Cafe Monte

Would have loved to try this place out but we were turned away which is a complete first in my life! They said they were not taking walk-​ins but offered the bar which was empty. We said we would sit at the bar but then were told we couldn’t sit at the bar because we have a child. Why offer the bar when you see we have a child when it’s «against the law» to sit at the bar with one? We have sat at other restaurants at the bar before so I don’t know what’s different here. We are new to North Carolina so out of curiosity I asked what the different rules were regarding children since we have sat at other restaurant bars in North Carolina with our child with no problem and the manager was very defensive and rude. I have a feeling they just didn’t want a child occupying a seat that an adult could potentially sit at making the restaurant more revenue. Very disappointed.

Stopped in for dessert and coffee with a friend, as it was recommended to me by yet another friend.
Café Monte did not disappoint. Their dessert menu left me with a very hard decision as to what to choose!
My friend and I split a raspberry chocolate mousse torte (I hope I got the name close to being correct) and a fruit tart. They were both amazing.
Wonderful, friendly service. This place is GREAT!!!

Arrived Monday at 1245 pm, it was packed. Had shrimp and artichoke crêpe and chicken salad crosissant (sadly there were out of the short rib baguette as conveyed by our most apologetic server).Both lunch dishes were tasty, more than generous portions. Always feel you get your money’s worth at Monte’s. An added bonus was the arrival of Charlotte Panthers tight end Greg Olsen who was greeted with a mini standing ovation.

My wife and I came for restaurant week. I had the tuna steak with risotto, she had the sea scallops. We had peppermint gelatto and bread pudding for dessert. All of the food was amazing. Out experience was made even brighter by our wonderful server Lisa. The restaunt feels upscale but not stuffy or too formal. Overall, a wonderful experience!

Came back with 97 yr old dad for lunch. It was a risk as his tastes run to macaroni & cheese, pancakes and diner food. How would he react to French café atmosphere and food?
He liked it. Especially all the ladies that come in from shopping. Yes, somethings never die!
Ordered crepes, which he liked. Generous portion and we both like the rich, fresh coffee. A real treat and rare find in local restaurants. Service is excellent and just enough checking to refill coffee and to see if all is well without hovering.
Atmosphere is relaxing and comfortable.
Menu offers a nice mix of European/​French fare along with fairly well-​known meals.
A very nice place to have a relaxing meal. This could be and excellent and safe first date place. Ummmm.
Will be a regular over time.

SERVICE WAS GREAT!!!
My daughter and I went there for the first time the night before last. It was a pretty busy dinner crowd and we were greeted by two gentlemen at the front. As we did not have a reservation I fully expected to wait if necessary. The wait was brief and the décor was nice, along with the hustle of the crowed/​staff the place was alive. That seated us at a small round table that my daughter loved. It had a little European feel she said. We were greeted be a young lady named Rachel she was our server and she was fantastic, very attentive with an easy approach. We started with some escargot and charcuterie. The escargot was great however the charcuterie wasn’t my favorite. Not that it was bad I just found the pâté a little dry and they gave me cheddar cheese with it and the very firm sausage was cut way to thick almost impossible to chew. But the veggies were great. We then moved in to entrees I had the Beef Burgunion (sp)while my daughter had the Duck both were wonderful.
Now what really stood out in my experience was the all around service, you see before we where served but right after Rachel had taken our order it dawned on me that I had forgotten to request no mushrooms in my dish. So one of the gentlemen who sat us was walking by and I expressed the situation to him. He assured me that it would be no problem and walked to the back. What’s impressive there is that I’m sure the kitchen hadn’t gotten my order yet because I hadn’t even received my apps yet. So clearly the communication amongst the staff is stellar.
In my experience the food was very good and the service was great, I’ll defiantly be going back.

Wonderful evening! The atmosphere, service, food — all were outstanding. I had salmon. My date had veal shank. Everything was superb! The veggies, mashed potatoes — wonderful. And, the bread is amazing. Frankie was our server. Job well done!
I am looking forward to returning for breakfast!

I have eaten at Café Monte before and have enjoyed it thoroughly so I was surprised at what happened when I stopped in for lunch today. I was seated at the little bistro table next to the window and ignored. While waiting for up to 15 minutes without so much as a glass of water, I noticed that others that were seated after me had been given water menus and conversation by their waiter. I went up to the hostess to ask her why I was being ignored by the waitstaff. I had my jacket on and was ready to leave as there are numerous other restaurants in the area. The manager came over as I was leaving the restaurant and asked for a minute of my time. I explained why I was upset and why I was leaving. He said he wanted to make things right and offered to comp my lunch if I stayed. I went back to my table. The waitress came over and apologized for ignoring me. Apparently during the table assignments to the waitstaff my table was missed and no one was assigned to it. The manager brought my lunch over and apologized again and the hostess came over to the table and apologized as well. They made things right and turned a bad situation around. I left Jennifer a nice tip. I will return to Café Monte.
PS-​The chicken salad plate is fantastic, and their coffee, although not French press, is excellent.

My wife and I celebrated our 5^th anniversary this weekend. The ambience, staff and food made it a very memorable experience. It was extremely busy on Saturday, but we managed to find a place at the corner of the bar that was quiet and intimate.
We had several delicious small plates including a salad with strawberries, a cheese plate with a freshly baked baguette and the most amazing burger we’ve had. Our server even gave us complimentary glasses of champagne which accompanied our carrot cake. We would have tried the chocolate tart that looked amazing but it had already sold out.
We would definitely return and highly recommend this restaurant.

Great service, great atmosphere and good food. We kept it relatively simple but enjoyed our meals. My husband got the French country breakfast, which gives you a taste of everything, and as the waiter told us, is the most popular order. The wheat bread was nice and thick, whole grain and different than your typical store bought bread. I had the eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce was tasty and the poached eggs were perfectly delicious. I think the Canadian bacon could have been a tad crispier but still tasty. The English muffin could have been toasted more as well. The potato cake was unique and their spin on home fries; it was nice and crispy on the outside and softer on the inside. I didn’t even need any ketchup or sauce with it. I ordered the Americano and the waiter came back to fill it with regular coffee when I was done (complimentary), which I thought was a nice touch. Next time, have to try the beignets!

I try to do a monthly girl’s brunch with a group of friends from the Charlotte area. We rotate between restaurants. The only rules are that the restaurant must serve brunch, they must have booze (sadly, only after noon on Sundays — so much for separation of church & state…), and they must offer some kind of eggs Benedict.
After all, I believe the Latin translation for brunch is mimosas & eggs Benedict for all. Right??? I read that on the internet somewhere, it must be true.
We always make reservations so we don’t have to wait. We checked in but had to wait to be seated until our whole party was there. That’s fair, but I sometimes scowl because I want to ‘get started’ with a drink.
On this occasion, I opted for coffee instead of booze. The coffee was good & strong. I ran out and had to wait 5 minutes for a refill once, which frustrates me. Also, on this occasion they really weren’t that busy. There were a handful of open tables before 1PM. I found the service to be subar. Not terrible, but not on point. We frequently found ourselves looking around for the waiter when we needed refills or wanted to order.
My friends got different dishes, which I don’t recall… But I surely remember my order. I ordered the eggs Benedict. It’s a brunch staple, and really hard to mess up. It’s not something I make at home, so when I have the chance to order it, I do.
Oh man — it was AWFUL. Absolutely awful. I’ve had different ‘takes’ on Bennies before, and I’ve had them where the sauce was maybe runny, or too buttery… and I’ve also had them when the egg was grossly over or under-​cooked. I would have graciously taken any (or all) of those flubs over what I got.
The egg was cooked fine. The ham was fine. The bread wasn’t toasted fully, so it was mush. The sauce — OH MY, THAT SAUCE — was repulsive. It was thicker than most, but that wasn’t the biggest issue. It was SOUR. It was not only sour, but had God knows what in it. It arrived doused in the Bearnaise sauce, and even before tasting it I tried to scrape some off to no avail. Then I tasted it and it was disgusting. It was bitter, sour, and just plain nasty. I know some Bearnaise sauces (depending on recipes & taste) can be a little tart, but this was inexcusable. I tried to wipe off the egg & ham and eat them plain, just to get some protein and value out of the dish. I only succeeded at eating maybe one egg and some ham.
Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to tell the waiter this was terrible and request a different dish. But, the waiter never came back until long after everyone else was done. Someone else cleared our plates, and our bill was dropped off.
So after driving a good hour into the area to do brunch, and paying

The croissant and omelet were amazing! I got the smoked salmon, crab, lobster, tomato, and chives omelet with egg whites and it was very fresh and delicious. It comes with a choice of bread (I got a croissant… best choice!), fruit, and potatoes. My husband got the French toast, which I might get that next time because it was so good. Coffee is awesome too. I think we will definitely be back soon!

I knew I came to the right place with the crowd flowing in on a rainy Saturday afternoon. We were lucky enough to beat most of the crowd and immediately started off with the beignets. Light, flaky, warm — perfect snack as I debate the many options on the menu.
I ended up going with the short rib sandwich — the nasty weather left me wanting something warm and rich. This sandwich delivered; tender short rib bathing in provolone alongside sautéd mushrooms and onions with a garlic aioli, topped with arugula to cut through some of that richness.
Others at my table ordered the tuna melt, chicken salad, and BLT. All received top compliments.
Service exceeded my expectations, especially for the lunch hours. Our server knew the menu down to each ingredient and made great recommendations.
I am looking forward to trying the rest of the menu.

One of my greatest joys in life is eating and trying new restaurants. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get to Café Monte, but I finally did and stopped here twice in one week.
It’s a great atmosphere for Sunday brunch (off the menu) or to meet a colleague over coffee in South Park. The environment is nice, the service is attentive and friendly, and the coffee and food is great! The décor is very French and adorable. Although many people are dressed well because of the neighborhood it’s in, I also saw couples that were out for their morning walk or stroll around the neighborhood stop in wearing more casual wear; a place to stop in no matter what you are wearing.
They have a cute, casual bar area to grab coffee and a croissant, little café tables outside, or a large dining area with booth seating lining the walls or full tables. Great for small and large parties alike.
I ordered the Benedict Monte and it was very good. I could only eat half due to its richness in flavor, but that is French food for you. Unless you like that much rich taste, I would recommend ordering a couple items and sharing with your partner to give your taste buds a bit of variety.

This is such a cute brunch spot! I was craving some french toast and Café Monte was the closest place with decent ratings. I of course got the brioche french toast with a side of bacon. The french toast itself had 4 very huge and fluffy slices of brioche bread. It was airy and buttery and toasted just enough to get the crust hard, but soft in the middle. Very good for a simple french toast. I also got their coffee and it was delicious. It was a bit strong black, but with a little bit of milk it was perfect. I’ve noticed most of the customers are older ladies and I think the ambiance caters to that. Would love to come back and try an actual french dish.

2.5 stars
We came here for lunch one day after purchasing their LivingSocial deal. Café Monte is a cute little eatery with yummy sweet treats and some pretty serious savory eats. It was pretty packed for a weekday.
I love how they have incorporated smoked salmon into multiple dishes, yum! We sat down right away, I already knew I wanted the lobster crepes or the salmon Benedict. I ended up going with the lobster while the bf ordered the pepper and sausage pizza. The server was a little pushy on trying to get us to purchase drinks, sides and dessert. She wasn’t really my cup of tea as it was very obvious she wasn’t interested in LivingSocial customers.
Our food took a while to bring out and it was so hard to wait, we were starving. Finally we got our food, my boyfriend thought the pizza looked really weird with the peppers and sausage bunched in the middle instead of evenly distributed throughout. There was also no sauce! Me no likey. My crepes tasted really good but I was not particularly happy about the little bits of lobster shell hidden in my dish. I had to be careful not to crack a crown on a potential piece of shell. I ate my meal since I figured I would have to wait an eternity to get a new dish but had let the waitress know. She wasn’t too apologetic nor did she try to find a solution to my problem. I told her to let the chef know to be more careful preparing the shelled seafood from now on.
Hopefully my next experience is better. Beware of the lobster crepes!

We’ We’ Café Monte’
This place is amazing from the service to the ambiance to the food. The only reason I didn’t provide them with 5stars is because it’s ridiculous to charge $ 5 for a scoop of ice cream to accommodate a dish that is served hot and typically with ice cream in the perfect world (bread pudding).
We visited Café Monte for the first time during Queens Fest after riding past on a regular while visiting Whole Food. We were impressed with the staff upon arriving for our reservation and how nice they were and how quickly we were seated even though we were early.
The 3 course meal plus a glass of wine went as follows:
Salads: I had a tasty arugula salad with grilled peaches atop and my husband had a duck salad that he devoured
Main course: I had the scallop risotto and my hubby had the sword fish both were extremely tasty.
Dessert: we both had the bread pudding which was amazing and even better with the ice cream that cost $ 5 for one scoop to share (Really).
The wine was tasty as well we were given the house Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir .
Overall we will give them another try and not order ice cream unless it’s included with the dessert (-;

Enter this bustling corner restaurant decorated in the theme of a French bistro and you will immediately be greeted by the lively music and friendly staff. If you are dining on a weekend you will most likely also be greeted a rather noisy establishment. The ambiance is usually mellow during the week if you are looking for a casual atmosphere.
If you are ordering wine I strongly recommend the La Posta Malbec. Why strongly? I don’t like Malbec and my boyfriend doesn’t like Malbec but one sip of my sister’s glass was enough for us both to order our own glass.
Ever since the first time we ordered the four cheese fondue we decided to keep it as a staple item for our visits. The cheese has a delicious sharp undertone and the fondue is full of more cheese than will be absorbed by the bread they bring with it. They never seem to bring enough bread with it but we save the tableside bread they bring with dinner service to gluttonously leave no bite of cheese behind.
My previous favorite was the seared scallops over mushroom risotto but has since been replaced by the Beef Short Rib Bourguignonne which was phenomenal with a hearty cut of beef so tender no knife was needed. I will definitely be ordering this again!
This restaurant was close to a 5 star review but unfortunately on our last visit the beignets that I had absolutely raved over during a brunch visit came out as a burnt dessert. Hopefully on our next visit I will be able to update my review after a perfect dinner service.

Tres Bien!
Hopefully that’s right… I’m brushing off my high school French classes… so forgive me in advance.
I’d had this place on my radar for a while. And since I finally had a few days off I decided to give them a try. I’m sooooo glad I did!
The atmosphere is adorable. I loved the decorations and flowers on the tables, it truly makes you feel a bit fancy.
I stopped in for lunch and started with a bellini. That thing was delightful. It packed just the right amount of flavor and liquor and I could have helped myself to a few more. For my meal I went with a classic the croque-​monsiuer. It’s basically a ham and cheese sandwich on steroids… because it’s got so much extra goodness! There’s crispy bread, it’s stuffed with ham and cheese and then topped and baked with guyere cheese on top… OMG…seriously I can’t tell you how good this sandwich was. I enjoyed every bite! It comes with a side of fries, they weren’t my personal favorite a little too «crispy» (burnt) but if cooked a little less they’d probably have tasted a little better. But they certainly didn’t take anything away from how tasty that damn sandwich was!
I figured why not go all the way out and splurge on dessert… so I ordered the beignets. And I did not regret my decision at all. They were by far some of the best I’ve ever had. My goodness. Basically it was hot sugary goodness in a basket… trust me you will want to give these a try. They are absolutely worth it.
I’m ready to go back, I want to try their brunch and other sandwiches and entrees… and I will make it a point to get the beignets EVERY time I’m here.

First time here with both my wife *and* my daughter. Smiles and enjoyment all around!
Yes, Sunday brunch on a sunny day is going to be busy and we were waiting for every one of the twenty minutes that the hostess said it would be. No fault there.
We started off with a plate of beignets, which had the required heavy dusting of powdered sugar and also a small pot of strawberry jam for dipping/​scraping. Very hot and very tasty. A nice starter while you look over the menu.
For mains, we each went with omelets or the crabcake benedict. Each was a good portion with plenty of filling and lots of hollandaise on the benedict. The hashbrown potato casserole was very yummt and the omelets also came with a small bowl of fresh fruit — blackberries and blueberries and such. Nice.
Very good coffee. Cappuccino was very good.
Service was good, ambiance was great and the food was very good.
We’ll be back to Café Monte for sure.