This is my favorite spot in Madison. You can take anyone from parents to coworkers to a first date here and feel comfortable. Its got a great vibe, cool bartenders, and the owner is approachable and friendly. read more

Servers intentionally give incorrect change and overcharge customers under the guise of ignorance. 4 dollar price, 5 and 12 dollar charges.

Charged me $28 for my order but that's not the problem. Also charged$50 for absolutely nothing and won't return or even answer the phone . Believe me this is not the end of it . read more

The cocktails were delightful and the ambiance was super retro and fun. I also appreciated that you could bring in food from Bucks next door. We really enjoyed being to have a cocktail of two (okay three) while we chatted and ate some 'Za. Service was speedy and the cocktails were delicious. read more

Being new to town I wanted to check out this bar since it is right around the corner from us and slated to move to new digs in a month or so. I wanted to see the original that I have heard about before they move to shiny new quarters. We popped in on Friday night and grabbed seats at the bar. The male bartender was a friendly character who waited on us. I studied their cocktail menu and settled on their Mai Tai - it was very good with an interesting twist of creme de noyeaux (sp?) . My wife went for the Wisconsin standby of a brandy old fashion. It was solid. We got chatting with Heather the other bartender and she explained why the move and how they are moving everything to the new location just a tenth of a mile down the street. We looked forward to patronizing the new place though I have a hunch the dark, somewhat dingy charm will be lost. Fyi they do take credit cards - looks like they did not in the past. read more

Retro and unique!! Jade Monkey is the sister bar to Atomic Koi in DeForest. They have super cool and funky decor, games, a jukebox, and even fish tanks. I also noticed that they have gender neutral bathrooms! In the back of the bar, they have darts, pool tables, and a few game machines. In the middle, they have their bar area, a bunch of booths for seating, the fish tanks, and the bathrooms. At the front, the have more seating area which includes booths and high tops. Attached to the front is a beautiful outdoor patio. The patio is decorated with string lights, plants/flowers, and a small water fixture. The drinks were all really good! I had the Golden Colada which was Bacardi silver rum,Malibu coconut rum, amaretto, and pineapple juice. I believe this drink was $7. I also had the Sea Foam cocktail, which was Bacardi silver rum, blue curaçao, amaretto and pineapple juice. Both drinks were super good! They were on the sweeter side which was good that's what you'd expect with the cocktails I ordered. Jade Monkey was a super fun and unique experience. I'll definitely bring going back to try more fun cocktails! read more

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Finally made it out to Jade monkey for drinks. Very cool place with a patio. Ryan was a great bartender very helpful with a happy attitude. Parking in the back lot. Large drink menu and I bet you could come in for a month and not have the same specialty drink! Just a bunch of happy people for patrons. read more

Jade Monkey Cocktail Lounge - 2 sidecars. - Lounges Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

They've moved down the street and of this Sunday they are closed until Covid numbers improve. Great people who care about the community. Long live Jade Monkey and their East side sensibility! Stay tuned and follow them on social media. read more

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First time in this new location next to the VFW on cottage grove road. Nice building and the usual good cocktails. They have a small outdoor deck which was very nice but smoking is allowed out there. It was our misfortune that two Marlboro boys were smoking up the place and the whole deck stunk. They need a fan or something out there. There is no table service so you must go into the bar for your cocktails. Masks were worn by the staff inside and hand sanitizer was available. read more

I've had some good experience here, hence the 2 stars instead of one. Tonight, though, was awful. We got there, ordered drinks, and they did not know how to make my partner's drink even though it was straight off of their drink menu. We were there for about 5 minutes and they had last call at 12:27 am on a Saturday night. At 12:39 am, a bartender announced everyone needed to pay their tabs and get out. read more

Checked out the new location a few weeks ago. Lots of fun drinks to pick from (including frozen -- a favorite in the summer!). Good beer selection. Reasonable prices. The patio is sunny but they had some shades that helped a bit. No food but there's a pizza place next door! read more

The bar has a very good ambience. The bartenders , however, that I have been served by are terrible to say the least. I have never seen so many breaks taken, and the bar left alone with no one to serve the customers who are there. I believe my bartenders name was Justin, and all I can say is how many cigarettes do you need to smoke? Once a second Bartender named Tesla was there I started to receive service however, it did not make up for Justin's inadequacies. I've worked a long time and I don't know anybody that takes that many breaks. Embarrassing by any standards. I will not be back. Between the attitude and the service this is not the bar for me to say the least. Chiefs across the street has a much better standard as does the horseshoe two blocks down. For the price and the beer quality you might as well go to the great Dane just blocks down the road. read more

This place has been so hit-or-miss lately that I am done with it. Recently, I was served the worst Bloody I have ever had (they use a mix that contains high fructose corn syrup and MSG... and this is a cocktail place?!), got into a heated discussion with a male patron only to have the bartender chime in and start yelling at me. Recently, have been repeatedly been surprised with imagery of women being abused on the television at the end of the bar. They really should stick to kung fu movies and old sci-fi... Over it. read more

I guess the word is... Charming? The male bartender was a bit gruff, but the woman bartender was much friendlier and patient. Read: this is a cash only bar. Walk past the pool table and there's a back lounge area with a couple of tables, shuffleboard, and booths. A Vodka press, pint, and Captain & Coke came out to be $13 before tip. There's a dart board too. I guess that's all I have... Umm yup. read more

The Jade is just too dark and grimy feeing to truly enjoy getting hammered along a side booth, and not have to worry about the attention you may attract from your fellow bar-goers. However... The bartenders were very pleasant! Prices for drinks are roughly equivalent to the prices you would pay for the same drink along Willy and Atwood. Seems like most people park in the lot of the adjacent car service shop... foolish. read more

I recently visited the Jade Monkey with a group of six on a Saturday afternoon. We had prompt service and enjoyed some shuffle puck. They have some nice outdoor seating which looks like it will be hit during the summer. And they have open wifi (or someone does close by, yet it works fine within) My only recommendation is that they adjust some of their lights, since some of them point right at their TVs (which makes them almost impossible to see). read more

Jade Monkey Cocktail Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Cocktails and Cocktails! They have a huge, and I mean huge, cocktail menu. I tried the Gala and some special hot chocolate concoction that the bartender whipped up. There was only one bartender on, but she seemed to keep up with the full bar. Only food option was pizza. Didn't try it, but it smelled good! The atmosphere was dark with subtle and eclectic music in the background. There were plenty of seats at the bar with a couple high tops and booths scattered. We will be back! read more

Interesting place to say the least. Dark and relaxing atmosphere. Tons of martini drinks to choose from.

The Jade Monkey! As a native to the small town of Monona, I have to say, you filled a void that the community was most sincerely lacking! Sure, Monona has its dive bars, supper clubs, and even a bar and grill, but nowhere if a beer and burger is not your thing, until you sprang ilnto existence. Sure, this was some time ago now, but you remain the only spot in Monona to quench this particular variety of thirst. The mojitos here are hand muddled with cane sugar. They have a variety of martinis and unique beverages (adult kiddie cocktail anyone?). Sure, you can go downtown and find similar items, but it's Monona! The prices are great and Sundays offer a spectacular long island deal. Seriously, they are delicious and strong, a great bang for your buck ratio. If the music seems too loud for your taste, they have a patio available when in season. Music is also substantially quieter during the earlier hours of the evening, plan accordingly. As for those who say that the clientele here are weird or creepy, isn't that almost every bar? (Plus, anyone remember what this local bar used to be!? YIKES, enormous improvement!) The booths here are hand-crafted. There are a couple of lovely fish tanks. Shuffleboard. Darts. Board games. Pool. Okay, the bartenders can be a little on the uppity side, but take the time to get to know them and they will give you due respect. This is a bit of a local bar, but as long as you remember to tip you will be more than welcome as an honorary member! Cheers! read more

"A slice of downtown on the Eastside" is how the Jade Monkey has been described to me. Not that I disagree, the atmosphere at the Jade Monkey is generally hip and sophisticated. However, the patrons tend to lean to the artier, slightly older crowd. Personally, being a semi-employed creative type, I appreciate the cheap drinks ($2 PBR tall boys!), but the mojitos and other various and sundry drinks are pretty good. Plus, they also have a decent (but not extensive) selection of Scotch. I've never had a bad time here. In fact, if I'm looking to strike up a conversation with a random character, this is my first choice when it comes to the bar scene. (Being a few blocks from my front doorstep doesn't hurt either). If they'd only stop randomly playing Journey.... (Also, they generally have pretty decent DJ's on Sunday night) read more

The atmosphere is great - I love the booths, the shufflepuck table, the patio (gasp - somewhere in Madison to SMOKE!!) and the fact that it's not just sports on the TVs. I'm not so fond of the bar stools (the sharp metal corners cut into the backs of my thighs), the fluctuating drink prices, the tiny little stall in the women's bathroom and the inexperienced (and therefore slow) bartenders. If they change out the stools, remove the bathroom stall walls (making the bathroom one big room with a toilet and a sink, rather than a partitioned off toilet) and get a handle on mixing and pricing drinks, they'll be fine. Oh, and I understand the importance of an owner mingling with the guests on occasion, but if you see your lone, inexperienced bartender getting in the weeds, don't just go back behind the bar to get yourself another beer - go mix some drinks. EDIT 2/26/08: I haven't been back yet, but my better half has, and he reports that Jade Monkey has vastly improved everything with which I took issue. Well, other than the women's room - he thought he'd let me take care of checking it out. Wise man. Upping the review to four stars, pending review of the women's room. read more

I think they serve something other than mojitos, but I'm not totally sure since that is all I drink (in fact, they have a huge menu that I completely ignore). The mojitos are delicious, refreshing, and way smaller than I wish they were. Another plus is that they put up with the Vintage Cycles Dane County crew hanging out there every week when it is nice out, even when some of us aren't drinking. They also have frozen pizzas for when you drink until you get to that point where frozen pizza sounds like the greatest thing on the planet. The service is decent, the place has a great atmosphere, and on most nights the crowd is pretty friendly. Overall it is a great place to spend an evening! read more

Am I really the second one to review this place? Maybe it's the location that steer some people away, but this is a solid drink establishment. My friends and I had an awesome night for a birthday bash. My liquoring started out with Mojito - so yummy - which was muddled by big muscled bartender with just the right amount of mint and sweetness. And then shots, and some more, and finally ending the night with rounds of grey hounds that was at least 80% grey goose in a glass. Leave it to the bartender to define what a fine drink is. The crowd was a mix of young (but not douche young) and old. It's a kind of bar you can just hang, or spontaneously bust into dancing. I loved the relaxed feeling and good choice of BGM music. They don't take the credit card tab, so have some cash handy before you visit. In case you forget to do that, there is a ATM inside with $1.75 fee. read more

Great Monona-area bar. Good drinks at a fair price. Friendly bartenders and a fun crowd of 20-60 year olds from all walks of life. The mojito menu is fun. read more

Fun, nifty bar with a unique drink menu and retro decor. They no longer have a pool table (I read somewhere that they did), but have foosball, shuffle board, and darts. Cozy place, great on a cold winter night. Outside looks like it will be a cool summer hangout. Cash only. read more

Favorite BAR in town. I won't whine about crowds, or the food quality, because it is just that- a BAR, in the most wonderful sense of the word. Cool decor, wide varity of guests and staff that is beyond compare make the Monkey a winner. Looking forward to 2nd location Atomic Koi (going tonight)- hopefully the neighborhood won't dilute the fun too much. read more

This place is an awesome little hole in the wall. Parking looks like it can get a bit hairy, but it's not bad. I think the best part about the Jade Monkey is the atmosphere: cool lantern-like pendant light shades, a couple fish tanks with goldfish (or koi--forgive me--I can't tell the difference until they get huge!). Everyone in there looks comfortable, and I felt that way too. The place to be is at the bar. The bartenders are super attentive AND they're notably nicer than almost anywhere I've been. They didn't know me from Adam, but they treated me like a regular just the same--and I wasn't even drinking! Major, major points. My friend ordered a cocktail, which she said was very tasty, and I had my usual DD fare: a selzer with Grenadine, for color. The bartender never let me see the bottom of my glass--he refilled before I even needed to ask, and was some pleasant conversation beside. The other clientele are super friendly too, and we had a couple fun convos with strangers (hey, if you're not into that, don't go to a neighborhood bar! lol). There's an ATM, a jukebox, darts, and a pool table. Plus, there are 3-4 booths, if you need to have an intimate conversation. AND, there was a little pizza oven behind the bar--just the thing if it's late and your silly pal needs to dilute the alcohol in their bloodstream with a little salty sustenance. ;) I don't live anywhere near this bar, but I will definitely be coming back! read more

A unique setting for a few fun themed cocktails. Frequented by a solid neighborhood crowd with a pool table as well. A casual drink atmosphere any night of the week. read more

Jade Monkey Cocktail Lounge - Classics - Lounges Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great spot on the East side that has a more hipster feel than other bars in the area. The drinks are reasonably priced ($5 to $8 or so) and it seems like the most popular drink was the mojito (they have five flavors of mojitos...). The atmosphere is overall relaxed although they were playing awesome 80s tunes. Plus... the bartenders were both really friendly! Downers.. no bar appetizers and so far they are cash only. So if you want a fun, hip bar with great drinks but you don't want college students around or to go downtown, come here. read more

The Jade Monkey is a great place to go if you want a fun, kitchy environment and a fancy drink. They have a nice outdoor patio, too, so it is great in the summer. However, there seem to be an inordinate number of smokers who use the patio to smoke, so if you don't like smoke, like me, it can ruin the ambiance. The drinks are reasonably priced, but not cheap. The wait staff is efficient, but curt. The drinks are dangerous. Make sure you have a DD. read more

I can totally understand covid policy! But they could be more clear on where you are able to sit! Went in there to check it out cause heard they were strict on face mask! Still saw people walking out to smoke , No Facemask! No Signs on tables your not allowed to sit on!! But All the Bar Stools were taken!! And not on top of if it to Clean tables when people leave! Was very Disappointed!! Yea, nice place , if Bartender working that night would of been more friendly! Guess you have to be a regular!!! read more

I really enjoy this bar. It helps that its three blocks from my house in an area of town that was seriously lacking for a nicer bar. The interior of the bar is quite nice. They have lovely big booths, a funky little back room area and a very nice patio with a fountain that helps drown out the traffic outside. They have a blue pool table, a nice shuffle board table, a dart board and various board game. The TVs always seem to be playing kungfu, old movies, or planet of the apes. I always seem to enjoy the mix of music that is being played when I'm there. The crowd is a good mix of people of different walks of life. On Friday and Saturday nights the place can get pretty crowded. I prefer to go during the week when its less crowded, but not dead. They don't accept credit cards, but there is an ATM in the place and a bank and walgreens across the street. The only downsides are that I have experienced inconsitancies in pricing (one bartended says one price, the second a different price), but when confronted they happily gave the better deal. Parking can also be an issue, especially in the winter if there is snow. The stripmall next door gets antsy if they can't plow at night because of cars parked there. Lucky for me, this place is within walking distance. read more

Decent Madison Bar. Cheap drink specials. $2 tall PBR's Friendly bar tenders, clean facility. More of a hipster crowd than obnoxious college d-bags. If you're looking for gals, look elsewhere. Always a sausage factory. However, what bar isn't???? read more

I wish I could give half stars, as Jade Monkey would get a 4.5. I love this bar because of the trendy/retro interior design and the nice C-shaped lounge booths! The mojitos are delicious, maybe one of the best in Madison (my opinion) and the bartenders usually pour a stiff drink!! Unfortunately the place fills up rather quickly, so be ready to stand if you arrive later in the evening. Also, they only serve freezer pizza as food later in the night, so eat prior or go hungry... Also they only take cash, so make sure to bring your extra large wallet for all the cash you'll be bringing. I love this bar, very hip and full of young professionals!! read more

I love this little neighborhood bar. It's always got a good crowd. The drink list is extensive with a lot of options for a good price. I like getting tropical drinks there like a caipirinha. The patio is my favorite place to sit when the weather is good. I'd describe the bar as very unassuming but not as divey as a dive bar. The bar staff is always super chill. Also FYI it's cash only. read more

I might have given this place four stars if we had sat at the bar and not walked towards the back of the bar. The Jade Monkey feels like a comfortable, hip(but not so hip that it's annoying) lounge, until you round the corner and find the "pool table/shuffleboard area" which just seemed so out of place. The atmosphere when you first come in is so different, and picks back up past the shuffleboard where they have a few cozy seats. It just seemed strange to have this chunk of brightly lit space with a lack of any fun decor that they made into an "activity area". My drink was decent, and I'd give this place another chance(the drink list was extensive, and I wanted to try a few things!)...and I was amused that they had "The Dark Crystal" on the television! read more

This is a nice addition to the area and it's a great place to go with another couple, provided you're lucky enough to snag one of the cozy booths. Nice drink menu, very reasonable pricing for most drinks. Wish they had a little more in the way of food since I can NOT drink without eating, but their Cajun pizza ( I think it's Emil's) is really good with a nice cold drink. We generally go on weekends, but on the earlier side since we're definitely not the 'hipster' crowd that takes over later on. Oh. and they have an awesome jukebox! read more

The bar and atmosphere is great. the bartender on the other hand...... I went in and asked the bartender (a big bearded man) for a recommendation of cocktail and started to tell him what I liked in a drink and he cut me off and said, and I quote "Dont do that. I don't recommend drinks. just tell me what drink you want." I was taken aback as I was under the impression that this was a pretty well known cocktail bar known for its cocktails. I have been there a few times since but I avoid it because of my experience with this man. He was rude, acted like he hated his job and everything was a chore. If thats what they consider service, Ill pass. read more

The cocktails here are strong, mixed really well, and are reasonably priced ($6-8). The trifecta of drinking, really. The ambiance gets interesting around 10-11pm. Before then, it's just your chill, laid-back neighborhood bar. After 10, it turns into da club (loud, thumping club bangers and all). Get ready to see middle-aged couples spanking each other and taking photos of their date's derriere. I could think of worse places to spend a Saturday night. read more

I live nearby, and that is pretty much the only reason I would ever go back in this place again. But, even then, I would be hard-pressed to go back. The website for Jade Monkey and the actual Jade Monkey couldn't be more different. They claim to be an "Asian Infused Retro Lounge".....hmmm...I don't know about that. I guess if you compare the space to an old dive in China town I could see the Asian influence. I found the bartender to be pretty unfriendly and the crowd to be slightly depressing. I would not go out of my way to go to Jade Monkey. read more