I arrived with some friends last night for dinner at around 5:40pm for a 7:15pm reservation so we could have a drink at the bar and partake in happy hour (Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm) while we wait for the rest of our party and because, by default, it always takes so long once you're seated at the hibachi table for the chef to come once the orders are placed. There is a paid parking lot right across the street with decent rates and it wasn't very difficult to find. We usually go to the Encino location but decided to give Santa Monica a shot but was a little worried at some of the reviews complaining about the smell. While it smelled a little like a dive bar throughout the restaurant, it was no where overwhelming like some of the reviews suggested and wasn't an issue warranting any complaints. The ambiance is a lot darker than your other traditional Benihana's and they have a cute staircase at the back of the restaurant that leads to the bar which I thought was kind of cool. The space is a lot more open than the other location which I appreciated. Their happy hour is pretty phenomenal and a perfect way to get a snack before your actual meal or even if you're in the area and want to grab a bite. I was surprised at how dead it was even for a Monday but I would prefer that over it being overly packed and not able to find a seat or have to wait a really long time to be seated. We ordered a ton of things on happy hour--- 5 snack rolls, chicken satay, crispy rice, sake, and beer. Julian was our bartender and he was very friendly and even though it took a while for our food to come out, he made sure we had a good start to our night. When the rest of our party of 5 came, we were seated promptly with another couple (they were lovely too) at a hibachi table in the middle of the restaurant. Our server, Aidan, was fantastic----he asked about allergies, made sure he got our order right, and checked up on us periodically. I accidentally broke a glass and they were extremely quick to clean it up. Our teppan chef, Jose, was a joy and was poking fun at me the whole time. Sometimes you get chefs that are just awkward, or mess up the food, or don't do fun touches and he made our whole dinner experience so enjoyable. **I will note, however, for those that aren't used to teppan dining, that it does normally take like 30 minutes or more once you place your dinner order for the chef to come out and start cooking. read more

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Disgusting service ever Order not started until I arrived Staff don't care about delivery pick up Always not ready at pick up time Nasty staff read more

Made a reservation online. Called the restaurant to confirm they could seat 8 for their "45 minute power lunch". They texted to confirm - We texted back. Drove to the restaurant and they couldn't even seat us for at least an hour. They said staff called out that day. We walked out. read more

Came in for the Power lunch deal, *check the photo for details* ITS A STUPID CRAZY DEAL! Get down here if you haven't experienced it yet. Our server Joseline was top tier! Her energy was amazing, she was attentive, knowledgeable and just good vibes. The only caveat is you can't make any substitutions or add-ons and there's no "show". Just straight protein and veggies cooked on the grill and they bring the rice out from the back for obvious reasons, " they have 45 minutes". Nonetheless, great experience, same great taster and food. Will be back for this deal more often. 100/10 experience. read more

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You simply can't beat their lunch special! Less than $20 for lunch and a show, multi courses, such fun! Ideal for parties and special occasions, they really put on a great show here. The location is very large and spacious, however, it could use an overhaul. The food was delicious, lunch being a much better value than dinner. Be sure to sign up further. Email club for savings and offers. read more

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Food was good. But came to the 45 min power lunch definitely was in there for almost two hours, and it says in the fine print that if they don't have it done in 45 lunch is on them and I still paid. So I will be calling corporate. They were short staffed, the hostess had a bad attitude. An employee who was coming for the evening shift road her electric scooter inside the restaurant like all the way to the back. That is so ghetto and unprofessional. The smell when you walk in reeks of urine it literally smells like outside. So disappointed and I'm not sure if he was the general manager or the owner but he was a black man and as a black woman this makes my skin crawl. Like due your due diligence as a manager or an owner making our people look bad. Terrible, terrible, terrible. Will not be coming back to this location at all, and would love to because I'm a local but never again. Also, my server didn't know what the matcha mist drink was, I have been ordering that for years. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Tried to go back and order the fried hibachi chicken and rice since the A5 Wagu steak was SWILL. That was one of the worse fried rice dishes I've ever had! The cook just threw RAW ONIONS into the already made dish! Is this some kind of retaliation for not tipping? Who does that?! Swill! Is this one of those 'Texas Roadhouse' incidents?!!! I had to pick out 50-60 onions to make it palatable! By then I lost my appetite! read more

We had reservation and had to wait over an hour still for our table. It could have been longer but we left and went somewhere else.

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. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Wagyu options: Japanese, American, Australian - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

My group of 8 (6 adults & 2 kids) were celebrating the birthdays of 2 seniors at the Benihana's in Santa Monica. Chef Fabian was creative & humorous during his cooking demonstration. Server Caesar was also excellent with his listening skills, patience, & customer service. Parking is either street meter parking or at the convenient & inexpensive public parking across the street. We used the $30 Happy Birthday certificates towards our $500+ bill. Thanks for a fun memory! read more

Lots to improve at this location. Food, service and ambiance. We enjoy trying different Benihana locations when we travel. This was not a good experience. Filet was not good. Server went on 30 minute break in the middle of our meal. Ambiance is VERY old and tired looking. They could not accommodate our ask for no onions in the fimresh veggies because they use pico de gio. We ordered the noodles with no onion but 2x it came out with tons on large scallions. For the filet it was the first time I needed a knife to cut the funny bits off my pieces. The cook dropped 1/3 of my serving on the table when placing it from the grill to my plate. The order/flow of the service was strange. Sorry but we won't be back. read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION. It needs a complete revamp. As soon as I walked through those doors I noticed a dingy smell. It smelled like a dusty old dive bar. I immediately wished I would've went somewhere different for my birthday. The place is covered in old carpet that needs to be replaced. We were sat towards the back and I noticed a gross smell. It was the bathroom! Could literally get wiffs of the restroom from our table. It was gross. The place is so dark too. Doesn't look like a high-quality restaurant at all for what they charge folks. They packed the table too tight. The food was good but nothing spectacular. The chefs didn't do all the fun stuff like they used too. Like tossing the shrimp tails and other tricks. They squeezed our table so tight i had my foot sticking out into the area where the chefs were cooking and got a glop of butter spilled on my foot while they were cooking. I was very disappointed and wished for a better birthday experience. read more

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. read more

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NO reservation, last minute decisions was seated immediately. Food fell all over my black dress and some on my face. No apologies whatsoever, but a Ops! Requested for a wet napkin to clean it off. Chef didn't arrive to the table until 10 pm and arrived 9 pm. Request for the Bubba cup for memories and was told it was too expensive (was embarrassed). The chef tapped on the table like we were in church (that was the show). Didn't leave until after 11 pm (requesting for the check several times to get out of there). Brought out a small glass of whip cream with a tiny candle (in celebration of the Wedding Anniversary). I thought this was a joke! Will not return! Horrible experience! read more

Cher from Santa Monica reached out to me and made everything alright. She assured me to address all the issues with her staff and made sure that I was compensated. read more

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5:45 reservation on Saturday evening. Absolute chaos, tons of people waiting. At 6:10, they tell us "it will be a while" Ugh - we left hungry. An example of the infamous Seinfeld "you just can't -keep- the reservation" episode. read more

Came here on Sunday for lunch with the family. Friendly staff and delicious food. Would come back. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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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. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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My birthday dinner at Benihana was flat-out unacceptable. We sat there over an hour before the chef showed up. When the food finally came, it was cheap, discolored, and dry, like they didn't care at all. It felt like squeezing customers for upgrades instead of serving decent food. Four hundred bucks for that? Insulting. Never again. read more

This is for delivery. They have NEVER gotten an order correct. This was my 3rd and last time ordering delivery from these guys. Expensive food so they should be extra professional. Rare steak is well done. No ginger sauce with fried rice (cmon now). Missing salad. Or the salad arrived but without dressing. Requests for no mushrooms... you guessed it, the food arrived with mushrooms. Seriously do better. For someone else. I'm done. read more

This is a great spot to stop by whenever you're in Santa Monica. I like to come here after a walk on the pier. Ambience is chill. You usually end up making friends with people in your table .The service is great, the staff is friendly, and the food is always yummy! read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Noodles - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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 read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I never thought I would have to write this review about Benihana in Santa Monica. It was the worst experience I've ever had at that establishment. From the moment we walked in until we got home. It was a disaster. First off, after we were seated, we had to be moved because there was a horrible smell of urine emanating from the carpet. Next, it took over an hour and a half to put in our order then I never got my to go order. I have called 7 times to get my card credited, but still no action. I am still trying to get my money back. I'm super bummed, I wouldn't recommend going to the Santa Monica location. read more

Horrible experience, and unfortunately far beyond benefit of the doubt The rundown: 6pm - Entire party arrived for our on time reservation. 6:30pm - Seated 7pm - Order finally taken 7:30pm - 2 tables that were seated far after we were had received their chefs! Umm, what? 8:30pm - chef finally arrived the moment were ready to walk out. THAT'S 2.5 HOURS AFTER RESERVATION, AND 1.5 HOURS AFTER ORDER TAKEN. To add insult to injury, we were celebrating 3 birthdays and had 3 excited (and hungry) kids with us so with the ridiculous wait time aside, we still looked forward to the true Benihana fun and engaging and charismatic experience. NONE of that happened. Our chef was nice but not welcoming, barely engaged even after our efforts with him. He was quiet and did absolutely ZERO Benihana cooking tricks or any sort of entertainment whatsoever. No excitement, no play, and most importantly you could tell he just didn't care to even try :( There was no communication. He was unprepared - left a couple times to get items he was missing. When we asked for the usual side sauces he said he was out, but the table next to us had plenty? And didn't call over anyone to get some for us. Although chef, staff, and management were all aware we were celebrating 3 birthdays, there was no singing, no candles, no nothing. After all this, the Manager was never to be found and in the moments he was there he barely apologized or made any efforts to explain or make anything better. THAT was the final burn. We were all willing to understand any mishaps and move on as no one is perfect all the time, but he didn't offer any consolation, explanation, or sincere apologies. According to the staff, none of them have been happy with the manager so that says a lot. Anyway, we kept our spirits up as much as possible but in the end all very disappointed to not have had the true Benihana experience we know and love, especially on our birthdays. I would not come back but if anything next time I'd research a location with a tried and true manager that cares. read more

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. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Receipt - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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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 read more

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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. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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We had a reservation for a party of 10, to celebrate my daughter's 8th grade culmination. The restaurant was packed with large parties and seemed to be understaffed that day, so they were about an hour behind on reservations. We had an amazing experience nonetheless! Our server, Mika, and chef Andre were WONDERFUL!! Service was out of this world, for the day to be so hectic. They handled it wonderfully, and did not miss a beat. Of course the food was great as well. The manager, Jaime, also came to our table to apologize for the wait and made sure that we were able to enjoy our special occasion. Always my favorite Beni location! Thank you all. We'll be back soon. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - prickly pear marg + Las Vegas roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This place have everything that no one can like Dirty floors, dirty bathrooms, and poor service.only the chef tray to do the best

First off I don't mean to sound racist but Benihana ain't been the same since they stopped staying true to themselves and culture having only asian chefs! I get trying to be inclusive and all but nah bruh they should have stayed true to the culture because the food definitely went downhill since they brought in the others to cook. Customer service is better because the asian chefs weren't too friendly or talkative but I would prefer my food to be right vs having someone shooting jokes trying to turn it into a comedy show being too focused on entertaining the guests while burning the food!!! I went on my birthday to this location because the Torrance location sucks now to the point of mangers and staff fighting in front of guest throwing actual blows and staff actual told guests the location is very racist and always speak badly about black people (video on YouTube)! So since I had a good experience at Santa monica location in 2025 I said let's try it again! That was a huge mistake! I scheduled for a party of 15 ended up having 20! I stayed in constant communication with the restaurant about how they can accommodate my changing numbers for my party and they said fine no worries we can accommodate! I also made it very clear that I am black and my black guests don't play when it comes to the checks being spilt up so everyone can pay their own bill! They told me over the phone again that is NO PROBLEM AT ALL we can offer as many checks as needed for your large party! So on September 22nd 2026 when i show up with 20 people all that over the phone talk went out the window! They said we don't know who you spoke with on the phone but we can only do 3 checks per table and only 3 cards which was total BS! They took forever to seat us as if they were afraid of waiting on that many black folks! They also added a lot of extra items to everyones bills so people got double charged and we told them how to spilt the bill precisely and they still messed up! The restaurant was so empty they barely had anyone there to be honest I was shocked it was so dead it looked as if I rented the place out entirely for my party and everyone was so nervous and everyone seems so new like they had just started working there a few days before! my whole party was talking about how long it took for us to be seated how long it took for us to get our drinks even the bartender seemed so in shock and out of place. It took forever for us to get our drinks and the chefs took so long to come out my party started to get agitated and say what's going on what's taking so long and they finally brought two chefs out and the chefs looked so spooked as if they had never waited on a party that big before And especially a party with that many Black people they even stopped before they got to the table and whispered to each other. I guess they were trying to figure out who was going to take which table, they were definitely nervous. They were dropping cooking utensils. They burnt the food one of my friends said oh my God how do you burn rice? No one enjoyed their food. The drinks were horrible. The service was horrible. The way they lied to me was horrible the way they processed the bills was horrible. This is the service I got on my exact birthday when I brought them this much business. I feel used and abused and got nothing good out of it. They didn't even offer to take a group photo with everyone like they usually do I had to ask in order to get the photo even the way they sung happy birthday was a complete shit show. It was absolutely awful. The worst Benihana experience I have ever had in my life and I go there every year to use my birthday coupon. Think twice before you visit this location!!! read more

Went during lunch only to stand in the lobby waiting to be greeted for 10 minutes . I asked someone for help and the guy said I'm doing to go orders someone will help you soon. There were 2 servers helping one table and I asked the first guy I saw again hey can you help me and he said someone is coming . At that point I was frustrated and left , not a good experience . I'm going to think twice next time I want to eat here. I forgot to mention when I arrived there was already a man waiting and he walked out before me as well and he told me he had been waiting for 10 minutes as well. There is no one attending the front counter . read more

Benihana is definitely a fun experience that everyone should try at least once, which is why I took my partner, he had never been before. Our reservation was at 7:30 PM, and we didn't finish until around 9:30 PM. Our whole table ended up waiting a long time, and the couple next to us actually left because it was taking so long. The food was good, but the service was really slow, even when it came time to get the check. It didn't seem that busy--the restaurant wasn't full, with many empty sections--but the long wait left the rest of our table pretty unhappy as well. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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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. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I am so disappointed. I booked a reservation a week in advance for a work lunch and confirmed via phone the 45 min power lunch. We waited 15 minutes before we were acknowledged in the lobby. Then we were told there was no way we would be done within the time promised, citing being short staffed and other parties waiting for the chefs. Don't go if you want to get out in less than 2 hours. read more

You can't beat a classic like Benihana I went for my birthday this year with my $30 coupon. If you haven't signed up for this deal it's definitely worth it. The food is freshly prepared and always delicious and of course you enjoy the show always enjoyable and always a great deal for those taking you out since you're meal is basically free. I always go home with lots of leftovers which are a welcome lunch the next day. Yum Yum.. read more

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It took them over 2 hours to bring our food out and an hour to get sat down. We had a reservation!!! This place has the worst service out of any restaurant I have been to in my entire life. The staff don't care and are extremely rude. Never coming back ever again. What a disgrace... read more

Had the worst Benihana experience ever here. Our reservation was for 8:15. We probably got seated at around 8:35 or 8:40. After getting seated, maybe 10 minutes later our server comes up to show the specialty wagyu meats they're trying to upsell. It's so loud in there, he's wasting breath and time because we can't even hear him. Comes back another 10 minutes later to take our drink orders only(we could have ordered...), comes back with drinks 10 minutes later. Then has to go get straws. We finally get our orders taken at 9:08. We didn't get a chef cooking at our table until 9:40. Then my friend was served steak that was clearly rare(she asked for med rare). She couldn't even eat it. The onion soup I normally love from Benihana was flavorless here. Everything was lacking and underwhelming. This was an insanely expensive meal to be such a huge disappointment and massive waste of time. We weren't leaving the restaurant until around 10:30. I normally love Benihana, but our experience at this location was an absolute disaster. And after looking through some other reviews... my experience seems to be a common one here. I would never come back. read more

Benihana's are place that is fun to experience one time or if you had kids but that's about it. They're known for their exciting and enthusiastic service which I think is fun to experience. However, the food itself isn't particularly notable. Especially considering the price, the food is okay. The most tasty dish was the chicken fried rice. Unfortunately, as you can see in the photo, the amount of chicken compared to the rice was awful. I think each person got like a teaspoon of chicken. We also enjoyed the soup and salad. Everything else (vegetables, shrimp, steak) was just okay. Not sure if you have to ask for green tea (included in the special) but they didn't serve it to us. Despite the time it took between each dish (it's made in front of you so it took a while) and all the appetizers, my partner and I left still feeling like we could eat more. It's a good place to experience once and hang out with friends but it's not a place to go for the food. read more

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Had a great time at Benihana. Marlon, Cher, and Kevin gave us the best customer service! The chef put on a great show--fun, lively, and delicious. The fried rice and steak were perfectly cooked, and the atmosphere made it a fun evening out with friends. Drinks were also delicious!!! Definitely coming back. read more

Can't believe I'm writing a review for Benihana lol but here we are. Came to get a $200 gift card for someone who requested it. Waited 30 minutes before leaving without a gift card. The hostesses said only the manager knew how to do gift cards despite them running a literal gift card promotion and having a giant sign for it right in the entry way. They said they would ask the manager to come out of the back multiple times, but every time they returned to the hostess stand they just ignored me instead of saying something like, "I let the manager know you're waiting." So literally no clue if they even told the manager or not but I got tired of standing in the crowded entrance. Big zero stars from me and what you would expect from a literal Benihana chain. read more