Benicia Veteran's Memorial Hall

Admittedly biased, I am a combat veteran and proud member of the Benicia, CA Veteran's Hall. As a veteran, I found a place where I could feel at home around people that understood me, but also the massive support we feel every day from the various support groups at the Hall. Children of Veterans, Spouses of Veterans and others, form various groups that surround us and provide a sense of family I no longer had in my own life. To me, this place is much more than just a building; it's a true home away from home for veterans and their families. The camaraderie here is something special--a bond that brings together people from all walks of life under one roof.From the moment you walk in, you feel the sense of community. Whether it's during our Easter pancake breakfasts, where the entire family comes together to enjoy a hearty meal, Karaoke, Pool or the Dart Leagues that provide a fun and competitive outlet, there's always something happening at the Hall. And let's not forget the Yearly Crab Feed--an event that everyone eagerly looks forward to, where we share laughs, stories, and, of course, delicious crab.The Benicia Veterans Hall isn't just a place for events; it's a place where lifelong friendships are forged and where we support one another through thick and thin. Whether you're a veteran or just someone looking to connect with a community that truly cares, I highly recommend stopping by.

The event space is great for hosting a variety of functions. The bar on the first floor is great.

Only came once for some hotdogs and beer. The beer was cheep and cold and the hotdogs were hot and free! On their wall, they post a flyer where you can sign up for weekly text of all of their events. On the last Saturday of every month you can catch Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Club where they'll usually have pastries and hot coffee. If you're a veteran, I recommend signing up for FREE fly fishing instruction and outings!

This is a nice place to have a special event. Came here a couple years back for a surprise birthday celebration for family downstairs and I thought it was nice. They had easy access bathrooms and the place was huge! I forgot about this place and came back here to celebrate my little sister getting married at the beginning of the month. I didn't realized this was actually two floors and even has an elevator too. There are bathrooms upstairs as well as a bar and kitchen area. I really liked the upstairs. It was so beautiful we didn't really need to do much to make it wedding ready There's even a park with a gazebo across the street to take pictures. There is a small parking lot behind the building too. This is a wonderful place to have a celebration.

I am giving it 1 star for the location. Everything else about my interactions with the Veterans hall staff was a nightmare. When I first reserved the hall (pre-COVID), I worked with a wonderful lady named Patty who said we should get the date on the books and could work out specifics later (note: In retrospect, I should have been better at getting things in writing). Fast forward to Summer 2021. The first hurdle was that the new manager, Pete, said we couldn't use glassware because they had just refinished the floors. Because this was a $20,000 wedding reception, red solo cups were not going to be an option. Finally got Pete to understand our perspective. Next issue was the caterer couldn't use the kitchen downstairs. Although the caterer was licensed, bonded and insured, Pete indicated that the kitchen was for members only. That caused our caterer to have to bring portable ovens and cook in the parking lot. Next issue: the bar. Pete indicated that guests could access the bar downstairs to get drinks. That's not what we wanted. Pete then said we have a bar upstairs but it is in the room where the caterers will now be cooking and all servers going in and out of. I told him that wasn't a safe option to have guests walking through an area where food was being prepared. We ultimately had to change our menu to offer beer and wine only. Because the event was Saturday evening and the vendor providing tables and chairs had multiple events, I asked if I could pay for additional hours before the event to allow for early setup. Pete said definitely NO even though there was no other event on Saturday. The final straw was the Monday before our event, the caterer and rental company vendors came to do a final walk-thru the facility to make sure they brought all necessary supplies. Pete was not there but the bartender allowed them access. The visit upset Pete who called my husband at 9:30 that evening screaming that we were trying to work around him and he could just cancel our event. Never have I encountered such unprofessional behavior. The day of the event, Pete was there and was upset that we opened the windows (even though the air conditioner was not on and it was 90 degrees outside) while setting up. He threatened the setup crew 2 times that he could shut us down. Needless to say, I spent $2,000 for the space for our event and got nothing but a headache. Only kept it there because my son proposed at the gazebo across the street so the proximity was ideal. Thank goodness for Quantum Party Productions and Carrie Dove Catering for not only making the event a night to remember, but for also putting up with Pete and his temper. DO NOT USE THIS FACILITY.

I have reason ( under normal circumstances) to attend meetings at this hall at least twice a month. The Management and employee's are very helpful and go above and beyond to serve. As a result I am leading an effort to host a day long Parkinson's rally there. Unfortunately it had to be postponed because of Covid 19 but we will reschedule for April next year.

My Grandfather was a WWI Veteran, while my Father and Uncle served in Korea. That's where the Family military line ended, although I've been inside my fair share of VFW and American Legion facilities for various reasons. I visited the Benicia Veterans Memorial Hall to attend a funeral reception for a person I used to work with at the Refinery. Jerry was a Safety Inspector and Fire School trainer, and an accomplished and colorful one at that. They don't make folks like Jerry anymore and it was a privilege to serve with him. This is also a reminder of my own mortality, as I seem to be attending a lot more of these kind of events recently.The front end of the Veterans Memorial Hall was really quiet when I arrived, but I soon discovered that the reception was being held within an appropriately appointed conference room next to bar. The first drink was free for attendees, which I thought was a particularly appropriate way for Jerry to honor his friends. I hung around, chatted with relatives and co-workers, learned a few additional things about him, and most of all paid my respects. I left with a sense of calm and a silent pledge to try to improve my own "game" while I still had the chance.

I had my daughters party here. When I booked it, I was working with a nice lady named Patty. She was easy to work with and I was excited to have them host my event. Fast forward to a week before the big day and I called to confirm some last minute details. A guy named Pete said he's taken over for Patty. I can tell right off the bat he was going to be difficult to work with. His tone was nervous, crude and unprofessional. I meet him the day before the event and asked how long I would have to take down decorations etc after the event. He said 15 minutes! I had to do a double take - you're giving me 2 hours to set up but 15 mins to break down? He said if he gave any more time than that I was essentially stealing time from the venue. Excuse me but I just paid you over a $1000, I ain't stealing shit. He proceeds to tell me if I don't like it, he doesn't want to do business with me in the future. What kind of customer service is this?! Event day and everything is going pretty smoothly, mainly bc Pete isn't there. There's another very helpful person Shawn that's my point person for the day. Midway thru the party, my brother tells me the men's room is flooded, yuck! I tell Shawn that I also notice some water leaking thru the wall, right by our food table. Nice guy that he is, he mops up the mess but the wall keeps leaking and it's just a wet mess. He eventually put some towels down but it was pretty gross, not to mention a huge liability as it was right by the door.I probably won't use this venue again. Mostly bc of Pete's rude ass but the leaky bathroom was pretty gnarly. Please get some maintenance done on the place.

We just had a Celebration of Life at the Hall and it went great. The staff and Pete treated us great and were very attentive to our needs. The location is great, can't say enough about the place. The upstairs room looks great redone hard wood floors. The price is right and staff great don't miss out book this place!!!

It is an awesome place for all Veterans for food, fun, and comradeship. Lots of events are planned and the main hall is spacious and very clean to have events.I highly recommend that all Veterans go and support the organizations PLUS, to have your events at!!!