While downtown Benson is full of restaurants with diverse flavors, expenses and identities— our experience at Jojo’s Diner left a mark on our hearts.
Jojo’s diner is a modern, retro themed diner open day and night located in the downtown Benson strip. Opened by Jose Dionico in 2019, the diner aims to serve its customers traditional American brunches and dinners with unique, modern twists.
While there are two locations in Omaha and one in Lincoln, Benson’s captures the retro-vibe the best. The vibrant atmosphere offers booth and table seating options, along with an arcade located near the bathrooms. Jojo’s offers both comfort and affordability to residents exploring the community.
When we first entered, we expected to experience a typical diner experience, with little diversity on the menu. Yet, to our surprise, there were meals for everyone. Nashville hot waffles for spice lovers, breakfast ramen for those craving some comfort food and many Mexican-inspired dishes like breakfast chimichangas and horchata pancakes.
“I was very happy seeing all of the vast options we could choose from in the menu,” senior Rakim Hayes said. “It had typical American food as well as foreign dishes.”
Not only did the food impress us, but we also enjoyed the atmosphere of the diner. The diner was filled with unique decor, the walls lined with nostalgic neon signs and vinyl seats reminiscent of the ‘50’s. The restaurant provides small-group seating with calming music to create a laid-back atmosphere, perfect for a group of teenagers.
“I really liked the retro aesthetic of the diner,” senior Hserblut Soe said. “It felt really cool, like I was experiencing something from the past.”
Like any other restaurant however, Jojo’s Diner was not perfect.
“Jojo’s Diner seems like a restaurant you visit late at night, not one you visit at 5 p.m,” Hayes said. “The diner only had two workers. It took a while for our orders to come in and they forgot my pancakes, but I understood it was because they were understaffed.”
It is difficult to fully judge a restaurant with one visit, especially since it seemed like they were actively calling in workers for support.
“I have little to no complaints,” Soe said. “But I will say my Nashville spicy chicken sandwich wasn’t quite as spicy as I wanted. The Texas toast was a bit plain.”
I cannot help but agree. I have visited many diners before, but I felt like I was unable to fully experience this diner. The Benson area offers many colorful restaurants, so Jojo’s has a lot to compete with.
I was unable to try everything I wanted due to the lack of staff available. It felt rude to order horchata pancakes after my meal when there was only one chef covering eight people’s orders.
As for the food I ordered the Friday steak deal, where recipients get a steak and two sides for the low cost of $14. I did not quite enjoy my steak due to how thin and oily it was. The caesar salad was beautifully crisp and they gave me the perfect portion of fries for my order, still I was attracted to this deal because of the steak.
Overall, I have more to rave about than to complain. It was a great diner with the potential to have amazing food and ambiance. The workers were all very respectful, even when we stressed them out. Jojo’s Diner is the perfect affordable and safe area for teenagers to hang out.
“I would definitely recommend this diner to my friends,” Soe said. “The prices and deals are very affordable, and they have a lot of options to order from.”
