Monterey Grill — Restaurant in Mount Laurel Township

Shocked how poor our experience was, unfortunately. Ambiance/vibe is cozy and nice for a quiet date night and the (not live) music was decent for a while until it trailed off and there were noticeable silences between songs. The bread was good- but took a while to come out (which was not an issue for us as we were not in a rush but may be for someone else). Sadly, after that everything else was down hill in a spectacular fashion. We were a bit taken aback when we saw another patron nearby send her food back without wanting it replaced because it wasn’t good. Ok maybe she’s hard to please. Our experience: Started off with the drink- their version of an Old Fashioned left a lot to be desired. Small ice, watered down, lacked any sweetness that it should from the maple syrup- overall disappointing. The Monterey salad was mostly white/pale iceburg lettuce. We ordered the half chicken and the salmon. The salmon was pale, overcooked, and bland. Flavorless. Not rich/buttery. The chicken was okay mostly dark meat/fattier than had hoped, sides with it were cold. Our server never once came over after our meal came out (a runner serves it), and when the (possibly) manager came around to ask how things were we were honest. We expressed, politely, what we felt was not good but that we were not looking for free food. If you ask, we’re not going to lie and say it’s good when it’s not. He tried to offer us other meals but by then we lost any desire. When we turned down a new dish option, he became less apologetic and became displeased/agitated. Asked if we were local, but that didn’t matter, because he wasn’t trying to keep a customer after that by his tone and actions. Well after this our server came over and chastised us with an clear attitude saying that if we had told her there was a problem she could have tried to fix it, but she was no where to be found for over 20 mins, never came over after our dinner came out and never asked how our meal was. It was the manager that we saw as we were finishing what we were willing to eat. Oh- and- We got dessert to go in hopes to enjoy that later, yikes! The piece of cheesecake had half the crust missing as it was thrown in the container haphazardly and looked less than appealing. We decided to go out and get some icecream and take a walk elsewhere after seeing how the desserts looked. Tried a bite of each dessert today before writing this- the cheesecake is advertised as a NY Cheesecake. It absolutely is not. NY cheesecake is heavy/dense/rich with lots of cream cheese. This was whipped and light. The chocolate cake was just okay. Probably won’t finish it. Not only did the food leave a bad taste in our mouths but so did...

We would not recommend this restaurant to others. We are sorry to leave 0 stars, this place looks so promising and could have been amazing, but they miss the mark on many things. From start to finish, they don't have the right staff. I realize that it is hard to recruit top notch servers to a venue/ location like this, but you need that support for this type of cuisine. Speaking of cuisine, nothing was bad about the food, but nothing spectacular either--- missed the mark. Food was average at best. It's a shame, we had the au poive tuna. couldn't wait to try it when we looked at the menu. It was very bland and mediocre quality. had a caesar salad that had way too much anchovy in the dressing- was odd tasting. had the filet mignon, and while it was cooked perfectly - light pink center- there was no juice whatsoever in the meat or on the plate. odd. and again lack lustre, nothing special. the monteray salad was boring struggled to eat the lettuce with tidbits of cheese and meh dressing. the calamari appetizer tasted like pf changs. The meatball appetizer was delicious. the short rib entree was perfect. the cocktails were awesome. the bread was great. speaking of bread, the server brought bread and butter but we still didn't have water in our glasses!! took too long to get the water and the cocktails- there was no sync. service was off the entire meal, even though our server and the others were super nice and friendly, they didn't measure up to what you would expect in a fine dining place like this. foods were delivered on time, but no one checked on us for long periods where we were done the item and then they checked. or , we piled the empty plates to the side, but replacing our flatware was an after thought. we saw a man in a suit walking around - maybe a manager? He never interacted with any of the patrons, and wait staff seemed to be on their own with each table- no one was helping each other. most restaurants have staff that all help one another , not here. the restaurant was not busy at all, a slow sunday night - plenty of staff. it could have been much better than it was. Would never go back, would not recommend. Spent close to $500 for 3 people including tip ( We tipped the waitress in CASH- plus additional on the credit card- in case the restaurant reads this review we want them to know we were generous beyond what is on our CC). Hope this is helpful , it is a shame because the décor is beautiful and we wanted to love it, but it all falls short on each...

I’d like to take a moment and acknowledge the amazing people at the newly opened The Monterey Grill in Mount Laurel. Shawn and Brandon, along with their team of exceptional wait staff created an amazing dining experience for us. We felt warm hospitality, very well made drinks and cocktails, and the food was superb.

This upscale establishment was perfect for a romantic wedding anniversary, which we celebrated a week ago there. It was such a great experience, and the menu was so intriguing and tasteful that I booked another dinner reservation for my wife’s birthday for yesterday evening.

My in laws couldn’t stop mentioning this place, with the elegant ambiance, live jazzy music, and comfortable vibes.

I toured the restaurant for future parties, and they have private dining options that would be great for larger size parties for the holidays and other important celebrations. Shawn (Partner) and Brandon (Beverage Manager) have an impeccable eye for detail, are motivated and encouraging toward upscale and comfortable hospitality, and have earned my business.

The jumbo shrimp cocktail is my weakness on any great menu. It did not disappoint! The best I’ve had!

My mother in law and my wife both had the Chilean Sea Bass. Both of them couldn’t stop talking about it — my mother in law blurted out “SO FRESH!” lol

I had the Prime Dry Aged Ribeye for my entree — toe to toe with the best award winning spots in NYC and Philly. They’re not playing! I’d recommend asking for their house-made sauce accompaniment for the steak — very good!

Further, it was very easy to make a reservation at this place. The host staff are well-trained, and I felt that my family was met with excellent hospitality, from coat check (it’s cold outside afterall), to seamless greeting and seating at an excellent table.

What you’ll take note of in a big way if you are OCD like me is that their open kitchen concept has their kitchen staff do a lot of cleaning throughout service. You can eat off the vent and the floor if you care to do so. Although their table and the attention to detail and care for your dining space is impeccable!

I would recommend this place with all my regards.

Mykal and Chelsea were our waiters (we’ve ate there twice), and although I’m confident you’ll have an amazing time with all of their staff — feel free to confidently ask for either of them to be your waiter. You’ll be happy that you did. They deserve and worked very hard for their tips and earned my respect and I love...