Looking for a little escape this summer but you only have an hour or two to spare? Drunk Munk, a new addition to Old Town Scottsdale, might be just the ticket.
The restaurant–housed in Cowboy Ciao’s former spot and from the longtime talent Executive Chef Andrew Nam (of Geisha A Go Go and Stingray Sushi, to name a few)–is inspired by “the islands of the South Pacific, the beaches of Hawaii and the surf culture of Mexico.” The atmosphere is casual and laidback during brunch or happy hour, but it is obvious Drunk Munk turns into a cool, lively hangout once the lights go down (there is even a DJ booth). The space features a large bar, red tufted seating, a spacious patio and kitschy-cool tiki touches throughout.
The island flavor really shines through the cocktail menu, where sips like the Kitty Kitty, with dark rum, lemon-lime, passion fruit and pineapple, makes Instagram-ing hearts happy (it is served in a too-cute cat container). If you’re not into frills, the Tabu Tiki is a fruity, vacay-ready offering that makes you feel the sand between your toes without the umbrella on the top. There are also shareable “party people” cocktail bowls and plenty of the usual suspects that a tiki bar simply can’t do without, like mojitos, daquiris and mai tais.
The large menu is brimming with burgers, sandwiches, salads, sushi, starters, hearty entrees, desserts and more. To get a little taste of everything, the pu pu platter is the way to go–especially if you’re with a group. First, the presentation is just plain fun. Second, we could eat the sweet-and-spicy Mexi-Poly street corn all day. Other favorites featured in the platter include pork pot stickers, skewers of chicken, shrimp and short ribs and Bali bottle rockets. Fans of Drift Lounge, the Old Town tiki bar that closed a few years back, will recognize the cream cheesy bottle rockets as a former favorite.
Drunk Munk is open Monday to Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
