Rice Monkey

Hidden gem! This tiny restaurant may have only a few tables, but it delivers big on flavor and quality. Every dish we tried was incredibly fresh, thoughtfully prepared, and absolutely delicious. The cozy, intimate atmosphere adds to its charm, and the attention to detail in both the food and service makes it clear this place is run with care and passion. It’s the kind of spot you almost want to keep secret—but it deserves all the praise. A must-visit for anyone who loves discovering truly special places to eat.

Sushi in Colorado is nearly always a bad idea. This place is the exception. Sushi chefs have been very creative with the quality fish they use. Highly recommend. Not much seating in the small dining area but great meal and service

Delicious! Sushi and share plates.. Love this place. Nice outdoor patio for summer.

This place was delicious! We especially loved the beef pho. One thing to be aware of is that it is a very small restaurant with limited seating.

Rice Monkeys isn’t what it used to be—and management knows why. The bowls feel like they were assembled on a spreadsheet. Cost-cutting is baked in, and it shows. The rolls still hold up, but at nearly $20 a pop, they’re hard to justify. Staff was kind and attentive, but clearly not trained on proper ADA service animal protocol—a legal and ethical oversight that’s hard to ignore. Rice Monkeys, you officially lost your spot on the “worth it in Durango” list.

Very tasty sushi. Had Lava and Lickity Split. Both of them were wonderful.

This place is so FRESH and so GOOD! I'm a huge sushi lover and really picky with places. We started off with the fried pork rolls and i will crave those again and again. Super crunchy, super tasty and the dipping sauce, Wowza!! The rolls were fresh, nice size pieces and they have cilantro to add to any rolls. I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I come from amazing restaurants in Florida then moved to Denver and found only 2 places for Sushi that were a hit. Nowwww I moved to Durango and tried several and Rice 🐒 is my #1 . It is in a perfect location in downtown Durango, it's a small place inside but the smaller the restaurant the better and fresher and cleaner it is. It has outdoor pet friendly area with a roof, and wonderful to people watch. I can't wait to go back to my new favorite sushi place. Prices are a bit high but worth it.

The sushi here was really, really good, but the miso soup was awful. It had a heavy fish flavor. The low star rating is mostly because of the space, not the food. The indoor seating area is tiny, the tables are tiny, and the seats are high. Your feet don't touch the floor and some seats don't have foot rests. That made it a bit uncomfortable. Though there are 4 seats to a tabletop, there was no way multiple peoples' meals were all going to fit. I've posted a picture of just the plates and sauce bowls for the 4 of us on a tabletop. We ended up taking over 2 tables...fortunately it was slow and we could. The energy of the restaurant was neutral and the dining area lacks character. The hall to the bathroom was very narrow, and the bathroom itself was kind of small, poorly laid out and dimly lit. The water was hot, hot, hot. Watch out! There was nothing special about this place, but ya the sushi was really good. Maybe just get it to go!

Very good Asian fusion restaurant. Who would have thought that pho and sushi go hand in hand. Well they do. Service is quick and friendly. I love the ambiance. A definitive find.

The food was amazing.The service was great they served us and ask us what we wanted to eat.Overall it was a great place to eat and great side of pho and I would recommend.

August 26, 2023. Saturday. 2:30 PM. Every time my wife and I have visited Durango, Rice Monkeys has been closed. The reviews and the signage piqued our interest but walking by on weekends, the place was shuttered down. Hours are listed as Monday through Friday, 11 AM - 3 PM lunch and dinner 5 PM - 8:30 PM. Closed on Saturdays and Sundays. However, on this Saturday, it was open. The rain poured down, and they were about to close in 30 minutes. However, the sushi chef let me order a to-go, Funky Monkey roll ($18). This place had a cozy and tight sitting room, and I stood in the middle, waiting out of the rain. Funky monkey roll featured shrimp, tempura flakes, avocado, spicy aioli, cream cheese, topped with yellowfin tuna, and sirimi crab. Sorry, no picture of this roll. They placed sweet soy sauce in a dish on the side. Inside the to-go bag were two sets of chopsticks, napkins, wasabi, a healthy amount of fresh ginger and the aforementioned soy sauce. Service from the waitress and sushi chef was great, because they could have shut down orders. A group of three arrived after me and he took care of them too. He finished my order in about 7 minutes. We ate the roll in the parking lot of Ska Brewing. We could tell it had fresh ingredients and he added lots of avocado. I liked the roll without the sweet soy sauce, as it was cloyingly sweet. Wish we had sampled other rolls, but maybe next time.

Very good sushi in a casual restaurant in downtown Durango. We like to go at lunchtime and sit outside, when weather allows. The quality of the sushi is really excellent. We often get nigiri but also like the rolls. Some of our favorites are salmon-avocado, hamachi love and crispy tuna. The menu describes the crispy tuna as spicy but we didn't find it particularly so. The seaweed salad is also very good, plenty big enough for two to share. Service is always friendly and fast. Prices are reasonable. If you think you might not be able to get good sushi in a small mountain town, think again. We like Rice Monkeys as much as what we get in Austin!

We really like the food at rice monkey. The rice vermicelli bowls are particularly good (fried pork is the best one in our experience). Sushi is also pretty solid. Biggest complaint is cost. It's pricey. We had 2 sushi rolls and 1 vermicelli bowl to split for 2 of us and spent $62 on lunch. Food is good, service is good, prices are a bit inflated.

Small unassuming place but has indoor and outdoor seating on main street Durango. Greeted upon entering sat inside tables are hard to get into the bench side but was comfortable. The appetizer came out quick. Pho came out when we were very close to finishing the edamame. Pho was absolutely delicious and filling. Service was good but not over bearing.

This place is tiny and there is additional sitting outside. The food was amazing. The presentation was like that of a fancier restaurant and the taste combination was amazing. I was blown away by the taste combo of the Tiradito. The service was pretty quick considering how busy they are. I highly recommend Rice Monkey, just be prepared that you might have to wait.

Excellent, again! Rainbow and Salmon Avacado rolls, Chicken Teriyaki and Miso soup. Loved it!

Clean atmosphere, friendly staff, great service, we ordered a Korean barbecue bowl and it was fresh, tasty, and super delicious! Veggie roll included. Flavor was awesome. Pork was done perfectly. Flavors melted together, amazingly.

Fantastic little spot for high quality rolls. Looking for a spot with some high quality rolls with tons of flavor? This is a great spot to check out. I ordered the lickity-split and I wish I could have ordered more. You can tell the ingredients are fresh and again very flavorful. My only regret was coming with family members who claim they like sushi but definitely only meant the like california rolls. They ordered a california roll and a shrimp tempura roll. We came on a Wednesday around 1:00 PM after a soak at the Durango Hot Springs (also highly recommend). We were sat immediately inside where there are only about three tables but there are more outside. I think those outdoor seats are a little higher demand because the weather was perfect.

So SAD to say the new owners are not doing this once terrific restaurant any favors. Very dirty seating area & bathroom. Sticky tables, stained & battered menus with items blacked out. We're greeted with a litany of what they DON'T have - including sake & beer! They also didn't have any sweetener for the ice tea. Bang bang shrimp was drenched in a sickly sweet goo, all breading & tiny shrimp. Too bad to ever return which is sad as it used to be pretty great.

Tiny place on Main in Durango. I ordered the Unagi bowl, and sat outside under the shade structure, and watched the tourists walk by. They brought my bowl to me, and it was excellent. I will be returning often!

We've eaten at Rice monkeys every time we are in town! Never disappointed. This last time we had the Saigon noodle, vermicelli w pork rolls and miso soup. Everyone was happy with their dishes and left full. Server was very nice and responsive. It's a tiny place so expect a wait during busy times but it's worth it! Will be back next time in Durango!

Food good, service great. Not much ambiance but got a cute table out front. Gave extra food bc so busy! That tells you a lot!

I was blown away by the quality of food, service and obvious respect for fresh food. This was a place where every dish I ordered and every bite was super delicious. The host/waiter took extra care to offer gluten free soy sauce and menu choices.

Visited Durango for a week and tried Rice Monkeys after reading stellar reviews online. Amazing! Food was great! Had the Volcano, Crunchy Salmon, and Veggie Egg Rolls. The service was great! Loved the small interior.

Service here was amazing. Our server greeted us right away and then continuously checked up on us making sure we were okay. We ordered a variety of their sushi roles and everything came out great!

When only sushi can make you happy Rice Monkeys does an awesome job. We have some excellent sushi there after a day on the mtn and really enjoyed the service an vibe there. Good people serving good food in a nice little place. And that brings me to the one star drop. I'm 6'5" and about 230 when not wet. I felt like the biggest Wookiee in this place because it is so narrow and small. I wouldn't call it uncomfortable for most but it was a bit tight for me. Go Eat Enjoy

Amazing service and really really good food! Dialed in fusion by actual Asians. 5 star quality

Delicious --- it was good service and great food. The teriyaki bowl was fresh and tasty. Central to downtown and convenient. Most important to note their times they open and close. Yummy sushi rolls --very fresh!! I can't believe I'd never been here!

Ordered the beef pho, shrimp pho and a chicken rice bowl. The rice bowl tasted good, but the pho I would suggest stay away from it. It is the worst pho I ever tasted. The broth from the beef pho tasted like water with 5 spices and sugar, it is a sweet weird taste. The broth from the shrimp pho even worse, tasted fishy and sweet. They are pricey and disgusting and not edible. Their Pho is not good, and should just take them off from the menu.

Omg best asian food ever! Large portions made to order, great tasting fresh food. Very friendly staff, we ate here two days straight it was so good.

SOOOOO GOOOOOD! Best meal I've eaten in a long time. I'm gluten free and dairy free, their menu clearly lists what is available for food intolerances and there are so many options! The fried pork rolls are so good holy moly. Also had a rice bowl and a vermicelli bowl. They were also able to leave out peanuts and onions. I wish we had this restaurant where I live!

It was a bit pricey but it was definitely worth it. The portions are a bit small but very delicious. Service was pretty good as well. The ambiance was nice. My only complaint is that for the price the miso soup should be free like other places.

Overall, not bad. I definitely did not expect to find decent Asian cuisine in Durango, but was very pleasantly surprised. The menu covers your basic rolls and sashimi, but also includes some really unique options, including Pho and vermicelli noodle bowls. My husband and I ordered separate mains and split a southwestern roll. The roll was great, honestly one of the more unique rolls I've had. It was definitely flavorful and loved the lime undertones. The only complaint was that the roll was a bit uneven if that makes sense. There was very little avocado in the end pieces but a ton in the middle. That said, it was still a very good roll. For our mains, we got the unagi bowl (husband) and the grilled lemongrass beef bowl (me). I loved my bowl! The beef was cooked well and I loved the noodle and spring mix combo, as well as the ginger vinaigrette. It was pretty light and felt healthy, which hit the right notes for me. My husband's bowl looked delicious! I snagged a bite of his unagi, which was marinated in something seriously heavenly. The overall vibe here is very hole-in-the-wall and the space isn't very big. We were seated by the door, which was a bit chilly, but there really wasn't a lot of room to begin with. Service here was excellent. The staff were all very friendly and accommodating. Our server kept us updated on when to expect food and really took care of us well. Definitely want to come back and try more of their rolls! There are several others on our list to try.

very small restaurant but AMAZING sushi!!! phenomenal every time we've gotten food from here! their firecracker shrimp are delicious you honestly can't order a bad thing on this menu

Wow! Rice Monkeys has wonderful food and kind efficient service. The restaurant is very small but somehow it all works together. If you are looking for excellently prepared food and great service and a change from burgers and/or steaks while in Durango, CO. I highly recommend rice monkeys. Great for lunch or dinner. You'll be glad you did !

Lime twist. Do it. This is related to pop sushi but it's not at all the same atmosphere and a different menu I assume due to limitations on the kitchen. It's best for take out sushi unless you are eating alone or with two people max. But the food quality is comparable and always good service despite the tiny area and limited capacity.

This place is always on a wait it seems. Went for the pho and did not disappoint. The beef pho is beef broth, ginger chicken is chicken broth, and Saigon pho is fish broth. I added broccoli to beef pho and it was great!

Just had dinner here at Rice Monkey. I can't say enough about this place! EXCELLENT food, service and atmosphere! My husband ordered the brisket Pho and I, the 'Lime Roll'. He couldn't finish it all as the portion was huge! My lime roll had to be one of the best rolls I've ever eaten anywhere! When your in Durango, this place is a must do!

We sat outside on a beautiful evening and had a delicious poke bowl with salmon. I overate because it was so delicious! The server was great too!

Pretty good sushi and service was good. They are very quick and price is reasonable for the area. Small restaurant tho feels a bit cramped.

Food was fresh and delicious. Service was great AND they were playing New Orleans music which made this NOLA transplant very happy! Keep up the great work, Rice Monkeys!

every single thing that I had was the best food ever the service was amazing the food was amazing the wait time was short. It was so amazing

Currently, there is no indoor dining. I'm not sure if this place ever had that option. If so, then there might be only 1 or 2 seats inside. Luckily we were able to get a spot at their outdoor seating area that was covered by a tent. I had their grilled lemongrass beef vermicelli bowl, and it tasted very authentic. And the portion was also generous. The meat was flavorful and tendered, with a subtle lemongrass flavor. After being on the road for a few days, it was nice to eat something light but also substantial.

Service was phenomenal!! Food was delicious. Probably one of the best sushi places I have been to. The seating area is tiny but worth it.

The long and the short of this review. The place needs 7 stars. You would be doing yourself a massive disservice by passing on eating here. This place is small and is reminiscent of a small sushi ya in Japan. I like the small quarters. You get to interact with the amazing staff. We sat at the bar and struck up a conversation with He-Man. Yes. You read that right. I think the title is appropriate because my...GOD...the flavors he punches out are mighty and worth the moniker. Since trying a new sushi place and not getting nigori sake is tantamount to culinary sacrilege, of course we ordered a bottle. Get. The. Ceviche. Fresh, light, bright, and very tangy. The fried in house chips that come with it are an excellent accompaniment. On the polar opposite end of the spectrum...get the Fried Pork Rolls. THEN have patience. These bad boys come out HOT...and worth every loving caloric bite. Sweet chili sauce comes with it, but I found I usually did not need it. Delicious. My wife ordered 2 rolls. I don't remember what they were, but they were damn good and we ate every bite. Spicy Ponzu is a must!!! Now...I had never had Hamachi Kama. So me and my wife both engaged in a gastronomic first and ordered it. VERY lightly breaded and then fried to perfection. It was juicy, tender, flaky, and just a little crunchy all at the same time. Not fishy in the slightest. There were mixed greens on the plate also, I chose to ignore those in favor of more pork rolls. So. Great food. Fantastic service. Amazing staff. Small intimate setting. Rock solid 5 stars. I wish I could award 7.

Rice Monkey has been a favorite of our family for many years. We supported them during Covid etc. however, this last time was a big disappointment. My favorite Lime twist was very small and I also ordered the spicy tuna. 30 dollars and some change. The rolls are very small and sliced very thin so were falling apart. very sad that this restaurant is no longer our family fav. not sure if these are new owners or what is going on but the quality is lacking. Do not waste you money!!

Rice Monkeys for the win. I'm always amazed that such magic comes out of that tiny little kitchen. Food is delicious and staff is wonderful. When you eat in you feel really taken care of. Rolls are great, pho is so flavorful and delicious, and the pork vermicelli bowl Definitely recommend.

Great! Their info needs to be updated because there is no more outdoor seating like in the summer so it's just takeout only. I came by 5pm on a Thursday and my food was ready around 5:40pm. They were able to sub rice for veggies at no extra charge. Fresh roll but I original I thought I might have gotten a different roll than what i ordered because halfway through scarfing down my order I realized I couldn't taste the sriracha at all. Either way the ingredients were fresh and the portions were plentiful.

This is a super small restaurant. Think galley kitchen. We went on New Year's Day right after 5pm when they opened for the evening, and every table and chair was already filled. The wait staff took our name and number and said they would call when a table became available. Since there was no standing room inside, and it was below freezing and snowing outside, we decided to wait in our car. There were lots of people coming and going from the restaurant the entire time; these were people who were either waiting to get their take out orders, or waiting for a table like we were. It was annoying having people wait inside the narrow aisle of the restaurant because they would inevitably bump into those eating while dodging the wait staff. It was about a 30 minute wait before we were seated near the front door and along the alley window. It was cold! However, we didn't have much choice. The table was designed for singles, with a long wood plank against the window and three stools lining the side. There didn't appear to be a place to hang a coat or hat, but the wide windowsill under the table served as a perfect shelf for placing my folded coat and purse. No surprise it took our waitress time to take our order and deliver our food to our table considering the crowd. However, she was very pleasant, checked on us and refilled our drinks as needed. She was also very quick to process our bill. I was still eating, but my husband was done with his food, standing up, and ready to go. He was not feeling well, so he wanted to go. She saw that, and rushed the bill. The food presentation of the Philly roll, Beef Pho and Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl were all exquisite. There was lots of food, and it was beautifully prepared. I think if I were to come here again, I would order my food to go rather than try to dine in the small space provided. Because of the limited hours, it might be difficult to find a time when the restaurant is actually slow. Despite the cramped quarters and the long wait, the food quality, quantity and price were all worthy of our time.

This place never disappoints. Staff is excellent and attentive. Sushi is the best in Durango in my opinion, east by southwest is a second favorite. Outdoor seating is very clean and nice. Sushi pictures is lava roll, crunchy salmon roll, and dragon roll. Yummy, will be reoccurring customer for long time!

Sushi is outstanding! I got the California roll and the crispy salmon roll. Both were delicious. My son got the teriyaki chicken bowl. Chicken was a little overcooked, so it was just ok. The place is TINY, so there was nowhere to sit. The staff was friendly and gave us plastic ware and chopsticks to go since there wasn't enough room for us in the restaurant.

Pretty good very filling will probably need a box after service was good and the people were nice

Small place - I think seats maybe 18 peeps. Lots of rolls that seemed to be enormous. We opted for salmon sashimi and salmon poke bowl - both were filling and good quality, washed down with some hot sake, it was a cold night. Ben, the server was attentive and professional. They seemed to be doing a robust take out service.

Loved this small restaurant! Service was super and their sushi was great! Had no problem finding menu options available that were vegan.

It's probably the best food of its kind in town. It's a little more friendly on the pocket book than some other spots. We love the noodle pork bowl, pork rolls, pho and sushi rolls here. The pork rolls are unique in that that are done in a rice warp versus a traditional eggroll wrapper and they are now my favorite.

Loved the food and the ambiance. Feels like a Tokyo style hole in the wall restaurant that serves great food. They were quite busy when we went but that didnt affect the service or food quality. The pho i had was quite good - although I would have preferred it to be a bit more spicy.

Excellent food. Great service. Don't pass this place over. I'll be back. Really enjoyed.