Monkey Pants Bar & Grill

Just what we were looking for!
We had a long weekend of business that couldn’t be avoided. We had already missed all of the Saturday playoffs games. On Sunday we needed something in proximity to the airport.
We are always looking for a place to watch games, not just a place that calls themselves a «sports bar».
Monkey Pants has the kind of set up I would expect out of an establishment that encourages watching sports. They have dozens of TVs and they even played sound on the games instead of music. My kind of place.
The décor is fun and funky. When you come out from the bathrooms there are cassette tapes attached to the walls. Probably easy to overlook, but I thought it was a cool touch.
Great service too. Wings are two thumbs up!!!

Came here on Thursday for comedy night.
Free entry for this show and I had a great time. Some comedians sucked — to be expected, but some were awesome. The drinks are affordable and they have some great food specials as well. We had some hot chili dogs and fries for $ 4. They also have a goldfish race. Pretty entertaining. Name a fish and squirt at it hoping he gets to the other side of the track (a downspout cut in half and filled with water) fastest. Winner gets a $ 20 bar tab — cool. They have pool and darts and a big round bar. It’s a fun dive bar, I enjoyed it and will be back.

I was pleasantly surprised by karaōke night at Monkey Pants. The décor on the inside is certainly not what I’d expected from a bar in a shopping strip. I found the atmosphere unique, with hints of hipster. Everyone was totally vibing on the karaōke, people were just singing their little hearts out! Loved it.

Super divey and cheap drinks.
Always a good time. I’ve never walked out of here unhappy.
It’s just a really fun spot.

Dive bar + karaōke + cheap drinks = perfection.
Looking back, I am stoked my social group had a night here. My first thought was «Mill Ave bar»? Totally not on that spectrum of Mill. It’s your classic dimly-​lit dive bar with good drink specials and entertainment abound (board games, tv, pool, etc).
The bartender and waitresses did a great job keeping everyone’s cups/​shots full, and the bartender was a great conversation. The karaōke DJ is a character! He looks like a certain X-​Men and kept us entertained with the most-​interesting music selection in-​between performances. If you tip him in bills or alcohol, you have a much better shot at not waiting forever in-​between songs. On a typical Saturday night, it could be as long as an hour to wait without tipping him. This is definitely an interesting watering hole, worth the time to throw a few back and people watch.

I love dive bars, but this place sucks! Food is inedible and the service moves at a snails place. I think the employees are more concerned about socializing with each other than they are actually working. I have been a bartender for years and cannot believe how much we were disregarded by the staff. To top it all off everything was filthy. I notice that kind of thing since I am in the industry. If you decide to go there, just take a peak behind the bar at how unclean everything is. I wouldn’t return if they paid me.

After hour work gathering for a good friend but the service was very slow for everyone. In particular I requested a food menu (to order food) but once I got the menu it took some 20 mins later before I was asked if I wanted something. That was lost money as I clearly pushed an issue for the menu expressing my hunger. The atmosphere was good, just didn’t have a good service experience. I would still go back.

This place was really fun. The KJ, Benji and the Bartender and stall served food and drinks to an amazing number of people. The music was fun lots a good singers and a few singers not so good but very fun. Can’t loose. There were two large parties the night I went a woman named Amanda was celebrating her birthday and brought in a large group with her. Myself and my three guest had a great time. The ramp agent at Falcon Airport recommended this club. I was a winner.

Ultimate dive bar! My friends and I love this place and are usually here several weekends a month.
Saturday nights are the best because karaōke and shirtless shot at 1am. The bar is totally relaxed and anything goes. «Come as you are» for sure. Staff is great, and Erica does an awesome job bartending, even when they’re super busy. If you’re not happy with your drink she is quick to fix you something else.
The décor is cheesy like one would expect at a dive bar, but lots of fun for groups to have a good time and enjoy cheap drinks! The food is actually pretty good for bar food. Fries are delicious and fresh!
Only complaint is that the soda thing at bar always seems to be flat, so I don’t get any liquor mixed with sodas from the bar. The DJ is hillarious and it’s usually a mixed bag of folks who keep things interesting. You can literally get drunk for $ 20 here. Lots of fun and probably my favorite bar in Ahwatukee/​Tempe/​Chandler area.

This place is ridiculous! Went there with the girlfriend for drinks and some food… when it came to pay the girl somehow «lost» my credit card on the way to her checkout station. After watching the staff fumble around with a flash light for 10 minutes she finally comes and tells me she lost my card… but she’s still looking. 5 minutes later she walks back from another table with my card. I ask her of she gave my card to someone else, she did. I ask her if she understands that these strangers could have taken down my CC info. She apologises… I ask for a manager because clearly she doesn’t understand how bad it is to give a customers cc to someone else. After asking for a manager 3 times the bartender finally comes over 15 minutes later to apologize for charging someone else’s bill on my card… wtf?! This is the first I hear I paid for someone else’s bill too??? I am obviously upset about this and she immediately walks away saying «you know what I’ve got other people to help, I tried being nice «I followed her asking for a managers contact info and she simply went to the back of the bar… appalling… f**K this place. Ownership of one’s actions is clearly something these idiots don’t understand. Calling back tomorrow to hopefully talk to an adult.

If you are thinking of coming here, don’t! Our incompetent waitress not only lost our credit and didn’t tell us for over 10 minutes while we waited for our cab outside but she also CHARGED ANOTHER TABLES BILL TO IT AND GAVE THEM OUR CARD. When she finally came back we were understandably upset about it and she didn’t care and refused to grab a manager and didn’t come back to our table. Ridiculous! A «manager» came over and basically told us «too bad there’s nothing I can do» and walked away.

The karaōke night here on Saturday is fun, if unorganized. My friends put in their names to sing songs, but there didn’t seem to be any order to who was getting called to sing. While some people got to sing multiple times, my friends were still waiting for their songs to be called. Still, it’s a fun time people watching there. There are definitely some «characters» who will get up and sing there (I’m thinking of you death metal Christina Perri singing girl). My biggest complaint is the music was cranked up TOO high. it overpowered the singers and also made my ears hurt! my throat was hoarse from trying to shout/​talk to my friends all night.

Best chicken wings in the world! I have been going to Monkey Pants for my wing fix for years! They have a special every Tuesday where you can get a dozen wings for something like $ 4.99 too. Beware, it is the epitome of a dive bar which has it’s pros and cons. The service is slower but always very friendly and fun!

Erika — the bartender who closes (works at least on Friday nights — is a thief and a liar. She over charges, short-​changes, and outright steals. Expect her to say something like, «oh, I thought it (that $ 10 bill) was a tip», if you catch her.
I’ve filed a criminal complaint against her with the Tempe Police Department. She does this, in my experience, whenever she can.
Go instead when Blake is bartending. He is Honest and cool.
Todd G.

May be my new local dive bar. It looks upscale but the people make or a dive bar. They pour heavy. Oh the kitchen, it’s open till 1:30

I always go to MP when I’m in town. Fun place to bring groups or go late at night. It’s open every day, and even draws a decent crowd on Christmas Day. The food is way above average for a dive bar, with decent prices and specials. The bartenders have all been awesome. The shirtless shots taste terrible, but who cares because it is a lot of fun getting a free shot for taking your shirt off. The crowd is interesting and a little rough, but on busy nights they have security to keep out the super-​drunk «tough guys». They still have video trivia/​poker, which is awesome. Big, open space with a lot of tables. Ideal for a large group.
I would give it 5 stars, but here are the negatives…
–shuffleboard table and Buck Hunter are gone
–no more NFL package (used to be a great bloody mary specials and food specials while watching football on Sundays — now the place is dead during football)
–comedy night is no longer

At first when we got here, it was empty… on a Saturday. Granted we got here at 7… but I still expected a crowd of some sort. Especially since it was just south of Mill Ave, in Tempe.
And driving up to the building. it’s not much to look at. Just your typical dive bar exterior.
I honestly thought it was going to be a waste of time, especially since the karaōke wasn’t even more than two people and NO crowd. But I gave it a chance and we (me and my friends, plus boyfriend) and stayed. And boy am I glad we did!!! I’ve never had so much fun! I have been a backup dancer for a random stranger… three times, did the cupid shuffle with half of the bar!!! Plus I’m still sober! Lol! Food is great. Beer is cold. The only thing that happened tonight, was that I found a bug in my water… thankfully it wasn’t bad. just a little garden bug. The server was very sorry and sweet. I give 5 stars because everyone feels like family and just wants to have fun.
I’m so coming back. :)
Plus the DJ looks like Gerard Butler and Hugh Jackman :) LADIES!!!

You want a Dive?! You got a Dive?! They have a Dive! Monkey Pants is a Dive!
Well, maybe not in that classic and true sense of the word Dive, but Monkey Pants has most of the symptoms.
My buddy was out to show me something he knows, and to have some fun in the process. Ol’ Monkey Pants didn’t let him down.
We didn’t wait long for drinks, and the bartender was on her game. Plus she was cordial. She may not have looked like she was having fun, but she reassured us after a bit of conversation that she was enjoying the night.
We just hit the place up for a beverage or six, and strayed from the food. Not for any good reason. We had previously ate is all.
The Fireball flowed, and flowed well that night. All the way up to the «Shirtless Shots» hour, and all I can say is, it’s a good niche. You would think it would be pants, but then again… that’s probably not a good idea.
Good people, in a good bar, and everyone was just out for a bit of fun that night it seems. Bravo, and brava to them.
All in all, Monkey Pants was a good time, and it was a nice change of scenery from Mill Ave, and that shenanigans. Like I said, not a true dive, but it would hold its own in a Dive contest of some kind… yeah, Dive contest.

I went there for a friend’s birthday, and they could not have been more accommodating for his day.
Karaōke is super fun with Benji. You want to try a song not on the list, ask him and he might be able to find it for you.
Only problem I ran into is if you have a tab at the bar, then won’t transfer it if you move to a table easily. I would have loved to have closed it out and started another one to stay with friends at a table — but it was never offered and the waitress I had could have cared less and told me to go up to the bar. I had to wait 30 minutes for a drink to find that out — I had to ask and that was the response… My rule of thumb is never second guess your patrons. If you provide great service, I’m always willing to take care of those who take care of me.

Hey Amber,
Grubby Wolverine here. The post you wrote was brought to my attention the other day and I just wanted to take a moment and reach out to you.
Nice review. I’m a true advocate of customer service and expect the best from those I give my business too. I’m a business owner as well. I’m horrible at writing reviews but I have a collection of videos I make, typically eating breakfast with my girlfriend. I’m launching my You Tube channel once I’m up to around 30 reviews.
Karaōke was a business I started in KC 5 years back. It has been great supplemental income and now one of my favorite artistic and creative outlets. I take great pride in being the best at it.
Judging by the time of your post, I started my gig there a few months before. About me smoking and being on the phone, It sounds like I was stressed out over something and having a bad night. I do apologize. Those nights are few and far between. I am usually very entertaining and energetic and put on an awesome show.
As far as the Pants goes, nothing has changed there since it opened 12 years ago. Including the 1 o’clock, am and pm shirtless shots as well as the fish racing tanks. I won the fish races back in 03 and the picture of me drinking my fish is still on the wall. One thing that has made the pants a success is consistency. I know what bartender you were referring to and she is no longer there. Staff comes and goes and the management seems pretty good at keeping the right people on board.
I’d like to personally make it up to you. Come in again on one of my nights, Wed, Sat, Sun and I promise to show you the best karaōke show in town and an absolutely amazing time. I’ll get your first drinks. :) I know you’ve been in a few times. One thing I can guarantee is your next time will be the best.
Cheers,
Ben.