Monterey House Restaurant

[Guest Marty]

There is a Monterey's House at Greens road @ Greenspoint drive. We would go there in the early 80's before we went to Fort Worth on labour day weekend.

Edited September 11, 2006 by Marty

[roym]

Casa Ole was started by Bobby Forehand in Pasadena, Texas. Casa Ole went public in the 1990s; is listed as CASA on the stock market; and is now known as Mexican Restaurants Inc. They bought Monterrey House and renamed it Monterrey's Tex-Mex after they started the Tortuga's chain. The gentleman in Beaumont owns a number of franchises in the Beaumont/Louisiana area, but he does not own Casa Ole. The processing plant was on Richey and is long gone.

Didn't know those three restaurant chains were all owned by the same corporation. Having eaten at all three restaurants I can say the food is about the same at all three! ;-)

The only ones I'm nostalgic over are the old Monterey House buildings from when I was a little kid. Did used to like going to Poncho's (another chain) and raise the little flag to order sopapillas (yum).

Don't really miss the food... Except for them being rock bottom cheap, never understood their appeal. Tortugas has the best concept of the mix, though.

Edited September 11, 2006 by roym

[Firebird65]

Didn't know those three restaurant chains were all owned by the same corporation. Having eaten at all three restaurants I can say the food is about the same at all three! ;-)

The only ones I'm nostalgic over are the old Monterey House buildings from when I was a little kid. Did used to like going to Poncho's (another chain) and raise the little flag to order sopapillas (yum).

Don't really miss the food... Except for them being rock bottom cheap, never understood their appeal. Tortugas has the best concept of the mix, though.

I always thought that if I ended up on death row, I'd want to be served my last meal from Panchos, that way I could just keep raising the flag and they could never execute me!

Maybe I could eat myself to death with the soapapillas...

[Mikeytex]

The "old" Monterey House enchiladas were so good. When you got them to go, the enchiladas (with finely chopped onions), rice and beans were in a round aluminum container, with cardboard top. That was placed in a cardboard box along with your candy and untensils. I think you got a few chips as well and some hot sauce in a packet. What I will never forget the smell of the box with the enchilada dinner in it. AWESOME!!!

[FilioScotia]

There's a reason the old Monterey House went out of business

Their food was LOUSY. Awful. Putrido. They needed to go bankrupt and when they finally did nobody missed them. The handful of people who've signed on here to sing its praises may be the only people in Houston with good memories of Monterey House. Every time my wife and I ever tried to eat there we ended up with gastric attacks and monstrous flatulence.

The new Monterey House Tex-Mex is a completely new outfit under new ownership, and by all accounts, the food is great. Larry Forehand knows how to run a restaurant. We eat at one of his Casa Ole's all the time.

[Firebird65]

Their food was LOUSY. Awful. Putrido. They needed to go bankrupt and when they finally did nobody missed them. The handful of people who've signed on here to sing its praises may be the only people in Houston with good memories of Monterey House. Every time my wife and I ever tried to eat there we ended up with gastric attacks and monstrous flatulence.

The new Monterey House Tex-Mex is a completely new outfit under new ownership, and by all accounts, the food is great. Larry Forehand knows how to run a restaurant. We eat at one of his Casa Ole's all the time.

Monterrey House was good... for its time. Today's palates have grown much more sophisticated and there is so much more competition. A restaurant like Monterrey House probably doesn't have a chance anymore in a market like Houston.

However, I do note you singing the praises of Casa Ole. Casa Ole isn't much different than Monterrey House. (I also like Casa Ole, BTW). It's the same Americanized Tex-Mex food. But hey, sometimes that's what I feel like eating. I don't always want the authetic Mexican experience.

Casa Ole probably would have cleaned up in the 1970s, much like Monterrey House did. But now whenever I ask anyone, "want to go to Casa Ole?" they turn their noses. People have gotten more sophisticated in their Mexican food tastes. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not.

[PapillionWyngs]

The old Monterey House biuldings are still around - at least some of them.

The ones that jump out at me are Alvin and Dickinson. They are my stores, and I know that they are over 30 years old.

Monterrey House was good... for its time. Today's palates have grown much more sophisticated and there is so much more competition. A restaurant like Monterrey House probably doesn't have a chance anymore in a market like Houston.

However, I do note you singing the praises of Casa Ole. Casa Ole isn't much different than Monterrey House. (I also like Casa Ole, BTW). It's the same Americanized Tex-Mex food. But hey, sometimes that's what I feel like eating. I don't always want the authetic Mexican experience.

Casa Ole probably would have cleaned up in the 1970s, much like Monterrey House did. But now whenever I ask anyone, "want to go to Casa Ole?" they turn their noses. People have gotten more sophisticated in their Mexican food tastes. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not.

Casa Ole acquired Monterey House. It is not Monterey's Little Mexico. Food is GREAT.

[brerrabbit]

What I always found interesting about the old Monterrey House was that all of their food was cooked at one location and then shipped out to the stores where they basically just heated everything up, melted the cheese on top and sent it out to your table. Their plant, or commisary as they called it was located in South Houston on Richey just east of Highway 3. Whenever you were in the area you could always smell the food cooking. As a kid I used to go bowl at Meadowcreek Lanes on Richey and would pass the commisary all the time.

[PapillionWyngs]

What I always found interesting about the old Monterrey House was that all of their food was cooked at one location and then shipped out to the stores where they basically just heated everything up, melted the cheese on top and sent it out to your table. Their plant, or commisary as they called it was located in South Houston on Richey just east of Highway 3. Whenever you were in the area you could always smell the food cooking. As a kid I used to go bowl at Meadowcreek Lanes on Richey and would pass the commisary all the time.

Funny you should mention the commisary. It is now a fortune cookie factory (or it was the last time I went by there).

[roym]

The old Monterey House biuldings are still around - at least some of them.

The ones that jump out at me are Alvin and Dickinson. They are my stores, and I know that they are over 30 years old.

Casa Ole acquired Monterey House. It is not Monterey's Little Mexico. Food is GREAT.

Hmmm... For me, Casa Ole fall into the same category as Monterey House, Tortuga, Pancho's and others of their ilk. The food there looks and tastes cheap. The chips are often greasy at these places, the cheese is the lowest quality, the food is not well prepared, the rice is mushy or overcooked, the food tastes reheated and not fresh and on and on... blah...

[Firebird65]

What I always found interesting about the old Monterrey House was that all of their food was cooked at one location and then shipped out to the stores where they basically just heated everything up, melted the cheese on top and sent it out to your table.

That figures!

I had a girlfriend actually complain the food came out TOO SOON! LOL! We went to a Monterrey House about 2 p.m. on a weekday afternoon, the waiter took our order, walked back to the kitchen and immediately came back with our food. Couldn't have been more than 2 minutes, tops.

I was thrilled because I was starving. But of course, she didn't see it that way, moaning about how quick it came out. Can you believe it? LOL!

[enviromain]

Hmmm... For me, Casa Ole fall into the same category as Monterey House, Tortuga, Pancho's and others of their ilk. The food there looks and tastes cheap. The chips are often greasy at these places, the cheese is the lowest quality, the food is not well prepared, the rice is mushy or overcooked, the food tastes reheated and not fresh and on and on... blah...

Who ruffled your feathers?

Edited December 8, 2006 by enviromain

[pineda]

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articl...908122006-1.htm

Curt Glowacki, formerly with Monterey House, jumps to Outback Steakhouse.

[2fatcats]

are any of the Los Tios restraunts still around? I used to work as a busboy at the one off Fondren & Bissonnet back in '75

Yes there are a few still around. However they were sold to another company a few years ago. So far, the consistency of the food hasn't changed and they still make a pretty good enchilada. The place was operated for many years by the Garbett family, in particular Rosemary Garbett who's picture hung in the lobbys of the restaurants. She was quite a character. Way back in the late seventies when I first moved here, I worked at a Kwik Kopy on Fondren and she would come in to get printing done, always driving up in this yellow Eldorado with the blonde hair flying. She was all business too I might add. At the same place, Ernie Creizis (sp?) used to come with his wife to get office supplies and they would come in their white rolls, park in front and take up two parking spaces. Funny the things you remember. It always amazed me that these obviously sucessful folks would do their own shopping for such menial things.

[SpaceAge]

Look what I found in my mother's ice-box! Unfortunately, the candy is gone...

Do they still use boxes like this at the Beaumont location?

[musicman]

Look what I found in my mother's ice-box! Unfortunately, the candy is gone...

Do her a favor, help her clean occasionally.

[Subdude]

Holy moley, how old is that first box?

[northbeaumont]

Look what I found in my mother's ice-box! Unfortunately, the candy is gone...

Do they still use boxes like this at the Beaumont location?

I don't know because I haven't eaten there since way back in the 1970s. But those boxes bring back memories of Mexican food to go. We'd get home, open one of those boxes, and the first thing we'd see was the shredded lettuce and cheese over refried beans.

No, most of the successful Mexican restaurants were privately-owned. El Chico was popular with the mall shoppers. Then in 1981 Pancho's Mexican Buffet opened just up the street from the Monterey House, causing it to lose business. For many years there was Felix on Calder Avenue. The family of a woman whom I graduated from high school with has always owned and operated Monterey House.

El Chico and Felix are now gone. Monterey House is still there, but it's the only one in this whole area. You have separate topics on El Chico and Felix. Maybe I'll start one on Pancho's.

[PapillionWyngs]

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articl...908122006-1.htm

Curt Glowacki, formerly with Monterey House, jumps to Outback Steakhouse.

Then he came back around March-April, and they started laying off people.

I was the third.

[houstonmacbro]

Monterey House went out of business in the late 80's, if my memory servers me. Many of the locations reorganized into a new company called Monterey's Tex-Mex and have a similar menu.

Are they the same as Little Monterey? I used to see their cheesy, aweful commercials all the time last year (*not so much this year), and heard their food was dreadful ...?

[PapillionWyngs]

Are they the same as Little Monterey? I used to see their cheesy, aweful commercials all the time last year (*not so much this year), and heard their food was dreadful ...?

Yep, Monterey's Little Mexico.

[houstonmacbro]

And the food is how ...? Just so-so? Or outright bad?

[PapillionWyngs]

And the food is how ...? Just so-so? Or outright bad?

Somebody else needs to answer this question for you.

Let me put it this way - my husband loves original mexican food, and he always got Carne Asada.

Never ate it all, but I got 50% off for working for the company.

[bentonl]

I grew up with a Monterey House I went to with my family in Bryan, Tx.

[devonhart]

And the food is how ...? Just so-so? Or outright bad?

Hmmm, I loved it myself, but could see how others wouldn't. Like convience store nachos, I know its crap, but I sure did wolf it down.

[northbeaumont]

I grew up with a Monterey House I went to with my family in Bryan, Tx. I'm desperately seeking someone who might know the receipe to their hot sauce. I loved it and have never been able to find it. Probably need to find someone who worked at the Comissarry. Any help anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ben

Someone found and posted Monterey House's candy recipe. I'm surprised that someone can't find the recipe for their hot sauce.

[Retama]

Growing up in Baytown, I loved eating at Monterey House which was located on Market Street just down from Robert E. Lee High. When I came back to town after a stint in the Marines, it had been converted to a Chinsese restaurant, but it still had the Mexican "architechture" and a Spanish-style carpet on the floor.

I know of two Monterey House restaurants still operating: One in Pasadena and one in Humble just of FM 1960.

[TJones]

Growing up in Baytown, I loved eating at Monterey House which was located on Market Street just down from Robert E. Lee High. When I came back to town after a stint in the Marines, it had been converted to a Chinsese restaurant, but it still had the Mexican "architechture" and a Spanish-style carpet on the floor.

I know of two Monterey House restaurants still operating: One in Pasadena and one in Humble just of FM 1960.

I loved going there myself back in the 70's and 80's , it was either that or El Toro's. Then Tia Maria's came along on Garth Rd, and it was all over for Monterey House, man, I wish I could get some of that Monterey House candy right now.

[northbeaumont]

I loved going there myself back in the 70's and 80's , it was either that or El Toro's. Then Tia Maria's came along on Garth Rd, and it was all over for Monterey House, man, I wish I could get some of that Monterey House candy right now.

That candy was OK. It tasted like you were simply putting a spoonful of watered-down brown sugar into your mouth.

[Disastro]

Looks like the one in Beaumont is the only true remaining Monterey House:

http://home.beaumontenterprise.com/visitor...erey_house.html