BJ's Brewhouse does not appeal to those underage

The newly opened BJ’s Brewhouse, off West Southwest Loop 323, offers a vast selection of alcohol but is simply a Chili’s on steroids.

The atmosphere much like any other restaurant is loud and fast-paced with large flat screens and big furniture. While the wait staff was exceptional, the food was still nothing to call home about.

When customers first walk through the large spinning door to the lobby, they are met with very little sitting room and, usually, a long waiting list. To the right behind the bar is a wall stocked with alcohol. While quite impressive, to an underage student it was not very appealing.

If the wall wasn’t enough to prove that BJ’s is a brew house, the first three pages of the menu definitely did.

After the foreign pages of alcohol, usually not seen in most Smith County restaurants, there came the actual food. The menu is a cross between Applebee’s and Chili’s; however, unlike those, BJ’s features a whole page dedicated to deep-dish pizzas.

For those willing to spend $7 to $8 on appetizers, the menu features a selection ranging from chips and salsa to egg rolls.

BJ’s food was better than fast food but about on par with other restaurants.

The chicken in the Santa Fe salad was absolutely delicious, but the salad, in general, was much like the quesadilla explosion salad at Chili’s, minus the extra quesadillas.

While the food was decent, the pricing was ridiculous. For two people, one to have a small bowl of soup and a side salad and the other to have the Santa Fe salad, the ticket cost $21 before tip.

This was a little on the extreme side, especially since we only had water to drink.

While the Santa Fe salad was large enough for a full meal, the small salad and cup of soup cost $8 and could have been seen as an appetizer.

Although the prices of the food were steep, the tip could not be ignored since the service was absolutely incredible.

Our waitress was not only excited to be there, but she made a point to include her customers in conversation.

She did not hesitate to check on her tables and while there was a little bit of delay between serving the two meals, she was quick to fix the mistake.

Overall, BJ’s can be great for a dinner stop before a night on the town, or a birthday party, but I don’t suggest it for an every night event or even an every month one.