We had one dinner and two breakfasts here during our two night stay at the adjacent Marriott. In my opinion the breakfast staff was superior to the one evening we had dinner there. But their main fault here is the food quality.
It's like they're trying to get things wrong. To start with the "no Coke only Pepsico" products - you should have a case of Coca Cola cans stashed somewhere - there's no reason for it to be a fountain drink especially at the prices sold here. They also seem to be trying to save the planet one cardboard straw at a time (ergh...) In the end I wound up having iced tea and it was so watered down that I think the tea in it was homeopathic: A single drop of tea in a glass of ice water.
Secondly I had their 18$ hamburger (under protest) and they managed to get that wrong by providing a small beef patty on a generic oiled bun, with generic mayonnaise in the bun and nothing else, basically no trimmings other than a slice of tomato, a single raw onion ring, and a leaf of iceberg lettuce. I can tolerate this low level of effort at a ball game or a Nascar race but this is a sit down restaurant at a Marriott hotel and the restaurant prices reflect this. The fries were very forgettable.
Breakfasts were not as bad but still not great given the prices. At least the breakfast service was great compared to the evening dinner service.
In the end I concluded that this place was more of a bar than a restaurant.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Mark
Heineken in glass bottles is the only NA beer option, sadly.
Amelia Ortiz
Such a great place to stop and get great food. Every one of my family’s dishes was amazing and well enjoyed. Service was phenomenal and the atmosphere was perfect. 10/10 would come again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
ko oc
Great place for food and drink, outstanding food,service ,clean and relaxing , bar tenders are attentive , friendly and will converse with you ,awesome place to stop⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sharan Garlapati
My wife Sarah and I visited this establishment on our first night in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Marcella
Drinks are good. Service was solid. Food is AWFUL for the price. $30 for Gnocci with Short Rib "Ragu" , which looks like Gnocci in a can of Campbells canned stew. $27 for shrimp and tortellini pesto, which they confirmed was from a jar/can after asking about nuts in the pesto. Fries were clearly frozen and soggy as well. A shame because the hotel it's attached to is very nice.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
claru1
There was a beard hair in my eggs and they made me a fresh plate. One server had the entire restaurant during breakfast- she was very sweet and did her best considering! Arguably the best part of the meal was the service. Coffee was some of the worst I've ever had and I've had iced coffee at Panera and various instant coffees. This was worse than that. We mostly dined because we were hotel guests. I'd go elsewhere if you aren't.
Blake Shoemaker
If you have not had the opportunity to stop into monks, you definitely should go and try the 18 karat drink that they carry. You will not be disappointed, by the drinks nor the amazing service they have to offer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bill Shafer
Great practice! This was located in our hotel and wasvery convenient
The menu available online was NOT the menu that they gave us. Our server said the online menu was super outdated but that menu is what we based our decision on to go to that restaurant. The burger was good, juicy & flavorful. The chicken tenders were good but basic they cover them in the sauce you choose instead of giving you it on the side. The friends are shoestring, not my favorite but crispy. It did take a while for our food to come. The waiter was great, super nice & very prompt. I can't say I'd recommend going here or go back.
George was our server. Absolutely a class act. Food was extremely good. Hotel restaurants are hit or miss and this is definitely a hit the. Everything was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
JodyG
We made our reservation for seven a little over a week before our scheduled dinner date based, in large part, to the other OpenTable reviews. Excited for a nice celebratory dinner, we arrived to be seated at a series of three bar-height outdoor tables that had been brought inside and pushed together in the corner by the door. When we inquired with the hostess if we could be seated at a different table we were approached by a woman named Anisa who claimed to be the manager. She informed us that they were fully booked for the night and this was the only table they had for us, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. In fact, there was an empty table for six not three feet from our "table" and when we asked if they could simply push a chair up to the end to accommodate us there, we were told that they could not. Incidentally, they added another chair to that same table when the other group arrived. When we reiterated our disappointment about the table, she said simply that next time we make a reservation for this restaurant on OpenTable, we should specify that we don't want to be seated at a table comprised of outdoor furniture. Against our better judgement (and having no other comparable options), we decided to stay. Our cocktail order took more than 20 minutes to receive, and our entrees took twice that. When they were finally delivered, the entrees were barely warm. We ate our unremarkable meals in relative silence and when we were finished, we once again asked to speak with the manager. Anisa again came to the table and when we expressed our disappointment, she was so rude (repeatedly interrupting and raising her voice at us as if we were children) that some of our party simply walked out in utter disbelief. I've been to many restaurants and I have never seen behavior this reprehensible, particularly by someone claiming to be the manager. I will never again set foot in this restaurant and I would not recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy.
Benjamin
Great bar selection!So, Monks is a hotel restaurant / bar, but don't let that turn you off from it. It kept me away for far too long. Not sure how 'affiliated' it is, but you do notice the physical relationship.First things first; there's actually a great alcohol selection and if you're thirsty, it worth the stop to tip a couple alone. Nice tap selections, but an the surprising star is their extensive liquor selection, and not just the cheap options. One of the few places in Ithaca with a rum selection. Also worth the mention is the extensive whisky and bourbon options.The friendliness of the bartenders got me to take a look at their menu, it's simple and could be called 'small' (but I'd much rather a place do a few things well than throw 100 ok options). I've 'interacted' with a few staff members there and they have all been super friendly and responsive.So far I've only had the burger (it's very good and I'm not sure I'm ready to stray yet). A thick juicy pattie (I think I've seen smash on the menu, but this was a standard thick one). I added bacon and it topped perfectly. A little pricey for the total ($22), but it was cooked and seasoned perfectly and it's only a little above average priced here. The burger itself was $18 and the bacon another $4. I wish there was more than two stips for that.TLDR; Great bar, very good food, friendly staff, but with a boring / steril atmosphere.There are a lot of great bars and burgers in Ithaca and I will definitely be back. I tend to eat a couple burgers a week and Monks will make it into the rotation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jacqueline Blair
Best French fries ever. We used to order them delivered and they'd still be delicious an hour old. I wish they'd bring back the Nashville chicken sandwich.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
J Harv
I'm giving it 2 stars because of the sorry bartender. Who clearly doesn't know what he was doing. Just screwed up my old fashion and my wife's drink had no flavor. On the positive side the food was very good. We had the wings and cheeseburger exceptional. Our waitress was very good and attentive. The bartender has to go.
We had one dinner and two breakfasts here during our two night stay at the adjacent Marriott. In my opinion the breakfast staff was superior to the one evening we had dinner there. But their main fault here is the food quality.
It's like they're trying to get things wrong. To start with the "no Coke only Pepsico" products - you should have a case of Coca Cola cans stashed somewhere - there's no reason for it to be a fountain drink especially at the prices sold here. They also seem to be trying to save the planet one cardboard straw at a time (ergh...) In the end I wound up having iced tea and it was so watered down that I think the tea in it was homeopathic: A single drop of tea in a glass of ice water.
Secondly I had their 18$ hamburger (under protest) and they managed to get that wrong by providing a small beef patty on a generic oiled bun, with generic mayonnaise in the bun and nothing else, basically no trimmings other than a slice of tomato, a single raw onion ring, and a leaf of iceberg lettuce. I can tolerate this low level of effort at a ball game or a Nascar race but this is a sit down restaurant at a Marriott hotel and the restaurant prices reflect this. The fries were very forgettable.
Breakfasts were not as bad but still not great given the prices. At least the breakfast service was great compared to the evening dinner service.
In the end I concluded that this place was more of a bar than a restaurant.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Heineken in glass bottles is the only NA beer option, sadly.
Such a great place to stop and get great food. Every one of my family’s dishes was amazing and well enjoyed. Service was phenomenal and the atmosphere was perfect. 10/10 would come again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place for food and drink, outstanding food,service ,clean and relaxing , bar tenders are attentive , friendly and will converse with you ,awesome place to stop⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wife Sarah and I visited this establishment on our first night in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Drinks are good. Service was solid. Food is AWFUL for the price. $30 for Gnocci with Short Rib "Ragu" , which looks like Gnocci in a can of Campbells canned stew. $27 for shrimp and tortellini pesto, which they confirmed was from a jar/can after asking about nuts in the pesto. Fries were clearly frozen and soggy as well. A shame because the hotel it's attached to is very nice.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
There was a beard hair in my eggs and they made me a fresh plate. One server had the entire restaurant during breakfast- she was very sweet and did her best considering! Arguably the best part of the meal was the service. Coffee was some of the worst I've ever had and I've had iced coffee at Panera and various instant coffees. This was worse than that. We mostly dined because we were hotel guests. I'd go elsewhere if you aren't.
If you have not had the opportunity to stop into monks, you definitely should go and try the 18 karat drink that they carry. You will not be disappointed, by the drinks nor the amazing service they have to offer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great practice! This was located in our hotel and wasvery convenient
The menu available online was NOT the menu that they gave us. Our server said the online menu was super outdated but that menu is what we based our decision on to go to that restaurant. The burger was good, juicy & flavorful. The chicken tenders were good but basic they cover them in the sauce you choose instead of giving you it on the side. The friends are shoestring, not my favorite but crispy. It did take a while for our food to come. The waiter was great, super nice & very prompt. I can't say I'd recommend going here or go back.
Restaurantji Recommends
George was our server. Absolutely a class act. Food was extremely good. Hotel restaurants are hit or miss and this is definitely a hit the. Everything was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We made our reservation for seven a little over a week before our scheduled dinner date based, in large part, to the other OpenTable reviews. Excited for a nice celebratory dinner, we arrived to be seated at a series of three bar-height outdoor tables that had been brought inside and pushed together in the corner by the door. When we inquired with the hostess if we could be seated at a different table we were approached by a woman named Anisa who claimed to be the manager. She informed us that they were fully booked for the night and this was the only table they had for us, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. In fact, there was an empty table for six not three feet from our "table" and when we asked if they could simply push a chair up to the end to accommodate us there, we were told that they could not. Incidentally, they added another chair to that same table when the other group arrived. When we reiterated our disappointment about the table, she said simply that next time we make a reservation for this restaurant on OpenTable, we should specify that we don't want to be seated at a table comprised of outdoor furniture. Against our better judgement (and having no other comparable options), we decided to stay. Our cocktail order took more than 20 minutes to receive, and our entrees took twice that. When they were finally delivered, the entrees were barely warm. We ate our unremarkable meals in relative silence and when we were finished, we once again asked to speak with the manager. Anisa again came to the table and when we expressed our disappointment, she was so rude (repeatedly interrupting and raising her voice at us as if we were children) that some of our party simply walked out in utter disbelief. I've been to many restaurants and I have never seen behavior this reprehensible, particularly by someone claiming to be the manager. I will never again set foot in this restaurant and I would not recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy.
Great bar selection!So, Monks is a hotel restaurant / bar, but don't let that turn you off from it. It kept me away for far too long. Not sure how 'affiliated' it is, but you do notice the physical relationship.First things first; there's actually a great alcohol selection and if you're thirsty, it worth the stop to tip a couple alone. Nice tap selections, but an the surprising star is their extensive liquor selection, and not just the cheap options. One of the few places in Ithaca with a rum selection. Also worth the mention is the extensive whisky and bourbon options.The friendliness of the bartenders got me to take a look at their menu, it's simple and could be called 'small' (but I'd much rather a place do a few things well than throw 100 ok options). I've 'interacted' with a few staff members there and they have all been super friendly and responsive.So far I've only had the burger (it's very good and I'm not sure I'm ready to stray yet). A thick juicy pattie (I think I've seen smash on the menu, but this was a standard thick one). I added bacon and it topped perfectly. A little pricey for the total ($22), but it was cooked and seasoned perfectly and it's only a little above average priced here. The burger itself was $18 and the bacon another $4. I wish there was more than two stips for that.TLDR; Great bar, very good food, friendly staff, but with a boring / steril atmosphere.There are a lot of great bars and burgers in Ithaca and I will definitely be back. I tend to eat a couple burgers a week and Monks will make it into the rotation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best French fries ever. We used to order them delivered and they'd still be delicious an hour old. I wish they'd bring back the Nashville chicken sandwich.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I'm giving it 2 stars because of the sorry bartender. Who clearly doesn't know what he was doing. Just screwed up my old fashion and my wife's drink had no flavor. On the positive side the food was very good. We had the wings and cheeseburger exceptional. Our waitress was very good and attentive. The bartender has to go.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
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