Benny’s

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• The Boys visit a new Benny’s - 09/26/24
  Overall Rating: 86

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 41 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  Benny’s has been opening up locations across the NEPA scene. Since we haven’t made it to any of these new locations, we figured it was about time to visit Benny’s of Greenridge. For those familiar with Morgan’z, you’ll already know what to expect at this Benny’s location because they took over the location. Whenever we visit, it’s difficult to now sit outside since it is large and partially covered. So, that’s exactly what we did. For those who prefer an indoor dining experience, there is plenty of seating inside including a decently large bar area. In my opinion, the outside is where it is at. There’s a large square bar out there with plenty of TVs for entertainment, lots of tables with umbrellas, and even tables in a covered patio section that looks like it can be closed off and heated. It wasn’t very busy outside on our visit, so service was quick and the wings didn’t take very long to come out. They do not split wing orders for their wing night unless you’re OK with naked wings with sauce on the side. We are not, so we ended up coordinating sauces to enjoy more flavors.

  
  Wing Size: 7
  

  Normally $13.95 for 10 wings, you can get their wing special on Thursday at $7.50 for 10 wings. Like I said above, they don’t allow splitting of sauces so you can’t get two different flavors in your order of 10 unless you want sauce on the side and want to pay extra for the sauce. This is the second place in a row that took this strategy, so I hope it’s not a sign of the times to come because I love variety and my wings covered in sauce. While the price is very reasonable on their wing night, the wings are a bit on the smaller side. I typically use the 16-20 range of wings for my gauge. If I can take down the full 20, they are average to slight below average, which was the case here.

  
  Wing Flavors: 9
  

  I was torn between 9 and 10 for this rating. They certainly offer a lot of flavors at Benny’s. You can find over 40 different options, including a good variety of dry rubs and a homemade BBQ sauce called Benny’s Glaze. The reason this falls in the 9 camp for me as opposed to the 10 camp is because the while there are a lot of options, there weren’t too many that were really outside the box. Don’t get me wrong, there are some interesting flavors like Cider Glaze, Volcano Style, and Applewood Dry rub, but there were none that wowed me.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 8
  

  The wings as a whole were really well cooked with the right amount of meat to crisp ratio. For a lot of their wing mixes, instead of mixing the sauce together and then mixing with the wings, they tended to coat the wings in a hot sauce base and then drizzle the secondary flavor over it. For example, we ordered the Hot Caesar. These had that really good hot sauce base with the Caesar sauce drizzled over top. You still got that Hot Caesar combo, but I gravitated to the sauce once it started mixing in the bottom of the basket. Overall, they were a well balanced wing with a great flavor, so it was still a solid option. On the other hand, the Sesame Teriyaki was a single sauce wing. The sauce was thick, sticky, and brown, which is expected for Teriyaki. It had a great salt flavor with a slight sweetness. I did enjoy there’s wings quite a bit.

  Serniak's Rating: 45 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  In the wild world of the wing game, some establishments get really ambitious. Some of them say to themselves; You know what, we need to expand.” That is what Benny’s said to themselves and made it their reality.

  Benny’s started in Peckville and over the last few years has been as reliable as a wing joint and restaurant/bar you can find. It’s a place where most folks in this area and even in other areas know about Benny’s and what they offer.

  Now they have branched out to not just Greenridge St. in Scranton but they also have another location in Clarks Summitt that I think is more of a takeout type of place.

  The Greenridge location is formerly where Morganz was. The setup still gives off that Morganz vibe. The large indoor area is flanked by the large outdoor area that is equipped with TVs and another bar.

  We sat outside because the weather was cooperating. Not many of these days left so I suggest y’all take advantage of them.

  Our server was on point and always made sure we were never parched.

  I understand when a place blossoms to another location the feeling could be that quality will won’t be as good as the original. That is not the case with Benny’s of Greenridge(I really want to call it Benny’s on Greenridge) but I digress. Greenridge St. needed a taste of the valley and Benny’s delivers.

   

   

  
  Wing Size: 8
  

  Are there bigger wings out there? There sure are. But I’ve mentioned this more in recent reviews and maybe it’s because I’m getting older but I simply don’t prefer a ginormous-sized wing. Yes, if you give me a wing the size of Detroit I will devour it and be very happy. Wings are wings and I will eat all the wings. But at this stage in my life, I’d rather a medium-sized wing that has a better chance of being crispier.

  It’s science. If a wing is a bit smaller it has a better chance to be crispier.

  The wings at all the Benny’s locations including the Greenridge location are medium-sized wings so let’s not act like they’re miniature or anything like that.

  Thursday is wing night and the special is 7.50 for 10 but if you want to split the sauces so you can have more flavors, you have to get the sauce on the side. We just did Kramer’s Grill where we had sauce on the side and I didn’t feel like working for dinner so we just went with 40 wings between the two of us and got four sauces.

  If you need to order an extra order to feel fulfilled, I won’t get in the way of that.

   

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  This is an easy 10. Benny’s on of Greenridge, and all the Benny’s locations have the same menu unless the Clarks Summitt version doesn’t. That means you can have 43 different flavors of wings regardless of what Benny’s you enter.

  Not only that but you will be able to get some unique flavors as well such as Benny’s bacon brown sugar, Benny’s sweet cajun, volcano style, and several dry rubs. Yes, Benny’s knows the value of a name and puts their name in front of many sauces. Power moves only.

   

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 9
  

  We split the wings so Lynch and I will be reviewing all 4 flavors we got. Also, and I know I already mentioned this, the wings are very well crisped up.

  First, we have the sesame teriyaki. This is a classic rendition of a teriyaki sauce. This flavor doesn’t pull any punches. It delivers exactly what you want. It has the stickiness you crave along with the tangy saltiness you desire.

  Next was the hot Caesar. Again, these were as advertised. There was a good balance between Benny’s Hot and Caesars. A creaminess along with the heat made for a productive sauce.

  After that was the Benny’s hot BBQ honey mustard. Yes, there is a lot going on in this sauce. Yes, it was very good. The BBQ was fully there and the honey mustard was drizzled over them. It made for an impressive showing.

  Finally, was Benny’s sweet cajun. These were the bell of the ball for me. The cajuness wasn’t overpowering but the spice of cajun was well represented. The sweetness brought this sauce together. I don’t know what they use to make it sweet but they have just enough of it in this sauce.

  
  
• Benny’s Podcast - 05/03/17

  We went to Benny’s only a couple months ago, but we were such huge fans we decided to make another quick visit to enjoy their delicious wings. Since this is our second visit to Benny’s, we have a podcast review for you. Head to the bottom of the post to give a listen!

  Benny’s takes the place of the old Duke’s in Peckville, PA. They updated the place a bit and added a ton of fantastic wing flavors to the menu that you need to try for yourself. In this podcast, we talk all about Benny’s and have a bit of an argument about what street it is on (Confirmed: It’s on Main St). Oh, we also made up a couple of new words that are bound to take the world by storm. Definitely.

  If somehow you’re on this site and you don’t even like wings, give this podcast a listen because we talk about an awesome event coming up in Scranton called Over the Edge Scranton: A Rappelling Adventure. If you check them out on Facebook, you can register to be provided all the tools necessary to help raise money for a great cause. If you raise enough money, you will get to rappel from the tallest building in Scranton!

  Finally, if you want to check out our past review of Benny’s, head over to the Benny’s Review Page.

  
  

  

  Benny’s - 05/03/17

• First Time to Benny’s - 01/04/17
  Overall Rating: 82

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 41 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  While driving along North Main Street in Peckville, you may have noticed a change to the recognizable bar called Duke’s, which was well-known for its cheesesteak pizza. The place is now called Benny’s and it’s under new ownership, and with this new ownership came a number of positive changes. The place is still split between a large bar area and a small take-out section. The bar area has much of the same layout, but with a number of changes to modernize it for a new age. The bar top has been redone and the lighting updated to give it a slicker look. Benny’s also added some nice beer selections tailored to the craft beer drinker if that sort of thing floats your boat. There is a section dedicated to two pool tables in case you wanted to pass the time while you wait for your food. Our service was fantastic while we were there. We sat at the bar and the two bartenders were on top of their game. They were very friendly, conversational, and always checking up on us to make sure we had everything we needed. You cannot split your order of wings at Benny’s, so just be wary if you planned on getting a variety of flavors. It never got crowded on our visit, but it did appear to get livelier as the night went on. Overall, Benny’s is a great new bar in the area that you’re bound to enjoy for some food or late-night activities.

  
  Wing Size: 4
  

  Most aspects of Benny’s had high marks. Size is not one of them. Benny’s does this awesome thing where they offer three wing nights – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On any of those nights, you can get an order of ten wings for $5. That is about the standard going price on wing night these days. When the wings came out, I knew I would have no trouble finishing all 20 as they were a bit on the smaller side. Usually, I finish my 15 feeling overly stuff, but I took down the 20 with no issues.

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  Benny’s really brings it to the table (pun intended) with wing flavors. They have a huge amount of wet and dry options to cover your wings. In fact, there were so many to choose from, I struggled on my final selection. It’s interesting because Benny’s doesn’t have a traditional “Hot” flavor listed on the menu, but they do have a Mild and plenty of other “Hot” flavors, so I’m sure you could order a plain Hot if you wanted. Benny’s offers classic flavors as well as some great, unique styles such as Volcano Style (just like volcano fries, but on a wing), Pete’s Sauce (we were told this is a very spicy wing), and Applewood Dry rub. I definitely expect another visit in our near future just to give different wings a try.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 9
  

  Before we get into the actual taste of the sauces I ordered, I wanted to mention that I like that they ask if you want your wings crispy. The wings came out with just the slightest, and rightest (in my opinion), amount of crisp. To start off, I ordered the Tai Peanut, which I believe is supposed to actually be Thai Peanut. Regardless, whenever I see a peanut sauce on a menu, I almost always make it a point to order. Serniak is not a fan of peanut sauces, but that’s his problem. I really enjoyed this wing. It had a good peanut butter taste up front with a decent kick of spice on the back end. It’s certainly not a wing sauce that everyone would order or enjoy, but since I am a sucker for peanut sauces, I thought Benny’s did a good job on it. I also ordered the Hot Caesar. This is another classic wing flavor that I always enjoy. Benny’s starts with a great hot sauce base and adds some Caesar to it to really amp up the taste. The balance between the hot and the Caesar were great. You won’t go wrong if you order these wings. The other two wings I tried – Benny’s Bacon Brown Sugar and Sweet Cajun – were Serniak’s picks, and may actually have been better than the two I talked about, but I will leave that to the other half of The Wing Men to describe.

  Serniak's Rating: 41 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  A real new-comer to the ever growing wing scene in the NEPA area(can’t imagine who or what is responsible for this) Benny’s takes over right where its predecessor left off. Benny’s is located in Peckville in the same location that Duke’s was it. Duke’s was known for their legendary double crust steak and cheese pizza. A possible national treasure it was. Now, Benny’s is in there and it appears they have decided they are heading in the wing direction. Great for wing bloggers, bad for no one. It’s nice to see all the hard work put into remodeling the place from when it was Duke’s. The layout is pretty much the same. They have two pool tables, a big bar area with a good amount of seating that wraps around it. It looked like they updated many things like the bar countertops and the amount of tvs. If you’re a sports guy or gal, it’s a great place to catch some competition of whatever sport you’d like minus perhaps croquet and badminton. We sat at the bar. Our bartender/server was quite pleasant and joked around with us while she attended others. There’s something to be said about being able to do both of those things without slowing down. I’m always appreciative of that. The atmosphere of the whole place also seemed to a positive one. People just seemed to be in a good mood. It’s always better to be in that kind of company. Fact. Equipped with a solid beer selection, I think you could easily spend days inside of there and not get bored. Maybe they should do a lock-in like bowling alleys used to do. That be somethin.

  
  Wing Size: 7
  

  You can go and find wings that are larger. You can find wings that are smaller. To me, they are slightly above average in size. And they’re right around the average for price at 50 cents a wing on their wing night. One thing you can’t do is order them in orders of 5. You need to get them in orders of 10. I’m a guy who craves multiple sauces so I suggest you go with a companion so that you could try our more flavors.

  
  Wing Flavors: 9
  

  It took me a god while to decide between an 8 or a 9. But, after further review, I went with a 9 because they have over 20 flavors and several of them are unique and they put their own twist into some classics. I’m a fan of innovation and Benny’s certainly is thinking outside the standard flavors in trying to stand out. Flavors such as horsey sauce, boom boom and speedie sauce, sauces that you don’t normally see can be found here. But sauces such as sweet cajun, one that I’ve never seen before, cider glaze and Benny’s bacon brown sugar show me that they’re looking to really plant a flag in the wing society that we live in. I hope they aren’t finished with exploring their brains for new flavors. All of us can benefit if they keep thinking.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 8
  

  We got the hot caesar, thai peanut, Benny’s bacon brown sugar and the sweet cajun. The hot caesar was a very solid representation of what that flavor is all about. The heat of the hot mixed with subtle bite of the caesar dressing did some very good things out there. I do wish the caesar dressing was caked on instead of drizzled on. That’s me nitpicking I know, but I still like to have all sauces on every centimeter of my wings. I’m a real stickler for sauce distribution. It’s a curse I know. Now the thai peanut is a sauce that I typically avoid. I’ve just never been a guy who enjoys that flavor regardless of where it comes from. Lynch wanted to get it and I was in no position to challenge it. I checked. But, if you’re into that style then I’m rather sure you’ll like Benny’s take on this eastern staple. Had the peanutbuttery taste you’d expect. Moving on. The sweet cajun, a sauce I said I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, which is surprising because it doesn’t sound like something that should be that hard to come up with, was excellent. I thought it was real good because it focused a lot on the sweet facto. I figured it would be more spicy but nope, I thought it was real tangy. Real good combo of sweet and spicy. The sweetness wasn’t overpowering but I thought it was the leader of the flavor. Finally, the Benny’s bacon brown sugar is everything that those words are. There was bacon, there was brown sugar and it was at Benny’s. Thought it might be a dry rub but it was more like a hybrid of dry and wet. This might of happened because it had the brown sugar as dry but there was an extremely large showing of fresh cooked bacon on it and perhaps the grease from the bacon mixed in making wet. Either way, it was delicious. The brown sugar had a taste to it that wasn’t fully sweet. Something else was going on in there. Something they don’t want me to know. Whatever it was, it worked and that’s all that matters.