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BJ's beers are contract-brewed by St. Arnold's, Houston, TX, thanks to the Prohibition-era mentality that we have here in Texas. They are a chain, and my visits to three here in the DFW area have given me an idea that each franchise offers the same good stuff: Tatonka Stout, Harvest Hefeweizen, Jeremiah Red, Nutty Brewnette (American Brown), PM Porter, Piranha Pale Ale, and BJ's Blonde (the website suggests this is a Kolsch, but it tastes like a "lite" beer to me :). I always leave the tasting to you, the reader, but my taste buds say that they all taste like decent beer and fit their appropriate styles (although I prefer more "banana" than "clove" in my hefeweizen, but I realize that YMMV). For the non-drunks in your party, there's a nice root beer that they themselves make, and occasionally, one or two alcoholic ciders appear.
They also have a nice selection of quality Belgian ales. I often enjoy a Duvel before my meal there, for example, but that costs them points _here_ because I think they should make their OWN Belgian Strong Ale. :-)
I have never had a bad meal at BJ's, and the fare ranges from salads to sandwiches to pizza to entrées. A full menu is available on their website. Also notable are the "Pizookie" cookies, served hot in a skillet with ice cream. One should definitely save room for dessert.
The service I received from Peter during a recent visit was wonderful and even personalized, as we had a brief chat about the book I was reading. I can't say I've had sub-par service at the other locations I've visited (Addison and Lewisville), although at the others, once in awhile, I'll notice some waitstuff playing kissy-face when folks are waiting, and I've spotted the same manager (in Lewisville) shooting the breeze with his pals while half a dozen tables go ignored.
One negative here: This is not a place to visit if you like quiet. There've been a few times that the music blaring overhead makes me think I'm at a club. Otherwise, this place can be PACKED with all kinds of people (including families), and if you're trying to follow a sporting event, the big screen TVs are hard to miss.
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