For those of you familiar with my blog, you may remember a few months ago I spoke about the coming of BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse to Hagerstown.  It’s located in the space formerly occupied by the Sear’s Automotive Plaza at the Valley Mall.  In my previous post (click here if you want to review it), I offered dire predictions for their business model – based upon their menu size, price point, and local clientele.

I appear to have been mistaken.

I finally had the chance to dine at BJ’s this past weekend – and was pleasantly surprised.

Although the wait to be seated was a little long (although a thirty minute wait on a Saturday night should not be surprising), I found the service was professional, the atmosphere upbeat and busy, and the food was freshly prepared and tasty (I won’t perform a formal review here, as I generally don’t like to critique chain restaurants).

The clientele also surprised me.  These were not your typical “Golden Coral” local buffet diners.  These folks appeared to be young professionals and families with money to spend.  Business was brisk all evening.  We sat near the kitchen, and everything coming out of it looked and smelled appetizing.

Sure, the menu was still large, but there was certainly something for everyone.  The show kitchen (visible through large windows in the back) also appeared fully staffed – with an army of chefs and line cooks pumping out hot food in a timely manner.

The servers were hard at work as well, clearing empty plates from the tables (huzzah!) and making sure all beverages were topped off and needs attended to in an orderly and efficient manner.

Maybe I was wrong about Hagerstown.

Maybe it is ready for more middle-to-upper tier dining options.

I certainly hope so.

So, best of luck to BJ’s (and any other newcomers to the four-state area).  I hope this reflects a new dining direction for the local food scene.

 

 

Have you dined at BJ’s yet?  Tell me about your experience in the comments below!