Folks still eat outside at Benny's -- and root beer is still on the menu -- but a few amenities have been added.

Just a few.

"It has kind of grown over the years," deadpanned Fred Neumeier, who, along with his wife, purchased Benny's Pizza in 1996.

The veritable entertainment complex -- equal parts family eatery, popular bar, live-music venue and sports-memorabilia museum -- covers almost 12,000 square feet about 30 miles from Downtown Columbus.

Even better: It's still well worth a visit on a warm summer night.

A recent weekend trip to Benny's revealed two full bars -- one inside, one out -- plus a sprawling patio equipped with a permanent stage.

A rock cover band played the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and other staples while rows of families, couples and beefy guys in backward ball caps sat at the long tables making up Marysville's version of a German beer garden.

I waited 15 minutes for a table on the patio -- enough time to grab a Corona from the free-standing outdoor bar and then head inside to

peruse the memorabilia collected by Neumeier and manager Neal Hemmert, including a Pete Rose jersey signed by the entire 1976 Big Red Machine.

And while I prefer all things Cleveland over Cincinnati -- with the exception of chili-spaghetti establishments -- it was nevertheless a thrill to plop down in seats from old Riverfront Stadium (R.I.P.) and finish off my beer.

Once seated at a table near the stage, I decided to change up the drink order. Benny's brews its own root beer on the premises, so it would be more or less a crime to travel all this way and not try it.

Our friendly server suggested a Benny's Frost Top ($4.75) off the drink menu. He described the root beer-and-vanilla vodka concoction as "dangerously refreshing." After slurping down the drink, I was inclined to agree. Sympathy for the Devil never sounded so good.

Thankfully, Benny's menu also offers plenty to coat the stomach.

The pizza, generously topped and cut into heavy squares, is delicious. The pressure-cooked ribs, meanwhile, come basted in a sweet, homemade barbecue sauce. I recommend the still-sizable appetizer portion ($6.50) lest you are rendered unable to leave under your own power.

People were up and dancing long before sunset, beers in hand. By 10 p.m., the families headed home, and a younger crowd arrived to pack the covered outdoor bar. I grabbed a stool at the lacquered-wood bar and settled in.

The weather was nice, the music was good, and a few more spiked root beers sounded like they just might hit the spot.

nchordas@dispatch.com