The Flying Monkey Grill & Bar
The Flying Monkey Grill & Bar things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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1st time here - always wanted to try! The prices are pretty steep for the location & the offerings. I so wanted to try the pettine risotto, but $34 is nuts for rice!! Started at the bar with a Yuengling & a Naughty Flight Attendant, which was a little coconut rum forward, but still very good. Didn't taste boozy, which can be dangerous, lol. The bartender was just average. She chatted more with the servers than us. We moved to a table got a couple of beers & ordered the fried brussel sprouts, sliced ahi tuna & stuffed mushrooms apps - forgot to take pics of them as we were super hungry - oops! Brussels went perfectly with the bourbon glaze & dipping sauce (not sure what it was, but it was yummy). They were cooked perfectly & the portion size was pretty good for 3 ppl. The ahi tuna was tasty & the spicy honey sauce that came with it made it even better. Stuffed mushrooms were delicious with a mild fennel sausage flavor in a light butter wine sauce. Moved onto entrees: grilled chicken sandwich, monkey burger, southern mac-n-cheese special & the round-trip steak wrap. Everything came out hot & was excellent. Mac-n-cheese was super creamy, made with campanella pasta, which was a perfect vessel for the yummy cheese sauce & pulled pork to cling to. Definitely a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal. The monkey burger was cooked exactly as requested and super flavorful. Steak wrap was very good. Meat was tender. Meat was the star of the entree; however, it was supposed to be spicy, but didn't taste very spicy at all. Grilled chicken sandwich was also delicious & moist. The aioli that came with it was fantastic...best we've had. The fries were shoestring style, which aren't my favorite, but they were still cooked well, but lacked salt. Ended with a peanut butter whiskey dessert drink & a creme brulee, which was slightly warm, super creamy, but a little loose in texture. Brulee was just right with no burnt taste. PB drink wasn't what we accepted. Thought it would be more of a milkshake thickness. You definitely can taste the PB flavor & tasted a bit boozy/strong. Our server, Danielle, was attentive & very pleasant. Didn't feel rushed at all, even when it started getting busy. The bathrooms were kind of dark & smelled like oranges, which was a nice surprise. Not counting the 2 drinks at the bar, our total bill, for 4ppl was $215 + tip. Remember...that was for LUNCH! We will absolutely go back, just not running back soon...our wallet needs to recoup!
M LumsM Lums
00
I took my wife to The Flying Monkey for date night on a Thursday. It was our first time at the restaurant. We loved the Bohemian decor. The place was packed but we were seated right away. We were blessed to have a booth right next to the stage were a live jazz band played. I forget the name of the band but they played a collection of soulful songs by Mary J Blige, Jill Scott, and other great jazzy artists. The guy on the saxophone slayed and the guy on the keyboard was jamming. The person that was singing did such an amazing performance, she sounded even better than the artists themselves. She even dedicated a song to my wife and I which was such a pleasant surprise. The menu selection was good but the prices seemed a little high for the location and ambiance. It also took a little while for our food to arrive but the waitress was very nice and attentive to our needs. When the food finally did arrive we were impressed with how it looked and couldn't wait to dig in. I had the salmon which was impressive but lacked flavor. I didn't seem like any of my food was cooked using any spices. My wife said she enjoyed the fish and chips so it may have just been my taste pallet that night. Overall we had such a great time, it was all we could talk about all week. We will definitely be going back soon!
Marc MorganMarc Morgan
00
Service was great! No complaints at all there. A place with plenty of potential if they seasoned some plates correctly. Read review fully to understand. Not a bad place because there are so many other menu items. Live music was a nice touch! They also had a few basketball games going on at the bar, that I could even see from the main dining area. I ordered the monkey copinion. The name could be spelled wrong but it was the seafood pasta. It was a great portion size. Plenty of mussels, shrimp and scallops and for a great price. Here is where my experience was not the best. The meal was not seasoned. It was as if they did a little salt and pepper then seared the scallops. The shrimp or mussels had no real taste. The sauce for the pasta had a little flavor but not to really give the meal a kick. Also, let’s be honest natural seafood taste can be overpowering if not seasoned correctly. It was disappointing because the portion size was large. But I would not recommend this dish. Wings - they were cooked well and crispy. No flavor, but it makes sense since they have so many flavors. I actually got three sauces on the side so I could try a few. There was really only one sauce that I enjoyed and it tasted like buffalo blue cheese. I don’t remember exactly the name of it. They have a bar area that also plays sports games. My wife had the steak. The way they cut the steak it was a good amount of fat in every bite, so the cut may have been wrong. I did try one piece and the cooking style was fine. The chorizo for the steak was extremely bland and was almost like a gravy. Not good at all.
Quincy M.Quincy M.
00
Bait and switch. Service staff that's completely unclear, Josh who's answering the phones is sub-par in his customer service skills. I was in Newington as I am quite often and was going to go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and saw the Flying Monkey, I looked at the menu online which intrigued me. I decided to try something different so I go in to have dinner by myself. The server asked me "where did I want to sit, you can hear the music throughout the restaurant"? So I decided to sit on the music side which the band was really good and I even put some money in their tip box. The issue they automatically added a 20 percent gratuity to my bill much to my dismay as I like to tip on my own. I'm planning to call them back the next day which is Christmas Eve and I got busy and forgot so I called on the following Saturday and spoke with Josh who was quite standoffish after I asked why I was automatically charged a 20% gratuity. Josh said it was a service charge for sitting on the music side to which I explained that I didn't asked to be seated there. "We train the staff to tell you that there is service charge for the band, well guess what they didn't. Don't say were sorry and then don't admit you guys were in error. And for the owner Junior Baez, I asked to speak with a manager and certainly never did.
William M. BoydWilliam M. Boyd
00
First timer.. The decor is actually pretty cool. Aviator and cute little monkeys. As you can see in the photos, there is a bohemian vibe going on too. If you have never been here be very careful, as the location is on a kind of tricky intersection. If you are coming from 175, it is on your right but really quick right. If you are coming from the Berlin Tpke it is on your right but be mindful of the cars merging from 175. The owners must be very proud and involved. Inside is very clean and the wait staff seem to be very conscious of the patrons. The menu is a bit diverse as you could virtually get something from every taste palate, here. The drinks are pretty good, as well. The food is actually very tasty and eye pleasing. Now to the hardest part, for me... In my honest, humble opinion the prices are a bit steep for the menu, location and ambiance. I simply could not justify ordering what I really wanted. I understand COVID kind of dictates things now but it kind of governs my budget too. 😔 On the positive side... The bar seemed hopping and they have... wait for it... LIVE MUSIC!!! OMG... what a beautiful thing. I will return and maybe do drinks and apps just to enjoy the music. Take a trip to the Flying Monkey, to see for yourself. Let me know what you think 🙋🏾♀️
M McGeheeM McGehee
00
I went to the Flying Monkey with high expectations. There's a huge parking lot in the back that was fairly full. I was happy that I made a reservation for a party of four. When entering the restaurant we were quickly brought to our table which was great. There's a bit of a wait for our waitress but when she came she was very pleasant and took drink orders. I had some questions about the menu that you checked out and we all ordered. My wife and I were brought our food first and I was given my chicken sandwich and fries but not the salad that I had ordered as well. My french fries were cold so I sent them back and got them back fairly quickly and they were much better. Eventually halfway through my sandwich they brought my salad. The bigger problem was that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law still had not gotten their food for quite some time... When they got the attention of someone, that person immediately took it to reheat... Believe it or not, when it was brought back it was still cold. The third time was a charm and it was finally hot and crispy. My salad was incredible, The chicken sandwich was just okay. I think with this restaurant based on reviews I've read it's Hit or Miss... Give it a try and see how you fare
David SpitzDavid Spitz
00
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Basic Info
Address
2095 Berlin Tpke, Newington, CT 06111, United States
Map
Phone
+1 860-436-5144
Call
Website
theflyingmonkeygrill.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.3
(1.2K reviews)$$
Ratings & Description
Description
American fare, creative martinis & draft beer served in roomy, relaxed surrounds at HFD.
attractions: The Salvation Army Thrift Store & Donation Center, restaurants: Elaine's, Turnpike Pizza, Naija Restaurant

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