Monk McQueens

Updated: in the end they covered the damage and sent me a $ 100 gift certificate.
They went out of business before I could use it.

Lovely, romantic atmoshpere.
Tried the clam chowder and it was not special but the atmosphere made up for it.
I found the place a little bit chilly.
Overall had a wonderful experience.
Will be back again.

Sunshine, Fresh Salads and Great Service at Monk McQueens
A while back, my boyfriend had purchased a Groupon deal for Mon McQueens. It was a $ 40 worth of brunch or lunch for $ 20! It was valid only between 11am — 3pm along with complimentary valet parking. We decided to avoid valet parking since it means tipping the guy but another reason was because literally one street away, there are tons of free parking. I would say the valet might be a good thing for dinner time or during prime lunch hours. None the less, we went into this quiet neighbourhood near False Creek and its filled with. (I’m sorry to say, but elders) so its a very very quiet neighbourhood.
Monk McQueens is located at 601 Stamps Landing in Vancouver BC. Overall, when we went in, the greeter didn’t seem too happy that we had a Groupon and we overheard the same greeter saying to another table how she dislikes these groupons because she feels like shes working for nothing… but I mean in my opinion and from my standpoint, Groupons are a way to bring traffic into your restaurant during down times and to encourage people to over spend. Much like the concept of how Giftcards work Most people with giftcards OVER spend because they feel like they wouldn’t have maximized the deal if they didn’t use all of it (Okay, I’ll stop with my marketing point of views and my digression).
The other server was great, cheerful and was happy to serve us.
When the server took our order, I asked for their Prawn Salad since it sounded really good but they were still prepping them… I asked for mussels. and they were prepping them as well. so he offered me their organic greens salad with their grilled salmon on the side. So I went with it and it was amazingly good. The salmon reminded me of those cedar smoked salmon with a maple syrup glaze over it. Just amazing! The greens weren’t your typical ones, they included a few blackberries and strawberries in it too and they were just right!
Next up is his Salmon Burger, I believe its the exact same salmon as mine but in a burger. He said it was a good burger because of the salmon but he still says that the Salmon burger he had at a Food Cart in Downtown was better (I’ll ask him for the name later). We didn’t really finish the fries because we had fries almost every other day for the past week. I guess a little grease turned out into a lot .
The view from the restaurant is breathtaking! Overlooking Vancouver from False Creek. We got a seat on the patio which of course was perfect for our rare 28 degrees sunny afternoon in Vancouver if you get what I mean.
Overall, the food was great, the view is spectacular but I would say it is a bit pricey without a groupon. The total came to $ 58 before tax and tips (including two drinks) and after the coupon it came to around $ 18 still but we had paid $ 20 before. so technically we spend around $ 38 in total… Deal? Not sure but would I go again? probably if there was another groupon since the prices are slightly steep for a lunch but probably if it was a special occasion I would go again. Though it’ll be a tough decision with so many competing restaurants sharing the same view of Vancouver!

As the other Unilocalers have contributed, this is one of the best restaurants in the city for views. The patio is breath taking. I treat myself to a lunch or dinner at least a couple times each summer.
My review from today’s excursion:
–Free Wi-fi…awesome…checked my email while soaking in the sun
–Server was witty and attentive despite having several tables.
–Menu is pricey… but food is high end so it makes sense
–I ordered tuna tartar, but server misunderstood my allergies and didn’t know that allergy to flour/​wheat includes soy sauce so I had to send it back
–He was great about it and brought me steamed salmon with lemon juice instead. It was awesome. Huge piece and very fresh. I also enjoyed some of their fries (love fries… haha) and they were super good.

We came here for a birthday party and unfortunately was a mix of good and bad.
First the good. Patio is beautiful and was very pleasant with numerous heat lamps an blankets to keep you warm on a cooler evening. The food was reasonable, on par with other seafood places in Van. Good selection of oyster that come with a great watermelon vinegarette.
Service was where things fell apart. It may have been inexperienced servers on a weeknight, but regardless, they were quite inattentive and often forgot our drinks. Honestly would have expected much better from a place like this.
You would probably be better off going to Sandbar just down the street in Granville Island.

We were here on a sunny day. The patio was lovely :)
Now, if only the food and service were as great. Our server was kinda slow and didn’t know much about the food or wine. It wasn’t busy. It took her nearly 10 minutes to bring us two glasses of wine. The calamari was ordered was soooooo greasy (dripping oil!) and the fish tacos were poorly presented and bland, bland, bland!
We may return for drinks and the view.

Considering what he had to deal with, our waiter’s performance was nothing short of heroic. With limited staff on, he seemed to be covering all the stations, including the bar.
The food, especially the seafood, was well prepared. No complaints there. Loved the ‘buck a shuck’ oyster special. Can’t complain about the beautiful view either. But somehow this restaurant has just gone downhill. I wish the management would step back and have a look at it from a customers perspective. With empty boxes littering the hallway, no towels in the bathroom and no staff, I just get the impression that Monk McQueens is feeling defeated.

I went to Monk McQueen’s with a bunch of my friends for Dine Out Vancouver and freakin’ loved it!!!
It wasn’t too busy, (but we went late) so it didn’t have the hectic Dine Out feel which was kinda nice. Me and a friend arrived 30 minutes after the rest of our party but the waiter was so accommodating and we ended up getting our appy and main minutes apart which was kinda nice!
Started with an onion tart which was really good, I believe it was topped with crème fresh which was really nice on the tart, also had a nutty sort of sauce on the side that me and a friend skipped because we didn’t like it too much. I got the heirloom beat risotto for dinner and really enjoyed it, not crazy about risotto but LOVE beets and loved this dish. It has some roasted squash and edemame around the plate and deep fried tofu on top which I wasn’t expecting but enjoyed. However the tofu and edemame were quite dry which kinda took away a little from the rest of the meal (I am not crazy about varying textures within 1 dish).
Dessert was so incredibly delicious that is gets it’s very own paragraph. Never had crème brûlée before so I didn’t know what to expect, was quite good and have a fresh homemade brownie baked into it which so moist and the perfect amount of richness. It was served with a avocado and white chocolate ice cream that we were all skeptical of but ended up being everyone’s favorite part of dessert!
In one word: Amazing! Will jump at the opportunity to do Dine Out here next year!

Went for a birthday dinner and were pleased. The prices are high, but the food is good. The seafood platter was exactly what was promised, and the crab cakes were fabulous. Our entrees were also delicious. Would definitely come again as a special occasion restaurant.
The parking situation is terrible, however. They do offer paid valet, and I think they must have to drive your car around the block continuously or something because there’s *no* space in front of the restaurant. We found parking a few blocks away and enjoyed the seawall to and from, but be warned.

Stopped in after spending the afternoon on a friends boat. While we didn’t actually do anything, we sat in the Marina while it was being fixed we were quite peckish by the time we made our way up to Monks.
I had the fish tacos which was a selection of seasonal fish with fresh veg, salsa and guac. It was $ 16 I think for three fairly large tacos, which while not cheap by any stretch of the imagination was a good price for the place and the food.
The food was really good. I’m told that they’ve recently switched chefs or something and that their food has gotten a lot better, I agree. It was really nice.
Not to crowded, not too loud, server was nice. All in all it was a good dinner.

Stunningly beautiful restaurant, what an amazing view! The food was also very good. My sister loved the Fish ‘n Chips, and I got the seafood platter. Wow! Salmon, Arctic Char, clams, mussels, prawns, and other tasty things, all with a tasty citrus beurre blanc.
A little pricey, but it was a nice special occasion restaurant.

went over this nice place because of a wedding reception. The food was great, and the view is super nice. We were lucky because it was a sunny and clear day.
Nice place for a date.

My bf and I came here for our one year anniversary after a long day at work.
We chose the Monk’s Seafood Platter (salmon, artic char, black cod, clams, mussels, prawns and scallops with market vegetables, jasmine rice & citrus beurre blanc) and the Blackened Halibut with roasted squash with tomato salsa chipotle aioli. Both were nothing spectacular; however, I did like my roasted squash with my halibut.
The bread that came the first time was fresh and hot from the oven. However, when the second round came, it was hard and cold. Minus 2 points.
The place was dead — nobody was there except for us.
Eh, the place didn’t knock my socks off so I don’t see myself returning anytime soon.

Spectacular view of Vancouver’s skyline. Like wow. Full pano view. I just wish their food was a matching pair. But yeah, the view is killer. 3* just for that.
Après Work appies and drinks were in tall order. Started with their calamari. Tad oily. Needed more crisp.
Shared the seafood corn chowder and fish tacos. Chowder was a marginal step above Campbell’s chunky. Tacos were not that bad.
Service was surprisingly slow despite it being quite empty.
Next time, I’ll stick to drinking on the deck.

Date night! Me and the Mrs. decided on a trek to redeem our gift cards we got for our wedding. A hundred bucks doesn’t go that far in this establishment. We managed a bottle of wine (the cheapest red was $ 45) and I stuck with a simple soup and arugula salad while she went for the steak. That ate up the cards plus some.
The lowdown: The steak was quite good she told me and perfectly done medium. The potatoes left something to be desired. My cheddar broccoli soup was tasty and creamy and we shared it. It went well with the warm bread. My arugula and beet salad had me chewing a lot, which is desirable when I’m dining out as I tend to eat very fast.
The atmosphere was outdated. Well noted by my wife who is in the design/​decorating industry.
All in all, we decided if we returned it would be for cocktails upstairs. The view is amazing. It started snowing as we dined.

FINALLY! A warm sunny day in Vancouver means the beaches are packed, Robson street is hustling and patio restaurants are B-​U-​S-​Y!
Wanting to take advantage of the weather, we popped by Monks for a nice patio experience overlooking the water. We ordered the Antipasto Trio (prawns, clams, mussels with cocktail sauce) and the fish and chips. The food was good — no complaints from me. And the classic mojito I had was refreshing and perfect for the weather.
I’ve gone to Monks before for dine out Vancouver and remember trying a fish plate and a meat plate — also good. It sounds like your experience at Monks can be a hit or miss depending on what you order.

As part of my best friend’s stagette, 10 of us went to Monk’s for dinner on Saturday night. I do have to say that the location is beautiful and the patio is very nice. This is the only good thing about Monk’s.
When we arrived, our group ordered drinks. I ordered a Bellini but the server let me know that their Bellinis weren’t slushy/​frozen they were all liquid. I though this was strange and obviously didn’t want the Bellini anymore but I still wanted a slushy drink so I ordered a piña colada. A huge mistake! It wasn’t slushy either! It tasted gross and most of it was some sort of «froth» with no ice. I don’t know what they used to make it as I could have made a far superior one at home with a regular blender. For my second drink, I had a vodka and 7up… not because I really wanted it but because I knew that it was a very simple drink that they couldn’t screw up.
The dinner menu was fairly sparse but I chose the shrimp and crab cakes. When my meal arrived I originally liked that it came with a little tossed salad. Once I tasted the salad I realized that it had absolutely no dressing or vinagrette on it so at that point it was really no longer tasty. The shrimp and crab cakes were just ok. Nothing special.
Don’t waste your time eating at this sub-​par restaurant. Go somewhere with good seafood and excellent drinks like the Rain City Grill.
Leanne

Hanging out with one of my vegan friend always teaches me a thing or two: 1) If you’re vegan, you should ask what the fries are fried in (canola oil at Monk McQueens) 2) You should really eat at home, or bring a purse-​snack when coming to a touristy restaurant.
The lack of vegetarian dishes shocked me, and I’m a meat eater. My friend settled into her salad and fries (the only two things she could eat), and I passed altogether on a meal. The one fry I tried told me enough: processed, oh so processed. Having been here previously and being disappointed with the food quality to price ratio I knew better and kept my cash for liquid luxuries.
I don’t mind filling a chair, ordering a beer (they have Whistler on tap) and admiring the view. I’ll happily suggest Monk McQueens on a beautiful summer day or a clear evening to admire the sparkling lights of the downtown, but you won’t catching me paying for so-​so food at hiked up prices.

I lament the food when the location & deck is one of the best in the city.
The Pub: Go for the aquabus trip, the sun, a beer & leave the food for the others (well, it’s ok for a pub-​food level meal, but not a great one!).
The upstairs restaurant: food that doesn’t quite cut mediocre & not worth the money.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re going to come here, be prepared to spend money for a good plate. There is a reason why the pricing is rated $$$! If you want to be cheap, go some place else. I walked in here telling myself that I was going to get my money’s worth, and I sure as hell did. For $ 33, I treated my stomach to one seared-​to-​perfection Crusted Ahi Tuna (served with oven roasted red potatoes), while alongside a nice waterfront view on a slightly chilly (but bearable) night.
Call it luck, but this place exceeded my expectations.