Nice Hometown Eatery
Just Benji's, located in Historic Downtown Newberry, provides a nice change of pace from the downtown area's more upscale restaurants.

Located in a renovated drugstore about two blocks from the downtown's main attraction, the Opera House, the little restaurant caters to a more relaxed and casual crowd.

With its menu of southern dishes, a few more upscale renditions of traditional fare, soups, and burgers, Just Benji's fills a real gap in the downtown area.

The ambience is attractive and simple with historic items of interest decorating the walls and pictures of the building and area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Booths line the walls and tables take the center of the room.

If there is a drawback to Just Benji's it would be the rather hit and miss service. Often the restaurant is manned by young high school boys who seem not to have had much training in the art of waiting a table. If you're lucky you'll get one of the more experienced young women who do an exemplary job. The best time to insure this, however, is during lunch and early afternoon.

Add to this the owner's rather sharp temper and it can be a recipe for disaster at times. Last fall there was an episode of a diner complaining about a dish and the owner becoming very verbally abusive toward the diner. Regardless of how infuriating some diners might be, yelling in your restaurant is never the proper response. When this diner reviewed the restaurant in the local paper and mentioned this episode, the owner and his mother (of all people) repeated the performance in the offices of the local paper!

So, be warned, Benji, of Just Benji's seems to have a problem with complaints at times and isn't nearly as fascinating as the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld.

Otherwise, the restaurant is nice place for lunch or a more casual dinner. The food is acceptable if not stellar and the prices are quite reasonable.    [21 Jun 2001 14:49:35]

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     ­Anonymous   

Owner's Temper - Part II/Menu
An employee of mine was dining at Just Benji's one evening with his wife, his mother and his twin boys (about two years old). His boys were being a little rambunctious, but no more than any other kids I've seen in there. The Owner came out and told him that "some of the customers were complaining and if he couldn't control his kids he would have to leave". My employee told the owner where he could go and he and his family promptly left. To this day, he refuses to eat there.

I, myself, frequent Just Benji's quite often, sometimes with my kids (3 boys, 3, 5, & 13 yrs. old). My kids are like my employee's, very anxious, rambunctious and impatient. The owner has never even made a comment to me personally.

Concerning the menu, Just Benji's has two menu's. One for lunch and one for diner. On the lunch menu they have a regular grilled cheese that consists of two slices of bread and one slice of cheese. On the dinner menu, they have a double grilled cheese that consists of three slices of bread and two slices of cheese. Try ordering a double grilled cheese at lunch! You will be told, after the waiter/waitress takes your order to the kitchen and returns to your table, that double grilled cheese sandwiches are not available at lunch! GIVE ME A BREAK! Do the lunch cooks not know how to add another slice of cheese and another slice of bread?

Other than these issues, Just Benji's is a pretty good place to dine as long as the owner's temper is not directed at me or my family. If it ever is, he will find out what it's like to wear the food he sells.    [01 Jul 2003 21:41:23]

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Recommended Dishes: Hamburger Steak w/cheese

     ­Anonymous