Paul’s Monterey Inn

I’ve been to Paul’s about 10 times in my life, I’d say that it’s definitely hit or miss. Now that I hear it’s closing, I guess I’ll give it my review. The fillet minion and prime rib was why we use to visit, but after a while, it just wasn’t the «steak» place anymore. There are much better options in town. The building is not much from the outside, rather ugly building and the inside both during the day and night was dark inside. I looked past the outdated interior for the food, but later the steak was just not as good. And the side of king crab legs– was freezer burned! The last time we went, the place was practically empty, maybe that’s why they are closing. Whatever reason, thanks for the memories and good luck to you!

Today is the last day for this Albuquerque staple! So sad to see it go and not even relocating!

Paul’s Monterey Inn will close on Saturday, 2÷28÷2015
Its about time — I was wondering why this place hadnt shut down years ago. Rude employees, especially the hostess, bad food, small portions, blah!
I am sad to see it go. It was my favorite steakhouse in Albuquerque for decades, but something changed.

Ok, hmmmm. Was it the best food I’ve ever had? No. The proteins in general needed more seasoning and a harder sear, and the other courses were subpar, the salads were ok but the soup was just odd tasting (2.5−3 for food). However, there was something charming about the décor, though it smelled a bit musty (4 – 5 for ambience). Again, I feel a huge amount of potential under the dim cover of mediocrity. Paul’s hails back to the times of supper clubs and smokey piano serenades. If they gave it a good cleaning & aired it out, rearranged the seating, brought in some local musicians on the weekends (think piano & lady or subtle jazz band), and improved the seasoning this place would be amazing. The lounge though — despite being hesitant about eating here again, I would definitely pop in for a martini in that lounge. A real treasure. And as a side note — our waitress was wonderful. (My husband thinks it ought to be a 3, but he’s not writing the review!)

This place takes you back. Way, way back. The prime Rib is good, the salads that accompany could use some major improvements, maybe take it off the menu entirely, no one should be serving a salad like that. Cafeteria style iceberg lettuce with absolutely no thought placed into the presentation. For us the salad is important and we don’t mind paying more for it. They do offer 2 other salads, the Cobb and a lobster salad, but more of an entrée salad. We were able to get into this place at 7pm on a Saturday evening and it was dead. Lonestar, Texas land and cattle, Pelicans (much better salad) all had a 1 hr wait. It wouldn’t take much to lure people back into the 60’s theme, but update the décor, tables (leave the booths!) and get someone in there with some energy in the kitchen to switch it up. The menu looks like it hasn’t been updated in 40 years.

Great steaks. A definite 70s vibe may be hard for some people to get around. But if you love 70s ANYTHING, you may be in luck.
A blast from the past, no doubt. But they can serve up some good to great steaks. Old timers consider it the best in ABQ for steaks.
I say is very damn good, if on the pricier side.

Paul’s is the epitome of what a steakhouse in the 70’s must have been like. Sorry, I can’t vouch on that for sure because well… I wasn’t around then. It’s super lowlight and awesome on the inside, and the booths are huge, private, and perfect for a night of debauchery. Walking through the doors is like taking a trip back in time.
The food here is hit or miss. I have had steaks here that made me weak in the knees, and I have had steaks here that reminded me of eating shoes. Not that I’ve ever eaten a shoe, but you know what I mean.
When it’s good, it’s sooooo good. Everything a steakhouse should be. The servers are friendly and attentive, the drinks are good, and the food is stellar.
If it’s not good… well… enjoy the atmosphere. Try to have fun, kids. Leather must be a food group somewhere, just pretend you’re there.
All in all… it’s worth a shot because if you hit it on a good day, you’ll die happy.

I don’t really trust my grandma’s taste in food. I’m truly sorry to say this about my grandma, but damn girl, get your s-​together! When she wanted to take me here for a graduation dinner I was excited, mostly because she had talked it up so much, and I had a lapse of judgement.
The interior is warm, cozy, and outdated. Which is great, because I am a huge freakin’ fan of those things, especially if they are all wrapped up into one little package. Fantastic! As we were seated in the bar area it was dark, but with a head still full of denial, I trusted the woman sitting next to me (NANA I’M LOOKIN’ AT YOU!).
We started off with some alcoholic beverages, which were great. I can never really complain about a margarita. I’m not entirely sure if it’s because tequila is food for my soul, or because tequila makes me want to quit my job and become an alcoholic. While my grandpa and I got hammered together, cause ya know, that’s how we roll, we ordered the prime rib. First, we were brought salad. It was a meh salad, I didn’t see cranberries floating through the air, or stars made of crisp lettuce, it was something you’d see at olive garden, except worse. Finally, when our meal came I was sad to say I was disappointed. Not only did the meat have a strange leathery, not melt in your mouth texture, but it had an off-​putting taste. Even the dessert was disappointing.
It just lacked a whole lot of umph, but what it lacked in umph it made up for in weird tastes and textures mixed all together. Now, I’m not sure if the tequila gave me liquid butt for days, but something certainly killed my stomach from this establishment.

Only came here cuz BB was filmed here.
The drinks tasted cheap and so did the strawberry shortcake.
It was so dark so I’m guessing this is the best place to go take your mistress, LOL!

The only thing they have is good service and steaks, sorry to say, the rest is downhill. If you like ripped up old vinyl cushions, dark and dreary atmosphere, and a little too friendly cockroaches, this place is for you!!! Come on Paul’s spend a little of that profit to get an upgrade and maybe some new furniture?!

I had high expectations for Paul’s, after hearing that it has the best steaks in the city. My sister and I recently went for dinner here and my expectations were definitely met. First, we were given our own mini loaf of bread, complete with specialized wooden tray. The service was as it should be: not too much attention, not too little. The atmosphere is somewhat dark, cozy, and takes you back in time. We decided to split the fliet mignon. When our steaks came, I was pleasantly surprised to see that, even though we split the steak in half, we each got our own baked potato and salad. The steak was wrapped in bacon and VERY good (but not the best I’ve had). The menu is pricey, and I was a little apprehensive when the bill came, as some restaurants charge extra for splitting meals (and we were basically given a free potato and salad, since we split one entrée). I was pleasantly surprised to see the total bill was $ 36: $ 28 for the steak and $ 8 for my glass of wine. No extra charges! I will definitely be back here for another meal, but it’s someplace that I will treat like a «special occasion,» as opposed to everyday dining.

A dear friend and I dined here last night (6−9−14). It was not our first time. What a disappointment. The last time we were here, the steaks were delicious, flavorful, and cooked to perfection, and our waitress was friendly, efficient, and on top of everything; it was an experience. Last night, the steaks were overcooked and tasteless (if I am adding salt and pepper, then the chef failed, somewhere.) and the service was lethargic, condescending, and our waiter clearly felt he had better places to be; we could have gotten that at «Quarters» for half the price. We let the waiter know that we were less than pleased, considering their prices ($ 41 for a steak and potato), and he apologized; he did nothing to make it better — he just apologized — and even that seemed like he knew what was wrong, and he was afraid to come to the table. It was an unfortunate dining experience.
Apparently, unless you know the Chef’s and the waitstaff’s work schedules, and plan accordingly, Paul’s is a «hit or miss» proposition. I would REALLY like a copy of their work schedules; the atmosphere makes it a place that I would hate to have to cut from my list of viable restaurants in ABQ.
Update: We also came to realize that, unbeknownst to us, the waiter switched our credit cards (in the low lighting, we didn’t notice), which caused a cluster-​F when we tried to make purchases, later.
***FOLLOW UP***
6−11−14 — The owner of Paul’s called my friend and spoke with her… he said he wanted to speak with his staff, and that he would call her back. As of this update, (6−13−14) he has not done so.

It is a family tradition to go out for Fat Tuesday and get a big steak, prime rib etc. It has been many years since we have eaten at Paul’s. The 70’s décor does not bother me in the slightest nor does the dark atmosphere. The salad was wilted and drenched in dressing. Yes, I’ll take a side of baked potato to go with my sour cream — yuck. But the prime rib was delicious and cooked wonderfully. Service was good too.

Paul’s Monterey has been my favorite steak house for years. The only reason I can’t give 5 stars is the fact that they can be a bit inconsistent. I realize Paul’s is not for everyone. It’s a bit too dark, the décor is outdated, the menu hasn’t changed in decades, and it is pretty pricey (we only go for special occasions & the occasional treat). For me however, if I ever walked into Paul’s and found any of those things changed I would be inconsolable. Paul’s is the kind of place where the atmosphere is as big a part of the experience as the delectable food. The kind of place where, if you let your imagination run wild, you would almost expect to see Frank Sinatra, Tony Soprano, or even Walter White emerge from a dark corner. So if you’re looking for the average, run-​of-​the-​mill, chain restaurant experience, Pauls may not be to your liking. However, if you want absolutely delicious (if basic) food, to be waited on by extremely attentive support staff and «interesting» wait staff, you will love Pauls and always come back. Let me clarify the interesting wait staff… you just never know if you will get the extremely professional waiter whose attention to details is impeccable, comparable to a butler in a well run home, or the somewhat salty waitress who you get the impression has been working here since she was very young and unfortunately for her, has probably seen happier days, but it is all part of the experience.
Now I guess I better talk about the incredible food! While you look over the menu you are treated to a loaf of warm, white bread, fluffy in the middle with a chewy top crust and served with butter. A salad is also included, nothing fancy just iceberg lettuce with a tomato, a cucumber and a couple of black olives and croutons but the blue cheese dressing is so good, it makes this a salad I actually crave on a regular basis. Our strategy is always the same– one of us orders the lobster tail, one of us orders the T– bone steak and we share. The lobster tail is an absolutely incredible Australian lobster tail so sweet and meaty and delicious that it is more than satisfying for two. I have to say it’s the best lobster tail I’ve ever eaten anywhere. The T-​bone steak is always cooked perfectly, NEVER over seasoned with spices in an attempt to hide poor quality meat, with just enough of the fat left on and no need for steak sauce as the high quality of the cut speaks for itself. This is a true meat lovers dream!
For lunch, the peppered rib eye is juicy and delicious and served with a whole roasted green chile set across the top.
The Epicurean salad is cool, crisp and delicious, topped with crab, lobster and shrimp. If you like cold seafood this will put you on cloud nine. Be forewarned, it is expensive at somewhere around 25 bucks.

TL;DR — Great service, but lack of seasoning all but ruins decently prepared meat. Avoid garlic mashers. Be ready for a major price surprise compared to the menu here on Unilocal.
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First and foremost. The service we received was excellent. Very good wait staff. This rating is in no way knocking the people. It’s the food.
Second most important, this restaurant DESPERATELY needs to update the menu items located in the Unilocal menu link for the place. The prices on the actual menu are quite literally 2−3x higher than what shows on this site. We were lured by the appearance of great prices and suffered sticker shock after we sat down.
For the meal:
Wife had small cut of prime rib, medium rare, with garlic mashed potatoes and a side salad.
I ordered a steak sandwich, medium rare, with fries and side salad.
Side salads were primarily iceberg lettuce with a couple pieces of vegetable/​olive on there. She had ranch dressing, run of the mill, cant screw up type. I had a balsamic vinaigrette. On the oily side, potentially a broken emulsion (assuming it was other than a drizzle of oil and vinegar). Very lightly flavored.
Prime rib… generally tough. Proper temperature at least. No seasoning on the exterior to speak of. Actual meat lacked depth of flavor and relied on a passable-​but-​not-​great au jus to carry a savory oomph on the tongue. It just seemed the meat itself wasn’t particularly seasoned is all. Very lean cut as well… would like something with more marbling. Lack of fattiness probably contributed to aforementioned lack of mouth feel. Wife ate 2/​3ds probably, I finished it.
Garlic mashed potatoes… very potent, almost raw-​tasting garlic. Literally tingled the tongue on the aftertaste, with an almost burning sensation. Quite potent to the nose for sure. We’ve had plenty of garlic mashers before, and this was the opposite of a subtle, roasty garlic flavor. This was an unwelcome punch, the kind you need some strong gum from after and a good teeth brushing when you get home. I like garlic, but either this was added raw, was starting to sprout, or both. Did not finish half of the portion between the two of us. Daughter turned her nose to it as well, and she adores mashers.
Steak of steak sandwich. It appeared to be a thinner strip steak given the fat line on the side. Nice grill marks. Nicely temped, evenly cooked. Just like the prime rib though, just no proper seasoning. The meat wasn’t standing on its own at all. Again, a relatively lean cut with little marbling readily apparent. About half of the bread underneath was a excessively charred, made it too bitter to finish. Onion ring on top was crisp, albeit nothing fancy. Fries on the side were standard steak fries with zero seasoning. Nicely cooked, and I dislike fries with excessive salt, but these had nothing at all… a sprinkle of salt and herbs would have been more than enough for me.
In all… it’s edible, but for the prices compared to the quality of food, there’s no way we can justify returning.
Please note, we didn’t mind the décor at all. We’ve been in plenty of Nebraska steakhouses that feel all but identical to this. We weren’t EXPECTING that décor, but we didn’t necessarily mind it. The upholstery/​cushioning could use a little refreshing though for support.
I would afford this 2.5 stars if I could because I feel 2 is harsh, but I can’t give an «average» rating to this when the food is so lackluster. And I will reiterate, the people were great.

I ordered the club sandwich and french fries. My in-​laws go their all the time and the hostess immediately escorted us to ‘their’ booth :) Our server, Billy, was friendly and attentive. He even brought out a slice of cheesecake for my mother-​in-​law for her birthday. While the interior is dark, the booths are super comfy. I enjoyed the service and meal. We will definitely be back.

I love Paul’s Monterey. It is easily one of my favorite steakhouses in the city. It’s reminiscent of old school sophistication– dimly lit, gold/​brass detailing, and big leather booths. I love that the waitstaff is very experienced and has been at Paul’s for several years (I still recognize them from when I started coming here about 10 years ago lol) — they know how it’s done.
The cigar bar reminds me of a «man cave» but it’s so darn cool… and even darker than the restaurant. I haven’t found another place like it in Albuquerque. Don’t let the outside fool you– prepare to be surprised inside. My personal favorite is the prime rib dinner and their wines are very reasonably priced. Can’t wait to go back. The only reason I docked it a point on my rating is because their food presentation lacks a certain flair– not really a big deal because it is oh so tasty.
Prepare to leave and practically need to be rolled out. The two major things that make it awesome in my book are the fantastic service and they always cook my order perfectly. Overcooked steak is no bueno.

This place is a old school steak house. out dated? yes but they make up for it with there food. Never had a bad meal here.

Still my favorite place in Abq and yes, the décor is dated but i love the food. If you want to write reviews about chic trendy places that make you seem «cool» probably not the place for ya.
If you want the best steak in town, this is it.
Hipster doofus trainees who want to appear to be one thing probably dont «get» good food at all. Let them go to Outback or BJs… lol
Great place for people who know good food. Period.

We sat at the bar as there was a 30 minute wait for a table (since we didn’t make a reservation). The service at the bar was attentive and the chairs comfortable.
The prime rib was great as was the petite filet. I would say it was certainly one of the better steaks I’ve had here in ABQ. Actually, it was probably the best hunk of roasted meat I’ve had in ABQ as there are only a few true steak places here. Paul’s is certainly an authentic, locals only type joint. I think any tourist would be put off by the low curb appeal of the place, but once inside, I’m not sure anyone would be disappointed.
Plus, I had the best Manhattan I’ve ever had. Straight up delicious.