The Brass Monkey

Good looking place. Good atmosphere. But the service is slow. Good and friendly. But way way too too too slow.

I am prepared to update my review after my next visit… We attended right after the grand opening. Food was ok, nothing to brag about, service was poor until I got the attention of the manager. The décor was more appealing than the old restaurant that was at this location but layout was virtually the same. The video wall was still intact so I felt I was still at the old restaurant. Hoping to be impressed next time.

Formerly the home of Cabo Joes, The Brass Monkey took it’s place and just had their grand opening yesterday. I wasn’t really impressed by the food or cocktails, but it is a nice spot to hang with some friends and grab a beer.
When I heard CJ was closing down and a new owner was coming in, I kind of thought they’d figure out a better flow. They did completely redecorate and remove the excessive amounts of tables that it’s predecessor had, but they kept the exact same set up. This means walking in the front door, you’re immediately jammed between the bar and patrons. Still not a fan of that and it really doesn’t allow the staff to recognize that guests have arrived since this little area is also shared by the hall to the bathroom.
We sat down at one of the communal tables close to the bar. The other half of BM was full, but the half we sat on (closest to the TVs) only had one other table that was taken. As we sat and waited for someone to come over, four staff members went over to a table in front of us to clean it. I made eye contact with at least two… you know the universal signal of «Okay so now we both know you see me over here drink-​less, food-​less, and menu-​less.» Alas, no one came. My PIC had to go over and approach one of the many staff members (may have been a manager) that previously cleaned that tiny table. Someone finally came over. Even though this was a pretty crappy start to our outing, I wasn’t upset… it’s just worth noting that they really don’t have a clear understanding of who’s doing what. Service isn’t great.
The menu was intriguing from the apps to the desserts. Everything had a Midwestern flair which is definitely unique for this area. I’m talking fried cheese curds, funnel cakes, kale in abundance, a selection of grilled cheese sandwiches, and patty melts. Alright, alright, alright. I do hope they reprint their menus though because the font was super tiny and in a dull gold color.
We decided to start with the fried cheese curds. They were okay. I thought the batter lacked salt, but the cheese was true cheese curd flavor (very mild). What the batter lacked in flavor, the marinara sauce that was served alongside it made up for it. I was between a whole lot of things on the menu and somehow whittled it down to the Brat Flatbread, The Smoked Salmon Flatbread, and the B&T Grilled Cheese. I went with the brat flatbread because I’ve never seen that before. A flatbread topped with mustard, sauerkraut, brats, and melted cheese curds. It was different and I’d say okay. I would’ve liked it better with more sauerkraut and mustard because again cheese curds are very mild in flavor. I did steal almost all of my better half’s sweet potato fries with the vanilla icing and I gotta say those things are great. The icing is pretty sweet, but I really like it.
My biggest takeaway about BM was mixed drinks aren’t their forte. Every mixed drink that was brought to our table tasted watered down. My sangria was full of ice when it came (none of it melted) and I’m telling you that first sip tasted like flavored water. Not a fan. I’ll stick to soft drinks and beer next time.
I like the spot itself. I think it’s a lot more fitting for what’s needed in the area because it really does feel like a pub. The foods not great, but I do think there are some good things on the menu. I like that they did a lot of modern touches to the venue and added some cool pieces to talk about like the mason jar lights. It’s not a hipster place, just a good place to go with some friends.

I don’t understand if they’re officially open or not. They said they haven’t had their grand opening. I guess it’s a soft opening. Very nice set up. Wouldn’t guess it used to be a Cabo Joes just by looking at it. Decent drinks. I know they have some specialty cocktails, but the bartender never offered us a menu. Fairly accommodating bartenders though. Drinks are priced high, but the atmosphere is probably what you’re paying for.

Brass monkey is still in soft opening but staff was very friendly. Decent but not great selection of beers on draft. Only tried the cheese curds but they were awesome. Huge order. Curds were fluffy and light with air yet full of melted cheese goodness. It’s not the cheese curds like you’d find in Wisconsin. More a cheese stick but with that distinctive batter taste and warm marinara. I saw an order of the funnel cake go by that looked amazing. Their flat breads look good to. Their grand opening isn’t till next week and I’ll have o try it again to see if my review changes. But so far I like it. Different but good food options. Not much in variety for salad eaters though. They play club music which bounces from tejano club to American. Kinda weird but I respect them trying to appeal to a variety of people. Lots of seating and the wall of tvs is cool if not the most practical. The doors entering the restaurant all look like doors you would expect for staff only so don’t be timid.