Good food -- cash ONLY! Service seems to slow to a crawl as your meal goes on. One big pet peeve is when I have to wait a long time for my bill. I have two kids and there is nothing worse than being done and then waiting just to pay. Great variety on the menu accommodates all taste buds. Huge portions and porch seating is great if you don't want the darkness of the bar area. read more

This place is great! HUGE fish and chips portion! Very nice people work here, great service. Reasonable prices. Came in on a busy Saturday for lunch and was able to get a table right away. I can't wait to come back! read more

Loved this place!! The seafood was fresh and delicious!! Very affordable and elaborate menu. Friendly and welcoming staff. I will definitely be going back! read more

Unfriendly waitresses, mediocre food. Food took and hour to be served, a basket of fries and dumplings. Don't waste your time and money.

Friendly stafff, DELICIOUS scallops, and awesome drinks. Coming, from NY - to pay 6 bucks for a mixed drink is such a bargain!! Really fun place. Would definitely return! read more

This place gets a solid 4 stars for a few reasons. Actually a bunch of reasons. pros: 1) drinks are cheap 2) drinks are cheap 3) well drinks come in a beer glass, they don't skimp, and are cheap 4) am i crazy or was my girlfriend's glass of merlot only $3.50? i can't quite remember because drinks are cheap (edit: it was $4.75 last night but i got more whiskey in my drink too, so basically things were fine.) 5) its near I-95 and 30 mins from both New Haven and New London, so if you know someone from New Haven and New London and are like "hey wanna go to sweet dive bar with cheap drinks called the Monkey Farm Cafe?" they won't have to drive more than 30 minutes. That's decent. also: parking lot. 6) The music, even when its country-pop during the less-popular hours, isn't too loud to avoid. On Weekends its a mix of radio rock, and nostalgic 80s and classic rock that drunk people are probably putting on the jukebox. imagine a mix of PLR and Big D 103 and whatever radio stations play new rock music. also some dancey stuff if its late enough, but nothing at all Jersey Shore. totally fine and you'll probably hear a 60s psych tune here or there. 7) No jersey shore bullocks going on here 8) last time I went on a..tuesday? the bartender was wearing a logo-free tie-dye shirt. I'm totally down with that. 9) Nobody here cares what you look like and nobody will waste their time staring at you. Most people here are either having a good time or getting drunk. Which is what bars should be about. Its mainly a crowd of people who like cheap, comfortable divey bars. it's not full of one "type" of person like some sports bars or some hipster bars. it's chill. 10) drinks are cheap 11) It's called the Monkey Farm. Their logo-printed napkins are awesome and they have pens you can steal. What's not to like about that? cons: no free wifi. lol JK. seriously? cons: no beer on tap but they have harpoon and sierra and the guinness pint cans. you'd be surprised how many "good" bars don't have guinness on tap so chill out. you want a good tap room, hit up delaney's in new haven. Cheers. This place will always be here and for good reason. also good place to take out your kinda nerdy cousins and get them drunk and watch them argue about politics and almost get in a fight (but totally not get in a fight) while people play darts 5 feet away. I've actually never seen a fight here or anything close to it. Good place, man. read more

Bestttttt spot! Love everything on the menu. Great wings and pizza and wraps and salads and chili and beer and shots! Always have the best time and always leave very happy read more

I love the monkey Farm! The food is always terrific and the wait staff is great. We really enjoy coming here and come once a week. The salmon special, the sword fish special, the chicken wings, nachos, and just about everything including the fabulous burgers are terrific. We have never had a bad meal here! I am particularly fond of the garlic mashed potatoes. read more

Surprised that for a place that is clearly first and foremost a bar (see other reviews....described as a "dive bar" etc......), but they don't have have any draft beer! At least not tonight. read more

Not sure what thier food or service is like because when we pulled up there was a large sign that said cash only! Well, tonight I didn't have cash on me so we went across the street to Aspen, which always has great burgers and is not afraid to pay a little fee to the credit card companies for the convenience of their customers. Did I mention their sirloin burger I'd fantastic? read more

The Monkey Farm has a lot to offer: cheap drinks, decent food, casual atmosphere, accessible location. The staff is pretty cranky and this is a place where the summer "boaters" and occasional groups of Harley-riding dentists, accountants and other monied nerds like to frequent on their inordinately expensive chrome-clad, baffle-void steel sleds. The crowd may look a little rough around the edges, but they are generally nice, harmless old men suffering through their mid-life crises. Don't let them dissuade you from going here. That being said, take my advice and do NOT pound a lot of drinks and think you can drive away from this place -- the Old Saybrook PD watch it very closely and they will bust you before you can get down the block. Go here, enjoy some food and drink and have some fun. It is a nice, casual relaxed place and you will enjoy it. read more

I moved to town a few months ago and this is my favorite eats in Old Saybrook. The food is awesome. The atmosphere is like everyone is family or knows each other. Very welcoming. We come here because we always know whatever we get will be great. The swordfish is the freshest you'll find, pizza is great, clams, soups, stuffed shrimp...all superb. The only black eye in this place is the wait staff. The guys that bring you the food are quick to get you a refill of something or grab anything you are missing but the waitresses will take your order eventually...and you won't see them again until you flag them down for the check. I've had to go up to the bar to ask for my own refill on more than one occasion. The other occasions I've just gone without. It is usually the same waitresses and I think they do so much business (rarely a table is open) that they just don't care. I'd recommend sitting at the bar if there is just one or two of you, if you can. Cash only but there is an ATM on site. read more

Food is a hit or a miss, once you discover how disgusting some things are and how that works out around this place, you wouldn't have an apetite. But dining is not what brings most here, who cares after some drinks. Because, you can find more than drinks and food at this place, they keep themselves for cure alls, including under the counter offerings. Staff cares to grab the cash from you and anything else they can get, including your girlfriend/boyfriend, husband/wife; if not for themselves, they arrange it for others. Bartenders play favorites, normal. The girls are helpful and attractive, but if you are interested, don't go by Bill the bartender who shuffles them himself. Environment has what offers fun in a dive, air gets pretty nasty during hot days. Really depends on what you are looking for. Definitely would not suggest seeking help from management to solve the problem of dirt varieties because they are used to the stink however. read more

I've always loved this place, I actually own a couple monkeyfarm t-shirts. But the bartender last night was incredibly unwelcoming and rude.

Only cash accepted. No beer on tap. When we walked in they looked at us funny cause we werent dressed like shoreline swine. HATE THIS PLACE!

Dave T the Bartender was great, he was on top of everything, food was good, heard about their Prime Rib being we were there on a Friday we ordered it was good and the price was better, great deal, We even meet someone else from North Carolina who used to live there and gave us some other local spots to visit, we will be back, Dave keep up the great job and we'll see you on the return trip back. read more

Buddy and I stopped in last nite for dinner at the bar. I ordered broiled flounder and got 3/4in thick fish ... probably tilapia and not so good. Buddy ordered ribeye steak and got a not very good NY strip. The place was slammed with one bartender and one waitress. We were hungry and ate it but honestly it sucked. read more

Do not be fooled by the rough exterior- the food here is top shelf and consistent. Order the scallops, you will not be disappointed, they are outstanding!!! My other personal favorite is the grilled cheese. read more

Definitely a dive bar, but I mean that in a good way. Food is very good and everything is inexpensive.

We decided to stay in Old Saybrook on our way to Westerly and the best of Old Saybrook is right here. I am from San Diego and the food was extraordinary!! Lots to choose from and the salads rock! So did the music and I had tons of fun with the bartenders. Old Saybrook is not sleepy at all!! Hung out with two PhD's and played darts for hours. I am in love with Old Saybrook. I think I was proposed marriage too! I think I said yes. Next time I get to Westerly, I am making my stop here! read more

Don't miss this place if you are in Old Saybrook. The food is outstanding but the atmosphere and history of this place are worth a visit. Nothing fancy, but plenty of stories from the locals. The hamburgers are my favorite and the lobster rolls are the best in Connecticut. Prices are reasonable and service is friendly. read more

Best hole in the wall I've been to in ages the food was great prices are outstanding and Bill the bartender is fantastic highly recommended I'd come again any day read more

Great for lunch on the patio. Lots of choices like a Reuben and fish n chips etc. Fun at night for beers and darts - pool table too. Gets crowded on nights with big sporting games on the TVs. Great location on the corner. Try it. read more

On top of serving great food (I've never had anything I didn't like and can especially recommend the French onion soup, Philly cheesesteak, chicken nachos and blt's!) they also have great bartenders. Bill is awesome and has great taste in music. Great place to hang out and relax. read more

EXTREMELY MEDIOCRE. This restaurant was definitely not the best I had been to. I ordered broiled scallops that took more than an hour to come out and was DRENCHED in butter, I tasted no other seasonings so it was very buttery or bland if you didn't dip it in the butter. I had a side of mashed potatoes that were bad. Service overall was not very good and the waitress could have been friendlier. On the bright side the lobster rolls were very good. read more

Was so excited to come here based on all the good reviews but our experience was nowhere near 4 or 5 stars. It took over 40 minutes to get our food as we watched table after table get their food. Now, I'm not saying they have to be lightning fast, but I would have expected the server to check in, let us know it's coming, etc. Then, when we finally had to ask about a food, there was no apology. On top of it all, half the food was lukewarm. This may have been an off day for the kitchen, but we won't be returning. read more

We went out of our way to go here based on the other reviews. It wasn't terrible, and I could see how people would enjoy this bar, but if you're going here for the food, I wouldn't go out of your way. We ordered the French onion soup due to the many reviews on it. It's good, and we recommend it. We were sure it had beer added, but the waitress asked the chef and they said it didn't. We can't imagine how else it got a strong beer/Guinness flavor. We ordered it without bread/croutons - it came wit them anyways. The stuffed clams (stuffies) were really good - some of the best I've had. But dinner went downhill from there - I ordered fried scallops, and they were the large sea scallops, not the small, delicious bay scallops you hope for. Greasy and mostly flavorless. The onion rings were standard - we ended up picking the onion out and eating that, as there was just so much grease in the meal but we were still hungry. My wife ordered an "Anti Pasta" - it was a completely run-of-the-mill average salad. Generous dressing portion. The waitress was all right, but not very attentive. Very down to business, and very busy. Not a problem, but not exactly delightful. The tables are nice - good wood bar tables, and plenty of window seats in their patio. It gets _really_ loud, but we weren't bothered by it. But if you're looking for something quiet or relaxing, this is not the place for you. read more

What an awesome place!! Fun local bar ambience and great pub food. Had my fave hot dog and fries this time...huge dog and yummy thin crispy fries!! Ignore the bad reviews and go have fun!!! read more

There are some serious delights to be found here, including the stuffed chicken special and fish entrees. These are definitely their strengths. As for the pizza and chicken fingers, they should really go back to the drawing board. It's not that the kitchen is incapable of quality dishes; what they need is quality control. read more

Happy Saint Patty's Day! The farm had some decent corn beef and cabbage today although I didn't try it this time around... Instead, I had the New York Pastrami sandwich. It comes on rye bread with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and tomatoes. Accompanied by a nice cold Guinness.... It was very good! The crowd was lively with several festively dressed and car bombs a plenty. read more

Average at best & took FOREVER to get a burger & BLT. Fries cold.

OK, so at its heart, the Monkey Farm is your basic Connecticut dive bar, but it's a great dive. The food is simple but very well prepared and affordable, with very fresh fish done just right. veggies not overcooked and fresh, and the soups are hearty. There is plenty of good man food also, and the desserts, while not knock-your-socks-off great, are plenty good. The wraparound porch room overlooks the nexus of Old Saybrook's main drags, and makes you feel that you're in the center of local life - a more family setting that is quite popular. The servers are very nice, and they make you feel right at home. There are lots more fancy places to eat, but if you want your basic coastal New England local town experience, it's a must. read more

Just...no. Quirky environment, but this establishment should remain a bar only. We ordered poppers, buffalo wrap and fish and chips. All made from burnt Frozen food. If you are looking for a good dive, I would recommend, but I wouldn't eat here. read more

I feel like I'd rather have had a few beers and hung out than have had dinner here. The food wasn't great at all. Also, the napkins don't actually have that monkey logo on them, hugely disappointing. read more

Good "Hole in the Wall" bar with classic pub grub which was better than most of this kind. Had the Rueben which was good. Other dishes coming out looked good. Servers weren't great but got the job done. read more

Very underrated lunch/dinner menu. Awesome place to watch the game and grab a beer. read more

Onion soup is the best. Roast beef I'd excellent and Dave the bartender is the best. Cozy and comfy.

I tried the lobster roll and it was good tho on the small side. My husband ordered buffalo chicken wings and got breaded, fried chicken with sauce on the side. Would not recommend the wings. He also tried the cod which wasn't bad. read more

Once before I stopped for dinner about a year ago. Don't remember too much about the food but the service was very slow. Another time I stopped for dinner, it was so busy we left. But I kept hearing from some of its customers that the food, especially lunch, was great. So last week I tried it with my cousin. We sat outside. We both ordered cheese burgers. THEY WERE GOOD. Came with French Flies. The menu came with a list of specials. I thought it was just for lunch since the prices were so reasonable. But I found out specials were also good for dinner. Our server was OK. The customers mix is very interesting. Some look like they just drove in after a long Motorcycle ride and dressed the part . Others look like attorneys and bankers. They seem to have a busy bar business. Your experience at this restaurant will be different from your local family restaurant ( not a criticism). I WILL BE BACK. TRAVEL KAL read more

Went for lunch. The menu has something for everyone and food prices are reasonable. Service was prompt and friendly. Food was excellent. You'll find good conversation at the bar, along with a cozy dining area for a quiet get together. read more