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    The Monkey Cat

    3.7 (476 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

    The Monkey Cat Photos

    THE MONKEY CAT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - The Monkey Cat

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    Fish Special: pan roasted halibut with a citrus soy glaze and wasabi drizzle
    Brenna N.

    *FOOD POISONING ALERT* This breaks my heart to write this review, but my husband and I recently dined at Monkey Cat to celebrate my birthday and on the way home he ended up getting violently ill in the parking lot of the Roseville Galleria. It was a couple of hours after eating at the Monkey Cat and was sick off and on through the night, but was fine once he got everything out. He did the right thing by trying to notify the restaurant. He called and spoke to someone who took his info and said they would have someone call him back. That never happened so he called again and left a voicemail. Almost a week later he got a call back from a Manager named Peter, who took all the details and said he would look into it and get back to him. He said he was slammed, that is why it took 2 calls and a week to pass before responding. We never got a call back. He narrowed it down to either the filet or the asparagus, but is thinking it was the asparagus because he said it was barely al dente. Almost raw tasting. This has been our go to spot for every anniversary (my MIL would purchase a gift card because she knew how much we loved this restaurant), my family would go every year to celebrate my birthday, and most date nights we would choose to drive from Folsom to Auburn so we could go to Monkey Cat and get massages afterwards at the place next door. We totally get that these things can happen, but it is how it was handled that was so disappointing.

    Steak and fries. It was so delicious and the chimichurri sauce on it was amazing tasted just like salsa

    Just stepped in one day and ordered steak and Fritz, and had the Malibu Barbie drink, and it came with cotton candy on it, which I love it was cool. Our waiter was not that good but the rest of them in there were so that was awesome. The restaurant so cute and unique. I felt like you were in a city of lights..

    M. C. Mac N' Cheese
    Dan C.

    My wife and I visited this restaurant after seeing it on Yelp. We ordered the following dishes: - Mac & Cheese Note: It lacked flavor and, considering the price, did not offer good value. - Braised Short Ribs Note: It was excellent; the meat was exceptionally tender. - Seafood Risotto Note: It was satisfactory but could have been better in terms of taste and overall quality. Based on our experience, the flavors of the dishes could benefit from improvement. The staff was very friendly, but the service time was noticeably slow.

    The Whispering
    Steffani K.

    Yes! Yes! Yes! Early Valentines Dinner at Monkey Cat in Auburn. Great food, beautiful atmosphere and everything we love about a small boutique restaurant. Reminded us of what we had in the Bay Area, walking down Laurel St in San Carlos. Skip the big name Steak House and support small businesses. Check it out. We split the Beet Napoleon Salad. The flavor profile was beautifully blended and incredibly fresh on the pallet. I had the Maple Glaze Salmon (flakey, sweet and perfectly cooked) and the hubby had the 8 oz Filet. Perfect rare cook, lightly whipped potatoes and not drowned in sauce. Enjoyed a Creeping Fig Bourbon Cocktail and The Whispering bourbon Cocktail and ended with a Creme Brûlée. Delicious! Bougie without being too bougie. We will definitely go back - I need to try to tomato blue cheese soup!

    Beef stroganoff
    Katie C.

    Went for Mother's Day dinner after walking/driving by all the time, it looks like such a cute place. Made reservations on open table as it states reservation needed we were running late and staff was nice enough to call to see if we were still on the way. We ordered a variety off the menu. Husband went with the burger, daughter did mashed potatoes and I went with the beef stroganoff. I enjoyed their take of the meal. I was a little sad to not have been offered the bread and oil at the beginning of our meal but think it was just a busy night.

    Mac n Cheese
    Cam A.

    Really 3.5 stars, and the Yelp community has it right. This place showed promise but at each point we were underwhelmed. I ordered the blackened shrimp tacos and some mac n cheese. First the tacos weren't bad but with the number of ingredients I expected a mouth full of flavor. It lacked enough acid and consistency in flavor. The Mac n cheese was disappointing. It was creamy and again lacked flavor. The portion was large but it was average at best. The shining star is the French fries. Really good! Service was what you expect. The restaurant is nice - and had a nice vibe!

    Salmon
    Claire S.

    Met up with friends for dinner at Monkey Cat last night. Haven't been there in a long time and we're so glad we went back. First of all our server, Cheyanne, was absolutely wonderful - friendly and efficient. The food was fantastic! Beet salad, off the charts delicious. A couple of us had the short ribs others had the salmon, one had the chicken Cordon Bleu and one had the seafood risotto. Every single dish was absolutely delicious. Well prepared and beautifully presented. Let's don't forget the cocktails. Vodka martini , old-fashioned . We also shared a bottle of wine. They had a very nice selection of wine as well. We all agreed that we will be back again very soon.

    Jill S.

    Perfect restaurant for nice meal,ambience and service! Dishes ordered: Brie appetizer with jam & honey,rosemary chicken special,braised short ribs,cheesecake & tiramisu for dessert. We enjoyed our meal so much and appreciated the outstanding service from our sweet waitress! (Forgot her name!) We will be back!

    Mac and cheese
    William D.

    The curb appeal of The Monkey Cat & reviews prompted us to give it a try & both of us were underwhelmed. Very slow (single server)on a Saturday at about 2 pm(day before holiday). Ordered the chicken parm sandwich on special & mac and cheese. The chicken parm on the dinner menu has received good reports, kinda similar execution on the sando on toasted sour dough except for the uneven brie cheese distribution, don't remember Ham?,ok flavor..meh. Side was some Luke warm French fries. Mac & Cheese, lightly cheesed,bacon, ok.. not memorable. Split both items with Mrs D Cute shaded patio area outside looks promising for summer beverages. Anyway, I want to come back for dinner,maybe we caught them on an off day .

    Tiramisu

    We stopped by for Saturday night dinner. The food was absolutely delicious and the wait staff went "above and beyond." I enjoyed the Beef Stroganoff and my wife had the Chopped Salad w/Chicken. We finished the evening with a tiramisu. It was an excellent evening.

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    9 months ago

    Great drinks and food and service, chill atmosphere. We will definitely return the next time we're in town.

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    8 months ago

    Great food and service. I even got a Birthday card from the staff. We will be back, and will tell our friends.

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    Ask the Community - The Monkey Cat

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    Parmesan-crusted grilled cheese benedict.

    Pelican's Roost Fish & Chips

    Pelican's Roost Fish & Chips

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    New owners at Pelican's Roost. Aside from the regular fish and chips etc, they also have Korean…read morefood. My dad and I tried their Bibimbap (it's often spelled this way, but should be spelled as it's pronounced, "Bibimbop" with an O, that rhymes with pop). Well, let me tell you - I wasn't prepared for what was coming ! All of a sudden, two huge stone bowls filled with rice and toppings appeared. And the most impressive part was the loud, sizzling noise coming from it ! Warning: The stone bowls have been heated to a very high degree of heat. Do Not - I repeat - Do Not Touch the Stone Bowl ! Bibimbop (yes, I'm gonna spell it this way here) translates to mixed rice in english. And that's what you do, with all the ingredients, along with the Gochujang (sweet, savory, and slightly spicy pepper paste) that comes in a small glass bowl. The "jang" in Gochujang is also pronounced more like "jong". Anyhow, the Bibimbop served in the hot stone bowl, is called Dolsot Bibimbop. By using the stone bowl, it creates a crispy, crunchy layer of rice at the bottom. And koreans have a name for that too, haha... It's called Nurungji. I'm not sure, if you're suppose to mix Nurungji with the soft rice. Or, just eat it as is, at the end. For some reason, I didn't have nurungji in mine, my dad did. Was it because, I mixed mine up quickly, as soon as it arrived, haha... Y'all gotta come by and try it for yourself. It might be a bit more expensive, than the regular Bibimbop. But, in my opinion, well worth it ! They also have other korean dishes, along with favorite street foods like Kimbop (korean version of sushi rolls), and Tteokbokki (a very thick rice pasta, with a sweet and slightly spicy sauce). As for the interior, the restaurant goes back, at least to the 1950's. It has a quaint, diner like feel, with long bar stool seating in the back, and high wooden seating booth areas, along the sides. And if you prefer seating with more natural light, there's an area up front too, that's partitioned off. Beyond the bar stools, in the back, there's also an old, wooden phone booth. From what decade ? Perhaps from 1940's. Outside, beneath the Pelican's Roost Fish & Chips sign, you'll see written - Koffee Kup Restaurant. I've heard, that was the origin of this restaurant. Anyhow, according to my dad, they have good coffee here. So, come by and try out this place - either for fish & chips, korean food, coffee, etc... They're open from 11 - 8 daily, except Sundays. They're located on Lincoln Way. In my opinion, Pelican's Roost is actually located on High St. Lincoln Way is split in half by High St. So, it's a little tricky getting there. For parking, you can park on the main streets. But, there's designated parking spaces, in the back as well. ps Bob Hope and his family ate here in the 50's :)

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    Photos
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    Photo of Bob Hope & Family in 1953 while in Pelicans Roost!

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    Fried shrimp & fish platter

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    Patio table in front of the restaurant.

    The Monkey Cat - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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