Monterrey's

Monterrey's
Location: 436 E Martintown Rd.
North Augusta, SC
(803)441-0000
Specialty Restaurant: Tex-Mex
Food 2.5/5
Staff 4/5
Cleanliness 5/5
Price 4/5
Ambiance 3/5
Overall Rating: 18.5/25

I classify all "Mexican" restaurants in the Augusta area as "Tex-Mex". As a close Mexican friend of mine pointed out, actual Mexican food is not what we think of here in the states. Taco Bell has about as much grip on true Mexican cuisine as Kentuky Fried Chicken has a true hold on sushi. Still, as far as Tex-Mex is concerned, Monterrey's holds the top rung of their specialty.
To the management of Monterrey's: DON'T get too excited! Its not too difficult to be at the top in your specialty, and you still have a lot of room for improvement.
Okay, let's start with the food. I once had authentic tortilla chips made fresh, I longed for them at the beginning of our meal. Their salsa is delicious, but they were difficult to enjoy since the chips are obviously from a bag from the supermarket. We got our additional appetizer of queso cheese on the side. The cheese was good, but ordinary, so much opportunity is wasted there. With some very cheap additonal ingredients, queso can be made more exciting. I ordered the "Burrito Grande", a big burrito of beef, chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, avacado, and topped with cheese and red salsa (I asked for the green salsa, they messed it up). I took some of the burrito apart, eating it ingredient by ingredient. The vegetables could have been fresher, even though they did look nice, they lacked that certain crisp that you expect. The chicken was as bland as any number of styrofoams that one could imagine. The beef, however, was the saving point on this dish, it was outstanding!
As far as the service is concerned at Monterray's, they are friendly and clean in appearance. However, they won't ask you about dessert and evidently, they have trouble hearing the word's "green salsa, please".
The restaraunt is very, very clean. A wonderful point about this place is that they have NO carpet in the dining room. A kitchen that can be seen into is clean. Even the mirrors that line the walls are clean. I trust this place and if there is nothing else good about Monterrey's, I don't feel affraid to enjoy a meal here.
The menu offers something for every budget, which is nice.
There is a very nice looking and centrally located bar in the center of the restarunt.
Overall, I'd have to say, that if you absolutely have to eat Tex-Mex in Augusta's area, do so at one of three Moneterrey's Mexican Restaurant locations.
4018 Washington Rd Augusta, GA (706)855-9949
4352 Washington Rd Evans, GA (706)228-3645
436 E Martintown Rd North Augusta, SC (803)441-0000 *the one I reviewed.