Restaurant has short life in Midtown
Benzino's Crab Trap, which opened this past November in Midtown, has closed. The restaurant reportedly closed a few days ago. Benzino's, named for record producer Raymond “Benzino” Scott, opened in place of Hi-Five Diner. Previously, Hi-Five Diner replaced Villain's, both of which were owned by Alex Brounstein of Grindhouse Killer Burgers.
To say the concept seemed half-baked might be the understatement of the year. Benzino, who frequently appeared on the VH1 reality show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, should have stayed out of the kitchen. The Boston native "loves to cook seafood" and as snow crabs are big in Boston, apparently figured he'd open a restaurant with that dish as their specialty.
The first Benzino's Crab Trap opened on Delk Road in Marietta in July of 2015. The restaurant's opening was attended by a number of high profile celebrities including Honey Boo Boo and her parents, Mama June and Sugar Bear, of the TLC reality show “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.”
The Marietta location abruptly closed this past August.
With a total of 46 reviews, the Marietta location had a cumulative 3 star rating on Yelp.com with some reviewers claiming they drove 30+ minutes and even traveled from California only to be disappointed by the restaurant.
The Midtown location had only received 20 reviews in its short life, but they weren't much better. Overall, the restaurant had a 2.5 star rating with a few opening line reviews below:
"A Hot Ghetto Mess!"
"This was spectacularly bad"
"I'm sorry to say that this was a dreadful experience."
"Upon walking in it was quite disturbing."
"This was a disappointment."
"If I could give this restaurant no stars, I would!"
"Service was awful!"
Local sources indicate there have been a number of operators that have expressed interest in taking over the space, but that no lease has been signed. The roughly 2,000 square foot restaurant space is located at the corner of 8th and Peachtree Streets, offering great visibility but extremely limited parking.
Are you surprised Benzino's Crap Crab Trap closed? Did you ever eat here and was it as bad as people say? What would you like to see open in its place?
Please share your thoughts below