If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I love food. I have enjoyed some spectacular meals during my travels and I have also eaten some downright terrible food. Some of the restaurants have been awarded stars and I couldn’t figure out why. And some that will never get a star were fantastic.
Last Saturday, while watching YouTube, I came across a video done by a couple who specialize in finding cheap things to eat and do around the world. This particular video focused on the city of Cascais, Portugal – a ten minute train ride from where we live. I was intrigued, not because it was close to us, but because there was a cheap place to eat in Cascais. Cascais is a small, gorgeous fishing village that has blossomed over time into a very expensive place to live. (Friends in the US: Think about how Destin, Florida grew up.) Houses in Cascais go for over a million dollars. So I was a bit skeptical of their restaurant find.
Cheap eats? I’m in!
In the video, they introduced me to 100 Montaditos, a restaurant across the street from the Cascais train station. I immediately recognized the name because we have walked past it dozens of times but had never eaten there. They have about a dozen tables outside and on nice days they always appear busy. During one of our last outings, we both commented, “We should try that place sometime.”
When we made the decision to go to the restaurant, we didn’t know it was part of a chain – probably the first European chain restaurant we have visited.
100 Montaditos was started in 2000, in Islantilla, Spain. They have 11 franchises across Portugal and over 400 locations in Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Chile, and the US. Their mission is to serve great tapas [pronounced tapa in Spanish] with high quality ingredients and a wide variety of products, combined with a fun way to place orders. They describe their restaurant as “…a fun and varied way to taste the food. A place to share experiences and get carried away by the moment.”
I was sold and told Mike that we were headed there tomorrow. After all, on Sundays and Wednesdays you can get the €1 tapas specials. They call it their Euromania special.
We decided to ask our new friends Carol and Paul if they would like to go with us. Carol and Paul moved here from Arizona last year. They have pretty refined tastes. I wasn’t sure they would be game for €1 tapas, but they were all in.
We found a table for four and began the process of navigating the social rules of Portugal. Do we need to have a hostess seat us? The answer is almost always no. How do we order? We found menus on a table inside the door. They were big laminated pages and I got the only one in English. Paul had to make two extra trips inside to find more English ones.
This is where the real fun began.
What is a montadito?
A montadito is a small, tapas-sized loaf of bread. True to their name, this restaurant makes over 100 sandwiches with those loaves. The bread is baked in-house and was very good. They also serve fried appetizers, salads, and desserts.
The Menu is divided into nine sections:
- Tapas – appetizers like olives, french fries, chips, and nachos. On Sunday, all were available for 1€
- Classics – montaditos with a variety of fillings – ham, cheese, tuna, meatballs – all available for 1€
- Specials – montaditos with a slightly better varierty of fillings, including hot dogs and burgers – all available for 1.50€
- Gourmet – more montaditos with even better ingredients – brie, bacon, ham, salmon, pulled pork – all available for 2.00€
- Premium – even more montaditos (we have to get to 100!) – grilled chicken and sausages, a caprese, and the “super hot dog” – all available for 2.50€
- Collections – plates with five different separate items all available for 6.00€
- Vegetarian
- Mediterranean
- Carnivores
- Chocolate
- Premium
- Salads
- Desserts & Ice Cream
- Drinks
- Beer – a large mug for €1,50
- Sangria – small €2, large €2,50 (We call this an intelligence test.)
- Bottle of wine €8
Paul and Carol ordered first. They got an 8 piece crispy chicken “popcorn” with mayo; a hotdog with crispy fried onions, cheddar cheese sauce, and ketchup; a meatball and cheese sandwich; and a bottle of wine. All for a grand total of €13 !!!!
Photo by Paul Wilcox
Photo by Paul Wilcox
I used to spend half that much on a glass of wine back in the day.
Mike and I got french fries with a cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, and a truffle mayonnaise; a bowl of spicy, garlicky olives; a pulled pork sandwich; fried gouda “popcorn”; and the “super hot dog” with crispy fried onions, cheddar cheese sauce, and ketchup. Also a big beer and a small sangria (I flunked the intelligence test). Grand total €8 !!!
Photo by Paul Wilcox
Photo by Paul Wilcox
The Experience
You place your order inside at a counter. There were two smiling staffers taking orders and a third person behind the counter pulling drinks. They serve you your drinks and some of the cold items at the counter and give you one of those buzzing square hockey pucks that rattle and flash when your food is ready.
You pick up your order at a pass-through window at the kitchen.
We didn’t have high expectations for the quality of the food (how much can you expect for €1?), but we were pleasantly surprised. Paul raved about the spicy olives and went back for a second dish. The montadito bread was very good, though the pulled pork and meatballs weren’t impressive. The guys were a little disappointed with the hot dogs. I think they were expecting foot long franks. The ones they got were only about 5” long, but the guys said they were tasty. (Carol was delighted that Paul and Mike might live another day after eating smaller portions of junk food.) Also, the cheese on the fries was the kind you find at a ballpark, where they have to append the word “food” to its name so you don’t confuse it with the real thing.
But hey, we had a blast. Simple food, a sunny afternoon, good company, and cheap eats. I will probably go back. Next time, I might even get a salad.
Nah. Who am I kidding?
What guilty pleasure meal have you enjoyed lately? C’mon. Fess up in the comments below or with a note via the Contact Us form.
Yours in food and fun / Seu em comida e diversão
Mary
The Cook
I loved reading about your experience there at 100 Montaditos, and had no idea there were so many of them! It would be interesting to try one in the US for comparison.
We went to one in Faro for a light bite and a drink. It was perfect for that. Don’t think we would go back, though, a little too bready for us.
Looking forward to reading your next meal adventure!
Thanks for your nice comment. I would love to hear about a comparison with the one in Faro and the one in the US. Safe travels to you both.
Sounds like a fun and delicious find for Cheap Eats. I have been to Cascais but a long time ago and remember the drinks mostly. I just met my friend at our favorite breakfast place in Encinitas, CA. Delicious and a great variety on the menu. We tried the Artichoke, pesto egg,
Quesadilla with fried potatoes and black beans….the best ever, but not cheap. Good leftovers with their big portions. “The Naked Cafe” Ha Ha! Good healthy eats. Love and Happy Birthday Mary! 🙂 Sue & Eddie
Great post, Mary! Thanks for the tip on this place; it will now be on my radar! We tried a hot dog place near where we live in Porto (near Marquis Park) and we too, found it very interesting. We ordered their regular hot dog and what we received was a slim slice of the hot dog served up on a delicious roll (it’s always about the bread, here!) with some cheese melted on top, and then cut up into small bite-size pieces. Not what we expected, but very good, not to mention, interesting!! It just goes to show you, that you can’t have U.S. expectations when you’re anywhere outside of the U.S. My other go-to cheap place is Casa Guedes! I love their pork sandwiches and chips! And their rosé wine, too!
Hi Ellen,
I wish I had met you when we were in Porto. Thank you for your note about 100 Montaditos. If you ever find one give it a shot. Mike and I will be back in Porto in early June doing volunteer work at a world wide WordPress conference. If you would like maybe we could meet for a drink or a pork sandwich. Drop us a note at mike@thecookandthewriter.com. Let me know if you are going to be around.
Mary
I ❤️ cheap eats! It sounds like you four had great fun. Thank you for sharing your adventures with those still stateside! I am grateful!
Xo,
Nan
Hey Nan,
We are birds of a feather. I too heart cheap eats. We can’t wait to see you next week.
Mary
Great article, Mary! You nailed the description of the experience. Thanks for bringing us along…it was a lot of fun!
Hey Carol,
Thanks for the nice note. Mike and I were so pleased that you were game for the experience. See you in a couple of weeks.
Wish you had found this sooner…somehow we missed it during our 12 months in Cascais.
You introduced us to our favorite place to eat in Cascais – Soya Noodle Bar. I think we have been there three times since you moved. While riding the train back from Lisbon this morning we met a young couple, with two young girls, making their first trip to Cascais. They wanted to know where to go have lunch and we told them about Soya. They live in a small town in northern France with no curry. They were delighted with the suggestion. Thank you.
PS – Next time your in town I’ll take you to 100 Montaditos. I’m such a big spender I’ll pick up the tab. 🙂