Glass Monkey

Was fairly good. Nothing is write home about.
Tapas so able to try several things but went home starving after my wife and I are $ 50 worth of supper.

We went to Glass Monkey with a group of 10 for a friend’s birthday. Overall the experience was very pleasant. The waiter did well with a large group and everyone seemed satisfied with their food and drinks. I will say our party may have been out of place in what I would consider a quiet (even romantic) dinner restaurant.
If you order from the small plates menu I would suggest at least 2 – 3 different dishes (or you’ll have plenty of room for dessert).
Menu Highlights: Green Beans, Pappardelle, Bangers and Mash
Menu Lowlights: Broccoli, Caesar Salad (difficult to eat and romaine was very charred)
(There were also daily specials that were a hit around the table)
Glass Monkey has an extensive bottled beer selection (local craft and imported) and a few goodies on tap as well. Their wine list is also quite impressive featuring a few of my favourites.
I see this restaurant is listed as a $$ price range. I would suggest a full meal with drinks would be more in the $$$ range.

Very busy on Friday evenings which to me means they’re popular. Recommend having a reservation.
The three of us each had one of the specials: butter chicken with naan bread; baby back ribs; duck confit. Dessert was cheesecake and ice cream from an Edmonton vendor.
All three dishes were very well prepared, very tasty, and plenty of food. The chocolate ice cream was rich and flavorful.
Service was awesome and our waiter very attentive.

Fantastic — food, drink, atmosphere, service! All top rate. Will definitely be back … soon!

I have been to the Glass Monkey several times in the last few years. I feel that it has been stagnant or in decline for some time now. Had the hummus and olives as finger food with a glass of wine. The hummus is dense and heavy with no special taste. The olives have a significant citrus zest to them almost to the point of being sour. Also had thin slices rare beef which was tasty but not memorable. I hope they can regain some of the passion that they had when they first opened.

Lovely place, not overly noisy as some of the reviews suggested. To start we had the smoked salmon mousse which was delicious, a Caesar salad which was also very good and the meatballs which were good but needed something like sea salt and a sliver of Parmesan on them to finish.
Mains of a slow roasted pork and mushroom parpadelle and the burger were good.
Good service, food came quickly, recommended.

I am very happy I discovered this restaurant on Unilocal!I was looking for a location with diverse food and drink menus and an inviting atmosphere that could host a large group and had convenient parking (aka not Downtown or Whyte Ave). Glass Monkey hit all the marks and everyone was pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere and the beer/​wine selection. The food was well prepared and everyone was happy with their orders. The owner even stopped by to wish me a happy birthday and ask us about our evening. I’m sure many of my friends will be making revisits to this establishment very soon! I know I will!

My wife and I had an excellent experience. Romantic dim lighting in a modern lounge atmosphere and the buzz of many other customers enjoying their night as much as we were. Polite staff made us feel very comfortable, and they had very good recommendations of drink and food.
I had the burger (which apparently can be done rare to well done because of some brining process that is used) and my wife had the sausage entrée. Both were fantastic and impressively flavourful. We followed the reviews on Unilocal and ordered the fish tacos to start and the bread pudding to finish. We were glad to have ordered both! The manager ensured we were enjoying our dinner at various times throughout our visit (not in an annoying way though) and with dessert, he poured us some complimentary liquor to match our bread pudding so perfectly!
All in all, a flawless experience — we will be back.

My wife and I have partaken of the Glass Monkey with friends on several special occasions now. We have all thouroughly enjoyed our experiences there.
Clean. Modern. Trendy.
Well concieved and presented dishes with a unique flair.
Delicious and reasonably priced.
On one occasion a member of our party experienced a very overcooked burger/​bun. This was quicky removed from the bill and appropriate reperations were made.
It looks like this gem is quickly becoming one of our new favorite spots!

It’s a really cute restaurant with an enticing patio. I really liked the menu options (the broccoli was awesome). I’m not as crazy about the bread pudding as everyone else seems to be, but I would definitely go here again for a date night or just with friends.

Gluten free menu items everywhere. And combined with ½ price wine Mondays, it’s a treat to start off the week like this!
The secluded patio is nice, but gets busy early. Entrance is around the side now, making it a little tough to spot the restaurant in the mall. There is a black strip of a sign lit at night — great signage, not so much during the day. The huge beige stucco wall is where you want to walk towards.
Service on the night we visited was excellent. Attentive, but not intrusive.
I decided that since Fish tacos can be served 2 ways, breaded (not GF), or pan fried (GF) — I’d have to check out the gluten free version. It was the crispiest crunchiest crust of a pan-​fried fish (and definitely not overcooked) without breading I’ve ever had. The only comment I mentioned to the kitchen is that the tortillas don’t break quite so fast if they are warmed up and if there happen to be 2 layers of them. Still I’d order it again any day. :-) If you opt for something from the fryer, it is shared, so not 100% gluten free. If you can tolerate it, excellent.
Hostess Jeannine was delightful. We will be coming back. And bringing friends.

The service is wonderful. The owner and staff take great pride in their work and their service. They strive for great customer satisfaction at every turn. The Cold Snacks are great to sample and share but make sure you order several as they are all yummy. The Small Plates have great variety, my two favorites are the Fish Tacos and the Chinook Salmon. The Larger Plates have good variety and are quite filling. I love the grilled Caesar salad is wonderful! I haven’t tried the Pasta section yet, but the Desserts are wonderful as well!

I finally tried Glass Monkey after it has been open for more than a year now which is sad since I live less than 2 blocks away. I’m glad that we finally tried it as it has been on my list of places to try since it opened. Having Mom and Grandma in town was a great opportunity to take them to try a local place.
Mom and Grandma aren’t exactly fancy food type people coming from the farm heritage that they do. They ordered the Ceasar Salad and a bowl of Mushroom Soup respectively. They were taken aback by the «fanciness» of the food presentation but they both said that their meals were delicious.
Me and the +1 had the Burger and the Fish Tacos. My burger was pretty good but nothing extraordinary. I would order it again but I would probably try some other items before going back to it. My +1 required a gluten-​free choice and the server said that they could adapt almost any item on the menu. The fryer is shared though so anything (such as french fries) that use it will have some cross contamination. She ordered the Fish Tacos which are usually breaded but they would skillet fry it separate for her. She said it was one of the crispiest fish she has had that wasn’t breaded. I forgot to take a bite so I can’t verify but they did look delicious!
We arrived there shortly after 6pm on a weekday and the place was empty except for the patio which was full-​up. So we sat inside and asked to move outside if a table came free. By the time we were done our meal the whole place was packed! Maybe ½ Price Wine Monday is a huge hit (it was for us)!
For dessert we had to try the Jack’s Bread Pudding since it is supposed to be quite famous. I thought it was pretty good but I am not a huge bread pudding eater. My Mom on the other hand kept going on about how her bread pudding was much better (of course it is Mom)! Maybe she can share the recipe and it will make the menu!
The one thing I think that could really improve the restaurant is perhaps some windows that open on to the front of the building. I think the location really suffers from poor curb appeal. You can’t see into the restaurant and it just doesn’t seem very inviting. Inside there are lots of windows that open to the patio so you do get lots of natural light but the patio is sandwiched in-​between the stores of the strip-​mall. Even from the front of the building you can’t see much into the patio as it is fenced off quite privately.
I’m glad to have a great restaurant/​gastropub so close to home. Will definetely be going back!

The bread pudding (previously from Jacks Grill) is worth making the drive across town for. Great selection of wines & knowledgable staff. Just a treat.

Went to The Glass Monkey on my birthday which also happened to be their half-​priced wine night… Fantastic! My boyfriend and I were a little unsure of what to order since we had never been there before but our server was very helpful in describing the menu items. From the cold plates we tried the ricotta, flank steak and smoked salmon which were paired with their crostini breads. Next we ordered a couple of their «small plates» we tried the feta and fish tacos… Probably some of the best fish tacos I had ever had. The feta was creamy and flavourful and served in a roasted pepper with some crostini. Then on to our entrees I ordered the salmon from their large plates… It was nice and crisp on the outside and moist and flavourful on the inside. My boyfriend got the homemade sausage which he allowed me to try and it was nice and garlicky! And they make their own relish which he could not get enough of. After our entrees we wanted to try the bread pudding… But we were just too stuffed! However we will be back, the service was great and the food was fabulous! We can’t wait to try the bread pudding!

We went to the Glass Monkey for mothers day. There were ten of us ranging in age from twelve to eighty. We ordered a wide range of small plates and large plates and it was really terrific. Definitely a good range on the menu to satisfy diverse tastes
The wine selection and beer selection was very good as well
We had excellent service and good manager oversight to make sure we were all enjoying ourselves and had everything we needed
Definitely worth a return visit!

I feel like I have hit the «skids» when it comes to my month of dining out … :-(
On my Friday night out with my companion, I chose the spot… having read some of the reviews AND that the Chef is from the now no longer Blue Pear… yes, my expectations were high since having been to the Blue Pear on more than one occasion, I have always enjoyed it and was quite impressed with the plating AND quality of the food…
So, with a not so full place (I made reservations earlier than I usually do), we were seated quickly, and in the FAR back (the last table for two). The person seating us was nice enough to ask if it was okay (since it was a bit tight there) or if we wanted a table for four instead with more room. We kept our table. We were greeted by our waiter who asked if we wanted water and left us the drink/​wine list and the menus. Here is where the «fun» begins…
I would like to hope that establishments that «adopt» NOT «adApt» a particular SIGNATURE dish will adhere to it TO THE LETTER… yeah, NO. Yes, I am talking about the «Jack’s Grill Bread Pudding». I will write about this now as it is foremost in my mind and STILL on my tastebuds. I ordered this dessert happily since having been to the now gone (insert SUPER SAD face here) Jack’s Grill every time we went (which was at least once every 2 months, if not once a month). The waiter had described it «enough to share»…NOT true. It is the size of a slice of toast and as thick, which still doesn’t explain the BURNT caramel at the top of it and the HUGE ball of whipped cream (it was the size of a very healthy scoop of ice cream… maybe to hide the burnt top of the bread?). Okay, sorry for the rant, but those of you who remember fondly and deliciously the Bread Pudding from Jack’s Grill will understand…
Our meals, my companion ordered the Mushroom Pizza (which came out about 10 minutes before my dish) was good and tasted good. I ordered the Flat Iron Steak with seasonal vegetables and the mashed potatoes. It was good, not great. We ordered 3 appetizers… the Hummus, Ricotta and Pureed Parsnips… all three «dips» were good… Again, someone forgot to let these folks know that Ricotta is NOT a dip and hence should not be creamy like cream cheese, rather like a soft cheese with a shape that you can cut with a butter knife.
The wine list is good but by the glass if a CONSIDERABLE price point… for us, anyway, it was less expensive to order a whole bottle than to go go by the glass.
In all, I will not be coming back for the restaurant menu portion of this place. I will/​may with company, come back to see if the «pub» portion of this new place is better than what I experienced …

Well it’s been a while since this place was opened. So I thought we would give this a try for a group dinner. I never actually went here when it was Jack’s Grille either so I have heard some good things. looking at the reviews here on Unilocal actually scared me a little bit but after going there and having a really great dinner it was awesome place!
Six of us went on Saturday night and we got reservations for OpenTable they were rated from OpenTable as a four-​star spot. Everybody was super friendly front door and it seems like a mom-​and-​pop kind of place apparently the owner was an ex employee of Jack’s Grille and kept the company doing his kids are hanging around and helping out seem like a nice family atmosphere.
The food was five-​star I really was impressed with the quality but also with the selection and the valley! We started off with some of the sharing items I absolutely fell in love with the olives and the deviled eggs as well as the charcuterie board was massive for the price. It was great to share some of those appetizers with everyone we also have the recoated which was amazing and the feta cheese appetizer was to die for.
Everyone loved their entrées. It was a short trip which was very tender and I enjoyed it immensely the other items that I saw looked great as well from the salmon to the steaks.
Dessert was also really good apparently the bread pudding is from the old restaurant recipe. Also I can’t forget about the amazing beer and wine list they really truly have some amazing year for all of the world as well as some great wines and even dom perignon by the glass because of the system they have.
Only reason it’s not five stars the service was courteous and friendly but she gets grew up a couple things just by forgetting and I think she’s just a little too busy overall great effort by the server but could’ve been more accurate. They also split the bills very incorrectly which could’ve been avoides we told him the beginning you wanted them separate to the couples.
Overall though awesome little spot and some great food drinks and service I would recommend this place is also pretty casual place with some Hawaiian food so I didn’t feel uncomfortable wearing jeans.

We live close to Glass Monkey, so I’ve been eager to try the place hoping to have a good local restaurant in our own backyard. I’m quite particular, and Glass Monkey did not disappoint. The atmosphere, service, food, and beer selection were great.
The atmosphere is modern, but not cold. It’s nicely designed, comfortable, and casual, but not too casual. Half the room is set up with higher tables around the bar, and the other half is restaurant seating.
In contrast to some of the other reviews on Unilocal,we had excellent service. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. Attentive, but not annoyingly so. When we asked «what’s good» she had great suggestions about what her top recommendations were and why she likes them. Perfect. I find it frustrating when you ask for recommendations and the server says «it’s all good!» or they say «what do you like?». That did not happen.
The server recommended the roasted carrots, the house-​made ricotta, and flank steak to start, and that’s what we did. They were all very good. The ricotta was particularly good.
For mains, we both had the burger. I recently read Bacon Hound’s review of the Glass Monkey burger, and it sounded pretty good, so I wanted to try it. It was good! My favourite burger in Edmonton is at The Next Act, but this comes in as a close second. They use proper ground chuck, and ask you how you want it cooked. We went with medium. You can really taste the quality of the meat, and the bun is great. Perfectly seasoned. I’m a fan.
Finally, they have an excellent beer selection! IPAs, Belgians, Wheat Beers, woo! The server recommended the Ommegang BPA on tap, and it was great. Hooray for servers that can make good recommendations.
We enjoyed Glass Monkey and we’ll definitely be back.
** Update — June 2^nd, 2014 **
We’ve been back to Glass Monkey a couple of times since my original review, and I need to update. The service has always been good, but you know, the food is just ok and it’s not up to the caliber you’d expect given their pricing. They charge high end prices for mid quality food.
I had the burger again, and it wasn’t great. It was fine. There is something about the texture of the meat that’s just off, and the bun was soggy, and there was one flimsy piece of lettuce with two tiny tomato slices.
Next time around I tried the house made sausages and I thought they were quite good, but my wife did not. We also had the Yakitori, which was good, and the meatballs and broccoli which were not good. Green beans were fine.
So, unfortunately, I think we’re done trying Glass Monkey. There are just way too many better places to eat that aren’t so expensive. And I really don’t mind paying high prices for good food, but the food has to be good.

Well this place is definitely high-​end! From the quality of food to the beer selection it definitely speaks gastropub.
Was a little disappointed for the «bang for my buck» really pricy food dishes that are SUPER DELICIOUS (except the meatballs) but lacked quantity.
I will definitely be going back but more for just a drink and fries. Not a full meal.