While attending a conference in mid September at they Hyatt our group elected to choose Benny's. Being the Yelp Elite I am looked them up to see very mixed reviews. I also looked at the menu and found them much more pricey than I would have thought for the Jacksonville Landing. There are several really great steak options in Jacksonville and two are within a short cab drive. But our group insisted on this restaurant due to it's proximity to the hotel so we could walk. While walking through the Landing it was obvious the place was on it's last leg. I had heard earlier that day from a local there are plans to raze the buildings and open the beautiful waterfront property. Then replace it with another commercial endeavor. This to me had it's hay day and even then was still a tourist trap. A reservation was made for our group of 14 at 5:30 PM. When we walked in the place was dead and there was no issue with being seated at our table. Our party waited up front at the small bar for only a few moments. A woman seated us in the middle of the dining room. The male Indian waiter was over the top friendly, a little to friendly. I guess you have to experience what I mean to understand. He had jokes that were not funny and was difficult to understand. The menus were distributed and drinks were placed on the table in a timely manner. I noticed when looking around the dining room that there were areas of disrepair such as a ceiling tile completely missing. The carpet was worn and dirty as well as the wall stained. Bottom line the place is not being taken care of. I ordered the Ribeye and cannot recall the sides. Shortly after orders were taken bread came out. I found it to be unpalatable and did not finish it. I could see others in the group pushing the bread they put on there plate back on not partaking. I elected to go to the restroom while waiting on my entree. I found is to not be maintained, somewhat dirty, but not filthy. Our group waited for around an hour for our dinner as many diners from our conference began to pour in. So the place was full and LOUD! The food arrived over an hour later and at different times. The waiter was attentive to our drinks the whole time and was FRIENDLY! I consider myself somewhat of a steak connoiseur, I love a really good steak. I have settled at many places for less than great, but average. So when I say this steak was the worse I ever have I mean it. I was cooked the way I ordered it, but all fat, tough and flavorless. I could not wait to get out of the Benny's quick enough. So after just under two hours our group left and was almost late for our evening meeting. So imagine the other groups were definitely late, or just decided to not go at all. I would never even think of recommending this place to anyone. I don't think this review will matter that much for two reasons. First, I think they will close within the year. Second, I don't think folks look at yelp reviews if staying at at area hotels. The location seems to be the huge draw. I would never think of returning and am pretty confident that Benny's could care less about it's customer reviews. They have some pretty awful write ups and yet not one comment from the business owner in the several years I researched. Don't do it, to many other great restaurants in the area with very short cab.
(1)
Robyn C.
I guess this restaurant earned a 3 star review. The gumbo was delicious and worth coming in for. The blue crab dip was pretty good. The service was OK nothing exciting and the restaurant itself had a funky odor. Could have been from being right by the water. Feels like it could use a good cleaning. A little pricey The other waitstaff seemed more attentive maybe our guy was having an off day? Probably will try somewhere else next time.
(3)
Michael M.
View was great. Setting was nice. Cool live music. Started with calamari which they were about of. The waiter suggested the Asian tempura battered shrimp. Very tasty. I got the crab bisque. Very rich and creamy, but tasty. I decided to go with the grouper with artichokes and feta. Fish wash badly over cooked and felt like it was frozen and came out about a million degrees. Basically inedible. Mashed potatoes were gluey and cold. Banquet style veggies. For $30 bucks it was a severe disappointment. My friend got the chicken Parmesan which looked like an absolute mess. Nice view and that's about it. Unfortunate!
(2)
Nicole B.
When here for a conference we decided to check this place out. We ordered the shrimp cocktail to start, which tasted like it was from frozen. I ordered the green salad with shrimp, and my lunch partner got the penne and shrimp salad. We had amazing experiences elsewhere with local shrimp, so decided to order as much of it as possible. Big Mistake! The shrimp prepared at this place was not the same stuff - clearly from frozen, and tasted like it had barely thawed. Not grilled and juicy like the other shrimp we tasted locally. The salad and dressing were decent, but not worth the price tag. I did appreciate the setting, which is gorgeous on a sunny day.
(2)
Tantria J.
First visit & I had a great experience. The waitress was on point. She kept coming to check on us & was very friendly. We sat on the patio & I loved the view. We had the blue crab spinach dip. It was tasty but ny boyfriend didn't like it. We borh ordered the golden shrimp dinner. It was season good. Some food was pricey bur our bill was just $54. I will visit here again
(5)
Ali M.
Their food wasn't bad but wasn't worth the money at all. Our waiter was terribly pushy, kept trying to make us order drinks even if we really weren't even finished with our drinks. At the end, they charged us for gratuity and then didn't even put it on the second receipt so he even tricked us into paying double tip when he clearly didn't deserve it. Wouldn't go back or recommend. The second star was the view. But for that, hooters across the street had the same view, their food and drinks would have been better off. Save your money and don't eat here.
(2)
Tia H.
It. Was. Awesome. The staff was very attentive, the food was super yummy, the drink was strong, and our server, Mike, was a hoot. We came here after being turned away from the Italian restaurant because they were closing early. We sat down and received some of the best service I've ever gotten. From the beginning of the meal to the end, Mike was on it. We took his suggestion and ordered the Filet Christian and the 3 Seafood Pasta, and ordered the crab cake as an appetizer. So good. I also ordered a Scooby Snack (rum, schnapps, and some other stuff), which put me on my butt after trying to finish it. The view was spectacular, as we were sitting directly in front of the window facing the river. It was a tad expensive, but that's because I'm a broke college student who thinks that everything is expensive. Definitely worth it, though.
(5)
Marquita O.
A coworker and myself dined here around 7:30pm while attending a conference nearby and what a beautiful atmosphere. While we thought the food was a little pricey there was tons of it on our plate which definitely made up for the price. Food was great! I had the Chicken Parmesan, the sauce was not your average marinara but was delicious. My coworker had a T-Bone and it was a great cut and cooked exactly to his liking. Waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Will definitely go back again before I leave Jacksonville!
(4)
Eddie C.
Had the ribeye. It was good. But again very outdated decor. Carpet very old. Service was ok. But looked more like a crab shack next to the water
(3)
Andrew K.
Absolutely fantastic. Dont be put off by previous cheap skate reviews. Great food in an awesome location. Could not fault it in any way. AWESOME!
(5)
Kristy G.
I've eaten at Benny's once before, years ago, and don't remember it being this good! No offense, but I didn't expect to enjoy my dinner as much as I did considering the restaurant is located in the tourist trap that is Jacksonville Landing. We walked in about 10:15 pm (they close at 11pm, we had just gotten in to town) and were greeted by a very polite hostess/ manager. The restaurant was still busy and we asked to be sat outside by the water- it was nice except for the occasional crowd walking by and commenting on our food. The only thing negative I have to say about the whole experience is that the floors were littered with trash like the servers or bus boys did not sweep up during the shift and there were tons of tables that were un-bussed. It was the end of the night but as a restaurant manager myself, I know appearances are important. Our food and service was great. I ordered the mussels (like 2 dozen in one order!) and the Greek salad with grilled shrimp. Both were delicious. My boyfriend ordered the surf and turf, his only complaint was that his cut of steak seemed cheap, but was cooked perfectly. All in all it was a great dinner and I would return again if I ever venture down to Jax Landing.
(4)
Andrea M.
Skip this place and spend your hard earned $$ elsewhere. In short, horrendous service...or actually NO service. Additionally very dim and dark. Wait staff seemed overwhelmed and unorganized, management was walking around cursing under her breath because someone messed up something in a different section. Waitress took drink orders looking very confused. Dropped off drinks and never came back to take our dinner orders. So after 30min and having finished our drinks we left some cash on the table and left.
(1)
Jonathan W.
Went here based off of the recommendations from friends food was ok my meal was horrible. All meals were ridiculous over priced.
(1)
Kyle K.
Service was pretty good, and the food was mostly decent. It was strange to us how some of the food tasted great, but others were either bland, or just not cooked correctly(especially the Grouper), and the prices were very high for what it was in my opinion. The one thing that got on my nerves is that it is soooooooo dark in there. I saw people getting out the lights on their camera phones to read the menu. Would I come back here? Probably not, because I want what I pay in price to match in food quality.
(2)
Keely P.
Im only giving it 1stars for the location & service-the food is TERRIBLE! We stopped in while walking the river front & because my hubby wanted fresh oysters..First, no oyster, they took them off the menu, but havent taken them off the written menu.Second, crab soup was way too Salty and cold, not even luke warm..my hubby ended up ordering the bacon scallops and they came covered in plain ole bbq sauce, just gross..Third, and final straw, the shrimp & grits looked pretty, but had a huge pile of sysco shredded cheese-totally killed it, the flavor of the broth reminded me of tacos.i thought it was inedible..ill never ever come back here!!
(1)
Eric P.
Went to the Landing because there was an event and live music and decided to patronize here due to the availability of the good seating. That should have been my warning, and the lack of business despite the event going on. Waited a little to get our seat. Once we got our seat we had a courteous waitress who took our drink order. She brought our drinks and took an appetizer order and that was the last we saw of any staff. We decided to wait and give them the benefit of the doubt while listening to the music. Well a half hour passed and decided to just pay for our drinks and call it a night. Went to the hostess to explain that I just wanted to pay for my drink and pointed to the manager. I spoke to the manager and pointed to my table and the quick situation. He came to the table and immediately started making excuses and got defensive and argumentative with me that it was only 15 minutes from the time we ordered our appetizers. Well he brought our check and go figure that the time stamp on the ticket was over a half hour from the time we placed it. I paid for the drinks and took the ticket to him. He was completely unapologetic and had a (pardon the language) asshole way to him. This should not have happened nor should I have had to try to defend my decision to leave after over a half hour waiting for a appetizer in a under patronized establishment, especially during an event like this. It was empty. I really wanted to like this place. Read the other reviews and save yourself the time or learn the hard way like I did. Who knows, the food might be great but we never had the chance to get to that point.
(1)
Geni C.
Great service. Horrible food. Worse than Red Lobster and that is saying something. Here on business Wine was good.
(2)
Michael C.
Went for lunch and it was fine, on our return for dinner the meal was so awful I almost gave it one star. I ordered the Linguine w/ Seafood Marinara. The sauce had a thick base to it that one wouldn't expect in a Seafood combo. The Seafood itself was rubbery and while the linguine was very mushy. The temperature of the entire plate made me believe it came out of the microwave. My wife had the NY Strip, medium well, which was so full of gristle and pure fat that it was fully inedible. Our plates were $19 and $26 respectively, so highly disappointing indeed. Service was so-so , however the view of the river was excellent as one would expect from a restaurant in the Landing. If you are downtown for a business lunch, check it out. Stay far, far away for dinner.
(2)
Maria W.
Had a decent steak "to go" after waiting 3 hours to receive our food. They served half of our party and the rest of us continued to wait another half hour before we left. I would have given them another star if they had at least gotten my order right.
(1)
Jessica D.
Came on New Years around 8 pm, great table awesome view.... However the server was not that great .
(2)
Michael D.
Came from Michigan on a business trip. Great view sitting outside, a little pricey, but overall good food and experience.
(4)
Alex M.
This is the 3 rd time I've eaten here & will now be the last! My wife ordered grouper with scallops, shrimp, & some mushroom sauce. The fish was overcooked, the sauce was watery with no flavor. I ordered a ribeye, ( how do you screw up a ribeye, go there you will find out!) it was a poor quality piece of meat, under seasoned. The restaurant was filthy, the air conditioning broken, the carpet was worn & frayed& toilet paper holder taped with duct tape. On top of all that took over 40 minutes to get our crappy food!
(1)
Yolanda J.
Went last night at the last minute w/o doing my normal research. As soon as we sat down I pulled out my phone to look at the Yelp reviews and thought we should go BUT it had been a long day and I hoped the reviews were wrong. Sad to say they weren't. We were a group of 7 and all but one of our plates came out lukewarm to cold. My husbands ribeye which he ordered medium well came out shoe leather burnt with the wrong side. My jambalaya rice had a weird taste but I will admit the seafood in it was cooked perfectly. I picked it out and left the weird rice and "sauce". My MIL also complained about the rice, her seafood was over cooked and she had to ask for the wine she ordered several times before she got it. The crab bisque soup was awful with little to no flavor and cold. 2 in our party said the food was MEH but everyone else left wondering if Wendy's was open late. As we left the restaurant we contemplated telling other patrons who hadn't ordered to RUN. My MIL commented that we should have just gone to Hooters! Believe the reviews and go eat somewhere else.
(1)
Andrea T.
I'm visiting Jacksonville from Minneapolis and Benny's was the ultimate antidote for a long work day . The staff is excellent. Anthony, in particular, is stellar. My steak, delmonico black and bleu, was a little on the rare side. He brought out a completely new entree. It was spectacular. The $6 malbec is out of this world and I'm hoping to find it at home. The view was beautiful. If you like good food and good wine at a value coupled with attentive service, this is your place. Simple as that.
(5)
Jorge U.
I'm struggling with how to rate this place. It's a good place to sit outside on a nice day while enjoying a few drinks. If it was a bar I'd probably give it 4 stars for good drinks, OK service, and a nice view. But they hold themselves out as a restaurant so ... yeah, it's 2 stars. Benny's has a price point like a destination / special occasion restaurant. Unfortunately the food doesn't come close to living up to the price point. There seems to be so much potential here. Where's Gordon Ramsey when you need him?
(2)
Jerry E.
I am being a little generous with the 4th star. The crab cakes entree wase not a good choice. It had 2 huge cakes, baseball size (and shape.) but contained about 75% filler. The sea bass, topped with shrimp and scallops in a great lemony buttery sauce, was wonderful, though priced way too high. The blackened red snapper.was good. Veges were properly cooked, creme brulee was very good. Service was very attentive and waiter was knowledgeable, though I wish he had pointed out that the sea bass was offered without the shrimp and scallops for about $10 less. We were there very early on a Sunday, and enjoyed the dinner.
(4)
Matt R.
I recently visited Jacksonville, FL on a business trip, and was talked into going to Benny's by a friend of mine that lives in the city. He described the food as excellent and the atmosphere as perfect. Well... he was eating his words later that evening rather than his overcooked and dry steak. Perhaps we just had "one of those days," but all around, our experience was rather dismal, at best. We arrived at the restaurant for dusk, hoping to enjoy to touted "atmosphere," which includes a locale riverside right by the Jacksonville Landing. The view, while spectacular, was somewhat lessened by an obnoxiously loud "plus-sized" model fashion show going on outside in he square........... but anyway, we settle in and prepare for our meal. Where to start... in fact, I'll summarize since reminiscing about the experience is starting to irritate me all over again... basically, we order our food, my dinner comes out (45 minutes later) completely wrong and has to be re-ordered. Meanwhile, my friend is eating his dinner so it won't get cold and complaining about the dryness of the steak and the poor taste and quality of the crab stuffing. My replacement dinner comes out 40 minutes later, after everyone else is finished eating, and is still not right. I ate it anyway, just to move things along... and it was nothing special. I'll also add that the drinks were not good either... I had a Maker's old fashioned, which is one of my favorite pre-steak cocktails, and it was certainly not prepared correctly... no bitters and no "pummeled" orange and cherry... very disappointing. On top of all this, the waiter was acting as if we were the first table he had ever served, which is always completely unexpected in a high priced steakhouse, where even new waiters should be professional and experienced... All in all, a poor experience... I won't return next time I am in town. BOTTOM LINE: Loud atmosphere (probably onetime thing, to be fair), bad drinks, bad service, and poor to medium quality food = Matt R. is not coming back.
(2)
Pete C.
I think this was another place where I really did order the wrong thing from the menu. They have a wide assortment of offerings, but I figured I would go for the seafood. The shrimp, scallops, and crab cake jumped out at me! Being a Maryland native, I have a soft spot in my heart for crab cakes!! Throw in some shrimps and scallops? How could it go wrong? Well, the crab cakes were very plain. The other seafood wasn't terrible, but wasn't particularly memorable. I did leave hungry, and less than satisfied. The sides were pretty plain as well... rice and mixed veggies. Dang I really wanted the crab cakes to be better!! They were the glue to my meal... brought everything together in a happy chorus. Instead, I got a relatively good performance which really didn't leave any lasting memories.
(2)
Anthony G.
Went for lunch with a group, food was very tasty. Had Penne Florentine with Shrimp. My only complaint really would be that the restaurant itself is a bit in need of an "update" but other than that - it was very good. The view of the St Johns River is great as well.
(3)
Lynn F.
Food was okay but not worth 25/dinner. Broiled seafood trio was cooked properly but over-sauced. Service was lacking. Empty water glasses for 5 min or more
(2)
Leah Jean C.
Great food and great service. A little pricey but worth it. I always get the stuffed shrimp. Amazing.
(5)
Daphyne W.
Stopped at this place during the jacksonville jazz festival. The hostess was rude and unprofessional. My boyfriend ordered while I was in the bathroom asked a waitress for a straw she said she didn't have one and never came back. Didn't see our waitress till the food came. She didn't notice I had no silverware or bothered to take a drink order. I ask for wine she brings it back in an after drink glass. I had to go yo the bar to ask for a real wine glass the same waitress says this is a wine glass. I asked her to go outside and look at every other glass of wine out there. She comes out woth two glasses and snippily says this is a red wine glass, I replied actually its a chardonnay glass. She brings out my new glass of $10 wine and asks are you satisfied now? After shooting me nasty looks, not refillig my glass or taking ny plate I can say the food was just so so and the service SUCKED. Despite the view, this place is not worth it.
I must agree with the overall sentiment that Benny's Steak and Seafood is not outstanding. I personally had a good experience, the food was actually very tasty, and the view and ambience were grand. I had the Caribbean Jerk Seared Swordfish, and it was very, very tasty. The vegetables and rice were spot on, and the sauce that smothered the fish was memorable. Slightly spicy, a little tangy. It was great. I had their mojito, and it wasn't bad. Above average for Jacksonville (a place that apparently has ZERO idea how to make a good mojito, in my humble opinion). My friend had a pomegranate cocktail, and she was less than impressed. My other friend had their raspberry mojito, and she wasn't complaining. My friends and I went after a Christmas show at the Arts Center, and it was a good choice for an after-show meal. The view on the water, the food, and the experience was all great. All that being said, while perusing the rest of the menu, I was surprised at how pricey everything was. Don't be fooled by the chill atmosphere: they are not joking around with their prices. Now, the only legitimate complaint, to conclude: Alright, Benny's Steak and Seafood, listen up and listen good. Your slightly up-scale atmosphere and expensive seafood should tell you one thing: TURN OFF THE G** D*** FOOTBALL. I love football as much as any blue-blood American, but holy living **** I don't want to see it while eating a fantastic swordfish steak. Thank you for listening. Hopefully. Give this restaurant a shot, just sit away from the TV.
(3)
Keyshaun S.
The service was excellent. The steak was just ok. $3 draft beers during happy hour was nice. My friend seems to rave about their seafood dishes. I will give them a try net time I go there.
(3)
Brandon Z.
This place sucked bad. You'd think with the location, the view, and the name, it'd be a good draw. Sure. Should've visited yelp before deciding to eat here. Came with a couple friends and found the food to be pricey. Thought maybe we'd get what we paid for. Ordered gator tail. It was ok but then I saw a hair in the second one i was about to grab. Thought maybe i'd get it free or half-off. Waitress didn't debate me and grabbed the plate as if she was fighting me over it. She refused to give any discount. She just got another. She had the most incredibly fake smile that we sniffed out the moment we saw her. Food was all over-priced. We were better off going to some hole-in-the-wall joint a mile away for better food, better prices, better service, and real people.
(1)
Gianna O.
I had a perfectly cooked filet topped with lump crabmeat. The fried gator appetizer was also delicious and perfectly tender.
(4)
Burne H.
We went during lunch hour this past Thursday with a group of 12 of my wife's coworkers for a joint birthday party. If you are going with a large group, avoid this place like the plague. I've left the restaurant business after 15 years because of places like this. When a large group more than 8 people come into a place to eat, the Manager needs to leave the bar at the front door watching t.v. and help the servers. For the server to be responsible to take care of more than 8 or more people it is not possible. What if that server has another table of 3 and then another of 4. Not going to happen. Poor ownership to allow this to happen and shame on the manager. I can not blame the server, she did the best she could. Maybe 10 total tables including the ones outside and yet it took over 45 minutes to get drinks and orders and food arrival. During lunch at a sit down place, horrible. No teamwork in this place. Server was beat down. Server again responsible for food delivery, refills, and sorting checks. Close to 1 hour and 45 minutes experience. Avoid this place with a group at lunch. Management and ownership to to support staff with groups with 8 or more people. AVOID....
I agree with the other reviews. Nice view, but very marginal food. They somehow screwed up French onion soup (how?), and the grouper wrap had olives in it. Yuk. My advice... apps and drinks only. Skip real food here.
(2)
Glen L.
Slow start, already know what I want and the server has not even stopped by. She has somewhat redeemed herself. Then the food came and it was terrific, tasted great and was filling.
(3)
Lauren B.
I ate here the other night with my boyfriend- excellent!!! Our server was very sweet, friendly, and knowledgeable. I had the dinner special- orange roughy topped with shrimp and scallops. I have never had that before- so good! My bf had the delmonico- yum! All the food was so good, huge portions and beautifully presented. I've been here many times and will continue to go and recommend to friends. Great views, fun staff, awesome food!
(4)
Alen L.
We ate here the other night before going to see Wicked (which was an awesome show, by the way). Our waitress was attentive and friendly. We had gator tail as an appetizer, which was pretty good; it tastes just like chicken. I had their filet mignon special for dinner, which was topped with crab cakes and jumbo shrimp and served with a side of mashed potatoes. It was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed this meal. This restaurant also has a nice view of the St. John's river, especially if you sit on the outside patio. I've actually eaten at all three of the sit-down restaurants at the Landing (The American Cafe, Vito's and Benny's), and I'd say that Benny's is definitely the way to go.
(4)
mike s.
overpriced, terrible service and poor quality
(1)
michael and michelle s.
waitstaff completely miserable, she rolled her eyes as she was walking over to the table, and we ordered SIDE salads before our entrees and got charged for 2 entree size salads for 8 dollars each! bill was over 60 dollars (without alcohol) for lunch!! out of control! the view was the only thing worth it
(1)
Samantha S.
Excellent food and service! Anthony, our server, did an amazing job keeping up with us and our three boys. We were all so indecisive and all over the place after the football game, which I know can be quite annoying. Anthony never once showed any sort of annoyance or irritation. Just seemed happy as can be to do what he was doing. Thanks, Anthony!
(5)
Bryan L.
Great location! Great service!!! Terrible, overpriced food and drinks. Colleague picked this place for dinner and man am I ever sad I went along. I started the night off with a quick app. Bangin Shrimp should do. Well, The shrimp was cooked right, but that sauce was not good. If you were looking for "Bang Bang Shrimp" this is NOT it. Not even close. Not even good. For the entree round I went with the Blackened Trio. Got the mashed taters as my veggy. That was the best part of the night. Mmmm Those actually didn't suck at all. The fish, scallops, and shrimp did though. You would think being so close to the source the fish would taste fresh. NOPE! Not at Benny's! Tasted a few days old at least. Like... Maybe from the grocery store counter? On sale? I also ordered the Mac n Cheese because it sounded good and i'm stupid. It was cheesy but had a bad texture. Grainy? Meally? I can't place it, but it was off putting. I had TWO drinks. Both were Woodford and Ginger ale. How much do you think that was? Almost $26!!! I could have bought the whole freaking bottle for that! And they were weak pours too! Maybe 1 1/2oz? That is what really got to me. That was ridiculous. Not like it was craft cocktail. Whiskey. Ginger. Ice. $13. WTF is wrong with you?!!!
(2)
Tito F.
The staff is very children friendly and accommodated my grand children's needs. The lunch specials are a good deal compared to ala carte. Our pretty server, Belinda was very attentive. Overall a good value.
(3)
Natasha M.
I had the jerk salmon with shrimp &mango salsa. Food was juicy and flavorful. But my sides were kind of cold and a small portion size considering how big the salmon was. If there was a half sign I would have given this place 3.5. You can sit outside and listen to the music and look at the water . Great scenery and environment.
(3)
Hugh P.
Salted salmon and awful cold slaw. The only thing that really is worth it is the view. Try for yourself at your own risk .
(2)
Suhana A.
I went there for lunch. I ordered Caesar salad. I was expecting big portion, good quality salad with Caesar dressing. Instead I got medium size, not so fresh salad. No croutons. And the dressing was not Caesar. It was Italian. I asked the server. He said it's Caesar already mixed in. But it was clear and sour like Italian. That salad was like $6. Not worth it.
(1)
Janelle D.
We went to Benny's on the last night of a business trip in Jacksonville. We asked to be seated outside on the river. The view was very pretty. Because we were seated outside, the dishes that were preset on the table were a bit dusty. Also when they brought out silverware they only gave us one set and never brought out another set even though we asked. The food was ok- nothing to ooh and ahh about. However the biggest problem was the staff (well, one in particular). I'm not sure what started it all but a waiter got into a verbal confrontation with a passer-by. The outside seating is separated from a walkway by a short fence. The waiter and guy were exchanging heated words when the waiter put down the pitcher of water and started calling the guy out to fight, using cuss words and threatening to "kick his a--". All of this is occurring right in front of our table. The waiter is yelling at our server to call 911 while still escalating the situation with the passer-by. Another female staff tries to intervene telling the waiter to stop acting like this in front of customers. The waiter starts yelling at her to mind her own business. Luckily the passer-by left so the situation didn't intensify however it was a very unprofessional and tacky experience to have wait staff pick a fight with someone in front of diners. Our server seemed shocked and didn't know what to do or say. W tried to comfort the visibly shaken female wait staff. Finally the manager came out to ask us what happened. He offered us a free drink to compensate for the experience but at that point we just wanted to leave. They said they sent the waiter home.
(1)
Jennifer R.
Ate here tonight with some friends. Wish I read the reviews first. Ordered the fresh catch salmon. It was dry and flavorless. The veggies were cold and did not taste fresh. The mashed potatoes were the only good part of the meal. Very expensive and definitely not worth the price. Would not eat here again.
(1)
Dana M.
Horrible service. We placed our beverage and food order at the same time. The next time we saw our server was 40 minutes later when the food came. At this point water and cocktails were empty. We asked to speak to the manager. The meal was less than passable for the price. After completing the meal and plates being removed, we again requested the manager. He finally arrived at our table and offered apologies for the less than stellar service and said the interior was very busy. Interestingly, the inside was empty. We had been in to use the restroom throughout the meal. The manager said--what can I do for you? I asked for a comp'd meal. He refused and took $60 off a $200 tab. Pitiful. Pitiful service and pitiful response to complaint. Do not waste your time at Benny's.
(1)
Chris K.
Sat at the bar for a good five minutes.... Asked a passing by server if there was a bar tender... She said"oh yeah, he's right there..." Sitting two stools down... Worst service .... Esp at joint w not much actively....
(1)
Alexis R.
I ordered the house Pinot Grigio, which was on special during happy hour, and the grouper with asparagus and mashed potatoes. The food was delicious, and the service was amazing as well. The only dislike I had was that it was very overpriced. I would say this is a restaurant to go to if you are wanting a nice dinner for a special occasion.
(4)
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Address :The Jacksonville Landing,2 Independent Dr
Jacksonville, FL, 32202
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
J David H.
While attending a conference in mid September at they Hyatt our group elected to choose Benny's. Being the Yelp Elite I am looked them up to see very mixed reviews. I also looked at the menu and found them much more pricey than I would have thought for the Jacksonville Landing. There are several really great steak options in Jacksonville and two are within a short cab drive. But our group insisted on this restaurant due to it's proximity to the hotel so we could walk. While walking through the Landing it was obvious the place was on it's last leg. I had heard earlier that day from a local there are plans to raze the buildings and open the beautiful waterfront property. Then replace it with another commercial endeavor. This to me had it's hay day and even then was still a tourist trap. A reservation was made for our group of 14 at 5:30 PM. When we walked in the place was dead and there was no issue with being seated at our table. Our party waited up front at the small bar for only a few moments. A woman seated us in the middle of the dining room. The male Indian waiter was over the top friendly, a little to friendly. I guess you have to experience what I mean to understand. He had jokes that were not funny and was difficult to understand. The menus were distributed and drinks were placed on the table in a timely manner. I noticed when looking around the dining room that there were areas of disrepair such as a ceiling tile completely missing. The carpet was worn and dirty as well as the wall stained. Bottom line the place is not being taken care of. I ordered the Ribeye and cannot recall the sides. Shortly after orders were taken bread came out. I found it to be unpalatable and did not finish it. I could see others in the group pushing the bread they put on there plate back on not partaking. I elected to go to the restroom while waiting on my entree. I found is to not be maintained, somewhat dirty, but not filthy. Our group waited for around an hour for our dinner as many diners from our conference began to pour in. So the place was full and LOUD! The food arrived over an hour later and at different times. The waiter was attentive to our drinks the whole time and was FRIENDLY! I consider myself somewhat of a steak connoiseur, I love a really good steak. I have settled at many places for less than great, but average. So when I say this steak was the worse I ever have I mean it. I was cooked the way I ordered it, but all fat, tough and flavorless. I could not wait to get out of the Benny's quick enough. So after just under two hours our group left and was almost late for our evening meeting. So imagine the other groups were definitely late, or just decided to not go at all. I would never even think of recommending this place to anyone. I don't think this review will matter that much for two reasons. First, I think they will close within the year. Second, I don't think folks look at yelp reviews if staying at at area hotels. The location seems to be the huge draw. I would never think of returning and am pretty confident that Benny's could care less about it's customer reviews. They have some pretty awful write ups and yet not one comment from the business owner in the several years I researched. Don't do it, to many other great restaurants in the area with very short cab.
(1)Robyn C.
I guess this restaurant earned a 3 star review. The gumbo was delicious and worth coming in for. The blue crab dip was pretty good. The service was OK nothing exciting and the restaurant itself had a funky odor. Could have been from being right by the water. Feels like it could use a good cleaning. A little pricey The other waitstaff seemed more attentive maybe our guy was having an off day? Probably will try somewhere else next time.
(3)Michael M.
View was great. Setting was nice. Cool live music. Started with calamari which they were about of. The waiter suggested the Asian tempura battered shrimp. Very tasty. I got the crab bisque. Very rich and creamy, but tasty. I decided to go with the grouper with artichokes and feta. Fish wash badly over cooked and felt like it was frozen and came out about a million degrees. Basically inedible. Mashed potatoes were gluey and cold. Banquet style veggies. For $30 bucks it was a severe disappointment. My friend got the chicken Parmesan which looked like an absolute mess. Nice view and that's about it. Unfortunate!
(2)Nicole B.
When here for a conference we decided to check this place out. We ordered the shrimp cocktail to start, which tasted like it was from frozen. I ordered the green salad with shrimp, and my lunch partner got the penne and shrimp salad. We had amazing experiences elsewhere with local shrimp, so decided to order as much of it as possible. Big Mistake! The shrimp prepared at this place was not the same stuff - clearly from frozen, and tasted like it had barely thawed. Not grilled and juicy like the other shrimp we tasted locally. The salad and dressing were decent, but not worth the price tag. I did appreciate the setting, which is gorgeous on a sunny day.
(2)Tantria J.
First visit & I had a great experience. The waitress was on point. She kept coming to check on us & was very friendly. We sat on the patio & I loved the view. We had the blue crab spinach dip. It was tasty but ny boyfriend didn't like it. We borh ordered the golden shrimp dinner. It was season good. Some food was pricey bur our bill was just $54. I will visit here again
(5)Ali M.
Their food wasn't bad but wasn't worth the money at all. Our waiter was terribly pushy, kept trying to make us order drinks even if we really weren't even finished with our drinks. At the end, they charged us for gratuity and then didn't even put it on the second receipt so he even tricked us into paying double tip when he clearly didn't deserve it. Wouldn't go back or recommend. The second star was the view. But for that, hooters across the street had the same view, their food and drinks would have been better off. Save your money and don't eat here.
(2)Tia H.
It. Was. Awesome. The staff was very attentive, the food was super yummy, the drink was strong, and our server, Mike, was a hoot. We came here after being turned away from the Italian restaurant because they were closing early. We sat down and received some of the best service I've ever gotten. From the beginning of the meal to the end, Mike was on it. We took his suggestion and ordered the Filet Christian and the 3 Seafood Pasta, and ordered the crab cake as an appetizer. So good. I also ordered a Scooby Snack (rum, schnapps, and some other stuff), which put me on my butt after trying to finish it. The view was spectacular, as we were sitting directly in front of the window facing the river. It was a tad expensive, but that's because I'm a broke college student who thinks that everything is expensive. Definitely worth it, though.
(5)Marquita O.
A coworker and myself dined here around 7:30pm while attending a conference nearby and what a beautiful atmosphere. While we thought the food was a little pricey there was tons of it on our plate which definitely made up for the price. Food was great! I had the Chicken Parmesan, the sauce was not your average marinara but was delicious. My coworker had a T-Bone and it was a great cut and cooked exactly to his liking. Waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Will definitely go back again before I leave Jacksonville!
(4)Eddie C.
Had the ribeye. It was good. But again very outdated decor. Carpet very old. Service was ok. But looked more like a crab shack next to the water
(3)Andrew K.
Absolutely fantastic. Dont be put off by previous cheap skate reviews. Great food in an awesome location. Could not fault it in any way. AWESOME!
(5)Kristy G.
I've eaten at Benny's once before, years ago, and don't remember it being this good! No offense, but I didn't expect to enjoy my dinner as much as I did considering the restaurant is located in the tourist trap that is Jacksonville Landing. We walked in about 10:15 pm (they close at 11pm, we had just gotten in to town) and were greeted by a very polite hostess/ manager. The restaurant was still busy and we asked to be sat outside by the water- it was nice except for the occasional crowd walking by and commenting on our food. The only thing negative I have to say about the whole experience is that the floors were littered with trash like the servers or bus boys did not sweep up during the shift and there were tons of tables that were un-bussed. It was the end of the night but as a restaurant manager myself, I know appearances are important. Our food and service was great. I ordered the mussels (like 2 dozen in one order!) and the Greek salad with grilled shrimp. Both were delicious. My boyfriend ordered the surf and turf, his only complaint was that his cut of steak seemed cheap, but was cooked perfectly. All in all it was a great dinner and I would return again if I ever venture down to Jax Landing.
(4)Andrea M.
Skip this place and spend your hard earned $$ elsewhere. In short, horrendous service...or actually NO service. Additionally very dim and dark. Wait staff seemed overwhelmed and unorganized, management was walking around cursing under her breath because someone messed up something in a different section. Waitress took drink orders looking very confused. Dropped off drinks and never came back to take our dinner orders. So after 30min and having finished our drinks we left some cash on the table and left.
(1)Jonathan W.
Went here based off of the recommendations from friends food was ok my meal was horrible. All meals were ridiculous over priced.
(1)Kyle K.
Service was pretty good, and the food was mostly decent. It was strange to us how some of the food tasted great, but others were either bland, or just not cooked correctly(especially the Grouper), and the prices were very high for what it was in my opinion. The one thing that got on my nerves is that it is soooooooo dark in there. I saw people getting out the lights on their camera phones to read the menu. Would I come back here? Probably not, because I want what I pay in price to match in food quality.
(2)Keely P.
Im only giving it 1stars for the location & service-the food is TERRIBLE! We stopped in while walking the river front & because my hubby wanted fresh oysters..First, no oyster, they took them off the menu, but havent taken them off the written menu.Second, crab soup was way too Salty and cold, not even luke warm..my hubby ended up ordering the bacon scallops and they came covered in plain ole bbq sauce, just gross..Third, and final straw, the shrimp & grits looked pretty, but had a huge pile of sysco shredded cheese-totally killed it, the flavor of the broth reminded me of tacos.i thought it was inedible..ill never ever come back here!!
(1)Eric P.
Went to the Landing because there was an event and live music and decided to patronize here due to the availability of the good seating. That should have been my warning, and the lack of business despite the event going on. Waited a little to get our seat. Once we got our seat we had a courteous waitress who took our drink order. She brought our drinks and took an appetizer order and that was the last we saw of any staff. We decided to wait and give them the benefit of the doubt while listening to the music. Well a half hour passed and decided to just pay for our drinks and call it a night. Went to the hostess to explain that I just wanted to pay for my drink and pointed to the manager. I spoke to the manager and pointed to my table and the quick situation. He came to the table and immediately started making excuses and got defensive and argumentative with me that it was only 15 minutes from the time we ordered our appetizers. Well he brought our check and go figure that the time stamp on the ticket was over a half hour from the time we placed it. I paid for the drinks and took the ticket to him. He was completely unapologetic and had a (pardon the language) asshole way to him. This should not have happened nor should I have had to try to defend my decision to leave after over a half hour waiting for a appetizer in a under patronized establishment, especially during an event like this. It was empty. I really wanted to like this place. Read the other reviews and save yourself the time or learn the hard way like I did. Who knows, the food might be great but we never had the chance to get to that point.
(1)Geni C.
Great service. Horrible food. Worse than Red Lobster and that is saying something. Here on business Wine was good.
(2)Michael C.
Went for lunch and it was fine, on our return for dinner the meal was so awful I almost gave it one star. I ordered the Linguine w/ Seafood Marinara. The sauce had a thick base to it that one wouldn't expect in a Seafood combo. The Seafood itself was rubbery and while the linguine was very mushy. The temperature of the entire plate made me believe it came out of the microwave. My wife had the NY Strip, medium well, which was so full of gristle and pure fat that it was fully inedible. Our plates were $19 and $26 respectively, so highly disappointing indeed. Service was so-so , however the view of the river was excellent as one would expect from a restaurant in the Landing. If you are downtown for a business lunch, check it out. Stay far, far away for dinner.
(2)Maria W.
Had a decent steak "to go" after waiting 3 hours to receive our food. They served half of our party and the rest of us continued to wait another half hour before we left. I would have given them another star if they had at least gotten my order right.
(1)Jessica D.
Came on New Years around 8 pm, great table awesome view.... However the server was not that great .
(2)Michael D.
Came from Michigan on a business trip. Great view sitting outside, a little pricey, but overall good food and experience.
(4)Alex M.
This is the 3 rd time I've eaten here & will now be the last! My wife ordered grouper with scallops, shrimp, & some mushroom sauce. The fish was overcooked, the sauce was watery with no flavor. I ordered a ribeye, ( how do you screw up a ribeye, go there you will find out!) it was a poor quality piece of meat, under seasoned. The restaurant was filthy, the air conditioning broken, the carpet was worn & frayed& toilet paper holder taped with duct tape. On top of all that took over 40 minutes to get our crappy food!
(1)Yolanda J.
Went last night at the last minute w/o doing my normal research. As soon as we sat down I pulled out my phone to look at the Yelp reviews and thought we should go BUT it had been a long day and I hoped the reviews were wrong. Sad to say they weren't. We were a group of 7 and all but one of our plates came out lukewarm to cold. My husbands ribeye which he ordered medium well came out shoe leather burnt with the wrong side. My jambalaya rice had a weird taste but I will admit the seafood in it was cooked perfectly. I picked it out and left the weird rice and "sauce". My MIL also complained about the rice, her seafood was over cooked and she had to ask for the wine she ordered several times before she got it. The crab bisque soup was awful with little to no flavor and cold. 2 in our party said the food was MEH but everyone else left wondering if Wendy's was open late. As we left the restaurant we contemplated telling other patrons who hadn't ordered to RUN. My MIL commented that we should have just gone to Hooters! Believe the reviews and go eat somewhere else.
(1)Andrea T.
I'm visiting Jacksonville from Minneapolis and Benny's was the ultimate antidote for a long work day . The staff is excellent. Anthony, in particular, is stellar. My steak, delmonico black and bleu, was a little on the rare side. He brought out a completely new entree. It was spectacular. The $6 malbec is out of this world and I'm hoping to find it at home. The view was beautiful. If you like good food and good wine at a value coupled with attentive service, this is your place. Simple as that.
(5)Jorge U.
I'm struggling with how to rate this place. It's a good place to sit outside on a nice day while enjoying a few drinks. If it was a bar I'd probably give it 4 stars for good drinks, OK service, and a nice view. But they hold themselves out as a restaurant so ... yeah, it's 2 stars. Benny's has a price point like a destination / special occasion restaurant. Unfortunately the food doesn't come close to living up to the price point. There seems to be so much potential here. Where's Gordon Ramsey when you need him?
(2)Jerry E.
I am being a little generous with the 4th star. The crab cakes entree wase not a good choice. It had 2 huge cakes, baseball size (and shape.) but contained about 75% filler. The sea bass, topped with shrimp and scallops in a great lemony buttery sauce, was wonderful, though priced way too high. The blackened red snapper.was good. Veges were properly cooked, creme brulee was very good. Service was very attentive and waiter was knowledgeable, though I wish he had pointed out that the sea bass was offered without the shrimp and scallops for about $10 less. We were there very early on a Sunday, and enjoyed the dinner.
(4)Matt R.
I recently visited Jacksonville, FL on a business trip, and was talked into going to Benny's by a friend of mine that lives in the city. He described the food as excellent and the atmosphere as perfect. Well... he was eating his words later that evening rather than his overcooked and dry steak. Perhaps we just had "one of those days," but all around, our experience was rather dismal, at best. We arrived at the restaurant for dusk, hoping to enjoy to touted "atmosphere," which includes a locale riverside right by the Jacksonville Landing. The view, while spectacular, was somewhat lessened by an obnoxiously loud "plus-sized" model fashion show going on outside in he square........... but anyway, we settle in and prepare for our meal. Where to start... in fact, I'll summarize since reminiscing about the experience is starting to irritate me all over again... basically, we order our food, my dinner comes out (45 minutes later) completely wrong and has to be re-ordered. Meanwhile, my friend is eating his dinner so it won't get cold and complaining about the dryness of the steak and the poor taste and quality of the crab stuffing. My replacement dinner comes out 40 minutes later, after everyone else is finished eating, and is still not right. I ate it anyway, just to move things along... and it was nothing special. I'll also add that the drinks were not good either... I had a Maker's old fashioned, which is one of my favorite pre-steak cocktails, and it was certainly not prepared correctly... no bitters and no "pummeled" orange and cherry... very disappointing. On top of all this, the waiter was acting as if we were the first table he had ever served, which is always completely unexpected in a high priced steakhouse, where even new waiters should be professional and experienced... All in all, a poor experience... I won't return next time I am in town. BOTTOM LINE: Loud atmosphere (probably onetime thing, to be fair), bad drinks, bad service, and poor to medium quality food = Matt R. is not coming back.
(2)Pete C.
I think this was another place where I really did order the wrong thing from the menu. They have a wide assortment of offerings, but I figured I would go for the seafood. The shrimp, scallops, and crab cake jumped out at me! Being a Maryland native, I have a soft spot in my heart for crab cakes!! Throw in some shrimps and scallops? How could it go wrong? Well, the crab cakes were very plain. The other seafood wasn't terrible, but wasn't particularly memorable. I did leave hungry, and less than satisfied. The sides were pretty plain as well... rice and mixed veggies. Dang I really wanted the crab cakes to be better!! They were the glue to my meal... brought everything together in a happy chorus. Instead, I got a relatively good performance which really didn't leave any lasting memories.
(2)Anthony G.
Went for lunch with a group, food was very tasty. Had Penne Florentine with Shrimp. My only complaint really would be that the restaurant itself is a bit in need of an "update" but other than that - it was very good. The view of the St Johns River is great as well.
(3)Lynn F.
Food was okay but not worth 25/dinner. Broiled seafood trio was cooked properly but over-sauced. Service was lacking. Empty water glasses for 5 min or more
(2)Leah Jean C.
Great food and great service. A little pricey but worth it. I always get the stuffed shrimp. Amazing.
(5)Daphyne W.
Stopped at this place during the jacksonville jazz festival. The hostess was rude and unprofessional. My boyfriend ordered while I was in the bathroom asked a waitress for a straw she said she didn't have one and never came back. Didn't see our waitress till the food came. She didn't notice I had no silverware or bothered to take a drink order. I ask for wine she brings it back in an after drink glass. I had to go yo the bar to ask for a real wine glass the same waitress says this is a wine glass. I asked her to go outside and look at every other glass of wine out there. She comes out woth two glasses and snippily says this is a red wine glass, I replied actually its a chardonnay glass. She brings out my new glass of $10 wine and asks are you satisfied now? After shooting me nasty looks, not refillig my glass or taking ny plate I can say the food was just so so and the service SUCKED. Despite the view, this place is not worth it.
(1)Lauren H.
Worst shrimp and grits I could ever have imagined. I asked if they were creamy and if the shrimp was sautéed and was answered yes on both. It was a thick lump of Inedible grits and microwaved shrimp with no flavor at all with the exception of some glumpy tomatoe sauce . They really need to take this off the menu. Service also was horrible.
(1)James R.
I must agree with the overall sentiment that Benny's Steak and Seafood is not outstanding. I personally had a good experience, the food was actually very tasty, and the view and ambience were grand. I had the Caribbean Jerk Seared Swordfish, and it was very, very tasty. The vegetables and rice were spot on, and the sauce that smothered the fish was memorable. Slightly spicy, a little tangy. It was great. I had their mojito, and it wasn't bad. Above average for Jacksonville (a place that apparently has ZERO idea how to make a good mojito, in my humble opinion). My friend had a pomegranate cocktail, and she was less than impressed. My other friend had their raspberry mojito, and she wasn't complaining. My friends and I went after a Christmas show at the Arts Center, and it was a good choice for an after-show meal. The view on the water, the food, and the experience was all great. All that being said, while perusing the rest of the menu, I was surprised at how pricey everything was. Don't be fooled by the chill atmosphere: they are not joking around with their prices. Now, the only legitimate complaint, to conclude: Alright, Benny's Steak and Seafood, listen up and listen good. Your slightly up-scale atmosphere and expensive seafood should tell you one thing: TURN OFF THE G** D*** FOOTBALL. I love football as much as any blue-blood American, but holy living **** I don't want to see it while eating a fantastic swordfish steak. Thank you for listening. Hopefully. Give this restaurant a shot, just sit away from the TV.
(3)Keyshaun S.
The service was excellent. The steak was just ok. $3 draft beers during happy hour was nice. My friend seems to rave about their seafood dishes. I will give them a try net time I go there.
(3)Brandon Z.
This place sucked bad. You'd think with the location, the view, and the name, it'd be a good draw. Sure. Should've visited yelp before deciding to eat here. Came with a couple friends and found the food to be pricey. Thought maybe we'd get what we paid for. Ordered gator tail. It was ok but then I saw a hair in the second one i was about to grab. Thought maybe i'd get it free or half-off. Waitress didn't debate me and grabbed the plate as if she was fighting me over it. She refused to give any discount. She just got another. She had the most incredibly fake smile that we sniffed out the moment we saw her. Food was all over-priced. We were better off going to some hole-in-the-wall joint a mile away for better food, better prices, better service, and real people.
(1)Gianna O.
I had a perfectly cooked filet topped with lump crabmeat. The fried gator appetizer was also delicious and perfectly tender.
(4)Burne H.
We went during lunch hour this past Thursday with a group of 12 of my wife's coworkers for a joint birthday party. If you are going with a large group, avoid this place like the plague. I've left the restaurant business after 15 years because of places like this. When a large group more than 8 people come into a place to eat, the Manager needs to leave the bar at the front door watching t.v. and help the servers. For the server to be responsible to take care of more than 8 or more people it is not possible. What if that server has another table of 3 and then another of 4. Not going to happen. Poor ownership to allow this to happen and shame on the manager. I can not blame the server, she did the best she could. Maybe 10 total tables including the ones outside and yet it took over 45 minutes to get drinks and orders and food arrival. During lunch at a sit down place, horrible. No teamwork in this place. Server was beat down. Server again responsible for food delivery, refills, and sorting checks. Close to 1 hour and 45 minutes experience. Avoid this place with a group at lunch. Management and ownership to to support staff with groups with 8 or more people. AVOID....
(2)T T.
A group of us ate here at the suggestion of a classmate. She had eaten here the day prior to and couldn't say anything bad about her experience, so we decided to give it a try. The group consisted of seven people, so a 20% gratuity was automatically included in the bill, which is to be expected for a large party. A few of us ordered martinis and they were strong; I would definitely pay the $11 for another. I ordered the Broiled Trio which consisted of about four sea scallops, four shrimp, and one crab cake. My sides were the sautéed veggies and whipped potatoes. The sides were nothing to write home about, but the seafood and the sauce they were in were decent. The crab cake was extremely bland and was only edible after drowning it in the sauce it came in. The scallops were a nice size and juicy. My total bill came to $43.06 including my drink, the gratuity, and tax. I gave our waiter $45.06. Needless to say, I never received my $2 back in change. His service was ok, but not enough to warrant him keeping my $2 (don't judge me, times are hard), especially after I had to ask him to refill my water and one of my classmates had to send her dish back due to temperature issues. Another classmate, a vegetarian, ordered all sides (spinach, a loaded potato without bacon, and asparagus) and a drink; her total was $31.00. The asparagus substitution was an additional $4 for only four spears ($1/spear). My classmate had a disagreement with the waiter; supposedly they worked out some type of deal where she could receive a free glass of wine for referring the group to the restaurant. After all of the bills were paid and we were walking out of the door, the waiter approached another classmate saying that he was shorted on the bill and that my classmate owed $6 for the glass of wine. He never approached the person that ordered the wine saying that she owed additional money, he just went to someone else. My classmate that ordered the wine asked for a manager and was told that one wasn't available and that she needed to call in order to speak to one. After speaking with the employee, my classmate was told the drinks that we ordered should have been on the Happy Hour special because we were there before 7 p.m.. There aren't many other food options in The Landing...save your money and go else where in Jacksonville.
(2)Eric M.
I agree with the other reviews. Nice view, but very marginal food. They somehow screwed up French onion soup (how?), and the grouper wrap had olives in it. Yuk. My advice... apps and drinks only. Skip real food here.
(2)Glen L.
Slow start, already know what I want and the server has not even stopped by. She has somewhat redeemed herself. Then the food came and it was terrific, tasted great and was filling.
(3)Lauren B.
I ate here the other night with my boyfriend- excellent!!! Our server was very sweet, friendly, and knowledgeable. I had the dinner special- orange roughy topped with shrimp and scallops. I have never had that before- so good! My bf had the delmonico- yum! All the food was so good, huge portions and beautifully presented. I've been here many times and will continue to go and recommend to friends. Great views, fun staff, awesome food!
(4)Alen L.
We ate here the other night before going to see Wicked (which was an awesome show, by the way). Our waitress was attentive and friendly. We had gator tail as an appetizer, which was pretty good; it tastes just like chicken. I had their filet mignon special for dinner, which was topped with crab cakes and jumbo shrimp and served with a side of mashed potatoes. It was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed this meal. This restaurant also has a nice view of the St. John's river, especially if you sit on the outside patio. I've actually eaten at all three of the sit-down restaurants at the Landing (The American Cafe, Vito's and Benny's), and I'd say that Benny's is definitely the way to go.
(4)mike s.
overpriced, terrible service and poor quality
(1)michael and michelle s.
waitstaff completely miserable, she rolled her eyes as she was walking over to the table, and we ordered SIDE salads before our entrees and got charged for 2 entree size salads for 8 dollars each! bill was over 60 dollars (without alcohol) for lunch!! out of control! the view was the only thing worth it
(1)Samantha S.
Excellent food and service! Anthony, our server, did an amazing job keeping up with us and our three boys. We were all so indecisive and all over the place after the football game, which I know can be quite annoying. Anthony never once showed any sort of annoyance or irritation. Just seemed happy as can be to do what he was doing. Thanks, Anthony!
(5)Bryan L.
Great location! Great service!!! Terrible, overpriced food and drinks. Colleague picked this place for dinner and man am I ever sad I went along. I started the night off with a quick app. Bangin Shrimp should do. Well, The shrimp was cooked right, but that sauce was not good. If you were looking for "Bang Bang Shrimp" this is NOT it. Not even close. Not even good. For the entree round I went with the Blackened Trio. Got the mashed taters as my veggy. That was the best part of the night. Mmmm Those actually didn't suck at all. The fish, scallops, and shrimp did though. You would think being so close to the source the fish would taste fresh. NOPE! Not at Benny's! Tasted a few days old at least. Like... Maybe from the grocery store counter? On sale? I also ordered the Mac n Cheese because it sounded good and i'm stupid. It was cheesy but had a bad texture. Grainy? Meally? I can't place it, but it was off putting. I had TWO drinks. Both were Woodford and Ginger ale. How much do you think that was? Almost $26!!! I could have bought the whole freaking bottle for that! And they were weak pours too! Maybe 1 1/2oz? That is what really got to me. That was ridiculous. Not like it was craft cocktail. Whiskey. Ginger. Ice. $13. WTF is wrong with you?!!!
(2)Tito F.
The staff is very children friendly and accommodated my grand children's needs. The lunch specials are a good deal compared to ala carte. Our pretty server, Belinda was very attentive. Overall a good value.
(3)Natasha M.
I had the jerk salmon with shrimp &mango salsa. Food was juicy and flavorful. But my sides were kind of cold and a small portion size considering how big the salmon was. If there was a half sign I would have given this place 3.5. You can sit outside and listen to the music and look at the water . Great scenery and environment.
(3)Hugh P.
Salted salmon and awful cold slaw. The only thing that really is worth it is the view. Try for yourself at your own risk .
(2)Suhana A.
I went there for lunch. I ordered Caesar salad. I was expecting big portion, good quality salad with Caesar dressing. Instead I got medium size, not so fresh salad. No croutons. And the dressing was not Caesar. It was Italian. I asked the server. He said it's Caesar already mixed in. But it was clear and sour like Italian. That salad was like $6. Not worth it.
(1)Janelle D.
We went to Benny's on the last night of a business trip in Jacksonville. We asked to be seated outside on the river. The view was very pretty. Because we were seated outside, the dishes that were preset on the table were a bit dusty. Also when they brought out silverware they only gave us one set and never brought out another set even though we asked. The food was ok- nothing to ooh and ahh about. However the biggest problem was the staff (well, one in particular). I'm not sure what started it all but a waiter got into a verbal confrontation with a passer-by. The outside seating is separated from a walkway by a short fence. The waiter and guy were exchanging heated words when the waiter put down the pitcher of water and started calling the guy out to fight, using cuss words and threatening to "kick his a--". All of this is occurring right in front of our table. The waiter is yelling at our server to call 911 while still escalating the situation with the passer-by. Another female staff tries to intervene telling the waiter to stop acting like this in front of customers. The waiter starts yelling at her to mind her own business. Luckily the passer-by left so the situation didn't intensify however it was a very unprofessional and tacky experience to have wait staff pick a fight with someone in front of diners. Our server seemed shocked and didn't know what to do or say. W tried to comfort the visibly shaken female wait staff. Finally the manager came out to ask us what happened. He offered us a free drink to compensate for the experience but at that point we just wanted to leave. They said they sent the waiter home.
(1)Jennifer R.
Ate here tonight with some friends. Wish I read the reviews first. Ordered the fresh catch salmon. It was dry and flavorless. The veggies were cold and did not taste fresh. The mashed potatoes were the only good part of the meal. Very expensive and definitely not worth the price. Would not eat here again.
(1)Dana M.
Horrible service. We placed our beverage and food order at the same time. The next time we saw our server was 40 minutes later when the food came. At this point water and cocktails were empty. We asked to speak to the manager. The meal was less than passable for the price. After completing the meal and plates being removed, we again requested the manager. He finally arrived at our table and offered apologies for the less than stellar service and said the interior was very busy. Interestingly, the inside was empty. We had been in to use the restroom throughout the meal. The manager said--what can I do for you? I asked for a comp'd meal. He refused and took $60 off a $200 tab. Pitiful. Pitiful service and pitiful response to complaint. Do not waste your time at Benny's.
(1)Chris K.
Sat at the bar for a good five minutes.... Asked a passing by server if there was a bar tender... She said"oh yeah, he's right there..." Sitting two stools down... Worst service .... Esp at joint w not much actively....
(1)Alexis R.
I ordered the house Pinot Grigio, which was on special during happy hour, and the grouper with asparagus and mashed potatoes. The food was delicious, and the service was amazing as well. The only dislike I had was that it was very overpriced. I would say this is a restaurant to go to if you are wanting a nice dinner for a special occasion.
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