Monarca

it is nice to have another higher end restaurant option in Creekside village. I can't attest to the food since we just went in to grab a drink. The biggest surprise to me was the speakeasy hidden in the back. It is decorated well and has some comfy seating options for a date night. The drink menu all sounded very delicious and unique, offering items that you wouldn't be able to find other places. The only complaint I have is both of our drink were a little sweet for our taste. The entrees were pretty pricey and there was a limited amount to choose from. We will definitely be back to try some apps that sounded enticing.

If only we had been seated at a better table, it would've been five stars! We were sat right on the way to the speakeasy despite getting a reservation ahead of time, so a lot of foot traffic around us the whole time, which i don't think a lot of us enjoy. But moving on from that, drinks were delicious, food was delicious. Simply chef's kiss! I got pollo asado and I ate it for three meals haha. I had read a review that said chicken was a little dry which I agree with but it was so flavorful that I didn't even mind. Don't forget to get poblano rice! Tortillas are great but poblano rice goes so well with that chicken and those potatoes. Their salsa is pretty great too! Our server Alberto was hilarious and very kind. He was very sweet and attentive and very accommodating. Chris made our drinks and we had nice conversations with him as well! All in all please go try the place out!

We were so excited to try this new addition to the Creekside Village center!For starters, the restaurant has a beautiful ambiance. We came for dinner, and the lighting was tastefully dim. The decor is contemporary yet inviting with a cozy vibe. Service was gracious and personable from greeting to goodbye, and the servers were attentive. Our main server was incredibly polished and expertly anticipated our every need. He was outstanding!So, why the 3 stars? Well, it's the food. See, I'm the type of reviewer who puts food above all else when reviewing restaurants. I go to restaurants to enjoy good food, not to make friends. Hence, I'm irked when I see 1-star reviews from people who have the gall to say, "the food was excellent, but the server didn't even smile." 1- star? Seriously? No soup for you!Alas, despite the aesthetic home run and outstanding service, I'm rating Monarca 3-stars, because, overall, the food was not the delectable culinary journey for which we'd hoped. We started with the Fundido with chorizo and the Guacamole. We found the Fundido was delicious and decadently satisfying, but the Guacamole was underwhelming.As for our Mains, just one of our three entrees was excellent. My sister, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York, was very disappointed in her Pollo Asado. She said it was very dry and bland. Our friend ordered the Pargo Frito, and she said it was, "quite simply, fried fish." We all agreed that my Chamorro Adobado was the best of the three. The mash was gloriously flavorful, and the pork meltingly tender. Still, the meat was under-seasoned.The clear stand-out? DESSERT. The Campechana was simply divine! An artful execution of beautifully contrasting textures - impossibly crisp pastry vs creamy, dreamy ice cream - rich, comforting deliciousness with a luscious caramel sauce that added just the right amount of sweetness. Perfection!Will I be back? I want this place to succeed! It's in my neighborhood, so I'll be back to try other dishes. And to order that Campechana again ;)

Walked into this place not knowing what to expect. Ordered the guac and polo tacos and wow! Both delicious! Love the decor and vibe. Only negative is air freshener was a bit strong, like a window needs to be opened it's too much! Otherwise fantastic service and good.

We had a wonderful experience at Monarca! As per usual, we sat at the bar, which just tends to be more of our vibe. The ambience and decor of this restaurant is absolutely spectacular for dinner, and the service was amazing! We enjoyed a variety of dishes to include their signature fried fish. Everything was good with the best presentation but I do feel some additional seasonings would do a lot of these plates justice. The shrimp churro was lackluster - if you're going to blend up shrimp and make them into a paste to Fry, you gotta add all the seasonings. I could taste that they were cooked out if that makes sense...we did enjoy the red snapper and absolutely devoured the pickled vegetables on top. special requested string fries were a little bit too stringy, virtually impossible to eat, but that's what we get for asking for french fries at a Mexican cuisine restaurant. Will definitely be back because the speakeasy wasn't available while we were there due to a private party which was a little bit disappointing for a new venue but a reason to return!

Love the ambiance the food was really good; also the employees were really nice. I will come back

I really enjoyed my food here. The drinks were perfect. The food was served quickly and the service was great. I would highly recommend giving this place a try. I'll be back.

Um. Delicious. So much so that I had to get on Yelp and write a review. We had Monarca delivered, so I can't speak of the restaurant/ambiance, but after this delicious meal, I can't wait to visit. We ordered: - Poblano Rice = it's giving polenta vibes. - Esquites = love the added texture of the fried corn... "Corn Nuts" in the best way. - Pollo Asado = the veggies were fab. Chicken was delish wrapped in a tortilla and dipped in the sauce. Also loved the smoky bonus of this meal being fire-grilled. - Pargo Frito = wrapped up in a tortilla with the pickled veggies and arugula -- *chef's kiss* -- preferred to top with spicy white sauce that was served with the shrimp churros. - Shrimp Churros -- another reason to eat churros? Say less. Reminds me of a hush puppy. - Tres Leches = I'm so stuffed, I can't demolish this now; however, I had to take a bite and get a quick taste. Oh. Am. Gee. Whatever this powder sugar crisps are? Yes. Please. Thanks for the great meal. Best wishes on this restaurant.. hoping for lots of success!

Why 4 stars? Because there is obviously an emphasis on quality here. --- --- ---We had plans to visit another restaurant for lunch, but after those plans were somewhat set, my wife discovered Monarca, and we quickly pivoted to coming here instead.We were sad to see that when we arrived, there were literally no other customers dining. There were a few that arrived while we were eating, but we definitely hope that people support this place! The service was super friendly and there were so many high quality touches throughout the experience. The salsa coming in a large, fancy shot glass. The tortillas coming in a mini nap-sack. The interior design being incredibly sleek. Everything was just so nice.As for the food, we started off with the fundido and really loved it. The chips and salsa were also excellent - among the best we've ever had. The chips were thick and salty and the salsa had a great flavor to it. The fundido was a large plate of melted cheese, so guess what's not remotely surprising? It was amazing.I was torn between the burger and the torta for my entree and the server recommended the burger. I enjoyed it overall, but not as much as I loved everything else. There was something kind of citrus-y on it that I wasn't a big fan of. But it was still a solid meal.My wife ordered the filet mignon and we both felt similarly about it: good, but probably not worth about $40. We did enjoy the brussels sprouts though, and were happy that they made these for us even though they were not on the lunch menu.I'd happily go back and try some of the tacos or something else on the dinner menu. I hope others do too because we need to make sure businesses like this can last for the long haul! There are 48 million Tex-Mex restaurants in the Houston area, so give this place a shot that does things a little differently.

Absolutely amazing dim but smooth lighting in restaurant, Service was amazing and menus food was spectacular . Very classy. Love!