We live right down the street from the Monkey so we are here quite often! The food is great and the bartenders know us and give us drink specials since we visit so often. I enjoy sitting outside on the deck when weather permits. My only complaint is eating up at the bar is difficult due to the lack of legroom, but overall we enjoy hanging at the monkey downtown. read more

This bar is very cool. I went in for lunch with a group of 6. Even though the place was packed, we had a table right away. Buffalo chicken egg rolls were very good. All the meals at are table were fantastic with very prompt service, drink refills, etc. I had a monster burger that I could only half finish. Ambiance is modern, bright, loud and full of fun. I'll be back! read more

Really, the food was average at best and the service sucked. It was playoff time and I was trying to watch the games, but they had some other garbage on the TV screen. I almost had to beg them to turn on the game. read more

Cool place for drinks, apps, or dinner. Like everything on the menu except the Philly. The Philly is more like a sandwich than a true, legit Philly steak. Hot wing rolls are awesome. Only reason I don't give it 5 is the prices are a bit high but the place is fun. read more

Food is pretty good, they have a delicious grilled chicken dish! Lots of choices of beers. They do allow smoking inside so if you don't like smelling cigarettes while you eat, you may not like this place. The thing that disappointed me about this place is they have an outdoor patio area but do not allow dogs there boo ! read more

(Saturday Afternoon) Probably a better place to drink than eat. Hubby had a blackened chicken wrap-ok...but nothing great. I Had the Beef Eater sandwich...tasty, & good, although not much beef on it. Veggie side was very good. Overall everythying seemed too highly priced $$ for what you get. Luckily only 1 smoker in bar otherwise we'd never have eaten in a smokey, expensive bar. read more

The Blue Monkey has always been one of my favorite places to both party with friends and to dine. As a restaurant/bar, it serves high quality food that is just below the standards of four and five star restaurants, offering menu items ranging from modest appetizers like its homemade Monkey Chips to sandwiches and entrées such as its hand cut beef filet. Of course, most of the Monkey's regulars go there for the alcohol, and it has a full service bar that more than adequately meets their needs. However, I'm more of a foodie, so whenever I go there, I definitely get my grub on. The Blue Monkey has a lot of menu items that I can easily comment on, but I'll focus on three of my favorites: the Hot Wing Rolls, the Prime Rib and its "little brother," the Prime Rib Poboy sandwich. The Hot Wing Rolls are very unique in that it takes the best qualities of both the egg roll and hot wings, allowing a diner to get the taste of chicken and hot sauce without getting messy fingers. Whoever came up with this concept is a genius, for the Hot Wing Rolls, which come with celery and either Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing for dipping, work great as both an appetizer and a nice, light late night snack. As far as it being a late night snack, it is especially useful for those who are a little tried after being up most of the night, with the hot sauce providing the "jolt" needed reawaken the senses. The Prime Rib entrée and its poboy brother primarily consists of slow roasted prime beef that is cooked to order. In all the times that I had either one, my experience has been of the meat being well tenderized and seasoned with a good amount of fat, which I sometimes indulge in against my doctor's wishes. Accompanied with Tiger (a mixture of horseradish and mayonnaise) and au jus dipping sauces, the Prime Rib is by far The Blue Monkey's best dish. Depending on which version is ordered, the prime rib comes with either one side for the poboy, or a side and a salad for the entrée. When I get the entrée, I usually disregard the salad and get two sides, which are the Twice Baked Potato and creamed spinach. As far as Prime Rib is concerned, The Blue Monkey can hold its own with some of the better steakhouses in Memphis, including Texas de Brazil. Although no one can go wrong in ordering any sandwich or entrée on the Monkey's menu, the Prime Rib definitely stands out as its best item, in my opinion. In summary, The Blue Monkey serves some of finest food that a person can find in a restaurant/bar in Memphis, be it at it's original Midtown location which serves more of a working-class clientele or its Downtown restaurant that caters to the upper-class residents who live near the place. By the way, on Sundays both locations serve brunch, which is also great. In all, The Blue Monkey is fine dining establishment that I highly recommend. read more

Good bar atmosphere. Inexpensive beer and good appetizers. I recommend the sausage platter to have along with the beer of your choice. The staff were very attentive and we never ran out of beer. The bad: It can be challenging to find a spot to park in their private parking lot. read more

Great drinks at a good price. Friendly staff and above average bar food. Great place!

My husband and I was hungry on the late Sunday night. We drove towards to downtown but did not see anything we wanted to try. Then we thought about the blue monkey and thought would give a shot. I wanted to try a while back but because the smoke that I just can't. Since the weather was decent that day. We sat outside instead. I had a philly cheese steak with a side of mushrooms. Hubby had a hamburger with bacon. The portions both were decent and we finished everything. Our waitress also attentive which was nice since we sat at the patio. Will try their lunch specials some other time. read more

One of memphis's best kept secrets is the plate lunch here. Specials vary by the day. Pot roast is a winner. Whatever you do, get the creamed spinach. More like cheesy spinach, but a must have dish. You'll see. Trust me. read more

I visited both Mid-!town & Downtown locations. I like the consistency of the food, kind people, and laid back atmosphere. The Downtown location seems to be the perfect place to unwind after a long, long day. Cool vibe. Noise level at a tolerable level. read more

Just recently moved downtown and checked out the Blue Monkey. Walking in, I felt like it was a Cheer's atmosphere. Only looking for a drink, a sat at the bar and was immediately greeted. The bar tender"ess", Leanne, made me feel right at home! Her and the manager, Wayne, were just the kind of people I was looking to hang out with in downtown Memphis, TN. If you want the "neighborhood bar" feel, this is the place! read more

We ate there Saturday night which was our 4th time in less than a year. We got two different sandwiches to share & my chicken club was good but the prime rib po-boy didn't taste anything like it had in the past. The meat had no flavor & it kinda looked gray. We ate it anyway...BIG MISTAKE! 3:30AM & 7:30AM on Monday morning...we both had food poisoning! Worst 2 days of our lives! We will NEVER go back! read more

My meat hamburger gave me food poisoning! I will never go back here again. I was sick for 2 days almost immediately after leaving blue monkey downtown. The service was horrible on top of that! Just overall don't know how this place is operating. read more

i went there Tues, May 15, nite around 11:45pm. I went to the bar to order hot wing rolls. The blonde waitress at the bar was NASTY!. She would not greet me or say Thank you. So also, stare at me as if I did not belong in there. She is awful and should be FIRED. read more

This a decent bar. They have good food and a full bar. A good place to have lunch, I like their poboys. It's convenient to walk to if you live dtown. They have TVs if you wanna watch a game. The only thing I don't love is the smoking, but this is Memphis and apparently one can smoke anywhere. read more

Really cool place. Didn't eat so no food review. They do allow smoking if that's an issue for you.

This is my place for Thursday night trivia. The food and service are good as well. Brandi and Brittney are both great servers. It can get loud at times, but bar would be like that. read more

I think this place has a lot of potential. They have a great selection of beers and liquors and the food is good.(the hot wing wraps are amazing). It has a very good atmosphere. The biggest downfall I have seen in the three times I have been there was service. Everyone I have encountered has been very nice, when they decide to come around. Tonight there was one other table that had guest, and we saw our waitress on maybe 15 minute intervals. read more

I had the stuffed mushrooms and they were awesome. I'm sure they're a heart attack waiting to happen with all the cream and cheese, but they are so delicious. Also had the crawfish bisque, which was also good. The service was good and so were the drinks. I would definitely revisit this place. read more

Monkey chips are incredible! Blue cheese lovers rejoice!

Great beer selection! The spicy Bloody Mary was excellent! Just had the hot wing rolls as a appetizer and they were very tasty.

Used to love this place after moving to Memphis a year ago and I live 5 mins away. Food is pretty on point but staff/service is mixed...at best. Prior visit my waitress was more concerned about smoking than closing my check out. Tonight, felt like prime rib after a flight in from D.C., bartender snapped at me after trying to get her attention 2-3 times and was being fully patient only to be bypassed for drink orders. Took my $50 spend to S.O.B....always been treated good there. read more

Here to judge the Memphis in May BBQ competition, so we ARE foodies (obviously anyone willing to come from Texas to judge a BBQ competition is!) and we found this place to be a hidden gem!!!! First of all, GREAT A/C (and after sitting in the judging tent, MOST appreciated in 90 degree weather!) #2, excellent drinks! Fair price, good and strong, most enjoyable. Service was outstanding, stopped by several times to see if we needed anything else, but not at all pushy. We found a MUCH greater selection than the "normal bar food menu" and having stopped there several times on our way home after a long day (walking to our condo rented for the week) we HIGHLY recommend the place. Fair pricing, friendly service, strong drinks and VERY convenient to those staying in walking distance and not wanting to drive during heavy traffic events (such as the BBQ Competition). Hubby will pick up dinner there tonite and drag home to enjoy here! read more

My husband and l are here now. We planned to go to Rizzo, but the wait was too long. We ordered the Hotwings egg rolls they were excellent, along with the fried catfish and succulent shrimps. Enjoyed the atmosphere. Our waitress was Arielle she was excellent. Fast and polite service. Will be back. read more

As a New Zealander in this scary town/country, The Blue Monkey is my safe place to hang out. Lovely sun deck, great food, nice patrons and very friendly staff. read more

This was a staple in my Memphis diet when I was a resident. Friendly service, solid menu, decent beer selection, welcoming ambiance. Steak night is a good deal (Tuesday steak specials). And the steak was pretty excellent for the price. Can get a little smoky. read more

The Monkey chips were burnt, the chief was singing badly, the prime rib was very bad. The beer was cold and service above average. It's a bar that serve food. read more

No one to greet when we came in but picked and table and waitress came right over. Very friendly and nice. Quick menus and a cup of coffee the wife ordered. Food wasn't the quickest for a Saturday night but was good. Stuffed mushrooms were excellent. We expected more of a Newby's vibe but was more upscale than we thought. Great bar, unique tables, and the staff was friendly. Definitely worth visiting for lunch or dinner again. read more

Decent southern food. Solid po'boys. The buffalo chicken eggrolls were good. The service was very pleasant and quick to refill drinks.

The Blue Monkey is a great little neighborhood bar. The hot wing rolls are absolutely the best thing going. Love the Beef Eater sandwich with Tiger sauce. Burgers are really good and they seem to have a decent variety when it comes to their daily specials. Drinks have always been as good as the other local spots and the beer is definitely cold. To those reviewers that complain about the smoke...it's a bar. In fairness they do have a non-smoking section, along with a patio. With all of that said, I haven't been there later in the evenings so I'm sure the smoke could be a problem with larger crowds. All of my experiences have been early or late lunches. It's really easy to get in and out, and I can't say anything negative about the place. It's a stop we make on a regular basis. read more

Not my favorite. The food isn't great for the price and the brunch menu is very limited. Unless you just want to eat where you can smoke, don't waste the money. read more

The blonde bartender was incredibly rude. Refused to serve my friend because she made a joke and then refused to serve me just because I was with her. Terrible service. If you're in the area, go to 5 Spot instead. read more

Just back from the Blue Monkey on S. Front St. Ordered a Bass beer, poured in a glass. Luckily, I only took a sip of the beer, as there were glass shards mixed into the frost on the rim of the glass. Got a mouth full of sharp glass, but luckily was able to spit it all out after a few minutes. I assume this isn't a regular occurrence, but buyer beware. read more

We often find ourselves eating in the same places in Memphis but happened upon The Blue Monkey on Front when we were in a hurry at lunch. We were seated and waited on quickly. The waitress was very nice and attentive. Hubby had the lunch choice of two-patty melt and side salad. I had the prime philly with fries. Both were super tasty and lots of food. Will definitely add this place to our list! read more

Have been a fan of this location since it was originally put in. We had stopped going a few years ago as we thought it had lost a step since reopening after the fire. Also, It can get quite smokey. Have been back twice in the last month for lunch. The back room is smoke free. The service was very prompt (a must if you are in a hurry for lunch) and helpful. The lunch specials were ~ $10 and plenty of food. Glad to have The Monkey back in our rotation. read more

my girlfriend and i rode the trolly to the blue monkey on 1-16-2012 when we walked in no one met us at the door.we stood there for about 60 sec. so we decided to seat our self then and only then did the waitress come from the end of the bar and took our drink orders. the waitress was very nice but the blackened chicken was over seasoned and my girlfriend and i became very ill the next day. long story short " eat at the blue monkey at your own risk " :-( read more

after doing my homework, I was looking forward to a halfway decent meal. but I hardly got off my bus, than the owner made me feel like a vagrant (inspecting my shopping cart, asking if I was waiting for a ride).despite this, I decided to stay, since the next bus was over an hour.i went with a soup and onion rings with a cup of coffee. whatever kind of meat was in the soup, it was unidentifiable. it was dry and crumbly, and the soup as a whole was luke-warm. the onion rings, although having nothing wrong with them, were room temperature, and the portion was tiny, just like the soup. so my plan had been to eat light and take home a prime rib po' boy, but the quality of what I had eaten already changed my mind. and to top it off,the coffee was terrible. I sent the first cup back, and the second tasted even worse. I don't usually rate eateries, but this one was bad enough that I had to warn people. don't waste your money like I did, read more