3 Mundos Sandwich Shop — Restaurant in Monterey

Needed a quick bite while in Monterey. Of course, whenever I'm in a city I don't know, I do my best to support local. This place is as small as small business gets. They ask for cash only if possible. There's a sign by the counter that says that. When you look up at the board, you do see the lots of sandwich choices. Of course, like everyone says the Tri Tip with chimichrri sauce is the must get. Of course I got that and since I'm a big fan of bbq, I also got the BBQ tri tip. Both sandwiches were $9. I ordered potato salad on the side for $2.25 more.

Oh, what I didn't know was that they have a little drive through here. So if you were in a rush like me, you can call ahead and pick it up as the drive through seems to have more priority. I had to wait for my sandwich that was already done and sitting on the counter for about 5 minutes while the lady who takes the order had to take care of the drive through and other people.

The tri tip bbq sandwich was tender and the bread was soft but just slightly crusty enough on the outside it holds the sauce. Same goes with the one with the chimichurri sauce. It's basically the same sandwich but the BBQ one just was smothered with BBQ sauce. Note: The tri tip does come with cheese that's melted. So if you don't want it, let them know. It doesn't seem to say that in the list of ingredients on their website.

I asked for a side of chimichurri sauce and by itself, I wouldn't say it was great. I also would say these chunks of beef are huge for tri tip. The beef seem more like a roast cut that have been slow roasted. I make BBQ all the time and tri tips are usually smaller. No matter though, I'm a fan.

So for good sandwiches in the Not so touristy area of Monterey, this would be your...

These are the best sandwiches in town!

GREAT FOOD. The food is always fresh and tasty. The sandwiches are made-to-order with fresh ingredients. My favorite sandwiches are the Paprika Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch, Chimichurri Chicken, and the Mundos Tri Tip (Angus Beef). Oh so good!

FOR THE VEGETARIANS. There are at least 8 different options for vegetarians - Garden Quesadilla, Fire Bell Sandwich, Grilled Eggplant Sandwich, Israeli Veggie Sandwich, Falafel Sandwich, Portabello Veggie Sandwich, Portabello Quesadilla, Mundos Mozzarella Sandwich. I've had about half of these veggie options and they are truly excellent -- flavorful, fresh, and well-balanced. These veggie options are truly tasty and filling.

QUICK SERVICE. The sandwiches are made FAST. You order up at the register, take a seat (inside or outside seating), and then they bring the sandwich to your table. For quicker to-go service, call in your order by phone (or order online) ahead of time and just pick up at the window or the cash register inside.

SIMPLE DECOR. Just some simple metal tables and chairs. Not a fancy joint, by any means. It's a cozy and clean place to eat a well-made sandwich. There are some outdoor tables and chairs underneath a black screen for some shade. It's nice to sit outside when it's not-too-hot or not-too-chilly.

CASH PLEASE. This place takes both cash and credit card. However, they ask that you please pay in cash whenever you can so that they can keep their prices down. I think that's a pretty reasonable request. They're an awesome mom-and-pop store that deserves our support, so I try to bring cash every...

VEGANS, DO NOT EAT HERE, YOU MIGHT BE EATING REAL MEAT: the young kids who work the register do not care about their job and they do not care if you are vegan. The two young kids that work there are consistently very rude and on their phones while working. I understand that they are kids but we’ve been very patient with them. My friend ordered the VEGAN cubano and the girl working had to be told the order 3 separate times because she simply was not paying attention. she also had headphones in while taking all of the people’s orders I brought to their restaurant. My friend who is a VEGAN of 10 + years ate REAL MEAT today. He was DEVASTATED. And he THREW UP EVERYTHING THE SECOND WE GOT HOME. I felt very let down and disrespected (I never leave negative reviews.) however, I have been given REAL MEAT TWICE NOW AFTER CLEARLY ORDERING VEGAN SANDWICHES. And the young kids that work their SIMPLY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMER OR IF YOU GET REAL MEAT. I have been eating at mundos since 2014. Although the owner came out and personally apologized, I still feel the need to leave this review because it is not fair to people who have food allergies to real meat, people who don’t eat meat for religious or cultural reasons and vegans/vegetarians!!!!

As a vegetarian of 8 + years, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE to you if you are considering ordering a...