Restaurant Review: Beni Cafe

Restaurant: Beni Cafe
Address: 405 Hancock St, Quincy, MA
Website: www.benicafe.com
Rating: B

The Troll and I have an unofficial ritual of trying new sushi places whenever we're visiting one another. Before the Troll moved to Baltimore in 2002, sushi restaurants on the South Shore were few and far between. The Quincy dining scene has not only exploded since then but has become down right cutting edge. Beni Cafe in Wollaston is a great example of a dining concept geared specifically towards the young professional demographic.

Owner Jimmy Liang (creator of the Fuji restaurant chain in Quincy) takes the idea of quick serve dining to the next level. Beni Cafe serves the same type of food you'd expect to find at the flagship Fuji in Quincy Center in a much less formal atmosphere. The menu is displayed on 2 large LCD TV's behind the counter where diners give their order. Free WiFi is broadcasted throughout the restaurant though free computer terminals are available should you happen to leave your laptop at home.

The Troll and I both started with what I consider to be hands down the best avocado salad in Boston. For our main course we split an order of five assorted rolls, all washed down with bottles of Poland Springs water. The rolls were on the small side, which is the one complaint that I have with all of Mr. Liang's restaurants. However, with the lunch tab coming in at $25 total, ordering an extra maki or two definitely will not break the budget.

Beni Cafe is located on the corner of Hancock and Billings Street, not too far from Wollaston Beach. Free street parking is available.