Bennigan's On Merle Hay — Restaurant in Urbandale

The server, JULIE, was extremely unfriendly and rude! We HATED her serving us! It ruined the experience! My son and I drove from Missouri to Iowa to see family for Thanksgiving. Our first day there we met up with my dad, brother and sister for lunch at Bennigan's in Urbandale, Iowa located at 4800 Merle Hay Road on 11/26/2024 at 2:44pm. We wished we had just gone to Chicago Speakeasy as we originally planned but we haven't eaten at a Bennigan's in years so when we saw it we decided to go there instead and now we wish we hadn't! The restaurant was very very slow. Only a handful of people eating. When the server got to the table she asked what we wanted to drink and when we asked for Dr. Pepper she just shook her head no? So, I was like okay how about Mr. Pibb? And again, she stood there and blankly just kept shaking her head no?! We all just kind of looked at each other like um okay? So, what do you have? She said, "Coke products". I said Mr. Pibb IS a Coke product. She just replied, "no"??!! Not off to a good start! She did not smile! She did not introduce herself! She didn't offer anything else since evidently you guys don't carry Coke or Pibb, just asked what we wanted to drink and walked off! She had an angry look on her face the moment we walked through the door! The restaurant was dead. Maybe a handful of people there leisurely eating. It's not like she was super slammed and stressed out. She was in a bad mood already when walked in. I ordered a bloody Mary and asked for it EXTRA SPICY! I pointed out to her that I did NOT want a regular bloody Mary, I wanted the one listed on the specials menu minus the stout beer. I wanted that one because it had lime sour added to it and a bacon salted rim. What I was served did not meet that criteria. It literally was a plain old regular bloody Mary with regular salt on the rim and NO SPICE. I actually had to get up and ask someone for Tabasco. And I added salt and pepper to it to make it taste better. And the picture shows it had a celery stick but I just got 2 green olives. And it was weird because the drink actually looked pink, not red?? Even my family asked what I was drinking because it looked fruity, not the deep red you expect from a bloody Mary. Either, complete waste of money on that. I also ordered the Reuben Fritters. 🤮 Not good! The menu says it's swiss cheese, diced corned beef & sauerkraut balls breaded and fried with thousand Island on the side. But there was absolutely no sauerkraut in them. None! ALSO, a waste of money. The boneless wings were good but she didn't bring us the extra celery sticks we ordered, even after asking a second time. The quesadilla was nothing special. Run of the mill! Surprisingly the egg rolls were good. VERY GOOD actually. The sweet creamy sauce they serve with them is a compliment to the savory taste. But there again, the server, JULIE, was on the other side of the table taking my dad and brothers order and they both wanted the French dip but noticed there was no cheese on them. So they asked if it came with cheese and she said, "does it show it has cheese on it" and when they replied no she was like, "that's because there's no cheese on it"! She's lucky I didn't come across the table at her for speaking to my family in that manner! And they said that's weird. And then she said "French dip sandwiches never come with cheese on them. I've never even heard of that". We all were like YES THEY DO!! It's weird that you guys don't put it on there because it is common knowledge that French dips ALWAYS have either Swiss or provolone cheese on them! Either way they decided against the cheese because she said they didn't need it. But, she was wrong with her nasty attitude. The sandwiches were dry and the bread hard and it's sad that even when they soaked the bread in the au jus it was still difficult for them to bite into!!!

Moral of the story, DO NOT EAT AT THE BENNIGAN'S IN MERLE HAY IN URBANDALE IOWA!!!! And if you decide you like wasting your money on subpar food/drinks then I'd suggest you request to NOT BE SEATED IN...

Worth the 4-Hour Drive – An Unforgettable Experience! We made a 4-hour trip just to eat at Bennigan’s—and it was absolutely worth it! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a warm, welcoming atmosphere and exceptional service that made the entire experience unforgettable. A huge shoutout to the manager and everyone working behind the scenes, but a special thank you to our waiter, Jason, who was absolutely phenomenal. He was friendly, attentive, and made us feel genuinely cared for. Jason went above and beyond to ensure everything about our visit was personal and perfect from start to finish. The highlight of our meal was the famous Monte Cristo—perfectly golden, crispy on the outside, and filled with warm, melty goodness. It was served fresh and hot, and every bite lived up to the hype. It was everything I remembered it to be—and honestly, this dish alone was worth the drive! We also tried a couple of their signature drinks, and they didn’t disappoint. The Pub Punch was perfectly sweet, refreshing, and a great complement to our meal. Bennigan’s, and Jason, delivered in every way—amazing food, incredible service, and a welcoming atmosphere. We’re already looking forward to...

Stopped in after work Wednesday. I usually like sitting at the bar, it's kinda like Grand Central Station of any restaurant/bar. Nikki greeted me within seconds of sitting down. She asked my name only once.Had a great conversation with some of the regulars and learned they have a great car night on Wednesdays during the summer. Great drink and food specials on Wednesdays. I wanted the bone in wings this round to see if they were the same as I remembered. My wife and I casually had a few beers and then ordered. The food came out in proper time. The wings were lacking the crunchy breading that I remembered. They were cooked perfect. The sauce was perfect, one of the best buffalo sauces in my opinion. My wife got the fish and chips and I had to decide on a burger since they were on special on Wednesdays. I had the St. Brigid burger. It was fantastic to say the least. They have a 8 oz patty that deserves a standing ovation. A person that appeared to be kitchen management personnel came up to us to check on our experience. Nikki was awesome to say the least, she did not miss an beat. We will definitely be back and will sit at the bar for the service and...