Monk’s Pub

Good beer menu but they don’t make a lot of regular cocktails which almost all other places do. Staff seemed indifferent and not very prompt.

Great dive bar! Awesome beer selection, fun specials! Free peanuts! Also, I love the buffalo cauliflower wings!

For all the good things I’d heard I can’t say I left impressed.
Grabbed lunch with co-​workers and yes, they do have an exhaustive beer list! I was more excited to try the burgers. Decided on the popper burger (cream cheese, jalapenos, onion rings). I liked it, but it wasn’t anything special.
Knocked a star off for the attitude towards credit cards. We had four people and we had to convince the server to let us split four ways. «It costs us money each time we run a card.» Well yes, you and every other business in the world!!! Go cash only if it’s such a big deal. Also, it’s downtown Chicago, not a small neighborhood or something. You should probably just accept credit cards and not make such a fuss about it.

Came here for lunch on a Friday afternoon. This places was packed. Still was able to get sat right away. You’d think that it would take a long time to get your drinks ordered. Not one bit. They were definitely on top of everything. I ordered a beer and «The Chili Beer Cheese Burger» and was extremely messy. Just like I expected. With a medium rare burger patty and very sloppy delicious chili cheese. I also ordered my fries with chili cheese for a little extra. And they forgot to put it on. So the waitress brought some for no charge. Now that’s great service. Without a doubt I’d come back again. Also they’re beer selection is amazing.

I love Monk’s Pub. I used to live in the loop and this was my go-​to stop. It is fashioned after a German monastery, so the décor has lots to look at. The burgers and beer are tasty, and I only had to wait for a table once – during the Hawks rally ’10. I have brought several friends and family members on different occasions, and they always love it too.

A very delightful warm place. Always great service, great food, and an awesome rotating beer selection.
Food: Tried a handful of their dishes, but always come back for the burgers. They’re giant half pound burgers that hit the spot. My favs are the Black & Blue and the Smokehouse. The only burger I wasn’t a fond of was the Chili Beer-​Cheese burger, which was messier than I expected and just too busy with the flavors.
Drinks: You will never bore of their beer selection. A+ grade from a beer snob. Period.
Service: The manager is the role model of excellent service. She’s warm and welcoming no matter how busy it gets. She makes you feel like you’re an old friend coming to her house for a visit. Birds of a feather flock together. Bartenders and the servers are just as attentive and friendly. Finally the kitchen staff. I’ve never seen them but I tip my hat to them. In the many times I’ve been there, even at the busiest of times, I’ve never had to wait long for the food. In fact, you’ll be surprised how quick you can get a delicious fair priced burger downtown.
I highly recommend this place and will be a patron here for years to come. Great job Monks!

the place is dirty and dark which maybe an English pub should be I the day. there are peanuts all around and the service was atrocious as they likey only cater and kiss ass to larger groups than individuals. Aside from that this actually is a classic Chicago downtown bar that is not so luxurious and I would give it a better ranking but the place is ridiculously over-​crowded even for a Tuesday and the bartender was about as friendly as a concentration camp guard. The beer is also tremendously over-​priced but this could be due to insane liquor and entertainment taxes.

Oldest dive bar in the Loop. Is that actually true? Well, I don’t know but it has been around FOREVER. When lifers at my job talk about Monk’s back in the day it’s like serious reminiscing. This place is always packed too. Always. But I’ve never had a problem getting a table after a few minutes. It’s next to the office so it has quickly become the go-​to «let’s get a drink after that 10-​hour meeting we just sat through». They have a robust beer list with lots on tap. They’ve got a ton of spirits to choose from too and as long as you have good whiskey at your dive bar, we’re good!
I finally did try a little bit of the food too during a co-worker’s going away event. The buffalo cauliflower wings are basically smothered in something like Frank’s Red Hot so you can barely taste the vegetable you’re eating and the loaded tots were pretty darn loaded. I didn’t taste the cheese curds but everyone said they were great.
If you’re allergic to nuts stay away! There are peanuts everywhere… crack the shell, toss it on the floor, eat peanuts, repeat.

Fun for happy hours, but crazy crowded. Food is meh. Huge beer selection. Decent place to grab a drink/​nachos after work, but wouldn’t eat dinner here. Service is really great though!

Stopped in about 9:00 last night with a few friends. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE service. The waiter never even talked to us, just stared at us until we ordered, then served us in the CAN beer… can beer, really? Just came from another bar, had the same beer, in bottles. Can beer… hmm. Anyway, horrible horrible service. When the bar bill came to our table, again NO comment from the waiter, no smile, nothing. We asked if we could have more than one check and blurted out NO.
So, we look at the bill and there is an automatic 17% gratuity added!!! WHY??? I think gratuity should be discretionary based on the level of service and hospitality and interest shown by the wait staff… in this case, NONE. Maybe that’s why it was automatically added, because otherwise this poor excuse for a waiter wouldn’t make ANY TIPS!!!
Get with it. Maybe this dump will be torn down soon and a nice highrise put up in its place… otherwise, not worth the time of this review!
I live in the neighborhood and will NEVER step foot in that dump again.

Great beer and great food. Serves mainly burgers and sandwichs. Open late unlike most places in Chicago.

I went here last Thursday lunchtime to watch the second half of a soccer game. I asked the bartender if he could put on the relevant channel and he abruptly said he had no idea if they carried the channel or not. I asked if he wouldn’t mind checking to which he responded that if it was for soccer there was no way he would put it on. I asked him why and he said he just wasn’t going to put it on. I understand that soccer isn’t to everyone’s taste, however there didn’t appear to be anybody watching the regurgitated ESPN highlights so I doubt anybody would have minded.
Far worse, however, were the bartender’s manners or lack of. If its policy of the bar not to put on soccer then that could have explained to me in a polite manner. If it was just the bartender’s policy then that’s something completely different. I work weekends as a bartender myself, I would never treat a customer with such disdain.
Working so close to here, Monday to Friday, would have made Monks an ideal place to get lunch on a regular basis as well as a couple of drinks after work from time to time.
That will not be the case, however. I will not be back.

Monk’s is what it is more or less by a quirk of geography: the Loop isn’t the best place in the world to go for affordable food and drinks after 5PM, when all the workers clear out. By necessity, it has to cater to a lot of the tourist crowd, and so the atmosphere tends to be loud and the service a bit over-​unctuous. The food is okay; the burgers are good, and while there’s better ones to be had in almost any neighborhood in the city, if you were in any other neighborhood, you wouldn’t have to go to Monk’s, get me? The biggest saving grace is a truly gigantic beer list with rotating taps and a vast selection of bottles. Not someplace to go often by choice, but as an after-​movie or theater stop, it’s pretty good.

This place is the jam! Amazing beer selection and a fantastic group of bartenders and servers who are each kickass! Honestly, this is my new go to happy hour spot. Huge beers, huge food portions, great times. Really enjoy it. Go and enjoy. Trust.

This place is a blast.
Went here with a few friends for a drink after work and was not disappointed in the place. Apparently it has recently re-​opened after renovations had been made. Inside it feels like a true tavern/​pub with the interior, decorations, and all other aspects of the place.
Drinks are reasonably priced and a good selection. Also, if getting a mixed drink, if you get the right bartender (who’s name I’ll keep quiet) will give you a bit more than the standard, which is always nice.
Overall good customer service, though it can be a hit or miss depending on everything.
Also a fun thing they have is free peanuts. You eat them, then pitch the shells on the floor. It is a bit crunchy but always fun. This is a great place to go for a quick happy hour or for a few drinks to start the evening.

Came to Monk’s with zero expectations. The place looked like a dump on the outside, and was hoping to just grab a quick pint.
Quick service, and free peanuts, not a bad a start.
Pleasantly surprised with the deep beer selection, and ended up staying for a few, even grabbing a bite to eat. Burger was stellar, and came out with a heaping pile of loaded tots! These fried morsels of potato goodness, covered in cheesy sauce with jalapeños was the perfect food to go along with my beverage of choice that night. Probably not the best choice for all you calorie counters out there, but it sure hits the spot.
Definitely bookmarked on Unilocal.Will come again.

I came back for another session today, this time trying something from their food menu: chili, at $ 4 cup/​$ 5 bowl, with cheese or sour cream $ 1 extras. This proved to be a pretty conventional ground beef and bean red chili, with a fair amount of sting. Okay but not particularly memorable.
And another flight of four drafts:
— Three Floyds Cimmerian Berserker Pale Ale. 9% ABV. Cloudy gold, light head. Minimal nose, but intense bittering hop taste, more in the IPA range.
— Saugatuck Snow Wizard Barrel-​Aged Brown Ale. 7.4%. Clear reddish-​brown, light head, light malty nose. Sweet malt taste, with a definite allspice note.
— Pig Minds Joe Daddy Imperial Coffee Stout. 8.5%. Opaque dark brown, light head. Nose is roast malt and coffee, with a hint of ethanol. Strong bitter coffee and roast malt taste.
— Penrose Tripel. 8.5%. Little nose. Taste is perfumy, sweet malt, a hint of antihistamine, ethanol rising to a flavor element, and a slight yeast note.
Concerning transit access, I noticed today that there is an even closer entrance to the Clark/​Lake Blue Line station, at the northeast corner of Lake and Wells, diagonally across from Monk’s.

Wow! The beer is awesome and so were the appetizers! The service was very knowledgeable and gave us great recommendations. It was lively for Thursday night and filed with locals, which is always a great sign. I need to go back for a meal though.

Belgium beer is my favorite. It’s not cheap but so worth it! Great sandwiches. The hummus appetizer is good. The real star of the show is the beers

I came here on a Friday nigiht with a friend. We were hungry but wanted to stay in the Loop. We were literally just walking around the city when we came upon the huge wooden doors with big brass handles. We entered and immediately decided we were in the right place.
Dark, dark woods. Bookshelves with fake books (reminded me of Gatsby) and peanut shells all over the floor. Yes, all over the floor. There is a distinct and audible crunch-​crunch-​crunch when anyone walks in this place. I definitely recommend wearing real shoes (i.e. not flip flops) when walking around here.
We got seated right away and ordered some drinks. I got the Ten Ninety /​Polyanna Imperial Black Saisson just becuase it had a 10.8 ABV. It was amazing. My friend got a gin and tonic — no complaints from her. While we were waiting for our food we munched on peanuts and threw the shells on the floor — it was immensely satisfying.
We ordered burgers and an appetizer. To start, we had the Loaded Tots — or tater tots topped with cheese sauce, bacon, and jalapenos with a side of sour cream. It was delicious when I was mostly sober so I can only imagine how satisfying this would taste at the end of a night.
For burgers, we both ordered the Black and Bleu and completely devoured them. I swear, there is nothing better than a good burger covered in bleu cheese. It was everything I wanted that evening.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed my experience here. Located a little off the beaten path but so worth it.