I know these are trying times...Went tonight and dined on the patio. Service was excellent...but my ribeye, which I ordered medium rare, was well done. For 32 dollars, not so good. I would have sent it back but I felt sorry for the wait staff and didn't want to be a dick read more

As you can tell by the ratings that are all over the place, this place seems to have its good qualities and bad ones. Let's start with the bad... - Shriveled, partially rotting lettuce mix, probably from a bag for an extremely small $4 garden salad. Considering the price, I would have expected mirco-greens or at least some stuff that was fresh! - Strawberries. WTF? Dude... We are in strawberry season right now and these guys are using crap ass store-bought strawberries that taste like garbage. I know it doesn't seem like much, but we have some of the best produce in the world coming into season right now, please use it! Don't fake the funk. - Too expensive for the quality. I don't mind expensive dinners, but when I get them I expect everything to be perfect. The presentation was pretty bad. Actually really bad. It reminded me of what prison food must be like: they just take the serving spoon and slop the sides onto the plate. Onto the Good: - Love the restaurant, the décor is phenomenal, the dark wood, the comfy looking booths, the intimate bar, the outdoor patio seating. - The service, they have some great employees that work here. Friendly, upbeat, willing to joke and laugh. - The menu was awesome, with some innovative offerings. It took me over 10 minutes to finally decide what I wanted. We had: The Mediterranean Antipasto Plate (Everything was delicious except the offensive strawberries), 2 small garden salads, the GF had Filet Mignon (It was perfect, but the side of mashed potatoes weren't that great), and I had the Swordfish (A little dry due to overcooking)- no dessert, no alcoholic beverages - total bill $90 dollars. I really, really, really wanted to like this place. Like 'give it 5 stars like', but get up the quality of ingredients (BUY LOCAL!), get the presentation better and/or lower your prices, and I could see coming here frequently. read more

The Monkey Cat - New American Near Me - Auburn, California

This restaurant is tucked away on one of the main streets in Auburn in between shops. Having been to Auburn only a few times prior, we easily found it and there was plenty of parking near it. When we walked in there was an odd vibe at first. The hostess was shocked because we didnt have reservations even though we could see a handful of empty tables and there was no one else in front of us waitig to get one. After a short wait we were seated and then we looked around, wondering why we both felt a strange vibe. This must be a place that locals primarily make up because we were getting checked out by the other customers when we were standing up at the hostess stand. Weird. The place has a warm ambience to it, but then it made sense...it looked like it was a scene out of an "Our Time" commercial as the crowd was most definitely of the retirement persuasion and the bar area was packed with silver foxes. Now the looks made sense. We are closer to the age of the servers than the other customers :) Our server was friendly and got us our cocktails pretty fast. Having read the other Yelp reviews, we tried the wontons (really good and not particularly fishy), calamari (basic), salmon with apricot cream sauce and almonds (delish - I would have that again), the roasted chicken (needed salt), and the tirimisu (worth it). Some pretty decent bread also comes out as an appetizer but oddly no butter. Service was on point for us. We were checked on but not fussed over, which is typical for a restaurant that is trying to convey more of a fine dining experience. The idea is to conversate, which we appreciated. Overall a pleasant experience. Entrees seemed a tad pricey for what you get but if I was back in that area I would go again. read more

Stopped in for lunch and was a little disappointed. The food was actually pretty good but both orders were not quite right. I ordered the Monkey Cat burger medium rare but it came out well done. The nice server offered to have another prepared but I declined. She also upgraded my fries to chili lime fries at no extra charge. My wife ordered the grilled cheese with bacon. She asked to have the bacon on the side. Although she enjoyed the grilled cheese, the bacon never arrived. A couple of simple things that changed a 5 star review into a 3. read more

The Monkey Cat - Monkey Cat burger and chili lime fries - New American Near Me - Auburn, California

Lots of smoke N Mirrors behind those Green Eyes!!! For the price point the main star of the dish was shinning bright, took all the light from the side dish space filler. Both the Salmon dish & Scallop Risotto. Staff was incredibly friendly but the food beyond subpar in flavor! The seared Ahi app was about 2 oz ahi with a ton of cabbage. Skipped its neighbor (Club Car) for a change, win some, lose some. read more

Made reservations for my husband and I for Valentines Dinner. Had been once before for lunch and wasn't super impressed, but the atmosphere was nice (cold) but nice and the waitress (same waitress) was definitely 5stars so we decided to give it another go and keep our reservations. We walked in and sat at table #5 again same awesome waitress,but the table set up was not ideal and the atmosphere was more that of a bar than a fine dining restaurant on valentine's so not impressed! The music was teeny bopper club music and loud obnoxious people complaining about their food several actually. Way over priced zero flavor (I ordered the salmon) and it was freezing the whole time not romantic whatsoever and took forever as soon as we tried our food we asked for the check and left... will not be going back much love to wait staff they were awesome restaurant read more

The server Brie was great. The food fantastic. The only thing I would change is they need some kind of sound proofing because having a conversation was difficult with all of the other voices in the restaurant. read more

We came here to celebrate our anniversary. We made a quick reservation and got in. We had a apple brie and that was yummy we also both had the tomato blue cheese soup. That was so good. I had the duck and hubby had the rib eye. The potatoes were fresh and soft. The broccoli looked good with cranberries. I also got the lemon cake to go and that was yummy too. The prices were reasonable and we would go back there to eat again. read more

Excellent food and wonderful staff. Enjoyed the filet mignon and hubby enjoyed the lamb chops. We will be back. The meal was one of the best we've had dining out in a long time. Thank you Urka for the wonderful service and your infectious smile. read more

Had a fabulous Birthday Lunch here. Their dishes are unique and flavorful. Will definitely come back!

Just love this place local owned great service and the food is unbelievable. This it the place to go in auburn!

I have been to the restaurant on several occasions and have never had a mean that wasn't extraordinary! Such an amazing mix of ingredients and fresh new ideas all the time. On top of that their craft drinks are phenomenal! 10 stars! read more

Fabulous food, great service, friendly staff, upbeat and lively vibe. My friend and I had a wonderful dinner here lastnight. This is a long-standing jewel of auburn. So happy to see it thriving! read more

The one negative review you immediately notice on Yelp? That reviewer has a habit of complaining at other local establishments. They waited 2 hours for a table? Did they show up at 6AM? Sorry but we are locals, have gone to Monkey Cat nearly a dozen times in the past 2 years, various times of day/week, that does not happen. Their food, service, and attention to details is amazing. The current owner, who took over a couple of years ago, has really stepped up the offerings. My father from Chicago, one of the pickiest eaters on the planet, ALWAYS finds a problem at any dining establishment, told our waitress "This is the best steak I have had in years". Excellent offerings in "Uptown" Auburn, you will not be disappointed read more

**I forgot to mention they are sneaking a 4% credit charge in without notifying the consumer. They also add it on before you pay the bill without knowing if you are paying cash** The new owner is a dishonest person . I t appears the new owner wants to run my favorite place into the ground and I'm mad. They don't respond to the onslaught of bad reviews that are mostly recent. No free slice of cake for your bday, actually nothing for your bday. Wait times of over an hour for a party of four who had the first reservation of the night, cold food, and changed menu that makes no sense. Who goes out to eat for a delicious filet mignon to have no choice of a potato but instead you get both carrots and carrots purée. Why would I want these both? What if I don't like carrots? Does a baked potato cost that much?I nearly had to beg the waitress for a potato and nobody at my table wanted the other.what happened to a regular non starchy vegetable? This has been a staple in my household forever. They are loosing a lot of long time customers , and this was one of the best places in town. To the owner:it's a small town please re think your new business model before you destroy the place! read more

Just ok. It has some interesting menu items, they are just not executed with any real sense of what great food could be. Had a couple of tied salads and appetizers, and left feeling a bit like we still hadn't had anything of interest. The outside patio was pleasant, but the flies were a distraction and made me wish I'd stayed inside. Meh. read more

I've been wanting to go here so a friend asked me to lunch. We both had delicious meals with plenty of food and great service. The menu has a variety and they have some nice specials. Haven't been there for dinner yet but it was a great place for lunch and I plan to have a dinner there soon read more

Outdoor dining was wonderful! Nice and shady on a warm day. My portobello mushroom sandwich barely had any mushroom, just a few thin slices, and the grilled bread was greasy. I had expected a whole portobello mushroom. I'll stick to having dinner there, which I love. read more

The Monkey Cat has really upped their game with a new happy hour menu and freshened overall menu, quality and service. If you haven't been by in a while, I'd suggest taking another look! read more

The Monkey Cat - Happy Hour - New American Near Me - Auburn, California

Tonight was so fun! Thank you for making Sheri's birthday so special... it was such a nice night and I know everyone really enjoyed themselves thanks to you and your amazing staff read more

Excellent food and drinks, polite staff and well worth it! Was underwhelmed years ago and decided to give them another try, glad we did! Going back only a week after our last visit because it was so good. Glad to have a great fresh restaurant in auburn! read more

This place is phenomenal. We started with the Apple Brie crostini which had a nice kick and the peppery arugula wasn't just for garnish. Then we shared the Short rib special with mashed potatoes and the duck leg with butternut squash risotto. Both were delicious! The duck was slightly overdone, but flavorful and tender in the center. The real stars were their desserts!! We were full but they were so worth it!! The tiramisu was light but rich, and the peanut butter candy bar cheesecake thing was to die for!!! You can't do it without coffee, but you also can't live without it. Our server was knowledgeable and really sweet! It was well worth the cost. read more

The Monkey Cat - Dessert - New American Near Me - Auburn, California

Stopped for dinner yesterday. First time since September 2019. Inside has been remodeled and looks fantastic. We sat outside with.our 2 dogs. Our server, Gigi, was fantastic as were all.of the other staff members. Food was excellent- wedge salad, chicken cordon bleu and scallops were very tasty. A great place to go in a town that has a lot of good restaurants. read more

By suggestion of my boyfriend, three of us came to the Monkey Cat for dinner. We started of with the crab cakes by suggestion of our waitress Shannon, followed by the loaded baked potato soup and the blue cheese bisque. Absolutely delicious is an understatement. I requested more of a keto friendly dish and Shannon suggested the filet with vegetables. It was cooked to perfection and ranks in the top 3 best meat entrees I've ever had. Shannon was very helpful in suggestions and her service was exceptional. A truly amazing dining experience!! We will be back. read more

We always have a great dinner here from out of town. Nicole was pleasant, attentive and courteous. I had the Caprese salad and beef stroganoff which were delightful and ample and my husband had filet mignon done quite well. read more

Went to Monkey Kay spur of the moment for dinner and it was fantastic from drinks to apps and entrees. I highly recommend the brick chicken, so good. Excellent food and preparation. Our server was also very good. New owners are hitting out of the park. read more

I live in the neighborhood and have eaten at Monkey Cat for about 20 years. It used to be stable and reliable and one of our favorites. We recently took a guest there and were embarrassed at how bad the food was. Two of us ordered the salmon, which I have ordered many times before. Unbelievably, it was served skin side up, with a cold apricot glaze on top. It was awful, and served with a spoonful of cold rice and some mushy vegetables. The server was indifferent, maybe her first day on the job. It breaks my heart that one of my favorite restaurants that we have supported for many years has declined to the point where we won't be going back. There are several other better restaurants in town. Goodbye Monkey Cat. read more

I had a coupon for $10 off dinner so went to Monkey Cat for the first time. The place was nice inside, but it took awhile for then to acknowledge the fact we were at the front counter waiting for a table. Once seated, the experience got much better. The waitress was very nice and courteous. She recommended drinks and told us about the specials. She recommended wine and desserts. The food was very good, I had the chicken florentine and the wife had the seafood pasta. Both dishes were excellent. We also shared a dessert which was also very good. The waitress asked if I wanted her to box up the leftovers, which we did. All in all, it was a very good experience and we will be back. The waitress was Coreen. Be sure to ask for her. read more

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First time trying this place . The décor is a little cool funky jungle/Thai theme. My co-worker and I were starving for lunch so we're looking to try something new and not the normal burger/sandwich joint. It was cold this day so soup sounded pretty good. I ordered their chicken udon (but came with duck lol) . Regardless it was BOMB.COM lol.. also had the crab cakes and those were hella good too and literally ALL CRAB- not filled with breading crap JUST CRAB def will come here again . read more

The Monkey Cat - Chicken udon but with Duck lol - New American Near Me - Auburn, California

First off the food is way overpriced. I got the stir fry and a burger, the burger bun was stale and hard, I would compare it to a burger you make while camping. And the stir fry rice was undercooked and cold. Just not good at all. Had to send the food back. Service was bad too. It's a bar go there to get hammered and then maybe the food might taste good read more

Walked into this place earlier tonight excited to try something new. At the time there were 3-4 empty tables outside. I was asked if I had a reservation which I did not. I asked if there was anything outside and was told by the hostess everything was "fully reserved... sorry". I then proceeded down the street and found another establishment who happily took our party of 2. Roughly 1 hour later with a full stomach we walked back by this place and wouldn't you know it... those 3-4 outside tables were STILL EMPTY. Won't be coming back. read more

This place is as mediocre as it gets. I went here with a friend and we started with the Strawberry Flat Bread and Crab cakes, both had decent flavor, but I definitely expected more from the crab cakes considering my experiences at other less expensive restaurants. For my entree I ordered Filet Minion which has never disappointed in past, but this time was the first time it just missed the mark. The steak was decently seasoned and cooked exactly how I ordered it but the quality of meat was clearly subpar compared to any other restaurant at this price point. read more

First time here and we won't be back. We had reservations, we were the third party seated. After we ordered we overheard a different waitress tell her table there was a special, which we would have ordered had we known there was a special. We did not get bread but did notice that some tables were given bread, our one appetizer came out fairly quickly, still no bread, we waited and waited finally got bread and our waitress said our entree should be out soon, and we waited and waited, keep in mind we were the third party seated and at last 50, yes 50 minutes later we got our entrees, which were not cooked as ordered, ate what we could and left. The restaurant is very loud could not have a conversation without yelling. The restaurant was very busy and people seemed to enjoy it, it's just not for us. We were hoping for a better experience than we had. read more

Went to dinner for our 16th anniversary and had a amazing evening! Our server Erica was the best. Our drinks were never empty and she was super friendly. With the craziness going on I'm the world Erica brought a smile to our faces. We will definitely be back again. Thank you! read more

Went to have lunch here at the MC with my dad. The place was almost empty. Maybe 3 tables but they were just waiting for the bills. It was approximately 1:15 pm. We waited at least 15 minutes for our server. She was also the bartender. We asked for two Martinis with just the house Vodka. Then we ordered our meals. French Dip and Ruben , no sauerkraut. We had finished our drinks and was wondering where the heck the food was, Since the place was basically empty. We had been sitting there for an hour now. No bread, no food, no server. I finally waved her down. She apologized for the wait and said she would check on our order. Once again there was only one other table with two people and a couple at the bar. She finally came back and said the chef was working on it and should be up shortly. She said the chef was by his self and that their staff was short due to Covid. (REALLY). I said to her "what's he cooking there is no one here". She didn't like that much and said he was doing his best. Well After that discussion and her major lack of customer service, I asked for the check for the two martini's and to cancel our order. She didn't like that either. Minutes later she brings the check and is just standing there waiting for payment. Guess how much these two house vodka martinis were?? $31. I said " you have to be kidding me" $31 for two martinis. She mumbled something and said she would go check the bill again, REALLY? So then she brings a new check. The new check was for $22 she said she gave us a discount. I still couldn't believe it. A discount SMH. I asked for a manager and she said no one was available and she was "sort of" ( mumbled something). I was furious. We left and went to the Box Car. Had excellent service and great burgers. That place was packed. NEVER AGAIN WILL WE Go to the MC. HORRIBLE SERVICE. read more

We absolutely love this restaurant. Their food is very delicious and such a great variety to choose from. Their staff is extremely friendly, always comes back to our table every single time asking us is everything ok or can I get you anything at all. The food Portions are good as well. The owner takes pride in his restaurant and cares about his customers. We eat dinner often, or for drinks and delicious appetizers as well. We are moving to Arizona in October and will definitely miss our favorite restaurant, but we will definitely visit them for dinner when we come and visit our family. A wonderful restaurant to have that special birthday, or Anniversary, a date night. You won't be sorry to choose the Monkey Cat restaurant in Auburn to enjoy that delicious meal. Ron and Deanna Gordon !! read more

My in-laws heard great things about this place so we made reservations and went for the first time tonight. Highly overrated and overpriced. The crab cakes stunk like fish and we didn't finish them. The iceberg lettuce for the wedge salad was on its last leg and there was literally no bacon. The chicken cordon blue was bland, extremely small, and the mashed potatoes were watery and most likely came from a box. My husband had the swordfish special. It was fishy and over cooked. The drinks were strong, probably to compensate for the bad food. We will not be back. read more

So bad I can't even put it into words. They need to change their radio commercial.Too many old items. read more

We hit up Monkey Cat last night. Yeah the Blue cheese tomato soup is a super star! Like the Brussels sprouts at Tap & Vine.. I'm stealing that! The Pork rib app was really tasty and to our surprise was not sweet. Good stuff. The wedge salad was good and the drinks were great. My steak was overdone by 2 steps but Nay's hamburger was good. The place was at 110 percent capacity at 5:45! Pricing was about right for the experience. read more

Great place for a dinner date. Great food. Good happy hour prices. I like the specials like the seafood linguini. Their steaks are awesome. The servers are always friendly and helpful with suggestions. Good wine selection. read more

The Monkey Cat - New American Near Me - Auburn, California