original benjamin's calabash seafood

where should i begin. to start, the presentation as you go into therestaurantwas nice. our hostess was nice and polite. now comes the problem that we experienced. our server was rude, maybe he was having a bad day. now the food was cold on the hot bar. steam was nice and hot but the food was cold. paying $37.99 per person, the food should be pipping hot. this will not be on my list to return.

when deciding on a delicious feast to eat on your beach vacation, this should be your last choice. i think dining with satan would be more delightful than eating within the overly tacky decorated walls of this restaurant. in fact, they have spent more on their decor than they would ever consider spending on the quality of their food. as we ventured through the doorway of benjamin's, we were greeted by a nice gentleman who gave us mardi gras beads. i don't understand what these beads have to do with the theme of their restaurant, but it was a pleasant greeting. i do wish this man would have been handing out umbrellas. because as we waited in line, we had to navigate buckets which were placed in the middle of the path entering the restaurant. these buckets held old rainwater and air conditioning condensation. i guess perhaps it is an obstacle course before you attempt to stuff yourself at their buffet. we finally got to our table and were greeted by a pleasant server who is the only reason i am giving thisrestaurant1 star rating. she did the best she could, and i think she knows deep down in heart this place is worse than hell. but she needs a job. and she did her job with a smile and always made sure we had refills and napkins. one by one, we made our way into what i think dante referred to as the 9th circle of hell. this is a cramped, poorly designed buffet area. lines snaked around recently thawed out frozen seafood, side dishes, and desserts. they do have crab legs, which i'm pretty sure came out of a box. frozen. shrimp tasted foul. if you like throwing down to get your dinner, then you might give this place two stars. i don't like fighting for my food. will never come back.

great food, great service! we were met at the door by a very friendly "pirate" whom my son (3 yrs old) loved (probably because he gave him "treasure"). we waited aprroximately 5 minutes to be seated. the host was very friendly and the waitress was one of the best we've had. she even brought steaming hot crab legs from the buffet. it was an exceptional experience! i've seen a few bad reviews but i think they are probably from the type of people who can't be pleased. if you leave thisrestaurantunhappy, it's probably your fault. $31.95/adult, $11.99 / ages 5-12, $2.79 / under 5 (drinks not included in price)

i am a certified chef and a hard critic as well. from the start the hostess was nice and took our reservation for six on a wednesday night and was told it would be a 45 minute wait. the reason being there was two coach busses just leaving. the wait was extremely less then projected, which from the start is a plus.

from this point the hostess took our party to our table, explaining where restrooms were and how the buffet is set up, again another plus. also another advantage, therestaurantdidn't smell of gross fish, like you find when walking in restaurants such as red lobster. as we were seated, we were given a basket of sweetened hush puppies, taste like a donut, was absolutely amazing.

our server, lorna, was the absolute best. she was attentive and friendly.

now onto the food. from a chefs prospective, this is the best buffet i've been to. the seafood is fresh, flavorful, juicy, tender. the food is amazing. the mussels where perfectly seasoned and cooked, and for a buffet mussels are difficult to not over cook. for the crab legs the chef hands you three clusters of crab at a time. definitely enough to keep you busy for awhile. i was extremely impressed with how delicious the food was, especially for being a buffet. only complaint is that the plates aren't big enough, for i'm one who likes to get one of everything.

time for dessert. all items are make in-house in their bakery. the items were delicious! i have no complaint on food at this restaurant.

now lets talk about pricing. the cost is $30 a person. why? seafood is an expensive product, especially with the selection they have, the price is extremely reasonable. now if you are one who is a picky eater or doesn't like seafood, then perhaps you may not feel the price was worth it. i see reviews of how it's too expensive and expect more. hello!!! this is a seafood buffet! buffet = all you can eat! if you want seafood, expect to pay a good price. and if you are more worried about the price instead of great food, there's a mcdonald's in the area, get a mcfilet. and again, for being a buffet, this place exceeded all expectations.

i can't help but to strict down all the ridiculous complainers on here:

some say the fried seafood tastes the same. well no duh. if you fry something, it's going taste like grease and breading. what do you expect?

another complain people say is about the price. let me put it this way. you pay $30 for all you can eat. if you go to arestaurantwith an a la carte menu (pay for individual items or entrees like red lobster) how much will you pay for that one entree? about the same? if you don't want to pay for great food, go somewhere else.

this restaurant, from a certified chef perspective, receive the best review i have given any restaurant. i highly recommend this restaurant. a+++

anyone who criticizes thisrestaurantis rediculous!
ie: we had to wait in line a really long time!
no kidding it is an amazing place to eat if you don't want to wait in line go to one of the terrible imitators and get right in!
ie: it was crowded!
yes it is very popular. lotts of people go there. if it stunk it wouldn't be busy!
ie: it was expensive & i didn't get what i felt i paid for!
yeah that is how most people feel since the place has been in business for so long! places that typically charge $30 for a buffet and provide inferior products usually are packed every night of the week!
my family has been going there for over 10 years when we go on vacation! it has never let me down and only been exactly what they advertise themselves to be!
if you want fast, cheap seafood go to mcdonald's & try the filet-o-fish!

enjoyed. the original benjamin's calabash seafoodrestaurantoffers a delicious seafood buffet with lots of choices. my kids loved the fresh crab, hush puppies & mac & cheese (image, eating mac & cheese not from a box!). my wife enjoyed shrimp (fried, coconut & bam bam). i enjoyed fried okra, asparagus & kielbasa.

for a family on vacation, the dining experience of original benjamin's calabash seafoodrestaurantamplifies the mood of being on vacation (miniature ship models, wall decorations, etc.).

i would recommend original benjamin's calabash seafoodrestaurantfor families on vacation.

good food, great environment for kids!. my family - including 4 small kids - went to thisrestaurantlast night. it was prime dinner time and was extremely crowded. we had about a 45 minute wait, and the staff invited us to the original benjamin's kids' nautical experience. at first, it seemed like a basement area built to separate screaming, hungry kids from other patrons. but the more i looked around, it was obvious that a whole lot of thought went into this area. the kids could "fish" with nets or fishing line. there was a "galley" where kids could "cook". there were also a couple of aquariums and a marine bunk. there were also sailor outfits, books, activities, and other games. i was floored. to top it all off, they had free face painting. it is a gimmick aimed at making kids wait times more enjoyable. if you don't have kids, it's not a big deal. if you do have kids, it is the difference between 30 minutes of fun and 30 minutes of torture.

the food was pretty good as well. i saw one reviewer who thought it was like paying 3 times as much for golden corral food (except the crab legs). that may be true for some of the items, but there were a lot more items offered at benjamin's. they had a whole line of nothing but calabash style seafood. there was also a meat carving station (the prime rib was amazing).

for anyone looking for a satisfying family dining experience at about $30 per person (typical for huge seafood buffets) i recommend the original benjamin's. and for those with kids and a long wait time, make sure you go downstairs. it was an experience!

angela. thisrestaurantwas excellent! they have an excellent selection of seafood.