Monte Carlo Bar & Cafe

I agree with the other reviews that the food may have been good once, but low priced kitchen help is ruining it. The night we went the service was so slow, Over 2 hours and we had to ask for our check. A raw Plaza burger was sent back to get cooked and came back the same burger with bites out of it cooked a little more. Your guess if the grill or microwave was cleaned after that. more

Love Monte Carlo! Great atmosphere. My parents brought me here as a teen and I still frequent here as an adult! Best menu items are their chicken wings on the appetizer list and their potato salad! Cons: N/A - Haven't found a con yet! more

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. Pros: valet parking Cons: bad service more

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 more

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. more

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. Pros: Nice brick building Cons: fish of poor quality more

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%. more

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? Cons: The owner more

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 more

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. more

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! more

While the food is great at Monte Carlo, service is the key for me and it was not there on my last visit. Our server was very rude and did nothing to go out of her way to make recommendations, or offer ANY communication at all. It was not my first time at the restaurant, but if the srevice remains this way, it will be one of the last. Pros: Atmosphere Cons: Service more

The Monte Carlo is a wonderful resturant, with a great bar, great food (the cajun pork chops were very yummy as was the bread pudding and the ceasar salad) and great atmosphere. I went to this resturant because the martinis were recommeded and I am a big vodka lover. I had Effin, straigt up, and I like how they serve a big martini. The only problem, and this was big, is that the waitress refused to provide blue cheese stuffed olives - an absolute must for a good martini. I asked her if they had blue cheese for the olives and she said ""No. I could bring you a side of blue cheese, but I WILL NOT STUFF THE OLIVES"" What the hell is that? So my martini was less than superb. But it did do its job. And the pork and bread pudding were indeed delicious. Pros: food, atmosphere, bar Cons: service more

My favorite breakfast spot on Sunday mornings is the Monte Carlo. Served family style, the eggs, sausage and canadian bacon are served hot and taste fresh. Excellent pumpernickel bread and fresh orange juice make it a great breakfast for the family and the exceptional ambiance creates a delightful experience for adults. Just as good as the food is the pricing. You won't break the bank. Pros: fresh, affordable, brunch more

By far, the best Martini Bar around. Go on Sunday's ask for Jim and enjoy sinful pleasure in his Espresso Martini or get a little Sassy with a DirtyGrrl Martini! more

Classic setting for warehouse district eats. The bar is visually appealing. The building detail is quite nostalgic. Food selections are mostly average midwestern with burgers, steaks and meatloaf present. There are attempts at greatness such as the poached salmon salad. However, the prices are a bit high ($8 for a burger, $9 for a meatloaf sandwich) in my opinion even though the food quality is above average. The poorest part of the meal is the inconsistent service. We were seated promptly, had drink and food orders taken immediately and then didn't see our server again for 15 minutes. We had to ask about our drinks and they arrived about the same time as our food. We couldn't find her again for drink refills or the check. This is a fun place to visit and have a good meal but it probably doesn't represent the best that Minneapolis has to offer. Pros: Appealing Bar, Dedicated Parking Lot, Nostalgic Setting Cons: Inconsistent Service, Slightly Steep Prices more

I hate because it reminds me of all the places I used love to go in NYC but seldom get to visit anymore. This place is stunning in its simplicity of appearance. Their magnificent bar makes you want to try one of everything on the shelf, which I believe is one of the largest in the country. The tin ceiling and straight forward layout is just like all the great hole-in-the-wall NYC is so well noted for. My favorite item is the Kitchen steak and order it everytime I go. The service is as good as any 4star restaurant in the TCs. Their valet parking is great too. During a very bad thunderstorm the attendent brought my car right around to the door and escorted me to it with an umbrella. This is a great place to see the movers and the shakers of the TCs. Pros: valet, consistantlygoodfood, fast service Cons: NONE!!!!!! more

We had a spectacular time. 12 of us spent the evening dining and drinking at the Monte Carlo for our anual holiday dinner and it couldn't have turned out better. Not only was the food and the atmosphere amazing but the service from the manager that day and the day after our visit will ensure a return visit. The prices were just right and the martinis left us smiling. I highly recomend the Monte Carlo for a entertaining evening with a close group of friends. Pros: Tailor to your needs, Great prices, Good for groups Cons: bad server dress, misheard drink orders more

Easily the best bar in the city! This place makes the best martinis and they aren't too expensive - I would recommend this to anyone. more