Post by calliope on Sept 19, 2006 20:26:03 GMT -6
I don't exactly have a critique of Benjamin's, since I didn't actually get to eat their food, but I just have to share my experience there, since it was so weird.
First, let me say that I went there with my hubby, and we walked in with no idea what we might find. We were pleasantly surprised at how elegant the placed looked. There was a big chandelier and a baby grand piano, lovely table settings -- very nice.
But as soon as we walked in the door, two big bouncer guys popped over and demanded a $5 cover charged. Hubby told them that we were there for dinner, not just drinks or whatever. Nope, they still wanted the cover charge, even though there was no band in sight. There wasn't even anyone playing the piano.
We paid anyway -- I don't know why -- and they passed us off to a waitress/hostess person, who asked if we had reservations. We didn't, and she got all flustered and said there was just no way she could work us in because she had a full house. Now, I'm not sure where she was keeping all these supposed patrons, because there were only a couple of tables of diners there. Not even close to full.
Anyway, she finally told us that we'd have to take a table at the Big Easy, next door. (Apparently, both places are owned by the same folks, and there's an adjoining door between them.) By that time, we were pretty hungry, so we just did what she said, went to the Big Easy, and ordered dinner. I asked about the cover charge, and our waitress said, "Oh, that's just for Benjamin's." I asked if we could get our money back on the cover charge, and she said she really didn't know, since they had collected it next door.
We were a little aggravated, but it wasn't her fault, so we just let it go. I found out later that a band did play at the Big Easy (not Benjamin's) later that night, but not while we were there.
Isn't that bizarre? I mean, the point of a cover charge is to keep people from just taking up space to see the band. I've never paid a cover charge to go into a restaurant for a meal.
Like I said, I don't have a critique of Benjamin's, since we didn't even get to see a menu there. But the Big Easy is still the Big Greasy. Nothing new there.
First, let me say that I went there with my hubby, and we walked in with no idea what we might find. We were pleasantly surprised at how elegant the placed looked. There was a big chandelier and a baby grand piano, lovely table settings -- very nice.
But as soon as we walked in the door, two big bouncer guys popped over and demanded a $5 cover charged. Hubby told them that we were there for dinner, not just drinks or whatever. Nope, they still wanted the cover charge, even though there was no band in sight. There wasn't even anyone playing the piano.
We paid anyway -- I don't know why -- and they passed us off to a waitress/hostess person, who asked if we had reservations. We didn't, and she got all flustered and said there was just no way she could work us in because she had a full house. Now, I'm not sure where she was keeping all these supposed patrons, because there were only a couple of tables of diners there. Not even close to full.
Anyway, she finally told us that we'd have to take a table at the Big Easy, next door. (Apparently, both places are owned by the same folks, and there's an adjoining door between them.) By that time, we were pretty hungry, so we just did what she said, went to the Big Easy, and ordered dinner. I asked about the cover charge, and our waitress said, "Oh, that's just for Benjamin's." I asked if we could get our money back on the cover charge, and she said she really didn't know, since they had collected it next door.
We were a little aggravated, but it wasn't her fault, so we just let it go. I found out later that a band did play at the Big Easy (not Benjamin's) later that night, but not while we were there.
Isn't that bizarre? I mean, the point of a cover charge is to keep people from just taking up space to see the band. I've never paid a cover charge to go into a restaurant for a meal.
Like I said, I don't have a critique of Benjamin's, since we didn't even get to see a menu there. But the Big Easy is still the Big Greasy. Nothing new there.
