benjy's in the village

It has more than just superb taste, its simply awesome! more

Horrible Dinning Experience!! My wife and I go out to eat 2 - 3 times a week; we don't have children, I don't cook and it appears she doesn't want to when she's home (Flight Attendant). For her Birthday in February - Benjy was one of her choices, but we ended up at Vic & Anthony, I thought it would be nice to try Benjy anyway so that’s what we did Sunday 8/12/12.\r \r Now I don't blame Benjy for trying to make money - but there're too many tables in that little small dining area. I was too close to the loud and annoying people at the next table; I spent the evening listening to M.D.Anderson “war stories”. The tables are low and our Waitress was tall so it was very difficult to hear her. The two appetizers were horrible, the expensive Pork Chop was cooked right, but I'm still trying to figure out what direction the Chef was going with the Homing and Greens (very tough). I don't mean any harm but this was the worst dinning experience I've had in many, many years!!\r more

I am new to Houston, I am glad I found Benji's, they surprise me every time with different flavor. more

Interesting menu, great drinks and a really friendly staff. Only hassle is the parking, but its the Village so what are you gonna do? more

This bar is definitely a local hotspot. A friend brought me here once and I have been a frequent client ever since. The drinks and the warm atmosphere make you want to stay and stay. more

I made reservations at Benjy's for my friends birthday after reading the reviews left by other diners. I was happy to have made a reservation for a Saturday lunch because at 1pm, there was a half hour wait. I highly recommended reservations, this restaurant does not have any over flow seating other then bar, and the dozen people waiting for tables had to stand outside in the wind and drizzle. This is also a moderately small establishment...very trendy and modern, but small. The parking is very limited, its a small lot shared by other establishments, and required many trips around the parking lot before securing a spot. Our server was severely lacking in the service department. She never told us her name, only refilled our drinks after having to ask...and then remind her, and she cared more about doting on the obviously wealthy middle aged couple sitting next to us, while completely ignoring us. She made no lunch recommendations, did not describe the food to us, and never checked with us after it was delivered to make sure that we were happy with our selections. We had to ask for a desert menu after she dropped the check on the table, and then we had to ask for the check after our deserts were finished. I can deal with bad service, but when I am paying $70 for lunch in what is supposed to be a higher end boutique restaurant, I expect better service then what I got. The food, was good, it was not great. We had calamari for an appetizer. It was light, the batter was not heavy or greasy, the sauce was a great compliment to it, and for once, it was not a plate of whole fried squid. They served complimentary muffins that were fantastic. I had the crusted chicken which from the reviews I was expecting to be heaven in my mouth. It was good...it was by no means the delicious plate of food that I was expecting. The chicken was very moist, the nut crust that was on it, was extremely thick though. It was served on a small glop of overly sauteed spinach, which was served on top of a white potato, sweet potato and onion gratin. The corn reduction that was supposed to be on the plate was almost non existent, and was served with extremely aldente broccoli on top of it. I was not dissatisfied with my meal, but my expectations for it were not met....it was good, but was not great. The desert however is another story. I am a huge creme brulee freak. I make it at home and order on every menu its offered on. They had some of the best that I have had. It was thick and creamy..with not a hint of an egg taste, and the sugar shell was thick and perfectly candied served with dried and fresh raspberries on top. I would have had a cocktail if I were not pregnant, the blood orange margarita was highly recommend to me by a friend. Most of the diners were drinking mixed drinks...mostly mimosas, which all looked fantastic. And by the way...upon making the reservation, I noted that it was a birthday celebration. The couple at the table next to us were presented with a cake and candles to blow out...my friend however, was not even acknowledged. If we had much much better service then the 6 foot tall red head amazonian server that ignored and neglected us, my experience would have been more positive. I do plan on returning and giving Benjy's a second chance, the food that I saw on the other diners tables looked too good not to go back for. I hope that my experience is not shared by others, and if you do happen to get sat in said servers section...I would highly suggest that you move tables. more

always courteous servers, staff and ambiance! more

I'll only talk about the lounge upstairs, since I don't bother eating at the restaurant any longer (too pretentious and not that good). I liked the lounge uptairs in the past and decided to try it again, but uh oh. Immediately upon entering the noise level was deafening and the place was packed with talky black girls eating the cheap happy hour food. We couldn't even have a conversation with the racket. Left quickly. Not the place for us any longer. more

The food at Benji's is excellent and the menu is always creative. I have to say though that I was pretty disspointed with the service and decor. They need to update the tired surroundings and the service needs to improve. The food is virtually the same as the other location but the other location excels in all areas. more

I'm not a real big steak eater. I love beef and steak, but I just don't eat it that often. So, when my dad said he wanted to out to eat steak I really had no idea where to take him. I know I didn't want the usual chain steakhouse. So of course I googled restaurant's that offer steak's and came across Benjy's. The menu looked like it some interesting selections so I took my dad there. I was not disappointed. The food was excellent. I ordered the Crusted Chicken which was a very tender chicken breast crusted with pecans and pistachios served on top of thick slices of potatoes, carrots, some spinach and a couple of spears of asparagus. The chicken was really awesome. Loved the taste of the chicken and the nuts which was proportionate. There wasn't took much chicken in each bite nor was the crust overpowering. Also on the plate was a green sauce that I loved. I asked about it and the waiter told me that it is a Corn Reduction sauce. It was creamy with a little bit of twang to it. I'd go back just to have more of that. My dad had the Red Wine Braised Boneless Beef Shortrib which was served on top of mashed potatoes and green beans. The beef was very tender and pretty much just fell apart. Very tasty. The green beans were a little bit tough though. The portions on both plates were very good. I could have made two meals out of mine but it was so good I couldn't stop eating. Apart from the food the restaurant was very clean and designed appealingly. Sort of an upscale/loft afterwork feel to it. The staff was exceedingly friendly, polite, and very willingly to help in any way. Lots of smiles. The only really bad thing I could find about Benjy's was the parking. When I first started looking for a place to park I thought a lot of people were taking up two space to keep someone from parking to close. I realized though that the parking spaces were extremely small. If I had been in a bigger car than the the little Honda I was in I would have taken up two spaces too. As it was I had to let my dad get out first before I pulled in and squeezed out of the door myself. I think maybe only a motorcycle would fit comfortably there. Pros: Food, service Cons: parking more

Benjy's is like a mini getaway from the bustle of Rice Village. Located a few blocks away from Village Arcade, Benjy's is one of my go-to spots for a drink or a bite to eat after a day of shopping. Funny how I always find my way there between 4pm and 7pm. Maybe it's not all a coincidence, that is afterall when happy hour is going on. I can go upstairs and lounge while sipping a blood orange margarita (which are the bomb) and choose something to munch on from the happy hour menu. It's hard to order something different but when I'm not, I order the mushroom pizza. The mushroom pizza is a personal size thin crust pizza with a garlicky sauce. It's so addicting that I sometimes order another. Select foods and cocktails are $5 everyday from 4pm-7pm. When I'm not there for happy hour, I'm there for dinner. I usually dine on Sundays when the family menu is served after 5 p.m. A three course meal for less than $25. The menu changes often and always offer something fresh and tasty. Pros: Great happy hour, cool decor, great tasting food more

The dishes seem very hit or miss, but the majority of what I've had has been delicious. Only bad thing is the fact that on busy nights you have to find a spot on the street somewhere, which can be tricky. :-/ Pros: Great food, good service Cons: Parking is inconvenient more

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Went on a Tuesday night with a business colleague. I've eaten here about 5 times in the last 15 years but this review is based on my most recent experience. The atmosphere is pretty hip. The menu options were good. Lots of continental types of cuisine with strong Asian influences (e.g., pork dumplings, Udon noodles). The wine selections went beyond California Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet. We enjoyed a reasonably priced Mer Soleil Chardonnay (unoaked, Central Coast) that complemented our food nicely. My appetizer was a modern take on Fried Green Tomatoes and my dining companion had some Asian pork dumplings. Both were pretty tasty...but not ""perfect."" The entrees were a Daily Special pork chop (Berkshire Farms?) and scallops. Both were very good...but not quite excellent. The server was an automaton...his advice was ""I recommend the more expensive item."" Avoid him. He was a tall guy with short hair and some sort of facial hair. Should probably work at Joe's Crab Shack or at a car dealership. Despite him the dinner was pretty good..but I suspect there is better value in this town. Pros: Tasty food, cool atmosphere, interesting wines... Cons: A bit loud, a bit young and the service is a bit salesy.. more

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\r Great atmosphere, Owner is on hand and there to offer great service, Mike the waiter at Washington location is FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Highly recommend sitting in his section, drinks were great and strong:), food exceptional- I will continue to go back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pros: Great Food, Excellent Service, more

Good food! The upstairs bar is a lot of fun and classy and chill. Good bar food Pros: good food and drinks Cons: kind of expensive for what you get more

What motivated me to go to the trouble of creating a profile to write a review was our outstanding service at the Benjy's on Washington last night (thank you Michael A.). It seems that lately many places are suffering in the area of service, so this experience really stood out. Our server was gracious, knowledgable and had a sense of humor without being annoying - what a breath of fresh air! The food was as usual both interesting, beautifully presented and most importantly tasty, but i'll keep going back if we continue to get this level of service. Pros: service, food, atomosphere Cons: ? more

My wife is an architect so she loves going to places with contemporary environment and this restaraunt had it. To top that the food was really good. The appetizers were okay, the Pecan Chicken was better (loved the dipping sauce, the Chicken Sausage pizza was really good, but the Mom's Chocolate Cake was amazing. Make sure you reserve in advance ;-) Pros: Mom's Chocolate Cake Cons: Crowded more

Kind of pricey, but food is awesome. I would recommend splitting the dishes, they have huge servings, i think that's why they charge so much... BUT they also charge like $3-$4 for splitting the dishes; regardless - i would split next time i go. Good place to go hang out for happy hour on a week day, they're upstairs patio is pretty cool, they have mist fans which is awesome in this humid Houston heat! Pros: Complimentary Valet Parking; Food Cons: Far from Clubs; prices more

What an amazing experience!\r \r My husband and I decided to celebrate our 1st anniversary at the Benjy's on Washington because it's near our house and we've heard good things about it.\r \r We went on a Sunday, which I think makes a huge difference, and made a reservation ahead of time. My husband made the reservation online, where he was asked to indicate if it was our first visit and/or a special occasion. The servers and hostesses both wished us a happy anniversary, which was thoughtful. \r \r We were promptly greeted at the door and shown to our seats. The server, Simon, greeted us and told us he was going to send an appetizer over and we just needed to pick one out! The service only got better from there. The drinks were so fresh and different, the food was phenomenal, and the setting was perfect. Our waiter really took care of us and it was much appreciated! We will be back.\r \r Appetizer: Brie and Portabella mushroom crepes. Excellent!\r Main Dishes: Crunchy chicken and the Venison special. Great!! The chicken is always delicious.\r Dessert: Something chocolate and tasty. \r \r We loved everything and we'll be back soon! Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere more