BJ's Brewhouse - Millenia & Heinz Balsamic Ketchup!!

So I'm a little bit of a facebook fanatic.  I feel there's no shame in it.  It leads me to make a lot of discoveries of myself, my friends, and the rest of the world around me.  I found out I really needed to join a group for people who enjoy sleep.  I discovered how one can only truly know how good of friends they are based on the interactions monitored by facebook and the number of facebook events you've both attended. (...yes, that was sarcasm.)  But there are many things you find on facebook that are just great in general.  Restaurant coupons have always been a favorite of mine, but a well-placed ad on the side of my Restaurant City game was most fortuitous: Heinz Tomato Ketchup with Balsamic Vinegar.  The image on their page moved me: "...a sophisticated spin on the classics and more." (image source: Heinz Facebook Page)

"I'm sophisticated!" I thought, and immediately liked the page, waited for the day the bottles became available, and I order myself some fancy ketchup!  Waiting for it to arrive left me filled with excitement...and finally...IT ARRIVED.  Given, I was a little overly excited for a food I had not yet tried, but COME ON...it's KETCHUP.  And it's HEINZ.  (A girl who grew up outside of Pittsburgh, PA can respect that name more than most, let me tell you.)  So, I grabbed Charles after he got home from work, and we simply had to go and try this out.  We took our bottle and made our way to BJ's Brewhouse, which is located at 4151 Conroy Road, Orlando, FL 32839.

We've gone to BJ's Brewhouse several times ever since it opened in 2007.  For quite a while, it was one of our favorites, and we visited quite frequently.  I'm not 100% sure when it fell largely out of favor for Charles and I, but it did, and we go...maybe once in a 3 month period, if that.  They have some good dishes, but nothing that stood out to me as being overly original or crave-worthy (with the exception of their beignet...but more on that later.)


BJ's has a great atmosphere for me...especially on nights were there's a sporting event I actually care about. Lots of televisions, giant garage doors to separate dining sections...a sports bar vibe without actually being a sports bar (so to speak).  We ended up there during their happy hour - which is 10pm til closing on Thursday - so we got some good eats at a good price: Half Price Apps!

I decided to kick off the meal the way I usually do at BJ's, and it seemed fitting for the evening's focus: Fresh Mozzerella and Tomato Salad.  I am a sucker for tomatoes and cheese with Balsamic Vinegar. There was, however, the issue of portions and perceptions:

 

Each time I've ordered this dish...something seems a little off.  This current version was the abyssmal portion discrepancy.   One other time I have more onions than tomatoes (and I have actually ordered it WITHOUT those onions...).  BJ's has issues with consistency.  The only thing they're consistent on is that very inconsistency.  But it tasted good, and for around $3, usually quite a steal - if it's done right.

After that, we shared an order of their Angus Beef Sliders with a side of french fries (thin cut, not wedge.).  We figured if this Ketchup was a Ketchup worthy of the Heinz branding, it should be able to handle a burger and fries. 

 

The buns may look a little smooshed, but these sliders were darn delicious!  The fries were slightly overdone, but not to the point where they weren't still pretty tasty.  Not to mention - a crispy fry is a good ketchup vessel.  The burgers were cooked well, which most sliders are, but they were still juicy (and joyfully free of pink.  Where I come from, we cook the meat til there's no pink left, and it's how I like it! I'm a Ferelden girl (for those who don't get this: Ferelden Cuisine - Dragon Age: Origins)

The ketchup was hardly discernable from Heinz original on the fries, but on the burgers, it sang.  It had a more robust flavor, with a hint of sweetness, and a slightly smoother consistency.  I highly recommend it.

I would be doing BJ's a disservice to not mention their drinks.  They brew a lot of different beers on site, but I don't drink, so I can't speak to their quality, but I can say their sodas are great.  More lightly carbonated than most sodas, I would definitely recommend the Orange or Root Beer.  They also serve some mixed drinks using their sodas, which Charles had (I think it was called 'orange twist'.  Look under the non-alcoholic drinks to find it!).  I took a sip, and it tasted pretty good.  

Now, let's bring it on home - DESSERT!  Since I discovered the BJ's Baked Beignet, I always have to order it.  It's always a delight...sometimes it has a case of the wonky portioning (like the poor salad above), but I can't help but have this when I go there.  It's the perfect sweet finish to any meal.

To end a particularly verbose blog post, I leave you with the TL;DR version: Try the Balsamic Ketchup from Heinz - preferably on some tasty meat or meat-like substance (you can order yourself a bottle here - online only :P).  BJ's Brewhouse is definitely worth a try, and don't write them off for one bad service. There's good food to be had there, and it's better than most of the other chain places in the mall area.