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2 people, 1 restaurant, 25 bucks
Meals for people with big appetites and small wallets
Meals for people with big appetites and small wallets
A fan of the affordable Monte Alban Mexican Grill on East Ridge Road in Irondequoit — named after an archaeological site in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca — I invited my friend Jean to the restaurant's newly opened, cavernous second location in Webster.
The mood
The outside is nondescript and blends in with the strip malls and offices along Empire Boulevard, but the inside has a distinct south-of-the-border feel, with pottery displays, textured walls in gold and blue hues and festive music (which started playing halfway through our visit). The oversized and roomy booths are muy comfortable.
The food
Within minutes we were snacking on warm, thin homemade chips served with a spicy salsa. (The top of the restaurant's Web site assures customers that "Not all Mexican food is hot!" but you wouldn't know it from this first impression.)
We got our food in less than five minutes. Jean and I split the Pancho's Special ($8.49), a weekday lunch special. Paper-thin, separately wrapped tortillas were delivered in tinfoil before the main plate arrived, filled with well-seasoned chicken, shrimp, grilled onions, shredded cheese, rice, refried beans and guacamole salad. I put a little of everything in each of my wraps, and boy, were my taste buds happy.
Less impressive was the Quesadillas "Lite" Veggie ($6.99), served with one cheese-and-mushroom quesadilla, one cheese-and-spinach quesadilla, and (another honking mound of) refried beans.
The tortillas were crisp, but the cheese-and-spinach combo was salty and greasy, and the cheese-and-mushroom version tasted like canned cream of mushroom soup. Nevertheless, with the restaurant's track record and 100-plus dishes on the menu — appetizers, salads, fajitas, tacos, seafood, combination platters, vegetarian meals and house specials — I'll be back for more.
A sweet parting gesture: Peppermint Lifesavers came with the check.
The drinks
Soft drinks, iced tea, lemonade and coffee are $1.99 and come with free refills. Juices and milk are $2.25. Nonalcoholic daiquiris (in such flavors as pina colada and strawberry) are $3.99. We had water, which our server faithfully kept pouring.
The damage: $20.22
Next time ... Enchiladas Supremas ($8.99), which comes with four enchiladas — shredded chicken, ground beef, bean and cheese — topped with cheese, enchilada sauce, lettuce, tomato and sour cream.
