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- Nearest Transit:
-
14th St-8th Ave (A, C, E, L)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Wed, Thu, Fri
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- Yes
106 reviews for Brass Monkey
Review Highlights
It's usually pretty easy to track down party locations for our company. A place that allows bar tabs and won't mind a few boxes of mozzarella sticks carted in.
This time, the search was a little different. We were going to have our party catered with actual food. Actual ... outside-the-city-flown-in-for-this-event food. AND we wanted a separate bar area just for our party. AND we needed a place with a TV and cable. AND we needed a place that would let us bring in all of this food, help us keep it warm. AND we didn't want to pay a stiff room fee. Yikes x 20!
That's where Brass Monkey comes in, complete with their awesome and helpful staff, led by our event contact Heather. We had our party put together on their second floor. They were cool with our catering craziness. Bar tab. TV access. Roof access later in the night.
I can't thank Brass Monkey enough for being so amazing. It was a great night, and they made it happen!
Things I remember of brass monkey:
There was wood, and lots of it, beams and finishes and bits on the bar. Maybe. There were definitely ghosts and bats and very cool hallowe'en paraphenalia.
The men's toilets reeked. Seriously guys - gross.
There were some really het up girls who'd reserved a table for 9pm - it now being midnight, you crazy fools - and therefore kept pushing our drinks off it. Really, if your friends haven't shown up for your party 3 hours late, you can assume they won't. Or make new ones! That's what bars are for (erm, probably)! Don't make enemies!
I and all my friends took turns donning a fake beard. (As enemies go, we were fairly harmless.) The reason - Brass Monkey's strong drinks, methinks.
The man behind the bar wouldn't take my debit card. Whether this means they don't take debit cards, I'm unsure, as he said no, but had a glint in his eye.
The bouncer let us in. This was most surprising, as you could barely breathe in there. It was very very crowded - Saturday night at midnight though, so to be expected. It was also surprising as my friends managed to get lost while standing in front of Brass Monkey and asking where Brass Monkey was. (Not me, I was already making tracks to get the beard). Understanding doorpeople - extra star.
All in all, a good night was had. I did very much like the interior and would, if in NY again, revisit for a somewhat quieter drink with friends.
Good place to have fun with your friends...
The crowd makes you feel like you're in a bad episode of "Gossip Girl", but then again, look who goes there, and compare!
The drinks are nice, and it creates an easy access to eye candy...if I were 21 again...Nah, I like being 30...Thanks! :-)
I love brass monkey. The bartenders are among the friendliest in the city, and if you come in on any kind of regular basis they really take care of you.
Three floors!!!///11!!
One of them is a roofdeck!!!//!!!1!!
Football or soccer matches on a giant projector!!//!!1!!
On sundays they have a live irish band!
another sunday tradition is the reason i only give four stars. the sunday tradition of letting a bunch of kids run rampant around the restaurant. I mean, it's great if you have a family and have always wanted both a daycare and a bar in the same place, but geeeeeeeeeeez.
otherwise...love.
I kinda love Brass Monkey. Good music (lots of hits and classics), big space with plenty of room, relatively clean bathrooms, decent service, really couldn't ask for anything more.
Coming from Chicago, land of the mega-bar, Brass Monkey is kind of like going home. I usually end up at more low-key bars, but if I was forced to go out in Meatpacking, Brass Monkey would be the place.
I'll be brief here since there are SO many bars in this city.
Brass Monkey:
My cool friend who has been on hiatus in Miami for a couple years met me here and said, what the hell has happened to New York? We were surrounded by suits and ties, not to mention seething prides of cougars prowling the room.
Yes, ladies, its a shame that there's some immediate attraction to a guy in a tie and slacks, but there are plenty of those here. However, my good girlfriend who shares that attraction said that there wasn't a single guy in the room who she'd want to talk to.
Price? An overpriced pint of Stella for $6. Between my group of friends we had probably 8 rounds plus food and not a single buy-back. After last night my wallet is in a recession.
The only thing that I actually thought was good about the place was the music. Upbeat, somewhat dancy, balanced deftly between the familiar and the obscure. It really helped the place out.
In summary, the west village has fallen to the suits. Don't believe me? Cruise by the neighboring BierGarden.
I'd rather have cigarettes and leather any day of the week. Now if only you ladies would share the sentiment...
Pretty cool place last night on Halloween. Of course, this young soul stuck in a not so young body always manages to have fun. Late night, young people with high levels of hormones, dressed in costumes, Saturday night, good music, decent drinks= Happy Halloween.
I've been to the Brass Monkey a few times before, but there isn't much to write about.
The best part about this place is the rooftop bar, but the worst part is that it's so darn crowded. Every time i go-- I feel like i'm standing "in traffic" while i'm just trying to walk through this place.
Details about this place: there are 3 floors, drinks are expensive, but there are alot of pretty people here which makes sense since it IS the meat-packing district. It's loud and crowded. The music is old-school, but not terrible.
Avoid this place when it's raining out because we could NOT get a cab at all in this area. Plus when it rains, the bar is even MORE crowded since very few people hang out in the rooftop area.
I've been here twice now (had to meet up with friends there)---a Thursday night and a Monday night. What can I say, it's the Meatpacking district. If you have the proper uniform (men: button-down shirt tucked into dark slacks, women: slinky dress), and if you enjoy $6 for a Coors light, then you'll love it here.
The crowd is 20s/30s, and it's full of high-earning guys and the women who love them. But, there's some nice A/C going on, which is important, seeing as how there are a trillion people there.
To sum up, you'll love Brass Monkey if (A) you're a guy looking to land a girl who loves money, or (B) you're a girl looking to land a guy who's looking to land a girl who loves money.
A-OK is a very accurate summary of this place.
I like this 3-floor bar. If you decide there is no one worth talking to on the floor you're on, there are always 2 more.
Brass Monkey is one of the lower maintenance scenes in meatpacking. You can stroll right in and grab a beer with little effort unless you show up at 11pm on the weekend when there can be a line. The beer selection is solid and the bartenders are solid, especially towards the back of the bar on the first floor. The new roof deck is small and now blocked by the new standard hotel. I'll usually swing by if Im in the neighborhood and can be fun with a group of people. Its a little too far west to be a regular spot for me. The crowd is hit or miss so I usually just go there when I know friends will be there, but its had its moments.
Whenever I go to a place that I absolutely cannot stand, I take heart in the fact that I can then go home and write a cathartic Yelp review.
Thank you Yelp.
I am not sure where to begin. The best way to describe this place is that it was packed. So packed I could barely get around. Packed with douche bags. (Yes, the people I was there with get a pass) I hate the phrase "bridge and tunnel" but it did come to mind. To be fair, it was not my scene. If your scene is packed to the gills with 20 and 30 somethings that work in finance or want to look like they work in finance, a lot of women with too much make-up, a sprinkling of tourists and at least 20 possible Patrick Batemans, you're set. Oh and the drinks were kind of pricey.
High point of the night: the 2nd floor women's' bathroom: not a bad line, except both times I went in I had trouble washing my hands because of women re-caking their faces with bronzer etc. I also had trouble with my basic rage listening
I am now finally sober enough to write about my July 4th weekend exploits.
It all started with brass monkey. The rooftop here is beautiful. Not too big, not too small. I chose to drink while the rest of New York was in transit to somewhere ELSE, and for making a choice as sad as that, I had to get wasted. I had no other option.
As our drunken banter got louder, so did the music, and the place turned very lively. I had a fantastic time.
Special mention for the bartender downstairs who was a complete bitch. She was so much of a bitch that she has forever stolen the term for a female dog. Here's a small example:
Me: Can I close out my tab please?
Bitch: What's the name?
Me: G-A-N-D (I start to spell my last name because it was loud)
Bitch: JUST SAY IT (like a real snap!)
Me: Wow, okay. Gandhi
Bitch: I can't find your tab (sternly, as if it was my fault)
Me: SO you want me to spell it?
Bitch: Just the first three letters
Me: G-A-N
Bitch: Okay, there's a $40 minimum. You can't just order a couple of drinks and leave.
Me: Shouldn't you tell me that when I'm opening the tab? (gives dirty look) and orders two more drinks.
She did this to everyone. Even the people in the group standing beside us were complaining.
I hate it when bartenders think they can wear backless and almost frontless tops and assume they'll get a fat tip regardless of how they act. I wasn't that drunk yet, biatch. Do your JOB.
We spent $200 amongst us. Guess how much she made in tips on that tab? ZERO. Who's snapping now?
I can't help it, I still have a thing for the banker boys sometimes... something about the button-down shirt, slacks, and good shoes tickles my stomach, especially after a few beers. Plus, they smell better than the dirty hipster boys. Which is why when I'm in these moods, I come to places like Brass Monkey.
I met some friends here for drinks on a weekday, and the crowd is significantly less douchy. The last time I was here, it was a weekend and one of the worst experiences I've had in a bar. Still, the space is compelling enough that I withdrew judgment until I made it back when the B&T aren't rampantly running around the Meatpacking.
The beers are fine, the food was good enough, and the rooftop patio is nice when the weather is good. The first and second levels are great cozy spots for when the weather starts to chill. If you're in the area, it's a good place to stop by to get away from the Meatpacking Market frenzy and get a little more pub atmosphere. However, it's not exactly a destination place.
When you don't feel like fancying it up too much in the Meatpacking District, this is a nice bar to hit up. You'll still see a lot of ties and slacks, but seemingly not as pretentious dress shirts than other bars in the area. It's pretty big with it's 3 floors, the rooftop being my favorite on warmer nights - it lends to a nice view. They have reasonably priced (Manhattan) beers on tap, pretty straightforward wood & brass bar - not much monkeying around here.
I recently organized a large party for about 180 people at Brass Monkey, and the rooftop was the perfect size and place to have people wander up and down from the upper bar. There were a few harmless party crashers, but everyone had a good time. Drinks were still on the steep side despite negotiating drink specials for our group. Service was super friendly and the cute bartender was attentive. The events manager of Brass Monkey was easy to work with throughout the whole party planning process.
Brass Monkey is actually quite large with different nooks and crannies and spaces to gather about with friends. However, if my party wasn't there, I doubt the regular demographics of Brass Monkey would be diverse. Although it's not a bastion of [pretentious] upscale sophistication, Brass Monkey is able to hold its own amongst the other venues in the Meatpacking District. I had no complaints from anyone about Brass Monkey and would not hesitate to hold another party/event here.
This was my first trip to Brass Monkey during the day and it was worlds away from the nighttime scene. We got lunch on the roof: chicken wings, crab cakes and a few Six Point Sweet Action pints. Magnificent. The menu is pretty flimsy but everything on it is good if you're in the mood.
The view over the river was fabulous.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2009
This was definitely an impulse stop after our destination club was found to be closed. And there… Read more »
I liked this bar a lot, but you have to go there expecting what it is. I don't know what it's like on a weeknight, but I went on a Friday night, and the place was absolutely packed. I'm talking so packed that you can't make hand gestures because you'll hit someone. (Someone hit me while making a hand gesture.) The crowd seemed to be primarily late 20s / early 30s, with a good male / female ratio, until around 2:00 when some combination of factors caused virtually all of the women to disappear, while more and more men piled in.
They have three levels. The top level is the rooftop, which is the most crowded. Also, it looks like it should have a bar up there, but it doesn't. The temperature is a lot cooler out there than inside, though; and you can look to the west and know that Jersey is there, and feel bad for all of those people. The lack of a bar on the top floor is the only thing that cost this place the fifth star. On the other levels, the bartenders do an amazing job in light of how many people there are to serve.
This is an average bar. Nothing really special about it.
The "rooftop" bar is more like an outdoor patio. It's only 3 stories, and I wouldn't call a parking lot and NJ much of a view.
The bartender made my rum and coke really strong. I could hardly taste the coke. I guess that could be a good thing for some people, but it was awful going down.
My group got there around 10pm on a Friday night and had no problem getting in. A few of us left around 12am and there was a long line outside. Really? I wouldn't come here if I had to wait in line. It's not that great.
AVOID THIS PLACE ON WEEKENDS. It'll make you do/say regretful things, as proven by my friend Melanie* (not real name, I ain't no rat!) with the following quote: "It's kinda B&T here.. but the guys are kinda cute."
Seriously? "THERE ARE NO CUTE B&T GUYS, MELANIE!"* (this statement is false but I was a snobby bitch that night). Anyway, weekends = B&T galore. Dude, we weren't even supposed to go to Brass Monkey because of some love story involving Melanie and one of the bartenders.. okay, I'm not going to get into it but trust me, regardless of Melanie's situation w/ the bartender, we really should not have moseyed on into Brass Monkey.
So onto the pros - there are 3 stories in this joint so if you're like Melanie, you have 2 other floors in which you can run and hide. The third floor is the rooftop but con - there is no view. All you see is some parking lot. Definitely a let-down. But pro - there is a full bar on EACH floor! AND drinks are reasonably priced. I'd like to check out BM on a weeknight and see if it's any better.
We arrived at about 8:30pm on a Saturday night after a fun afternoon with some new people I met at "Trance Carnivale". Our girl Fie had the hookup so she was friendly with one of the waitresses as well as the bartenders - helps being with a hot chick. Since we came from the pier, two of us guys were in shorts - usually a fashion no-no but I suppose we got there early and was originally sitting outside before being moved in. All the tables/ booths were reserved so we had to stand unfortunately, but again because of the hook up the waitress was kind enough to ninja some chairs for us. As the night progressed, the music got really great and the place was getting super packed - thus the reason for bringing the tables outside was to accomodate the line out front.
Beers $7, and the Fish and Chips platter $14 which was very yummy. The $9 nachos w/ salsa and guacamole was unimpressive. Great time overall but come with someone who's a regular to get better treatment. Sucks I know.
I feel like there's so much I should say about this bar, but the honest truth is I was blackout drunk.
I do remember that it was easy to get a drink... at the end of the night. I waited in line at this place for like 30 minutes with my friend, and once we got in, the place was packed to the gills. It was hard to maneuver, the bouncers were dicks - as is the norm at any "hot" bar.
That said, I had a really good time, but only because I was there with a ton of friends. I don't think I'll be back here anytime soon, or ever.
Friend to girl: Are you from New Jersey?
Girl to friend: Fuck you!
Friend to girl: There is nothing wrong with being B&T . . .
Girl to friend: I'm from Staten Island.
Friend to us: That requires a bridge entry, right?
This sums up my Brass Monkey experience. Had I not agreed to meet people here, I would not have stepped foot in this place.
- It's dark, loud, crowded, and dirty. And, when you realize you NEED to get out of here, there are no other bars in the vicinity.
+ Rooftop deck
All in all, I'd steer clear. It is nice for the rooftop though.
Long bathroom lines. Long wait for drinks. Long Island.
*disclaimer: the only reason I was here was because I was meeting a friend in from Hong Kong, and his finance buddies like(?) this place as a MPD clubbing pregame bar.
I don't know what it is about this place that attracts SO MUCH B&T... they must send their street teams on the LIRR/PATH armed with stacks of flyers for their 'hot manhattan meatpacking bar'. But even if the place was sans spikey haired stripe shirts, it's still just a lame bar with bad music located on a corner that smells of exhaust and urine, far enough away from anything good that there's no reason to be there.
Brass Monkey is one of those fallback bars for the nights when you don't want to put forth too much effort so you just go with the old standby.
It's fun, but crowded. Not super cheap, but not crazy expensive. The rooftop bar is nice, but always packed. The crowd is a little fratty, but generally it's fine. You expect all of the above, so don't complain because you know what you're getting into.
But there is one overarching reason my girlfriends and I wind up here: tall men. Seriously. Manhattan is overrun with guys under 5'7 (you know it's true), but it's almost like there's a "you must be this tall to drink" measuring stick at the door because this place is consistently packed with tall guys. It doesn't even matter if you talk to any of them or if they're all that cute, just knowing normal-sized men exist in this city is enough.
This place is great. My friends and I went to see the Hudson River Outside Movie (every Wednesday in the summer at pier 54), and got there too late. disappointed, we turned towards manhattan and saw this red awning bar across the highway that is 10th Ave. We hightailed it over there and were confronted with 3 stories of a dark wooded bar, WITH A PATIO THAT OVERLOOKED THE MOVIE.. and the sunset on the water... if you're into that:)
drinks were pricey (9$ for a gin and tonic), but strong.
the music was good, crowed was mid to late 20's business
did not get food, but it looked REALLY good (as good as bar food can look)
Also, BEWARE the dog park that overlooks the bar... NEVER mess with a west village dog owner, they can be BRUTAL
The douchebags of meatpacking are packing it in here these days. I only love it as I used to before 7pm. Still a great place for earlier parts of the day/eve!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/27/2008
In a neighborhood of overwhelmingly bougie bars and clubs that make IKEA look small and intimate,… Read more »
I don't have much good to say about this place...but for some reason, I always have a good time here. Yes, it's packed...and it can take you up to 10-15 minutes to fight your way to the front/back of the bar on a busy night.
Maybe I always have a few before getting to Brass Monkey...maybe that's why it always seems like such effortless, laid back fun. The music is good...and the boys are cute. I was with a group of girls the last time I hit up Brass Monkey and they kept remarking "Wow, there are so many cute boys here!". Is the crowd B&T? Yes - but probably the best of the B&T crowd...
I went here on a Thursday after work, and was all set to give this place 3 stars. On a weeknight, it's a giant bar with plenty of room to hang out with whomever you're with. You'll even meet strangers who are just chillaxin like yourself after a day at the office. There are about a bajillion and a half dudes here, so women will likely love this place for happy hour. They'd likely say 'happy hour, indeeeeed'. It would've gotten 3 stars then because of the $6 bud lights. Actually, $6 is the cheapest beer you'll find here. They have a TON of beer options. Why can't bud light be $4? I can't tip very well if 3 bud lights cost $18. Another reason for the 3 stars on a Thursday was because the chicken fingers had a hint of fishy smell, and they were so over fried, we couldn't tell whether they were chicken or fish. That's no bueno.
Saturday nights at the Brass Monkey get 1 star. They really pack the meat in here. We had a birthday party reservation, so we were able to take over 3 tables by the windows. That was excellent, because otherwise we would've been smushed with lots and lots of people crowding around the bar. The music was typical of today's rap/80's..but they use a playlist, because the same songs started in sequence roughly 4 hours later. I only know this because Bon Jovi's 'Living On A Prayer' creates a unique wave over every crowd where the whole place raises their fist and screams 'wHOOOOAAAA WE'RE HALFWAY THEEEERREEEE!!!!'..and we were halfway there twice over a saturday night. I think if someone reserves a few tables for a birthday, it can be a decent time.
The outdoor patio is decent, but it overlooks a dogpark, so you might catch toto popping a squat.
I can't get over $6 bud lights. So, 3 on a thursday, 1 on a saturday, split the difference overall. :)
Decent happy hour.
Not sure about the weekends.
Overall, not a bad place but not great enough to lure me out of midtown/downtown, under the bridge, through the creepy lineup of cargo trucks to a little bar tucked in the corner of desolate & desolate.
Removed off the main meatpacking drag & spaced apart by an out of place cargo loading area, Def NOT a place for a girl to find herself alone or stumbling around drunk near.
Sticky Monkey more like. Everything is sticky in there. The drinks are fine, but the lady bartenders are bitches and are like 12 years old. I dunno. It's just a bar, and I would never wait in line to get in here. I can't believe this is a "destination" with a line snaking down the street on weekends. Seriously, people. I lament for the old NY.
Surprisingly I had a good time when I came here. I attribute this mostly to the fact that our group took up a 1/3 of the rooftop so we were well protected from the douchebags.
I came here on a Friday and by the time it hit 11:30 all of the floors were packed solid and it was impossible to walk around. Dance music is played inside and drunkies def take advantage of this and proceed to belligerently dance in the walk ways. Pretty hysterical but could be annoying if you're right next to them.
Drinks are about $10 so pretty standard for the meatpacking and are very strong so no complaints here.
I'd strongly recommend coming early on the weekend and grabbing a table on the roof (on a nice night). Don't worry about running inside to the bar...there's a waitress that walks around taking drink orders. She charges as much as the bar so it's not going to cost you extra :)
Good spot for drinks. Good looking, diverse crowd. Lots of beers to choose from. Drinks are served in proper glasses vs. plastic cups. Three floors, Rooftop deck. Nice tunes...
If you need some background music while reading this yelp click here: http://www.youtube.com...
I stopped into Brass Monkey over the summer and really enjoyed myself. This relatively new bar (about 3 or 4 years old) offers such great pub grub like shepherd's pie, ribs and bangers and mash.
Plus they have over 90 different beers to choose from! Plus the bartender I had that night took pouring my Guinness very seriously. Kudos bartender...kudos indeed!
Some of the special beers that they stock include Magic Hat #9 and Chimay. It gets packed after 11pm here on Saturday nights, so be prepared to be squished into this small bar.
Been here twice - both times on a Fri. night. Not my favorite place, but not terrible, either. Crowd is late 20s/30s and after 10 minutes in there I noticed, 'hey, all these people kind of look alike.' But I guess that's not a terrible thing, since the crowd wasn't hideous.
Rooftop gets extremely packed to the point of not being able to move without a)being burned by someone's cigarette, b) spilling someone's drink all over them, or c)getting your drink spilled all over you. Good thing is that the place starts to clear out by 1:30-2am when you can find yourself a seat and enjoy the view from the roof. I'd probably go back and would like to see if Sat. is any different (my gut says no, but we'll see...)
I am not a fan of meatpacking. At all. Ever. I cannot handle the people and the need to try to be cool-ness that the whole neighborhood has. It's good people watching but simply not worth it. With that being said, I don't understand why there's a dive-ish bar in a neighborhood known for clubs and scene-yness. Close to the highway with not much else around it, lies Brass Monkey. Line outside to get into a nothing bar? Really? I just don't get it. Two floors (apparently there's a rooftop bar? never seen/been there). It's jam packed. You are slammed up against the person standing on every side of you. The music is your typical top 40 music. It's sweaty and gross. There is one bathroom on the 2nd floor with only two stalls which makes for a long line. I just don't like this place, and don't plan on ever going back.
Since moving to Manhattan I've noticed that every weekend provides a new excuse to be social and drink myself stupid. Brass Monkey was the setting for my roommate's co-worker's birthday party (or maybe it was her half-year birthday party or her Chihuahua's birthday or any host of seemingly meaningless event's in this woman's life). Causes for celebration take many different forms: birthday parties, comings, goings, friends visiting, new job, career change; these are all just a simple way of saying it's the weekend and I want to get all hopped-up on booze and make some bad decisions (while spending more money than I had ever anticipated). I don't need to be asked twice, of course I'm willing to get inebriated in the name of some person I've never met before, let alone heard of.
Brass Monkey is unimpressive, but it's large and has multiple levels. If you pointed a gun to my head I wouldn't be able to tell you the theme of this bar. However, there are monkeys chugging beers on the mirrors that hang over the bar. Six clams for a draft or bottled beer. That's not too bad. So we spent $15 on the cab to find BM in the meatpacking district, approximately $40 spent in my own beers & tips, $2 subway ride from Union Square (after one long walk & pizza) at 4am back to the bat cave.
BM is one of those places that you go to with a group of friends and bring the mothaf*ckin'rawkus. It probably won't be a destination of mine again anytime soon, but I'm pretty sure somebody who I have no association with is having some sort of birthday party this weekend...so you never know.
I like the look of the place. The music here does not match the look but I like the mix. The drinks where a bit expensive for me but it was a good time.
It usually takes a lot to make my friends venture over to the West Side Highway from the East Village to go out, but the Brass Monkey was totally worth the trip. The bar has multiple floors so it wasn't overcrowded and my friends and I didn't have to wait long for our drinks. Of course, what always makes my night is a great music selection and I completely approved of the current hits that were playing. I definitely need to go back and check out their rooftop.



