{"id":424,"date":"2013-03-01T13:31:03","date_gmt":"2013-03-01T17:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~reviewing\/?page_id=424"},"modified":"2013-03-01T13:33:26","modified_gmt":"2013-03-01T17:33:26","slug":"100-montaditos-funky-but-appealing-for-students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=424","title":{"rendered":"100 Montaditos funky, but appealing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted March 1, 2013<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By MIKE LASUSA<\/p>\n

Just a few blocks from the South Miami Metro station and the Sunset shopping plaza, lies 100 Montaditos \u2013 that\u2019s Cien<\/i> Montaditos for you gringos \u2013 a funky little tapas sandwich place at the intersection of SW 58th<\/sup> Avenue and SW 73rd<\/sup> Street. It\u2019s essentially across the street from Bougainvillea\u2019s Bar and just around the corner from Cerveza\u2019s and The Irish Times pub.<\/p>\n

This particular restaurant is a franchise of chain owned by Spanish entrepreneur Jos\u00e9 Maria Fernandez Capit\u00e1n. 100 Montaditos opened first location in Spain in 2000, and spread from there to the Americas, opening locations in Colombia and Mexico in 2011. Its U.S. locations include several franchises in South Florida and the Miami area including Midtown, Brickell, Plantation, Kendall, Pembroke Pines, and Coral Gables, as well South Miami.<\/p>\n

Open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 100 Montaditos is a perfectly positioned (in both a geographical and marketing sense of the word) to capture the coveted intoxicated-college-students-with-the-munchies demographic.<\/p>\n

The namesake specialty, the Montadito, of which there really are 100 unique variations, is a tapas-sized Spanish sandwich roll stuffed with \u2026 well, basically anything \u2013 but more on that later. 100 Montaditos makes its own bread and serves up made-to-order sandwiches that are perfect for almost any appetite. Its prices and specials are hard to beat, and their location \u2013 walking distance from the University of Miami campus and surrounded by bars \u2013 make for a lively, but not raucus, crowd.<\/p>\n

Montaditos appetizers include a potato chip cone, Spanish olives, French fries, and Brava potatoes \u2013 all for between $1 and $3. For desert, you get a choice of ice cream or no ice cream \u2013 one for $2, the other for free.<\/p>\n

Montaditos also serves a small selection of sandwich platters for $9 and salads for $5.50, but when you\u2019re in a restaurant that offers 100 different sandwiches, what the heck are you doing ordering anything else? (Don\u2019t worry, there are a few options for those with sweet-toothed taste buds – Montaditos also has a handful of chocolate-themed sandwiches for $2.50)<\/p>\n

All of Montadito\u2019s montaditos<\/i> are priced between $1 and $3, which is a pretty good bargain for the quantity and quality. The ingredients are fresh and, perhaps not unexpectedly, the combinations range from classic to creative.<\/p>\n

In the \u201cLow Cost Zone\u201d (always $1), go with the grilled chicken and ali oli (#7) or the pulled BBQ pork (#8). Among other \u201cClassics\u201d ($1.50), the ham, cheddar and sweet relish (#14) and the Spanish omelet with chorizo and ali oli (#20) both stood out.<\/p>\n

For \u201cSpecial Classics\u201d ($2) try the fried calamari (#31) and the shrimp, guacamole, and lettuce (#53). In the \u201cAmerican\u201d section ($2), stay away from the two hot dog-style montaditos<\/i> (#56 and #57) and go for the burger cheddar bacon something something something (#58) instead.<\/p>\n

The house-made olive bread sandwiches ($2.50) are worth the huge price increase \u2013 especially the serrano ham and tomato combo (#66). For health nuts, try the whole wheat selections ($2.50) \u2013 recommended: hummus tomato, red onion, and lettuce with ali oli (#79) The \u201cchapata\u201d bread was also worth the premium price ($2.50) with two kinds of meatball-marinara matchups (#87 and #88) among many other mouth-watering montaditos.<\/i><\/p>\n

But, might I recommend the mother of all specials: all one hundred montaditos<\/i> for $100 (yes, even the chocolate ones.) Drop in with 10 of your closest friends (it gets busy at night, but there\u2019s extra room at an outside seating area) and for $10 each you could have yourselves a serious feast.<\/p>\n

The sandwiches average four or five bites apiece, and they come with a small side of potato chips. A couple of montaditos<\/i> is a fairly filling meal for a price that won\u2019t thin your wallet, but Montaditos also offers a number of specials on both their food and their drinks.<\/p>\n

On Sundays, the restaurant offers two-for-one sandwich platters for $9 and on Fridays two buckets of beer (five per bucket, normally $12 apiece) costs only $15. But, I originally stumbled \u2013 not literally, though maybe a little on the way out \u2013 into Montaditos on a Wednesday night, when they were offering their weekly \u201cDollarmania\u201d special. Every montadito<\/i> was $1, and a $3 mug of beer came with any one of 100 sandwich choices for free.<\/p>\n

I should mention that Montaditos only serves one kind of beer. It\u2019s called \u201cMahou\u201d and it\u2019s nothing special (unless you want it blended with lime soda, called a \u201cClara,\u201d which is surprisingly refreshing) but for the price, it\u2019ll do to wash down your free sandwich. Also, service can be slow on a busier night, but despite the rush, the staff is friendly and helpful.<\/p>\n

Most nights, Montaditos offers beer and wine by the glass for $2, free refills for sodas (also $2), and a few kinds of wine and juice ($2.50), but the house sangria (like the beer, also $3 for a mug, also with a free sandwich on Wednesdays) is a stealthy operator. Watch out, because four or five montaditos <\/i>will soak up those four or five sangrias and later unleash upon you an experience akin to falling asleep on a train \u2013 you\u2019ll wake up in another city with no recollection of how you got there \u2013 only this won\u2019t be something you planned.<\/p>\n

While it wouldn\u2019t be my first choice for a full lunch \u2013 Montaditos is a great place to grab a quick and inexpensive snack and it\u2019s a good jumping off point for a South Miami bar crawl. The $3 sangria or beer with a free sandwich on Wednesdays is a dangerously good deal.<\/p>\n

After a few Mahous, I wasn\u2019t sure if I was about to order another sandwich so I could switch from beer to sangria or if I was ordering a sangria so I could try the Philly steak, blue cheese and arugala montadito<\/i> on the olive bread for a third its normal price.<\/p>\n