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Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Brass Monkey is fun if you can snag a table and actually get there before the karaoke list gets too full...
both factors being determined by how early one might arrive.
bartenders are friendly and down to the earth... weekends can attract quite the seedy little crowd though.
Been here a few times during the middle of the week. Crowd is diverse and fun. Service is ok - is there a food/bev minimum? It seems they can't decide.
The wait to sing is usually an hour or longer, which sucks. But, parking is free, so yay!
Nearly each time I've been here, I've seen someone who's somewhat famous, if that matters to you.
HATE the SERVICE
LOVE the CROWD
Went a few months ago for roomate's bday on my suggestion. Completely forgot her bf is the lead singer to a band. He sang Beegee's Staying Alive.
The WHOLE PLACE was dancin! Cant wait for their return this fall.
Went this last summer with bf and friend. I literally JUST step off the last entrance step and the server comes up to me, pad and pencil in hand "What do you want to drink?"
We hadnt even sat down yet! And she informs me immed of the two drink minimum. A note to the servers-- CHILL OUT! Youll get your two drinks minus tip if you keep that up. HEll, I'll the tip to lucas!
Coke counts towards drinks if you have designated drivers. PArking is free in the structure thats right there. Food is terrible. Service takes forver if you order it. Try the 007. its GOOD. at least the bartenders know what theyre doing.
Good for bdays. MUST make reservations if you have a large group. fridays are always good, never been on sat.
For being a bar that is solely dedicated to the ancient form of karaoke, their system kinda sorta really blows. Their bass and treble is out of this world terrible, and their song list folders have fluid on them...
Their parking structure is convenient enough, especially with the parking nightmare that is K-Town...if you don't get it validated, it's $17.50!! WTF? That's even more than The Langham? What the heeeezy?
When we first walked up to the establishment which is located in a business center, it was sorta hard to differentiate between the random door/other business/the actual Monkey. I don't know about you, but I hate looking stupid, so I hung back and let the others do the dirty work.
When first walking in, you are bombarded with pictures of semi to big time stars with people that I assume work there, not just the owners. The smell.....I worked at a divey Irish pub for 4 years, so the smell of yeast and bar grime make me feel hugged by Baby Jesus..for others..it may not. I dug it..that's all I'm sayin'.
It's either a 2 drink minimum or $15 bucks cover charge. I had the 2 most expensive Diet Coke's in the history of the world!! That in addition to my "freshly" and by that they mean heated up with an open flame cashews set me back $15. Pretty shabby for a girl that didn't drink. The food looked like typical bar food, some other people that didn't go to our filling dinner ordered nachos which looked pretty decent.
The kinda cute thing is that their drink menu replaces one word in the drink's title with Monkey. So it's a red headed monkey slut or a Monkey mudslide or monkey on the beach...you get the monkey picture, right?
Their song selection is extremely extensive...country, gangster rap, oldies, espanol, rock, and my personal favorite, break up songs.
There was a stranger "starlet" in my group that I did not know, and grew to hate as the night progressed.....first...she kept flipping her never gonna win an Oscar with that horsetail you call hair in my FACE ALLLLL night. I swore if she did it one more time, I was gonna KEEP IT!! She kept finding lamer and lamer songs to request...and was up there at that damn DJ booth like a goddamn egg timer!! Every 3 minutes!!!! The best part was, she royally SUCKED!
The birthday girl had loads of fun, though...it was wildly entertaining...some people were really, really good. Maroon 5 was actually there for another person's birthday...and I thought it would high-larious if they got up and sang their OWN song. No? Ok...maybe just me. Adam Levine was nice enough to buy our 25 person party 25 shots of Patron. Stand up guy....all of them...really.
I've never been to a non asian karaoke bar where you get your own room and have horribly bootlegged songs playing to random ugly asian women walking through temples and beaches....but it was exactly as I pictured it...and it was quite a swell time.....
I came here on a Tuesday night for my 25th birthday party and Brass Monkey really made my birthday a HAPPY one.
The door guy and our waitress were both very nice people. The KJ did a great job of introducing singers. The food was satisfying, not 5 star quality but they never claim to have the best tasting food in the world. They have a fairly large selection of drinks, many of which were relatively stiff.. but that's what I liked about them!
The only thing about this place that I would change is the 2 drink minimum that could make both drinkers and non-drinkers unhappy. But hey, the stronger the drinks the less you have to buy! It can get a bit crowded towards the weekend and the waiting time to sing can get quite long, but is it their fault that people actually like coming to this place?
Overall a fun and pleasurable time for everyone in my party. Oh, and don't forget to get your parking validated!
Went here for my friend's 25th birthday last night.. He told me it was a bar in Ktown, so I was expecting your typical fob spot with awesome food, smoking inside and tall bottles of Hite and OB.. But I was unfortunately wrong I guess..
When I walked inside I noticed there was a pretty good mixed crowd, in fact there were hardly any Asians there, let alone Koreans.. When I sat with the party, I was informed of a two drink minimum and that I had to open an tab and give my card regardless.. I was kind of cautious but I obliged and waited on my chicken burger and Jack & Coke.. The burger was ok, nothing to write home about, but that Jack & Coke was loaded.. Majorly loaded.. I figured what ever high price they were gonna charge me would be worth it because they weren't being cheap asses on the booze..
Well after some more drinks, chips and guacamole (which is a waste of money) and a terrible rendition of Dont Stop Believing by yours truly, the bill came out to only $23! I figured there had to be some mistake, but nope this place is pretty cheap..
So I guess I wasn't disappointed after all.. But still I wasn't wowed..
Oh and the only reason I'm not bitching about the astounding wait on my food and drinks is because I sympathize with the waitress.. She was the only one and there was also only one bartender.. So kudos to them for doing their best on an oddly busy Tuesday night..
HOW DARE YOU HATE ON THE BRASS MONKEY?
Sure, everything on the specialty drink menu looks like a drunk 6 year old invented it and the regular drinks are on the wee size and I wouldn't ever order actual food here, but the karaoke....oh, the karaoke. The crowds are supportive, the djs are baller and any song you can imagine is a possibility. And if that weren't enough, free parking in Ktown?
Bring.
It.
On.
Wow. There seem to be an awful lot of Brass Monkey haters here. But I don't get it, nor do I care. I love this place.
Now, to be honest, I've never eaten the food. And, no, the drinks aren't cheap. True, parking is expensive if you don't get validated but, um, here's a thought: Get validated! Yes, it is small and, yes, the waitresses can sometimes be a bit too attentive... BUT... let's get real, folks. It's a karaoke joint! So let's talk about the karaoke...!
HUGE song selection. Great DJ's. And, what is most important to me, the most supportive audience/crowds I have EVER seen. They cheer if you're good, they cheer if you're bad and they don't cheer only for their friends. This always makes for a good time. ALWAYS. And, heck. isn't that what karaoke is all about??? Having fun? Is the sound system good? I don't know. I'm not auditioning for American Idol! I'm gettin' toasty and singin' tunes.
I have never, ever had less than a blast when I've come here.
So all you haters stay away. I didn't want you there anyway.
I've been here a few times at night. Not my idea of fun, but the other day i stopped in for their lunch menu.
I ordered their fried chicken .... pretty bomb stuff. Nice crispy texture with ample amount of food.
I will definitely hit this spot up again.
If you enjoy the smell of stagnant beer coupled with the stench of fried grease then this is the place to go. Waitresses hassle you to buy drinks but when you want to close the tab they are nowhere to be found. Overall, staff seemed to care more about making money than about their customers well being.
I like the dj but i hated the waitress. She was rude and very unprofessional. And she mixed up everyones credit cards..... No matter what if you sit down at her table shes makes you open a tab.
THE DJ is awesome i liked him a lot!!!
The manager was very accommodating and he wanted to make sure we weren't too unsatisfied.
I paid 20 for coke.....on that monday night....... that's right COLA coke non alchoilic... one for me and one for my gf....and we were dumb to ask for a refills on this drink....double charging is sooo gay.... i'm not coming back....anytime soon to get coke thats for sure......
suggestions to improve this karaoke bar:
(1) post the club hours on the door !!!!
(2) post the club hours on the entrance wall
(3) post a sign saying "2 drinks minimum or cover charge: no exceptions!" DUHHHHHHHH
(4) post a sign saying "karaoke wait time may be longer than an hour"
fun can be free or can be super expensive. but at this place, it's expensive! It'll rip a massive meteor hole on your mastercard.
also, it's sad when the waitress has to pounce on you the moment you step off those first few stair steps inside the club demanding you to order 2 drinks or cover charge (MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO FIX THIS, IT'S DEMEANING TO THE WAITRESSES)
also, it would be nice if the bouncer tells club-goers just got in if the club is closing in half hour or in an hour, that way we dont look like idiots going in, ordering drinks, only to leave 5 mins after with OUR DRINKS IN TOW!
WTF?!!! MANAGEMENT AT THIS PLACE IS WHACK! celebs singing or not, it's not worth the hysterics of this place
find some other decent karaoke bar 6 blocks down the road instead, you have a better shot at actually singing some songs
This is for sure one of the happiest place I've ever been,
Not one soul inside are not having fun, everyone singing, dancing and having a great time.
Very friendly and cute waitresses, awesome KJ.
Most people can sing above average, so wasn't too bad.
Food was OK, love their wide selection of monkey drinks. (cocktail), I tried 3 and they all kick ass.
If you like to sing and dance, this is for sure the place to be.
It tends to get packed by 10:30, 11-ish.
Plenty of street parking if you get there early, if not you can park in the structure and it is free after validation.
Came here last saturday nite for a friends birthday party. My boyfriend and I got there around 10:30 pm and this place was already crowded. Didnt have anything to drink but by observing my boyfriend and his friends.... they got their drinks pretty fast. The waitress was always coming round for drink order.
This place does get hot and stuffy at times. Probably because there was soo many ppl there. Would definitely go back again for another event.
Been here about 8 or 9 times...Atmosphere is always fun, music selection is always good, people are always friendly mainly cuz the two drink minimum. The waitresses are always nice to me and always seem to remember me probably cuz im a great tipper when I'm buzzed.
When you walk in there's a wall full of pictures of celebrities and you tell yourself yeah right, they don't really come hear anymore...but since I've been there I've seen Manny Pacquaio and Seth Macfarlane which is pretty cool.
Only bad part is that there usually isn't anywhere to sit and you get jealous fast of the people that do have tables...also if you got the balls to sing or you have a little liquid encouragement theres always a long wait unless you come early
Its true about all places the more you drink the more you'll have fun but more so here cuz you'll think everyone including yourself can sing like andrea bocelli but dont kid yourself...you might find yourself on stage singing with a group of people you don't know just cuz you love the song...ALWAYS FUN.
Brass monkey sucks my brass b@!!s. Right when you walk in and sit down expect to be greeted by an impatient waitress who wants your credit card. We sit down and she came and asked if we wanted a drink. We weren't sure what we wanted because we just walked in so we told her "not sure yet". She came back within 4 minutes and asked again. Well, so far we had enough time to sit and say hi to our friends. So we told her "not sure yet", again. She then went on to tell us in a not so polite way that there was a 2 drink minimum per person or she was going to charge us a cover. Amazed, we ordered 2 cokes...just coke. That waitress (mostly) and those two cokes, that cost $5 each and probably together amounted to less than 1 can, is the reason why I am never going back and hopefully some of you will read this and go somewhere else.
Me and my friends decided to have our first karaoke experience here last night (ok, I had done it once before but not at a place that usually did karaoke). Based on reviews, we thought this would be the best place to come and I think we were probably right. The song selection rocked and I got to sing things I actually liked and knew fairly well. Even with our different musical tastes, I think my friends also found songs they loved. The crowd was very supportive and fun which I think added to the experience. Definitely all about having a good time here. So, why only three stars you may ask...
Well, I'm a recent grad who is still looking for a job so I'm not exactly able to run around spending money. Needless to say, I was totally not thrilled that I HAD to buy 2 drinks. Seriously? I realize that people might just come to sing and not spend a dime, but MAYBE more people would come anyways and it would even out. I had fun, but I'm seriously missing my $20 today. In fact, it's such a huge negative, I don't think we'll go back any time soon. We'll probably try to find another place where we won't be forced to spend $20 each or we'll just use our sound system at home to do our own version (we're all part of bands and things so we have mics and speakers and stuff). Oh, and I think I'm the only one who actually liked even one of the drinks. I think we all agreed that they were too sweet or just had weird flavor combinations. Again, I'd rather make my own drinks at home or stick to the classics like a cape cod or appletini.
Bottom line, if you have the money and can pick a drink you like, this place is super fun. I guess for the experience you take the good with bad. If you're looking for a public karaoke experience just to try it, it's good. I don't think it would become a regular thing though.
What does new jack swing, a full bar and great people have in common? No it's not the latest reality show, it's the Brass Monkey and it's amazing. This is a spot I've been meaning to check out since I moved to LA. I used to live around the corner literally but I was never of age to ever venture in. Tucked away in a strip center in K-Town, this place was not at all what I expected...but in a good way.
As you descend the stairs I realized it was half the size of what I imagined it would be, and the decor was more of the traditional dive bar aesthetic than a neglected 80's club with neon lights and glow-in-the-dark carpeting...although said carpeting is pretty sweet no matter where it is.
So besides being surprised on the atmosphere, I was also surprised at how awesome the crowd was. Everyone was in a great mood and just wanted to sing, drink, dance and have fun. It was very refreshing I almost forgot that I was in LA for a minute. The only drawback was that I didn't make it up to sing! If you really want to get your shot at the mic, make sure you put in your ticket before 11pm, maybe even 10:30. I put mine in at about 11:30 and at closing there were still 14 people ahead of me...yeah...looks like my rendition of Darling Nikki will have to wait until next time, and there will be a next time for sure!
Brass Monkey, you're not so funky, but you do sucky.
It's no secret, I can't stand karaoke, but I'm always a good sport, so when friends want to go sing their little hearts out, I'm usually game to come along and play spectator.
That was the case the other night. Came back from a birthday dinner looking forward to wrapping up my evening with a cocktail amongst friends. We got inside and people were packed in like sardines and the place was hotter than the sauna at Wilshire Spa upstairs, but hey, good sport. We make our way over to our peeps and start saying our hellos and a cocktail waitress descends upon us like a vulture barking about how we had to order drinks. Sheesh. Let me set my ass down at least, why don't ya? While I'm finding a seat she goes after my man who asks for a beer and is informed he better be ordering four drinks for us and proceeds to point rudely over at "her" (yes, that would be me). He makes an escape to have a fag and I'm cornered once more. I explain that yes, I will be ordering a drink and she proceeds to school me in the rudest tone possible about how it's two drinks or nothing.
Gee, tough call. Two or nothing? I'll go with the latter, thanks. She can kiss my ass. We said a few goodbyes, left with half a dozen others equally put off by the over the top rudeness, and won't be back.
The one star goes to Libby and Ed and the free parking. Oh, and reminding me that Wilshire Spa is open 24 hours. Bonus.
My favorite part of my experience at Brass Monkey was leaving the free parking lot! I was so very happy to get out of that place.
I'd heard negative things about Brass Monkey from different friends over the years. However, when two people I really like decided to hold an event here, I was game. Unfortunately, I found my friends' comments to be right on.
When I walked in, I might as well have been at a gym, as hot and musty as it was. Fine, whatever, places get crowded, and toasty, I'll live--It's practice for menopause. However, If I were claustrophobic, this place would be ripe for a panic attack. I felt like I was walking into a dungeon between the suffocating heat,, the lowlight, and the dungeonous chains serving as one window. WTF is this? D&D live?
I joined my friends at the table that Brass Monkey was kind enough to reserve for us. Of course, a few other patrons decided to make use of a couple of our reserved tables and we ended up squeezing a busted balloon's worth of people in one small area.
A server came by our table to take our orders. I tried to get her attention as she took drinks orders and no luck. When she returned to deliver the drinks, I again tried to get her attention, made eye contact and still wasn't able to order a drink. So, I decided to get a drink for myself at the bar.
About 15 minutes later, after grabbing a drink at the bar and returning to the table, the server came to our table to deliver more drinks. Upon noticing the beer in front of me she said to me, "Next time you want to order, you'll need to place and order with me. There is a two-drink minimum." I replied that I'd tried to get her attention twice in the past 25 minutes with no luck, so I opted to go to the bar.
At the bar I learned they don't have any draft beers. They don't have any wheat beers. They had run of the mill liquor-store beer like Bud Light, Newcastle, Stella and Guinness. I opted for a Newcastle - it was $6.50! I thought it was high-priced for a beer. This is Ktown, not Hollywood! When our server finally came back to take the rest of our orders and returned with some alcohol and my friend's diet coke, I was surprised when she told her that her Diet Coke would be $5. $5 - for someone who doesn't drink! $1.50 more than what I paid for my Newcastle. No love for designated drivers?
I don't understand how a place smack in the middle of Koreatown where norebongs abound, can afford to not have soju and charge so much and think it's acceptable. The only thing I can figure is that this place caters to people who feel safe and comfortable with English as their first language and have predilections for caves. But, if the lack of soju and expensive prices weren't enough it takes forever to get a chance to perform there. I was there for an 1 1/2 hours and they never got to my song or the friend's before me. I'd much rather get a private room with only my friends and have the opportunity to sing as much as we please.
Later in the evening a friend of mine arrived freshly satiated from KBBQ and moseyed over to Brass Monkey to hang out with us and enjoy some karaoke. The waitress informed her of the 2-drink minimum or $15 cover policy. (Seriously, a 2 drink minimum? This ain't a comedy club!) My friend asked, "What if I only want to order one drink?" The waitress answered, "Then you'll have to leave." So, my friend left, as I would have.
I was set on giving this place 2 stars until that incident dropped my rating to 1-star. I left shortly after my friend did. I was so desperate to get out of there, I gave my full beer to another friend who was being badgered to order a second drink before he could close out his tab. I left and I will not be back unless it's under extreme duress or by fault of mental insanity.
The Libster and Ed C hosted a UYE last night at the ASS Monkey. I adore karaoke (CK is lame) and I readied my pipes for a night of singing.
The doorman checks the ID and I walk in under the velvet rope (or was that felt)? I located the Yelpers in the corner and realized that this place was a clusterfuck. The blind interior decorator of CBM decided to place about 4 tables in our vicinity and cram as many bodies in the smallest of spaces.
The diners in our area were packed in the corner like sardines. I hated to walk by their table because I was literally afraid of falling (note: Carlos K is tall and places like CBM give him a mild case of claustrophobia. This then produces a case of basiphobia).
My drinks of choice were two Budweisers (laugh if you want about my beer option, but CK prefers the Great American Lager) and I informed the snobby bar wench to keep my tab open. Said bar wench didn't tell me that that was a $15 minimum when using plastic. The 2 Buds were under $15 and that's when she sprung the above '$15 rule' on me. Maintaining my composure, I simply told her to charge me the minimum so that I could get the fuck outta Dodge. WTF is this minimum dollar bullshit when using plastic?
I have to give Dawson major MAJOR ups for not going apeshit after being told the above. A true lady she is!
I am not a karaoke fan in general but I usually enjoy karaoke bars
It's fun to watch people make asses of themselves
It's not so much fun when you mix a karaoke bar and a sauna
Throw into that combo a c**t of a waitress and overpriced drinks?
No thank you
The bouncer however was very kind
And parking is free
That's all they're getting
Karaoke makes life better, unless everyone is better than you. Upon entering, I was disappointed to know they were good. It was looking bad for me, being a terrible singer and all. Luckily, the good singers left and I was left looking awesome compared to everyone else. Or at least, in my head I imagined this. The drinks weren't that amazing, in fact I didn't really like mine at all, but I did love the song choices. I went on a holiday weekend, but it wasn't busy due to drunkeness already setting in, but from what I understand it's packed all the time.
The nite only became better with drunk dancing, on theirs, not mine, I'm an even worse dancer. As well as assistance as i destroyed a song and was unable to be rescued from my friends. Overall, a fun time.
I think I would have to visit this place again...
My sister invited me here for her coworker's birthday gathering here on a Wednesday which is one of two Karaoke days... They have a very wide selection of songs if you're interested in singing but honestly I can't really compare only to my dad's personal collection of karaoke songs (hahahah...)
We parked in the parking complex that it was apart of... If you arrive after 5 and get a ticket from the bar it covers the parking... If not I think it was max $14/16? but yeah make sure you get that ticket from the bar before you leave...
One thing we had a problem getting in... The door to get into this place looks like a novelty door... I'm sure when we were trying to figure out how to get in my sister and I looked like lame asses walking on the side to where the pizza place was then going into the building that takes you to AI...You just have to pull that big door knob hahah... no turning required...
It's a really small place with pictures of celebrities who have visited the place and posters of the Family Guy and of course the Evil Monkey. They have a long list of themed drinks here and my sister and I tried a few... Drinks were about $10...
-Sweet Tart: I really liked it! If you enjoy girlie drinks...
-Evil Money: Gross vanilla... I said it on it but it was totally overwhelming vanilla... Unless you like vanilla... Go for it!
-Grand Money: My sister had this and she got buzzed a bit after because it the Grand Marnier was strong... I tasted and it tasted gross...
-Pear of Monkeys: This drink was good tasted straight up like pears... duh pear of monkeys...
Also if you have junk in the trunk, thick thighs or are big you might be uncomfortable in the un-cushioned chairs so like 80% of the chairs... So be prepared to do some edge seating, standing/leaning or karaoke hahaha...
Overall it was okay... I think I would have to go again to get the full experience because we did get there early and left early but I did have fun but I think it was the birthday boy that set the good vibe by singing dated songs... hahaha...
-1 star for the slow service and the staff's demands to order more drinks. I think that the two drink minimum should be negotiable if the customer is ordering a lot of food.
4 stars!!! It was my first time last night. My friends and I were there to watch the laker game and… Read more »
Can't help but sing....."Brass monkey, that funky monkey" every time I talk about this place. Beastie Boys at their finest!
Another dive bar.....my life seems to be filled with them! Pretty cool place and gets packed on karaoke night. Not too many places to sit and very few tables but if you are looking to throw back a few drinks, get your groove on, and maybe bust out with a few karaoke tunes this is your spot.!
I love this place.
The crowd is awesome. A good mix of people, all friendly and classy. Now, I may be saying that because there was a swarm of hot Australian guys that I was flirting with all night, but I was still looking around and I liked the crowd. Every major food group was represented.
The song selection was amazing. One rather burly fellow with a full beard and portly stature sang "You Make Me Feel Like Dancin'" in perfect falsetto, a cute little Asian girl did an Eminem rap, this skinny hipster kid sang "Baby Got Back" and I, of course, brought the muthafuckin house down with my karaoke fave "Don't Stop Believin'" (ever seen a group of 100 drunk people sing to a Journey song the YOU were rockin? It's pretty sweet)
The drinks were stiff, the bathrooms were clean, there was food to eat and fun to be had.
I think this place is my new regular spot. Check it out.
I like the name. Checked it out a few times. Enjoyed my time here, always packed and full of a mixed crowd, which is my preference. Good luck getting on the mic because usually there is a long wait list. So I just chill, people watch, grab a drink and if I'm buzzed enough...join in the singing from a distance ha! Waitresses are nice.
I would go back just to hear myself say..."I'm going to Monkey u wanna go bananas with me?"
Well anyways, if you haven't been here, check it out. BTW, parking is in a structure right across from entrance and its FREE.
"Brass Monkey... that funky Monkey!"
This place is a great find for not only locals but people visiting LA who want to find a great bar complete with Celebs who sing their heart out. I was star struck the 1st time I came here when I met and saw:
Family Guys own....Seth MacFarlane singing Frank Sinatra's I've got you under my skin. And let me tell you this Yelper did everything she could not to throw her panties at him Tom Jones style!
I'm hooked on a feeling when I say this BAR ROCKS!!!
I've been to a lot of places with Karaoke, and this place had the best song list BY FAR! Its on the small side and there's a big pillar right in the middle of the room, which makes actually seeing the karaoke perfomer a tad difficult, but other than that its cool. I liked the way they paced the performers, too. You could only sing another song after 3 other people had gone so no one could really hog the mike too much.
Every so often when I'm hanging out with friends in LA and want to do something a bit different (or daring), we come to the ol' "Brass Monkey" (Yes, like the Beastie Boys song) karaoke bar. The food's okay, but what I really enjoyed were the liveliness of the crowd. It's pretty cramped, and seating can be a pain, but if you can enjoy yourself in a karaoke bar, this one seem to have an optimistic crowd (not too cool for school, if you will). The ambiance is dark as most bars are and the items on the menu are various drinks and bar food around $10-ish. There were plenty of song choices and if this is your type of thing or just love to get your friends to be on stage as a dare, this is a happening place to be.
The BM is fun. It's also packed. If you like karaoke bars for the scene, check it out. If you want to sing, get a room in K-Town. Unless it's your birthday, or if you tip the DJ generously, you're good for one song. MAYBE two.
If you want to sing more, get there early. Friday Karaoke starts at 4.
Caffe Brass Monkey - I've been here a few times, and I still feel the same way about it. It's a fun place the first time, but after that -- not so much. In the end it becomes repetitious, then it becomes routine and the fun is sucked out of it.
The drinks here are good. In the end, I just end up getting beer - so nothing too special. The workers that work at this place are great, and super nice. Very personable and helpful.
Now, I know that you can't control the crowd of a place, and I do understand that this place IS a karaoke bar ... but seriously people need to change up the songs that they sing. Slow songs, ballads and the like aren't really suitable for a karaoke bar. Pick something more upbeat to get the crowd going instead of making them fall asleep.
I'd recommend anyone to come to this place once in awhile. Too often will be overkill.
If you love bitchy waitresses, hot and stuffy rooms where they pack you in like sardines and drink that are so-so... Brass Monkey is the place for you! There are three people that go to karaoke bars: the attention whores, the "once in a blue moon" karaoke singers, and the people that sit there and make fun of the the former two.
Brass Monkey has karaoke seven days a week and starts at 9pm. I got there around 9ish and the wait was already 2 hours long to sing. We (hubby and I) ordered some drinks and started a tab after being told that our drinks would take a lot longer if we decided to do separate tabs instead of one huge tab. Big whoop. I'm not trying to figure out who is drinking what between 15+ people. That's when drama happens.
While waiting for my turn to sing and losing weight in the Brass Monkey sauna I proceeded to imbibe in their libations. No Hefeweizen, no Blue Moon. *sigh* But at least they had vodka. And tequila. If you like those two, you can find something there.
Once I sang my B52's "Love Shack" with my sister, I flagged down the waitress to close out our tab. About 20 minutes later she finally came by with the bill and I was glad to see that our bill wasn't that bad.
By far, the best part of the night was that the place had free parking. In a structure. WOO HOO! That's one whole star in and of itself.
Will I go back? Probably not.
This is a karaoke bar. You come here to drink and sing. Lots of people like to drink and sing so the place gets packed, especially on weekends. You don't come here for service or food quality and you don't come here for space. Everyone who likes karaoke knows that the more crowded the place, the more fun it is to sing. Brass Monkey is an awesome place for singing.
I personally like visiting the Monkey on weekdays when it is not as crowded as say a Friday or Saturday night. It is also on weekdays that I've seen Seth McFarlane and Adam Levine perform. The karaoke DJs are pretty cool, willing to help you out on a song every now and then and both do their best to keep the crowd going. The service is much better on weekdays, but that's to be expected. Parking is always free which is a huge plus, especially in K-town.
You'd think I'm a fan since I've been here a few times... But I have to be honest that this place is just another your average karaoke bar.
The great thing about this place is FREE PARKING... hahaha, I know! You can park in the lot behind the place even though there's a gate you'd have to go through. Anyway, the place is small since there's always a big crowd on Sat night (best night to go) but it is actually a decent size once it's empty.
No cover charge but It is two drinks minimum so not a bad charge for all of you alcoholics out there... hahhaa. Honestly though, I'm still trying to figure out why everyone raves so much about it. Probably cuz you'd have to be buzzed/drunk to really enjoy it... Yes, make sure you have enough drinks cuz listening to people sing karaoke while you're sober isn't the best melody for your ears... hahaha. Once in awhile you'd get someone who can really belt out something decent. Most of the times, people would just go up there to scream the words in the microphone... and I mean that literally.
The staff are better than I'd thought. They are quick & efficient in getting your drinks to you. Lucas, the DJ, can sing pretty well cuz you'd often see him jumping in to save those tune-deaf patrons... It is amusing!!! But I have to give those people props for being up there though. Yes, sometimes you do run into celebrities here... Apparently, it's a hang-out for them too... Yep, they are regular people just like us... who knew... hahhaa.
Anyway, do come here to check it out if you haven't been here before... AND if you don't mind being in a room w/ minimal personal space & having to brush your skin up next to some sweating folks every so often... then THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! W/ that being said, I'd probably still come here but only because this is where my friend's bf works. So yeah, we come here just so that she can spend times w/ him... I know, what a great friend I am... hahha.
I went out with a friend awhile back from the OC who'd heard of this bar but hadn't been there. Add to the cliche that I was riding around Ktown with an Asian dude and, it was quite a night.
I didn't know it at the time, but this friend also had a crush on me. I'm guessing that he was a bit disappointed in a way with taking me there to tell me that- as the bar was REALLY loud and crowded on that Saturday night.
As it's a kareoke bar primarily, I'd imagine it would be a lot better to go with a group of friends and to get in before the rush around 10. There's not a super ton of seating in there. But you could get lucky if you have a small party and sit along the wall ledge that faces the bar. There are actually few seats next to the bar itself.
The drinks were priced moderately. While there was a full bar, it took awhile to get drinks. They didn't mix my cocktail correctly either.
It seemed to be college night there, and there were quite a bit of drunk princesses stumbling around. Oh and foreign Norweign hipsters. It's got quite the range of people. There were not many 35+ there at all, except for one chick that looked like aging Yoko Ono and her date, Tom Waits stringy white guy.
No one in that bar was rude at all. The staff, the people, even the drunks... all hilarious and not obligerant.
Forget streetside nonsense. Parking was super easy and plentiful. There is a covered parking directly across from the bar.
Another downside was that despite it being in a shopping area of sorts, if you have the late night post bar munchies, you're going to have to have your sober friend drive you somewhere because there's nothing in stumble drunk distance closeness.
Summation:
Bring your friends.
Get in before 10 so you can actually get a table.
This is a bar for people watching.
This is probably not the best place to privately tell that special someone you're digging on them.
No late night munchies in walking distance.
And please by all means... no friggin Mariah Carey.
Oh how this place rocked my little ity bitty Lisa socks! The place is PERFECT!!!
Everyone was chill, especially the Celebs, got to see some good karaoke, but I do have to agree with a review below most of the songs they sing is pretty depressing! I'm more of a lets sing Blondie or Bust out some Rick James...Bitch! other then that it was cozy and perfect! FREE Parking! love it!
I had The "Hollywood Monkey" drink very nice!
Adam from Maroon 5 kept making jokes with me! Cool SPOT!
I don't know what I expected but this place will probably never get a "second chance" with me.
I guess some other venue will need to bear witness to my infamous rendition of R. Kelly's "Ignition".*
*note NOT THE REMIX, the regular version of "Ignition".... got it?
The place is packed with people, no place to sit unless you make a reservation. You have to wait half an hour to get your drinks plus waitress aint so nice. Hmm.. I used to love this place, cozy and alive.
Me and My husband were bored and decided to have fun, I told him let's go to brass monkey! and we did, but everything turned out quite boring. We ordered double cranvodka and double redbull vodka and we waited near the steps for 40 minutes or so. Hmm.. maybe some of you saw us there. We were standing next to the yelpers. We were so bored that after we finished our drinks we ran out and went to KBOX. We even spent 26 dollars for our drinks. so much for 2 drinks.
Umm... the owner of brass monkey is my mom's friend ^_^
Thanksgiving Special
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
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Neighborhood: Hollywood
Neighborhood: Koreatown
Category: Karaoke
Neighborhood: Koreatown
Category: Karaoke
Neighborhood: Koreatown
Category: Karaoke
Neighborhood: Koreatown
Category: Karaoke
Burbank, CA
Category: Books, Mags, Music and Video
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