Binkley's Kitchen and Bar

Just spent a nice evening at Binkley's - a lot of good mixed in with some "meah" so I'll give up 4-stars, but not a convincing 4-star....

The atmosphere is convivial and the menu is several steps above the average bar menu.  Among my group of 4 we tried the grilled salmon, the teriyaki tilapia, the grouper special and the BBQ chicken chopped salad.  The salmon was a bit overlooked and had too much BBQ sauce (the menu said chipotle glaze).  The salad was pleasant, the guacamole was a nice touch, but nothing special.  The grouper and the tilapia were winners.  Our waitress was a little slow at the outset but finished up well enough. On the whole, good value and good (just not stunning) food.

After dinner we moved to a table in the bar to catch the second half of the Butler - Xavier game - which was a lot of fun, despite the (I'll just say it) somewhat surely waitress (don't think she was too excited when we told her that we were just doing coffee and dessert).  In any event, the  berry crumble was simple but delicious.  Ask for it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  

I rate this a " go" - and I'll go back - but I'll take the slow train with a lot of stops at other restaurants along the way, but I will definitely go back!

Binkley's is one of our regular spots.  We usually sit in the bar but occasionally choose the dining room if the bar is extra loud.  The food and service are solid.  The red-pepper hummus with naan and onion rings are excellent.  The soup of the day is usually a one-time only creation and quite good.  I also like the bison burger but be sure to insist they not over cook it or it will be dry.  I would like more salad choices but that a minor quibble.

This review is long overdue as this is an almost weekly stop for us. It has been our usual because the service and food has always been good.
We've tried almost everything on the menu but some of our all time fav's are:  tenderloins, fish sandwich, thai wrap, pulled pork, clamari, 'great' onion rings & all sides are good.  I'm a serious fish eater! When in Maui or on the Florida coast, I will have it 2 or 3 times a day.  --so I can say that this is 'the only' place in town that I haven't had a bad or slightly tainted fish sandwich.  The iced tea is brewed fresh each day & I'm picky there too.
"I think" they have been there for 7 or 8 yrs and previously was the home of The Pawn Shop which moved to 54th St in SoBro.  The atmosphere is really casual and comfortable.  They have a nice bar which we choose on Sports days!