BJ’s Brewhouse
400 E. Huntington Dr.
Arcadia , CA 91006
626-462-1494
pizza – check
pasta – check
ice cream – check
sports – check
what more could i want?
first impressions:
- what game is on?
- do those things (the beer making things), do they work?
- no, i would not like to sit at the bar.
the review:
this restaurant is probably one of my top ten favorite restaurants. over the years, i think i’ve had two birthday parties here. i’m not sure why i even look in the menu; i always get the same thing.
jennifer and i had a lunch here and i think it was the first time i’ve done that.
i got lunch portion of pasta which came with either soup or salad. when given the option, i tend to always get the soup. minestrone is usually the only soup i can eat. (claim jumpers has a potato cheese that i love). although i do enjoy minestrone, the taste sometimes reminds me of stomach acid. (i feel the same way about marinara sauce). it probably has to do with the tomatoes. bj’s minestrone isn’t as acidic.
i think i’ve been to bj’s at least 20 times in my life and i’ve never not gotten the angel hair pasta. garlic, olive oil, basil with sun-dried tomatoes which i love. the pine nuts are pretty good too. the bread that it comes with it completes the dish. it’s a combination that i just can’t say no to.
that being said, this dish has always been hit or miss with me. sometimes it’s incredibly good and i’m left wanting more. other times, i’m struggling to finish the plate. rarely do i find myself being simply content with the angel hair. i’m not sure exactly what causes the fluctuation of satisfaction.
today’s meal, unfortunately was on the bad side.
to finish off the meal, because jennifer had never tried it, we got the pizookie. vanilla ice cream on top of a half-baked cookie. we tried a half chocolate chip/half oreo cookie. i’m salivating just thinking about it now…
the overall:
let’s see. pasta, pizza, pizookie, soup. came out to about 30 bucks. i suppose that’s pretty steep for a lunch but about par for a dinner for two.
- incredibly good dessert
- occasionally excellent pasta
- easy parking
- service was mediocre (usually they’re better)
- every sports channel
- trendy atmosphere
will i go back? yah, of course.
do i recommend it? yah. the food isn’t spectacular but i’d say it’s above average. i’ve actually never tried their pizza before (surprisingly) but i’ve heard from others that it’s really good. first-timers with sweet-tooths need to get the pizookie. (is the plural of sweet-tooth, sweet-teeth?)
try this:
next time you go to bj’s, ask the waiter what bj’s stands for. apparently no one knows.
