Benitoite

I went there last night with a couple of girlfriends! Outstanding venue and food was superb! I can’t recall the last time I had such great and flavorful authentic food! Highly recommend!

Are you kidding me? Putting a California twist on some AMAZING dishes… I have tried various dishes and they have ALL been great. The staff is nice and attentive, and the head chef/​owner comes and personally greets the table! Great selection of beer and awesome sides… you cannot go wrong with any pick! There are times you read the menu, and know that the dish may not be as good as the description — but everything I have ordered has been mouth watering-​ly delicious.

Yum! Just had a delish date night! Service was superb, Chef Armen was a delight, food was luscious! You must try the Brussel sprouts and the pecan pie! Next time we will go on anon-​Friday lent night — itching to try the duck!

This place was awesome. My gf and I wanted to go someplace local and decided to try this place out. The food was great and the staff was very polite. The chef was super nice as well. He actually greeted us and made sure our dinner was up to par. We will definitely be back.

NEW place in MONTROSE. Pouring GOLD at Benitoite! (That’s how I describe my great Chardonnay) Good wine selection with delicious California dishes. My husband & I had the arugula with burrata and beet salad, Mac n cheese (The corkscrew noodles are a nice touch!) and the chicken curry. Armen the owner is very nice & find Jessica at the bar for a little wine tasting! Next time, I’m sitting outside on the blue tweed chairs and pretending I’m in Europe!

My wife and I had the pleasure of enjoying our Valentine’s Day dinner at this lovely new establishment.
Not sure what more I can say except that this restaurant is a welcome breathe of fresh air for the Montrose/​La Crescenta area.
Our waitress was diligent, knowledgable, and friendly.
The chef (Chef Armen) also managed to take the time to come and say hello to us as well as the other guests… which is always nice.
We ordered a lot of different things from the menu, as we always do when are excited to try a new restaurant. Chef Armen somehow managed to create a menu of food that in most cases might almost seem a little pretentious or unapproachable… but he made it into warm, inviting, comfortable and (most importantly) delicious food! It’s almost comfort food, but kicked up a notch. It’s the kind of restaurant I would like to have if I had any cooking skills whatsoever:)
My wife and I will definitely eat there again… and since the restaurant is still relatively new, I imagine it can only get better from here!

We had a lovely time here. The owner and chef was very friendly and present, greeting us and making sure everything was right. We had the pulled duck and the salmon, both extremely delicious. Can’t wait to come back.

Beautiful new restaurant, friendly bistro like environment with gorgeous wood work.
A comprehensive menu, small but with a good variety to chose from. A wonderful fusion of Mediterranean and contemporary cuisine.
We had the Brussels sprouts as a little sharing dish, very delicious and for my main dish I had the pulled duck, A twist on the traditional Persian Fesenjan dish, Very delicious.
The service was excellent and Chef Armen was so personable, going to every table and checking on the patrons. I plan on going back for SURE …

I dont get this place. This place is labeled as american food (at least on Unilocal) which clearly it is not. The name of the restaurant is french, the food is iranian-​mediteranian, sorry, but egg plant sandwiches are not american cuisine. Yet they serve mac n cheese? The owners need to pick a food theme and stick to it. Jack of all trades, master of none.

I went with some girlfriends on a Thursday night. It wasn’t very crowded so we were seated right away and enjoyed the ambience. We also had a very friendly waitress who knew the menu well and was honest about her opinions of the food.
We ordered Brussels sprouts that were just okay (and I could have made them at home) and bacon wrapped dates that were not good. The bacon was fatty and not crispy, and the flavor of the date was overwhelmed by the bleu cheese. Two of my friends liked the pulled duck (though it looked like dog food), I liked my salmon, but the last two found their salmon overcooked.
The pecan pie was tasteless and even sharing it amongst us, we did not finish because it wasn’t worth it. The only dessert we really wanted to try was the s’mores dessert, but apparently they haven’t found a way to actually make it and serve it, so it is on the menu but perpetually unavailable.
For the price and lack of options, I would not go back.

This was a truly disappointing meal. We ordered appetizers that were OK and really truly that was the best part of the meal. The lasagna was dry, the mac & cheese was tasteless. The Caesar salad had brown lettuce in it and the chicken was so chewy I couldn’t even eat it.
The fries are not homemade for the price!
Thank goodness the waitress was charming and nice! Way too expensive for the quality… really sad.

Benetoite is a lovely new restaurant in Montrose that has delicious cuisine. I believe the pronunciation is Benny two it. Don’t quote me on that though.
Food: ⁴⁄₅ Stars
We ordered the mac ‘n cheese to start. I loved it and my husband thought it was good. For our main course I chose the fesenjan with duck. I had seen photos of it online and thought it sounded odd, but I just had to try it. Normally, it is made with chicken and I make it at home. The recipe includes ground walnuts and pomegranate syrup. One thing I really liked about it is the fact that it was served on a bed of a wild rice blended with basmati rice. Normally, I do not eat rice, but it was really good. I was really happy that I chose that dish and I would rate it 5 stars. Fesenjan is one of those kind of dishes that you either like or don’t like. I hardly ever make it because my husband doesn’t like it. It is similar to how some people either like or hate cilantro. Don’t let me confuse anyone though.
My husband ordered the grilled eggplant sandwich and he did not care for that at all. The owner came by at the end of our meal and we were honest about that. He said he will most substituting something else like a portobello mushroom sandwich in the future. The pecan pie made with Tennessee whiskey was amazing. My husband and I split that, but I could have splurged on one of my own. They serve a lot of California craft beer which is nice and I was happy with the one I chose. I can’t remember the name, but it was really good.
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅ Stars
The restaurant is beautiful with the wood celilings, exposed brick wall by the bar and blue wall. The plates are a bit funky with Route 66 and other California type plates, but that’s what the theme of the restaurant is.
Service: ⁵⁄₅ Stars
Natalie was our server and she was great. She greeted us promptly, took our orders quickly and everything was perfect. Armen, the owner, stopped by when were almost finished which was a nice touch.
Parking: ⁴⁄₅ Stars
There is plenty of public parking in Montrose, but not a specific designated lot. We parked south of the restaurant off of Verdugo Road.
It appears as though they may still be working on the menu and other things, but I would recommend trying the restaurant.

I stumbled upon this gem with my business partner looking to find a good place to grab some food right after an event we were attending.
This place is absolutely delicious. I am extremely satisfied with my experience. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very alive!
The owner/​Chef Armen greeted us and served us beautiful dishes filled with flavor.
The spinach and mushroom lasagna was so fresh and delectable.
The house Mac & cheese was delicious as well.
But the chicken in the chicken breast and red pepper sandwich was absolutely the juiciest and most delicious piece of chicken breast I’ve ever had.
Great place, nice and lively. Great food, beer and great service.
Must try!

Basic food and not kid friendly. No kids menu. The Mac and cheese I got for the kids was served in a piping hot skillet and more importantly they didn’t like it.
The chicken schnitzel was well cooked — but serving it with a fried egg on top was odd. Not sure what this restaurant is trying to be in Montrose. Go to Zekes across the street. Much better.

Having witnessed the historied establishment of Benitoite Restaurant, I was very eager to visit for a personal taste of all its rich menu items.
I finally made it on a busy Friday night and the Chef and his father greeted us at the door, and we had a chance to catch up before being seated. We had acquaintances among the other restauranteurs and it was like a big family at Benitoite. Our waitress helped us with our wine selection, and both white and red choices were awesome. My wife really enjoyed the Dancing Crow Sauvignon Blanc and I have yet to taste a more balanced red than the Tempranillo Force of Nature.
Next stop? Beet salad and my personal favorite, bacon wrapped dates, yum! I would go back just to get 10 more servings of those delectable dates. And the best part is that none of the food feels heavy, leaving enough room for the main meal. We shared the Pomegranate Duck and Chicken Curry which were cooked to perfection with fresh ingredients and just the right flavor. My preference there was the curry, wow, so good.
Finally, we ended the night with a pecan pie with coffee medley. This was an epic night, and we will be coming back for more soon! Benitoite is a unique and authentic addition welcoming all to the wonderful corridor of Montrose. See you there soon!

Would be 3.5 stars if Unilocal had halves. For appetizers we got the brussel sprouts and bacon wrapped dates, which were both awesome. Personally I don’t like bleu cheese but even though the bacon wrapped dates had bleu cheese, I loved them. Unfortunately, the appetizers were better than the entrees. All three of us felt this way and we had the grilled cheese and the duck. However, the whiskey pecan pie was incredible. As the restaurant filled up, the room got very hot. Two of us were using our menus as a fan. But it cooled down quickly when we asked them to turn the A/​C on. Their bathrooms are gorgeous. Overall it was a good experience, and I would come back here for appetizers or desserts.

While waiting patiently for Benitoite to open in our neighborhood, we made our dinner reservations for January 8^th. As we arrived on time, there was no hostess or area to wait until seated. Available tables were not cleared. The server got our names and had to walk to the bar to check our reservation then she had to clear an available table as we waited since there was no busboy. The two servers had to clear the bar area as well.
We ordered the date-​filled blue cheese bacon wraps… Two were burned but the rest had crisp bacon and were delicious. We ordered craft brews, Mediterranean eggplant sandwich with fries and pulled duck over wild rice. The entrees were hot and delicious. The chef and his partner circulated the room. The chef is gracious but it was a busy night. I suggest he decide if he wants to stay at the front of the house or the back and let the partner do one side.
By not having a waiting area, our eating area was infringed upon by a group of four customers that had no place to stand. So they stood near our table and looked over our plates as we ate as our personal eating space was infringed upon.
We were not asked if we wanted our glasses refilled or if we wished dessert. We asked for the check and had to wait a half an hour to get it!
We plan to go back but will give this place a chance to get the kinks out. Will be back in 6 months to a year.

Went here on a Saturday night right before they started getting busy. Didn’t have to wait, but it was a little awkward when people walk in and have to wait for a seat without and stand or bench separating them from the other tables.
Ambience is nice, but when we arrived it smelt like a light paint or cleaner. The smell went away after it started getting busy.
We had the Mac and cheese and grilled chicken breast sandwich. Both were just ok. Mac and cheese was not cheesy enough and the sear on top was a little burnt. Also, it took 30 minutes from the time we received our Mac and cheese to when we got the grilled chicken breast sandwich
Probably not coming back.

This was a great evening. To be met at the door by the chef and owner Armen. To immediately be told by the the meaning behind the name of the restaurant, the color blue, the plates on the wall as you enter was great. Then to taste the main meal-​pulled duck-​this was beyond compare. I took my wife there for our monthly anniversary and she loved it. Three cheers for chef Armen and his new restaurant Benitoite.
ps: I should have take a picture of my meal. Next time.

Love the ambiance! Fits perfectly with the Californian cuisine. Authentic wine bottles lined across the brick wall behind the bar, great lighting, food, & amazing service. My favorites are the Mac & cheese & salmon dish. Doesn’t over due the cheese like most places & the salmon was grilled to perfection! Definitely coming back