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    Cowboy Monkey

    3.5 (94 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    Cowboy Monkey Photos

    Business Info

    COWBOY MONKEY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Very loud
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Cowboy Monkey

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    Guacamole and Chips, California Quesidallas, Brunch Flight
    Jorge A.

    I haven't been here since the remodel but they have always had good food. They did not disappoint this time around. The atmosphere is different from before but the brunch was a good time. Definitely suggest the quesidallas and masa pancakes.

    Chicken Crisp
    Jason M.

    I got a chicken crisp, and it was really good and filling. They offer a lot of options for what can go on the crisp also. A crisp is basically a thick chip that they put all the toppings on. Kind of eaten like a pizza. We sat outside and it was really cute and lively. The lights in the area added a nice ambiance (it was night). Great vibe. The service was kind of slow though. I'd recommend!

    Dana H.

    They're open for brunch and they have the cutest little outdoor seating in little Greenhouse Igloo type things. I love that they have amora coffee now. Good vegetarian options and the candy jalapenos are great. Our waiter Elijah was super nice and attentive!

    Tracey L.

    One of the cutest restaurants with outdoor seating in the C/U area! My roommates and I came to celebrate the end of the school year. The atmosphere outside so was fun - especially with beautiful weather on the weekends when it's hustling and bustling! We ordered the Cowboy Nachos, the fish tacos, and the Tangy Avocado Salad. The food itself was mediocre - nothing special. The nachos were pretty good but by the time we received the dish, half the cheese had already solidified. I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of eating just regular cheese - especially on my nachos. Points docked on that for sure. The fish tacos were kinda bland. My salad was pretty good - the veggies were all very fresh! The service was also just okay. To be fair, it was really packed when we went so I can totally understand. Overall, I would recommend only for a celebratory dinner if you're hoping to dine outside.

    Cod tacos, perfect combo of tender and crisp!
    Joanna M.

    This is a review of their dinner service on a busy Saturday evening. We came here wanting a small bite at an affordable price. After looking at the menu, we decided to give it a try, after all, their outdoor seating is probably the most scenic out of the downtown area. You are between restaurants in an allay and not looking at a busy road. I got the cod tacos, they were great! Perfectly tender and crispy outside with a delicious creamy sauce. The price tag was also quite attractive! Next time, I will try the shrimp tacos as those also looked amazing. The service was okay, not the most attentive, but friendly.

    Nachos and quesadilla
    Sarah W.

    I went to Cowboy Monkey on Sunday for trivia night. I had heard that seating is crowded, so my friends and I got there at 6. It wasn't that crowded that night, so we had to linger around until trivia started at 7:30. Trivia "starts" at 7 and begins at 7:30 when Big Dave explains the instructions and hands out the answer sheets. My suggestion would be getting there around 6:30 or 6:45 because Trivia lasts until 10 and 3 hours is a long time to sit at one restaurant. The rounds are weighted from very easy to impossible. Some of the general knowledge trivia is so random. There is no way you can really study for trivia. The prizes are a $10 gift card for each round won, and finally a $60 for winning the whole thing. The special on Sundays is $5 nachos. The combination of guac, salsa, and cheese was pleasing to the taste buds. However, the chips tasted a little old and the cheese outweighed the other ingredients, masking the other flavors. The nachos are originally $10, which in my opinion, is way too much. I also had the quesadilla, which was a tri-cheese quesadilla. It tasted like a quesadilla you could make at home, nothing special. We also had the sopapilla which was fried dough topped with honey, chocolate, ice cream, and brown sugar. I would recommend sharing it with friends because it was pricey and it was a big portion. The service was good that night because the waitress kept coming back to fill our waters and ask us how we were doing. Cowboy Monkey is very good about accommodating larger groups; they pull small tables together to make a large one.

    Cowboy Monkey Patio

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    2 years ago

    I absolutely loved the old cowboy monkey. But now my mother and I will never return. Sad to see they had changed.

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    5 years ago

    Elijah was an AWESOME waiter and the food and margaritas were amazing! Highly recomend Cowboy Monkey!

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    6 years ago

    First place to have Oktoberfest beer Pork burritos are awesome Great staff and now they have brunch

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    so good and greatly priced! I love the spicy margs!! the service was very friendly and helpful. recommend the chicken crisper

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Cowboy Monkey

    Review Highlights - Cowboy Monkey

    The bartender, Elijah, makes the best Bloody Mary I have ever had and that is by a longshot.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Hubers West End Store - Gaming machines in the back room.

    Hubers West End Store

    4.3(13 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $

    Just left Hubers. Fantastic place with great service and good food. Glad we stopped!! We will…read moredefinitely stop back in.

    Hubers is a good neighborhood bar. There really aren't any others like it in Chambana, but they are…read morea dime a dozen in Chicago, and when they are good, they are great. Hubers is a townie bar, to be sure, but the best kind of townie bar: the staff is friendly, not surly, patient with noobs and the drinks are generous and cheap. They pour massive shots in tumbler glasses and offer big steins of domestic drafts for less than what a pint runs in Downtown Champaign. They serve food, which is stellar in its value, if not its uniqueness. Simple pub grub done well is the order of the day. They have a surprising variety of surprisingly good thin-crust personal pizzas for less than $4 and all the expected fried things. Popcorn is free and they will make more just for you. If I was serious about throwing darts, this is where I would come, as it is apparent they take it seriously at Hubers: there is an entire room dedicated solely to this and about 4 dozen trophies. There is ample parking in the rear, as well as a tiny semi-enclosed smoking area that is only a little bit less depressing than the smoking tanks at the Atlanta Airport. The decor inside is nothing special, but upon close inspection you will find echoes of the historic grocery that inhabited the structure in years past. An old-fashioned candy counter is at the front of the store and still in use. Hubers is a good place to watch sports, as while they do not have the biggest or newest TVs, they sure have a lot of them and are not shy about letting you tune in whatever suits you. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is they do not have very many of the "fancy" microbrews or imports that just about every place in Chambana stocks these days, and any that they do carry are likely old. This is a liquor and domestic beer joint. Also, like any neighborhood/townie bar, there is an alkie or two that may pass through, and this is not the place to meet chicks, or at least not he kind of chicks that you want to brag about on the Internet.

    Photos
    Hubers West End Store - A quiet lunch.

    A quiet lunch.

    Hubers West End Store - Huber's in Champaign on Church Street east of Mattis Ave.

    Huber's in Champaign on Church Street east of Mattis Ave.

    Hubers West End Store - At Hubers with Pam listening to a great band.

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    At Hubers with Pam listening to a great band.

    Cowboy Monkey - bars - Updated May 2026

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