Last time I was here was for my birthday two years ago. That experience left a bad taste in my mouth. So I've been in no rush to return. Until I was at a foodie event and Benihana was there promoting their new menu, reward program and remodel restaurants. So I decided to give them another try. As soon as I walked in I could see the change. New table tops, new layout, new decor, new attitude! So I was excited to see if the food had improved. The staff was friendly and keep a fun vibe cracking jokes and playfully picking on us. The chief did a great job with the show doing some of the classic "tricks" and some new ones. I did notice each chief had their own unique presentation. While still keeping to the core of what you've seen in the past but also adding their own flare to it. The table next to us turned off the table light and created a laser light show with steam and pen pointers. Our chief didn't do that but he went crazy with some juggling skills. The food was top-tier and it was an amazing experience. If you haven't been recently I recommending checking them out. read more

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I don't like how they place the menus on top of the plate you'll be eating from - previous customers/everyone is touching the menus and they're greasy. It's kind of gross, germ-wise if you think about it. Also when our table was brought a plate with several extra utensils on them, there was a candy wrapper amongst them.. I learned you don't come here for the food, but for the experience. The food is expensive and just okay. The fried rice was nothing special. The chicken dish was not particularly flavorful, tender or juicy. Our chef was okay, he did the thing where he made the onion volcano and did the train with the onions. I'm pretty sure that was it. Then we just watched him cook our orders. Perhaps it depends on which server you get for whether you'll have an entertaining or lackluster experience. Warning about smoke: Luckily there was an empty seat at my table for me to relocate because at my original seat, the smoke blew straight to my face making me tear up. The table across from me didn't seem to have the issue of smoke coming straight at them. You will leave with your hair and clothes smelling like smoke. It was nice that they took a photo of our group and gave us complimentary prints. read more

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We had a great experience last night at Benihana downtown. My niece loves hibachi so we have been to quite a few. The trend lately has been a lackluster show, but not tonight! Alejandro and Jaffar were 10/10. You can tell Alejandro has really worked on his craft by incorporating magic tricks and little jokes directed at my niece. And jaffar did such a great job making sure everything was taken care of. They did an awesome job including my niece and making it a great experience for her. Food - we ordered the steak and salmon dinner. Good quality and prepared well. As expected for a hibachi experience. Parking -- garage (validated) or street parking. Ask for these guys for a great experience! read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

With a slight remodel, that looks modern & inviting, the overall experience was less than memorable for the right reasons. Stopped in for lunch and waited for a bit, then a group walked in after and got seated while I headed to the bar. No menu offered which could've helped me determine that while they kept the lunch portion (spicy hibachi chicken) the same small size, unfortunately the price got a higher facelift price. The food arrived room temperature & really the only item with flavor was the fried rice. Chicken was a bit rubbery. Didn't mind the wait itself but almost felt like I was inconveniencing them since I was eating solo and others had groups. Hopefully they improve on their food and offer consistent service. read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Easy 5 star review! T was a server while she tended the bar. She is top notch! Great customer service and great overall personality! Very nice and accommodating! Food: made to perfection! Chicken fried rice was excellent! Hibachi chicken was full of flavor and so was the sushi. An overall great experience and a great meal. Also who in the food industry gives you 50.00 for your bday! Great marketing in their part. read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is gone from an upscale option for hibachi to a pretty run-of-the-mill place. The location in Houston is a little rundown, but the staff was extremely friendly. We went for an early dinner so we didn't have to worry about a reservation or standing in line, we even had an entire hibachi grill to ourselves. Our chef was hysterical. He was entertaining and very experienced and how to properly prepare what we ordered. Quality the food was good. The fillet was prepared very well and was a good quality meat and the chicken was tender and delicious. Good offerings as far as sauces to dip your meat or fried rice in. The shrimp appetizer had pretty good quantity to it and the mushroom soup appetizer was delicious. Their prices still reflect a time when this was an upscale option and I'm not sure that you're getting the same experience for what you're paying at this point, but I was not disappointed in the food or the service so I would go back. read more

The food & experience was pretty good -- typical hibachi. I was expecting darker lighting for a better ambiance and the service could have been a little better but it was pretty busy so I understand. 7/10 experience. I love that I was offered a free appetizer by joining their rewards program. read more

Benihana - CRISPY CALAMARI & lychee martini - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Truthfully i'd give this review a 1 star but I've come here often as a kid and it can be a fun experience for first timers, but the food just doesn't taste the same as it used to. On this visit I ordered the Lunch portion of Shrimp Yakisoba and I liked that it came with soup, dipping sauces, fried rice and hibachi vegetables. It was a definitely a great portion. As for the taste, everything was so bland, even the sauces! The only thing that had some amount of flavor was the yakisoba. It had a sweet soy flavor and the noodles were tender. The shrimp also tasted pretty fresh. The hibachi fried rice was not so tasty. It was mushy, had absolutely no seasoning and just tasted like overcooked white rice with a subtle garlic flavor. As for the vegetables they were salted right but again it had no flavor, not even from the onions!!! The food just wasn't enjoyable and while my server was great, the host wasn't and the ambiance inside is very ran down. I do not recommend! :/ read more

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Absolute rubbish service. Had to ask 3 times for my wife's glass of wine that was ordered with my drink and was obviously left off. It finally arrived with the tables second round of drinks. We had to ask for our steamed rice as it was not given to us (also no green tea). Then the bill came and it had 6 items on it from the other side of the table. They had to re-do the bill and I don't know what was said to them but they looked at us liked we had crapped in their soup. When we were re-presented the new total I was not given an itemised bill to check just told that it was correct. I said I don't trust him and made him print it off first. We were planning on having a cocktail in the bar afterwards but the terrible service made us want to go elsewhere. The meal was nice but I would not go back. read more

We had the worst experience I've ever had at Benihanas downtown. I couldn't wait to get back to Houston so my sister and I could go back to our favorite haunt. Carlos, our waiter was nice enough but got pretty much everybody's order wrong. We all laughed about and moved on. When we went to leave we were told the other woman at the table paid our bill. We knew that was a mistake. I tried to catch the family leaving the parking garage to pay them cash. We explained to Carlos what had happened and he said he'd have a mgr come over to us to try and make it right. He said he'd refund the other party and charge us our share. I asked to see it in writing. Their receipt, our receipt to be sure it would be handled properly. He tried to get the GM to come over but he was too busy. I had little faith in their ability to get anything right. It hadn't happened yet. I asked for her name so we could try and reach out to the woman and was told they didn't have her name. They wanted to charge us for something that had already been paid. What should have been a great time was not so great. Don't think we'll be back. read more

This has to be one of the best locations I've been to. We went for the lunch hour special and it was convenient and great. The service was great! I was immediately greeted upon entrance and sat shortly after. Our waitress and chef were both nice! One of the managers came and talked to us and he was really nice as well. The spicy hibachi chicken was great! Very flavorful and cooked to perfection. The fried rice was very well seasoned and the extra garlic butter sent it over the top. I did have an issue with paper being found in my soup! Luckily, I did not eat it, and it's no one's fault! I'm thankful I didn't eat it, but if I had to think of one thing I didn't like from an otherwise perfect experience, that would be it. The vibes are just like any other location. Tables everywhere, entrance at the front and a bar area in the back. This was the perfect lunch date! read more

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Food is always solid at a Benihana. The rice is always so good and the meat is cooked perfectly. Our chef Ben was lovely. Sadly our table mates sort of called the shots and we were overlooked on service. It was super rushed because the others wanted to have a rushed meal. I wish our waitress would have noticed or at least asked. read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

HVAC system was broken so some make shift system is in place ie large machines everywhere that are so loud it was hard to have a conversation. There was also tubing coming out of the ceiling in the women's restroom that fed down to a bucket next to the toilet. When you pay around $80 a person, this is not the ambiance you have in mind.... The service was so slow. Sat at the bar for about 20 minutes without the bartender asking if we needed a drink, perhaps she was distracted by the headphones she had in. Then sat at a table for another 30 minutes before getting my drink. I truly don't know how this place is open. read more

Everything was bad, we made the mistake of reading Open Table reviews. The dinning room was 92 degrees. The service was slow and aggressive. Then the waiter wanted the table to tip via cash apps instead of adding to the tab, seems like a hustle. Just don't go. read more

1 star -- Benihana Downtown Houston -- Avoid the Rice Scam Took my 2 kids to Benihana Downtown Houston for dinner. I got Splash 'N Meadow, they got kids meals. Should've been a simple family night. It wasn't. What went wrong: 1. Overcooked steak. Paid $55+ for Splash 'N Meadow and the steak was tough and dry. Had it re-done. If you can't cook it right when it's made in front of me, what are we doing? 2. $6 fried rice upcharge per person, not disclosed. Chef started making hibachi fried rice without saying it's extra. Steamed rice is included free, but they don't tell you. 3. Charged the $6 upgrade on BOTH kids meals. $18 total just for rice my kids didn't ask for. The chef assumes everyone wants it and bills you later. 4. The upcharged rice was overcooked too. Paying premium for them to mess up rice is wild. 5. Auto-grat stacked on top of all the surprise charges. Final bill for 1 adult + 2 kids was outrageous for the quality and experience. Parents: If you see the chef cracking eggs into rice, stop him and say "steamed rice only" or you're getting charged $6 per kid. They bank on you not knowing. The show isn't worth the hidden fees and bad food. Plenty of other hibachi spots in Houston won't pull this. We're done with Benihana. read more

Benihana - Total Bill - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

This was a good night. I love hibachi and usually enjoy my time at Benihana and this was no different. I enjoyed the live cooking experience and the food was really good too. Especially the teriyaki chicken. It was so tender and almost had a buttery like consistency. I also enjoyed my drinks and the ambience was great too! Our waiter was also really sweet. I would love to come back here sometime soon. read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

I think the food was very good, but I wasn't blown away. The chef was very talented and offered a great show. The scallops were fresh and tasted great, but maybe slightly overcooked. The fried rice was tasty but the wagyu beef fried rice had a LOT of fat and it wasn't the choicest cuts. However, the clear soup was excellent - for some reason more balanced because it didn't have a lot of fat in it. I also enjoyed my cold sake glass but wish they offered higher quality sakes from Japan, there were not so many on the menu. I tried the margaritas - good. read more

Took one of my clients here for a hibachi business lunch and was quite impressed with the quality and flavor of the food! I had looked at the reviews in advance and am glad I decided to give it a shot regardless as it truly was delicious and was the perfect location for a downtown business lunch. The service was great, no complaints -- our waitress did a great job at keeping our drinks full and ensuring we had what we needed. Removing 1 star as there was something on the bottom of my glass that looked like an old mushroom or something, and the staff could have improved at pre-bussing throughout. All-in-all, I would recommend it for a nice casual business lunch and will absolutely be returning! read more

The food is delicious and I love the onion soup but my favorite is the fried vegetables and fried rice. Highly recommend

I haven't been back here in almost 2 decades, ever since they tried to cover up a missed order by telling me they were hand-making my udon noodles in back (yah, no, not buying it). That said, a colleague wanted to have a quick bite and this was our best option. The good news is the service we had was very nice this time, and the bento boat was edible. The not so good news is I've never seen a grilled salmon sliced SO thin. The sashimi that came with the meal was cut with the grain, so it was very sinewy and chewy. Salad was nice, as was the California rolls and edamame. Tempura was ok. Wouldn't be my first choice but could do in a pinch. read more

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Japanese food when you're stuck downtown or you want to have a semi entertaining dinner with coworkers. It's a safe place for the uninitiated or uninspired. The sushi is mediocre a bit pricey for the quality even with a birthday discount. The service was nice and friendly. The vibe is dated. There's some street parking nearby. If you come for dinner, street parking is free after 6pm. read more

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I have gone to Benihana throughout the years and they try to think I won't notice the difference between baby corn and corn in a dish...and the difference between the mushrooms and different ingredient ins...they have cut back to prison servings and any sauce is a charge. I paid 5.50 for 2 shiitake mushrooms ... now they are using pancake batter for eggs. I was so appalled I spent $80 on my meal with a hot sake. 2x chicken fried rice. I asked for extra egg and they had the NEarVE to charge me for it without informing me there was no "EGG ROLL" on the habatchi anymore. No More sushi: limited menu. It's giving Benihana drive thru. Keep the garlic butter flowing we may not notice .... read more

Benihana - First photo of the seafood Diablo...last time it was like that was years ago... 2nd photo is pancake eggs :( - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Review I've come to this Benihana since I was 6 years old. I'm 46 now. This location used to be the reason my parents would pass 10 other hibachi restaurants driving from Clear Lake to eat in Louisiana at Benihana. I've since taken my own family regularly for over a decade. Never again. Last night I should have trusted my gut and just walked out. This restaurant used to be managed, and run by REAL SERVICE PROFESSIONALS. Now it's a bunch of young people that don't care about what this place used to be. Numerous times we heard these little groups of people congregating and talking, swearing, laughing. At one point as we were standing at the front, a waiter came over and grabbed another waiter and made a comment about how some dumb@$$ paid him in like a $1000 in ones. I brought my girlfriend here for the first time. I talked it up like it was going to be the best hibachi experience she'd ever had. Told her the stories of how my parent used to bring us... I felt embarrassed walking her in. The place looks terrible. TERRIBLE. When I brought this up to the manager who was TRYING to fix the bill that was messed up... he just made excuses. Like he did when I showed him my bill wasn't fixed. No apologies, just excuses. The waiter was NOT a professional. Like most of the waiters I saw... he looked like he would have been less out of place at a Chili's. Again, having been a regular patron of Benihana for the better part of the last 40 years... this was a big change that just made this place suck. Terrible waiters. They used to take pride, be real Service Professionals. NOT ANYMORE. I ordered a cocktail when the drink order was taken. When the food was being served... after everyone had received their drinks, I asked the waiter if I could get my cocktail (I only waited this long b/c I never saw him again). He returns 10 mins later with the wrong cocktail. Something terrible with cucumber in it. Truly terrible, especially if you'd rather choke on your own vomit instead of taste cucumber like me. So gross. Another 10 mins goes by... we're almost done with our food and I get up to go find someone to make my drink. The waiter finally comes back and asks what's wrong. I tell him it's the wrong drink. He asks AGAIN what my drink was. My drink order was as BASIC as bartending gets. I just wanted a Vodka Collins in a tall glass. He comes back after a few minutes to ask what is in it!!!!! WHAT?!? My whole damn meal is about done and you and your bartender STILL can't make my simple drink? Another 10 mins goes by and he finally delivers what looks like a Vodka Collins. I take a drink... it's not good. ...but whatever. I was in the Service Industry for YEARS... I'm EXTREMELY gracious and forgiving in bad service situations. I didn't throw a fit. I just felt terrible that this was my date's experience here. Then the bill comes. At the top sits a $32 charge for my cocktail. At this point, we're DONE with the meal. I'd taken one drink. ...I ask the waiter to take the drink off. I wasn't going to pay $32 for a drink I ordered and didn't get for an hour... AFTER the meal. First attempt... still a charge (smaller) for the drink. I asked the manager this time to take the drink off. He asks how everything else was and I attempt to explain who disappointed we were... i mention just how BAD the place looks and how it's hard to justify coming to a restaurant that looks like this and spend $200+. ...just excuses. I realized at this point that Benihana was gone. Lost to people and processes that don't care anymore. Very very sad ending to what once was an institution. Don't go here. Let it die. ...it's in the process. read more

My fiancé took me to dinner to celebrate my birthday. The area where we were seated had air conditioning issues so it was EXTREMELY and UNBEARABLY HOT. The two a/c units they did have were pointed towards the families sitting closest to them. They also had a fan blowing, however, the family sitting closest had both the fan and a/c, while our table and chef melted. My fiancé asked if the fan could be adjusted but was told they needed approval from the manager. We waited for our food to be cooked, paid the full $175 tab and requested a box to go. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. read more

it was really bad. Our waitress was nice but the wait for the food was insane especially for it being a hibachi restaurant. I wish i took a photo of my food but i ordered steak fried rice and chicken fried rice. The steak came with 10 tiny pieces of steak. That's it. Chicken came with mini bite size pieces you could feed to a baby and it was bland and unseasoned. The rice was nice but it was upsetting i paid $30 for meat and i was met with 99% rice. When i walked in there were dirty tables everywhere, and i came around 8:20. Got my food around 9:30ish. Won't be coming back. read more

I am writing to formally complain about the treatment my family and I experienced during our Mother's Day dinner at your Houston Downtown location. The section where we were seated had little to no air conditioning. At first, we assumed it was temporary because there was absolutely no airflow at all. We were sweating heavily before our server even arrived. When we asked to move, we were told it would be "the same all over." We repeatedly asked staff what was going on and eventually learned the air conditioning was out. The only source of relief was a large industrial portable unit that we had to maneuver ourselves just to feel a small amount of air. The situation became even worse once cooking began nearby. By the time I stood up to leave, my clothes were literally soaked and sticking to the seat from perspiration. What made this experience truly upsetting was the response from management. I spoke to a male manager who laughed while acknowledging that "yeah, it's hot, I'm sweating too," and stated they hoped the air would be fixed. When I requested the corporate number, he laughed again and told me to "just go on the website" because it would "come right back to him anyway." He then joked that next time we should "ask to sit in the cool spot," despite customers having no way of knowing there were seating areas without working air conditioning. When we asked why guests were not being informed beforehand, he laughed again and stated that corporate would not allow them to do that. I have never experienced a manager openly laugh at customers during such an uncomfortable dining situation. We were made to feel dismissed and unimportant rather than valued guests. What was supposed to be a special Mother's Day celebration was completely ruined. I would appreciate a response regarding how this situation will be addressed, both concerning the facility conditions and the unprofessional conduct of management. read more

interior looked under renovation or had some issue with ac bc they had portable fans in the back dining area. waitress spilled drinks at start of dining experience but never got an apology from manager. asked to be moved - got seated at another shared table and we were stuck with very chatty guest. the chef did her best to deal with guest. the food was good. read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Very rarely do I leave a restaurant without actually discussing what's wrong. This was one where the juice wasn't worth the squeeze and I just wanted to be out of there. Rice wasn't cooked completely, steak was way undercooked just kind of completely ruined the experience. I wouldn't recommend and I'll never go back to this overpriced establishment. read more

This location should be shut down. We sat by the thermostats and were able to monitor the temperature the entire time. It was consistently at 92°. Service was awful and our ice melted immediately. My husband had to put ice his in beer, and we all sweated through our clothes. By the time our food was served we were all so nauseous from being too hot we couldn't eat. Our bill was $200 then the server who we only saw once request us to pay him separately on a Cash App (he offered various apps) for his tip. He said it was expected and was confrontational. The hibachi chef was good. But besides that it was the worst dining experience I have ever had. Their tagline should be "If you're trying to loose weight, go to the Benihana's Houston Downtown, you'll sweat more than sitting in a sauna and sh*t your brains out after". read more

This host was very rude and I left. He followed me into the parking lot and confronted me after I left the restaurant, pushed me, ripped my shirt. I filed a police report. Absolutely crazy. Scratched my neck. I would just stay away from this place. Very dangerous. read more

Benihana - The host that assaulted me. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Went to grab dinner for my birthday and I would never go back. Our cook, Kendy,he must of been a bus boy earlier in the day,horrible! There was no show- at all. He could barely cook. I could have done a better job and I'm disabled. I ordered the filet and chicken and didn't receive any chicken. How do you read my order to me and then not give me what I ordered. I was hoping for an enjoyable experience but I left highly disappointed. I will never go back. Do yourself a favor, find another restaurant. read more

Made a reservation at this location and were seated about 15 minutes after we got there. Our service was slow. Slow to come take our order and slow for the food to come out. The manager was nice though and comped our drinks to apologize for the wait. The food in general was decent, very large portion size! Lots of rice and protein. Our chef used a lot of butter to cook everything. I left feeling like I was going to have a food coma. The ice cream I got was green tea which had good flavor but was very icy. Overall, good dinner! Lots of birthday celebrations here. read more

Your employees are great but shame on y'all for having no A/C or proper ventilation. My husband's Father's Day was ruined. We left after 10 minutes. There was no way my family was spending hundreds of dollars in that miserable place. read more

We came on a busy Sunday before NATTY. Had a reservation but had to wait a good 45' after the reservation time. The hostess was rude and unhelpful. What's the purpose of reservations or a hostess when you are treated and plan like this? That was the beginning of a terrible experience, or chef was a dud, no showmanship and poor cooking skills, poor conversation too! All around disappointing! I've been to a handful of chains and this shouldn't even be allowed to be part of the chain. Food was terrible. The rice and fried rice were hard, the chicken and steak were terrible texture only covered up by their sauce. STAY AWAY, this place needs new help! read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I took my 8 year old grandson out for his birthday. There were 4 adults and 2 kids. No one had a cocktail just water. The bill came to $462 including tip. A bit outrageous don't ya think! read more

I usually come to this location and sugar land. It's always good. But tonight the cook/chef BETTY was amazing. The BEST and most captivating experience I've EVER had and I've come to Benihana for YEARS. THANK YOU BETTY! read more

Was there recently on business trip and decided to give it a try since there isn't much in downtown area at night. I should have listened to a friend who advised against it I ordered the Emperor's Feast and it was a disappointment It was very salty and the vegetables were cold It is supposed to include steak, chicken and shrimp It had steak which was ok but salty and plenty of chicken but only two tiny shrimp. I also ordered cold sake and I guess they don't sell much of it because it was room temperature at best Overall it was a bad experience read more

The fellowship of the hibachi was convened to celebrate two birthdays this year. If you are out of the loop, you should know that the chain offers a $30 credit with $30 spent on one's birthday. Not quite a BOGO, because nothing is ever a flat $30, but still a good enough deal to get folks out and about. We chose the downtown location thinking it was centralized and the experience would be better than trekking out to a suburb. That assumption proved inaccurate. We were late, it happens. Our table-mates (randoms we shared the table with, good folks) were also late. So we began a bit after our reservation time. Understandable because they have a schedule of tables, and only so many chefs that can manage it. When our chef did come, there was no showmanship, no speaking, no nothing. It was very impersonal. We have all been before, which is why we chose to come here. The price tag isn't for quality or quantity. Neither of those are anywhere close to a value. We come for the show. And that's what we didn't get. We basically watched a short-order cook hustle. Our feeling were confirmed by our table-mates who apparently come every birthday. They were also disappointed. Add to that, there is a ceiling leak next to our table. The birthday boy had to towel off a little bit after our pictures were taken. Did we eat? Yes. Was our experience worth the price tag, absolutely not. Next time will be a different location. read more

Omg the service is slow. The food is horrible and the floor was sticky. Tables weren't cleaned off. We were waiting at every level from the door to our server our food. This place needs to be shut down read more

I came on a Thurs early evening around 5pm for hibachi with some family friends in town. We were one of the first people in and got seated immediately. Since we had a party of 5 and it was early we did get the whole table to ourselves. I had the passion fruit lemonade which I loved! And ordered Chicken and Shrimp Hibachi meal. It comes with Miso soup (which I forgot to get a picture of), small salad, shrimp appetizer (3 shrimp), grilled veggies (onions mushrooms, and zucchini), and your choice of ice cream or sherbet). I really enjoy watching the chef cook the food. The little tricks are fun to watch. I would say he cooked the veggies a little charred. I added the spicy sauce to my dish and loved the flavor of that sauce! The food was cooked well. The chef gave my shrimp to another person in my party but the quick fix was the switch plates. She doesn't like spicy foods so I had to take her plate and he gave her a new one. The waitress was good in the beginning. She took our drink orders then came back for our meal order. However during the meal once we got our food we didn't see her much. I was appreciative that she brought me a refill for my drink without asking. I had told her as soon as I received my food that I was going to need a to go box and the check because I needed to go soon. She took a while to bring those things. I had to flag her down to come back to run the card as I was cutting it close on time. I needed to get to somewhere before it closes and traffic got really bad. No dessert for me . She never asked me if she should go ahead a bring it to me. read more

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