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Benjie's Deli
Categories: Restaurants Delis Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Delis, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1828 N Tustin AveSanta Ana, CA 92705
(714) 541-6263
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
136 reviews for Benjie's Deli
Review Highlights
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"The matzo ball soup is delicious." In 26 reviews -
"I also got to try the pastrami and tongue sandwiches." In 53 reviews -
"Any sandwich is tasty, & the pickles are sooooo good." In 28 reviews
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136 reviews in English
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Review from Reina K.
Santa Ana, CA
3/30/2012
I am a snob about many things. Deli is one of them. I am a sucker for a corned beef sandwich. Well, at Benjie's, something miraculous happened: I had a food orgasm.
I orded my favorite deli foods: a Dr. Brown's Black Cherry soda, a bowl of matzo ball soup, and a corned beef sandwich. Matzo ball soup was very good, and I am a sucker for a good matzo ball. But then came the corned beef. So perfect, pickled just right. The first bite made me roll my eyes into the back of my head. Every bite was satiating a craving that I had in my bones. Needless to say, it was epic.
Best part? I took the other half of the sandwich home, and at one point got out and came back in. The entire car smelled of amazing corned beef. Does Benjie's create a corned beef air freshener? if they do, I want it. -
Review from Bonnie P.
Riverside, CA
3/25/2012
Is it okay to EAT before you go to someone's house and then say you aren't hungry??? This isn't even close to me---not even...but if all possible I eat here when I go to the OC..Their matzo ball soup is divine and their corned beef sandwich--wunnerful--and that little bowl of pickles...more .......I want MORE!!!
I do believe the watresses have been there since the doors opened - uh -they are well "seasoned"...but lordie--they sure know their stuff and they KNOW how to treat a customer...
I don't think you could go wrong with a thing on the menu!! -
Review from Michele W.
Santa Ana, CA
3/15/2012
I've seen this place a million times and I finally got a chance to go.
The service is great. The wait staff is very friendly and funny! , and they know what you need (I didn't need to ask for a to go box, she just knew that it was time..I had that "full busting face" on).
Beers are pretty inexpensive, they have a very limited selection on tap, but can't beat having a nice cold amber brock on tap =)
Onto the food...
I got the french dip. It was pretty amazing. They gave me a heaping stack of meat, but not soo tall it will come tumbling out of the bread. And the Au jus sauce, yummy. Fries were good too. The slaw was okay, but I don't really like mayo.
in all, half a sandwich was all I needed to fill me up. The rest fared well for lunch (I warmed it up in a toaster oven and it was perfect). These babies are def very good and dangerous.
Prices of the food was a bit on the more expensive side, but the quality of the food is great, and justifiable for the price.
I will return! maybe I'll go for that Mazo ball soup next time. (yummy) -
Review from Victor C.
Anaheim, CA
5/4/2012
I love going to BEnjie'S you get what you paid for,the quality of food,portion,service are excellent,especially having attended by Channel,she is the best.
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Review from Ian D.
Anaheim, CA
4/30/2012
Benjies is an authentic 60's diner with an adjacent lounge full of retro charm. They boast of real NY style deli sandwiches and home cooked meals. I decided to try the highly recommended Reuben Sandwich. The authenticity was there, traditional rye, nicely piled corn beef (tall like in NY), sauerkraut, etc. The sandwich was nicely prepared with perfectly toasted bread. As I took my first bite I was praying that the taste would be there too, alas, it wasn't. The corn beef lacked the flavor of high quality corn beef and the sauerkraut had no tang or snap to it.
Even though the Reuben fell short of expectations, it was a decent sandwich and there's really a lot to like about Benjies. I probably won't go out of my way, but when I'm in the neighborhood again, I'll stop and give something else on the menu a chance. The bar / lounge looks very homey, so I might even hang out for a drink. -
Review from Cy A.
Orange, CA
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Absolutely love this place. Their sandwiches are beasts. Try the corned beef on a roll. I have also tried their Knish and their stuffed cabbage both tasty. Great place to bring a big group.
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Review from Cory G.
Anaheim, CA
4/29/2012
This place is good, when you dont want to drive to LA to go to Langer's. I get their corned beef rueben or the hot beef brisket. Like most deli's it is pricey for a sandwhich, and the pickles they bring you are just ok. There are a lot of elderly Jewish folk that eat here, so you know it's going to be good.
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Review from Alex K.
3/1/2012
I didn't think I would find a good deli in Orange County, but Benjie's does fit the bill.
I ordered a half Reuben and half soup, and it was delicious. The meat is always key to a good sandwich, and full of flavor. Unlike some delis, even though they don't bombard the sandwich with a ton of meat, it was enough so the bread held without collapsing in my hands. The matzo ball soup was simple comfort food. Great meal. -
Review from Archibald P.
Atlantic City, NJ
I love Benjie's -- happy to make this my 300th review :)
Awesome NY-style Jewish deli in the backtracks just barely outside of Orange (still on Tustin Ave)... great service, awesome menu (http://www.benjiesdeli...) and decent prices.
The ambiance in the restaurant reminds me of a wax museum version of Canter's in West LA, but only because there's an older vibe to the place (age-wise, not in appearance). Regardless, the service has always been spot on, the Matzo Ball soup is great for starters, and as for their triple-decker sandwiches -- I'm never let down by their Corned Beef, Pastrami, and Swiss with Russian Dressing! (My mouth just filled with spit as I typed that)
Grab one of their trademark milkshakes (hold the bourbon) to wash it all down and call it a day... Oh, and on nights when you want to kick back and kinda get away from everything, their Bamboo Lounge (which you can also eat in) is nice little alternative to the bars for a couple cocktails or (and) beers. The overall entire vibe of this place is good times for me. I enjoy calling in my order and picking up about as much as I like eating-in.
Definitely brings me back to my old Russian-Jewish neighborhood in West Hollywood in the 80's -- I'm a fan.Listed in: Orange You Glad I Made this…
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Review from Paul A.
La Habra, CA
Updated - 1/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This place is a serious find and I am reluctantly thankful that it is not close to my house or I would be there all the time. The happy hour starts around 3pm in the bamaboo lounge and you can order any food item from the retsaurant in there- AMazing!
Beer is like 2.50... Amber bock too- not just bud lightListed in: Best Happy Hour/ Drink spots
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/24/2011
Its legit.
started with a 2.50 amber bock and then took down three poached eggs, corned beef and hash… Read more »
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Review from Tricia E.
11/22/2011
Benjie's is an old school little restaurant / deli on the Tustin - Santa Ana border. One of my co-workers RAVES about this place, and she took me to Benjie's for lunch last week so I could see for myself what all the fuss was about.
I love that Benjie's has been around forever and has that "mom and pop shop" atmosphere. It's a super cute, quaint little place. You don't see too many restaurants like this in Orange County. It looks like there haven't been any changes to this place in years, I love that! The service was super friendly, it seems like Benjie's has a ton of regular customers who have been going here for years, everyone knows each other's names.
The food was great: I got a cheeseburger and french fries, SUPER delicious. My co-worker got the reuben sandwich, it was huge. She let me have a bite, it was very good, and I'm not normally a reuben fan. She also said Benjie's is famous for the matzo ball soup, but I didn't get to try it (next trip!).
In sum, I would definitely recommend stopping by Benjie's for an old school deli-style lunch. Very cute little place, it's refreshing there are still a few of these types of restaurants around! -
Review from Kevin B.
8/31/2011
I'm meeting friends for dinner and they tell me "let's meet at Benjies". OK, I program the NAV. Pops and I are the first to arrive. "Table for 6 please..." and we get the big booth in the corner.
The friends arrive, and one who's been a long time customer, tells us about different items on the menu.
SERVICE: To start, our waitress (excuse me, "server") Chanele was just awesome! Aside from checking on us often, she had a very quick wit, was joking with us and was an absolute hoot! This made our dinner that much more fun.
FOOD: This is not 4 or 5 star fine dining here, it's a Jewish/Kosher/New York style Deli - restaurant. It is still quite good though. Pops had the meatloaf dinner (with salad, veggies, fries & dessert $9.95). I tasted the meatloaf and it didn't rock my world, but it was good. Per my friends recommendation I ordered the Brisket Melt (tender, thin sliced, roasted beef brisket, Muenster cheese on sourdough, instead of rye) with fries and slaw $12.99. VERY good! The meat was piled on thick, had great flavor, was NOT dry, it was just delish! One friend opted for a bowl of the Navy Bean soup.
Server asks Pops: "Would you like the Navy Bean soup?"
Pops: "NO! I was in the Air Force!"
(We all chuckle at his answer)
Server tells us: "No, you'd be surprised just how many people (ex-military) won't order it because it's "Navy" bean soup. Interesting.
The soup was very good BTW and I ordered a pint to go.
OVERALL: It's a nice (established) deli restaurant with (so far) some delicious sandwiches. I'll have to come back and try more items on the menu! -
Review from Wendy B.
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Chicken Fried Steak Quest. Everyone has their own favorite version but I say about this one, it's just OK. Not so insanely wonderful I can hardly breathe.
The crust was more of a breading, and slightly too thick and heavy. And it had an old oil taste to parts of it. The meat was tenderized, genuinely steak, and good tasting. The gravy - one of the better ones. The mashed potatoes were also real and great. Too bad about the coating. That is why I can only give it a 3 star. Coating is one of the keys to success.
In my opinion, try Johnny Reb's a few miles down the road in Orange for a better version and close to the same price.
Stick with the deli sandwiches here.
Edit note: I received a note from the owner today, 10/4/11. He agrees with my disappointment of the CFS and is making a concerted effort to improve the coating, even checking out the competition. I like that and will definitely be returning for a do over!Listed in: Burgers, Delis and Subs, Chicken Fried Whut?
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Review from Dan H.
Updated - 4/21/2011
Benjies has, and always will be, my go-to deli in OC. I usually sit in the welcoming bar where its not as bright and where the age demo skews a little younger.
I had been craving lox n bagels and made my way to Benjies to satiate that need. I am sad to report that the lox was really bland. I want fishy when I partake in this wonderful specialty. Had it been frozen too long? I don't know. But my requested onion bagel had more flavor than the lox. Blasphemy!
That bagel/lox sandwich barely gets 3 stars, but I still have to throw in an extra star just cuz I love this place.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/14/2009
Benjies is a classic! Well worn, outdated, just like an old style deli should be, with all of your… Read more »
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Review from Anna M.
Santa Ana, CA
3/31/2012
My favorite thing here? Corned beef sandwich! Service is very good, and I love the old deli feel, now if only they could play old movies on their tv instead of sports...
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Review from Jordan Y.
Orange, CA
1/5/2012
Alright food, good service. I had the reuben. It was alright....I've had much better. But the funny thing is, it won an award for the best sandwich. I don't think so.....was disappointed
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Review from Kay D.
5/22/2011
The best part about this place is the service...with a smile! Definitely an old-fashioned diner type of place, Benjie's has that warm, old timey feeling down pat.
However, I was less than impressed with the food. I ordered their vanilla phosphate (basically an Italian soda), which came with no ice and wasn't very good (and normally I like this type of thing). I also had the egg salad sandwich on recommendation from the waitress, and it was terribly bland. I paired this with some clam chowder, which was decent. My husband went for their renowned pastrami sandwich, and this was pretty good, but I wasn't thrilled.
I felt bad for not liking it, especially since the waitress seemed so happy and hopeful that we were enjoying everything.
:-( -
Review from Stevenenen N.
Orange County, CA
4/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
3.5 Stars
I've been here a couple times and have to say that for OC, this place is pretty good. If I never tried Langer's, my rating would be higher here.
I like their bamboo bar area. Kind of strange, but it works for me. They have cheap beer on tap and the service has always been good. The lox platter is pretty tasty here. The fish has a nice smoky taste.
I also think that their corn beef and pastrami sandwich is pretty good also. It is not true deli quality meat. More in the lines of good market quality meat like Boars Head.
I will continue coming back here. It is freeway close and a good find in OC.Listed in: Breakfast and Brunch, Looking for a Sammich?!
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Review from Nicole M.
Murrieta, CA
3/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic meatloaf and potatoes. Delicious navy bean soup.
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Review from Anna T.
Honolulu, HI
8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
My mom and I just wanna have a simple, light breakfast that morning so I yelped it to find out this place near where we stay in Santa Ana.
We ordered the most popular dish, Corn Beef Sandwich, which is very good and it's HUGE! So I have to split with my mom.
The restaurant is a New-York style deli and looks like has been there for over decades. So does the waiters and other customers (older folks). I feel like I walked into a movie or something. hahaha!
The service is incredible good. All the waitresses are so friendly and nice. They help each others customers too which you don't see much in the nowadays. -
Review from Mary R.
Although Laura S. and Al S. had a bit of a Jew-off when it came to their differing opinions about Benjie's, I confess I don't know much about pastrami. All I know is that it's tasty reddish meat. And I know "the Hat" is fast food pastrami while Benjie's pastrami is the "real stuff". And both pair really well with beer!
We sat in the bar area, of course, because Dan was with us, and it sort of had a tiki vibe....or maybe I just think that because there's bamboo type stuff everywhere. Still, you don't really think about deli and bamboo as going together.
They served pickles which I liked as they weren't overly tangy. My sandwich was soooooooo good. Piled high moist pastrami with swiss cheese and dribbled with hot mustard. Delish. -
Review from Robert P.
1/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
We met our friends Laura, Nino and Dan here, with a cameo by Al, for lunch the other week. I was really looking forward to trying this place out.
I enjoyed that from any angle you could see one of the various tvs in the bar area. Very comfortable little place. I also liked the free pickled cucumbers which reminded me of my father-in-law's pickles.
For my lunch I ordered the hot pastrami on rye with the potato salad side. My sandwich was the best pastrami I've ever had at a sit-down establishment. The meat was succulent but not greasy. It was full of flavor and was very fresh. They definitly did not skimp on the portion, the sandwich was about 4" high!
For a person with a concave mouth like me who tends to make a mess of big sandwiches, I was surprisingly able to eat it with ease (with a fork and knife...).
The potato salad wasn't overwhelmed with mayo and had the right amount of dill. Very nice.
The only thing I didn't like was that my beer took about 20 minutes since they were changing barrels, but oh well what can you do?
Great sandwhich, I'd love to come back. -
Review from Tamara J.
12/16/2010
Disclaimer: I had the great-great-grandmother of all hangovers. Haven't been that sick since high school. Needed an IV, but had to settle for next best- greasy eggs and a bloody mary. A rally was imperative as the Yelp bash was only hours away.
I had never set foot in Benjie's before this moment. It smells like toast and old people. Probably because it serves a lot of both.
Service in the bar was pretty quick and efficient. Fast enough to not give me time to curl into the fetal position and weep softly. Solid bloody mary.
I had a plain old cheese omelet. Are you sitting down? Sit down. I have never before and will never again type these words: That was WAY too much frikkin cheese! Holy bloody mary. Again, not in the best position to judge, but I'm just sayin'.
Hubby had the omelet with all the deli meat in it- pastrami, corned beef, salami. Being in a non-hungover position to better judge, he proclaimed it "meh". Actually, he said it sounded good on paper, but didn't translate well in reality.
Our friend the Falcon had plain old bacon and eggs and declared it sufficiently effective hangover food, her being a moderate and all.
Back to the toast. The toast rocks. It's a silly thing, but having my toast buttered all the way to the edges gives me a tiny little thrill. And they use a LOT of butter. Which, unlike cheese, you can never have too much of.
They proclaim themselves a prime gameday destination. Probably true, since the occasional table has a bookie sitting there.
Usually a remarkable number of old people means good deals. I think $11 omelets are not a good deal. -
Review from Mary ann B.
Lakewood, CA
5/16/2011
CRAZY GOOD PASTRAMI!
It's ridiculously delicious! My bread could barely hold all the pastrami in place. It just kept falling out with each bite I took. This place is somewhat pricey, but I think that's the case because they hook you up with generous portions of meat. The sandwiches are about $11-$14 with 1 side. These sandwiches are more than enough to split with someone. The pickles they give you when you first sit down are awesome. They definitely compliment the sandwiches well. I'm a big fan of The Hat's pastrami (in Brea), but Benjies Deli is bigger and better.
Be aware that this place is like a 55+community hangout. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, however just be aware there are lots of senior citizens that dine here. It was fun to have a quality deli sandwich while listening to the elderly complain to their waitresses.
Oh, and I topped my pastrami with Grey Poupon mustard. Dang, it was so goooooooooooooooood! I can't wait to go back. -
Review from Al S.
11/1/2010
My credentials...? I grew up on lox, bagels and cream cheese, and great deli... and... I'm a certified overeater, (my opthamologist and my internist concur that my eyes really are bigger than my stomach). And I know enough "international law" to realize that mixing deli-meat and whitebread is one notch below a capital crime anywhere in the civilized world. So with that out of the way, I'll gladly share my lunch experience last week.
My mainstay "test sandwich" is of the following construction, and must contain corned beef. Corned beef, solo, was what I ordered this time. But only because I wanted to more easily identify and taste what quality of meat they were serving. I sometimes add pastrami, and even tongue as a 3rd meat. It's always on Jewish rye, not toasted, with melted Swiss, cole-slaw and Russian dressing added heavy in the kitchen. I add my mustards at the table..... squirting into the exposed edges where I'm about to bite. This time, as almost always for my included side, I opted for cole slaw. (OK..... I know... the sandwich had cole slaw, but I like cole slaw... plus... I'm on a diet, alright?)
The meat was more supermarket-quality than deli quality! It wasn't bad, but about what I'd expect if I went to my local Ralphs and bought the corned beef thin-sliced, (how else can you slice deli meat???), from the deli department. It didn't exhibit that "deli pickling flavor." And most important, it wasn't served "moist hot", telling you it just came from the steam table. It's that hot, steamy, pickling aroma that tells me "...THIS is deli." I didn't get that. So after a few bites, what I did have was "Boar's Head" written all over my taste buds!
The meal overall? Swap out the "made from artificial crab meat corned beef" for the real thing from Katz' Deli in NY, and maybe we're talking deli ova' here? But as it was, it was very pedestrian.
So while I can't speak to any other section of the menu, I have to ask Benjie's if they had an off day, did an off cut, or just aren't interested... because it just wasn't very NYJ Deli-ish? My two stars isn't a "dis", but honestly a statement of "I've had better hot corned beef sandwiches."
Service was good, ambiance qualifies as deli; no problems there. But I can't get past the low-end meat. I'm going to have to figure out how to end up in Northridge for lunch, just so I can get back to Brent's! -
Review from Don J.
CORONA DL MAR, CA
12/26/2011
Went for lunch and had the corned beaf. It was lean and delicious. The soup was also
great. Place is a little run-down, however, the food is excellent. Would def. recommend. -
Review from traci l.
12/23/2010
I used to live down the street from Benjie's and never checked it out.
I went with some coworkers the other day to get some matzo ball soup and a sandwich.
If you ever feel old, come to this place and you will feel young. Unless you are already an old geezer, then you will just feel like you fit right it.
The hostess was super nice, seated us quickly and got our drink orders. For my meal, I went with the soup and half sandwich combo. I got the matzo ball soup and a reuben. The plate also came with a side of fries. This combo costs about $11.
Since it had been raining for the past week, the matzo ball soup was a nice thing to have. My reuben was meaty, loaded with sauerkraut and the rye bread was nicely toasted. The fries seemed like the ore-ida fries you find in the grocery store.
Overall, the food was good but the service was a little slow. Our waitress disappeared when we needed to get the check. -
Review from Andrew B.
3/25/2011
Maybe I'm overrating this because I don't know what "true Jewish deli" should be but to me, this is fricken awesome!
So I ordered a triple decker corned beef and pastrami sandwich and I was full for at least a week. The meat is so flavorful and combined with the herby flavor of the rye bread, it's this giant explosion of deli flavor dancing on your tonsils. Plus, they serve PICKLES! How awesome is that?
So since I don't have access to New York and I'm not a huge fan of making the trek to LA, this is my spot. Plus it's nice being the youngest guy in a restaurant every time I go in.
Cheers! -
Review from Matt T.
Pasadena, CA
1/19/2011
OK......so today my girlfriend and I drove from Pasadena to Santa Ana just to try Benjies. I WILL NEVER RETURN TO THAT PLACE AGAIN!!!!
I wanted really bad to experience this place after the reviews here and on the OC register site.
What I experienced was the worst service I have ever had in my entire life!
After waiting 15 minutes for a table, then 10 minutes for our drink order to be taken. When we did get our drinks the hostess just kinda threw the drinks down on the table....almost spilling them and just walked off. The last straw for us was watching our waitress help 3 tables that were seated after us without even saying hello to us.
That's 25 minutes just to get a table, 2 coke's, no food order taken or even a " hello , I will be right with you". We had enough and walked out stopping to tell another waitress why, she sounded like she could careless.
This place takes the cake for poor service, before today my worst experience was at Chris and Pitts in Anaheim.......and they are now closed down. There poor service is probably the real reason they couldn't afford to renew the lease.
We hoped to find a place that is easier to get to then Langer's in Downtown L.A........I guess there really is no substitute. -
Review from Karen C.
Mountain View, CA
5/7/2011
Great fan of good deli grub! This is really the only good jewish deli in OC (Jerry's doesn't qualify since it's a chain). Visit this place!
The bar has satellite for all the sports on multiple TVs. The staff are all experienced and make you feel at home. Highly recommend the soups and you can't go wrong with an early bird full dinner. The bread pudding is also a nice surprise. -
Review from Maggie N.
Aliso Viejo, CA
11/4/2010
When you walk in you notice immediately that the restaurant itself has not changed with time. It's a nice change of pace from the overly-commercialized and impersonal chains that are everywhere. The waitress comes over, most likely she has been here since day one. Think the quintessential picture of grandma, if she worked in a diner. She notices that she hasn't seen me before, and tells me all about the menu. I go with her recommendation of the Reuben. The pickles she brought to the table, a little odd I thought, were probably from a jar, but when in Rome...
The sandwich came out, I'm pretty sure it was as big as my head. Far too big to even consider taking down alone. I went in for the first bite, hmmm, all meat. Next bite, let's try another angle, whoo hoo! got some bread. This is going to take some serious dedication. 20 minutes later, I think I might have eaten 1/1,000th of this thing. Now it's just sitting on my plate, staring back at me. Yes, it won. In all honesty, the meat was good, not great. It don't believe they make it there even, but they sure pile it on high. -
Review from D T.
Orange County, CA
1/15/2012
My family members have been loyal customers since it opened. I still love the matzo ball soup, but the service stinks. It's not like the back-in-the-day service. Personality plus waitresses like Dede don't much care if you're a first time customer or a lifetime customer. Customer service needs to be improved.
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Review from Farah W.
Sherman Oaks, CA
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came with the family to break the fast for Yom Kippur. I'm not to sure how I feel about this place. I had the special (roasted chicken, veggies, potato kugel and challa. Nothing rocked my world. Matzo Ball soup tasted like Campbell's soup with an OK Matzo Ball in it and the Carrot cake was frozen and bought from a different bakery(still think it was Costco). I will try one more time. I'm leaving full but not satisfied:(
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Review from Dustin D.
Mission Viejo, CA
11/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
They are pretty consistant, easy in and easy out. No lines and good food!
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Review from Jay D.
Irvine, CA
8/22/2010
Fail.
* Bad service.
* Cold soup.
* Bad service.
* Overpriced.
* Bad service.
* Bogus pickles.
* Bad service.
* Cheap owner. -
Review from Aimee G.
In the Chinese culture, long noodles mean long life. In the Greek culture, Windex cures all. We Jews have a similar theory about maintaining good health:
Matzo Ball Soup.
Matzo Ball Soup is what we call *Jewish Penicillin.* It doesn't matter what your aches and pains are because it's nothin' a little soup can't cure.
My 90 year old grandparents (married 68 years) used to own Jewish delis in NYC and LA and they both live on Matzo Ball Soup. See, I told you that stuff is the fountain of youth! So not only are they Jewish (which already makes them opinionated to begin with), but they are certified deli aficionados. This means they can be a major pain in the tuchus when it comes to how they like their pastrami and rye. That said, they both really like Benjie's and beg me to bring it to them whenever I visit. Perhaps it's because Benjie's is the closest thing we can get to a real deli in OC (other than Katella Deli, of course, but that's practically in LA anyways).
My grandparents raised me on good soup and deli foods, so you could easily say I'm picky as well. Overall, Benjie's food is good, not great. The Matzo Ball Soup is very tasty but the broth is a little too salty. The Matzo Balls are big and fluffy, just how I like 'em. The potato salad is a tad too sweet and the latkes are decent. The sandwiches, however, are always excellent. I love the turkey pastrami, corned beef, beef brisket, and chicken salad. The bread is very good, too, especially the rye. You do know that it's not really a deli sandwich unless it's on rye bread, right? Whew. Oh, good.
Other than the sandwiches, what I really love is their lox and bagels platter and their Challah bread. However, if you want to order a loaf, you better order well ahead of Shabbos. I've even tried buying Challah on a Friday morning and it just didn't happen. The Black and White cookies (when they have them) are also very good.
The restaurant itself is dated and reminds me of Juniors in LA, just with far less bakery items. The service is, well, exactly what you might expect. The place is always filled with regulars and half of them have probably been eating at Benjie's since it opened 40 years ago. And, you know what? In another 40 years, you'll probabely still see me eating here, too.
L'Chaim!Listed in: It's All About Me...
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Review from Mel D.
1/2/2011
Only a review on breakfast.
This place is a little hole in the wall jewish deli/diner. The breakfast is to die for. The best corned beef hash I've ever had! If you are a fan or know of someone who loves corned beef hash, try it out and you'll be addicted. I've been going for over 10 years. -
Review from Nicole N.
12/28/2010
My mom and her fiance love this place. And I, well I quite enjoy it also. Huge sandwiches. Huge Matzo Balls. A deli counter. 3 mustard choices. Ah, Benjies, you can tickle any fancy I have on a Sunday afternoon.
I order a 1/2 sandwich and soup with curly fries (generally a Corned Beef sandwich, Reuben sandwich, or Egg Salad, with Matzo Ball soup). The Matzo Balls are large, although I find the chicken a little on the dry side. For the amount of food you get the $12 price tag isn't too farfetched.
They have a great Lox and whitefish platter for 2, if you're into smoked fish for breakfast/brunch.
If you're a coffee drinker, the servers here keep it flowing; a coffee pot comes by your table not more that every 5 minutes to check your level even on a busy day!
They serve you as many housemade pickles as you want. AS MANY. I LOVE PICKLES. -
Review from Melissa O.
Grapevine, TX
3/21/2010 ROTD 2/13/2011
I couldn't wait to try Benjie's food at the Kosher UYE. I've passed it half a dozen times at least and kept meaning to stop by. And after reading Laura's review of the lox plate, I knew that was what I had to have.
The plate came with two bagels (I chose one onion, one plain), cream cheese (I asked for a second container), a dozen pieces of lox, potato salad, coleslaw, tomatoes and red onion. Beautiful. The bagels were perfect, but then, if they hadn't been, I would have given up on this Jewish place right then and there. I haven't had lox in probably a decade, and I don't think it was the best ever ever, but it was pretty darn good. The cream cheese was sooo good. I couldn't stop slathering it on and I had way too much for one person. Potato salad and coleslaw were meh, but I'm super picky about these two things, so take that for what its worth.
I also got to try the pastrami and tongue sandwiches. The pastrami was delicious; the tongue was okay. Oddly enough, I found it kind of bland. But the bread was wonderful. I think rye bread can be so hit and miss but theirs is fabulous.
Service was a very pleasant surprise, based on some of the past reviews. They did a great job of separate checks, bringing the food in a timely fashion, checking on drinks, etc. And they were friendly to boot. Truly deserving of a solid tip.
I will definitely come back. Thanks for having the event here, Laura! -
Review from Robin W.
1/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Say what you will about Benjie's -- it is far from hip, the decor is outdated, the median age of diners is 75 - it is a throwback to the New York Jewish food and culture I grew up with so Benjie's holds a lot of nostalgia for me.
It is not the best thing you will ever put in your mouth -- but it is comforting and there are many choices. I always have to get matzoh ball soup and a knish. The menu is huge -- you can eat here for a year and never repeat a meal!
Sliced pickles on the table is a nice touch -- garlic pickles are hard to find around these parts! Recommended if you like old-school delis or want a departure from the typical Orange County chain restaurant.
Recent downer - I called to see if they had Hamentashen - a traditional cookie cookie served suring Purim - and the person who answered the phone has no idea what it was. Thought I asked for hummus. sigh.
