525 S Shamrock Ave
Monrovia
626-303-4314
Have you ever had great expectations about something, but they didn't live up to expectations? Maybe it was a date with a beautiful woman, but during the date you found out she had the personality of a lugnut and the IQ to match? Or maybe you were expecting a great vacation and all you got was rain and a bad tour guide?
Well, that's the way I feel about The Market Grill in Monrovia. I heard some great things about The Market Grill and had great expectations. But sadly, my expectations were not met.
Located in a market, duh-thus the name, Market Grill serves up burgers, sandwiches, soups, and hot dogs. There are about six tables and a few counter spaces to dine in. It wasn't that crowded when I went on a Saturday afternoon around lunch time.
I ordered the 1/3lb. bacon burger, $7.25, with cheese, add 50 cents, with fresh fruit. The burger comes with lettuce, tomato, red onions, pickles and 1000 island dressing. I asked for no pickles. They ask how you would like your burgers cooked, I asked for medium rare, I got a burger that needed to be on the grill just a little longer. Nothing too bad, but I would like the burger cooked how I asked for it.
Anyways, the burger was fine. The meat was well seasoned and moist, it was messy and a bit greasy, what a burger should be. The toppings were all fresh, the bun was your standard bun. But, there wasn't anything mind blowing or outstanding out it. It wasn't something I would drive out of my way for. You could get this burger from any greasy spoon, in any neighborhood. I read that things are freshed baked here. I saw bread with the label from Costco. The burger buns were from a package, that looked like a food service package. Somebody has wrong information.
Service is very good. You are greeted once you enter the restaurant, whether by a cook or the person taking orders. Very nice, something many restaurants need to improve upon. The guy taking my order was nice and helpful. After asking me if I wanted everything on my burger, he listed everything that came on the burger. Some cashiers and servers don't know their own menu, and have no idea what comes on their burgers. So it is good to see this staff is well trained and knowledgeable about their menu.
Again, the burger was fine. I don't want to give the impression that The Market Grill was bad. It's just that I heard some many great things about The Market Grill and it just wasn't outstanding or worth the trip.
