Canyons Restaurant

So, it goes down like this: You’re in Monroe. You have a bunch of stuff to do, and time in between, but not enough time to get anywhere. And you didn’t bring anything to eat. So you head to Canyon’s. And before we go any further, why is the name possessive? Is the owner nicknamed Canyon? Is it actually Steve Canyon, or perhaps his designated licensee? Or could this simply be another case of the mysterious extraneous apostrophe, except multiplied across every piece of signage and brand-​identified collateral ever produced by the company?
I think I’ll place my bet on the latter.
So, this is the place. A generic chain, except ambitious and well-​funded enough to purpose-​build a freestanding structure instead of settling for leasing a spot in a strip mall or something. Plenty of parking. Easy access. All those amenities.
You walk in, and there’s a little though behind the color and décor of everything. The kids working the floor are nice, and they clearly have experience in the industry. There are plenty of TVs, and you wanted to watch the game, so that was one of the criteria.
The food’s alright. Adequate americanized carne asada. Pretty decent tortilla soup. Solid-​looking salad. The iced tea was icy and had tea and lemons in it. You get the picture. The prices are a little high for the value, but not ridiculous, and the happy hour deals were clearly good ones. Overall, it’s the sort of place you can make use of in a pinch and not be completely frustrated.

Stopped by here on a whim on my way home from snowboarding. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with my lunch. I got the pork tacos. They were full of flavor, they definitely had a kick to them! I liked the rice too. They have a $ 7.99 menu for early birds (11 – 3) and there are good selections to choose from. The food was not out of this world or anything, but a good alternative for mexican flavors that is not azteca!

OTex Mex. Decent food. Very limited selection. As others have pointed out, it’s very much like a Red Robin, etc. But it’s good if one of your party wants ‘Mexican’ style food, and others don’t, although the alternatives are pretty much limited to appies, salads, burgers, or pasta. We found the food quality to be decent, and enjoyed our meal.
For desert my wife had the marrionberry crisp (see picture), which was a pretty typical restaurant fruit crisp, except on one point: almost every fruit crisp I’ve has at a restaurant has been over the top sweet, sometimes to the point of being disgustingly sweet. The one at Canyons was pleasantly UNsweet; sure, there was a bit of sweetness, but just enough to offset the tartness of the berries. It would be great with ice cream. My wife says «it’s wonderfully balanced.»
My chocolate caramel sundae was pretty typical, and was nicely naked (no nuts or whipped cream, as per my request).
We sat in the dining section when things were slow, and the service was great (ie: we weren’t forgotten).
The décor is easy on the eyes (see pictures), and the booth seats are comfortable.
Only three stars overall because of the too limited menu, but the food quality for what we had (chimichanga and fajitas) was easily four stars.
We’ll probably dine here again some time, and skip the Red Robin just next door (at least it’s a bit quieter, and doesn’t have as many TVs, which are both plusses in my book.
Last but not least — Canyons has WiFi!

The exterior of Canyon’s was giving me hope that it would be better than Red Robin or Applebee, however this was not the case. The menu is food quality is about identical. If you want a quick bite and like places like Red Robin or Applebee, then give this a try. However, if you expect more when you go out to eat then skip this place and find a true local eatery.

Just ok. The ambiance and service are fine, but the food is nothing spectacular.

It was fine. It looks stylish and fancy, but the experience was pretty average. The food was good, but not exciting. Lots of beers on tap. I’d go again, but it’s not likely to be my first choice.

Canyons is a nice break from Red Robin or one of the hundreds of Mexican places around. I avoid eating in the restaurant section as the service is spotty especially when the place is not busy. The servers tend to take care of their «duties» together and forget about you. Nice outside seating if the weather is good.
But in the bar you get great service. They have a full bar with about 20 beers on tap. I really like the menu at Canyons. There is a lot of variety including pasta, burgers, steak, and a great chimichanga that you can’t finish. Daily specials that are actually cheap. And save your movie ticket stub for a discount!

Good location. Good service. Good locally conscious management. Boring menu.