Both Benjy’s locations are fun, trendy places to be (and interior-design wonderlands), places whose menus don’t exactly struggle to keep up with the modern wave of farm-to-table kitchens serving upgraded comfort cuisine. If the Bohemian-Asian décor is any clue, you can expect a certain outdatedness to the food—or is it classic? Bypass ho-hum Asian fusion attempts like potstickers, blandly grilled calamari, and ingredient-laden pizzas. In fact, we get the most enjoyment from brunch, and a few happy hour specials that give us an excuse to hang out in the pretty bar and ogle the pretty people.

The cocktails attract the ladies like nectar—which is exactly what the drinks taste like. But if a mojito or decent beer on tap is all you need, both are quite cheap from 4–7pm every night. We prefer Rice Village’s $5 menu, which includes addictively spicy beef arepas and delicious sesame-crusted agedashi tofu with orange-chili sauce. At dinner, salads full of nuts and fruits are also a strong suit. After happy hour, we find the Benjy’s on Washington (BOW) kitchen just a notch better at execution and plating. Sauces and flavors show more grown-up restraint, and meats are more aptly cooked. Best of all is brunch at this location (if you don’t mind the frequent wait), featuring tender shortrib enchiladas, expertly crisped chicken and waffles, and much-loved nut-crusted challah French toast.