Pints and Pint-sized: Benny’s BBQ

Each month Pints and Pint-sized will highlight a local restaurant where city-dwelling parents can take their children and enjoy a good brew or two (responsibly, of course). This month: Benny’s BBQ

October 17, 2013; 9:24 AM • by Erin Sarro

Benny’s BBQ has been a Southside favorite for over 20 years, yet not a lot of folks know about it. Tucked away in the Stony Point Shopping Center (the one on Huguenot Road, not the nall), Benny’s serves chopped-to-order barbeque along with a variety of homemade sides and desserts. Their new space is surprisingly modern and spacious for a BBQ joint, and the bar has nice-sized screens for game-day watching. It’s one of those places where you can feel comfortable eating with tantrum-prone children or meeting friends for drinks and an attempt at adult conversation.

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Pint-size scoring:

1 Star — Bring the kids ONLY if you can’t find a sitter
2 Star — It can work but not everyone is going to be happy
3 Star — Good choice if your mini-you is semi-civilized (usually starts ages 8-10)
4 Star — A perfectly acceptable place for kids all ages
5 Star — Everything your kid could ever need minus a large animatronic mouse

Pint scoring

1 Star — Nothing out of the ordinary here: Bud, Yuengling, Guinness
2 Star — Better than average but missing something crucial
3 Star — All the norms plus plenty of local flavor
4 Star — A few rarities hanging out with the micros and locals
5 Star — The Mecca of beer selection

Pint-size score: 4 stars

If I’m taking my two-year-old to a restaurant I’d better have an arsenal of distractions. Benny’s provides coloring sheets and crayons for the table and there’s a special “hangout” area for kids’ area in the back of the restaurant. In front of the kitchen is a large chopping block where your little ones can watch a pig get skillfully chopped to smithereens (just hope they don’t make the Babe/Wilbur connection). Their children’s menu has all the non-healthy stuff most kids will eat: chicken nuggets, ham and cheese sandwiches, fries, etc. I’d give them five stars, but they don’t have changing tables in the bathrooms.

Pint score: 3 stars

Benny’s bar has RVA’s go-to brews on tap and for some of the best prices in town. You’ll find five Legend taps (one of the most at any bar or restaurant outside of the brewery) including Lager, Brown Ale, IPA, Pale Ale, and Oktoberfest. Devil’s Backbone also represents here and Benny’s is planning to convert more of their taps to local, seasonal brews. Happy hour is Monday — Friday from 4:00 – 7:00 PM and Saturday — Sunday from 1:00 – 7:00 PM with $1.00 off on all bar beverages and appetizers.

Entertainment includes a jazz band and the occasional Karaoke Night–advisable only if your kids don’t know how to post your rendition of “Summer Nights” on YouTube.