Typically i love Benihana. We visit often to this location. Took my daughter for her birthday last night and it was terrible. I got handed multiple dirty dishes- multiple times. My sister has water dropping on her from above and brown water on her dish. And when i let them manager know- she took 50% off my sisters dish and called it a day. While we waited for a box and our check, we still had dirty plates being handed to us where they served my daughter birthday ice cream on. I couldn't believe it. It's not our usual experience and was so disheartening. They should have just made it right, offered to quickly move us so my sister wouldn't have water dropping on her from above (idk what was leaking). They handed her napkins. 50% off her dish. And we kept waiting and waiting. Gross. read more

Thank you Benihana for such an incredible experience. Always love coming here to celebrate birthdays. Had the most amazing time with our server Vanessa. We had reservations for 11am (seriously the best time to come is when they first open). It's not as busy and you get seated right away. The other great part about coming when they open is they have lunch specials making the experience affordable. The ambiance here is always warm, friendly, and inviting. Food is always fresh, on point, and I look forward to my next visit! read more

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Had a reservation for a party of four at 12:30 PM, went for the lunch special that's advertised for "power lunch" 45 minutes for $15.95 was told by Daiyra & Katherine " manager & receptionist, that there is dinner only even though in my confirmation it clearly states there is a lunch special offered I showed them my confirmation they still would not honor it. The manager was extremely rude. I am very dissatisfied with the service I received. we had planned this for a while a group of girlfriends that don't live here. They are from out of town. was so disappointed. definitely will not be returning. read more

Benihana - Power lunch $15.95 don't even waste your time trying to get it because they do not honor it! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

First off it's always a wait and today we arrived a little early. The guy who offered me drinks and returned my lost keys I didn't know I lost. ( I really wish I had cash to give you) great customer service from him. My server was cool at first but we did the power lunch. Had an amateur chef. Food was ugh. My fried riced taste like pepper not chef fault. Rice came from back. Server rushed us although we had plenty of time left. It's just a downgrade down. Gives Applebees vibes now. Chef did try to make conversation and he was positive. Server was decent at first but went into bad service. Dropped off to go containers as soon as we had all our food which no one requested. Felt rushed food was ugh. Will not return read more

We had such a great dinner. It was very entertaining. René was our cook and he was very funny. The food was very delicious. Definitely recommend this place. read more

Terrible service won't be back here . Rushed us to sit down on my friends birthday and had us wait 45 min just to ask what we wanted to drink . Then waited another 20 min to order food we talked to manager and she blamed it on the server having another table and if it wasn't for my friends birthday would have walked out of this place . Worst experience ever !! read more

Food was ok. But it's way over price. It's not worth it. Service was good. And the ambience was ok.

Went for Mothers Day my reservation was at 1:15 once seated it was so hot at our table it was almost unbearable even the cook was struggling. The ventilation was horrible our eyes burned from the smoke! The cook was great and the food was good but I would not go back due yo how uncomfortable we were read more

Everything about Benihana has become to commercial, including showing us slabs of steak options and trying to upsell every option on the menu. This location is SO incredibly smokey. My eyes were burning so much I had to step outside. Our reservation was for 745, we didn't eat till 9 pm because our server didn't turn on our table. Our cook, Maria, was kind, friendly, and professional. Our server took forever, unfortunately. This place is too loud, too smokey. We were offered appetizers due to the grille taking so long and they were added to our bill at the end. The vents probably need to be deep cleaned to work efficiently. I feel so bad for the workers. They are probably inhaling so much smoke and have so much environmental exposure. The manager did comp the appetizers and make it right but it took forever to figure it out. Wouldn't recommend coming to this location. read more

We had reservations as required. Waiting an hour to get drinks and still no food. They claimed no ice tea, but another server found it??? I'm puzzled. I'm disappointed and dissatisfied. Won't come back. The sushi was poorly represented. read more

If I could give this place a zero I would. We had a reservation at 7pm. We did not get seated until almost 9pm. We kept asking the host how long it would take but they kept saying "There's one table ahead of you." Never did they mentioned that it would take this long. We never got an apology for the wait. read more

Benihana - Time what time we actually got seated. Our reservation was at 7pm. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

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I wanted to take the take time to shout out our amazing server jaimie that went above and beyond for us this past Memorial Day! There was a long wait but as soon as we were seated with her she was on top of Everything and super fast at bringing us any thing we needed- she also was super friendly. It's not often you find severs this great read more

Went for lunch on Sunday. It was not too crowded . Staff was friendly and welcoming. Our chef was great and food was delicious. read more

I went to the Benihana in Downey this last Friday around 6:00. They sat us pretty quick which was good. I think they wait until the table is full of customers which is understandable and expected. After ordering our dinner it took a while to get our first course. All the food was alright but the portions could have been larger. Me and others who ordered the steamed rice didn't get it when the others got their fried rice so I had to eat my chicken without the rice. We got dessert but the ice cream was already half- melted and was sad looking. To make it worse I showed a coupon I was emailed to get $30 off and the server said that it's only good Mon-Thurs but that she'll ask the manager about it. She came back and said that it couldn't be honored. It did say in the fine print which I didn't see but I felt like the manager should have come to explain that to me. That didn't make it at all better. So I'm not going back ever to that location or maybe to any location. Over priced for mediocre food. read more

Benihana - Sad looking half-melted ice cream smh. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

OK, I have to start by saying that I've been to Benihana's almost every year since I was a little kid and tonight was the best show I've ever had!! Benihana you need to give chef Renee and Sergio a raise because not only were they busy with other tables but they made us feel so welcomed and cared for. (Also laughed so hard) I will continue to come back to this establishment as long as I'm being served by both of these guys. Thank you so much. Looking forward to returning soon. read more

Chef Precious, What can I say, nothing short of amazing. Thank you for going above and beyond you are truly one of kind! keep being yourself! 10/10 onto the more depressing review, never got my salad, , our ice cream was never brought out, we had to ask for it as we were closing out. and at the beginning of the meal we were asked if we celebrated anything, it was my mothers birthday, why ask if y'all weren't even gonna sing happy birthday. CHEF PRECIOUS is the only reason this post is getting 5 stars read more

First time here and will never return. We had 2:00pm reservations and the chef didn't come until 3:22pm. Unbelievable!!! By this time, our party of 12 was beyond ready to go. We told the manager to cancel all orders. Service was terrible. read more

Had some time to burn before a movie so my fiancée and I stopped by! The greeter was kind and told us it would be a 20 minute wait, but it was only 5! Hibachi was GREAT! Our chef was amazing and I regret not remembering his name because he was very patient with everybody's needs at the table! Portions were perfect and filled us up right before the movie nearby! Thank you Benihana! read more

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Love the food, but unfortunately the wait was crazy today. We had a reservation for 2:30pm and it's now 3:40pm with no food yet. I overheard the server mention they don't have enough cooks, and several tables were still waiting as well. Really disappointing experience because we could have gone to another restaurant nearby and already been finished eating by now. Great food, but the service timing today was not a good experience and makes me unsure about returning. read more

This is our local Benihana and although we have had some issues in the past these last two times were great. When they first opened it was 50/50 on how the service was and the food but as time went on they did get better especially this last time it was our favorite. Jamie was an amazing waitress and she made sure the refills were quick and always checked on us to see if we were good. They need more workers like her. My go to is always the Benihana Trio which comes with the filet mignon, colossal shrimp and chicken breast. It's the best value for me. One advice I would say is to ask for your medium rare if you liked it cooked more medium rare/medium. I noticed if you ask for it medium rare they cook it a little to long. People come here for the show and they seem to have very happy workers and work with the table. If it is lively they feed of it so if you want a really good and funny show make sure to give that good interaction. Overall if they continue to give the great customer service that we received this last time from Jamie we will continue to come and choose this location. read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

Disappointing visit. This review isn't for Nathaniel, the chef. He was good. Everything went downhill after he was done. You are pretty much forgotten after the chef was done. Couldn't get our ice cream, couldn't get the check, service was non existent. At the beginning of our visit, the manager gives us a sales pitch to sign up for friends with benefits to save all this money and also to sign up for Chefs table. I signed up for both and nobody in there would take my phone number or membership number after to get credit for the $400 dinner. I've spent years as a big fan of Benihana. We will not go back. I'll drive a little farther and go to Shogun. I couldn't figure out the bad service. The place was practically empty. read more

Food was 10/10 Service was phenomenal And the ambiance is always there Shout out to Kevin and Diamond they took such good care of me on a busy Saturday night! I will definitely be back again and again read more

Benihana - Beni trio - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

This review is mainly for our server Heidi and our chef Rene. Wow. These two were the best duo we've ever had at Benihana. Heidi was so kind and enjoyed her job. Her service was absolutely top notch. Always made sure we had what we needed even without asking her. (Brought me another soft drink without asking). Heidi was so cheerful and fun to interact with. She even recommended a dessert. She is the best server we have ever had at Benihana. She deserves to be paid very well! Rene was such a fantastic chef. He mentioned that he was rather new to Benihana, but if he wouldn't have told us we would have guessed he'd been there for 10+ years! His food was hands down (and up) THE BEST that we have EVER had during all our Benihana visits throughout the past decade. It was the MOST TASTEFUL. It was EXPERTLY SEASONED and PERFECTLY COOKED. There was so much LOVE in his cooking. He also managed all the special requests, allergy accommodations, and different dishes so well. Nothing was delayed. It was also a great bonus that his jokes and playful cooking style were very entertaining. Please make sure Heidi and Rene get paid top dollar for their invaluable contributions to the Benihana team. We hope to always be seated with them. - J + D read more

CHEF QUAIL ALL DAY Give the man a raise asap! First time at Benihana and we are happy to have had an amazing cook and dining experience read more

Benihana - Best experience ever - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

I've been to Benihana for over 30 years. Different states. Many locations. Carlos Z exemplifies what a Benihana chef should be. Super kind, funny, thoughtful and he made delicious food! One person can make such a difference. Working in leadership myself, I value people that go above and beyond and this chef....should be acknowledged. Thank you! read more

Benihana - Carlos Z. Best chef so far. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

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Let me start by saying I'm a frequent visitor of the Downey location since I reside in Bellflower. This visit unfortunately the food did not taste good like normally, portion size reduced tremendously, no production and definitely no creativity. The chef was throwing egg shells into his hat. On my online reservation I requested for Chef Sara but received Chef Carlos who was very mediocre and this was probably his first day. I asked a manager what happened to my request she replied just because you request for a chef doesn't mean you will receive your request. I also had to request for a manager because after being at our table for 45 minutes, we still had not received drinks, soup or salad. We had two birthdays we were celebrating so this was supposed to be a special occasion. My chicken fried rice was hard and my Yakisoba noodles weren't prepared correctly. I asked for extra onions in my rice which were placed on top but not cooked into the rice. Out of 8 guests no one was pleased with their food. I visit the Downey location and have provided positive reviews in the past. I don't mind paying if the food is good however for the cost of $537 my party was left empty and taste buds not fulfilled. read more

Worst Togo service ever!!! Don't order from this location!! Waited almost an hour for an order I placed online hours before! They forget stuff in the order, and when I contacted the manager, he didn't care! Don't waste your time at this location!! read more

Excellent service by Christian(bar area) on 12/7. Wow! Food was excellent and drink (strawberry lemonade)was awesome! read more

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Today 7/28/2021 Unfortunately today I had a bad experience at Benihana's in Downey Ca. First of all I end up with a chef from last week that when i asked him to put extra garlic in the chicken fried rice he gave me melted garlic butter so i can put it in myself. To me that's gross and if I'm paying for expensive food it should be made as asked ! Then the food had no flavor because it doesn't have enough seasonings . To be honest with you I never saw him put salt or pepper on the food. I brought my two granddaughters with me today and they ordered from the kids menu and the asked me gramma can you order our ice cream and it's not their first time they know their order comes with ice cream. I asked the server for their ice cream and he says it doesn't come with ice cream. I said yes it does he says no it doesn't only at dinner. I show him the kids menu that says it comes with ice cream and he says no again OMG at this time I'm furious. Because my grandkids are looking all puzzled. I ask for the manager and he says ok but keeps working so I had to go to the front desk to complain which by now I've spent a lot of time wasted. One of the managers comes and says oh yes it does come with ice cream you can take it to go. I had no choice because now the table has been cleaned. Again SMH I feel so disappointed as I was brushed off with my grandkids having to take their ice cream home and wasted time and to top it off I get a message in my email saying I didn't show up and I felt like a kid being scolded. Telling me the following: Hi Josephine, We understand that plans can change unexpectedly. We learned from Benihana - Downey, CA that you weren't seated for your reservation on Wednesday for 3. If you did indeed make your reservation, we're sorry about the mix up. Please let us know and we'll clarify with Benihana - Downey, CA directly. When you miss a reservation, it can adversely affect the restaurant. So we kindly ask that the next time you need a rain check, please do what you can to cancel the reservation. By canceling, you can help out the restaurant and also open up the table for another diner to have an amazing dining experience. You can easily cancel a reservation online, with our apps, or by calling the restaurant directly. Kind Regards, The OpenTable Team I'm like ???? I even called them to tell them I was going to be 5 mu So you tell me how would you feel ! read more

Update*** I gave this place another chance on my last visit to Los Angeles from Florida. I came for my birthday with my family and they definitely redeemed itself! I had a wonderful experience with my family and the food was incredible as usual! I noticed it was not just our experience but the wait time was a lot less than my last time. The ambiance was incredibly pleasant and Paul the manager came to ensure everything was going great. Thank you for taking in my feedback and showing signs of immediate improvement in the experience here. My brother and my nephew absolutely love hibachi and they will continue coming to this restaurant! read more

Benihana - Benihana red flower hibiscus blend caffeine free tea 10/10 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

I'm not sure if it's because we didn't have a reservation but when we checked in, they said an hour tops... cool. We got to the grill, we sat there for 2 hours waiting for a cook. okay?! The food was mediocre. Lightly seasoned and there really wasn't any flavor. We had the scallops, steak and lobster. The drinks were amazing. I got the mango lemonade (or was it tea) but it was delicious. The lobster was the only great part about the food. It was soooooo tasty. Everything else, I could've made it better at home. read more

it's a lengthy process but the food is so good. Absolutely love that fried rice and our server Miriam was amazing!!!! Highly recommend read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

Not sure why this place has such low ratings but my dinner here with my family was exceptional. We had a reservation and were seated right away. Our server Austin was super nice and attentive. Our chef Rob was great. Food was amazing. Would definitely come back and recommend! read more

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I typically avoid leaving negative reviews because I understand that one bad experience doesn't always reflect a business as a whole. However, after three separate visits to this location, I've unfortunately had consistently disappointing experiences. To be fair, my feedback is specific to the bar area, as that's the only section where I've dined. The staff there consistently avoid making eye contact, which gives the impression that they are intentionally trying not to engage with customers. As a result, getting service feels unnecessarily difficult. The issue isn't just slow service--it comes across as dismissive toward customers seated in that area. After multiple visits with the same experience, it's hard to overlook. read more

This was our first experience at Benihanas. The front desk was friendly but I honestly could've done without the rude chef who thought his humor was funny, but asking people if they want to eat the food that has fallen off the floor is not funny, but RUDE!! The food was okay but overpriced in my opinion. I understand it was more for the experience but our experience wasnt worth the price. I do however have to say that our waitress was very kind and if it wasn't for her, we probably would've left. read more

Went on May 9,2025 for a birthday dinner! 10/10 experience from the great service from our waiter who I believe was named nick to our delicious food cooked and served by chef precious!! Had a great time and would come again. Lots of food even took leftovers home!!! Shout out to chef precious she was the bestttttt read more

Benihana - Chef precious doing her thang!!! Her food was bomb.com and she had a wonderful attitude and charisma ... give her a raise!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

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Nathaniel and Ricky tan are the best chefs Nathaniel does good on the show and Ricky does good cooking Service was amazing I was able to throw egg shells at my chef and the other I was entertaining by his technique Cool. Vibes read more

Benihana - After show shenanigans - Sushi Bars Near Me - Downey, California

Honestly one of the worst dining experiences I've had. Benihana was disappointing since it was our first time visiting. We had a reservation at 8:30, didn't get seated until 8:45. Our waitress was nice, but the main issue was that the chef never came out to start the table. After over an hour of waiting, we weren't the only ones frustrated, three other parties ended up walking out too. We finally left at 9:50. Really disappointing experience and not a great first impression. read more

If i could give it a 0 stars i would!! This Benihana is RIDICULOUS. We had our reservation @ 8:30pm and we didn't get seated until 8:50. They took our order. We waited and waited... till about 9:50pm still no chef. Literally an hour waiting for the chef. We checked in with the waitress and she kept apologizing (which it wasn't her fault) saying the chef would be out in 10 minutes and that she would give us a discount for waiting. Us as well as the others seated with us were so frustrated, we all got up and left. So frustrating, because they had us waiting and waiting. Don't waste your time and please go to a different location. read more

Absolutely the worst experience at benihana ever!! Over an hour wait with a reservation.. MARIA the chef.. absolutely horrible. Undercooked almost everything. Flavorless rice, undercooked shrimp no interaction.. cross contamination with raw food on our plates.. just an absolute joke here.. I can't even explain the other reactions of the other guests at the table.. this is just sad.. never come here.. take time and drive to another location that will give you the experience and food you want to pay for. read more