Came for a birthday celebration and had a good time. Staff attentive to get us our drinks and noted allergies. We chose the five course entry that came with soup, salad, rice (I opted out), shrimp app and a protein. Protein portions are small regardless of what you order as they fill you up with the sides. Also be attentive if you ask for things to be cooked separately for allergies because there was a mix up. Overall it's fun to come here for the theatrics of it all and the experience if that's what you're going for. They also took pics of us and gave us a sleeve for it which was fun. read more

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Came here to here for the 45min power lunch for a quick bite. - The restaurant was pretty empty. - After checking in, the host disappeared. So we rechecked in with the manager who seated shortly after. - After being seated, we sat for a good 10-15 minutes for our server to take out order. Remember it was really dead with probably only one other table who was being served by someone else. - After another 10-15 minutes, we had to ask for a drink menu and some water for everyone at the table. At this point, we repaid our meter (we did initial payment at the meter for 30min max, and now renewed for another 30). - One of our party asked the server when the 45min clock started and how it worked to be eligible for the "the lunch is on us", and our server just giggled and left away. It wasn't like we were looking for a free meal but figured we'd ask about since everything was taking so long. - Our chef finally showed up to our table, confirmed orders, and then went about cooking. Not at all energetic or entertaining as you'd usually expect at Benihanas. It actually really looked like he didn't want to be there. Either he's having a really bad day (which I hope he's ok)or he hates his job. Nonetheless, though the cooking show was dull, he also messed up a few orders. Thankfully he corrected and recooked things but that just wasted more time. Not that by this time, we had to move our car and find another parking spot since we were maxed out at the current meter. So that was a huge inconvenience. In the end, 1.5 hours start to finish but could have easily been 30-45 minutes total time, 1 hour tops from walking to the restaurant and leaving. Everything moved extremely slow and the vibe in the restaurant was pretty dead. - There was one good thing that came out of it. Our server asked if we were celebrating anything. And it wasn't one of our party's birthday. So she was nice to bring out a small cup of ice cream. read more

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First of all, I have been going to Benihana for almost 40 years with the two most recent visits in Scottsdale and Las Vegas(Westgate) and experiences have always been amazing. My wife and I also recently made a rule where we would only eat teppanyaki at Benihana after having bad teppanyaki at cruise ships, all inclusive resorts and other knock offs because Benihana is ALWAYS good. We were excited to eat at the Japantown location and it was my first time in 23 years since last visiting this one. We had a 7pm reservation and when I checked in we were shocked to hear that it would be a 30 minute wait. We went to the bar which was filthy with dirty dishes and garbage everywhere. After 30 minutes I checked back in at the front and was told that we would be seated soon. 30 more minutes went by and I approached someone that appeared to be a manager and he said sorry we're cleaning tables. I replied that this was wasn't a valid excuse for an hour wait when we had a reservation an hour ago. We were finally seated at 8:06pm. Dinner was decent but not as good as prior visits I'm used to. They also never delivered the sushi my wife ordered. The fried rice was not cooked long enough. The chicken, shrimp and lobster were fine. The chef didn't seem as into it as all of our other Benihana visits. We love Benihana but don't think we can ever return to this location after this terrible experience. read more

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My partner and I came to Benihana for their Power Lunch special on a weekday afternoon. Currently they are running a special for weekdays you can get a full habachi lunch for $15.95 within 45 minutes! That was a shocker to us because although we love habachi, we've always found Benihana to be unbearably slow to get fed. So we had to find out for ourselves. Food 4.5/5: for $15.95 you get soup, vegetables habachi rice, and a chicken or shrimp, steak for a few dollars extra. Everything that was cooked on the habachi grill was perfectly cooked, well seasoned and the steak was doneness was the way I wanted. I loved the grill flavor with the dipping sauces. The fried rice was a slight disappointment, not sure if it's because it's not cooked fresh in front of us, it was a bit cold and don't taste as savory as how they usually are. Service 4/5: We were impressed that we did get served within the 45 minute timeline. However most of the time seems to be waiting, and the actual cook of the meal was around 6 minutes. That's maybe the down side of knowing your food is only coming if you see it cooking in front of you. You spend most of the time waiting, and the service it self was speedy and not much else. There's no talking or interaction for the cooking portion for this. Ambiance 3/5: habachi is usually a fun environment and generally you see someone celebrating something. However during the day time there's a lot of dead space and time where everyone's waiting on a chef, you'll likely have to share a table as well. read more

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We had great service. The guy was a little short at first but he warmed up. I think he was overwhelmed by the amount of people on his first day back. He didn't know about the Memorial Day special for veterans. So he had to talk to the manager. Our meals were excellent and made exactly as we requested. We tipped big because of this. The chef was super entertaining and enthusiastic. Loved the personality of Roberto! Parking is only in the mall or street. We walked from our resort and it took us about 25-30 minutes. We also made a reservation ahead of time. Hibachi steak dinner is sooo yummy. read more

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We celebrated a family birthday at Benihana in San Francisco, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The service was exceptional. We brought our own birthday cake, and our server patiently helped us place 81 individual candles on it. That level of patience and kindness was something we've rarely experienced and truly made our celebration feel special. Our chef was entertaining and fun to watch, making the teppanyaki experience just as enjoyable as the meal itself. The fried rice was perfectly cooked, the Wagyu steak was incredibly juicy and flavorful, and even my son who is a very picky eater kept asking for more of the steak. My scallops and shrimp were also cooked perfectly, tender, juicy, and delicious. The biggest surprise was my dad. He almost exclusively eats Vietnamese food and rarely has much praise for other cuisines, but he genuinely enjoyed the meal and had nothing but good things to say. From the outstanding service to the delicious food and entertaining chef, everything came together to create a truly memorable evening for our family. We will definitely return the next time we're in San Francisco. Highly recommended! read more

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Good food. Fun environment. Love coming here to celebrate anything. Plus it's so close to where I live. read more

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The restaurant was completely filled Friday night. From the bar, to the private room, to the main dining area. It did take longer to get seated than expected. Service wasn't perfect, but I finished the Crispy Rice appetizer and my Surfside meal completely. Seafood was cooked perfectly and I love the Fried Rice with garlic butter. read more

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I hadn't been to Benihana in many many years and have never been to the San Francisco location. I made a reservation, yes shame on me Saturday night. For my family and I. Parking is atrocious in a very busy area - Japantown. We arrived early, parked in a local garage after circling for quite some time. Entering the restaurant, we passed through mobs of people. Literally one of the loudest environments I've ever had at a restaurant, and the most busy check-in desk anywhere. It appears that this restaurant chooses to overbook so that once you are in for your reservation, you wait at least another hour. The management passed out hors d'oeuvres samples - gyoza and California Roll pieces. That's thoughtful. But the truth is - a restaurant needs to know its limitations of bookings. It's just disrespectful and unpleasant to navigate. Additionally when they checked us in, we were told to wait and they'll call us when their table is ready. They did NOT say that it would be 60-90 minutes from the time of our actual reservation. We finally sat after about 80 minutes. Then we waited another 10-20 minutes to get water and have our orders taken. The menu is not for the faint of heart; each meal is upwards of $50 - plus add ons and beverages. The waitress was kind and engaging and although busy was smiling whole time. Although the place wasn't necessarily dirty, it definitely has seen better days. The dining areas with the hibachi table grills are old and dilapidated. The cooktops in many cases are distorted and quite aged. First the "experience". It's all about the showmanship of the chef as he makes your food. The routine is the same at every station by every chef. It is entertaining and engaging. Yes kids love it. They try to say funny things, but you can't hear it because it's so damn loud. As far as the food goes, it has potential to be delicious. But then again, if you add a slab of butter and douse everything in salt and pepper - everything has a certain flavor to it. Again, I knew this going into it. So it shouldn't be a shock. But I just sit here after the dining experience and wonder how much more delicious it would be if the food was created in any more reasonable manner? You really don't need a half cup of butter on a filet mignon. Nor do you need 3 tablespoons of salt. The steak itself tastes just fine when properly prepared. The chicken fried rice is delicious, although I would hold back on the soy sauce a little bit. The vegetable vegetables - zucchini and onions - same thing. Salt, pepper, garlic butter, sesame seeds, and tons of soy sauce. Safe to say, I am detoxing the salt today! I could get into more food details, but frankly it's not about the food here. The experience was chaotic, noisy, and took an eternity. I wasn't necessarily in a hurry. But I don't like to eat my dinner at 9-10 o'clock typically. I guess people go to Benihana for the spectacle of it all. It's disappointing. I would enjoy a hibachi grill cooking experience where the food was a tad healthier and delicious, the energy was more calm, I didn't feel like I was at a train station, and my time was respected. I may actually pay a little more for that. Instead, it's a low class spectacle masking itself in a pretender aura of being something next level. read more

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The place had quite a crowd and busy Teppanyaki chefs. Soup was warm and bland. The steaks we ordered were delicious. Just a bit on the salty side. The place could use some aesthetic work. read more

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This place was horrible. Spent over three hours here because it took over 30 minutes to get seated WITH reservations and then even longer to get the food. Not only that but we paid over $120 for inedible "A5 wagyu" + drinks, which everyone already knows about Benihanas, but the worst part was the show which is why people actually come here to suffer through the low quality meat. We had absolutely no enthusiasm or energy from our chef. And there were no tricks or interactions for the table other than a measly volcano onion tower, which only had four layers to it. And then set a little on fire like the most pathetic trick that they can get away with. The decor is tacky, the chef had a dirty apron on that looked like he was wearing it for a week, and the service is very, very, slow. Actually got food poisoning right as I came home from it and shat myself for 45 minutes. The A5 wagyu was all fat and no meat, also poorly cooked. They really push the fried rice on you (even when you ask for white) so they can up charge you $7 read more

Benihana - San Francisco - worst onion tower ever - Teppanyaki Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Honestly super disappointed and I wish I had read reviews before dining here. I felt very rushed. My reservation was for 5:00 and I was done at 5:40. Chef was nothing special. Easily the weakest "show" I've ever received at any Hibachi/Teppan Yaki grill. Chef started serving shrimp appetizer and said "I'm going to get your sauces right now." And proceeds to not do so for 15 minutes. In fact, he flat out forgot because I had to remind him. I had been served everything before I had my sauces and if I hadn't said anything I doubt he would've remembered. The server also sucked. She took my order, brought my soup, salad and rice, and basically disappeared for the rest of service until she brought my check. The one exception was when she checked on how everything was after I was served my entrée. She saw my water-glass only half full and didn't bother to refill it. I was dining with one other father and his daughter for her birthday. Daughter got full quick, took her leftovers and went home with dad. As soon as that happened, the waitress thought it was ok to bring my check and my ice cream when I still had a full plate of food in front of me. She also processed payment when I was still eating. Huge no-no! Frankly I should've said something but I'm usually pretty easygoing. I hate that every restaurant has a handheld device with pre-populated tip suggestions for processing payment nowadays. I chose the lowest - which was still 18% - since she was standing there hovering over me. Honestly wasn't even worth 15%. I figured I'd just pay it and never come back. I asked for my copy of the receipt and never got it. I won't be back. Certainly not to this location, but honestly it has left a poor taste in my mouth for any Benihana Restaurant in the future. My Rocky's Choice was $57.50 - which came to just over $75 after tax, tip, and SF's worker benefits charge that are added to bills for service industry workers in the Bay Area. TL;DR? Don't eat here. Service sucks. Go to a different restaurant in the Japantown mall. There were Bento Box places for $24.95 for a sizable dinner - less than half the cost of what I paid. read more

I would give it a 0 stars if there was that option. The service sucked, I don't like doing bad reviews but I feel like people need to know. We came here on vacation we expected the same service as back home The waitress lost our ticket, so she had to ask us again for our order. She never turned on the grill, so when the chef came we had to wait. We have been sitting for 2 hours and still waiting for ice cream and our bill. Let's also add that manager, hostess, and waiter were complaining because the waitress left and they were stuck with our table. Not that it's needed, but not even a discount was offered, we waited for our drink refill, never did they ask us if we needed anything. Very disappointed with this Benihana for lack of professional and lack of customer service. read more

We stopped at Benihana for an early dinner on a Saturday at 4:30pm. The place wasn't too crowded which was great. There was only two of us but we had a good time. I do think Benihana is more suited for big groups, your experience can differ depending on who's at your table. The food was good, not amazing but good. Our chef was amazing, was very interactive and happily answered questions. It was great watching him cook. Overall good experience, would return with a group. read more

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Celebrated my brother's 41st birthday here. We had a party of 11, including 1 toddler and 1 kid. We occupied one table and it was pretty tight. The restaurant interior overall is pretty small with the tables being relatively close together. The ventilation is not that great, it can get pretty smokey if all the tables are in use. I would not want a table in the back of the restaurant, request for a table closer to the front entrance of the restaurant. If you have not experienced a Benihana Dining Experience, you are truly missing out. The chef that is cooking in front of you, creates a fun, interactive dining experience. The food is always good, but what you're really paying for is the cooking show. I would highly recommend this idea for birthdays. read more

Benihana is straight nostalgia for me now. It was a place I grew up going to for very special occasions. Though I don't go as often now their food is still just as good as I remember. It's hard finding a chain that's been around for a long time to still have great food and great service at that. If pricing wasn't as high as it is I think I would find myself going more. read more

Benihana - San Francisco - HIBACHI CHICKEN - Teppanyaki Near Me - San Francisco, California

This to me is still the BEST Benihana , it just has a different feel to it . The front desk is always friendly, anytime you make a reservation they are on time . The cooks at Benihana SF are always friendly and skilled . I definitely recommend this location if you want the Benihana experience. I only have it 4 stars because sometimes the parking can be a headache , otherwise it's 5 stars food , service and clean . read more

Benihana - San Francisco - Teppanyaki Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been wanting to go to this restaurant for awhile now and I finally recently visited it! I went here around 4:11pm on a Sunday and I was surprised by how there wasn't a long wait. Anyways, we were quickly seated with another group of people at the grill area. Everyone's meal comes with soup, salad, fried rice or rice, and vegetables along with their choice of meat they want. We ordered the A5 Japanese Tokyo Broil and also the Benihana Trio for our entree items. Most people at my table ordered the same item, such as the Benihana Trio, but I ordered the A5 Japanese Tokyo Broil from their special menu. Anyways, since I was the only one who ordered from their special menu, I was given a black plate with a leaf. Everyone's entrees came with soup, salad, veggies, fried rice, a shrimp appetizer, and dessert too! That meal was so filling! I'd recommend this place! This place is a fun dining experience! They have a chef cooking everyone's meals in the center and made a show out of it too. Also, all the food tasted good and was filling, BUT the portion size here isn't as large as other teppanyaki type restaurants I've been to. read more

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We walked into Benihana on a Thursday night around 6:30pm and we were seated right away. When we walked in, our server was already introducing their new Wagyu options to the others at our table. When it came time to order, the restaurant was so loud that I couldn't even hear our server. I would say that the service was not amazing the whole night. Our chef was great and it was only his fourth week working there. I could tell he was trying his best. However, our server paid minimal attention to us and seemed annoyed the whole night. When she came over to ask others for their dessert preferences, I asked if I could order after we finished our meal. She then told us our meal didn't come with dessert anyways, which was not the point. She then checked and realized our meals did come with dessert and brought over our ice cream before we were done with the man course. Of course, the ice cream melted. Overall, the food was ok, but definitely overpriced. The filet mignon quality was average. The chicken fried rice barely had any chicken and it was a $9 add on. I definitely wouldn't recommend going for dinner, but they did have some specials that seemed like a better deal if you want to sit at the bar. Maybe that would be better. read more

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Really disappointed in this restaurant. Everytime I come I have to wait almost 2 hours. Today I made a reservation at 8 and it was 9:30 and they still haven't cooked anything. They gave us sushie for the delay but are you serious ? 1 hour and half and still nothing.? I left I was super upset about this. I have a baby and he was not having it. I don't recommend it. 3 times they do this. I'm so upset. Now I have to get food a read more

Benihana - San Francisco - Teppanyaki Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing spot for Birthdays and celebrations! We have celebrated at Benihana twice (Birthday and graduation); lovely team! Very kind and helpful! Very spacious and cozy; dimmed lighting and calming vibes! A wonderful selection of entrees to choose from; loved that the meals are cooked right in front of you as well. Definitely exciting and enjoyable for the kids! The entrees were delicious -- the fried, the meat, the shrimp -- so flavorful! They also take a photo of your group at the end of your meal. Overall, a lovely experience; very memorable! Would highly recommend and would go back in the future! read more

It was my 18th birthday, my kind friends booked our reservation days in advance. We got to the place, we ordered, and the waitress left. After about 10 minutes we were informed that we would not get our food for over an hour and that we would not get a show unless we ordered a $60 dollar entree. We could not keep the waitress's attention for more than a minute, and after about 40 minutes of nothing happening we left. Save your time and money, do not go to Benihana. My birthday was ruined, I will never forget this night. read more

Pros: - For the amount of food they provide, the price is worth it. - it was better than I thought it would be -- thought it was solely just gimmicky. - service was amazing -- my water cup was almost always full Cons: - it's quite loud - they ask if you want rice or chicken fried rice, but the chicken fried rice is $9 extra. read more

I love the Japantown location Benihana. They have way more entertainment than the nearby locations I've visited in San Bruno and Foster City. The chefs call them their pepper butter as Mexican Ice Cream and Soy Sauce as Coca Cola and I'm all for it. To top it off, the food tastes perfect. They always cook my steak to the perfect temperature (Medium Rare), and the way the hibachi cooks the shrimp makes them extra tasty as well. We tried the Benihana Trio (comes with Chicken and Steak and Shrimp) and it was a very generous portion. It also comes with onion soup and potstickers and salad as appetizers and ends with ice cream. And the best part is that it's right in the mall so you can enjoy the rest of Japantown afterwards :) read more

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Brayan put on an amazing show tonight! It was such a fantastic dinner!! Food was so good! read more

Benihana - San Francisco - Brayan putting on a show! - Teppanyaki Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great food, great service. Manager Jimmy delivered on a top notch lunch dining experience. 10/10...nay 11/10 would highly recommend! Food absolutely delicious and really hit the spot. A lot of people might think Benihana is 'dinner' but this is a great spot for a healthy lunch. read more

After my review, some AI or business manager who wanted to shirk responsibility advised me to go to another website, benihanalistens.com or w/e it was and so I did. After, I said I wanted to be contacted by someone regarding my reservation - it has been three weeks since I wasted my time going to the external website, and NO ONE has contacted me. Don't waste your time on the external website. They will do absolutely nothing to fix the situation but will instead waste your time. If I were reading this, I would avoid this location like the plague. They know they are terrible and they simply don't care. Don't be surprised see this business bankrupt within the next 5 years. read more

My fondest memories at Benihana Japantown were large family gatherings decades ago (do Filipinos even have small gatherings?!) Six of us dined here recently for an impromptu dinner; it was easy to secure a last-minute 9:30pm weeknight reservation. Our teppanyaki chef really made our evening; he was funny, personable, & most importantly, used an excessive amount of garlic butter. I was shocked to see Benihana's dinner prices in comparison to their reasonable lunch deals. A few times during the pandemic, we ordered chicken & shrimp & all its accompaniments for two people at the low, low price of $38. At dinner, my trio of filet mignon (which was tender & flavorful), colossal shrimp, & spicy hibachi chicken was almost double the price...for one person. Definitely a nostalgic place for me -- the flavors of their chicken fried rice, onion soup, sauces, & sometimes-dry proteins are ingrained in my adolescent memories -- but my visits to this location & others in the chain are few & far between. read more

Benihana - San Francisco - Teppanyaki Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very horrible service at happy hour after taking orders no one comes back to check on you. No water no utensils until they ready to bring tab for tip. Extremely rude attitudes both young lady & young man. Very unprofessional! Only happy when drinking at the bar then offer free shots after knowing the service was bad, We visit Benihanas at least 3 times a month. This is very disappointing read more

Came here on a Saturday afternoon for a birthday celebration with super low expectations and it surprisingly exceeded my expectations! I've been avoiding this place for years because I've always remembered it to be expensive and not good. Jorge was amazing! He made the experience super enjoyable! I've been to a few teppanyaki places where I asked for medium rare and I would get a super cooked piece of steak. This time around I asked for rare because I expected it to be overcooked. Jorge made sure that my steak was rare. I was very impressed by that! I didn't get our servers name but she was amazing as well. Excellent food and excellent service this time around! (I do believe that it could be a hit or miss though) read more

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I've eaten at various Benihanas so I'm not a novice. We came for weekend lunch but we were offered the dinner menu and were pushed to order from the dinner menu. They do have a lunch menu and it's cheaper pricing but you have to ask for that menu at this location. Never experienced that before as both are usually put on the table. Since we were convinced to order the dinner, we went with the filet minion which I've gotten many times and the yakisoba trio (chicken, beef and shrimp). Then it's $9 extra to get fried rice (has chicken) instead of the default steamed rice. Foodwise, both dishes were over seasoned and ended up salty which was not necessary since they have dipping sauce for the items. The yakisoba was cooked in a katsu sauce which was meh but there was also too much sauce. Now that I'm looking at the dinner menu, they forgot our shrimp appetizer! It says it comes with green tea too but it wasn't given automatically. After an expensive lunch that wasn't even a celebratory meal, I'm not too satisfied as it was mediocre and I felt like they were trying to rack up the bill. By the way, there is a 6% extra charge for SF Healthy Mandate here. The restaurant was about half empty so there was no problem getting a table. Probably because not everyone is looking for an expensive lunch. For birthdays you get a song, a scoop of ice cream, and a physical Benihana photo. read more

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I chose to dine at an off-peak time. It wasn't my first visit, so I knew very well that the chef preparing the meal each time could greatly influence both the flavor and the entertainment value. Some chefs tend to burn good ingredients or are not very skilled in their teppanyaki performances. Starting with the downsides: it was very cold outside, but too hot indoors. The water in the restroom was uncomfortably hot, and the chair backs were slightly sticky. Aside from that, the overall cleanliness was acceptable. The prices are relatively high. Lunch is around $40 per person before tax, which is slightly more affordable. Dinner, however, is quite expensive, averaging around $60 to $80 per person after tax. Now onto the positives. The ingredients were fresh and the food was delicious, especially the beef Hibachi Chateaubriand at $51 and the Ocean Treasure seafood platter at $60. The beef, paired with onions and mushrooms, was a perfect combination. Cooked rare, the texture was just right. There were also plenty of sides including hot soup, salad, grilled vegetables like onions and zucchini, and incredibly tasty chicken fried rice that is a must-order. Lobster and scallops are also signature items at this Benihana and were prepared perfectly. The chef's dedication and skillful teppanyaki performance made it a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds. I strongly recommend this Benihana in San Francisco to any food lover who enjoys teppanyaki cuisine. 挑了一個冷門的時間過來用餐，本來就不是第一次來，我深知每一次幫客人做菜的師傅不同，將會影響食物的美味程度和觀賞娛樂度。因為有些師傅會把好食材都炒焦，或是雜技也不夠熟練。 先講不好的，室外非常冷，但是室內過於炎熱，廁所的洗手水也是燙手的，椅子的椅背也略為粘，不然整體的衛生來說是算乾淨的。價格相對來講有點貴，午餐大概在人均$40稅前，稍微便宜一些；晚餐就非常貴，人均大概在$60-$80之間稅後。 接著優點就非常多了，食材新鮮、食物美味，尤其是我點的牛肉Hibachi chateaubriand $51和海鮮大餐Ocean Treasure $60。牛肉搭配洋蔥和蘑菇，絕配，煎至一分熟是完美的肉質，還有搭配一堆副食，像是熱湯、沙拉、蔬菜是煎洋蔥和小黃瓜、和超美味的雞肉炒飯，必點。各種認真的花式特技搭配做菜，真的是視覺和味覺的饗宴。我強烈推薦各位喜歡鐵板燒美食的老饕，可以來舊金山這一家Benihana享用美食。 read more

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Wait is still very long from sitting down until the chef would arrive at your table, expect an hour before the chef comes. Make sure you are not hungry or in a rush. We had good experiences with Chef Eric before. The last experience for a birthday dinner was unpleasant. Other than the wait, the chef quickly connected and bonded with the couple at the table and his focus had been on them, joking, and laughing with them to a point their laughed at whatever jokes he had. Some jokes felt inappropriate (spoke softly then laughed loudly) or they appeared to be teasing one of us asking for less butter, or the reactions from the children. I took it as different people may have different sense of humor but definitely felt uncomfortable to be sharing table with those feelings. When it came to cooking, the chef gave the couple two $9 chicken fried rice when we previously heard them saying it's too expensive and they did not want it. He gave them free fried rice and there was not enough rice to put into a bowl for my paid order. I had to tell him that I ordered one. Then, he tried to brush it off. It already made me more guarded to see if he would offer our food to the couple again. He did it again after he finished the couple's orders. When he was cooking the shrimps, he offered to give the couple shrimps. The coupld said no , then those shrimps came to my son's plate. This this point, I was very offended by his actions. I did not want to say it out loud and ruined a birthday dinner. The food was also very salty and overcooked as he was distracted talking and laughing with the couple. It felt like the whole world was just him and the guy from that couple. Food was not tasty (even the children commented about that), felt he cheated with our paid food by giving it out to the other customers, and uncomfortable experience overall. At the end, I couldn't help but asked our server if the couple ordered any fried rice in case I wrongfully accused anyone. She confirmed that the couple did not order any fried rice. The manager was also very attentive. She came and inquired what happened. She provided service recovery as much as she could and she said she would address it with the staff. I appreciate both our server and the manager. Thank you! read more

I know I am like the last person to ever try Benihana. But after all these years I finally got to try it this week. Reservations were pretty easy on OpenTable, maybe cause it was a weeknight. We parked the garage a little closer to 6 and took the elevator straight up to the restaurant. The door of the restaurant makes look like this closed, but it's not . We checked in and we waited for the rest of our party to arrive to be seated. They won't seat you until your whole party arrives. We all sat down and another group joined it table and that's when all the service and magic begins. They took out ordered for drinks first and asked about allergies. After all the drinks arrived, they served everyone soup and salad. And finally the chef arrives at your table. It was actually hard to hear the chef, but I think everyone gets the fried rice. You can also order the yakisoba if you wish but I think that's an extra charge. They start out cooking the veggies like the zucchini, onions and mushrooms first. You can ask for hot sauce, and I recommmend the Benihana special hot sauce. It's sweet and spicy at the same time and it's more like a paste. The main sauces they provided was also good, they were a ginger sauce and something else I couldn't remember. After the veggies where served , comes the fries rice. I heard a lot about this fried rice and I get why people love it . It was pretty good and I kept in eating it. I had stop myself from getting too full. I got the land and sea option which was the filet mignon and the scallops. Both are good, the scallops were very buttery. In fact, I noticed they cool a lot of stuff with butter. My friend wished that the scallops were cooked a little bit longer, which I agreed. The filet mignon was also good and cooked just right as we asked for medium. The one item I would not order would be the shrimp as it was a very small portion. Since it was my friends bday, they came over to sing to them with free ice cream . They had , vanilla, chocolate, green tea and rainbow flavored ice cream. I liked our chef and he really got to know everyone at the table and I recommend this for parties of 8 or 9. It's more fun if you had the whole table. At the end the parking was $10.00 when we left at 8, which I found expensive, but it was at least convenient. read more

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I am very aware of Benihana's shortcomings when it comes to the wait for a table and spotty service, but I still have a very special place in my heart for it. Used to be a really special teen date night spot back in my youth! If you get a great server and fun energetic chef it has all the makings of a spectacular night! The food has always been on point - the soup, salad, steak, veggies and hibachi rice hit every single time. Mixed tiki type drinks are also yum! I realize folks may balk at the price, but the chefs don't put on a free show, so I just think of it as an entertainment fee. Portions are usually good and I've never walked away anything less than stuffed. Its top tier when you have a large group that can take all 8 seats at the table and our out of town friends always get a nostalgic kick out of the experience. read more

A classic spot! You know what you get, how it's done, and bam it's a show! Thanks to Salman, and Roberto for a great experience, celebrating our friend's bday. We do this every year here, it's tradition. Tasty food, great service, and a fun ambiance as usual! read more

Great food. Great show. Great service. The lobster was super tasty, their sauce is spectacular, so is the fried rice and steaks were very well cooked and yummy. I particularly loved their tuna tartare. read more

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We celebrated my wedding dinner here in a private room for 15 people, and it should have been a highlight of our night. Instead, our chef spent most of the meal talking instead of performing, barely giving us the teppanyaki show we'd booked and paid for. Worse, his conversation included an insensitive and outdated racial remark about two mixed-race couples at our table, jokes about little people, and mocking comments about my husband and me for being vegetarian. He was also openly rude to our waitress in front of us. Every other staff member that night was excellent, which made clear this was specific to one person, not the restaurant as a whole. I shared feedback in person that night, and in detail through their official site, benihanalistens.com. A manager called and apologized, and after weeks of waiting, eventually offered a free dinner for two, which didn't come close to reflecting what we'd paid for a party of 15. And frankly, we didn't want to return somewhere that reminds us of that night. After asking for a full or partial refund, and was told anything over $300 needed corporate approval. It's now been 5 weeks since our wedding, and after being escalated twice, we still have no resolution. I wanted this written down somewhere public because I already went through their internal channels in good faith, and it hasn't led anywhere. What should have been one of the best nights of our lives is now something we associate with feeling disrespected and dismissed. read more

Just sat down for my birthday dinner and am impressed by the service. KK is amazing. We travel to visit THIS location because it is unique and special. KK just proved we do!! read more

Me and my husband come to Benihana's in San Francisco at least 2-3 times a month, and they never disappoint us. The service is always consistent -- same kindness, same great energy, every single visit. The servers are amazing, the drinks always hit, and the whole vibe is just relaxing. This is one of our go-to spots in the city whenever we want good food, good drinks, and a guaranteed good time. Benihana's has never let us down. Highly recommend! read more

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