Restaurant Spotlight of the Week

“Sláinte!” From the first greeting on your coaster to the boisterous and outgoing waiters and servers, you know pretty quickly that you’re in for a treat when you step into Bennigan’s. The greeting, which is Gaelic for “To your health!” serves as a symbol for the restaurant itself. Specifically, it represents the cheer and generosity present in the restaurant’s Irish roots.

Bennigan’s, a restaurant-pub hybrid of sorts, prides itself on the rich variety of its food and the sense of community present in the booths and at the bar. You can expect a plethora of food types, some more traditional, some more original. Regardless, it’s safe to say you’ll be content.

The first thing you’ll notice, of course, is the atmosphere of the restaurant. The music plays at a hearty volume, the whole restaurant possesses a constant cheerful murmur of its patrons in the evening and a more subdued and chilled atmosphere during the day. The walls, adorned with antiques and memorabilia, seem to saturate the restaurant with life. It’s a place where you can watch the game on the TV by the bar from any place, and get along with others, no matter how well you know them.

Of course, the atmosphere isn’t exactly the main selling point of Bennigan’s. The main focus is, of course, its food! The appetizers truly fit their heading: the more traditional, yet infinitely savory Golden Chicken Strips are mouth-watering alongside the Honey-Dijon dressing, both of which rest on a bed of lettuce. The standard soup and salad lineup is also available. If you want to try something new for a starter, those options are open to you as well: the Irish Haystack is a tasty pile of thinly sliced, fried, and battered red onions, served with “Irish stout ketchup,” a tantalizing alternative to the standard dressing fare.

Desserts are similarly tempting, but more so due to their rich tastes of chocolate. The featured Brownie Bottom Pie evokes memories of fudge sundaes from childhood (and I’m sure you’ll agree that’s a great thing to do) with its rich brownie and supreme vanilla ice cream. Other tasty flavors include apple sizzlers and cheesecakes, but it should be noted that both these take a back seat to the chocolate desserts.

And to think that both the appetizers and the desserts simply act as bookends to the main course. For the actual meal, you can expect premium burgers and sandwiches, tasty steak & seafood, and excellent chicken. Like the appetizers, you have your pick of your old time favorites or completely new dishes. The burgers are among the best, whether you order the nutritious vegetarian Boca Burger or the colossal Big Irish. Of course, there’s the bigger brother of the Golden Chicken Strips, which is just as good as the appetizer. There are some great and unique sandwiches to expect, such as the Monte Cristo: stacked with meat and cheese on the inside, and then battered and fried until golden, topped with powdered sugar and served with a raspberry dipping sauce. While it might sound all over the map, the final product comes together to form something great.

And ultimately, the same can be said about Bennigan’s as a whole. It’s an eclectic place to dine, especially if you just want to have some great conversation. So hey, to your health!