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El Monte Grill & Lounge

1611 S. College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525
9703721869
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Ranked #27 of 322 restaurants in Fort Collins
Price range: $9 - $19
Cuisines: Mexican
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Restaurant details
Good for: Romantic, Bar Scene, Groups, Business, Local cuisine, Special Occasion Dining, Entertaining clients
Dining options: Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch Spot, Dinner, Reservations, After-hours
Dining style: Casual Dining
Cross street: College and Prospect
Transit: Future development will have the Mason Street corridor at our back door. RTD bus stop with-in 3 blocks.
Description: Flavors of the Southwest, Mexico and Central America are expertly combined with only the best Steak, Chicken and Seafood. All cocktails are prepared with classic techniques, fine spirits and fresh juices. Try the Esteban- an El Monte exclusive of lime juice, mint and gin, served at a chilly 28 degrees. Try our made to order guacamole and choose from 15 ingredients to give it a taste all its own. Always wanted to try guacamole with Strawberries, goat cheese and chives? We got you covered. Happy Hour 7 days/week with cocktail, beer, wine and food specials. We have a banquet room that holds 15-60 guests. Great for all events from business presentations to rehearsal dinners.
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95 reviews from our community

84% Recommend
    55
    25
    7
    5
    3
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 May 2013

We visited for dinner this past weekend. We were excited to try this place considering the menu looked different from your typical Ft. Collins Mexican restaurant. The atmosphere is nice but doesn't exactly have a Mexican feel (they were playing oldies music). For a Saturday night at 8pm there were only 3 or 4 occupied tables, which worried me. At... More

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Ft. Collins, CO
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2013

Related to the Rio Grande but different. Great gourmet Mexican experience. Fresh fish options were awesome and the guac is the best.

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See 2 more reviews by s2mpete for Fort Collins
Nueva York, Nueva York
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
10 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 April 2013

Typical "Mexican" food for a U.S. restaurant. Too much cumin, too bland dishes, yellow corn. Cochinita pibil with no kick and limited achiote dressing, carnitas too lean and far from the original. The classic guacamole is very good if you request additional lime, salt, and cilantro. The exotic guacamole is NOT a guacamole. Some sort of a mix between a... More

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Fort Collins
Top Contributor
53 reviews 53 reviews
28 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 March 2013

I've visited this restaurant twice before, once for dinner which I wasn't impressed with and once for drinks and appetizers which I really enjoyed. However some friends invited us to dinner at this restaurant and I am so happy we went. It must have just been my meal selection the last time because this time the food was fabulous. The... More

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See 5 more reviews by great2bretired for Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Top Contributor
85 reviews 85 reviews
10 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 50 cities Reviews in 50 cities
41 helpful votes 41 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 January 2013

EMG has any kind of margarita you could possibly want. All are great. I had the special herradura repasado made with almond-infused tequila and pomegranate juice. My wife likes the slightly sweeter El Monte Sunrise. The made-to-order guacamole is fantastic. My wife and I love the tacos. The achiote shrimp tacos were the special of the night last time I... More

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Scott P, General Manager at El Monte Grill & Lounge, responded to this review
5 March 2013

We are gald you enjoyed your experience at our restaurant. In light of positive reviews, the shrimp tacos and the tamale have been added to our menu. So now you can get them any time you want. It sounds like your server took great care of you and I will send him kudos personally. More

Bellvue, Colorado
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 January 2013

This place is NOT your typical beans-and-rice Mexican joint; the food is from many places throughout Mexico, and everything is fresh and delicious. The made-to-order guacamole is especially wonderful.

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See 5 more reviews by Janet S for Fort Collins
Scott P, General Manager at El Monte Grill & Lounge, responded to this review
5 March 2013

Thank you for your kind review. 95% of our Oaxacan inspired menu is made in house (including our fresh corn tortillas). Our made-to-order guacamole can be altered to satisfy everyone's tastebuds and our seasonal menu allows us to source the best produce that is available. We hope to see you soon. More

Ft Collins
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
11 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 December 2012

This is the best place for margaritas & guacamole in town. The margs are made with fresh lime juice. The coin margs are good but I would go with a better tequila. I also love the tropical version of the guacamole

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See 2 more reviews by jenjo_11 for Fort Collins
Scott P, General Manager at El Monte Grill & Lounge, responded to this review
5 March 2013

We are very proud of our guacamole and margaritas. It sounds like you enjoyed them both. Our guacamole is made from scratch the moment you order some and we only use fresh juice in all of our cocktails. The coin is made with Herradura Silver Tequila, but we can make it with anything you choose. Thanks for the nice review... More

Loveland, Colorado
Senior Contributor
37 reviews 37 reviews
22 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 December 2012

Fort Collins is not known for dining innovation, HOWEVER, El Monte is a favorite for "south of the border" dining. The dishes seem innovative--and are excellent. They pay attention to detail. Be sure to try the Estabon cocktail or two. Delightful! The place feels local, somewhat trendy...but comfortable. I'll be back!

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Scott P, General Manager at El Monte Grill & Lounge, responded to this review
5 March 2013

I am glad you enjoyed your visit while dining with us. We try and stay true to our Oaxacan inspired menu by creating dishes that come from the southern Mexico region. We hope to see you soon and thank you for your kind review. More

Fort Collins, Colorado
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
48 helpful votes 48 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 December 2012

Wow.....over and over. Absolutely the best, food, service, atmosphere. The guacamole is to die for. Can't believe the negative reviews.

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See 3 more reviews by upstatetraveler for Fort Collins
Scott P, General Manager at El Monte Grill & Lounge, responded to this review
5 March 2013

Thank you for your kind words. We love our guacamole too. Next time in, try our new tamale appetizer. More

McKinney, Tx
1 review
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 December 2012

I have never seen a nail person working at a restaurant. Not sure it is even legal. They had a nail person with a table set up at the door and she was doing nails in the restaurant...unbelievable. The food is supposed to be Mexican. Not even close. It is trendy and overpriced. The atmosphere is trendy and cute, but... More

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Scott P, General Manager at El Monte Grill & Lounge, responded to this review
5 March 2013

Thank you for writing a review. We are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your experience while dining at our restaurant. We recently modified our ladies night offering. We hope you give us another try. More

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