05/11/09

untrained staff

by marie63

The Monte Carlo's owner is one of the biggest exploiters of the local Latino community as laborers and it shows in both the food and the service. The ways that his workers are exploited and abused are too numerous to mention. When the restaurant first opened J. R. had an amazing staff of real cooks. In the last few years he has tapped into the local immigrant community as a cheap labor source and he does not train his kitchen staff properly.

I have not had a good meal at the Monte Carlo in over five years. It is apparent that his staff is controlled by fear as the staff are almost never willing (or able) to go outside of the paramaters of their standard service policies. Would it be too harrd for them to stuff an olive for their signature martini's?

Please do not patronize this business if you have a respect for any restaurant workers in the community. One cannot expect good, safe food or service when a house is staffed with workers that are marginalized, belittled and maligned at every turn.

How I miss the decent hamburgers and entrees, the fresh produce and happy atmosphere.

I have never worked for the Monte Carlo and am not in the food service industry. I work in the field of social justice and urge all restaurant patrons to do a little research about a restaurant beyond what's on th emenu and where one can park.

IT"S NOT WORTH IT!

• Pros: valet parking
• Cons: bad service

02/27/09

One of our Minneapolis favorites!

by AlliFly

Monte Carlo has been and continues to be one of our favorite restaurants in Minneapolis. To start, the free valet parking is great - never having to worry about parking is great. The bar is classicly cool and a definite draw. The restaurant itself has a very old school vibe from the high ceilings and wallpaper down to the waitress uniforms. But most importantly the food always delivers. I have never in 11 years of going to Monte Carlo had a bad experience which is saying something because we go here about 6-10 times a year. The panko fried shrimp is yummy, steak is good, Charlie's Kitchen steak sandwich is excellent, and don't miss the Szechuan Green Beans - the best!

• Pros: Parking, Service, Ambience

01/29/09

boring!

by hage0269

Serves up decent food (steaks, chops, etc) but this place is boring. I like the late night sandwich as well as the cocktails. Nothing else jumps at me except for the horrid wall paper. This is a good place for an older couple or someone in the neighborhood who doesn't want to go out too far.

01/11/09

Par for the Course

by 41456

The ambience was hostile and pompous; prices snobbishly expensive, like the old saying the fish rots from the head down. That is exactly what my salmon tasted like-a post spawn salmon netted from Lake Superior Rivers by cheap indiginous labor.

I wouldn't put it past the proprietor to haggle with indiginous people to make a margin.

The place has no authenticity to it - comes across as a limosine liberal est.

Another sheeple money stealing establishment.

• Pros: Nice brick building
• Cons: fish of poor quality

07/26/08

Cold & Stale

by Yamahahaha

I've been going to the MC for about 12yrs and have usually had good food. but the last 3 times they have'nt made the cut. We thought we would get a good sandwich for lunch today. We were willing but the Monte Carlo wasn't listening to it's customers. The service was prompt and friendly but the food was 50%.

I had the Rueben which was ok but my wife asked for the BLT vegetarian style( that's no meat but add some more cheese and a slice of avacado)

When her food came, the croissant was stale and it had 1 slice of american plastic cheese, lettuce, and nothing else! no tomato, nothing! for $10.95.

I can't say our waitress took charge of this problem because she took the plate away and when she brought it back the fries were cold as well.

Monte Carlo! Wake up! Even your long term customers are seeing the cracks in the dam.

Get your kitchen staff trained to take responsibility for the food and the customer experience.

04/22/08

NOT highly recommended

by auom

I will never go to this place! I haven't tried the food or been inside, but I have first hand experience with the owner of this restaurant. Recently my co-workers and I were yelled at by the owner because we accidentally sat on his patio. What happened was my co-workers and I bought our lunch from a deli nearby and was going to go inside to Dunn's Brother and buy some coffee and eat our lunch outside. We sat down on a patio that we thought belonged to Dunn Bros and I went inside to get our coffee. However, when I got inside a man starting talking to me very rudely about how we?re not allowed to sit on the patio. After he told me he was the owner, he said that I should go tell my friends to leave before they got too settled and start to eat their lunch. I explained to him that I thought the patio belonged to Dunn Bros because it was located right behind their building, but he didn't care for my explanation. He basically told us to get our stuff and leave his property. It wouldn?t have been so bad if he wasn?t so rude and mean about us accidentally sitting in his patio. So I?m thinking if the owner is this rude and inconsiderate of others, how will his staff be and how will he treat the customers?

• Pros: NONE
• Cons: The owner

03/02/08

Worthwhile and boring, at the same time

by c197933

I don't know what to write about this place. It's a worthwhile meal, has an ok atmosphere, good service but...it's just lacking. I think the decor is boring, outdated but the atmosphere is ok. The food is good, moderately priced but needs to be fine tuned. I know that sounds completely contradictive; however, go and you will see what I'm writing about. Additionally, I feel like they should change the menu up every now/again. I think they should change to serving dry aged beef. I think they should prepare different bread and infuse the butter. I think the baked potato should be crusted with kosher salt. Bottom line, a decent dinner but don't anticipate a WOW meal.

• Pros: Complimentary Valet, Club atmosphere, good drinks, brunch, server uniforms
• Cons: BORING, bland, never changing menu, decor

03/12/07

Great food and service.

by cwsulzer

We enjoyed our recent dinner. The service was great and balanced so we could have a relaxed pre-meal drink and talk. The no hurry approach worked for us. The dinners were very good. The wine selection, by the glass, was more than sufficient to meet the dinner. I recommend Monte Carlo for price and value.

• Pros: Good food and service.

12/23/06

Friendly and good food

by betsi100

This is a very friendly bar with a lot of interesting people. You can sit at the bar alone without feeling weird. The bartenders are cordial and provide great service. And the burgers are fantasic!

In true bistro spirit, the mood here is inviting and old-fashioned, while the cuisine is rustic, savory and generous.

by Contributor

In Short
Clubby and boisterous, casually elegant and comfortable, this historic workingman's bar and cafe is a real piece of Minneapolis. The first thing you see is the magnificent copper-topped bar, with bottles stacked to the pressed-tin ceiling. Framed photographs of TC notables cover the walls. Beyond the bar, the long and narrow dining room features cushy burgundy booths and linen-draped tables. Satisfying, down-to-earth cooking warms the heart: Liver and onions and crispy, golden fried chicken.