It wasn’t even a year ago that BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, a Huntington Beach, Calif.,-based chain with nearly 200 locations nationwide, including a dozen in Ohio, opened in the Franklin Park Mall parking lot, 4905 Monroe St.

The word has since gotten out about the upscale eatery and dressed-up sports bar; based on the overflow dinner crowd we encountered during a recent Friday, and even a fairly busy weekday late-lunch, BJ’s already has a devoted customer base. In other words, plan to wait at BJ’s, and expect that wait to be worth it.

Our first go-round began with mushrooms stuffed with a spinach and artichoke dip, feta cheese, red onions, and parmesan cheese, with drizzles of lemon pesto sauce ($7.25), and a medium deep dish pizza ($20.85) which we asked to be split into two variations: BJ’s classic combo (pepperoni, Italian sausage, seasoned tomatoes, and mushrooms) and the Sweet Pig (smoked ham, pineapple, seasoned tomatoes).

The deep dish is what BJ’s was first known for, our waitress told us, but we found it to be pretty to the eye and pretty average to the taste, with the dough to sauce and seasoning ratio slightly askew. If you’re in the mood for some warm-up bites, stick with the stuffed spinach mushrooms, or, as we discovered on our second visit, a split order of boneless wings ($12.45) with half garlic parmesan and the other half BJ’s barbecued pepper. They make for a delicious meal unto themselves.

Bill of Fare

Salad Galley a safe harbor for lunch crowd

For our dinner entrees, our trio diverged into separate areas of BJ's expansive menu. The Brewhouse cheeseburger ($10.95) was standard fare and not worth the time considering there are much better options, such as the crispy parmesan-crusted chicken breasts ($17.75), served with lemon chardonnay butter sauce and sun-dried tomatoes, white cheddar mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli to add color and health to the plate. It's a dinner big enough for two that neither will want to share. A well-seasoned and soupy cajun-spiced broth served over rice pilaf was the predominant flavor in the New Orleans jambalaya ($19.25), which featured generous portions of blackened chicken, chicken-andouille sausage, sautéed shrimp, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions.

For our weekday visit, we made a most-wondrous discovery with the lunch portion of the spaghetti and meatballs ($10.50). It was big enough for everyone to sample the freshly prepared meatballs and the San Marzano marinara — warm seasonings with no hint of sweet — that had at least one of us temporarily ruing her order, until she took a bite of the southern comfort chicken sandwich ($13.45) she’d selected. A crispy-fried chicken breast with smoked ham, applewood-smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, and the odd-but-delicious pairing of creamy Alfredo and dijon mayonnaise, bookended with a toasted bun, the southern comfort chicken sandwich is not for those afraid to get their hands dirty during a meal. Our dining companion described it best: It's a sandwich you eat with a fork and knife.

The third lunch entree was the classic prime rib dip sandwich ($15.50), which was too well-done for our taste (and when compared to the picture in the menu). The creamy horseradish had a warm flavor, but no heat. The sandwich's accompanying coleslaw was worth the two sample bites and nothing more, while the generic french fries, we learned from our previous visit, were plate garnish.

A BJ’s experience wouldn’t be complete without a “pizookie,” a warm cookie, brownie, or doughy treat topped with scoops of ice cream and perhaps a sauce such as hot fudge.

There are 15 pizookie variations — everything from hot fudge brownie, chocolate chunk, and cookies ’n’ cream to monkey bread, salted caramel, and peanut butter — which is why we recommend the pizookie trio ($10.50) for a table of three or more or perhaps the mini pizookie ($3.75) if you’re not locked into a dessert selection.

Of the two pizookie trios we ordered for the table, our favorites were the monkey bread, salted caramel, hot fudge brownie, and cookies ’n’ cream, with the triple chocolate pizookie being the only disappointment, even to our professed chocoholic.

Despite the crowds, our servers were attentive, friendly, and at the ready with dining suggestions. If time’s not a factor for your night out, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is a great place to make a night of a meal and drinks. But we strongly recommend the call-ahead seating to minimize the wait.

Bill of Fare

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First Published February 20, 2020, 2:18 a.m.