Cultural cuisine blends and family comes first at a genial pizzeria in downtown Harlem.
Monte Olivo’s Italian & Mexican Restaurant is one of many bustling storefront businesses on Louisville Street that receives plenty of welcome and affection from locals and offers friendly service in return. Like many businesses in Harlem, Monte Olivo’s enjoys generous support from the community.
“We have to say thank you to Harlem,” said owner Angelica Cortes. “They really support us.”
Monte Olivo’s launched in 2014 when Cortes’ brother-in-law Armando Reyes closed his Armando’s Grill & Pizzeria and offered it to her. Armando’s had been open since 2011.
Cortes was already a veteran in the restaurant business, having worked for 25 years at both Vallarta Mexican Restaurant on Washington Road and Salsa’s Bar & Grill on Bobby Jones Expressway.
Armando’s relocated to Grovetown, and Cortes rebranded the Harlem site with her sister Marisela choosing the name — after the Mount of Olives in the Bible.
As the bistro specialized in Italian food before, that’s what it served in its first year. But as Cortes’ experience was with Mexican cooking, she decided to add it to the menu in 2015.
Now the menu includes everything from pasta and pizza to chimichangas and fajitas. Cortes’ says juggling the preparation can be tasking, as if it’s two restaurants. But she and her staff’s hard work is rewarded by warm reception from customers.
“I had one customer who said, ‘Thank you for doing that,’” said Cortes. “‘Because I like to go into the Mexican restaurants, and my wife loves Italian. We come here, she can do whatever she wants, and I can do whatever I want.’”
What the customers want is what goes. As there is a wide variety of dishes to choose from, Cortes and staff design the menu based on what dishes respond to the most. Buffalo chicken and chimichangas are two of the most popular dishes.
Monte Olivo’s is a family-run business. Cortes runs it with her sister and nephews Geovanni Cortes and Kevin Reyes, and this translates to how patrons are served.
“The biggest thing that both my aunt, my mom, and all my family is that they want everyone to feel like this is their home,” said Kevin Reyes, who works as general manager. “There’s never anyone that doesn’t get treated like someone we might be kin to.”
Monte Olivo’s Italian & Mexican Restaurant is located at 179 N. Louisville St. in Harlem. For more information visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MonteOlivosRestaurant.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
