BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse

Offa

California

3.03/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3 | $$$

This is the local BJ's branch in Santa Rosa. It is fairly new, having opened less than a year ago. I have been a couple times and each time had about the same impression. I should note that I have only been at lunch time.

The lace itself is large and flashy in a chain way, which I partly don't like, but it is nevertheless nice. It has a large outdoor seating area, nicely covered, but then that faces a parking lot, a minus. The overall decor outside and in is kind of nice, if rather commercial-big-business-like. The outside is interesting mostly because of the large fresco/mural on the outside that gives the impression of a Soviet-bloc state - the presence of grain, though logical since this is a beer place, adds to that effect since grain was a common symbol of all the old Soviet-bloc or other so-called "communist" states - and I immediately think of the large mosaic in central Tirana, Albania.

Anyway, this is the first Bj's I've been to and I find the beer ranging from decent to very sub-par, although I've had only a few thus far. They are all simple, not only lacking uniqueness or originality but, much more importantly, not even being well-balanced, characterful, well-made beers for the most part. That said, one or two I've had are pretty good and enjoyable, if simple and a bit sweet. One, the porter, is very simple and too sweet. The good ones are, at least, worth drinking and the place is not a total dud for beer. The range also is pretty standard.

Service has been pretty good, fairly attentive, friendly, and reasonably efficient if a bit too much of the very corporate-feeling type with nothing but overly cheerful, overly "beautiful" cardboard model-types who all look the same and who all look like they were in a Heineken ad.

Food is not great or well-crafted but it is pretty good, especially considering that it's mass-produced chain food probably mostly prepared in some central industrial kitchen 1000 miles away and then shipped pre-made. Then again, I've only had a couple of the salads and nothing else, so my experience is limited.

Prices are reasonable in absolute terms, but not reasonable for the quality that you get.

11-11-2012 01:05:38 | More by Offa