Bennys Restaurant Bar
7747 Tuckerman Ln, Potomac, MD, 20854
Bennys Restaurant Bar Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Potomac for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Potomac for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Potomac for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
7747 Tuckerman Ln
Potomac, MD, 20854 - Phone (301) 299-3377
- Website https://www.bennysbargrill.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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J. M.
I was in the area and hungry and found this place thanks to Yelp*. This is the type of place I WISHED I lived near. I came here on a Friday night and it was somewhat busy in the bar area, but I was able to find a seat at the bar. Noise level was okay, particularly for a Friday night, and you could easily bring a date here for casual conversation. Despite being busy at the bar area, I got my prime rib literally within 5 minutes of ordering (which, admittedly, was a little scary) but it was VERY good and had a lot of flavor. Bartenders were good and knew what I was thinking twice before I said anything. Mixed drinks were well balanced too. I had to ask for a soda refill, but the bartenders were working, so I can't complain too much. Restrooms were pretty clean, especially for a bar. They're not cheap, but not excessive, and you get what you pay for. I will definitely be back whenever I'm nearby...
(4)Janis W.
Food was not hot. Questioned why I didn't receive the full order that was on the menu and web page and was told that "we need to update those.'" Should also tell customers at the time order was placed. If that is really true.
(2)Paul S.
As you can see I don't have the ability to reply back to the owner so I have to make a new topic. Anyways Benny... The fries tasted frozen so that's why I assumed they were. You are the owner so you know what goes in and out of that kitchen. But if those fries weren't frozen then those were the worst potatoes I've ever had. Calling customers or I should say former customers whack jobs isn't really a smart way to talk and especially INFRONT of other people who read this. On top of that if you have a nasty attitude which you do and your food sucks it won't help the situation. Your not in New Jersey where you can act rude but have good food and get away with it. You are in a high class area across the country. So start acting like you have class and don't talk back to customers even if they are wrong even tho I clearly wasn't. Now your customers are always right. If your food sucks then it sucks stop trying to defend it because you clearly screwed up. Also your server was a little odd. Hope that wasn't you because if it was this restrauant won't be up on its feet too much longer. I hope your not trying to act like a hamburger hamlet because you need the good beef in order to have good burgers not burnt dog meat. I hope I didn't waste your time telling you the truth but it had to be said. Also did you have any other restrauants you opened before This?
(1)J O.
Great place to watch sporting events. Jon (bartender) remembers you, even if you only come in once in a while. Prime rib and Pizza are awesome.
(5)Aaron G.
Good food but hit or miss service. This must be the 4th or 5th time here. Sat down for dinner and watched other servers hustle while we waited for the one assigned to us. Ultimately got irritated and asked for manager to fix it. She (Kate) gave some ridiculous explanation about rating the table before sending the server. Had no clue what she was talking about and didn't care. We just wanted a server who was actually interested in being our sever. Place was almost empty so no excuse for this one. Bd service can totally ruin an otherwise great meal. Food is usually good. Service is too. Maybe just caught them on an off night but surprised both server and manager were unhelpful. Finally got a server we had before and things went smoother in ordering. Fish and chips are a good choice but pricey ($20). Hush puppies are a great starter for kids (like little donuts). Burgers and salads also good. Specials are worth trying too.
(3)Norman G.
Decorated with glamorous portraits of movie goddesses from the 1930s, '40s and '50s, this neighborhood bar/restaurant is more satisfactory as the former than the latter in my estimation but it attracts families in the evenings and serves mostly standard American food. I've been there mostly alone at lunch, seated at the bar and more interested in the beer than the food, which is no better than okay. At dinner once on a night when other restaurants were too busy to take a reservation, we had the misfortune to be seated close to the stage where a not-very-good singer was performing too loudly for conversation at our table. It was quieter in the back room but my educated guess is that the food was no better. You can do worse, of course, but gourmets should be forewarned: stick with the hamburger.
(2)D L.
We visited last night because we wanted to try this place's full dinner menu. We had high expectations for this new establishment in our neighborhood, but were thoroughly disappointed. Not including beverages, we spent well over $100 including appetizers for a small family. Although the portions were somewhat generous, the overall quality and especially "taste" were notorious. Positives: Service was quick and good. The fries were good. The wings were cooked well but the buffalo wing sauce was not traditional. The sauce was some oily/greasy version of it. Negatives: The buns on the sandwiches were ALL hard and very stale. The burger patty was burnt on the outside but somehow they managed to leave it pink on the inside. How they managed that, I am not sure, but this borders on the cusps of pre-packaged, processed, "frozen-foods". We ordered four different kinds of sandwiches and none of us weren't impressed. We had three different kids of buns, ALL of them stale. Additionally, the burger bun seemed rather moldy in both taste and aroma. The fried appetizers were good and prompt but I think it'd be hard to screw that up. We had pizza during happy hour during a previous visit and though it was literally out of a box. If we wanted to eat microwave food we could have stayed home, quite embarrassing. In conclusion: I subscribe to the view that "you get what you pay for", but we found this philosophy to be grossly disproportionate at this establishment. Believe me, had this been a burger joint or fast-food diner, I wouldn't even think about writing this review. But to pay well over $100 dollars for four entrees and a appetizer, which were all subpar, not only insults my wallet, but also insults the precious time I have with my family. I would give a higher rating because of the service, but we were all very disappointed with the majority of the food. After having the pizza some time ago, we stayed away from Benny's. We now regret giving it another chance.
(1)George N.
BULLSHIT you say Bennie? Just because this is my first review it doesn't mean it must be a good one. Your lack of customer service reflects in your many rude responses to other negative Yelpers comments about your establishment. Instead of attacking your customers you should LISTEN to what they are suggesting is a problem and fix it. I assure you, I will never visit your restaurant again.
(1)Dan R.
UPDATE: return visit to Benny's and same good impression. Hope they can hang on because this really is a great neighborhood place. Service excellent and food great.
(4)Max K.
Decent food ok service not terrible restaurant
(3)Felicia C.
Came in tonight as I usually do after a long day at work. The staff has ALWAYS been pleasant & attentive. Their slogan sure does hold weight, these ARE the best damn drinks & town. You can go to plenty of places & order a jack & coke, receive a coke & Jack but that's surely not the case here. I've been lucky enough to interact with Benny himself a few times, very funny guy. Safe to say I'm a regular & I will continue to return. Not sure I can believe many of the reviews I've read because I surely haven't felt the same. If I can recommend one thing, it's definitely the wings. I have a craving for those bad boys on a weekly basis. I urge all to come!
(5)Robert R.
My wife and I had dinner and drinks on Monday April 28, 2014. The ambiance was fun, the food was great, and the service was excellent. We will be going back !
(5)Cristina D.
The place has a whimsical 1940's - 1950's decor. Half of the place is more like a sports bar with lots of TV's and a louder, more social environment while the other half of the restaurant has a more of a quiet, traditional atmosphere. The food is good and reasonably priced. The menu is diverse so everyone should be able find something they like. The owner is present and checks in on the guests which was much appreciated. My only critique would be of small details such as our bottle of white wine did not come out chilled but in fairness the waitress offered to take it back but we just kept the bottle and let it sit in the ice bucket for a few minutes. Overall it was a good dining experience and I'm happy I tried the place. The restaurant is only a few months old and I wish it continued success.
(4)Dani V.
I went to Benny's for the first time a few nights ago, and I had a great experience. I was seated immediately at a booth in the front. The atmosphere is great with a large open window in the front. I got the jumbo shrimp as an appetizer, and it was fresh and delicious. I then ordered the new york strip steak, which was rich and juicy. Everything I ate came out quickly and was delicious. I am definitely coming back, and I highly recommend this restaurant.
(4)Marc B.
We recently dined again at Benny's. This time with friends. All four of us are quick to compliment good service and food and are critical if we receive "bad food and service". The portions were large and quickly delivered w/o errors. All orders were temperature appropriate and tasty. Servers were polite and knowledgeable about the menu. The restaurant was also "packed". So, I guess Benny;'s is doing something right. They also have a Benny's bucks loyalty program. Also, if you like pastrami, the Reuben sandwich at Benny's delivers quality and value compared to the plain overpriced pastrami sandwich at the so called deli in the same shopping center. We plan on going back soon.
(5)Michael G.
I went to Benny's for the first time last night and the food and service were both good. I have seen the negative reviews and they seem over the top and kind of nit picky. I did not find any problem with this place at all. From the moment I walked in to the time I left, the people working here couldn't have been nicer or more attentive. Angela was our server and she was great! The food came out fast and delicious. I had soup and a salad. I really wanted to try the matzoh ball soup, but I have a gluten intolerance and couldn't get it even though Angela highly recommended it. I did have to move from one booth to the other because one side was more cramped than the other. Good for a family with little kids, but not an adult. Angela quickly got us another booth and all was fine especially being able to sit where the doors were opened to the outside. The drinks were reasonably priced and quite good. All in all, I'll definitely be back. It's hard running a restaurant and having a bar and grill like this at Cabin John is a welcome addition. I hope Benny's makes it here regardless of the negative reviews.
(4)Jason F.
The food was fantastic the service was even better. Reading previous comments I understand they are having a rough start. My server's name was Jordan he was outstanding. Highly recommend you sit in his section. Loved my Ny strip steak. Will be returning for sure.
(4)Gary R.
My son and I went to Benny's about 2 weeks ago. He ordered a pizza, I had the fish and chips. While the restaurant looks nice on the inside and the service was pretty good, the food left a lot to be desired. The Pizza was not as good as a frozen pizza. The fish, while not greasy, had little taste. I will not return.
(2)Kelsa C.
"Pizza is excellent! But we have tried most the items on the menu and I have to give it a thumbs down - especially since the price are high. If the prices were lower i would give it more stars...keep trying...either lower the prices or improve the food."
(2)Aaron R.
This place is great. Has all the NFL games playing. Really affordable and tasty wings and burgers. Def a great delicious find.
(4)Duane D.
I went in for a quick drink to check out the new spot. It is nice having a nice restaurant\bar in the area. The bartenders were nice and attentive . However, the manager who seemed to lurk a but to much gave a bartender who was apparently stationed at the front bar a hard time because she went to the back bar(10 feet) . If he had payed closer attention he would have known she was actually getting something for a customer. The manager was also the only one that did not say thank you or goodbye when I left(and I walked right by him at the door )
(3)Paul M.
After a long absence from this service, I found another hidden gem to write about. Benny's B&G is all about having a good time. Your first indication that this won't be a cookie cutter venue is the handholds at the front door: you have to shake hands with the hardware to come on in. The front room is split in two, one side with a small stage and tables and booths, while the other has the bar, greet station, and pedestal tables and booths. Both sides have a front window that resembles a garage door. This was open on this splendid May day for a view of the woods and allowing the breeze to come in. My wife and I came early and had a burger, pizza and a few reasonably priced drafts. The booth was comfortable, the beer cold and the pizza, burger, fries and fried pickles hot and tasty. Will definitely return to try something else on the extensive menu. Even the carry-out menu was 6 folds, so lots to choose from. Looks pretty family friendly, although I don't have little ones to tote around any more, as there were many young families appearing to be enjoying themselves. I'll be back to try the Monday Night Rotisserie Chicken special, which my wife loved the first time we dined here. Benny visited all of the diners this night and seemed to be a most hospitable host.
(5)amy k.
I really wanted to likethis place as many others have said, there is a desperate need in Potomac for a casual good restaurant. We went for drinks and had appetizers. We ordered pizza and the artichoke dip. The dip was not very good. It was a bowl of chopped spinach with two big chunks of artichoke. Not very cheesy and pretty tasteless.It really needed some spicing up. The pizza was also bland and not cooked enough. Service was pretty slow even with just this small order. We sat at the bar and the bartender forgot about our order. we had to ask to order drinks as well. I am going to wait to go back for a meal. Hopefully the service and the food will improve.
(2)Rob S.
The last time I went to benny's, it was awful. The frozen fries that they sell are awful. They are burnt and overcooked. The burger looked like a hockey puck and the waiter was creepy looking. It was too dark in there with no soap in the bathroom, I told the waiter and he didnt do anything much about it. From what I see I think they need to revamp the place. But I do like the hands on the door when you walk in, it was different!
(1)Richard M.
Man did I want BB&G to be a 4 or 5 but it was a solid 3 on 5/28. But the good news is that it has potential and I will go back. First off, it was a muggy night so with the huge garage door style windows wide open, it made for a swampy feeling front half so we sat in the back in a booth. There were 4 of us and we all noticed that the booth seats were a little too low for the table. I can't say that the service was bad it just seemed disorganized. I'm sure anyone reading this remembers what the service was like at the old Houston's on the Pike? Remember how you sat down and boom boom boom you got your drinks, your apps, your food, and when you were done, your dirty plates were gone? Well this just seemed a little amateur and there wasn't a real rhythm but when you hire high school kids to run your floor, that's what you get. I never seemed to mind paying above average prices for casual fare at Houston's because the food was always great and the service was top notch. So when I saw $15 on the menu for a bacon cheeseburger at BB&G, I was like cool i'm in for a treat. Don't get me wrong, it was good but no better than Cheeburger Cheeburger and the fries were just meh. I don't want to rip the place yet because in all fairness, it's only been a week which is way too soon to work out the kinks for a v1.0 restaurant. My advice to the management is this. Potomac really needs a place like this so if you need to keep the prices up, do it but make sure your product and service match. It's really easy to get a customer to walk in the door but the real challenge is making them come back. And if your staff needs any pointers, send them to Woodmont Grill in Bethesda (Old Houston's) or Clyde's Tower Oaks and just have them watch. I'm looking forward to going back in a month to give it another try and I wish them the best of luck. With Attman's Deli opening soon and the Grilled Oyster just a few stores down, Cabin John now has a few other options to offer. Everyone is pulling for you BB&G!
(3)Dan S.
Took my dad here for his 55th birthday. Great night staff and great service! Will def bring my next date here.
(5)Judy J.
My friends and I were excited to try out the new restaurant in Cabin John for lunch. We all had high hopes, but unfortunately 3 out of 5 of us were fairly disappointed. My sister got the Shanghai salad. She could not even eat it. The chicken was tough and so were the oranges in the salad. Typically for an Asian salad you expect mandarin oranges, but they literally cut up naval oranges and threw them in, except they weren't very good oranges. The salad dressing apparently had no flavor and to top it off they used oriental noodles out of a can (the kind they put on chicken chow mein). Another friend got a different salad with chicken and she also said it was incredibly bland and light on the chicken. My burger was decent, but it was fairly dry. The fries were just okay. My friend that got the grilled chicken sandwich enjoyed it. Our waitress was very accommodating and since my sister returned her salad they took it off the bill along with the bowl of soup (very tasty) they brought her instead. The food delivery was fairly slow for lunch time, but perhaps once the kitchen gets into a groove timing will improve. The restaurant décor was very nice and it's apparent that someone made a serious investment in the build-out. I think they are planning to be there a long time and we hope they are also. Hopefully, the management listens to the customers and improves on the food.
(3)Meredith E.
I have now been to Benny's three times, once for lunch and twice for dinner. Service -- The service was always excellent. We did not have to wait to be seated, and the last time we went, we asked for a specific booth; the server said it was fine, but let us know they were expecting a party with small children who had reserved the table next to ours. We appreciated the heads up; although we didn't care, some people prefer not to sit too close to small children at restaurants. All servers I have had are friendly and helpful and there was never an unnecessary wait. Food -- The food is OK. I enjoyed the Shanghai salad. For one dinner I had a steak, which I asked for medium-rare. It was unfortunately very medium-well. However, it was a good piece of meat and I opted not to return it. The broccoli was nicely steamed and not overdone. My husband had benny's burger which he loved, and the fries were very good. I also had a side of the creamed spinach and was confused to see artichokes in it. I assumed I'd gotten some leftover spinach-artichoke dip. Yuck. The server said that's how they make their creamed spinach. Unless you want a side of the dip, I advise against having the creamed spinach. Our last time there we had burgers. I asked for mine medium-rare and it came out at least medium-well again. It looked identical to my husband's who did order medium-well. I was disappointed, but that said, it was a good burger (I had the bacon-cheeseburger; hubby had the benny's burger again!). My husband also had chili twice, and it was a little different each time, and not great. I suppose that's very subjective -- but there was a lot of cumin that was really noticeable, way too much in our opinions. We also had fried pickles which were very well fried, not greasy at all. Atmosphere/decor -- friendly, nice interesting decor. Very well done in this area. Now if they focus on the food to bring it up to the decor's level, I'll up my rating. Also, the owner comes around quite a lot to ask how things are going. That's a good thing, it gave me the sense that he was very invested in giving his customers a good experience. We will go again.
(3)K K.
I have been to Benny's five times since they opened and only one experience was bad. Our server was very friendly but her inexperience as a seasoned server was obvious. This was also the one time I did not care for my meal....my turkey burger tasted burnt and was very dry. 4 out of 5 visits of great service by friendly staff and bartendars keeps me going back. Their wings, salads, cheesecake and latkes are delicious! I also found everyone to be very friendly. David makes great bloody marys! The owner came over twice when I was there having dinner on two occassions and it was obvious he wants to make sure his customers are happy and willing to make sure you enjoy your dining experience. Also, great atmosphere during the warm season - love the garage door openings in bar area. My only wish is that they put the diet tuna back on the menu - it was sooo good!!!
(4)John H.
Went in for a late lunch on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and we were immediately impressed by the large open garage doors creating a very inviting front porch-like atmosphere. Inside, the place has a 30's/40's supper club feel with great jazz standards playing, high quality booths, cloth napkins on the table, and many other nice design touches. Burgers are my go-to test of a restaurant. They were great - gently formed, cooked perfectly with soft but ample brioche buns and what appeared to be hand cut fries. Kids had calamari and chicken fingers which were both much better than you'd expect. They had clearly begun the chicken finger cooking process with actual chicken pieces, not nuggets from the freezer. With a thoughtful beer list and reasonable prices, this place is a real winner. So, you need to know this is in back of a strip mall, with poor signage, so it's easy to miss, but worth it. We will definitely be back. This is a high quality, nicely appointed, reasonably priced, upscale and neighborly pub.
(4)Steve W.
Great food. Friendly but it takes awhile to get noticed once you sit down. SLOW kitchen. (This has been the same for three times that I have been here). Faster service and I'd give this place four stars.
(3)Kara S.
Really 2 1/2 stars. The restaurant was comfortable, the staff was friendly and the service was good, but the food was just okay. The model seems to be that bigger is better, but this is an outdated concept. Also, there is no kids menu and I don't want to have to spend $13 on a burger for my child. The quality of the food did not justify the cost. Also, I agree with Amy's review which said the menu was for a diner---this is not a place for foodies. They need to do better than this, if they are going to stay in business. Good luck BB&G.
(3)Debra A.
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(4)Rebecca S.
Went to Benny's for the first time last night. I really wanted to love it but didn't. Of course, it's still their first week so we should all cut them some slack. Here are my scores; Atmosphere: 8 out of 10 (nice design, love the windows in the front) Noise: 6.5 out of 10 (10 being so loud you'd want to leave) - I didn't think it was too bad Food: 8 out of 10 (tried the Hawaiian Pizza and Burger) - fresh, hot, tasty Service: 4 out of 10 (we waited but the place was half empty, our waiter didn't know we were in his section so after 10 minutes we finally asked the manager to find him, When he waited on us, he was very inexperienced (yet, not young - mid 30s) Speaking of waiting, one MAJOR flaw is there is absolutely no place to wait for a table. We stood around a high top table in the bar but if the bar was full there would be no where to go. They should put benches out front which would help (at least on sunny days). However, it would completely annoy the people with the front tables. Kid Friendly: No (at least not catering to kids) - no kids menu, no chocolate milk - seems like they want to discourage the kid factor (which is kind of weird for the neighborhood). This could be a great place but they need to define what they want to be. If they want to be a rockin' bar - 40's style- they need to up the prices, dim the lights, offer more high end items and totally cater to that clientele.
(3)H E.
Went to BBG tonight. We had high expectations and it was possibly the worst service I have ever had. I know it is new, but it really needs to improve if it is going to survive. First, 2 out of 8 meals arrived at the table with items in the order which were not listed on the menu. A cheese pizza came sprinkled with scallions. A cheese steak came with lettuce and tomato. These items might be fine but they were not listed on the menu descriptions. No problem we sent them back and quickly got a new pizza. Second problem, we waited for about 20-30 minutes for the cheese steak to come back when the manager finally came over to tell us that they ran out of bread. Again, fine, restaurants run out of items, but someone should have informed us after 5 or 10 minutes. By this time we had already waited so long, that we informed our waitress we did not want a replacement item and just to give us the check. Third problem, we were billed for our cheese steak which we sent back and never received. Fourth problem, we waited again, forever, to receive our bill and sign for our credit cards once we put them out. Fifth problem, the waitress could not figure out how to split the bill between two cards and had to run one card, have us sign the bill, and then run the other card. Sixth, the food was so-so. The fries were soggy. The pizza tasted like something they served in my high school cafeteria. Seventh, they have no kids menu. I agree with the other review, my young child cannot eat an adult sized burger and it is wasteful to spend $13 for something that is going to get half eaten. There are certain restaurants that you do not expect the kitchen to cater to children and have a kids menu. This is not one of those restaurants. I give the manager credit, he took $10 off our bill and gave us a $10 coupon for a future visit. But the service was so bad, disorganized, inattentive and slow, you don't open a restaurant until you have that under control and I may not return to use my $10 coupon.
(2)Joshua T.
My partner ordered the crab cakes and spent the night throwing up. Maybe we got there on a bad night, but I'm still trying to deodorize my car. EDIT: The owner seems to be close to a psychological breakdown, as he is making hostile comments on everyone's reviews. He had a friend write a positive review yesterday, and then quoted it back in response to my incident as if that changed our experience somehow. So let me revise my comment: Only 50% of reviewers got food poisoning from Benny's crab cakes in the past few days.
(1)R S.
Just had a grilled chicken with onions, very tasty, nice size roll. Wife had a burger, very good, hummus presentation very good, kinda fair tasting. Have been there a couple of times surprised it's not busier. Service was friendly.
(4)Kevin D.
I visited (4/18) for dessert. I ordered the pineapple upside down cake-after 20 minutes of waiting I was informed by server it was out. Benny (the owner) came to the table to say it's no longer on the menu. Yes its on the menu I read. He looked w/astonishment & acknowledged I was given an old menu. I picked the chocolate toffee cake w/vanilla ice cream-Delicious. Server is not at fault here. Benny should Throw Away Old Dessert Menus!
(3)Jean H.
The food & service are nothing to rave about. This place will not last. Rookies running the place and the owner drinks on the job and was rude to us.
(1)Barry S.
Great Fun place .. The staff at Ostrows Organic Mattress Store 5225 Pooks Hill Rd Bethesda Md 20814 -located only minutes from our store at The Promenade ..--love going to Bennys for a late dinner after work. ----Also enjoy the entertainment and special events.....
(5)Donis M.
This is a great new addition to Potomac. The food is great quality and the service is great. It's located in the back of the shopping center so unless your familiar with the area or live close by you would never know it's there. Plenty of free parking unlike downtown or other limited parking areas for dining out. The Crab Cake is real a cooked perfect. It's a great quality food. The food is cooked to order and you get real sides not out of a microwave or anything. It would be nice if they started having live music with dinner. It's still a new spot. But a great addition to the local area. Benny always there and if any isn't right he will make it right for you. I really enjoy this place.
(4)Brian D.
Amazing that the owner has proven again how he runs his business by commenting so negatively. I would suggest he read the reviews that have some constructive criticism and learn from them. When Yelpers take time to comment rather than a one off piece from a paid paper comment .... I think Ben F should take the Yelp reviews into consideration. Total amateur move by this classless owner. Benny acts like his place is anything but what it is....poor food, overpriced drinks and an owner who should transfer management to someone with people skills and real management experience..
(1)Shachi B.
After receiving a few emails and comments from the owner (one of which you can see below my original review!), I decided to give Benny's Bar & Grill another chance. In the words of GOB on Arrested Development, "I've made a terrible mistake." Service was embarrassingly atrocious. Our party of 12 was the only one in the restaurant at 11:45am, yet it took over 35 minutes to receive our food. Three of the orders were wrong, one of which came out incorrect twice. A 25% error rate for a restaurant open for 6+ months is disappointing. Throughout this process there was no apology for food delays or incorrect orders from anyone. Benny's staff took no accountability for anything that went awry and through our whole meal they treated us as though we were inconveniencing them. We asked for drink refills multiple times before receiving them and never ended up getting the side orders of sauces we requested. One of our colleagues' food came so late (almost 50 minutes after ordering!) she didn't have time to even eat it at the table. When we asked whether they would comp her meal, the manager and Benny himself both scoffed at the idea and adamantly said no. Look, it's fine if your policy isn't to comp meals, but figure out a better way to communicate this to your customers. Hearing customer feedback such as, "We are disappointed you refuse to comp the burger that took 50 minutes to make correctly" and then demanding, "I LISTENED TO YOU, NOW YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME!" is an absolutely unacceptable way for an owner to act. I could go on and on about the rudeness of the manager and the owner, but there's no point. It's clear they're apathetic about the customer experience, so this feedback would fall on deaf ears. Anyway, let's get back to the food. All of us agreed the food could have been warmer (temp-wise), the hamburger bun completely overwhelmed the burger patty. My veggie burger came out cold in the middle, the bun wasn't toasted (as everyone else's was), and the cheese wasn't melted. (See Pic.) Normally I would have sent it back, but they took so long to get it to the table, I couldn't risk waiting. I will 100% never be back to this establishment and neither should you.
(1)Francesco S.
I am not one to write reviews and I work in the food and beverage industry. Immediately accepted like family at the door. Only been a few times with a few buddies. We have come accustom to ordering lots of apps and fight over which ones to order because we want them all. A little bit of drinking in usually involved. But the food is my reason to post. The batter on the shrimp and the hush puppies are atop the favorites. Highly recommend. Certainly not your normal owner. He's always around and tries to hit every table and cares about your experience and your feedback. Great location for the concept. Stop by and you will be surprised. Cares about taking care of his guests.
(4)Jackie T.
I would not recommend this place for dinner. Notice I said dinner. It may have good fried bar food but I wouldn't know. They brag on every item on the menu and the server said the steak salad was his personal favorite. The steak had a ton of fat pieces I had to disregard. The lettuce was flat. The wine was fine and generous portions but it's a bar I guess so that's normal. The carrot cake wasn't good. It tasted more like spice cake and was cold and the icing wasn't cream cheese. It's a bar atmosphere. I also had to ask server multiple times for my drinks
(2)Eric W.
Met a fiend on 10.23.14 for happy hour. Sat at the bar. Had 2 beers and spinach artichoke dip. Food was fine. Beer was fine. At some point during my visit, at the table directly behind me, a waitress has an accident with her tray that contained beer and sliders/burgers. The result was beer on the back of my shirt; and beer, ketchup, and burger grease all over the back of my suit jacket, which was draped on the back of the bar-stool next to me. Accidents happen, no big deal. What IS a big deal is that I was offered no apology of any sort. Neither from the waitress or the manager. The only acknowledgement whatsoever was from an employee (manager perhaps?) who was mopping up the floor who said (in a slightly sarcastic tone) that I should tell him if there were any "deleterious effects." I asked the bartender for some club soda so I could treat the suit jacket. I spent the next 5-10 minutes tending to the jacket before heading out. The bar area was about 50% full. I would even grant the waitress a pass because she was probably occupied trying get fresh beers and sliders/burgers for their intended recipients. While I was slightly annoyed at the lack of customer service, I was prepared to let this incident go and move on with my life. Then, out of curiosity and work-procrastination, I looked up Benny's on Yelp to see how it fared and then I started reading the reviews AND THE OWNER'S REPLIES/REBUTTALS (if this is the first review you are reading, scroll down and take a look; it's hilarious). My experience now makes perfect sense. The owner/manager has an attitude that may not be the best fit for a business that relies upon customer service. Good luck with your business. I can't wait to read your reply.
(1)Gerry B.
Back again since our sons soccer practice is near here, had live music playing and they had the big windows open. The place had a pretty good crowd but we were able to get a coveted seat near one of the open windows We used to live in the area, and now stop in here occasionally when we are in the area. The food is always good, and the staff is always friendly. It never seems crowded here no matter what time we stop in, my wife is concerned they will close unless they bring in more clientele. I say, don't let anyone know our secret, they must be doing okay, never seen a break in the quality and the staff always seem upbeat. A bit pricey, but given the area and the quality of the food, I think its a pretty good value.
(4)Casey M.
Good food, great service! I love the open garage doors do it feeling like you are sitting outside but you get the comfort of a booth. They had live music in one room (the room with the open garage doors) and a dance floor with a DJ in the other room. My children really enjoyed the dance floor. I would go back to Benny's.
(4)Jo C.
Walked in after 8:30 for dinner & the place was almost empty. Still had to wait at least 5 minutes until someone acknowledged & seated us. Drinks came fairly quickly, but took about another 10 min before our order was taken. Our waiter was also the bartender & he waited on patrons there before getting back to us. It took another 20 min before our bbq ribs & blackened mahi sandwich arrived. The mahi was surprisingly done well, not over cooked & the ribs were fall-off-the-bones good. Cole slaw tasted "homemade," not mayo laden. Food was good, but come only if you have plenty of time to wait for your food. Not a place to go out of your way. Neighborhood restaurant.
(3)Debra S.
We ended up at Benny's at 7:30 on Saturday night after a change in plans due to the bad weather. We had been there a couple of times before but not for a while, and since there was no wait for a table, so we decided to try it again. What a mistake. The staff was very friendly but clearly wanted us to finish and leave so that they could do the same. Since it was such a cold, windy and snowy night, I won't hold that against them, although we did feel very rushed. What I do hold against them is the fact that my crab cakes were ice cold, the substitution I requested wasn't made, and despite the waitress heartily recommending the carrot cake and the warm cookie (hey - it was Valentines Day after all), they were out of both, and it was only 8:15. She convinced us to try the "warm apple pie" since it was such a cold night (her words, not mine) and the pie was also cold. Dinner for the two of us, with one cocktail, was $100. I normally don't write reviews (my Yelp account will reflect that) but I do read them. I wasn't going to post this one, but after reading some of the owner's responses to other diners with complaints, I decided to do so. In two different responses to two different customers, the owner responded with "even Stevie Wonder could see..." My husband is blind and I take great offense to that response. Coupled with other things I read, we won't be back nor will we suggest it on those nights when the lacrosse or basketball games end and the team's hungry and there are a lot of mouths to feed near Cabin John Mall. What a bummer for Benny's - we could have brought a lot of business with us!
(1)Charlie W.
Great food and atmosphere. Fire place for the winter and large open windows for the beautiful weather.
(5)C J.
I've been to Benny's three weekends in a row now. They are really marketing themselves as a mature events place. It's a great idea. Sometimes they make mistakes. The smoke machine at the singles dance. Not enough bartenders. Overpriced food. But the food is good. And it is a fun place.
(4)Anousha N.
Third response: RUDE/ UNCLASSY/ 2 thumbs DOWN.... It was yesterday, so if your employee turnover is as high as it used to be... Then having that employee not work there anymore is possible. HaHa way to disregard my last point about handling unsatisfied customers, and In fact, doing the complete opposite and disrespecting them, very classy move...truly shows true colors. HaHa its astonishing and humorous the way you manage to terribly handle these "complaints" that are very exaggerated as you claim. I will stop wasting my time with a company that is obviously not worthy of a customers feedback, however they or I wish to express it. Oh and let me get back to my corner in the basement where I spend my time writing the only review I have ever written for what I find a mediocre establishment. Also, since I have only spoken about the bad service, let me add that the one and only time I had ever come there to dine (never went back because the food and drinks were unsatisfactory and bland), that the calamari was tasteless and way too battered and the drink was poorly mixed (margarita to be exact). I will state that this was awhile ago so I am not sure if the "Chef" has changed but I sure hope so! Best of luck Benny's because you need it! All I have to say is you are lucky you don't have direct competition in the suburbs, smart decision on location. --------------------------------------------------Â--------- Second response: No rocket scientist needed... And an average employee works at an average restaurant, that is correct. None the less, next time I will take your suggestion and call, although, the way management handles these reviews is also very important and I don't think you did a great job at that either. I think a more appropriate response would have been, 'We apologize you had a bad experience with one of our employees, is there any more information you could provide us via email or phone that would allow us to correct this. We hope your next experience with us will be better and in fact to do so why don't you have a free drink at your next happy hour on us' ... That is how this situation should have been handled. --in that case I would be like wow look at that and then delete and or raise my rating, but the way it was handled, was again...average. I think I have made my point. --------------------------------------------------Â--------- In response to Benny's 1st comment: I'm not rating the restaurant, just the service I received, and this is why each rating is subjective. Also, I made a mistake, I meant to say that the employee gave me short answers* such as "no" when I asked a very simple question actually about happy hour. They did not continue to say our happy hours are from ... Instead, I the potential customer had to keep asking and his tone made me feel as if I was Inconveniencing him. So I would train who ever answers the phone with proper etiquette. You are welcome for the suggestion which some people charge money for consultation, which is based on my experience working in high end restaurants. And another thing, I never have ever left a yelp comment because that's not my thing, the reason I took it upon myself to rate yours was because I was so bothered by that telephone Called to inquire some information and Terrible phone etiquette for a restaurant or in general. Was not greeted when called and was given very short one word answers.My suggestion would be to train the staff better. --------------------------------------------------Â---------- Called to inquire some information and Terrible phone etiquette for a restaurant or in general. Was not greeted when called and was given very short one word answers.My suggestion would be to train the staff better.
(1)Anna S.
It's my first ever written review, I had to share! Started off as a nice dinner, live music, bottle of wine. Our group of friends ordered a few appetizers to share. The owner walked up and asked how our food was. We said that everything was good except the mussels. We didn't like the mussels, they didn't taste good, had a strange texture and had an awful watery milk sauce. They just weren't fresh and should not be served. On that note he flipped out in a utter strange comment "Oh Yeah!? Huh! How about you take my keys right now [since you know it all] and put me out of this misery, OKAAY!?", and walked away, just like that... Obviously, these people don't have a slight clue of a customer service. It was completely rude and inappropriate. Made us feel uncomfortable and unwanted there right away. This guy, whatever misery he goes through, needs to stay away from a hospitality business and use his ugly attitude in a different industry where he does not communicate with people. Stay away from this place, don't support this kind of attitude in our community. We take our time to choose the place to spend our evening at, bring our friends and our $$$ to your establishment and you don't appreciate any of it. Bye bye Benny, good luck, we and everyone we know will NEVER be back! What a shame.
(1)Paul H.
Benny's is a little pricey but you got to expect that in Potomac. Other than that, it's solid. Food is good. Drinks are good. As a local, there's no other restaurants like it in the area so I appreciate it. 4/5 stars only because I don't like fedoras.
(4)Stephanie P.
This was one if the worst meals my husband and I have ever had. The service was horrible. The waitress never came by to tell us our order was delayed. We sat for 30 minutes with empty wine glasses and couldn't even get served by the bartender. When we got the food it was sub pAr at best . The manager felt do bad they comped our bill. Surprising they stay in business.
(1)David M.
I really wanted to like this place. It is near my house. It has great ambiance and easy parking. What's not to like? I imagined giving it five stars for all its pluses, four if there was something annoying about it I couldn't even imagine, but... I find myself having to give it a two, because I can barely stomach the thought of returning. I feel really bad about that, but in a way, even that is generous. You see, this restaurant has a problem that's especially difficult to correct; A rather nasty owner. I discovered that when having had only one experience there (with a date, so I'd not asked to speak to the manager then), I returned hoping to merely talk to the manager about it. For reasons I may never understand, while I was chatting with the manager, she suddenly excused herself and chose to get the owner. She must have known what a terrible temper he had. I'd barely greeted him when he flew into a rage accusing me of "driving such a long way" just to criticize his restaurant. The manager, who knew I'd barely crossed the street to drop in, looked mildly awkward at that point. I did my best to calm the owner. I assured him that the food I had was very good and that really I'd only visited to casually make a harmless suggestion regarding how drink orders are taken to prevent the mix-up they had with the drink orders when I'd brought my girlfriend there a week earlier. In the following discussion, still trying to de-ruffle his feathers, I spoke of my hopes to bring my social club to his venue one weeknight, but despite my own assurances, I was already thinking that with a loose canon like that in the place, it wasn't worth bringing my friends. I mean, we like a nice quiet environment, and this place almost qualifies, but we have a lot of people with food sensitivities who might ask for a special accommodation, and if this guy flew off the handle at one of them, well, I don't even want to risk it. I find it particularly sad that I was reminded of this place when posting a positive review about an Arby's I stumbled into along a highway. If I can find myself sitting here wishing that Arby's had opened on the same spot, then something must be pretty wrong with this place, but it's not the food, it's the treatment. I will PROBABLY try to return ALONE to this place and see if I can make the best of it. If that visit isn't unpleasant maybe I'll update this review and raise the star-rating a bit.
(2)Justin G.
I don't think I have ever been to a bar when the bartender spent more time doing other things than serving drinks. Not once was I asked if I wanted anything to eat, drink, refill on water, etc. So, I figure your not going to ask. Then I will sit here and take advantage of watching the US soccer game with my one drink during happy hour. Most around me seemed unsatisfied with the time it look to receive their food as well as the difficulty getting someones attention. Its hard to get a bartenders attention when there is no one back there. Beef up your staff!! And before Benny gets on here and says, "this never happened and isn't true", or "I am a disgruntled past employee" - it did happen, it is true, and thank god I have never had to work there.
(1)Mary K.
Awesome ambiance. Old Hollywood decor. In warm weather, the front opens up like a garage. A little overpriced, an el cheapo special here and there would be a nice touch. Get the Benny burger.
(4)John S.
I came here Saturday night with 16 other people. I was the first person among my party to arrive and they were willing to seat me immediately. The rest of my party were late by about 20 minutes and during this time the server came to check up on me which allowed me to place a drink order and even a appetizer. So the service impressed me right off the bat. Then when the rest of my party came, the server promptly came to take our drink orders and eventually our food order. When the food came, each portion was large, whether it was an entree or burger or sandwich. So the bang for the buck is excellent. I personally had the prime rib king cut (prime ribs are available only on Friday and Saturday nights) and I was heavily disappointed in terms of its quality. I ordered it medium rare but some parts of the prime rib were cooked beyond that. The crust of the prime rib barely had any flavor. Now, despite my experience with the prime rib, I still had a very positive experience. The other foods that my friends ordered such as the rotisserie chicken and the cheesesteak (which I also tried) tasted pretty decent. The fries that I ordered in the very beginning were piping hot with good texture. The service was excellent throughout the night. Several servers serviced our table and each of them had great attitude. They also knew the menu very well and made good recommendations in terms of drinks and food. Regarding the ambiance, I really appreciated the decor, classy vintange and modern touches blended together. The tables had small candles. I was surprised that the pepper shakers were regular ones instead of the ones where you grind it for a restaurant of this caliber but I actually prefer the normal shakers because I eat a lot of pepper. I'm often in the area but rarely go to Cabin John mall because I'm not impressed with the early closing times for the stores there and the lack of offerings. Now that I have discovered Benny's, I will definitely come back when I have the opportunity.
(4)Tim R.
The table was sticky. Our server wasn't very friendly. The server at the next table was better. We wished we had her. Ordered a cobb salad with no corn. Got a cobb salad with corn. Wife had the mussels. She said they were pretty salty, but good salty. This place is ok. I think the hand doorknobs are creepy, not cute. Food was average. If someone wanted to meet me here for lunch or dinner I would be ok with it, but I wouldn't go back otherwise. Meh pretty much sums it up.
(2)Scott M.
After giving them 3 strikes from miserable service and food, a group of us gave them another chance on 2/17/14 after several months of staying away. They performed very well. Service was wonderful and the food was outstanding. We will return.
(4)Diana J.
This place was good in a pinch because it was x-mas eve and not many places were open. However I do not think I would go back unless someone else was paying. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip, a cup of soup, and the key lime pie. Of these 3 the best was the dip and the worst was the soup. The dip was rich and creamy and did not skimp on the spinach. I was glad that it was more then just a pile of hot bubbly cheese. The key lime pie was good. I'd give it a 7/10 but IMHO it lacked the tartness that I've come to like. The soup was just not good. It was chicken tortilla and I left most of it in the bowl. The beers on tap and the wines by the glass were great. However I asked my server for a cosmo and I did not like the way it tasted. I felt awful sending it back but it just wasn't very good. I was informed AFTER the fact that the bar had ran out of triple sec so instead I was basically drinking a vodka cranberry. Which was disappointing. Be up front with your guests and everybody will be much happier. Service was good. We felt well taken care of despite for busy they were for a holiday night. However the food quality was just disappointing.
(2)Stuart W.
Went to Benny's on Saturday night for the free comedy. I made a reservation earlier in the day for comedy seating, but when I got there my name was not on the list. Still, the hostess did a good job in getting us a table as soon as it was available. The bar staff were very friendly and did a good job. Also our server at our table was good, kept checking on us. We only ordered a side of fries whilst there but they were very good indeed. My White Russian could have been a bit stronger and the first coke my wife was given was heavily diluted although the server gave her a nice coke the second time. Bathrooms could be a bit bigger given the size of the restaurant. Overall the seating was comfortable and the place had a nice atmosphere with what looked like a good menu (they have hush puppies which I would have tried but was not hungry enough). We don't live local (Derwood) and came for the free comedy, but if we were in the area again we'd most likely try out the menu! If and when we do that I'll revise my rating but certainly don't have anything bad to say.
(3)Linda F.
We have tried Benny's several times in the past few years. Have to say that the food has really improved. Tonight, the fish and chips were the best I've had in a long time ... anywhere. We will be back, and we hope it will be even better next time. service was good also.
(4)Mil N.
I've been to Benny's 9 times in the past year because I support my local neighborhood businesses. I always thought that because the location is hidden away from general eyesight to foot traffic, it justifies why they aren't so busy on the weekends, or any other time I've drove by or had a meal in the restaurant. I've given up on this place... Im the type if person that likes to support my local businesses regardless of price or quality in hopes they will improve or somehow satisfy general requirements. We need more places around here for us locals to get together and socialize. The place seems dirty since a lot of times I sit at the table its either sticky or the person who set up the table forgot to wipe it off. The silverware often times has food chunks on it, i have to go through a few settings to find a decent roll up. Last time I walked to the bathroom I saw a roach crawl by me. They dont seem to be able to handle a normal volume of people in the place and they advertise their dish proportions incorrectly. I noticed a couple servers not covering their mouth when they sneezed of cough while putting the complimentary breads in the basket with the side of their fingers. I noticed the person making the salads and rubbing their nose constantly with the palm of their hands and grab ingredients and cheese using those fingers. The servers grab all the food items that are handled on the side and ingested by customers with their bare hands. This one server grabbed one of my pieces of fish after having it dropped on the table and put in back in my plate. I actually started laughing and asked for another one, they made it but treated me like hell for the rest of the night (management and staff), i could see them pointing at me and giving me bad looks. I mean seriously what did I do wrong? I felt so uncomfortable eating the rest of the night and still left a 20% tip but it was the last time i was taking this nonsense. After seeing all this is not a temporary habit of the restaurant, i decided to mention something to management and they told me I should go eat somewhere else if the establishment makes me uncomfortable. I have never thought in my wildest dreams they would say something like that, I must have caught them at a busy time so they might have been flustered but I also spoke to Benny himself and he was belligerently drunk as he is every night I walk in. Needless to say I didnt get anywhere with him being so out of touch with his own business. This place is a circus with luke warm beer and cold hotdogs. If you want to spend your hard earned money on a nice night dining out, go somewhere with much better service and better quality food, which would be ANYWHERE else but here. The only way I would ever come back is to read a book and have a bottle of sparkling water because the place is always dead and the only fresh item on the menu is the carbonation from an unopened bottle of Pellegrino. By the way... Ask any of his servers or bartenders. They are all underpaid and Benny uses loopholes to stiff the poor servers out of their hard earned money. God forbid if they brake a glass or drop a dish, servers are paying for it. Customer service is out of the question. You get a bad dish, you are paying for it.
(1)Tamara J.
You are FIRST of I DO NOT curse!!!Secondly the last rule is just example of the ever changing rules if you place as I just ordered from their 3 weeks ago and was not asked for a card. Thirdly it's interesting you mentioned a certain situration when I never specified 1 situration. I spoke of the ever changing rules and you and your rude staff.
(1)Sarah C.
My first bad review ever, and I had to because of how bad my experiences were, collectively. I'm honestly surprised how many people have complimented this place, even a couple friends of mine. I really wanted to like this place too (I mirror David M.'s review.)! The décor/reno is awesome and makes you feel comfortable right away. LOVE the opening garage doors and the tvs for game days, but this place is run like a Bennigans. The staff lacks experience and/or training and the food is frozen quality. Nothing like you imagine when you first walk in. My first experience wasn't that bad and warranted another try - yay. I was a little surprised they didn't seem to want to go above and beyond with the food to match the décor, but eh. Didn't help when we had to keep asking our server for the same things, repeatedly. Second visit, I nearly walked out before even being seated. We came March Madness wanting to watch a game in a booth. We explained same to the hostess and that we were ok waiting for a booth to open. If you could have seen the look on her face. She looked around at the open tables, as if she was being put out and then I sensed hesitation which was a little embarrassing to me. Please understand you are the first face people see when they walk in! I've hosted, served and bartended in my days - so I'm aware of things. Meanwhile we sit at a round-top and order a drink from the bar. The bartender on my first night was friendly, smiled and gave the common, how are you folks tonight. This night the bartender had a serious attitude problem, never even looked me in the face, and wasn't that busy either. Ok, so much for socialization... Then, I notice people at a booth getting up and as I am looking at the hostess to notice as well, she picks up menus and proceeds to walk over to the booth to sit people down -- and the table is being cleared just in time for the new people. Nice! I politely waited and went over to her and asked why she didn't seat us there since we were waiting. She looked around as if she didn't know what I was talking about, double nice! A server overheard and said his booth was getting ready to leave and we could sit there. The hostess just went back to staring at the walls, never said a word... The server was nice, but again they messed up our orders and my daughter's hamburger came out cold in the end. I can't take it anymore. I will not be going back. My friends also live in the neighborhood and own restaurants in DC, and they surprisingly liked the place. Although, we went on different nights and had different things. So I guess it is a mixed judgment. I just feel I work too hard to go out and be treated rudely and be served such bad food. It's rare that I get time to go out. BTW - I keep seeing the owner responding on here to come and ask for him, but where were you on the two occasions I came in, when clearly things went amuck both times. I would think you should have made yourself known. In a place that is presenting itself as a neighborhood spot it seems you would just walk around to great people anyway. That's what I expected in a new, cool neighborhood place like this. And please rethink where your promoter is leaving flyers on cars, specifically in St. Elizabeth's church parking lot - it's inappropriate nor eco friendly. Sorry... Grilled Oyster it is! In response to Ben F's "Business Owner" comment left on 4/29/14: Not fake. I'm real and I live around the corner. Perhaps I should have been clearer and said first review ever on Yelp!? -- I'll come in and introduce myself to you this weekend. Fair?
(1)Nate S.
Ive been to Benny's several times since they have opened! I usually sit in the bar area as i liked the big bay windows and the TV's keep it very entertaining. The drinks are as advertised...."best damn drinks in town" and the food did not disappoint. Portion sizes are overly generous and food was full of flavor. Ive had the burger, always juicy on a soft bun, chicken tenders--crispy and juicy, ribs--fall off bone, and cant forget about the desserts. Great cheesecake and a rediculous ice cream sundae. Last time i was in they had a great Jazz trio that provided great entertainment in addition to watching the college football games on the 8 big screens. Overall--great experiences. Kid friendly, good atmosphere, friendly service and great food. Great neighborhood bar and grill! Give it a shot and you will not be disappointed.
(5)Wes F.
We've been here twice and enjoyed ourselves both times. Its tucked away in the back of the shopping center and I really think that its biggest challenge it needs to overcome. The food and service were both good - exceeded our expectations given the location and newness. Its bar food and pretty good at that - the appetizers were good, burgers, pizza, etc. I also got to enjoy my son's leftover chicken fingers and was impressed with them as well. If my wife was more in the mood for bar food, we'd probably be back more often.
(4)Matthew W.
I was in Potomac for the weekend and stopped by Benny's for dinner and a beer. I went with a burger and fries and was pleasantly surprised. Best burger of my life? No. But very solid and if I am ever in Potomac again I will come by again!
(4)Steve P.
Other than a bug in my drink, a dirty menu, and high prices, Benny's is ok. Seems it is becoming a victim if complacency as the years go by. Hoping my next time is a better experience. I will give them another try as the food is good.
(3)Dan C.
Slow service, with attitudes and decor better suited to suburban New Jersey.
(1)John M.
Finally checked out Benny's as we all agreed that our area was in need of a new, fun restaurant. Overall review only fair. Food was good: salmon entree, chopped salad and turkey burger. Service, including greeting was very nice and really fast. I'd return except for the noise level, which was so loud we couldn't have a conversation. This is probably because all surfaces in the place are hard. Hard tile floors, wooden bench tables and booths, and some type of hard tile for the ceiling. When it's full, my suggestion is to expect to eat, but not talk.
(3)Troy H.
Came here for the second time with my friend Brandi. She got the turkey burger ( she gives it 8/10). I got the Philly steak and cheese. I won't give it a number lol. The meat itself was a little bland and could stand to be marinated, the cheese and veggie toppings were good as are their fries. The bartender Chris is very personable though wasn't sure.I'd he noticed us come in right away. He had a great personality and made our evening enjoyable. I would've given it 5 stars but he didn't offer water. Other than that the sandwich was overall alright. I'm definitely coming back bc the service was awesome. The servers I met around the restaurant were also super friendly and very cool. The ambience is very nostalgic of the 50's era. An easy place to relax with friends. Everyone in Potomac should at least come here once lolll. It's cooooool.
(4)Helen L.
This place does not even deserve one Star. When you first walk in, you expect the place to be so much nicer than what it truly is. I went in with my family around 6:30. No one was being seated, I waited at least 40 minutes. I ordered a burger that was totally undercooked that took another 40 minutes to come out.My dad ordered steak, which was absolutely leathery. And this crap quality of food came with a hefty bill that was not worth the time or money. In the middle of our dinner, our server also walked out and never came back. There was also a lot of yelling and screaming coming from the kitchen. Like the other reviews, this place is an absolute disaster. And from the looks of it, the owner doesn't manage the restaurant, but sits at his bar and smoke cigars like the picture on the restaurant's website. Someone call Gordon Ramsay on Kitchen's Nightmares. *Came back to check on this place and it amazes me that the owner has an excuse for all the bad reviews instead of admitting that there was something wrong that night. The blame is always on you, the customer, not the restaurant! That customer service!
(1)Steve G.
My wife and I went to Benny's on Sunday to watch the 1 pm NFL games. After finishing our meal some time in the 3rd quarter (an appetizer, 2 entrees, and 2 beers), , the owner/manager (not sure which one) approached us and asked us to move because he had a party of 6 that wanted to be seated. We arrived early, before the games, to ensure we had a good seat with a direct view of the game we had come there specifically to watch. We even called ahead to make sure they would be playing our game and were told that they broadcast all the NFL games each Sunday. A restaurant owner should never ask a party to leave their table to make room for another party. As a member of the service industry, this is a rule you learn your first day on the job. This is especially the case If a restaurant advertises itself as an NFL sunday spot. They certainly should not be asking customers to leave their table in the middle of their game. When we told him we were watching our game he told us there were two seats available at the bar. Had we wanted to sit at the bar we would have chosen seats at the bar when we arrived 30 minutes before kick off. Even after we were reluctant to move, the owner/manager pushed the issue telling us there were people here who "wanted to eat". No mind that we had just spent $68 on our meal there. At this point we didn't want to give Benny's anymore of our business so we left and as we were walking out the manager/owner asked us from across other tables "you guys aren't mad, are you?" About the food- Benny's claims to have delicious salads with homemade dressings but their greek salad is basically 95% lettuce. The rest of their menu is below average bar food- mostly fried entrees- nothing much original. For example, our nacho appetizer was covered in mostly unmelted grated cheese. I can appreciate good, unhealthy bar fare but there are plenty of other spots that offer better quality food for the same price (or cheaper). This spot in cabin john plaza has had turnover before. I wouldn't be surprised if Benny's doesn't make it. On my next NFL sunday I'm planning to hit another of the million other spots in the Rockville/Potomac/Bethesda area. Benny, sorry for the crappy review. You guys aren't mad, are you?
(1)Hillary G.
I hate to do this because I live in the neighborhood and really wanted Benny's to be good. But the food was barely mediocre and the service kind of clueless. Tossed salad first course was adequate although the server brought the wrong dressing. Main course "southwestern salad" was described as having beans, corn, tortilla strips and grilled chicken. Reality was torn pieces of sliced chicken that looked and tasted like it came from the deli case at Giant,. Very few if any beans or corn. Had to ask them to bring tortilla strips. The salad just had no flavor at all. My DH's burger was tasty enough (Yay!) but the fries were very brown and not crisp, and were left on the plate. Highly unlikely we will return.
(1)My I.
Went to Benny's again at lunch. Ordered a glass of water. Noticed white flecks floating around. The waiter quickly got us new glasses, but there was still white stuff. The manager did not apologize or offer an alternative. Just blamed it on the filters. They offered no alternative drink that didn't come out of their dispenser (and I didn't want alcohol since it was at lunch during the week). Food was very good, but way to large of a serving for lunch. Hey Benny's, why not cut the portion down a bit? Maybe if you did, you'd get more than 3 tables at a time during lunch. Three strikes. You're out.
(1)Rob C.
My wife and I went to BBG with our two kids (4 and 7) this evening for dinner. I had high hopes given that Potomac could use some restaurants that are both adult and kid friendly. The menu held a lot of promise, consisting of salads, sandwiches, pizzas and entrees. The prices are reasonable by Potomac standards. They lack a kids menu, odd given the percentage of families in the Potomac area. I ordered the Shanghai Chopped salad. I was enthusiastic based on the description but the execution was subpar. The dressing was low impact and the salad was relatively tasteless. My wife had the Sloppy Joe's. The SJ was more flavorful, with a distinct barbecue flavor, however she found a number of bones in the mixture that left her concerned. My daughter had mac and cheese. It arrived in a small cast iron skillet, a+ for presentation, but it didn't have much flavor. My son ordered Chicken Tenders and fries. The fries were not bad, but the tenders also didn't have much taste and the chicken could have been better prepared as we encountered a number of fat/tendons that should have been trimmed prior to battering and cooking. The waitstaff was enthusiastic, but the service was very slow, particularly given the quality of the food. Let's hope that this can be chalked up to growing pains and this place will improve over time, we could surely use some more dining options in Potomac. For now, Clyde's offers a much better option in the area for family friendly american faire and the Grilled Oyster Company offers the absolute best dining option in Cabin John Mall for distinguished palates with kids.
(2)Thomas B.
I was going to go to the new deli around the corner (it shall remain nameless as I cannot at this time review it since I have not been there). There was too much of a wait on a Saturday afternoon for a hungry shopper like me. We went in and looked at the menu, decent selection for lunch, so we stayed. We both ordered the burger - one classic burger and one bacon burger. The burgers arrived in a decent amount of time, although they had reversed our cooking temperatures, the burgers were very good. If you eat your medium, I would have them go a bit closer to medium well as one burger was a bit undercooked. The french fries were good, but could have been a little hotter and crispier. All in all, I consider these very minor offenses in the scheme of things. The food was reasonable and the service was good. I believe Benny's is still getting into the swing of things from their opening. I was glad that it was good as it is close by. It will be a great place to take out of town guests because it is close by when I want something quick with a bit of atmosphere. The decor is great. The music is great. It is hard to believe that a Popeye's Chicken used to reside in that same spot! I like it and I am glad they are here in the neighborhood. Potomac is shaping up with some decent dining options. Hurray!
(4)Julie F.
After seeing the camel testicle review I had to try this place out. But I must admit, I was SORELY disappointed. No matter how hard I looked, I just couldn't find the camel testicles that were promised. I even asked for the...Special menu. But alas, this place is testicle free. The pizza is really good, I recommend ordering it well done it makes the crust extra crispy. Their burgers are really good too and you have to try the $5 cosmos. Overall pretty good experience, you know except for the lack of camel testicles.
(4)Scott D.
We finally made it a point to check out Benny's. It was buzzing for a Sunday evening. I really enjoyed the decor. It reminded me of a club Frank and Dino would have gone to in the '40's or '50's. The front dining area also has garage doors that open to let the evening in. That would be nice in the spring and fall, but I was glad they kept them closed in 75% humidity on this night. Overall, I liked it quite well and look forward to coming back. I ordered a pastrami ruben. It was quite delicious with a generous portion of meat. It came to the table hot and melty with the rye bread toasted just enough to give it body but not so much that it tears up the roof of your mouth. The pastrami was flavorful and tender, not chewy or stringy at all. Served with hearty, skin-on fries and cole slaw. The slaw was good but uninteresting. A very traditional preparation but that may be what they are going for here. My son enjoyed a burger. The bun was a nice "bakery-style" bun rather than a more familiar roll. My wife did the "make your own" salad thing. Lots of options available, but it could easily get pretty expensive. She went simple and got a large healthy salad. They bring these little onion rolled-breads to the table. They are a different twist on service bread. I liked them, but they were a bit dry (as others have said). We also ordered hush puppies for an appetizer (which came after our entrees). They were definitely not a traditional hush puppy. They were really funnel-cake-balls made with corn meal. They actually might be a good dessert or bar snack. I'm not a huge hush puppy fan, so I'll leave it at that. I think Benny's is on the right track with their food. I look forward to visiting again and trying out other dishes and cocktails. They do need to step up the service a bit. Service was friendly, cheerful but not as sharp and polished as it should be. Edit: Visited again for happy hour. Their bar scene is nice. We enjoyed talking to a chatty bartender who shared stories of the owner, Montgomery Doughnuts, and beers he brews. He mixed a nice gin martini for me and took some care to make a Moscow mule for my wife. Strangers were chatting and enjoying the evening. Appetizers are 1$ off for HH. I ordered calamari. Light breading. Very tender. Not overcooked. Advertised a red pepper aioli, but came with blue cheese dressing and marinara sauce. Still delicious.
(4)Lee O.
Wow. This place is fantastic. Service is very good and very quick. The food is spectacular. I tried the chicken wings and also the BBQ half rack of ribs and the chocolate dessert. All are absolutely amazing and worth the drive on their own. It's a LITTLE pricy but 100% worth it
(4)Amy P.
Went last night, sat at a table at bar. It was good, nothing spectacular, but solid. We ordered the white pizza and the spinach and artichoke dip for apps - both very good. For dinner we had the grilled salmon, a crab cake and a burger. The grilled salmon was delicious, the crab cake was loaded with crab (not fillers) and came with their "remoulade" which was essentially mayo - needs improvement. The burger was great. My first impression of the atmosphere and menu is "a diner with a bar". I think I expected more, but nonetheless, a good addition to Cabin John Shopping center. Will return.
(4)Colleen M.
We went there to check out the new place. The atmosphere was very welcoming. Our waitress was very helpful and knew the menu also. I got the crab cake dinner with mash potatoes and green beans, and my boyfriend got the chicken sandwich. The crab cakes where lump crab meat and a good size. The chicken sandwich was good also but there wasn't to much that was special about it. Although We did get good portions of food I thought it was a little expensive. I also asked about there happy hour which starts at 2:30-630 mon-Friday. The specials where not to impressing $1 off cocktails, $1 beer, and $2 off wine. I feel I can go somewhere on Rockville pike and get better deals and it is still close.
(3)Randi V.
Second visit. Service was great even though the place was hoping. Food was delicious. Fish had a wonderful grilled flavor but was still moist. Good portions and fair prices.
(5)Barry G.
This was my first visit to Benny's. After reading alot of the bad reviews as against the good reviews for Benny's, I think the majority of the bad ones were friends of Benny's father who really has it against his son...why I have no idea but the food I had (the meat pizza) was in my opinion one of the best pizzas I've had in a while. The crust was thin and crispy just the way I liked it, the pizza was spicy without being overly hot (I like spicy but only to a point), the service was great and fast. At one point I had finished my iced tea and was doing something on my phone and when I looked up from it, there was a fresh iced tea in it's place....WOW. Now that's what I call service. The owner came over and asked me what I thought and I told him it was an excellent pizza. The cost was in line with the other places in the area that charges about the same if not more for a 10 inch pizza (all meat now) except I think Benny's was a little lower than most. I will be returning there with friends in the future. Good restaurant, good food for the money, and great service.......Good luck Benny. I'll be back!
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