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Editor’s Note: This feature originally ran in the November/December 2024 edition of the Valley Living magazine, a publication produced bi-monthly by the Valley Times News. If you would like to pick up a copy of the Valley Living magazine, please visit our office at 4002 20th Ave Suite E in Valley.

By: Jeff Moore

Those looking for a delicious Mexican meal in a relaxed family atmosphere don’t have to travel outside of Chambers County.

Monte Alban #3, located at 1310 Hwy. 77 in Lafayette, is known for its good food along with the best chips and salsa in the region.

Owner Roxanne Ramirez said what makes their salsa so good is that it is prepared in-house every day.

“This is my husband’s recipe,” Roxanne said, noting no one around the region makes it like Luis does.

Most restaurants use their own recipe for their salsa, she added.

“We make everything fresh. Everything is made fresh every morning,” Roxanne said. “This is another thing I guess people like that we make our salsa every morning; and we make our cheese dip every morning.”

She added that she also hears a lot of favorable comments from customers who love the fact that their restaurant is always very clean.

Those dining at the restaurant at lunch have both a lunch menu and a lunch specialities menu to select from. They include favorite Mexican fares that include options such as tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, chalupas, tostadas, tastaguacs and chile rellenos, which are served with rice and beans.

The lunch specialities menu offers assorted options including Huevos Rancheros, Fajitas Alban, the Chimi Special and many more.

For dinner, the menu offers all of the lunch specials along with three more menu pages of Monte Alban specialities. Options here range from the Sheriff Special, Police Special and Pollo a la Naranja, to the Burrito Mexicano, Roselyn Special and Crazy Fajitas. Just looking at the pictures on the menu will make any mouth water.

In addition to the great Mexican food and appetizers, online reviews point to the relaxed environment as a reason to dine at Monte Alban. Roxanne said the type of environment that evolved at Monte Alban wasn’t planned.

“But I feel that too,” she said. “We have customers all over the place who come and eat and the food.”

In addition to the strong local customer base, she said a lot of people come to the restaurant when they visit Lafayette.

She said frequently they may be there for the afternoon, to visit their farm nearby or to go hunting.

“We love to come and sit here because we love you guys,” Roxanne said is what she hears from customers. “We feel comfortable here. We feel like it’s a family restaurant.”

She said they note that the restaurant is much like Lafayette — very quiet and comfortable.

“That’s the reason they’ll keep coming and they invite new customers to come too,” she said, noting they have visitors from all across the region — Birmingham and Auburn, to name a couple. “They really enjoy the restaurant,” she said.

The online reviews of Monte Alban #3 agree with the comments Roxanne hears from patrons.

A post by CC states: “Enjoyed a great meal with charming service. Large menu, clean restaurant and perfect health score. Large open space, TVs, clean bathrooms.”

Thomas F. said in his review that he was impressed the minute he walked in. “It was very clean and neat, and had a pleasant atmosphere,” he posted. “The grilled chicken quesadilla was delicious. The waitress was efficient and attentive. I would recommend anyone to give this restaurant a try! You won’t regret it.”

Mindee A. posted that the food is yummy. “The cheese dip and salsa is worth the trip! They treat you really special for your birthday.”

Angel L. provided a solid endorsement of Monte Alban: “This is one of the best Mexican restaurants in a 30 mile radius. Fajitas for 2 is more than enough to take home leftovers and feed 2 again. The meals are reasonably priced and service is great.”

And Tim S. noted in a review that the food is great, service is prompt and courteous and the atmosphere is extremely friendly. “You will not go wrong paying these folks a visit,” he said.

Speedy service is important to the Ramirezes.

“If people are on a tight schedule or just have a short lunch period, it’s a good place to come because you can get in and out quickly,” she said. Roxanne and Luis work hard to make sure their customers are served their meals within 10 minutes of ordering.

“People who have a 20 minute break or 30 minute break, they know they can come and they know for sure they can eat,” she said.

The same applies for take-out orders, she said, noting they can call in at 334-864-0502 and it will be ready when they come to pick it up.

“People working in a company and just have a 30 minute break, they need to go fast,” Roxanne said. “People are always short on time these days.”

Monte Alban also has a back room where they host parties or other events. She said customers often use it for their birthday celebrations, meetings and baby showers.

The restaurant is open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Monte Alban is closed on Sunday.

Roxanne and her husband Luis previously operated a restaurant in Clay County that opened in 2004. But with business being slow, she said they decided to relocate to another part of the state.

They selected Lafayette in 2010 because of a friend of her husband who runs a restaurant and offered to give them advice.

They have not regretted it because the family-owned operation stays very busy these days.

Roxanne and Luis, a nephew and a brother-in-law all work at the Lafayette restaurant.

“The reason we stay here is because the business is stable and we have our family here,” she said.