Monte Carlo Restaurant

We ordered takeout from here for the first time. The food was nice and hot and fresh. We ordered the Ziti and a Cheesesteak. The pasta was delicious and you could tell it was all fresh unlike the other Italian chains that are pre-​made. The cheesesteak was a little different than what we are use to but still wasn’t too bad. I think next time we will stick with pasta.

I’ve been going to Monte Carlo since the 1990s when I was a kid. Returning to town recently, it is so refreshing to see a family restaurant that has remained afloat after all these years! They have a lovely restaurant with super friendly service as it has always been. I love their pizzas. They also have a large space in the back of the restaurant that is perfect for a large group (or event).

The food is watery and bland, I didn’t taste garlic the entire time I was there and I got garlic bread, which is weird. The ranch dressing is watery and bland… how? I am not picky at all but, I wouldn’t return. They could clean the bathroom door and the light switches, it would go a long way when you are looking for positives. The waitress was great.

Best Brick oven around, I am pretty sure some of these other reviews are from workers/​owners of other places. Stop in for a great experience.

horrible food. This is not italian they think because they are from italy they know good food. Horrible food. when I complained to the owner about the eggplant parmasean being bad he he got mad the dish was 16 he still charged me 10 and said to me not to come back again. He said if you’re don’t like my food don’t come back. He was rude. his son came out and wanted to almost fight me. He said I disrespected him. If your food isnt good its not good thats not disrespect. I said I dont care ill pay full price for the food. They were both rude.

We went to try them out and I must say this place has it going on from service to food and their prices are reasonable. I had veal parmigiana that was so tender and delicious. My son had the lamb and he was impressed. The garlic bread sticks were plentiful, crisp and tasty for any garlic lover. They serve generous portions. I would not change a thing if it were up to me. Bridgette was our server and sweet, confident and efficient. We will definitely return and recommend this place. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. We loved it!

LOVE THIS PLACE. This is a go to date night option for my fiancé and I. Love the soup, Caesar salad and entrée. Absolutely amazing. And the owners are so friendly!

I’ve lived in Lynchburg for 13 years. I just tried this restaurant for the first time about a week ago. I had the shrimp francese. It was excellent!!! Not many Italian restaurants in Lynchburg have anything francese. It was so delicious. The salad was fresh. I think this is the best Italian restaurant in Lynchburg!

Let me preface this review by declaring that I love Italian food. If my waistline could handle pasta, rich sauce, and creamy cheeses I would eat it everyday. Sadly, after dining at Monte Carlo I don’t think I could see a piece of spaghetti without cringing. My boyfriend and I visited on a Saturday afternoon and found the place completely empty aside from one other couple. I don’t judge restaurants based on the amount of people inside, I judge them on the food. We sat down and were immediately greeted by a waitress. She didn’t have that much personality, but working in a ghost town might do that to you.
I ordered spaghetti with mushrooms and marinara. My boyfriend ordered an eggplant pasta type dish with penne. We received bread that looked as unappetizing as it tasted. My caesar salad arrived and was average. The presentation of it was bland, and the lettuce looked a bit wilted. I still held hope for the main course, despite the increasing setbacks. My spaghetti finally arrived and my face almost fell into the dish. It was a plate of spaghetti swimming in a lake of marinara sauce that was obviously watered down. The penne dish had sauce that seemed burned or scraped from the bottom of a jar. I was not fooled. After eating a couple bites we decided to leave.
I would not waste my time and energy in trying this place ever again. It is clear that they think customers won’t notice if they are eating sauce from a bottle that has been diluted with water in order to save money. When we were honest with the waitress about the quality of the food her defense was that the owner is Sicilian. Being Sicilian does not make you a good cook. Taking the time and care to make a proper meal with fresh ingredients helps make someone a good cook. Nice try, Monte Carlo. You’re fooling no one.

I’ve been coming to this restaurant on and off for 30 years and it has really gone downhill. It’s always cold in the dining room (and prepare to wear a parka if you want to use the bathroom). The service up until last week was always good. For some reason, our server, Crystal wanted to argue with me on how the food was prepared, it was crispy and burnt, opposite of what I requested. Since I left most of the food on the plate, I requested a discount… she took off $ 1. That was my last visit. So much for customer service!

Whatever you do, don’t order the Caesar salad; it’s made with mustard. Or the swordfish, which was almost incredibly dry and served with three mussels only two of which opened.
If I try again, I’ll order pizza and stay the heck away from the seafood menu…

They’re descent.

Monte Carlo is one of our all time favorites in Lynchburg! We go there regularly. The owners/​family are incredible and they actually remember us each time we come to their restaurant. My husband and I stumbled upon this restaurant on one of our first dates back in 2008. We loved the food, the price, and the atmosphere so much we had our rehearsal dinner there for our wedding! We have even started a family tradition of celebrating my husband’s birthday there, ordering their 28″ pizzas. I love the fact that the restaurant is owned by a local family and has been in business since the 1970’s. They really do focus on customer service. They have a variety of dishes to chose from, everyone will find something they like. It is worth a try if you want Italian food from and Italian restaurant owned and operated by an Italian family!

I was staying in Lynchburg and couldn’t find any delivery restaurants on Unilocal so I found this in the phonebook. Last time I will do that! The first bad sign was that the delivery driver couldn’t bother to come to my room but called me to ask me to come downstairs. Second, he brought a PENCIL for me to sign my credit card slip. Third– the food was awful. The meat lasagna consisted of overly acidic flavorless runny tomato sauce, noodles, sausage, and some melted cheese on top. The salad had flavorless runny ranch dressing. Oh, and the driver did not bother to bring napkins and silverware so I had to go back to the hotel customer service counter to beg for silverware!!! And the food was way overpriced! :(

Food was fantastic! Everyone was fast and very helpful. Excellent atmosphere too. Will definitely be back.

Monte Carlos has been in Lynchburg since 1977. I have only been once before today. The reason I visited today is because my boyfriend is allergic to wheat and they now offer gluten free pasta and pizza (as well as whole wheat).
The place was empty during Sunday lunch. That doesn’t neccessarily mean anything because the church goers usually swarm the Ward’s Road big box restaurants. We met up with a close friend who also worked in a local Italian restaurant for several years. I told her about what a prior reviewer said about the buffet. I worked there for a short time and recall they pulled similar, money-​saving shortcuts with the buffet.
The buffet was clean. You get a salad and soup (unlimited I’m assuming) with an entrée as well as garlic bread. The garlic bread was not lacking in butter or garlic which, in my opinion, was great. The salad bar was fine although I hate small plates – you can only get a little of this and that in order to cut it.
The soup was deplorable. I’ve never eaten anything like it in my life. It made me feel like I was eating Christmas because it reeked of cloves and tasted like straight salt.
We were pleased with the gluten free pizza. Erik ate the entire pie. My dish was Alla Hazucha which is your choice of chicken or veal (I chose unbreaded) with white wine sauce, olives, artichoke, mushrooms, and I chose rice pasta. It is very similar to wheat pasta so I was pleased. It was alright – nothing special. I thought the olives should have been chopped and green instead of sliced black olives like you’d put on a pizza. My friend said her chicken marsala was ok. She has had better at La Villa.
The waitress was very knowledgeable but the pizza came out about 10 minutes before our dishes and we waited a long time even though the dining room only had a few other patrons.
We would probably go back, but only because they offer wheat free options and that is rare in this town.

We stumbled into this Italian restaurant after being shut out of the crowded Harbor Inn seafood place next door, and we were glad we were. This place is a real gem considering it is located in Lynchburg, a gustatory wasteland if there ever was one. The menu included all manner of Italian goodies way beyond the usual pizza and meatballs and spaghetti. I had veal cardinali, veal with a beautiful light and delicate marinara sauce over veal eggplant and a light layer of mozzarella. Everything was perfectly balanced and there was none of that cloying sweetness typical of Southern (US) Italian sauces. the veal was accompanied by a side of broccoli, sauteed in butter sauce, garlic and a dash of marinara. Delicious!- and very reminiscent of linguine alla vongole sauce.
My guest had veal «Castelli di Roma» another beautiful creation with a light white sauce and artichokes. That entrée came with a side of spaghetti in a light marinara.
Both dinners came with a delightfully light soup of barley pasta and tomato broth and a Caesar salad that was among the best I’ve ever had. We topped the dinner off with cannoli, very good, with perfectly executed fresh crispy, thin shells. they and a number of the restaurants other products are brought in from New York. The filling seemed to have cottage cheese as a base– good, but odd. One order, at $ 2.99 was more than enough for us to share.
The service was attentive without being intrusive. My only complaint would be the very strong coffee, which tasted burned. Oddly, the coffee was served in «advertising mugs», a little out of character for the ambiance of the place. The wine list was extensive but pricey, with the least expensive wine, a rather ordinary California Chardonnay, being priced at $ 4.95 a glass.
The décor is warm and friendly, quiet and pleasant for a leisurely meal. Candles light the tables and the place is dark– bring a flashlight to read the menu. There is a fireplace in one corner.
Finally, the prices– absolutely rock bottom for what you’re served. The other reviewer who complained about a recent price increase should try to get the same meal in my home state of California– it would be easily twice the cost. We paid a little over $ 40 for the two of us, ordering two of the most expensive items on the menu plus dessert. We felt like we got a bargain.
There is also beer available and they have an active take-​out business.
A lovely Italian lady from New York runs the place and she was most happy to discuss her restaurant philosophy, and to lament with us the lack of a good Italian deli anywhere south of Philadelphia. We’ll definitely go back– it is well worth the 30 mile drive from our home.

Consumers don’t like price increases. That’s why, in response to their own rising costs, companies often seek subtle ways around raising their prices — typically, by providing less. For instance, last summer, Breyers shrank the size of its ice cream containers from 1.75 quarts to 1.5 quarts. But, although the company averted a «sticker shock» reaction from consumers, it still drew ire from many who felt deceived and shortchanged.
Another case in point… consider our recent mid-​week carryout order of salads and pizza from Monte Carlo. While the prices were unchanged, it was evident that the kitchen had skimped on the ingredients: the salad was filled with Romaine stems, the dressing was watered down and the pizza had significantly less cheese and toppings compared to our last order in January. Needless to say, this made for a negative impression.
Now, it could just be that we ordered on an «off night». Or, the kitchen simply blew it on this one dish. Maybe the benefit of the doubt should come into play here. But given that the kitchen is always under the watchful eye of the owner and his family, that our previous experiences have been positive and that the current economic condition has caused many people to cut back on dining expenditures, I wonder whether we witnessed first-​hand a business decision that favors the course of cost-​cutting over increasing prices.
So what’s worse: charging more or delivering less? Both, it seems, carry consequences.

We come home for Christmas every year, so every time we’ve been to Monte Carlo it was decorated for the holidays. Lots of lights and trees, very pretty, I love it! The food is always really good, and the service really is the best you’ll find around here.