Del Monte grill & cafe — Restaurant in Monterey

I wanted to like this place. I really did. It's within walking distance from my house and not some commercial restaurant chain. BUT... In my opinion the food is not worth the price. For what I paid, I wish I had gone to Googie's Grill down the road instead. Here's the problems I had:

Short staffed IMO. I used to work in banquet service, and from what I could tell, they had two drink servers and one food server. On a Sunday morning? You need at least one more food server to take food orders and checks for the crowd that was there. It took FOREVER for them to take our order, even though I was clearly ready.

Space is also cramped. I wanted to sit adjacent to my son, but they couldn't do that till partway through my meal when they moved us. My kid was also so bored. He had no crayons or anything to color with. That seems a staple at many diners. To not have that seems silly, given the small tables. Kiddo was grabbing all the sugar and silverware. Made a mess with the jam. It seemed difficult for the staff to understand I needed more than just one napkin to clean his hands.

Next, the food and drink quality. The coffee? That was not worth 2.50. It's a small cup of watered down light roast that no amount of cream and sugar can save. The Belgian waffle combo was also a disappointment. The waffle wasn't thick at all... Seemed big, but when you cut into it, the thing is practically hollow. They charged me a dollar for the small amount of cheese they sprinkled on my two eggs. Honestly, 10.99 for this is too much. I can get way more food that tastes tons better at Black Bear Diner, Breakfast Club, or even Denny's. I was also irritated with the kid's menu. They don't have food options appropriate for kids under 4 or 5. My son is two and a half. I don't need to spend six bucks for two pancakes and fresh fruit to only eat a third of. But the problem is the adult plate is JUST enough for me. At any other Diner I get so much food I can let my kid pick off my plate. That's maybe $14-17 bucks at any other breakfast spot. Here, I was charged $23.50 for my plate, son's plate, my coffee, and the stupid cheese. I tipped because the people honestly did try, and they seemed nice, disorganized and overworked as they were, but I'm not going here...

We ordered our dinner to go but appreciated the spacious, casual dining area which is great for families, couples and groups, too. We had the Chicken Roma with two large prawns, artichoke hearts, capers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms in a flavorful light lemon cream sauce accompanied by mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. This is a very tasty dish that is rare to find on a local menu. We also had the Scampi Salmon also with the delicious lemon cream sauce, onions, tomatoes, mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables. We also ordered cheesecake to split for dessert which was very good as well. We also ordered a Baby Shrimp Omelet and a Veggie Omelet for the morning. They have an extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with something appealing for all! Ample parking too and right off of Highway One on North Fremont. Highly...

So this restaurant is nestled in a Travelodge Inn, it’s hard to see off of the street, even with gps. Coming into the restaurant, it has a cavernous feeling, with a huge waiting area. Coming in during lunch, I was seated right away. They have the usual diner fare. It did have a very local/family-friendly atmosphere. They do have high-chairs for the kiddos and the unisex bathrooms weren’t the cleanest.

As for the food, I had the American platter. It was delicious. The country potatoes were seasoned well, and they had that crispy on the outside- soft on the inside thing going on! The eggs were cooked perfectly and the meat was juicy. It felt like the cooks put a lot of effort in the meals they prepare. It does feel a little pricey for what I got though

I’d definitely go back.

Price: $25...