3 Monkeys Cantina

One star for the owner: he expected the customers to do all the work and just walk in the door.
The staff was great — wink wink, Dane. The food was above average. The drinks were great. The atmosphere was uninspired and mixed up.

Went there today with a whole group of people… found it closed! Did this awesome place go out of business? Grrrrrrrr… at least, put up a sign telling us what’s up.

Here’s a tip — 3 Monkeys Cantina is more focused on being a bar than a restaurant. If you go in with this mindset you’ll probably be happy with your time here. The other thing to keep in mind is that I’d consider this food more of Tex-​Mex than most of the Colorado Mexican food I eat. Things that are good that I’ve had include the chips and salsa, guacamole, shrimp tacos, and nachos.
The interior is pretty cool with nice exposed bricks, a big open bar, a few tables spread around the area and a pool table and Big Buck Hunter to entertain you.
They also have a patio that you have to enter on the side entrance, but you can get full service out there (drinks and food.) Just remember to go inside first so someone knows you’re out there!

It is so hard to find a bar that uses fresh squeezed limes who make there margaritas these days, so when I find one, I feel obligated to report!
I admittedly did not try the food the time that I visited, but everyone eating around me seemed to agree that it was quite good. I was too busy enjoying that salty rimmed glass of margaritaey goodness…
I’ll be back to try the grub, for sure!

Velveeta with Rotel is a good way to describe the queso. The salsa, chips, beans, rice, and tortillas appeared as if they came from the grocery store. Flavors aren’t bad, but overpriced for processed ingredients. Margarita was good though so I may come back for drinks only.

Laid back happy hour with $ 2 Tecates, $ 4 or $ 5 margaritas, and some good tacos. Nothing fancy, but a nice neighborhood hangout. Also has a back patio and a hunting game that becomes entertaining as happy hour wears on.

I would say this is the epitome of an average Mexican restaurant in Denver. I enjoyed my meal, the drinks were decent and the atmosphere was alright.
I had the tacos which were tasty, but had the same general taste of an Old El Paso packet and some ⁸⁰⁄₂₀ beef. If I wanted this I would have definitely made it at home. The real problem was there was no real panache by any means! I typically expect the level of food being served to be well above what I can make at home, since I’m typically paying 5−10x’s as much.
This all being said there was nothing too terribly wrong with the place. They had just opened and the wait staff was somewhat flustered along with the typical delays of a restaurant that just recently opened. I will say the chips and salsa was a bright spot, and tasted fresh and delicious. The margarita, however, made me long for more booze or more flavor which would have given it the kick that was needed.
I will try them again and hopefully will be upping my review, but I hesitate to put my real seal of appeal until then.

YAY! I moved to Denver about two years ago from Texas and I’ve been on a mission to find Mexican food that measured up to the fare I know and love from home. Now, I’m trying not to handicap considering the competition in Denver has been a complete disappointment so I’m measuring 3 monkeys against the best of the best in Tex-​Mex in San Antonio. We ordered the chips and guac to start and I was very satisfied with how fresh it was. They serve sliced Serrano peppers and tomatoes on the side so you can kick it up as much as you please. I have a few measures for good Mexican food. 1) Cheese enchiladas, 2) Rice and Beans 3) Homemade Flour Tortillas. Had I known this place might be in the running for the best Mexican food I’ve had in Denver, I would have tried all three; however, I’ll have to check the tortilla sitch on my next visit. As far as the other two go, all I can say is I can’t wait to come in on a bleary-​eyed Sunday for the hair of the dog and a plate of delicious cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans like the old days. LOVE!

Really excited about this place! Great food, atmosphere, and prices. We will be back soon! Also, grab a free marg by «liking» them on Facebook.

We rode down Broadway without knowing where we wanted to eat, and ended up at 3 Monkeys Cantina. The patio looked really pretty and they had corn hole out on the sidewalk. We were able to «Like» them on Facebook and get a free Margarita too!
After our initial wait for the waiter to come over, the service was good. The two guys who helped us were super nice and attentive. The margaritas were alright… I ordered the shrimp soft-​shell tacos to eat and they were DELICIOUS. They’re very small, but for me, the perfect amount of food. We also ordered the small guacamole and chips. It was definitely small, and a little bland, but good… like avocados and tomatoes :) My husband got an enchilada entrée and said he liked them, but they were nothing to return for.
Bottom line: We may be back if we get a craving for shrimp tacos or to play corn hole in the city. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from trying it at least once!

I don’t know how long it will last but $ 2/​taco on Tuesday nights. Try all the variations… delish!

When you are a Mexican themed restaurant that is sandwiched between Blue Bonnet to your north and El Tejado to your south, then you need to do something to distinguish yourself as a place worthy of patronage. To their credit, the shrimp tacos were very good, but i would recommend that you make them Ala-​carte, like Pinche Taqueria. I would prefer to order some really good tasting tacos, tostadas etc, more in a «sushi menu» style. Please avoid the beans and rice on a plate and upping the charge to call it a meal– who eats them anyway — it’s just a waste of both our time and my money. The house margarita was bland, watered down and very little on tequila — if you’re going to make a good house margarita, it’s really not that difficult! Last, the guacamole was simply mashed avocados with little flavoring. There are good places in town that you can learn from — Follow Lola’s and mix table side — let your customer pick the flavors they want in their guacamole. I would love a local Mexican restaurant that I can walk to from my neighborhood, but the combination of bad margaritas, flavorless guacamole and limited menu that is all «dinner plated» with beans and rice — I just don’t see a bright future for the 3 monkeys and their owners running this place.

Went on a Sunday night with our two kids and the grandparents. Pleasantly surprised to hear that the kids eat free on Sunday nights — woo hoo! It was rainy so we ate inside. Our waiter was as nice as could be and very attentive. The choices are pretty basic, but everything was truly delicious and made from scratch. The steak in the fajitas was good meat, not the typical gristle that you find at most Mexican places. The sopapillas and churros were fabulous — again, made from scratch and brought steaming hot to the table. It’s a great neighborhood, family-​friendly spot that we will visit again and often!

The fajitas were great– the steak was so tender and delicious. Our waitress was friendly and the chips came out warm which is always a tasty delight. I recommend checking this place out — you can’t go wrong.

I had dinner here last night with a friend. I live nearby and am happy to have a new mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. The chips and guacamole were great and so were my crispy tacos. I agree with the others comments about the refried beans, yum! the bartenders were nice, I just hope to see it get busier! Next time I will definitely sit on the patio.

Great little spot. Best kept secret. The nachos are probably the best I’ve ever had. (And I love nachos) Crispy tacos were great too. Chips and salsa were warm and fresh and perfect. This place will blow up bc the prices are reasonable and the location is great. This is not a health food spot, so if you wanna be picky about your calories or whatever, don’t eat Mexican food. It’s hearty, filling and just lovely Mexican food, and you will appreciate it if you appreciate food. I lived in echo park in LA for the last four years (think, la Quincinera) before I moved to Denver. I’ve been looking for great mexican food but its really hard to come across. Happy this place opened.

Can I say delicious?! Yes, I can! I am so excited for this restaurant…
Relaxing atmosphere, scrumptious food and a friendly vibe. How can you beat that?! Well, a patio to boot! In the summer time this place is going to be THE PLACE!
We live right in the area and we will be spending a significant amount of time hanging out here in the upcoming weeks and months! OOhhh yeah~ Check out 3 Monkeys Cantina and you will not be disappointed!

3 Monkeys Cantina («3MC») is owned and operated by the same great people who operated Bistro 1.
The establishment is split between a front side restaurant and bar and a back side patio with bar. The interior of the front is the same space as Bistro 1, but completely different looking. The space feels huge, and I can imagine that when this place finally gets busy, it won’t feel cramped and annoying.
3MC is still opening (as of 5÷5÷12), like any new restaurant, and finding its legs. The enchilada plate is really tasty and a great value. 3 different types of meat to choose from and 3 different sauces. The re-​fried beans that came with were way better than you expect re-​fried beans to be. Quite possibly some of the best around. It is pretty hard to think of the last time re-​fried beans were impressive rather than simply being a side dish. 3MC has some pretty fantastic re-​fried beans.
The chips, guac, and salsa are tasty and better than you might expect sitting at a bar and ordering said item. The chips are definitely not greasy and both the guac and salsa taste fresh, with each having distinct individual flavor.
3MC has not finalized a way to link the back patio with the front other than the sidewalk on the street. However, there is no other place with a patio where you can chill and grab a cocktail on this block or in this immediate area.
3MC is a welcome addition to this part of Broadway. Honestly, living in the west platte park neighborhood and having a fun, adult, clean place to casually hang out at is huge.
I am truly hoping that 3MC can continue to get stronger and add to the list of better restaurants in this area. By comparison, I would certainly say that 3MC is way better than a certain long standing Mex cuisine joint named for an azul colored ladies chapeau. There are some crap Mex places in Denver and I would NOT put 3MC among them.
This particular area needs better places where you can walk to, grab a drink, and enjoy a meal. 3MC stands to be one of those places. I hope they succeed.

If you like the taste of salt this is the place for you! They should have left this place closed. The menu couldn’t be any more limited with almost zero selection. I’ve been in basements that have a better look and feel than this room does. No atmosphere what so ever, unless you call a couple of Mexican beer signs slapped on the wall atmosphere? Everything we had to eat was terribly over seasoned with salt. The margaritas are horrible and taste like nothing but margarita mix.