Such was the case at BJ’s Brewhouse last night. The brand-new big-box restaurant is located at the front of Oxmoor Center to the left of the brick-walled gulag also known as Dick’s Sporting Goods.

BJ’s is long on looks: an attractive space with colorfully striped faux-wood floors (though my wife said the design gave her a touch of vertigo), a gorgeous series of back-lit liquor shelves and contemporary box lights hanging from what is at least a 20-foot-high ceiling. Seating has to be north of 300, and all of them were full. Sadly, that also means the place is noisy, but mercifully, they didn’t have the music cranked up to where you couldn’t converse comfortably. And as is too common lately, flat-screen TV’s could be seen from everywhere except the bathroom.

BJ’s is a Huntington, Beach, Calif.-based chain known for its deep-dish pizza (more pan-style than Chicago-style) and craft beers. Though chock full of interesting items, the menu is voluminous (guests at soft openings eat off limited menus) and takes effort to slog through. Unless I’m by myself, I never make it through these tomes because it cuts me off from conversation. And as a former restaurant guy, I cringe when I think of the tons of inventory needed to fill the whims of seemingly every customer in the galaxy. Despite abundant research proving too many choices not only overwhelm customers, it lessens their overall satisfaction with a dining event. But let’s be frank: smarter and richer people than me keep churning these things out, and the bank likes them better than me.

That said, BJ’s should do well in Louisville. There are plenty of people here and everywhere who enjoy having so much choice that they can’t even choose, and then ultimately settle on a hamburger—before telling their friends the next day about all the choices they could have had. (This is a perpetual forehead slapper for me.)

A list of eight craft brews (made at its Reno, Nev., brewery and shipped here) is on every table, and all come with good descriptions of what you’ll get. I had a pair of suitable stouts that made the trip worth it.

The pizzas were another matter. I’m a thin-crust guy, so BJ’s egregiously thick, spongy crust was not for me. Despite good toppings and sauces, the pizza required massive mastication, which made the whole thing a bit tedious for our entire quartet.

One in our party had a decent pot roast, though the mashed potatoes served with it appear to have been stretched with a powdered infusion.

My fish tacos were memorable only in shape: rounded, batter-fried tubes. I’ll admit being spoiled by the fish tacos at El Mundo … dreamy hunks of flaked whitefish, properly seasoned and perfectly grilled, so fresh so … unfried in a starchy sarcophagus. To be fair, this dish might have been better had it not been overcooked.

Would I go back? Certainly for the beer, and possibly for the mini-hamburgers I saw on other tables. Still, I’d have to be highly motivated to negotiate the mall parking lot to find a space, not to mention wait through multiple changes of stop lights to get out. That experience alone is a trail of fears.

If you like chains, then give it a shot. You’ll probably be pleased because it’s a well-oiled concept. But if you like small, cozy, independently owned restaurants, then wave bye-bye to BJ’s as you drive toward St. Matthews or the Highlands.

Pantoja’s son, Enrique, president of Rodulfo Realty & Building Co., told the paper, “We’re not trying to cut any corners.”

Click here for more info (subscribers only).

Multiple restaurant changes to Oxmoor Center: Panera Bread, long a tenant of The Mall St. Matthews, is moving to Oxmoor Center and will reopen March 14. The move will place it in a growing group of restaurants, including Yang Kee Noodle (which will add outdoor seating this year), California Pizza Kitchen, and BJ’s Restaurant, a pizza, pasta and craft-brew-centered concept to open Feb. 24. Click here for more info (subscribers only).

And from The Courier-Journal …

Nan better than Royal India: C-J restaurant critic Marty Rosen’s righteous review of Royal India (4123 Oeschli Avenue) led me to put the restaurant at the top my must-visit list. Like Mexican food used to be here long ago, Indian food has largely been hit or miss. Thankfully, the former is now reliably fantastic, and over the past several years, increased competition has forced the latter to improve, as evidenced in this review. Here’s a mouthwatering sample of Rosen’s observations:

“The vegetarian Andhra combo ($10.99) paired savory masala dosa (a fine-textures rice-lentil crepe folded around sautéed potatoes, onions and plenty of fresh green herbs) with the less common idlis (steamed, egg-shaped rice-lentil dumplings). I smeared the dosa with a puréed chutney of coconut, green chilies, and cilantro — and the resulting dish looked like a roll of hay and tasted like the first warm day of spring. I soaked the dumplings in a smoky bowl of sambar, a lentil stew with an elusive spicy bite.”The Indian-food amateurs (yes, count me among them) appreciate the descriptions, Marty. Click here for the full review.

Trivial pursuits: Here’s a blend of two of my favorite things: trivia and food. Every Wednesday night during February and March, the Chick Inn (6325 Upper River Road) is hosting team trivia nights.

More high-end happy hours: Seems 2008 is the year of the happy hour at higher-end restaurants—hard evidence the restaurant industry is more competitive than ever—as more fine-dining spots scramble for pre-dinner market share.

Add Café Metro to the list hawking $5 martini specials and specially priced appetizers. The bargain bevs and bites area available Monday through Thursday (except for Valentine’s Day). Call 458-4830 for more info.

Based in Huntington Beach, Calif., BJ’s menu is extensive and includes salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, entrees and desserts. The company is known in the Southwest U.S. for its Pizooki dessert, made of cookies and ice cream. Many of its units donate all Pizookie sales to charitable organizations.

Its owners got the beer bug as amateur lager-heads, and their craft beers have won some awards. It’s not certain, however, whether it’ll be brewed onsite here. To control building costs, not all BJ’s have their own breweries. Those that don’t are supplied with beer produced at sister restaurants.

It’ll be interesting to see how BJ’s competes with California Pizza Kitchen, also at Oxmoor Center. While their core pizza products are different, both draw on the same middle class demographic. In the end, consumers make out nicely with more choice.