The Workshop

This place has the best food ever!!! It is owned by the nicest people in the world and they really do care about their customers. My favorite is the Veggie Po’boy. But everything I have ever had there is off the hook delicious. It is a must try if you have never been and a must return if you have!!!

Ver very very pleased. Im picky but good food is good food. No complaints in fact i will be back for the hush puppies next time. Excited to come back

If you are Benicia and don’t want to travel to another town for lunch be sure to go here. The PO boy is a classic and delicious choice. The Mac and cheese is different then the traditional take but still good. If you are feeling especially hungry get a side of the hush puppies. These crispy balls of heaven are slightly sweet but very savory.

Bombest Cajun food around !!! Soups are delicious. Every special is worth ordering ! Go on Tuesday and get the breaded porkchop with baked mac n cheese !!

We had the catfish po boy and brisket po boy, gumbo and hush puppies. It was all amazing. Highly recommend this place.

We LOVE The Workshop. The flavors are complex and on point in every dish we’ve tried and the owners are wonderful people. Don’t miss the Saturday morning beignets and chicory coffee.

I came and ordered the shrimp po boy and it was really good and the portions were huge ! I also got potato soup that was to die for ! I love that this hidden gem is right down the street from me ! I will be visiting soon !

Best cajun food ive had outside the gulf. Funny it’s in a refining town. Oyster po boy and, wanting to get my greens– i ordered a side salad, which turned out to be an amazing onion, beat, spinach combo. Not a lot of seating available but i loved the food

Located next to a bait shop and halfway between the downtown and the arsenal, it’s not easy to find but worth the ride.
Sandwiches and soups/​gumbos are excellent. We shared a shrimp po-​boy and an oyster po-​boy. Both huge and delicious.
Very casual. You place your order at the counter and then wait outside at the few tables and benches. We were there on a very hot summer day and the bees were a problem.
If I lived closer, this would be my go-​to take out place.

Had it for the first time last Saturday. It was very good! Generous portion! Will come back again!

The planets aligned today and we were finally able to try the nola style food right here close to home. For sure, I’ll be back. We had the jambalaya, chicken po’boy and hush puppies. The cocktail sauce and house hot sauce on the superb food is the icing on the cake. The owners are very friendly and make you feel at home. The outdoor seating w/​the added heater was actually enjoyable as you stay warm while getting fresh air. Try it folks… you won’t regret it. Support small biz!

Just had lunch with my mom who lives right up the street. She lives this place, now i know why. I had a catfish poor boy sandwich. OMG heaven on earth. I will visit again. Tge owners are so friendly.

Very large portions, the gumbo was full of seafood and flavor. I also had the cajun grilled chicken sandwich. The sandwich was big enough to feed two of me. very good food. a little pricey but you are paying for quality here so give this place a try.

This small family owned business
Is fabulous.
Owner/​Chef Dan’s attention to
Detail is great.
His fooqis every bit as good
As NOLA. if you want Cajun
Food here in Benicia the
Workshop is the place to go.

A nice mini restaurant/​café to go to in Benicia that serves great Cajun food. The café is very small where you first line up to place your oder but there are benches outside for seating. Probably not ideal for a large party greater than 5.
Must try: seafood gumbo! Very delicious gumbo that is hearty with seafood and veggies. The soup has a good consistency, especially with the addition of rice on top. A great way to start the meal by ordering a cup of their gumbo. I usually follow the meal with one of their po’boy sandwiches. My favorite is definitely their fried shrimp. The shrimp is battered and fried to a consistency that is perfect for the sandwich: not too greasy and a light coating that provides a great crisp! Their house sauce is amazing and complements the shrimp very well.

Great love the New Orleans flair love the beniets also
Each day something different
Wish they were open more hours

Why 5 stars? Because I’m still dreaming of my po boy!
— — —
The perfect combination of quality and quantity — absolutely delicious and TONS of it.
I normally go with shrimp for my po boys, but I was in an oyster mood. If I could go back, I would have opted for shrimp, but that’s not to the fault of the Workshop. Oysters can be interesting from time to time.
But the po boy overall was just like I like it: sloppy. When a sandwich is neat and easy to eat, it usually means that it’s a bit dry. But when you need to bust out a few napkins due to ample sauciness, it means you’re winning.
You can also find a brisket po boy at The Workshop, in addition to some delightful-​looking gumbos and chowders. I would absolutely love to say that I’ll be back soon to try those things, but my commute would be a little rough. As for my friend who lives nearby, it’s one of his favorite spots, which is why he took me here during my visit. I gave a double, down-​low high five for his judgment.

Sandwiched between Benicia Bait & Tackle & Todd’s Custom Rod Art is the epitome of both «Hole in the Wall» & «Diamond in the Rough…» I literally go out of my way (a 30 mile trek, without hesitation) just to grab one of their amazing Po’ Boys…
Po’ Boys are not only MASSIVE, but are some of the more legit CA renditions I’ve had to-​date…
[Butcher Paper Wrapped Po’ Boy vs Wilson Football]:
In addition to the sammy’s, The Specials Menu Rotate Daily (though you can follow via their Facebook page @
), with other standard items being available until they sell out… I haven’t arrived early enough to try their beignets (8 – 10:30AM on Saturdays), nor on weekdays to sample some of their other goodies, i.e.; Cajun Chicken Pot Pie, Fried Pork Chops, etc…, though it’ll eventually happen one of these days… Despite my conflicting schedule, I’m drawn on weekends to their Po’ Boys (Oyster & Shrimp), as well as their Gumbo, Cornbread, etc…
[Oyster Po’ Boy]:
[Cup of Gumbo]:
[Shrimp Po’ Boy]:
On a typical afternoon, you’ll see the crew (along w/​Chef Danny) in the back, prepping/​peeling shrimp, etc… Staff is EXTREMELY friendly (Danny in the kitchen greeting folks as they enter or when handing off food) or even calling out suggestions to customers when items are sold out, etc…, i.e. «No beignets, but Bread pudding is off the hook!» Whenever I arrive, there’s always a warm greeting from Naomi as well (you can even sense her smile over the phone)…
No indoor tables as storefront is just large enough to take orders/​run the kitchen, though there is limited outdoor/​covered seating… Tables include all the standard condiments you could wish for (most notably), the hot-​sauce, i.e. (Louisiana, Tabasco, Tapatio, Crystal, etc…), along w/​hollowed-​out cans of McCann’s Irish Oatmeal or Café Du Monde, stuffed w/​napkins to add to the overall ambiance (nice touch)…
Days/​Hours are limited (Closed Sun & Mon) & only open till 2:30 pm, Tuesday-​Saturday… Keeping this in mind, be sure to show up relatively early, else there’s a good chance (more-​so a guarantee) that they will sell out of goodies/​specials the closer they get to closing…
A Mom & Pop’s Shop (literally) that you can’t help but want to support (though the fact they have amazing food/​pricing sure doesn’t hurt)… I’ve been a loyal customer for well over a year now & figured it was about time (long overdue), to finally show them some love…
Very much looking forward to my next visit…

I finally feel like I can give an accurate review of The Workshop. Having visited this place an almost ridiculous number of times for someone who doesn’t live in or near Benicia, I’ve managed to try a bunch of their menu items and all of their regular daily specials. I can say, without reservation, that I platonically love The Workshop.
Wednesday’s Daily Special — the Jambalaya with a square of cornbread — has become my go-​to favorite. I have scheduled my work around being in reasonable driving distance of The Workshop on Wednesdays, when possible. A huge portion of jambalaya, chock full of andouille and shrimp, rice cooked to that perfect creamy consistency just enough away from full on risotto consistency to still have rice texture. The square of cornbread that isn’t over-​sweet and isn’t over-​grainy.
Thursday’s Daily Special — Cajun Chicken Pot Pie — comes up in a close second. A super dense chicken filling (the filling is thicker and more chicken-​heavy than the stews most place put into their pot pies) where, once you get your slice, the pot pie filling stays in place. My only slight criticism is sometimes the pastry is a bit burnt, but the portion is enormous.
The meat in the Tuesday Special — Breaded Pork Chops and Mac and Cheese — and the Friday Special — Fried Catfish with Hushpuppies — are both excellent. They are both fried super crisp with a well seasoned breadcrumb crust and the chops are always tender. These two fall to the bottom position in my ranking of the Daily Specials for reasons that only apply to me: I don’t like Mac and Cheese and I don’t like Hushpuppies. Not just The Workshop’s version, all versions. I know… I may be the only person in America that can say that but it’s true. I tried subbing in Grilled Vegetables, but it just didn’t work with the rest of either main course, so I just order the specials as is and give the Mac and the Hushpuppies to other people.
All the po-​boys are great. I prefer the fried shrimp and fried catfish over the cajun chicken and vegetable ones, but it’s mostly because I like seafood. The sandwiches aren’t drenched in sauce, which is nice, and the bread is soft and hearty. Also, as most people have already mentioned, they are huge. These are two meals, easy.
Of all the menu items, I will mention there is one that I’ve tried and flat out disliked — the seafood gumbo. I’m not sure what it is about it, but there is a very strong bitterness to the flavor of the gumbo and it ends up overpowering everything else. I had some friends give it a try as well and they all agreed with me, so maybe it was just that particular batch of gumbo, but given that I’m not a huge gumbo fan to begin with, that I had such an exceptionally negative experience with Workshop’s gumbo makes me hesitate to try it again, especially with so many other items on the menu. It is also not enough to dock a star because everything else is just so great.
Friendly owners running the place and, while wait times used to be pretty long, it’s sped up quite a bit in the last several months where the food is up and read within 10 minutes. Prices are great considering the quantity of food. Just always keep an eye on those hours. They’re not convenient and I think it’s part of the charm of this place.

Not too far off from Benicia’s Bay-​edged Main Street, down a quiet Victorian house-​lined street and next to a bait shop you will find The Workshop. It’s a kitchen and counter with outside seating of tables topped with 3 kinds of hot sauce for the already well-​spiced food.
We ordered the Brisket Po Boy, Shrimp Po Boy and the Gumbo. The Brisket Po Boy melts in your mouth! The Shrimp Po Boy was perfectly flavored with medium-​sized, cornmeal crusted shrimp. Both are served on a fresh, soft, quality baguette, seasoned with horseradish, lettuce, tomato and pickle. You won’t feel «po» eating one of these – one sandwich could easily be shared. The gumbo was a spicy, smoky flavored dark roux stew filled with chunks of seafood, firm, not slimy, okra on top of rice. It comes in two sizes so I recommend a small if you are getting other items.
Beverages are canned San Pellegrino sodas, Coca-​Cola and bottled water. There are daily specials. and of course beignets in the morning that I will go back soon to try.
Don’t expect to run in and out of here. There were only two sweet people working here and each order is super fresh and hand-​crafted to order.