Benjamin Restaurant & Bar

I think of a Bar & Grill as a dark, unkempt place for the losers of our society to forget their failures.... more

I think of a Bar & Grill as a dark, unkempt place for the losers of our society to forget their failures. Benjamin’s Bar and Grill is nothing like ... more

This is an oldie but a goodie. Menu obviously attempts to stay up to date. It's a 'hole in the wall' nothing trendy or obnoxious, a neighborhood feel. I was there with a bunch of old timers from the neighborhood and loved everything about it. My waitress was so professional and friendly and my meal was very good. Pros: Old NY style GREAT service Cons: non more

A dear friend, who lives in the area brought me there after work on a Friday night. We sat at the bar and were served by a pleasant waitress. The cocktails were made perfectly. We got there a little early but by the time we ordered our entrees the place was filling up. It wasn't a loud gathering, it was a friendly sociable atmosphere. THe crabcake sandwich with the jalapeno tartar sauce was crispy and bright. My friend's Asian flank steak salad was sweet and fresh tasting. Al the bartender was busy by now but still managed to find time to talk to everyone at the bar. All in all we had a wonderful time. Pros: friendly bar staff, Good food, charming decor Cons: Couldn't find any more

We found this place by accident. We were looking for THE UNDERGROUND down the street. The sign there said ""closed for private party."" (We're not so sure. We heard that it was closed for good. ) The bar next door, called something like Hook and Ladder, seemed to be filled with the usual awful jocks-and-their-broads crowd. This corner bar was moderately full with what looked like regulars. Lotsa wood on the walls, tables with street view windows. Music at less than ear-splitting volume. The beer list wasn't spectacular, but they did have a decent one from Hawaii... on tap! The food was decent, but surprisingly pricey for such a low-key place. 4-shrimp for $10! Jesse, the bartender/waiter/maitre d' and everything else was GREAT! A great server and a great conversationalist. He was worth the extra $10 each. --Drink Club NYC is a roving group of NYC drinkers Pros: Great bartender, quiet, super-friendly Cons: food expensive for the decor/style more

Benjamin is around the corner from my first NYC apartment, and was a great find. I have been going for years, and have always had delicious food. Every time my Mom is in town, she craves their chicken piccata. Their early bird special from 5 - 7 pm is quite a deal - soup or salad, entree, coffee and desert for $13.95!. And the dinner portions are huge. The Teriyaki Ahi Tuna is scrumptious. I highly recommend Benjamin! Pros: well priced early bird special, tasty food Cons: draft beer is not cheap more

the most comfortable place outside my own kitchen. i eat there at least 2-3 times a week, and have not had a bad meal in 8 months. had thanksgiving there, election night, etc....its cozy, friendly, comfortable, overall excellent. just what a restaurant should be. more

This is without a doubt my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. We eat here at least twice a week. Staff is very friendly. The manager has been here a while and everyone knows her name. It's casual yet the specials are right on. I love the daily fish specials. My wife is more into the salads (which are enormous!) more

This is a surprisingly good restaurant in deadsville Murray Hill. Not cheap but the portions are large and the food was well prepared. The atmosphere is better than a pub. They seem to make an effort and I appreciated that. Benjamin is perfect for a low-energy post-work Friday or for dinner with relatives visiting New York. I would happily go here again...provided I'm in deadsville. Pros: Food, atmopshere, cozy Cons: TV, limited beers more

i go here sometimes on my lunch hour and the service is always slow - today we had to ask twice just to have our order taken. that being said the food is delicious. a lot of places in the area have lunch specials but if you are in the mood to splurge then go for it -- they do have a dinner special though that's a good value. more

Have liked everything we've tried here. Staff is friendly and relaxed. This is a great place to go before you see a movie down the street. more

Like many reviewers, I live in the nabe and stop by here now and again for some meatloaf or chicken potpie. I agree that the service leaves a lot to be desired - but the place is usually crowded nevertheless. It's got a great, warm, and neighborhoody feel, what with all the wood everywhere and the muted lighting so it's a nice place in the colder months. They also make a mean martini. Just make sure you're insistent with your server and you'll be fine. Pros: Food, ambience, proximity to Loews movie theater. Cons: Slow waitstaff more

I live in the neighborhood and this place has always had a constant traffic flow. It was decent food & service, away from the noise of 3rd ave. THAT HAS ALL CHANGED. The menu has changed to more pub food & the service is AWFUL. I placed an order in person for delivery (1.5 blks) and it was a big deal. Not only was my order wrong, they decided they couldn't make the pizza without cheese and decided to just NOT TELL ME. Instead of calling to ask if I wanted something else, they just didn't deliver it. So when I called to ask WHY cheeseless pizza was so hard I was told ""the cook refuses to take the cheese off."" After being assured the pizza isn't frozen & pre-made, meaning it could physically be made without cheese, they flat out refused again. No apology, nothing, just the manager yelling back at me and not listening. POOR service, POOR menu revision and POOR food prep. Cons: Service, Value, Menu more

I went to have a relaxing glass of wine and appetizer after a long day at work. After I was done eating, I was enjoying my second glass of wine when I saw a huge cockaroach crawling toward me on the banquet! So I lept up and screamed and hailed the waiter over to get rid of it. He noncholantly swatted a napkin around the seats and promptly served me the check, with a wan ""sorry about that"" mumble. I paid it, while itching all over from the heeby-jeebies. I left the restaurant disgusted, and walked across the street into Baskin Robins, when I felt something on my shoulder, guess what? It was a huge cockaroach that had climbed onto me from the restaurant! The nice guys at baskin robbins got rid of it for me after I brushed it off my shoulder. It the same one for all I know. I thought it was my civic duty to tell this restaurant what happened and maybe they could not charge my credit card. NO LUCK! I was treeated as though I planted the offending beasts. I was sick to my stomach about the whole affair. AVOID THIS RESTAUARANT AT ALL COSTS. Unless you line rude service, and huge cockaroaches stowing away on clothes. Pros: see comments Cons: see comments more

I went in for a casual Sunday night dinner with a few friends and left annoyed and baffled by the experience. The food was average at best. The service was s-l-o-w. And our one very ordinary and simple request was denied for no other reason than ""Nope. House-rules."" The place is run and managed by a bunch of clowns. And rude ones at that. I will definitely never go back and neither should you. Pros: location Cons: service, unaccommodating, rude more

We have eaten here several times, as it is in our neighborhood and has an EXCELLENT dinner special. Today we waited 20 min. to be seated, 15 min. to order, 20 min. for an appetizer, 15 min. for a salad, and 20 min. for dinner. The waitress, host, and bus staff were sitting around at the bar while the patrons were all complaining about the service...and the restaurant wasn't even filled! Our dinner special included dessert, but our slow and unhelpful waitress didn't bother asking if we wanted any. I will go back only because the food is incredible and extremely well-valued, but as for the waiters and staff...I hope you have a fall-back career plan. Pros: great dinner special, inexpensive Cons: horrible service, apathethic staff more

Nothing terribly bad to say about it. Decent, affordable food, but a little heavy handed with the seasoning sometimes. Clean enough, conscientious staff. You won't be wowed, be you'll be satisfied. Very narrow spaces divided by a wall, which makes for cozy dining. more