BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse — Restaurant in Queen Creek

I know this location is still new, so there are still some hiccups in the system, but just thought I would share my experience here.

My friends and I arrived to find out there would be a 30-40 minute wait. No problem! We put our name in and 10 minutes later we were getting a texted saying our table was ready. We checked in and were told to stand off to the side while they got our table ready……even though we just got a text. Didn’t think much of it. Joined the 20 other people who were trying to stand out of the way of the doors in a very fun game of sardines with strangers. Finally 10 minutes later we were actually seated. Our waitress came around and got our drink and appetizer order. By the time she came around to get our orders for dinner, my friend’s appetizer still hadn’t come out. Our waitress apologized and said she would check on it. The restaurant was PACKED so we didn’t think much of it. After what seemed like another 15 or so minutes, she came back to let us know that they had delivered it to the wrong table, but they would bring a new one out. It arrived minutes before our entrees. We laughed it off because, again, it was busy. When our entrees arrived our waitress asked if everything looked good and another friend asked for a side of ranch. She was told “absolutely”…..that ranch never came. In fact, I think we only saw our waitress from a distance up until she came to ask if we wanted to order dessert. This is where I should pause the story. Every time she had come up to our table up until this point she made comments about how bad the kitchen staff had been, how if it was up to her they would all be fired, and how no one seemed to be doing their job. At first we joked around with about it, but the more she would make those comments, the more suspicious we became on whether this was all actually the kitchens fault. So now we pick back up at her asking if we wanting dessert. At this point she hadn’t refilled anyone’s drinks (in fact that was the first time she even asked if anyone wanted more) even though we had completed our meal. We all put an order in for pizookies to-go and started waiting. The checks came and went and we still didn’t have our dessert. By this point in the evening the restaurant had cleared out a LOT. When she finally came back around to give us our cards back, she was shocked to see we didn’t have our desserts and assured us she would go check on them. A good 10-15 minutes went by before she came out to tell us how incompetent the kitchen was and how they should be out shortly. And she was almost right. One lone bag came out a few minutes later. And it became apparent the rest of us weren’t getting us any time soon. The next time we even saw her she rounded the corner and looked surprised to see us. We let her know that we were still missing 2 of our orders. She disappeared again and came back to tell us that they were being rushed out and the manager would be bringing them directly to us. Another almost 20 minutes went by before our waitress came rushing out with our orders for us. Luckily we thought to check them before we left. One of my friend’s order was completely wrong. At this point it was getting late so she waited behind to get it fixed and the rest of us headed out. She waited another 30 minutes before she got her correct order. And another friend of mine didn’t realize that her order was wrong until she got home.

The whole time felt like we were forgotten and by the end of the night, like we were an inconvenience to her.

The food was amazing! The restaurant itself was good. But the service was definitely lacking in several areas. What could have been a very nice dinner that last an hour, turned into a 2 1/2 hour meal where we spent most of them time just playing the waiting game. Hopefully this isn’t going to be a consistent problem here because I love BJs and would like to...

We really wanted to like this restaurant and add it to our current rotation of local dining establishments. We rotate between Oreganos, Olive Garden, Nandos Mexican and Texas Roadhouse. Unfortunately, BJs/Queen Creek will not make the cut.

First off, I will acknowledge that they are definitely doing something right. We went on a Tuesday around 5:30 PM and the place was packed. We thought and hoped they were giving food away (Spoiler: They weren't). A table inside would be a 20-minute wait, so we chose the outdoor patio on this 100-degree day and as one of the hostesses pointed out, it really wasn't that bad. We had a little bit of Mist envy as our end of the patio did not have a mister. We're originally from NJ where I've probably eaten outside a total of five times in my life...it's either too cold or too hot or buggie. This was just right. And even though our view was of a nearby busy street, it was a really cool atmosphere.

There were some pretty good deals and Happy Hour goes on for a long time at this restaurant. The chips and salsa / guac dip were by far the best item we had tried.

It kinda fell apart from there.

The waitress was nice enuf, but seemed a little flummoxed by a needy table of 3 nearby. Hey, it happens. Still, the meal was paced nicely.

I am not a chef, nor a foodie. Just a guy who knows good food when he sees/tastes it. The chicken parm was average at best...nothing special. The sauce, I swear, tasted like Ragu. The sauce makes or breaks most Italian dishes and this one disappointed. The Caesar salad was good, but as a $6 add-on to on already high price point, it was too small. My son's hamburger had no distinct flavor. My 20-year-old son still orders his burgers plain, so maybe if it came with the house sauce or some grilled onions it would have tasted better. Instead, it was bland. I mean at the very least, sprinkle some pepper on the thing.

The margaritas my wife and I got---the house one that fell under the house brand-- didn't come with a (strawberry, cherry, etc.) it also didn't have any alcohol. My wife and I don't drink a lot, so when we do get a drink, we can feel it. My son's Coke probably had more alcohol content in it. When I pay restaurant prices for a drink, it needs to have some alcohol to it and not a glass of ice and marg. mix. And my God what is it with the ice at these restaurants. Can you put a little drink in the drink for what we are paying?

Despite the Happy Hour prices and my wife and I sharing, it still came to $70 for 3. Just seemed a tad pricey.

So, the atmosphere was really good, as was the service. But it's a restaurant and the food has to be the star of the show. And it disappointed. Up next on resturant rotation:...

I find it challenging to articulate my experiences at this establishment, having visited four times. Our initial visit coincided with their grand opening, during which our food was significantly delayed, and our appetizer never arrived. We attributed this to the chaos of the first day and chose to overlook the mishap. On our second visit, which took place during a relatively quiet lunch hour, we ordered a personal pizza and an appetizer, only to find that the appetizer again failed to materialize. This led us to request the waitress to remove it from our bill, and we shared a light-hearted moment, noting our unfortunate track record of being "0 for 2" with appetizers at BJs. During our third visit, we opted to sit at the bar, hoping for improved service. We placed our order for an appetizer and drinks, but after 45 minutes of waiting, we began to joke that perhaps we were simply not meant to dine at BJs. A nearby server overheard our conversation and offered assistance, acknowledging that other patrons who arrived well after us had received their meals while we continued to wait. Once again, our appetizer was removed from the bill, reinforcing the notion that this was becoming a troubling pattern. Finally, on our most recent visit, we decided to give it one last shot, sitting at the bar and ordering chips and salsa along with a pizza. After a lengthy wait of 30 minutes, we inquired about our chips and salsa, noticing that a couple seated next to us, who had ordered nachos 15 minutes after us, received their food promptly. The bar manager intervened and brought us our chips and salsa after we expressed our concerns, explaining that the delay was due to a busy kitchen, despite the evident disparity in service. After enjoying the chips and salsa, we continued to wait for our pizza, but after an hour, we informed the bartender that we would prefer our pizza to go as we got home we live across the street so not far our pizza was cold as if it was sitting for awhile, as the situation had become increasingly frustrating. This ongoing pattern of service issues has led me to believe that this is being done intentionally and I am being discriminated against because the 4 times I have been there people who do not look like me have been serviced quicker and smoother and without problems and have showed up way after I have. I know everyone has there own experiences but this has been mine and I am disgusted and angry because its getting to the point where...