Bennie's is a great place for informal, Italian dining. There are not many restaurants in the area that serve Italian food. The cannelloni and lasagna are very good. There is plenty on the menu for those who aren't interested in Italian food, too. We enjoy the pieces of bread served with spiced olive oil when dining after 5:00 pm. The murals on the walls add a little flavor to the restaurant. I've never failed to find Bennie's clean and the service good. If there is an event at the Marion Civic Center, you may experience a wait before being seated. It is a very popular place to dine for those events as they are a short walk from one another.
Stopped for lunch, from out of town. We got a new waitress that said she’d only been there for a few weeks. We ordered boneless wings for an appetizer, which she clearly forgot to put in on time. By the time they came out, so did our entrees. The wings were mediocre at best, with a bottled ranch dressing sauce for dipping. They were dry and somewhat tasteless. I ordered the fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken. It was also very bland. The garlic bread that came with it was cold and chewy. My husband ordered the grilled chicken with melted mozzarella and mushrooms. It was a small portion and extremely dry, so he asked for a side of marinara sauce to liven it up. Overall, service and food was nothing worth returning for.
I took a friend to lunch. The hostess said we'd be seated in a fee minutes. Right after that 2 ladies who came in after us were seated b/4 we were. Aside from that, our server was good. The food was delicious.
Not a fan of the food or service received, but they were quite busy the night we went so we might give it another try with different food choices. Tortellini filling was meh. So was the Alfredo sauce.
Every time we stop at Marion, IL we always try to have a lunch or dinner at Bennie's. We really enjoy their food. The staff is always friendly and the restaurant is cool. Highly recommend!
Was not the Bennie's I remembered from my youth. Not much time between the salad and my entrée. Could have more selections for people who can't eat beef like me. Service was good.
It has always been such a legacy in Marion. When I was younger, it was the best and when family would come into town we made sure they tried it. Now, the food is mediocre at best and the service just depends on the day you go. They are short staffed so I don't blame them for the wait time currently, but in the past before COVID-19 there was some pretty ridiculous wait times. The whole restaurant and menu needs updated. The only thing saving it from a one-star is the history of the restaurant.
Bennies is the best Italian food of all time. I grew up in Southern Illinois and moved to Tucson, AZ. I always crave Bennies when I’m not in Illinois. I made a trip back recently and had the best experience yet. I went with my Illinois family for old times and we had the best waitress. The name on the receipt was Jacqueline. She was amazing. Very prompt with our drinks and anything else we needed. Amazing staff, food, and atmosphere! I will make it a stop every-time I visit.
This food was amazing and our server Skip was great too. Best Italian food I've had for real
May, June, July. 2008Worked around Marion repairing buried phone cables with GTE/Verizon.Good food, great service, reasonable prices. Dinner once a week.Praise to the oldest restaurant in town.EdStafford, Texas