Monte Alban is a Oaxacan Mexican restaurant in a strip mall on Santa Monica Blvd in West LA that has long been known for its selection of moles. I have consistently found it to be the best place for mole on the Westside. The various branches of Guelaguetza have an even more extensive menu but I have long preferred the mellow vibe and the tasty moles at Monte Alban.
The strip mall in which the restaurant is located suffered a fire in August of last year which shut down the restaurant for a month. They were able to reopen in mid-September and is operating the same as previously. The exterior of the restaurant is quite nondescript but the interior is painted with colorful murals.
The prices at Monte Alban are quite reasonable and the menu includes negro (black), coloradito (red), amarillo (yellow) and verde (green) moles. There are other oaxacan specialties such as clayuda and barbacoa de chivo (goat stew). On a recent visit I tried the green mole (pictured) which along with the barbacoa ($10.75) has been my favorite dish on the menu. In the green mole ($7.75), the large chicken breast is served on a plate alongside rice, sitting in a generous pool of green mole sauce. The chicken is falling off of the bone tender and the mole sauce is infused throughout the meat. The rice also soaks up the sauce nicely.
The service is capable and helpful. Note that Monte Alban serves beer but does not have a hard liquor license so no margaritas. They also have a large assortment of typical mexican non-alcoholic beverages such as horchata, agua de frutas etc in addition to the standard soft drinks.
Monte Alban is located at 11927 Santa Monica Blvd (@ Brockton Ave). Phone is (310) 444-7736. Website is www.restaurantemontealban.com
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