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Friday, Oct. 09, 2009

Sushi and stir fry dishes shine at Benson’s

WARNER ROBINS —

Benson’s Steak & Sushi is a strong addition to Warner Robins, where a lot of interesting local places have popped up in recent years to go with the city’s chain restaurant offerings.

The sushi is good and reasonably priced. The stir fry dishes are spot on. The steak is fine, but not as good as you’re going to get at home or at a real steak house.

But, then, at $17.95 for a filet with two sides and soup or salad, you shouldn’t expect that.

Altogether, Benson’s is a fine place to grab a quick lunch or to linger over dinner with family and friends. The restaurant is spacious and attractive. The wait staff is helpful and the menu is varied enough to please a group.

I had lunch by myself at the bar and watched ESPN on a couple of flat-screen televisions. It wasn’t crowded at all and you can get two basic sushi rolls for $6.95, which is a good deal for lunch.

I had dinner with two friends, who are also faithful Telegraph readers, and we all enjoyed our meals. See why it pays to read the newspaper? You might get free sushi. Try that with a blog.

We had a chef’s choice sushi appetizer, which I recommend. I had the filet, which was cooked as I ordered it but was not spectacular. It’s a shame they decided to put “steak” right there in the restaurant name.

My buddy Miles had stir-fried beef with scallops. The meat was excellent, they didn’t skimp on the scallops and the vegetables were crisp, Miles said. He said the dish was “spiced really well.”

Miles’ wife, Patricia, had the salt and pepper shrimp. She raved about the cabbage. I mean, she really would not stop talking about this cabbage.

“I’ll either get this again or something else with cabbage in it the next time I come here,” she said.

The miso soup is not the best I’ve had, but it is good. They put a good bit of seaweed in it, which is a value add. It’s salty, but not too salty. An “earthy salty,” Trish dubbed it. My steak side dishes, broccoli and a baked potato, were average.

I would like to try more of the American-style dishes before passing final judgement on that side of the menu, but I feel the stir fry options are Benson’s strong point. If you live in Warner Robins and like Chinese food and sushi made for Americans, I think you should eat here.

And you should obviously try the cabbage.

Benson’s Steak& Sushi

3 Stars

Address: 1289 S. Houston Lake Rd.

Phone: (478) 287-6809

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Price range: Dinner from $7.95 to $22.95, sushi lunch special, two rolls for $6.95

Payment: Cash and major credit cards, no checks.

Smoking: No

Alcohol: Full bar

Kids Menu: Yes

Noise Level: Medium to loud.

Health Rating: 99