264 S. 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Phone: (215) 545-7005

Click here to visit Monk's Cafe Online

This duo is so crazy about beer that they publish something called Monk's Beer Bible which is the Beer equivalent of a Wine List. The "bibles" are laying all over the place at Monks. It's 20 pages of yeast and barley concoctions available at Monk's that you can take home for $3. If you plan on visiting Monk's again (and you probably will) the Beer Bible is a must purchase. It also gives you the 411 on how beer is made and it's a quick education on brews.

The food at Monks is a religious epiphany.  Don't be fooled by its name, the food here is not what you would find at your normal Philly Cafe/Pub. The menu ranges from burgers and other sandwiches to dinners including such specialties as Duck Kriek, Filet Mignon and Lamb Stew. I enjoyed an incredible chicken entree stuffed with an apple-sausage stuffing - it was as good as it sounds. For the Veggie freaks - a garden burger, veggie burger and veggie roll-up is available (although a nice Belgian brew doesn't really accompany a processed veggie patty, like it does 100% beef). Monk's hearty menu complements the beer choices perfectly and some of the dishes are even made with beer.

Monk's also has a section of the menu dedicated to Mussels: Monks  Mussels, Brussels Mussels (tomatoes, fennel, herbs, garlic), Bruges Mussels (named for the Belgian White Beer used) and Rodenbach  Mussels (named for the Belgian Red Ale used). 

There is a small bar and dining area in front. Winding your way past the bar, you are flanked by booths on both sides. Off to your left is a small alcove that leads into a hallway emptying into a rear bar and dining area. If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't even know there was this rear area available - I stumbled upon it looking for the remaining people in my party. The bars only have about 4 brews on tap but the bottle selections more than make up for it. The Abbey De Leffe  (a Blonde Ale) is a delicious Belgian brew that was on tap during my visit. Hoegaarden was also on tap and it was enjoyed many times over by other people in my party.

You just can't say enough about the sheer volume of bottled brews available at Monks. If they don't have your beer in the fridge, you've either asked for a crappy brew or it is no longer made. Their inventory is all encompassing. For some of the harder to find brews, you may wind up paying a higher price than you are usually accustomed to paying for a bottle (premiere brews go for $7.50 and up per bottle).  Not to be outdone, Monk's also offers 30 single malt scotches, 15 bourbon's and 15 premium tequila's.  

The only knock that I have on the place is that when it gets crowded, there is nowhere to stand. Once all of the stools at the front bar fill up, you're in the path of the thru-way if you stand behind the stools. While waiting for a single spot at the bar, I was squeezed, bumped, rubbed and groped and that was without dinner and a movie!

The clientele range from experienced 20somethings to persons in their 40's. To this pubcrawler's surprise, there were quite a few beautiful babies dining and drinking up a storm at Monk's. I was mistakenly thinking that a place that specialized in beer, wouldn't attract any women. The appeal of Monk's food, atmosphere and alcoholic selections guarantee a return visit.