Wonderful meal at Benihana in Monterey! Brig, our waiter,was very polite and friendly as was Antonio our chef. We also had Matt as our server at Happy Hour who was very courteous and attentive. The birthday song was very fun and made the dining experience even more memorable! read more

Showed up here with a date. And service was unprofessional, hostess spent more than 5 literal minutes just talking to my boyfriend without acknowledging me and then wrote our name down to seat us. The place is old, and outdated. Food is mid. She later came to our table WHILE eating to ask for a number incase we "leave something behind"...odd I've been to many restaurants and have never been asked this while eating. read more

Ordered take out around 9PM. They close at 10PM. I'm paying just as much as the first person who walked into this restaurant so I expect my food to be decent. Ordered a plate of steak. It came with soup, salad & rice. Soup was salty. Asked for medium rare but it was very well done. I also asked for a small side of noodles. Which was 15$!!! And they were not good at all. Paid a total of 67$!!!!! Food was veryyy MID definitely not worth my 67 dollars!!!!! Felt very bummed for spending that much money on food that wasn't even good. read more

We would give them an extra star but we never got the tea that the menu promised. My wife ordered the hibachi chicken and I had the hibachi shrimp. The food was cooked perfectly but it sadly we left still hungry as the quantity was very little. Anyhow we came mostly for the show, and had a great time and the restaurant was very clean and staff was very attentive. Thank you Benihana's we will return again some day soon! read more

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I came in by myself and requested a table in the bar area. The time was after 1:30pm.on a Sunday. The hostess told me I can't sit in there because there is no bartender. I asked if I could take a table as I am not drinking, just here for lunch. She seats me, takes my order and does not come back for almost 20 mins at which time she shows up with ALL of the courses at once, the salad, the soup and my entree (I ordered the TRIO) The fried rice had egg shells in and some of the shrimp were NOT de-veined which I truly believe is standard for any high-end seafood restaurant. GROSS!!!!! read more

Benihana - Monterey - Shrimp with vein - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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My husband and I scheduled a 6:15pm reservation for our anniversary this past Saturday. We arrived around 4:30pm to see if we could be seated early and were told no as they were "behind schedule" which was completely fine as we knew it was a long shot. We returned at 6:10 for our reservation, our reservation time came and we were still waiting. At 6:20, a couple came in and said they did not have a reservation but wanted to check on the wait. The hostess then said "we are very busy, we don't have room, but we will make room for you." And then proceeded to sit them immediately. Meanwhile my husband and I had been waiting along with another couple who also had a reservation. The front of house staff was very rude when speaking to guests and yelling out names with a frustrated attitude. 6:30 comes and we are sat for our reservation. They proceeded to to sit us with a nice family of 5, at a table for 8. Then they stated the other couple who had a 6:15 reservation would also sit with us pushing the table to 9. We immediately voiced our concern because the table hardly fits 8 people comfortably so to add in an additional setting would make everyone uncomfortable and sitting essentially on top of one another. The hostess said "sorry, this is what is happening" and had the couple join us. I'm currently pregnant, and being forced to sit so close to strangers (while they were very nice) was not appropriate. Even not pregnant, this is a terribly uncomfortable experience. I looked at my husband and communicated that I was very uncomfortable that they only cared about making more money than customer experience and this was not how I wanted to spend our anniversary. We got up and left, the restaurant did not notice nor care. I would not recommend this establishment based on their front of house staff. I cannot speak to their chefs as we did not have the chance to try their food but I will say everything smelled incredible which made leaving that much harder. We were then forced to return to our hotel and eat pizza as it was Saturday night and no restaurants had any availability. Not how we wanted to spend our anniversary and first weekend away together in years. read more

I was along the pier area on Friday afternoon looking for dinner then I stumbled upon his benihanas. We walked in around 8:50 PM. After going to the front counter, I asked the wait time for two people. They said it would be about 5/10 minutes. We got seated promptly. The inside is average just like every other Benihana but it was SOOO hot inside there as soon as you pass the bathrooms. After being seated a young woman brought us menus and asked for our beverages. After waiting about 15 minutes, the cook came out. I ordered the BENIHANA TRIO, which consisted of Filet mignon, colossal shrimp and chicken breast grilled with lemon $54. I like going to Beni's for the show. There was no-show here. The only thing our chef did was the onion tower with the fire that was it. He also rushed the whole thing. The one thing that I really did not like was that the chef came to the table, he even repeated everybody's orders. My chicken was super dry and taste less. It did not have any flavor nor seasoning to it. As the chef made everyone's orderI did not get my shrimp. Once he was done cooking everything he then realized that he never brought the shrimp. After I was almost done eating, they finally brought four pieces of shrimp that were not cooked in front of me, but in the back. I'm not sure why they even brought them anymore if I was already almost done with the food, they should've just asked me if I wanted them or took them off the tab. My order also is supposed to come with an Ice Cream that I was also not offered lol. This has been my worst experience at a Benihanas. I had high expectations for the location it was in but it was a total fail. I will never go back to this Benihanas. read more

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would give zero stars if i could. have been coming to this benihana location for over 10 years as regular, known customers but tonights experience confirmed that we will no longer be returning. we had a reservation for 2 at 6:15 on a monday night. we were sat at an overcrowded table with no warning, typically when we come with a large party and want to add a chair they say no and some stuff about policy, but tonight they added an extra person leaving us all shoulder to shoulder with strangers and to top it off our food was served to us closer to 8:15 2 hours after our original reservation time. the waiter let us know an hour into us being seated that they are busy and are short on chefs and then disappeared for most of the remainder of our time there, people needed refills, the chef needed things from the back and it was just an overall aweful experience. if you wanna have a relaxing dinner with good service in monterey DO NOT come to benihana. read more

Great experience! Best Benihana I've been to yet. Loved the staff, Michelle our server was incredible! read more

Benihana - Monterey - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Super pricey but the food is good. The entertainment is interactive and it is a good way to spend a special day like a birthday or anniversary. The service is good. The staff is very friendly. They validate your parking ticket for the lot behind their building. read more

Amazing service Friendly waiters great food and superb ambience Wish it was closer but will definitely visit again read more

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The host, server and cook today were incredibly kind and helpful. Plus the food was delicious as always Amazing experience here at Benihana read more

Benihana - Monterey - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Came here for my nieces birthday with a party of 11. As our party arrived we were told that anything over 10 required 2 tables. It was a later in the night so we were the only ones in the place. We split up and each had our own show for dinner. The cooks did a great job. The food was really good and the portions were very large. I had the rib-eye and jumbo shrimp. The steak was tasty and the large shrimp were excellent. My wife had the filet and jumbo shrimp. Her steak melted in your mouth. We also had potsticker and spicy chicken wings. The wings were the highlight, so good. I didn't get pics of all the food. With the show and food I totally forgot which usually never happens. We will definitely be back. The only complaint was that we were split into 2 and they still added the gratuity to us since it was a large party. Oh well. read more

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We have eaten here a few times, and the staff and food are excellent The owner is super sweet. Great spot for birthdays. read more

Benihana - Monterey - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

We came and celebrated our sons 10th birthday here. As usual it was delicious and fun! I was shocked that I called the night before and was able to get a table for 7 the next day! For a Thursday really busy but less than a weekend. We always get the same thing. The trio and share it. It's more than enough food! The food was excellent, the show (cooking) was awesome! It was very loud but every table had a birthday. Can't begrudge that! read more

Love the staff here. So helpful and friendly even when they're always busy. Turned out that reservations for hibachi were all booked out but was able to eat at the bar area as a walk in. Could order the hibachi you just don't get "the show" hahaha which in my opinion is one of the best parts, but the food is just as delicious. Was craving Benihana so had to take the bar seating as only option that day. I'd highly recommend making reservations but you won't be disappointed if you end up having to eat at bar area either. read more

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My recent experiences at Benihanas in Monterey have been disappointing. On two separate occasions, the staff demonstrated unprofessionalism by refusing service. The first incident involved a simple to-go order of fried rice, declined half an hour before closing despite other patrons waiting. I took the concern to HQ, recommending a review of their closing hours. Unfortunately, the frustration continued when, on a Monday at 4 pm, we were turned away due to understaffing, with no option for takeout or seating at the bar. Again I just tried to get a to-go order and was turned away. The consistent rudeness displayed by the staff overshadowed any positive aspects. I suggest potential diners explore alternatives in the area and be cautious about relying on Benihanas for a reliable and pleasant dining experience. Call ahead. read more

This Benihana is one of the more friendly, cozy, and less crowded Benihana's I've been to and is a great alternative if you live in the Central Coast and do not want to drive to the Bay Area! My now-husband and I celebrated our first dating anniversary and, later, our engagement here! Needless to say, we cannot recommend this place enough :D read more

This was only the 2nd time I've been to Benihana ever and I have to say it was a much better experience than I expected! They had fun paper chef hats for the kids. The waitress and chef were super nice. The food was decent and actually great portion sizes for the price. And of course the show with the chef cooking in front of us was fun for everyone. read more

Benihana - Monterey - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Food quality is garbage compared to what it used to be. Steak was skinny little pieces. Shrimp was chopped so tiny. The steak at Chipotle is higher quality. We expect to overpay at Benihana, but the quality was usually decent in the decades past. $18.50 for a typical cocktail. Took 30 minutes to get waters. That was the sign we missed and should have left right then and there. We don't expect high end steakhouse quality but this was horrible quality wise. Cook was a nice guy though. Get him higher quality meats and bring back the large portions... read more

My second Benihana experience and this is what it is supposed to be! Warmly greeted when we walked in the door and immediately sat at the hibachi table with two other groups. Our server was very attentive and helpful. My Nana's soda was never empty. We placed our order (Benihana Special - 6 course meal with steak and lobster). Onion soup, miso salad, garlic shrimp, grilled zucchini and onions, grilled mushrooms with my steak, and a rainbow sherbert for dessert. Our chef Antonio was great! He explained each of the sauces. Put on several magnificent fire shows with the veggies and rice. He was engaging throughout the experience, which is why you dine here. Great price for the all-inclusive value. I cannot wait to return here. read more

This is a very nice Benihana. We visited on a Sunday right after they opened for lunch, on a rainy day in December so it was not real crowded. We've been to 2 non-corporate (franchise) Benihana's: this one, and the one in Waikiki, which is actually called Aoki after the founder, Rocky Aoki. Anyway, the food quality was great. My husband loves all teppan, but Beni's is his favorite. He got filet mignon and lobster and I tried something new- salmon fillets with avocado tartar sauce and noodles. It was a TON of food. We also tried the crispy rice cake with spicy tuna sushi appetizer. The sushi was super fresh, I could come here and just have sushi. The chef was friendly and tried to entertain the little kids at our table. Our server, Domonic was attentive. Overall, I would say we are fortunate to have Benihana in Monterey. We definitely plan to return. read more

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So good! My husband and I went for our anniversary. Staff and chef were so nice and made our day. Thanks for a great experience! read more

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We recently took our 4.5-year-old to this Benihana's location and he had an amazing time. The chef made the experience a lot of fun for our son. The food was tasty and the portions were large. We will definitely be back. read more

Great waitress, she filled drinks quickly, had great customer service. The cook at our table didn't seem happy to be there and seemed to favor one girl at our table, the girl ordered chicken for her and her family and he gave her half of our shrimp. Most hibachi restraunts give you 80% of your food and split the rest with others. Once he started serving our lobsters he went to give her more than half and I actually told him no we paid for 3 lobsters, you only cooked 3 lobsters, you already gave her half of our shrimp. This made the rest of the experience awkard. The food quality, the cleanliness, and the great waitress deserve 5 stars. The only bad part about the food is the sauces. Normally you get 2 sauces, a sweet brown ginger sauce and a creamy orange spicy orange sauce. Both sauces here only tasted like strong soy sauce. Not good at all. read more

Cool atmosphere inside The homestyle brown sugar lemonade is NOT good Got the soda of the day and it tasted like just syrup Waitress was nice Pricey for quality of food read more

Great way to celebrate ! We started with Happy Hour sushi and drinks and then had dinner. The apps were fresh and delicous and we decided to have our dinner in the lounge where it was quiet. We both ordered the seafood diablo, and after the salad, soup and rice, we could barely make a dent into our dinners ! There was enough food left over for at least one more dinner. All things considered - good value, delicious food and great service. Look forward to returning, even if just for Happy Hour (one of the best deals around). The staff always makes you feel very welcome and valued as customers. read more

2stars are for the excellent customer service. The cook and waitress were the best experience there, both very friendly and on top of everything we needed or asked for. However, the food was not the best compared to other teppanyaki we have had. I would give the rice and main dish a 2. I had the filet mignon and chicken and they were ok but not much flavor. The shrimp was so so as well. I always get spicy sauce when I eat teppanyaki and this places spicy sauce had no flavor. Definitely will not return and or try another Benihana. On top of all this, definitely was not with $225.00 for 2 adults and 2 kids (1 kid only had fried rice) read more

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A nice hibachi place where the chef cooks in front of you and offers a cooking show. Lousy reception (poker face, arrogant, off-putting) but excellent waiters and chef: friendly, attentive, fast service; never a long wait for anything (probably in their own self interest as their table turn over rate is higher; more guests each night). The place can be noisy, but it's the positive vibe of restaurant team drumming and singing happy birthday to various tables, the chefs pulling out all the stops (such as volcano / locomotive on fire), and so on. Delicious food and a big menu (from lobster tail to scallops, everything). They give you ice cream at the end. read more

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I was pretty disappointed in our "show" I have been to Benihana many times and this was by far the most disappointing Benihana experience I have ever had. Our "show" consisted of a flaming onion and he flipped some shrimp tails around and that was it!. It was one of our groups birthday and first time at Benihana and she said it was not worth the price and the show was uneventful. The chef was not very engaging with the table ( 5 of us ) and for around $100 per person it was not worth the $400 tab and $100 tip we left. Most of the food was cooked well but the shrimp was so overcooked it was rubber. read more

Loud but fun. Good for large parities or if you're celebrating a special occasion. There seemed to be a birthday at every hibachi table so the singing and drumming seemed to be non-stop. No complaints however as this is the ambiance at Benihana. My son and I sat shared a table with another family so a small party can sit at a hibachi table, but you'll be sitting with others you may not know, but say hello and make a friend. Service was good from our server and our hibachi chef was even better. The chicken fried rice and the veggies are tasty with all that garlic butter spread over it. Entrees are quite tasty too with a range from steak, seafood, chicken and all veggie options. They have sushi rolls as well and other appetizers. Portions are quite large if you're getting an entree from the hibachi table. Comes with Japanese onion soup, salad and your entree choice, which includes a side of grilled shrimp, veggies and rice. The place was packed at 6:45 so reservations are highly recommended. I can't do this type of loud ambiance every month but once a year on a special occasion is always fun! read more

Benihana - Monterey - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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We had made a reservation for 8:45 and they close at 9pm. My husband and I live in Aptos so it's difficult to get to either location quickly after work. They called us while we were driving there and 10 mins away just to check if we were still coming and told us where is the best lot to park. There were 3 other groups still eating when we arrived. We had our own hibachi but the chef and the servers were all super nice, attentive, efficient, chef still threw the shrimp tails in his hat and made the onion train, and servers still sang for my birthday and gave us ice cream and a photo. The chef also gave me the different hot sauce options available when I asked for hot sauce and his recommendation. I ordered the samurai treat which was delicious! I have found in the past that sometimes it's only one item that is good (the surf or the turf but not both) but the steak was cooked to perfection (medium rare just as I requested). The owner checked in on us as well to see how we were enjoying everything. Definitely worth it to come to this location instead of the Cupertino location. No regrets and we will be back!!!!!! read more

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We had reservations so we waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Staff is friendly enough. Waitress was nice. Parking was ok. The food was just okay. Our table stopped working and our party of 8 had to be moved to another table which was annoying but things happen and after the move and delay in eating we didn't even get a small discount. Wouldn't go again for what we paid. read more

The food is amazing and the entertainment aspect is great. Especially for the kids. We really enjoyed it. They also offer a gluten free menu which we need since our youngest has Celiacs. Our only recommendation would be when they bring out the GF food. I guess GF dishes are prepared in the kitchen since they don't want to cross contaminate on the grill which is really nice. And maybe we just caught them on an off night but they didn't bring out the GF food until almost everyone else was served. That was especially hard on our youngest. It's awfully hard to watch all this delicious food being cooked, served, and eaten while you have to sit there with nothing to eat. We heard a chef called in sick, so that could explain it. That might also explain why we were seated at 6:45 and didn't begin to eat until 8:30 or so. They kept bringing us free sushi and stuff to apologize. That was a nice gesture but we didn't want to fill up on that when the main part of the meal was still to come. I think we just caught them on an off night. But I thought this might help other parents with GF kiddos. read more

We were walking by saw a sign that said lunch well it turns out that lunch is only Monday through Friday so the regular menu is available on weekdays apparently and the dinner menu and more was available on Saturday and Sunday. The service was excellent. The food however was a two the chicken was just so dry you could peel it, fried rice had like no flavor at all. I just really did not like our lunch. The service though I would definitely give the server five stars it's too bad the cooks where not on their top game that day, so I would say it's kind of a hit or miss and be aware that that lunch deal is only Monday through Friday even though it doesn't say that. They did offer to replace the chicken we just lost our appetite after the rice and did not feel like waiting. read more

My son took me here for my birthday. Such an incredible location. The ambiance of this area is unsurpassed. The staff are very well trained and do an excellent job putting on a show in front.of your eyes. Like have front row seats at a play. And the magic of it all is incredible. And then to top it off, the food they serve is all so delicious. It doesn't matter what you order, everything is wonderful. I have returned a few times and every time, have been impressed.. read more

We always love dining here when we are in Monterey. Hitomi was the one who took down my reservation, she is so funny! love her! It's a Tepanyaki restaurant so it's always going to be a great time and food will always be delicious! It's always packed so you always want to call ahead! It's a fun restaurant to be in. Decorations are what you expect when you dine in a Japanese restaurant, There is a Shogun costume in a case so it's cool to see up close. read more

Food is good when it comes on time. Had to wait an hour. Waiter admitted he forgot to place my order. I couldn't leave a tip after that experience. read more

We called this place last minute for reservations and was lucky enough to get seating on a Friday night! The host was very prompt and we were seated early. Our waiter was, Nick, who was outstanding! He's quite hospitable, diligent, and smart! The hibachi chef was also a very good showman and hos cooking was delicious! My wife ordered an Emeprors meal which came with teriyaki steak and chicken and I ordered the Benihana Trio which is similar as the Emperors meal but with an added Jumbo shrimp. Everything was cooked the way we wanted and they cook plenty enough to take home. Thank you, Nick and Benihana Team for a night well done! -JP read more

Benihana - Monterey - Complimentary Family Photo by Benihana - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

The cook overcooked the food right in front of us, asked for m/r got well done on my steak, when he cooked the shrimp he smashed all the juice out till it was bone dry.he did the same with the calamari it was like rubber.When preparing the food he combined our ingredients with the other parties order , then when he was finished the meal he served the party of four first then by the time we were served we felt like we got the left overs their plates were full of ingredients and he had to stretch the rest for our 2 plates..we got leftovers.totally ruined our Birthday night out. The cook comunicated solely with the party of four and totally ignored us.This experience was not a classy experience but more like receiving McDonald's food. The waitress was horrible she seemed to be overwhelmed with to many tables not attentive to our needs, we had to raise our hand to flag her down for extra sauce we were still trying to eat our dinner while the party of 4 gobbled their food up and ordered dessert so when the party of four got their dessert we got ours even though we were not ready. On our table and the table next to us there were Hispanic cooks speaking only Spanish, making us very uncomfortable not knowing what their saying our cooks name was Carlos Food service and preparation was definitely overrated I can only hope that the owner of this establishment reads this comment cooks and waitresses need retraining . Will no recommend going to this dive to anyone that I encounter. read more