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    The Monkey Cat

    3.7 (482 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Monkey Cat Photos

    THE MONKEY CAT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Monkey Cat

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    Salmon with gnocchi . . .  wow!
    Elizabeth H.

    We walked from the Holiday Inn Auburn to The Monkey Cat, 805 Lincoln Way. I suggest making reservations because it gets busy. Right away you can tell this is a popular place with the local creative. Its got a great funky chic vibe. The staff is attentive and friendly. I have to sing the praise of my salmon dish. The salmon was some of the best that I have had. It was cooked perfectly, moist and flavorful. Yet there was a delicious crust that added flavor without overpowering the salmon. The gnocchi was delightful pairing. My lemon dessert was the perfect end to the meal. What a great place. Not overly pricey considering how delicious it was.

    Salmon Gnocchi lower left, Seafood Risotto center top
    Richard C.

    Great food -- Highly recommend the Salmon with Gnocchi and the Seafood Risotto. This restaurant made a wonderful stop in Auburn on our way up to Lake Tahoe.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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!

    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

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    3 years ago

    Food and service are consistently good. Love their tomato blue cheese soup. Great appetizers and a well stocked bar. I am a frequent flyer

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    6 years ago

    Just love this place local owned great service and the food is unbelievable. This it the place to go in auburn!

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    4 years ago

    Had a fabulous Birthday Lunch here. Their dishes are unique and flavorful. Will definitely come back!

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    Ashley R.

    Thank you!! We look forward to serving you again!!

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    Ashley R.

    Thanks for dining with us! We look forward to seeing you again!

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    Page 5 of 13

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    Ikeda's California Country Market - Mushroom tasty burger

    Ikeda's California Country Market

    4.0(1.8k reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    Good pit stop with a decent market to browse next door…read more Mushroom burger - 10/10 Patties were tasty, bun was solid, mushroom and onions were superb. Onion rings - 10/10 Very very very good. Sweet potato fries - 8/10 Good. Wish they were crispier.

    Came in an hour before closing and the place is still buzzing with a ton of people either waiting…read morefor their food or going straight to the market for the pies. I was one of the pie people. Having had Ikeda's Marionberry Pie before, I knew the quality and expected such. The quality was there and I liked how the pies were readily available for you to grab and go. What made a terrible impression and made this visit one I wish I did not take, making me give 3 stars out of 5, was the young woman who checked me out. I ordered 4 pies and two were gifts so I asked for two extra bags. She answered in an annoyed way that they're $.25 each. No problem I said and paid for them. This extra one minute really seemed to have bothered her and it's terrible that she made me feel unvalued in such a short amount of time. She seemed to be eager to help the party behind me, which is great but she had no finesse in her customer service. I believe she could've made my experience completely different and still acknowledge the people after me. She made it seem as if I'm less important of a customer than they were. She also didn't bag my 4th pie which was awkward because she gave me the bags there. I'll be back but I won't be in a hurry like I was before. These small personal nuances are what makes small businesses great. When you're client facing it's so important to know this. It doesn't take much to be kind or provide great service.

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    Ikeda's California Country Market - Small pies

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    Auburn Alehouse - Charcuterie board

    Auburn Alehouse

    3.9(1.7k reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    We hosted our son and future daughter-in-law's rehearsal dinner at Auburn Alehouse, and it was…read moreabsolutely phenomenal. We feel so blessed that this special evening took place there. Lisa Ford, the co-owner, went above and beyond in every possible way. She designed a menu within our budget, created a customized bar menu, and she and her amazing team decorated, cooked, served, and made the patio feel warm, beautiful, and welcoming. They truly handled everything with such care and excellence. We were able to play our own customized Spotify playlist on the back patio for a fun Yacht Rock Friday night feeling, and their IT/AV support, Randy, helped us play a personalized video of the couple on the patio TV throughout the evening. It made the night feel even more personal and special. The food was truly the chef's kiss, the beer by Brian Ford, co-owner and brewmaster, was incredible, and the service was outstanding. Trista and the wait staff were fun, attentive, and made our guests feel so well taken care of. One of the best parts of the evening was seeing our son and daughter-in-love so happy and surrounded by incredible family and friends who enjoyed honoring and celebrating them. Our guests could not stop talking about how wonderful the food, service, atmosphere, and overall experience were. Auburn Alehouse is family-owned, community-forward, and an incredible craft brewpub. It is a wonderful place for private events, date nights, gatherings, celebrations, or simply a great meal with great beer. If you are in Auburn, driving from Reno to the Bay Area, or heading up the mountain, stop here. They are also a fantastic choice for private events and can work with your budget. They even host private events at their Annex across the street. We are so grateful we chose Auburn Alehouse for such an important family celebration. Highly recommend! We will be back - over & over & over! Huge Mahalo Lisa & Brian!!

    I really enjoy coming here. Staff is friendly portions are sizable, restrooms are clean. I would…read morerecommend the cilantro bowl, the clam chowder, their burgers pretty decent. And they have a cauliflower dish that's pretty crazy. Their brews are pretty outstanding as well. If you're looking for Bud Light or Miller light or Coors light or any of those things you're not gonna find that here. It's a brewery.

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    Auburn Alehouse - Bar area

    Bar area

    Auburn Alehouse - Steak Frites $26

    Steak Frites $26

    Auburn Alehouse - Bar seating area

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    Bar seating area

    Rosie's

    Rosie's

    4.7(16 reviews)
    2.8 mi

    Rosie's feels like good home cooking. Everything tastes like it was made with care and love. It…read morefeels like a family affair with multiple generations helping out to make it feel homey and welcoming They specialize in local wines and a great selection of locally made beers. If you're enjoying the river and scenery in this part of the world, there's not a lot of choices for good food that isn't just a roadside burger, but this place is excellent! I make a special motorcycle trips from Sacramento just to enjoy the scenery and eat at Rosie's!

    I dislike writing anything besides rave reviews, especially in small towns like ours where having…read moreany great restaurants is a treat, however, after the last 3 visits being sub par, I really can't help but add my experience. First, we loved this place when it was the original owners. It was always a 10/10 experience. However, since the new owners took over, it really has been a disappointing experience each time; we keep going back hopeful, but I think we've hit our limit. The positives: the menu is creative and has expanded, a great outdoor seating area with fun events throughout the week, and one of the employees (younger tall guy) is super helpful and friendly. The negatives: lacking attention to detail, customer awareness and warmth, and longer than normal wait times. Our last visit, we walked in and were hardly greeted though being the only ones there. We ordered appetizers and drinks. We finished our drinks well before our food came out, 45 minutes later. It took so long we went in to check to make sure they hadn't forgotten. The table next to us was also extremely perturbed because their food took 45+ minutes, for it not being busy. One of the guests asked why the hold up on food and the response was: "well it's Thursday after being closed for 3 days and we weren't as prepped as we thought; that's what happens in restaurants. You can take it to go." I also ordered their Macho Salad, which came without any dressing. Just lettuce and a few toppings. It's disappointing to spend a decent amount of money to have pretty poor experiences. Unfortunately, we won't be coming back.

    Photos
    Rosie's - Restaurant entrance/patio

    Restaurant entrance/patio

    Rosie's - Pumpkin Bread Pudding - outstanding

    Pumpkin Bread Pudding - outstanding

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    The Monkey Cat - newamerican - Updated August 2026

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