I've been coming to this spot for years, back when it was Collin's House, and I've seen it evolve through different owners to the current team at Blue Monkey Tavern. Over time, it's become more relaxed and friendly, which makes it a great place to hang out. Sure, it's lost a little of its original luster, but not enough to overshadow everything else this place does right. The food is consistently good, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the staff really make you feel at home. Definitely a solid 5-star experience. read more

Interesting name in a historic building in a historic area. Parking was on the street but we were able to get a spot. Business lunch. They have Abita root beer. All he way up here and I get a good root beer. Amazing.made up for not having sweet tea. I had the Thai mussels with linguini as that sounded interesting. It was not spicy at all. Not really sweet either. It was a tantalizing mix of flavors that were delicious. If I am ever in the area again I will try it again. Service was awesome. The young lady had a bit of trouble with my accent but that is ok. She was fun. Good experience and great food. read more

Blue Monkey Tavern - Happy Hour - American Near Me - Merchantville, New Jersey

The food here is innovative and very good. It is a very popular pub! The mixed drinks are extremely well made and very good. The food has a different slant on a usual menu. Last time there tried the miso and garlic mussels. It came with great artisan bread... it was outstanding! My burger with bacon jam was outstanding! The service is quick and very friendly. The ambiance is very nice... the smaller rooms make for a less noise experience for a pub! Don't miss this one!! read more

Very nice staff! But genuinely the worst burger I have ever had. Ever. It tasted like freezer burn and dirty dish water. That is the only way I can describe the flavor of that patty. Maybe the burgers aren't the best on the menu I am hesitant to go back to try anything else. read more

Came by on a Sunday night with a party of three. There is a main dining room with a center bar and tables and high tops around the perimeter. We put our name in and told there was about a half an hour wait. Wandered over to the bar and we found a spot there, so decided to eat there. The bartender was very friendly and fun, and she chatted it up and provided great service the whole time. We tried a couple of appetizers and some burgers for dinner. For the most part the food was very good.. with only a thing or two we would have wanted to adjust. Would definitely one back and explore more of the menu. The cocktail list looked pretty inviting but we opted for some draft microbrew beers - of which they had a pretty nice selections with some options from local brews. Nice job Blue Monkey! read more

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This was a historic property that was renovated with a nice sized bar along with a few tables on the porch. The service was appreciated, and the food came out in a timely manner. The menu had very reasonable prices and some very creative dishes. Four dishes were tried that I will describe below. Bao Buns ($13) - These were steamed Chinese buns with a choice of filing that was tossed in Korean BBQ sauce, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, chipotle aioli and sesame seeds. We opted for the cauliflower filing and it was very tasty with the BBQ sauce. The bun itself was average at best but the vegetables along with the aioli was very good. Fried Salmon Tacos ($14) - There were three flour tortillas filled with beer battered salmon, chopped lettuce, house made Pico de Gallo, and a chipotle lime crema. I do not remember ever seeing salmon fried so I had to give this a try. The salmon had an overpowerful taste to the tacos. I did mind the fried aspect as it tasted like a crispy skin. I did enjoy the other components of the taco especially the chipotle lime crema, nice heat factor. Sausage & Ricotta Flatbread ($14) - This was topped with ricotta, crumbled Italian sausage, honey drizzle and basil. This was done right. There was a slight crisp on the flatbread and plenty of topping. The honey drizzle brought everything together. Birria Queso Dip ($16) - This was a special when I attended. It was a blend of melted cheese, birria short rib, topped with scallion and cilantro with plenty of tortilla chips. This was alright. The short rib tasted more like a pot roast rather than a birria flavor. There was plenty of cheese and I liked the scallion addition. I just wish the meat tasted more like birria. Will I go back? Certainly. read more

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How this place is below 4 stars on here is beyond me. The food is really good, and the prices do not break the bank! The burgers are from their own blend of beef. It's also got a good vibe inside. They have different types of beers if you're into that as well. read more

Blue Monkey Tavern - American Near Me - Merchantville, New Jersey

I was invited to a private party in the room on the second floor of the tavern, on a Friday night in January. Nice quick uber ride to get there. Aside from steps there is also an elevator to get to the second floor, which is wonderful for anyone with mobility issues. The room is so nice! Multiple long family style tables and the bar area is gorgeous! They really did keep so much of the beautiful integrity of the space. There was a smaller room where they put the food out. The chicken and veggies I had were great! The bartender who waited on me both times was more than happy to run downstairs to the bar to get what I ordered. I told her I'd choose something else but she insisted she didn't mind. So nice of her! read more

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The burgers, including the turkey, are all delicious - great fried pickles and the mac & cheese balls are pretty tasty too. The owner is hands on and very friendly - the server Alysia added to the great time out with her friendly fun personality. The bar is fully stocked and the drinks are fantastic. The room is pub like with a family feel - layed back and comfortable vibe. read more

The food is phenomenal, but the waits for a seat can get long if n the weekends. Love this place. This is my family's go-to for a nice evening out. read more

Service efficient & friendly without feeling programmed. It is an architecturally interesting layout, And the variety and quality are excellent. It has definitely made my very short A list of local restaurants. Their entire crew hit my not too distant watering hole after their seasonal party. Really they all seem to have a natural good energy. If the closeness of quarters doesn't get to you, odds are good it will become a regular there. My salmon and green beans entree was excellent. Just try it. You can go cheaper, but from my perspective you would be hard pressed to find a place with all of the positives of this place. YMMV but can't wait to try other entrees. Also the staff is warm & friendly without the that programmed feel of service in some better dining establishments. I have very limited experience with Blue Monkey but it was consistently a pleasant dining discovery throughout the entire experience on a crowded Friday night. But if you want cozy for two you might want to figure out your searing in advance. But overall impressive in a competitive restaurant area. Find vm out for yourself. Glad I found this restaurant. Odds are you will be as well. So yes. They NAILED all three: food service and ambiance. read more

Sitting here at the bar for 40 minutes. Took 15 minutes to get a drink, now empty. Still haven't been asked if I'd like to order anything from the menu that was tossed in front of me when I came in or if I'd like another drink. Feel like a prisoner because I'm being so ignored I can't even pay up for my drink to be able to go somewhere else to get something for dinner. It's a Sunday night, with empty seats at the bar. WTF. read more

The Blue Monkey Tavern is always a reliable spot for us. The holiday menu didn't disappoint - my Drunk Chicken Sandwich with crispy chicken and vodka sauce on a toasted seeded roll was great, and my girlfriend loved her Winter Cosmo with white cranberry juice. We finished with a simple, spiced pumpkin pie that tasted homemade. Dependable food, quick service, and a reason we keep coming back. read more

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My wife and I stopped here in order to meet a friend of ours that we have not seen since our wedding, some 20 years ago. It was Bob suggestion and boy was he spot on! A traffic spot with a bar and bartender that know how to make cocktails. The tart cherry old-fashioned we had was absolutely delicious! We opened with starters, coconut, crusted, shrimp, and fried cheese curds. They were delicious! For our main course, my friend and I both had the Italian roast pork sandwich, and my wife opted on a blue cheeseburger without bun. That Italian roast pork sandwich was absolutely delicious!! Our waitress Lauren did a great job taking care of us. She was friendly and personable! The traffic place to meet up or just to enjoy yourself while watching the game! read more

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Party of four and sat inside. Enjoyed one of their specials Spicy Street Corn Nachos - great choice. Two Blue Monkey burgers , a smash burger and coconut shrimp tacos later and we were full! Reasonably priced and solid portions. Blue Monkey is a tavern with tavern food and normally reserve the 5 star for finer dining but the Blue Monkey deserves a try with is solid food, friendly town atmosphere - especially during a Phillies game and gives you a hometown vibe. Third time here and will be back again! read more

Blue Monkey Tavern - Spicy street corn nachos (special) - American Near Me - Merchantville, New Jersey

Hidden gem in Merchantville NJ. Amazing food and beer. All the staff I've encountered are very welcoming, helpful and friendly. Some days it does get quite crowded and the seating area by the windows has a very strong draft on cold days. Great place for a two, family night, or night with friends. read more

Blue Monkey Tavern - CHICKEN BELLA BUCCA - American Near Me - Merchantville, New Jersey

I can make a legitimate argument for Blue Monkey's burger being the best I've ever had! I've been hearing so much about Blue Monkey Tavern over the last year or so especially on SJFS. Every time someone asks for burger recommendations Blue Monkey is always mentioned multiple times. This has put BMT on my radar. My fiancé has also been told by co-workers that BMT's mussels are also great (another solid recommendation). I finally got a chance to go with my fiancé and her parents since we were in the area shopping. As we walked in, a couple got up from the bar (lucky for us) and we were able to have a seat there (no other bar seats were open but there were a couple of available tables). The bartenders were right with us to drop off menus, beer lists, and take our drink orders. I started with a Gin Martini with a twist made with Hendrick's. Super smooth and just what I was in the mood for. My fiancé ordered a Spiced Pear Mule made with brown sugar syrup and a cinnamon stick, and she loved it. I had a taste and while it was good, Mules aren't something I'd order. Her dad had a Maple Walnut Manhattan, made with Maple Syrup and Black Walnut Bitters, which he said was good but had a little too much Sweet Vermouth for his taste. Her mom ordered a glass of wine. It was a Friday and noticed their Friday specials always included $5 Tonewood Fuego drafts and $5 Tonewood Freshies cans. They also have $5 Kane Head High drafts on Wednesdays. 2 great IPAs for a great price Wednesdays/Fridays. We eventually ordered food and all got burgers. Their burgers are made with a house blend of short rib, brisket, and chuck. I had the Blue Monkey Burger (cooked medium rare) topped with a portobello mushroom, caramelized onions, and bleu cheese. Everything about this burger was phenomenal. The patty was big, and to my surprise, cooked perfectly. The brioche bun was soft and buttery. Great flavor in the burger patty. The bleu cheese and onions complemented the patty nicely and the portobello added great chew to the burger. My fiancé got the Centre Smash Burger which is their burger patty split into two and smashed so you have two thinner patties as opposed to one thick patty. She customized the toppings a bit and also loved her burger, as did her parents. Her dad is already looking to go back for another burger and so am I. I also thought the fries that are served with the burger are very good. They came out hot and crisp. We ordered onion rings to share and everyone really enjoyed them as well. The mussels in red we got were also a hit. In terms of food that night, Blue Monkey Tavern knocked it out of the park especially for being pretty busy for the Phillies and Eagles games. For the amount of food and drinks we got between the 4 of us and the quality of the food, I thought our bill was very reasonable (about $50/person). The atmosphere was nice for the games and a place I'd go back to watch future sporting events. The service was also good for how busy they were. They had multiple people behind the bar and multiple people running food. All-in-all a great experience and I can't wait to come back. read more

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The FOOD & better variety of dishes Their food is Mediocre at best ; Atmosphere is OK Price is a little bit high and is not on par with prices Better Food , Better experience makes for happiness BLUE MONKEY : OVERRATED read more

5 stars for the service and vibe/drinks but 2 stars for the food (except for the mussels). I feel like the food quality has declined over the last few years. I've tried the wings, cheesesteak, smash burger and consistently have left disappointed. This would be a slam dunk spot if they could just get their kitchen together. read more

Such a fun place. Great happy hour and food was delicious. Grandson loved it too he had lots of choices for a 7 year old

Decently busy for a Tuesday night. Service is a tad bit slow but everything came out hot and fresh. Fried cheese curd tasted like mozzarella sticks but tater tot form. It was hot and crispy. I enjoyed my blue monkey burger with cheddar cheese. The portabella mushroom adds a great flavor. Loved having caramelized onions on it. I ordered medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. read more

Blue Monkey Tavern - Blue Monkey Burger - American Near Me - Merchantville, New Jersey

Great bar menu and very friendly staff ! Excellent burgers and sides! Highly recommend Blue Monkey! read more

I will definitely be coming back here. Service is great, food was well prepared. The place was packed. This reminds me of the good neighborhood bars., "Cheers" anyone? The only detractor is it is a little loud but it's a bar so I guess you can live with it. read more

First time there- VERY cozy feel. Had lunch with family so no cocktails. The food is delicious! We knew when it took a bit to get our food that it was going to be good. Bites tacos, pork belly bao buns and the fig/pig burger were all amazing!!! We will be back often read more

Great service, fantastic beer selection and the food was awesome . Would highly recommend

We haven't been here in a while, but we will be back sooner than later. The chicken franchaise was delicious, I basically licked the plate clean. My husband had the Caesar steak sandwich and he said it was very good. This place was packed on Thursday night, so service was a little slow, and the front of the house could have been run a little better. When we walked in there were several people waiting. It seemed like the hostess was also cleaning tables. She didn't know who was there first. But not a big deal. We were seated within 10 mins. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Blue Monkey Tavern - Chicken Franchaise - American Near Me - Merchantville, New Jersey

This is a review after my first visit, will go again and try some other items for a fair assessment; good ambience and vibe , friendly bartender , I ordered the nachos which were underwhelming, and lacking overall flavour, second I had the ny strip and mashed potatoes, now I Love a good mashed potato and these fell short , lacking flavor and extremely lumpy a little cream and salt , rosemary garlic would have went a long way , the steak was cooked the perfect medium rare temp but could have used more salt. read more

Unfortunately underwhelmed. I saw all the awesome reviews and wanted to check it out but it wasn't really anything to write home about. The nachos were plain and the wings were basic. Maybe we didn't try the right items but I was expecting more based on the great reviews! The atmosphere is clean and fun! Service was a bit slow but that's not a big deal to me. read more

Went in last week to celebrate my son's achievements in college. We were seated and no waitress showed up for 15 minutes. Our waitress, Alyssa, finally came by and said she would be grabbing us water. Didn't see her for another 10-15 minutes. We were about to get up and leave but she came back and we reluctantly stayed. Alyssa proceeded to serve us like it was the last thing she wanted to do. I couldn't wait till we were done and leaving. Food was good but service was maddening. From a business POV, keep an eye on your waitstaff. This waitress caused you to lose customers. Also, restaurant and bar were not that busy, so that was not the issue. read more

I had the blue monkey burger and an order of onion rings. I got the burger, medium with cheddar cheese, Portabella mushroom onions, and it was great. It had a taste like a real barbecue grilled hamburger. My wife got the coconut tacos and she loved them. she's middle of the road after eating And judging the food the people serving us were also excellent problem is I wanna go back there soon, but I guess when I get hungry again that won't be a problem right go there you'll like it. read more

Great place, good food,comfortable atmosphere, great gathering with friends Excellent serice, friendly work force Just a great place to relax read more

Always a great time at Blue Monkey. The staff is so friendly and accommodating, and the food is delicious. I've tried a large variety of items on the menu and have enjoyed everything. The drinks are also great too. Whenever we have family or friends visiting we take them here and everyone has enjoyed it! read more

We arrived on Saturday night around 8pm to a packed tavern. We put our names on the wait list (30 minutes) and headed to the bar for drinks. The blackberry cider was the highlight of our evening. We were seated in the bar and greeted by our server who obviously was responsible for far too many tables (it appeared she was waiting on all the bar tables). We ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer which was pretty good. It came with one side of sauce and our server was prompt in bringing us an additional side. There were three people in our party. Two of us ordered the mussels in beer sauce with pasta (one linguini and one angel hair) and the third person ordered a bacon burger. Once our meals arrived, we requested grated cheese which was never delivered by the original person that I asked. I had to wait for our server to return. She forgot my cheese and eventually delivered it once I was finished my meal. At that point, I no longer needed it. I am a person who LOVES cheese on my pasta. While the mussels in beer was lacking in flavor and watery, the cheese might have helped. I will never know as I was finished my meal when I received it. My daughter did not care for her mussels with angel hair pasta either. However, our third guest enjoyed the burger. He commented that the fries were not good and left most on his plate. There was live music at around 9pm. The band set up in a little room off the bar. There were plenty of TVs for watching the games. We would probably not return as this was more of a destination trip for us. read more

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Checked out the Blue Monkey tonight. Got a few specials and shared it. The drinks were the Sneaky Monkey and Lemon Berry Drop. Bao buns were pork belly and fresh, burger was a special of the night, bacon jam on the side (I'm a purist and hate bacon on burgers) come at me. Street corn and birria tacos. All outstanding. Bathrooms are easy to use and clean. Ambiance is not bad. Outside is nice but sat inside. Service was good. read more

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A great place from start to finish ! Hostess was pleasant and got us seated in a reasonable time frame on a busy Saturday ! Nice craft beer list and great food ! The seafood was so fresh and beautifully prepared! Highly suggest the mussels in white sauce and the scallops or salmon! Little bit loud but great non the less ! read more

Blue Monkey Tavern is always a great experience. The food, service, cocktails, and fantastic craft beer menu are top notch and the prices are so reasonable too. I ordered the French onion soup which was very good with a strong flavor of thyme. Additionally, I ordered the bleu cheese, apple, and walnut salad which was served with thinly sliced Granny Smith apples, candied walnuts, romaine lettuce, and 3 nice wedges of bleu cheese. It was a nice sized portion and had just the right amount of dressing as not to overpower all of the flavors from the salad. The salad was only $10 which is surely a bargain. Finally, I ordered the Thai mussels and paid an extra $2 to have them served over my choice of pasta. I chose the angel hair which was cooked perfectly. The Thai sauce was good but overly sweet. The mussels were cooked to perfection. There are several choices for sauces on the mussels so next time I will probably go with the red sauce or one that would pair better with the pasta. The cocktails were also fantastic as was my local craft brew. I really love it here and will continue to frequent BMT. It's truly pub food at its best in a casual rustic setting. read more

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Came in for a quick bite on a cold wintry day. The hubs and I shared their Caesar salad with came with 3 large slices of crisp garlic toast. Salad was a bit over dressed but the flavor was vey good. I loves me some nachos so I chose my main meal was the nachos with steak. Huge portion, came piping hot. The steak needed some seasoning but overall a great option to share with the table as an appetizer. Husband ordered the penne with vodka sauce after being warned it was spicy. He loved it and finished his bowl. We ended our meal with a chocolate pot de creme - very rich. I'd return to try more menu items. read more

Blue Monkey Tavern - Nachos topped with steak. - American Near Me - Merchantville, New Jersey

Tried this local restaurant joint tonight. A little slow service but expected due to Eagles game on. Food was on point: Began with pork belly bao buns. Perfect braised pork. Next up the Au pouvre burger. delicious served medium on brioche bun, super juicy! Wife had the French onion soup and chicken franchaise - tender chicken on rice and green beans, can't go wrong. Vibe was toned-down sports bar. All in all great dinner. read more

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Three years ago, they were in my top three burgers in South Jersey. I was battling health issues and away for three years. Ready to job on my top three. So far, two of the three disappoint. Burger was overcooked and had a bad taste. Fries were fantastic but didn't go for fries. Plus, charged $1 extra fee for my "cheeseburger". It's a cheeseburger for crying out loud. Supposed to have cheese. read more

Always great service! We enjoying coming here for a quick meal (with adult beverage) close to home. We hosted a 50th anniversary party for my in-laws in the Collins House upstairs and the space was amazing! It would so spacious to allow mingling around, kids roaming/playing and sitting at tables or lounge. The food buffet set up was well thought out and in a separate room. We had about 60 people and there was more than enough room! I would only ask to bring back the Chicken Barcelona and Crab Cake! read more