Food

Food  RESTAURANT

Andele!

Grab Fast and Fresh Mexican Fare at El Monte

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO • PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

IF YOU ARE PRESSED FOR TIME in the Lascassas Pike or the Woodbury areas and need a quick lunch option or a full dinner to bring home to the family, El Monte Fresh Mexican Food aims to combine the food of the standard Mexican/ American restaurant with the speed of a fast-food establishment.

This express eatery even offers a pick-up window where customers can place an order on the spot and soon be on their way with fajitas, enchiladas or burritos to go.

“Great fresh food! And they have drivethrough,” Kalyn Catlett said. “Give it a try.”

The Dish

RESTAURANT: El Monte Fresh Mexican Food

LOCATIONS: 2089 Lascassas Pk., Suite A, Murfreesboro 112 E Main St., Woodbury

PHONE: 615-624-7458

HOURS: Monday–Saturday: sour cream, guacamole, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. rice, beans and tortillas). PRICES: The Real Burrito Burrito California with grilled chicken, steak or mixed: $7.99 contains either shredded chicken or ground beef, but Ground beef or pastor for that grilled flavor, the quesadilla: $4.49 California Burrito offers Fajitas with grilled chicken, steak or mixed: $8.49; Ground the choice of either grilled chicken or steak. beef taco: $1.55 Need more cheese? Grab Two enchiladas, rice a small queso dip and chips and beans: $7.99 Choripollo: $10.99 for only $3.39. “The food is very, very

Customers also report that, in addition good. Service is spectacular. It’s also very to quick, quality items, the value is there as fast,” Tyson Leslie said following a visit to well and the prices reasonable. El Monte (which translates as “The Moun-

Drive through for some tacos, only $1.55 tain”). for ground beef or $2.75 for steak or grilled After 3 p.m. El Monte offers an exchicken. Or try some nachos, topped with panded dinner menu, with dishes such as pastor, beef, chorizo or carnitas. the Choripollo, which includes chicken,

“Great food and value,” Bill Eakes said. chorizo, cheese, rice and beans.

The fajitas taste just as good as those at The establishment also serves some delimany of the area sit-down restaurants, with cious, juicy, salty carnitas. a wonderful char and seasoning on the “The food is on point. Perfect! The grilled chicken and steak. carnitas are made to perfection,” said Carla

The lunch portion of fajitas is generous Jacobsen-Fox. “Will be a regular customer! for $8.49, with full set-up (lettuce, pico, These guys are real nice, too.”

And while the drive-through is ready to quickly serve to-go customers, El Monte also has a small, clean dining room available.

“We took a group of 15 here to celebrate a birthday. The food was delicious and the staff were so incredibly accommodating of our large party,” Megan Hamby said. “They went over and beyond to take care of our group. We will definitely be back.”

While the tasty food has satisfied many local customers, some point out that the spice level probably wouldn’t be considered authentically Mexican, as most of the dishes are fairly mild.

“Very good, pleasing taste, but not real spicy. Guess one could spice it up,” Charles Wiley said. “The quesadilla pastor was really good,” he added.

As the El Monte slogan says, the restaurant, with locations in both Murfreesboro and Woodbury, is fast, fresh and friendly.

“You get your food super-fast, and it’s great. It’s nice that it has a drive-thru as well. They’re always super-nice,” a Yelper, Luke, said of El Monte. “Such a good place to go if you need your food fast, and don’t want to eat the normal fast food.”