We called into the American Diner Benimar for a Sunday lunch, here’s why we did and our thoughts.
It’s a Sunday, you have had a busy day, and on the way home, you decide you fancy something a little more substantial than tapas. We had driven past Quesada and so decided to swing onto the road to Benijofar to the American Diner Benimar and see if they had a table for us as walk-ins.
We had called in here once before, on the Tapas Trail around Benijofar, and though we were not overly impressed by the offering, we wanted to give it another go. These types of events can be frantic for the restaurants, so it only seemed fair to review on a normal trading day.
So we walked in at 2.35pm and asked if they had a table for 2 for Sunday lunch. We were seated straight away. Menus were brought, and the drink orders was taken. So far, so good.
What We Had At Route66 American Diner Benimar
The drinks we ordered were a pint of Estrella Damn for me, Soph stuck to her Coke.
We skipped starters and both ordered a main off the Sunday Lunch menu, Soph going for Pork, while I selected the Beef.
Starters.
We didn’t have a starter.
Mains.
The mains came with Homemade Yorkshire pudding on the plate, roast spuds, mashed potatoes and a drop of gravy. There was a plate of veg brought out, of carrot and swede, broccoli cabbage and green beans.
The roast beef was lean and had flavour, the pork was ok. For whatever reason there was no crackling brought out, as we realised later, despite being on the menu. My Yorkshire pudding was pretty good, Soph gave me half of hers and I noticed straight away it was a tad undercooked.
This image below is from their FB page, as a comparison.
Desserts
We didn’t bother waiting around for desserts, either. Life is too short.
What We Liked At American Diner Benijofar
The meat was tasty, and the veg was fresh, and that, sadly, was probably the best aspect of the visit.
What Could Be Improved At Route66 American Diner Benijofar
Firstly, the speed of service. We were in here for almost 90 minutes and had one drink each and a main course. Now, had this been a cooked-to-order main course, there could have been a little leeway to this, but this is basically a plated carvery. There were no starters for us, and we could have quickly and easily been served our main, meaning we’d have no doubt had a second drink as well as our dessert.
As we were leaving, there were a couple of tables of 4, one table of 4 adults with a young child and a couple of tables of 2. I would say at least half of these had commented about the wait.
How Much Did It Cost?
Our one drink and main course each, came to a total of €25.30.
Would We Return To American Diner Benimar?
This is easy to answer and it is a no. As tempting as the menu looks, the service is just far too slow. There were at least three staff visible in the kitchen, plus two serving customers. With plenty of other options available to eat out at for a similar price in the local area, we’d give somewhere else a try next time.
How To Find American Diner Benijofar
The American Diner is located in the Benimar commercial centre; their address is
Calle Aneto, Local 16 , Benijófar, Spain.
Should you need to phone them: 966 71 58 25
