George was our server. Absolutely a class act. Food was extremely good. Hotel restaurants are hit or miss and this is definitely a hit the. Everything was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
JodyG
We made our reservation for seven a little over a week before our scheduled dinner date based, in large part, to the other OpenTable reviews. Excited for a nice celebratory dinner, we arrived to be seated at a series of three bar-height outdoor tables that had been brought inside and pushed together in the corner by the door. When we inquired with the hostess if we could be seated at a different table we were approached by a woman named Anisa who claimed to be the manager. She informed us that they were fully booked for the night and this was the only table they had for us, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. In fact, there was an empty table for six not three feet from our "table" and when we asked if they could simply push a chair up to the end to accommodate us there, we were told that they could not. Incidentally, they added another chair to that same table when the other group arrived. When we reiterated our disappointment about the table, she said simply that next time we make a reservation for this restaurant on OpenTable, we should specify that we don't want to be seated at a table comprised of outdoor furniture. Against our better judgement (and having no other comparable options), we decided to stay. Our cocktail order took more than 20 minutes to receive, and our entrees took twice that. When they were finally delivered, the entrees were barely warm. We ate our unremarkable meals in relative silence and when we were finished, we once again asked to speak with the manager. Anisa again came to the table and when we expressed our disappointment, she was so rude (repeatedly interrupting and raising her voice at us as if we were children) that some of our party simply walked out in utter disbelief. I've been to many restaurants and I have never seen behavior this reprehensible, particularly by someone claiming to be the manager. I will never again set foot in this restaurant and I would not recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy.
Benjamin
Great bar selection!So, Monks is a hotel restaurant / bar, but don't let that turn you off from it. It kept me away for far too long. Not sure how 'affiliated' it is, but you do notice the physical relationship.First things first; there's actually a great alcohol selection and if you're thirsty, it worth the stop to tip a couple alone. Nice tap selections, but an the surprising star is their extensive liquor selection, and not just the cheap options. One of the few places in Ithaca with a rum selection. Also worth the mention is the extensive whisky and bourbon options.The friendliness of the bartenders got me to take a look at their menu, it's simple and could be called 'small' (but I'd much rather a place do a few things well than throw 100 ok options). I've 'interacted' with a few staff members there and they have all been super friendly and responsive.So far I've only had the burger (it's very good and I'm not sure I'm ready to stray yet). A thick juicy pattie (I think I've seen smash on the menu, but this was a standard thick one). I added bacon and it topped perfectly. A little pricey for the total ($22), but it was cooked and seasoned perfectly and it's only a little above average priced here. The burger itself was $18 and the bacon another $4. I wish there was more than two stips for that.TLDR; Great bar, very good food, friendly staff, but with a boring / steril atmosphere.There are a lot of great bars and burgers in Ithaca and I will definitely be back. I tend to eat a couple burgers a week and Monks will make it into the rotation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jacqueline Blair
Best French fries ever. We used to order them delivered and they'd still be delicious an hour old. I wish they'd bring back the Nashville chicken sandwich.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Kerry Demarest
Really great bar experience last Sunday (11/26), thanks much for the delicious cocktails and friendly service!
Thomas Styles
It’s a good hangout spot to get drinks but the food is awful
charles lawhun
Service was exceptional. Food was great and they have great selection of local beers. Try the Flower Power.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
James Harvey
I'm giving it 2 stars because of the sorry bartender. Who clearly doesn't know what he was doing. Just screwed up my old fashion and my wife's drink had no flavor. On the positive side the food was very good. We had the wings and cheeseburger exceptional. Our waitress was very good and attentive. The bartender has to go.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
We had an excellent breakfast and dinner at Monk's during our stay and even returned for late-evening cocktails and dessert. Our servers were very attentive and welcoming, particularly Abby, who has been our waitress on previous visits to Monks as well. The food at Monks was fantastic, from the Eggs Benedict at breakfast to the Salmon and risotto - perfectly prepared. The holiday decor was a nice touch too. If there is one thing where Monk's could improve, it would be on keeping things in stock. Each time we've been there, something has been out of stock. 3 weeks ago, it was mashed potatoes and one of the desserts. This trip it was 18 Karat cocktail ingredients. But each time, our waitress made great suggestions for substitutions, so, not really a complaint.
Courtney Rasura
We had a surprisingly good old fashioned here. We didn't eat, but it was a great nightcap.
We had been there for breakfast before and enjoyed it. This was our first time there for dinner and it was even better. The food was delicious and perfectly prepared and presented. Despite the hotel-lobby ambiance, still managed to seem somewhat upscale. Our waitress, Abby, was very helpful, communicative, quick, attentive, and made the entire experience of dining at Monk's even better. I highly recommend Monk's as one of the best dining experiences I've had in Ithaca with my family.
Joan
We had a wonderful dinner at Monk's. I had two picky young guys (12 y.o.) with me and they loved their meals and the lemonades. The waiter was superb - just the right friendly and competent.
Frank Santiago
Food and drinks are good. Great location and the atmosphere is very good as well.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Pete Eraca
I was staying at the Marriott, so this was the go-to for breakfast. The food was fine, but the service was certainly lacking. The two different servers (one each morning) were very polite and nice. But attention was lacking, and it appeared so because they were apparently solo, so doing the best they could. Each morning, there were apparently no clean tables at 9am, so one day, I was put in the middle of the lobby. The other day, a table was cleaned off for me.This place had fantastic everything pre-pandemic. They need to staff-up breakfast better so the place can be clean and guests looked after properly.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Sella Manilla
Food was great, atmosphere was great and waitress, i believe Leandra or something, was fantastic as well. Will definitely be coming
George was our server. Absolutely a class act. Food was extremely good. Hotel restaurants are hit or miss and this is definitely a hit the. Everything was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We made our reservation for seven a little over a week before our scheduled dinner date based, in large part, to the other OpenTable reviews. Excited for a nice celebratory dinner, we arrived to be seated at a series of three bar-height outdoor tables that had been brought inside and pushed together in the corner by the door. When we inquired with the hostess if we could be seated at a different table we were approached by a woman named Anisa who claimed to be the manager. She informed us that they were fully booked for the night and this was the only table they had for us, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. In fact, there was an empty table for six not three feet from our "table" and when we asked if they could simply push a chair up to the end to accommodate us there, we were told that they could not. Incidentally, they added another chair to that same table when the other group arrived. When we reiterated our disappointment about the table, she said simply that next time we make a reservation for this restaurant on OpenTable, we should specify that we don't want to be seated at a table comprised of outdoor furniture. Against our better judgement (and having no other comparable options), we decided to stay. Our cocktail order took more than 20 minutes to receive, and our entrees took twice that. When they were finally delivered, the entrees were barely warm. We ate our unremarkable meals in relative silence and when we were finished, we once again asked to speak with the manager. Anisa again came to the table and when we expressed our disappointment, she was so rude (repeatedly interrupting and raising her voice at us as if we were children) that some of our party simply walked out in utter disbelief. I've been to many restaurants and I have never seen behavior this reprehensible, particularly by someone claiming to be the manager. I will never again set foot in this restaurant and I would not recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy.
Great bar selection!So, Monks is a hotel restaurant / bar, but don't let that turn you off from it. It kept me away for far too long. Not sure how 'affiliated' it is, but you do notice the physical relationship.First things first; there's actually a great alcohol selection and if you're thirsty, it worth the stop to tip a couple alone. Nice tap selections, but an the surprising star is their extensive liquor selection, and not just the cheap options. One of the few places in Ithaca with a rum selection. Also worth the mention is the extensive whisky and bourbon options.The friendliness of the bartenders got me to take a look at their menu, it's simple and could be called 'small' (but I'd much rather a place do a few things well than throw 100 ok options). I've 'interacted' with a few staff members there and they have all been super friendly and responsive.So far I've only had the burger (it's very good and I'm not sure I'm ready to stray yet). A thick juicy pattie (I think I've seen smash on the menu, but this was a standard thick one). I added bacon and it topped perfectly. A little pricey for the total ($22), but it was cooked and seasoned perfectly and it's only a little above average priced here. The burger itself was $18 and the bacon another $4. I wish there was more than two stips for that.TLDR; Great bar, very good food, friendly staff, but with a boring / steril atmosphere.There are a lot of great bars and burgers in Ithaca and I will definitely be back. I tend to eat a couple burgers a week and Monks will make it into the rotation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best French fries ever. We used to order them delivered and they'd still be delicious an hour old. I wish they'd bring back the Nashville chicken sandwich.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Really great bar experience last Sunday (11/26), thanks much for the delicious cocktails and friendly service!
It’s a good hangout spot to get drinks but the food is awful
Service was exceptional. Food was great and they have great selection of local beers. Try the Flower Power.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I'm giving it 2 stars because of the sorry bartender. Who clearly doesn't know what he was doing. Just screwed up my old fashion and my wife's drink had no flavor. On the positive side the food was very good. We had the wings and cheeseburger exceptional. Our waitress was very good and attentive. The bartender has to go.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
We had an excellent breakfast and dinner at Monk's during our stay and even returned for late-evening cocktails and dessert. Our servers were very attentive and welcoming, particularly Abby, who has been our waitress on previous visits to Monks as well. The food at Monks was fantastic, from the Eggs Benedict at breakfast to the Salmon and risotto - perfectly prepared. The holiday decor was a nice touch too. If there is one thing where Monk's could improve, it would be on keeping things in stock. Each time we've been there, something has been out of stock. 3 weeks ago, it was mashed potatoes and one of the desserts. This trip it was 18 Karat cocktail ingredients. But each time, our waitress made great suggestions for substitutions, so, not really a complaint.
We had a surprisingly good old fashioned here. We didn't eat, but it was a great nightcap.
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We had been there for breakfast before and enjoyed it. This was our first time there for dinner and it was even better. The food was delicious and perfectly prepared and presented. Despite the hotel-lobby ambiance, still managed to seem somewhat upscale. Our waitress, Abby, was very helpful, communicative, quick, attentive, and made the entire experience of dining at Monk's even better. I highly recommend Monk's as one of the best dining experiences I've had in Ithaca with my family.
We had a wonderful dinner at Monk's. I had two picky young guys (12 y.o.) with me and they loved their meals and the lemonades. The waiter was superb - just the right friendly and competent.
Food and drinks are good. Great location and the atmosphere is very good as well.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
I was staying at the Marriott, so this was the go-to for breakfast. The food was fine, but the service was certainly lacking. The two different servers (one each morning) were very polite and nice. But attention was lacking, and it appeared so because they were apparently solo, so doing the best they could. Each morning, there were apparently no clean tables at 9am, so one day, I was put in the middle of the lobby. The other day, a table was cleaned off for me.This place had fantastic everything pre-pandemic. They need to staff-up breakfast better so the place can be clean and guests looked after properly.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Food was great, atmosphere was great and waitress, i believe Leandra or something, was fantastic as well. Will definitely be coming
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5