Le Bistro Montage

10/09/09

It used to be awesome! Really!

by Alocasia Green at Citysearch

It makes me so very sad to only be able to give the Montage 2 stars. Really, it does. It used to be an old reliable standby where you could get some tasty grub very late at night and have a decent time doing it. Now, it's where I risk going late at night and *hope* my food has been consistently WARMED before being served to me and that my waitress isn't a TOTAL hag and maybe stops by once or twice to see if I need water.

It's always been loud and it's always been crowded, but it used to be well worth the wait for some cheap and delicious "spold mac". Now the flavor balance of a LOT of the dishes is off (some things way spicier than they used to be or need to be, some dishes way over or under seasoned) and the consistency of the kitchen is questionable at best. On two separate occasions I have literally been served food that was cold on the inside (a warm pasta dish should not be half hot, half cold!).

And don't get me started on the service...

Now, if that didn't scare you off, here are the good parts... the macaronis are GREAT (when they're warm) and cheap. Spold mac used to be my old standby, but it's now way too spicy, so I often go for 'old mac'. The gator bites and frog legs are also pretty darned tasty. The ambiance is neat with the murals and high ceilings, even though it gets way too loud and despite the fact that the staff often seems more into themselves than serving their guests.

So if you're out late and need a cheap bite, give it a shot. If not, I'd go somewhere more reliable and leave this one for the drunken late-night fill-me-up.

• Pros: Cheap Macs, open late
• Cons: VERY loud, inconsistent food quality, long lines

09/21/09

Why is this place busy?

by LogicalChefTechnique at Citysearch

I went to this place three times. The first two times it was so busy we waited for an hour an a half, and gave up and left. When we finally get there, we ordered gator jambolya. IT WAS DISGUSTING! It was thick goop, that had a red oil layer on top. The environment is pretty lousy, and tons of unwanted noise. This place is bullsh*t and I would never reccomend it.

• Pros: Cool aluminum foil origami
• Cons: everything else

09/10/09

Good Late Night

by Mike Nierengarten at Citysearch

This place is good for one thing - after hours dining. Get there late, wait forever for service, and have a great time sobering up so you can sleep.

• Pros: Drunken Food
• Cons: Service