Came here during the early week for lunch. Firstly I would like to say as a dining experience BJ's has got some visual appeal. The interior of the restaurant and equally pleasant outdoor "dining patio" may make you forget you're dining in the "salad bowl of the world!" Now the food...we started off with an appetizer of Crispy Calamari ($9.75) served with spicy marinara and lemon garlic aioli. Presentation was wannabe pretentious, however, the calamari was overcooked, chewy with enough fried crispy crumbs (yo ho Long John Silvers) to nearly outnumber the calamari pieces. Ok, so they have some great advertised lunch specials starting at $5.95 - Big On Flavor, Small On Price! Depending on what you order it's more like Meh On Flavor, WTF On Price. I literally had to follow-up this tiny meal of Half Flatbread Pizza with Salad ($6.95) with a Costco Hot Dog one hour later cuz I was still hungry. The Flatbread Pizza was AGAIN overcooked/burned, tasteless and tasted more like a Saltine Cracker. Despite being in the "salad bowl of the world" the salad was literally a small handful of mixed greens, mushy tomatoes, few carrot slivers, sprinkling of onions, and one cucumber slice wouldn't satisfy an anorexic! Once again served on this over sized wannabe pretentious platter. My dining companion ordered the Southern Fried Chicken ($5.95) and reported being satisfied with her meal of a small buttermilk fried chicken breast, pepper cream gravy, mashed potatoes and corn and fire-roasted red pepper succotash all layered on top of each other...wannabe pretentious once again. They do have some AYCD handcrafted old fashion soda's ($2.95) which are very nice. The cream soda was divine and the root beer brought back some sweet childhood memories of days gone by when soda was cool! Service was a hit or miss. The hostess was very friendly and our waiter although friendly seemed a bit dazed and confused at times. We also got a "bait and switch" waiter who brought our food...wish I would have gotten his name because this dude brought on his F-game, what a jerk! "Homeboy" gonna be on the unemployment line soon...ha! Hope they step it up because wannabe pretentious didn't cut it for me. read more

Went here last night and it was PACKED. Thats not unusual, BJ's is a great restaurant and it is pretty new. I've been to several on the West Coast and was really happy that they opened one in the area. When we got there, it was about 5:30..yes pretty early for dinner to me. It was packed as hell and I think the space between the revolving door and the hostess counter is too small. Since a lot of people came with like 12 + people in their party it was quite a wait to even ask for a table. But since it was just the 2 of us, we were seated in 15 min. What attracts us to B'J's is the beer, and the food. DUH. But its cool that they are also a brewery, so we can taste the different types of beer thats not mainstream, as my boyfriend and I are broadening our horizons. Anyways, one of the the beer that is "back" for a limited time is the oasis amber. We asked our server what he could compare it to, what it tastes like. He had no idea and couldn't suggest anything. We ordered it anyway and recieved it 15 min later...which is whatever but we tasted it, and it was not exactly an oasis...it tasted bland and had no summery notes, no citrus, hops just nothing. Wish we would have known...I was hoping for like a longboard, landshark or lost coast type of beer. We got our food, but they forgot my salad, I got it and then 15 minutes later they came back with the same salad. Pizza was good as usual. They do need to improve the service, of all the B'J's I've been to, San Jose is still my favorite and if they are going to sell and brew their own beer, the servers need to be knowledgable. read more

Very good food. Service is very very slow. Restaurant 1/3 full 6 servers a bartender, a hostess, a manager and 2 busboys and I had to get up of the table twice to get more water. If you have time to spare and not that hungry go, food is good. read more

A small group of us (6) went here for lunch recently. We got there early, the dining room was basically empty. We were seated promptly. That's when the promptness stopped. We waited about an hour for our food. Even then, it came out in phases. The waitress said this was due to the fact two of the meals had been dropped in the kitchen. I'm guessing the waitress forgot to put our tag in when she took the order. The manager came out (at the end, when we were paying) to see how things were going. I told him it was way too slow. He clapped his hands, said something about getting "this show on the road" and walked away like that was gonna help. Parts of the meal were OK, but it was mostly lacking. My BBQ beef sandwich was slapped together, and looked unprofessional. The fries were cold. The sodas were all ice, with a sip or two of soda between refills. My companions reported similar issues with their burgers and fries, including overdone meat. I've had to-go pizza from BJ's a couple times and it was excellent. That's why I was so shocked at the horrible experience I had in the actual restaurant. I've heard that the Salinas BJ's is having issues keeping a decent manager and the whole restaurant suffers for it. From what I saw, I wouldn't find that hard to believe. I might be willing to give them one more chance in a couple months. If they drop the ball then, I'd be done for good. read more

I want to weigh in and say the service was quick and friendly at our recent visit last week. It looks like they've had problems in the past. Maybe it's hit or miss but once for lunch and once for early dinner it was great. I like the healthy options that are available. The burger is consistently good. My favorite is the fried jalapeno. Outdoor patio is great when the weather cooperates. It's a chain but sometimes the consistency of a chain is just what hits the spot. read more

Always cancelling Doordash Orders. Terrible managers and shitty employees. This place has awful service. The food is really good tho

we had such a great dinner with my family , food was great and table staff sarah was attentive and polite and senior manager Elizabeth checked on our table to ensure our experience was great . I will definitely recommend to my family and friends... great ambience tranquil and safe . read more

The only reason I gave a star was because of the food and drink. The amount of time that it took to get a waiter to get anything more than water was astonishing. One dish came 15-20 minutes before the other dishes at a table of 5, which still took 20-25 minutes to come out on its own. My dish was a small pizza but didn't look entirely presentable, it was just messy and seemed to be thrown on a plate with toppings strewn about. Another plate was missing it's sides, and that had to be brought to the attention of the waiter. When we ordered a trio of pizookies for an obvious three people which was brought to the attention of the waiter, we only received 2 spoons, and had to wait another 10 minutes for just a spoon, which we received a much larger serving or soup spoon. It was frustrating and idiotic. We spent approximately two hours there of which the majority was spent waiting. read more

My wife and I had lunch here yesterday. It was about 11:30 on a Friday and we were seated right away! Our waiter was friendly and attentive and our drinks arrived promptly (my soda was a little on the flat side but tolerable). It was about 25 minutes after we ordered that I looked at my watch and mentioned to wife that I hoped it wouldn't be too much longer. Suddenly, a manager appeared and apologized for the delay. The odd thing was that we hadn't complained and I didn't really think that 25 minutes was that excessive. Did he see me look at my watch or does he just routinely apologize to everyone? Then our waiter came and also appoligized and asked if he could get my wife a second glass of wine... I had the lunch special with 1/2 grilled California grilled chicken sandwich and chicken tortilla soup. The soup was excellent but the portion was way too small. The sandwich was good but a bit on the soggy side and the bread was so soft that my fingers poked though. I requested fruit instead of fries. They were obvioulsy from a can so I won't be having that again. My wife had a lunch flatbread pizza with salad that I also thought was kind of on the small side. Next time we'll get some appetizers first. When the bill came, my wife was suprised that she was charged for the second glass of wine - she thought the offer was a comp. She pointed that out to waiter and he had it removed from the bill without any hassle (we gave him a nice tip). read more

I was highly disappointed for not the first or second time. The THIRD Time! Service is insanely slow. I do have to address the ultra concerned manager that finally made an effort to right the wrongs done at this establishment when we were walking out. Kudos on a ridiculous attempt to actually care at the very last minute. We arrived at 3pm and we were seated withing 5 minutes. Unfortunately, we sat at our dirty table ( no silverware provided ) for 13 minutes without having any one greet us or take a drink order. We saw several staff members walk pass us including our supposed waiter. No one spoke to us. No one cared. When I finally flagged down a hostess to ask if we had a waiter, she replied sure, let me get your drink order. By 3:40 our drinks still did not arrive. At this point, we walked out. The manager tried to ascertain why we left. All we could say was failure to be acknowledged. I wish I could say that this was something rare at this location, but I have experienced long wait times from the staff and it never has to do with the food. It is always having to do with a waiter not realizing that someone is in their section. Management needs to take more care to properly train their staff. read more

Went to BJs today in Salinas December 20, for a late lunch. We were sat at our table quickley and the waiter, (who was great) took our order. My wife ordered the Grilled chicken club, and I ordered the Bison burger. after about 40 minutes our orders came, and we attempted to eat. The Grilled chicken club was missing CHICKEN, The bison Burger was tiny and burned to a crisp. Also missing most of its ingredients. We have eaten at other BJ's and had great food. Needles to say we wont be back. read more

First time in the new Salinas location and had a GREAT time. I was there last night with my work girlfriends, party of 5. It looked like a long wait so we just hung out in the bar with a beer until a booth cleared and voila, waited only 20 minutes. This trick works great at every BJ' s I've visited, LOL... I have BJ's hopped all over Cali and I was not disappointed in Salinas. A couple of flight of beers between a bunch of us girls was perrrfect, the bruschetta appetizers and spring rolls were fab. The highlight of the evening was the Mediterranean Pizza, pesto, feta cheese, chicken and that signature fluffy bread-HEAVEN! I am obviously thrilled to have BJ s so close by, I no longer have to take a 1.5 hour drive to San Jose for this treat! I plan to be back often..... read more

Would recommend coming here if you love pizza and prime rib ( only on weekends). Ever server there is amazing and can hold the fort down. All managers are friendly and welcome you in with a lovely smile. Highly recommend the Pina colada made by Ryan. Pink Cadillac, and mint mojito is good too. read more

I'm giving it a five star. I read all the reviews about how slow the service was and how bad the food was also, especially the turkey burger with the mildrew bun. Well, I didn't get that kind of service and food. My husband and I didn't wait long. Our drinks were cold and our food was hot and good. My husband's burger was huge! He couldn't put it in his mouth, due to the height of the burger! That thing was about 5 inches in height with all the dressing in it. The beef was in itself about 3 inches thick. I just knew that he was going to die after eating it. The fresh fried were thick and nicely fried. He really did enjoyed that dish. The waiter kept refilling his soda. I had the salmon, loster with pilar rice and stream veg. I just had water with lots of lemons. I LOVED IT! Will I go again? YES! I say, don't listen to the complainters. Try the place yourself and if you like it, pass that experience to others. If you had a bad one........Well what can I say....LOL read more

I came here for a lunch with my Aunt when I was in town. The food was OK but the prices were kind of surprising. Probably won't necessarily insist on dining here next time I'm home but wouldn't complain too much if I ended up here again. read more

Pizookie love! Honestly, eating here.... I forgot I was in Salinas. The building on the outside and inside is nice. It's a got a revolving door, which is sort of out-of-place for Salinas, but I thought it was an elegant touch. The inside is designed to make the place look bigger than it actually is.... cool. It's not bad... the steak tastes like steak... the potatoes are pretty huuge. :3 and the sandwiches, which my friend had, are pretty good as well. GET A PIZOOKIE FOR DESSERT! IT'S ABOSOLUTELY DELICIOUS - THE WARM COOKIE MIXED WITH COLD ICE CREAM...whooooo. read more

I was very disappointed with the food and the service I received tonight. I have been there many times before and have had to wait for our food, but tonight was ridiculous. No silverware, no napkins to say a few things that went wrong. I took my grandchildren to a Sunday dinner and will not be going back. We went there to get their famous hot cookies with ice cream and they were out. We set about 20 minutes until they finally walked by and I had to request our table be cleared so we could see dessert. PS. The bill came immediately, not the receipt, we just left. read more

Ok there is one thing that has to said Deep Dish Pizza. Yummy words failed me it would be a criminal. The rest of the menu is hit an miss but the pizza a total home run. read more

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Only the leftovers - Pizza Near Me - Salinas, California

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The food is way over priced for what I got. We where here for a family dinner and this is what they chose so that's the only reason why we came. For the price I would rather go to Gino's or red lobster. The service was great though. read more

NEVER EVER get the nachos delivered, as you can see in the picture. It's so messed up what they did to my nachos. Can it be even be named nachos? They barely sprinkled the cheese. They had everything else on the side in the small condiment cups. read more

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Pizza Near Me - Salinas, California

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Switched the server on us? Avocado spring rolls... yummy! The sauce with them was quite good too, though I liked them better without it. Our waiter was good and was getting a little help from what looked to be more senior staff. And she was nice and friendly. The flatbread pizza was good. Dough was chewy and tender. The burger was HUGE and the fries it came with was an ample portion. Not like other places that give you 4 for your side. It feels kinda like a cheesecake factory rip off esp with the 30 page menu but everything looked and tasted delicious like them too. We will return. read more

I'm from the Sac area, where we have several BJ's, I've been to this location 3 times now, each time hoping it will be better but it just never is. Today our server was super sweet (more than I can say for the last time we were here, when the girl spent more time sitting at a table with her boyfriend than serving her tables). Our food took FOREVER! Our server apologized a few times, but the bottom line is that no one should ever have to wait 45 min for lunch. We went around 2pm and they were not busy, there was no rush of people, there is no good reason it should have taken so long. When the food did come my sandwich had way too much sauce on it and hardly any chicken, but I was starving and didn't want to wait for them to fix it. When I worked in a restaurant, a manager would come by the table when the food was backed up to apologize and make sure the guests had what they needed for the time being, we never saw anyone. It would have been a small gesture that would have made a big difference (what would have been even better was if they GASP! bought our drinks or sent out a dessert) I don't think I'll be back here any time soon. read more

We were looking for a place to watch some sports with a wide variety of food. I didn't know Salinas had a BJ's. We've been to BJ's many times before in our hometown. This is one of the few "sportsbar" type places in Salinas so it can get crowded. However, the manager seemed to navigate the patrons well and get us seated in a reasonable time. We went twice during the week while we were in town. Manu, our server on the first visit, was very good. Our server the second night was Jordi and he was top notch as well. Keep up the good work! read more

I went here the first weekend that it opened. Actually this would be my first time being at Bj's and lucky me, they opened one close to my area. So being the first weekend, it was guaranteed to be packed. Friday night a lot of locals want to try something new in the area. Waiting time was 2+ hours especially if your party has 6 or more. Like I said, this is my first time being at a Bj's so I'm not sure how others looked like, but this one was really great. Even with the full house, it was set up nicely. But I'm not sure if having security was standard, or it's just in Salinas? I'm not sure.. but either take it as being safe while eating your pazookie! LOL! Oh yeah, WTF? Pazookie?? It feels like they just baked a cookie and straight put ice cream on top! Damn!! But that was genius!!!!! Service was great, but my friend didn't think so. LOL! Since the bar was packed with drunk people, unfortunately her beer sampler was lost within the crowd! LOL! I think she was just upset because her order came in last when she ordered first out of everyone. But the waiter was very apologetic and very nice. She made sure to try to get our orders to us right away after that. Also, I'm not really sure about the service that walks between the aisle. I understand that they have to take your plates and glasses so there would be more room on the table, but damn! Let me finish my drink first!!! Food, well I just shared a chicken potato with my friend, because we're really just into drinking that night. But the beers were great. We tried the blondes and the brunettes (I'm a brunette kinda guy) and they were good. (Common sense, blondes for light beer and brunette for dark beer) We also tried the seasonal beer which was Oasis. That was great. Got two pitchers of those! All in all, This place would be a regular place to hang out and chill right after work or just have dinner with friends. Happy hour is between 3pm-7pm at the bar Monday thru Friday (well that's what the waitress told me) So it's perfect!! read more

Not a good experience. Stopped in for lunch. Had to wait ten minutes for a table in an empty restaurant. Ordering went ok. Food delivery was much slower than ever before. One order was incorrect. When we pointed it out, the delivery girl said she has to check with the server. Finally the order was corrected, but the rest of the party had finished their food. The server didn't care. Two in our party had the endless soup and salad special. The second fill took almost 15 minutes to get. When the server came by to drop off the seconds, he apologized the clam chowder was out and asked if we wanted another option or wanted to wait 5 more minutes for the chowder. We waited another ten for it. We were never asked how our food was or our experience. We got our check. It was supposed to be separated to two (we specified once seated). We asked to speak to the manager and another server came over with ours and asked "what's the problem here?" No. We will wait for the manager. Manager came by and we explained all to him. He asked that when we return, to ask for him and he will be sure to help us. Nah, I won't be back. read more

We had a X~country meet in salinas The kids all wanted to get together & go to BJ's! We had a total of 17 people, I called and the manager put us right in NO problem. Our server Missy was above and beyond kind. She took our orders and she was always there asking if we needed refills or anything. Very very patient and always with a smile on her face! We also asked her to split the bill she did it with no problem! Thank you ‼ read more

I had there pulled pork sandwich ,Avocado spring rolls and there own beer and also a berry soda also there own ! The Service was very good. My only dislike was the lighting it was hard to read the menu the time of day was about 12:00 pm for being day time not enough of light ? The lighting would be more to the mood of night dinner date? Food ,Drinks where very Good ! I would say go eat but you may want to bring a flash light to read there menu. :-) read more

This review is a little over a week due. We ordered to go, and it took 65 minutes to get because they were waiting on a salad and fries to make. We ordered a burger meal, salad & a steak dinner. We checked our food there & other than the long wait and rude cashier everything looked good. We get home and our salad was HOT, keep in mind it's a chopped wedge salad, and our steak was so cold in the middle it was basically still DEFROSTING. Management here does not care about complaints because they did not care in the restaurant when we asked why a salad was taking so long. The cashier threw away our original receipt when asked to show for pick up & when we said we wanted our receipt she printed a different one that wouldn't allow us to do a survey online. So if you like frozen steak and hot wedge iceberg salads would definitely recommend. read more

Very disappointed... Ive always wanted to go to to bjs and and all of my friends said it was amazing. I went there this Thursday night to try it.When I walked it the restaurant was beautiful and so was the bar and I had high expectations.We were seated as soon as we got there. It took about 10 minutes for someone to get our drink order. We ordered a calamari appetizer and that took about 10 minutes as well (no problem). Expecting it to be hot and crispy,It was not cold but lukewarm, soggy,and flavorless. The dipping sauce was straight out of a jar. After the calamari,I ordered a brew house burger with bacon,cheese,lettuce etc.About 15-20 minutes later I get it and what do you know,warm and soggy.The fries weren't crispy but soft and lukewarm.The burger on the other hand was lukewarm,flavorless,and soggy bun. I was extremely disappointed in this restaurant and will not be going back. P.S the best thing I had was my root beer read more

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Calamari - Pizza Near Me - Salinas, California

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Always a hit or miss with me when I come here. Today I ordered the Lemon Thyme Chicken. Way to much lemon, too much sauce on the rice and the brussel sprouts were borderline raw. Do not recommend. read more

Great bar, great food selection! The place gets busy so don't expect to walk in and sit right down on a weekend or Friday night. Recently tried their takeout which was good and on time. The shopping center has a lot of parking, but it gets full around the restaurants so you may have to park away from the restaurant (not far, but not right outside the door). They also have a beautiful patio area. Oh and pizookies. You need one. read more

Service here has definitely improved! A few months ago the staff seemed like a circus act! One spill here, another one there, someone tripping over there. It was so insane! Lucky for them most of the spills were in an area where the guests had a sense of humor or else that would've been a lot worse. Now they are back to normal. Long wait sometimes, but great service once you get a table. Their portions are not too big in regards to meals. Pizookies are good to share. read more

Extensive menu selection and ridiculously delicious food!! We came here for lunch and the food was so flavorful and fresh! I highly recommend the chicken tortilla soup, it's the best chicken tortilla soup I've ever had. It wasn't too heavy or too soupy- it was perfect :) I really like that they have the calories listed next to all the items on the menu too. It's nice to know the caloric range for those of us who are dieting but who also like to eat out! Overall I highly recommend this place! The service was fast, the food was delicious, their bar is fully stocked with everything from gold label Patron to IPA beers and the ambiance was really nice. It was a cross between a casual sports bar and a fancy restaurant. I can't wait to go back for more tasty vittles!! read more

So, after my last review I received a voice message from the manager of BJ's and two $50 gift cards via email; tonight we decided to use them. From the moment we walked in 7:48pm until the moment we walked out 9:30ish, I track the time it took for us to be seated, how long it took for the waitress to our orders, how fast the food came out of the kitchen and overall service. Keeping in mind it was a packed Friday night. We walked in the hostess backs were toward us chatting amongst themselves. While wait it seemed as if the hostess staff seemed a bit lost on who was next to be seated, the reason why I say that is they asked those of us that were waiting which parties we were with and how many people in our parties. After 24mins of waiting we were seated, not bad from what we were told upon arrival a 20min wait. Our waitress McKay was great very perfessional and friendly. Our food was hot on our table by 8:44pm. As we were walking out again, the hostesses chatting among themselves with their backs towards us as we were leaving the front doors. They didn't even acknowledge us leaving saying thank you or good night, any of that. With all this said, it was a much better night than December 22, 2015 visit. read more

Used to go here at least once a month. OK, it took awhile to get your food even if there were only 3-5 other tables but we always liked what we ordered so let it go. Then around a year ago we noticed that they changed the menu and ALL of our favorites were gone. Seems they have switched to flatbreads and semi Mexican items. Tried something different and where we used to wait 30-45 minutes for our food before, this time was well over an hour, again, place not even 1/4 full. Also the prices have shot up way too much. For less money you can go to Gino's and get better food and way better service! read more

I had just given up on this place but decided to come for brunch since we had a voucher from the manager (due to the last bad experience). M6 husband did not like the ham which was super flat resembling packaged sandwich deli meat. I enjoyed my classic breakfast sandwich. Overall this meal was probably the best experience we've had here. read more

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Classic breakfast sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Salinas, California

Very happy with our meal and service. Everything was hot and the staff was on point. Had the Mediterranean tacos, really enjoyed them with the hot pita. Great place for a quick pit stop from Nor Cal to So Cal. read more

So where to start!!?? I rarely ever will give such a low rating but after the experience we had this time around, I feel it is warranted. Day after Christmas, everyone is out for sales, and returns, you would think I big chain like this would be staffed for the occasion. WRONG! Called ahead 40 minutes prior, arrived to wait another 40 minutes, 20 of which there was not even a hostess present at the front of the house. After our total of almost an hour and a half wait, we were seated, only to wait 15 minutes to even see a waiter. 15 minutes later and we still have no drinks. Which is odd because they were maybe 50% capacity seated, with another 30% waiting in the front to be seated. Management proceeded to tell us they were understaffed, however seemed apologetic. After replacing our waiter, things seemed to pick up a bit. As for our food, the steak was good and no one in our party seemed to complain, nor be all to thrilled about the dinner. All I will say is, the management needs to step their game up, and they need to learn to run the business effectively. read more

Pretty good comfort food. With an endless menu. Great happy hour deals throughout the week. Its a big restaurant so its great for big groups. My favorite entree there are the brussel sprouts my least favorite entree is the Ahi salad. read more

Where do i begin.... My boyfriend and I stopped here for dinner after a long drive heading to San Luis. We were seated right away however were not even greeted til over 20 mins later. Servers kept walking passed our empty table and nobody even cared. We finally found a manager and a girl finally came to greet us gave us a half-A** apology and took our order. Food was slower than the service. A quick dinner ended up taking an hour and half. Noted: never stop in Salinas again. read more