(213) 381-7047

659 S Mariposa Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005 34.0614 -118.2989

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Neighborhoods: Wilshire Center / Koreatown, Central LA

CAFEBRASSMONKEY.COM

Last updated 6.04.11

Category:

Restaurants, Bars & Pubs, Nightclubs, Bars & Clubs, Lounges

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Bar & Pub Special Features:

Karaoke

Bar & Club Special Features:

21 & Over

Minimum Age:

21

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Brass Monkey

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Karaoke brings people together, especially at Brass Monkey. The low ceiling, oversized hanging lanterns and eclectic crowd are not for the claustrophobic. The place is usually packed by the time singing begins at 9pm--and as with the crowd, the songs are diverse, ranging from the Beatles and Billy Idol to Spanish songs and slow numbers. Some die-hard karaoke lovers even bring their own tunes. Luckily, food is available if you need something to snack on, since the wait to perform can stretch to two hours. – – The Draw – For those who need a shot of liquid…

Editor's Tips

Parking:
Free parking is available with validation after 5pm in the structure next to Brass Monkey. Enter on Mariposa.
Save Money:
There's no official happy hour, but drink prices double after 9pm when the karaoke starts.
Know Before You Go:
It's OK to sing multiple times in one night. However, the karaoke host won't accept a second song selection until you've already sung your first.
ambiance
77.77999877929688% positive
  1. “Great atmosphere.”
  2. “the usual DJ, i always forget his name, is fun and keeps the place lively, even on a slow night.”
  3. “The place doesn't look like much, and it's a tough place to find, but the karaoke atmosphere is great.”
  4. “Overpriced, unfriendly and unprofessional location!”
  5. “Finally, at around 12:25 am I got up, I did my song, the crowd loved it, and I had fun.”
  6. “so the monkey is fun for getting drunk and singing badly.”
  7. “The Brass Monkey brings the best location and crowd for Karaoke in LA.”
  8. “The atmosphere is a bit on the dungeon side, but it's all good cuz once in there you don't mind.”
  9. “And one last thing - parking in the structure across from the bar can be expensive so don't forget to have your ticket validated.”
drinks
60.869998931884766% positive
  1. “the drinks are way strong, i personally like the "caramel apple": a butterscotch sour apple martini.”
  2. “The drinks were good and you got them in a timely matter.”
  3. “If you've got a big entourage, call in advance to reserve a table, or arrive early and cover the bar.”
  4. “The bartenders are nice but they cant expect you to even get a good buzz off the watered down drinks they serve.”
  5. “left right after this and of course had to pay $7 for the worst drink on the planet.”
  6. “have a low tolerence, therefore i order one or two drinks and really want to enjoy my drinks.”
  7. “the drinks are ridiculously overpriced and the whole karaoke thing is pretty lame.”
  8. “And one last thing - parking in the structure across from the bar can be expensive so don't forget to have your ticket validated.”
  9. “They have the best selection of songs ever, bar none. The friendly party people. No cover.”
  10. “Upon entering the bar we were (like the last poster) confronted by a cocktail waitress who was adamant about taking our drink order.”
  11. “The drinks are great and the entertainment is well worth seeing.”
  12. “The Dj was great totally had the whole bar rocking.”
  13. “It is an intimate bar with dark wood walls and a great Karaoke crowd.”
  14. “About five minutes later the drink was spilled (it was still full) by the person serving the bad food.”
  15. “Sure, the service is a little lacking and the drinks aren't great, but when Lucas was the DJ, everyone seemed to have a good time.”
  16. “agree with what many others have said about the overpriced, half-filled, watered-down drinks.”
  17. “They then igored me and I walked back to the table with the awful drink.”
  18. “Good bar food, great selection of mixed drinks and "the place to be" for karaoke.”
  19. “We were surprised to see that Coors Light goes for $5 a bottle, especially after hearing about reasonable drink prices.”
  20. “But the drinks are good and the food is decent.”
  21. “Sure, the beer's too expensive and the food's not the best--but for sheer entertainment value, this place cannot be beat.”
  22. “My drink was way overpriced and when the waitress finally brought it to me it looked like someone had already drank half of it.”
  23. “If the beer was a little less expensive and the cocktail waitress not as pushy and bitchy, we would surely be returning customers.”
food quality
50.0% positive
  1. “Service is a bit slow and during lunch, don't expect your food to get to you until your lunch hour is just about up.”
  2. “Sure, the beer's too expensive and the food's not the best--but for sheer entertainment value, this place cannot be beat.”
  3. “Good bar food, great selection of mixed drinks and "the place to be" for karaoke.”
  4. “But the drinks are good and the food is decent.”
  5. “The food is not good at all.”
  6. “The food is good and prices are very reasonable.”
  7. “And the hot wings are good too.”
  8. “To add insult to injury the service was horrible (only one waitress) and no food is served on Sundays.”
  9. “Perfect after work place but not good for lunch as the food will take some time to get to you.”
  10. “had the prime rib sandwich($8.95) some of the worst prime rib I have ever had in my life.”
  11. “About five minutes later the drink was spilled (it was still full) by the person serving the bad food.”
  12. “The food was decent, (try the cobb salad w/ chicken) All in all, I had a great time and would recommend it for a night out with the girls, guys or a group of both.”
  13. “Throughout the meat of the night, the service was good, we weren't kicked out for a bigger party, and we got in 3 songs apiece before the rotation was 3 hours long (so go early).”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Good bar food, great selection of mixed drinks and "the place to be" for karaoke.”
  2. “Oh and the song list was very very extensive, their were even songs that had only been on the radio for a month or two.”
  3. “They have the best selection of songs ever, bar none. The friendly party people. No cover.”
overall
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “Every other time I'd been to there and Lucas was hitting up the tunes, the nights were great and everyone in the place got to sing, not just the birthday parties that were excessively tipping.”
  2. “Good bar food, great selection of mixed drinks and "the place to be" for karaoke.”
  3. “Sure, the beer's too expensive and the food's not the best--but for sheer entertainment value, this place cannot be beat.”
service
81.25% positive
  1. “. . .The wait staff were friendly and prompt.”
  2. “If the beer was a little less expensive and the cocktail waitress not as pushy and bitchy, we would surely be returning customers.”
  3. “The bartenders are nice but they cant expect you to even get a good buzz off the watered down drinks they serve.”
  4. “Let me preface this review by saying, in Santa Barbara I was a singing bartender at a popular karaoke spot and my girlfriend has KJ'd on a few occasions for her uncle who has one of the best shows you'll ever go to.”
  5. “My drink was way overpriced and when the waitress finally brought it to me it looked like someone had already drank half of it.”
  6. “The bartender was amazing!”
  7. “Upon entering the bar we were (like the last poster) confronted by a cocktail waitress who was adamant about taking our drink order.”
  8. “After singing our last song, I asked the cocktail waitress, who had been attentive to us throughout the night if we could split the payment between my gf's and my credit cards.”
  9. “The regulars are very friendly with new people and welcome new comers.”
  10. “Throughout the meat of the night, the service was good, we weren't kicked out for a bigger party, and we got in 3 songs apiece before the rotation was 3 hours long (so go early).”
  11. “That being said, we know what makes up good karaoke and good service.”
  12. “Sure, the service is a little lacking and the drinks aren't great, but when Lucas was the DJ, everyone seemed to have a good time.”
  13. “Awful service, good karaoke”
  14. “To add insult to injury the service was horrible (only one waitress) and no food is served on Sundays.”
  15. “They have the best selection of songs ever, bar none. The friendly party people. No cover.”
  16. “The staff is good about accommodating large groups.”
  17. “It's intimate and the people are friendly.”
  18. “It is always packed and the crowd is friendly and knows how to rock the house down.”
  19. “Go with a big group and be prepared to laugh a lot and meet nice people.”
  20. “Friendly staff.”
  21. “Waitresses are very friendly (especially to guys).”
  22. “The doorman was cool but the manager, some idiot named Ricco was rude and kicked us out of more tables and chairs than we could stand.”
  23. “Great customer service.”
  24. “The doorman was friendly & helped me find my party right away.”
value
44.43999767303467% positive
  1. “My drink was way overpriced and when the waitress finally brought it to me it looked like someone had already drank half of it.”
  2. “agree with what many others have said about the overpriced, half-filled, watered-down drinks.”
  3. “If the beer was a little less expensive and the cocktail waitress not as pushy and bitchy, we would surely be returning customers.”
  4. “The drinks are great and the entertainment is well worth seeing.”
  5. “And one last thing - parking in the structure across from the bar can be expensive so don't forget to have your ticket validated.”
  6. “the drinks are ridiculously overpriced and the whole karaoke thing is pretty lame.”
  7. “We were surprised to see that Coors Light goes for $5 a bottle, especially after hearing about reasonable drink prices.”
  8. “The food is good and prices are very reasonable.”
  9. “Sure, the beer's too expensive and the food's not the best--but for sheer entertainment value, this place cannot be beat.”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “Throughout the meat of the night, the service was good, we weren't kicked out for a bigger party, and we got in 3 songs apiece before the rotation was 3 hours long (so go early).”
  2. “Service is a bit slow and during lunch, don't expect your food to get to you until your lunch hour is just about up.”
  3. “the usual DJ, i always forget his name, is fun and keeps the place lively, even on a slow night.”
  4. “About five minutes later the drink was spilled (it was still full) by the person serving the bad food.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

08/19/11

Worst Karaoke Bar Ever

by Jim Morrison at Citysearch

I'd give it a 1/2 star if it would let me. The Karaoke DJ was horrible. He pointed out that he wasn't being tipped very well. It was an hour wait to get onstage when there was hardly anyone in the room, then it jumped to two hours when it got busy. Apparently, they don't have Sauza tequila even though it says it on the menu. I can say something nice about the food. The food was good. Other than that...I'll never go back again.

2 Star Rating: Below Average

01/19/10

Wack

Contributor at Citysearch

So, there's a two drink minimum the waiters wont stop bugging till u buy the damn drinks. It's small, gotta come early or you'll be standing the whole night. Eh, I don't think ill come again.

2 Star Rating: Below Average

01/19/10

Wack

Contributor at Citysearch

So, there's a two drink minimum the waiters wont stop bugging till u buy the damn drinks. It's small, gotta come early or you'll be standing the whole night. Eh, I don't think ill come again.

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/05/09

Worst place ever!!!!

by GandK at Citysearch

3/3/09 My friends, husband and I went to this place. The first time for most of the 8 person group. The overcharged a few people and when I complained about the taste of the drink the "manager" came over and kicked us out! BUT WAIT then billed one of the guys for drinks and food we didn't eat or drink! The held one of the girls hostage while the guy went to his car to get more case to pay the bogus bill.

Then while waiting outside for our hostage friend another group came out and said they were just kicked out too because they had been there too long!!!! They were asked rudely to pack up their belongings and leave since they had other customers that would be buying more drinks!

It was crazy! Overpriced, unfriendly and unprofessional location! Please do not go to this place!

  • Pros: French Fries were decent
  • Cons: Everything! The staff, the drinks, the singing!
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/24/09

HORRIBLE!

by Funloving at Citysearch

Few of my friends came to have a good time and after 20-30 minutes we left in disgust. There was a brunette waitress working at night on 03/21/09 that was a real money grubbing "person". I ordered 3 beers for total $18.00 when I gave her a $20.00 she told me "ok that's twenty" I looked at her like what? She said "this is how I make a living so it's twenty" To get a tip you EARN your tip if she would of gave me $2.00 back I would of gave her back those $2.00 even though she did not do much. I felt like she reached into my wallet and helped herself out to my money. uhh such a dirty feeling!

  • Pros: None
  • Cons: Waitresses climb into your wallet

The Details on Brass Monkey

Place Categories:

  • good drink
  • just terrific particular place
  • decent food
  • overpriced location
  • friendly wait staff
  • loved karaoke crowd
  • friendly party people
  • less expensive beer
  • good customer service
  • favorite lunch spot
  • awful service
  • big party
  • good songs
  • fun usual dj
  • good karaoke
  • hate place
  • reasonable drink prices
  • nice bartender
  • cool doorman
  • great karaoke atmosphere
  • big only postive
  • not good perfect
  • suck cocktails
  • very extensive oh
  • worst karaoke dj

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