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Bennigans: A Review
What we had walked into was one of the first restaurant franchises of its kind. The formula proved so profitable that TGI Friday's, Chile's, and Ruby Tuesday soon became household words. Principle One of the successful chain restaurant formula is to have a sort of universal fare. The advantage is that people seeking a familiar place to eat in a new town can enjoy brand consistency. Principle Two is to have a bar, in order to bring the restaurant a feeling of sophistication. Principle Three, of course, is to have stuff all over the walls. The intent is to make a memorable place to eat, and inject calculated whimsy into the atmosphere. This franchise was the prototype and now enjoys a modest success. With a name like Bennigan's, naturally there is a theme to this restaurant. The theme is Ireland itself. Walls are adorned with old signs for Irish products, along with photographs of Irishmen and paintings evoking Joyce's Dubliners. It's disappointing that the Irish theme doesn't extend to the menu. Can anyone deny the ironies of the tortilla soup I had here?
My group was seated by the young maitre d'. She told us, "I didn't think anybody else would show up today!" I didn't think so either, from the empty parking lot outside. There can be a very oppressive tone if you visit a public place that is eerily empty. Can you imagine anything more demoralizing than an empty amusement park? Thankfully, this wasn't the case on July Fourth. Probably ten people were eating, bringing just enough humanity to the room. In addition, our waiter was pleasing and never neglected our group. The young man was an Italian, and had the traditional Italian good nature. He checked in on us maybe a little too often, and even asked us if we needed anything between ordering and bringing the food! Poor guy, he was tricked into working during an American holiday and must have been very bored. In any case, the staff seemed nice enough.
Prices are no reason to avoid Bennigan's. Take it from me, I paid the bill. In a party of four the cost was ten dollars per head. Unless you want to load up on steak, things will be affordable. And what about the menu? In it I found sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, steaks, ribs, pasta, and chicken. These were quite the standard food choices. In addition you could try seafood: shrimp, salmon, cod, or a generic "Flaherty's Fish" (white fish). The truly astonishing inclusion was Tex-Mex. I already mentioned my tortilla soup, but perhaps you would like to contemplate the Mexican fajitas of an Irish restaurant. Obviously Bennigan's is not wanting for variety. The tortilla soup the cooks made was delicious. I think it had a chicken broth base, with just the right amount of chili peppers, soft beans, and spices. A liquid chicken burrito doesn't sound very appetizing, but accurately describes something well worth trying. In addition, I ordered a cheese-burger. This was the same burger I'd eaten 100 times before. I'm reminded of the old Texas A&M cafeteria, where I would have a burger every day. I can only blame myself for choosing such boring fare.. My comrades all got identical sandwiches: a Swiss and turkey center on a pretzel-bread base, the Turkey O'Toole. Our waiter thought so much solidarity was pretty weird.
I can't say the same for every Bennigan's, but at the one near the Hampton Colosseum there is too much mediocrity. The experience is likely to leave you asking, "What was the point?" The food is alright. My wallet still has money leftover from buying four lunches. I suppose the man who served us generally earns his tips. But in reviewing this restaurant I have reviewed every restaurant like it. You now know all you need about every Friday's, Tuesday's, Chili's, and Fuddruckers. And this is the big glaring problem of the restaurant. Something sinister hangs in the air at countless identical dining rooms across America: culinary déjà vu! I can't recommend this restaurant because Bennigan's is the sort of repetition I'm working against in my life. This, after all, is very short.
Why not try your courage at these websites?
Bennigan's
Friday's
Ruby Tuesdays
Fuddruckers -Good burgers, to be fair.
Chili's