Montelongo's Mexican Restaurant

I found this place by shear accident on Google maps. It carries a 4.3 rating as of the time I am writing this. The food was really good, and the atmosphere felt authentic. But what made this place for me was the staff. They were oh so polite and constantly checking on us. And.... and they even held the door for my wife. Now I ordered a 2 beef taco plate with rice and beans, and my wife ordered the guacamole salad. I will most definitely return.

I haven’t been here in a while but felt like a meal from my child hood. My crispy taco , enchilada with beans and rice were on point . I’m usually a breakfast guy at this restaurant but mom and I decided to get an early dinner.. I asked for a crispy taco , beef enchilada , rice and beans .. I like that they do not over spice the food because I like adding salsa , salt and pepper on my own to make my meal how I like it. The restaurant was clean and atmosphere was calm and relaxing.. this place has been consistently good over the years. I’m giving 5 stars because it was a great experience from food to service. I could not find anything wrong with the visit.. the salsa was hotter than I remember but really good.. over the years if something was wrong they worked with me to make it right .. the cost for a dinner for 2 was 10 dollars less than the lunch we had earlier in the day at another local spot. So the value was on point too .. this place is not Ruth Chris so don’t set that expectation.. this is a mom and pop type Hispanic restaurant that makes good food no more no less

I went here several years ago and experienced racism. I was the 3 rd person to arrive with my family 3 children ages 12, 10 and 6 ay 1130 AM. The place filled up fast it was a Saturday. No waitresses came by our table till 1245 to take our order. We were the only white people in the place. My children wanted to leave, but I keep saying they will come shortly. We were starred at the whole time by many of the other customers. When all of the others had been served and 90 percent had left, then they took our order. You could tell by the way we were approached that they did not want to serve us. I know how others feel when they say that they experienced racism!!!! I will never forget it, but I do forgive their actions. So yes racism does exist in Lubbock, Texas. Don't go there if you want to be treated with disrespect. I did not think that Lubbock had such a place, but it does. We are all equal in the eyes of God. Treat others like you want to be Treated. You own a business, be kind to all no matter what color someone's skin is and treat every one fairly. Just a suggestion!

This was hard giving a 3 star rating to. The service and atmosphere was awesome. My drink didn’t ever go empty, and they continuously check on you and make sure you’re alright and don’t need anything else. It’s a lively enough place, people were talking and laughing. The food just really isn’t the best. It’s alright if youre looking for a quick bite. But you’re not getting authentic flavorful food. I’m going back to try something else but I had the chicken enchiladas and they were mid at best. The rice and beans also weren’t that good and the salsa was ehh. I’m hoping I just got a bad plate and my next order is better

Awesome service!! The BEST salsa Ive ever had!!! Excellent enchiladas!l Wish I could give 10 stars!!!!

The food was GREAT! Taco and Tostada shells never got soggy and stayed crisp. Chili Reyano was the best I ever had. Chicken enchilada, generous and flavorful. Beans and rice perfect!

The food is decent. A real disappointment they close early. Especially during peak hours. They’re such in a rush to get home and leave, but they forget that we are the paying customers that make a business running.

Great service. All witresses were very attentive. Place was clean and spacious. MUSIC WAS SPECTACULAR!! I COULDVE STAYED ALL DAY JUST LISTENING TO MUSIC!! TEJANO ALL DAY! GO COWBOYS!!☆☆☆☆☆

Review from a Houstonian foodie. The restaurant has been a community staple for many, many decades. While they maintained the same location, they have expanded their seating. Ambiance is casual. You walk-in and place your order at the counter and seat yourself. The process works. The counter staff and wait staff is efficient, friendly, and professional. Montelongo's offers Mexican food with some TexMex influences. You will find your choice is dishes fresh and made to order. Today, we had menudo (stew light dish with hominy, beef tripe, spices, and red chile) served with warm corn tortillas and onions and lemons on side. The dish was seasoned perfectly and tripe cooked just right ( not under or over). They offer a medium or large bowl. Depending on how hungry you are will determine which size. We went with the medium to control our portions. Next time you are in Lubbock stop by to explore for yourself. Happy eating foodies!

I have been eating at this local favorite since my college days in 1983. My review is this, they charge one dollar for water. I just came to Lubbock to visit and I heard this and I thought surely this is not true. I called and it is true. Ridiculous. Get the word out.

Curb side service was great and the food was delicious! Definitely going back for more!!

They charge $1.00 for Water!!!! This sad. I had a water bottle in my car. I heard this is the norm, but this the first time I have ever been charge for water. I use to come here when I lived in Lubbock, but how things have changed. I only had the menudo, a bit salty for my taste. Service is very good. Please leave good tips. If I come back I will bring my water.

Jose P. took me here a few months ago it was good but I prefer lunch or dinner from here. Celeste always asked for Carne Picada. I would just eat whatever Jose Rosales brought home to my mom. The tamales are really good & you know I want to know the recipe for the chile.

My family enjoys the restaurant, but the music in the back room is too LOUD! First and last time we'll ever sit back there. Difficult to hear each other and enjoy our meals. Food is great, though.

Very good enchiladas. I will be stopping here everytime im going through lubbock in future. Quick and friendly service, breakfast all day, good coffee.

Here in lubbock for the weekend and found this place on google.. you walk in and smell the aroma of tex mex cooking. The place a nice a clean..it got packed quickly. The staff are awesome nice and friendly. Food was delicious not over powering with all the spices so you can enjoy it. Definitely will come back on our next visit

Well! Finally made it to this restaurant in Lubbock. Not much to look at outside but the food was amazing People were friendly and services fast in and out in no time. So if you need to wait a little it's worth it !! Sorry no pictures we were in a hurry

Food was excellent! Service was awesome!!! Very busy and fast moving. Clean inside and restroom too. Awesome place to eat at. Love the hot sauce.

The rice and beans were really bland and I asked for water and I got tap water. The sauce on the enchiladas were very sour. The tortillas tasted weird and I think this was probably the worst experience ever. Im sorry for the bad review I just am not a huge fan of the.

I got the quesadillas and it came with salad on the side with a tube of sour cream, I opened the quesadillas and put the salad and sour cream inside, IT WAS AMAZING. The hospitality was incredible the people that worked there were really nice, and even though my family and I took a while to order they just kept answering all of our question. Over all the place was 10/10

I order the taco plate, food was nice and hot, and delicious the service was Awesome. Would definitely recommend this restaurant

Same great food and friendly service for 40 years. Always a go to when in Lubbock. A solid breakfast option and great, authentic enchiladas and carne asada.

We went cuz a family member told us that it was good. We came in from Denver and asked for a caldo de camaron. well, taking my bf there for the first time I was embarrassed to say that the food was nasty. We'll never go back there again!!!

Awesome homemade Mexican food, awesome Family attitude service, for a moment I thought my mom was in the kitchen cooking The attitude and the restaurant was so friendly did my Bandit felt like a king

Food was not very flavorful and quite small for the price. If you're expecting a nice large burrito, order yourself (2) so while you'll be disappointed, you'll at least be full.

Love the food for years now the people are great the food is good and the own is the best. Keep a family tradition alive in lubbock is a hard thing to do.bless in the name of Jesus Christ amen. Help you locate small businesses restaurants is clean I know.

Delicious food. A little high priced. Atmosphere not the finest. I really live their beef enchiladas.

Hands down the best Tex-Mex in Lubbock! Their smothered burrito is the best I've ever had. It has a delicious pork filling, a tender, favorable wrap, and a lovely, generous melted cheese topping. There is a slightly acidic, tart undercurrent which I find delicious. It's also featured as a discount lunch special with a drink one day a week (I'm not saying what day, lol). The refried beans and Spanish rice are good too. Their chili rellenos are excellent, as are the chicken enchiladas. On Fridays they have Pozole, with hominy, which is so good! The chips are kind of a course, corn type which I really like. The salsa is pretty hot for Lubbock, but matches the cuisine perfectly. Place is always busy at lunch but you never have to wait long to be seated. I think management has made a successful effort to improve service lately; always competent and friendly. I highly recommend Montelongo's Mexican Restaurant.

Was told in the parking lot that the dinning room was closed (1:00 pm on a Saturday) 20 seconds after three people went inside .This was by employee bringing food out to curbside service , who walked out as other people walked in.

old world authentic and very flavorful Mexican cuisine. its great food prepared daily...

Always gets an A plus. From the food to the service it can't be beat in my family's opinion.

Yes, please! I used Yelp to find me a quality lunch stop while visiting Lubbock. And, I'll be honest -- the first place I picked, based on Yelp reviews, was in this giant, expensive building and looked like a chain. I thought there had to be something better than that available, so back to Yelp I went. And while Montelongo was several miles away from where I was, I tried it. Remember - I'm not from Lubbock. And I was approaching from a particular direction where all I could see was a non-expensive building and absolutely no cars around it, even though it was 1:00 pm on a weekday. But then, as soon as I passed the building, I saw the parking lot -- filled with 30? 40? cars. Plus, the entire Constable's department. Those were all good signs to me. Quality options. They didn't blink (much) when I asked for a vegetarian option of a combo plate. They apologized in advance that it would take 10 minutes or so for the food to come out. And they checked on my table at least 4 times while I was eating -- all of which was welcomed. Tip to an outsider -- order at the counter, from a giant menu on the wall.

Tonight was my fiancé and I's first time to go to Montelongos. We ordered the chicken and beef fajitas then went to sit down -- literally within five minutes of sitting down he got called back to work. The staff was very understanding and went out of their way to take care of us. Not only did they box our meals separate so he could eat on the way back to work, but they gave us an additional bag of chips with salsa and every condiment imaginable for the fajitas. I just can't say how appreciative we are to the staff. Everyone is so friendly and really made tonight a great experience.

Wanted Mexican breakfast and checked yelp and found this place that had good reviews and decided to give it a try. Parking lot was fairly packed. Entering the restaurant dining room is to the left and folks are lined up at the counter. Didn't realize you order and then get a number (be prepared cause we weren't) and then sit down at the dining room where they bring your food. We ordered carne guisada and my princess daughter got breakfast plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, and potatoes (who orders that at Mexican place ??? But more on that later). We sat down and got home made chips (thick ones that I love with some residual oil so you know they were made at the restaurant) and awesome spicy salsa. And then you wait..... and wait ...... no food after 30 minutes. And wait...... asked for additional salsa from a waitress and waited..... finally had to hold the bowl above in the air and another patron asked a waitress to bring more ..... still no food. Exactly 41 minutes later (I checked the receipt for exact time ) food arrived. Food - my carne guisada was awesome. Being from Houston I have had numerous variations and this is near the top of the list. Meat was perfectly stewed and seasoned. The rice also was well prepared. 5 stars My daughters breakfast was mediocre. Her scrambled eggs could have been cooked a tad longer. Potatoes were cubed and didn't have much flavor. 2 stars (but her fault for choosing it). Service - Service could have been a little more friendly. I asked one of the younger waitress for salsa as we waited FOREVER for the food and that was to no avail. Hence thanks to another customer (they probably knew about the slow service) we finally got our salsa as well as chips from more senior lady who seemed much more attentive and came back to make sure everything was fine. Props to her. Never ask a youngster for additional salsa and chips. 3 stars (mostly due to the latter senior wait staff) Overall - probably THE slowest Mexican restaurant I have been to in my life. 41 minutes from time to ordering to get my meal. At least the salsa and chips were great and made the wait times reasonable (flip side is that they could have saved some lots of money cause I ate extra chips/salsa). The food was great and on par with the best of places in Houston. Ask the senior waitress not the youngsters and definitely keep to the Mexican food unlike my princess. Overall 4 stars PS. Bring a novel to read if you are not lover of thick chips and spicy salsa cause your gonna be waiting...... and waiting ....... and waiting.......

I've eaten here maybe a half dozen times and have never walked away hungry which is something I really appreciate. It is a little weird ordering by a number on top of a picture hanging on the wall, but not being able to understand what's in Mexican food I enjoyed the easy references. The food is always delicious and about as authentic as I think you can get on this side of the border. My order was completely wrong today (I thought I ordered a #1 enchilada plate with double rice) and was given a carne asada burrito with double beans. I would usually ask that I get what I order but the burrito was busting at the seams and it smelled amazing. I decided to give it a try and fell in love with my new favorite; I think it is a #8 on the wall. As a coworker said who had never eaten here "you don't get food this fast at McDonald's", and the service was rather attentive as well. Considering your options on this side of town, you will not find better/cheaper food then Montelongo's!

I have a very high expectation for Mexican food. That being said, this food was simply adequate for my taste. The rice was under cooked. The beans were bland. The cheese used is your typical Walmart brand. Nothing impressive or Mexican about it. I had the mixed fajitas plate. The beef was tender and seasoned well. The chicken was better though. Very tender and juicy. The bell peppers and onions really make the difference and contain such rich flavor. My wife had the #7 combo which comes with an enchilada, Chile relleno, chalupa, & crunchy taco. The star of the plate is definitely the Chile relleno. It has the same typical cheese but it's melted so it's a tad better. The crunchy taco was nothing special and the ground beef was over seasoned. A bit too salty in my opinion. The chicken enchilada was adequate and not too bad(has melted cheese on top). The chalupa was the terrible part of the meal. No taste or flavor at all coming from the toasted tortilla. All in all, This is a Tex Mex restaurant at best. Definitely not authentic Mexican.

Love this place my whole life! Great food and service every time. We come by every time we come from Oklahoma

My enchilada plate was real good the salsa is fire not for the weak and on Thursdays they have a live mariachi band playing

This place is amazing! The best place to get enchiladas, chips, and queso! It is locally owned and operated so your food is made with love, care, and family recipes. Go support local and cry over the hottest hot sauce in town.

Stopped here on our way through Lubbock to Killeen. We were hungry and saw that Montelongo's was near where we were and had decent Yelp reviews. I can't say I'm much of a fan, but my husband was and they went out of their way to help him, so 4 stars it is. The staff was friendly and checked back on us very often, which was wonderful. I didn't care for the chips - they were too thick and I don't care for warmed salsa, but a lot of people do, I'm sure. There appeared to be some type of misunderstanding with my cheese enchiladas. I asked if they could have onions added and was told they could. Well my onions came on a small plate - they thought I wanted them separate. It was odd, but it worked okay and I certainly wasn't going to ask for them to be remade because of that. My husband enjoyed his combo meal of a chile relleno, taco, enchilada and chalupa. He needed to take some medicine that has to be mixed with water and the staff was quite happy to bring him a cup with only about an inch of water, which is how he prefers to take it. First they brought a large cup, but quickly brought back a small one once they understood what was needed. The redeeming factor in this entire visit, in my opinion, was the staff. They were incredible and did everything possible to make our meal pleasant and to ensure that we were happy. The restaurant was also very clean, as were the restrooms, which is a huge thing to me. The seating was comfortable and all in all, it was a nice place to stop for what we wanted, a quick meal so we could be on our way again.

This is my 4th visit here, and only one time have I received decent service. The waitresses hardly come around - at least to my table. I am so tired of this that this will be my last visit. I don't understand why this happens... either because I am white or because I am here with my girlfriend. I don't look gay, but being here with her must make it obvious. So sad... wake up, Montelongo's... wake up Lubbock. We are here, lots of us, whether you like it or not.

The Service is booty. The food is okay though. Also make sure that you have a mask although it's no longer mandated

Just left this place. A line out the door and I can't figure it out. Food was greasy and tasteless. We both had the barbacoa taco plate and the rice was the best thing on it. Tortillas were dripping with grease and the meat had no flavor A woman just posted her disappointment at the manager stopping at every table but hers and we had the same experience. Wonder if he only greets Hispanics? We won't be back. There are much better places for good Mexican food in Lubbock.

Not the best "Mexican" food I tasted, but there are not that many options in Lubbock.

It had been years since I've visited this place. They did not disappoint. The menudo was on point. We enjoyed visiting a "childhood" favorite to see that the great food was still hanging strong!

This is the type of place where there is a long line to get in because the food is Just. That. Good. The clientele inside ranges from doctors and pharmacists to day workers. In other words EVERYONE feels welcome at Montelongo's. And the queso is the best ever. Indeed.

Home cooking.....a restaurant that produces the best Mexican food in Lubbock....using top ingredients and Grandma's recipes.....you can't get any better in a Lubbock BYOB is always a nice addition Best Chile Rellenos in town.....and don't forget the enchiladas...all of them!

Came here for lunch. They have a nice selection with pictures on the wall to help with ordering. I had the combo nachos and chicken. They looked really good and everything seemed homemade. However everything I had was very greasy. I'm talking about pools of it on my plate and dripping off every bite. Can't really taste anything else. Rice and beans are kinda bland. The chips and salsa were good chips are homemade from flour tortillas. The salsa is green and pretty hot. So overall pretty disappointing really. Service is great and never had a empty drink. Waitresses always came by and asked if I was ok. I was impressed.

The enchiladas at Montelongo's were quite interesting and met every demand I could have had. I have fallen in love three times in my life, and the first bite of that meatless enchilada was one of them. Never before had I eaten enchiladas, at least not any worth remembering, but these enchiladas had me smitten. The crunchy tortilla perfectly accentuated with the salsa, the refried beans complementing the short grain rice, and the paisano style cheese mixing perfectly with the rest of dish all coming together in a harmony of flavor never seen before in the American Tex-mex industry. After I finished my plate, I immediately ordered a second dish of meatless enchiladas.

Garbage!!! How does a Mexican place not serve tacos de asada? Authentic? Hardly. Lettuce tomato and yellow cheese don't go on authentic tacos. Yellow cheese doesn't go on a quesadilla. Tamales are not supposed to be microwaved(they get dry and burnt). These are authentically Taco Bell type meals. My hopes of finding true Mexican food in Lubbock is dwindling. Heck, no one in this town knows what arracharra is. This place is an all around epic failure.

Montelongos is the definition of traditional Mexican. The only reason I could not give them a 5 star is due to their convoluted server strategy. Which isn't a huge deal. The food is exceptional as you'll notice with the full dining room.

Good. Authentic. Reasonable. You order at the counter pay and they bring your food to the table. We were the only non-Latinos there We felt welcome.

The non descript white building that houses this homey (pun?) mexican restaurant is in an empty part of town. I'm no local, but there really wasn't much happening out this way. When you walk in, there is a counter where you pay and place your order. Lucky for me I brought my glasses because the only menu I saw was small and up behind the counter. We arrived for breakfast on New Year's Day, and this place already had a few tables of patrons. I ordered a breakfast plate which ran about 6 bucks and some change, and it came with tortillas, refried beans, eggs (mine scrambled), potatoes, and choice of meat (I chose bacon). My dining partners ordered up 2 burritos each, sausage, bacon, potatoes, chorizo and eggs all among choices of ingredients you can pick. After placing your order, walk over into the dining area, and pick a table. There were two separate areas that were connected by an archway. Tables and chairs looked fairly new compared to the old building. Soon after choosing a seat, a lady brought us our drinks and chips and salsa. The salsa had a healthy kick of spice. The seeds from whatever peppers were used were prevalent and demanded attention. The chips were the THICKEST I have ever encountered. I was not a fan of these, they were way too hard and thick (twss) for my taste. I braved through a small handful for that salsa though. Our food arrived and I was so pleased with my plate! The refried beans were excellent, the potatoes were diced and slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. My bacon (3 pieces) was chewy and tasty. My eggs, with a help from that lovely salsa were good. The flour tortillas were warm and tasty, and provided a wonderful carrier from the plate to my mouth, for all that food. So I basically made my own burritos, whatever. haha. I had a bite of a chorizo, egg, potato burrito and I was a fan. I don't think I could have handled 2 burritos, but the boys had no problem. Yum. Quite honestly, I was full for hours after breakfast here. For me, if they did something about those chips, I could easily have given this 4 stars. I'll remember to suggest eating here again if I find myself in the LBK.

Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Montelongo's is where its at! We were driving thru Lubbock on our way to San Antonio and got a little turned around, and out the corner of my eye we pass a Mexican restaurant...we circle back around and decide that we might as well stop in for lunch and get our bearings back. Good thing we did! Montelongo's is a family run restaurant right off Clovis in Lubbock, TX. The set up is very simple, they are a variety of plate combos you can select from up on one wall, complete with corresponding pictures for those who need visual food stimulation, as well as an ala carte menu that you can pick and choose how to put together your order. I selected the #1 which was 3 enchiladas, one beef, two chicken which comes complete with rice and beans for $6.99. I also got a Orange Fanta (cuz that's how I roll!) You pay at the counter and get a number and then your food is brought to your table. Table service was fairly quick and when I sinked my teeth into the cheesy gooeyness of those enchiladas....I died and went straight to enchilada heaven! The enchiladas had the right amount of cheesiness I love, the sauce wasn't too spicy and the chicken was moist and well seasoned, as well was the beef. In the past I've gotten enchiladas that the meat inside was dry and tasted like straw or was to rubbery and bland with no real taste at all. Montelongo's hit the ball out of the park with this one, also the rice and beans were G-R-E-A-T and we all know how important that is to me. The food taste authentically homemade, like something my mom or my abuela would make if I were of Mexican decent. (*my mom does make a pretty wicked arroz con gandules though!) The portions were huge and even though I was stuffed half way I fought hard to eat everything off my plate for the simple fact that, who knows when I'll ever get back to Lubbock, TX?!? My co-workers also raved about the food. One had the Carne Guisada which is a basically stewed meat, and he went on and on about (and he NEVER likes anything we eat out) and the other had fajitas as well as a beef burrito and said it was the best Mexican food he'd had in ages. We've been on the road for awhile now, all up and down Texas and so far this is as good as its gotten. Who knew that buy getting lost in Lubbock, we'd stumble upon such a tasty gem!

What a gem! We were in town, for a family emergency, and had to take a break from the hospital Low and behold, YELP to the rescue! In what seemed a long stretch of nothingness, we found a ray of light called Montelongo. Yelp was right, many stars, equals many people, and the vibe was great. I have to give one negative, and it might be confusing to understand how I can give 5 stars, yet say this: I did not like my food. What? Well, the problem is the birria. It's not at all what I know as birria, lacked the typical spices and was very greasy. BUT... it looks like that might be the weakest dish on their menu. My husband had tacos, and another friend had the enchiladas. Both were excellent. I'm not a fan of ground beef, but they season it so well... I mean... really well. I had a bite of my husband's taco and was instantly regretting my food choice. Should of had the tacos. I only regret that, being from California, I won't be anywhere near Montelongo soon to get my own tacos. Alas, if you are near this awesome little Mexican Restaurant, do me and yourself a favor and go in and order the tacos! (P.S., the guy taking the orders, although he was nice, he seemed clueless on Mexican food. He didn't know what is "horchata", really?)

The enchilada plate here may be the best in Lubbock, and that is saying something in this Tex-Mex laden city. I have always loved the environment here. Out on the Clovis Highway, it can't help but beat any other claimant to the pretension of being a true hole in the wall in the industrial part of town. The hot sauce is no joke. The fact that any given day you go there it might range from hot to hotter than hell is testament to the fact that it can't be anything but homemade. If you are driving anything other than a pickup, your car will look like a lonely wimp on the gravel parking lot, but don't let that dissuade you from coming in. People will only laugh at you on the inside. You are tough enough to take the silent insults. The food is well worth it.

I've given this a chance twice now, and I am not sure what the hype is all about. Today, it was about 11:55 when we arrived and left an hour later. So the wait is not bad as far as time. So for the person who has never been, let me explain how it works. You walk in and stand in line to order your food. Then you wait for your table. The waiting area is very hot and small. The thermostat read "86" on the wall. Fans on the other side of the room would of been nice. They call your number (given to you when you paid) when a table is ready. They were fast with our drinks and chips. The chips are thick and firm like a pita chip; they are tasteless. If you're lucky to get them before they cool off, they are a little crispier. The green hot sauce has nice heat and flavor! I liked the salsa. We asked for red and it tastes like canned tomatoes with no heat. Disappointing. The three in my party ordered enchiladas. Smelled wonderful! The rice and beans were good. The enchiladas were buried in so much cheese (and I'm a cheese lover), it ruined them. The beef in the enchilada had good flavor. The chicken tasted like wet chicken. The cheese was just cheese topped with soo much more cheese. They all needed more enchilada sauce. I was sadly disappointed with lack of flavor. The waiter never came by to check on us, but the bus boy overheard us asking if they had red salsa and he brought it out. I wouldn't eat here again or recommend it.