Outdoor seating
Yes
Bennu Cafe in Whitesboro
Categories
Location on the map
Whitesboro, Oneida County, New York, US
Service options
Delivery
Yes
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Highlights
Fast service
Yes
Great coffee
Yes
Great tea selection
Yes
Popular for
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Offerings
Coffee
Yes
Comfort food
Yes
Healthy options
Yes
Quick bite
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Vegetarian options
Yes
Dining options
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
High chairs
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Atmosphere
Casual
Yes
Cosy
Yes
Crowd
Groups
Yes
Tourists
Yes
University students
Yes
Phone: +1 315-736-2233
Site: http://www.bennucafe.com/
Site: http://www.bennucafe.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:11AM–9PM
- Tuesday:11AM–9PM
- Wednesday:11AM–9PM
- Thursday:11AM–9PM
- Friday:11AM–9PM
- Saturday:11AM–9PM
- Sunday:Closed
Comments (171)
I’m not sure why so many people are complaining about the service and food. I think bennu is a fantastic little cafe. And it’s just that, a small cafe. Don’t go there expecting a 5 course sit down dining experience. The food and service have been fantastic every time I’ve gone in. I highly recommend.
I just ordered a rueben sandwich and it was totally disgusting..the corn beef was thick hard and chewy it looked burnt and the toast was burnt..it was flat and nasty looking..very disappointed..I recommend Noone eat there..
If you stop by this sandwich shop (most of their items), do not expect it to be a quick visit. My wife stop for lunch on a weekday and waited for over 45 mins for 2 sandwiches. That is the time you would expect for a nice sit down restaurant... not a slightly above average sandwich shop.
Great, great food and nice atmosphere. The attention to detail in the food items makes this place a must stop. The only small critic i would have is the wait staff sometimes are not as attentive as they need to be. Even with this minor lag the food is so exceptional you forget all about a refill on a drink or a knife to cut your burger.
About a month ago we were in Utica for a funeral and needed a place to eat lunch afterward. We pulled into a plaza to look for a diner, and found Bennu. What a pleasant surprise! The three of us loved all the healthy choices and took a while to decide. One of us is gluten-free and appreciated the variety of salads available.My husband loved his eggplant sandwich, our relative was happy with her salad, and I was thrilled with my cobb salad. The portions were generous, the ingredients were fresh and delicious and the prices reasonable for the amount of food received.My only regret is that we live so far away. Wish we had a Bennu here!
Ordered two wraps and chicken tenders for my friend and I. It took over 45 minutes for them to prepare and bring it out. My grandmother could have prepared them faster.I am a patient person just as everyone should be and I understand how busy a restaurant can get, but when I sit there and watch people walk in and place an order for take out or dine in and receive their food before I do as I placed my order before them then there is a problem.Once our food was brought out, the wraps were healthy and good tasting, but average. The chicken tenders were great, although they were brought out 20 minutes after finishing our wraps.They were an appetizer.If you decide to dine in, expect the takeout orders to be put ahead of you.
Food was average, service was awful.First asked if tables were available for service or if they were self seating (because there was no hostess or signage at the front), the bartender/waitress told us we had to order at the front counter and then we could seat ourselves. The line at the front had no order and the staff did not enforce social distancing, so everyone was on top of each other in a small space. The cashier was very unfriendly as we ordered our meals.When we went to seat ourselves, the bartender told us we could not sit at the table we wanted because it was reserved for waited service only. We said we had asked about waited service and were directed to the front counter. She said, Okay, and shrugged her shoulders and glared at us as we went to a different table.None of the tables were 6 ft apart or blocked off. Our service was slow. When the food finally arrived, it was bland. We used to eat here frequently, but the quality has definitely declined.
Went for lunch based on recommendation from someone who said Bennu has good sandwiches. Husband and I ordered burgers and fries. Took approximately 45 minutes to receive food. Ordered burger without bun but was not given utensils to eat it. Ordered burger done medium but burger was well done ( no pink at all and no juice); actually tough to cut with the plastic utensils we had to ask for. Fries were so hard it sounded like eating potato chips. After receiving food, we were never checked on again. Definitely below average food and service; very disappointing when trying to patronize small, local businesses
I just ordered from here for the first time, with high hopes! I got the eggplant panini, which (this is not an exaggeration) literally had one quarter of a slice of cucumber, for the entire sandwich. I love cucumbers, thats half the reason I chose it! My boyfriend was happy with what he got, and everything tasted good enough, but I was quite disappointed in my sandwich.
Ordered takeout from here this evening, I ordered the Phoenix wrap and the spinach artichoke dip, both items Ive ordered before. Im not sure if they changed the recipe for the dip but its awful and tastes like alfredo sauce with spinach and my Phoenix wrap was completely missing the chicken. I couldnt even eat it, Im not sure what changed but theyve forever lost my business.
Average food - terrible customer service. I ate inside and for 40min watched 6 different people come in and not know what to do.... they asked the girl at the front counter and because she gets that question so often she’s never happy to answer it! It will make it a better customer and employee experience if you make it more clear what the service options are or have a bus person serve as host?
Some of the rudest employees around. I’m not sure why my wife and I still go here regularly.
This is the worst service i’ve ever had, completely disgusting. first i told them i had a mayo allergy i’m deadly allergic to. then found hair in not just one meal but two. first in my sandwich then in my friends salad. the girl at the front desk was completely rude and the attitude was uncalled for. do not recommend stick to subway!
I think Bennu does a great job. Good food and decent draft beer choices. Always worth it.
I called at 10:50 am to place my delivery order. I was told 12:15-12:30. Then I called back at 12:35 as Im an ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE and wanted to eat my lunch on time. I was told that the delivery guy is just about there. At 12:50 I called back and spoke to the manager. She gave me 50% off my order. Thanks but the order was not even delivered at this point. After my 7 minute lunch due to their negligence I called back and informed the manager that all of the food was cold, dry, bland, and soggy. I stated that I was disappointed and upset as the food was disgusting. The manager told me that she could not refund my nearly $50 order and that she could not discount it anymore than the 50%. Nice way to treat ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES and I will be taking my business elsewhere. Thanks for the disgusting food and lousy management!
Usually a really nice place for something light yet filling. This time around the chips were burnt the fries were burnt they forgot my caramelized onions making my wrap dry. They have been busy lately so I get it. But someone needs to pay a little more attention to the small details.
Called 30 min prior to close to place a pickup order. I was told “we are closing soon” so I asked if they were still taking orders 30 min before closing. The response was “we are cleaning up”. Food is usually good but customer service is hit or miss 🤷♂️
The past two times I’ve gotten bennu it has been absolutely awful. Bennu used to be my go to place but lately the food isn’t up to par. I asked for a black n blue sandwich Med rare it was grey and dry and I always get the kickin chicken wrap and the past two times the chicken has been chalky and dry. Not worth the money anymore.
Very clean. Very modern. The food is basically wraps, paninis, sandwiches, salads. All made your way! They offer great specials! Relatively busy place. There is a small bar in the back. The steak sandwich I had was do to perfection! My friend had a chicken salad that she loved!
Fast serviceGreat place for lunch.
Love, LoVe, LOVE, Bennu! It’s a place I frequent as often as I can and come from Remsen. Been going for years. Have tried and loved so many things on the menu. However, my heart lies with the Black and Blue. The garlic bread, blue cheese and filet, caramelized onions are so good together. I will say the amount of meat on them has been less the last couple times I went. Don’t get me wrong, the flavor is awesome, and I understand the price of filet, and that’s why I still give them a 5 star review all day. I’d pay more to have the sandwich as meaty as it was. Do you have an “add meat” up charge I could ask for? Again, worth every penny, and so good, I just like a really meaty sandwich. Wife lives the “Osiris” not sure of spelling but it’s chicken and cheese artichoke dip on a panini. Absolutely amazing as well. Make sure you try their rice crispy treats, best I’ve ever had.
I had The Phoenix Wrap and it was the best thing Ive had all month! I highly recommend it. It was clean, kind of busy but still had seats for four. Overall it was really good. Im definitely going to be coming back!
Went for the first time today and I have to say I was really impressed! I split the firecracker and soprano panini with my friend it it was fantastic. Will definitely go again because there is a lot of items on the menu I want to try. The only thing that is stopping me from giving them 5 stars was the customer service. The girl was very rude when taking my order the first time and when I went back to get a coffee she ignored me while I was standing there for at least 5 minutes. She seemed like she did not want to be there and was very rude once again while taking my order.
I go to this place somewhat often for take out because they are close and offer some variety. When the food is made as advertised it is very good, but this does not happen consistently. They routinely leaves items off sandwiches/salads. I dont know if this is due to lack of attention or because they dont have certain items available, but its not acceptable either way - you arent getting what youve paid or asked for. Not here to trash or bash, just a warning to check your takeout box before you drive off. The most recent time this happened I did attempt to offer feedback directly, but it seems they decided they were done for the night and took their phone off the hook an hour before closing.
This is restaurant is the worst restaurant to deal with. The staff is rude all the time. Ive tried to to give them several chances thinking maybe that girl is having a bad day. But after ordering several times, unfortunately yourre dealing with the same snobby, rude attitude from the entire staff who act as if they do not need you and make it very clear. After giving you a time when your food will be ready, you will leave your office (during your break of course) and wait yet another 10-15 min on top of the 15-20 minute wait they gave you on the phone, now making you have to wolf your food down in the car on the way back to work because your lunch break is over. This has happened every time Ive ordered for the last 5 times Ive ordered there! I kept trying to give them an opportunity to redeem themselves but dont get it. Oh ya...Be sure to bring a flag and get rude to the staff socializing at the other end of the counter and even though someone in the group had seen you, they will not leave the group to wait on you for several minutes. I cant understand why people even go there. I DO NOT recommend this place. And like the reviewer before me, the food is nothing special.
Literally the best place to get a wrap! Love the Kickin Chicken and Pheonix wrap. The staff is also very friendly! Deven cooks AMAZING food and makes me want to keep coming back! Highly recommend!
A lot of young teenagers working there. I had ordered my food 2 hours ahead of time and said I was picking it up. When I got there I STILL had to wait like 20 min for my food and they were a little rude. Delicious food but shouldnt have to wait for my order if I ordered ahead of time and wasnt even greeted
I dont often eat here anymore since I moved from the area however when I did live close, this was a weekly stop. I wanted to give five stars but the lack of change in the menu is stopping me. The menu doesnt see a lot of changes very often and that can be a bummer if you want to try something new from a restaurant you love.
I’m giving this place a one star due to service. I went there to pick up my food on my lunch break, come to find out even when I told them the name they gave me someone else’s order and I had to drive all the way back to the place to get my actual order which was a distance to drive considering I don’t get a long lunch break. The lady who gave me the correct food was rude and the food itself wasn’t that great. It was cold, dry and lacked flavor. I’m not sure what happened to this place but it has drastically gone down hill. The server name on the receipt was Kaitlin. I’m not going back to this place as well as my friends and family.
I use to love Bennu and would have given them a 5 out of 5 star review. Until they decided to take all the Mexican food off there menu! I quite often ordered Bennus beef burrito, thats all I ever ate there and enjoyed it very much!! But now theres no point in me dining there any more, and I feel that is very unfortunate. Especially considering my whole family only would eat the burritos.
Food is great but need to hire better help. People with experience. Biggest downside is customer service. Food was good though
After travelling for 11 hours we called and ordered food on our way home. Our order was called in at 6:10 pm. We were told 15 minutes. Arriving there at about 6:25-6 30 Our order was not ready. Told it would be a few more minutes 15 or so later my wife was handed some food which the guy repeated the order to her she paid and we left. Once we got home we noticed we were not given the right food or receipt. Although we do eat here often. Our orders are screwed up at least 1 out of 4 times and always inconsistent. Dont get me wrong the food is good most of the time but service is almost always sub par.
Fantastic food! I have never had a bad meal here. Plus they have a nice little bar in the back. They are also very friendly.
Their food is amazing. They are always busy, which is a good thing and they have the best sandwiches ever! I personally recommend the hot tamale, it is my go to every time we get food from here!
Ive heard nothing but great things about Bennu, and finally stopped in today for my first time. The food is great, the service was excellent at the bar. The only problem I had was deciding which delicious meal to order. I will definitely be back.
Usually enjoy everything I order. Lately its been hit or miss. Ordered my favorite wrap and the last 3 times it was different every time.Hi Jim. I cant figure out how to respond to your post. But I usually just get the basic roast beef wrap. Had my husband order it for pick up while I was still in the hospital after having our son, it was perfect! Being deprived of cold cuts for 9 months, I ordered it again and it barely had any meat on it, the 3rd time it didnt have any horse radish.Thanks for your response!
Neat place. Lots of options on sandwiches, smoothies, and salads. Bar in the back, open pretty late. Clean and friendly.
Very relaxing atmosphere friendly staff great food
The restaurant is comparatively smaller but not their food. The food is great, service is nice. It has bar service and ample amount of seating area. I like their fish tacos a lot. A very good place to visit for lunch/dinner.
Food is great, we order probably once a week to take out. Only reason its not give stars is because the homemade chips are often stale.
Was there last night and here is my opinion first the fries are like eating sticks of oil because not being drained properly worse fries i have ever had, second ive never been served food in a rectangular wire basket very hard to eat out of when you have a burger and fries, 3rd there were 4 girls working and all you heard was tee hee hee les playing and maybe the food would be better, sanitatipn just look up at the duct work and you can see tje dirt and dust on the duct work so while you eat you have zhit falling in tour food between my food and gfs food was 30 bucks it was not worth 20 in my eyes burger was jammed in the wire serving dish hard to get out. Overall a very bad experience
Great food, large variety, friendly atmosphere, and amazing staff specially the managers, never seen people work so hard to satisfy their customers and take so much pride in their work! Keep it up people your amazing at what you do!
Customer service is great!!! The girl at the front counter was very sweet. Food was excellent, my first time here and I will defenitly be back!!! Also really like the French fry portion ;)
The food is really good & the place is clean. i just wish there was more vegetarian wrap choices. still good!
Im sure the people who work at Bennu are kind people, but their ability to complete an order is absolutely atrocious. This is yhe third time I have made an order, it has been delivered, and it had been wrong. How incompetent do you have to be to get an order wrong three times in a row? Unacceptable.
I have been here a few times for lunch, and havent had a bad meal yet. Make sure to check out their specials you will always find something worth trying.
Food was amazing! Seating is very close and was difficult to get to the bathroom. But staff was very nice and I will definitely go back..
Great variety and the flavors are good. A few selections are gluten free. Sometimes must wait for a table and can be noisy.
Absolutely horrible!! They need to teach employees customer service and not to be so damn rude!! They just list a customer who spends $60 plus a day there between ordering for my crew at work and my family at home!! I will never go back and I will make sure all my friends do the same...customer service is supposed to be priority 1 not priority none!!
Love their wraps. However the staff isnt the friendliest and often look like Im inconveniencing them when I order at the counter.
Awesome selection of salads and sandwiches. Food is super fresh. Excellent bar and wait staff.
Stopped by this summer and had an incredible lunch outside. Would definitely return when I’m in the area.
Ive never had a bad meal, decent prices reasonable prices, unique atmosphere. Garlic fries are the best!
The service was great and the food is good. Hard to eat in a sauna though. Were building pyramids up in the place.
Great food. Been going here for years. Vegetarian friendly options and excellent drink selection!
Ordered through doordash and had the best experience! Everything was so fresh and still warm too!
Food that makes you feel good. great soups, salads, sandwiches, and tasty appetizers. several beers on tap and a variety of wine and spirits.
Nice place! Good atmosphere, great drinks, food is good-casual... Ill go there again!
Excellent blue burger and the wife had the pharo wrap
Bennu is your go to restaurant for quick fresh sandwiches, paninis, wraps and salads. Im never disappointed when I go there and I love the outdoor seating option during the summer.
Had a burger and fries to and they were good!
Food always on point from sandwiches 2 burritos to paninis very friendly staff & very clean
Should get a handle on the rude staff... second time they made an error and forgot my sandwich for delivery. I was hung up on by the female manager.
Great little Cafe to go to. Love the sweet potato fries and dip.
Great sandwiches and lunch items. The freshest bread and unique flavors. Also a great beer selection
Great food and drink selections at an affordable price, would have been 6 stars but its in Whitesboro
Always top notch food, service is always on point.
Great food, and an excellent value. Friendly staff as well! Will be back again.
Chicken tenders are great but the fries were extremely hard to chew. It can also be a little expensive for what you get.
Great place for Happy Hour with very attentive waitress. Had FUN! 😊
Awesome food and excellent service
The food here is always amazing and the atmosphere is so nice!!
Love the food, especially the Ahi tuna salad!!
The food was good and the service was friendly. Very noisy at dinner hour, not very relaxing.
Had a very good lunch here service was great First time I had Utica coffee Im hooked
I went there for the first time last week and got charged twice for the same price and then another charge for a different price, when I called the guy I talked to told me there is nothing he can do and told me good luck with disputing the charges, I will be taking this up with the manager, I will never go there again
Excellent customer service on a busy night - will definitely return!
We go on tuesdays, cuz we loveeeee the BT Tori and the food is excellent and the kitchen staff is superb as well. Highly recommend this place!!!
Consistently great food, check out the shrimp pharaoh wrap!!
Great food, short waits, friendly staff, what more can you want?
Loved it ! Similar to Panera idea but home made and locally owned !!!!
The food is crazy good and original. Trendy atmosphere, and a popular lunch spot
Food is always A+! Quick and delicious with an awesome menu!
Food is amazing and employees are great. A definite go to
Great food! my only complaint was its a little noisy
Love this place. Good service, great food and very nice ambiance.
Funky little joint, I had the Burrito Bowl, it was fantastic. So big I had to take half of it home!
Placed an order for pickup. I ordered a sandwich called The SJ and the chicken was extremely tough and rubbery. I ended up throwing the 9 dollar sandwich in the garbage.
Delicious burger and homemade fresh cut fries, lots of beer options.
Good food, good service, nice atmosphere given the shopping center location.
Excellent staff and food as well! Love the salads here!
Went to meet a friend for a beer. They have no light beer on tap. Found that hard to believe. Not one brand, amazing.
Always the best! The people working are always friendly and the food is top notch.
Food is amazing. Had the East Utica sandwich
BBQ Pork Sliders. Nice size. Great taste
Good food but the need more vegan/vegetarian
Rude group of state troopers didnt ruin service.
Best East Utica Steak sandwich in Central New York.
Good food there. 10/10 would recommend again.
Great food & service! love the monday bartender!!
My mom goes there every now and then she loves it there
Awesome food, perfect!
Their garlic french fries are amazingly delicious will be going back again!!!!
Horrible service, tried to go twice and both times waited 30 minutes or more for a sandwich, and it wasnt even a busy time.
Large menu and very good food.
Enjoyed lunch conversation with Al Petronio, friend over 50 yrs, lunch as always excellent
Very good food. Friendly service
I am in love with their Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Interesting and delicious sandwiches. Love their homemade chips
Great food, nice people and nice setting.
Great food but pricey
Food is good. Prices are reasonable.
Great food . Friendly staff.
Great place! Great staff! Great food ✌️
Fantastic food options. This place is so good
The person in the cashier not very customer friendly.
If you like beef. East. Utica. Steak.
Food is always great.
Slowest restaurant to ever exist
Absolutely awful in every sense of the word
Great place for lunch and a beer!
1 hour to get a Sammy snacker.... did you hire a new staff...
Southwest Jimmy is the best sandwich ever!
Great food, great staff.
Enjoyed a great lunch, first timer
Excellent food! Healthy options.
Good sandwiches at a decent price
Good place to eat and people
Great place for a great lunch!
Cliquy Crowd, help is nice if u know them
Excellent food great service
Good food and service!
The Harvest Wrap was AMAZING!!!! ALSO the cookies!
Great food friendly service
Cold beer and a burrito! Lunch heaven.
Amazing service and food!
Okay food and okay service just nothing special.
Always great food.
Great food and service
Buffalo chicken Jimmy is my favorite
Delicious, Healthy, Affordable
One of my favorite places
Delish food. clean
Good food
Great food
Great soups and wraps
Classy, good food
Great sandwiches!
Great food!
Very good food
My favorite cafe
Great food
Awesome food
Great
Great food
Love this place!
Short staffed
Too pricey for what it is
Always good!!!!
Excellent place
Good sandwiches
Total reviews rating 4.3
171 Reviews for Bennu Cafe 2023:
Review №1
2022-04-28Been here three time recently and the food has been awesome each visit. Staff are very polite and friendly and the atmosphere is cozy. Highly recommend the Soft Pretzels and Beer Cheese 🧀!
Review №2
2021-11-17Very underwhelming. I have eaten here before and greatly enjoyed the food. But something terrible happened in the kitchen between then and now. The food this time was TERRIBLE. The nachos were gross everything came from a can except the bagged cheese, salsa and chips. The plate was soaked in the corn juice even throwing canned mushrooms in the mix. If I wanted trash nachos covered in canned food with microwaved shredded cheese on it I would have my 5 year old make it. Really a waste of money. Even the artichoke dip was clumpy and Luke warm. The fries were also terrible it’s not hard to cook fries until they float to the top of the oil and then shake so the stop dripping. The fries were soggy with oil. I would highly recommend not spending your time or money on this place. So many other better places to eat!!
Review №3
2022-01-28It was delicious but the dine in feature was a little confusing. The back area is full service and the front area is cafeteria style. Banana shake was amazing and the spicy burger was juicy and on point
Review №4
2022-05-27This was the second time I came to Bennu, both times was at my wifes urging since she LOVES their ahi tuna salad.First time I wasnt impressed and this time was worse. First off when we walked in and went to the counter there was no one there to greet us or take our order, so we waited probably for a minute or 2. Someone was heading our way and I thought, Finally, someone to take our order; but alas - they just said well be with you In a minute. So we waited a little longer and then someone came and took our order.We sat outside and the table was filthy, so we cleaned it ourselves. They dont really keep things clean and bussed like a normal restaurant.This was one of my pet peeves the first time I went there - theres a lack of service. We asked for napkins and silverware and it seemed like a bother.The food is good, but the service isnt great. I also used the restroom and there wasnt any soap! No SOAP...are you kidding me?!?! Embarrassing in my opinion.Dont care for the overall feel and the food isnt good enough to overcome the major deficiencies they seem to have. Last time Ill try it.
Review №5
2022-06-11Made order for pick up service was terrible guy behind counter made us wait 15 minutes for our food that was already sitting out waiting for us to pick it up. He was sitting on his phone when we walked in, great food but wont deal with terrible customer service. Absolutely unexcusable literally during lunch hours you know people have jobs or schedules to keep not sit around on behalf of ignorance especially at a business. Update 6/10/22 Decided to give the place one more try so me and coworker ordered burgers for lunch. The order we placed was for medium cooked burgers. The burgers we got were over well done and dried out completely.
Review №6
2021-09-29I recently did an online pick up order here. The woman at the front was very helpful, I ended up adding some baked goods and a smoothie to my order. The food was great!My wife and I got burgers, they have a nice char on them that she really likes. Ill probably move my order one step down on the rarity scale since I like less char and to me the medium was more in the medium well side.The homemade chips and sweet potato fries were both delicious. I recommend calling in to check the soup of the day. Ive got some buyers remourse from missing out on the Lobster Bisque, but the Broccoli and Cheddar soup was wonderful anyway.
Review №7
2022-04-18Ordered a chicken Pharoah wrap and received a shrimp Pharoah wrap. Brought back the shrimp wrap only to be told that they will not give me what I ordered to begin with. Terrible
Review №8
2022-01-05I ordered a BLT sandwich. The menu stated “BLT on panini bread. I looked forward to having it on panini bread but the sandwich was on regular white bread. Very disappointed! My order was take out so I didn’t realize the mistake until I got home. The bread was very dry. Ended up tossing the sandwich out.
Review №9
2021-10-16It took 40 minutes to get a fish sandwich & fries, there was no tarter sauce on the sandwich and our waitress spent more time on her phone than taking care of her customers. She delivered the drinks ice tea and lemonade both of which needed sugar and never came back to the table until she delivered the food, and never came back until she delivered the bill. Never asked how things were or if we needed anything else. Service was lousy and the food was mediocre. The store bought pickles were great though. 👍
Review №10
2021-09-16Service has gone downhill along with food.