Praying Monk

I hate Scottsdale. I love Germany and this is where I need to be. I wasn’t expecting it but it knocked me off my feet with the food and blew me away with the beer. I will be back.

According to Chow Bella, Aaron Mays’ Praying Monk has closed. RIP. It goes on to report that a BBQ joint is taking over the space. The new people plan to be open in 4 – 6 wks…
ARRGH! Where will I go to get my Cuban sandwich fix?

We stumbled upon this gem while strolling through Olde Town looking for a place to grab a bite to eat and a drink. They had a pretty big selection of beers, and even some flights to try out a few of them. They also have a specialty drink, a Monk Mule, which came in a copper mug and was pretty tasty. The food selection was small, but they had tasty small plate options.
They have a great Happy Hour, a great atmosphere and our bartender was really nice and never let our drinks go dry! They also have a nice outdoor patio area with outdoor seating.

This place has great beer. Period. Don’t go there looking for American brews you’d find at 7 – 11, though. This is for beer lovers.
Food selection is small, but very well done. I recommend the korean fried chicken, and for starters, the pretzel.
Bartender there, however, was terrible. I sat for 3 minutes waiting for him to acknowledge me, even though he was right in front of me. When my friend arrived, she waited for 5 minutes until I lost patience and asked if she could see the drink menu. She asked him some questions about the beers and he seemed clueless. I expect that at a specialty beer bar that the bartenders would actually know about the beers they serve.
Food service was excellent. Jeff took great care of us, and IMOP would make an excellent bartender. His knowledge of the beers they carry was very good.
All in all, I will keep coming back because of the fun food and great beer selection. But I won’t tolerate being ignored by the bartender ever again.

I like what they have done with this place. It looks great. I cant wait to come here and eat. Now, I was only here for the Happy Hour which is sufficiently big, even if it doesnt dip into the real interesting beverages that this establishment has. (Out of cost reasons, I understand.)
/​Beverages
Some really interesting beers from Belgium, and other cool places. The selection is impressive to me. Other beverages that is recommended is the Monks Mule, a fairly basic quality Moscow Mule mix but with the in house flavored cucumber vodka. Tasty to say the least.
/​Grub
I had some chicken and some taters that was tasty, even if a bit overpriced. I heard about the house alternative to the classic hot wings, was the hot fried cauliflower — not my cup if tea. The presentation was great, but tastewise it is only cauliflower. Nothing new under the moon.
/​Service
They are doing well in this department. The people behind the bar knows what they are doing and being curtious doing it. I find that is where I lay the bar and they pass.
Overall, it’s not a place I will become a regular. but it is a place I will come back to.

When I walked in to praying monk I instantly fell in love. the décor was beautiful, reclaimed wood allover and a nice bar right in the center. Which is where we decided to sit. The bartenders were awesome, they took some tim and talked with us about their specials and what beers they liked, really genuine. Our drinks were perfect. We order a few apps but the stand out for me was the mac and cheese, its the best I have ever had wow. We finished our drinks n the little side patio which is really cool and intimate.
Great service and drinks, we will be back very soon.

As a non beer drinker it is nice to find a pub that places as much emphasis on its food as its beverages. The menu contains items that have just the right amount of creativity and comfort. Well done Mr. May.

I had the pleasure of doing Beer School here with a few other friends. The chef came out and presented each dish that was prepared with the beer. Every course was delicious, plentiful, creative, and it was so obvious that the chef cared a lot about his work.
We had:
–French fries with truffle oil ketchup (amazing!) and mayonnaise
–Chicken with potatoes served with a purée that was made with the carcass of the chicken. It was so rich and was reminiscent of a stew; it was very much comfort food but the presentation was elegant and interesting.
–Lamb served on top of herb spatzle. Fresh herbs had been cooked into the spatzle and then were also chopped and put on top.
–Apple struedel for dessert!
Every course was paired so thoughtfully with the beer and it was overall a great experience. I brought a few friends to Praying Monk and they loved it as well. The owner of Praying Monk is also very passionate about beer and was incredibly warm and kind. They definitely deserve your business!

Rating the Beer School. 5 Stars! Learned a TON about all things alcohol (not just beer) and the food pairings were EXCEPTIONAL! The price ($ 30), was a bargain. Looking forward to continuing education!

Brussell sprouts – fabulous…
Pastrami and swiss benedict – pretty good…
Chef – cute.
Bloody mary – tad too spicy…
Fried egg and tender belly ham –yummy.
Chef – cute.
Good vibe, good music, good food, (excruciatingly) slow service.
Did I mention that the chef is cute?
We’ll go back. The food’s good. And that chef…

Delicious food! It’s a weird menu so I was a bit apprehensive. Had the fried cauliflower for an appetizer, it was perfect. Had the chicken sandwich which was almost as good.
Edit: Came back for a 2^nd visit and I had to lower my rating by 1 star. Had the Fried Cauliflower for a second time. It wasn’t as good this time, because it had more buffalo sauce and not as much blue cheese as the previous visit. I also had the brussell sprouts which were OK, but I wouldn’t order them again. Pita and hummus was outstanding. On their happy hour menu they have «premium mixed drinks» for $ 4. However, they charged us a $ 1 up-​charge for our standard drinks such as Vodka OJ and Vodka Grapefruit.

Service was great, from both the manager and the waitress. Between the two of them they were very attentive without being overbearing.
We started with the calamari appetizer and some fried cauliflower. The calamari wasn’t great, I would have liked it to be a little bit more crispy, but the fried cauliflower was awesome. It didn’t even taste or feel like it was fried. Super yummy and I would definitely order it again.
For entrees I had the Cuban pork sandwich, one friend had the grilled chicken sandwich and my other friends split the lobster tacos. I’m glad I didn’t order the tacos because they came breaded and without a side; I would prefer the lobster not breaded and maybe with some rice or something. But my Cuban sandwich was SO good. Pork belly, ham, Swiss, pickles and some type of mayo or aioli. Delicious! I got my choice of side, fries or coleslaw, and I chose their mayo-​less slaw which was tasty.
We came on a Monday which turned out to be industry night, so all 4 of us girls had cocktails, a round of shots, 2 apps and 3 entrees for $ 90, pre-​tip. I will definitely be back to sample more from their menu.

Welcome to Scottsdale a land replete with golf shirt wearing viagra popping tea baggers whose favorite political activity is coming up with the next trite diatribe on how Barrack Obama is the antichrist, socializing the country and propelling the United States headlong into collapse.
I assume the negative reviews for this place are quite in line with that waste of neurological activity. Paltry nit picking, based on common human fallibility as opposed to the genuine quality.
This place may be a bit a shock if you are expecting a bright and shiny sparkle palace, the norm that I have personally found to be prevalent in the cheese factory that is Scottsdale.
The Praying Monk is a nod to the local geographical landmark as well as an incantation of the storied history of Belgian monks brewing quality bear.
The décor of the bar is based on raw functional recycled materials. Pretension is no where to be found which is why I am baffled at the implication that any exist.
The beer list was fantastic and the Cuban sandwich is as legit as any I have ever had. I have tried the cod sandwich as well and found it to be light and flakey, a wonderful compliment to a Belgian Saisson.
I can’t help but think if this business was located in a more «enlightened» city there would be a clamoring for a couple more locations.
Well maybe Scottsdale will get it, but just as the involuntarily emission of fecal matter from aged sphincters spares embarrassment to members of the Arpaio/​Gov. Brewer posse … DEPENDS…

As an Old Town local, I think I’ve been to every single restaurant/​bar here at least once.
I can honestly say I have never been treated so terribly at a restaurant in my life as I was treated here. There was even a situation where a sauce ramekin fell off my wife’s plate, and the bartender was extremely rude. He blamed her for the mess and said she should clean it up. He even made a scene in front of other bar patrons about it. I’m not sure what his problem was. But the staff made this a terrible experience for us. We ended up leaving after that.
Staff — NO STARS.
Drinks — Overpriced for the little return. This is another place where they came up with «signature» drinks that aren’t anything special but overpriced.
Food — 1 star. The chef tried to be too creative here. Keep the food delicious, not too experimental. We tried the fried cauliflower. Yes, it was just as it sounds. No thanks.
Also, just a side note: I’m not sure if it’s a hipster thing or what… But the employees seemed kind of dirty. Like they didn’t shower regularly. Not someone I want to handle my food. Not good for a place hoping to earn repeat customers.
Just my two cents. Just a bad experience overall.

Been trying to get to the Praying Monk & finally did it. Hey now that’s saying a lot. I live in a West Side suburb of Phx now so it’s not less then a mile anymore.
We dropped in on a Sunday at happy hour time if it were a weekday. However i was happily shocked that this place has happy hour on Sundays too till to 7. AWESOME! The bartender is the server for the bar so be patient he will get there & when he does he’s plea sent & helpful. We tried the corn dogs & man alive those are good. Then tried the Calamari & it was also flavorful. More often than not in this town it’s the sauce that makes the calamari & not the calamari. I know that sounds crazy but think about it. This calamari was seasoned well & oh so tasty all by it’s damn self. I’m not the deep fried eating kind of girl so when I say it’s good… TRY IT! I panicked & ordered a burger to share & it was also good. I have to say I pathetically couldn’t finish my ½ after a couple of small corn dogs & calamari but it was really good which is the only reason I ate what I did of it. Well that & I had to pay for it. My hubs had one of the cute beer flights. I prefer mine larger & in charge but hey he liked it. He said the beers were tasty too. I was driving so I can’t say I know they were but he doesn’t lie so I think we’re safe there too. Can’t wait to go back for some dinner real soon.

Step away from the huss and fuss of Old Town and into this cool little place. Dark, with a great bar and casual seating in the bar area and a separate dining room, it definitely feels like stepping into a different world. It’s a great place to enjoy a unique beer — I asked the friendly bartender to order for me and he guessed my go-​to beer and gave me something spectacular in its place, if only I could remember which it was, maybe the Chimay?
It’s a little off the beaten path and with great specials and what looks like a great food menu, and it was decently crowded on a Saturday afternoon but it was pretty empty when I went at 10 on a Friday, so start your night there and move on if you’re looking for a traditional Old Town night or hang around to enjoy the relaxed vibe.

Had an excellent experience upon returning here for a second time, so I updated my previous review from 3 to 4 stars.
This time around, when I ordered my meal, I told the server that I was vegetarian and asked if he thought the chef would be able to cook me something other than the eggplant sandwich (the only vegetarian meal on the menu).
The server had the chef come out of the kitchen and personally take my order. He offered a few standard options, and then said, «or you can just let me whip you something up creative». I went with the latter.
When my meal arrived, it was a big bowl of masterfully cooked veggies (I posted a photo). I don’t even know what to call it, but it was darn good!
Only problem on my return visit was that my meal arrived a solid 5 – 10 minutes before my mother’s did. Luckily we weren’t in any sort of rush.

We were in the other night for a girls dinner for a friends birthday. They are one of the last places in Old Town that take reservations, thank goodness!
None of us had been here before so we thought it would be a great place for a birthday dinner.
The look of the place is great! Nice big bar with plenty of seats and cocktail tables, and separate from the dining area. The acoustics are a bit rough though, very loud once the place is full.
The service was OK. I know that they were busy, I mean geezus, did we miss the memo for batchlorette party night. We literally saw three different parties come in to eat there that night. It was pretty funny. The server even said that wasn’t abnormal, weird! Just a few notes: please clear that table of discarded plates as soon as you can, a messy cluttered table is no good, and please check back with the table after getting the order and dropping plates. We always needed something and no sign of our server.
The food was great! We had the brussel sprouts and pretzel with this awesome creamcheese/​butter/​grainie mustard spread to start. So good and perfect for sharing with a group. Then since we were all in our tight dresses and high heels we didn’t want to fill up too much so we split a few chicken sandwiches and one got the fillet. All were great. The sandwich had this yummy spicy aoli on it, so good! The fillet wasn’t a traditional dish, came with some barley concoction underneath, she said it was awesome.
They were even so kind as to bring out a little something sweet for the birthday girl complete with a a candel to make a wish.
I am a bit old fashioned when it comes to service, so I was a bit displeased with the service as everyone else in my party had a blast.
All in all I will be back, but probably just in the bar. They are a great addition to the Scottsdale scene, chill, good beer, great food, and great bartenders!

I stopped in yesterday around 5 PM for happy hour. I like the new décor and that they moved the bar back into the center of the room. The appetizers were half-​off and I tried the shrimp and grits. They were delicious. Spicy seasoning, creamy grits and a good sized portion.
They also have a great selection of unique beers. I saw a trappist monk offering on the menu for $ 26. I settled for a 90 Schilling amber and it worked perfectly with my appetizer.
I came back over around 8 PM for the big grand opening party and they were slammed. I waited at the bar for about ten minutes trying to get a drink but to no avail.
On my way out I did get a chance to see Marsella. That’s always a nice treat!

Hi Cassie. Praying Monk, an ‘American beer café’ in Old Town Scottsdale.
I have no idea how I walked in right at opening time and all looked pretty good considering the size of last night’s party. Looking around, there was no one sleeping it off, a good sign. Marsella, I would have loved to have hooked you up with those comps last night. I usually am a pretty good provider.
Lunch today is a Blanche de Bruxelles $ 6 Never had this beer before and after drinking it, I really believe this is a girls beer, I don’t know. I looked it up and the moniker on the label is a boy peeing, lol, I had to look at the beer color in my photograph again. Thankfully it was well hydrated beer. Next time I shall man-​up and get the draft Chemay.
While I was waiting for my lunch plate I was checking out the detail of the house and chatting with Cassie, a scrumptious suprise. The woods in the restaurant are beautiful. The floor is a medium-​dark stained herringbone oak. Much of the wall covering is weathered grey timbers, ceiling looks like morning wood with the exposed rafters. Hot stuff.
My meal is a triple decker clubhouse sandwich with slaw. $ 9 Looks like May served up traditional history, yet broke the rules to have a little fun. The cold plate was summer savory.
Today I owe a bit of gratitude to the pleasantly piquant minds of Praying Monk.