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    Benihana - Carlsbad

    3.2 (1.9k reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    Benihana - Carlsbad Photos

    Business Info

    BENIHANA - CARLSBAD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Benihana - Carlsbad

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    Michelle O.

    3.5 stars I use to come here a lot. This was my go to Japanese hibachi place. But, the service and prices have really took a nose dive. It's extremely pricey and if you go later in the day, the wait time is ridiculous. I switched over to Shoguns in San Marcos. Price and service is a lot better. But I've been getting these emails about 45 minutes lunch for $15.95. Soup or salad, hibachi chicken and vegetable fried rice for $15.95. 19.95 for upgrade steak. Ok, I wanted to check it out. They opened at 11:00. I tried calling to see about putting a reservation in. The phone just rang and rang. I called a couple of times. No one picked up. When I walked in with my kids, the hostess didn't greet us with a smile or anything no expression on her face just asked us if we had a reservation. I told her no, I tried calling but no one picked up. She didn't say anything. We got there around 11:20. So the place wasn't even packed. I think that's so off putting having a hostess that's just not welcoming. Our waiter was super nice. Brought our drinks and food out in a timely manner. Our chef was nice and funny. He cooked our food perfectly. And everything was done in 45 minutes. The soup was flavorful and my chicken and vegetables were cooked how I like them. My only complaint about the food was that vegetables fried rice. My kids and I all noticed the difference in the rice. It didn't taste the same. The chef didn't cook the rice in front of us. Our waiter brought our fried rice out from the back. So it was cooked in the back and brought out. Probably to save time to meet lunch in 45 minutes, the promo they have advertised. You can totally taste the difference. The rice was lacking flavor. Something was missing. It tasted weird. Not even adding the ginger sauce could help save it. Overall, I would probably be back for the lunch deal. Now that I know about the rice, I will probably see if they could add more seasonings to it. But a good deal for the food.

    The chef prepared the hibachi chicken dish for me and the hibachi shrimp dish for my girlfriend.
    Anna R.

    So my girlfriend and I visited the Carlsbad Benihana restaurant on August 18, 2026 for lunch. We received a table for just us, so the attention we received was awesome. There was a quiet ambiance in the dining room and everyone appeared to be enjoying their meal. Our chef whose name was ARNEL was knowledgeable, skillful, entertaining, friendly, and a lot of fun to watch while he prepared a delicious meal for us. We totally enjoyed this experience and look forward to returning real soon!

    Janet D.

    The ambiance at this Benihanas was amazing. Very upscale and pretty with wine cabinets and a zen decor with a private garden patio. Wet cute and great for our Father's Day celebration for the hubby. The service was kind of absent minded but our chef was amazing. He was busting his bum to make sure we got everything we wanted. Keeping us entertained and checking to make sure the flavors and salt levels on our food was good. Five stars for the chef and the ambiance at the restaurant. 2.5 stars bumped to 3 for our server who was just meh.

    The steaks
    Hazel B.

    Made reservations for 6:45pm on a Sat. (MLK weekend). This place was extremely busy when we arrived and was told it will most likely be a 45-60 min wait. We were prepared to wait after reading all the yelp reviews. A couple with a baby said they had reservations at 6:00p and by 7:00p was still not called so they ended up leaving. There were so many large parties. On a positive note we ended up getting seated within 45min. And the service and food made up for it. Drake our waiter and Eduardo our chef were the best. Loved all the quirky jokes Eduardo had during the presentation. Drake never let our drinks go empty. Food was cooked to perfection and seasoned nicely. I ordered the Slash N Meadow and the rest of my family had the hibachi steak and chicken. I was also celebrating my birthday and redeemed my bday gift certificate that is given when you join the Benihana Friends with Benefits. Per usual Benihana tradition we got our ice cream dessert. Mine had a candle and our waiter sang happy birthday in English and then in Japanese while banging to the beat on a tambourine. He took a family picture and printed out a complimentary photo with the Benihana logo. We all had a great to It was nice to see Managers out on the floor and checking on the diners and also dealing with the upset people having to wait. Tip: to avoid the crowds reserve early or later after 7:30p. And be prepared to dine for over an hour because all the chefs do their best to provide a great "show" during dinner.

    John S.

    That was awesome !! Some old school Benihana Teppan. Met some old friends we haven't seen in a while and had a tremendous meal. Blake provided excellent service and was very attentive throughout the experience. Our chef Irvin stole the show !! The most entertaining ever. His food was perfectly prepared. His experience showed through. Thank you all for a great afternoon !!

    Inside entrance
    Perla R.

    We came for a early dinner and happy hour had just begun as well we tried a few items from the happy hour menu but had to order them at the bar area, I tried the black pepper teriyaki wings and the shrimp crunchy roll and also the salmon avocado roll they were both good but very heavy on rice I ordered the seared ahi entree which was great I really enjoyed that with the fried rice upgrade overall the experience was nice & definitely fun!

    Nahshon P.

    We were a walk in tonight. We were offered a seat at the bar and only a couple minutes after I ordered my drink we were seated right away. Our server took additional drink requests right away and a few minutes after orders were completed. Very fast pace. The ait smells delicious and the noise level is an average loud of social happiness and celebration. The place appears clean and well kept. Everything appears to be in its place ready to serve. The food.... Fried Rice- very good. High Gatlic. Loooov3d the butter scoop. So good! Steak- so tenders. Perfectly cooked. By far the best part of my meal Shrimp- jumbo and tasty - so jumbo i had to look twice to make sure it was cooked lol. It was tasty Soup- Steaming Hot ! Mushroom, green onion., and what seems like a beef broth. So good! Salad - lightly flavored not overpowering. Crisp and fresh. Benihana Long Island - Good Taste But higher on the syrup side rather than alcohol. I think this sweet drink may give me heart burn. Allergies!!! My husband has several and from ordering to cooking we felt like he was safe and comfortable to eat. We will definitely return. Our meal was amazing Cameron your a star!

    Jamie A.

    This was another holiday gift card stop! I haven't eaten at Benihana in probably 10 years. I strongly suggest you make a reservation! We did an early dinner at 5 pm and by 6:30 pm the waiting area was packed. I would not eat here if you want to be served and eat in under an hour. You will wait. So get used to it! After the server gets your drinks and soup/salad you might be waiting another 25-30 minutes for your chef to get to your table. I know its kinda corny, but I totally enjoy chef's show and the social aspect. You also get to see what is in your food and in terms of the fried rice (so delicious!!!) there is lots of sodium and butter! While visiting one afternoon, we grabbed a seat at the bar. Service was a bit slow, as there didn't seem to be a dedicated server for that area--leading to that classic Benihana wait. However, the $39 three-course bar special was worth it. Although the meal is prepared in the kitchen rather than at a hibachi table, the food was just as flavorful and served much faster. Big thanks to Nick and Emily for taking such great care of us at the bar.

    Duck in a tub drink (not for kids)
    Areli V.

    Food was good. Service was okay.. I understand it was busy so that could be the reason it took so long to ask for things. Tables we're sticky but it's from the cleaning solution they use. It was clean but sticky The duck tub drink was super good!! Def loved it. It get lousy but the ambiance was okay. As expected for a restaurant

    The soup and salad from our six course lunch.
    Kelly R.

    This was an overall wonderful experience from service, pace of our meal, quality,and care taken to prepare our meal. Everything was delicious, so much that I forgot to snap photos of our actual entrées. Uggghhh! We opted for the six course lunch. We both had the filet mignon and they were excellent. We will definitely be back and will share some additional photos next time. meanwhile, here were our appetizers.

    Patricia C.

    Had a 12:45pm reservation and arrived on time. We were a party of 4 with 2 kids. We got seated with another family of 4 with 2 kids, which was perfect. The service was friendly but slow going at first. By the time our chef arrived and got going, it was 1:30pm. I don't know if that was because we got the most awesome chef ever-- he was worth the wait. Trevor cracked jokes throughout and entertained even my tweenager. Trevor had some great knife/utensil juggling skills, a wonderful demeanor with the kids, and deftly crafted a unicorn with fried rice. The value for the money wasn't the best for those that don't intake grains/veggies but pretty decent for those that ingest fried rice, vegetables, soup or salad, and the main entree. This location was conveniently located right off of interstate 5 and parking was easy. Bathroom was clean. It was relatively chilly in the restaurant, so consider bringing a jacket.

    SHRIMP CRUNCHY ROLL
    Sarah D.

    I recommend this Benihana location for drinks and dining in the lounge area. We were able to be seated immediately there on a Busy December Friday. If you want teppanyaki/hibachi you might want to make a reservation. We were able to see a few of the hibachi tables and they seemed to have lively hosts and having a great time. Our sushi rolls were great! Our server was excellent! Great drink selection. This location is in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn Express, very convenient for travel.

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    28 days ago

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    26 days ago

    Great fun, food and atmosphere! Hostess, bartender and teppan chef were all super friendly and attentive! Will be back!

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    24 days ago

    Tim is the best bartender!!! Their happy hour is amazing, and Tim was awesome. He was super friendly and made the most amazing cocktails!

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    Page 1 of 47

    Benihana - Carlsbad Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Benihana - Carlsbad

    What time is the happy hour?

    Monday through Friday from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

    Is the dining experience the same during COVID? Do the chefs cook in front of you still?

    They're reopened!! Ate here last night and Trevor is back! He's always been the highest ranking chef here and although it's socially distancing, he's just great! New experience but what else is new with Covid19?

    What vegan options are available?

    There isn't a preset vegetarian option available. But you can make your own meal! Or suggest them removing things out of a meal to make it vegan.

    View All 5 Questions

    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill

    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill

    4.3(422 reviews)
    71.3 mi
    •$$
    Free parking
    Casual dining

    I ordered the fillet and jumbo shrimp plate and upgraded with chicken fried rice and garlic…read morenoodles. I wanted to try a lot of things she did not want to waste of space for the veggies although they did look good. I ordered the chili oil and the garlic butter. The garlic butter easily was shared between the fillet and the shrimp adding a nice umami flavor. The garlic oil was smoky and not too hot. The chicken fried rice in my opinion was better than Benihana's or just as good. Although the garlic noodles were a little sweet from my liking, I was evil easily able to alter them to something. I enjoyed with some chili oil and soy sauce. It tone down the sweet. Simple, clean decor. Several ways to see the menu on the wall LCD or by the counter. The service was very good, quick and kind. The quality of the product was very good. The fillet almost melted in your mouth, and the shrimp was cooked well without being rubbery. I spent $52 here to upgrade two chicken fried rice and garlic noodles. They have plenty of parking a huge parking lot, limited seating, maybe eight tables or so, mostly four tops.

    This place is quite small but it can hold a group of 6,7 people if it is not busy…read more The service was ok. Just know it takes about 30-45 minutes to get your food. The food is actually really really flavorful the lobster I had was very tender and juicy and the jumbo shrimp were a good l size. I would have ordered the chowmein though instead of the rice because the chowmein was way better! After discussing with the family we enjoyed it but it is 4 stars since it does take quite a while to have your meal and the customer service could be better. The food itself carries this place but 5 stars if they can improve service!

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    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill
    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill
    Hanami Teppanyaki Grill

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    Benihana - Carlsbad - sushi - Updated September 2026

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