The number one thing anyone should look at in a restaurant is food. Sure, ambiance and service are extremely important as well but there is no denying that the food is top notch at Montego's. I've been to this place a number of times and noticed that they have changed their menu up a bit and has a great selection for foodies and picky eaters alike.
A personal suggestion would be to order any one of the flat breads. It acts as the perfect appetizer to share with a small group of friends while also standing as a strong main course dish. Unlike many restaurants who serve sad, limp flat breads or any other pizza-like dish, Montego's flat breads are crisp and packed with flavor. It is clear that the chef knows what he is doing and it is refreshing. And the talent doesn't stop at the flat breads. I don't typically order burgers when I go out but I heard from a friend that the burgers at Montego's were killer so, naturally, I had to see for myself. There are some options to add a few ingredients to your liking, such as bacon, grilled onions, bleu cheese, etc. so I decided to do so. The burger was so well cooked and was just the right size. Some places smother you with a burger twice the size of your head but Montego's offered me a burger that was filling and flavorful. Although I did add a few extra ingredients, it was unnecessary. The burger was just good.
I could go on and on about their ceviche but just do yourself a favor and order it. Lemony with a slight kick and served with homemade tortilla chips. Can't go wrong. Same goes for any dish with a candied pecan. The chef personally told me that he adds cayenne pepper when he makes them. Just stellar. Always trust a restaurant where the chef checks on each table personally. (His name is Adrian by the way).
Finally, for desserts, I am just in love with the dulce de leche cheesecake they have on the menu. I had it for the first time the other night and after the first bite, I wished I hadn't said I would share with my friends. And I know I said that food comes first when judging a restaurant but the plating on this dish, as all the others, was just delightful. We eat with our eyes first and Montego's makes sure to plate their dishes with style.
In case it wasn't clear, I truly enjoy to food at Montego's and highly recommend that you head over there and try for yourself.
Very good tasty food and great drinks!
We have been there twice. The first time we had the burger sliders and salmon for dinner. The salmon was great. The sliders were so phenomenal we went back the following week so i could order a full size burger. It didn't disappoint. Also the mojitos were great. We went early before the band showed up, but i imagine it would be great entertainment. I also love the tommy bahama theme furniture and decor.
Had the pleasure of having dinner here this past Saturday evening... Â Later that evening a band named "Family Style" would tear the roof off the place. Â Excellent, excellent band. Â If they dont get you on the dance floor, something is very seriously wrong with you....
The food was very well presented to the eye and smell. Â I had beef slider, and angle hair pasta....Being someone that loves to cook, the pasta was ok... The sliders and ahi tuna was very well presented and smells as good as it looks and tasted well. Â I truly do not remeber our servers name, but she gave excellent, excellent customer service. Â As dinner time ends, the band begins to set up.... By the time your done with dinner, order another cocktail and get ready to get your groove on.... My only wish for this place is they become more busy.
I'm definitely a fan of this place. My wife and I were able to utilize a Groupon deal and the chicken rollentini was amazing. My wife loved her food too and the waiter/bartender was incredibly wonderful in taking care of us and making sure that we could get delicious non-alcoholic drinks in addition to adhering to her gluten allergy.
Review Source:so i went here with my girlfriend because i wanted to take her to a nice meal and it seemed like a good place, my friend had already gone here and was not impressed... especially with the service but i had to see for myself... anyways, the service was definitely lacking, we were ignored by the waitress and when we finally were served she brang us the wrong order along with her snobby attitude. So i decided i had enough and decided to speak to the general manager. It turned out to not be a good idea because his arrogant ego was almost as bad as the waitress. I will NEVER come here again and a tip of advice to anyone listening, steer clear of the general manager who i forgot to see the name on his nametag to call him out here but he's a african american fellow who turned out to be a total douchebag. i will NEVER AGAIN come here, EVER!!!!!!
Review Source:This is a new favorite neighborhood hangout.  Sometimes we go for happy hour, sometimes dinner, or dancing and sometimes to listen to jazz.  Very good food, diverse menu with some healthy choice, friendly and competent servers, mgmt  and a nice range of live music.  Pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.  We patronize every week and they are consistently good.
Review Source:Stopped by for happy hour yesterday. Â Very nice, would come again.
We shared: Shrimp Ceviche, Sliders, Garlic Fries and some Ahi. Â All were delicious and would have again. Â Between us had a couple of drinks and a couple of glasses of house wine. Â Everything was great and very, very reasonable.
Had a pleasant surprise when checking in on Yelp - message came in that if I showed the check-in to the waitress I would get $5 off the bill! Â She had never seen one of these (neither had I) but the manager approved so....!
(I no longer give 5 stars on the first visit. Â Have decided that consistency is very important.)
this place is awesome! i love the Montego, and i go there whenever i get a chance to go out with my friends the bartender is awesome weather it be dave or nicole there both super friendly and really strong pours! there new food menu is awesome i love the short ribs and the naan flatbread's you have to try the duck confit and the shitake mushroom one. i would definitely recommend this place to my friends!
Review Source:If you're a trendy middle-aged a-hole recapturing your youth ,this is your place! Â After sitting at the bar , bartenders barely looked I and my friends direction. The manager asked for a credit card and we asked to pay cash and he was opposed the Idea of Cash for some odd reason. We were not received well and not welcomed. We ordered one round and an appetizer and left. Young professionals not welcomed, I guess. Welcome to the OC Douche Capitol of USA
Review Source:We went here for New Year's Eve because it was close to my parent's house (free babysitting!). We were very pleasantly surprised! The food was absolutely delicious! The drinks were good and they had a fun band there. I always root for places in SJC, and I was happy that this one was there!
Review Source:I just had dinner tonight at Montego in San Juan Capistrano, Â It's above Tannins on Ortega Hwy. Â Great ambiance, food and prices. Â They have live entertainment - tonight a wonderful jazz duo. Â Dave made us feel very welcome and provided us with incredible service. Â I highly recommend Montego.
Review Source:Best kept secret in SJC. Â Hidden atop Tannin's is a new little club/restaurant with the best menu and service in town. Â Great bartender with a good pour. Â Chef came out to see how I enjoyed his pumpkin creme brulee creation. Â Friendly/Fun staff made sure I was having fun. Â Can't wait to go back.
Review Source:My fiance and I were here Saturday 9/22/2012. This place was recommened to us so we decided to stop by and see for ourselves. When we arrived we were greeted by a friendly staff which included Dave who was really nice he mentioned in detail all of the specials that they had for that night including the Happy hour choices. Dave suggested the Riblets and Nachos which I my fiance and I agreed were great. The riblets were so soft the meat came right off the bone. Everything was great. I'm pretty sure well come back more oftern as we are planning our wedding at a nearby establishment. Looking forward to visiting Montego Restaurant.
Review Source:Came here yesterday with the Yelp deal and sat at the bar with my husband and Dave, the bartender. We were pleasantly surprised that they have a Saturday happy hour from 4pm-7pm as well. Even though there was only a few people in the place around 4, Dave was upbeat and nice to talk to. The app portions are huge and really cheap - we had a spinach salad which was good, zucchini which was OK, and ceviche that we didn't really care for. It was kinda trying to be like the Yard House tuna roll but not quite hitting the mark. It needed to make a decision between Asian or Mexican. Anyway nice atmosphere so we'll be back to try the burgers.
Review Source:My friend invited me to come along to hear a band at this nice establishment. Even in the sweltering heat the staff was kind and attentive. I had a generous glass of a tasty Cab. My friend had a beer. We ordered grilled veggies and sliders, which were very good. The music was fantastic, atmosphere friendly and a good vibe all around. I'd go back!
Review Source:My husband and I tried this place tonight on a whim. We like Tannins and decided to see what was going on upstairs. Â I'm so glad we did!
The place is warm and inviting, with a jazz quartet playing in the background. Lovely to hear live music on a weeknight. We sat at the bar, ordered drinks and looked at the menu. We had the fried zucchini to start. Â They were nice and light, with a buttermilk sauce for dipping. We were only going to have a few, but ended up eating every bit.
My husband had the beef filet and I ordered the wedge salad. Â I had a bite of the filet and it had a lot of flavor, and the mashed potatoes were perfect. Light and fluffy - not gluey sadness potatoes.
Since I gave up cheese for Lent, I had the wedge salad with ranch dressing instead of blue cheese, and added chicken. I thought for the price, the salad would be small, but I really didn't need the appetizer to start. Â The salad was comprised of two big wedges of lettuce, fresh fried onions, applewood bacon, and diced tomatoes. It was very savory. I'll come back after Easter and see how it tastes with the blue cheese dressing.
A couple at the bar ordered  hamburgers, and they looked good too. I think they came on brioche buns and I need to check out the fries next time I come in.
Delightful evening, all in all. Only drawback is that the entrance is hard to find. It's on the second level to the left. I keep forgetting there are businesses up there.
They have no idea how to run a restaurant like they want to be. Good food, but not managed like a $20 a plate higher end establishment. Staff was nice but not trained. My martini had ice chips and my wife's premium wine was a short pour. Second round I had wine and my wife's glass was noticeably short...again. No napkins under drinks. We overheard the bar tender tell his friends at the bar there was no good food tonight, just the Valentine menu. We ordered a starter and halfway through the entrees showed up. A request for bread never showed up. Asked for a box to take food and a box was provided...most places charging these prices would box for you. Not crowded and most people knew employees working there. Good food but run like a coffee shop. Won't go back, too many other places for the money.
Review Source:The place used to be The Palms, and there is absolutely no signage that would indicate it's there. Also, the layout is awkward - they haven't decided on a primary identity - bar or restaurant. Service was friendly and sincere, but a bit slow and uncoordinated. It didn't have the professional feel. The food was excellent though, compliments to the chef. The baby back ribs are in the top two of all that I've tried (and that's quite a bit).
Review Source:I went to Montego last night and the food was amazing! We shared the Shitake Mushroom burger and the Ahi Cerviche Appetizer. The size was ample, the burger was succulant, and the service was great. The new vibe in the restaurant is laid back but still very chic. The happy hour runs till 7pm and is awesome! Montego is a real asset to SJC. I am recommending all my friends try it. I can't wait to come back and try the ahi and lamb burgers!
Review Source: