Blue Monkey Tavern

Great bar if your into craft beer. They have a huge selection on tap. Although we didn’t eat here the food look and smelled pretty good.

This our second time here. The food is good, the beer selection is good and the staff are very friendly. You can tell the ingredients that go in to the dishes are fresh from the first bite.

Helpful, knowledgable service & delicious food. Lots of locals come here so that’s a great indication. I would say its one of the nicer restaurants in the area. Could use a renovation with more hip décor

Tots and tortellini are still awesome here. The place was packed when I visited a few days ago, and the staff was phenomenal. They were all pleasant, friendly, efficient, and focused amid the large group parties, people waiting, and numerous orders. We waited for a table at the bar.
This might have been the first time I tried one of the 12 Monkey cocktails, and I am a fan of the bourbon one with muddled cherries. We also started off with the ahi appetizer, and oh my gosh that was delicious. The things Blue Monkey does well, it does really well.

Love the Blue Monkey Tavern!!! Stopped in with my wife and sons yesterday after a Sky Zone session and a stop at Whole Foods. We walked up the steps and into the door where we were warmly greeted and told we could sit anywhere. Took our seats and promptly ordered our drinks. Fried pickles were on the Specials Menu so we ordered some while we figured out what else to order. The pickles arrived shortly and I was leased to see that they use pickle spears for theirs. I LOVE that. We are off to a very good start. We order the Cheese Burger with caramelized onions and fries, the Honey Hot Wings, and the Pulled Pork Sandwich with tater tots and a side of Onion Rings. My son requested that the burger be cooked medium and it was perfect. It’s a nice thick patty that hasn’t been overly handled and is served well charred on the outside and nice and pink and juicy inside. The brioche bun works nicely with the beef and makes for a very nice burger indeed. The wings were excellent. Nice and plum and properly cooked, Not even a wee bit rubbery or underdone. The sauce was sweet and spicy and stood well on its own without being dipped in anything. The pulled pork was very good. Piled high and moist with a distinct vinegar base playing off of the fatty (in a good way) pork. I topped it with the side of coleslaw and went to work. Not the best I have ever had but a solid rendition that didn’t disappoint. We were pretty full after dinner but decided to give the Pot de Crème a try and ordered one for the table. Nice and smooth with a solid chocolate flavor and topped with fresh whipped cream. We really enjoyed it but I feel that it is served a tad too cold. I mean, it’s obviously supposed to be cold but it would be better if it were not quite as cold. The sides and top are noticeably stiffer than the interior and it gives the dish a bit of an odd feel in the mouth. Not a big complaint but worth noting. I would still order it again though. Great flavor. The service was cordial, attentive and friendly but not at all polished. Just right for this kind of place. Lots of beer selections on tap. I’d like to go back and watch a game or two on a weekend afternoon. Great place!

I am extremely torn as I sit down to write this review. On one hand, it was fantastic and many parts of the experience were worth 5 stars. On the other hand, there were a few unacceptable details that I would give zero to if possible. Let me explain:
I had my eye on this place for a while after being less than thrilled with the beer selection at the Craft House & Beer Garden in Cherry Hill (food was awesome but the name is a pack of lies). Anyway, we sat at the bar for dinner around 8:00 on a weekday. It wasn’t too busy, decent crowd for football but still plenty of seats. The very nice bartender greeted us right away and got us drinks and menus. She catered to our every whim and was super nice about it. She knew her beers and made solid food recommendations as well. Everything was going swimmingly until her boss showed up behind the bar.
I don’t know exactly what his role is here, whether he is the owner or a manager or just there to make it more difficult for the bartender to do her job or the patrons to enjoy their visit, but he was just the worst. Our mouths hung open as we watched him walk around to people sitting at the bar, gruffly asking them whether or not she was tending to them. He didn’t smile once at anyone. This was NOT in a nice professional «I’m the boss so I’m taking ownership of my job and making sure everything runs smoothly» kind of way. It was far more like «I’m micromanaging this poor girl, trying to catch her doing something wrong and prove that she is bad at her job.» Uuuuuunnnnncomfortable.
We noticed several other patrons looking equally confused and taken aback by his attitude. A few, including myself, actually appeared astonished that he was behaving in such away and went out of their way to say something along the lines of YES FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHE IS DOING GREAT AND WE ARE FINE PLEASE DON’T TAKE HER OUT BACK TO WHIP HER WITH YOUR BELT. If, god forbid, he got to someone who actually did need something, he barked at her in an unnecessarily nasty way as if she had purposefully neglected them (she was seriously on top of her game, this was so unfair). She was notably more relaxed and able to simply do her job when he was gone, and while he was there it was as if she were scared and looking over her shoulder afraid to breathe wrong. But, wait for the kicker…
This is obviously a craft beer bar and they truly have rare and unusual selections. Like I said, this is why we went to the place. But let me sincerely ask, what good is a craft bar with several rare beers on tap if you DON’T LET YOUR PATRONS SAMPLE THE BEERS?!? What the f%#k is this?! Are you not aware of how this works or are you honestly just that cheap? The lovely bartender permitted us one when we walked in, but once the bad man showed up after we had finished our first round and it was time to sample another, it was a different story. We asked to try a different one, and she nervously looked around to see if he was watching. When she saw she was in the clear, she quickly poured a small taste and whispered «please don’t tell him» when she handed it over. I give her props for knowing good business and being willing to put herself at risk for the sake of making the customer happy (and I sincerely hope that this honest review doesn’t result in some sort of trouble for her), but seeing a hardworking employee in a scenario like this just sucked. We ordered another two different beers without sampling first just because we felt so bad for her and didn’t want to see her get bitched out again. Thankfully, they were excellent.
Like I said, overall I am torn. The food was fantastic, the beer selection was truly on point and the service was great (clearly I am speaking only about the bartender), but I am genuinely against patronizing any place that could possibly benefit that man. The entire experience with him was unbelievable (like I think we asked each other if it was really happening) and appalling, and I have never seen anything like it. If I found out that he was gone I swear I would go there every single day and bring all my craft beer loving friends to throw their money at the place, but knowing that it is owned or at least partially run by a dude like that just makes it awful. Sad to say, I’m not sure I would return unless I hear he has been relieved of his post as Chief Nazi.
Quick edit: After skimming other reviews I see that many people have had a similar experience with him. Everything from him staring customer & employees down, killing the vibe, calling you out on not tipping enough (I wouldn’t tip as low as the 15% mentioned but it certainly doesn’t deserve being called out), and again being awful to the staff are all mentioned. God I hope he actually takes a hint, this place could be an absolute gem.

At this point, this is possibly my favorite bar in the area. They typically have a great selection of beer here, quite a bit of variety (40 beers on tap). While the kegs to go fast, they are quick to change them and get another interesting beer in it’s place. Plenty of times they will feature an interesting brewery (often having more than 6 beers from that brewery). This is a great place to try something new or rare. They also tend to care a few stronger brews at any time, which is great, just make sure you read what you are ordering (plenty of these beers are so well made, you don’t realize that you are drinking something that is 10% alcohol by volume).
The Florentine soup is absolutely amazing. People often overlook soup, and overlooking this soup would absolutely be a loss. I could eat this soup every day. The tortellini soup is also very good, but since discovering the Florentine, I’ve had a hard time going back.
The warm spinach salad is also a favorite of mine. It is served with chicken, mushrooms, and egg. The spinach is just warm, not overly cooked. The dressing works well for the salad. All of the food that I have had was good, but lately the soup and salad keeps me coming back for more.
I just tried some of the pulled pork from the pulled pork nachos. I think I’m going to have to order that the next time that I am over there.
I think that Blue Monkey is similar in theory to Irish Mile, another bar with loads and loads of beer on tap. I think that Blue Monkey is able to execute the idea far better though. The down side for Blue Monkey is that they close earlier, that it is a restaurant first and a bar second. It is still a quieter bar, but not a bad place for a drink or dinner. The bartenders and always friendly, and good for a chat typically.

Blue Monkey has become one of my favorite places to go when I don’t feel like crossing the bridge. Too often I find that South Jersey bars/​pubs try to cater to every crowd and by doing so miss the mark with all of them. Blue Monkey doesn’t really seem to try to be anything other than a great tavern. They have an extensive beer list that is constantly changing and I can always find either something new or an old favorite on there. Comparable locally to Irish Mile and Pour House in draft variety, Blue Monkey lacks the lite beer drinking, party crowd which in my opinion makes them infinitely better. The downside is that Blue Monkey is only open until 11 PM, so if you’re looking to hang out late into the night you’ll have to go elsewhere.
Their food menu is solid, and while not doing anything too unusual for the area, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve eaten there. I particularly like their Florentine soup with one of their salads. I’ve also enjoyed the Shrimp Fra Diavolo entrée. I’ve gone for brunch and while my omelet was a little on the plain side, it had a generous helping of both shrimp and avocado which I liked. Their portions are on the larger side and they seem to put thought into their dishes instead of trying to get away with the bare minimum. The servers/​bartenders are always pleasant and helpful in selecting a drink and/​or a meal.
I definitely recommend Blue Monkey for someone looking for a nice, comfortable place to drink good beer and eat good food.

Heard great things about this place so decided to stop by for lunch while in the area.
The menu choices were varied and the food portions were of a decent size. I went for the build your own burger option and thought it was excellent.
There is an extensive drinks menu too. I chose a pumpkin cider which was quality.
The place was empty and it had only just opened so the servers were still preparing for the day. Our server was really polite and helpful.
Would recommend.

Good beer list ! Wonderful mussels! Great food ! Nice little find and Hal the bartender personable very friendly ! Is a good find !

Blue Monkey is so so good. Came here randomly on a Saturday for an early dinner. The space is a little awkward but service was great. They had a good beer list for the area and a lot of beer specials. I had a Lagunitas IPA.
We started with the mussels in a bacon and blue cheese sauce it was really delicious and rich. For my meal I had the crab cakes, which were big, and full of crab. My girlfriend had the Blue Monkey burger, it had blue cheese and Portobello mushroom topping, this was great and cooked medium.
I would go back here in a second. I like it better than the Pourhouse the food is better.

Found this place via Unilocal n knew absolutely nothin about it. My friend and I walked in and it was empty but very comfortable. The service is phenomenal, they are very attentive, and the suggestions for lunch was on point. We ordered mussels and salmon for appetizers and super yum! And the bread they give u, another yum! We ordered their sirloin burgers… mouthgasm to say the lease, u must try them with those delicious caramelized onions mmm this place will definitely see me again!

Great beer selection with a lot of breweries you don’t normally see around here, like Maine.
Food is decent. Not the best ever but not something to complain about. Will be back to try more beer for sure!

Didn’t know what to expect coming here but what I got was a nice surprise. The place was like a hometown tavern people of all ages coming together to eat drink and have a good time. Most importantly though was the food which was really damn good. I had a burger which one I actually don’t remwber but when I said rare they really listened to me which is a rarity when ordering a burger like this. The rest of my table order a variety of meals and each one like their food more then the last so I cant think of a single complaint regarding the food. Service was a bit slow but it was moderately crowded that night so because of that I can excuse the service at least a little bit. All and all good experwive and I think you should come check this place out.

I give the Blue Monkey a big «Meh!»
We were seated in a booth practically in a hallway near the entrance. I don’t really understand those tables. I called it the «purgatory section». Not in the entrance but not quite inside the bar either. Weird.
I had to walk to the bar to ask about wines (our server wasn’t sure what they had) and the food was mediocre. We ordered THREE appetizers to give a fair assessment, and the only one noteworthy were the nachos. They were soggy by the time they were delivered. We barely touched them. Upon noticing the full plate, our server asked about them. After voicing our dissatisfaction, she seemed apologetic yet didn’t offer anything in return.
I’d give it another try, but I’m not optimistic.
So… MEH!

I’ve been wanting to try this spot in merchantville for a while
They have a huge beer selection. The interior is deceiving since the bar is in an old train station it looks way too modern inside but that’s ok
Salad was very good
Mozzarella sticks good but the fryer oil needed to be changed so they were less than optimal
My wife had the flatiron steak which she said was done right and to her order
My crab cake sandwich was very tasty I substituted onion rings for fries and again they could have been better fried in fresher oil
Ricotta cheesecake was tasty and a large portion good for sharing
I should mention the wine selection was also pretty good
I would give this place another try overall it was a positive experience

Depends what you get. Something’s are spot on and great, others are lacking. Beer selection is great, for sure. Constantly rotating extensive and eclectic beer menu — only problem is they’ll have a special seasonal keg you fall in love with, only to find it empty next visit, never to be tasted again. First world problems. Don’t do expensive meats like filets or duck and def don’t do seafood. Multiple times I’ve tried to order different fish items or mussels and every time you can tell they have passed their freshness date. That said, salads are good and extra large, bbq pork is banging, weekend brunch is fabulous (everyone swears by the French toast), and a couple other things on the menu (burgers, fries, soups) are very reliable. Just gotta choose carefully.

Visited my boyfriend for the weekend and went with all of his friends to Blue Monkey. They have a really extensive beer list, so the guys all love it. They were raving about the food, but I found it to be just okay. I had the french onion soup, which was good, and hit the spot because of the 9 degree weather. The fried pickles, which they were advertising were not the best. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their paninis, burgers, etc. Seemed like a nice, family atmosphere for a Sunday night. The servers seemed cool with our ever-​expanding group– started with 3, and ended up being 11 throughout the night. I know that can get annoying, but they were pretty cool about it, except that they refused to split the check by table, but we probably should have expected that going in.

Food was delicious. Wings were nicely sized and the sauce was good. I had the clam chowder and the chicken bella Bucca, both of which I enjoyed a lot. My fiancé got a burger and he liked it as well. For dessert we got the custard pudding dish. It was amazing! The beer list is fabulous. Service was friendly and attentive.

One of our favorite places to grab a bite to eat with friends or family. Ambiance is casual but upscale. Good never disappoints and they have a great beer selection.
You can go for brunch (I have not) but I typically go for lunch or dinner. They have entrees, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, etc. I’ve had delicious steak with fresh veggies all cooked well and appropriately seasoned, pasta is great as well (comes with house salad and delicious home made balsamic dressing). Honestly my favorite thing to get is their burgers. Nice soft bun, and instead of fries you could get tots with various dipping sauces! Don’t skip out on dessert! The pot de crème is heaven in your mouth if you’re a chocolate lover!