Arts & Entertainment

BJis offers great food, freshly brewed beer

By Brandon Moeller
The Daily Cougar 

Ah, beer. It's a good thing. But usually when one goes out for a good meal, it's hard finding an eatery that has good food and a worthy selection of unique beer.

Oh sure, there's plenty of places that have more than ten beers to choose from, but it's hard to find a place that is guaranteed to have a wide selection that could satisfy even the most sophisticated beer drinkers. 

Luckily, a new place has arrived in the greater Houston area that can fill this void. BJ's Restaurant and Brewery has opened its doors to its second Texas location in Webster.

I came across BJ's because I got a press release that advertised free food as a perk to their grand opening celebration. The celebration, however, wasn't just to advertise the arrival of a great eating (and drinking) experience. The California-based public company that owns the chain, Chicago Pizza & Brewery Inc., also was trying to do a good deed for the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 

BJ's matched all the proceeds from alcohol sales from the two-night event and donated them to the foundation. Now that's how more businesses should be operated, with a desire not only to give back to shareholders and customers, but also the community they work within. 

I got to the restauraunt around 7:30 pm but couldn't get a seat at a table until an hour later. So I headed over to the bar to sample one of their seven specialty microbrewed beers they make on the premises. I tried their Harvest Hefeweizen, like any good German boy would, and I wasn't impressed. A wedge of lemon still couldn't take the thought out of my head that I preferred Texas-made Shiner Hefeweizen over the brew that had set me back $3.50. Though the beer wasn't as pleasing as I hoped, the atmosphere was. The interior is beautiful, with a spacious bar and tables nearby enabling waiting guests to feel at home. 

When I was finally seated, I was told I could order off of a limited menu but my always-cheerful waitress, Sierra, let me see the full menu that the place would be serving from when they opened to the general public the following day. 

I ordered the BJ's Cajun Shrimp Pasta and twenty minutes later Sierra brought me an ample portion of fettuccini smothered in a delicious creamy tomato sauce mixed with basil, onions and a few peppers with plenty of shrimp. The entrée retails for $12.99, and although it wasn't as spicy as I would expect for its name, it was very satisfying with enough kick to keep me interested.

Midway through my meal, regional brewmaster Owen Williams stopped by my table and asked why I wasn't thirsty. 

I told him my experience with the hefeweizen. Five minutes later he handed me a Jeremiah Red, an Irish-style strong ale that reminded me of Saint Arnold's Amber, but much, much better. 

Owen later brought me a two ounce sample of other beers, and I found I had other favorites as well including their seasonal Nutty Brewnette, their PM Porter ripe and their tank-you-in-one-glass Tatonka Stout. 

Websterites should make BJ's a regular one-stop hangout and for the rest of us commuters, next time you're in Webster, BJ's is a definite must! 

BJ's restaurant & Brewery

515 W. Bay Area Blvd. 

Webster, Texas

If the verdict:With moderate prices and a casual dress code, BJ's is a great experience with people that have their heart in the right place.
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