and CHEAP!. definitely good if you are on a college budget. free chips too!
(4)Brandy D.
Cheap lunch specials, decent Mexican food, sometimes quite crowded, lost one star because the servers like to flirt with every woman that walks in the door...
(4)Portia H.
Went went here last night, Sunday night approx 8:50 PM and the place closes at 9PM. There were many things on the menu. It took us a while to decide. The business was nice about letting us take our time to order. I would like to see fewer good things on the menu and better quality. We ordered the chicken quesadillas (2), shrimp & steak fajitas, and chore quaso dip. The chicken quesadillas were meh in my opinion. Luis liked them. The shrimp & steak fajitas were well cooked. The sauteed onions, green peppers, and tomatoes were cooked nicely. The steak tasted good when dipped into the delicious tomato sauce. The shrimp was meh. They only gave us (4) very small flour tortillas for the fajitas for (2). By the time we picked got home they were all stuck together. We could not pry them apart. In Texas they always give so many flour tortillas w/ our Mexican take out meals that we wonder who is going to eat all of them. By the time we go home some of the fajita juice and chore quaso dip had spilled out into the bag. Just be wary of this. You may want to take your own Tupperware if your getting take out and have to drive a bit and wanna protect your car. The side items of the fajitas: guacamole, sour cream, rice a roni, and lettuce were not worth opening the foil container. The (2) small bas of nacho chips that came w/ this meal left a lot to be desired. The were bland. We only have another (2) days to be here so we wont be back. We fed (3) people for $22.00 so that was good.
(2)Owen H.
Great casual Mexican place. Friendly atmosphere, the waitstaff are funny and fast too. Lots of options, all the standard Mexican fare plus seafood fillings too, salsa was a little mild but still flavorful.
(4)Adrienne E.
I actually appreciate the food at Monterrey enough to have ordered take-out from there at one point, so while I understand that it's not totally authentic, I do think it's pretty tasty. I usually just get the chicken quesadilla, but they do also have pretty good tacos carnitas. The drinks are huge and cheap, whether it's margaritas or beer. I don't love the layout - the tables are way too close together, and it gets very loud on busy nights. Service is always, always friendly, regardless of crowd size.
(4)Henry S.
Monterrey is the perfect place to go if looking for a strong margarita, but not necessarily the best food. It's nothing terrible, but it isn't anything outstanding either. Special requests are typically not accepted, and attempting to communicate with the staff can get frustrating on a busy night. The queso dip here is delicious though, and I highly recommend it in addition to the salsa served with their chips. Oh, and order the margarita 'Texas' and the server will put extra Tequila in it for a better time.
(3)Chris P.
Pretty good Mexican food here
(3)Leah P.
We love this place. They call you "my friends" as soon as you walk in! The fajitas are flavorful and the veggies are fresh. Strong (good) margaritas.
(4)Ryan S.
Looking for a quick Mexican fix, we happened by here the other day, and were very pleasantly surprised. Salsa = 4. Good quality ingredients, good heat (though it could have been a touch hotter). Entrees = 4. Excellent selection, and the two we ordered (Camarones Monterrey, Camarones de la Diabla) were quite tasty. Margaritas = 3.5. Good, but not great. Service = 5. Maybe a side effect of the arriving on a Saturday when they were fully staffed, but before the crowd came in. Incredibly speedy and friendly.
(4)Ian R.
Forget La hacienda or any of the other Mexican places in Chapel Hill this one is the best. Huge portions, all the chips you can handle and huge beers. Gigantic, bigger than your head, in frosted mugs. If you can eat the chips, an entree and finish two of those beers then you are a better man than I am (even if you are a lady).
(5)