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    The Monkey Cat

    3.7 (481 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Monkey Cat Photos

    THE MONKEY CAT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Monkey Cat

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    Salmon with gnocchi . . .  wow!
    Elizabeth H.

    We walked from the Holiday Inn Auburn to The Monkey Cat, 805 Lincoln Way. I suggest making reservations because it gets busy. Right away you can tell this is a popular place with the local creative. Its got a great funky chic vibe. The staff is attentive and friendly. I have to sing the praise of my salmon dish. The salmon was some of the best that I have had. It was cooked perfectly, moist and flavorful. Yet there was a delicious crust that added flavor without overpowering the salmon. The gnocchi was delightful pairing. My lemon dessert was the perfect end to the meal. What a great place. Not overly pricey considering how delicious it was.

    Salmon Gnocchi lower left, Seafood Risotto center top
    Richard C.

    Great food -- Highly recommend the Salmon with Gnocchi and the Seafood Risotto. This restaurant made a wonderful stop in Auburn on our way up to Lake Tahoe.

    M. C. Mac N' Cheese
    Dan C.

    My wife and I visited this restaurant after seeing it on Yelp. We ordered the following dishes: - Mac & Cheese Note: It lacked flavor and, considering the price, did not offer good value. - Braised Short Ribs Note: It was excellent; the meat was exceptionally tender. - Seafood Risotto Note: It was satisfactory but could have been better in terms of taste and overall quality. Based on our experience, the flavors of the dishes could benefit from improvement. The staff was very friendly, but the service time was noticeably slow.

    Fish Special: pan roasted halibut with a citrus soy glaze and wasabi drizzle
    Brenna N.

    *FOOD POISONING ALERT* This breaks my heart to write this review, but my husband and I recently dined at Monkey Cat to celebrate my birthday and on the way home he ended up getting violently ill in the parking lot of the Roseville Galleria. It was a couple of hours after eating at the Monkey Cat and was sick off and on through the night, but was fine once he got everything out. He did the right thing by trying to notify the restaurant. He called and spoke to someone who took his info and said they would have someone call him back. That never happened so he called again and left a voicemail. Almost a week later he got a call back from a Manager named Peter, who took all the details and said he would look into it and get back to him. He said he was slammed, that is why it took 2 calls and a week to pass before responding. We never got a call back. He narrowed it down to either the filet or the asparagus, but is thinking it was the asparagus because he said it was barely al dente. Almost raw tasting. This has been our go to spot for every anniversary (my MIL would purchase a gift card because she knew how much we loved this restaurant), my family would go every year to celebrate my birthday, and most date nights we would choose to drive from Folsom to Auburn so we could go to Monkey Cat and get massages afterwards at the place next door. We totally get that these things can happen, but it is how it was handled that was so disappointing.

    Beef stroganoff
    Katie C.

    Went for Mother's Day dinner after walking/driving by all the time, it looks like such a cute place. Made reservations on open table as it states reservation needed we were running late and staff was nice enough to call to see if we were still on the way. We ordered a variety off the menu. Husband went with the burger, daughter did mashed potatoes and I went with the beef stroganoff. I enjoyed their take of the meal. I was a little sad to not have been offered the bread and oil at the beginning of our meal but think it was just a busy night.

    The Whispering
    Steffani K.

    Yes! Yes! Yes! Early Valentines Dinner at Monkey Cat in Auburn. Great food, beautiful atmosphere and everything we love about a small boutique restaurant. Reminded us of what we had in the Bay Area, walking down Laurel St in San Carlos. Skip the big name Steak House and support small businesses. Check it out. We split the Beet Napoleon Salad. The flavor profile was beautifully blended and incredibly fresh on the pallet. I had the Maple Glaze Salmon (flakey, sweet and perfectly cooked) and the hubby had the 8 oz Filet. Perfect rare cook, lightly whipped potatoes and not drowned in sauce. Enjoyed a Creeping Fig Bourbon Cocktail and The Whispering bourbon Cocktail and ended with a Creme Brûlée. Delicious! Bougie without being too bougie. We will definitely go back - I need to try to tomato blue cheese soup!

    Mac n Cheese
    Cam A.

    Really 3.5 stars, and the Yelp community has it right. This place showed promise but at each point we were underwhelmed. I ordered the blackened shrimp tacos and some mac n cheese. First the tacos weren't bad but with the number of ingredients I expected a mouth full of flavor. It lacked enough acid and consistency in flavor. The Mac n cheese was disappointing. It was creamy and again lacked flavor. The portion was large but it was average at best. The shining star is the French fries. Really good! Service was what you expect. The restaurant is nice - and had a nice vibe!

    Salmon
    Claire S.

    Met up with friends for dinner at Monkey Cat last night. Haven't been there in a long time and we're so glad we went back. First of all our server, Cheyanne, was absolutely wonderful - friendly and efficient. The food was fantastic! Beet salad, off the charts delicious. A couple of us had the short ribs others had the salmon, one had the chicken Cordon Bleu and one had the seafood risotto. Every single dish was absolutely delicious. Well prepared and beautifully presented. Let's don't forget the cocktails. Vodka martini , old-fashioned . We also shared a bottle of wine. They had a very nice selection of wine as well. We all agreed that we will be back again very soon.

    Jill S.

    Perfect restaurant for nice meal,ambience and service! Dishes ordered: Brie appetizer with jam & honey,rosemary chicken special,braised short ribs,cheesecake & tiramisu for dessert. We enjoyed our meal so much and appreciated the outstanding service from our sweet waitress! (Forgot her name!) We will be back!

    Mac and cheese

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    Food and service are consistently good. Love their tomato blue cheese soup. Great appetizers and a well stocked bar. I am a frequent flyer

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    5 years ago

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

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    4 years ago

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

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    Thank you!! We look forward to serving you again!!

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    Thanks for dining with us! We look forward to seeing you again!

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    Page 5 of 13

    Ask the Community - The Monkey Cat

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    Found this place on Yelp as I was in the area for a wedding, all the way from San Jose! So glad we…read morechose to go here for brunch today around 9:30 am! I got the crab Benedict, and everything was perfect! The portions are huge. My fiancé got the bacon Benedict and he finished it all. The service: our waiter was very nice! But all staff are super welcoming as well. When we walked in, a nice guy brought us to our table. Definitely recommend awful annie's to anyone who is visiting for a cute and affordable brunch place!

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    Restaurant entrance/patio
    Pumpkin Bread Pudding - outstanding
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    The Monkey Cat - newamerican - Updated August 2026

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