Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Benihana - Encino

    3.1 (2.3k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Benihana - Encino Takeout or Delivery

    Benihana - Encino Photos

    Business Info

    BENIHANA - ENCINO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Benihana - Encino

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    HIBACHI STEAK
    Jessica V.

    Well, despite having a business employee respond to practically every review on here, management clearly has not taken action on any issues presented. It's been a year since my last visit and there are STILL issues with wait times despite having a reservation. It's almost like the owner does not care. We were a party of three and waited an hour. 30 minutes in, we received a text saying our table was ready; however, it took another 30 minutes to "clean" the table even though we could see that it was ready. The quality has significantly gone downhill. Smaller portion sizes and massive amounts of garlic butter to mask the taste of everything. Even the green tea ice cream was only a small single scoop and tasted like a different brand. The waitress did not stop by any time during dinner to see if we wanted more drinks - that's lost revenue on their end as I would've ordered another cocktail. The bathrooms need more frequent cleaning, especially since parents let their children go by themselves. I noticed a used toilet paper on the ground from a kid who went #2 - yuck! Unfortunately, this will be our last time dining at this location after many years of birthday celebrations here.

    Joe-Anne M.

    Benihana in Encino was a really fun and enjoyable dining experience overall. The food was excellent--fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly right in front of us. You can't beat the whole teppanyaki show, and everything we ordered tasted great from start to finish. The service was also on point. The staff was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed, which made the experience even better. The only downside was the parking. You do have to pay, which feels a bit ridiculous considering it's a large lot and you could essentially park your own car if given the opportunity. It kind of feels like just another way to squeeze a little extra money out of customers. That said, the great food and solid service definitely made it worth the visit. I'd still recommend Benihana Encino if you're looking for a fun meal and a good time!

    Tuna Steak
    Aimee C.

    Sad to have to rate Benihana so low... but my recent visits here have been subpar. Service is usually just ok but we usually are left without refills on drinks unless we flag down our waiter. During a recent visit, I was drinking iced tea and my glass cup shattered as I went to sip it. I brought this up to our waitress and she just took the cup from me and replaced it with a new one, no apologies offered or concern, to be quite frank, she seemed annoyed. We brought this up to the manager as well given that the cup could have cut me or someone else and he seemed uninterested. I also ordered a Tuna Steak entree which is typically one of my favorite dishes, however, the tuna tasted like it was not fresh at all. I understand things like this can happen but at the price point, I fear Benihana is dropping in quality. I did want to give a shoutout to our chef Hunter, I must say, he is probably the best Benihana chef I've had and was extremely attentive, interactive & kind. If I choose to visit again, I'd only trust him as our server. At the end of the day, it's Benihana, so you are bound to have some delicious bites of food, but it's sad to see some of the quality being sacrificed.

    Tamara D.

    Benihana had been off my radar for at least two decades. I have very fond memories of the whole experience - and it IS an experience - especially being entertained by the teppanyaki chefs. This visit was for a friend's birthday, so expectations were high. There were 14 of us, which meant two tables. At ours, about half ordered the Land & Sea (filet mignon and scallops), and that turned out to be the right move. The filet was tender, the scallops were cooked well, and overall, the food delivered. So why 4 stars? We had 7:00 PM reservations but weren't seated until 7:30. I understand they were trying to coordinate two tables for a larger group, but that feels like something that should have been sorted out earlier in the day. The location itself is older, and it showed a bit - especially with the smoke. Our neighboring table seemed particularly smoky, which drifted over at times. Our server was excellent. She was attentive throughout the meal and even helped cut and plate the birthday cake someone had brought, which was a thoughtful touch. Our chef started off engaging and fun, leaning into the classic teppanyaki performance we all remember. But about halfway through, the show element tapered off, and it became more about simply preparing the food. I'm not sure if that's the norm now or just the style of that particular chef. All in all, it was a fun night, and everyone had a great time. Was it exactly as magical as I remembered? Not quite. Maybe Benihana has changed. Or maybe I have. Either way, it was still a solid, celebratory evening.

    Adult Punch! Perfect for two
    Blaise H.

    Bam is the best!!! Came here last night to celebrate a birthday and she made it so special. Literally 5 stars just for her.

    Mark H.

    Excellent food! Superb Service! Fun Ambiance! Highly recommend taking in your family here!

    Portia DeBossi D.

    I'm really upset that they have some of the sweetest and coolest chefs; however, the waitress we had on Sunday was mediocre, young white woman and I could tell she had little biases. The manager, a white male, we waited to speak with him, but it's almost like he avoided speaking to a group of black women about our experience. He stayed toward the tables and a really sweet Asian woman tried to get him to speak with us, but continued to apologize for his avoidance. We decided to leave due to the wait to speak to him. I just felt the energy was off. Ultimately, the experience was ok. The chefs are truly special and super kind. We had 3 pieces of hair, 1 on a plate while seated waiting for our drinks. 2nd in another plate at the same table. 3rd in the vanilla ice cream, quite long. Our chef had to go take our drink for refills, our waitress just refused to really engage. We asked for bags for our leftovers, she proceeded to tell us it'll be a wait and went to others. Asked another person, she brought us bags. The main reason we wanted to speak to the manager is because of the hair. We got new plates and at the end when hair was in the vanilla ice cream, she took it and didn't even offer another scoop or apology. It was just tacky. We spent over $350. Our family is big tippers, but that waitress absolutely didn't deserve more than $25. Overall, disappointed in the waitress and manager. I spoke on race, because they seemed super avoidant and just not helpful. I'll stick to Benihana Torrance if I decide to go back.

    Hibachi steak and scallops

    Our food and service from Chef Tony and Max were good. So many reviews complain about wait time and slow service. We did have to wait about 25 minutes even with a reservation but this place was slammed all night. If it was just adults we could have lounged in the bar. Chef Tony was engaging and cooked my food perfectly. It's a family celebration restaurant and it's loud and busy. Just know that going in and enjoy the time.

    Sumo Roll and Hibachi Steak Fried Rice!!
    Mark M.

    I enjoy this restaurant and for my last order, I got the Hibachi Steak Fried Rice and the Sumo Roll. The steak was tender and each spoonful that contained both rice and meat was scrumptious and full of flavor! The Sumo Roll, which was baked, had salmon avocado, shrimp tempura, special mayo, cucumber, and krab. This was tasty and I even left some for the following day along with the rice because I knew these would still be delicious for a future meal. In the past, I have also had the Hibachi Steak Burrito and added shrimp to the item. One of my favorite burritos is the surf and turf, so this combination was exactly that and I thoroughly enjoyed this collision like I have in the past!

    miso soup with good healthy veggies.
    Shushanik P.

    I don't think this Benihana really needs introduction nor does it need an update. However, I am going to give an update based on my recent dining experience, and told the manager Jason if he made it right. He knows what I am talking about. Since the readers don't know, I will fill you in with what happened. I had a gift/birthday certificate that you sign up for on their App/email like probably a month ahead of time and they grant you with a $30.00 off of your entire bill; not including tip, tax, alcohol. Last night I went to take advantage of my certificate since today was the last day to redeem my gift certificate. When I got there, our server Owen who was very pleasant, kind, and very helpful took a look at my certificate and says it only covers from Monday-Thursday. So basically not the weekend. I wanted to speak to a manager. Jason comes to me and told me not to worry about it and that he will take care of it and he did!! Ambiance was chill and I liked it. It was a very beautiful Saturday night and as I walked in was greeted by the host Luis and the wait promise time was between 30 to 35 minutes. Got a text that my table was ready. Looked at the time and it was 6:20pm. I checked in at 6pm. He took me and the other group of people who were so nice, chatty, friendly and we had a great time around the table. Our chef Miguel prepared all of us a great, delicious meal according to our own specifications. The food tasted fresh, delicious and not to mention that you get a lot of portions. I ordered 8 piece Spicy Tuna Roll to start off with, their Benihana Trio (medium rare) steak, shrimp, & chicken with their Hibachi Chicken Rice..made to PERFECTION!! The meal also comes with your standard miso soup and garden salad with ginger dressing, and also the grilled onions/zucchini/mushrooms. I also got a scoop of Green Tea Ice Cream as part of my birthday dinner, which is always fantastic here. Miguel was funny and was responsive to any concerns or/and questions that we all had. I also got 28oz Saratoga Sparkling water. Total came out to be $90.18 including tip minus the $30. We were all pleased with our chef and service. Thank you Luis, Owen, chef Miguel and of course special thanks to their manager Jason for making my birthday/dining experience a very memorable one. Benihana, YOU ROCK!! Will post few pictures soon:-)) Valet parking in the back and restrooms was somewhat clean.

    Lauren K.

    A fun blast from the past awaits the fun loving patron. Tucked into busy Encino, this is a time capsule of pure joy. Absolutely worth a family celebration with kids or happy hour treat! $6 sushi rolls at happy hour is the best deal you'll find in the Valley! You can grab a mai tai for $6 too! The chicken wings on happy hour are $12 and also worth it. They are running a 5 course hibachi menu at $39 per person. Also good value. It's in the heart of the business district of Encino. So, $5 to park next door or sometimes you can park on the street. See website for hours, menus and more. And don't forget to sign up for the rewards program.

    Lobby, Bar and Check-in Counter
    Jeremy L.

    7/28/2025 - Since Covid-19 pandemic, this is our first time to have a sit-down dinner at this location. The soup came first after arriving in the restaurant for 45 minutes, but it was not hot - one customer told our waitress "The soup is cold..." - that customer is a regular patron for this restaurant in the past 25 years. Next, a piping hot soup came (4 stars). The quality of salad and green tea went down significantly in comparison to the pre-pandemic time. I ordered an OCEAN TREASURE (Cold water lobster tail with Hokkaido scallops) $60 - 4.5 to 5 stars. The quality of the FILET MIGNON (Tenderloin and mushrooms) $43 is not as good as prior to the pandemic - 3 stars, so as fried rice just by looking at the texture of the cooked fried rice. The services from our waitress Caroline is excellent. The restaurant does not offer a WiFi access, and there is a rear valid parking lot $6 for lunch and $8 for dinner. The floor carpet is still as old as pre-pandemic - upgrading will make the restaurant more towards an upscale restaurant! The restaurant is still a good place to celebrate your special occasion - it offers its signature complimentary photo printed out for your memory - you can also download it for your future use.

    See all

    Photo of Alby P.
    151
    932
    173

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S O.
    0
    45
    4

    9 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Scott G.
    631
    94
    11

    21 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jo S.
    666
    2371
    15208

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 day ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    20 hours ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark M.
    798
    385
    1065

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 2
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Shushanik, Thank you for leaving us positive feedback, come back soon!

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 3
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 day ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mhaia G.
    5
    117
    53

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 hours ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sean F.
    40
    61
    217

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jim B.
    135
    820
    936

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Ari D.
    11
    82
    196

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Lee C.

    Lee C.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 59

    Benihana - Encino Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Benihana - Encino

    What is the maximum number of people in the hibachi table?

    8 people

    What is the parking situation on a Sunday?

    Valet $10.00

    Do they still require proof of vax for indoors?

    No they don't

    For the birthday certificate. It says to use during dinner time only. What is the earliest time for that?

    5pm

    What is your Corkage fee?

    Yes $25

    View All 6 Questions

    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya

    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya

    4.2(796 reviews)
    1.2 miSherman Oaks
    $$

    Great find here, nice little sushi restaurant right off Sepulveda, just North of Ventura…read more The sushi here is tasty, tasted fresh, lots of variety. Sushi, Bentos, appetizers, etc. The place is not large inside, but you can sit at one of their tables or at the sushi bar as well. They are open from 12-2:30 for the lunch crowd and then again later for dinner. We got a ton of things, my receipt was too long, had to fold it over for the picture. Started with some spicy edamame's and shishito peppers, cooked perfectly. Miso soup, salmon, spicy tuna, spicy scallop, white fish, veggie tempura, a BSC roll, unagi, baked crab and California rolls. Enjoyed everything very much except for the baked crab roll, it was ok, but not my favorite and I would not order again. Everything else I would get again. There are a few spaces in front on Sepulveda, but you should park in the back in the large parking lot that they have. The lot is not free, just an FYI. Staff was really nice and took care of us well. Their prices are not bad for sushi, more reasonable than others, but the sushi is still high grade and very good. Keep the prices reasonable, provide great service and provide high quality tasty food is a recipe to keep your customers coming back. Check them out, support local and get some great food and service. Enjoy!

    We went on Saturday night without reservations and it took about 30 min get seated. This place was…read morebusy and super packed! They did mentioned they take reservations but get full couple days in advance. Place was lively and food was excellent. We sat at the sushi bar/counter and we ordered directly with chef. We ordered bunch different cut rolls and sushi's. Everything was excellent and fish were fresh! We had really good time. Definitely give it a try.

    Photos
    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya
    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya
    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya

    See all

    Taisho - Salmon truffle roll

    Taisho

    4.6(1.9k reviews)
    2.8 miSherman Oaks

    You have to come here!! Heather is THE best!!! Ask for her to be your server. She will give you the…read morebest recommendations and will take care of you!!! This place is a 100/10. Great date spot And food is to die for!!

    This is probably my 4th or 5th time coming here for GNO/Bday get-togethers. And this place never…read moredisappoints because with their extensive menu, we always end up loving what we order and my girlfriends end up coming back with their other friends. Here's a list of dishes and drinks that we've tried and loved: Cocktails: Fusion, watermelon margarita, ventura heat Brussels sprouts chips Yellowtail serrano Green Beans Miso Eggplant Tofu Mushroom tobanyaki (this was the unexpected star of the show!) Popcorn Shrimp Seabass (we ordered 3) Salmon Truffle Roll Butter Cake We went on a weekday night and boy oh boy was the whole place packed for dinner and bar seating, from front patio to the back courtyard! I definitely recommend getting reservations ahead of time. The best seating is the beautiful courtyard in the back. Our server was Aidan. Thank you Aidan for your great service. The dishes were staggered and family style so we didn't feel rushed nor were we waiting too long in between. There is valet parking. Street parking is a hit or miss....this is Ventura Blvd btw so IYKYK. Make sure to bookmark this place, you won't be disappointed!

    Photos
    Taisho - Inside

    Inside

    Taisho - Crispy Brussels Sprouts

    Crispy Brussels Sprouts

    Taisho - Lobster, Wagyu robata

    See all

    Lobster, Wagyu robata

    Kushiyu - Chirashi- Menu $29.95 was charged $40

    Kushiyu

    3.9(1.1k reviews)
    3.3 miTarzana
    $$$$

    One of my go to sushi spots because of their simplicity and quality taste. Located in a shopping…read moreplaza with lots of parking. There's underground spots as well. The space inside is not that big so I would recommend reservations, especially Friday nights and weekends. You can order take out as well. The menu isn't overly big, which is nice. They also have some unique rolls I hadn't seen anywhere else like the lemon roll which I would recommend. My other favorites were the blue crab roll and halibut hamachi. The taste is the fish is fresh and melts in your mouth and they don't overpower items with extra sauces. Will be back for sure!

    I gave this restaurant three stars, our experience was mixed, we were a group of ten people some…read morereally enjoyed it and some less, I personally was on the side that didn't connect. It's important for me to mention that this review reflects my personal taste. We ordered a wide variety of dishes to try as much as possible and I tasted almost everything Unfortunately I didn't connect with the flavors Most of the sashimi dishes had a strong fishy taste as if the fish wasn't handled precisely enough before serving and in some cases the cuts were too thick for sashimi. The only dish I truly enjoyed was a vegetarian roll, which felt balanced and tasty to me, probably because it didn't include fish. The fruit creme brulee dessert also didn't work for me, it didn't look very appealing, and the flavors didn't come together in a way I liked. The staff was very nice, and the place itself is small and cute, with a pleasant atmosphere overall. Overall, it's possible that others will enjoy it more, especially those who like stronger, more dominant flavors, but for me, the experience was average, which is why my rating is three stars.

    Photos
    Kushiyu - The sushi bar and chefs

    The sushi bar and chefs

    Kushiyu - Agadashi Tofu-mash

    Agadashi Tofu-mash

    Kushiyu - Chicken Heart- Hatsu

    See all

    Chicken Heart- Hatsu

    Benihana - Encino - sushi - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...