Brass Monkey

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 come again. more

3/3/09 My friends, husband and I went to this place. The first time for most of the 8 person group. The overcharged a few people and when I complained about the taste of the drink the "manager" came over and kicked us out! BUT WAIT then billed one of the guys for drinks and food we didn't eat or drink! The held one of the girls hostage while the guy went to his car to get more case to pay the bogus bill. Then while waiting outside for our hostage friend another group came out and said they were just kicked out too because they had been there too long!!!! They were asked rudely to pack up their belongings and leave since they had other customers that would be buying more drinks! It was crazy! Overpriced, unfriendly and unprofessional location! Please do not go to this place! Pros: French Fries were decent Cons: Everything! The staff, the drinks, the singing! more

Few of my friends came to have a good time and after 20-30 minutes we left in disgust. There was a brunette waitress working at night on 03/21/09 that was a real money grubbing "person". I ordered 3 beers for total $18.00 when I gave her a $20.00 she told me "ok that's twenty" I looked at her like what? She said "this is how I make a living so it's twenty" To get a tip you EARN your tip if she would of gave me $2.00 back I would of gave her back those $2.00 even though she did not do much. I felt like she reached into my wallet and helped herself out to my money. uhh such a dirty feeling! Pros: None Cons: Waitresses climb into your wallet more

My girlfriend and I are avid karaoke peeps. We just moved to LA from Santa Barbara and have been searching for good karaoke spots. So far, Brass Monkey has been one of the better singing spots, but has a few problems to be aware of. Let me preface this review by saying, in Santa Barbara I was a singing bartender at a popular karaoke spot and my girlfriend has KJ'd on a few occasions for her uncle who has one of the best shows you'll ever go to. That being said, we know what makes up good karaoke and good service. Upon entering the bar we were (like the last poster) confronted by a cocktail waitress who was adamant about taking our drink order. I declined and told her we would try and find a spot at the bar. She looked at me like I was crazy and with quite an attitude persisted to convince me to order through her. I've managed a restaurant and bartended at a similar bar, and in no way should employees ever barrage a guest upon their arrival, it starts things off on a bad note. I brushed past her and ignored her request to serve us and headed for the bar. Once I got their, I noticed all the seats were taken so I asked the cocktail waitress if I could sit at a table, the only one which wasn't reserved for a party later. She reluctantly accepted, but told me she would have to kick me and my gf out of the seats once a larger party wanted to sit there. Mind you this was only a small two person table. I didn't really want to get into anything even though this is fatal protocol for a business who wants returning guests. We finally ordered our first two domestic beers and put in our karaoke slips. The KJ started his show a little early at around 845 and we got in two songs before the bar completely filled up around 930. Throughout the meat of the night, the service was good, we weren't kicked out for a bigger party, and we got in 3 songs apiece before the rotation was 3 hours long (so go early). After singing our last song, I asked the cocktail waitress, who had been attentive to us throughout the night if we could split the payment between my gf's and my credit cards. We had 5 beers apiece so I figured it would be pretty easy. Well her reaction was as though I asked her to bake me a cake. She asked, "seriously?". I said "yes, if it's not too much trouble". She huffed off and returned with our bills. We were surprised to see that Coors Light goes for $5 a bottle, especially after hearing about reasonable drink prices. $5 for C- is an absolute rip off but I guess it's not too unexpected for an LA bar. All in all, my gf and I had a fun night, but we won't be going back to Brass Monkey until we've searched for better karaoke spots. If the beer was a little less expensive and the cocktail waitress not as pushy and bitchy, we would surely be returning customers. Pros: good karaoke, good crowd Cons: cocktail waitress' attitude, $5 domestic bottles more

First thing I walked into this bar all I wanted to do was go straight to the bar. I had a waitress jump in front of me blocking me from the bar. She said, "can I help you?" I said, " oh I just want to go to the bar thank you" She said, "oh that's fine I can take your order"....mind you I see the bar has people seated all around it. I say, "can't I just go to the bar??" She say's "oh I can help you" A little weirded out and seeing the door man creeping up behind me I said, "ok, I'll have a vodka tonic (sucked by the way)" She says, "there's a $25 limit on cards" so I proceed to buy three of my friends drinks. Now we have to stand awkwardly waiting for a table that is clearly open before us until we are finally seated. The whole time I am thinking, "how the hell are those people able to sit at the bar but I can't??" I hate this place, with a passion. more

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 rocking. men to women ratio was great 5 to 2. Most of the guys were cute and friendly. great place to meet new people. And the hot wings are good too. Pros: Parking close, great atmosphere, strong drinks, and good music Cons: small bar more

I ordered some calamari and it came in stale, I told our waitress if its possible to change my order and she gladly obliged so I ordered chicken wings and guess what , it came in freezing cold like it came out of the fridge. I was really disappointed and I called our server back to see if I could get my money back and you know what she told me....I can't give your money back coz they will take it out of me...WOW if this is a place you want to hang around I guess you have to assume the risk if you want to get sick....worst place to be...avoid totally unless you want to get potential disease then its highly recommended. I wouldnt come back to this place even if you paid me!!!!! Pros: none Cons: food is stale or not cooked take your pick more

I've been going to this place for the past three years on Friday's after work. It's a small place but I like it. The food is good and prices are very reasonable. Drinks are a little costly but if you ask for a drink in a particular way they will make it for you. Waitresses are very friendly (especially to guys)... The regulars are very friendly with new people and welcome new comers. I really like this place... Parking is free after 5pm in the structure next to the bar with validation. Where do you get free parking in LA..? Pros: Free parking, friendly people, good food prices Cons: Small, costly drinks, karoke guy not to cool more

I recently went to Backstage with a friend and her mother, and let me tell you... it's even better than Brass Monkey back in '99 when the Monkey was hot. I remember when I would walk to the Brass Monkey and they'd be closed because Drew Berrymore or some other hot celeb was having her b-day party there. Now the place is a flop. Try Backstage instead. They've got people of every race, age, 'class'... it's like one big party. Seriously fun. And no, I do not work there. more

My friends and I used to frequent this karaoke bar but after our recent experience, we will never be back. The doorman was cool but the manager, some idiot named Ricco was rude and kicked us out of more tables and chairs than we could stand. He said he had "reservations" for our table so we got up and then he seated some walk-ins who were actually the rest of my friends joining us. He was running aound all night sucking up to some customers and groping almost every woman in the place! We asked why we were seated originally, on a slow night and he retorted that he was saving the table for some expected VIPs. We spent over $300 in this place! What does it take to be a VIP?? Tell your friends they have to "grease" Rico heavily if they want a table. Otherwise, don't bother. Pros: Good sounds. Great Songlist. Good drinks Cons: The terrible night manager!! more

I've been to the Monkey off and on for the last two years or so and always had a great time. Sure, the service is a little lacking and the drinks aren't great, but when Lucas was the DJ, everyone seemed to have a good time. The last two times I've been there, however, some d0uchebag DJ was there and was the worst karaoke DJ in the history of mankind. He was messing up the order, coming back to the DJ both late after leaving to go dance with the drunk idiots, giving way too much preference to the large birthday party that was there, and generally stinking up the joint. We got there relatively early (9:00) and had our songs in quickly. After not singing by midnight and seeing that our party's songs had been moved down the list not once, but twice, we just decided to go. Pretty much the entire place had emptied out because no one was singing except for the group of drunken birthday girls. When we left, there was maybe 15 people in the bar that weren't there for that party. Every other time I'd been to there and Lucas was hitting up the tunes, the nights were great and everyone in the place got to sing, not just the birthday parties that were excessively tipping. I won't go there again without calling ahead to see if Lucas is there. Pros: Parking, one cute waitress Cons: Weak drinks, bad service, bad DJs, the idiots in the hard hats. more

I went to the Brass Monkey after a play with nine friends who have frequented it on and off throughout the years. Everyone in our party was ordering a lot of drinks and food and I ordered an Absolut Tonic. When I tasted the drink it was terrible. Something was very wrong with the tonic. I had two other people try the drink to see if they thought it was off, which they wholeheartedly agreed it was. This is what I usually drink so I know what a vodka tonic should taste like. The waitress was gone for at least twenty minutes so I went with the drink to the bar and apologized for the inconvenience but the tonic tasted a little strange and could I replace the drink with an Absolut Grapefruit? She seemed irritated and told the bartenders who tried the straight tonic and had me try it. I said that yes it was off and the bartender proceeded to tell me that he'd been bartending for seven years and it was fine. They then igored me and I walked back to the table with the awful drink. About five minutes later the drink was spilled (it was still full) by the person serving the bad food. No one offered to replace the spilled drink. When I asked the waitress to replace it she said no and that she would have to pay for it out of pocket. Very frusterated I went outside and the waitress a few minutes later came outside found the door guy and started talking about me and calling me a pain in the a*s right in front of me. I was literally five feet away. I left right after this and of course had to pay $7 for the worst drink on the planet. I will never go there again. I hate to complain and I work in the service industry and was gracious and humble when trying to change the drink. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Pros: parking Cons: food, drinks, service, cleanliness more

Let me just say that If you are a true karaoke affectionado and you believe in fairness this place is not for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got there about 9:45pm. I got my song in about 10pm (and I tipped). And preceeded to wait for my turn to come up. There was a lot of people there so I expected to wait. I was there with friends and we were drinking so it help pass the time. Everything was fun up until the time that I began to notice that some people, who had already sang a song were going up again and I was still waiting. What was even worse, was watching people come in , chum up with the KJ, and get put on the list and eventually go up before me also. When I asked the KJ what was going on, he tried to give me some weak-ass excuse. But, at that point he was only making himself look very lame. Finally, at around 12:25 am I got up, I did my song, the crowd loved it, and I had fun. But almost three hours to sing one song?!!! Like I said if you are a true karaoke affectionado and you believe in fairness, this is not the place for you! more

My friends and I arrived at 10, and the man at the door was super friendly and helpful. When we walked in, we couldn't get a table because our group was too large, but I was plesantly surprised that a waitress approached me right away and took our drink orders. A few of us chose songs to sing and gave it to the DJ...over three hours later, we could not figure out why we were not being picked. They told us it would be a 3 hour wait and that 45 songs were on the list...yet we noticed that a few groups of people were singing several times in an hour! I spoke with a girl in a nearby group, and she said she was waiting since 9:30 and that she was annoyed that the DJ allowed his friends to skip ahead of other patrons. Nearing two, my friends and I were getting fed up. I talked to a guy at the bar who had sang several times, and he said that he was friends with the DJ and that the DJ kept bumping him up on the list. I guess at Brass Monkey, when it comes to singing, it's not about fairness. It's about who you know. There were some good and amusing things that happened, but I felt annoyed that the singing system was so corrupt. What's the point really if you don't know the DJ? You're never going to be able to sing, and you're going to have to listen to the crappy songs of the same five groups of people. I would NEVER go back. Pros: Service (the staff not the DJ), atmosphere, possible celeb sightings Cons: Unless you know the DJ, he's never going to let you sing more

I visited this karaoke bar this past Friday with a group of friends for girls night out. Upon arriving I was a little surprised at how small it was inside, but somehow it comes off as intimate & charming. The doorman was friendly & helped me find my party right away. The atmosphere is very loud & crowded on a Friday night with standing room only by 10:30 p.m. I was pleased with the somewhat mixed crowd of approximately 70% White, 15% Hispanic & 15% African-Americans. I have never been to a karaoke bar before and expected to hear YMCA & "Rolling On A River" all night long, but I was impressed with the extensive list of current & classic hits to choose from. I would definitely recommend it as a hang out spot for groups of 3 or more - would not recommend it as a first date place since it is very difficult to hold a conversation in there. As far as the drinks go, I wasn't impressed with the Funky Monkey, but the Long Island Iced Tea gets 2 thumbs up! The food was decent, (try the cobb salad w/ chicken) All in all, I had a great time and would recommend it for a night out with the girls, guys or a group of both. 1 Con - although our group of 15 had reservations, we were forced to move to a seperate area after 10:00 when the bar started getting extremely crowded. I think the idea was to try to accomodate everyone, but in my opinion that's not fair - it should be first come, first served seating. And one last thing - parking in the structure across from the bar can be expensive so don't forget to have your ticket validated. Pros: Extensive list of current & classic songs to choose from, Nice crowd Cons: Limited seating more

I've only been two a few Karaoke places since moving to LA, but I did enjoy my night at Brass Monkey. Because I've read about the drinks not being good, I stuck to beer the night, though me and my friends did have some shots (Jagger Bomb, Kamikaze and Chocolate Cake) and they were all right on. Maybe it was a different bartender...Anyway, we went on a Thursay night and had a blast. It was pretty empty so we got to sing a lot. The KJ was really cool and even sang backgrounds when I sang which was great. People were up and dancing and everyone was cheering each other on. Oh and the song list was very very extensive, their were even songs that had only been on the radio for a month or two. I would recommend this place during the week as I would imagine it would be too crowded on the weekend. Pros: Karaoke, KJ, Song List and Crowd. Cons: Drinks were a little costly. more

I had the prime rib sandwich($8.95) some of the worst prime rib I have ever had in my life. My friend had a hamburger($7.95) very dry. Expensive watered down drinks, that are not worth what you pay. Just awful! Pros: karaoke(if you like it) Cons: terrible food, over-priced drinks more

My husband and I went for karaoke on Saturday night. We were amazed that you can park for free somewhere in LA. Park in the lot next door. There was no cover, but signs posted say 2 drink minimum. My husband likes Patron, most places charge $13-15 for a shot, at the Brass Monkey Patron is $8 a shot. I had lemon drops. They were great and STRONG! The DJ did a great job of keeping us entertained and with a tip we were put into a busy rotation a couple of times. There was a good selection of songs. We thought it would be busier on a weekend, it was just right . . .The wait staff were friendly and prompt. A great time :) Pros: free parking, cheap good drinks more

The Monkey rocks every Friday and Saturday! It is a nonstop party after 10pm. It is always packed and the crowd is friendly and knows how to rock the house down. I have a great time everytime. Here are the Pros: They have the best selection of songs ever, bar none. The friendly party people. No cover. Cons: The wait in between your songs. You can only request one song at a time; you sing a song, and then you can put in your next request. The Key to having a great time. Hint#1: Call ahead and reserve a table, or otherwise SRO. Hint#2: Tip your waitress well. Not only will she will be prompt, she will flirt with you. And if you ask her to make your drinks strong, she will ask the bartenders to do so. It's easy to get great service for the whole night. Hint#3: Tip your Karaoke Hosts well, but only when you turn in your song to sing. Then you will be sure to get to sing, and you will get great treatment too. And they will get you back into the rotation faster. WARNING: I've seen people who have drunk too much be rude and obnoxious to the waitresses and Karaoke Hosts. They complain that they got watered down drinks all night. Worst of all they did not get to sing any songs during the whole night. Pros: Atmosphere, music selection, fun people Cons: Long wait to sing when it's packed, get a table or you stand more

I agree with what many others have said about the overpriced, half-filled, watered-down drinks. Even with that, we were having a great time...until the waitress became very uncooperative. The bartender made the wrong drink, but we weren't in a hurry to get the right one so it wasn't a big deal. The waitress said she'd be right back with the correct one, but that she'd leave the other one for us to have on the house even though I said we didn't want it (but it's not like they could re-serve it). It tasted like rubbing alcohol, so we passed it off to someone else. We were with a group of 30, so I'm not even sure who drank it. Half an hour later, we hadn't gotten the right drink, so we asked. It came soon after that, along with the bill, which included the drink we didn't order. She said that we had to pay or tell her who drank it so she could charge them for it. We certainly weren't going to pay for it, and had no idea who drank it, so she threw a hissy fit when I told her this. I ended up having to wait around for the manager, who gave us cash back but was still rude about it and sided with the waitress ("she says she told you that this drink was in place of the one you ordered, but that you wanted it"). Even though I'd have stuck around to sing more, we felt the need to cut the night short since she would have just been giving us evil looks for taking her $9 (the price of rubbing alcohol, apparently) and not leaving a tip. Pros: Good Karaoke selection Cons: Drink prices/tastes, staff more