I'm in between a 4 and a 5, this place is good and if a group of friends wanted to go back I would definitely go!! The bar itself is pretty cool, atmosphere is fun, and being able to get little funny goodies with the purchase of a Jell-O shot is a very fun idea! I just think there are a few things that could be fixed! There's free popcorn which is a GREAT touch, however it was sooo stale it tasted like it had been there for hours! Obviously though, it's free and I don't judge them too much on that. I went on a Saturday night and they weren't that busy, but they only had two bartenders so maybe they just never got around to it! Now to the bartenders. They weren't bad, but not that great. Didn't know how to make the mixed drinks, so had to take back the menu they'd just given us to relearn how to make it. Also, weren't aware of what beers they had on tap, and there were only like 4-5 beers. So when I asked for one of them, they were confused on what I was asking for and chalked it up to "haven't seen that one in a while" but my friend literally just ordered it moments before me from the other bartender. Lastly, they have a pool table and that cool ring game where there's a ring on a string and you try to hook it on to a hook on the wall! Both were super fun, however far too close! It seemed that the people playing each game kept getting in each other's way. However, it's a small bar, and they are obviously just trying to give customers as many options for fun as possible! If you're in Mt. Adams, check this place out! Better for smaller groups than larger groups though! read more

This bar is great! It has a tiki theme that makes you feel like you're having drinks in Myrtle Beach. We came here with a relatively large group on Friday night, after we had a terrible experience at the Blind Lemon down the street. They were happy to accommodate our group size and were quick and accurate with their drink service. Overall this was a great place to end our night and continue to celebrate our friends' engagement!! read more

A cool little dive bar! Gives beachy vibes. It does get crowded fast so not the best place for a big group. They do have a back room which has more space and can be rented out! You're free to chill back there unless it's rented for a party. Dog are welcomed as they have their own bar dog. I think that was my favorite part as a dog lover . They do also provide free popcorn. read more

Monk's Cove - Outside of the bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Monk's will forever be a fan favorite. We've been coming here for years and while it is small and gets crowded quickly, the atmosphere and service always brings us back. Not to mention, there's a bar dog and TouchTunes, which is an unbeatable duo in my eyes. read more

My favorite little bar in Mount Adams. They have jello shot syringes which are always fun, and the shot wheel which can get you into trouble once you try landing on a specific one. The buckets of beer are cheap and they always have good music playing. The only thing is the bathrooms are pretty gross, so be aware of that if you go here. read more

The owner was so rude! She said I looked 12, when I am 26. So rude! Wont be be back The owner was so rude! She said I looked 12, when I am 26. So rude! Wont be be back read more

What a little piece of the beach and in a city he said built on the river, then monks is for you. Fun staff, the owner is pretty awesome, and his dog is always around. That might be the cherry on top. read more

Solid dive bar. Spacing isn't ideal for a large group, but the prices were cheap, there was a pool table, and the bartenders were on top of their game. It isn't the best designed space but they've executed well on what they have. read more

Monks is fun. Check it Out. Cool stuff. And Jell-O shots ! Good place to go to relax with friends. Good place to go to meet friends. Fun bar games like foosball and ring toss and skeetball. Offered Juke Box and free popcorn. read more

Monks is an awesome little bar! Bar tender Katie did such a good job and I can't thank her enough for a good night! We love monks!! read more

Monk's Cove - people sitting at a bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Looking for a fun dive bar? This is the spot! Fun beach vibe and very reasonably priced drinks. They also have a bar dog that is worth the visit alone! I haven't had syringe jello shots in years so it was fun to relive my college years enjoying them. The staff was pretty nice, not super sociable, but they were pretty good about staying on top of getting us another drink. read more

If you are in the area searching for a bar to visit and you have come across this review know this: if you are not a fan of the rowdy drunk college scene, don't come here after 9-10pm. However if you are looking for an open airy dive bar on a Sunday afternoon, GET HERE. Just use your noggin and know what you are getting into before you come. Why this place is hilarious -- I was hosting an out of towner this weekend and we generally into cocktail bars, and cheese plates. However on a Saturday afternoon we were in the window where a lot of those fancy pants places were closed for lunch. It was a nice day so we decided to venture up to Mt. Adams and ended up at Monk's where the rest of the night was history. After going to nearly 30 different places over the weekend we both agreed our time at Monk's together was one of our favorite memories in our nearly 4 year long friendship. There were probably around 5-7 other people in the place with us on this sunny Easter weekend afternoon. We sat at the bar and were greeted right away. Having heard about their legendary jello shots we thought - when in Rome? (WE NEVER DO THIS) Three syringes later and the boomerang app and viola instant memories are made. They have standard jello shots for $1 or the larger syringe style shot for $3. They also have a shot wheel with specials and a beat the clock game which could really get you into trouble on a Saturday afternoon. Venture into the back for some free popcorn and table games, or find yourself a bar seat to people watch through the front open-air style window. This place can either be your worst nightmare or your best friend depending on the time you go which is the reason for the mixed reviews. For me, and the times I have visited, I have really enjoyed myself and Monk's is quickly becoming one of my favorites which is something I never thought I would hear myself say. Pay them a visit this weekend! read more

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Monk's is one of my favorite places to go randomly on a weeknight when there is nothing else going on. It's got a very island kitsch / cheesy spring break bar feel to it. there are jello shots and a $5 shot wheel with names like "Kiss the Bartender." Drinks are cheap, you can order food in, and if you go on weeknights (which is the only time I'm willing to go up to Mt Adams- I prefer not to spend an hour looking for a parking spot when there is drinking to be done), it's quiet enough for conversation. In warm weather, the whole front window opens and you can sit there and chat with people outside. It's more typically Mt. Adams bar-ish on weekends, so I don't go then. I did when I was young but now I'm an old fart who wants them to turn the music down. If you go when they offer the night you prefer, you'll have fun. You can also apparently win prizes based on how many jello shots you buy, which is something I'd like to try when I have an opportunity for day drinking. read more

This place is a great place to hang out in Mount Adams. The owner is very friendly and very accommodating. Drinks are pretty inexpensive and really cold. Check it out when you're in Mount Adams. read more

They had the Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight on! As a full-blooded Filipina, that made my night. But holy CROWDED. People aren't kidding when they talk about it being close quarters. At least everyone seems to be pretty good-humored about it. read more

This place has grown on me... but in a good way. Even on a busy Saturday night I had a great time in the back room. Yes it gets crowded, loud, and crazy, but that's why ya go to Mt. Adams on a weekend. If the douchey-ness of Mt. Adams is a problem for you, try to go on off times, like when the Reds or Bengals aren't playing, or a little earlier in the day and of course on a weekday. The barstaff were fast and friendly with our drinks and the prices are reasonable. I think what I like most about Monk's is that they don't take themselves seriously. If you don't have a good time there, it's your fault and not Monks. * Off topic but Monk related, remember when the Chant CD was like the most popular CD in the world? Raise your hand if ya bought a copy. (I'm guilty) read more

Monk's Cove - Fooseball and bathrooms. What more do you need? - Dive Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Thank you for providing a safe, pleasant, outdoor experience imbibing in our favorite adult beverages this past Sunday. You rock!

Monk's Cove is a small dive bar located in Mount Adams. My friends and I have gone to Monk's (too) many times in the past year. It has easily become our Mount Adams bar of choice with it's beach-y vibe, friendly staff, and of course cheap drinks for those like myself that are ballin' on a budget. When you walk into Monk's Cove, you'll right away get the vibe that you're in a island dive bar and not that you just walked off the streets of Cincinnati. There are little knick-knacks available for purchase to make you feel more apart of the atmosphere, including hula skirts, shell and coconut bras, sunglasses, shark and fish hats, and more. The party keeps going as you get to the back of the room with an assortment of games. They also sell Ohio lottery, if you're the lucky type. If you go on the weekends, be prepared for a "butts to nuts" crowd to celebrate the good times with you. To make your experience even better, the bartenders are the best in the business. Chris is one of the best, but there's not a bad one there. Always genuinely friendly, and willing to do anything they can to make your drinking experience memorable- or not so much if that's what you're going for. To help you with those not so memorable times, the prices are very reasonable. Monk's offers Monday- Wednesday drink specials, Happy Hour everyday from 5pm-7pm, a $5 shot wheel, $3 "world famous" syringe jello shots, and so much more. There is free popcorn to help yourself to, for a little pallet cleanser in between drinks. Trust me when I say that you won't be disappointed when choosing Monk's Cove for a good time. read more

I love Monk's Cove. It's probably my favorite place in MTA. We always stop here first anytime we go up there. As everyone else has said, it's a tropical themed dive bar with jello syringes and cheap drinks. There are a lot of twinkle lights and oftentimes the bouncers hand out glow bracelets when you walk in. That being said, you get what you pay for. Beat the Clock on the weekends is also an aggressive daydrinking move that brings me back to my Miami days. Since I went to Miami, I almost always see someone I know. I'm also implying that it can be very crowded and drinks can take a long time. There's also a popcorn machine and back room with bowling and foosball as well. All of MTA turns up in the summer, and Monks Cove gets surprisingly packed on Thursdays with Karaoke as well. I've seen girls dancing on the bar on weeknights, but other times it is pretty chill. Just mentally brace yourself for a good time. read more

Worst bar I've ever been to. A bunch of us were visiting it from out of town, based on a positive recommendation from a friend who lived in town. The bar was nearly empty when we came to sit but that was ok.... what wasn't ok was the bartender saying he didn't know how to make mixed drinks and we should wait for the "other bartender" to come in. So about half of us got beers and the other half held out for the "other bartender", who to their minimal credit, came quickly. However he took his sweet time making drinks for the others. While we were waiting for other bartender to make the drinks for the rest of the table,the first bartender (the non-bartending bartender) asked us if we could pay now. Pay now? When half the table hadn't gotten the drinks they ordered?? Of course, we said we'd pay when we got our drinks. After making a couple mai-tai's the "other bartender" said that the margarita was going to take a little while because they ran out of mix and so he had to make it from scratch. (!!!) After everyone got their drinks we chugged them so we could pay and leave this place as quickly as possible. read more

I love this place on a weeknight, I hate this place on the weekend. Beth and I were leaving art after dark and wanted to get a drink before heading home. Monk's seemed to be a happening place with some empty seats so we decided to head in. Ken and I have been here on a Boy's night out and have had a blast. They have a Xbob Kinnect and Foosball so I was all game to see those, but no one was playing. The jello shots are always amazing, the jello syringes were ok, and the mix drinks were weak. I'm defiantly a beer and jello shot person at this place. There are some nice things about it, they do have a popcorn machine with semi fresh popcorn. They also provide numbers on the wall for local restaurants that will bring you food. The bad part is that you have to smell what you neighbor is eating, when we were there the girl next to us was eating what smelled like garlic farts. I know it sounds gross, but that's what it smelled like. Parking is street or where you can find it, it is Mt Adams after all. The place on the weekend has a younger wilder crowd, while its not my place maybe its yours. read more

Monk's Cove is a good idea in theory...who wouldn't want to hang out at a tropically themed bar on a hot summer night? Unfortunately, the Monk's Cove theme is executed in a space that is way too small and cramped to be relaxing, as a trip to the tropics should be. A few good things to note about Monk's 1. No cover on weekend nights (this is why we ended up there this Saturday) 2. Cheap-ish drinks (for Mt. Adam's) 3. Free Wii in the back (if you can get it, we were there for an hour and a half and two guys were playing baseball the entire time) 4. Swirling tropical frozen Margaritas in machines make them readily available for thirsty drinkers. A few not so good things to note about Monk's 1. HOT. It was 80 degrees outside when we visited, but more like 110 degrees inside 2. Drunkity-drunk crowd...Monk's definitely appeals to the 21-23 club with it's $3 Jello Shot shooters (served in massive syringes for easy distribution) 3. Weak pours, hardly a shot of Beam ended up in my guy's Beam and Coke. 4. One-holer bathrooms! read more

Monk's Cove - Dive Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Oh Monk's. If you are looking for ANYTHING other than a dive bar, please stop reading this review and never go to Monk's or may God have mercy on your soul. But if you are looking for a dive, a place where the beer flows like wine and college students flock like the salmon of capistrano, then you have found your destination. Monk's is located in the heart of Mt. Adams. A long bar with a back area. Right as you walk in, you will get flashbacks of college. There's christmas lights lining the ceiling, $4 syringe jello shots, and the back room has everything from skeeball to foozball to bimini. The whole place is "Island themed", which means they have a fake palm tree in the back. Monk's can be a lot of fun, but you have to know what you're getting into. And you have to be fully aware that you are going to the diviest of the dive bars. read more

Oh, Monk's Cove. Or as I now refer to it, the Uncle Woody's of Mt. Adams. But without the added charm of actually being a college bar in a college town. Monk's is famous for jello shots and syringes, which they were out of when arrived around 1 am on Friday. The bar was maybe half full, but the bartenders took over 10 minutes to serve us, despite the fact that we were standing at the rather empty bar and no one new had walked in before us. Definitely a dive bar. If you're looking to relive your glory days with your college chums, Monk's is a good place to start. If not, hard pass. read more

Monk's Cove is small, unique bar in Mt. Adams that becomes packed with people drawn to their island theme and bright lights around 11:30 PM on the weekends. It easily becomes cramped, hot, slowed service, and just a little overwhelming by the sheer size of the crowd, but those jello syringe shots just keep everyone coming back for more. While I have visited Monk's multiple times, I chose to write this review after having a particularly uplifting experience there. A friend dropped/misplaced her wallet after showing her ID to the bouncer, but noticed within seconds that it was gone once we walked in to the bar. We frantically tried to search the crowded, sticky floor, while our other friends simultaneously attempted to get the bartender's attention and cancel her credit cards. Luckily, someone did find her wallet and turned it in to the Monk's Cove team, who once we got their attention, promptly returned it! read more

Don't really come here except on Thursdays. My boy DJ Hilliard is there Thursday nights and it's always an good time. They only have one bar and not too many bartenders it seems like. Very small inside. It can be an nightmare in here when its packed. The drink prices are ok. Don't expect really much here read more

I'm gonna try to keep this short and sweet- like my girl Melissa. I came in on a Thursday and typically I hate mt Adams on this night of the week, but we stopped in monks on a whim and not to be dramatic but my whole life changed. Just kidding but seriously I loved the bartender and the atmosphere was so fun and there weren't nearly as many frat daddy chads as a few of the other places around here. Go in and take some jello syringe shots and tell Melissa that whitney sent you. read more

Monk's... That little bar squeezed in between the two other Mt.Adams giants. The one you casually walk by and don't realize unless someone is joyfully hanging out the window talking to passerbyes. Well here is the answer to your question on why everyone seems to be happy in that closet of a bar. If you like cheap drinks and jello syringe shots then you have wandered into the right place. On weekends they have a special called "Beat The Clock". To all my OSU brotheren you know exactly what this entails. For the others its a Happy Hour that starts at 3pm and the "time" is the price of pitchers of beer. If you are in a wasteful mood and want to go on a all day bender to feel alive again this is a great place to transition from the "Bottomless Mimosas" which ends at 2:30 next door. Cheers. . . On game days hop the Monk's wagon for a free lift ! read more

We came to Mt Adams on Friday and were looking for a place to go. We saw Monk's and the bright lights drew us in. This is definitely a dive bar and brings you back to your college days. They have a frozen margarita machine, although it wasn't keeping the margaritas frozen while we were there. They sell jello shots and syringes. I ordered a Bud Light, but my cousin ordered a whiskey sour and took a sip and said it tasted like straight sour mix. He said something to the bartender and he poured some more whiskey on top of the drink. My cousin tasted it and said it was still bad. My husband took a sip and agreed that it still tasted like only sour mix. I'm not sure what's in their liquor, but apparently not alcohol. This place is a fine dive/college bar with cheap drinks, but you definitely get what you pay for. read more

I love Monk's. Has than random island vibe in the middle of Mt. Adams. They used to have the most amazing pudding shots (go across the street to Quicncy's now), but still keep up the Jell-O shots. They are like a buck a piece and $3 for a "syringe" size. You can rent out the back room for $100 and that includes the keg. Great deal and time! The Monk's Mobile is beyond words. I had it for both my bachelorette party and 30th birthday. There's karaoke on-board - enough said. There is also free popcorn. It's pretty narrow and on the smaller side compared to other bars up there. Always a good time! read more

The air conditioner was leaking water all over the floor. I'm not ever coming back to this place.

Monk's Cove is a great small bar in Mt Adams with a beach vibe and party atmosphere. Service is always prompt and friendly, even on busy nights! Chris is one of the best bartenders. They have cheap Jell-O shots, drink specials and free popcorn. On Thursday nights there's a DJ and it always attracts a decent crowd. One of my favorite bars! read more

Spent the afternoon at Monks and had a killer time. Tons of televisions and great music. Bartender Chris is a star, arguably the best service in the city. He is reason enough to venture up the hill. Although I came up alone, I felt like I left with ten new friends. read more

I hated going to this bar. It is always so jammed pack full of people you can hardly move. It is impossible to get a drink at the bar, you will have to wait forever even if you are loud and obnoxious and I hate going places where I have to be rude to get a drink. Worse it is one of those places where people go to see and be seen so expect someone behind you scream "AHH! Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever!" and then proceed to have a yelling conversation over your head. I had one drink here and proceed to run away as fast as possible to another bar. I do not recommend it. read more

Oh the cove; How I love thee. I've said it for years, and I will continue to: The cove is just a great bar. If you get there on a slower day, or at a lighter time it's awesome. A little cumbersome due to space restrictions at times if you're in the front, but still great. I had my 30th there, and it was a blast. Keg, Wii, Foose. Yes please. read more

Monk's... my trusty neighborhood tiki bar. If you want a good, tropical time with cheap sunglasses, cheap beer and shotskis, this is your place. I have to admit that we don't go here a lot on Fri/Sat nights now that we're quite a few years removed from college, but right out of school, this was our night time spot. Now, it's a great place to watch NFL games and is relatively empty, so we usually get good seats right at the bar on Sundays. On off days, it's just a bunch of Mt Adams residents instead of the college kids that taxi in on the weekends. It's the only place in Cincy (a good thing?) that's known for its Jello shots/syringes. I hate Jello and always have, but I'm generally peer pressured to do at least one Jello syringe when we're here on weekend nights. One sidenote - The Monk's Bus is great to rent for pub crawls (only requirement is that Monk's has to be one of the stops, but we have used it to go downtown and OTR). Karaoke on the bus and a lot of fun- and pretty easy to book. read more

Terrible service. Sat at the bar for over five minutes and was never once acknowledged. Bar staff was more concerned with hanging out with their friends than serving patrons with money to spend. read more

Narrow little bar, but always completely packed. A good place to hit on your Mount Adams bar crawl. Very reasonably priced drinks.

Tight space, good vibe, good time. You might think you were heading to a Jimmy Buffett concert by the decor. Stop in and have a beer in a plastic cup while looking out at passerbys on the street via the open window, before heading elsewhere to really get down. Don't be surprised if you find a large group of high school buddies hanging out reminiscing about the good old days - in the same group they were in back in the good old days. read more

Love this Dive Bar! From the Jell-O shots to the ski ball! It was such a good night had here, drinks were cheap and the atmosphere was perfect! read more