Unfortunately, the place has gone downhill. It's not the same ambiance as before, prices have gone up tremendously, and service is iffy. While I understand that restaurants are declining for multiple reasons, it's still easy to keep them clean and to provide good service. Rosa was so rude. The traffic is not the same there, so you would think they would do what they could to make the experience a pleasant one. She basically told us we didn't have to eat there and we could leave, all because we weren't happy with the wait time (my friend had been there 30 minutes before me), it was cold, and she couldn't get the special from the hibachi table. Some people just shouldn't be in the customer service/hospitality business if they really don't want to deal with people. It was freezing in there and there was a sign on the door telling people to bundle up! Food specials were not honored because people weren't ordering it from the bar area. But there literally was NO HEAT. At least you could get some heat from the hibachi table. The special should have been honored due to the fact that people decided to still eat there even in the frigid temperature. I hadn't been to Benihana in a long time, and it's experiences like this that reminded me of WHY. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because the other hostess did try to seat us quickly. read more

Benihana - Cincinnati - ROSA the RUDE ONE - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I was very disappointed with my experience. My bill was over $105 for one person, which felt excessive given the quality of the food and service. The biggest issue was the service. I specifically ordered well drinks, but I was charged for top-shelf liquor instead. On top of that, the drinks tasted extremely weak, as if they barely contained any alcohol. My adult sister and I were both properly ID'd and legally drinking. At one point, we exchanged drinks so we could each taste what the other had ordered. The server then approached the table in a rude manner, asking who was "passing drinks around" because the bartender had seen it. What bothered me most was that he did not address the people actually involved. Instead, he confronted other members of our party. The way the situation was handled felt unnecessary, unprofessional, and embarrassing. The food was decent but overpriced for what it was. What really crossed the line, however, was the server's behavior after I left. I left a cash tip, yet the server reportedly complained to the rest of my party and claimed that I hadn't tipped at all. That was both inaccurate and highly unprofessional. For the amount of money spent, I expected much better service, better communication, and a more professional attitude. Spending over $100 for one person should come with a much better experience than this. Unfortunately, this visit was not worth the price, and I would think twice before returning. also, I forgot to add that we had reservations for 7 PM and we did not get chefs until 9 PM and we finally were able to leave around 10 to 10:30 PM. read more

My sister and I try to get to Benihana every year for her birthday as we both absolutely love the food. However, the experience has gone downhill every year and only continued to get worse. We made a reservation for 7:15 and weren't taken back to our table until 7:45. Once we got back to our table, we weren't even given drinks until 8:15 and didn't order our food until 8:30. We will probably continue coming for her birthday since the birthday deal is really great. We will just have to plan to be gone for a very long time. The restaurant is also pretty unkept... I'd even say dirty...If the food wasn't genuinely delicious, I'd have to give this location a 2/5. The chefs here work very hard and hours navigated a shellfish allergy very well. read more

Benihana - Cincinnati - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

Haven't been to Benihana in quite some time, I hadn't been in a while because of past issues. I saw the advertisement for the taste of Benihana for $39 available in the bar area and made plans to meet a friend. Arrived at the location and saw a sign in the door warning customers about the lack of heat and encouraging them to bundle up. When I walked in, I went into the bar area which was freezing cold with customers eating or waiting for tables in their coats. I asked the bartender if there was heat in other areas of the restaurant and was told the hibachi tables were fine but not the bar. I asked her if I was able to get the special at the table since it was cold and was told they would check with the manager. The hostess came and told me the manager said to get the special I have to eat in the (cold) bar or take it to go. I waited for my friend to arrive and when she did, we were talking near the hostess desk about if we wanted to stay there or not. A not so friendly hostess by the name of Rosa said you don't have to eat here, you can go. That is when I definitely decided I was leaving. If I could give 0 stars, I would. read more

See all

Was hesitant to go based on some of the reviews but, overall, had a good dining experience. The food was delicious and all of the staff we encountered were helpful and attentive. The flow of food and drink was not always timely but we had a table of ten and some specific food restrictions. I'd rate as a four if not for the fairly high price point, even accounting for the Teppanyaki style cooking. read more

This place is disgustingly unclean. I came here for the first time and I will never ever return! It was freezing cold inside to start. Even the employees were wearing jackets. I went to the bar and ordered a beer. The glass they gave me was dirty and had residue and finger prints on it. My soup had a hair in it. The salad had old lettuce and expired tasting dressing. There were knats flying around the whole time. Prices are crazy high. The ambiance was so plain and empty. The sushi was terrible. The main entree was hibachi chicken and it was the worst tasting hibachi iv ever had in my life. This place is horrible no wonder there was hardly anyone there. read more

Benihana - Cincinnati - Hibachi chicken - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I have been to at least 3-4 different Benihana's in California. This was our first experience in Ohio. Took my wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandson and we had a great time. Our chef Ricardo was AWESOME! The food was cooked perfectly and overall it was a great experience. The service from our waitress wasn't great though. They always seem to take care of you when you get there..but after serving salads and soups, they disappear. Also it needs to get a full refresh. Definitely looks outdated/old. Did get a cool picture also though. :) read more

The food is freaking amazing, love the green tea ice cream especially! I thought the servers did a wonderful job and I was so excited about the hibachi show :) it really makes this place unforgettable. I need to bring my partner here so they can experience the lovely ambiance with me!!!! read more

We came here to visit and I'm so disgusted. The cook started cooking the rice first and handed two people who were there at our table theirs first. The two people started eating their rice and he asked them did they want their rice reheated back on the grill, before he started cooking everyone's food. So my sister asked if he can change the utensils and called her weird! He's the weird one. So I reported it to the manager and the manager told me that the bacteria will die because their grills are at 500 degrees. Bacteria dies in the cold. FYI! Also their vent wasn't working so we were breathing heavy smoke and coughing. Stay away. It's bad management and the health department needs to investigate. Clearly the manager thinks he works for the health department. read more

One of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had! We were seated at 7:15 for our 6:30 reservation. I got water from the bar because no one came to wait on us after being seated. The order was screwed up which took even more time to sort out. I can NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

We made reservations to celebrate my mother's birthday and still waited thirty minutes. We sat at the hibachi table since that was part of our purpose of going there. It took them forever to get a chef to the table to began preparing the food . It wasn't very clean and the bathrooms smelled horrible. Their food is pretty good however it's not a place that I often go. read more

yes, the decor is a little dated. but i think it just adds to the vibe. the place was packed on a thursday night. the food and the "show" never disappoints. it's on the pricier side, but you go home with a full belly and a smile on your face. read more

Benihana - Cincinnati - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

good food, good service, good ambience. highly recommended. Great place to celebrate!

Apparently Benihana doesnt welcome bad reviews as I wrote one back in February and it seems they deleted it. This place is GHETTO! We had reservations. When we walked in there was an armed security guard at the hostess station, which felt very welcoming and safe. He stayed there all night. Then we were corralled into the outdated and empty bar, past our reservation time to wait for more people for our table, which we had 6 people so I wasn't sure whay we had to wait and share it with other people not in our party? The wait time was horrible to get the chef out to our table. The server was decent, but seemed to disappear often, so our drinks were typically low or empty. Had to wait 20 minutes after dinner to get our check. The chef attempted to entertain us and he was decent. I gave him a tip when all was said and done, no one else from the other parties did. The food was bland, they don't have many options for seasoning your food other than what the chef puts in. The ambience was outdated from the original days when it opened. It seems that Benihana has done it's time and it's time to move on, definitely not the "wow" factor they had back in the old days. read more

Roach in the bathroom. Way overpriced sake restaurant. People were nice but I couldn't believe the prices. Food wasn't bad. read more

Benihana - Cincinnati - Roach in women's bathroom - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Service is horrible. Took 2 hours. Had to prompt every refill. Had to explain the meal deal and what all came with it to the waitress. Had a gluten free person in our party and waitress was not understanding and was not helpful. Our hibachi grill was not preheated so they said it had to heat up for 10 minutes. 20 minutes later still no chef. Food was great. Bathrooms were DIRTY. read more

This was my first time attempting to eat here and sadly will be my last. Worst part is I don't know what the food tastes like. Had a reservation, was late to be seated to our table. Got to the table and placed the food order and then we waited. Waited and waited..... overheard other customers talking how they waited for an hour and a half and still didn't have their food. We soon learned that our cook didn't show up for the night. So we decided to leave after waiting for over an hour with no communication from the server as to what was going on. I wish I had a better experience than this, but unfortunately it was not good. read more

The service was really good. The outside looks like it's falling apart but they have kept the interior well maintained. The food was cooked well. My complaints: Fried rice is extra They advertised four flavors of ice cream, they had two The green tea that was supposed to come with my meal didn't read more

Called at 11:00 for a 7 pm appointment for my daughters 10th birthday. Waited over an hour for mediocre service and food. Avoid at all costs... drive 10 minutes further it will ruin your night. read more

Positives: Quick to be seated. The atmosphere is very nice. Very Japanese "shogun" The servers were all very personable. They really connect with all the customers and were very interactive with everyone. Now the bad: The cook had to have been new or the least experienced one in the building. 4 other grills had already been served and ate their food. We were seated at 8:00. I am writing this review at 10:15 still waiting for my bill because it was wrong. They up charge you for fried rice, even with a meal that cost 48 dollars already for chicken and steak. Go to Texas Roadhouse and get more food for a third of the price. I do not recommend this place for someone's dog to eat at. read more

I was if for lunch MJ was awesome service Food was great Set down quick Highly recommend read more

Shawn was a great server Very pleasant and helpful Jose was a good chef My only complaint was I ordered a shrimp appetizer and it was the last thing fixed read more

Who knew some years can change perspective and outlooks. When I last visited Benihana, it was an absolute mess and I did not enjoy my experience. However, the most recent visit was much, much better. On this visit, my wife and I celebrated her birthday. The outside and inside of the restaurant was the same...as in literally, nothing changed. This was a bit of a disappointment, because the same furnishings and carpet from many years ago, were still there. We waited in the Bar/Lounge area until our hibachi-table was ready. Our waitress was absolutely stellar! She took our orders, (keep in mind our table had 8 people - ourselves included), and kept our glasses full. She was also friendly, knowledgeable and courteous. Our chef was friendly, patient and very skilled. Not only did we have a really good show, but our food was delicious! The food was very flavorful, well cooked and seasoned. Everyone seemed to have a fairly good portion, (which is really difficult to do), and the sauces were tasty. All in all, I was impressed with the quality of service, the tasty food and friendliness of the staff. I enjoyed my time there, but only wish one thing: I wish they would revamp the exterior and interior. They have had the same exterior and interior ever since I was young. read more

the 2 stars says enough for me. Filthy, poor management, extremely rude staff! Food was overdone and completely out of sync as far a preparation. Chef was 20 minutes late. Waste of $ go to Fuji House instead and that isn't saying much read more

If I could have given you a zero, I would have, but there has to be a rate given. Let's begin with your restroom facilities. F-. That situation was the most disgusting experience, ever. And I don't even dare to ask why the floor was sticky. Your poor excuse for a bartender asked the patron how to make the drink he ordered and took 30 minutes to serve it to him. F. We waited at a non-clean, sticky table for 45 minutes before being seated and we had reservations. F. By the time we go a table and waited an hour for the host to prepare our food, I was done!!! You had none of the drinks we ordered. And blamed it on Christmas. It's called " being prepared." Read up on it for next time! My guests were not served their salads and part of the meal did not show up until after we got the check. Piss poor, Beni. Last time there. read more

The Benihana chain has really gone down so to be honest I wasn't expecting a great dining experience, what we received was pretty bad. We decided to sit in the bar area and order sushi. Because the manager failed to tell the server in that area that we were guests and not people waiting for a table, the server ignored us until my bestie raised the issue with the manager. To the server's credit, once she found out we were her guests her service was spot on. She even apologized about ignoring us. Now to the worse sushi experience ever! The hand roll was clumsily wrapped. Too big, too much rice, and the ingredients were at the top. That meant that the flavor stopped after two bites - boom nothing but rice. My salmon nigiri was sliced thinly and a weird too long length. Please see the picture. No real sushi chef would have presented such a raggedy piece of nigiri. Then the rice. OMG it was horrible. The rice was waaaay under cooked with a texture more like pomegranate seeds (You know, soft then hard.) and was poorly seasoned. The rice was so dry that I couldn't pick a piece up without it falling apart because the rice was not properly formed. A mess. I will never come to this or any Benihana restaurant again. read more

See all

What could improve, everything! Services was terrible, gave us plastic forks to eat with. Also very overpriced. I will not return.

Weird, kinda hidden location. Front door is hard to find. Reserved a large party for a surprise birthday dinner, which they were very accommodating for. Dinner service was fun and interactive. Expensive, but fun. Food was good. The Chef (whose name tag read "Chocolate" - not sure if that's a nickname or what) was a lot of fun and made it enjoyable. Service, however, was really bad. Our waitress was extremely rude, condescending and seemed to want us out of there ASAP. Rushing us to order. Multiple members of faculty hovered while we were enjoying dinner and once we finished. We were celebrating a birthday and other guests were also there having dinner, so I'm not sure if we were targeted because we were a larger party. Either way, unacceptable. Luckily we still managed to have a good time. I wanted to enjoy my first time at a Benihana but can't say it was all that great. I'd recommend them get rid of that waitress with the missing teeth. She's a bad egg. read more

I took my daughter and grandkids to Benihana's last night and ordered the Seafood Combination. it started off with the waitress asking did we want soup and salad I repeated I would like everything that comes with my meal all six courses, please. I didn't smile she wasn't friendly and that's fine. But what me was I'm asking her for things like mustard sauce didn't get that., And what really irritated me I asked her six times can I please have the ice cream for my granddaughter not once not twice but six times I even went as far as asking the bus . I was ignored. The waiter only came back with a smile, and I am not joking when it was time to pay. I told my daughter I said you can tip her. I'm not tipping. I am so disappointed that this was the I have ever had. Benihana's has really went down service. for $172.98 our service should've been outstanding. I would come here all the time with my family. This is definitely not the same experience which is disappointing. The last few times I wished I would've went to Burger King. read more

It was an honor to be at precious' first table. She did an amazing job and we enjoyed our meal. We will be requesting her the next time we come for sure everything was perfect. Ashley was an amazing server. Also you should request her as well. This is the first time they have had a female chef in over 10 years. The other chefs did not like women so they didn't treat them well in the past... go precious! read more

Benihana - Cincinnati - Precious - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I usually have a great experience but not at this location Bad customer service The only non military friendly Benihana Food was good just smaller portions than others You will leave disappointed Do not go here the reviews are true read more

Our experience at this Benihana was straight-up not good. Like some other reviews have mentioned, with this lack of quality (primarily of service), I am astounded that this location has not gone out of business. My team at work had all pitched in and bought me a Benihana gift card for Christmas last year, and I finally got around to making reservations for 7pm last Saturday. My fiancé and I arrived 5 minutes early, and were asked to sit in a "waiting room" that looked like a weird 1950's lounge out of a bad mob movie. As we sat there for 10, 15, 20, up to 30 minutes, several parties just up and left (a total of about 15 people!), and not going to lie, I was about to leave as well - my reservation was for 7PM, and here I am at 7:35 still waiting? Finally, after several others did the same, I asked a woman at the front desk what the holdup was, where she informed me the previous woman who I checked in with never ACTUALLY checked me in. Ridiculous. We finally got seated after about 40-45 minutes of waiting, and here we kept waiting. The waitress came and took drink orders fairly quickly, and got the drinks back to us in a decent time, and then took our orders. We then waited about 45 minutes for the "chef" to come out; we found out that there are just TWO CHEFS that alternate cooking stations. No wonder why they keep you waiting for 45 MINUTES (on top of the original 35!). Once the chef came out, the food was made pretty quickly, and overall the food was pretty good. Hope you like butter though - they use a TON of it, especially garlic butter, which is most likely used to give the meats strong flavors due to them being lower-quality cuts. Additionally, the entire restaurant was FILTHY. I mean FILTHY. Walls, floors, tables, and thank God I didn't need to use the restrooms after seeing some of these other reviews. Overall, I would never come back here ever again. Unless you are tied to Benihana like I was due to a gift card, trust me - go somewhere else. Don't say we didn't warn you! read more

I took my cousin to this place on her birthday! HORRIBLE!! First of all, it was EXTREMELY COLD! Everybody at the restaurant had their winter coats remained on! The hibachi chef was the worst! He didn't even entertain us! It looked like his first day! He just cooked the food and left! WTF?! This restaurant needs MAJOR UPGRADES! And their sake machine was down as well. DO NOT GO OVER THERE! read more

Benihana - Cincinnati - Hibachi chef - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

*A Benihana Experience So Bad, Even the Onion Volcano Couldn't Save It* I haven't written a Yelp review in three years, but the moment I escaped this Benihana, I practically sprinted home to write this one. I was invited to a friend's birthday dinner, and though I wasn't expecting much--being in the sketchiest part of town and all--they still managed to blow me away by delivering one of the top 3 worst dining experiences of my life. We had a reservation at 7:00 pm, but they wouldn't seat us until everyone arrived. Apparently, it's not enough to have a reservation--you also need to bring your patience and possibly a parka. With no waiting area, we were herded into the bar room, where the AC was cranked up to "Arctic Expedition." It's a miracle no one got frostbite before we were finally seated. Once we were seated, the waitress dropped the first bomb: they were out of mushrooms. No big deal, right? But then she returned to tell us they were out of salad--the first course of our meal. Apparently, our five-course dinner was now a four-course "surprise." When the onion soup finally arrived, surprise, surprise--it had mushrooms in it. Weren't they out of those? Were they magically back in stock, or was this soup just yesterday's leftovers? Either way, it was lukewarm, like it had been microwaved in a rush to keep our spirits lukewarm too. We asked to speak to the manager about our missing salad, thinking maybe, just maybe, they'd offer us a fair discount. He waltzed in about 20 minutes later to tell us he'd graciously knock 10% off our bill. So, let me get this straight: a 5-course meal minus one course equals 10% off? Math wasn't my strong suit, but even I know that's off by about 10%. But wait, there's more! As we were finishing our meal, we realized we never got the shrimp appetizer. We asked the chef, who was mid-cook, and he nonchalantly said, "Oh, that's the appetizer." At the end of the meal? Was this some new reverse psychology dining trend I missed? Finally, the checks arrived, and guess what? No discounts in sight! We had the server take them back to fix it, and poof! She vanished like a ninja. We waited at the front for so long I started to wonder if I'd end up working there just to pay off my bill. Luckily, I had cash on me, so I could escape, but the rest of the party? They were stuck waiting like they were on an episode of *Survivor: Hibachi Hell.* I'm giving this one star because that's the lowest Yelp allows, and because our chef deserves it for keeping the mood light despite the chaos swirling around us. He was the true hero of the night, battling against a tsunami of terrible management. You know the saying, "underpromise, overdeliver?" Well, this was the culinary equivalent of promising you a luxury cruise and delivering a canoe with a hole in it. Bon appétit! read more

Waited 1 hour and 40 minutes to be seated with a reservation. No apology. Food was good but it is as expensive in the end as Ruby's. $17 cocktails and dinners are $50 and up. We were there for 3 1/2 hours. Everyone in there was aggravated. I'll never go back. Not worth the amount of money, especially with the aggravation of the wait read more

My First time having Benihana , Food was hot and delicious!! Ashily was so nice and sweet !!

This was my first time attending Benihana in Tri-County. The chef cooks the food in front of you, which was somewhat OK. Didn't get a lot of food for the cost and the service is actually lousy. They acted like we owed them a favor and I am so disappointed that I won't go back and again, and I don't recommend it to any other person. read more

Service has been terrible every time we're there. It was very hot inside we ordered meals that included dessert. We had to remind our server. read more

This was absolutely the worst dining experience I've ever experienced, we visited for my wife's birthday. I feel like I can only blame myself because I read the reviews and thought it couldn't be that bad! It was actually worse! It took thirty minutes to get my daughter a drink, then they forgot her salad. Food was good but it took two hours. The place is run down my wife said something was dripping on her (it was also dripping on the food cart) and it was coming from the filthy ceiling vent. We complained to the manager and he says "oh it's just grease" ......... read more

Benihana - Cincinnati - "Just Grease" - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

waited over an hour and a half for mediocre show and subpar service halfgiven apologies and overpriced food read more