The Monkey's Paw

Great food, lovely ambience and truly superb people. We love the chicken Pot Pie, the fish n Chips, and all of the appetizers. They have a tremendous collection of whiskeys and a lovely outdoor vibe in the summer. But it's really the folks who work there who make it special. The owner, Matt, has assembled a great crew of fun and smart staff. We always have a fab time there.

I recently visited Monkey's Paw for Sunday brunch. "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs is 1 of my favorite short stories, so I was already intrigued by the name.Ambiance: The place has a lot of character and charm. It was spacious, with seating up front, in the back, and at the bar. Service: I arrived shortly after they opened so the crowd wasn't that big yet. I was encouraged to sit wherever I liked, so I parked it at the bar. I was greeted immediately by the bartender, and he checked on me multiple times while I was there. Great service!Beverages: I came for the $15 bottomless mimosas - $15 is a steal in this city! The mimosas were pre-made/pre-mixed, so my initial glass was flat. I saw the bartender mix a new carafe, so my subsequent glasses were better. He was attentive and made sure to keep my glass full. Even after I paid my tab, he made sure I had that 1 final glass before I departed. I told you the service was great!Food: I ordered the Breakfast Poutine, which was breakfast potatoes, sausage gravy, cheese curds, and eggs. I ordered my eggs over medium. The sausage gravy alone is enough to make me return. Unlike most places, their sausage gravy was well-seasoned, flavorful, and FULL of sausage! I will say that with the potatoes, gravy, cheese curds, and the runny yolk, the dish was hearty and rich. I needed some acid to cut through the heaviness, so I was thankful for the bottle of Tabasco on the bar.Given the area, parking may be a little tough, but thankfully, I was able to find a spot on the side street. I parked on the residential side, and surprisingly, there wasn't any permit-only parking signs, so that was a win. I plan to return!#ImNotAFoodie#ImJustAGirlWhoLovesFood#YelpEliteSquad

Ended up at Monkey's Paw when the place around the corner didn't have any tables available. A pleasant, cozy place to have a drink and a bite. The interior is pretty spacious and well lit with warm light - had no issue reading the menu (as compared to other "moody" bars). Sizable drink menu with something for everyone. (Bottles of wine are half-off for Wine Wednesday!). I had a draft cider (dry, $7) and tried their gimlet ($12). Both were solid and fairly priced. Shared 2 appetizers here as well: Brussels sprouts + crunchy chickpeas. Both were $7 I believe, and quite tasty. A little oily but I did not mind. I enjoyed. The service was great. Our server was very attentive and nice, and another server was very friendly and had some jokes to share. Overall my experience at Monkey's Paw was positive. I am glad we ended up here, when a last-minute pivot could have had us anywhere. Last thing I'll say: the vibe at Monkey's Paw is very much what you make of it. Bring good company.

I went to monkeys paw for the Wednesday half bottle of wine deal and am HOOKED! I love the cozy vibe of the inside but I also loved the outside patio seating. It is so neighborly and what is even better is you can take the wine home if you done finish it!(I usually finish it no problem) I am a sucker for a pretzel and this pretzel and beer cheese did not disappoint! I also am usually not a huge chickpea fan but my friend was and highly recommended the crispy chickpeas and I loved them so much I tried to make the recipe at home!!!

Always a great experience, the service is great and the food never disappoints. I try and get something different every time I come here. This visit it was chicken piccata, and it was delicious. The chicken was tender and juicy, the sauce absolutely amazing and loved the home made tagliatelle pasta. Highly recommend the dish and this place!

Cozy neighbor bar experience. A very nice draft beer selection. Wednesday's are 1/2 off wine bottles.

Came here with a girlfriend for light bites and a cocktail and and maybe I didn't order the right items but the food and drinks were off. Although the broth was delicious, the texture of the mussels were squishy and the meatballs were just dry. Very offputting. Our cocktails (I got the Irish Tears) weren't very balanced--they put way too much lemon juice in mine, it was very acidic. I can't speak to their whisky offerings as that's what they specialize in, but can't say I recommend this place for the cocktails or food.

My poor rating is strictly based on how the hostess and one of the staff who brought food to the tables was to our complain oh how cold our table was.We were sat by the window and away from the main door, so not like we are getting draft coz of that. Overhead duct throws heat towards the bar, nothing towards the windows. There are clear cracks or they haven't done tuck pointing in who knows how long. We were ok over the table, but our legs were freezing the entire time. Everyone sitting by the windows were wearing layers and I overheard people say the same. We asked if we could get another table, hostess said she didn't have anything and few minutes later she moved a group behind us to another table, fine she got a bigger table where she could move them to. But at least acknowledge or be kind. Our server was indifferent when we told how cold it was. On our way out we brought it up to another guy who seemed like higher in the chain, but he completely ignored us and looked away, like who cares, you paid, you're leaving, get the F out. I sarcastically said, "Thank you for caring ", he told us, wear socks next time. WTF! It felt borderline racist to be treated that way.Whatever, not going back.Food and drinks were good but if they don't know how to treat customers being in hospitality, screw that!!!

Cute neighborhood comfort food bar. We started with a design your own charcuterie board with a few delicious cheeses and prosciutto. Then we shared the roasted vegetable salad ( pretty good) and a grilled Cesar salad (great menu item). Friendly service. If in the neighborhood great choice for casual comfort food !

Stopped by The Monkeys Paw on a Friday night for dinner & drinks with friends. It's tucked into a quiet corner of west lincoln park and has casual neighborhood vibes. We had made a reservation for patio seating outside, which was nicely set up along the sidewalk. I also noticed they were dog friendly, as some had brought their pets.My friends and I started with the seasonal G&T cocktail, which was just ok - the blackberry sour next ended up being the crowd favorite. For food, I split the wedge salad with one other person and it came out split for us on separate plates, which was a nice touch. I also got the mussels, which were a-okay. Overall, the food and drinks were good but nothing extraordinary - bumping to 4 stars because the service was fantastic. Our waiter was awesome, and everything ran very smoothly. If I lived in this neighborhood, I would be a regular.