The Jade Monkey is a great place to go if you want a fun, kitchy environment and a fancy drink. They have a nice outdoor patio, too, so it is great in the summer. However, there seem to be an inordinate number of smokers who use the patio to smoke, so if you don't like smoke, like me, it can ruin the ambiance.
The drinks are reasonably priced, but not cheap.
The wait staff is efficient, but curt.
The drinks are dangerous. Make sure you have a DD.
I think they serve something other than mojitos, but I'm not totally sure since that is all I drink (in fact, they have a huge menu that I completely ignore). The mojitos are delicious, refreshing, and way smaller than I wish they were.
Another plus is that they put up with the Vintage Cycles Dane County crew hanging out there every week when it is nice out, even when some of us aren't drinking.
They also have frozen pizzas for when you drink until you get to that point where frozen pizza sounds like the greatest thing on the planet.
The service is decent, the place has a great atmosphere, and on most nights the crowd is pretty friendly. Overall it is a great place to spend an evening!
This place has been so hit-or-miss lately that I am done with it. Recently, I was served the worst Bloody I have ever had (they use a mix that contains high fructose corn syrup and MSG... and this is a cocktail place?!), got into a heated discussion with a male patron only to have the bartender chime in and start yelling at me. Recently, have been repeatedly been surprised with imagery of women being abused on the television at the end of the bar. They really should stick to kung fu movies and old sci-fi...
Over it.
The Jade Monkey! As a native to the small town of Monona, I have to say, you filled a void that the community was most sincerely lacking! Sure, Monona has its dive bars, supper clubs, and even a bar and grill, but nowhere if a beer and burger is not your thing, until you sprang ilnto existence. Sure, this was some time ago now, but you remain the only spot in Monona to quench this particular variety of thirst.
The mojitos here are hand muddled with cane sugar. They have a variety of martinis and unique beverages (adult kiddie cocktail anyone?). Sure, you can go downtown and find similar items, but it's Monona! The prices are great and Sundays offer a spectacular long island deal. Seriously, they are delicious and strong, a great bang for your buck ratio.
If the music seems too loud for your taste, they have a patio available when in season. Music is also substantially quieter during the earlier hours of the evening, plan accordingly. As for those who say that the clientele here are weird or creepy, isn't that almost every bar? (Plus, anyone remember what this local bar used to be!? YIKES, enormous improvement!)
The booths here are hand-crafted. There are a couple of lovely fish tanks. Shuffleboard. Darts. Board games. Pool. Okay, the bartenders can be a little on the uppity side, but take the time to get to know them and they will give you due respect. This is a bit of a local bar, but as long as you remember to tip you will be more than welcome as an honorary member! Cheers!
I live nearby, and that is pretty much the only reason I would ever go back in this place again. But, even then, I would be hard-pressed to go back. Â The website for Jade Monkey and the actual Jade Monkey couldn't be more different. Â They claim to be an "Asian Infused Retro Lounge".....hmmm...I don't know about that. Â I guess if you compare the space to an old dive in China town I could see the Asian influence. Â I found the bartender to be pretty unfriendly and the crowd to be slightly depressing. Â I would not go out of my way to go to Jade Monkey.
Review Source:My fiance and I love going to the Jade Monkey. I'm a beer drinker, and their selection keeps me coming back. My fiance is not a beer drinker in any way. She raves about their mojitos every time I suggest going to this bar. My only complaint is that it is fairly hit-or-miss in regards to where to sit/stand while you're there. At times, it's too crowded to get an area for a couple or a small group to carry on a conversation. When it's crowded, expect to find a small army of hipsters. At other times there are ample places to sit, and you can sit and get great drink suggestions from the staff. Overall I recommend the bar to people who enjoy a laid-back atmosphere.
Review Source:This is a great place but not for full conversation unless you're able to grab the tables in the back (behind the pool tables) or outside. Â I met one of the owners, and he was very interactive and nice. Â They have a great "beer safari" - it's a great way to try out beers from around the world. Â I tried one of the martinis and my friends all had different drinks as well. Â Everyone liked what they ordered. Â The big screen is also great touch for those who are trying to avoid conversation. Â We saw the end of Clash of the Titans. Â Be aware that the parking lot is tiny.
Review Source:"Mister - we serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast..." Never thought a bar would remind me of "It's A Wonderful Life" but this one does--in a good way. Eclectic crowd and attentive staff. Even though I am often the only person there who doesn't sport a tattoo or a piercing (hey, I'm a farm kid, whaddya want???) I get first class service. While I understand the disappointment some have with the lack of food, it allows them to maintain the bottom line and keep them tasty drinks coming. The outdoor patio in particular is a favorite.
Review Source:Great spot on the East side that has a more hipster feel than other bars in the area.
The drinks are reasonably priced ($5 to $8 or so) and it seems like the most popular drink was the mojito (they have five flavors of mojitos...). Â The atmosphere is overall relaxed although they were playing awesome 80s tunes.
Plus... the bartenders were both really friendly!
Downers.. no bar appetizers and so far they are cash only.
So if you want a fun, hip bar with great drinks but you don't want college students around or to go downtown, come here.
"A slice of downtown on the Eastside" is how the Jade Monkey has been described to me. Not that I disagree, the atmosphere at the Jade Monkey is generally hip and sophisticated. However, the patrons tend to lean to the artier, slightly older crowd.
Personally, being a semi-employed creative type, I appreciate the cheap drinks ($2 PBR tall boys!), but the mojitos and other various and sundry drinks are pretty good. Plus, they also have a decent (but not extensive) selection of Scotch.
I've never had a bad time here. In fact, if I'm looking to strike up a conversation with a random character, this is my first choice when it comes to the bar scene. (Being a few blocks from my front doorstep doesn't hurt either). If they'd only stop randomly playing Journey....
(Also, they generally have pretty decent DJ's on Sunday night)
I wish I could give half stars, as Jade Monkey would get a 4.5. I love this bar because of the trendy/retro interior design and the nice C-shaped lounge booths! The mojitos are delicious, maybe one of the best in Madison (my opinion) and the bartenders usually pour a stiff drink!!
Unfortunately the place fills up rather quickly, so be ready to stand if you arrive later in the evening. Also, they only serve freezer pizza as food later in the night, so eat prior or go hungry... Also they only take cash, so make sure to bring your extra large wallet for all the cash you'll be bringing.
I love this bar, very hip and full of young professionals!!
This is a nice addition to the area and it's a great place to go with another couple, provided you're lucky enough to snag one of the cozy booths. Â Nice drink menu, very reasonable pricing for most drinks. Â Wish they had a little more in the way of food since I can NOT drink without eating, but their Cajun pizza ( I think it's Emil's) is really good with a nice cold drink.
We generally go on weekends, but on the earlier side since we're definitely not the 'hipster' crowd that takes over later on. Â Oh. and they have an awesome jukebox!
I recently visited the Jade Monkey with a group of six on a Saturday afternoon. Â We had prompt service and enjoyed some shuffle puck.
They have some nice outdoor seating which looks like it will be hit during the summer. Â And they have open wifi (or someone does close by, yet it works fine within)
My only recommendation is that they adjust some of their lights, since some of them point right at their TVs (which makes them almost impossible to see).
I really enjoy this bar. It helps that its three blocks from my house in an area of town that was seriously lacking for a nicer bar. The interior of the bar is quite nice. They have lovely big booths, a funky little back room area and a very nice patio with a fountain that helps drown out the traffic outside. They have a blue pool table, a nice shuffle board table, a dart board and various board game. The TVs always seem to be playing kungfu, old movies, or planet of the apes. I always seem to enjoy the mix of music that is being played when I'm there. The crowd is a good mix of people of different walks of life. On Friday and Saturday nights the place can get pretty crowded. I prefer to go during the week when its less crowded, but not dead. They don't accept credit cards, but there is an ATM in the place and a bank and walgreens across the street.
The only downsides are that I have experienced inconsitancies in pricing (one bartended says one price, the second a different price), but when confronted they happily gave the better deal. Parking can also be an issue, especially in the winter if there is snow. The stripmall next door gets antsy if they can't plow at night because of cars parked there. Lucky for me, this place is within walking distance.
I might have given this place four stars if we had sat at the bar and not walked towards the back of the bar. The Jade Monkey feels like a comfortable, Â hip(but not so hip that it's annoying) lounge, until you round the corner and find the "pool table/shuffleboard area" which just seemed so out of place. The atmosphere when you first come in is so different, and picks back up past the shuffleboard where they have a few cozy seats. It just seemed strange to have this chunk of brightly lit space with a lack of any fun decor that they made into an "activity area".
My drink was decent, and I'd give this place another chance(the drink list was extensive, and I wanted to try a few things!)...and I was amused that they had "The Dark Crystal" on the television!
I just went to the Monkey for the second time, and again really enjoyed it. Â It is very low key and cool, and even better is that the atmosphere is friendly and comfortable for just about anyone. Â I was still surprised thise time to see factory workers, hippies, musician types, middle aged yuppies and even a frat boy and girl mixing it up together. Â The drinks are good and reasonably priced. The bartenders on a saturday were friendly, but one seemed fairly new and maybe not ready for a busier crowd. Â The only real downfall to this place is the parking. Â There is minimal parking and all the neighboring lots threaten tickets and towing. Â Once you have a spot though, this isn't a bad thing because it prevents the bar from ever getting to croweded. Â I'd definately take the time to check this place out.
Review Source:Am I really the second one to review this place? Maybe it's the location that steer some people away, but this is a solid drink establishment.
My friends and I had an awesome night for a birthday bash. My liquoring started out with Mojito  - so yummy - which was muddled by big muscled bartender with just the right amount of mint and sweetness. And then shots, and some more, and finally ending the night with rounds of grey hounds that was at least 80% grey goose in a glass. Leave it to the bartender to define what a fine drink is.
The crowd was a mix of young (but not douche young) and old. It's a kind of bar you can just hang, or spontaneously bust into dancing. I loved the relaxed feeling and good choice of BGM music.
They don't take the credit card tab, so have some cash handy before you  visit. In case you forget to do that, there is a ATM inside with $1.75 fee.
The atmosphere is great - I love the booths, the shufflepuck table, the patio (gasp - somewhere in Madison to SMOKE!!) and the fact that it's not just sports on the TVs. Â I'm not so fond of the bar stools (the sharp metal corners cut into the backs of my thighs), the fluctuating drink prices, the tiny little stall in the women's bathroom and the inexperienced (and therefore slow) bartenders.
If they change out the stools, remove the bathroom stall walls (making the bathroom one big room with a toilet and a sink, rather than a partitioned off toilet) and get a handle on mixing and pricing drinks, they'll be fine.
Oh, and I understand the importance of an owner mingling with the guests on occasion, but if you see your lone, inexperienced bartender getting in the weeds, don't just go back behind the bar to get yourself another beer - go mix some drinks.
EDIT 2/26/08: I haven't been back yet, but my better half has, and he reports that Jade Monkey has vastly improved everything with which I took issue. Â Well, other than the women's room - he thought he'd let me take care of checking it out. Â Wise man. Â Upping the review to four stars, pending review of the women's room.
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