Monte Carlo Steak House

Dig this place. The atmosphere, the ambience, the food, all good.

Okay, Monte Carlo is where you get a Potato with your steak, or some onion rings, fried mushrooms or fried zuchini. There are no «spring greens» in the salad, no kale, no chicpeas and I suspect the dressing is actually spelled B-​L-​U-​E Cheeze.
But Dayam! Does this place have three things I really like in a steak house; 1) GOOD Steaks! 2) Great Atmosphere! 3) Reasonable prices.
We almost always sit at the bar for two reasons; a) faster beer refills for me, b) it’s just fun chatting with the bartenders as they crank out drinks for the other Bar Patrons and all the wait staff and still have time to crack wise with each other and the rest of us at the bar.
And you KNOW there are some «deals» being made in the main restaurant! There HAVE to be! Look at all those deep, dimly lit red Naugahyde booths!

Dropped in today for lunch with my wife after an awesome visit at the Planetarium. Was very disappointed with the fried mushrooms and zucchini as they were of the pre-​made frozen type and just fried up. Was underwhelming to say the least. My wife had the Monte Carlo burger and I had the Loius sliced steak sandwich both with fries. The fries were excellent as the tasted like fresh cut and crispy. The meat here is the star of the show with out a doubt. Cooked correctly, fresh, seasoned perfect, hot and mouth watering! This is a solid place to get glorious protein! Presentation quality and execution of the appetizers needs some work as does their idea of what melted cheese is. Next visit we will try the steaks as this is a steakhouse!

Insanely good green chile cheeseburger. That’s all I can say. As an out of towner this place was recommended, the burger specifically, and so I decided to give it a try. Driving up to it I wasn’t sure what to make of the liquor store in front, but the food was delicious. The best burger I’ve ever eaten.

We saw the segment from Diners, Drive-​Ins, and Dives, so on the way to the airport in Albuquerque, hubby and I stopped in. Not disappointed! Our waitress Ambra was attentive, bubbly, and personable. The pork kabob was as good as Guy raved about. And the ribeye was cooked to perfection and melted in our mouths. We both got French fries, handcut, crispy not greasy outside and tender on the inside. This place is full of regulars so that should speak volumes! The waitresses knew most everyone! Honestly, I’m doing the review so I’ll remember the places name if I’m ever back in Albuquerque. I want to try the Greek plate next time. Trust me, a must stop!

Fell in love with this place. Food was great and Lisa Marie our server was absolutely the best. She was very attentive and her personality added to the dining experience

There’s a certain kind of steakhouse that has a delightfully anachronistic quality – dark, red booths, carpet, wait staff that has certainly been there a long time. These steakhouses tend to be harder and harder to find – people tend to like chophouses that are flashier, with a younger, hipper feel to it. There’s usually a menu full of overpriced cocktails and fusion-​y appetizers that are sometimes delicious and sometimes not. Monte Carlo is not young or hip – but it’s wonderful.
The place was crowded but we were seated very quickly, and the first thing we noticed is the sort of «everyone» quality. Frontier has it, too. When you go to the Frontier, you notice that there’s college students, surgeons from UNMH, and everyone in between. This is similar. The clientele looks like a lot of regulars from all over Albuquerque, which is nice. It’s not a tourist trap, nor is it a place to see and be seen. Our waitress greeted us quickly, and got our order (two NY strips and a shrimp cocktail) going. The salads came right away. Yes, they’re iceberg. They’re also good. I tried the Greek dressing, which was a creamy, buttermilk based one with big chunks of feta. Yum. My partner had the bleu cheese and he loved it. One word of caution – my companion wanted the prime rib but they do sell out of it. The server said it’s usually gone by 6.30 or so. No big deal. The shrimp cocktail was delicious, and if I’m not mistaken, the cocktail sauce is made in-​house (or at least, the horseradish is grated in-​house). It’s spicy, sweet, and delicious.
Our steaks came and they were perfect. The people on the grills obviously know what they’re doing. Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, with delicious flavor. The steaks come with either fries or baked potatoes. I got the fries, and those were delicious, as well, and hand-​cut. Partner got the potato. I usually dislike baked potatoes in restaurants because they’re often undercooked and mealy – this was fluffy, delicious and starchy. I’ll get the baked potato next time for sure. We both finished our steaks (14oz strips!) and left happy. It’s also worth mentioning that the price is very reasonable, also. I don’t think I could have bought and prepared steaks that good myself for what they charged, so we both thought it was a really good deal.
The atmosphere is definitely my jam – I love dark, old-​school holes in the wall. Service was polite, efficient and friendly. Food – delicious, and prices are reasonable. I expect we’ll be back again and again. =)

I don’t like to write a bad review but after living in ABQ for 25 years, we finally decided to try Monte Carlo’s since Paul’s Monterey (a favorite of ours) has closed. Our waitress brought us our entrée before we had received our salads. I mentioned this and she said «I didn’t, well let me put your meals on a warmer». Of course I told her that would not be acceptable and that we want fresh steaks. I ordered the 10 oz ribeye medium well and expected a smaller thick cut of juicy delicious steak. What I got was something that looked like a thin flank steak that was well done and maybe 1/​8^th” thin. Because we had a concert to go to I did not send it back. My husband’s prime rib was over done and the smallest he has ever had. Over all it was a very disappointing meal! This was our first and last trip to Monte Carlo.

The food was good but not great. The price is right. I enjoyed the old atmosphere in a liquor store. Service was good.

My two other college friends and I were heading to Arizona and heard (from Unilocal) that this was a great place, and we weren’t disappointed! Great food and such nice and «on-​top of things» waitresses! Great place and nice atmosphere!

Great food all around! Yes it’s behind a liquor store and yes the décor is dated but baaaaby the steaks are delicious!!! A must when going thought Albuquerque!

This place was on triple Ds and Guy raved about it. I’ve been before and it’s pretty much a dive with pretty good food. I got the 10 oz Rib Eye for 16.95, but I should’ve splurged and got the 14 oz NY. Strip for 19.95. That was the special. I had a bit of food envy watching my friend eat his. My steak was cooked a little well done for me — I ordered med rare and it was closer to med well. The quality of the steak was excellent so it was edible. The service was very good. May not be a first date night place, but a good place to kick back and have a couple of cold beers and great steak.

This place is as advertised… Looks like a dive from the outside. But holy crap!!! One of the best steak dinners I’ve ever had. The special was a 14oz New York strip with salad and baked potato for 19.95… SAY WHAT… This joint has been on food networks DDD show and deserves the mention and then some. Keep it up! Also great service and very friendly liquor store staff in front. Yes, that’s right, it’s in the same building as a liquor store. Lol!

Even though the outside of the place looks rough the food is amazing. They may have the best prime rib in town. It’s been a favorite of mine for years.

This place is EXCELLENT! Best steak I’ve ever had at a restaurant! Service was wonderful, they have a great selection of wine and beer, just awesome! Don’t let the fact that they are attached to a liquor store sway you, look past the rough exterior to find the gem within, you won’t regret it!

Excellent New York strip, excellent service (thanks Sheila) and beer do I need to say more. We have been going here for the last 25 years and still one of our favorite places to eat.

The location of this place is typical Buerquenó. It’s on the backside of a liquor store! But don’t let that, or the funky décor inside deter you. This place makes good drinks, but the steaks are fantastic. Big, flavorful, and juicy steaks accompanied by Greek sides? And it’s just a short drive from Old Town. How can you go wrong? It’s places like this that add something unique to our funky town.

Delicious burger and great steak. The prices are very good! The service is always good and servers are always very friendly. Love the atmosphere. This is definitely a place you want to try!

This is in the kind of random, odd location that makes it 100% unique and memorable. A steakhouse in the back of a liquor store? Sure, why not! This IS Albuquerque, after all.
Monte Carlo isn’t a fancy shmancy place. Steak that taste good. Simple sides like baked potatoes and veggies. Bread. Appetizers such as fried mushrooms. The steaks are hand cut and cooked to order. I’ve mever had a steak arrive any way other than how I ordered it.
It’s dark inside, the tables are pretty close together, and it’s never less than packed in the evenings. All of these things are what makes this place awesome. It’s stuck in the 70s and no one cares.

If your looking for a generic corporate steakhouse like Ruth Chris’ or Sullivan’s you can skip the Monte Carlo. If you want a quintessential Albuquerque experience, great food and old school red vinyl booths this is your place! I enjoyed my bacon wrapped filet at the bar, topped with onions and green chili. The bartender was friendly and the cocktails were excellent! Be sure to check out the velvet Elvis painting on the wall before you leave.
A real gem, that’s not to be missed!

Best steaks in Burque! This is our favorite place to enjoy a good streak, perfectly grilled and the flavors… every bite you have to savor. The ribeyes are fantastic as well as the prime rib! The food and service consistent every time. The place is eclectic and nostalgic, been coming here since childhood and it hasn’t changed… it’s like walking into a time warp… have been here countless times. Our recent visit our server Shelby was awesome, great service, wish other places could do the same. We got our order in quickly, no wait. Very enjoyable dinner!

My in-​laws recommended the Monte Carlo for lunch yesterday. They raved about their delicious prime rib. We walked into the Monte Carlo and get like we were walking back in time. While it very much is and looks like a dive, I was extremely impressed with the quality of food. Little did we know that Monte Carlo was featured on Diners, Drive-​ins and Dives!
Our entire table was disappointed to find out that the prime rib was only available after 5pm. So, we all ordered the 10oz ribeye steak (medium rare). My hubby and I chose the fresh cut fries and my in-​laws chose the baked potato. Our meals came with a house salad.
I was impressed with our steak. It came out perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The fresh cut fries were delicious and they gave us a good portion. I couldn’t believe that I cleaned my plate. There was so much food, but I couldn’t stop eating.
The only reason why this is not a 5-​star review is because of our server. We constantly needed refills on our drinks and she was rarely present.
All in all, we will definitely be back (hopefully for the prime rib) next time we are in Albuquerque!

Beyond our expectations, this steak house in the back of a liquor store!
Food was GREAT! Prime rib perfectly cooked as was rib eye steaks and pork chops. Greek salad fresh and crisp. Baked potato was a true BAKED potato served hot just as ordered. Our server Sheila was quite possibly the best we’ve ever had in our many travels. She was honest and accommodated each of our special requests cheerfully. What a gem we found in this place! Thank you Food Network!

I don’t know why people leave bad reviews but the rib eye I had was cooked perfectly. I think people who can only eat meat well done and are used to fast food quality complain. It’s never good to have steak well done anyways. Everyone who works there is nice and attentive even it gets pretty busy. (I was here on Tuesday.) The whole restaurant is retro and it feels like you are back in the 60’s or 70’s. We will be back when we come back to Albuquerque :)

Good steaks, and yummy appetizers. I like the zucchini in particular. The staff is nice. The place is kind of a dive, but don’t let that fool you. Not really a good place to bring kids. They don’t have a kids menu or kids cups.

Best food. The flavor explodes in your mouth. Love the burger with fresh onion, tomato and lettuce. The fries are great also. Yummy.

Unless this place is writing their own reviews, we really must be the odd men out here? WTH?! This place SERIOUSLY sucked! We only ate there because of Diners Drive Inns & Dives featured it and, man did we regret every second/​penny of it!
First, the steaks were minuscule, dry and tough, at best. The salad was literally only a few pieces of lettuce and a TINY sliver of tomato. The fries were limp and greasy and, the staff literally came off as, «stuck up.» Also, the place was honestly a dump!
A true measure of any restaurant is their restrooms. Check those out. I dare you! In fact, we darn near walked out the second we laid eyes on it! [so, so, so freaking sorry we didn’t!]
What’s more, there wasn’t one table they could sit us at as it was more of their rush hour. But, we understood. However, we did see one large booth both empty and available. Like normal folks, we politely requested it. The waitress sharply barked at us, «No! That’s the owners table!» And, then she went on to leer at us as though we were three quarters stupid for even thinking to ask! WTH?! Seriously?!
I’ll tell you, few restaurants have left us livid by the time we’ve paid. This was CERTAINLY one of them! But, I suppose we’re actually the ones to blame here. You know, for not just walking the hell out of there immediately once we saw the conditions and recognized our dismissive treatment. But again, we were slightly stoked about the feature on DD&D and, we really wanted to give it a chance.
Lastly, I’ll say this. Never once has ANY business I’ve EVER left a derogatory critique for on Unilocal — sent in others to verbally attack me. But, this one certainty did. Look fellas, I’m sorry your establishment, staff and food sucked. But, I will not apologize for speaking the truth. So, quit sending in your minions to intimidate me and attempt to alter an honest critique. I will not sway. Regardless of how hostile and venomous the boys you send in can get.

So yes, this place is a little dive, it’s old, it’s dark, it has a liquor store attached but this is one of my favorite places for a few reasons…
The staff is always very friendly. Even when other guests aren’t so nice, even when there’s an issue with your food and even when they’re crazy busy.
I can choose a bottle of wine in the liquor store and have it corked and brought to me at my table and take the rest home if I don’t finish it. Plus, they have a full bar.
The french fries are made fresh and they are beyond good.
The prices are great! There are some things on the menu that are a little pricey but I get a 10oz. sirloin with salad and a side for $ 12-​$ 13!
Definitely worth the try but stay away from Friday and Saturday nights, the wait can get a little long.

This little «diamond in the rough» steakhouse is a gem! They offer incredible lunch weekly specials $ 7.95 people :) I have tried their burgers & fries, Greek Chicken, chicken fried steak, and of course their «Steaks» all were absolutely fantastic, along with the sweetest waitstaff which Im assuming who have been with Monte Carlo for years~~~ extremely friendly, attentive & always inviting waitstaff. This is a busy lunch spot with alot of working class (blue & white) that come together for the quick, delicious and no thrills and very affordable lunch! I have yet to dine for dinner but if you can get a steak for under $ 40 that’s a steal in my world! I look forward to a casual relaxing evening of steak at Monte Carlo :)
Monte Carlo has been around for years they dont need a remodel, they just need to tidy up the place a little bit, the awesome outdated décor is «Fabulous» that’s what this diamond steakhouse represents «Old School feel Steakhouse» putting out stellar food’
Monte Carlo is a national Landmark, you dont change what’s been working all these years!

I was thinking about passing up on this place mostly due to the valid Unilocal reviews. I went to complete my perfect score of Diners Drive ins and dives restaurants in Albuquerque. After a read through the uninspired menu I decided on the Louie Special sandwich. Tough overcooked sliced beef with caramelized onions on a soft bun with sliced American cheese. Freaking yucky! Greasy and dried out at the same time. It needed catsup and A1 but it still sucked. The fries weren’t horrible but it’s really hard to mess up fried potatoes.
The dining room is dirty and gritty and dated. It may have been cool in the 1940’s but it’s gross today, Just like the carpet.
The waitress was a sweetheart.
It’s up to you to decide if the place is good. The reviews on this place are all over the map. My opinion is this place is a dump.

Found a saltine wrapper in my salad. Evidence that they don’t wash the salad bowls after each use or the salad making station is next to the trash?
Steak and fries were good. Baked potato was very good.

I don’t frequent steakhouses, but I do know good steak! Monte Carlo was one of my favorite stops in Albuquerque. Let me just start by saying that this ambience, as some reviewers have mentioned, is practically non-​existent in the Southwest these days. It’s a low-​brow social situation, with high-​brow foods to create a lasting impression.
«Old School,» I thought at first, and then I thought, «Where’s my cigar?». Monte Carlo has aged as gracefully as the wines they serve. I think the bar is a nice component to the feel overall. I can just imagine watching a game, enjoying a drink, and having some of their amazing appetizers; instantly I am taken to my happy place!
Picture frames of autographs, celebrities, memories, and local recognitions. Something about Monte Carlo is nostalgic, so is the charm that makes it a great place to dine either as a family or on a date.
I loved the old timing feel, the roundabout booths, the friendly servers and the to-​die-​for New York strip — one of the best I’ve had… Ever. I loved the fries with the food, the abundant fried battered mushrooms (ugh, so damn good!), and the entire meal altogether… A sweet Arnold Palmer to sip up along the way. So much food, so generous with portions.
On a Friday night, it was somewhat of a longer wait, like 30+ minutes but the food was out fast and it was all worth it. I cannot wait to be back. Overall, this place is on point.