Perhaps we went there on the day they had an actual monkey doing the cooking... just not one of the proud ones. For a town with little to offer in the way of interesting/eclectic/palatable cuisine (of the non-hamburger-and-fries variety), I can see why many people in the area feel like they should like/support it. A starving human will think water crackers taste like a T-bone steak if they are hungry enough, and they serve a pretty mean cracker here (BCS is a food desert and this place is just another mirage).
So here we go... several of the fried plantain and yucca chunks were still frozen and stuck together, and the order of just a few tacos took over an hour to exit the kitchen after ordering. I was, however, provided with the most tea I have ever drank at a restaurant; granted, this was due in large part to the friendly wait staff/bartenders who were also clearly wishing the kitchen would come back from their "lunch break" (that being said, the wait staff were actually very considerate of this and they did do a good job keeping us happy in light of apparently not having anyone in the kitchen over lunch).
Once on the table the kitchen upheld its fine reputation. After this hour of waiting we were served several "tacos" that could not have taken more than 3 min to prepare (read: take cheap tortilla from sams club, open carl budding meat package, place iceberg lettuce and smattering of other salad veggies, then drizzle with frenches mustard for a 'classy' appearance). But seriously, the food was a joke, and for ~$4/taco you can do much, much, much better. It makes me cautious about the drinks, since the food is supposed to be better than the cocktails. But I digress... The cubano taco was a joke (simply putting some sliced sandwich pickles and ham on a tortilla does not make it 'cubano', and the pulled pork (what few strands I could find amidst the rest of the mess on the tortilla) was... well, come to think of it, I cannot say what it tasted like - maybe cabbage and mayo? At least it has fresh jalapenos. There were a few other tacos on the table but none were finished (partially due to lack of time, but mostly due to lack of flavor or any discernible flavor that we were comfortable taking a second bite of).
But not all is lost. The inside is nice (sandblasted brick, nice bar, etc.), and the overall concept is good if you are not hungry or thirsty. If it is still around in a year I will try it again, if not I will be happy that they renovated the space and hope that the next group to move in does a better job running the joint.
I love the tacos (which are huge) and am a big fan of the plantains and yucca. The service has always been on the slow side, so if you're short on time, be very upfront if you need anything and ask for the check early.
I like to pop in before a show at the Grand Stafford Theater next door.
It's best for groups of 4 or less.
This place is a nice hole in the wall in old downtown Bryan. Â
It feels like it is trendy on the inside, with solid service and welcoming decor. Â There are TV's in the eating area and there is also a bar. Â There aren't any draft drinks available, but they have a decent selection of bottles. Â The tacos and fries are also very good. Â Enjoy!
My wife, my 18 month daughter, and I went to The Proudest Monkey for lunch not knowing what to expect. We were immediately greeted by the friendly owner and staff. They informed us that they did not have high chairs for my daughter. I didn't really expect them to being that they are primarily a bar. As soon as we ordered, the owner brought out a plate of sweet potatoe fries on the house. If that wasn't enough he reappeared 5-10 minutes later with a high chair still in plastic. He went out and bought a high chair! I couldn't believe the service. Â The food was also fantastic, which was just the icing on the cake. They already won me over with the outstanding customer service, but the food was just as good. Â I had the chorizo burger and yuppy fries, I've never had anything like them before. They were great and we'll definitely be back, probably later this week. Thank you and good luck with business!
Colby
I've been to the Proudest Monkey more than a half-dozen times for lunch and for drinks. I like it more for lunch, and less as a bar. I wish the situation were reversed.
First, the place, physically, is just downright beautiful (with one exception to be noted below). The woodworking is so impressive,the bar is gorgeous, and the mirrors give the added perspective of space. It's a wonderful space in an old building, far better than could have reasonably been imagined.
The lunch food is very good (easily four star worthy). Their tacos are flavorful and not gross, enormous Tex Mex fat bombs. I like their burgers, too, especially the chorizo burger, despite it obviously being less healthy. They even have fried plantains that are good, and the fries come with different seasonings.
As a bar, in the evenings, I'm much less impressed. The list of underwhelming features is long. First, the omnipresence of TVs is just annoying. There are even small TVs on the ends of all of the high tables, and the big TV cannot be avoided no matter where you look because of the aforementioned mirrors. The result is that TPM feels more like a sports bar than a bar. Every time I've been there at night, there are tons of young-20s guys just watching ball games on TV. Not really my atmosphere, and of course there are dozens of other sports bars here in Aggieland. If you're the kind of guy who goes out to bars wearing a baseball cap on backward, you'll love TPM. If you're an adult, it'll leave a lot to be desired.
Second, there are no tap beers, only bottles. They made a decision to not put taps in their wonderful bar. I think that was a mistake. Their bottle selection is really good, to be fair, but tap beers are just better in most cases.
Third, their wine selection is very thin. Stunningly thin. Embarrassingly thin. As in: there are (I believe) four white wines available.
Fourth, their cocktails are really just sugar bombs, like a dessert martini I've seen them make that has ice cream in it. If that's your thing, you'll love TPM. I think that they're just gross fat-and-sugar bombs. It'd be funny to go into TPM and ask for a Sazerac or a Manhattan or a Negroni. I'm sure that you'd get a very confused look from the staff.
And that brings up the last point: the bartenders don't seem to know much about alcohol. (Imagine that!)
So yes, it's a bar. But it's underwhelming to me, and disappointing.
NOTORIETY: Chorizo burger & pulled pork taco
FOOD:
  (Double) Chorizo burger ($7.50 before tax): At 1st, I wasn't impressed. I didn't taste what made it chorizo. But as you continue, the flavors of the chorizo start to explode in your mouth, adding a nice twist to your ordinary burger. Definitely worth a try.
  (Large) Yuppy fries ($3.25 before tax): These were skinny fries, topped w/ olive oil & garlic.  The skinniness allowed for more oil to be absorbed, but it was very slightly salty.  Nevertheless, it was a tasty side.
OVERALL: Great pub atmosphere w/ solid, yet unique food. Â I def. see myself coming back to try the dirty fries, but not the taco (as my buddy got it & was underwhelmed by the pulled pork flavor).
RECOMMENDATION: Chorizo burger
TIP:
1. The monkey sauce is similar to the dipping sauce that you get at one of the chicken fingers places in B/CS (according to the server).
2. Dirty fries are fries topped w/ cinnamon sugar (according to the server).
PT
Granted, I only come to B/CS to play shows with my band. Â But, I fell in love with this place SO MUCH that I went twice in 24 hours. Â This is now my GO-TO stop when in B/CS. First of all, let's talk about a decent beer selection: this is not your typical college bar selection. Secondly, THE BURGERS.
As a most-loving burger consumer, I look for the best anywhere/everywhere I go. Â I love this place based on topping selection alone. Â Whom else gives you a list of 20 or so toppings and isn't Fudds? (Plus, here they bring it to you, which doesn't hurt one bit).
The biggest surprises are the peculiars: sugar fries (I think they call them dirty fries?) and the monkey sauce. GET BOTH, I PROMISE. Â I would never steer another burger lover wrong. Â I also love that the bread isn't the focus on the burger. Â Don't overlook the chorizo burger! Â Eat it for breakfast with a fried egg on top!
Overall, I wish there was another one closer to me. Â Also, for the record, they ARE named after the DMB song. Â AND THAT RULES as much as this place does.
Went to the Proudest Monkey tonight to get a bite before spending New Year's Eve indoors away from the rain and the crazies. What a fabulous place. A great selection of craft beers. The hubby and I split an Arrogant B***ard Ale, then he enjoyed a 90 minute pale ale from Dogfish Head and I had one of Lagunitas' Little Sumpin' Sumpin's ... fabulous.
We split the Chorizo burger which was absofreakinlutely fantabulous and we each had one pulled pork taco ... also phenomenal. We also shared the yuppy fries which we both thought were delish (if not just a bit too salty).
I topped off the meal with a Lost Gold IPA from Real Ale, just as the place was starting to fill up for New Year's Eve.
Steven, our waiter/bartender was a delight, as was Landon who was trying to hang a Happy New Year's sign while we were there.
It was a fabulous experience. We will definitely be back
Wasn't /bad/, but nothing to write home about. The tacos were pricey. Too small for the price. Their pulled pork, which is there best apparently, I didn't really care for. I don't know about drink prices, but I don't think I'll be back for the tacos. The fries were very good. I wouldn't be opposed to grabbing some fries with a beer at some point, as I noticed a pretty decent selection of beers. I tasted the chorizo burger, that was pretty different and not too bad.
I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but it could be much worse.
I've been meaning to stop at Proudest Monkey since hearing it opened several months ago. Â I love Moneys and while the logo is pretty funky, the decor and service is pure class.
I really like places that use wood floors, walls, and ceilings and believe it adds a classy ambiance when done right. Â (See my review on Brauhaus in Bryan for another wood related review). Â I stopped in for lunch with a friend of mine and we both agreed the bar was well lit and didn't overwhelm with televisions. Â Instead of having TVs plastered everywhere like Sully's for example, the Proudest monkey settles for a large projector and several smaller TVs at some of the tables. Â This is nice because we were able to request that a soccer game be shown on our TV specifically. Â
The food here is a mixture of American and Tex-Mex with a twist. Â We split the ground beef and Chorizo burger with bacon, avocado, and a fried egg, as well as a grilled pork and grilled fish taco. Â All the food was fresh and tasty. Â The burger extras really made it taste unique, and while it has nothing on Stover Bros Cafe or Flip and Peel, it was still quite tasty. Â
The service relies on you walking in and being noticed by a waiter but we were spotted immediately and told we could sit wherever we wanted. Â The small size of the bar made seating easy. Â It's cozy but doesn't feel overly crowded. Â Our server recommended what we ordered and it was definitely a good decision. Â He also kept our drinks filled throughout the order, which is definitely a good thing to do when you're at a bar.
I can't say anything for the dinner or late night scene but for lunch the Proudest Monkey was spot on.
Less than 48 hours after learning about Proudest Monkey tacos at the Aggieland Culinary Expo at the Memorial Student Center Plaza on Texas A&M University Campus, we found it. Â It's right next door, as in connected to Queen Theatre in beautiful downtown historical Bryan on Main Street. Â
THE TACOS ROCKED! Â Okay sorry, had to get that out of the way.... Â
What we walked into was an extremely clean and shiny, glossy shiny mirrored very cool place, that smelled clean and I'm not gonna call it a bar, as there is one in the center. Â This is a local culinary destination. Â Now cool goes for both as in "Wow, this is cool!" and their A/C system and ventilation systems are at 100% (wife knows lots about that stuff). Â Very, very clean and comfortable, with perfect air quality. Â 5 Stars for that off the bat, Â
Proudest Monkey sports TV's but doesn't flaunt them. Â There are a few large ones, we enjoyed the DirectTV Sunday, an unexpected find. Â The widescreen/flatscreens are at your table if you wanna watch the game. Â Hard to describe, masterfully done. Â Dallas Cowboys were doing terrible as of late but we stopped for food nor beer nor game. Â
We ordered the Fried Yucca Root & Plantains ($2) as their Aggieland Culinary Expo reps told us of, as well as (and I am smiling as I write this) Portabella Mushroom Taco with cabbage slaw / pico / grilled onions and pesto cilantro slight reduction, which came out on corn per menu listing (double tortilla). Â And of course the Flat Iron Steak Taco with lettuce / pico / salsa / previously frozen cheddar cheese / grilled onions and something called "Monkey Sauce". Â It came on a fluffy fresh flour tortilla as menu stated. Â
We were pretty full after having just eaten lunch at The Village but thought a snack might be in order? Â Plus I have to taste every taco in Brazos to retain my claim as having tried them all; Â I'll call these New American Aggieland Tacos and they were some of the finest, exciting, unique, fresh, fun, smile inspiring and innovative that this part of Texas has seen. Â Â It's right up on par with Chef Tai. Â Not sure how they did that but it's true. Â
Creating a new list Best New American Tacos in BCS. Â What I tasted today was in the top 3. Â Madden's Truck was #1.... Â
- The Taco Monster
Beginning to really come around to this place...nothing at all like it in College Station, and yet another reason why Bryan is Best. The burgers here are truly unique...and that chorizo burger is fantastic. Tacos are good too...its nice to see at least one other non-Mexican place in BCS besides Chef Tai branching out into tacos...hey tacos are for everybody!
Though filled with tvs, a major negative in my book as a rule, they are somewhat less obtrusive then in other places. Lots of brick everywhere give this place a nice "pubby" feel. Was going to give 4 stars with one removed for lack of taps, but my understanding is that that is being given serious consideration.
This place also performs a service...gives us Bryanites another place to retreat from the Tsunami of Swill known as Northgate...lol.
Food was ok to heavenly (my wife chose the fish tacos and I tried pulled pork (good but a bit saltier than expected) and portobellos mushroom (heavenly). Â
Alcoholic drinks? we can't judge because we had just come to this place from the local winery and decided to drink sodas (we're a bit past our college days...). Â Regarding those sodas: mine had weak syrup and my wife's was almost pure syrup.
About service: Â the one person to serve a full bar and full tables was the bartender. Â She was professional, but could not keep up. Â After half an hour, another employee showed up and things started moving. Â Bad planning on management's part.
Prices? Cheap.
This is a great local bar - brand new with an old feel. The building is as old as downtown Bryan and many of the original features were preserved. The original exposed brick has been left in place and lit and shelves and bar rails built around it in a classy and interesting way. Also the hand stamped tin ceiling tiles, though not in good enough shape to have been preserved, has been reworked into a beautiful bar top and framed and hung on the wall in an impressively unique and inventive way. Â
  Owners invested not just in their bar but in their neighborhood as well when they opened Proudest Monkey. A full bar with a great selection of bottled beers and a kitchen serving fresh spins on burgers and tacos with promises of more to come. If you haven't been here yet what are you waiting for? Whether you are just looking for some pulled pork or spicy chipotle chicken tacos and a beer for lunch or you want to make a night of it you can't beat The Proudest Monkey!
After hearing some buzz about this new establishment in downtown Bryan, I thought I would check it out Saturday afternoon (6/16/12) while I was in the area from out of state. Â Unfortunately, I never got to try the food or even a beverage as the service I experienced upon walking in was atrocious from the start. Â I stood at the (mostly) empty bar for a few minutes waiting for the waitress to look up from her phone. Â When she finally did, she made eye contact with me, but quickly looked away and proceeded to play with her phone. Â Another few minutes passed before a small group of people walked in and I was immediately taken aback when I watched the waitress jump to wait on them. Â The only notable difference between this small group of people and myself was that I have a darker skin pigmentation. Â After she took their orders, she finally turned to me to ask if I needed anything. Â Giving her a quizzical look and sarcastically thinking to myself "No, I'm just standing at the bar to watch you wait on other people while I sip on my cold glass of nothing", I asked if she had a beer menu. Â She said she didn't know and asked a gentleman with a brown beard if there were any available. Â He said no and pointed towards the ceiling to a display of beer bottles. Â I explained to the waitress that I could not see the display clearly enough to read the bottle labels due to my vision impairments and the dark lighting of the bar. Â Having no response, she looked at me moronically with her mouth agape and eyes wide open. Â I decided I had no choice but to leave in search of a more integrating and accomplished establishment.
Bottom line: Â If you are of a lighter skin tone with minimal to no vision impairments, you may possibly have a good experience with Proudest Monkey; however, unless you fit the two aforementioned categories, you may want to consider a more refined establishment offered in the beautiful downtown Bryan area, such as The Village or Revolutions.
Ok, so while I was driving down the road Facebook buzzed on my phone and, while I was stopped at red light, of course, I saw an article about this new bar opening in downtown Bryan on my news feed. My stomach was rumbling because it was about lunch time and I noticed that today was the Grand Opening at Proudest Monkey. It mentioned that opening was at 11 a.m. and that it had a kitchen: i was sold. When I walked in the door I was immediately intrigued with the spectacular blend between traditional and contemporary. Initially, I noticed the old, and assumably original, brick walls. Then I was struck with all the contemporary bar decor which includes nice dark wood trim with rustic metal inserts, tables with pub chairs, TV's at all side tables, an impressive bar which is fully stocked, and TV's behind the mirrors in the bathrooms. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I really loved the environment that Aaron and Stephanie Curs have created.
Now that I've bored you to death, I guess I should talk about the food since that was the reason I was there. There is a simple lunch menu that has surprisingly reasonable prices. I opted for the pulled pork tacos and the yuppy fries (AMAZING!). My wife had a single burger and the dirty fries. The food was delicious and I am guessing that I might have to regular this place. GO TRY IT!!!!
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