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    The Blue Monkey

    3.6 (82 reviews)
    ModerateBars, American

    The Blue Monkey Photos

    Business Info

    THE BLUE MONKEY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Divey
    Casual
    Live music

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    Recommended Reviews - The Blue Monkey

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    Tiffany J.

    OMG!!! This was my first time visiting and the food was amazing! I had the fish plate with onion rings and cream spinach for my sides. The fish was fried and seasoned really well, plus they give a huge portion. I had a craving for onion rings and they definitely satisfied it! They were light and crispy just like I like the. The spinach was so good that I wanted to try the recipe to have at home! It was a great balance of cream, cheese, and spinach. I loved it! The service was really great as well. Our waitress did an excellent job of making sure that we were well accommodated. She checked on us often. I had experience!

    Semaria S.

    It's been such a long time since I've been here. We intended for this to be a quick stop after work but plans changed. We started out with a strawberry lemon drop martini. It was tasty but we thought it was little week. Little did we know a Parton at the bar for our martinis. Next, as the encouragement of our hostess, we decided to try the Skyy Suicide. It's a cocktail with various Skyy vodka flavors. This one was tasty and had a slightly stronger kick than the martini. I ordered the blackened chicken served over a bed of wild rice. I chose the sautéed veggies and fries as my sides. I just want to say everything was seasoned perfectly. The chicken was tender and juicy. The veggies were amazing. Before leaving, reposado shots were ordered. Omg, I felt like that kicked in quickly. Overall, an amazing experience today.

    Fried fish, hush puppies, fries, Mac n cheese
    Mark S.

    This is a corner bar and grill that has been around for a long time. When you enter, there is a large bar with several tvs. I got a Philly cheese steak and my wife got fried fish. Both of our dishes were very good. The menu has many options for those that have a variety of tastes. Would recommend this place again in the future!

    Chicken fried steak burger with creamed spinach
    Noah C.

    The food was good and was served very quickly. The service was good but could have been better.

    Bar food   Bbq Bacon Burger French Fries
    Antonio D.

    Live this place, great food, friendly, great service, and it's into midtown. And if you get here at this time! It's happy hour! Come and enjoy! Hopefully I'll see you here.

    Hot Wing Eggrolls
    Tiffany A.

    I'm so glad my husband and I finally tried this place for an impromptu day date today! We were greeted warmly as soon as we came in and were made to feel extremely welcome. Our waitress was so sweet! I can't remember her name for the life of me, but she had some lavender highlights in her hair and was extremely pleasant and perky! Our drinks were strong & reasonable & the food was so good & fresh! We will definitely be back!

    When you google "fried shrimp"
    Danshell J.

    Very mediocre meal I actually expressed my dislike of the food to server asked for something else instead cause as you can see I at least tried this expensive school lunch.The other two pictures are what I expected.Instead this meal was literally forced on me never again!

    Dining area
    Butterbean M.

    Came back today and got the country fried steak wiith the fries and wild rice. Awesome meal need to try it oUt if u stop by. Also as always on sundays from 11 to 2 pm there brunch is FIRE !!!!

    Angus salad
    Joelle P.

    Oh Blue Monkey...I have a love/hate relationship with you. First off the SMOKE! Oh my heavens...the smoke...I know that is the appeal to some people but I just feel like I'm too old to have to throw out my clothes to get rid of that awful smell and then wash my hair 10 times. What's that saying, "Smoking kills...but at least you look cool"? Yeah, I'm over it. That being said, I had the BEST steak salad of my life. Seriously. I don't know what was going on (and this is literally why they get that 4th star instead of just 3) but holy moly, I stopped talking to my friends and just stared into the plate because I couldn't believe such culinary magic was happening at a bar like this. Other pluses, they have live music - and they are 90% of the time really awesome bands! Plus the drinks are stout and not that expensive. Win, win! Is this a dive bar? I guess but it really isn't a dive dive...maybe kinda sorter but a teensy bit better? I've worn heels here on multiple occasions...are you allowed to wear heels at a true dive bar? I don't think so...not to mention their food is leaps and bounds above typical bar food... If you can stand smoke, you won't be disappointed - bottom line!

    Cesar salad
    Valerie D.

    I've always went to Blue Monkey to enjoy a drink, but decided to try the menu since it was steak night. I added a cesar salad to my order for extra $, which I don't recommend. I ordered the steak with creamed spinach. Don't get the creamed spinach!!! The steak was amazing though!! My friend ordered the steak and twice baked potato, that was a much better option!! Both of those were amazing!! Service at a table was lacking and he wasn't very knowledgeable about the menu or choices.

    Crab cake po boy
    Kerry C.

    I've been to the Blue Monkey for drinks plenty of times, but until today, I hadn't ever tried the food. The menu is fairly basic, full of mostly standards like sandwiches, salads, po boys, pizzas and baked potatoes. I had the crabcake po boy, which came with my choice of side. The sandwich was two crabcakes with lettuce, tomato and remoulade on a French roll. It was a little spicier than I was expecting, but the kick wasn't unwelcome. The side of fries was awesome -they had a good crispiness-to-softness ratio and weren't overly salted. The service was quick and friendly - I was seated, fed and out of there in less than 45 minutes, but I never felt rushed. When I went to the Blue Monkey for lunch today, the restaurant still smelled like last night. The nearly empty dining room was dark and there was a more-than-faint smell of stale smoke. On the windowed porch, though, everything was bright and happy. The Blue Monkey has two locations - downtown and midtown - that are open daily for lunch and dinner. Both have full bars and allow smoking, which means that you've got to be 21 or older to get in.

    Vu N.

    Pulling up to The Blue Monkey, parking was plentiful although we parked across the street and walked over. Walking in, we were informed we had to pay a $5 cover. Wth? Was there a concert? A live band? Or a theme night? Nope, just standard for their establishment to keep the rift raft out. We paid the cover and proceeded to seat ourselves by the bar since me and my buddies just wanted a place to have a few drinks and munch on something. The bartender was friendly as we ordered some mixed drinks. They had a pretty big menu so we asked one of the patrons who sat next to us who seemed to be a regular what she would recommend. She suggested the fish dish and her husband recommended the Philly cheese steak. We tried out the Philly cheese steak, chicken cheese steak, and the country fried steak platter. We ordered a few more rounds before our food came out. The dishes itself was okay. Nothing to brag about. Just typical frozen foods that was heated up. But it was good for bar food. Honestly, I was just a little disappointed that we had to pay $5 each just to eat and drink. They should wave that if the patrons are eating or apply that to the tab. Especially with no event going on. Im not cheap by any means since I know we generously tipped the bartender. But Oh well, atleast the drinks got me giddy and I did leave full.

    Patio Sunday
    Jacqueline W.

    It is such a beautiful day outside here at the blue monkey sitting on the patio with a great view I can see the last burger on earth restaurant as well as the whatever smokeshop I have a lovely view pediatrician they walk by and the staff here in At the Blue Monkey are so friendly and sociable ability so sweet the food is good I ordered blue monkey sandwich the blue monkey burger it comes loaded with Blue cheese lettuce tomato red onions dill pickles with a sesame -seed bun in your choice of a side item I chose for my side item the twice baked potatoes -please excuse the typos I'm using voice text

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    29 days ago

    Business owner information

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    George B.

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    1 year ago

    Bar setting. Lunch menu food was good, especially blacken chicken breast with mushrooms and sautéed vegetables! Great customer service!

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    Ask the Community - The Blue Monkey

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    Swamp Bar

    4.3
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    The entire experience was a 10 out or 10. From Marcus who was an amazing server to Ryan who made…read moreput first batch of margaritas, over to the other patrons vibing in the space. Its welcoming for solo outings as well as groups. We decided to try several menu items and loved them all. We are planning our next visit. A few of the items we tried (some photos are missing) Pork soup dumpling Creole Rangoon Global dumplings Crawfish and pork belly Gator satay Yakamein nola ol sober Spicy margarita Fries House margarita pitcher

    Swamp Bar has the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay awhile. The vibe is great, there…read moreis plenty of seating, and the inside DJ keeps the energy going. One suggestion: the front patio could really benefit from some music. Even a low-volume speaker tied into the DJ's system would help create the same experience outside without disturbing the neighborhood. The biggest challenge is parking. Street parking is risky, and several visitors have learned the hard way that tickets are easy to get. Save yourself the headache and use the parking garage across the street for about $4. It's worth it compared to a $25 parking ticket. Unfortunately, service was the weakest part of the experience. The staff appeared overworked, overwhelmed, and likely short-staffed. While that is understandable, the customer experience suffered. There was very little interaction from greeters, servers, or bartenders. Guests are instructed to wait to be seated, but there was little guidance, communication, or assistance. Long waits and a lack of acknowledgment made the visit frustrating. Food was mixed. The wings and fries were excellent--so good they disappeared before there was time to take a picture. The spring rolls, however, were under-seasoned, slightly overcooked, and only two come with an order, which felt disappointing for the price. The dipping sauces helped, but the filling could have used more flavor. The standout of the night was the Smash It cocktail. Made with Suntory Toki whiskey, basil, lemon, simple syrup, and an absinthe rinse, it was refreshing, balanced, and absolutely delicious. Easily the highlight of the visit. Would I return? Yes. But next time I'll go with adjusted expectations: eat beforehand, enjoy the atmosphere, grab a cocktail, and consider anything else a bonus. Pro Tips: Order the Smash It cocktail. The wings and fries are worth trying. Park in the garage across the street. Don't expect fast service during busy times. If you're hungry, have a snack before you arrive. Great atmosphere and cocktails, but service and parking keep it from reaching its full potential. With better staffing and a little more attention to guests, this place could easily be a 5-star experience.

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    This is a cool spot that I never knew was in the city until I was invited to a private event. When…read moreyou walk in, it feels like you are walking right into the 80s or 90s or at least that seems when the last update was. You surely get a nostalgic feeling. The thing I notice is that they are very inclusive. They have several nights including karaoke, comedy, drag shows, and various event nights throughout the week. The owner is super sweet and inviting. She made sure to go around and speak to everyone that was there. During my visit, I did order food. I had the chess club sandwich. It is served on white bread and is filled with salami, bacon, gouda, lettuce pickle and onions. It was ok. It took forever for it to come out. People who had arrived way after us received their food quicker than we did. I had to go to the bar several times to ask about our food. I found out that the bartender was also the cook, so that semi explains the delay. I had a salad along with my sandwich. It was ok. I couldn't eat it all because the dressing was not good. I do want to state that it is a cool place to dive into if you are looking for something to do throughout the week. I not sure if the food is meant to be the central focus, but they so have vegan options in addition to a full craft and alcoholic beverage menu.

    The Lamplighter Lounge in Memphis, Tennessee has that old-school bar vibe and ambiance down pat and…read moreI mean that in an extremely positive way. Yes, it does feel a bit dated, but that is not a bad thing. The staff is overall friendly and the drinks are cold. Bars have a long history of being a spot to gather in both good times and bad. It is a place where we cam escape the stress of our day and enjoy a drink. Memphis, Tennessee is fortunate to have this bar.

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    Truly a dive. Only come here if you don't mind smoke and filth.

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    Truly a dive. Only come here if you don't mind smoke and filth.

    The Blue Monkey - bars - Updated July 2026

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