Ben's Stoughton — Restaurant in Stoughton

I don't even know where to begin. So, on Saturday night, my family and I decided to give this place a shot. It seemed promising, and I love exploring new restaurants. However, our experience ended up being a letdown. We patiently waited for 90 minutes for our food, and when the waitress said it would take another 20 minutes, making it a total of 110 minutes, we realized we couldn't wait that long. On that note we made the call to leave.

The restaurant has two sections – the main room/lobby with a bar and a second room with more tables. When we went to the bar to settle the bill, we noticed others leaving and finishing their meals. It was surprising because when we first arrived, only 2-3 tables were occupied. While waiting by the door, the owner approached us, assuming we were just arriving. We explained our lengthy wait, but he dismissed it, saying, “No, you didn't wait that long,” and tried to persuade us to stay, promising it would be just a “few” more minutes. We declined for obvious reasons and left. I really can't recommend this place as it was truly a bad experience. On that night, we had poor service both from the waitress and the owner. I can't even comment on the food since we never received any. For your information, we weren't the only ones who left without getting any meals; there was another couple across from our table who...

Pros: Friendly and hospitable. Food was overall very tasty. Unique dining experience with a bit of quirkiness - reminded me of a place that might be on Williamson St in Madison (in a good way). A bit rainy the evening we were there, but outdoor area looks like it would be beautiful on a nice day in the warmer months.

Cons: It took our party of 4 people 3h 45m from sit down to exiting and it was not that busy the night we were there. After we were initially told the dinner options by Ben, 1 of our party asked for a recommended item, only to be told "you don't want that" and to instead get another item on the menu - the delivery of that message was kind, but it's unusual for a patron to be told they can't get what they were offered and instead told to get something else. We asked for the bill after waiting a while, but were instead brought complimentary detox drinks. Again, it was a gracious offer, but we needed to leave and did not ask for this. We ended up asking for our bill 3 more separate times. By the time we left, we were frustrated, tired and each had a bit of an uneasy feeling instead of feeling happy...

I have lived in Cottage Grove for over 10 years, I have only ever heard small talk about Ben’s restaurant, but after yesterday’s experience, I’m sure excited to step foot into his business. I usually never write reviews but I’m still feeling happy about my experience with the young man who served me and my family at the taste of Stoughton event. I saw a small line forming from a tent I’ve never seen before, as the curious man I am, I stopped over to see what it was all about. Immediately I was hit with the mouth watering aroma of gyro meat and spices. As I stepped forward to place my order I was graciously greeted and asked what I would like. Me being new to Mediterranean food I had zero idea where to begin. The young man asked me what I was in the mood for and helped me pick through the options, which ended up being the chicken gyro wrap - mouth watering, with a side of rice and a Mediterranean bean salad. Prices may seem a little high, but you most definitely get what you pay for in terms of high quality food, tasted very fresh and flavorful. Thank you Ben and staff for the wonderful...