Blue Monk

No Longer In Business

For anyone planning a visit, I hear this place will be closing soon - apparently due to an issue with the lease rather than business failure, so may well resurface (possibly with a different name) elsewhere in Buffalo. A comfortable and welcoming bar. For a visiting European, the emphasis on Belgian beers was not really what I was looking for - and that’s reflected in my score - but it was certainly a well curated selection. One local beer on tap to provide some variation. Staff were friendly and clued up. Didn’t eat. To be honest, I preferred the nearby Coles (under the same ownership) primarily because the beer choice was better for me but I certainly enjoyed my visit here. Best wished to Mike for his future ventures.

The Blue Monk has been nicely decorated to resemble a Belgian brown cafe. It has yellow ochre walls and some tin plates and posters advertising (mainly) Belgian beers. The downstairs area is more like a traditional bar whilst the back room, on a mezzanine floor, is mainly for eating. The food is several notches above the norm and the beer list is terrific. There’s an emphasis on Belgian beers (not so much of interest to us Europeans) but there were a few more local beers on tap too. Apparently Mike goes out of his way to track down interesting beers and it shows. It’s a super place. (Last visited 5 November 2012).

Tucked away in a quaint part of Buffalo, on a street of storefronts adjacent to blocks and blocks of residences, the Blue Monk is a good spot to stop in for a beer. It was not terribly crowded, even on a Saturday night, with what crowd was present seeming less boisterous and more conversational. Service was quite prompt, and seemed to know a little bit about beer. The tap list was top notch in both variety and quality, well curated. I’d definitely stop in again, were I to find myself in Buffalo for any reason.

The place was friendly and a little hip. Service was very good even though the joint was busy on a Thurs night. More beers than one can enjoy in two days. And if you don’t they’ll have something different in a day of so. Add my name to the list of those who love the place..

Enjoyed our visit here. Great service, great selection. Food was good and offered updated versions of classics. Good selection. Downsides = a tad loud, not cheap.

This place is legit. Came here on a Thursday night and had an amazing time with my girlfriend. Bartenders were very friendly, beer list was awesome. Perennial Abraxas, Firestone Walker 18, St. Bernardus 12, Ballast Point Grunion and Black Marlin... all sorts of awesome things to choose from. One draft from Buffalo local Community Beer Works which was very tasty as well. Had a delicious duck confit reuben to eat. Ambiance is warm, cozy, unpretentious. An absolute must hit in Buffalo, and probably the only place in NY state that rivals the best bars in Manhattan.

Went with a group of coworkers a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t try the food, but the beer was great. Staff very helpful

Very solid place. Went there for the Bourbon County tapping they had a few weeks back. It was myfirst visit. Friendly staff, nice beer selection, pretty good food. The only bad thing was they had a damn parade the same day with the street blocked off so I had to spend a half hour driving around and park a while away. Not their fault at all. I’d go back for sure.

great spot, Mike knows how to run a great beer bar as seen here and Coles. best selection and never a boring one on draft. great food, great beer, great spot!!!!

Euro-heavy list, as befitting its name, but they still make room for western New York-brewed beers. (Just don’t come here to drink more than one IPA.) Good food. Reasonable prices. The only drawbacks: The bathrooms are badly in need of an upgrade and the volume level (nothing but hard surfaces) makes conversation difficult-to-impossible.