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    Benihana - Santa Monica

    3.4 (2.3k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Benihana - Santa Monica Photos

    Business Info

    BENIHANA - SANTA MONICA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Loud
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Benihana - Santa Monica

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    Wagyu options: Japanese, American, Australian
    Jen E.

    I have a like-hate relationship with Benihana. I'm usually forced here for family celebration dinners like birthday for my young nephews, kicking and screaming but once I'm there, the food is of course decadent and worth the diet splurge because it IS tasty (thanks to the troves of butter they put into every dish). But what becomes increasingly more tiresome is how bad the host stand operates, and in turn the wait. This last visit a few weekends ago, we were shocked, all 3 hosts were away from the stand for a good 10+ minutes, then meandered back looking out-of-it and completely unapologetic. A young blond girl was leading the pack (the other 2 were guys). I always like to give staff the benefit of the doubt if they're maybe swamped, but all 3 at once? We joked they probably were out back smoking together given they returned at such a glacial pace with no sense of urgency. I don't recall the last time a Benihana reservation is ever seated on time or food not service at least an hour after you've been seated, so make your reservation time accordingly, but know that they check you in only after your entire party arrives. From there, expect more waiting. Our dinner was a bit out of whack- we couldn't believe how long we had to wait for our chef (with kids in tow this wait becomes even more unbearable) and they completely forgot our onion soup until I asked. Also as expected the entire establishment is dingy/unkempt and bathroom, etc. is what you expect: sticky, messy. But, shout out to our server Johannes who was at least trying hard, and he was nice to us, and did get us our sake bottles in a timely fashion (and was kind enough to offer an ice bucket unprompted) as we tried to take some of the edge off for the adults.

    George H.

    Benihana? More like Beni-I-don't-wanna. Took my triplet daughters here for their birthday thinking it would be a lovely experience -- dinner and a show! Right? Wrong! Our experience started off unpleasantly when the chuddy boy at the front desk with his flippant attitude disrespected my kind sweet birthday daughters. From there, the chef's performance was good but very very short. I did love the his jokes though, that butterfly one made me LOL. I'd also like to note that yum yum sauce was not readily available, they basically had it under lock and key - why was that? Was there a shortage? Is it made of gold? One would assume! The cherry on top was when I got the bill. My already intellectually challenged daughters can say goodbye to any hope for their futures after I basically spent their college tuition on fried rice upgrades. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous. Such a scam but probably would also return. Cheers, George

    Roshni M.

    Who doesn't love dinner and a show! This place is perfect to celebrate those milestones. They have great menu options and everyone leaves feeling satisfied. We had the best time celebrating a birthday and the chef was very attentive and fun. During the week it may be a little dead, but it made it easier to walk in and eat.

    Receipt
    Triana W.

    I hate that I have to give this location another bad review. But they just refuse to do better. Ordering from the app when you change anything you will come up short. They don't put the garlic butter in the rice. Now we know that's where the flavor comes from. If you order the rice without onions there are no vegetables. Makes no sense. Dry rice after spending $80 and they only put 1 garlic butter in the bag for 4 servings... The take out service is bad, too. They leave the bags unattended at the desk. The walk over and give them to you and don't wait to see if you need anything else. But they expect a tip. Make it make sense.

    Soup better than the salad
    Jaime R.

    I came to Benihana Santa Monica for my birthday dinner with my daughter, expecting the same quality and experience I've had at other locations--especially the San Francisco one. Unfortunately, this visit didn't quite measure up. The food was decent--nothing spectacular, but acceptable for a teppanyaki-style meal. I had the trio, which was cooked well, and my daughter enjoyed the edamame and tempura appetizer. The classic Benihana grill performance was entertaining as always and a highlight. Where this location really shined was the service. Both our server and chef were warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, which made the evening feel special despite other shortcomings. The biggest letdown was the ambience. The interior feels very dated--like it hasn't been updated since the '90s--and lacks the polish you might expect in a Santa Monica dining spot. A remodel would go a long way in refreshing the space and matching the level of service provided. All in all, it was an enjoyable dinner, mostly thanks to the staff and the experience for my daughter--but I wouldn't rush back to this location unless it gets a much-needed facelift.

    Rainbow Sherbert
    Bridgette R.

    Today we had the pleasure of going to Benihana in Santa Monica. We were seated it was nine of us and we got a waiter named Joseph Joseph was simply amazing he catered to all of us he was very optative and kept coming back and checking on us which we loved. Our chef was Jerry he was amazing seasoned the food to perfection use ample garlic butter in our food as we requested and was friendly and it just was a good time. The restaurant was quiet for Saturday at 3:30 and we had just came from a graduation so I knew they probably were gonna get busy a little later there are several graduations today but the restaurant was nice the service was really good and the food was good the drinks were amazing. Good job Benihana

    Kevin P.

    Came here for my birthday dinner and it was everything I hoped for! I'd been wanting to do a hibachi-style dinner for a while, and my girlfriend and friend helped organize the evening -- they absolutely nailed it. We had a party of seven, and the energy at the table was amazing. Our chef was entertaining, the food was delicious, and the signature Benihana theatrics -- from the flying shrimp to the flaming onion volcano -- were on full display. It's such a fun and interactive experience, perfect for celebrations. We started off with the miso soup and salad, and I ordered some spicy edamame on the side (highly recommend!). Everyone went for the hibachi steak or shrimp with fried rice, and everything came out flavorful and perfectly cooked. The drinks were great too -- we shared one of their giant cocktails, the Rocky's Margarita, which was both strong and refreshing. The staff made the night even better -- they surprised me with free ice cream and sang happy birthday. It was such a wholesome and memorable experience. All in all, Benihana Santa Monica delivered on every front: great food, great service, and great vibes. I left full, happy, and already planning my next visit.

    Polly S.

    This is a fun restaurant experience for a family and will appeal to multiple generations. We go as a special occasion spot - for our kiddos birthday dinner or if family is visiting from out of town. It's a unique experience of having a giant heated grill and chef cook right in front of you and the chefs are usually quite personable. Depending on which chef you get, it can be quite entertaining with different chefs adapting their cooking routines. Food is decent but you really come here to be entertained by the atmosphere. My kiddo loves it and I'm sure will be practicing his Benihana cooking skills for the next week or so. He takes the paper hat they give out and literally tries to flip food into it. Jaime was our host during the check out, and he was incredibly kind and accommodating to our family.

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    Deborah, We are happy you enjoyed the experience! Come back soon!

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    Benihana - Santa Monica Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Benihana - Santa Monica

    How much are signature mugs?

    What are the lunch hours?

    Wednesday - Sunday: 11AM-8PM

    Can you take dogs?

    No you cannot

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    Mori Teppan Grill

    4.3(722 reviews)
    17.0 mi
    $$$

    We've been coming here for years and came back after 4 years to celebrate a birthday. We were…read moreseated right on time, and it's always nice seeing the owner present and involved. Unfortunately, this visit didn't live up to what we remembered. Being given plastic utensils while dining in was surprising, especially at this price point. The service and food were just okay, and the "miso soup" was actually plain chicken broth, which was disappointing and unexpected. Overall, it didn't feel like the same experience we used to enjoy. I hope this is taken as constructive criticism, as we'd love to see the quality return to what it once was.

    Let me start off by saying in their defense, my party of 6 did not have reservations and it was…read moreValentine's Day. We waited almost 40 minutes to be seated, which wasn't a problem because we had a birthday girl who chose this dinner, no biggie. However, once we were seated at 8-ish our cook didn't get to our table until an hour later. Sure they brought us drinks, salad and miso soup (which was lackluster) so we had to add a bit of soy sauce. Which also wasn't a big deal. However, we all were so tired by the time the food arrived, we ate and didn't even realize our chef didn't even give us a performance. Although the food was good, I literally and genuinely feel like I robbed and held hostage and paid them for $400 for it! I just know for future reference whenever someone suggests Teppanyaki it's a HELL NO for me! Uncle loves you though

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    Mori Teppan Grill - The wall covered with pictures of the store owner and Famous people

    The wall covered with pictures of the store owner and Famous people

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    Mori Teppan Grill - Main entrance from parking lot

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    Main entrance from parking lot

    Benihana - Santa Monica - sushi - Updated May 2026

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