THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 26, 1995 TAG: 9511270187
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY PAT DOOLEY, FLAVOR EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 126 lines
IF YOU plan to sup at Bennigan's alone, don't take a book for dinnertime reading. The chain's new, expanded menu - offered at its Lynnhaven and Hampton outlets - is so thick, you could spend the evening poring over it.
One recent weeknight, three of us easily devoted a half-hour to page after laminated page. The hardbound menu is divided into categories, with tabs for quick reference: appetizers; entrees; soups and salads; desserts; beverages.
Overwhelmed nonetheless, we ordered a couple of appetizers to share, and browsed the dinner selections a while longer.
Appetizers include the standard chain selections, such as fried cheese, potato skins, beer-battered shrimp and nachos. We ordered the Benningan's Best Sampler - cheese sticks, skins and Buffalo wings ($7.99) - and a 1/4 pound of beer-boilded shrimp ($5.99, or $8.99 a half-pound).
Our seven medium-size shrimp were perfectly cooked, and served atop a tiny ``bucket'' of ice, garnished with lemon wedges and a not-too-spicy cocktail sauce.
The sampler consisted three oversized cheese sticks, tasty, gooey and thinly coated in a crunchy breading; a small heap of deliciously spicy wings; and a mound of potato skins, slightly greasy and long on the salt but short on the potato. For dipping on the side were blue cheese, sour cream and a bland tomatoey sauce. Though we hadn't ordered fries, we spotted a stray one nestled in our blue cheese; our waitress apologized and brought us a fresh bowl.
Appetizers were filling, and reasonably priced. They easily could have made a dinner, especially if we'd added a side salad or something from the list of ``sides,'' which includes cinnamon apples and grilled vegetable medley.
But we were set on ordering entrees; the choices are abundant. Bennigan's clearly tries to please the masses, with offerings from burgers, chicken-fried steak and the egg-dipped and grilled Monte Cristo, to fish specials, grilled chicken and a page of ``no sin'' selections.
Our server patiently answered our questions about various entrees and, if she didn't know the answer, cheerily volunteered to ask in the kitchen.
We decided to forgo the heartier fare - chicken-fried steak and the Monte Cristo are quite popular, our server said - in favor of more manageable meals. (We already were eyeing two pages of desserts.)
Tequila Shrimp ($8.99), from the expanded menu and not served at all Bennigan's - brought about a half-dozen tender shrimp atop a bowlful of fettuccine in a pungent cilantro cream sauce.
A side salad ($1.29 with entrees) was actually Bennigan's Tavern Salad, large and comprised of fresh greens, tomato chunks, Cheddar cheese, croutons, real bacon and red cabbage. Blue cheese dressing was served on the side.
Ribs O'Riley ($10.49) meant a hefty portion of baby backs, slathered in a sweet but tangy sauce of molasses and ketchup. The ribs are mesquite grilled on-site every morning, our server said. They were served alongside a fresh-tasting coleslaw and sweet bowl of cinnamon apples, both nice complements to the tasty ribs.
Listed under pastas, Chicken Olympic ($7.49) could have been a ``no sin'' entree: a skinless, chargilled chicken breast was cooked just right, and served atop brown rice. A crunchy medley of steamed, grated vegetables on the side included zucchini and carrots.
A basket of three breads came with our entrees: a bland cheese and beer combination; an overly sweet cornbread; and a too-thick focaccia that tasted of baking soda.
We nibbled a while, then asked for cartons to carry home what remained of our sizeable entrees, still determined to sample dessert.
We pondered the list of confections, while sipping decent fresh-brewed coffee and decaf; we didn't see cappuccino or espresso listed on the menu.
Bennigan's offers a wide selection of beers, wine and other beverages. Patrons can join the Copper Clover Club and sample from a selection of 99 international and micro brews.
Desserts include a Key lime pie and several chocolate treats; most are made off-premises, our server said. We sampled Sinless Sundae ($3.29), made on-site and consisting of low-fat frozen yogurt and banana sandwiched between two low-fat chocolate cookies and dusted with confectioners' sugar.
We appreciated Bennigan's attempt to assuage our guilt, but all agreed we'd rather have a few bites of the sinful Crumby Yummy Peanut Pie ($3.99), a gooey conglomeration of chocolate and peanut butter topped with peanut butter cups and served in an overly sweet cookie-crumb crust.
A spokesperson at Bennigan's headquarters in Dallas, Texas, said the Lynnhaven and Hampton stores also feature updated decor, including a hostess station immediately inside the entrance. We were pleasantly greeted on arrival, and seated immediately.
The restaurant features the well-worn memorabilia-on-the-wall theme, but was comfortably casual. Green vinyl cloths top the tables, lighting is appropriately soft, and piped-in contemporary music is audible but not too loud. The restaurant is trimmed in brass and dark wood, and an elevated bar - full on this weeknight - sits center stage.
For a casual, inexpensive night out, Bennigan's makes a noteworthy attempt to please every appetite, from the finicky to the ravenous. Just give yourself some extra time - to peruse the menu. MEMO: Reviews of chain restaurants with stores in Hampton Roads are based on a
single, unannounced visit. The Virginian-Pilot pays for the reviewer's
meal and those of the guests.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
ROY A. BAHLS
Tequila Shrimp is among the expanded selections at the Lynnhaven
Bennigan's.
Graphic
CHAIN REACTION
Bennigan's, 757 Lynnhaven Parkway, Virginia Beach. 463-7100.
Cuisine: a little bit of everything, from standard burgers,
nightly fish specials, ``comfort'' foods such as Yankee pot roast,
and a page of ``No-Sin'' entrees.
Atmosphere: casual and clubby; featuring booths and tables, dark
woods and brass trim; walls lined with memorabilia; and an elevated
center bar.
Prices: lunches average $6 for sandwiches; dinner starters from
$4.19 to $8.99; soups and salads from $1.99 to $6.49; main dishes
from $5.89 to $10.49; desserts from $3.29 to $3.49; nightly specials
and children's menu.
Hours: from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; from
11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; lunch served in 15
minutes or less from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
Reservations: accepted, but not guaranteed on weekends.
Smoking: nonsmoking section.
Owned by: the Metromedia Restaurant Group in Dallas, with 220
Bennigan's nationwide, including one each in Virginia Beach, Norfolk
and Hampton. The first store was opened in Atlanta in 1976. The
group also owns Steak and Ale, Ponderosa and Bonanza restaurants.
by CNB