The Blind Monk

Nothing but good experiences. The menu always delivers good food for the prices and they have a great selection of beer! The staff is always friendly and welcoming too, just an added bonus for cheap eats and a nice little hole in the wall atmosphere!

It’s just not my kind of place but it’s a really popular hang-​out. I just find it too noisy as the music is way too loud. Even our server came to ask us if it was too loud and turned it down only to have one of the owners crank it back up about 10 minutes later. You almost have to shout at your friends to be heard. There are also TVs all over. Furniture is basic and sofas are obviously well-​worn and long past replacement date. Food is average. The fish and chips are not worth the price but I should have known better than to order fish and chips here as they use frozen and then batter it up. Frozen pre-​cooked battered fish would have been better. Some of the food items are done well. I’ve only ever been there late night and it takes a long time for food to be served once ordered (at least 30 – 40 minutes) as I was told that there is only one person manning the kitchen. Unless this is already your or your friends hang-​out place I wouldn’t go there unless it’s late night and you want somewhere where the kitchen is open late. Servers are friendly and as efficient as it gets when the food is finally ready from the kitchen. I’ve heard there is live music but have never been there for that. The several times I’ve been is because it’s one of my friend’s haunt and we’re there after 11 p.m. and the kitchen is still open. It’s street parking.

Golden Tee machine not connected to Internet so wasted $ 20. Issue not resolved at all. Will not go back.

I went here yesterday with a colleague to play some Golden Tee and grab a bite and some drinks. After we put $ 20 in the machine it was noticed the machine wasn’t connected to the Internet and as such we couldn’t play a live game (the whole reason we went there in the first place). We let our waitress know and she got the bartender over and he said that’s too bad, but couldn’t do anything about it. All it would have taken was to take $ 20 off our bill to rectify the situation and we would have stayed and had a bunch of drinks and food, but they didn’t so we left and went to Watchman’s Pub for a great night instead.

I have gone to The Blind Monk five or 6 times because it’s close to my office. Today’s visit was par for the course.
The server most often comes in a few minutes to get our drink orders and drop off the menus. The drinks come and the food orders isn’t taken. About 15 minute later the waitress arrives and takes our lunch order and we enjoy our beverages. I guess it’s a good thing to have a lot of time to chat with my lunch partner because the food takes a very long time to arrive, no matter how many tables are full (in today’s case 5).
Today I had the fish and chips and it was decent. Crispy fish and average fries and I finished about half of it. My friend had a pizza and said the crust was terrible but finished the toppings and a tiny bit of the crust.
The usual issue (though maybe a bit less today) is getting the bill and paying to go. One time I waited 35 minutes after finishing and asked 4 times for the interact machine. Today it was about 10 minutes get the bill and machine and is likely the shortest I have waited.
Haven’t been on a weekend and hear it can be fun with live music. I just hope that the service is a bit faster during that time.

Not sure what went wrong. I’ve been the the blind monk before, had decent service, and not been made to feel unwelcome.
Yesterday however, from the time we walked in a group of 6 girls we were stared at, the couches were free so we went and sat over there. A man came over and said girls dont usually come in here so what was out deal…
My cousin is getting married so we came for drinks after seeing her dress at the designers.
The waitress was … hopefully new… as she took ½ the tables drink order, ran off, came back took the other half’s order.
One girl wanted to order tacos, so the waitress said hold on I need to get paper to write that down… seriously? the bar was dead, and you have to leave to get paper to re-​take the order.
the tacos came out cold. she brought side plates as we ordered cheese dip too (the closest thing to nachos) tacos as i said were cold, we asked about that, she said they should be warm, then came back and said no they are supposed to be cold… i guess she wasnt sure3 herself, but she did tell us shed had them and they are usually warm?
very confusing.
after that she never came around again, our drinks were empty, but we were not offered to order new ones. we had to chase her down for the bill.
and while the one girl was still eating, she took away the cheese dip (even though it wasnt finished) and that girls side plate and no one elses… very strange indeed.
I wont be going back if i can help it. I don’t need to be made to feel bad for being a girl and going into a bar.

My and my fella frequent the Blind Monk because we literally live within stumbling distance.
They’ve got couches, lots of TVs, they change the channel to Junior Hockey when we ask. Wing nights are on Tuesdays (most other places it’s Wednesday), which is just plain neat. The specials always work out in our favour.
The service is good for us because our servers know us now. Back when we were new the service was less great. We’ve also noticed that we get better service inside than we do on the patio.
The prices are pretty reasonable, but you get what you pay for. Whatever, I love the Blind Monk! It’s an endearing spot.

Went in this past Sunday for a little hangover breakfast and Burlesque Brunch. Was initially very excited to catch a little entertainment with my eggs, but in my opinion the burlesque troupe would fare better with a different location. Here’s why!
Now, I have to say that I was a server for 8 years while in college, so I’m very, very forgiving when it comes to service. We’ve all had bad days and sometimes getting into a good groove with your tables is hard. That being said, our server was MISERABLE!!! She didn’t say hi, didn’t offer refills and seemed to be pissed to be there in general. And we’re super fun, easy going people, and also really easy to please! I had 3 caesars, the first didn’t have garnish but the last two did. The vodka in those drinks were the only saving grace!
Moving on to the brunch, abysmal would be the word for it. Again, none of us at the table are picky eaters. I ordered a 2 egg breakfast with bacon and white toast. The bacon was almost raw (I had requested crisp), the eggs for me were ok, and my toast was completely untoasted on one side. Furthermore their hashbrowns were just french fries cut into smaller bits and barely fried, they were ghost white and anemic looking. It was kind of sad, really! My friend ordered eggs benny, wasn’t asked how she would like her eggs and they came out poached hard.
All in all, this was a crap excuse for brunch and an absolutely forgettable experience. I’d come back for an event, but would never in a million years suggest it as an option for brunch or even a night out.

Went there with a small team of people. All of us ordered beers. I like their beer selection, though not the best selection (and that is the only reason it is a 2 star). The waitress forgot to bring one of the beer orders. I ordered wings and dry ribs. The wings came, the dry ribs did not, yet it was still on the bill. The atmosphere was ok, but I’m no longer recommending that our team goes there after our meetings.

I’ve been here a few times, mostly for drinks but I’ve tried their pizza before which was pretty good.
There are tons of TV’s located strategically, and good drink specials. I’ve never seen it too busy, but I enjoy having a reliable place to go for a few drinks or watch a game where you know you’ll get a table and be able to see a TV, so that will always keep me coming back.
The prices are good, they have great food and drink specials and a decent enough selection of beer. The service there has always been really good, the servers are accommodating and friendly and on the ball.
Tip: the bathroom signs are a socket and a plug, since the first bathroom sign I looked at it was the socket (the «ladies») I just thought it was a happy face… it would have made more sense if I saw the plug first, but just a tip in case you’re looking for the bathroom.

The Good:
–It’s across the street from my house (this benefit may not apply to you)
–They have large pint glasses and reasonable drink specials
–Comfy couches and chairs are good for relaxing with friends
The Bad:
–The food is so very average, lacks seasoning, and is low quality
–Service is inconsistent… sometimes really good, sometimes forgettable
The Ugly:
–This is not a place where you go for eye candy. Clientele is mostly male, hanging with their buddies, drinking and watching the game. There also appears to be a lot of people that smoke — namely the cooks. I don’t know about you, but watching some guy in chef’s whites smoke out front, then go into the back to make my meal, kind of makes me want to vomit.
Bottom line:
–Keep your expectations moderate and focus on liquid delights

Took a burger loving friend there for a birthday lunch. The service was great as was the food. Best was watching the birthday boy try and eat the double burger. It was huge.

Was there for an event and it was good. Hot wings were yummy and price very reasonable.
Friendly staff, a good spot to go to with friends.

Spent the evening tonite at an event which was held in The Blind Monk. I have never been to this venue, and was really impressed tonite.
There was lots of room — great for a group. We were expecting 20 — 50 in our group, and as people arrived, there was no problem finding tables/​chairs to include them.
The owners of the venue were more than helpful & supportive of the event. The staff was personable and visited tables frequently for food & drink orders. Food was prepared quickly and was good.
There was a wing special tonite, and many people ordered, enjoyed & reordered wings! The Thursday special was the Steak burger. My husband ordered this, decided not to order a 2^nd patty… and still when the burger arrived it was almost 5 inches tall! Tasted awesome!
I enjoy spinach dip and enjoyed their rendition! Served warm with pita pieces & nacho chips. Took me awhile to eat the generous portion, but I did finish every bite!
Several in our group ordered the 7-​layer dip — it looked great!
Live music started at about 9:30 (or so — didn’t check my watch). Don’t know the group, but the 2 guys were great. They had a few of our people dancing, at a Tweetup, on a Thursday! #thumbsup!
Food & drink prices were reasonable. Parking was okay to find. Staff was friendly. Had a great evening. My husband and I would be happy to return anytime!

3.5 STARS. Many will like this place. (1) Plenty of drink and food specials throughout the week (check their website) (2) Lots of TVs to watch stuff (3) Living Room style arrangement of comfortable chairs and couches (4) A smoking pit outside for the smokers. So if this is what you are seeking, enjoy The Blind Monk. Also noticed several tipsy people exiting one night — a young lady, for example, hurling and spewing behind her vehicle in front of The Monk. The boyfriend, presumably, held her purse and asked her to be more discrete about the matter. True Story.