Monterrey Express Mexican Kitchen — Restaurant in Waukee

I guess I don’t understand the concept behind Monterrey Express, except maybe to eliminate dining room labor costs. The entrees cost the same as at a full service sit down restaurant, one with waitresses to help you make a selection and take you order and assist you throughout the meal. Real restaurants also have plates and actual silverware (though not silver per se, stainless steel), not take out containers and plastic utensils and have rigid glasses not paper cups. Why stand in line at a counter, serve yourself, wait for your food, eat like in your car and bus your own table if there is not a cost or convenience advantage? Further the food is nothing special, far from it. It is bland and forgettable. While they use all the right ingredients the final product lacks flavor and is just a unappetizing mush of familiar items. The house salsa is tasteless and no amount of amendments, hot sauces, can make it palatable. The small bag of chips were thin cold and tasted of old grease. I didn’t try their margaritas, one can only take so much disappointment during one meal. Skip Monterrey Express, we don’t need to encourage further downgrades in hospitality, quality...

Chips and salsa are very good, but that’s the best thing in my order. It was last time too. At least they are consistent. Last time I got a chimichanga and I couldn’t cut the tortilla with my own silverware, can’t imagine with plastic. I just ate the meat, but didn’t leave a review because I wanted to give them another try. This time I ordered a combo and double checked to make sure to say no tomato but the app choice only had add tomato so I assumed it didn’t have any, same with gauc. I tried to scrape them off the tostada but ended up throwing it out. The beef enchilada didn’t have enough sauce so it was raw tortilla on the bottom. It was barely luke warm and quickly got cold and I arrived way early to pick it up and only live 5 minutes away so it should have still been hot. They have a lot of good reviews so maybe I’ll give them another try sometime in...

Meh - the first time I tried this place I was not impressed but loved the drive through option. The guac was damn near frozen which I didn’t expect. I decided to not leave feedback the first time (2 months ago) and give them another shot this evening and sad to say I’m still not impressed. The chips are always stale and unflavorful. The chicken was bland and the lettuce was soggy and didn’t taste right, looked brown- certainly not fresh by any means. I think since they have the drive through they have several things premade and frozen to have easily ready and that’s the problem. The chips in the paper bags were so greasy as if they had been sitting in the bag for the last week I had to put it in a container. Nothing is fresh. I don’t foresee a need to go back which makes me sad. I...