I visited this eatery with cousins Lance and Candace Larson. Since it was Monday night the special was Prime Rib. Each of us ordered the special.
It was delicious. (and I am
not a prime rib lover.) We were given
two choices of side dishes so Candace and I each chose the Bake Potato and the
Grilled Vegetables…both were cooked perfectly.
I am very touchy about my baked potatoes and this one was just
right…came with butter and sour cream.
Our grilled vegetables included zucchini, carrots, onions. I really liked the taste of them. Lance ordered the Baked Potato and the Mac ‘n
Cheese Chipotle.
The horseradish sauce was mild but quite tasty...not a hot, stinging after taste.
Price: $14
I would return to this restaurant for dinner. It's decor is all historical. I would have liked to have spent more time looking at the decor.
Monti’s Las Casa Vieja
Steakhouse
100 South Mill Avenue
Tempe, AZ 85281
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday – 11:00 a.m. –
11:00 p.m.
The history:
Monti's La Casa Vieja is located in Tempe, Arizona, in the city's original pioneer home and the oldest continuously occupied structure in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The original adobe hacienda was built as a home by Charles Trumbull Hayden in 1871. Hayden settled in the area to establish a flourmill and a ferry service for crossing the Salt River, which flowed year-round at that time.
In 1876, Hayden married Sallie Davis, and the couple turned their residence into a hotel, blacksmith shop, post office and general store. The community became known as Hayden's Ferry. The following year, the Hayden's son Carl was born in the hacienda. Carl would go on to become a sheriff, cavalry soldier and congressman, serving more than 57 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The Arizona Republic ranked Carl Hayden first on a list of the most important people in Arizona history.
In the late 1880s, a traveling English nobleman named Darrell Duppa suggested that the small settlement resembled an area in Greece called the Vale of Tempe. A few years later, the town's name was officially changed to Tempe.
When the Hayden family moved to a new home in the 1890s, they began referring to the original structure by the nickname
La Casa Vieja -- Spanish for "The Old House." Sanborn's Insurance Company documents from this period show that a restaurant of some sort was operated at La Casa Vieja as early as the 1890s, most likely as a convenience to those who had traveled a great distance to use the flourmill or ferry service. The Hayden daughters ran the restaurant until financial difficulties forced the sale of the property in the 1930s.
During the ensuing years, several operators ran the restaurant. From the Great Depression through 1954, details about La Casa Vieja are sketchy. Mrs. Lucille Payne ran the bar and restaurant with her husband from 1943 to 1947, and has been kind enough to present us with some interesting photographs and stories. During World War II, many British military personnel that were in the Valley for training frequented the bar at La Casa Vieja. The British soldiers gave Mr. Payne a large Union Jack to mount on the wall (as seen in the photo at the right). After the Paynes departed, a couple from Alaska leased the restaurant, but there are few details about them.
In 1954, the building was purchased by Leonard F. Monti, Sr. Monti had been operating a 13-stool diner in Chandler since 1946, having come to Arizona following World War II. After waiting for the tenant's lease to expire, Monti opened his new restaurant for business in April 1956. He was keenly aware of the property's illustrious heritage, and rather than entirely renaming the establishment he merely added his last name, dubbing it "Monti's La Casa Vieja."
Monti diligently cultivated the historical aspects of La Casa Vieja, putting hundreds of pieces of memorabilia, photographs and unique objects on display throughout the restaurant. Senator Carl Hayden, late in his life, paid a number of visits to his childhood home, affording Monti an opportunity to question him about the building's intriguing history. Monti was also fortunate to meet Hayden C. Hayden, grandson of Charles Trumbull Hayden, who shared many historical anecdotes with him over decades of friendship. Today, Hayden C. Hayden remains a friend of the Monti family and a frequent customer.
In 1984, the Hayden House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The certificate for this prestigious honor can be found on the wall near the restaurant's main customer entrance. Additionally, Monti's La Casa Vieja is listed on historical registers for the State of Arizona and the City of Tempe.
Although many alterations and additions have been made to the structure over the decades, these changes have always been made to further the original function of the Hayden House as a place of comfort and hospitality. Monti's is as authentically historic as any institution to be found in the Valley of the Sun.
By concentrating on a simple formula of giving guests an outstanding meal at a great price, Leonard Monti steadily built his business into one of Arizona's premier restaurants. Today, Monti's La Casa Vieja serves approximately 500,000 customers annually.
We feel privileged to be continuing the tradition of La Casa Vieja as a place of hospitality and a landmark of Arizona history. We look forward to seeing you soon at Monti's La Casa Vieja and helping us carry on this proud tradition.
Significant dates in the history of Monti's La Casa Vieja:
1825 -- Charles Trumbull Hayden born in Hartford County, Connecticut
1858 -- Hayden establishes freight business in Tucson
1870 -- Hayden files homestead claim for 160 acres of land in what is now Tempe
1871 -- Hayden begins building his home, which will become "La Casa Vieja"
1872 -- Hispanic village of San Pablo founded next to Hayden settlement
1876 -- Hayden moves permanently from Tucson and marries Sallie Calvert Davis
1877 -- Carl Hayden born in La Casa Vieja; he would go on to become a soldier, sheriff and U.S. congressman
1879 -- Hayden's Ferry merges with San Pablo and adopts the name "Tempe"
1886 -- The Territorial Normal School opens for its first 31 students; will become Arizona State University
1889 -- Hayden family moves to a new home and begins referring to their former residence as La Casa Vieja, which means "The Old House" in Spanish
1912 -- Arizona becomes 48th U.S. state
1912 -- Leonard Monti born in Hibbing, Minn.
1924 -- First major renovation of La Casa Vieja undertaken by the Hayden sisters
1943 - 1947 -- Restaurant in La Casa Vieja operated by Eugene and Lucille Paine
1946 - 1956 -- Leonard Monti operates dining area of Western Tavern in Chandler
1954 -- Leonard Monti purchases La Casa Vieja
1956 -- Monti's La Casa Vieja opens for business in April
1969 -- Carl Hayden retires from U.S. Senate after more than 57 years in office
1971 -- Tempe celebrates its centennial
1972 -- Carl Hayden passes away
1969 -- Mill Room and new kitchen added
1979 -- Southside addition built
1984 -- La Casa Vieja listed on National Register of Historic Places
1995 -- City of Tempe dedicates Leonard Monti Trail on "A" Butte
1999 -- 13 original doors and windows restored with State Heritage Fund matching grant
2000 -- La Casa Vieja listed as "Tempe Historic Property number 11" in city register
