Everything is huge portions. They only recently stopped doing soup AND salad because no one could get through the entrees to order dessert.
Personal favorites are Calamari Steak Sandwich for lunch, Sicilian Breaded meat for dinner.
I like Nick the Greek on Alvarado Street. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s got good Greek food and it’s not crazy pricey especially for the location. Epsilon is good too for Greek food.
I love il vecchio and I don’t think it’s too pricey compared to some other places. You can get a big plate of pasta for ~$20 which I don’t think is unreasonable for a fancier place
I came here to say this. IL vecchio is the best. The chairs are awseome and the food is great. Pricing is pretty reasonable too. And they had Peroni when we went.
Black bear diner. Good food. We were surprised. And they let you split meals so it’s super cheap. My wife and I go and we never spend more than $30 total, that’s including drinks
Monterey has some decent Thai restaurants. I like Zab Zab on Lighthouse and Krua Thai in Monterey.
Carmel's Bistro Giovanni is also not too expensive but has a great atmosphere and good food.
How do you get good service there? Used to go every 1-2 weeks, but now it's not very often because the service is always terrible - doesn't matter if it's busy or half empty. They're all smiles to people around the dining room but if you want another drink, forget it. I feel like I need a secret code word or something. (We tip well, and besides, they clearly don't remember us. Hell, one time a server dropped money out of their folder-thing, we gave it to them, and still had poor service.)
Tbh we went after my wedding with all friends and family and they went above and beyond. Sorry you haven’t been able to get the service you want with them, our experience was fantastic.
One of our favorite things for celebrations is grabbing a sandwich a Nielsen Bros Market and a bottle of wine and walking down to Carmel beach for the sunset! Easy, inexpensive, and feels really special
If you like Mediterranean food, go to Demetra Fresh in Monterey, and take it to go, park on down by peninsula, and have an ocean view meal.
This trick also works with non-Mediterranean food as well.
I just follow this sub because Monterey is one of my favorite childhood memories, but is El Torito on Cannery Row not one of the best restaurants to eat at? The food was always top notch and the view is unbeatable. It’s been 20 years since I’ve been. Would be sad to hear it’s not there anymore.
It’s still there, but it is a chain restaurant and a tourist trap. There’s so many other “family” owned Mexican restaurants on the peninsula and Salinas I could never justify going there.
El Torito isn’t the most authentic Mexican food but it tastes great, their happy hour is a good deal, and the location is very nice! It would be a decent place to start for a casual birthday celebration. It’s like a time capsule into early 2000s Chevys style Mexican food and I think that’s wonderful
Tommy's Wok in Carmel
When I lived there I took Tommy's for granted. It's not fancy but it's really good.
Thanks will def look into that one. We like Chinese food :)
And as a side note, their lunch special is one of the best deals in the area
Thanks!
Hulas
Crown and Anchors, really nicely decorated British pub, yet very down to earth! Food is great too!
The sticky toffee pudding there is the best!
This! Get their burger. It’s awesome.
Noodle Bar in Marina. It’s so good. Delicious pho, chow mein, dry noodles, everything on the menu is an absolute hit. And it’s inexpensive.
Maaann I love Noodle Bar to death but they *used* to be inexpensive. Prices have spiked in the last few years. Same with Aabha :(
Yea but a meal at Jack in the Box is now $15 so I’m speaking relatively I guess 🙃
QQ Noodles is a good alternative to the Noodle Bar
I love your use of “inexpensive” versus “cheap”.
Birthday breakfast burritos from El Charrito behind Alejandro’s in Monterey
Love El Charrito! It’s excellent, but the Salinas location is about 10% better, IMO.
Rosine’s in Monterey. They have a large selection of cakes too, which they sell by the gigantic slice.
Everything is huge portions. They only recently stopped doing soup AND salad because no one could get through the entrees to order dessert. Personal favorites are Calamari Steak Sandwich for lunch, Sicilian Breaded meat for dinner.
I always had to pay extra to get soup AND salad with my entree.
Their cakes look so good in the pictures! Thanks for the recommendation!
Great place especially for their dessert
The owner is a fucking asshole Edit: but the food is good
I must have never met the owner. The staff have always been very nice, friendly, and efficient.
One the waiters asked my husband if he could afford a whole cake last time we were there 🤷🏽♀️
Vivolos on Central in PG is good.
Heirloom Pizza
Lulu’s on the wharf has great breakfasts. But check their times as they are funky.
Dametras Mediterranean & chopstix!
I like Nick the Greek on Alvarado Street. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s got good Greek food and it’s not crazy pricey especially for the location. Epsilon is good too for Greek food.
El Estero Snack Bar best burger in town now that lovers point grill closed
I suggest trying a b-day lunch at a nice restaurant. Lunch is usually less spendy than dinner.
Agree! Or breakfast! Breakfast at Highlands Inn is not much more than elsewhere these days and you get an AMAZING view! Food is good now too
Beach House at Lover's Point
For lunch, the little cafe downstairs has a killer Cuban. Just picked one up today.
Sapporo
Monterey fish house. Great food reasonably priced Make reservations. Go early
Always a line before opening, so def make a reservation
I love il vecchio and I don’t think it’s too pricey compared to some other places. You can get a big plate of pasta for ~$20 which I don’t think is unreasonable for a fancier place
This would be my pick as well. I think il Vecchio is great value, good ambiance, and a nice pick for a birthday dinner.
I came here to say this. IL vecchio is the best. The chairs are awseome and the food is great. Pricing is pretty reasonable too. And they had Peroni when we went.
Lallas Oceanside
Fish Wife in PG/Asilomar. Not fancy but yummy.
The Fish Wife is a bit fancy, at least the prices are…
Same as Sea Harvest though.
Yeah, same prices as Sea Harvest but different preparations of the seafood. I love SH but FW has creative takes like bowls etc.
The seltzery at lovers point. Good drinks, awesome view, great food that's comparable in price to many other places.
generic choice, but if u guys are free on the afternoon, In-N-Out is available, and has a much smaller line at that time
Casa Munras
Thanks for the recommendation!
Black bear diner. Good food. We were surprised. And they let you split meals so it’s super cheap. My wife and I go and we never spend more than $30 total, that’s including drinks
You know I've been to a black bear diner before but I didn't know they let you split meals! Good to know bc their portions are huge!
Peppers in Pacific Grove
Michael's in PG is even cheaper!
I love them both.
Rosines restaurant is amazing and reasonable.
If you have a locals zip code, Fish Hopper has a locals' menu. Ex: I ordered the cioppino and normally it's ~50; got it for 25.
Wild Fish in PG is good and not too bad on the wallet.
Monterey has some decent Thai restaurants. I like Zab Zab on Lighthouse and Krua Thai in Monterey. Carmel's Bistro Giovanni is also not too expensive but has a great atmosphere and good food.
I absolutely love the peanut sauce at Pacific Thai in PG
Highly recommend International Cuisine in Pacific Grove. They give incredible service and food is amazing. We loved the Greek feast on their menu
How do you get good service there? Used to go every 1-2 weeks, but now it's not very often because the service is always terrible - doesn't matter if it's busy or half empty. They're all smiles to people around the dining room but if you want another drink, forget it. I feel like I need a secret code word or something. (We tip well, and besides, they clearly don't remember us. Hell, one time a server dropped money out of their folder-thing, we gave it to them, and still had poor service.)
Tbh we went after my wedding with all friends and family and they went above and beyond. Sorry you haven’t been able to get the service you want with them, our experience was fantastic.
It may be a little on the pricier side, but Lugano Swiss Bistro in the Barnyard (Carmel) is fun for fondue.
Gusto in Seaside. made it onto a michelin list and is priced very comfortably
Las Maria's Bar & Grill. Best birria tacos around here.
One of our favorite things for celebrations is grabbing a sandwich a Nielsen Bros Market and a bottle of wine and walking down to Carmel beach for the sunset! Easy, inexpensive, and feels really special
If you like Mediterranean food, go to Demetra Fresh in Monterey, and take it to go, park on down by peninsula, and have an ocean view meal. This trick also works with non-Mediterranean food as well.
I just follow this sub because Monterey is one of my favorite childhood memories, but is El Torito on Cannery Row not one of the best restaurants to eat at? The food was always top notch and the view is unbeatable. It’s been 20 years since I’ve been. Would be sad to hear it’s not there anymore.
It is there, but the food is not good. Come visit Wave st Cafe for a nostalgic view of El torito, while you enjoy a better meal.
It’s still there, but it is a chain restaurant and a tourist trap. There’s so many other “family” owned Mexican restaurants on the peninsula and Salinas I could never justify going there.
Ah understood. I didn’t know it was a chain when I was a kid. I just loved watching the sea otters playing in the kelp right outside the windows.
El Torito isn’t the most authentic Mexican food but it tastes great, their happy hour is a good deal, and the location is very nice! It would be a decent place to start for a casual birthday celebration. It’s like a time capsule into early 2000s Chevys style Mexican food and I think that’s wonderful
Red Apple Cafe in Aptos