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Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"We had the pleasure of FADO for brunch a couple of Sundays ago. I at first thought the menu was limiting, but how many ways can you make…" read more »
This pub has character that goes well with its great selection of beer. It was nice to uncork and share a bottle of Belgian beer called Chamay with my uncle. And yes, the bottle comes with a cork. It made the trashy experience of drinking beer seem a little more classy.
Ran into a variety of people here. Notably, a lady with the cutest two little girls who were out at dinner and about to go see a musical. I also talked to a particularly unattractive; yet, extremely confident girl that went to Penn State for law school. She asked where I was from and I said San Jose and I was here to visit my uncle and drink some beer.
She then said, "Well, you came in the right place."
I responded, "I always come in the right place."
She laughed and spit out some beer in the process.
Good times.
What a joke. The hostess took one hour and 30 minutes to sit us down. Good luck ordering a pint o beer at the bar. Bartender takes her sweet time. It took 15 minutes to get two pints of $9 beers.
Skip the mussels. Burgers and sandwiches are good. Stick with the basics. Hold off on ordering beer until you sit since you will enjoy their selection and it comes to your table much faster.
This place is beer heaven. Beer list is comprehensive to say the least, and educational-some beer styles you may decide you hate, but at least you can try them. Burgers are very good as are the fries, but unfortunatley they got rid of the charcuterie platter which was awesome.
Word of warning-this place gets absolutely mobbed. Best time to go is like Wednesday at 3pm-head straight for the back bar (go toward the kitchen and hang a left). If it's Saturday at 7pm, don't bother.
Quite possibly my favorite bar to go to with good people. Beer selection is out of this world. I've only ate there a handful of times but I'm always pleased. Service is good and I don't really have much else to say except that it's a really fun place, especially if you appreciate a good beer.
I was in Philly from San Diego for a conference. This joint has a fantastic Euro-beer selection, although it's euro-centric focus neglects the equally outstanding beers in the USA. This is fine, except that Monk's does include SOME American beers, which means they exclude some great American stuff to satisfy their euro-beer ideology. So, for example, they had one beer from my town's world-class Stone Brewery, but NOT Stone's best beer (their IPA). This is obviously a minor complaint.
The service was mixed. The manager or owner was excellent and accommodating, but the hostess was a totally annoying dipshit. Fire her. She pretended to be friendly, but erred on the side of enforcing house rules. Case in point: Four of our six showed up and asked for a table for six. There was a table right there in front of us and we assured her our other two would be right there, but no, she wouldn't give up the table. We ended up waiting like 40 minutes to sit after our two others showed up after ten minutes. I understand the rule, but it should be bendable.
The fries were not Belgian fries. There were pretty good, but not the super crisp, semi-thick ones you expect.
The food was pretty good, but not universally great. I loved the veal cheeks. Didn't love the rabbit.
If I lived in Philly, I am sure I would hit up Monk's for beers after work. The room is really warm and cozy and the beer selection is badassed. But the place doesn't seem to hit on all calendars.
I didn't get to eat here, as the place was packed and I finally got tired of waiting to get a seat at the bar.
I did get to spend a lot of time perusing their beer menu. Not only was it very busy, but the bartenders seemed a bit....spiky.
The beer list everyone raves about isn't that impressive. Maybe it's because our brewpubs and microbreweries suck so hard, but Boston has the beer bar down to a science. Monk's doesn't cut it. The Belgians they have are interesting-- clearly this is the part of the menu they really thought about. But nearly everything is overpriced.
Meh. Surely Philly has a better beer bar than this?
Despite living around the corner from Monk's, and drinking there often, I'd never had a meal there. While the beer selection is worthy of 5 stars alone, the food there is great as well. I'll be adding Monk's to my list of convenient, casual and cheap restaurants.
Only downside was one SUPER CRANKY waitress who made up more rules than you could believe: everyone in your party must be eating to be seated at a table, a table can only have 1 extra chair pulled up to it, no split bills of any kind... oh well..
What a great place! A co-worker of mine took us to Monks on a business trip and I have to say I fell in love with the atmosphere and the food. Great selection of beers and the mussels are fantastic!! Be prepared to wait but it is worth it.
Monk's is easily one of my favorite places to eat/drink in Philly. Five stars for the fries and special bourbon sauce. Five stars for their insane selection of beer. The beer alone makes your trip to Monk's worth it. Also love the vibe here.
I've tried a lot of the other things on their food menu. Burgers are okay. Generally fine if you're not very picky. But definitely not the best in town. You won't miss anything if you skip 'em. Duck salad's decent. Pulled-pork sandwich was a bit of a let-down. Wouldn't order it again.
In terms of the service, waiters/waitresses are hit or miss but what do you expect for a pub? That doesn't bother me too much. Their policy of not letting you sit until your entire party arrives is annoying but with the number of people that pass through on any given night, I can understand.
All things said, come here for the fries and the beer. Get those and you've got the best of what Monk's has to offer.
I'm not a really big beer drinker. And I didn't partake in the mussels, which I guess are supposed to be really good. Beer list is pretty insane.
But the serviced really sucked. Even though the place was super busy, the bartender was taking her sweet time. She was holding long conversations with customers while people (like myself) were waiting to order. And when we did order a couple of beers, she took her sweet time getting it. It didn't really make any sense to me. I mean, she was kind of sweet. But damn, I don't care how nice you are if you're taking forever to get me my drink.
What more can I possible say except that I love this place- mainly because the beer selection is so fricking awesome. I had the best beer on tap (similar to a Leffe Blonde but way better). Sooo soo good- if only I had stayed sober enough to remember the name... The hazards of drinking beer like its water... Fries and mussels are delic as well! Why the four stars- the crowds and the burgers. Too crowded and slightly greasy burgers- otherwise I love this place!
This place would be great if it was larger than the bathrooms at it's sister restaurants. I get asked to go to Monk's a couple times a year - and each time I'm foolish enough to go. Sooner or later I'll remember what a miserable experience the restaurant usually is.
My most recent try was a Saturday night - meeting three friends to eat and drink too much. We arrived by 8 and were told there would be a one hour wait. No problem - I expect that in a good restaurant this small. So I smash myself up against the wall and get to drinking.
Now I'm a big guy - so it might make sense that I'd get bumped a lot in a crowd. However after the first half hour I began to pick up on the fact that none of the customers were bumping into me... but the servers were EVERY time they passed.
Hour passes, we double check to see where we are on the list because people who showed up on the list AFTER us are seated. Turns out there was an "oversight" on the list - defined as the host (who does NOTHING but watch the door) didn't write our names down. SO we're told another half hour.
EVERYone looking for a table was seated before us. God we wanted Monk's mussels... but not bad enough to not get seated before 10 when we showed up at 8. So we went off to Nodding Head.
My problem isn't that this happened to me Saturday night. My problem is that this happens to me EVERY time I go if it's not at lunch.
Upsides - Killer beer menu. Knowledgeable bar tenders. Great mussels and good menu in general.
Downsides - Long wait, overcrowded, stuffy and uncomfortable seating. Always packed with beer snobs who are not leaving. Rude if not crappy wait staff.
Now - I'm not saying Monk's has bad food or beer. If you can make it for lunch - definitely do. Otherwise - skip it and go to Nodding Head for food (owned by the same peeps - it has all the high points off the menu and good craft brews) or Eulogy if you're looking for Belgian beer.
The beer was excellent, and the mussels come with fries, making the small pot for only $8 quite a tastey deal (in SF you'd pay at least $8 for a bowl of basic white wine and shallots mussels, and another $4 for the fries). Mmm, Belgian beer and hot snacks on a cold rainy day make for a nice break from the outside.
Service was awkward and not good, from the hostess to the bartender, and sitting at the bar, next to the hostess stand made it continue to be a bit awkward (sit farther down the bar if possible) and they won't let you have a table unless you're planning on having dinner...even if you're the only ones in the place, and they asked you which you'd prefer...
I like Monk's but have found that it has not kept up in the consistency department. It seems they are only interested in collecting as much money as they can and then cashing out.
A place for serious beer drinkers and professional pub crawlers.
Food is passable, but there are better places to go.
Last time I was here - the place was a fire trap and it was dirty.
I go when forced by my friends.
259 reviews, what's one more? An even effin number, that's what. Soooooo Monks... What to write, what to write? Went on wednesday night around 7, didn't have to wait too long got a quiet table in the back. The waitress wasn't helpful in choosing one of the approximate MILLION beers listed and said something like "uhh one of the drafts".. thanks big helper. I got a great burger with goat cheese (and if you know anything about me and my history with goat cheese I say YES goat cheese).
We also go this basket of "frites" and if anyone can help me pronounce that would that would be great fri-tes? frits? argh. I know they're supposed to be euro or whatever but to be completely honest, those "double cut" mini-fries are a pain to eat and share, though they were seasoned well.
The beers that I had were really just alright. I know some of you are reading this and are saying something like "oh whatever she just doesn't know what a good beer is".. I donno I just wasn't blown away as I thought I was going to be. Perhaps I'll try it again sometime and I'll be inspired to write another review and change my rating.
This Belgian bar and restaurant is in a nice little nook in Philadelphia. They serve gourmet food, which means you might not initially find something you absolutely want or know what it is.
The beer list is large, while the menu is quite small. I went here for lunch with a friend, and while my friend was able to try out the 20 proof beer, I was heading back to work, so it was iced tea for me.
I had the steak sandwich, which I ordered with cheese. They asked me what cheese I wanted. I said American. They asked "cheddar?" - so I'm assuming their assortment of various add-ons and changes are very limited. The side greens were great with a nice dressing, while the steak sandwich was good until about halfway through when the steak started to get tough.
My friend had the muscles, and as this place was his choice to eat, I'm assured that he loved them. He also received the fresh fries, which I found out later are one of the best things this restaurant serves.
Had this been a dinner and involved beer, Monk's could have been given four stars, but as it stands for my lunch, they weighed in at around three. It was a good place to eat, and definitely a place that should be checked out more than once.
I used to go to Monk's a decent amount when I worked in Center City -- their beer list is amongst the best (if not, THE best) in Philadelphia + the menu is adequate. They have vegan options, which I appreciate.
I didn't rate Monk's higher for a few reasons....the first being it's kind of dim + grimey. I never feel like anything is particularly clean in there - least of all the bathrooms. Second, if you go after 6 p.m. you are guaranteed to wait a billion years for a table. Third, some of their more common beer is overpriced -- I can see charging more for the more esoteric stuff, but sometimes the more common beer is also expensive.
In all, if I want to hit a Belgian-type place, I usually just go to the Belgian Cafe in the Art Museum area. Monk's was great when it was near my job, but now it's not worth the trip, really.
Beer oasis... I love going here with out-of-towners and beer snobs. Both would appreciate the "Bible"
Only problem with this place is that it's always packed, so try to get to Monk's early. I like their mussels and their bread. Goes well with whatever beer you're having.
There is no better bar in Philadelphia.
Controversial statement? Well, if you want cheap watered down cocktails, tacky lighting and beer that tastes like piss for $2, it would be.
But you don't want those things? OK, read on. Monks, located conveniently on 16th Street is every ale lovers dream.
In the window there are a variety of bottles from around the globe which at one point had contained all the various ales. Upon entering, there is a small but comfortable bar with two rooms at the rear for dining. The lighting is low and well suited to the atmosphere and there are plush maroon leather booths filled with people enjoying themselves over dinner, wine and ale.
From the speakers I am happy to hear the tones of Joy Division, Decemberists, Elliott Smith and mostly new wave for the duration of time I am there.
100+ ales from around the world, the majority of which come from Belgium. As there are so many, they have a 'Beer Bible' which has all the names listed. There are only a few descriptions so if you're new, ask the staff. They're knowledgeable, friendly and will be able to recommend something that fits your tastes.
This visit I tried one of their draft specials, the Duvel Green which is not a potent as the regular Duvel and is not as dark. It was good but probably not the kind of ale I would normally choose, so I was pleasantly surprised. I also tried a Koninck which I'm pretty sure I had tried before in England at some point. The thing with this place is you can approach it in one of two ways, you can pick a name and just hope you like it or you can ask someone for a recommendation. Personally, I like the lottery approach.
Although I did not eat this time, they do have an impressive menu and for a Thursday this place was packed out. Mussels come in big hot pots and were delivered to almost every table while I was there. The smells were extremely inviting and I have been informed that the food tastes incredible. The prices are also very reasonable although I imagine they must make a lot on their drinks as prices for ales range from $6-$50 for a single and larger bottles can go for as high as $150!
Atmosphere, variety and comfort are key here. You can't go wrong. Some of these ales are only available at Monks now due to the constraints of the brewers and the fact that this is a niche market. Definitely check it out, even if you are only visiting Philadelphia.
The beer is great and the food is pretty good, BUT (ah yes, the but), they're kind of jerks there.
It's one of those places where sometimes it's worth it (if you're dying for a huge beer selection or amazing pulled pork sandwich), and sometimes it's not (you want to be treated nicely). You decide.
Monk's already has 206 reviews and it has been a long time (too long) since I've been there, so I'll… Read more »
I was here on a roadtrip and stopped here with a buddy who was from Philly. Incredible selection of beer. We ordered the appetizer platter sampler and to be honest it was a meal within itself. We could hardly eat the entrees we were so stuffed.
I will be going back.
I really wanted to like this place, and I was really, really looking forward to drinking and dining there.
Unfortunately, the bartender was not looking forward to me drinking and dining there because he refused to acknowledge my presence. He continued to wait on people who came after me, people to the left and right of me, but did not so much as blink in my direction. I can understand waiting for a while because he was busy, but after he started waiting on more and more newcomers, I became frustrated. Even my attempts to get his attention went unnoticed.
It's too bad for Monk's then, because I left and went somewhere else. I'm afraid I probably won't try it again.
It's one of the few places (in Philadelphia) where you can get belgian trappist beer on tab. So if you're a beer snob (like me), then you'd really enjoy this place. As far as the food goes, I've only had their mussels here...different kinds. They are just okay. I don't know why everyone I meet always raves about their mussels. I think they need a bit more salt and a little more flavor. But good beer better than makes up for the food here. Drink enough of St. Bernardus ABT 12, and you'll be happy with anything.
Monk's is easily the best place in the city to drink good beer. The list is extensive, ranging from exotic Belgians to Russian River varieties to local brews. There is something for everyone. As you might expect, the place is loaded with beer geeks, for better or worse. The beer is complimented well by the fare. The mussels, pulled pork sandwich, and burgers are sure to please. Expect a wait of at least a half hour, which should allow you to enjoy a fine beer or two at the front bar - that is, if you can ever get the attention of the bartenders. Sorry guys, but you need to stop washing glasses or showing me your back or talking shop with each other and get me a pint of Racer 5!
Friday night at 9p is not the best time to hit up Monk's if you're already hungry. Lesson learned!
We arrived at 9p on the dot and asked to be seated for dinner. We were told "about a half hour wait for a 2 top". We were seated a few minutes after 10p. D'oh!
While waiting for a table, we ordered a couple drinks from the grumpy lady tending the front bar. I tried the Allagash white wheat and it was damn good. My girl had a vodka drink in which neither of us could taste vodka. When I asked the bartender if she wouldn't mind topping it off with a little more vodka, she told me she already poured the drink heavy and that I'd have to pay for another shot. Ok. The baffling part of this is that she charged me more for the extra shot than the initial drink. I was in too good of a mood to argue.
Our waiter was a strictly business middle-aged guy who was very fast, but courteous too. I had the delicious seitan cheesesteak. When it came out, I initially thought the portion looked a bit small, but my eyes were deceiving me and I barely finished it. The St. Nectaire cheese was a perfect match for seitan. She had the chicken and apple sausage sandwich and was happy with it. Bourbon mayo for dipping fries was tasty.
Can't imagine this being my home bar or even a regular stop with a lousy bartender, but I also can't imagine not going back for a good beer and bite if I'm in the neighborhood.
Monk's is dark, raucous, and sports a beer list long enough that you might go cross-eyed trying to read it (in the dark.) It definitely keeps the "medieval bar experience" alive. If you're in Center City and want to enter that world, I highly suggest it. Go for the mussels and as much beer as you can afford. Go outside your comfort zone.
Why three stars? Oftentimes it is so crowded that not only can you not get a seat, but you'll also have to jockey to get a position close enough to the bar that you can wave over someone's head and - maybe! - get the bartenders attention. Then once they've finally slid a drink to you through the throng (not the thong, for that you need to go to Delilah's), you'll most likely feel awkward drinking it in the corner with your friends while they bitch about overpopulation.
Maybe that's just me though. I've also had plenty of good experiences here.
Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout? Yes, please. I would give Monk's 5/5 just for carrying this beer (although for a limited time) and the fact the food is great certainly doesn't hurt.
I normally go with the Mussels as they are a great deal at $10 for a decent size pot. I like the Monk's , Brussels, and Flemish seasoning. Their burgers are also pretty good, with a wide variety of toppings. Oh, and the fries are delish dipped in the jalapeno mayo!
But anyway, back to the beer. I'd recommend any of the Russian River, Monk's private label, or any of the Founder's that might happen to have. Either way, you can't go wrong!
I finally made it to Monk's. The beer list is the longest I've seen -- ever -- aside from Eulogy.
I went on a Thursday to avoid the weekend crowd, and I went late. We had a pretty big group (8 people), and although it was 12:30am, the hostess would not seat us at a booth, despite the fact that only 2 were occupied. She said she had to reserve them for diners until the kitchen closed at 1am, and directed us to the bar...which was filled. Not one empty seat. I told her we'd happily give up the booth, should diners suddenly pack the place within the next 30 minutes. Still, she refused.
So 8 of us crowded around 2 seats that had emptied at the bar about 5 minutes after we arrived. We were right near the door, so we were jostled by people coming and going, and the hostess was clearly annoyed at the sheer amount of space we were taking up. It was very uncomfortable, and we left after one round of drinks.
They had Lambic Framboise on tap, which I love...but I'll take the warmth and friendliness of Eulogy instead.
This review is based off of service and food. I am not a beer drinker!
We waited in front of the hostess booth for almost 10 minutes before being greeted. After the 30 minute wait for a table, the waitress did not show up until about 10 minutes after we were seated. This was alright since I was new to the place and took my time going over the menu, but it would be a downer on my second visit.
The atmosphere reminds me of the Prancing Pony Inn that frodo and his friends go to in LOTR before they meet strider.
The steak salad was great because I've never had beef (that wasn't bulgogi or tartare) with so much fresh garlic rubbed onto it. The large mussels bucket had mussels-a-plenty with day-old bread to dip into it to soften the carbs up with the juices.
I like my belgian fries thickly sliced and easy to grab. So although their bourbon mayo was reeeeal good, their fries fell short of their expected stature.
Third stop on the Philly UYE. Baby, don't listen to what the other DCers say. Mama still loves you.
And holy shit, your fries got better! Also, thank you sooooooo much for not fucking up my medium-rare burger! It's so hard to find a place that won't overcook meat. *hugs*
I've always been a fan of Monk's. With their mussels, frites (plus that awesome bourbon mayo), and… Read more »
The bf LOVES beer. He's taught me a lot and has definitely expanded my palate in regards to beer. So when we were in Philly for a biz trip and learned about Monk's, we had to make a stop. According to "All About Beer Magazine," Monk's is one of the top 10 places in the world to have a beer before you die. That's serious high praise. Monk's is a serious beerlover's haven.
We arrived around lunchtime and stayed for about two hours. We didn't have to wait for a table and we didn't feel rushed.
The beer selection was astounding. I've only seen more choices in Belgium itself.
For food, we ordered the mussels & frites (one was in a standard, white wine broth and the other was cooked with bacon). Unfortunately, they were both bland and didn't taste super fresh. The frites were limp and got cold fairly quickly.
I wouldn't come here for dinner, but I'd ordered something to go with the beer (beer tastes better when you have something to munch on IMO). Take Monk's for what it is: a place where you can get beer you can't get anywhere else and you won't be disappointed.
If you're not a beer drinker: this is a GREAT place for you to learn/find something you'll like since they have so much stuff. They have beer that doesn't taste like beer.
3.25 stars. Monk's is probably best known for an extensive beer list, and I was not disappointed with their selection. Indeed, not only was the list massive, but they had all of their beers in stock. We sampled obscure beers from throughout the world (as well as American seasonals) while devouring an assortment of mussels and burgers.
The best mussels that I sampled here were the Thai Red Curry Mussels. The peripheral heat from the curry base provided an excellent compliment to the shellfish. I thought the mussels here were slightly dry (probably from overcooking) and small, but they were fine for the price ($9.95 for 2 dozen). Still, I wouldn't necessarily go for the mussels, but rather I would potentially order them as a food item to pair with my beer.
Two of my dining companions ordered burgers. While both of them seemed to enjoy them, I wasn't too impressed with the bites I took out of the goat cheese/Trappist burger. Then again, in a city where the Five Guys chain still apparently reigns supreme (please prove me wrong Philly!), the bar hasn't necessarily been set very high for burgers.
I was really impressed with the fries at Monks. Light and flavorful, the fries were served with a spicy mayo based sauce that provided an excellent finish to each tiny potato morsel. If I went back to Monk's, I might just order a huge plate of fries with my beers. While they were not subliminal, they were definitely solid.
Overall, Monk's is a fine location for grabbing a few drinks over a casual meal with friends. Given that was our goal, I would deem it a success.
Meh.
I know that Monk's set the standard for Philly's now amazing beer scene, but they just don't do it for me anymore. Of course their selection is amazing. The food, however, has gone downhill in the last few years. The past few times I've been, service has been slow.
There are so many new beer bars opening in this city, most of which are significantly cheaper than Monk's and arguably with an even bigger selection (see: Devil's Den, the POPE) that I just don't really have a reason to go here anymore.
But if I'm in the mood for a Belgian in CC, this is still the place. Though I'm a bigger fan of Eulogy... ;)
Good food, great atmosphere, amazing beer selection as long as you're prepared to wait for a table. We waited 45 minutes on a Tuesday for a party of 2. The food was good, I wouldn't call it great. The bun on my burger was cold and the mussels were pretty standard. Go for the beer, not the food.
GREAT FOOD AND GREAT DRINKS!!
I LOVE Monk's and I'm always bringing friends there. I always get the Framboise Lamic (raspberry beer) and all their mussels are delicous! All thier food is great...I've never ordered anything I didn't like. My brother loves beer and they have "beer bible" of over 200+ beers and its AMAZING!! He's in beer heaven everytime he goes.
The only downside is that there can be pretty long wait for a table. But, with the impressive beer selection that they have, the wait is no problem =)
Monk's is one of my favorite spots in the city. The beer list is unparalleled, with a frequently-changing selection of interesting drafts.
Best fries in Philadelphia, and decent vegetarian options - I like the seitan cheesesteak best. The veggie burgers are frozen patties, but the delicious toppings and perfect rolls go a long way.
The place is crazy packed every weekend and doesn't take reservations - I don't even think about going here on a Saturday night. I recently discovered that they do takeout, so you can skip the crowds and eat their food with a homebrew or whatever you've got on hand for a DIY Monk's experience.
I really really really wanted to love monks. I wish I could give more stars but it was literally just OK. The beer selection is of course large and they had some of my favorites on tap (Delirium Tremens, Chouffe Houblon, etc) which I did enjoy. However, the food was mediocre. I do understand that Monk's might not be the place to get a veggie burger but really the one I got was barely edible. The bun was about 3 times the size of the burger and it had a strange, tangy flavor. My two dining mates got mussels (provencal and monks I think), and they were fine. Just fine. The frites were soggy. Etc.
I usually give places a second chance, so I'll try Monk's again at some point. And reyelp about it.
My one word review of Monk's would be: BOOTY! And for the men out there, this is the bad sort of 'booty'!
Decided to hit Monk's after realizing it was only blocks away from our hotel, and knew we were going to be drinking LOTS of beer - hooray for short walking distances! Had I stuck to just the beer, this joint would have easily rated four stars. But then I messed up and tried the moules and frites. Hey - I'm a Granville's girl, and I wanted to see what the competition had to offer. The answer to that question: a big fat NUTHIN'!
I won't even bother talking about the beer except to say the listing is extensive and long. I wasn't overly impressed - plenty of other places have huge beer lists as well - but obviously it's hard to find fault when you can pretty much drink your way to Nirvana - or Hades, depending on your limit.
So I peruse the moules listing... The flavors were okay, but not a lot of diversity. At the waiters suggestion, I try the Ghent. Upon arrival, I could see there was a problem. The frites were seriously disappointing. WTF!? You boast about your - and I quote - "award winning" frites, and then serve what basically looks like nubby shoestring fries in a tiny saucer!? Noooooooo! And no variety of dipping sauces, just your lame-o bourbon mayonnaise!? Even more NOOOOOOO!
I get more annoyed as I have to use my fingertips to even get a good grip on these sorry frite imposters! And just for the record, good frites should be held with the pads of your fingers. You shouldn't have to use your fingertips as if you were eating those old skool fried shoestring potato snacks that came in the round tin. Just had to clarify that...
I finally move on from the basket of yuck, and check out the moules. More issues. I hate to make comparisons, but it can't be helped. At Granville's the moules are on average about 1 1/4 inches long - the meat, not the shells. They were plump and juicy and oh-so tender. Just yumehhhh!!
Monk's... The average moule was less than an inch. When I ordered the 'small', I thought it referred to the portion size, not the size of the moule itself! Was this a seriously 'off' night in the kitchen!? After a while, it was like eating crabs: a lot of effort for very little payoff. It was so damn frustrating, I had to order more beer to take my mind off my anger!!
In fact, perhaps that's their strategy - screw the moules and frites, just keep the beer flowing until you don't notice how truly sub-par this meal is! That has GOT to be the diabolical scheme that keeps people drinking the Kool-Aid - or beer, in this case - night after night.
Alas, I live in DC, and while I go to Philly fairly often, Monk's will not be on my future Philly To Do list. In fact, my most pressing concern is getting back to Granville's to rid my mind and palate of that disappointing experience. I can only hope Teddy's been keeping the place on it's toes in my absence!
Not much to say here; this place is as good as it gets for beer and mussels. It's ranked as one of the top places to get a beer in the world.
It's kind of sad for me to do this since I've been coming here since I was 22 (cue Edit and Archie singing "Those Were The Days"). But in a lot of ways Monk's has been a shadow of it's former self for far too long.
It's not completely their fault because it's largely due to the influx of crowd factor that has hit it over the past couple of years. But once that crowd factor has hit them they really lose their groove to the point that it severely hurts the quality of their food and service. And often times it ends up not being worth putting up with their super crazy wait times as a result.
And while their still a beer lovers paradise that manages to bring in a lot of different varieties to the table, that experimental edge that once made them the king has gone kind of stagnant. But there's still a lot of beers, and mussel pots that can still make it worthwhile.
You pay an assload of cash for the beer, But you get the best selection of Beer in any Philly bar… Read more »
New Happy Hour
Neighborhood: Point Breeze
happy hour in center city…
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Olde City
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
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