4. Restaurants

The Blue Monkey

2012 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN, 38104
  • (901) 272-2583
  • Store is closed

The Blue Monkey Menu

  • Appetizers
  • Soup And Salad
  • Entrees
  • Sandwiches
  • Poy'boys
  • Trolley Car Crisps
  • Side Items

Healthy Meal suggestions for The Blue Monkey

  • Appetizers
  • Soup And Salad
  • Entrees
  • Sandwiches
  • Poy'boys
  • Trolley Car Crisps
  • Side Items

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  • Yim L.

    I didn't get a chance to eat here because the atmosphere was too smokey. It was smoke free in the sunroom area but didn't sit there in fear of nobody noticing we were there.

    (2)

  • Shaina G.

    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!

    (4)

  • Ted D.

    I really like the blue monkey. It a true memphis original. The food is great when you need a bite to eat and the atmosphere is fun when you need a drink to unwind.

    (4)

  • Scott T.

    Even though they removed crab cakes from the menu, it is still one of my favorite places to go.

    (5)

  • Art G.

    Luv the bar, the food, music, and food.. the highlight to my Friday night after a long week.. the waitresses and bartenders are excellent.. there is diffrent variety of people age race.. located in Mid town which I love.. I recommend a Irish Car Bar, appetezier try the Hot Wing Rolls, I luv the Memphis Blue Burger. ..

    (5)

  • Michael S.

    The Monkey is the go-to music venue in the heart of Midtown now that Neil's has relocated out east. The crowd is diverse and the sound is great. You can shoot a game of pool and enjoy a good meal. The service is great. It is a smoking venue so be prepared for that.

    (4)

  • Rebecca S.

    Cool bar, we went for karaoke on Thursday night.. I tried the portobello mushroom burger with french fries.. it really good. Our waitress was awesome!

    (3)

  • Matt S.

    Not happy with the manager who worked Dec 7th at all. He was being very rude and cursed at some of the people in my party. He was over the top with his comments towards the group. Will never give business to this bar again.

    (1)

  • Jeff P.

    This is my bar. Ardent Studios is two doors down and it's where we go after a long day in the studio. Food is always consistently good, and late night options as well. The best thing in the world is the pot roast grilled cheese sandwich available only on Tuesdays for lunch.

    (4)

  • Mike K.

    Great bartenders and waitresses always friendly patrons great drinks and food 1 of my regular stops try the pot roast on Mondays for lunch oh and the Sunday brunch to die for

    (5)

  • Amanda W.

    This is not a place I would ever choose to go. It was the starting point for a social event I attended, and that will be my one and only visit. For starters, you walk in and are immediately overcome with the amount of cigarette smoke. It seriously was overwhelming and I could barely breathe. We ventured outside to the very small, dirty patio, just so we could get some air. Although we only ordered cocktails, and no food, some in our group did. It appeared that their burgers, fries, and nachos were standard pub fare; nothing special, and extra greasy. To add insult to injury, the service was not very friendly. Adequate wait time, but not a smile in the whole joint! Felt like a dismal sad place for loners to go.

    (1)

  • Andy S.

    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.

    (4)

  • Joelle P.

    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!

    (4)

  • Lindsay B.

    First off I LOVE the blue monkey and have for years which includes their wait staff, music, karaoke, and food (dinner food). I tried their brunch for the first time today and it was a huge let down, even more so for the price. I ordered a Greek omelet but they were out of feta so I changed my order to a breakfast sandwich deal that includes one biscuit cut open with a poached egg on each half and American cheese on top with a side of roasted potatoes. I am a chef myself and been in the food industry for 15 years and here is what I experienced. Clearly none of the food was fresh, no steam coming from the food and everything was barely warm. Biscuit tasted like a frozen one, poached egg was OK but not hot. The American cheese appeared to be slapped on their and barely microwaved which means it was barely melted. What makes this issue worse is they were not busy as ALL. I was starving so I ate it but it was hard to get the last few bites down because of the texture of that cheese. My girlfriend got an omelet that also had no steam, wasn't hot, and the cheese inside was not melted inside either. The french fries and ranch were great as always. I had a glass of o.j. but my girlfriend has a mimosa that came in the oddest presentation over ever seen a mimosa. It was in a soda glass over lots if ice and didn't taste great either. The waitress was very nice as always and offered great service. But the food.... Def not coming here for brunch again, but dinner I shall!!

    (2)

  • Amber C.

    Great pool tables, and usually a decent band, although sometimes there's a cover. Good beer selection, and the bartenders make excellent mixed drinks. Plenty of seating, and lots of wall ledges for standing around. Really nice stage area, and some of the most well kept pool tables in Memphis. The food is good too. The buffalo wing egg rolls are a heart attack waiting to happen, but they're so good, at least you'll die happy.

    (4)

  • Jonathan C.

    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.

    (4)

  • Leigh F.

    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.

    (5)

  • Nick R.

    I checked this out on karaoke night last week! And once again I was really excited by the level of service and the food ! It's a bar it has karaoke and yet I find I've enjoyed my time at this little establishment, all of my friends drink and smoke so they love not having to go outside to smoke. I hope u kids have a good time.

    (3)

  • Ren G.

    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.

    (3)

  • Carol M.

    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.

    (4)

  • Charles P.

    Saturday, 3 PM, stopped by for a late lunch. I sat down, after five minutes the waitress asked me if I wanted a drink as she ran by. I was planning on eating a meal, so I said no but the waitress was off before I could ask for a menu. For the next 25 minutes I sat and waited as she went back-and-forth across the restaurant never coming back to my area. It became so humorous, I almost stayed and waited longer to see if I would ever get a menu, but I was hungry and ended up going to the Mexican restaurant next door. The Mexican restaurant was quite good, I recommend it, I will never go back to this place. What a bummer.

    (1)

  • Philip M.

    As a relative newcomer to Midtown (and loving it), I figured I'd make a rare foray out from Next Door/Beauty Shop/Bari/Local and give this standard a try. Decent bar, decent pool tables, standard selection of draft beers . . . and a lot of smoke. I didn't try the food, but a local brew was cold and inexpensive, and the server was polite. This place might work for an occasional beer and some football, but I think the smoke will keep me away. After years in a state that outlawed smoking in bars, it was quite a surprise to face the clouds.

    (3)

  • Erik Z.

    The Blue Monkey is a nice, relaxing, local bar in Memphis. My friend and I were in Memphis for the weekend, and, being the foodies that we are, wanted to make sure we had dinner at a local food joint. We asked our hotel concierge to tell us a place that had a relaxing atmosphere where we could get a couple beers and just sit back while enjoying our dinner. The Blue Monkey was the perfect place. When you walk in, The Blue Monkey has your traditional down-home bar scene atmosphere. There is plenty of room everywhere - a super long bar and tables throughout the rather large establishment. When we sat down I started out with a draft Guiness which was delicious. The bartender knew what she was doing and gave me just the perfect amount of foam at the top. My friend and I ordered an appetizer of their Monkey Chips which are home made potato chips topped with real Blue Cheese, Red Peppers, and Chives. They were so good and so filling. I could've eaten just the chips for my meal. Then, for dinner, I ordered the only vegetarian item on the menu, a Spinach Florentine Crisper. It was really quite good, but I was disappointed that they did not have more vegetarian options - maybe it's a Tennessee thing? Regardless, my friend and I finished up our meal, enjoyed another beer, and then she ran to the bathroom. When she returned to the table she had a look of disgust on her face. She told me that the bathroom was one of the worst in which she had ever been. Rather than face the bathroom myself, we decided to head back to the hotel. The Blue Monkey was exactly what we wanted and needed after a long day of traveling. It had good beer, good food, and a relaxing atmosphere. I would recommend it to anyone looking to relax in Memphis.

    (3)

  • Kerry C.

    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.

    (4)

  • Kerry H.

    The highlights: cheap beers and the best live bar music in Midtown (and the cheapest cover). The draft selection is pretty terrible with usually one decent choice (recently, it's Fat Tire) and the bottle selection isn't much better. The stage is small, but the bands are good. The cover runs around $3 when there's live music. The food is standard bar food with better-than-expected pizza. Nonsmoker's note: this is just as smoky as most midtown bars in Memphis, meaning that you'll be lucky to spend five minutes here without a cigarette in your face.

    (3)

  • Tanya T.

    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?

    (4)

  • Marlin M.

    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.

    (3)

  • Jolynna M.

    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. :)

    (3)

  • Brittainy S.

    I went here with a couple colleagues while at a work conference. The food was delish: had one of the "crisps"- Santa Fe. Really good. Also the margaritas! Karaoke not great but definitely entertaining :) service was fast and on the spot with refill. A+!

    (5)

  • Fina S.

    A really fabulous "dive"! Dark interior, even when it is sunny outside. A great bar with fabulous bartenders, and if you are lucky enough to meet server Jess, you will have an especially good time. Jess is attentive and makes you feel right at home. The food is good to really great, and you can smoke here!

    (4)

  • David M.

    A great place for an afternoon or an evening. Full service bar & restaurant offering the best Caesar Salad in the city. Another personal favorite is the 'Cuban' pork sandwich. Gets loud on the weekends! (& Tuesdays) Mostly a younger, college age crowd.

    (4)

  • Ken R.

    The Blue Monkey has always been one of my favorite places to both party with friends and to dine. As a restaurant/bar, it serves high quality food that is just below the standards of four and five star restaurants, offering menu items ranging from modest appetizers like its homemade Monkey Chips to sandwiches and entrées such as its hand cut beef filet. Of course, most of the Monkey's regulars go there for the alcohol, and it has a full service bar that more than adequately meets their needs. However, I'm more of a foodie, so whenever I go there, I definitely get my grub on. The Blue Monkey has a lot of menu items that I can easily comment on, but I'll focus on three of my favorites: the Hot Wing Rolls, the Prime Rib and its "little brother," the Prime Rib Poboy sandwich. The Hot Wing Rolls are very unique in that it takes the best qualities of both the egg roll and hot wings, allowing a diner to get the taste of chicken and hot sauce without getting messy fingers. Whoever came up with this concept is a genius, for the Hot Wing Rolls, which come with celery and either Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing for dipping, work great as both an appetizer and a nice, light late night snack. As far as it being a late night snack, it is especially useful for those who are a little tried after being up most of the night, with the hot sauce providing the "jolt" needed reawaken the senses. The Prime Rib entrée and its poboy brother primarily consists of slow roasted prime beef that is cooked to order. In all the times that I had either one, my experience has been of the meat being well tenderized and seasoned with a good amount of fat, which I sometimes indulge in against my doctor's wishes. Accompanied with Tiger (a mixture of horseradish and mayonnaise) and au jus dipping sauces, the Prime Rib is by far The Blue Monkey's best dish. Depending on which version is ordered, the prime rib comes with either one side for the poboy, or a side and a salad for the entrée. When I get the entrée, I usually disregard the salad and get two sides, which are the Twice Baked Potato and creamed spinach. As far as Prime Rib is concerned, The Blue Monkey can hold its own with some of the better steakhouses in Memphis, including Texas de Brazil. Although no one can go wrong in ordering any sandwich or entrée on the Monkey's menu, the Prime Rib definitely stands out as its best item, in my opinion. In summary, The Blue Monkey serves some of finest food that a person can find in a restaurant/bar in Memphis, be it at it's original Midtown location which serves more of a working-class clientele or its Downtown restaurant that caters to the upper-class residents who live near the place. By the way, on Sundays both locations serve brunch, which is also great. In all, The Blue Monkey is fine dining establishment that I highly recommend.

    (4)

  • Sara L.

    This place was pretty cool.. they have billiard tables but they are a pricy $10 an hour to rent. Not too cheap for Memphis! The live music was great and there wasn't a cover which was nice. The atmosphere was like your typical dive bar.. wooden tables, dirty floors the works. The smoke was a bit of a turn off but the quality of music makes it worth it.

    (3)

  • Beer L.

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

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 3:00pm
  • Mon : 11:00 am - 3:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Divey
    Noise Level : Very Loud
    Good For Dancing : No
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Happy Hour : Yes
    Best Nights : Sat, Sun
    Coat Check : No
    Smoking : Yes
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Categories

Pizza

Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.

Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.

Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.

The Blue Monkey

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