Monk's Café

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5

What establishment can possibly score a 5.0 on every point - only Monk's! And that's pretty much all that needs to be said, but let me also interject that it's not just Monk's - it's Tom Peters! Chimay on draft! Their own house beer! Where else? Belgium? This guy does it all - I'd say he breaks his balls but I think he enjoys it WAY TOO MUCH for that. It's what he's about. That should be enough to get your ass over there. Even if you have to drive from Maine... plan to show up during the week and enjoy some of the finest Belgian cuisine and the biggest selection of Belgian beers in the area!

07-16-2002 18:34:25 | More by NeroFiddled

frank4sail

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5

What can I say... this place is my church. I have never had a bad time here. The food is always consistant and good.. you must get the mussles and fries and a burger.. The burger is on a LaBus roll (awesome). The beer selection is second to none.. When entering put your name in at the podium and then go to the back ber... very quaint and the staff is knowledgable.

Tom will go out of his way to help a customer and to get a beer to the US just for you. If you like Belgian Beer this place will knock your socks off. It is not cheap... but for the city it is a great value. I know for a fact the beer engine is clean as a whistle. It is a "beer advocate" kind of place.

07-23-2002 08:26:18 | More by frank4sail

jrancan

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5

Prior reviewers have pretty much said it all, but I thought I might as well throw my 2 cents in. Of the countless times I've been here, I have never had a problem with either the exceptional food or outstanding beer. Although the taps are usually reserved for hard to find Belgian's, July brought about the tapping of 7 or 8 great American selections, Arrogant Bastard, J.W. Lee's Brooklyn Best Bitter (cask), Rogue Double Incinerator, Tupper's Hop Pocket etc. Outstanding!!
The one small issue I have is the crowds, but I guess that's what happens when a place this good comes along.

08-22-2002 11:03:09 | More by jrancan

beersheppard

Texas

5/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

Atmosphere: Dark, the place is crowded and cramped, but it is the best bar in Philly. I reccommend a Sunday night if you don't like the crowds.

Quality: The finest beers from Belgium, the US, and around the world. The owner Tom ensures that the beer list is phenomenal. Once, I was in there and the "Beer Bible" listed three casks of beer from a defunct brewery that the owner loved so much that he made sure he bought up the very last of their product. Things like that are not unusual at Monks. The owner, for years, has taken his vacations in Belgium and has established amazing connections in the country. He is regarded as the foremost Belgium beer expert in the US.

Service: The servers and bartenders know there stuff and are always helpful when selecting from the plethora of beers. My favorite is the bartender with the white hair.

Selection: Hundreds of beers specializing in Belgiums, nonpareil.

Food: Is excellent as well. Great burgers, sandwiches, and entrees. The mussels are amazing.

Value: The beers are a little on the expensive side, but you can't find that kind of selection anywhere. Well worth the money. The alpha and omega of the Philly beer bar world. I have since moved away from the area and I miss it dearly.

08-04-2008 04:39:11 | More by beersheppard

iuhoosier336

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

What a great place. First off, the food is amazing, I had the trout sauteed in Sasion Dupont which was great. Every knows this place is the best beer bar in Philly and there's really no doubt about it. The have a very wide selection including some very good Belgiums, their specialty. The service is great, everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable. There are two bars which could be a little bigger but not much room here to complain. There's one in the front which a little more social and one in the back which is also usually packed on Fridays and Saturdays. There are some good beers for cheap there but for the ones that are hard to find you may be paying a bit more. All around a great great bar that can never really let you down. If you're looking for something new to try give Monk's a shot, its a great place.

04-03-2009 22:36:27 | More by iuhoosier336

RockAZ

Arizona

5/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

Rodenbach Grand Cru American Release Day during the Craft Beer week 2005 and a few times since.

The first trip there was a quick lunch and a pint, but I came back with a posse and we were there to see what Tom was hiding in his cellar. $800 bar tab well spent between the four of us, and the food was great. Had a lot of unusual bottles that had just been recently acquired from a purchase in Belgium, the Rodenbach was awesome and welcomed back after many years lost to the US. Great people at Monks, top level seafood, and just a great Cafe all around.

The rest of the night is a blur, was already checked into a hotel in NJ that I knew early on that I was not going to make it back to so I sensibly checked into some hotel around 7pm that I forgot where it was by midnight and finally checked into a third at about 4am,.... Good times, good times.

12-20-2012 00:28:47 | More by RockAZ

jreitman

California

4.95/5  rDev +14.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5

A great bar in the center of Philadelphia. Monk's specializes in Belgium brews and will not dissappoint with their selection. Their beer "bible" is pretty sizable and the staff very knowledgeable. If you go, you must try their french fries... some of the best I have ever had. The back bar is definitely more cozy and inviting than the front, but if you are with friends and want a table, the front section is your best bet. Bottom line...if you are in Philadelphia and like belgium brews (or want to experiment with them), you MUST stop at Monk's.

04-16-2002 09:10:51 | More by jreitman

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +14.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

What an absolute slice of heaven. This was a truly *remarkable* experience!!! Never in my life have I seen a selection of Belgian Beers like this before. Even the collection of American micros is absolutely unparallel! The closest thing I have ever seen is Zeno’s in State College but this atmosphere is much more classy. This place has the seating spread out and a front bar and back bar so everything feels cozy but it’s capacity is larger than the eye would suggest. Still, it is not a large place and the homebrew club nearly filled the back bar.
What you see: Lots of wood. The floor and walls it is all rustic dark wood and paneling and lots of Belgian Breweriana. The real thing you want to see is their "Beer Bible" or the beer menu. Goodness! I had to bow my head and pray. It is ridiculous. AWESOME! But ridiculous! Bottles must number well over a hundred and a dozen taps, many Belgian. If only I lived close by …
This is my second experience with Monk’s though my first rip there. I met Tom Peters at the seminar in State College and sampled several of their dishes that are cooked with beer. The food may cost a little more than some other places but it is the best you’ll find, so it is still very reasonable. Try many dishes prepared with beer. The staff seemed incredibly knowledgeable and the helpful. So the service the selection and the food are all perfect reasons to visit. Not to mention everything is of the utmost quality. We had a cellared Old Engine Oil Special Reserve (Aged In Malt Whiskey Casks) a beer that you can’t even find anymore. Not to mention the Russian River “Temptation!” There is not one reason, not to make it to Monk’s Café!

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

10-04-2006 21:06:46 | More by Phatz

Yetiman420

Ohio

4.94/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

In early June ’07 I was in Philly on business and had the opportunity to visit Monk’s (second and third times), Triumph Brewing, Eulogy, and City Tavern. This order is how I rank the tour and I’ve provided reviews separate reviews in BA for each.

It was a Sunday and Monday evening that I found myself at Monk’s for a second and third time. On Sunday, I visited the back bar and enjoyed a couple of tap Belgian’s and a bottled Russian Imperial Stout from a Nordic country. The $20 6oz bottle of 1993 Courage Russian Imperial Stout was so tempting I returned the next evening to pull the trigger in the front bar. While both bars have the same bottle selection, the front bar has a more domestic focus on the taps.

I give Monk’s a high rating for the following reasons:

- Well organized “beer bible.” With a ton of beers to choose from, they organize it by brewery and style which I find helpful.

- Amazingly knowledgeable staff. The bar back (young guy cleaning glasses) was able to tell me Grand Cru is not a style but the premier beer from a brewery. I questioned him on Russian Imperial Stouts and he gave me solid answers. He also said it was very hard to get a job there. A very modest guy who was a pleasure to chat with.

- Off-the-beaten-path means that the majority of people are there for a reason – the great beer

- Unisex bathrooms

06-25-2007 20:45:08 | More by Yetiman420

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.94/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I've heard so much about this place. I was finally able to visit Phily, and I literally went straight from the airport to here. I was not disappointed.

Atmosphere: small, cozy tavern in the city. dark. now I thought the small size would be terrible for such a popular place, but surprisingly on the 2 weekend night that i was there it was quite tame. there is no loud music, and the patrons are friendly and passive. its perfect.

Service: extremely knowledge and helpful

Quality/Selection: BEST. BEER. LIST. EVER. simply put, it has tons and tons of rare Belgians and American craft beers. The draft list is on the small size, but it makes up for it in quality. there were way too many beers here that I wanted to try.

didn't try the food, but heard its amazing.

Value: rare beers are nicely priced. really rare beers are really expensive, but thats expected.

p.s. russian river in the East coast....can't be beat.

10-18-2011 00:49:28 | More by AdamBear