Cafe Monte is a favorite among several friends, and I have had some exceptional experiences here, and some experiences i wish I could get in a time machine and avoid, hence the mediocre stars which regresses to the mean. The ambiance tries to evoke a Parisian bistro atmosphere which is mostly succeeds at. It benefits from a great location in SouthPark. Typical entree prices are about $12-14.
Here's my advice to have a 5 star experience: 1) Get the crepes. I don't care if you want a sandwich, or a plain old eggs breakfast. Forget it. Get the crepes. Best savory crepes in Charlotte, hands down. I have had the chicken coq-au-vin special crepes and they were OMG. I also had the shrimp and artichoke crepes with lemon creme and they were similarly amazing. As in "I don't care if I gain 10 pounds from this one meal, I'm finishing every last bite". 2) Go on a weekday or a late weekend lunch. Forget going on a nice sunny brunch. We went once and literally were there for 2+ hours and our food (regular eggs) took 1.75 hours to prepare after we finally got our order in. It just is jammed, and the kitchen apparently doesn't know how to deal with it.
Their quiche is pretty good, and their dessert is OK, but crepes are the standout. I wish Crepe Cellar had savory crepes as good as Cafe Monte. Maybe I might come back when they have jazz?