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benjy's
Categories: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Nightlife Bars Lounges Restaurants Canadian (New) Breakfast & Brunch, Lounges, Canadian (New) [Edit]
2424 Dunstan RdSte 125
Houston, TX 77005
Neighbourhood: West University
(713) 522-7602
- Hours:
Mon, Sun 11 am - 9 pm
Tue-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
258 reviews for benjy's
Review Highlights
-
"This place is one of favorites for happy hour." In 66 reviews -
"I recommend the blood orange Margarita nonetheless." In 14 reviews -
"We treated ourselves to the Mom's Chocolate Cake." In 13 reviews
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258 reviews in English
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Review from Joseph S.
4/28/2012
Continues to deliver!
We had Easter brunch. Tremendous value - 3 courses from a not-too-limited menu. $35/head.
All were outstanding.
In spite of the very busy and full day, service was very good.
You will not be disappointed. -
Review from Fred L.
Newton, NH
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is simply great. All their dishes are unique and very flavorful. I have had the udon noodles and skirt steak twice. In addition the teasers they bring to the table to start (3 of them) are very good. The popcorn has some kick.
Only negative is that the menus are stamped each day and it has been 2 months and the menu was identical. I would expect a daily stamped menu to be altered on a more consistent basis. -
Review from Matthew C.
Houston, TX
5/13/2012
"Wait, what? I can't hear you. Could you turn the music down so I can actually carry a conversation?" This is the exact interior monologue I was having (or would have had had the loud music not interrupted it) the last time I was at Benjy's for happy hour. The only thing I vividly remember from that particular experience was just how loud the must was upstairs at the bar. I was there with two other people and we could barely hear what the others were saying without shouting. The dining room downstairs has a very different atmosphere: definitely much more quiet. You can't have happy hour down there, but the outside patio on the second floor is quiet enough that I think you would get the best of both worlds there (i.e., the happy hour deals and atmosphere without the loud music).
The drinks were good, as expected (though the Citrus Blossom was VERY sweet). The Bombshell Blonde Ale is also alright, though nothing spectacular.
For appetizers, the Pistachio Crusted Warm Goat Cheese Cake is absolutely amazing. From the outside, it looks like a small crab cake, but it has a smooth consistency inside that goes well with the crunch of the pistachios. The pizzas are also all really good. The Margherita has lots of pesto, but I would have preferred a little more raw basil on it. My favorite by far though is the BBQ pizza with barbecued beef and a fried egg that really makes the dish. This pizza comes with jalapenos, but they're on the side (and raw) so you can leave them off if you want. I also recommend the smoked salmon sashimi which is served with a good deal of mango and avocado.
For dinner, the Ricotta Gnocchi is nicely done, but the portion is VERY small. (I think there's a 2:1 ratio of spring veggies to gnocchi). Last time I was there, I also got the mascarpone cheesecake. The cheesecake itself isn't made with mascarpone. Instead, the mascarpone is warmed slightly and placed on the plate with the cheesecake on top of it. Since it's gluten free, there's no crust, which I actually preferred since the flavor of the cheesecake and mascarpone stood out more. But still, the cheesecake was a little overpowering and sadly, you couldn't really taste the mascarpone on the plate.
I will give Benjy's extra points for service. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and was able to get my friend a chicken shawarma wrap at dinner (since he insisted on having it) even though it wasn't on the menu. -
Review from Eunice T.
5/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Girls love brunch. It is evident here from the parties of girls eating brunch in their cute Sunday's best attire.
Why do girls love brunch? BC of something called mimosas. Benjy's serves two kinds: blood orange & peach. If you're gonna start off your Sunday hardcore, I'd say do a carafe of each to share with the table. If you can only have one, I suggest the blood orange. The sad part about their Sunday brunch is that they don't have unlimited mimosas.
Oh, & the food was good, albeit pricey. The nut-crusted French Toast was the table's fave. -
Review from Anna M.
Houston, TX
5/21/2012
I loved Benjy's the first few times I went, but now after several recent visits I'm sensing a bad and disappointing theme. The first time was for brunch; I had the crabcake sandwich - yuck! It was absolutely drowned in holllandaise, the crabcakes were soggy and it was served on something resembling brioche. Everything was soft, without texture and extremely buttery. I ate about a third of it.
And then recently I went for dinner with a friend. The service was great, but almost too intrusive - every five minutes a different server would approach us and check if everything was ok. We ordered two appetizers and two entrees. One app and one entree came out first, with the busser then returning to our table with a pad and paper to figure out what we ordered. Seriously? It's four dishes, ordered in the correct places - no appetizers for main course or anything serious. And then the moment we lowered our forks on the appetizers they dumped the entrees on the table. Amateurish and not what I expect for a place that is not cheap.
The Apps were fine, nothing spectacular. We got the gnocchi and the tofu for entrees. The tofu was like generic General Tso's chicken, nothing special and very overpriced. The gnocchi was dreadful, almost inedible. It's supposed to be in 'lemon creme fraiche'. No, it was in vinegar mixed with butter. Again, everything was soft, too rich and too buttery. Add in the peas that tasted like they'd fermented before being cooked, and the vile vinegar flavor on everything, and the whole thing was revolting.
So, I thought sorbets for dessert might be a good palate cleanser. The flavors were apple/wasabi and mango/peppercorn. I thought 'interesting' but both were revolting - there was no hint of apple, only pure wasabi, and the mango was flavorless and unappealing.
The espresso was good though. Honestly, I don't know what went wrong with Benjy's. Fusion food failed in the 90's for a reason. Perhaps it's time for a new chef. The service, however, was far better than average. -
Review from Sophia Q.
Houston, TX
4/18/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I've never been here for brunch so this was the first time for me.
I invited my bridesmaids out for a brunch just to have a get together. It was super easy to set up a reservation via yelp. When we arrived, the hostess was very friendly and seated us down right away. Our waitress was always smiling and very courteous and attentive. We ordered the blood orange mimosas...delish. I'll definitely try the white peach mimosa next time. Some of my BM ordered the french toast which they let me take a bite of and it was yum-o! I am trying to be a little bit health conscious until the wedding so I had their egg white omelet which was a good portion and very fresh.
I would definitely come back for the atmosphere and the food. Love this place! -
Review from Aimee L.
4/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Over the years, Benjy's have always been a great experience for me. From happy hour to dinner to brunch.
I think Benjy's have definitely become less prententious. Or is me that have become more prententious? Ok don't answer that....
Either way I think that they are always consistent and put out great and delicious dishes.
I think that Benjys happy hour is one of my favorites. Great and cheap cocktails and small bites are always winners to me. The mojito is my favorite of the cocktails and I like to enjoy it with the pizzas that they have.
Dinner and brunch never disappoints especially when they bring out fresh baked muffins and bread.
Definitely worth giving it a try. -
Review from Farrah A.
Long before the "farm to table" food trend, benjy's was paving the way for Houston. And for years now, benjy's has been one of my top picks for dinner and drinks, happy hour, and yes, brunch!
There's something for everything on the menu: pescatarians, vegetarians - you name it. Benjy's offers an enticing menu of fresh New American cuisine with a dash of Asian influences. This chic resto consists of a downstairs dining area and bar; upstairs you'll find a "wine room" to the left which is used for private dinner parties (They don't charge to book this, but I believe there's a $500 minimum); and to the right you'll find the lounge with another bar and a balcony.
My personal faves:
*Pizzas! I'm a thin-crust kind of girl, and benjy's are so thin, crispy and full of fresh ingredients, you'll *not* want to share this with friends. The mushroom, pine nuts and truffle oil is my absolute favorite.
*Calamari
*Crunchy Chicken: It's a giant, succulent pistachio-crusted chicken breast over a bed of potatoes au gratin and seasonal veggies. This entree is huge and I rec sharing with a friend. That, or you'll be excited to have leftovers for the next day.
*Crabcake sandwich (brunch)
Goat cheese grits
House made fresh-fruit popsicles
*And the muffin basket that's complimentary during brunch with apple butter. Oh lawd. I always fill up on these muffins and end up being too full for my main course. This last time, I think I actually ate myself sick over four muffins and half the jar of apple butter.
Happy hour is DAILY, 4-7pm with a great menu of $5 wines, beers, top shelf spirits, $5 pizzas and other apps. I especially prefer this location during happy hour; the crowd in the upstairs lounge is a bit older and less "scene-ey" compared to benjy's Washington. And do try their signature Blood Orange Margarita. The wine list is also affordable, so no need to skip out on rent just to buy a bottle of red.
Service is always top notch. All of the servers are well acquainted with the menu, the hostesses always greet you with a smile and the few times that I've walked in without a rezzie, are eager to scramble around and find me a table; and the bartenders know how to mix up some creative cocktails - and fast. -
Review from Brett H.
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a funky place. The menu is different and I like it. I had the crab cake sandwhiches and they were delicious. A must go to.
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Review from Victoria M.
Houston, TX
3/22/2012 5 photos
Birthday brunch in the Village! I've always enjoyed going to Benjy's and the place is still packed for brunch every weekend. The menu changes seasonally and there is always something new and delicious.
Snapper ceviche (daily special) - fresh and bright, good balance of acidity, nice crunch with chips
ACHIOTE GRILLED SHRIMP pork belly + Texas heirloom grits + poached eggs + tomatillo salsa - fresh shrimp, soft pork belly, creamy goat cheese grits, runny egg, fresh salsa, sprinkled with pepitas, all on top of a bed of sauteed spinach
CRUNCHY CHICKEN AND WAFFLES nut crusted chicken + cornmeal waffle with blueberry compote + Steen's cane syrup + house cured bacon - nutty crust, super juicy chicken, crunchy soft waffle, thick cut salty bacon
CRABCAKE SANDWICH bacon + spinach + poached eggs + smoked paprika hollandaise - fresh crab, nice crust, soft eggs
benjy's BREAKFAST PLATE crunchy French toast + chicken sausage + scrambled eggs - a classic! Great French toast that isn't sickeningly sweet, paired with not-your-everyday-breakfast sausage, and "the best scrambled eggs" my friend had ever tasted.
As usual the portions were enormous and a great value for great food. Atmoshpere is welcoming and family friendly. Orange and grapefruit juices are fresh squeezed. Didn't have any this time, but they have great mimosas (white peach!) and bloody marys. -
Review from Lindsey C.
Houston, TX
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Happy hour specials are great. They only serve happy hour up in their bar area. The food was good. I got the mojiot. I like mine to be a little bit sweeter, but it was still good. The pistachio goat cheese cakes were so good and they came out very fast. We also got the margarita pizza. It was on a very flat bread, almost like a cracker. It was very good. We will go back :)
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Review from Mary Frances G.
Saint Louis, MO
5/17/2012
Have had dinner twice and both times the food and service was excellent! Mary Ellen made dining out alone such a fun experience! She was so knowledgeable about the wine list and menu and was able to make recommendations that were spot on. Everything I have had has been fantastic. The atmosphere was fun and energetic... definitely a find!
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Review from John B.
Houston, TX
3/21/2012
They handled our 14-top pretty well. We were originally 10 with a long-standing reservation for 8:00 PM Saturday eve (St Patrick's Day and my wife's birthday). On Thursday, I changed it to 14 and they were forced to move us to 8:30 PM. Not a huge deal.
We dropped off a birthday cake for my wife on Saturday afternoon and it was handled flawlessly (after we reminded them that it was in their walk-in).
The only negative experience we had was not really Benjy's fault. There was a large party still at our table at 8:30. They had been there since 5:00 and had been tabbed out for a while too. I suppose Benjy's could have been more...convincing.
Service was excellent, beer selection was good, food was great. -
Review from Kari M.
2/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Holy deliciousness.
A friend of mine brought me here for my Birthday lunch. I couldn't believe the detail to all of the items on the menu. Everything was like the chef's just spent a lot of time really thinking about what would be the best together.
I started off with a cocktail, the Citrus Blossom. It was honestly one of the best cocktails I've had in a long time. Grapefruit, vodka, and other delicious things with a sugar rim. I had two of them and they weren't too strong but definitely not weak either.
The Shrimp Cobb salad is one of the most decadent and tasty salads ever. The ingredients were like they were meant to be together. The shrimp was perfectly executed, the lump crab meat was tender and flavorful. I loved the dressing it came with.
At the end we split a piece of the cheesecake. It was my favorite thing on the menu. They had a really delicate peanut brittle served on the side of it that was great. The cake itself wasn't too rich or heavy. It was very light, almost like a creme brulee.
Our server was very attentive, making sure we had our drinks full at all times. The manager even came by and made sure we were doing well.
I love the decor in here, it's beautiful and elegant without being too fancy. I am definitely a fan of Benjy's. -
Review from Sherry C.
2/1/2012
Benjy's is my favorite all around restaurant in Houston.
HAPPY HOUR: blood orange margaritas $6, try it...you will love it! Goat cheese cakes $6...they come out warm and with flat crackers...I hate sharing them.
DINNER: seared ahi tuna & crunchy chicken are my all time favorites both come out cooked to perfection
BRUNCH: crunchy french toast & chicken and waffles...buy them both and don't share. You will be fat but you will be HAPPY.
Service never fails to be the best & all the waitstaff know their stuff. They recently updated the decor at this original location & they did a great job of keeping it chic & classy. I prefer this Benjy's over the Washington location because it is cozier & the drinks taste way better. -
Review from Sandy T.
Houston, TX
4/23/2012
Benjy's is the place for good food and drinks any day of the week. I am especially fond of their Happy hour which offers an assortment of cocktails, beer, and wine along with a decent sized food menu list (you can't go wrong with the pizza). The service is wonderful, even during Happy Hour which I have found to always be busy.
I definitely recommend this place!
& yes brunch is amazing but the portions are a little big (blood orange mimosas are fabulous) -
Review from Triphena S.
Houston, TX
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice atmosphere with great food. Had a wonderful experience!
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Review from Christian H.
St. Petersburg, FL
2/9/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
All I have to say is AMAZING! talk about breaking boundaries with flavors. Every entree that our table got had a lot of flavors that worked well with the dish. We were there for brunch on sunday and had a wonderful time with ONE exception... The service. Showed up at 1pm and was told there was a wait. No problem. Walked right by 2 empty tables (one that ended up being our table 20 minutes later) towards the bar. Waited five minutes for the bartender to say, "what do you want?". okay..... Then after we were sat our waiters attitude was that of him possibly being hungover and not wanting to be there. Then don't. In an industry where personality pays the bills, you think you would want to be a little more friendly to the ones giving you money.
P.S. the muffins are delicious! -
Review from karen c.
Houston, TX
2/13/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Food is average. I don't know if I just pick better food to order at the Washington location, but I just never have a good experience here.
Service sucks. Especially when the staff keep bumping into your chair or you and don't even bother to apologize. -
Review from Danny L.
Note to self, don't come here wearing just a T-shirt. I was one of the first customers in the restaurant and as people started pouring in I noticed that everyone wore at least a dress shirt or polo. Did I stand out or what!
Benjy's was an interesting experience for me. I did not expect to see such a unique menu selection like Calamari Taco with roasted rice and peppers. To say the least, the food was good and it was something I haven't had before. It's well worth the experience.
I also had a chance to try the chocolate cake with ice cream. If you are a chocoholic, then this is a must have. Taking the first bite of that thing will really take you away.
Be sure to make reservations on busy hours as it may become full. -
Review from Dea A.
1/18/2012 Seated via OpenTable 3 Check-ins Here
I come here for two reasons:
1. Happy hour - $5 mojitos made right = VERY happy hour
2. Brunch
Chicken and waffles. Their chicken is always perfectly cooked -- super juicy on the inside, perfectly crunchy on the outside. For someone who is just not a fan of chicken, they just MADE me a fan. And their blueberry compote on top of it all is just amazing. The cornbread waffle is unremarkable, just something to nosh on after the chicken is done... but the bacon. Oh my. The bacon is the most fantastic thing ever. It's like an unexpected bonus on an already HUGE meal.
The blood orange mimosa is a must have eye opener.
Other favorites include the enormous French toast, the American breakfast platter and the crabcakes. Seriously, they can do no wrong.
They always honor your opentable reservation and even have quite a few 1000 point reservations. Though I don't know why I am always put upstairs when I have an opentable reservation for brunch, but I appreciate it since it is a bit quieter.
Happy hour is in high demand, so come early to get your extra happy on. -
Review from Khoi L.
Texas Omelette: 3/5 - The steak omelette w/ mushrooms, roasted peppers, cheddar, & spicy ranchero was just plain. It came w/ a side of sour apples & grapes w/ the choice of another side. I chose the goat cheese grits.
Goat Cheese Grits: 2/5: This was bland as well.
Crunchy Chicken and Waffles: 2/5 - The nut crusted chicken and bacon were decent, but the waffles w/ blueberry weren't good.
Service: 5/5 - The staff was very attentive & friendly.
Ambiance: 4/5
I think this restaurant tries too hard to have an interesting menu, but doesn't deliver. When I look at most menus, I see several items I really want to try, but had a difficult time finding something that I thought would be good. -
Review from s a.
Houston, TX
4/10/2012
birthday dinner last night with the girls.
food = awesome
drinks = amazing (esp bld orange maragarita
dessert = moms choc cake makes me want to be adopted by the mom that made that cake!
service = really wished it was better. just kind of left us out there until we specifically asked for our server to come back. after that much more attentive but seemed like he would rather be anywhere else but there.
definately coming back for happy hour and from the looks of yelp i should be here for brunch too! -
Review from Renia L.
Humble, TX
2/21/2012 4 photos
I visited this restaurant for a girlfriends birthday and must say I like the atmosphere of the Village Benjy's than the Heights. Less noisy and faster service.
I arrived a bit late for this celebration but upon my arrival was informed that their had been an issue with a hair on the table.
This restaurant Manager was on top of it and gave 100% effort to ensure that not only did we leave Benjy's full but happy and that was exactly how we left.
I ordered the Breakfast plate with Waffles, Chicken sausage and potato's and it was AMAZING!! We also ordered the WHITE PEACH and BLOOD ORANGE MIMOSAS they were tasty.
Of course the birthday girl got chocolate cake but I don't eat chocolate so the lovely staff brought out a lemon semifreddo with pistachios and blueberries. OMG I wanted to lick the plate clean it was sooooo goooood!! I should have gotten one to go!
I love this place and wish I didn't live so far from it or I would be here all the time. -
Review from J x.
Houston, TX
4/9/2012
Lunch = 5 stars
Dinner = 3 stars
______________
Average = 4 stars
Lunch review:
We came, underdressed (think t-shirt and jeans while everyone else is in business casual for lunch), and got seated upstairs. At first I thought they were trying to hide us (maybe they were!) but the service was still outstanding. I don't remember our waiter's name, but only my friend ordered a drink, and he still brought me a free limeade which was a-freaking-mazing. There are little appetizers too. Our dishes were delicious, and somehow we also got dessert that we were too full to finish. I would advise that you don't come here if you're in a hurry. I had an eye dr appointment that I was 30 min late to, due to lunch, but no regrets.
Dinner review:
My dinner experience was marred by our waitress, who seemed new and unfamiliar with the menu. She gave us the menu, then left--I think to read over the menu--and then came back and tried to quote the dishes. She didn't have them memorized completely and said some inaccurate things. Yes I am judging you because that is your job--to know the food. They were out of one of the steaks that my friend wanted, so she ended up getting the steak fries, which was still good, but how do you run out of steak =/ Also, we asked for wine recommendations and our waitress just named two on the menu. She did not ask what our wine preferences were, and nor did she explain why she chose those wines. -2 pts.
Bottom line = go for brunch. -
Review from Josh W.
Pasadena, TX
2/5/2012 1 photo
Benjy's has been on my list of places to try for a while. After the first visit I can confidently say I'll be back.
We went to brunch on a Sunday, no reservations made in advance. It wasn't a problem and we were seated at the bar upstairs. The decor is quite nice. I kind of want that wallpaper and light fixture for my own future house. The service was always on point. Our server chatted with us for a bit and kept our mimosa glasses topped off. The little muffins they bring you before the meal arrives are decent. the little biscuits buried in there are where it's at, though. Now for my food: the achiote grilled shrimp and grits with poached eggs. Definitely one of the tastiest things I've had eating out in this city. I wish it was a little warmer and there was some sort of spice/heat added to the dish, but otherwise it was really good.
There's enough variety on the menu to keep me curious and coming back for more. -
Review from Georgia S.
Houston, TX
1/14/2012
Four gals out for brunch - parking sucks at 1pm on Saturday!
Ambience is chic and they have comfortable white leather chairs. Mixed crowd, dressy, mostly 20-30syo.
Good service.
We liked the cornbread & apple butter, yum.
-waffles were too fancy for my friend, she just wanted crunchy and regular
-the french toast was a plus
-I felt disappointed on my shrimp burger with sprouts & avocado - it looked healthy, tasted bland, came with carrot salad and fries - my honey frowned with the leftover I brought home and we threw it away
I prefer their location on Washington - plenty of self parking on off days with valet on busy days. -
Review from Matthew S.
Houston, TX
2/1/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
I love Benjy's. It is without a doubt my favorite brunch location in Houston. It always starts with an assortment of complimentary muffins that are delicious. The drinks are excellent, and the food is creative and extremely well done. My favorite is the Crunchy Chicken...so good. During my most recent visit I had the pork carnitas tostada and that was fantastic as well. Extremely flavorful food.
The service is good. Even when we had an issue with our reservation the last time we were there, they made sure we were well taken care of after the fact to make up for it. The decor is fun and makes for a great environment. I highly recommend this place. -
Review from Tiffany P.
Houston, TX
I've only been to Benjy's once and I already know that this is going to be one of my favorite restaurants. I love the modern atmosphere and everything on their menu looks so good! We had great service and the waiter was very attentive.
Everything that I tried here was delicious. I can't think of one thing to gripe about! Although the food here is a little pricey it's worth it. My favorite thing I tried were the tuna tartare tacos! It was very flavorful and the tuna just melted in my mouth. Great restaurant for dates!Listed in: Date Spots
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Review from Elisia W.
Sugar Land, TX
2/15/2012
This place excites me. Maybe it's the pretty décor that you can't miss or the friendly hostess that greets you right when you walk in. The gal pal and I were promptly seated at a table, and the server appeared minutes later.
I ordered the Asian Salad. It was quite tasty, but the limp lettuce was kind of a turn off. Another turn off was our server. He had a tiny attitude, and clearly he didn't want to be there. His attitude seemed to disappear right around the time to offer us dessert and or the check. No bueno. For dessert we chose to share the chocolate cake with ice-cream. To die for! It was fluffy and warm like it just came out of the oven, a must try.
I would give this place 3.5 stars, if I could. But, ignoring the server and the limp lettuce, just for the pure tastiness of the food, especially the oh so delicious chocolate cake I'll give it 4 stars. -
Review from Ann L.
1/7/2012 1 photo
The sum up: The place has a great ambiance but I would go more to dish about boys while sipping drinks rather than eat a meal here.
Now in detail! I've tried lunch, dinner and happy hour here.
Dinner was good while lunch and happy hour were okay. If you want to come for HH, come early to get a good spot. Otherwise, you might be stuck outside squinting your eyes in the sun.
To be honest, this review is a little late so what I had for dinner has completely slipped my memory and the lunch wasn't memorable enough to write about. For happy hour, I had the:
Crispy Calamari
Homemade Chicken Sausage Pizza (with romesco sauce and caramelized leeks),
Citrus Blossom (Sobieski Vodka, Elderflower liqueur, fresh grapefruit Thyme essence, splash of sod)
The calamari was delicious as was the very girly citrus blossom while the pizza was mediocre. -
Review from Andy R.
Houston, TX
5/5/2012
Good service, excellent, well sourced original food in good surroundings.
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Review from Southernpilot S.
Houston, TX
3/24/2012
Met friends here before a show downtown and we really enjoyed this place. My wife had mentioned that she enjoyed taking clients there for lunch, so I made reservations on their web site. Easy to do, friendly staff met us and made us feel comfortable. Dinner was just great and priced so that I will return.
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Review from Alex V.
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
This benjy's is like Texas A&M and the one on Washington is like The University of Texas at Austin. This location is the little brother that nobody cares about and is always in the shadow of the big brother. I've been to the Benjy's on Washington quite a few times and really liked all the stuff on the menu. I was pretty disappointed when I came to this one and saw that the menu was different for some of the better items. I ended up getting the Udon Noodles with skirt steak which was good, but if i was going to get that, might as well have just gone to Pho Saigon and gotten a real vietnamese bowl.
All in all, its the unwanted Benjy's of the benjy family. Stale atmosphere, subpar menu items (comparatively to the one on Washington), and the white chairs are really stupid. I want to be comfortable when sitting at a table for dinner. I could give two shits about it looking fashionable. -
Review from N D.
Houston, TX
3/20/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Love coming here for brunch, this time we decided to try a dinner with a another couple. We did not make a reservation and it was a Sunday evening. I completely forgot about the Sunday dinner program they do. We were told table wait was going to be about 30min so we went ahead and had some drinks at the bar.
I had the grapefruit cocktail it was quite yummy not to tart or sweet. We started off with the calamari which was good and also the coat cheese cake. The goat cheese was lacking and i think I was the only one who could even care for it.
For dinner I had the scallops they were okay but had a red sauce on them and lots of edamame in the base, they weren't bad but not ideal. Someone else had the chicken and they liked it. I wasn't really paying much attention to it. My date had the steak and macaroni. I tried a bite and the mac was very good it was something I would order again.
Our waiter brought out a flour less chocolate cake for desert and coffee. Great way to end the meal.
I will say i prefer this place for brunch, but would come back again for dinner. -
Review from JoJo P.
Houston, TX
12/31/2011
Having read the reviews for Benjy's, I decided this be a great place for an early New Year's dinner with my friends. I thought i'd make reservations, but since the times available weren't to my liking I decided we'd just show up. With GPS in hand it was easy to find. However, since my party of 7 was on "Mexican time, " we arrived seperately and not at the time agreed upon. Four of us meet up in the parking lot around 8:25P, and once inside realized the place was quite small and full. Looked nice, but also would obviously be quite a wait time.
However, they deserve their 5 star rating and this is why. Not once did we feel unwelcomed or a like a bother to them. We were told we could get a table if the other half of our party arrived within 20mins (another party was finishing their dinner). We were directed to the upstairs lounge area to wait. Really nice area, the waitress was super nice and friendly. The wait was a bit longer, but the hostess guys always stopped by to update us on our table status. Some enjoyed blood orange margaritas while we waited (super awesome!). We were seated around 9:10P and enjoyed a delicious dinner (half the party had the crunchy chicken..yumm).
The food came really fast, the waiter was nice, food was good, decor was fancy but not intimidating, soooo yeah!
Those guy were probably the managers, not hostess guys....but those two were all smiles the entire time! They were super cool with us randoming showing up on a Friday night without reservations. Probably had to figure out what to do with us, but never once expressed it. Kuddos to them!
(Ps. It'd probaly be ok to not make reservations, but if your party is bigger than 4 you might want to pickup a phone! I mean seriously, who just shows up like that... ;} ) -
Review from Hoosier F.
Houston, TX
3/19/2012
Benjy's is fabulous for their 4-7pm happy hour upstairs at the bar or outside on the balcony. The space is energetic and hip and the servers are relaxed and friendly. Prices are very good, especially for the calamari and the generous glasses of wine. The food is exciting and usually very well executed.
Unfortunately these trends do not carry over to dinner service downstairs in the somewhat stuffy dining room. The downstairs bartenders are usually pretentious and condescending. After speaking with the presumptuous manager, I could tell where they get their attitude. In general, I would probably look elsewhere for an intimate dinner because the service is off-putting. I felt like I was causing them an inconvenience by dining there with a group. But for a very good happy hour, even with a group, look to Benjy's upstairs and you won't be disappointed. If only they could improve their service and attitude downstairs during dinner.... -
Review from liz h.
Washington, DC
10/31/2011
Wow, wow, wow.
Went for dinner Saturday night and our food was just superb. We had the endive salad to start, and for dinner, rack of pork for him (a special) and barley risotto for me. Creative combinations with really fantastic flavors, all perfectly executed and beautifully presented -- very, very impressive. Drinks were great too, both the lemongrass tini and blood orange margarita were delicious. Even the (it-would-be-an-insult-to-call-it-a) "bread basket" they bring out to start was unique and delicious: candied peanuts, parmesan cheddar shortbread cookies, and sesame wafers. Yum.
The decor is funky without being kitschy, lending to an atmosphere that is at the same time hip, urban, and unassuming (not easy to do). But really, I would eat this food in a barn. It's just that good. A truly 5-star experience. -
Review from Ashley B.
9/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
BRIDAL BENJY'S
Good for groups! I went for a engagement celebration of 10 girls and we were all happy with the overall experience :)
Some details..
SERVICE --- We got champagne for the table - our server poured us all a glass and set us up with a bottle chiller in the middle of the table. Also, he was nice about the bill splitting, which can always get super annoying for a server when not everyone is on one ticket.
RECOMMEND --- Calamari, Margarita Pizza, and whatever the chocolate cake dessert was that we had.
**IMPORTANT fyi --- as an avid sauce dipper, I feel it's my responsibility to inform all potential customers that they do not carry ranch dressing...just in case this is make or break for you. They had marinara for my calamari, so luckily that saved the day for me.
ATMOSPEHRE --- loved it! Very chic & trendy, def cocktail hour-worthy!Listed in: Houston Eats
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Review from Grace L.
Plano, TX
10/3/2011
Can we just get the constructive criticism out of the way first?
Hostess approached us saying "Yes?" as if people come to this establishment for other purposes than to eat and drink. I hate to harangue people for service but it's even more important when youre the first point of contact for a business.
Anyway, that didnt dampen my brunch experience here because they bribed me with the tray of complimentary mini muffins and scones. Bf and I finished the whole tray, and I'm not going to sit here and pretend to be prim/proper- I had a big part in this undertaking if not majority. Luckily we still had room for the main entrees. I ordered the steak and eggs, which I really dont remember any specific details besides that it was generally delicious because it was overshadowed by the...
Chicken and waffles- UNREAL how good this was. Two big pieces of chicken that was crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside (isnt this all we hope for in fried chicken?), waffles, a good amount of blueberries scattered over the entire entree (read: enough antioxidants to cleanse you from any guilt from devouring the whole thing), and two pieces of thick-cut bacon.
To finish it off, the manager sent over strawberry & basil sorbet and cookies. What I did to receive such good karma, I know not. What I do know is, I will be coming back for more ASAP.
