November 25, 2009
Having read so many glowing reviews for this much-lauded purveyor of Belgian beer, and being in town to experience Philadelphia Beer Week, what better place to start? So, I chose a quiet Friday afternoon and settled in at the front bar. In the front, there is a small, L-shaped bar seating about 10; additionally, the area has several tables with two prize locations at the windows overlooking 16th Street. If you pass the hallway and head to the left, you come to the larger back bar - also with different beers on tap. (I recommend checking this first.) Of course, Monk’s Beer Bible is an amazing read - and can be purchased for $3.00. And to describe the diversity of fermented culture would be just repetition; Monk’s has many, many beers. However, being the beer perfectionist, I didn’t find the available taps (a paltry 7) very impressive - the one that did intrigue me, Urthel Hop-It, was not available. Settling down with a bottle of Val Dieu brown, I enjoyed the Pulled Pork Sandwich and frites (with mayonnaise, of course). When the bartender wasn’t busy chatting with her gay friend, I was able to induce her to serve me a bottle of Alvinne Gaspar, a hop monster possessing a head that took 10 minutes to settle! Therein lies the rub with Monk’s: the service just sucks - on a quiet afternoon at that! There are flaws in even the most valuable gems; with Monk’s it was the indifferent service. What a shame, since I had really anticipated coming here. While, Monk’s is a first-rate beer bar, it leaves a lot to be desired in the realm of hospitality, and since Philadelphia has so many similarly fine establishments from which to choose, why even bother. A great bar is more than a massive beer list; a great bar is one where a beer drinker feels welcome, one where he or she could just stay and never leave. Unfortunately, the "much-lauded" Monk’s is not one of these. Great beer bar and a great disappointment.

November 19, 2009
A cozy, narrow place downtown with the bar in the middle between a few tables up front and more in the back. I only had beer at the bar, but the locals gave high ratings to the mussels and a vegetarian selection. The tap selection is legendary. When I was there, a full menu of Dogfish Head was featured, plus an international list of mostly Belgian styles. Some bottles to go from the coolers behind the bar are an added bonus.

November 15, 2009
Cool looking place. It was slightly narrow, but never seemed to get over-crowded. Dim lit with an old style feel to it. Pretty quick service for how busy it was and I think the bartender had a Belgian accent. She poured everything correctly and carefully, but quickly and efficient. I didn’t try the food, but the mussels looked really good. The beer list was pretty extensive. I got to have Duvel’s Groen and Russian River’s Publication while I was there. Pricing was fare and they served everything in the proper glassware. I only visited a few places in Philly, but this was my favorite.

October 31, 2009
I really like the atmosphere here. Dimly lit, lighted signs, beer glasses and bottle and rustic wood. The tap selection is small, but good. Nice bottle selection. Not overly impressed by the selection, but still a nice place. Food is pretty good. This place is pretty pricey though. I would reccomend trying this place out at least once.

October 15, 2009
This place is pretty awesome in all ways. Service was friendly enough, knowledgeable and busy making the place great. All I had was the mussels (ghent) and fries with bourbon mayo. Classic, great fries and mayo, and the mussels were very good ( better at Eulogy ). The feel of the place is so chill that I couldn’t help but feel at home my first time there. Had Russian River Blind Pig and Damnation since I can’t get those in Jersey. The Blind Pig was a thing of beauty. Great place, there is a reason it is so successful.

October 13, 2009
Like some sort of pilgrim my wife and I check into my hotel only to drop our stuff off in our room and go to this bar.... silly I know but it’s one of the main reasons we went to Philadelphia and I was indeed not disappointed. The first (of three) times we went we ate the pommes frîtes and mussels and had a number of very delicious beers; such was the case each time we returned. Seems like people always complain about the service here, every bartender and server I talked to was very kind hard working and very excited about the beer. One of them even gave me a glass of the Cantillon Monks Café Cuvee Gueuze because they weren’t selling it yet and I was interested. Bad service my ass. I love the dark look of the place and the Flemish art; this place might get my only 5 for ambiance.

September 29, 2009
Dark atmosphere. Workers are knowledgeable, and the bottle list is great however very pricey! Wallet was lighter after enjoying a bottle of beatification. Was also disappointed with their use of alias names for beers. Worth going to but would rather buy these rare beers other places or trade for them.

September 22, 2009
Small, dimly lit, narrow, congested. Too busy with inadequate bar-tending. The selection is pretty generic Belgian- with the exception of the very rare Russian River bottles (that are quite pricey- $30 for a 375mL) I like that they offer these beers, but it hurts the wallet. Might as well trade for them and age them/enjoy them in the comfort of your home. Also, when I arrived there the usual one-two rare taps were not pouring yet. I just missed Russian River Publication (PNC) which really frustrated me, and may be affecting my rating of this place- however- other than that one rare tap they usually have the selection is fairly standard. I feel many places (such as this) that have the occasional very rare and wanted beer tend to be overrated due to an often let down hype. (In that the one beer that makes them special is coincidentally not available upon your visit).

September 13, 2009
Ensconced at back bar 09/13/09. Dark wood paneled pub atmosphere. Dylan and Prine wailing out old favorites. Jill fixed me up with some PA beers not available in VA. Pub grub is good...frys hit the spot.!

September 8, 2009
Great selection. Great locavore menu. knowledgeable staff. Highly recommended.