Flicks and Food

BJ’s Brewhouse Restaurant at the Rim

Posted on 23. Jun, 2010 by 4sportfans in Business Lunch, Celebrations, Foods, Group Friendly, Late Night Dining, Outdoor

This past Saturday, a good friend and I decided that we needed to go have dinner and drinks somewhere new and different to us (and bring some more friends along), and we decided to give the new BJ’s Brewhouse Restaurant at the Rim a try.  Its a chain-type restaurant, in that they have locations throughout much of the U.S., but lacks the typical chain restaurant feel.

We arrived shortly after 9 p.m. on a Saturday night, to a full parking lot and a 25-30 minute wait.  We took the liberty of spending our wait at the bar.  BJ’s Brewhouse offers a wide array of beers as well as a decent selection of wines.  They are a brewhouse of course, so focus is on their custom choice of handcrafted, brewed in-house beers.  My tastes that night, however, led me to try one of their cocktails.  While I skimmed through the drink offerings, I noticed that most of the mixed drinks they offered were created or inspired by BJ bartenders from around the country.  I think this adds a nice amount of variety in their cocktails and allows the bartenders an avenue to create their own unique drinks.  My initial choice that night was a Strawberry Confusion, made up of Hpnotiq Liqueur, Stoli Razberi Vodka, pineapple juice and finished with a  lively splash of fresh strawberry.  It was a great mixture of flavors, especially with the Hpnotiq, and I found that it offered an acceptable degree of strength without overpowering your sensibilities.  Before we knew it, our buzzer was buzzing and it was time to be seated.

Our waiter proved to be friendly, but often forgot some of the most basic dining necessities, including our silverware and napkins.  We didn’t receive either until after our table had finished our first and second appetizers (keeping in mind there were 6 at the table).  And while she was friendly to our faces, we quickly realized it was just a facade, as her attitude away from our table and to other servers was less then pleasant.  All in all, not the worst server ever, but not the best either.

Now, onto the food.  First, for our appetizers, we ordered the Piranha Pale Ale Nachos and the Avocado Egg Rolls.  We had high hopes for the nachos, but they proved to be nothing more special than your standard nacho offerings, with melted cheese, green onions, sour cream, and diced tomatoes.  However, the Avocado Egg Rolls were another story.  I’m not a huge fan of avocados, but I’m always willing to give new things a try and will eat avocado when served with the right food.   The egg rolls were a wonderful combination of avocados, cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, pine nuts, and chipotle peppers served with a sweet tamarind sauce.  They served up just the right combo of crunchy wanton outside and creamy avocado and cream cheese inside.  They truly melted in my mouth!.

For my entree, I ordered the Angus Pot Roast Sandwich (which they proudly tout as a “Knife and Fork” kind of sandwich) and the BJ’s Irish Root Beer to wash it down with.  I had high expectations for the pot roast sandwich, and while it wasn’t a complete let down, I couldn’t get past the taste of artificiality.  It consisted of your typical pot roast vegetables, laid atop white cheddar mash potatoes and a toasted cheese French roll.  I’ll give them credit for offering a staple American dish with a new spin, but I don’t feel it was differentiated enough.  As for the Irish Root Beer, it was yet another one of the creative mixed drinks offered by BJ’s, it was smooth, and offered a delicious combination of root beer, Bailey’s Irish cream, and whiskey.

When all is said and done, the atmosphere, drink offerings, and extensive menu offerings makes BJ’s Brewhouse at the Rim a restaurant worth giving a try.

Tags: brewhouse, san antonio restaurant review