BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

My wife and I went here a few times and had good experiences. So when my family was looking for a place to get together over the holidays I recommended BJ’s. This was a big mistake.
Our reservation was for 6:30 but the table was not ready until well after 7. No problem, a few members of our party were late anyway so no harm no foul. We had 16 people and it was busy that night so a few small errors in service would not have been a big deal. Though, almost everyone had complaints. Twice I ordered one of their beers only to have a server try to give me a mixed drink. My cousin asked for a dish (cant remember) and was told they were sold out only to see the same order leave the kitchen numerous times afterwards. One of our family members received the wrong dish, multiple items were forgotten and when the check came the servers proved completely incompetent in dividing the check between 3 groups. While my sister tried to assist them in separating the bill one of the mangers stood there and did nothing to assist his struggling employees.
On our way out my sister approached two of the «managers» only to have one turn face and walk away from her and the other (younger guy) offered no explanation, no resolution, no nothing. When she inquired further he at least offered to take her information and have someone follow up with an apology and possible gift card for our troubles ($ 500 bill by the way). One month later we have heard nothing.
The food here is excellent and I may be back in small groups, but large groups should avoid BJ’s like the plague.

Great beer on tap. The menu is very large and I found it to hard to choose! If you are looking for great beer this is your place but pass if it is a great meal you are in search of. My review is based on similar to its price range.

If I were able to, I would rate it 3.5 stars. I thought it was a little better than okay but not great. Our server didn’t start off well as when our hostess was seating us, I overheard her say «you better find someone else to take these tables cause I’m not doing it». That didn’t exactly start if off right for us. I was a party of 6 with my family so I was a little surprised to hear that on a Tuesday night that wasn’t packed. I would have thought this would be welcomed, but I guess I was wrong.
Anyhow, the food was okay. We got garlic parm wings to start and they weren’t amazing. I have had some that were amazing and these were okay. The flavor was a little lacking but all in all okay. Each of us got the hickory brisket burger. I thought it was again average. It sounded awesome on the menu, but the bbq flavor I tasted was more from the sauce than the brisket. Again, a little better than average.
So basically my experience was okay. I would go back to see if it was more about our server rather than the total experience but also would like to try more menu items.

2^nd Time here. The beers are great. We had the BJ’s thin pizza – it was delicious. Just a note that this place is almost always busy and you will have to wait, unless you get lucky and get a table by the bar. I recommend it!

I’ve been here a few times and it’s a pretty cool spot. The food is always good and the prices aren’t bad. Apparently there known for there deep dish pizza!?! They make there own beer! Love the Jamaican Red! All in all I’ve never had a bad experience here.

Bj’a is my cheat day destination. If you are looking for a menu with low calories stay away. Literally everything in their menu is delicious. For the appetizers, I recommend the avocado egg rolls they’re really good! A bit spicy and the sourness of the dried tomatoes gives it a really unique taste! Another favorite is the deep dish pizza. I’ve been here many times and I’ve been always satisfied with the service!

Another «warehouse» brewery with exposed pipes, air conditioning, and light fixtures. Time to retire that look, it’s been done to death at the Rock Bottom, Dave & Buster’s, and hundred of other chains. Want to see a beautiful ceiling while drinking beer, head to the Church Brew Works.
BJ’s is located in the new McCandlis Crossing off McKnight road. Another giant hodge podge of Ethan Allens, Super Cuts, Trader Joe’s (this is Pennsylvania, no two Buck Chuck, TJ Brew or Trader Joe’s Café) and other boring chain places that dot the western Pennsylvania landscape. BJ’s is new to Pittsburgh, a brewery/​restaurant/​bar miss mash with their beer as the star of the show. Stopped in with a friend, had a double IPA, not bad, tasty, hoppy, floral in the front, hints of lime, grapefruity finish. 5.75 a pint, my friend loves stouts and enjoyed their version. We’d eaten before stopping in for a nightcap but did look the menu over. The large menu reminds me of the Cheesecake Factory, lots of choices, lots of calories, a few lighter menu items caught my eye like the salmon over quinoa & vegetables, at 1050 calories, I didn’t find that very light. Fish tacos, flatbread, deep dish pizza, and burgers make up the bulk of this menu.
One thing did catch my eye though, they carry brews from other breweries, including the Pius Monk Dunkle from Church Brew Works. Kind of odd to carry brews from other local brew houses, IMO. In a world of chain restaurants, when something new pops up give it a try.

Great food and good service! They have a lot of beer selections since they have their own brewery! It’s definitely worth checking out!
We had a party of 10 and the wait wasn’t too bad at all for a Saturday night! Our waitress was friendly and on point!
The restaurant was clean with a modern atmosphere.
The food was great! I got barbacoa chicken and a mozzarella tomato salad.
4 stars Bc of the price. It’s worth checking out

Against my better judgement I gave this place another chance. It was the Pizookie that brought me back, but I’m glad it did, because it was a completely different experience this time.
I had the Beachhouse Blonde beer battered fish and chips this time. it was delicious. The fish was perfectly fried, light, and not greasy at all. The fries were crisp and hot. And our waitress, Taylor, was friendly, knowledgable, and attentive.
For dessert, I went with the salted caramel Pizookie. It was yummy. Some of the caramel got crispy and that gave it a nice little crunch.
I’m glad this trip was better than my first. I’ll be back again.

I have been to BJ’s twice now and was extremely impressed after my first trip. I ordered the Barbacoa Chicken with Rice and black beans and my girlfriend got the pesto chicken sandwich, both of which were delicious. We also ordered the sliders, which were really flavorful — but the buns were really greasy.
I was excited to take some friends there after having a really good first experience, and we went back yesterday and couldn’t have been more disappointed. The menu is very large, which in theory isn’t a bad thing as long as you can make all of the dishes well. We ordered the avacado egg rolls and a mini pizza for appetizers. One of us got chicken tacos and 3 of us ordered burgers done «medium.»
Our appetizers came out a few mins AFTER our main courses. The Medium burgers all came out WELL done. Zero pink in the middle, char burnt on the outside. It made for an extremely below average burger experience. The avacado egg rolls has a brownish tint to them — which indicated that the avacado wasn’t prepared freshly. They were very average. The pizza and chicken tacos were really good — and because of the mixup with our order the manager comped us our dessert. We got a few pizookies which was the highlight of the night.
All in all really disappointed with the service. Most of the knocks on this place are service related and it starts from the top down (management). The servers were really polite and seemed to be doing the best they could. Also don’t waste your time ordering a burger here, opt for something else.

I couldn’t wait to get to bj’s. I ordered take out and was extremely disappointed when I got my pizza. The pizza was dry and the cheese was over done. There is no way this pizza would have made it on the menu because it looked nothing like the pictures. Someone just threw this thing together. I was starving and the place was packed and I didn’t feel like waiting for them to fix it. Not the best experience to say the least!

This restaurant has the best location for dinner and a movie! Too bad it’s not that great…
We went right when it opened and had an awesome experience. We sat the bar, the bartender was awesome, and our food was fast and good.
Just went back after a few months and it was terrible! My burger was so greasy that I couldn’t eat the bun because it was soaked through (gross, so I didn’t eat the burger either). The fries were cold and had definitely been sitting for a long time. My boyfriend got the mahi mahi and shrimp over couscous and didn’t care for any of it. Disappointing.

Ive given this place a chance and have eaten here twice now and have been underwhelmed each time. The beer is actually pretty good and they have a nice selection. I have not experienced any issues with their service as others have, but the food here is just PAINFULLY mediocre. Ive had the deep dish pizza as well as the California chicken club sandwich — both were not worth the high price paid and both were underwhelming in every way. Just your typical big chain food reminiscent of any Applebees or TGI Fridays. I dont think I will be coming back here to spend my money as there are SO many other places in the area to get a decent meal.

I really really want to like this place ! I have gone 4 times. The first time was good. I ate at the bar with friends. Had a pizza and some apps and it was great.
Second time I went with my husband. I got a salad with shrimp and the shrimp were absolutely horrible. Tiny and tasted so fishy and old. Not the way shrimp should taste. Waitress took my plate, and pretended to not notice that all my shrimp were pushed to the side with my salad barely eaten.
The 3^rd time my husband and I went with another couple, and their twin babies, who were 4 months old. Our waitress started out great. Really friendly. But then almost got too friendly where she felt comfortable enough to complain about working so long. She put our appetizer order in, and the apps were good. About an hour later, my husband asked about our food. She said «don’t worry it is coming!» After another 15 minutes, he asked again. She had a distraught look on her face all of a sudden, and said she’d be back. Then the manager said she forgot to put our order in ! Let me remind you the 2, 4-​month old babies who were with us. About 20 minutes later we got our order. The waitress came to our table, did not apologize or even acknowledge anything was off. It was so unprofessional.
My husband and I went back a 4^th time this past weekend and got the siracha cheese nachos for our appetizers and the cheese was cold, and was not spicy or tasty at all. He ordered a chicken salad and I ordered a pizza (cuz at this point I’m nervous to order anything else, to be honest!) and my pizza was so cold when it came out, and my husband (who isn’t picky about his chicken) said the chicken was really rubbery and tasted old.
I really wanted to like you, BJs, I just think you need to work out a lot of kinks before I’ll go back for a while unfortunately.

Came back for dinner before the movies. Service improved a bit or maybe bc it was a weekday. We sat at the bar area to see if the wait will be better. Started slow but at least not as bad as last time, and our server got the orders correctly.
The hubby and I shared the 2 for $ 25, which includes a soup/​salad, medium pizza and pizookie. I had a cesar salad and hubby had the house wedge salad that has bacon, tomatoes, & vinaigrette dressing. Both were what you would expect. We had the BJs favorite deep dish (peperroni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, olives). It was delish, but don’t get it if you dislike raw and chunky veggies. It was lacking in the meats though.
The salted caramel pizookie was the highlight. I’d say the 2 for $ 25 is a good portion for 2 people. We had pizza leftovers. We also had a very berry margarita (strong but tasty) and a wildberry mojito (pretty good). Cocktails are pricey. Happy hr is $ 1 off drinks.
I didn’t see the 2 for $ 25 on the menu, so you would have to ask the server if they are offering it when you go. One thing I noticed that’s different here from other BJs is that the servers do not ask about your interest in the pizookie until you’re done w/​dinner. I can understand that that’s probably more with etiquette. At other BJs, they ask you in the beginning so they can time the pizookie perfectly since it is made to order. I hope this place keeps improving in service.

Hopefully not a sign to come as my second visit was a major step down from my first trip. A buddy of mine was in town and thought this would be a good spot to take him to dinner.
Pretty busy for a Thursday night which in turn meant a pretty long wait before our first beer arrived. Host and waitress were both pleasant but the food this time out was just OK.
Brussel sprouts weren’t crispy like they were during our first trip. My buddy ordered the Chicago style pizza and it looked good as that’s what I had the first time around.
My meal however was pretty forgettable, and I knew I shouldn’t have ordered it. I had the Parmesan crusted chicken with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Considering you can get a comparable meal at most chain restaurants this was the most bland version I’ve ever had.
Everything was just a bit dry. Chicken was saved only by the toppings but I barely touched the mash potatoes. My side salad I started with was fine albeit I hate when they load up on croutons.
I’ll certainly be back but I think I’ll stick to pizza or bar food in the future and avoid the entrees.

Note: this was my first visit — I will update again
Time: Tuesday 4:00pm
We were immediately greeted and asked if we had the BJ’s app on our phones. — If you have the app they will scan it and automatically apply any points to your account. With the app you may also pay through your phone. By paying this way you will receive a 20% discount off your bill. We had zero wait time!
To drink I ordered the peach berry iced tea (non-​alcoholic). It was very light and refreshing. The refills were free!
I had the barbeque pulled pork sandwich with shoestring french fries. The sandwich was delicious. The pork was tender, the onion straws were crispy, and the sauce was both sweet and smokey.
The downfall of the meal was the fries. While crispy and flavorful they were also cold.
My only regret is that I was too full to try one of their exciting desserts!
Next time I plan on getting a dessert and maybe trying one of their many craft beers.

The beer and drink is terrific. The service was fantastic! Our waitress, Maria, was attentive and friendly and knowledgeable. The food was not good. The flat bread we ordered was okay. The entrees, ugh. I chose the Hawaiian Mahi Mani. It was a stir fry kind of dish. The fish was overcooked and I think there was an entire onion mixed in with the over-​soyed rice. The rice was soggy. The hubby got the «dinner» sized portion of the southern fried chicken. It comes on a bed of corn. He got two small pieces of tough, stringy, over cooked pieces of dry chicken on a bed of overcooked corn. Not good. I feel like the menu is way too big. Maybe if they focused on bar type food it would be better but we won’t eat here again. Beer and drinks for sure but food, no way!

We’ve eaten here twice now and I’ve definitely formed an opinion. BJs is a chain restaurant with a decent concept of large beer selections (many their own house brews) & a huge menu with so many options that seem to be executed in a very average way. Not bad but nothing that would ever wow you. And like many chain restaurants you get inconsistencies in service from a very large staff.
Their Hopstorm IPA is pretty solid and at $ 3.50 a glass at lunchtime one day, we were pleased. Their lunchtime BBQ plate was very reasonably priced under $ 7 and plenty of food but the pulled pork slider & BBQ chicken breast were average tasting fare. I’d describe the pesto chicken sandwich I had today exactly in those same terms with the addition today of slow service to go with it.
We definitely had better service last time at the bar than at a table today. There seemed to be lots of servers running around & standing around but very few people getting food.
I’ve heard this place has been super busy with long wait times. Today it was nearly empty and we had a long wait — well over 30 minutes for lunch to arrive. Something to definitely keep in mind.

Ok, I’ve given this place a couple of chances. Here’s the bottom line. Atmosphere is comfy with a very nice bar area. The beer is good. The food is mediocre. The service is abysmal. My advice if you’re determined to come here? Sit at the bar and don’t get food. Just order beer. You have half a chance of actually enjoying it.
This time we got there 10 minutes after they opened for a pre-​movie lunch. 35 minutes later all I had was a water, nearly empty. There were no more than 5 – 6 other people in there. There were at least 10 servers, 6 of whom yakked it up in one corner and didn’t move the entire time we were there. Ok, maybe there was a meeting. If so, I hope it was about how crappy the service is and what they need to do to fix it. But I doubt it.
The food is just ok. The fries are so skinny it’s like what’s left over from the potato after the real restaurants take what they need. And they are not good. Burger was ok but I’ve had better at most bars. Yeah, I’ve had way better. And without the disaster that is their service. Don’t look for me here. I’ll be somewhere where the food tastes great and customer service actually means something.