Restaurant Review: Monserrate Bar & Grill

Having worked in Tampa long before moving here, I had driven by Monserrate Bar & Grill (2311 W Hillsborough Ave
Tampa, FL 33603-1052, (813) 878-2466) a number of times but had never stopped in. This weekend, I dropped by and was pleasantly surprised by both the atmosphere and the meal. A Columbian restaurant serving Latin favorites, Monserrate is a casual dining experience that is all too familiar to the natives. In the hour I was there, several Latin families came and went. I was definitely the only one not fluent in Spanish, and that made the atmosphere that much more authentic.

Within a few minutes of being seated, a beautiful woman approached me to take my order. Through broken English, she and I talked a bit about their specialties and she recommended the Asada. I do love a good steak, so I decided to take her word for it.

As she returned with my drink, she brought out this small dish of chips and sauce. The chips were infused with garlic, a powerful aroma and flavor that overtook everything about the chips. The sauce complimented it perfectly, being filled with both garlic and citrus. The more of these chips that I ate, the more I wanted even more. The garlic really starts to overtake all of the senses. They were crunchy and fried to a delicious brown. I wish I knew what they were made of, because this would be a great party food to serve at dinner parties.

Service was fast with the entree, being out in about 20 minutes. When I order Carne Asada, I typically expect a pile of shredded meat or at most a thin strip of skirt steak. What I got was a delicious and large cut of meat served with a fajita-style presentation on a bed of sauteed onions, topped in red and green peppers and a garlic lime sauce. This steak was so tender and perfect that it fell apart as soon as I forked at it. It took very little cutting of the knife to free individual pieces. The meat was medium-rare throughout and just oily enough to be flavorful without coming off as greasy or fatty. There wasn’t a single bit of the steak that wasn’t exquisite. If all steakhouses could replicate this taste and consistency, I’d never write a bad review of a steak place again. Did I mention this was only $15?

The steak was served with black beans and rice, both of which were acceptable. Nothing outstanding in either side item, but I used them to soak up the remnants of the steak juice and onions after I gobbled up the steak.

I’ll definitely be going back to Monserrate now that I know what a great little place it is. Along with the steak, I was recommended the pork and the shrimp dishes. Those will be next on the docket on my return to a Latin paradise right here in Tampa.

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