First time here. Limited parking behind the building and along the street. We had to park down the street and in the neighborhood around the corner. Inside is limited lighting but I loved the laid back rustic ambiance of the place. Old school wood with a neighborhood feel. Great mixed crowd. The great hang out place for after work, lunch, fun date or group to shoot pool. Televisions are easily visible at the bar. The bar has that neighborhood Cheer feel. The music was right on! Not loud but a comfortable volume where you can listen to it and still hear the people at your table talk. The music choice was excellent. Had customers dancing in their seats. Old school soul funk Motown sound. You know Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Rick James, Gap Band, etc. Perfect for the atmosphere. I absolutely loved the lamp posts. Plenty of seating and a variety from bar stool high tables to pub style tables. Great view at the front of the store to Madison. We watched people and old cars go by. Service was excellent-Mya our server was excellent. no waiting and attentive. We had the prime Philly sandwich with fries and shaved beef sandwich with fries. Both were delicious. Bathrooms were nice clean and well stocked. Had a great time and will definitely be back. read more

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Delicious food and generous drinks make this a must stop for foodies in Memphis. Tina was absolutely amazing and made us feel so welcome after our long drive. Strongly recommend the catfish which wasn't the slightest bit muddy and the batter was superb. Creamed spinach was also delicious and the hush puppies sublime. read more

Bar setting. Lunch menu food was good, especially blacken chicken breast with mushrooms and sautéed vegetables! Great customer service!

OMG!!! This was my first time visiting and the food was amazing! I had the fish plate with onion rings and cream spinach for my sides. The fish was fried and seasoned really well, plus they give a huge portion. I had a craving for onion rings and they definitely satisfied it! They were light and crispy just like I like the. The spinach was so good that I wanted to try the recipe to have at home! It was a great balance of cream, cheese, and spinach. I loved it! The service was really great as well. Our waitress did an excellent job of making sure that we were well accommodated. She checked on us often. I had experience! read more

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It's been such a long time since I've been here. We intended for this to be a quick stop after work but plans changed. We started out with a strawberry lemon drop martini. It was tasty but we thought it was little week. Little did we know a Parton at the bar for our martinis. Next, as the encouragement of our hostess, we decided to try the Skyy Suicide. It's a cocktail with various Skyy vodka flavors. This one was tasty and had a slightly stronger kick than the martini. I ordered the blackened chicken served over a bed of wild rice. I chose the sautéed veggies and fries as my sides. I just want to say everything was seasoned perfectly. The chicken was tender and juicy. The veggies were amazing. Before leaving, reposado shots were ordered. Omg, I felt like that kicked in quickly. Overall, an amazing experience today. read more

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This is a corner bar and grill that has been around for a long time. When you enter, there is a large bar with several tvs. I got a Philly cheese steak and my wife got fried fish. Both of our dishes were very good. The menu has many options for those that have a variety of tastes. Would recommend this place again in the future! read more

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The food was good and was served very quickly. The service was good but could have been better. read more

The Blue Monkey - Chicken fried steak burger with creamed spinach - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I've been going to the BLUE MONKEY in the heart of Memphis's OVERTON SQUARE since before I legally should've (that'sover 20+ years ago) and they're food, service and atmosphere hasn't changed much... I believe that's why it's a TRUE MEMPHIS MUST on any visitor's itinerary read more

I always get the same order here, The Country Club Salad with mixed greens, turkey, Monterey and cheddar cheeses, fresh bacon and tomatoes. It is the HUGEST salad and you will be STUFFED. I do not know why, but the way they prepare this salad is delectable. This is also a great place to enjoy trivia night or karaoke. They also have pool tables. Keep in mind that because of Tennessee laws, the bar can get smoky from cigarettes late at night. This is a great spot for a quick lunch or to meet a group of people. Aside from the great salads, they're known for having great steak deals and generally good food. Go to The Blue Monkey! read more

Live this place, great food, friendly, great service, and it's into midtown. And if you get here at this time! It's happy hour! Come and enjoy! Hopefully I'll see you here. read more

The Blue Monkey - Bar food Bbq Bacon Burger French Fries - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I'm so glad my husband and I finally tried this place for an impromptu day date today! We were greeted warmly as soon as we came in and were made to feel extremely welcome. Our waitress was so sweet! I can't remember her name for the life of me, but she had some lavender highlights in her hair and was extremely pleasant and perky! Our drinks were strong & reasonable & the food was so good & fresh! We will definitely be back! read more

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Very mediocre meal I actually expressed my dislike of the food to server asked for something else instead cause as you can see I at least tried this expensive school lunch.The other two pictures are what I expected.Instead this meal was literally forced on me never again! read more

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Came back today and got the country fried steak wiith the fries and wild rice. Awesome meal need to try it oUt if u stop by. Also as always on sundays from 11 to 2 pm there brunch is FIRE !!!! read more

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I've always went to Blue Monkey to enjoy a drink, but decided to try the menu since it was steak night. I added a cesar salad to my order for extra $, which I don't recommend. I ordered the steak with creamed spinach. Don't get the creamed spinach!!! The steak was amazing though!! My friend ordered the steak and twice baked potato, that was a much better option!! Both of those were amazing!! Service at a table was lacking and he wasn't very knowledgeable about the menu or choices. read more

The Blue Monkey - Cesar salad - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Oh Blue Monkey...I have a love/hate relationship with you. First off the SMOKE! Oh my heavens...the smoke...I know that is the appeal to some people but I just feel like I'm too old to have to throw out my clothes to get rid of that awful smell and then wash my hair 10 times. What's that saying, "Smoking kills...but at least you look cool"? Yeah, I'm over it. That being said, I had the BEST steak salad of my life. Seriously. I don't know what was going on (and this is literally why they get that 4th star instead of just 3) but holy moly, I stopped talking to my friends and just stared into the plate because I couldn't believe such culinary magic was happening at a bar like this. Other pluses, they have live music - and they are 90% of the time really awesome bands! Plus the drinks are stout and not that expensive. Win, win! Is this a dive bar? I guess but it really isn't a dive dive...maybe kinda sorter but a teensy bit better? I've worn heels here on multiple occasions...are you allowed to wear heels at a true dive bar? I don't think so...not to mention their food is leaps and bounds above typical bar food... If you can stand smoke, you won't be disappointed - bottom line! read more

The Blue Monkey - Angus salad - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I have been a customer since this bar opened. I am in the bar biz so I have always been a great tipper and a loyal patron. I was told today, that I was not allowed in the establishment. I was joining a few friends for a cocktail and takeout, so I was really astounded when I was told I could not stay. I called to find out who issued the directive and was told they didn't know. I have loved this bar and the food, spent thousands over the years, but now, it's a place I used to go.... read more

Pulling up to The Blue Monkey, parking was plentiful although we parked across the street and walked over. Walking in, we were informed we had to pay a $5 cover. Wth? Was there a concert? A live band? Or a theme night? Nope, just standard for their establishment to keep the rift raft out. We paid the cover and proceeded to seat ourselves by the bar since me and my buddies just wanted a place to have a few drinks and munch on something. The bartender was friendly as we ordered some mixed drinks. They had a pretty big menu so we asked one of the patrons who sat next to us who seemed to be a regular what she would recommend. She suggested the fish dish and her husband recommended the Philly cheese steak. We tried out the Philly cheese steak, chicken cheese steak, and the country fried steak platter. We ordered a few more rounds before our food came out. The dishes itself was okay. Nothing to brag about. Just typical frozen foods that was heated up. But it was good for bar food. Honestly, I was just a little disappointed that we had to pay $5 each just to eat and drink. They should wave that if the patrons are eating or apply that to the tab. Especially with no event going on. Im not cheap by any means since I know we generously tipped the bartender. But Oh well, atleast the drinks got me giddy and I did leave full. read more

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This used to be a good place but seems to have gone down recently. They automatically attach an 18% tip to your bill, regardless of the number of people in your party. That's a good sign that their clientele has degraded. And, my server was not worth 18% of the bill, she did the bare minimum and it was a slow night. Won't be going back to this place. read more

I've been to the Blue Monkey for drinks plenty of times, but until today, I hadn't ever tried the food. The menu is fairly basic, full of mostly standards like sandwiches, salads, po boys, pizzas and baked potatoes. I had the crabcake po boy, which came with my choice of side. The sandwich was two crabcakes with lettuce, tomato and remoulade on a French roll. It was a little spicier than I was expecting, but the kick wasn't unwelcome. The side of fries was awesome -they had a good crispiness-to-softness ratio and weren't overly salted. The service was quick and friendly - I was seated, fed and out of there in less than 45 minutes, but I never felt rushed. When I went to the Blue Monkey for lunch today, the restaurant still smelled like last night. The nearly empty dining room was dark and there was a more-than-faint smell of stale smoke. On the windowed porch, though, everything was bright and happy. The Blue Monkey has two locations - downtown and midtown - that are open daily for lunch and dinner. Both have full bars and allow smoking, which means that you've got to be 21 or older to get in. read more

The Blue Monkey - Crab cake po boy - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

It is such a beautiful day outside here at the blue monkey sitting on the patio with a great view I can see the last burger on earth restaurant as well as the whatever smokeshop I have a lovely view pediatrician they walk by and the staff here in At the Blue Monkey are so friendly and sociable ability so sweet the food is good I ordered blue monkey sandwich the blue monkey burger it comes loaded with Blue cheese lettuce tomato red onions dill pickles with a sesame -seed bun in your choice of a side item I chose for my side item the twice baked potatoes -please excuse the typos I'm using voice text read more

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Downfall with the smoke, yes is a turn off. If the smokers were in designated area with great Ventilation throughout the Restaurant will be ideal. The food and drinks are great. The customers (all nationalities), my husband and I met over the years are really friendly. It's a give and take like a relationship (smile). read more

The buffalo eggrolls was everything. It had the right amount of heat to them. The atmosphere was nice and we enjoyed playing pool. The rounds of shots was continuously flowing so that means our bartender was amazing read more

I'll let you in on a little secret: I met my husband here. I accidentally sat in "his" seat at the bar while he was chatting up another girl across the way, and they served me his pizza. He came back, we struck up a conversation and that's all she wrote. For this reason, the Blue Monkey midtown holds a special place in my heart (sappy but true!). It was a favorite hangout of mine although I don't make it out there much anymore. The place is great for socializing and kicking back with friends. They usually have great bands playing and the crowd is not shy about heading to the dance floor. There are pool tables for billiards fans and the food is pretty good. Bartenders are quick despite the large crowds, and parking is ok. I'm not sure if it's still the place to see and be seen, but you should definitely give it a shot. Who knows who you might meet there? read more

The Blue Monkey - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Had a great lunch. Beefeater sandwich with spinach was yummy. Tender beef, bread is coated with cheese to form a crunch on the outside. Also the beer is cold. Kudos for that! My only bone of contention was a $0.50 charge for an extra honey mustard dressing. My husband ordered the chicken strips. The portion is generous and the small cup of dressing is just not enough to enjoy your meal if you like to dip your tenders. That is the reason for not giving 5 stars. I don't think that is a good policy, makes you look like a cheap host. read more

The Blue Monkey - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Surprised!!! Brought my family here to celebrate Mother's Day. We wanted a venue with affordable drinks and a patio to enjoy outside. I honestly was surprised at how good our food was. We started out with appetizers, which were tasty & freshly prepared. The Hot Chicken Rolls(nice touch..seasoned buffalo chicken prepared like an eggroll) & The Sausage & Cheese Plate(I loved the pickels). Most of us had The Catfish Platter and chose a variety of sides. The Catfish was hot and fresh, cooked when ordered and nicely seasoned. I enjoyed the Twice-Baked Potatoe...absolutely delicious and not dry like others that I've tried in the past. The Creamed Spinach could've been seasoned a little more and was not as hot in temperature as I like...but a little salt&pepper helped it out. Our waitress Jess, was awesome. She was so pleasant & continued to check on us and swiftly got us everything that we needed. The drinks. We're somewhat affordable, most ranged from 7.00 - 8.00, however I was baffled and a bit confused at the .25 charge for juice for EACH drink when we ordered Tequila & Pineapple Juice or Vodka & Cranberry Juice. Overall our check was about 185.00 for 5 people, which wasn't bad for a nice patio, good food and happy memories that we will never forget. read more

Fun atmosphere, friendly staff, I go here at least twice a week. I enjoy everything about it. The hot wing egg rolls will change your life. I have them twice a week. you won't be disappointed! read more

The Blue Monkey - Nice ambiance... - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Way too much smoking going on in this place for me and yes I'm smoking HATER as lung cancer is nothing to play with fools. The crowd was decent but mostly seemed way too focused on playing pool while live music was going on. The band seemed to be more background noise as nobody seemed to be paying any attention to it which I found sad. I hadn't been in this joint in many years and the crowd seemed radically different from those days and not in an improved way. Overall this was probably the most boring time and smokiest experiences I had at any of the joints I visited on my last trip to Memphis. I bequeth this place to the smokers and may they enjoy their cancer suicide sticks fully. read more

You can find me here pretty much every Wednesday evening for trivia...go Bananas! The trivia competition can be fierce but it is always fun. The drinks are darn well near the cheapest in town. Especially during happy hour, which is before 7:00 p.m. week nights. This place is smokey but I've come to expect this with most bars around town. However, there is always the option to sit outside on the patio. Great menu items to try include the sausage and cheese plate, hot wing rolls (truly unique concept), and the chicken wrap (I usually go for the fried chicken). The service is always fast and friendly too. read more

People always told us the midtown monkey is better than down town, but I never knew just how cool it was until this past weekend! I live next to the downtown Blue Monkey so we are there all the time and enjoy the special regular rates the bartenders offer us and the food is darn good, but midtown has so much more to offer! Bigger crowds, live music, even pool tables! 3 of us drank several drinks each for under $20. We will be back midtown monkey! read more

The Blue Monkey - Pool tables - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I love this place. I just learned that they have brunch. Brunch is my favorite meal of the day! They have mimosa and bloody mary specials. They have one mimosa that also has vodka and another that also has an orange liquor. My friend had the greek omelet and said it was good. I had the biscuits and gravy, which I love, as well as steak and eggs. The steak was really good. The only bad thing is that this place allows smoking, so you can smell smoke even if there isn't really anyone smoking. read more

The Blue Monkey is a dive. Its a run down, tired, messy, outdated dive. That being said, its a warm and casual and happy old dive. Try one of their "crisps." It's like a pizza and a taco got married but the taco cheated on the pizza with spinach and artichoke dip but then they broke up and the taco cheated again but this time with a California salad. Either way, it was a tasty affair. read more

I love this bar- from the bartenders to the smoke filled rooms. I believe pool is free, I've never paid for it. However when I do play I always have a tab started, so maybe that's the trick. This bar is great for meeting people! Every time I come with friends I end up meeting someone new. Whether we're playing pool or just having a giant group convo, this place just seems to have a friendly vibe. Haven't tried the food before, but I know I will soon! I'm not sure about the dining setup though- since the bar allows smoking I think you might have to eat your food in a different part of the restaurant/bar. But then again, I'm not sure. This place is chill, smokey and dig it. read more

My 1st time visiting this spot in midtown and I was impressed. I was taken there to be treated for my birthday. The vibe, food and service was good. The only negative would be that smoking is allowed in the restaurant. Even though we were seated in the "nonsmoking" section, you can still smell the smoke from the smoking section. Food was really good. Midtown is coming back to life. read more

The Blue Monkey - I had the catfish dinner and it was awesome. I also had the stuffed mushrooms for the appetizer (not pictured) and they were really good. - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The blue monkey will always be a midtown favorite. I love the plate lunches and the buffalo chicken egg rolls are fire good! The lady that works the lunch shift (bartender) is so awesome! I think people sleep on the blue monkey food way to much. It's delicious ! The Mac n cheese and the twice baked potatoes are awesome! Give the brunch a chance too!!!! I love the Blue Monkey food! read more

Our group stopped by for a drink and to hang out a little before moving onto the next stop. We all ordered beers along with one martini. Our server was very friendly and prompt. We ordered and received our drinks quickly. Overall the place wasn't too packed, but I would have thought it was by the amount of smoke. Like the previous reviews this place is toxic due to the smoke intake. I walked out smelling like I smoked a pack myself. I would return for the quick and inexpensive drinks but not until they air the place out. read more

my homeboys local. Divey with the wrought iron lamps... goods. read more

I wanted to get out for a few hours, and picked my favorite neighborhood in Memphis...Midtown. I've heard about this place from a couple of friends, and was informed that I wouldn't be disappointed. I would have rated this place as 5 star, but the cigarette smoke is quite unbearable at times. This is a cool spot to have drinks and food!! The food caught me by surprise....I truly underestimated the food since this place has a bar atmosphere. I ordered the grilled tilapia, twice baked potatoes, and the spinach. When I say I ate every bite, I truly cleaned my plate..lol. My go to drink is vodka and pineapple, and the bartender mixed it perfectly. I definitely see myself coming back in the near future. read more

The Blue Monkey - Pineapple and vodka - Bars Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Located on Madison at Overton Square. this is a long time Memphis establishment with a fun atmosphere and pretty decent food (for a bar). They have bands and pool tables and a lively atmosphere. I don't go very often, but have fun when I do. I agree with David, crowd does skew a bit young - college aged kids on up to 30-somethings. But it's a great place to hang out and enjoy a cold beer with friends. And hey, it's in Midtown so you know it can't be all bad. :) read more

I would love to give the blue monkey a 5 stars because their food is phenomenal! However the smoke is an issue there is a small seating area off to the side that you can normally sit in to get away from the smoke. however being out of sight, the waitresses sometimes forget about you. About the Food from my experiences the Cheeseburger is my favorite in the city. Also the french dip, roast beef sandwiches are really good too. I take people with me most of the time I go here and I have yet to hear any complaints yet. Food is also reasonably priced. read more

This is a fun place to come to from time to time, but sometimes it can get a little uncomfortably crowded, as in having to push through the crowd just to get to the bar or restroom. The food is okay. Nothing special, just okay. They have a decent beer selection, as well. Biggest complaint: the bathrooms. I'm not really a fan of walking into a bathroom that has no stalls around the toilets or urinals. It's a little too open air for me, especially considering that when you open the door, you're getting a side profile view of someone urinating. I'd rather go across the street to Kwik Chek and use their tiny (but private) bathroom. read more