Benihana Reviews

The food was delicious!! The show was great, a few mistakes but nevertheless entertaining. The customer service was perfect, our waiter was always there when he was needed. Lunch is a great deal!

We sat in the dining room since seats at the grills were all reserved. The food is expensive & was just so-so. Service was also just so-so. Quite a disappointment.

We made reservation day before and showed up on time. Upon arrivial ask us to wait 1h30 because chef did not show up. They did not call, Manager did not face complaint and run away, no compensation. Spend 40$ on Uber and wasted an hour.

If you're there for lunch and not eating at the hibachi table, I recommend the lunch boat! Very delicious!

The food and prep is always entertaining . The prices area are excllent. Great for a birthday party Loud at the tables Reception hostesses were not helpful , were texting . Did not seat us promply

We have been coming here for over 20 years and we always knew our experience would be the same sort of like reading a favorite book. This was my husband's birthday. We didn't have a coupon and still came. The male waiter we had with dark hair and glasses is what ruined this experience for us. We had a 3:45 reservation yesterday and sat in the very back with 5 other people and a child. The waiter never asked if there were any birthdays or special occasions. The chef asked. We said it was my husband's 71st birthday and our 50th year wedding anniversary. When the waiter brought out the salads and soups we had no way to eat the salad and he never offered us the forks. The waiter had disappeared and my husband got up and got the forks and handed them out to everyone. We saw other tables getting their ice cream and hearing happy birthday being sung. Someone used to take a picture of the birthday boy or girl but maybe no more? At the end of the meal the server came around and collected credit cards to pay for the food but never asked what ice cream we wanted. Never asked if there was a birthday. I was going to tell him when we ordered the ice cream that never came. Our WHOLE table sat there 20 minutes after the last time we saw the waiter including the man with his child thinking we would have ice cream requests taken. It was embarrassing and we all said to each to each other well, I guess no ice cream and no happy birthday song. The Asian chef did fine. Shame on you Benihana for ruining my husband's birthday. He said on the way home he sure wanted that ice cream. At 71 he wanted the song, too. This is our second time to be disappointed to the extent I had to write about it. Two stars for the chef so be thankful he was there otherwise one star.

Very nice place , nice people and a good location. Excellent food with lots of to choose from and most important the show the presentation they do. Love that place.

Went for a business meeting always very entertaining. Omg we had so much food could not eat all nor dinner. Sushi was good the lobster tail was really good salmon good and Armondo the chef was very good. The server was good energy and happy. Good meeting good food on a diet now lol.

Been to a few of these now (2 in London) if you go with a couple or a crowd you will enjoy your self.Food all cooked in front of you & if your lucky enough to get a chef with a good sense of humour doing his tricks plus interacting with us & another chef .great experience.I had the sea food choice with scallops .

Always love Benihana. We had to wait over an hour from our reserved time. But I felt like that was a one off. The hostesses were fantastic. The bartender was alone and rocked it making drinks for EVERYONE. Our chef was funny and attentive. Server was on point.

If you are hungry and want lots of food, come to Benihana! The problem is when you order a teppanyaki and thats the only thing you want, because theyll give you 5 things before you get your teppanyaki! The place is great, but its quite noisy and difficult to have a conversation with you family members!

So Sad to see my "Go To" place change to major changes and not good!! Side note, El Torito next store closed like a ghost town there now?? I was the GM at that El Toritos back in the day. I remember Benihana's being built and was invited to attended a private guest only opening with the owner "Rocky" Very humble and gracious. I brought myself , supervisor. Everyone of the employees were Japanese, all the cooks. When you walked in the place was like a Japanese garden, so serene. From that time on I would be going many times especially to bring a lady friend. The ambiance, service, food and show presented was excellent. Last night 6/28/2014 5:30pm seating was a total different experience. I had not been there since my Dads birthday (Original owner Rocky had passed away. His family now in charge) New American chain now runs joint. The show and wow, the whole experience is gone! no more small bridge with the koi fish underneath, all the dinning sections are roomed off, even the Damn walls are painted something I don't understand. The music playing in the background was soft rock???? Food: same basic menu, no more bean sprouts, way to much SALT!!! In the Japanese tradition, salt was lightly sprinkled just enough for your taste buds to open up. This Girl/chef was poring the salt, hell it looked like a snow fall all over the place. The drink/order taker was this tall American fella, his substitute was the only 20 year employee, strong Japanese accent. My Wife and I both speak a working version. We asked her what has happened. She said ever since the take over it has never been the same like the way "Rocky" had envisioned and built it to his dream. Adios for me, I'll never go back, so disappointing to see someone's dream creation get Bastardized. Note: Yes this place brings the crowd, mostly people who want to impress family/dates. Sorry, your only experiencing a façade! DT

Oh how I love Benihana ! Let me list the ways .. First of all it's been a birthday tradition in my family to go here on someone's bday . They really make you feel special on your big day . The filet minion is my all time favorite, then the scallops ! Prepared super yummy with garlic butter ! Super amazing and always a fun time !

Love the teppanyaki cooking because so happens that I'm part Japanese and so use to having food cooked before us all the time. Our chef was not Japanese however he did put on a good show! I loved my Surf and Turf meal and my family had the Samurai Treat, and Seafood melody! Will come here again for another family celebration!

On my business lunch with some colleagues we had one at Benihana, all of us had Teppanyaki, they cooked right in front of you. We had seafood, consisting of prawn, squid and scallop. Very tasty indeed.

Four children and four adults went to Benihana for a birthday celebration. We waited a half hour to be seated (we had reservations), an hour to have our orders taken and an hour after the meal to settle up - very disorganized. My grandchildren love the place, but this time it's was too tedious.

My children treated me for my 68th birthday dinner and it was well worth it. My son had made reservations and even though we were a little late because of traffic, we were seated in less than 5 minutes. There was another person at our hibachi table celebrating their birthday also which was a good ice breaker for conversations with complete strangers which was very pleasant. The servers and hibachi chef were very good and entertaining as individual meals were prepared for eight people right in front of us. We all received ice cream at the end of our meals and “Happy Birthday” was sang to those celebrating. I would return again.

I have eaten there several times. And the food is okay, but I want my steak to be rare and they can't do it, and my shrimp was tough. We ate in the bar because I was there with 2 friends and we wanted to talk. When we went in the past and ate with the chef at the table, once there were 2 people at the end of the table bickering and another time people were butting into our conversations. Also, the chef is there to entertain you so is constantly trying to get your attention. I go to be with friends and enjoy their company. I have tried the tempura, and was surprised when the shrimp came with panko instead of tempura batter. Go to be entertained - the Chefs are very good and very entertaining. Try to go with a full table, otherwise you have no idea who will be sitting at your table with you.

Excellent japanese-american cuisine. Nice menu, with different plates for everybody. The best value for your dollar are the combinations, such as: Rocky's Choice (Hibachi steak and chicken breast grilled); Splash 'N Meadow (Hibachi steak and grilled shrimp lightly seasoned) and Benihana Delight (Chicken breast andshrimp lightly seasoned and grilled). You can also order if you don't want the afore mentioned combinations, just a perfectly seasoned steak, or lobster tails or any other seafood delicacy. Drinks are reasonable. Reservations are a must.

Super fun watching the Chef do her stuff! Food was better than I remembered from the past. We had a great time for my granddaughters birthday.

Absolutely 0 entertainment, we came with our 3 years old, the chef couldn’t care less, no motivation to put on a show, didn’t talk to us once. The waiter was in training and had a horrible attitude it was so annoying. Don’t waste your money. Absolutely not worth it.

Had the pleasure of dining here this month. The restaurant was full to capacity, but lively. All staff greet you with a smile and ask if you need anything. The food was excellent and the cook was fast and cordial. I expect to return here on my next visit to San Diego.

Great food and good people. Parking can be a little hectic at this location but the good and service were excellent. There was no wait

Celebrated my birthday here with my family. everything was great but service could be better. We were sitting on the hibachi with another couple who arrived after us but the server was kinda rushed them to order at the same time with us, even when they were still working on their entree,the server came and asked them to order dessert. I would be very upset if I was them. Anyway it was a great birthday celebrating, they sung happy birthday to me. Food was great as always.

We were kept waiting quite a while as our chef was busy but we were given free appetisers and cocktails so not a problem. The manager was lovely. Great food as always! What do the put on the meat? Amazing

for some reason this doesn't work in San Diego? It's been a while since I last visited Benihana in Mission Valley and apparently so has most of their cliental, or so it seems? In the old days every station had a live hibatchi station, now it's relegated to the back of the restaurant with most of the establishment set up with normal sit down tables. Gone is that special feel I use to feel when I entered into this place. The concept still works, Benihana in Honolulu is very busy and with very little Japanese customers but for whatever reason it's stale in San Diego? I suspect it's because they changed the décor. Our food was ho-hum ordinary with a lame cook/presenter, this guy couldn't hit any of his gags, he kept on dropping his stuff on the floor including large shrimp. It really was a lame show but the price point made it worth while. I think they need to clean house, blow this place up and start over. It's just an ordinary restaurant now.

There were 5 adults and 2 children in our party. We gathered around the cooking table and the kids were really impressed. They didn't take their eyes off of the chef. I was the only person who had the shrimp for the entrée. But the steak was so much better. I highly recommend the steak. We had reservations on a Tuesday night for 6:00. Good thing we did, it was very crowded.

So if you are trying to save money, don't go here it's expensive. We went on a weekday during lunch, so it was pretty chill and it is really close to the Worldmark. Sergio, was our chef, he was pretty good, all of us liked him. Our waiter was really good, I didn't catch his name but he I appreciate that he knew who ordered what. We did have to wait for chef, but we saw our food cooked and seasoned in front of us so eh. We had the lunch special, but took food home. Salad was okay, my daughters really like the soup. The edamame was warm and lightly salted. Sashimi plate was pleasantly fresh. Raspberry lemonade was one of the bests one I have had. Everything the chef cooked came out well. The spicy chicken hibachi did have a little kick. My husband loved his steak. Yakisoba was also very good. Definitely would come for a Birthday or a promotion.

We got into town late and needed something to eat. Unfortunately we did not know what Benihana had to offer. If you are looking for the fancy grille show Benihana delivers an interesting and predictable experience. We waited 30-40 minutes for this show and $27 beef stir fry. With extras you could easily spend $50 per person. They also have a Sushi lounge that may have been a quicker, more affordable option for us. Clean restaurant and attentive staff but for this price range I expected more.

I took my sister for dinner, she was visiting and thought it would be a fun place to celebrate our dinners. The food was great, loved the chef, BUT the waitress "up sold" the entire table. We were charged almost the price of the meal to have the "Chicken fried rice" which I thought, and everyone else, was included with the meal. I wanted brown rice but it was not being offered any longer. Too bad, I would love to go more often but....

I'll keep it short since everyone knows Benihana does good dinners in front of the crowd with exciting and entertaining chefs providing fun and theatrics. During this visit, we ate at a small table in the bar and, although the bar has a separate menu, they allowed me to order the Spicy Tofu from the regular menu to graciously accommodate my veg preferences. Wow!! This was an outstanding recipe! The servers we met on both nights were excellent and the meal was delicious. Quick Service, Delicious Food, and Prices As Expected. Keeping it short; I'd definitely go again.

We visited Benihanas to celebrate Valentine’s Day with our kids (ages 6 and 11). We made the reservations over a month ago. Our dinner did not live up to the expectations or typical Benihanas experience we have had in the past. Our chef hardly interacted with the table aside from repeating our order, spinning a few utensils, and making Pac-Man. While I understand that each chef has their own style, we were so disappointed because we (especially the kids) were so excited for this dinner. There was lots of fat on the meat we ordered and there were items (fried rice) missing from our order. It used to be one of our favorites, however not sure it is worth visiting anymore as the service and experience is not what it was.

Benihana San Diego is a very clean and comfortable establishment. Food is fresh and prepared right in front of you, the chef makes it a fun experience. Service is excellent! Definitely recommend this restaurant!

Even if the restaurant is empty they put you in the wait list and takes forever. Good food but after 45 min wait it becomes sour

I found out that Benihana - a tipical Japanese restaurant-, has a "business" lunch menu, that compared to the traditional Teppanyaki or Sushi, is very afordable and quick. The portions are good and the flavor is the tipical from the place. It's worth to try it.

I've loved Benihana since I was a child, and had a craving for a good Teppanyaki dinner while in San Diego. We had reservations - which I highly recommend - and still had to wait a little bit for our 5:00 reservation. The hostesses were not friendly, and seemed more interested in talking amongst themselves than greeting the guests. Once we were finally seated at our table we noticed that the air was a bit smokey and smelled a bit of grease. I'm thinking that they need to upgrade their ventilation system. We were greeted by our server fairly quickly, and she took drink orders. She brought the drinks in a reasonable amount of time but didn't return to take our food orders for about 20 minutes. I don't think she was being lazy - I think she was so busy that she couldn't make it back any sooner. So apparently they give too many tables to each server to serve the guests quickly and well. While waiting a little while more for our cook to arrive we watched a bus boy attempt to clean the table next to us. I say "attempt" because he took a wet cloth and swirled it around the edge of the table, knocking the crumbs to the floor. That was his idea of cleaning. There was no real cleaning or sanitizing of the table going on. Once our cook arrived she prepared our food well and interacted well with the people at the table with a wonderful sense of humor. It wasn't just the usual "spiel". Twice during our dinner I got up to go to the bathroom and each time I found the bathroom was either very low on toilet paper or out altogether. The floors and sinks were dirty too. I reported the need for toilet paper to the hostesses at the front desk, and again was met with a laissez-faire attitude. If in San Diego again we probably would not go back to Benihana after this experience. It seems that at least this San Diego location is resting on their laurels rather than trying to continue to serve their guests with the same service that gave them their reputation.

If you want the Hibachi/teppanyaki show then you need to sit at the grill. There were over a dozen tables with grills that seat 8 each. You’ll be sharing space with others. We shared the filet mignon ($54) 5 course meal that comes with onion soup, salad, shrimp, vegetables, 2 dipping sauces, rice (option to upgrade to chicken fried rice), hot green tea. The 6 course has ice cream added. The chef did his thing with the dancing utensils and egg along with the I heart u rice. Loved that he automatically split our portions on the plate. Instead of an upgrade, we ordered Chicken rice ($9) by itself. We were shocked that it was the same size as the others who upgraded. The rice was just full of butter and bland. We also ordered Shrimp crunchy roll ($19) and Chili ponzu yellowtail roll ($25). The crunchy roll was not crunchy. It was like old panko. I think Benihana lost its touch over the decades and we were not impress by the quality of food, smaller portions and high prices.

Benihana's teppan table is a great experience if your chef has a great personality and sense of humor. Unfortunately our chef was very average, and his prep skills were just as dull. I strongly recommend checking reviews and asking for a chef who can make your evening more fun. Dinner and cocktail prices were on the high side, but you are paying for the experience in addition to the meal. Filet mignon and chicken were tough, and did not have much flavor. Nice touch to get a Benihana's photo for a special occasion after the meal, and it was also nice to dine in a unique place like this, but expect high prices, minimal flavor and loads of noisy, cheering patrons in the small dining room.

Lunch was easily ordered, quickly served and tasted great. Enough to take home for our dinner. Just a nice place to have lunch without the fuss

We enjoyed our experience very much. My 8 year old loved the chef's jokes and that they helped celebrate her birthday. Hibachi and rest of the meal were awesome, especially the fried rice. Despite having the first reservation time, it took 20 minutes or so after we were seated for the chef to arrive and start cooking. It took an hour and 45 minutes for the meal, so something to be aware of if you have plans afterward.

I am so sick and tired of Benihana’s doing this. They do it all of the time to each family member enrolled in Chefs Table. The first time you sign up no problem but on subsequent birthdays we have had problems. I believe this is their way of not honoring the certificate. One of the ladies I finally reached at a Benihana’s number I found online told me that if you do not interact with the junk email they will deactivate your account and won’t send you the certificate. How scandalous. I got junk mail from them 2 weeks before my birthday yet on my birthday nothing. If the interact or get deactivated is in the Chefs Table’s fine print please let me know. But it isn’t made clear that you have to interact with the junk emails in order to receive a birthday certificate. Such false advertisement! I’m ticked off because my family is also in town and we haven’t celebrated my birthday together in over 15 years and Benihanas is where I usually go. I just pay since we don’t get the certificates. This time we just won’t go because I’m tired of doing that. I called the Mission Valley Benihana here in SDiego a week before my birthday and spoke to a manager he gave me a number to the corporate office yet no one ever answered. I finally found A number online and was told that there is no longer a number for Chefs Table. I called the Mission Valley location and mentioned this the young lady on the phone said yeah there is no longer a number for Chefs Table. I said well why did you guys give me that number. She abruptly said. So you want a manager or the email for Chefs Table. I’m going to the Better Business Bureau. This is just not fair that they are playing games like this. Please stop pretending and stop this false advertising. If this has happened to you please call the Better Business Bureau. We have to make them stop doing this.

If you want to sit down around the teppanyaki area, you should make a reservation. We did not make reservation so we sat down at bar/sushi area. The service was excellent, food was good.

I regularly go to this restaurant and have been for a number of years. Their service is variable depending on how busy they are and your server, but for the most part the staff is friendly. For the most part the service is usually good and there are a few servers I have had that are really awesome. One of the bartenders named Ray is really awesome and has a good memory whenever you order. He is on top of everything and I love to sit in his area. He is a nice guy and he really hustles to get your order to you. If a problem arises the managers are usually quick to resolve the issue, which I do appreciate. There are bound to be mistakes, but correcting them is good customer service. That keeps me going back. Overall this is a really good place to eat. I like sitting in the sushi bar area even if I order hot food because I can usually eat and get going in a reasonable amount of time. If you sit in the tappan section it really depends on who you are seated with more so than who the chef is as to how long it will take for you to get your food. Most people sit in the teppan section for the experience and their staff makes it fun to celebrate special occasions. I have sat with families with kids or indecisive people and had lunch take 2 hours or more before. I have sat with business people in the same section and had lunch in under an hour. Be prepared to wait because a longer meal is the norm. At night and at certain times of the month this restaurant is insanely crowded so make reservations if you want to eat in a reasonable amount of time. Parking can be tricky as well but they do offer valet service. If you are going to discuss business or anything really, this restaurant is really loud so be prepared to yell if needed. I left one night hoarse from talking so loud due to all the celebrations in the restaurant. The food is usually good, though sometimes when they are training the sushi can be inconsistent. Their sushi is usually good or really good, but it does not appear they hire experienced sushi chefs so it is not as good as it could be, especially for the price. I haven't seen any Japanese sushi chefs in over a year at this place. I really like the spicy seafood soup. It is done like nowhere else I have seen, just be sure to order with the spicy sauce on the side or you will be sweating. Their Las Vegas roll is really popular and usually pretty good. The lobster roll is expensive but really good. They have happy hour Mon-Thur 4-7pm and they offer discounted sushi and appetizers and drink specials. The hot tea is free and I always order that as well.

Best to have reservation. Food and show during time he cooked was good. Food was cooked and flavored well. Waitress was always near with refills and taking away empty plates. Food is cooked right in front of you and cook performs little tricks while cooking(onion volcano) juggling tools. Was very nice location and would go again. Prices were comparable to other Teppanyaki restaurants.

We go here at least once every time we are in town. The kids love having the chief do all the food tricks in front of them and I love the food.

The hibachi chef (Max) was skilled and entertaining, willing to answer questions. We were a party of eight with a reservation. One of the party was late, and they recommended that we all wait for the last person before being seated. They did not complain that one of us was late. Another of the party has gluten sensitivity and Max made a special effort to be sure that her meal (which was prepared in the kitchen) was made with gluten-free ingredients. Everyone at the table was happy with their meal.

They do tepanaki well, but don't touch the sushi rolls. I sat at the sushi bar because I wasn't with a big party, but in town for business. The fish they use for sushi is fresh, IF you sit at the bar and ask them to choose the best for you. Some of the stuff in the display case did not look good, so if you were choosing yourself, as an appetizer from the tepanaki tables, you could definitely be in for a surprise. But the rolls are all American concoctions with cream cheese, etc. They have glutinous rice, and stick like a lump in your stomach. Service at the bar was confused and distracted. I guess because I wasn't ordering one of the standard appetizer plates. So stick to the pretty knife work at the table, have a round of beers and a good time with a large party, but skip the sushi.

Another great birthday at Benihana!! Great show and food still Excellent! Love the Chef's Table Birthday reward!

make sure to ask for a picture they no longer do those unless u ask. I love it here $20 a plate but well worth every cent.

What kind of place does not have a person answering their phone? +1 (619) 298-4666. Tried calling all day and nothing!

I went there my first night since it was an early night and had extra time. I had there rainbow roll and a salad. They were very good. The sushi tasted fresh and I enjoyed it very much. I also had a free dessert compliments of the hotel.

With my family (my wife and 2 kids -7 & 9) we decided to go to this place to celebrate my birthday... The parking is almost only for valet service so we had to pay for someone to take our keys, park our car near us, and give our keys back because the valet wouldn't be there after the dinner. We had a 7:15 reservation, sat at 8:15, no soup or salad until 9:10, no hibachi chef until 9:30! Around 9:35,the chef arrived and was nice and entertaining. The service was good and the price very reasonable. We love Hibachi but we will not come back to this restaurant.There is better options in San Diego!

I had a reservation at 6pm and have not been seated. It has now been three hours. I was originally told the table would be ready in 30minutes because they were running late. Not worth the time.

On the positive side, food was good, chef very amusing, waitress at the table attentive and helpful On the negative side, we had reserved a table for 7pm. When we arrived the waitress at the desk was rude, and did not explain that we had to wait for others to arrive as we would be sharing our table with them, a simple explanation would have helped. At that point we would have left, but as it was my husband's birthday, and we had walked from a local hotel, we had no choice but to wait. Glad we stayed, but this attitude may have turned others away.

We loved the food and the service was awesome. We just had issues with our reservation but the manager on staff was very helpful.

I have lived in San Diego for over 20 years now. I have visited Benihana @ Camino del Rio S almost 2-3 times per year so far. Everything was awesome. However, for the past 3 visits I have had very bad experience. The last one on 11/28/24 was the worst. I had a reservation for 8:00pm. When I arrived there on time, I was informed I will have to wait for about 1 to 1 ½ hours. I told the lady at the counter I had a reservation, she told me "doesn't matter" and they are running late. It was like, she didn't care. I drove ½ an hour to this location from my home. When I asked her why didn't they call me and let me know so I could have either arrived at 9:00pm or perhaps cancelled, she says "we don't do that". REALLY?? She had no courtesy to say sorry they are late, instead she says "you can cancel". It was as if she had no remorse. Probably I will stop going there. If anyone from this location is reading this - "Pull your socks up guys, you are going from best to worst".

I've been going to this restaurant for years. This time we ate in the dining room versus being entertained at the grill. We shared our meals. Shrimp, ribeye, chateaubriand. Everything tasted the same, due to the seasonings. Some more salty than others. Needless to say it made for eating lots of rice and drinking more water. Oh, and way too much onions!!! The cocktail was ok, the price exceeds the alcohol content. Maybe Benihana brand is what draws the crowd? My review anyways. The built a hotel/timeshare nextdoor so they'll do fine. Parking can be challenging. Valet is an option otherwise.

We had a reservation at 8:30 at night and when we arrive at the place we are told that there is an hour wait. The unkind hostess told us she couldn't respect the reservation. The old dirty place.

The food was O.K. but overpriced. Unfortunately, everything was smothered in garlic butter which became overpowering. I couldn't hear what the chef was saying (his jokes) because the tables were so crowded together. As you are paying for the theater rather than the food this was disappointing. I have experienced the Tepanyaki restaurants on NCL cruises several times, and I must say that experience was way better. Now I can check this off my to do list as a "been there, done that" and go back to Tepanyaki.

I have been dining at Benihana Restaurants for twenty years. I have had some good experiences, some average, and a few disasters ...but still enjoy experiencing birthdays and special occasions there. Our chef, this time, was excellent..not only in chef skills, but with a personality that was engaging and amusing. Service was attentive and responsive. Dinner for 2 with sashimi appetizers and drinks, tip....$180.

Over the years, I have been to many Benihana restaurants in several cities, always enjoying the food but not the prices. This one offers the expected fresh food, prepared with style by an entertaining chef, plus the usual noise. On this particular night, our party of four was seated at the standard chef's table with another party of four. A chef greeted us as if he would be preparing our meal and then walked away, only to be seen 15 minutes later wandering around doing heaven knows what, but not cooking. After 30 minutes, noticing that we were the only table being treated to a lengthy wait, we asked the manager what was up, who responded with complete surprise. Obviously, the manager was not paying attention. After many more minutes, a reluctant chef finally showed up, apparently from taking his break, blaming others for forcing him to take our table out of turn. Once he began preparing our meal, everything fell into the usual routine, except that he didn't receive the correct amount of ingredients for the fried rice and had to ask for more from the kitchen after he was not able to fill everyone's bowl. This caused confusion with the bill, as they attempted to charge us for ordering "extra" fried rice. Without tip, the tab for me and the friend I'd brought to the celebration was $58. The birthday girl, who has always enjoyed celebrating here (using her special birthday coupon from Benihana's) has decided that next year she will choose a different restaurant. This makes me very happy. . . .

Sweet drinks, amazing food, grilled to perfection. We love the chicken friend rice. We had the splash and meadow: steak and shrimp, it’s really good... so much food...

We experienced our first Benihana restaurant in the 70's in Florida and thought it would be great to bring our family with grandkids to this Benihana so they could experience too. SInce we were 7 and the restaurant assigned us a table to ourselves. This was good. We were served by an authentic elderly Japanese waitress which was delightful. We ordered filet mignon; scallops; shrimps; chicken; benihana steak; Yakisoba. Vegetable fried rice and vegetables, soup or salad were included with these entrees. The restaurant offers children menu and include beverage and ice cream. The chef was very good in his performance to entertain us. The waitress even took our pictures and gave us two copies for souvenirs, but we can go to Benihana's website and download the pictures if we like with the password given to us. The service was excellent.

Benihana was a World Famous Japanese Chef way back in the 1970's and 1980's! This Benihana Restaurant in Mission Valley is also just down the Street from Midway Jeep in Mission Valley just off of Mission center Road and Interstate 8. It is freeway close and close to all of the major Hotels in Mission Valley. Back to the food, If you like authentic Japanese Sushi this is the place for you. And if you want to see the famous cooking shows of food flying off of the tip of the chefs knife and land on you're plate, This is you're Kind of place!

My family and I have been going to Benihana's in San Diego since I was a child. We do our birthday celebrations there and have always used and appreciated the birthday coupon for $30 off our dinner. A few years ago they changed it so that it could only be used M-TH for dinner, which made it really hard for all of us to get together during the work week. We also live in Ramona which is almost an hour drive away. We complied to this new rule, even though it made coming more difficult. This year when we went in for our birthday dinner we were told that the coupon is now only good if you buy 2 entrees. They explained that you had to outright purchase an entrée and then the $30 came off whatever else you ordered. So if you were alone you basically got your drink for free. They are now so greedy that they have taken a nice thank you to the customer and twisted it into this horrible set of hurtles, that if we are somehow able to get thru, we get a much reduced value of gift from what we are used to. To make things worse, my husband and I are born on the same day and have always come in the two of us and had dinner and used both our coupons (because they have to be used in month of birthday and we can't afford to go twice). Now they are complaining about that and insisting that we come with several friends to make it all work (meaning buying at least four entrees). That is NOT the way to treat long-time loyal customers. I sent them a comment email explaining all this and my sincere disappointment with how they are handling their customers. Their response was basically thanks for your inquiry, but we are unable to honor your request. I'll bet they never even read my letter, just auto-responded with this generic and useless statement. If the program does not improve before our next birthday, we will stop going to Benihana's and find a place that really appreciates us and want us to have a wonderful birthday celebration. This also means we will not be inclined to be the add-ons for friends and family either, meaning they also will stop coming. So sad because we really do like their food. Just not how they treat us.

Great eating experience. My husband ordered yakisoba and I ordered a shrimp roll. His food arrived really fast, my roll took much longer. The waitress was so apologitic and brought the manager over to our table. The manager apologized and told me that the shrimp roll was on the house. THIS IS WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ABOUT. Not only because the food was free, but because they really cared. And of course the food was delicious.

I stayed at the Homewood Suites. The convenience was great. Busy place. A bit noisy but that is part of the atmosphere.

This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. The food as always above and beyond standards. The wait and staff service is exceptional.

Good food, nice cooking show, good service, an enjoyable time, high prices. Not much else to say. Come, eat, enjoy, break out the wallet.

I have been to many Beni Hana locations across the country. We stopped by the location in San Diego on April 10, 2016. Our chef was Nico and our server was Will. They were absolutely amazing! One of the best experiences I've ever had in my years of going to beni Hana! Request them for a great experience!

Dined on a Thursday night which was busy. Food and service were lackluster, and did not match restaurant branding and name recognition.

Went there with family, the restaurant arranged us to sit with another family with similar age kids at the table. The kids had a blast and we had fun watching the cooking show. The chef was funny and skillful (forgot his name but it starts with a Foscal??) server Agna was cheerful and knowledgeable. After all best Benihana we have been to. We reserved the table on the Opentable app, I highly recommend doing reservation, they do need the entire party to be present before they can get you a table. We made reservation and still waited for 15 minutes to get seated.

This is one of our favorite locations. As always everything was perfect! We arrived 20 minutes early for our reservation and was seated within 5 minutes. The service and entertainment is good and the food was even better!! If you never been here, you must try the chicken fried rice. We always take 3 to go.. This by far is our Kiddies favorite place to come! Thank you Benihana's for always making our family time wonderful.

We have been to Benihana's all over the world and this one is by far the worst experience we have had! Overpriced and crappy service. I had to bus our own area to make room for the entrees. Our waitstaff got all of our orders wrong, to include the others at our table. I DO NOT recommend this location!

My family and I stayed in a hotel right in walking distance to Benihana Restaurant. The chef was great, and he entertained us while he prepared our food. The atmosphere was nice, and the food was so good. We even ordered the salad and chicken and shrimp fried rice to go, so we could eat later for dinner. I highly recommend Benihana if you want a nice lunch or dinner that’s not boring. Go see for yourself.

The best BD deal ever! Plus, its fun dinning with entertainment. The only cons is they sit you with other customers at the same table, and its a bit uncomfortable with people you don't know but since 90% of them are celebrating its kinda cool. An average per person is around $40 and reservation is highly recommended!

I rather go to Ruth’s Chris this was terrible and the garlic butter lays on you for days too much. Service was terrible I had to get my own pepper my own salt. The soup came to room temperature not even hot as well as the tea the waitress ended up microwaving it I felt like I was at Denny’s.

Went there for our daughter's 40th birthday and we were very impressed. The chef was funny as well as being a great chef.

In the interest of trying new places I have begun to utilize Door Dash (download the app) to order from places in the area I do not have time to go to when at work. They deliver for a small fee. I had the lunch filet mignon entree described as tenderloin and mushrooms which came with hibachi vegetable rice, and hibachi veggies (zucchini, onions) and a small garden salad. I also ordered a side of hibachi chicken rice which is described as their classic with egg, chopped veggies with garlic flavored butter sauce since I did not initially know what the entree came with. They asked how I liked the meat cook as expected. It was delivered in expected time and hot enough to be perfect as I wrapped things up to go to lunch. It was soooooo good that I ate the whole entree instead of saving half for dinner. I took the extra side rice home and my husband heated it up for a snack at work and he said it was so good that he wants more. I cannot wait to eat there again but now I want to eat at the restaurant and get the full experience. I did not know about it, merely had read the reviews for food that sounded good and ordered. So my thought is eat there if possible but having it delivered was A OK too. Yum!!!

The food was okay, i ordered the salmon and once i got to the middle it was uncooked and too late to ask to put back on the grill. Other then that it was an okay experience

I had a craving for Benihana because I just wanted some fresh grilled food and great drinks. It was date night with the hubby. Benihana never disappoints. This time I ordered the seared ahi tuna. Other people at my table were so impressed with the way it was prepared and were even mad they didn't order the same than the typical steak and shrimp that everyone always gets. It was so delicious and fresh. We had great company and a funny chef. I'm so glad that I made reservations though. On a Sunday early evening at 4PM, the next walk in reservation for a grill table wasn't until 7:30PM! Until next time....

I choose the Splash & Meadow, based on meat and shrimps which included some sides (miso soup and rice). The taste was good but nothing spectacular, IMHO too pricey. With one Asahi bee 22 OZ the total was USD 45 plus tip. For the same price you have much better quality in truly Japanese restaurants in Western Canada (Vancouver , Edmonton

Shoguns in Clairemont Mesa is good and better for your money before 3 for lunch prices but Benihanas has the best quality of food it actually comes down to the fried rice if Shoguns could just use the same rice as Benihanas they would be equal. The only real complaint is after they remodeled they tightened the seating arrangement

Wide selection of food. Separate section for hibachi parties, if you prefer sushi there is a wonderful selection of different sushi items. The service was very good parking was easy

The food was excellent and very tasty. Our chef was very funny and entertaining while he was cooking

We eat here fairly often because it is the only place around like this that has the chef cooking the meal in front of you. There have been some good meals and there have been some that could have been better. We had not eaten all day except for something light at breakfast so ordered a sushi roll to hold us over until the meal came. They forgot my water, my daughter had to go hunt someone down to give her more water and my sushi roll finally arrived after the chef began cooking making it no longer needed. We then had to eat it as fast as we could to make room for the food the chef was cooking on the grill. On a recent visit I asked for medium rare steak and it was served too rare so this time I asked for medium. We were at a table with a couple and their 12 year old daughter and it was their first time there. At the end of the table were two ladies that come to this restaurant a lot. When the chef started to cook he was doing things unlike the way I had seen this performed a million times before. The ladies at the end of the table started correcting him on how he was cooking and at first I thought they were being rude. You could tell he was not happy being second guessed but sure enough he burned the lady's steak and she asked for another one. Meanwhile, the chicken the other lady ordered was laying there on the grill getting drier and drier overcooking. My filet mignon was then served to me well done instead of medium. The edges were crisp to the point of the filet being fried up. This was my birthday meal and I had been really looking forward to this. It just was not good this time. The couple with the 12 year old I could tell were not happy, especially when the husband had to go out looking for someone to get him another glass of wine. Then I overheard someone come to the next table carrying a bowl and asking the chef at the next table if he could get some mustard sauce because no one had any at the place where he was sitting and their food was getting cold waiting. He was loud about this request. After the meal was over the couple with the 12 year old literally disappeared...walked out without paying their bill. The two ladies at the end were demanding to see a manager about getting a reduced bill and the waitress said I should talk to the manager, too. I said I wasn't asking for anything but told him the meal had been disappointing. The next statement he made is WHY I am writing this report....his response to me was that he had 130 employees and he cannot control all of them. I own my own business that is customer service oriented and it is just a statement you as the manager does not say. This wasn't just a server or a dishwasher...this is one of the featured chefs they have cooking the meal and even after the birthday coupon our meal was over $160 for the three of us and if the average meal is over $60 there then it is a big deal when a restaurant you count on to go to for standards in food and service went so awry then that was a crazy statement. He just pulled out a ticket giving me $20 off my next meal. Then we gave the valet the ticket and my daughter drove her Toyota there and the valet comes to us with an expensive BMW. Ha! Had we not been honest we could have jumped in that and driven away. The valet could not find my daughter's keys and she had to go over and find them for him. This was an off night for sure. It is the chef that sets the tone for the evening and it just never happened.

We have a Benihana close to our house and we never eat there. Instead we wait until we visit San Diego! This place is a lot of fun and a special treat for us. We love to order Rocky's Special and to share a punch bowl drink (they call them different names but it is big and blue and delicious).

It's our third time visitting this japanese restaurant, everything was great, the entrees, the drinks, the food, the show that's presented in the teppanyaki area, woww we loved it, but the service a little bit slow. The only thing that I can really complain was that they had no toilett paper in the ladies bathroom for a while eventhough they were told there was none, and this is not thecfirst time this happens.

Ate here on a Sunday night. I thought the restaurant seemed a little dirty. As the grill area had food left over from the previous patrons. The food was ok, I’ve had better. We had reservations but still waited 25 minutes for a table.

We always go to Benihana for a birthday and the food never disappoints. If you go during lunch the prices are a little less but still you get to see a show and eat amazing food. The last time we went our chef, Manny, was so good! His tricks were on point and he was very funny and very interactive. It is definitely worth every penny.

We had table service instead of hibachi. The soup and salad were good. The meal was lukewarm at best. The chicken fried rice was average and my filet was over cooked and the lobster was cold. I won’t recommend table service if you want a hot meal.

6 couples on golf vacation and we were able to walk to restaurant. Had to split up but got us at adjoining grill spots. Thank goodness we got reservations it was packed. There was room in other dining areas. Can order off menu too. Nicole was our server and was really good. Issac was our chef and was a hoot. Food was awesome but was more than adequate serving sizes. Can option to fried rice and we had choices from filet,shrimp,chicken,scallops to ny strip.

We opted for the experience of the show: cooking on the grill and all the chef’s tricks. They have several large rooms with maybe 5 large seating areas / grills in each. Each table seats about 8. We were party of 3. So your entire order and serving of food is really for 8 people. By the time the room is filled with all the customers it is very busy and very loud. Our room had 2 crying infants. If you get the entire 5 or 6 course meal- you need to be able to eat a lot. We opted for fried rice and sushi. We enjoyed the chef and his knife skills and watching him cook. What we ordered was plenty of food and enough for a meal and our budget. If you really want to chat and have conversation- I would eat at a table and forgo the dining at the grill. If you want the 5 course meal- do it and it will be expensive. Menu posted out front does not give prices. Sushi rolls were ample and enjoyed. Chicken fried rice was spare amount of chicken and micro chopped carrots , onion and celery. Serving in a small bowl.

We went with my son to celebrate our birthdays and we got a great time in front of the chef. The food is always delicious and the chefs so polite and professional.

It is similar to other Benihana restaurants. The barit was appeared bigger than the dining room and I suppose that is why they make you wait. They make more money at the bar. Unlike other Benihanas, I felt rushed and the chef appeared tired. I have seen better shows. Overall, it was as expected

Having been to many Beni's across the country, I am sad to say that this San Diego location would have me choose another place for a fun adult birthday dinner. The wait staff and support staff of the bar and waiting area were deplorable and the tables and environment were just dirty. When I asked the manager about my upcoming reservation, I was told to go back to where I was waiting and just wait! Once inside the "Arena", things got better as they always entertain in there. The wait staff inside were very friendly and helpful. Our chef was less than pleasing as he kept messing up all his tricks chalking it up to him having to much saki last night. I cant imagine any reason to return here and would not recommend it to anyone. And as is always the case at Benihana, the check was astronomical,(But usually worth it).

Went on a Thursday night to this location which is always crowded because it is good and near the tourist areas. Great lemon drop martini before dinner and shrimp tempura appetizer and Château Briand entrée. Of course chicken fried rice as well. David was our chef and he was really good. We’ll always go here again when we’re in the area.

I was so excited to go here for my birthday with my family. We made a reservation at 5 pm for 8:15 pm that evening. When we showed up we waited until 8:35 and we were finally seated. Upon reviewing the menu, the chef came to our table and told us that it would be an additional hour wait for our food. By that time, it was too late to go anywhere else as all the restaurants were closing soon. The least they could've done was told us before we were seated. They ruined my birthday celebration.

We were rushed from the moment we were seated. Server was giving us our check and asking if we wanted boxes to go as we just started eating. Our chef looked bored clearly just going through the motions. For 345$ for 5 of us, I wish we had gone somewhere else.

It has been a few years since I have visited a Benihana Restaurant. If you are looking for a genuine Japanese dining experience this is not where you want to go. If you want to be entertained by an ethnic dude in a red chef's hat, then you're okay here. My wife and I went on a Panama Canal cruise and we went to the specialty Teppanyaki restaurant on board. The obviously Filipino chef came out and clearly introduced himself as our "FAKE" Japanese chef named Aji Nomoto, which cracked us all up. The point being, we did not expect a highly trained, professional Japanese chef on a cruise ship. Our chef at Benihana was none of these things expect fake. I was pleasantly surprised by the souvenir photo that was included in the price of admission. The food was nothing special and the chef's "act" was equally lackluster. He seemed eager to finish and move on to his next act. He did all of the obligatory egg-catching-in-the-hat tricks, the volcano onion trick, but the instrument flipping, clacking, spinning and catching were not on par with a true Japanese chef. Benihana, you are clearly making plenty of money since reservations are pretty much a necessity here. If you want to remain a successful but lackluster restaurant, then you are doing it well. If you want to be a true destination restaurant, you are going to have to step up your game.

Benihana's was hip and cool, but that was the last century. The food is average at best. The chef was not engaging and the whole thing was a bit sloppy. And to say nothing about the noise level which made conversation impossible.

I was looking for RA Sushi for my 1/2 birthday certificate & the map brought me to Benihana…. Now one in the same😂. I could not get my pineapple Won Tons…. Bought the Sushi was good. I was able to use my certificate🙏🏻😪

Today we ate at Benihana one of our favorite restaurants to celebrate, We ate in the lounge during lunch, we both had the bento box. My wife had hers with beef and mine was with salmon. The food was delicious and super tasty. Yvonne who took care of our tables was remarkable, she was quick with our order, drinks and it came with a beautiful smile. She was very quick with our order and made sure our glasses were always filled. Thank You Benihana for a enjoyable lunch

A great chef and pleasant service could not make up for a long wait (even with a reservation) and very challenging parking. The food was good and we ultimately had a nice meal.

We went to Benihana while in San Diego because we wanted our son to experience the food and cooking style. We were very happy with the attentive nature of the wait staff both in the bar and the restaurant. Our cook did a fantastic job creating our meal and keeping us entertained. We had the Benihana special with steak and lobster. It was just a great experience all around.

I've been going to Benihana's for over 30 years and I've never had to wait so long to get drinks, place my order, get soup and salad and get a chef to cook our dinner. No one told us that there would be a long wait to get a chef or to get service. We were so hungry. Our chef finally came almost 2 hours after we were seated. I've never had to wait this long and I've never had bad service. I noticed when we were waiting for our table some people walked in and were able to get put in at the chef's table without a reservation. That's never happened before. I had to make my reservation 2 weeks in advance just to get in. I've tried previously to walk-in and get in at the chef's table, but they usually say they are booked, but we can sit at the regular tables. Our chef rushed through cooking, he barely put on a show. They sat us in a back area where I've never seen people eating at before. I noticed they had a few back areas filled with people, which I've never seen people there before. We found out there were only 7 chefs working, it's under new management and lots of staff and chefs had left. I noticed everyone looked new and I only recognized one waitress who has been there a long time. I felt so bad for the chefs having to rush through cooking for disappointed customers and going from table to table. I saw lots of people leaving because they didn't want to wait. And there were lots of people complaining to the manager. They should know better not to accept walk-ins at the chefs table when they already have over-booked reservations and are very short staffed. They should have called us before we went there or at least told us before they sat us that there was going to be a long wait so we could decide if we wanted to wait or not. We used to love going to Benihana's for their yummy food and great customer service. But we aren't going to go there anymore until they make some changes. Very disappointing and sad. This was one of my favorite places to eat at.

My familiy and I have been coming here for years. The $30 birthday coupon is always a plus. I ordered the filet mignon and lobster. The steak was good, but the lobster was just okay. I thought the shrimp appetizer was actually better. One of the best things on the menu is the chicken fried rice. So delicious! As it should be because it is full of garlic butter and normally, fat tastes good, ha ha! The chefs need to change up their act a bit. They've been using the same lines and tricks for years. There must be some sort of script. It is good none the less and we always have a great time.

This is a nice place to have dinner on that special occasion. Bring in your loved ones and splurge. All you choices will be good choices. The prices are a bit high but definitely worth that special day.

Great food, great experience awesome recommendation!! This restaurant is 3 minutes away from my hotel. Los of other restaurants to visit but this one had great reviews a d was highly recommended by a hotel agent. Will visit again!

We came for my 21st birthday and had an incredibly memorable experience. Our chef, David, was nothing less than amazing. He kept us interacted and truly a joy to watch. He is a great asset to this restaurant and made my birthday a great one! Michiko our server was also really great and attentive!!! Definitely recommend this to all my friends and family!

This was a great dinner out. I went to an off-brand Hibachi a few weeks ago and the chef's "show" was not as good as this one. I guess it pays to go to the original. We had a great time. Food was good and the chef was friendly and personable. Of course its always expensive, but worth it for a special time out. Waiter was also personable and did a good job. It was is a weird area but not that big of deal. They also gave us a free picture of our party which was a nice touch since I was with my brother and nephew. I would come here again.

Had a reservation for 7pm I was told they didn’t know how long I would have to wait because they were seating 6pm . Everyone I asked waited over 1:30 to be seated ,the worst reservation ever , why make everyone wait and not inform them , there doing it on purpose to stay full . At everyone else’s expense of time . Never eat there . When u walk up all u have to do is ask how long have u been waiting .this happens always , watch out the staff is arrogant when it comes about u even asking about your reservation !!!0 stars !!

I ate dinner here because it was walking distance from my hotel. The food was pretty good, but not worth the price they charge. I suppose if you were excited about watching the chefs cook over the hibachi it might be worth the cost, but I've seen it all before and sat at a regular table. The menu described the shrimp as colossal, but I would say it was "large".

At first we were shown to a grill--the showplace at Benihana--but the noise was so overpowering we asked to be shown to the "lounge," which was quieter. It was still noisier than necessary, though. Why do so many restaurant managers think that cacophony is festive? The best thing about our dinner was the service, which was first-rate. Nadia was charming, helpful, and attentive without being intrusive. The seaweed salad was good. The sashimi was tasty but perhaps not as fresh as at really good sushi places. The watery onion soup was neither Japanese nor French; the dressing on the dinner salad was tasty without being overpowering. The grilled seafood--salmon, shrimp, scallops, calamari--was mediocre. Finally, the architecture--Japanese castle style--is attractive, and the decor pleasing. If you want a noisy show, you might enjoy Benihana. If you want an authentic Japanese experience, look elsewhere.

STAY AWAY! With my family in town, I thought it would be fun to try Benihana given that we had an 8 and 9 year old with us. My partner and I are very seasoned diners/travelers- not to mention I'm also in the hospitality industry. Upon arrival, the hostess announced that they were behind and to expect to wait 1 hour for our Chef. Although we thought this was long, we agreed that we would wait. At 10:30pm our server advised that our chef would be 15 minutes longer (in a very relaxed apathetic manner). At that point I asked to speak with the manager. In speaking with the manager, it was clear to me that she had no control of the operation citing "I'm the only one here" and "I have to do everything, check employees out etc.". I explained that at the very least she should have come by to advise where they were so we weren't left in the dark and feeling forgotten. The manager continued to provide excuses while perpetually interrupting me- eventually walking away without bringing closure to our conversation. Our server was nice enough but forgot numerous things during our service; it felt like she was ignoring us. By 10:30pm the majority of the tables had left so we didn't understand why are drinks were left empty and forgotten. I have to believe she was doing her side work. Our chef finally appeared and although he was nice, our "experience" felt rushed at that point. The manager never returned to follow up in any way, nor did I see her touching other tables. What I did see was numerous other guests complaining about the same exact things. This was a terrible experience on all accounts. There were many opportunities for your "team" to recover and change the narrative, however; no one cared to. I think we all understand the hiring challenges as of late, however; if you couldn't accommodate us you should've simply closed your reservations. I would be embarrassed to be associated with the "team" at that location. Do yourself a favor skip this place.

It was so tough to get a Friday night reservation for a hibachi restaurant in San Diego. We found benihana and made an online reservation. Super easy and we were seated pretty much on time. The guy who served us was nice and the one who did the fire and cooking was also nice. He almost forgot my sons noodles but we reminded him and it was fine. Had a nice time. Definitely expensive- we paid $240 for 4 adults and one child - but we are in San Diego and on vacation so it was nice to be able to do this.

Conveniently located very close to the hotel, this fusion restaurant offers variety of dishes, from tepanyaki grills, seafood, sushi and salads, to satisfy one’s taste and cravings. The place gets busy most of the time, so reservation is preferred especially for busy folks. The sports bar area is pleasant and good for those in a hurry. The are plenty of parking around the area. Come and enjoy the ambiance and grills.

We came to this restaurant on recommendation and it surprised us. We arrived without a reservation and they treated us very well from the valet parking who was very friendly. There was a waiting list but even so access was quick, we sat at a table in front of the bar (that area of the restaurant feels a little forgotten and cold) They took a while to approach us to serve us but the waiter who served us even though He is not a formal guy but he is nice and very helpful. The food really is delicious, it was 100% worth everything we ordered and we will definitely return!

I visited a couple of Benihana's in the US and this is one of the better ones. Please remember it is a chain and therefore the food it in general the same. So it is about the experience in the location. This one did it again for me. The chef was funny and did his part of the show and my kid's just love it. I love that they treat the kids the same way as the adults and don't move the families to the corner tables. So overall I like this place and will continue to go there from time to time.

We had a 6:00 PM reservation and arrived 10 minutes early, expecting to be seated shortly. However, we were asked to wait. At 6:15 PM, we followed up and were told it would be "soon." By 6:45 PM, we were informed they were still waiting to clear tables. Finally, at 7:00 PM—an hour past our reservation—we were told the real issue: not enough chefs were available to accommodate all the reservations. This is incredibly frustrating and unacceptable, especially on a Sunday evening. If you don’t have the staff to support your booking volume, you shouldn’t be taking reservations. A reservation implies a commitment—not a vague hope that something opens up. Poor planning and lack of transparency made for a disappointing experience.

Went on a Tuesday evening. The hibachi tables were all reserved so we got Hibachi meals at a table (they prepare it in the kitchen and bring it to you). I was informed that Benihana does not have yum yum sauce. Then the shrimp came and it was very very dry. It tasted ok but it was very dry. I wasn't pleased with the experience and I eat and ALOT of hibachi places, including other Benihana restaurants. I may forego Benihana's in the future and try other hibachi places, if I can verify that Benihana's no longer has yum yum sauce. But with as busy as the place was, someone must like it, right?

Our 6 year old daughter thought the show was 'astonishing!' pacman made of rice, what more could you ask for!? Luis was a great chef. we really enjoyed the show and food. The japanese style sangria(plum) was delicious. had the lobster, steak, shrimp, so yum. sushi for starters was great.

Always enjoy the experience and the setting. We took our two grand kids and they are a great time and really enjoyed their meal. Love the HIbachi meals especially the steak and the salad is always delicious. Usually take some home for the next day.

Benihana best Japanese place in San Diego. Host & staff extremely friendly. Food, service EXCELLENT!

We were a party of six and because the table seats eight they sat two complete strangers at our table. It would have nice to at least let us know in advance. Food was ok waiter was not very helpful. The cook was entertaining.

My Family took me to the Benihana Japanese restaurant in Mission Valley again for my Birthday. We went into the Bar area first and had some sushi and some drinks before dinner. Then we went to a table grill where Chef Hector was our chef. Y-Vi was our server and did a good job hustling all over the place taking care of everyone's needs. Of all the years we have been coming to Benihana's Hector was by far the funniest personality and had the best chef antics, and comedy than anyone we had seen before. Hector who has been at Benihana for 17 years cooked us our tasty fried rice and several steak and lobster dinners to perfection, while entertaining the entire table table with funny skits and kitchen routines. If you want some good Japanese food along with some good entertainment then Benihana Japanese restaurant will be the place to go.

The master chef who God are food was Miguel. He was the most amazing comedian and chef I have ever experience. Well worth the expanse. The food was out of this world delicious

I love Benihana! I have been coming here for 20 years, and it doesn't disappoint! Delicious food, friendly service, nice ambiance. I've notice over the past 5-7 years they've done a couple remodels. The place has always looked great. I actually liked it back in the mid 90's, with the bridge over the water to the teppan tables, and the 'old school' Japanese style bar. Overall this place still rocks and I'll always return!

The first visit was great even though we had to get to go because they were so busy. They forgot the ginger sauce. The second visit (to go) they forgot the rice. It was not as good as first visit.

I came here with a group of about 12 for my sister's birthday dinner. Her boyfriend had called and spoken with a manager several times to make sure we had 2 Hibachi tables reserved, but when we showed up they only had 1 reserved and acted as though we were inconveniencing them by requesting a 2nd. We ended up being able to get the seats we needed, but not without some coercing first. The food was decent, but not the best I've had, and the chef presenting flicked hot oil into one of our guests' eyes during the "volcano". I will commend the manager for checking on him and comping his meal. Our server was great and very attentive, and the the plum wine I had at the bar very delicious. The experience was not terrible by any means and we all had a good time with some decent food, but I'd assume there are probably some places with a little more bang for your buck.

I would say if you have never been then please go to this restaurant. Food ok, chef ok, service excellent. Our chef was so so. Not very engaging with us.

We had a 6:45 reservation didn’t get seated until 7:15 no big deal. Waited 35 minutes to get drinks of water had another server ask us if we. Got served 20 minutes in…….,,we knew something was wrong. Then 45 minutes got soup then 1 .5 hours later salad then decided to leave. Worst restaurant I have ever experienced. The place was packed so I’m sure this review will mean nothing but it was brutal. Do not go there.

Benihana is always a favorite Japanese restaurant to go. The staff is friendly, the food is excellent and the chef show is amazing. Our chef this evening presented one of the best shows we have ever been to, with his dazzling kitchen tool tricks, his funny jokes, kept us glue to his cleaver gestures. He kept the entire table in stitches. Thank You Jonathan for a great 40th anniversary and birthday. our food was delicious

They “forgot” to give my wife’s credit card back. Once she was long gone and realized this, she called and of course no one had a clue. We went through the HEADACHE of cancelling out credit card just to get the call that they found it. We asked if they could send it in the mail since we live 30 miles away, and they said no. What a disaster of a business. No clue how to treat customers, and they didn’t even compensate us for the hell they put us through.

We hadn't been to Benihana for years but the experience was great and the food was good. We were pleasantly surprised that the kids loved the food as well. This was our first visit to the San Diego branch and although the room was noisy and with low ceiling it was not as nice a place as the others we have visited. We found the chicken teriyaki a bit dry but the steak was fine.

We love this place, we have been going here for a very long time. We celebrated about 10 birthdays here. The food is amazing and the experience is great. They used to have Japanese chefs but now they are Mexican (I guess that's an economy issue). Order one of the several menus with meat, chicken, vegetables, shrimp or combination. Also ask for some fried rice and try the Las Vegas Roll.

The joy of the entertainment, talent, humor, group fun, quantity, quality and level of service was missing. After decades of enjoying this favorite dining experience the love is gone...

We had a terrible experience at this location last night, basically a "Murphy's Law" situation. Each instance/complaint on their own would not constitute a poor experience, but all of them combined made for a terrible Friday night. The food is not worth the price - the hibachi experience is included in the high price, but that experience was absent last night. I strongly recommend you do not eat here. Summary: We had a 9pm reservation, sat at 9:10, no soup or salad until 9:45, no hibachi chef at all until 10:40, the chef was rushing, the food was not good, and we were stuck with a very expensive bill with no comps. Breakdown: - The parking lot is split into two. One half is self-park, the other is valet for no reason. The self-park was full, so we had to pay $8 for someone to take my keys, drive my car 20 feet, park it, and give me my keys back because the valet wouldn't be there when we left. Ridiculous. - We arrived on time for a 9pm reservation and didn't get seated until 9:10. - Our server was overwhelmed, it was clear that the restaurant was understaffed - on a Friday night. The server was doing her best, but even so much as asking for a water refill was met with "You need to be patient with me I have four tables." I get that, I've worked as a server before, and this isn't on her - it's on management for not having enough wait staff on a busy Friday night. - We didn't get soup or salad until 9:45. Still not chef. - By 10:10, an hour after being seated, we still didn't have a chef. Nobody had come by to apologize or give any sort of explanation, so I got up and asked someone if we would be served soon. He said he would ask someone, so I sat back down. - A Manager (I assume, he didn't introduce himself) came by around 10:15 to apologize to us for the wait and he would see what he could do. It is very frustrating that it took me getting up and asking someone for help to get any sort of attention. - About ten minutes later, he came by with some spicy edamame and said he was still working on a chef for us, so we could have this in the meantime. It was cheap, microwaved edamame that none of us ordered or asked for. - Finally around 10:30 we learn the chef at the table adjacent to us would be helping us when he was done with them. This chef had been there cooking since before we were seated, and they were clearly having a BLAST. They were chanting his name, there was fire, he was cracking up, slapping the fan above the stove to make noise, etc. It was a party so we thought, "at least we're getting a good one." - He didn't get to our table until 10:40; We were told they were short-staffed on chefs as well. He clearly didn't want to be there as late has he was. He wasn't rude by any means, but all of the energy he had at the last table we were sitting there watching for an hour and a half was completely absent. - He did the typical flipping tricks with the spatula and was very good at it and entertaining. After about 10 minutes, however, he was basically just cooking in front of us. There was very little engagement and long awkward pauses. At one point he filled a silence by asking us if we were Padres fans. The showmanship wasn't there, he was just going through the motions. - The fried rice was delicious. Everything else was either "fine" or "bad". - The shrimp and chicken were egregiously overcooked and the steak was egregiously undercooked. - He didn't do an "onion volcano" for some reason, so he said he was going to try something he's never done before. So he basically sprayed oil all over the grill and lit it on fire for a giant flame. Cool. But when he went to put it out by moving his spatulas over the grill, some of the hot oil splashed onto my shirt. - After this whole experience, we never saw the manager again. Nothing was comped, we only had that microwaved edamame. - My wife and I paid a $160 bill for a terrible dinner and experience, and another $8 for dumb unnecessary valet parking. This restaurant is egregiously mismanaged. Both the wait staff and the chefs were understaffed which led to a horrible experience for us. We had a 9pm reservation - I feel so bad for the people at another table who had an 8:30 reservation and were still there when we left. We will not be returning to this restaurant again. It's unfortunate because my wife and I love hibachi and she has had fun experiences at this location.

Would rate higher but the servers were rushing us to finish. Started clearing and passing out checks when the table was halfway through eating and came by several more times. The hostess and server asked if anyone was having a birthday-one of us was and that was not mentioned again. Also this facility was very old and could use a remodel.

To start out visit was on May 7th. I was there with my daughter who just came back from deployment that day, along with two other sailors and their parents that just came back home hours earlier from a 7 month deployment. Shortly after the soup and the salad I was having difficulty breathing due to the smoke, and the fact that the shellfish was cooked on the same Grill. I stepped outside because I couldn't breathe while another sailor mom came out with me. This became a serious matter and the manager did call the paramedics and I got taken away in the paramedics due to a severe asthma attack and spent two days in the hospital. During the whole commotion some of the party was still inside eating however myself, my daughter, another mom were outside with me, after I was taken away in the paramedics one of the Sailor scrambled back inside with my daughter to gather their belongings to follow the paramedics but during this time they were handed the bill and paid for the meal ( even though half of us didn't even get to the main course because I was unable to breathe outside the)... my other daughter hearing of this situation try to contact corporate office and also try to see if the manager of this restaurant can reimburse the Sailor that paid for a meal that we didn't even consume and he refuse to because he heard a different story from his server... Shame on Benihana I will never return to your restaurant again!!

Been to many benihanas in various states including this one several times before. Even with a rookie chef we were entertained witg a string of bad jokes and some handy work with cooking tools. Okay not all of it came off but it was still a very enjoyable meal. The food never stops coming with many different ciurses and a number of add ons also available. The food is notvthe best i have ever tasted but its still very good. I wish we could make soup that tasted as good.

We did hibachi at lunch time, wow it was great deal! Food was good and chef did great service. I could give 5 if we didn't have to remind about our beer many times..

Our family went to Benihana for our grandson's 8th birthday recently. We'd been there before maybe 2 years ago and had fun. This time all the fun was gone. The cooks lacked showmanship and playfulness. The food was bland and expensive. Lousy value for the money. We'll not be returning.

Over priced and over hyped. Three people, $100 check. No ambiance. Food was just okay and reminded me of cafeteria style, pre-made food. Just really not impressed.

Be willing to make new friends as you dine with others for a fun show, by the cook, and partake of delicious food. We had vegetable tempura to start, so crisp and tasty, the soup and salad along with our main meal. My sister had the filet, which literally melted in your mouth and I had the chicken .Both were excellent and cooked perfectly. The food tastes great and we had the best time conversing with our neighbors.. If you are anti social, or don't have a big crowd, there tables away from the action. by the way, the lunch menu is fabulous and the prices even better.

Went to Benihana's to celebrate a birthday. Staff was great, especially Sergio our chef. Best Teppan show we have seen. Some new tricks. Our daughter loved it. He made it very fun for our family! They made the special occasion a even more special one.

My bill was $300ish. My cc and receipt show $355. Food is overpriced and the service from the Chef was good, not great. The steak was overcooked. The server was ok, not good. Did not offer refills on the drinks and forgot items.

I come here for lunch usually since it is so close to the office. The food is good and fresh with lots of options. A little expensive for lunch but still worth it.

We have been on Benihana before and we went back. What a good surprise! It seems they are better then before! The attention, the service, the Chef, the food , drinks and deserts: the best!! Try it and you will become a fan like us.

I took my wife to Benihana's San DIego Restaurant for her Birthday Dinner. She had the Hibachi Steak with scallion onions and mushrooms which was tender and tasty, while I had the Ahi Tuna Steak grilled with sesame seeds which was delicious. We also had the Fried Chicken Rice which I poured some wonderful dipping sauces on too , and it was mouth watering. Chef Pedro was so funny and skillful as he seasoned and cooked our food very well. Tim and Sarah our servers were very pleasant and professional. All in all it was a great 2 1/2 hour dinner. Oh yeah, and try their Beni Tini cocktail it which was very good !

What fun it is to share a meal with friends celebrating birthdays at Benihana! At the grill, the chef entertained us with his cooking skills and tricks, such as the flaming volcano made of grilled onions. The Japanese clad waitresses sang birthday greetings in English and Japanese. The ice cream desert included in the 5 course meal for the birthday celebrants had a sweet cookie, cherry, whipped cream and a candle added. The only drawback is the small parking lot meant finding a place on a busy street during rush hour.

We visited to celebrate my daughter’s 10th birthday with a 6:00 PM reservation, but the service we received was unacceptable. Despite arriving on time and being the first group seated in our section, we waited 20 minutes for drinks and another 30 minutes for soups and salads. After an hour and 15 minutes, we checked on our order, but received no meaningful update. At 7:55 PM—nearly two hours after our reservation—I spoke with the manager. Only then were we informed that the kitchen was short-staffed and it would be at least another 40 minutes before a chef could begin preparing our food. By this point, every other table in the room had finished their meals. We ultimately had to leave without eating, which left my daughter in tears. No one proactively explained the delay to us throughout the evening, and the only recourse offered was a verbal apology and an invitation to return. I hope you take this feedback seriously to ensure other guests do not have their celebrations ruined in this manner.

It was worst night ever! Wanted to celebrate birthday of daughter in law who is expecting in a month! Had 4 kids under 5 and 4 others!!! Made reservation at 8pm for 20 family and friends! Said 30 minutes behind and waited in bar with $27.00 glass of wine! 2 hrs later we’re finally seated!! Plus couldn’t all sit together!!! The 5 year old fell asleep at 9pm and missed whole experience!!! From 8pm reservation never got out til 11pm!!! Horrible experience plus waitress gave wrong credit cards back to son and son in law! Never going there again!!! Bad service and expensive!

My daughter wanted to eat at Benihana on her college graduation night. We had a party of nine and the staff took excellent care of us. Hector and Amanda went out of their way to make my daughter's night special. And the food was excellent!

Typical teppanyaki restaurant, nothing fancy. Good food, but expensive. Entertainment of chef was great!

Food was below average and the chef was just ok. I was surpurised at the lack of seasoning and tasting of the food.

We went to Benihana's restaurant in Mission Valley of San Diego to celebrate my wife and Daughter's Birthdays. We had a great time ! The food prepared by chef Angel live at your table grill was awesome. From Fried Rice, to Lobster, Angel cooked everything to perfection. Angel also put on a great comedy show while he was cooking. Matt the server was also very funny and Bubbly, as he worked hard to serve everyone. Because of all the chefs cooking, and everyone laughing, the restaurant is very loud and nosey, But everyone is having a good time, so it does not really bother you that much. You have to have their Fried Rice with dipping sauces on it. Jesus the night manager is such a nice man and will do anything for you !

The chef appeared tired and lacked enthusiasm. We enjoyed the chef of the table infront of us a lot more as he was very entertaining. He used lit up batons that were fun, but our chef said his batons were not working. The soup and salad were good. The colossal shrimp shrunk to small shrimp. The shrimp black vein was visible- see photo. The only vegetable included in the hibachi was 1 slice of zucchini per person! We ordered noodles and chicken for the kids. The chef prepared the noodles at the beginning, and only after cooking everyone ‘s meal did he prepare the chicken for the kids. Even the kids said it was too late to eat the chicken after already eaten the noodles! Very disappointed in the quality of the meal and the experience. We came here specifically for the entertainment for the kids, but the experience was far from entertaining.

Good Japanese food, though nothing very great. Ambience is very American style and not Japanese style. Quite overpriced food, but then there is not much option in the area, since there are lot many hotels but no other restaurant. So they are pretty much full all the time. Service is good, but not very professional. Food was just okay and seemed liked pre-made food that was just warmed up.

It was my husbands birthday coming up so we took a trip to San Diego for the week. It was my first time visiting San Diego and we had a great time. The weather was beautiful each day we were there. We decided to go to Benihanas for dinner one night we were there and it was great. We did the teppanyaki because we enjoy the interaction with the chef and the meal is usually great.. We started off with a soup appetizer which was so flavorful. I chose the scallops and they were so good, along with the fried rice. My husband had salmon which he enjoyed but said he should have chose the steak because our tablemates had steak and it looked wornderful. Our Chef Victor was fantastic and so entertaining. He really put on a show. We will definitely be back. If you are in the San Diego area please try Benihana's for a great meal.

We had a spectacular evening. Fro started our ordering and brought our drinks then Max came to life as he prepared all of our appetizers and entres with great flare and built in light comedy.The show was great and the food was delicious.Fro never let our drinks get empty and we left happy and full for a great price.two thumbs up

Decided to go here for an early dinner - website stated dinner started at 3. Ordered my meal and then was told I was getting lunch. Didn't get a salad and didn't get the vegetable fried rice I had requested. Waiter seemed oblivious to issues. What food I did get was tasty. I did speak to manager afterwards and he did offer a gift card to visit again but if you go - make sure you know what you are ordering.

We were staying at the hotel next door and walked over for lunch. The lunch was INCREDIBLE, and our Hibachi chef was amazing and very entertaining! The drinks were great as well. If we are lucky to return to beautiful San Diego, we will certainly be back to this wonderful place!

Flew to San Diego for a few client appointments. One of my clients requested lunch at Benihana. The food and the atmosphere were great. The reason why I gave it a three was the service. I follow a pretty strict paleo diet. I requested NO rice, only meat and veggies. Well, they make the rice first and even though my veggies were sitting on the grill, he cooked and served all the rice first. So my clients were well into their meals before I was able to eat anything. I also did not receive double veggies so I walked away pretty hungry considering they only give you a small amount of meat. The presentation was fun. I've just never been anywhere that allowed a person to sit "empty handed" for 10-15 minutes while others ate. Oh and they did not ask if we wanted soup or salad...they just brought soup for everyone.

We eat here probably once a month. They have changed the menus lately and most of what we have eaten has been great. Occasionally a bit too much salt so we normally request the chef goes easy on the salt. This restaurant is absolutely crazy busy around holidays and events like graduations. Sign up for emails and if you give your birthday they will send a coupon usually for $30 off your meal with restrictions and you need to buy another entrée. Very hard to find a deal like that anywhere else. Happy Hour is a good time to go. If you want to eat in the dining area with the chefs cooking in front of you then I highly recommend a reservation. Most of the time we eat in the sushi bar. If you go during Happy Hour you can eat at the bar and don't need to wait for seating if seats are open. Sometimes the bartenders can get you served faster as well.