Monarcas Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Florence

3 words. Don’t do it. If I could put a 0 for the waitress Ivonne I would. Very poor attitude, I asked for chips 3 times we never got it. In restaurants I’m used to getting checked on and they anyways check on our food. We waited 25 minutes and I went looking for her and she was sitting down talking with the other waiters folding Napkins. I asked for the food and she blamed the cook. She finally got up to check on it and it was done. The excuse I was given was that they were waiting for the grilled items before they could bring the rest of our food out. They were appetizers foods, seriously? I don’t understand why the hold up? There were only 2 customers in the restaurant . She never checked on us until the end. We asked for the manager and give him feedback. After that the waitress came with the receipt wrote her name on it and said this is my name Ivonne so when you come back don’t ask for me. My husband and I thought we misunderstood. We asked can you repeat that please. She stated again, when you come here don’t ask for me because I gave you good service and you called the manager. At this point we called for the manager again but we did not feel comfortable in giving her our credit card. She was not apologetic at all. Also, stay away from the beef tacos, they are gummy and fatty. Not good quality. If you order the ground beef tacos make sure you tell them to drain the grease. I got nauseous eating the 1st taco. I would never go back here. Everything was wrong. Right from when I tried to get to the front door I felt uncomfortable when a pan handler was asking me for money. I had to go...

A Fair Take on a Local Spot This place is listed as a Mexican restaurant, but I noticed a strong influence from other South American styles. The food was good—solid, but lacking the bold spices and standout flavors that are the hallmarks of true Mexican cuisine. That said, I understand why. The general public often prefers "Mexican" food that feels familiar and doesn't challenge the palate—think Taco Bell's impact on expectations.

I ordered takeout near closing time and asked for kitchen-friendly recommendations. I got four tacos, a side of pinto beans, and totopos with salsa. The red salsas, including their hottest, were surprisingly mild, though the green avocado/tomatillo sauce was pleasant. Portions felt average, likely due to the late hour.

Service was fast (about 12 minutes) and very friendly, and while $20 initially felt high, it was fair compared to the chain next door, (Taco hell) where I would have saved a dollar or two on volume, especially since the food here was much better. I didn’t dine in, but the ambiance seemed warm and inviting.

Overall, this spot delivers good food and excellent service at a reasonable price. It's not bold, but I suspect a friend who isn’t so familiar with authentic Mexican flavors will...

Last two experiences did not go well. First poor experience, they tried to seat me at a dirty table when there were several clean tables available. The table still had the last customer's drink, chips and salsa on it. I asked for an available table and was seated but ignored. The person who seated me finally came to take my order after 10 mins had passed and said she thought I needed time to review the menu. Today's poor experience, I walked in and no one was at the hostess desk. No problem, I know they are multitasking but when she arrived she asked how many, I said 1 she walks off with no menu in her hand. I initially started to follow her but she stopped at another customer's table and started talking so I made my way back to the hostess desk. Another customer comes in behind me, she comes back, greets him, asked him how many in Spanish, yes I understood what she said, the customer said, solo and she proceeds to grab a menu and silverware for him. He sees me looking confused and says, wait, she was here first. She started speaking Spanish in her mic and listening to someone thru her ear piece. I said, never...