Enjoyed a dinner at Benihana with a group of 4 friends on a Wednesday evening. The restaurant was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday especially given the terrible driving conditions outside. Overall, the experience was full of joy and mostly good food. The staff were kind, and the Hibachi Chef was fairly skilled and entertaining. I've been to Hibachi many times and I will say this chef probably did the least amount of entertainment while cooking, but that didn't compromise the food or experience necessarily. I ordered the Hibachi 5 course Teriyaki chicken and I upgraded to fried rice for an extra charge. Price came out to around $50 which is also quite a bit more money than most other hibachi establishments I've been to. The food in the 5 course was onion soup, salad, shrimp, fried rice with grilled veggies, teriyaki chicken and ice cream. Beginning from first meal to last, the soup was pretty tasty, but far from many more delicious soups I've had at other Hibachi restaurants. I didn't feel the need to finish every last drop to put it that way. Next the salad was a ginger dressing, which to be honest I did not enjoy. Typically I love hibachi ginger salad dressing, but with this one, the gritty ginger separated from the oil and turned into two separate very different liquids with ginger sitting on top of the lettuce and oil pooling at the bottom. Hard pass on the salad dressing on this occasion. Next was the vegetable fried rice. This was delicious and by far my favorite. I of course ate it with Yum Yum sauce which makes everything better. It was buttery, well cooked, and the yum yum gave it the perfect balance between umami fried rice and the creaminess of the sauce. The main course was the Teriyaki chicken and some shrimp. It was a chicken breast and I thought it was well cooked and the teriyaki sauce was tasty, sweet and fairly rich. Once again I dipped it into my yum yum sauce, seriously yum yum on everything is the way to go. The shrimp was delicious and well cooked but it's hardly a part of the meal as you get a couple small bits of it. Lastly was ice cream for dessert. Option's are vanilla, rainbow sherbet, green tea and chocolate and I had the vanilla. It was ok ice cream at best. Tasted like they just took a small scoop out of a Kemps container. It wasn't very creamy and was a bit icy like it got freezer burn, but hey, ice cream is ice cream. Overall my experience at Benihana was enjoyable, but mostly average. I wouldn't gloat by any means, but they did have massive servings and most everything is tasty so those were a plus. For $50 though.... I'd probably rather go get a high quality meal at some fancy bistro. read more

See all

I never viewed Benihana as an elegant dining experience more of a fun entertaining experience with decent food. I noticed some tables had cloth napkins and our table had paper napkins (let's keep it consistent if you're charging top dollar) we invited family from out of town and to be honest I was embarrassed by my suggestion because since when did they start charging this much money for Benihana? TWO ENTREES AND FOUR DRINKS FOR $211 IS INSANE. Just because you're not offering it as a "5 course meal" saying the shrimp is apart of the appetizer and the small scoop of ice cream as the 5th course. The steak was tender but not cooked well, the hibachi noodles were also underwhelming, oh I better mention you have the option of adding a flavored butter for $6 more. *eye roll* oh! And you get a "free" printed photo after dinner. The hibachi was no longer as interactive, no throwing of the egg, no catching broccoli, no saki spray bottle, quick and to the point. The only thing that knocked our socks off was the flavored lemonades. Take your celebrations elsewhere if you want to be wowed. read more

Probably my least favorite Benihana location in MN. We went for lunch, just a party of 2. We were told it would be a bit of a wait for the hibachi table, we preferred to dine in the dining room anyways so I requested a regular table. We were told it would still be a 10-15 min wait. Once seated service was a bit slow as well as time it took to get the food out. We both ordered Hibachi Chicken, chicken fried rice, I got soup and my mom got salad. The soup was a bit bland from what I remember but not a big deal. The chicken, rice, veggies were fine but the YUM YUM sauce was a bit concerning. It was VERY THICK. Like mayo. You couldn't just pour it. A few other tables complained as well. Without the sauce I'd definitely pass on the meal. Our server was nice, i'd give her grace as she was working the entire bar area. Probably won't pick this location in future. read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

It was my first time sitting at a hibachi table in a long time. Although the dinner preparation was entertaining everything else was not as I remember it. I've been to Benihana a few times in the past and remember the food being better than this visit. Maybe it was the seasoning or maybe it was the sauces used but it tasted like something was missing. The hibachi tables look deceptively large when you sit down. Once the dinner gets going it is a struggle to find room for all the dishes. When ordering hibachi they start you off with soup and salad. The soup was a good start and had a tasty broth with some fried onions and mushrooms for garnish. The salad was fine, just an iceberg lettuce mix with some ginger dressing which is very bitter. The main dinner is cooked in front of you, choice of meat, veggies and fried rice for an up charge. Everything is served at separate times since not everything can fit on the grill. There are two sauces they provide. A ginger sauce that is pretty bitter but pairs well with meats and a creamy yum yum sauce that can go on anything. It seems like they up-charge for everything. Fried rice, special butters, teriyaki sauce etc. some of the up-charges are more than you would guess. The specialty butter my husband ordered was $6 and not worth it. We didn't find out until the end how much it was and were a little bit surprised. Had we paid attention we wouldn't have ordered it. The service and atmosphere were good. Food was fine, maybe not as good as I remember but still tasty. Just disappointed with all the up-charges and prices for menu items. For a minimum $40 per person plus service charge and tip you can get a nicer meal elsewhere. read more

See all

One of the pricier hibachi places I've been to BUT let me TELL you about how worth it it is to sign up for their rewards and go during your birthday month! You get a $50 credit with no minimum spend, so even though it's kinda expensive at menu price, it was 100% worth it with the coupon! All in, my whole meal was like $10 out of pocket which is incredible value money-wise, but also so worth it for the experience! Our server Kristine was an absolute delight, knew her stuff, and made sure we got the best bang for our buck--since we went for our birthdays too, she brought us free ice cream, got our lil photo printed, and even hooked us up with waters to-go after we were jealously eyeing the kiddie cup the other party at our table had haha!! I feel like I see people complaining about the 20% autograt/service fee for the teppan table experience but I feel like that's more than fair and standard practice for the hibachi experience!! I love the onion volcano Will definitely be making an annual birthday tradition of coming back here! read more

See all

Stopped by with Mia for a wonderful birthday lunch! They give you $50 credit, which is not something to miss out on! Register the month before your birthday! I got a free appetizer since I didn't register in time, but Mia and I split her birthday coupon! The hibachi experience was super fun, and we really enjoyed our server Kristine! She went above and beyond, joked with us, and made it a great experience. We got birthday photos, free ice cream, and a souvenir cup! We will be coming back annually for the bit, and getting t-shirts with the photo. Definitely recommend Benihana for a fun birthday outing! read more

See all

Overpriced for the quality. Overall the food is pretty bland and the proteins could use more seasoning. The chef was friendly and did a great job putting on a show and cooking our meal. I had ordered a michelob ultra, but later our server told me that they were out of it and listed off a couple beers I could get instead. One of the beers she mentioned was sapparo, which I then ordered. However, she didn't mention that the sapporo was HUGE and also $17 compared to $8.50 for the michelob ultra. I felt that this was a little deceptive and should have been disclosed, as I did not want to get a beer that large. The location is clean and has plenty of seating available. read more

See all

The service was great our server Jessica was great. What was not Great was the food Lobster was very salty. Steaks (filet mignon) did not taste like a filet it was tuff not melt in your mouth (for the $$$ it should) The zucchini was slivered (we did not get whole pieces with a table. Next was did) We went to celebrate three birthdays one of the birthdays was on the day we weren't. We were not offered our birthday ice cream. They did not even offer to sing at our table. They did not even offer the picture. We seen this offering to other tables, which I don't understand why it would not be available to our table. This was a horrible way to spend our birthdays. We decided to go to the MOA location because we have had a great experiences in the past and we had a poor experience at the Golden Valley. read more

I've eaten at a lot of hibachi restaurants over the years, so I had high expectations for Benihana at the Mall of America--especially since it's the brand that helped introduce hibachi dining to the U.S. Unfortunately, this location didn't live up to the reputation. The food overall lacked flavor, and the hibachi fried rice was an additional upcharge despite the already high menu prices. The biggest disappointment was the kids' steak. It appeared to be pre-cut scrap pieces that were thrown on the grill already chopped up, which resulted in rubbery, gray meat with no real sear or char--definitely not what you expect from hibachi cooked right in front of you. To make matters worse, this was easily the most expensive hibachi meal I've had anywhere, yet the quality didn't come close to matching the price. For a flagship hibachi brand, I expected a much better experience. read more

Benihana - Kids steak - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Recently visited Benihana for happy hour and was unfortunately very disappointed with my experience. They offer happy hour from 3-6 PM on weekdays, but despite the restaurant being nearly empty, service was extremely slow. It took over 30 minutes for my order to arrive, and a long time just to get our initial drink and food orders taken. It was so delayed that my friend had already finished their entire meal before I even received mine. I ordered the crispy rice, which was clearly sitting out for a while.. it was rock hard, and the fish on top tasted off and was mashed up in a way that felt unappetizing. I might give this place another shot in the future, but I definitely won't be ordering seafood here again. read more

Benihana - CRISPY RICE* - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Not sure what was going on with our waitress but she couldn't remember anything(even written down drinks) and kept disappearing and stumbling over her words like she was on something. Then she completely forgot to put out food in so we had to wait for a table that came after us to finish so the chef could come to our table. The chef was super friendly and funny but the food sucked(not his doing) we've been to lots of hibachi type places but Benihana is far behind. Main seasoning for everything is tons of black pepper and sesame seasoning. Veggies are only a couple strips of zucchini with black pepper and sesame seeds, onions and mushrooms(all separate). Party of 3 was $275 and all were disappointed. read more

We happened to be at the mall for Happy Hour and decided to stop in. The virgin Mango Colada was excellent but pricey. The Pork Gyoza were very good. We tried the California Roll, Chili Shrimp Roll, Shrimp Crunchy Roll and Salmon Avocado Roll and they were just average. It wasn't very busy and service was fast. read more

See all

My visit to Benihana at Mall of America was a first-time experience--not only with the restaurant, but also with the mall itself--so I was excited to try it out. I placed a to-go order of side rice with steak, grilled onions, and zucchini. The staff was pleasant on this Wednesday evening, and the wait time was minimal. The food was fresh and flavorful, no complaints there. However, I was surprised by the portion size. I was told it would be 1 ounce of steak, but I didn't realize how small that truly is until I got back to my hotel--it was barely anything, so essentially I had rice and vegetables. For the price, I expected a bit more substance. That said, I enjoyed the taste and would consider returning to try the full hibachi experience--hopefully at a location closer to home in South Carolina, if available. read more

I've been wanting to try Benihana for years and finally was able to try them at the Mall of America. It's your typical Asian style restaurant. I wasn't very hungry so I ordered chicken fried rice and an order of the chicken gyoza dumplings. The food was pretty decent. Not bad but not great, just 'so so.' I noticed that the restaurant wasn't really busy, but the service was a little slow. My waitress apologized and gave me some miso soup on the house. Other than that, pretty decent visit to Benihana. Maybe the next time I go, I'll try to have more of an appetite. read more

Benihana - Spicy Chicken Gyoza Dumplings - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

See all

DOUBLE TIPPING SCAM!!! WARNING!!! 20% UNDISCLOSED "SERVICE FEE" ON YOUR BILL. They charge an undisclosed 20% "SERVICE FEE" (which I didn't see till I asked for a final receipt as what they had my put my card into and TIP AGAIN didn't itemize the bill. So when the server handed me the little electronic device and said "would you like to tip your servers" I tipped - not knowing the "SERVICE FEE" was already added. I googled and saw that the SERVICE FEE (according to benihana) isn't a tip, it is a fee that is split between the staff, chefs and servers. SO IT'S A TIP! So, I ended up tipping in the form of a service fee, then tipping on the bill AND on the already tipped service fee. That's some dirty #&!@ Benihana. I typically tip 25% plus (as I thought I was doing) on good service. So in this case, they ended up with a 45% tip. So, either know what you are getting into and tip zero or prepared for them not to even kiss you first. Oh, and Benihana nice blow off email to my concern. And better blow off reply to my review. (The ai is super terrible). And I posted my reply from corporate. You know, at the email you gave me after seeing it... clearly they don't even care. read more

Benihana - Benihana blowing me off when I raised a concern - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Absolutely amazing experience. Visited during the weekend before christmas during prime shopping time with a full restaurant and mall. Despite that 10/10! Sat at the bar and had an absolutely phenomenal bartender. She was super attentive and did a fabulous job. (Her name will come to me, leaving this place keeper to add it later) Ordered a lunch and it was divine, as was the Hendricks Collins. Great experience. Much better than my previous review of a Benihana in LA. read more

Benihana - Cucumber Collins - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

What a difference a year makes. My daughter wanted Benihana before heading back to college, so we went back to the MOA location where we'd had a great experience before. This time? Not even close. When the hibachi steak is more tender than the filet, that's a supply-chain red flag. When the chef is only confident with the rice, that's a training issue. And then it got worse... We ordered plain rice with the meals and were served chicken fried rice instead -- a $20 upcharge we didn't ask for. Then came the bill... a $62 "service charge" that is not a tip. Five people. 4 Adults, 1 Minor Over $450 with tip, there are much better experiences for that price. If the food had been great, maybe I could live with it. But paying premium prices for declining quality and surprise charges? That's not hospitality, that's erosion of trust. I'll chalk it up to dollar-cost averaging, some investments go bad. This one is done. #BuyerBeware read more

Their invitation to enjoy a BOGO entree as a thank you to teachers was misleading. It had to be dinner (not stated). I told the server I wanted to use the BOGO before I started, but wasn't told that I didn't order the right thing or time until afterwards. On a teacher's salary that hurt a lot. read more

We got here around three on a Saturday, seated right away. If you wanted to go in the hibachi area, you do have to have a reservation so walk-ins are either you sit on the patio or in the lounge. We ordered our food and drinks almost right away, after our food came out our waitress wasn't too attentive... I was missing my steamed white rice for the majority of the meal. overall, the meal was amazing, but three stars for lack of customer service. Also keep in mind. It is in the mall of America so that could be why the customer service isn't as great. read more

See all

Honestly, this is the worst dining experience I've had in the past decade. The food was bland. Although the chef was friendly, nothing was seasoned well. The vegetables they give you our mushrooms and onion. There was no broccoli. The meat portion sizes were ridiculously small. For a group of two adults and five children. The bill was over $350, not to mention an additional 20% service to me that automatically added to every bill. I have never been so disappointed in an almost $400 meal. I don't usually leave reviews, but this left such a poor taste in my mouth that I had to do it. My husband and I used to love Benihana. Benihana has been that's where I was first introduced to hibachi. We've been to Benihana restaurants all over the country, but this experience completely soured me on the brand. Trust me, it's best to just avoid this restaurant during your next trip to the mall of America. read more

I'm going to give 2 stars because the cook and waitress were super nice! I didn't enjoy the food though to be completely transparent and it didn't look like the food was seasoned with anything other than pepper, butter, and soy sauce.. usually when I go to other hibachi spots they use a few more seasonings which adds a lot more flavor to the food. The homemade yum yum sauce was also really bland and tasted like vegetable oil. I was also disappointed by the fact we were hardly given any veggies, it didn't feel like a really balanced meal. It was just a really small portion. It didn't taste like they washed their rice. The appetizer was also not what I expected. There wasn't much flavor in the onion soup but it was the best thing I got. The salad was overwhelmingly sour. Idk I wanna give them the benefit of the doubt but the food was really bad.. This is my 4th time at Benihana (not this location) but I haven't been in some time. I'd like to say I just went on a bad day and got unlucky but I was really shocked by the lack of flavor. They also charge a decent amount of money for fried rice when most hibachi places either include it or let you upgrade for $2-3. I was told by our waitress it's $7 to upgrade to veggie fried rice, which I didn't double check--I could be wrong, but that's a significant difference in my opinion, especially considering they're going to fry things & other people's rice on the grill anyways. The $7 goes up when you include chicken or whatever other meats. Please check this info first though if you're curious because I am not sure mine is correct! Also, when our cook gave those who ordered the fried rice their fried rice, he didn't even fill the bowl up. The portion felt really small. Then the bill came out to $198 before tip for an alcoholic beverage, pop, and 2 hibachi specialty meals.. usually the same thing cost $120 (with tip) at other hibachi spots. please try Osaka if you're looking for a hibachi place. Even without comparing this to other hibachi spots, the taste went the other direction from my expectations. I really don't want to say the place was bad because everyone was so nice but to be charged $200 for food we did not enjoy was disappointing. Ps I requested teriyaki sauce on my steak after being disappointed with everything else I ate which is why there is a little more sauce on my steak in the picture. And my husband got fried rice which I took some of to explain the seasoned rice and sprig of green onion lol. read more

Benihana - Shrimp and steak hibachi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

We went here for a friend's birthday and honestly it was about what I expected. The server was really nice and great, but the guy doing the show was pretty sad. He was just going through the motions. That being said, we still did get a show and the food was cooked right and delicious. The special non-alcoholic drink I ordered was waaaay too sweet, but other than that everyone loved the food. When the check came, I knew it would be expensive but just for me (with tip and everything) it came out to almost 100 bucks. I know it's a nice dinner, but that is just insane. I guess it's ok for a sometimes meal but please don't get sticker shock like I did when you go. read more

Was here a few weeks ago. Was sad to say the least. Rushed and the 20% tacked onto our bill. $145 dinner for 2 with no drinks. Then the friends with benefits thing they have going on.. Last night at 1030 I get an email from Benihana. It's for $3 pie. Great. But it was for today. Ok. But how can I get it when the restaurant is already closed for the day??? I mean really now. Who is in charge and thinking of this new corporate structure? read more

Benihana - Read this once. Notice the time I got it. Really?? - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Overpriced and then adding a service fee. The chefs are phoning it in without bringing excitement to the tables.

As a chain restaurant, the food is a joke. The yum yum sauce is watery, the seat and the tabletop are sticky. To the point where you put a piece of napkin and it will stick to the tabletop. Don't even want to talk about the steak and shrimp that i ordered. Let's put it this way, some of the frozen dinner plate tasted better than the ones I had. read more

Food was good and so are the cooks but the restaurant was a bit dirty. First glass of water had something floating in it. My 2nd glass was dirty to the touch on the outside. Lastly my plate was greasy and still had food partials stuck on it. read more

Meet up with my sister for happy hour. Service was slow and prices have gone up. We sat at the bar for HH and usually I would ask to be seated outside in the patio section outside the mall area but they were short staff and so wet sat at the bar. The bartender was friendly. Food was tasty but very slow coming. So be prepared to have lots of patience and not be in a rush. Ambiance was quiet since we were there after 3pm with people still at work. Not s lot of people for the habachi or in the dining area. Definitely recommend getting the spicy edamame and crispy rice. It was the most flavorful. read more

See all

We eat here a few times a year and I cannot remember the last time I ordered a drink and they had the ingredients. Tonight they were out of Prickly Pear for the Prickly Pear Margarita. The sushi was good except for the weird textured spicy tuna on the crispy rice. It was similar to canned fish. The server was busy but friendly and efficient. But my biggest pet peeve is they started adding 20% service charge to your bill. It states at the front on a sign that the servers are sharing the charge yet every time we eat there we are told that you can't give a tip on your card, "cash or here's a Venmo". They don't tell you that you are already paying 20% on top of your bill. I used to be a server. I get that it might suck to share the tips with everyone but do not imply you are getting nothing, it's deceptive and wrong. read more

See all

I was in Minneapolis at the mall of America and the service here was terrible. they didn't honor our reservation and they had such a lack of sympathy. Overall we will not be coming back soon or maybe ever. In my opinion flame had much better service and was overall the most wanted experienc. read more

First time eating here. Walked up and found out it's a reservations-only place but they were very nice and seated us at a table on the porch. Service left a bit to be desired as our waitress or bartender or whatever she was must have had other obligations. Food came out fast and looked great but to be honest, I'm no Japanese chef but I make better fried rice than what they served me. We ordered the Trio. The shrimp was better than expected, the chicken less so and the beef had.. well.. it tasted like regular ole unseasoned beef. The meal was too expensive for me to not have enjoyed it. But.... now I can say I ate there. Of course I'm from out of state so not going here won't hurt their business any. Perhaps it would have been better had we had a chef in front of us cooking.. read more

Was a good place to go. Service has gone downhill. Food is still good, but attitude for the hosts the last couple of times prep you for a very underwhelming overpriced experience. read more

Our server was fantastic! sweet, attentive, and honestly the only highlight of the experience. The food, however, was wildly overpriced and not even close to worth it. You're paying a premium for basic meat tossed on a grill with onions and zucchini, yet somehow the rice isn't included? $8.50 extra for rice is absurd. We paid $24 for my son's chicken tenders, then another $7 for noodles and $6.50 for juice. Nickel-and-dimed at every turn. And to top it off, there was a "service charge." I don't mind service charges when the food justifies it, this absolutely did not. For two adults and a 5-year-old, the bill was over $200. My husband had one beer. I had water. Let that sink in. Completely insane pricing for extremely average food. We could've gone to a steakhouse, spent the same amount, and actually felt like it was worth it. Won't be back unless there is no where else to go. read more

Food is mid at this location. Customer service is lacking. I left a review on OT and they responded with nothing relevant. This place is a hit or miss. In May I had great service and in July it could have been better. I'm not sure what's wrong with the MOA Benihana's management or training, but the place has a few con. Cha nge it up read more

See all

The food and friendly service here is outstanding and they serve a very tasty margarita.

Ambiance was more clinical than comfy or classy. My noodles were mushy and the flavors were mild and uninspired. My plate ended up being bit of a mishmash of components. The staff was pleasant enough, but I would not choose to go back, unless someone really wanted to go for a show. read more

Mike the Manager, do better. We had a party of 12 celebrating a birthday all the way from the West Coast. We understand max at one table is 10 but to split the party into two separate rooms opposite sides of the restaurant is ridiculous. We were there clearly before any other groups were there. Plenty of tables adjacent to each other were open. Don't ask if everyone in our party is here if you're not going to seat us together anyway. Being condescending doesn't help either. read more

Zemmen is an awesome server. Our experience was enjoyable. Keep in mind - this is a tourist destination. Do not expect to save money when dining here. It's all about the experience. The food is good - not excellent - not mediocre, but good. Portions are satisfactory. The ambiance was just what you'd expect at peak shopping hours at the Mall of America - busy, loud, hopping. No complaints, just awareness. Who doesn't love having their food cooked right before their eyes?? Well, if you do mind, you might want to eat elsewhere. read more

We don't have this restaurant where we live but do have their frozen meals at our grocery that we love so we was excited when we sit down for this restaurant. The cook next to us was flipping shrimp in people mouths and doing a amazing show didn't happen at our table,, some got protein meat early while others didn't get theirs until some us us was done with their meals but my family ordered at the same time he would only cook one meat at a time and then the 20 percent service that they said was not part of the tip totally a ripoff. read more

I am so greatful for this company. my mom's celebration of life service was catered by them and it was fabulous. Everyone wanted to know where the great food came from. I am definitely going to use them for all my events!!! read more

Trash, waste of money, servers do bare minimum. We had Jacob as our server and our party of 12 sat without waters the majority of our time there. We had asked for refills at least 4 different times. We were there for our brothers birthday, Jacob forgot to offer him ice cream. But he collected his gratuity. The "chefs" both were sloppy and u comfortable. One of them almost hit my niece with the prong fork while twirling it. Huge tabs for mediocre food with bad service and inexperienced chefs. read more