Best experience! Maggie and Nick were both on top of things and made the show fun! Nothing but laughter

Food was good. Smaller than normal portions at Benihana. Our waiter Deacon was absolutely amazing!!! Our chef Lina (Paulina I think) was awful. No personality and no excitement. We go for the food and show, but definitely no show with her. The atmosphere was great and even though the restaurant was packed it wasn't too loud. read more

Had a birthday lunch here and it was delightful! We were seated quickly, drinks came quickly, Jonathan the chef was terrific, food prepared well and the happy birthday song both in japanese and english w/ tambourines was fun! We give it all 5 stars and will be returning. read more

Slow service. Hosts do not know how to manage reservations. Called early in the day for a large party and still can't sit within an hour. I'd recommend ShoGun nearby for a better experience. In the same complex they have Karl Strauss and Phil's BBQ that are other great options. read more

Way over priced!! The service was lacking as well. We had reservations for celebrating a birthday. We were sat a little late, and then had to wait quite a while to be waited on. We were still really happy to be there and looking forward to our dinner. As the evening went on, it continued to disappoint. We were shorted the fried rice, which was $9 extra!! Then they shorted one of our party the shrimp appetizer. When you pay $54 for steak and chicken, you expect you will be served the chicken not just scraps after the chef forgets you were to get a portion as well. We have celebrated a lot of birthdays at Benihana's in Orange County for years. Although we really like the food, the prices are now out of hand and they serve you less. The manager did compensate us for a portion of one of the meals for the person being shorted the shrimp appetizer. However, it still is not an experience we will go back to even though the Benihana's we use to know, was one we use to enjoy. read more

...... mmm mmm mmm mmm great experience amazing chefs great time great food read more

We tried the $39 five-course hibachi special at Benihana's, and it was so good we forgot to take pictures--we were too hungry to wait! The food was delicious, and the flavors were spot on. Every course was satisfying, and the experience was fun as always. We'll definitely be back for another round! read more

Took our son here on April 24th for his 18th Bday. First time ever being here and honestly wasn't expecting much. The food was fantastic and our chef Levi absolutely killed it. He was very good at his craft and kept all of us involved. There was even a girl at our table that we didn't know that had to have everything gluten free and Levi was more then patient with her and made everything she needed. Will definitely be back. Great job Levi!!!!!! read more

Not sure yet staffing challenges are not allowing for us to be seated Hostess needs more training on how to time seating they should have a manager assisting them Promised a time and all walk ins after us got seated first I surveyed and listened to the conversation at stand and clearly they are confused Children in our party got extremely impatient after 1 hour and 29 min wait to be seated We decided to leave after being told you're next only to see others seated next Or it's only 7 more minutes 30 minutes later Hopefully you get it together soon. Shogun got our business for they have customer service down. read more

Ian was our chef tonight. He did an amazing job. Made everyone laugh and was great with kids.

Disappointed. First time at Benihana and probably won't be returning. My fiancé made reservations at 8:00, we checked in with the hostess and were seated around 8:15. We ordered some drinks, which arrived pretty quickly. For the first round of drinks we ordered the Exotic Mojito and I ordered the Lychee Mojito or Lychee Blossom, I can't remember the exact name but the drinks were great. For the appetizer we decided on the shrimp tempura, and they were delicious. After everyone at our table received their drinks and appetizers we were told that our cook would be coming shortly. We waited about an hour for our cook to arrive. And to make things worse no one came to inform us that they were running behind until about 40 minutes of waiting...at this point everyone at our table is hungry. We ended up ordering another drink while waiting, which was also really good. I believe it was a Frozen strawberry mojito. Eventually our cook arrived and mind you, it was both my fiancé and I's first time at Benihana or any Hibachi Style restaurant, so we were expecting the "full hibachi experience". Our cook did not seem very experienced at all, almost like it was his first day on the job. I hate to say that but it was so disappointing. Usually they do the fried rice first but everything was done "backwards" at our table starting with the veggies and our entrées. I'm not sure what happened but I guess the rice wasn't ready yet or something. We got our veggies and they were good, the garlic butter they use is really flavorful. We ordered the Deluxe Treat for our entrée. We asked for our filet mignon to be cooked "medium-rare" and he kept asking us if it was good, which I thought was odd because you're the cook shouldn't you know?! He ended up overcooking it a bit but it's okay, it still tasted good. The lobster was also pretty good, all of the food was seasoned well. As for the onion soup and salad we got in the beginning, I wasn't really a fan of the salad dressing and I wasn't too impressed with the onion soup. The rice finally arrived and we got our "chicken fried rice" I say that with apostrophes because it was more like fried rice with two small pieces of chicken. If I order chicken fried rice I would expect it to have more than two pieces of chicken in it. After we had eaten everything, our cook decided to do the onion volcano trick and it didn't work 4x, it wasn't his fault he didn't have any lighter fluid, but it was just so disappointing. I am leaving such a low review due to the horrible experience we had here. From the long wait to the cook, he didn't entertain us, do any tricks or anything exciting. It was very underwhelming. If we didn't have such a horrible experience I would've given a much better review because the food was delicious, but we just didn't feel well compensated enough. I will say our waitress was very sweet, and attentive. ALSO: These wonderful ladies sitting across from us at our table had a shellfish food allergy and they had notified the waitress, manager, hostess upon arrival. When the cook arrived, they had mentioned it to him as well. But he ended up cross-contaminating the food by cooking the shrimp and lobster near the chicken...I was in disbelief!! I believe the manager did give our entire table a discount due to the inconveniences. read more

See all

I typically love this place but this time around it was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. For starters we waited over an hour just to get seated I had my reservation for 6:30 didn't get seated until 7:45pm. I understand it's Saturday and they over booked that's not on the customer. After being seated to get food was horrible timing. The waiter took long and you can tell he was stressed. The food wasn't bad it was the timing and the un organization. The managers were telling the cooks not to talk to the customers to focus on cooking and get them out. Overall horrible experience. Not spending $150 on horrible service. read more

We had reservations at 5:30 for a party of eight We were not sat until 620 Then the chef did not arrive to start our order until 710. The waitress that took her drink order and our dinner order was very kind and efficient. So that's a plus. The steak and lobster was delicious. The yakisoba was not good at all. Drinks were good though. The atmosphere is fun. However, our chef was nothing special. read more

We have been coming to this Benihana in Temecula since they opened. We usually sit at the bar since this is my husband and I spot where we have drinks and have dinners away from home and the kiddos. Bill is always are bartender. He is always greets us with a smile and is always attentive. He orders our spicy garlic edamame how we like it. Because of Bill and of course the great cooks we are here about once a week or every other week. read more

Benihana - Temecula - Spicy garlic edamame and Tokyo mule!!! Thanks Bill, for my delicious drink! Thanks cooks for my yummy spicy edamame. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

My wife and I decided to visit this Benihana for our first time. We are so thankful that we did. It was our typical date night, but this night ended up being not so typical. This was absolutely the best service that we have ever gotten at any restaurant. All employees seemed to be in a great mood and that energy carried on to the guests. It's so noticeable. Management seems to have this place running like a well oiled machine. Everything was perfect tonight and the food was fantastic to boot. We had Kelly as our chef and she absolutely killed it! Everything was above and beyond what my wife and I expected, especially for an establishment that hasn't been open for that long. This Benihana definitely sets the example for all restaurants in the I.E. to follow. Thank you to the bar staff as well. Omar and Eddie were outstanding and made us feel like regulars as we sat and enjoyed a drink and sushi roll while we waited for our reservation. We were offered to be seated before our reservation time but we decided to wait because we had such a great time with the bartenders. This was our first time there but it will definitely not be our last. We loved this experience. If you are reading this and are on the fence about coming here, stop wasting your time and get there ASAP. A breath of fresh air compared to most experiences in SoCal at the moment. Thank you to all staff. You guys rock! read more

Our grandkids first Benihana experience did not disappoint. Chef Jonathan and server Maggie were terrific in providing outstanding personal service, savory meal and a marvelous show! After several years away, still worth every penny and highly recommended. read more

Benihana - Temecula - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Delicious and great service with Dave and Alec. They were a great duo that worked well together. Our family loved it

Angela did an amazing job in accommodating our party of 10! Our server Hannah was attentive throughout our stay and our chef Sal did a phenomenal job with the food. It was amazing being our first time. We will definitely be back read more

My kids had never been to Benihana and I must say they were impressed! The service was great, our chef, Kelly, was fun and engaged my boys. My oldest wants to give her 6 stars!! Everything tasted great, perfectly seasoned. Highly recommended. read more

We love Benihana. We are always excited to find one in the town we are visiting. The Benihana in Temecula was by far one of the best we have been to. The host, the server, the chef, the food....everything was on point. Very impressed with the Temecula Benihana. We will be back for sure! Thank you for a great experience. read more

Celebrated our anniversary here today. Erik our chef was amazing and put on a good show as well as cooked the food to perfection. My two children enjoyed the show too. The waitress was excellent as well. This was our first time here and we will definitely be returning! read more

We did not go. They want $25 for a corking fee for each bottle of wine brought in, so we canceled. We don't do that here in Temecula. Locals take care of business owners here in town! read more

Amazing Restaurant! great service! Very funny and professional chef! The food was awesome. Highly recommend! read more

Benihana - Temecula - The Amazing Chef Raymond! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

We came here for my husband's birthday and the food was delicious (as always). Our chef, Jonathan, was super cool and fun! The manager, Nabil, was also very friendly and provided great customer service. We tried a variety of cocktails and they were all outstanding. Highly recommend Benihana, especially when celebrating a special occasion! read more

We had a reservation at 6:45, they did not honor it, it is 7:30 and we are still waiting, ridiculous!!! Do not come to this Benihanas In Temecula!!! read more

What great SERVICE! We were welcomed in right away! The Manager Josh came over to check on us to see how we were doing, and was more than personable and polite. The Food was amazing! The Ambiance was spectacular! Thank you! read more

Great night out with friends. Chef Chase was fun, engaging and prepared our food excellently. The restaurant was beautifully decorated. There was a bit of a wait but this is to be expected for a new restaurant in town. Make a reservation, enjoy an appetizer while you wait and enjoy your evening. read more

Benihana - Temecula - Chef Chase @Benihana -Temecula - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Our chef Ian was entertaining and did a fine job with our food! He deserves 10 stars.

Maggie and Johnathan were fantastic! The service was fast and the food was so delicious and perfectly cooked

Food was great, service was the best, chef was a skilled showman that actually knew his way around a hibachi

Great service, thank you! Maggie, Daniel, and James were the best. Really enjoyed our dinner.

Our Chef Daniel was really great! The food is always consistent and delicious. The passion fruit lemonade is great.

Drinks and food were amazing. Great date night tonight. This is an amazing restaurant to good to always. read more

Benihana - Temecula - Table - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

We went to celebrate my dad's 83 Bday. Out server Dylan was awesome. He kept my drink always full and was very attentive with our Bday boy. Our Cheff Angel was extraordinary; he kept us laughing with his clean funny jokes. We will definitely come back and ask for both of them!!! read more

Levi, Clarissa and Stan are the best!!! They made our experience a true 10/10. All three were so personable, attentive and made conversation with us so effortlessly, making us feel like we've known them for years. Will definitely be coming back to see them again! read more

Epic fail on Christmas day! We had reservations, but when we arrived it was total chaos in that place. They had people standing all up along the walls waiting for tables, and loads of people waiting outside in the cold as well. The extremely rude hostess was lying to people about the wait, and they just kept packing people in like sardines. Even if you had a reservation, they couldn't seat you for over an hour. The hostess was absolutely obnoxious when I politely inquired about the wait, and at that point, we'd had enough and just left. I can't comment on the food since we never got to eat, but as far as the service goes, I highly would not recommend. They should be ashamed of the way they treat their customers, especially on Christmas. read more

Great service food and entertainment while the chef was cooking was amazing very clean restaurant and management was walking around making sure his restaurant was running properly best experience ever read more

Went here for my birthday. We made reservations for 7:45. We got taken back to the table 7:50. Waited over an hour and a half before the chef came out. When he did, he had the wrong steak for my husband. He had to go get the right one. Our food wasn't finished being cooked til 10pm!!!! When my husband cut into and took a bite of his medium rare steak, it was cold still! We had our kids with us! If our chef wasn't going to be available for so long, they shouldn't have sat us! They could've told us the true wait time, that our reservation didn't matter. It was not a good experience! We go to other tepan style cooking place and have no issue! This was unacceptable! read more

The food was awesome. Our server and Chef Abel did a great job above and beyond. We were able to get seated and started quickly. The ambiance and temperature were good too. Best experience at Benihana for a couple years. read more

Benihana - Temecula - Chicken fried rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

we had a 6:30 reservation. We made the reservation almost a week ahead. We arrived at 6:25. Upon check in we were advised that they were running behind, so I asked how far behind and she says about 25 min, but it's not a guarantee. We sat at the bar for over an hour. during the 75 min we sat at the bar. While we sat at the bar is was like a lottery to get served. the employees behind the bar made sure not to make eye contact with us. It was until I spoke up and said, "excuse can we order some drinks please" that we got serviced. originally I wanted a lychee martini, the bartender said they're out of it. Meanwhile, my brother in law checked on our table twice, and I did twice. It is now 7:40. I decided to walk around to look for someone I can talk to bc the host area was packed. I found a lady sitting at a table whom nicely got me a manager. i explained to the manager (who was one of the bartenders that didn't bother asking us if we needed anything. and, I had to nicely ask for help) that we have been waiting for such a long time, and it's upsetting that with a reservation we have to still wait to long. What I got out of the conversation was that Benihana is not allowed to turn anyone away. So, if you have a reservation and a walk in without a reservation walks in seconds before you, your reservation doesn't hold any value. the walk in will get sat and served before you. our server was ok, and so was our chef. There was a lady that came over and told us she'd comp our appetizers. (I'd rather be served than get anything for free tbh.) As I was sitting there, I realized that 2 tables over was a group that didn't have a reservation, came in after we did and was sitting at a table happily eating food already. I knew they didn't have a reservation bc they sat right next to us at the bar and told me. This was our first time at this location and will never make this our first choice again. Although the food was good, it isn't so spectacular that it's worth the wait. THEIR FOOD IS NOT WORTH THE WAIT. it's 8:51pm, our entree still isn't served AND the rest of the appetizers weren't served yet (2 orders of edamame, and 1 order of guoza. we did receive my calamari 20 min prior). At this point, I'm completed checked out- beyond irritated at this experience. The chef explains that it's how corporate wants it to be. It's 9:24 we paid our bill and just need to finish our drinks. and we feel the pressure to leave, a woman with a red shirt (maybe a manager) starts picking up our table looking at us like what are we still doing there?!! For the service we received tonight- I did not leave a tip. I have never done that in all my 4 decades of life. Disappointed, unhappy, and irritated is how I left Benihana. This location is the worst one i've ever been to. I definitely do not recommend this place unless you don't mind your time being wasted. This is the worst service I've ever experienced in Temecula. I gave it 2 stars bc the food was good. but, the experience was so bad that I don't plan on returning. The food isn't THAT good. So the moral of the story here is, don't even bother making a reservation, it holds no value. When they're busy, the bartenders won't make eye contact to avoid helping you. They'll give you free appetizers, even though you didn't come for the appetizers. And, unless time is invaluable, you won't be happy with their service. This place needs training, and the company needs to learn now to say no to walk ins When there are existing reservations. read more