Came for trivia. Quiet, pretty decent food, and good service. Just really really quiet- the whole Benson St corridor was super quiet and the restaurant was the same way, despite trivia happening. Friends got burgers which were also good! read more

It had been many years since I'd been to Benson's Tavern. I ordered the smash burger with egg, whichever one that may be, and it was delicious. Fairly priced for sure, and I'll likely come back for another. One thing that did throw me off was that the server brought me a draft beer when I had asked for a bottle. I expected better there, especially since the place was not busy at all. I still drank it and moved on. Outside of that, charging full price for soda water is pretty ridiculous, but I'll give you a pass on that poor business practice. Maybe the server was new or making up her own rules. Overall though, the burger alone will probably bring me back since you comfortable seating. read more

See all

The food here used to be really good, but I think hands have changed over the years - the food is still pretty decent. I think the place is fairly priced and the staff is nice enough - it also is rather clean. Their burgers are some of the best in Reading, the service can be hit or miss but what place isn't nowadays? read more

My BFF and I came here after going to the ice cream shop down the street, we wanted a burger or something to eat and we came down after a quick yelp search and found this location. We walked in and was greeted immediately. The service was amazing and the food was fabulous. The place was very clean kind of old school if you will. We ordered a burger and fries and asked to split it and surprisingly they brought it out. Literally split down the middle with fries split evenly between us and we each got a pickle. I will have to say that was amazing service and probably one of the best pub burgers I've had in a while . I would be happy to come back here again. I will admit I don't get to the area very often, but if I do this location will be at the top of my list if I want a burger and fries. read more

See all

Checked out Benson's last week and really enjoyed it. Everyone was super friendly. We were greeted with smiles. Had a draft beer and it was nice and cold. Started with the spicy balls. They're pepper jack cheese deep fried. How can that be bad? A place we love in Lexington named Charlie Brown's has these. Their breading is a bit lighter. Had the wings and they were big and crispy. Good blue cheese. My beautiful wife had the crispy buffalo chicken sandwich and it slapped. Good fries. Would be a good place to watch a game, have some brews, and have some bites. Good vibes. Clean place too. Some parking in the back. Had a couple of stairs. read more

Benson's Tavern - Spicy balls - American Near Me - Reading, Ohio

food has no flavor couldn't even eat my food sadly. then got charged with a service fee of 18% and then a tax fee. never seen this before hahaha read more

Nope! New ownership and management hasn't fixed the bad kitchen and mismanagement. This place is as bad as it's always been! After trying it again for the first time after the new ownership and having a pretty good meal - we thought they had improved. They have not. We stopped in a few weeks ago for the same meals that we ordered the first time. Fish & Chips. That time we didn't get any hush puppies and the tartar sauce was just mayonnaise. Yuck! The fish was good, not as good as the first time but decent. The coleslaw was good that time - completely different than the first time. It started off bad when the draught beer my husband was served being completely flat. Old beer on tap. That should've been our cue to leave. This time the hush puppies were in the basket when we received our food but barely warm and with raw dough on the inside. Come on! It's just deep-frying frozen food! And my fish was undercooked. I kept telling my husband that my breading seemed a bit soft and mushy on my first piece and said that I thought it might be undercooked like the hush puppies. I started to bite into the the 2nd piece and it was obviously undercooked. I pulled it all apart, searching for something edible to eat and gave up. It was completely undercooked. My husband said he hoped his had been fully cooked - as he was hungry and had not paid attention when eating it. Hopefully we will not have stomach issues from all the undercooked food. And the tartar sauce? Nearly all mayonnaise again. It's so gross. Just add some relish! I could've sent it back but our server was just too high to manage much service so I didn't bother. He was so obviously high that he shouldn't have been on the clock. We gave this place three tries after the reopening. Tonight was the last time. Based on the nearly empty dining rooms on a Friday night at dinner time it's obvious no one else is rushing in for undercooked food, flat beer and bad service either. read more

Food ok But the price of our go order was outrageously High! Service ok. To go order ambiance at home great. read more

Not busy on a Saturday night at 6-7 pm. Quiet and comfortable dining with variable food from burgers to wraps to baskets soup and salad. I had a southwest chicken wrap with fries and could only eat half. My friend ate the vegetables shrimp medley with an additional side. Most entrees under 15$. Appetizer and good drafts and craft beer selection. Wait staff was good with a not busy night. We will retro with a bigger group! read more

See all

Came there alone after a rough day and wanted to sulk over mid bar food. The hangover burger was good, nice aesthetic, good music & I got my meal paid for by an interesting "regular". 10/10 felt like an extra on an episode of shameless. read more

Two smashed burgers , are order of fries was 1/2 orders compared to dinning in and 1 barbarian pretzel was 50 bucks that's totally ridiculous we been coming there for years even under otter owners but not anymore read more

If you are ever in the reading bridal district area check out Benson's tavern, they are under new ownership and service was amazing!! Tracy was our server and we will definitely be back. We had hot barbecue wings, chili, taco salad and spicy balls read more

See all

We had a party of six and were seated right away. Service was quick and attentive. I can personally vouch for the Grilled Beefsteak Philly and fries. Portion size was great as was the flavor for both. The table also tried the Fried Deviled Eggs which were certainly different but good. Other items at the table that were both ordered and enjoyed were the Prime Rib sandwich, Reuben and Beer-battered Grouper. read more

Benson's Tavern - Menu - American Near Me - Reading, Ohio

See all

Went to Benson Tavern, it's been awhile. The menu has been really reduced in offerings. They had burgers, fish, chicken offerings etc but have removed many of the favorites from Ruben, Philly steak sour kraut balls and many other items etc. Ordered the nacho's with sour cream on the side. Came with chips tomatoes and lettuce with a small amount of meat. Salsa and sour cream on side. Unfortunately no cheese or onions. Maybe a okay place to get a bite if you're shopping in the Reading bridal area but not worth going out of your way for. read more

This restaurant doesn't look like much on the outside, but don't be deceived. It's a great little place on the inside. There are some precautions in place for covid - curtains between the tables, half capacity, etc. Though I was surprised by the lack of masks on the employees. Anyway, we loved eating here. Coke products. First we ordered the fried pepperjack cheese bites. One of my favorite things I've ever eaten. Cheesy, spicy, and just all around good. Also totally addictive. I could've eaten three plates of them. For our meals we got the meatball marinara sandwich (my husband) and I got a buffalo chicken wrap. Service was a little slow, but there was also one employee working and running all the tables. That was Sandy! Who was totally friendly and a great waitress. She was doing about a hundred things at once, and still found time to be personable with us. Great food. Excellent fries. We got dessert after, a salted caramel bundt cake and sooooo delicious. Warm and tasty with cold ice cream. Definitely would stop here again. read more

Benson's Tavern - Caramel Bundt cake - American Near Me - Reading, Ohio

See all

Get the hangover burger!!! Easily the best burger I've had. The beer cheese is amazing, get an extra side for your fries. I'd post a photo but there was nothing left lol. The service was also fantastic and very personable. After a long week at work, this really started my weekend off fantastic. Definitely will be back! read more

Gigantic fish sandwich. I mean, there's more to talk about here too, but that's my takeaway. Sure the bartender was friendly, the prices great, the ambiance nice, the food quick and fresh. But really? it's about this gigantic fish sandwich. A HUGE piece of grouper, beer battered with a thick, malty batter, crisped up perfectly, slapped over two pieces of marbled rye, and topped off with a zesty red pepper aioli. It seems like a lot, because it is a lot. It's totally worth it though. $10, and you'll eat a piece of fish the size of your face, and a side (i went with steamed vegetables, because I was already eating enough fried food to put me right to sleep). Reading has a good one here! read more

See all

What is happening to I the service. It took 19 minutes before even acknowledged at the bar. Don't get the chicken quesadillas. Asked for French onion soup not only was it late coming out it looked like they just threw it in a bowl. He even said it wasn't the right bowl. When I didn't get any it he didn't even take it off the bill. My husband and my food came out at different times. We couldn't even eat together. By the way my husband said the grouper was good. read more

Food was amazing, 14$ for a burger and pickle fries is a good price. Quick service and they're open on Mondays when most places in reading are closed. Really good taste in music from classic to rock. I'd recommend if you haven't been. read more

Benson's Tavern - The Hangover Burger - American Near Me - Reading, Ohio

I got a response to my review, and i appreciate the quick response. Because i have almost always had a good meal from them, i am changing my review. Note: This was a carryout meal so we weren't able to talk to anyone. The French onion soup was so salty I couldn't eat it. Burned my throat. The fried fish was burnt. So disappointed. read more

Once seated in the dining room area, I was pleasantly surprised. The food was absolutely wonderful and the service was good as well. I definitely recommend the Rachael . A very good sandwich. read more

I really want to give this place another star, but the lack of staff prevents me. Don't get me wrong, our waitress was amazing. She was friendly, got the order right and kept drinks full. The problem was she was the only person covering the tables and the bar. That's pretty rough on anyone. The food was good, beer was cold, bathrooms were immaculate. Enough so that my wife said something about how clean they were. We plan on going back, just not on a day we are in any kind of rush. Highly recommend the Ruben roles. I was going to take a picture but they were gone to quick. read more

Went for a late dinner. It's our third time eating there. The girl bartenders was extremely friendly and attentive. The food is hit or miss but the portions are decent. I think the food quality is good, however I think they could use better trained kitchen staff. Other than that, very nice clean place. read more

They're open again after their fire, and better than ever. I had a Tavern Burger, as I have many times, and it has gotten even better. I'm so happy to have them back in my rotation. read more

First time eating here. I guess this place used to be good? The restaurant was not busy. The appetizers we ordered immediately, did not show up for 30-40 minutes. They were hot. The Rueben egg rolls did not taste like anything. The pretzel sticks were good, but nothing special. Took so long to get my margarita I thought they forgot about it. Wasn't terrible but wasn't great. The entrees finally came at close to 90 minutes. We got 4 different burgers, a make your own pizza, and kids Mac n cheese. Everything except the fries was over cooked and tasteless. Pretty sure the Mac n cheese was the filling for the fried Mac n cheese balls. It was dried out and bready. Really disappointed with the disconnect between the website, reviews and the actual food. read more

Me and the BF went here starving! We must have come in during a shift change because there was hardly anyone in there and the table next to us was starting to become rowdy because they hadn't gotten their food yet when they had specified before entering they had a time limit. Anyways we ordered two Towering Tavern burgers and asked for a lettuce bun, since it was so big we figured we didn't need bread too . The burger was pretty good and it was a decent amount of fries. My only real complaint is service and the fact that the kitchen wasn't totally prepared to make the lettuce bun. Anyways it was a pretty good burger for a decent price. I would def go back. read more

The wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Benson's Tavern. My medium rare ribeye was spot on and well seasoned and the wife's burger was awesome. The service and the atmosphere were great as well. Southwestern BBQ Burger read more

Food was good. Beer was good! Service was okay! Great happy hour specials! Recommend!

Nice big place kinda sports bar maybe corner tavern feel. Nice menu ok beer selection. Our dinner starting good nice friendly. Got seated quick and took order quick. Got a rather large defibrillator. Very good. Then it got worse. Service for our dinner was SLOW. It was not busy so really no reason to be slow. My grouper was so thin and rather oily. Wife's cod was also a bit greesy. Now let's talk about the hot slaw!!!! It was nothing like hot slaw should be. Very wet limpy and bland, no vinegar taste and to make it uneatable had cooked onions in it. And I paid a buck more for this small cup. Too bad the food was mediocre and service was slow. I wanted to like this nice place. But might try again with a different selection. read more

See all

Inedible at best. Took 30 min to get my order and I thought maybe they were busy or something but I guess they actually just cooked it for the entire time because this came out looking like beef jerky. Almost broke a tooth trying to bite into this. Used to love this place I hope the cooking gets better. Bar Tender is friendly tho read more

Benson's Tavern - Maybe chicken maybe a Geode Idk - American Near Me - Reading, Ohio

See all

Made reservations for a party of 15. We were the only customers in the dining room. Drinks took forever and appetizers as well. Ordered our food and it was brought out 2 plates at at time then ten minutes later 2 more people got their food. This is how it went until everyone got their food. No one liked their food. At least 3 people got the fried grouper and it was terrible like the grease had never been changed. All around a very bad experience. read more

Good food and good customer service we get food form here all the time. And it's always good.

Benson's why in the heck aren't you on anyone's radar?!!! This places shocked the heck out of me. First of all, it's completely renovated and the chef is super talented. At first it just looks like a standard sports bar from the outside but everything we had from start to finished was above average and delicious. I started with a Bloody Mary and it was a homemade mix, super flavorful. And you'd be surprised how hard it is to get a flavorful bloody these days. Our group also ordered the defibulator app - which is NO JOKE. Warning: my eyes were a little too big for my stomach and I put down wayyyyyy too many of these. I couldn't help myself. The waffle fries were seasoned really well and they had bleu cheese, bacon, more cheese. Probably one of the best bar food apps I've had in a long long time. We then ordered some wings, the crispy chicken sammie, and the french dip. Everything came out hot and fresh. The wings were crispy and when they say, these were hot. My friends french dip looked yummy and came on fresh homemade bread. But the star of the show was definitley the chicken sammie. The bf and I like to split and I asked are you SURE you want to chicken sammie? When it came out I wanted to bow down and thank him! Just by looking at the cutlet you could tell this thing was going to taste amazing. (See pics) Lightly battered and fried with a house made buffalo sauce. This thing was magic. Fresh garnishes. Superb. I would totally reccomend Benson's and hat tip to the chef for clearly taking the extra steps to work with quality ingredients - it shows! read more

See all

I was a fan several months ago but this seems to be going downhill; griddled sandwiches are overly greasy, the Reuben has become inedible. The fish on my sandwich was well-prepared but the presentation is underwhelming. I had a bite of someone else's lasagna and it was delicious (the only reason it didn't get one star ;-) read more

Batter on the fish was disgusting and uncooked on the inside. Green beans were raw. They didn't know what a twist was and weren't interested in learning. I ended up with a drink with no twist but one lemon seed in the bottom of the glass. No pre-bussing at the bar. Yuck. read more

Soooo Happy that Bensons has reopened. The remodel looks wonderful and love the new menu We will continue to support this great neighborhood pub.!! read more

This place is a wonderful environment with good food The bartender is fantastic and the environment/atmosphere is awesome. read more

Fun local spot. We are visiting from out of town. Family friendly. Parking seems sparse given location, but we got a spot behind the restaurant. I had the beer cheese burger, which is overcooked but still good. Beer cheese was delicious and saucy. Loved the fries too. Hubby had the tavern burger, which he scarfed in about 6 minutes. Our spawn had spaghetti and meatballs. Meatball was overly herby, but cooked well. Will return if we are in the area. read more

Me, my husband and son went over the river to do some shopping and on the way back searched for a good place to eat on our route. Benson's sounded good, so we arrived at almost 6 and got most of our food around at almost 7. The restaurant was not busy. My son like his Hangover burger and fries and we all enjoyed the Monterrey cheese nuggets. I first wanted the special but it was 86'd, so my fish and fries was good, but the first time I got my order of macaroni and cheese it was refrigerator temperature and when the owner brought more out it was piping hot (chef mic, short for microwave working overtime) and had no flavor. My husband's 1 Up burger came and had no mushrooms on it, so the server went and grilled some shrooms herself and brought them out. He started eating what was supposed to be a med/well burger and it was rare, so the owner said he would make him another one. By this time me and our son were finished eating, but as I have spent decades working in restaurants, we know stuff happens. When the burger made it back to the table, we asked for a to go box as it was now nearing 8 and we were tired of being out and wanted to go home, my hubby was just going to eat his on the way home. He started eating this burger and it is so well done it was a bit crispy in spots. He actually had me turn around so he could get the money back for his meal because we really had been understanding through it all. The owner refused to refund the money for his burger stating that he had made it twice and it was right. The restaurant owner actually said that med/well has NO pink in it when my husband actually used the words "I want it lightly pink" and I used the tern med/well. Does he even know the difference? I don't know...my husband asked if he was just ignorant about it and was told to leave and a round of the effing you to each other happened and a suck my cockadoodledoo came from my husband. We are not people who try to get over on restaurants, like I said, we were taking it all in stride till it still wasn't done right... literally the opposite end of the spectrum these burgers went from raw to crispy. Anyways...the server kept saying this is not usually how it is, but we won't know. read more

This is a great neighborhood bar, the food is outstanding. They have a special everyday so ask.