BJ's brewhouse - beautiful beers

BJ's Brewhouse
210 W Southwest Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75703
(903) 939-2840
http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/locations/tx/tyler



Ah.....BJ's. This is one of my favorite chain restaurants I used to frequent back in Houston. My good friends and I had been anticipating the opening ever since we saw the sign it was under construction. I have been to several locations and they are usually busy with good pizza and beer.

The spread: BJ's has an extensive menu that is all over the place. I would definitely say that they suffer from trying to be all things to all people. The appetizers range from mini-tacos, mini-burgers, nachos, avocado egg rolls, calamari, and the list goes on. Their menu has many selections across a wide range of tastes, flavors and ethnic origins. They have typical burgers, sandwiches and salads as well as a few versions of each that are unique to BJ's. They also have a selection of pastas, steak, and seafood. The dessert menu is centered around their pizzookies, which consistent of a large cookie accompanied by ice cream. I regularly have the deep dish pizza, and they have a wide range of topping to choose from. They have a full bar with a long list of cocktails, and many beers on tap. Unique to BJ's is their own selection of beers brewed to their standards (they used to be brewed in house, but now are brewed centrally and distributed). Visit the website for more details about their extensive menu.

The verdict: This is a great new place for Tyler. In my opinion, it is unique in that it offers a wide menu selection, certain to have something for everyone who comes in. It also is pretty family friendly, and I don't feel horrible when my one year old decides to test the strength of her lungs for no apparent reason. I love craft beer, and BJ's has a wide range from a hoppy IPA, to a well balanced amber in Jeremiah Red. They also have a changing seasonal beer for a little extra variety. The bar is impressive, and I am mostly sure they have the largest selection of beer on tap and one of the best stocked hard liquor bars in town. I tend to stick with the deep dish pizza and it is consistently some of the best deep dish pizza I have ever had. The topping are fresh and the dough has just the right consistency. Yum. The burgers and sandwiches are surprisingly good for a chain restaurant (but there are better places in town). My wife is able to get whatever she wants and be content in her selection. The one down side to BJ's trying to be all things to all people is that outside of the pizza and beer, the menu selections tend to be overall above average to good, but not great. Another down side is that BJ's is typically very busy (although they are still 'new' to Tyler) and we have on more than one occasion decided to go somewhere else because the wait times were ridiculous (for some reason, toddlers aren't cool with waiting an hour to eat). But, BJ's does pizza and beer very well, there is a good atmosphere, and good service.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5 - Get the pizza and try a beer!