Well I must say…for a chain restaurant, fabulous. We don’t have a Bennigan’s in my area of the world. I was quite impressed. God, we must have sat in there for hours. It had a very relaxed atmosphere. We had a couple of Apple Martini’s each (my friend, Sue, and I), we shared an appetizer sampler, and each had a salad/soup combo. The food was delicious, the drinks were great. Honestly, I had no idea this was a chain restaurant until I saw another one in Orlando. Our total bill was only $50, and almost half of that was alcohol. We really were getting chatty after a couple of drinks and were deep into conversation. They never once made us feel rushed. It certainly wasn’t a slow night either. Thank goodness we only had to walk a couple of blocks to get back to our hotel…tipsy and all. Unlike a lot of other restaurants with appetizer combos, Bennigan’s lets you chose whichever appetizers you want. We got a combo of three choices: fajita chicken quesadillas, boneless buffalo wings and southwest egg rolls. All of it was phenomenal. For our soup and salad combo, we each had the Caesar salad with French onion soup. Seriously, I’ve never had such a great meal at a chain restaurant before. Oh, we also had a couple of cups of coffee…can’t remember how good the coffee was though. The Martinis fogged my memory. I hope they soon put one in my area.

Although Michigan Avenue is home to many stores, business centers, and cultural sights and sounds, there is a surprising lack of easily accessible restaurants. Although there are a few restaurants, several are very expensive and require reservations and/or dress requirements.

Bennigans is one of the few restaurants that lies in the heart of downtown Chicago that don't require reservations or have tremendous wait times, and its central location makes it popular for both local residents and out-of-town tourists. It lies in an area that attracts many tourists (Millennium Park), and also many Chicagoan's.

Bennigan's sits on the corner of Michigan and Monroe, featuring both and indoor dining and outdoor patio if weather permits. The restaurants faces Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago, and offers view of life in Chicago as is happens. It lies a block away from the Chicago El stop, and lies along Michigan Ave, allowing easy access to buses and taxi's.

The dining experience at Bennigan's is like most any "normal" or "regular" American restaurants. It features a wide array of entrees and appetizers during both lunch and dinner. This includes many specialty sandwiches, steaks and chicken, a seafood fare, and also pasta and salads. They also feature a "weight watchers" section and also a bar.

The food at Bennigan's is pretty good, and is not overpriced. The quality of service is generally good, the only problems are due to the restaurant being packed during peak lunch/dinner hours. On several occasions when a trip to Chicago lasts longer than anticipated, eating at Bennigan's is a great way to end the day because it is not expensive, and it's wide menu has food that can please almost anyone. It's location is also a plus.

All in all, Bennigan's is a pretty good restaurant to eat in. Although it isn't a fixture of Chicago, and certainly not one of a kind, Bennigan's provides an atmosphere for dining that is suitable for tired and hungry families, but also for a dinner meeting for friends. It's location makes it easily accessible, and it's menu makes it popular.