Brass Monkey

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659 S Mariposa Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005

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(213) 381-7047
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Brass Monkey - Los Angeles, CA
Reviews
( 9 )
( 18 )
( 3 )
( 6 )
( 12 )

Best

i enjoy myself at the brass monkey. i went on a friday night and it was great. The drinks were good and you got them in a timely matter. The Dj was great totally had the whole bar...

Worst

So, there's a two drink minimum the waiters wont stop bugging till u buy the damn drinks. It's small, gotta come early or you'll be standing the whole night. Eh, I don't think ill...

The Monkey Rocks!!! :-) 10/18/2005

I met the love of my life here one evening in late July. The Monkey Rocks! Pros: Great Karaoke!, Met Love of my Life!, Tasty Coronas! Cons: $6 Coronas more
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Nasty monkey... 8/28/2005

I just recently visited this karaoke bar and was pretty disappointed... Several of the servers were rude to different people in my group. My drink was way overpriced and when the waitress finally brought it to me it looked like someone had already drank half of it. If you want to have a good time singing with your friends, stay home and put on the radio... Cons: nasty servers, overpriced drinks more
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Good Monkey Bad Monkey 5/16/2005

even though this is my default karaoke spot it does have its low points. drinks are pricey and can be watered down. if you actually want to sing you have to get there early or else you might be waiting around all night and never get called up. the dj's can be very preferential about who they let sing. so if you have a large group of friends, turn in your karaoke requests one at a time with different individual's names(he won't let you sing if he keeps seeing the same names over and over) and then just go up as a group! but the crowd really makes brass monkey a great spot! a lot of fun people who are all relying on liquid courage to get up and sing so they can all be really friendly! Pros: great crowd, lots of songs, good parking Cons: long wait for songs, drinks are so so more
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What is this place famous for? 3/24/2005

The food is not good at all. It taste like something out of a hospital cafeteria. The drinks are over priced...really over priced. The bartenders are nice but they cant expect you to even get a good buzz off the watered down drinks they serve. The only postive is the big over sized chair...if they're are two of you only one of you can have a big chair. Very comfortable now only if the food and drinks were better. Cons: Food and Drinks, Value more
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COCKTAILS SUCK AT THIS KARAOKE BAR 3/18/2005

I have a low tolerence, therefore i order one or two drinks and really want to enjoy my drinks. First,I ordered a Monkey Martini....they did not serve them in a martini glass. My friend ordered a Monkey Mojito...guess what..NO MOJITO. I ordered a Sexy Monkey supposedly with O.J., cranberry juice, Stoli Vodka, and Grand Marnier...the drink tasted so discusting....like it was just some cheap $5 Vodka with a splash of cranberry. I could have made a better drink with vodka and Gatorade! My friend ordered a rum and coke.....so bad she didn't drink hers either. I ended up having wine cause it's the only things the bartenders didn't actually make. At the end of the night, we decided to order two shots of patron. The shots they brought us were NOT Patron.....again had that same cheap taste, they didn't even chill it or put salt on the rim as ordered. Pros: atmosphere, food, reservation of table Cons: barteners, cocktails, specialty drinks more
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More Than Just Karaoke 3/9/2005

Brass Monkey has become a favorite lunch spot for our company. The staff is good about accommodating large groups. The menu is varied and surprisingly inexpensive. Better yet, the food is GOOD! Call ahead with your order for a large crowd and you won't have to wait very long for your food. If I lived in the area I would check the karaoke out; I hear it's a blast. Pros: Fun, Inexpensive Food, Good Food Cons: Not Close To Home more
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Karaoke Heaven 3/7/2005

I went to a friend's birthday party here last night and it was totally fun. They have pretty much every song you could want to sing except Social Distortion's Ball and Chain and Dixie Chick's Goodbye Earl. Bummer. Anyway, the drinks were ok, nothing to write home about but the karaoke girl was fun and always announced our guest of honor as birthday girl. It can get pretty crazy on weekends but a Monday night is a lot more mellow. You won't see the bar from the street, but if you turn on Mariposa off Wilshire, then there's a lot that is free to Brass Monkey crowds. Pros: good song list, fun crowd, nice servers Cons: not for cocktails, hard to find, no props more
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Always a Blast 7/16/2004

The Monkey = a good time. The key is to go with a group of friends and arrive no later than 8:30pm (on the weekend). If you've got a big entourage, call in advance to reserve a table, or arrive early and cover the bar. Atmosphere is rustic, very low-key. Drinks are strong. Service is better at the bar than at a table. The songbook is massive; while it's missing a few recent favs, you'll have no problem picking a song or 20. Just be prepared to socialize between songs or sing backup with a friend; it may be 2hrs before your next set. Pros: great vibe, low-key fun, crooners celebrate! Cons: , kitchen closes early, wait between songs more
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Good times! 6/15/2004

I had my birthday at Brass Monkey and it was a night to remember! Although the drinks are a little steep after singing starts, they pack a punch. The patrons are eclectic and friendly. Be prepared for a great time! more
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Nice but... 4/6/2004

...it'll take up to two hours for your song to come out. Tipping the karaoke DJ won't make much difference, as it seems he has his own agenda in picking who sings. It's more of a bar than a karaoke joint but there are a lot of hot girls there. Go there expecting to sing two songs per night at most. Pros: Lots of hot girls, Crowded Cons: A bit pricey, Long wait for song, DJ plays favorites more
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Spankin Monkey 7/19/2003

This place is awesome! It's intimate and the people are friendly. The $10 cover/ 2 drink minimum thing sucks, but it helps you get up on stage! Go with a big group and be prepared to laugh a lot and meet nice people. A good time for everyone! Pros: Nice people, not seedy, parking is easy Cons: drink requirement, cover charge more
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fun for groups 5/18/2003

so the monkey is fun for getting drunk and singing badly. (if you don't drink or sing.. for watching others get drunk and sing badly.) i set my expectations at that and usually have a good time, the more the merrier. the drinks are way strong, i personally like the "caramel apple": a butterscotch sour apple martini. the usual DJ, i always forget his name, is fun and keeps the place lively, even on a slow night. if you need to munch, the fries and cheese pizza is decent. singing.. hmm. i think they have over 5000 songs available (including a few pages of Spanish songs). the audience is often drunk, but nice. (someone got booed my last time there, but that was the first time i'd heard that at the monkey and they *were* pretty bad.) all in all, somewhere i would (and have) return to. :o) Pros: strong drinks :o), ready parking Cons: small menu more
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Impossible not to have a good time 2/26/2003

It's pretty hard not to have a good time here. Sure, it's crowded, but if you have a large group, you can call ahead for a table (though you have to show up by 9:00pm). Don't order anything non-alcoholic or you'll get ripped off. Friendly staff. Always a party where everyone's invited. Pros: Fun, Party-atmosphere, Unpretentious Cons: Crowded, Not Cheap, Annoying Frat-boys more
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way overrated 2/14/2003

i hate this place. it's incredibly small and it's always PACKED full of stupid frat boys who don't apologize when they bump into you and middle-aged women with frosted hair. the drinks are ridiculously overpriced and the whole karaoke thing is pretty lame. it's impossible to find a bar stool to sit down and they only have like four tables, so I dare you to try to order food. ugh. Pros: free parking at night Cons: everything else more
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Bring lots of cash 11/24/2002

Be prepared to be screwed on drink prices. We got charged $5 for alcohol free soda, juice and water on a Sunday night. If you don't drink you are charged a $10 cover so you might as well get something. And order liquor since the waitress said a soda costs the same if there is alcohol mixed in or not. Whoever heard of that!?!? To add insult to injury the service was horrible (only one waitress) and no food is served on Sundays. Definitely not worth it for a dark, dingy, smokey dive. There are much better places to go on a Sunday night. Pros: Good Parking, Large Karaoke list Cons: expensive, smokey, bad service more
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Fun! 10/1/2002

The Brass Monkey is how all Karaoke bars should be. It is an intimate bar with dark wood walls and a great Karaoke crowd. I highly recommend getting there early because this place fills up fast, especially on Friday and Saturdays. Pros: Karaoke, Good Scene, Intimate Cons: Crowded Sometimes more
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That Funky Monkey 6/30/2002

Good bar food, great selection of mixed drinks and "the place to be" for karaoke. To get good seats with a large group, I suggest calling ahead for reservations. more
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very cool 6/19/2002

Very cool place! It's cool for an after work bar but then as the night gets later and the karoke breaks out its totally crazy! I went here on a wednesday night and it felt like friday in there. Everyone in that palce was singing and dancing. I can't wait to go back and get the nerve to sing up there... The bartender was amazing! She got up and sang " i like big butts.." what a fun time! You have to go at least once! You will leave with a smile on your face and some good songs on your mind.. see ya there more
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Place to be for Karaoke. 6/9/2002

As many a good times as I've had here, this place keeps people coming back for more. The drinks are great and the entertainment is well worth seeing. Brass Monkey is a small pub with a captivated audience for Karaoke. more
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Nothing beats art on Friday nights 5/27/2002

Two words: Good Times. The monkey has been a karaoke standard in LA for years. As you walk down the steps into the main room, you realize that you entering a true dive with attitude. The patrons range from locals to trained voices to partiers to stars. Singers and non-singers alike - you won't be disappointed with a trip to the Monkey. more
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Menu for Brass Monkey


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Editorial

  • The Scene
    Karaoke brings people together, especially at Brass Monkey. The low ceiling, oversized hanging lanterns and eclectic crowd are not for the claustrophobic. The place is usually packed by the time singing begins at 9pm--and as with the crowd, the songs are diverse, ranging from the Beatles and Billy Idol to Spanish songs and slow numbers. Some die-hard karaoke lovers even bring their own tunes. Luckily, food is available if you need something to snack on, since the wait to perform can stretch to two hours.

    The Draw
    For those who need a shot of liquid courage before a performance, the bar offers a "world-famous martini" that's really pretty average. Instead, try a more provocative-sounding drink like the Razzy Monkey, the Ex-Wife or the sweet Funky Monkey made with Watermelon Pucker, vodka and orange juice.

  • 4/17/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Wilshire Center / Koreatown, Central LA
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