On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: American (New) [Edit]
1628 Webster StMon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Loading...
Mmmm, spice monkey! When I am having one of those days at work where I would like to just crawl back into bed and pull my comforter up over my head I like to take a break and go here for lunch. It's not quite as good as my bed but I definitely feel comforted. Spice Monkey is a bit off the beaten path but it's like a little treasure with the beautiful fountain in the center, all the foliage and cozy atmosphere. The staff is always friendly and helpful. It's definitely better to go when you have more than an hour as it can be a bit slow but the unhurried attitudes add to the overall escape feeling.
I have yet to eat anything here I don't like. The Mac n Cheese is amazing, it would be too much cheese for me as a meal but I like to get it to split with a friend as an appetizer. The pulled pork sandwich is delish, especially when ordered with the spice monkey potatoes. The aoili that comes with the potatoes is such an interesting flavor combination. The Beet salad has an excellent dressing. Today I had the chicken pot pie, it tasted so fresh and delicious it made me wonder how I ever ate those terrible frozen ones. Not to mention that the way it is presented is adorable, a little pastry leaf...too cute! Their special drinks, the mango iced tea and lemonades are great.
If you are wishing your mom could make you lunch but she is 5 hours from downtown Oakland ask Spice Monkey to do it instead!
California fusion. The food was simply café style (salads, sandwiches, pizzas) with a Southern twist.
Lavender Lemonade (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): One of their specialty lemonade. The first sip was packed with lavender flavor. A very surprising taste! Tasty and refreshing!
Return of the Mac (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Macaroni appetizer with a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, blue and parmesan cheese. Nice and gooey but bland.
Hush Monkeys (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Their version of hush puppies made with corn, feta cheese, beer, olives and jalapenos. The unlisted ingredient: cilantro. The cilantro flavor was so overwhelming that they felt like giant cilantro balls. Bleh!
Spicy Monkey Potatoes (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Red potato wedges sautéed in herbs. Yum!
Monkey Fingers (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): AKA chicken tenders. They looked overcooked, but actually very tender and done well. Favorite of the night!
Chicken Pot Pie (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions and peas. Crust was flaky. Filling was gooey. It was almost perfect EXCEPT (and a big except) the strange metallic aftertaste. Couldn't figure out what It was. Chemical perhaps? Actually I don't want to know.
Overall food was okay. Damage: under $40.
The gentrification of Uptown continues apace.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. Luka's was really the first venue to poke its slightly snooty nose into the neighborhood, but since then, the area has been completely reinvigorated.
Granted, it's been reinvigorated by a plague of hip bars, art galleries, and "bold," "sassy," and "overpriced" restaurants, but sales tax is sales tax when the City of Oakland counts receipts for the year. This is where Spice Monkey comes in.
Even before visiting Spice Monkey, I knew it was going to be ironic and hipster-y. Anyplace that advertises bottled wine and PBR on the same sandwich board is clearly going the ironic route. Which is fine, even if that's getting to be a well-trodden of a path, but this is the way trends work; just as one's peaking with the hoi polloi, the early adopters are bloody sick of it (this is my tacit admission to being--at one time--kind of a hipster--I mean, duh, I like small batch bourbon, trip hop, have a soul patch...).
Spice Monkey has made an effort to honor the history of this former tile factory by decorating the fountain, albeit with colored stones not fabulous glazed tiles (which were swiped by the previous occupant, damn Sabina), and dressing up the interior with the requisite dark and honeyed woods. The tables have a cute scattering of leaves pressed beneath the lacquered surface which is a nice affectation.
I was going to the Regina Spektor concert (I really am kind of a douche bag, aren't I?) and my friend, Estefany G., and I popped in for a bite and a drink.
Probably not a great night for it, as they were having a sort of Halloween party upstairs and splitting waitstaff between the two floors. I'm not sure if they have both floors open all the time or what, but the staff was clearly overworked keeping up with the crowd and the service suffered for it.
Tables are packed in tight--I'm sure the couple next to us did not enjoy me sliding my package past their dinner, just as I did not enjoy moving my gear so close to steaming plates of curry. They must have a lot of glassware breakage.
Anyway, the menu looked intriguing, but I was a little bit surprised and intimidated by the pricing. I guess I was thinking that, with PBR on the sammy board, there'd be affordable eats on the inside, but dinner entrees (which are listed as "Specialty Items" but are the only items on the menu which are real dinners, the rest being sandwiches, appetizers, and salads) are all ~$15. Portion size was a little disappointing, but I admit to being a greedy fucker.
The wine list had affordable entries, which I definitely appreciated. A bottle of Redcreek isn't anything to get excited about, but at $20 it's nice to have a wine with dinner without having to count the twenties in my wallet.
The food was fine, although I thought the flavors were a little muddled in the Seafood Serenade dish, and I was surprised to see that they called the broth a "bouillabaisse," since it tasted like a straight up curry. In any event, the calamari and shrimp were completely overpowered by the broth. The salad was a basic blend of minced veggies--tasted fine, I wasn't looking to be bowled over by romaine lettuce and garbanzo beans.
The service is where we had the problems. Granted, they were having a special event and it was Friday night, but management *might* think about staffing up for special events... on Friday nights. I mean, right?
We were forgotten in one instance and ignored in the other. It was all about water. We asked for water, and it never came. Then our server apparently was doing upstairs duty because I saw her going up and down but she wasn't coming back, so I asked another server for waters and she gave me the old "you are not my table, so whatever to you" and just didn't make eye contact thereafter. Finally, I went to the bar and got water--just in time to wash down the last of our food. Our original server did come by and cop to her fail, but it was a noticeable lapse.
Would I come back? I don't think so--I just wasn't excited about the space, and the untested portions of the menu didn't exactly have me hankering for a return trip. The service I'm sure is normally just fine, our server was very nice and attentive--I mean, when she was around. I'm glad we didn't have the other, bitchy one, but I go out to eat for the food, the service just needs to be, well, serviceable, and I imagine Spice Monkey handles that just fine most of the time. The food was okay--but I don't go out to eat "okay" food.
Like Jen C, we came here before the Regina Spektor show. It was Friday night. It was crowded. The server was nice but intolerably sloooooooooooow, forgot some things we asked for, didn't know how to explain the soup, told me AS she was serving our food that they'd run out of the soup and did I want something else instead (by that time I just wanted to leave), and gave us the wrong table's bill. Really?!
As far as the food... the item I was most excited about (the hush monkeys) were not very exciting, nor were the potatoes. The beet salad was fine - but anyone can make a beet salad - and the veggie pot pie was alright.
The whole experience made me miss the Indian buffet that used to be there. And that's not saying very much...
More like 3.5 stars, but it was still a little meh, imho. Came here before the Regina Spektor concert on a Friday night.
Get the: ginger lemonade and mac & cheese (!).
Skip the: spice monkey potatoes.
Vacillate about the: chicken pot pie.
Service was friendly but slow as it got busier and busier, although the place is small, so how many people could they be serving? The actual restaurant has great date ambience, but is a little too small and has a giant fountain in the middle that takes up valuable real estate. Decent choice if you're in the neighborhood, but next time, I'll probably try another place in the area.
It was the end of a long week and my wife and I were looking for a place to unwind with some drinks and comfort food. Driving past Spice Monkey just before 7 on a Friday night we could see that this was a popular place so we decided to stop in.
Immediately upon entering the place it was vibrant had positive vibe. Right away, I saw a fountain in the middle of the restaurant which is kinda cool for such a small place. We were greeted right away by a hostess and she said the wait was roughly 15 mins (Not bad for a Fri night).
While waiting for our table we sat at the Bar where we could see all the food coming out of the kitchen. I also talked with a few folks at the bar to see what they were ordering and what they liked. After a couple of drinks we got to our table.
It took a while for someone to come by and take our order (The place was fairly busy and they had an event going on upstairs). We ordered the Samosas and the Hush Puppies as an appetizer my wife ordered the Grill Cheese and I got the Pot Pie. It took about 20 minutes for our appetizers to come out of the kitchen so the 20 minutes felt like an eternity.
The Samosas were great. It was very crunchy with a hint of spice. The filling had great flavor as well. The hush puppies were very disappointing. They seemed to be a little on the bland side. When you dipped it in the yogurt you couldn't taste anything else.
My wife's grilled cheese sandwich was great too. There was a little twist to it which I can't exactly identify. As far as my pot pie goes...it was good. Not great. I am more accustomed to a buttery flaky crust and this crust was different so it threw me for a loop. The filling inside was flavored nicely and had lots of chicken.
Overall, I would say that I would come back to this place and recommend it to others. I would prob tell people not to order the hush puppies and also warn them about the pot pie. I was a little disappointed with the service as it started out strong but then was very lacking towards the end. It took a little too long for us to order and for our food to initially come out.
in my last review, I lamented their not having a burger on the menu. Much to my surprise it was a special this time! Yay! It was very good. Not superb, but I certainly did enjoy. Had a very nice grilled artichoke app special, that was great too! Partner had the steak, which was SMALL, but good. Tender. Unfortunately also marinated until QUITE sweet! Way too sweet, I'm afraid. Service was great again, different waitress than before, but just as great. BIG bonus, 1/2 wine bottles, which I think is one of the greatest ideas ever! lol
Was a Tuesday evening, and guess that's always the case, but didn't seem to fill the place, sadly. What is wrong with you Oaklanders???
Ok, so I'd read the reviews, and as 4 stars states "Yay, I'm a fan." BUT, I must qualify this...
The…
Read more »
Great place for dinner before a show. Not many places for a decent casual dining in downtown Oakland. Really barren neighborhood once everyone leaves the office. But unlike the neighborhood, this place is cute and warm. Our dinner was very very good - yummy pot pies, huge wraps, good Mediterranean salad and potato wedges. I thought the prices were very decent. The monstrous veggie wrap with house salad was $7.95, the chicken pot pie $9.95. 1/2 price wine bottles on Tuesday nights :) Can't wait to be back.
I just moved to Oakland and was shocked by the lack of decent places to eat if you live in downtown. I found the menu for this place in the lobby of my apartment and on a lazy day, decided to give it a try.
My first impression was that the menu was a little too "tree-hugger" for me. The menu has icons for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. Great for some people, but not for this guy. The bar tender was the sweetest lady ever and answered all my questions with a smile. Coincidentally, the owners were at the bar when I was there. They are a young couple that was absolutely as friendly as could be. They even let us try a fried calamari dish that she had been working on and hoping to add to the menu.
OK as far as the food:
Sweetness steak: My favorite thing on the menu. A generous portion of hanger steak that has this great fruit "salsa" topping. It is always my fallback order.
Paella: Very unique take on paella. I was very nervous when a yellow curry looking item showed up in front of me. However, it was an absolutely delicious flavor. My favorite part was the lime-coconut sauce. I always hate when I get curry thats way too creamy and heavy. However, this was the perfect consistency.
Monkey Fingers: Ehhh, just your basic chicken tenders. On the small side, but a pretty tasty batter for a cheap appetizer.
Monkey Potatoes: AWESOME!!! Fried slices of potatoes with a great seasoning topping it. I swear I taste a tad of cinnamon in there, but I may be nuts.
By far my favorite place to dine downtown. Friendly service and enviroment, consistent food, and always fast. Tad on the pricey side, but I'll pay any day for this quality of food.
Been back twice since. Ginger lemonade is amazing. So far I have had chicken fingers, a version of hush puppies that were amazing, mac and cheese. Still waiting to try the pot pie and monkey circus dessert...saving for a special occasion ie one in which I can go home and pass out from food coma.
Bear with me on this one, evenutally I will get to the food.
It has monkey in the name, instant star.…
Read more »
Ugh, really did not have a good experience here.
First of all, we had a large party so we tried quite a few dishes, and unfortunately there was no dish that I could wholeheartedly recomend.
The samosas came out and while they were crispy on the outside, they were still frozen on the inside! How long has this place been open? If it were opening night I could excuse them for this, but you would have to imagine they should know how long it takes to at least get the inside of their food defrosted? Yes, they got us new samosa's and explained that they make them there but freeze them in order to maintain their shape, but that didn't make them any less frozen when they first came out.
Secondly, they were out of many of their dishes, which is sad because on a saturday night you would hope they would be stocked up and ready to serve. No lavender lemonade, instead we tried the ginger lemonade, which was much more water than any other ingredient.
The pulled pork tasted like all the moisture was pulled out. Dry dry dry!
We also had the empanadas, which were decent, but for the price...I just can't stomach it. And the peanuts sprinkled w/ salt and seaweed? Should we be paying for this?!?!?!? The list could go on and on...but out of respect for my friend who really likes the owner, I'll stop here.
My review is based on our TO GO order. With that said, I'm unsure about their service (hence, my reason for giving 3 stars and not 4).
I've always passed this place everytime I go to Happy Burrito (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). So my co-workers, my boss and I tried them out. First thing you notice is the gorgeous interior. It had a South American decor and in the middle is a pretty fountain.
We ordered the following:
Claudia O. - BBQ Pork Sandwich
Aaron C. - Mediterranean Wrap
Bob R. - Manito's Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Deana I. - Return of the Mac
Both Claudia (http://www.yelp.com/us...) and Bob said that their sandwiches are good. The roll is fresh and moist; however, Claudia and Aaron did not like the beets. Aaron claimed that the beets made him "sad inside." Aaron said his wrap is "insane" and "the best wrap" he've ever had. I personally think that it's one of the best Mac & Cheese I've had. However, we all agree that it's over-priced. We definitely all want to come back and possibly eat in next time.
As a former fine dining waiter and chef... I'm spellbound. From the front of the house to the back, this place caters with true heart. The food is bright, delicious, and colorful. The service is warm and sincere. I won't go into detail but there was a fluke problem with one of our dishes where my date reacted allergically to an ingredient in her dish. The staff took full responsibility when they really didn't have to. Not only did our waitress comp the dish, she replaced it and then refunded the tip we left on our credit card slip. The gesture was like an arrow through the heart.
Thank you Spice Monkey, Debira, and Bubba! You made a golden impression. I hope to see you for a long time to come.
By the way... try the po-boy fish sandwich with house made beet saurkraut- I've never had one as good.
Cheers,
K
I came here for a light dinner with a friend. Had the grilled cheese with chicken that was very tasty and a bowl of the soup of the day which was also flavorful. My friend had slow pork which was also good and was a sizable portion. Prices are very reasonable, the atmosphere is very nice, good for groups, dates, general hang out. There were some people who also came by themselves and ate at the bar.
Spice Monkey is a beautiful place to come enjoy a meal - and ginger lemonade that is not over gingered.
I had the wrap by G's recommendation and she was spot on! The roasted pepers, and hummus and chicken were delicious. And it was big - I could only eat half. I ordered the monkey potatoes and those were good - but I should have read the reviews I need to come back and try the mac n cheese!
Other lovely things here are the fountain - the sidewalk seating, and the loft space upstairs which has art, and they hold events here, like movie nights and I saw a singles' night flyer!
Ooh OOOOoo Uoo Oh - spice monkey.
Hmmmm. Spicey? Well , not any of the items we had. Monkey? VERY!! this place is really cool. Located in an old tile factory, it's a great place for dinner before a show at the Fox or Paramount. It was quite filling, I had the Mediterranean wrap and hush monkeys. The hush monkeys could have used a honey butter instead of boring ranch dippin sauce. I can't wait to back.
Good flavors, but there were too many little flaws that really damepen your enthusiasm about this place.
The pulled pork sandwich had a great barbecue sauce and it went well with the coleslaw, however a great sauce does not a great pulled pork make. The pork itself felt poorly slow-cooked on a crock pot.
Fish sandwich was also like this, good seasonings but the fish was too soggy and the tartar sauce was not spread out evenly.
Fries were seasoned well but were soggy.
I'm starting to sound like a broken record here.
Too many dishes that could have been downright excellent but they were all flawed.
Good little cafe in Oakland. I've come here a few times after work to meet with friends and other animals for both business and pleasure, and the staff of Spice Monkey have always been very friendly.
I really like their building. It has a very mediterranian feel with a fountain inside on the main floor and mosaic tiles abound the interior with real plants poking in and out.
Decent selection of drinks and a better selection of foods. I usually just order the spice monkey potatoes (their take on potatoe wedges) with a beer (or two) during happy hour.
I tried one of their wheat pizzas but it was a bit odd for me. I wasnt a big fan. The crust was a bit crumbly like a toasted cracker and the feta cheese was too overpowering of the other items on top. Not to mention, it was a tiny thing.
Price wise, they are decent. Not too expensive for what they are serving or their location. Their prices are just right, in my opinion.
I don't understand the name of this restaurant. If you're going to put the word "spice" in your NAME, you may want to look into putting some in the FOOD. Salt is also a popular option, and tends to heighten the FLAVOR. I had to add about a teaspoon of salt to my chicken pot pie and still it never quite came up to "tasty" level. Also: an over-reliance on white pepper does not make a well-spiced pot pie. Had to add salt to the fries too. The dipping sauce was orangeish, but god only knows what made it that color, because it wasn't spice.
Did a survey of the table after we finished our meal and heard "OK" (chicken sandwich), "It was just all right" (paella), "It was...interesting" (veg pizza), "Decent" (salad), and "It was probably good 20 minutes earlier when it was hot" (fish sandwich). How amateurish. You could AT LEAST serve the food hot, even if it's bland and uninspired.
Don't let the decor fool you, this place is your typical Oakland restaurant. The food is very disappointing. As far as I'm concerned, the only places with tasty treats in this part of town, downtown, are the Cock-a-Doodle Cafe, La Vende, the taco truck by Lake Merritt and Fruitvale near International Blvd, and Mama Buzz Cafe. I don't know why there is such a lack of good food in this area. There are more than enough food establishments, but 90% are completely gross.
Spicy Monkey is no exception. I gave this place three tries, and each time I was disappointed. I've ordered the veggie wrap, the veggie pot pie, and a pizza (how hard is it to make a pizza!) and all came out bland and not worth the cost. The food equates to a meal you might have when you visit your 20 yo cousin who is just beginning to learn how to cook. The spices are absent. There's too much reliance on cheese. The food temperature is off.
The staff is extremely friendly, but the food is awful. Save yourself the money and head to Berkeley or Rockridge instead.
2.5 stars.
Good service, great flavoring on their meat.
The breaded snapper and the breaded chicken have a great crispy savory crust and are tender and juicy inside. The salad dressing was also very nicely flavored. (4 stars)
The salad that the chicken came on, however, was pretty boring. The small tomato pieces reminded me of the tomatoes you get in bland airplane salads. If you're going to charge $12.95 for a chicken salad, at least put fresh tomatoes in--or leave them out completely. (2 stars)
The veggie pot pie and the chicken pot pie were okay, not great. Wished the chicken pot pie had more flavor. Speaking of blandness, the Jasmine lemonade or Rose lemonade lacked a basic lemon flavor. I couldn't get myself to finish it. (1.5 stars)
Warning: The past two times I've gone for dinner, they have run out of something. The first time it was chicken pot pie. So, feeling much wiser, the second time we were going to go, I called ahead of time to make sure they had chicken pot pie. I should've called to see if they had bread for their sandwiches. Yup, they really ran out of bread rolls for their sandwiches, a third of their menu (1.5 stars)
The Slow Cooked Pork is to die for here.
My wife swears by the place for lunch, or just a great place to chat with friends on the weekend, but I've only been for dinner.
Really cute place with great service and really tasty food. Plus they are open late, and at weekends (a rarity downtown, which sucks if you life there).
One star off because some of their dishes are a little bland (but still tasty) and they could be a little cheaper.
Before hitting Fox Theater for a concert this past Fri, we knew we wanted to try Spice Monkey, after all the great hype
Reminds me of a get in / get out kind of restaurant - not that we were rushed b/c we weren't at all & in fact we were forgotten by the ONE poor, overrun, waiter in the whole place - it was the setup w/ really close, somewhat uncomfortable wooden tables & seats, surrounding this huge fountain in the middle of the room. Looked really nice at first but became overkill w/ all the people waiting to be seated & standing over our tables.....supported the fact this is not a lounging kind of joint - enjoy your food then get yourself out (which we did)
Started w/ the Hush Monkeys - hush puppies w/ olives & jalapenos (just okay)
Grilled Cheese / Salad Combo for Sis - okay but wished it wasn't on basic white bread - but nice & cheesy w/ Mediterranean Salad as the perfect pairing w/ its bits of Feta
Veggie Pot Pie for me - flavorful but could have used more crust (only thinly covered the top & I'm a crusty kind of girl)
Dessert was a miss for me but a hit for Sis. I got the Monkey Circus - the brownie was really dry & I didn't care for the abundance of fruit it was paired with (apples, blackberries, strawberries, bananas). The caramelized Bananas were awesome though!
Sis got the Strawberry tart - a Phyllo pillow w/ a Strawberry reduction & ice cream. It was outstanding & wish I had opted for that instead!
Overall an OK dinner & a good start to a night of great music
What a gem! I've been excited about this place ever since hearing of its opening, I love the name!! FINALLY checked it out with a group of coworkers for lunch (all new to the place, I was happy to have suggested it).
It's in a historic building with very intricate tile work and design. There's a lovely fountain situated at the entrance and a beautiful staircase that leads to upstairs (available for private parties and rentals).
The menu is fairly extensive and quite diverse offering loads of options for any 'vore or 'tarian. ; ) I had what could possibly be the best veggie pot pie ever! More visits are certainly in the future as I've got lots to sample.
I'm very happy for the owners and wish them much success. I think they have found a really great space that complements their unique and eclectic style perfectly. Great beer selection too!
"You. You got what I need. But you say he's just a friend. But you say he's just a friend." -Biz Markie...story of my life....kinda
And I was served another epic plate of fail off of the Michelle S. dating buffet today. Despite having lurid and hopeful fantasies that I maybe met "the one," I was, once again, wronger than wrong. Since I was a good girl and BARTed/walked to work today (a walk that totals ~5 miles, mind you), I decided that I earned the right to drown my spinster sorrows at a suitable libation station near one of the Oakland BART stops.
Then I decided that I should probably eat too.
Spice Monkey was bookmarked for some time. So, while I sat by myself at the nicely tiled bar, was soothed by the sounds of the indoor fountain, was served by the gracious staff, tried to ignore the couple making out at a nearby table ($#%& YOU! GET A ROOM!) and cried into my cell phone while a close friend tried to console me, I was at least able to drown my sorrows in their fantastic sangria. (As in, legit-fruit-is-brown-from-soaking-in-alcohol-and-t herefore-actually-flavoring-the-wine sangria) I was also comforted by their mac-n-cheese, monkey potatoes, and brownie sundae.
The mac and monkey fries were ok. Not amazing. Other things on the menu sounded good too. I will be back to try the pulled pork sandwich, chicken pot pie, and any one of their ceasar salads. And I will probably be back by myself. This is ok because the servers are so nice that they would be decent enough company.
Seriously guys, if you ever see me with a guy, hit on me anyway. He's probably "just a friend."
Yes this is Pat writing about you. Your monkey fingers and rice pilaf which are my favorites their outstanding. Your hrs are even better for me I work pass 9pm. Thanks for the constant and friendly atmosphere.
Aww.. Another gem in the O.. All around a great dining experience.. I wouldn't say that one thing totally wowed me but I loved the place as a whole..
The ambiance, the comfort food, and the service all gelled together, and gave me another option for my dining pleasure..
Would totally go here on another weeknite.. Prices are great on the wallet....
Yay!!! What a muffiny little place.
Very yummy organic restaurant with a huge selection of vegetarian food...but I'm not...soooo...their steak...is to die for! Don't know why people complained about the fountain in the middle of the place, it is too cute and great ambiance! so what if it takes up a huge amount of floor space. Everything we had was delicious.
Totally chill little place a few blocks up from the main drag of Broadway!
This place has a really cute decor...even though it is tiny, there is a big ole fountain in the middle of it! There is also a fireplace, gorgeous tiles that look possibly North African, and super friendly service here. I really loved the decor. Big decor, small place. I also really liked the super nice waitress's t-shirt that said "I Hella Heart Oakland".
The food was fine. I got a chicken and veggie wrap. There was a whole lot of wrap, that is for sure. I took a few bites that were all wrap with nothing else in it which made me sad. Bunched up wrap with naught else :-(
Pretty decent prices. My sit down lunch, with tip, was about $14, and included a pretty decent plum-ginger lemonade. I would come back but I wouldn't make a special trip out to Oakland to go there. It is fine and the people are nice and the price is pretty reasonable.
I heard mixed reviews of this place which is why after living in Oakland my whole life, and downtown oakland for 3 years, I've only just now tried it a few weeks ago and was very impressed. My friend who works at Kaiser frequently dines here and suggested it for lunch. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun with a burbly mosaiced fountain in the center of the cafe and plants everywhere. The staff were attentive, and I had the Jack Keouac Beet Salad, which , aside from being the worst pun in the world, still tasted good. The food here is nothing incredibly special, but it is tasty, fresh and offers a nice variety of vegan and vegetarian sandwiches. My friend swears they have the best Cobb Salad, and I can vouch for their grilled veggie wrap.
And the best part about it? It's a restauarant....downtown....that is open on MONDAY NIGHTS! Gasp.
I have scoured all over downtown Oakland along with my fellow Oakland residents, and we have still not found another place that is open for dinner on Monday nights. Coach sushi, Chef Edwards, Pho 84, and most delivery places too are all CLOSED. Which is incredibly frustrating.
Thanks, Spice Monkey!
The stunning historic Howden building, with its unique black and orange tile skin, is what I noticed first. Spice Monkey used to be the showroom for Howden Tiles, which are still made elsewhere in Oakland. The restaurant space is warm and inviting, and Kanitha, the owner, is always on site and is very friendly and welcoming. I ordered The Town Fish Sandwich with a special Caesar salad. Both were excellent, and while the quanities were reasonable, I could have chowed down on at least one more plateful! I also enjoyed a refreshing glass of iced Buddha Blend green tea - perfect! Before you leave, check out the arts & crafts architectural details - they're very rare. And thank Kanitha for supporting community cultural institutions, such as the Oakland Museum of California!
Spice Monkey see
-lone waiter during rush lunch hour covering all the tables both upstairs and downstairs, running up and down said stairs like Rocky training for the big fight
-me getting back to work late and being told to take a 1/2 day vacation because of my extended lunch
-smaller portions then my first visit (4 potatoes w/ my wrap?)
Spice Monkey do
-not ask me if I want a refill on my lavender lemonade and then charge me for it
-put chicken in my Mediterranean wrap when I order it
-take both charges off the bill (thank you)
I heart Spice Monkey!
I had a friend in town, and I was trying to find a not too expensive place to…
Read more »
What a cute place! We came here for dinner with friends - two of whom are vegetarian, one with a gluten allergy, and the rest meat eaters. I'm excited to say that this is a restaurant that will make everyone happy.
We all started with the shared hush monkeys and the monkey potatoes - good stuff. Enjoyed a few beers, a good Malbec and some lavender lemonade too - which is pretty good and not super sweet.
The carnivores had the steak, the pork plate and the chicken pot pie -- good marks for all. The veggies ate the veggie pot pie -- really delicious and filling.
The gluten free eater had a beet salad that looked yummy - but there lies my only complaint. They brought out the salad, which is advertised as gluten free on the menu, with two big pieces of toasted baguette on the plate! Our gluten-phobic friend had to send it back because any crumbs on her food will mean serious health problems.
Everything else was enjoyable, though the service was a bit clunky. They did let us stay half hour past closing though as we finished up our late dinner... We'll definitely be back again.
Why is that fountain so big? It takes up so much room in an already small restaurant.
My food was mediocre and expensive.
While I appreciate the veggie/vegan options, and the location I found it fairly meh and was surprised by all the positive yelp reviews.
Also, for a place called Spice Monkey my friend and I could find nary a hint of spice in any of our food, very bland...
We did however, show up for a used record sale upstairs where I walked away with a pretty excellent Motown Christmas Album.
Came here with a friend and we both had the empanadas which were yummy as appetizers. I ordered a medditeranean wrap which was good and my partner had the steak with mango saucer i think it was called . big plus for having good beer on tap . also real charming inside with a fountain in the middle
Great service and great food. The food is carefully prepared, tastes really fresh and there's so much flavor in every dish. I especially like the beets salad, steak dish, and samosas. Would definitely come back!
I love this place! Great ambiance, great customer serivce,awesome owners! My frist and only experience here at Spice Monkey blew my mind away. They were just about closed on a tuesday night and they still served me. I got the VIP treatment. I got to meet the owners aswell and they were probably the nicest restuarant owners I've ever met. I would come here more often but I live so far away. I'll try to come around the Oakland area more often. Once again this place is ggrreeaatt....
How can you not love Spice Monkey. A bazillion X improvement from Sabina.
The food is fresh, honest, and delicious. The drinks are great and the staff is ultra friendly. Kanita (sp?) is the nicest owner ever and she really deserves a loyal, local clientele.
We need more places like this everywhere and especially in Oakland. If you live in Oakland, you HAVE TO patronize this joint! It's doing all the things people always say they would do but never actually follow through with.
Kudos for good service, food, venue and karma.
HAPPY HOUR!
One of the new favorite from the Entrez's team. First of all I have to say, we only do take out, which helps a lot with getting a good experience there.
The fish sandwich ranks high, as do the Monkey Cobb and Grilled Cheese.
Building and decor are really cool, but it is true it can get really busy, even to just access the counter and get your take-out out. We also did have some so so times with the person in charge of taking orders on the phone.
Overall though, a great place to have a healthy lunch in the neighborhood.
Neighborhood: Downtown Oakland
Category: Brazilian
Neighborhood: Lower Hills
Category: Mediterranean
Neighborhood: Downtown Oakland
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Old Oakland
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Jack London Square
Category: Indian
If you love local businesses, exploring new places…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Various places where we've found outstanding &…
Restaurants, bars, and other spots in the greater…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
There's lots to do in and around the Grand Lake…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
