Benihana Reviews

Heard about Benihana's lunch boat special and sauntered into this renovated location hoping to satiate our appetites. Two greeters at the desk and both on the phone. No acknowledgement from either so we waited but after close to 5 minutes decided to venture forth under our own recognizance and find someone who could help us. The cold and sterile bar area had 3 staff with their heads down chopping, cleaning and generally looking busy just in case big boss make surprise visit! None of them greeted us and had obviously been trained not to engage with customers who were not sitting down in front of them requesting service! Strolled into the teppan dining room. A quick glance back at reception confirmed that the two greeters were still on the phone so we decided a bolder approach and just ask someone for assistance. Halfway into the large almost empty dining area, a gentle tap on the shoulder of a waitress who had her back turned to us and lo and behold we were seated. A waiter came by and took our order but then explained that as we were having lunch we could not sit in the dining room? Where do we sit? Go back to reception and they will tell you! We asked for the manager who judging from his girth knew when his next meal was coming and he gave the same response to which we replied, "sayonara"!

These folks are understaffed when it comes to chefs - and the chefs appear to be 'over it.' But for family fun, this is a great evening, given the menu and the way it is presented. Prices are reasonable. Try and secure a private room if you have a large party.

Celebrated my birthday here a few days ago. Was by far the fasted Benihana experience I've ever had- and I was grateful! We had reservations for 7 pm, but they sat us right away (about an hour early). The chef was great, and the food was very tasty! Everyone really enjoyed their food and the experience! And- always, always, always go with the chateaubriand!

I had dinner this week: the live cooking show was great and entertaining, the food was very tasty and the service OK. 2 major drawbacks: the smell (I'm still smelling the food 2 days later) and the dirt: the floor was plenty of food from the previous guests. Quite disgusting.

The smell of the cooking was so intense and all our clothes and hair was so smelly after the dinner. They didn't even have a closet to hang our jackets?? Foof was superb as Benihana usually is, but this intense smelling afterwards was not what we had expected.

We have been looking forward to this. The table show was fun, but the food was not as great as we expected, and overpriced. We won't be going back anytime soon.

I have been going to this franchise for years, and I love this place for hibachi and drinks. Tonight was an enormous letdown. The food was still good (even though I had to sit at the at because I didn't dress up), but the service at the bar was lackluster, to say the least. I don't exactly blame the staff, as there were only three of them to tend to a bar full of people eating (20 or so) and the kitchen sent out multiple dishes incorrectly. If the restaurant is going to charge these prices, they need to provide an experience worth having. Dare I say they have gotten lazy in their arrogance? I may have to find a new, more professionally run hibachi spot here in the city. It's sad, really.

Immersive dining experience”? Nailed it. Made a reservation days in advance. Waited over an hour with zero apology. The hostess said “we shouldn’t have even accepted your reservation” , comforting, right? IT IS WHAT IT IS that’s what I get after I waited FOR AN WHOLE HOUR! my reservation was at 7 and I am still waiting at 8:10pm! Benihana promises a “fast-paced feast for the senses.” They delivered on the waiting, the rudeness, and the theatrics (just not from the chefs is from the staff). If you love broken systems and being treated like a nuisance, this place is a “five star experience”. Otherwise? Keep walking. The food there is NOT THAT GREAT TO BE WAITING FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR!

Classic Japanese steak house! Yummy hibachi with miso soup and salad. Always a good spot for families and friends. Good drinks as well!

May be fun, if predictable, but the customer experience here is totally degrading. We were made to wait almost 3 hours while being repeatedly assured that our table was almost ready. How this dump stays in business treating people this way is a mystery. I'll never return.

I ended up here as my visiting friend chose to eat here. We reserved a couple days ahead, as it seems to book up quickly. We were on a table with a family and a single guy...they put 7-8 people on a table. We talked a bit to the guy who had recently relocated to the City..but not at all to the family on the other side of the table. After the orders were taken by a lady, our "chef" showed up. He confirmed the orders, and proceeded to slice and dice..cooking and putting on his show. The highlight was his catching shrimp tails in his hat. It was fun.. although I was not prepared for the noise level. The whole room had these tables with chefs..and there were quite a few birthday groups. Really noisy...not a place for much conversation. The food wasn't bad and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Prices seem a bit high..but not outrageous. Chicken for about $24? was the cheapest with prices rising for steak and surf and turf combinations. Easy to go over $50 a head. I think there is some discount for a birthday. It was an interesting experience, but not a place I'd return to for some time. I prefer a quieter dining room. I think the novelty is the drawing point. I believe there were some children's meals, so maybe there was a price break. I don't think it will get any awards for cuisine, but most people went home happy. If you need to take someone out, and you fear conversation, you can almost avoid it here.

We have frequented this restaurant on a regular basis primarily for our kids - they are entertained, enjoy the food and eat everything on their plates - as parents, you cannot go wrong with that. Last night was not a great experience - the variables (some outside of the restaurant's control) that could go wrong did. On a busy Saturday evening, the garage (really the only parking option) first instructed you take a lengthy detour to another entrance - once there it said "full." Great. We drove around in fruitless pursuit of a parking spot for 30 frustrating minutes and then magically the sign was removed. Upon entry there were a lot of empty spaces - quite clear to us that it never really was "full" and that had the garage staff not been lazy we could have skipped all this stress and wasted time. One of the risks at this restaurant is that unless you are a party of 8 you will be sitting together at a table with strangers. We are a family of 4 and this has never been a problem, but this time it was definitely distracting and less than optimal. The tables are horse shoe shaped so the normal procedure is to seat a party of 4 in 2 end seats and 2 of the middle section so you are in a L formation and can interact. Unfortunately for us we were sharing the table with 2 couples (rather than another party of 4) and both of the couples grabbed the 2 sets of end seats with no consideration of the fact that this left our family of 4 sitting in a row staring straight ahead. It was therefore impossible to interact, talk or enjoy the meal together. Clearly the seater should have arranged the table in a different manner but despite our obvious displeasure and discomfort she did nothing to assist. In retrospect we should have refused the seating and requested another table but we were hungry with increasingly tired kids so just let it go.... it also did not help that one of these stranger couples was a combination of stoned and drunk. End result - we paid for parking and a $150 Saturday night meal with no opportunity to interact with each other. Miserable. The place is always busy and very loud. It was impossible to hear/understand anything the seater/drink waitress said without annoying and repeated requests that she speak up, say it again, etc. It was next to impossible to get a timely water refill or an additional drink order. Our appetizer sushi was so late that it did not appear until we were well in the middle of the dinner show....given the awkward 4 in a row seating my husband and I were forced to gingerly pass this dish (and the bowl of soy sauce) back and forth in front of our 2 kids faces in order to share it. Again, due to the noise factor I would have to literally shout down to my husband (at the opposite end of our 4 to pass it back and forth) Our chef was efficient but seemed a bit bored (probably tired of doing the same handful of cooking tricks for the 100th time) and the food was tasty (hard to go wrong with gobs of butter and salt!). Bad night - stuck in between 2 unknown and unfriendly couples (one zoned out on booze and/or drugs). Could not wait to eat and get out of there...will not be back soon.

Heard about this Japanese restaurant & so visited this place after informing to reserve a table to seat four family members which was duly acknowledged & confirmed as we were to celebrate birthday of one of our family members. A call was made to the manager before reaching to confirm our arrival. It was a long wait before we were ushered in but on reaching we found that no such reservation ever existed & the manager was very rude & refused to provide us with a table for four. Would never recommend this place to anyone visiting San Francisco.

The restaurant focus was more on the show, theatrical performance than the food. It's a fun night out for groups and families so they could watch tricks performed by chefs. Food was ok not great. The filet Mignon cut was really tender but the Rocky's Choice dish was average - chicken was dry and beef did not have enough flavours. It's very noisy so not a place for decent conversations with friends. All performances were too choreographed with chefs flicked the light switch to make lights flickering etc. was a bit kitsch, however, my elderly aunt and the kids had a good time. Not a place to go for good food!

If you want the typical hibachi performance of your food cooked in front of you, this is it. I particularly liked the flaming and smoking volcano made out of onion rings. There is also a full sushi bar, if you want it instead or for an appetizer.

I made dinner reservations through Open Table the previous night. Good thing too cuz walk-ins had a 45-90 minute wait. This place (in Japantown) was located not far from my hotel. Parking on street was scarce. There is a parking garage & the restaurant does not validate parking. My 6:30p.m. reservation didn't mean much. We (3 of us, all adults) arrived on time & waited 15 minutes to be seated. Place was packed. I only saw one Oriental hibachi chef. Our table chef was Rafael. Good theatrics & jokes were tasteful. My family & I have been to several Benihana restaurants but this was our first in San Francisco. I tossed between ordering the scallops or the tuna steak (which I've had both before at other Benihana's). I decided on scallops & am glad I did. Another table mate ordered the tuna steak & it was over-cooked (s/b pink in the middle, hers was totally white (outside & inside)). Server was over-tasked (too many tables to take care of). Had to ask 3x for my sweetie's Ichiban to be delivered. She finally brought it but brought the wrong one (she brought the light not the regular). Only one bartender & the bar was horseshoe-shaped w/about 25 seats around it. Clearly a 2nd bartender needs to be added. Hibachi meals come w/steamed rice. Fried rice is $5 extra but does come w/chicken added to it. All parties (whether celebrating a birthday or not) receive a complementary 4x6 color photo in a Benihana paper frame (which was nice). Restaurant is in a bldg that also houses a small shopping mall. Lots of other restaurants in there plus shops. Shops were closed by the time we finished our meals & left Benihana's. Miso soup was good. Salad had large chunks of iceberg lettuce (which could have been cut smaller), one grape tomato & some shaved purple cabbage. Ginger dressing is only choice & already added. Quite juicy at the bottom of my salad bowl (not sure if that's from being in the fridge or the watered-down dressing). Bathroom was clean but the trash can was overflowing to the point where used paper towels were on the floor. I told hostess who acknowledged misstep. Restaurant was extremely cold inside. We all kept our jackets on throughout the meal. I even ordered hot tea (& had 4 refills) & could not get warm.

We called here for some lunchtime sushi, and ordered the great value "lunch boat". This consisted of various sushi and sashimi, soup, salad, rice, tempura and a cooked meat of your choice. Yummy. The experience was pretty great; we were shown to a tepanyaki arrangement and we were lucky in that even though our food wasn't cooked in front of us, other people's food was so brought a bit of drama to he whole affair. The only criticism I would have is that it didn't feel very authentic; I don't think there was a single Japanese member of staff from what I could see. Only a minor thing but I if you were looking for an authentic Japanese experience in Japantown, I'd say look elsewhere.

It was my second time at this restaurant, the last time was 3 years ago. Nothing changed since back then. We waited quite a while at the bar, but we didn't book so I can understand that. I do recommend to drink the house sake if you want to drink for not much. Once they bring you in the dining area, you will normally share a big table with others unless your party is about 8 people already. The chef (Antonio?) was very pleasant, and the food was good. I enjoyed in the same way as last time the way they do their show, and generally cook the food. It's very visual experience. Will go back in the future.

I was @ Benihana with 2 friends on 9-19. We were enjoying our dinner and drinks. We had a nice waitress. As we are eating, the waitress was in a confrontation with a customer, which the customer started. All of a sudden, the customer slapped the waitress in the face. We were so shocked. The customer was crazed. I called 911 and one of my friends tried to help the waitress and fend off a further attack. The police were called and b/c the waitress tried to defend herself, it was considered mutual combat. Not true we saw everything. Then to find out the waitress was fired b/c management decided that she started the confrontation. It was a lie. The waitress was simply trying to do her job and was viciously attacked. I will never go back and the management needs to be ashamed of themselves.

My mum in laws favorite restaurant. Food is decent and westernized japanese but you Cme here for the show and to be entertained. You will not be dissapointed. Great for Kids. Value is ok. Eat here at least twice and you wont be dissapointed.

Reservation is suggested; the food is awsome. The funny thing is that the Japanese Chefs are....mexican!! But they're really good; it is very nice to be around the squared table while your dedicated chef is preparing your dinner. It's not cheap, especially if you order some wine. But at list once per trip I go there..Be carefull: the wasabi there is very strong!

This was our first time visiting a Benihana. Located in Japan Town, we booked our reservation online. We were quickly seated once we arrived. There was about a 20 min wait before orders were taken. The amount of skill and showmanship these chefs display are superb and the food was great. Truly wonderful first experience. Would absolutely go back again.

Maybe not everybody know that it was the first japanese food in California but many people didn't know that for some sushi you pay like 20$.

Sign up on the Chef's table section of the Benihana website. Must print it out to use it. Consistently satisfying food and fun presentation for adults and childrean

Good japanese teppanyaki experience with very nice view from the bay area. A nice place to celebrate any occasion with the family and friends.

On a recent visit to San Francisco from the UK we ate here with our US friends - 4 adults and 4 kids and it was wonderful. My eldest is allergic to dairy and egg and the chef made sure he did all of his food first while making sure he wasn't left out of the spectacle. All of the kids loved it so much, said it was the best food they had on our 3 week California holiday, and everyone in the restaurant looked after us brilliantly.

Grandson, s 10th birthday dinner was a great success at Benihana,s . we had a friendly greeting and a great chef who kept us entertained whilst cooking some excellent dishes , including a volcanic onion. Lots of fun

The fact that the chef is cooking near you made it another kind of dinner. Great portions, wide menu and really fair prices.

We sat at the bar and ordered off the menu and it was really good. My meal was the right size with perfect seasoning and fairly priced.

My family went here on a Saturday to celebrate my brother-in-law's 26th birthday. What a treat! I had been here before and our chef wasn't half as good as the chef we had this time. Jorge (our chef) was so talented and had us "ooing" and "awwing" at all the flips and silly antics that he did in front of us while cooking our meals. Most of us enjoyed our food. I got the Hibachi steak and it was delicious. My brother got the Yakisoba and he wasn't too fond of it. On the downside, there was a long wait to be seated, even with a reservation. The other reviewers are correct when they talk about the cooking smell and not to wear nice clothing. BUT, you're bound to smell like food at a hotpot style restaurant where the food is being cooked in front of you...I don't believe stars should be docked for that! The one star that I docked was for the W-A-I-T. We waited to be seated and waited to be served and waited even more for the different courses to be brought to us. We ended up spending almost 4 hours in Benihana! Oh well, Jorge was awesome! Thank you Jorge for such an entertaining experience. I would take my family to Benihana again...but I'd prepare them first.

Went there mostly for the chef' show, as for the food it is good but not outstanding so do not have high expectations. The atmosphere is great though. Worth a try.

We had lunch at Benihana and choose the teppanyaki. I ordered beef, and my wife ordered prawn, cooked right in front of you by a funny chef, it was entertaining to see.

The ambiance was wonderful, the food was good, and the service was like a true performance — a real show! However, the ventilation could definitely be improved. The exhaust hoods aren’t powerful enough, and my clothes absorbed the smell of frying oil.

Have your food cooked at your table right in front of your eyes. Our chef flipped, tossed and chopped our food and my little boy loved it. Great atmosphere and reasonable prices.

My daughter loves Japanese food. The seafood diablo was yummy, although I should have asked for mild heat, instead of medium heat. My husband's lobster was tender and delicious. Their chicken fried rice was the best I've ever eaten. My daughter even liked the tofu, which she hardly eats. Our chef, Rafael, did an excellent job juggling the food and cooking utensils. Plan to be there a couple hours.

+ve: Shawn was a great chef, engaging and cooked the food really well. Excellent piece of steak. Good sized portions of main courses. Despite the inflated prices, you feel like you are being given reasonable portions of meat & fish. -ve: Slow service overall, especially with drinks and appetisers. We had to get up to chase them. Prices are somewhat inflated overall. 5 courses sounds reasonable for $35-50, however a large boiled rice, pre-prepared salad in a bowl and some grilled vegetables are somewhat far from being value for money. 5 course menu includes tea, which we weren’t offered or served. (We didn’t want it by the the end, but still it is “included”) Pre set tips were 22/30/35% which is HIGH. When we stated we didn’t want to tip as we were tipping our chef in cash, our transaction was voided and we were told we had to tip SOMETHING. I am happy to pay for notable service and to contribute towards living wage, however these large “suggested” tips are simply another tax on customers. Overall: Good fun and a bit of a gimmick, but the teppanyaki experience at an all inclusive resort I went to last year gave a better experience for a fraction of the cost. YMMV!

We have eaten at several Benihana's over the years. Most have been good, although our last experience in San Jose was very disappointing. We were a little skeptical, but am so glad we went to this Benihana's. We had Armando as our Chef and he was so much fun and entertaining and made our experience so enjoyable. The food was so good. My husband had the shrimp and I had steak and lobster. They were prepared perfectly. It was by far the best Benihana's we have ever been too!! We hope to return soon.

The WORSE restaurant experience in our lives. We were excited to go since we are Benihana fans but the SFO Benihana was a disaster. We waited for our table at the bar even if we had confirmed reservations but then we had to wait another 45 mins at the Teppanyaki table and no cook came. We decided to leave because it was so loud, dirty and greasy looking. Our waiter served us our drinks holding the glasses from the top rim. I threatened to leave if our food wouldn’t come and they pacified me telling me just to wait for another 5 mins ( I waited for 10) then another again promised in three minutes and still our cook never came. It was a nightmare. I advise that a health and safety inspector should go to see if this restaurant should stay open. At the end I just asked for the bill and they only charged me for the Sapporo beer that we drank. Horrifying Experience

I had a very fun lunch in Benihana. Lovely food and lots of it! I especially enjoyed the egg fried rice.

Our group went to this location at 9:15 on a weeknight. We were asked by the hostess if we had a reservation. When we said no, she indicated they did not have space for our group(6 people) and that if we wanted we could go to the sushi bar. We declined and as we where leaving ran into another large group coming in. I told them if they didn't have a reservation to not bother they turned around and walked out too. 10 minutes later we were at another restaurant and for fun I went to the Benihani website and clicked on make reservation using the current date and time with our party of 6. Funny, it said we could get in right away. Poor service. Will not go back to their chain again

Benihana slides further downhill every time we come and this last time was the last visit. Our server was nice and prompt but it was so loud we couldn't hear her. we couldn't talk to anyone at the table who wasn't directly next to us. The chef was boring, didn't smile and even if he would have engaged with us we couldn't have heard him. The food was fine, I don't expect it to be amazing I KNOW I am paying for the atmosphere and the chef, both sucked. Save your money, if you want interactive, go to Hot Pot.

I went to Benihana 2 times and it was fun and food was good too. It is fun to watch cooks doing there job in front of you!

Worst customer service ever. Suki was rude and condescending. We made reservations for 7:15 then were told to wait 45 minutes. We got a call and a text that our table was ready. We go to the host stand and Suki says she has no tables we have to wait they are still seating people. After a lot of back and forth she says I don’t know what you want me to do I have no table. I love Benihana but this was the worst experience ever.

We were there for my son's 6th birthday and both my kids loved the performance of dinner preparation. It's our first time in Benihana and it certainly looks like a standard restaurant-chain circus, so I guess it's not a place one would visit very frequently, but I would recommend going there at least once. Food was quite good, but do not expect something extraordinary. Prices are reasonable for San Francisco standard, for such a performance I actually expected something more pricey.

bustling bar with pleasant service, TV sets showing a variety of sports and lots of happy people. In center of Japantown, so there is some local color outside too. If you want to eat in the restaurant area be sure to make a reservation!

We were seated at a table in a cold section of the restaurant and were told it would heat up when the cooking began. In actuality the difference proved negligible. Our chef displayed the usual array of tricks including a dropped spatula and a couple of missed toque catches of flipped shrimp skins, but his onion volcano was impressive. Our grandkids were fascinated. The food (chicken, beef and shrimp) was plentiful and reasonably flavorful (especially the soup) though the noise from an adjacent table of thirty-something women celebrating someone's birthday drowned out all but the most determined attempts at conversation. I could wait a long while before repeating the experience.

Benedicto was a great entertainer and chef. He puts in extra effort and flair into his craft. His enthusiasm got other tables coming over to watch. No meats or seafood were overcooked. Fried rice was on point!

We visited with 3 kids in a party of 6 and had a blast! We have eaten here many times over the years and always enjoy the show and good food, the bar is also worth a mention as it has some great beers/drinks. Our host and chef were great and we ordered some great sashimi/starters and a decent amount of food from the menu which everyone loved - the kids thought it was cool to watch and be part of the experience too. It was a very busy Monday night with all the tables full and if you have never been before just remember if you are in a small group you will be sat with others so expect to make friends and chat! We would recommend to all to give it a try its great fun and the food is always good - but if you're expecting a sterile Japanese restaurant don't go its loud, fun and tasty!

San Francisco is one of the most interesting and fascinating cities I have visited! We went to Benihana to celebrate my birthday. This was another new and fantastic experience for me! Of course reservations were made in advance. It was very busy, even on a Monday evening. There were serveral parties going on at the same time and it was noisy with people enjoying themselves. The server was friendly, pleasant and efficient in taking all the orders at our long table. We sat with three strangers but it didn't take long before we all started chatting with one another. The chef brought out his trolley filled with the prepared raw food that we each had ordered. He not only entertained us but he also cooked seven delectable meals with precision and skill. The fried rice, chicken, fillet mignon, scallops and steaks were cooked to perfection right in front of our eyes. We all enjoyed the food very much! Thank you Benihana for the entertainment and for treating me to a delightful birthday dinner! Yes, the birthday boy/ girl gets a thirty dollar coupon for the meal.

If you don't mind sitting at a large U shaped table of 8 with some people you've never met before, this is the place to be. The food is always consistent whether you're eating in San Francisco or Cincinnati. However, I must say the portions were much larger at this Benihana than others we've eaten at. My 4 old grandson was mesmerized with the chef's theatrics from the onion volcano to the fried rice beating heart. The 2 other couples at our table were very friendly and we felt we'd made some new friends. All in all a fun evening out in San Francisco's Japan Town.

We went for dinner and the next day for lunch. Service was slow on both days and waitress was not really friendly either. My steak was overcooked, the rest of food was good but I expected better for the price.

This is the full Monty of Benihana - and exactly what it is supposed to be! The cook was Mexican but that wasn't a disappointment at all. Our cook was entertaining and really good at everything! The last time I went to a Japanese style restaurant, the cook had less then half the skill. The most hysterical part was when the egg flew onto my husbands plate - yes!, the cook made a mistake and the entire table laughed so hard we cried. The food was generously portioned and quite scrumptious. Great for families! Loved Japan town too. Highly recommend.

after discovering a Japanese restaurant which cooked at the table we had to try it. Turned out the restaurant was very busy but we decided we would wait the 15-20 mins to get a table (shared by 5 other people). what a performance! the chef was brilliant and it was very entertaining to watch. we weren't aware we would get extra bits cooked (shrimp, onions, etc) as tasters so we had ordered quite a bit. we had arrived quite late too so when we finished our meal they were cleaning for closing but at no stage were we hassled to move on or leave nor felt we were an inconvenience so it was really enjoyed

I went to Benihana to celebrate my son’s 7th birthday. We arrived at 7:25 and were seated at 7:55. We waited at our table until 9:50 until a Hibachi chef came to our table. While we waited for the Hibachi chef, our waitress did apologize but we never seen or heard from the management. My son fell asleep and didn’t get to eat his food. Luckily we were on vacation and the kids didn’t have school the next day. Our visit was on a Monday night, I can’t imagine what the wait time is on a weekend. Management is worthless! Save yourself some time and go elsewhere!!!!

I enjoyed the place and the food. The restaurant is cozy. We booked a table, so we did not have to wait long, but once seated we were served after ~30 minutes, the waiter offered an appetizer to make up for the inconvenience. The price is fair for the service.

We had my sons grad party there. Our chef Antonio was so funny. A good time had by all. Food was awesome.

The Benihana chefs never disappoint! Always incredible showmanship, and the perfect setting to celebrate our grandson’s 11th birthday. Our three grandchildren (6, 11, and 13) were amazed at the presentation and enjoyed the hibachi food too! They paid special attention to the “birthday boy,” took a family picture and famed it to take home, presented him with an ice cream Sunday and sang a Japanese birthday song. No matter how many times I’ve seen hibachi chefs perform, it never gets old! An enjoyable evening for everyone! NOTE: Reasonably priced children’s menu inside paper “chef’s hat”!

A busy Thursday night dinner around 7:00 PM. Sat in the bar area at a table which was dirty when we sat down. Waited 15 min to be acknowledged. Waiter not motivated nor trained in customer service. Dropped plates on table and never bothered to check or do follow up. No offer of chopsticks or amnesties. Food good but service made it unpleasant. Seems to be a “I dont give a —— attitude.” Will not go back.

We waited 3 hours!! 7:30pm reservation and we’re not seated until 10:10pm , and they kept saying “just a little longer” We didn’t eat until 10:30pm and do not get out of there until after midnight!! $100 a piece!!

Don't go here. Used to be an OK part of town. Now invaded by pot smoking hoodlums that are smoking pot in the ladies bathroom and doing other drugs (couldn't see what hoodlum was putting up her nose in the corner) and going between ladies bathroom, dining table and outside front door of restaurant smoking pot and eating. Manager did nothing. Whole restaurant smelled like pot and I had to kick a group of 8 hoodlums out of ladies restroom and air it out with the door open so my 6 year old and her 2 friends could go to the bathroom without getting stoned. Seriously????

If you have a group of 8 then this is the place for you, because the table sits 8, anything smaller and you may have to share a table. You get a 5 course meal, soup, salad, appetizers, (small portions) main course & ice cream. We went on a Monday night and the service was slow, although the food was good. It's also loud so not a good place if you like quiet while eating. Overall though, I would recommend this restaurant if they enjoy a cooked meal right in front of them, don't mind the smoke, or the noise, or sometimes slow service.

Loved this place! Our family enjoyed eating a special birthday lunch at this restaurant, our chef was funny and entertaining! The food was amazing and we will return here again soon! Great service and delicious food!

What can I say, it's Benihana- the food is mediocre at best (and downright bad by San Francisco standards) as well as grossly overpriced, and service and cleanliness are just so-so but it's all about the show and kids absolutely love it. We visited late afternoon (the only available time; book ahead if you want prime dinner time) and 3/4 or more of the tables were filled with kids. When I was kid, Benihana offered a bit of flash with the knife handling but the restaurant now has to satisfy kids raised with the internet and Circ de Soleil so they've significantly amped up the showmanship- expect raw eggs dancing in the air, shrimp tails landing in the chef's hat, and an onion volcano billowing smoke and fire. Was it worth $120 for lunch for 2 adults and 2 kids? Apparently so, judging by the satisfied cheers from my table and others, at least from the kids' perspective.

There are Benihana restaurants all round the world, so maybe I have been spoilt because they are so good in the UK? This place is Benihana food for sure, great quality but the restaurant itself is tired. Much cheaper than the UK, however more like a run-of-the-mill restaurant, in that no one dressed up - it felt like somewhere they all popped in for tea on the way home for work! So - good food and ok experience but if you have been to other Benihana restaurants, this will not be up there.

Stop in for Holiday lunch and was pleasantly surprised at the great value for the Lunch Boat which came with soup. The boat had salad. Sashimi, shrimp and vegetable tempura and rice topped with fresh orange!!!

I've never been disappointed in the food and been to this location many times. It's always been fresh and well prepared. My only complaints: the first table on the left when entering the dining room has terrible ventilation. This was my second time sitting there and the fumes really gather in that spot. I'll kindly refuse to sit there again and wait for next available table. And the behind the bar staff do a really good job of ignoring you.

Great for a one-time experience for the showmanship, but nothing more. We had reservations but still had to wait a short while to be seated. Each table seats eight, so they wait until everyone is there before they seat you. Initial drinks are served in good time. The cook/showman all perform the same show while cooking your food. The food is selected from various set menus and are nothing special, although tasted fresh. You get a free ice cream for your birthday and a birthday song from the staff. the fired rice is $4.50 extra and not worth the money.

Visited with my adult daughter December 26th with 5 PM reservations and after reading many reviews expected a long delay in being sat and mediocre food/service. Instead were seated by 5 PM, had time for one drink at the bar -with the pour of a double scotch on of the most generous I've seen. I had delicious ( 9 out of 10) filet/chicken grill and my daughter the chicken grill, started with a spicy tuna roll (that was good 7 .5 out of 10)

This Benihana's is like all of the other restaurants, except it is located in a little mall, which is one reason why I gave 4 stars instead of 5. You have to walk quite a bit to get into the restaurant. Thankfully, we used an Uber Car to get there, so we were dropped off closer than if we had parked. Dinner was excellent; our Chef was fun. The add-ons sure do add up though, and the bill for four of us was almost $200, with only two people drinking. Not worth it. It's a fun experience...

Great food, with wonderful entertainment. Nice bar to get a before dinner drink while you wait for them to get the table ready. Wonderful place for a special occasion.

The food experience was really good as quality and originality of cooking. The manager head was not at the same level. We’ve been served after one and half hour after our seat. Be prepared to wait a lot ..

Very warm welcome, excellent 👌 I highly recommend. There were 3 of us with 3 different dishes. Everything was very good. A little spicy but how you should drink!!!!

Took my grown-up kids here on a trip to San Francisco. After some initial reluctance about 'Japanese' food, they ended up loving it. The floor show from Javier, the chef, was exceptional and the food expertly cooked. We'd thought it was quite expensive, but then realised soup, salad, rice, plus another starter were all included in the price. We had tons to eat for $30 per head (included soft drinks). Would highly recommend this if you've not visited before. Other guests at our table had obviously been before and, quite rudely I thought, ignored most of the show. Must have been quite dis-spiriting for the chef.

We had two in our party. We were seated with two other parties at a large table with a grill. Communication with the waitress was poor. We felt like we needed to hurry & order since these other couples had been waiting for more people before beginning. The cook came out, did his thing with a routine expression. Teriyaki steak was $27 and very meager, they poor on the veges. We were served ours last & whisk ... the waitress was upon us basically giving us the bum's rush. Not at all a pleasant meal. Food average & over priced for what you get. Never again.

Yes the cooking show is very special. Well the food looks incredible. However, poor service started at the reception desk where he/she was murmuring and not polite. Also one should know, that in case you arrive with less than 8 guests, you have to share a table with others at the grill and cooking show.

Great entertainment and even better food! Well worth a visit. We tried to get in on the Monday evening but was fully booked so went back the Tuesday lunchtime and so glad we decided to go before our flight

We had a birthday celebration recently at this Benahana. It was packed, but they were moving folks through, our reservation was honored in a timely fashion, wait staff was very friendly, and the steaks were tender and favorable -- and its still a pretty good deal as well. The only thing I miss is the old waiting area and bar, with the water features, which have now been gone for years in favor of a more spartan, utilitarian setup and a sushi bar where the old bar used to be. Times change, but not necessarily for the better in terms of the ambiance, with some concessions made in order to serve more customers.

First time in this restaurant. To me, either go there to keep children entertained, or for a special occasion, as they say, they love singing birthdays. But if you are looking for good quality products, not from frozen materials, not soaked in oil and garlic butter, good service and clean toilets, I would chose somewhere else.

OK, I know. Benihana, touristy, right? Well, we've been regulars at this location since we moved to SF in 1994. The wait staff knows us by name, we know them, and even though it's a bit pricey, you do get A SHOW with every dinner, and the food it OBVIOUSLY fresh as it's cooked in front of your nose. And GARLIC BUTTER FRIED RICE! OMG. Really. Doesn't matter what you order, get the darned fried rice. You'll thank me later. We love this place, you will to if you're anywhere in the area. Call for reservations or use Opentable and get rewarded for coming here!

I Have been in many different states in benihanas but this one in California rocks it. Excellent food, people super fantastic presentation and portions are good. We visit this place every year. Can't wait to go back.

We always go to a Benihana for my husband's birthday, usually the location in Irvine. This location was very clean, excellent food and service. We had a blast. If you join the birthday club they send you a $30.00 gift certificate to use. A great value

We were placed into groups and sat on a table in which the Chief cooking our food in front of us - it was a very theatrical experience! Recommended as our Chief was soo funny and great with his cooking skills! Ohhh and the food was really tasty too.

Booked in advance and still waited about 15 mins in the bar, wasn't a problem and helpful staff. The chef was a great performer and the kids loved it - usual onion ring volcano and flipping shrimp:) Food was good if a little expensive- $200 for two adults and two kids

There is the perennial problem of all the tables being reserved and the long waits for service. (My guess is that it's a worker shortage. In SF, rent is around $3,000 per month, so cooks and wait staff are hard to get unless the place is really cheap or you don't need great cooking; or, if you need great cooking and great service, but pay semi-cheap wages, then the highly-skilled workers, like you'd need to run a Benihana, are going to be hard to find. The only solution might be to share corporate wealth with workers so they could afford rent in SF, but I'm just dreaming, I suppose.) Anyway, I like the food and the cooking show they put on. The food is not the best, but it's a solid value, especially their combo meal where you get the zucchini, mushrooms, grilled onions, shrimp, tea, soup, salad and hibachi steak all for $24.50. It's not something I'd do weekly, even if I had the money; but it's great to go in once a year. And, once the service did finally arrive, it was nice; and whatever we asked for, they happily got it.

I’ve been a fan of Benihana since I was a child! I even aspired to become a Benihana Chef which led me to Culinary School and a career in restaurant. ...but I didn’t become a Benihana chef. They’re so good!! So entertaining! So flavourful and memorable! I will take my children here and for the rest of my life!

Went here for a late lunch. Entered and went up to the reception area. Three staffers were there chatting with each other and ignoring us. After a while of being ignored, my companion wanted to leave. We walked out and after we left the host (I guess) ran out into the hallway and shouted after us "I just wanted you to know that I'm acknowledging you walking out". Really shouting loud. We didn't say or do anything to them to provoke such a thing and I have never seen this before. This immature, passive-aggressive behavior has no place in the restaurant business. The place seems run for tourists by children. We have had a bad experience here before (poor greeting, unfriendly greeting, being ignored), but were giving them another chance. What's wrong with saying "hello, welcome to Benihana, can I help you?". I guess it is just too demanding to ask the staff to behave professionally. Destroying your brand, one customer at a time. Sad. Won't be back.

Benihana is a chain with many restaurants, and all of the ones I have visited over three decades have been very similar. The chefs are the show. They cook on large grills, with diners seated around the grills. All of the chefs perform similar tricks -- flipping their knives, popping shrimp-tails into their toques and pockets. The menu compliments the show in that many dishes can be prepared on the grills. The food is very tasty, and the meat is cooked to the each diner's preference. The waitstaff are alert. Prices are reasonable. The only downside is noise. Each room has many grills and several chefs who are working simultaneously. To keep the room cool, a large vent fan is above each grill. So there are a lot of hard surfaces and much resonance. I could barely hear people who were a foot or two from me.

On Saturday, March 22, I visited Benihana for the very first time in San Francisco at 1737 Post. First impressions, lasting impressions. It was a 4-hour ordeal but I stuck with because a close friend wanted to celebrate their birthday. Festivals were going on and the restaurant did not seem to know how to deal with it. When we arrived, you could not move at the entrance. Everyone had a reservation. For our party of 3, we waiting 1 hour and 45 minutes to be seated. For a 730pm reservation we were finally seated in the back of the restaurant around 915pm. By 930pm we finally were acknowledged by the server who did a wonderful job. The entire eating experience from there took another two hours as we shared a table with another party of six. As were eating a group of belligerent young people sat at the two tables of 9 each next to my party. During their loud raucous they were dropping “F” bombs right and left and made a derogatory statement about the LGBTQ+ community (while visiting a restaurant in San Francisco)! I immediately approached the manager on duty and he pretty much gave them a verbal slap on the wrist. He claims the younger people apologized and claimed they knew they were in the wrong; however, after the manager left the profanity ensued which ultimately made for quite an unforgettable birthday celebration for my friends…in fact, we truly could not wait to get out on that restaurant. My lasting impression is zero desire to ever return to a Benihana restaurant!

The food is made at the table. It's fun to watch the chef cooking it and handling the knifes (although a little bit noise, because each time is in a different table...) And the food is amazing! Simple and delicious flavours! Fried rice, vegetables, sea food and meat, everything was amazing! A bit pricey, but it worth it.

Don't Go There! You have to pay for parking first off. Then the service was horrendous compared to the others around the USA. I've gone for 20 years but the SF location is by far the worst that I have experienced in my life. Granted the employees are all nicely groomed but their looks are deceiving. The greeter was not friendly and wouldn't seat even though the place was practically empty during lunchtime. Then the server was already at the Hibachi table finishing orders from the couple across from us. She wasn't patient at all and stood there eying us and asking if we were ready to order. Plus I had my $30 birthday certificate which she commented I can use it only for myself. Who else am I ordering from? A bit offended there. A quarter way through the meal and she took my certificate just to come back and tell me it was used at another location. Didn't matter what I said, she and the manager acted like we were criminals. Frankly I finally signed up for their Chef's Table recently after many forgetful times and printed out the certificate for this visit. Have not gone anywhere else and Benihana is not close by. Since then they left me in a foul mood and angry the rest of the time. The manager wouldn't do anything but hand me a card to reach Chef Table Club. I know I wouldn't get an answer that day and I was right. Voice mail after voice mail and no LIVE person. After that my experience kept going downhill from the service aspect. The server and acting manager pretty much ignored our party of 4 unless told to service us. Who knows if she spit in our food or drinks. She definitely talked behind our backs. Sadly I knew what she said in Spanish and I didn't like what I heard. Very disrespectful, worst service, treats customers like criminals and beneath them. I paid for my meal although I feel I shouldn't deserve to for such horrible service at a so-called fine dining experience. And the person that ordered beef hibachi at our table ended up getting diarrhea an hour later. If anything, I'd recommend you all NOT to go to this location! Monterey Benihana by far has the best service and very entertaining and nice people that want to work and treat customers like they should be treated for the amount of money we are paying them to feed us. In addition I have to add that I was so upset they said my certificate was used elsewhere I asked another Benihana and they said it worked which makes me think that the SF location didn't want to follow their Chef Table Club policy and force customers to pay full fares. Scoundrels! Didn't even get a birthday song or ice cream. Terrible SF Benihana! Shame on you!

We booked for dinner for 9pm only to arrive at 8.50 and be told no our booking was 9.30 (I had confirmed the 9pm time twice), not a huge deal we went to the bar and were seated by 9.15. That was the only hicup of the night the rest of the night was amazing!!! THE FOOD OMG THE FOOD it was amazing and the chef was also very talented, there was however ALOT of food, we ordered small apatizers and both had to take most of our main back to the hotel for the next day. BE AWARE when you order food you also get Miso, fried Courgett, Fried onion and fried rice with it so you REALLY dont need aspatizers. The biggest shock for us was the price, we expected an expensive meal but when the bill arrived we were pleasantly surprised. I would go back here in a heartbeat.

. . . .in the equivalent of one's own kitchen. Yup, that's how Benihana feels to me, my family, and friends. The setting is intimate enough that food can be cooked to suit one's preference. No salt, more salt, undercooked onions, limp onions....catch the drift. Tasty food, accommodating and thoughtful staff, reasonable prices. No wonder the place is popular with a diverse group of diners. A little noisy for all the celebrations usually going on, but we keep going back.

The restaurant was clean and the food was great. I had to request special item and my needs we met with no problems. The waitress did disappear and that was an issue because we needed more drinks.

Outstanding lunch value is a guarantee with their bento box special. Sashimi, California roll, shrimp tempura, teriyaki beef, endgame, soup and salad for $15.00!!!!!!! Excellent service also!

I really wanted to like this place, but it dissapointed us big time. We were excited to come here & despite having a reservation had to wait 15 min for a table. After we were set, our drinks took 40 min to arrive and after waiting for an entire hour (!!!) no cook came to the table. Other tables that came after us already had their cooks starting the show. Our server seemed very nonchalant about our hour long wait and didn't go out of her way to help us or address the issue. Like this wasn't frustrating enough, we asked to speak with the manager, who kept giving us excuses for the long wait and was very defensive. He didn't even try to accommodate us or at least fix the situation. Hungry and frustrated, we had to leave the restaurant and we felt like no one was looking after us. Needless to say that the people who were in the table with us were also mad and their drink didn't even arrive to the table after 45 minutes. People- you can do better and find better restaurants in Japan Town. This place is not what it used to be...take my word for it. I come from the restaurant industry and I understand things happen...but at least come talk to us, make us feel like you care and be proactive about it! That was not the case in Benihana.

I went 2 days ago with my family, the service was slow and rude , we have to stand up and go to the bar for our drinks , i talked to the manager and she was also rude and she doesnt gave us any solution, the only staff member that helped and was very kind was the sushi men (Ricky).

One word describes this place: SUPERIOR!! Wonderful taste, you can be sure that any plate in the menu will satisfy your expectations and it will surpase them. Very difficult to reserve a slot, signal that is a very popular place for everyone!!

This was a visit with the family for my 30th birthday. We had a fantastic time and were entertained by our chef with his tricks and flicks! Above all else though the food was fantastic tasting and a joy to eat! Would recommend to anyone and everyone!

Visited the restaurant again for a business lunch. Great value for the Express Lunch Boat. Came with soup and salad!! Boat has shrimp tempura and vegetables, sashimi, endame, salmon and sliced orange.

One thing is a given: the main novelty about eating at any Benihana is the entertaining chefs. They’re skilled and fun to watch as they cook your food right in front of you. Apart from that, I didn’t find anything particularly unique nor special about the food. It was certainly fresh and healthy, hot from the grill straight to your plate, but I guess I was expecting richer flavors and sauces. Take the teriyaki chicken, for example. The chicken was fresh but the teriyaki sauce/flavor almost undetectable. We also ordered a beef dish (I can’t recall which flavor option) but it was just plain beef. By plain I don’t mean poor quality; in fact it was filet mignon I think and very fresh and tender...it just had no flavors apart from the plain meat itself. I’m glad I went but I think once was enough.

Absolutely outstanding food and service. We had a party of 8 and all of us were entertained. This was a fantastic ending to our night!

We had been to this restaurant numerous time and we never made reservation. This time as usual we walked in right when they opened for business. The receptionist asked us if we had reservation and we replied No and she said Oh, you need to wait for 30min then. We asked Why 30min? Not that if there're guests already seated, they would be able to finish in 30min! We waited anyway. The receptionist was so kind to bring us to a table few minutes later. The restaurant was not even a quarter full by the time we finished our lunch! Despite this incident, food was good as usual. However, parking was mega expensive. I didn't keep track of how many coins I had fed into the meter but so many that I thought the meter wasn't working!

The meal is great, the cook's hot food is also great. On the other hand, we had reservations at 8:30 and we started eating at 9:30. Super slow. But I recommend it for a great culinary experience and a great show

Its always a great thing to see the onion shoo shoo train and the bumping rice heart kn fro t of you on the hot plate growing - enjoy

Loved this. This was so much fun. They do sit you with other if your party is small. The table sat 8 people. They are organized with the whole process. First the hostess seats you , a waitress takes your beverage order and then comes the entertainment. They cook everything right in front of you and it is so entertaining. The food is fresh and meats are prime. **we were celebrating a birthday, which they ask you when you sit down if you ware celebrating anything. Even if you are not just make up something, because if you are celebrating at the end they take a picture of your party and give it to you in a souvenir frame.

I love Benihana's for groups of 8 or fewer for weekend lunch parties (make a reservation for noon when they open is my recommendation). It's FUN, it's different, their lunch menu meets everyone's needs (kids can get plain chicken and rice, and sushi lovers can get sushi, while the majority of people will pull from the regular lunch menu that includes soup, main course, fried rice and ice cream and of course the show). The food may not be as authentic as other places in Japantown but having a chef put on a food-prep show at the table is only at Benihana's. Dinner is the same fun but more money of course. It'll get you into Japantown which I love! The whole thing makes for a great SF afternoon.

Very tasty and good served dish and abundant. Funny show done by the cook, when he cooked the food in front of us.

The soup was terrible - warm water. Scallops are obviously not fresh, but frozen before. When scallops are fresh, they taste very tender, but here they were more like a chicken meat. Lobster - dry meat. Beef steak can be called acceptable. We did not like food at all. Only the show makes an impression. But this is not enough in a restaurant. Food was prepared and served very quickly. It is not possible to eat with such speed.

We were a party of eight kids and adults and this was a really fun thing to do. We had a reservation, which is key for a Sat night in the city, so we were able to sit down promptly. Then the show began! They take your orders and prepare all the meals in front of you. We ordered the chicken, beef, salmon and seafood combos as they were all delicious. The only complaint was that they ran out of chocolate ice cream for dessert. They even come by and take a table shot and give it to you as a parting gift. Very nice touch!

Everyone should experience Benihana atmosphere... It is very joyful place, especially if you need to celebrate an event or just want to spend some quality time with the family and friends. Food and services are great.

We went for lunch and was seated at a table. A waiter came by with 2 glasses and said the bartender would come and take our order. We waited as he was buzy. There came other people, American men that demanded to be served direct due to lack of time. They were! We tried to get contact with the bartender but no luck. So we went and went to Kippu round the corner! Perfect!

We visited this restaurant on Bayshore in San Francisco the night before our flight. The pros: great service, reasonably priced Happy Hour drinks and food, walking distance from the Bay Landing Hotel. Also beautiful view of the bay and the estuary. My friend and I both ordered fried rice ( one veggie and one steak) each of which was a generous portion for one and delicious. Drinks were good. Only Japanese beer on tap. The cons: the restaurant has perhaps seen better days…we sat in the bar area and the paint was super peeling. My friend had Spring rolls and she said they were the worst she has ever had. I ordered a hamburger and fries for $12. Well-seasoned fries and the burger was a generous size BUT I ordered it medium rare and it came almost raw. Because I was not sure about the cleanliness of the place I did not want to risk the nearly raw meat so I removed the patty and ate the rest. The chocolate ice cream for dessert was good. Would not go again.

Why my husband insisted that we go here I am not quite sure but I will never go again. The place was very loud and I didn't like the fact that you have to sit with strangers at the same table.....If I am paying to eat out I like to choose who I sit next to and that wouldn't include screaming kids. The place looks like it needs a clean too. The 'chef' (if you can call them that) did some hokey, corny knife throwing maneuvers and food stunts and as you leave you can hear the other hokey, corny knife throwing 'chefs' telling the same jokes and doing the same stunts! I felt like I'd been had! Don't bother with it unless you enjoy hokey, corny .........

We had lunch here with family. We had a reservation but were not offered drinks for 30 minutes. Orders were taken 10 to 15 minutes later. This restaurant is located in Japantown, which has fun shopping before or after you eat. The chef who cooked our dinner was very fast when he finally got going on our orders, and he did the cooking performance with flair. The food is fresh and tasty, but expensive. Benihana seems to have changed its treatment of its vegetables stir fry. The chain used to cut its zucchini and onions in planks and they were a nice accompaniment to the meal, but now they are chopped up into slivers with some slivers of carrot, which I am not fond of. They need to be more substantial with the chunks of meat and seafood that they are cooked for.

After being seated at 9.15 for our 9pm table we asked to be moved 3 times as we were put in a tiny room right under the air con, we were offered hot tea (which we never got) and for the air con to be turned off. We complained a further 3 times to management and when we walked out 40 mins later and not even had any food we were then offered to be moved. We didn't stay as it had ruined out dinner experience and we didn't want to be eating dinner at 10.30pm. Very disappointed as me and my husband always visit the restaurants in different countries.

My brothers and decided to have lunch at Japantown Mall. They decided to meet at Benihana Restaurant. We went early and picked our own lunch table near the window looking out at Post Street. The server was very pleasant and provided us with the daily lunch menu. We scanned at the lunch menu. And, for some reason, one of my brother and I decided on the "Lunch Express". They range from $11.75 to $14.75, a choice of two from chicken, shrimp or beef julienne. Soup, vegetable and hibachi rice were accompanied with this order. Soon the orders came, and they were all in one plate. My other brother decided to order the "Lunch Boat" with a choice of two items from chicken, salmon and beef. However, This lunch boat has soup, salad, California roll, shrim and vegetable tempura , fresh fruit and steamed rice. When it came, the lunch meal looked great! The price was about $12.75 per order. Next time, I will stick with the " Lunch Boat ", , as it have more varieties and the price is very reasonable. The young lady server was very pleasant, making sure our orders were right and our tea cups full. However, the restaurant seems to have short term servers each time we return. Otherwise, the lunch food is very good and reasonable. Try Benihana and its Lunch Boat for lunch if one is ever in the Japantown Mall.

We came here for a late lunch to celebrate our granddaughter's birthday. Being a holiday, it was a bit busy but not crowded. We had a 2 pm reservation and got seated on the dot. Not bad. We often went to their Burlingame location, so this would a good opportunity to compare. The teppanyaki chef was nice, but we could tell that he was fairly new. First off he dropped his spatula while trying to twirl it. He cooked our dishes first and the fried rice last. We noticed the other chefs had a different sequence. Our chef also only had one trick - the onion volcano. He did not do any of the rice bowl juggling, flipping the shrimp skins, juggling the eggs, and no heart-shaped rice. The food was C-. Service was also slow. It took a while to get my drinks: the Moscato and the Cab Sauv. Although I must admit, the server was very pleasant and took a few pictures of our celebrant. Hence the 3-star; otherwise, I could easily give them a 2-star. So the Buringame location in my estimation was a bit better. My tip: try to ask for an experienced chef, not just for the show, but for the food.

A very busy restaurant serving Japanese style food.Have live work stations where food is prepared in front of you. Nice experience, good menu, sumptuous portions. However could do with better management of table bookings. Had to wait 45 minutes despite having booked a table

Yes San Francisco is a city for foodies, but restaurants are very expensive here and many charge you for every course. This isn't true at Benihana, you get a complete meal at a decent price, cooked in front of you. I wouldn't recommend this restaurants for tourist, since it isn't a traditional Japanese restaurant. Also Benihanas can be found all over the US, but for price and service it a value.

Things Grand-kids want, four of them, and we were a party of 8. loaded up on the Rolls and Sushi, yes, really, and then the show of flames, cutting, tossing arranging from the Hibachi. Chicken, Steak, Fish. All on auto pilot, but the birthday grand-daughter loveddddddddddd it, so I was a hero. We had to ask for Bday dessert, as the host forgot to tell the server. I hope I only have to do this every other year though

Very busy restaurant. Make reservations to enjoy the experience. White sangria is delicious. Food delicious. Attentive staff.

A excelent place for a dinner, the drinks & cocktels are perfect, I recomend the Tokio cocktel. The food was delicious the steak, the chicken and the seafood. The staff is attent to you and made all for you to have a magnificent dinner.

Food was brilliant.. Cheap too. Entertaining.. great for special occasions as well. We went for Christmas lunch and even though it was very busy, we did not have to wait long.

I had lunch here on 02/18/18 with a friend. This is the typical Benihana style restaurant. It's fun for the whole family. The food is unremarkable, but you go here for the experience. I would recommend you try it for special occasions. Total for two without tax or tip was $44.63.

We were impressed by this restaurant while walking around the Japanese Center and decided to try it the same evening. While waiting for our table to be ready we sat at the bar and had a cocktail (a good bloody mary!), then the waiter took us to the table where we sat with other 4 girls. We ordered our drinks and also our meal. 5 minutes later came the cooker who was a real artist. He made a great cooking show and we were amazed by his great ability. The food was also very good and tasty. Go there if you want to have a nice evening!

We made a 1:30p lunch reservation for our anniversary before we headed for the airport. We've been to Benihana on the east coast and Hawaii and have never had such a horrible experience. Despite our reservation, we had to wait 30 minutes to be seated, so I went to the sushi bar for a drink and appetizer. Once we were finally seated, 2 other couples that had been waiting just as long were seated with us. We all ordered our meals and as the salad arrived, realized that our plates were dirty. After more15 minutes of waiting, one couple decided to go to the bar to have express service. We should've followed suit because although the food was decent, the chef was slow and the couple a the bar ended up getting their food before us. The whole ordeal was 1.5hrs; but we literally had 15 minutes to scarf our food down because we had a flight to catch. I'm hoping the dinner experience is better; but we won't be back to find out.

Had a meal here n the last night of our trip in San Fran. Was superb!! I would really recommend it for a unique night out. Great food, great chef, brilliant experience.

I had expected something more exotic, when we found ourselves at a large table waiting for the table chef to arrive. The concept was well rehearsed almost to the level of boredom for the chefs working there. The food tasted fine, very fresh sea-food, but you have to put up with children's birthday parties and noisy students in this rather american-feeling japanese restaurant

Teppanyaki in Japantown, sounds good at first, right? Well, Benihana seems to own its reputation only from the acrobatic skills of its cooks. And ours was not so skilled, compared to the one from the next table. Food is not bad, some items are really good (scallops, squid, filet mignon), but pretty bland and too greasy (please, you don't need to put a pound of butter on EACH scallop!), I had trouble digesting it all the following night. They sing a little song when it's your birthday (which was the case of one in our party) - probably cute when you're a kid but really not as an adult. Anyway the picture they print instantly is a nice gesture. All menus include Japanese tea at the end of the meal, but if you don't request it they will not bring it. According to the waiter: "people here tend not to like it, so we don't serve it". Well why keep it on the menu then? Oh, and don't plan to wear the same clothes in the next 3 days.

Made reservations and was looking forward to a great birthday celebration at a favorite chain. What we endured was 3 hours of a dirty resturant, exceptionally bad customer service, little "show" and low quality food - some of which was inedible! The not Japanese manager was horrible and offered nothing but excuses. Looking for a fun, high quality, authentic experience? This isnt it! All around an epic failure, will never return.

It was so loud and a guest brought a DOG in a bag that he had on the floor for hours. First in the bar and then by the table. I told the staff multiple times and they didn’t seem to care. After a while my waiter said they checked and it had a tag that said it’s an emotional support dog. Those tags can be bought online and that is not allowed even if it would be true according to California law! Only service animals are allowed! The dog must have been so stressed and the staff and the manager shouldn’t have allowed it! What kind of person brings a dog to Benihana on a Saturday night??? Leave the dog at home!

Benihana is a great place for a fun meal: flashing knives, sizzling grills, yummy choices from an extensive menu. However, Benihana in San Francisco is now near and dear to my heart for something other than the chef's ability to flip a shrimp into his hat. Everyone from the manager on down is sensitive to gluten-free requests! It all started when I called to make a reservation. I explained that two of the four people in our party were gluten free, and asked if we could bring our own soy sauce. Karl, the manager, was extremely accommodating. He explained that Benihana now stocks gluten-free soy sauce, and he would make sure it was on the cart when we arrived. In fact, he promised he'd check on it himself. True to his word, Karl met us at our table and ensured that everyone serving us knew who was gluten-free and who wasn't. The gf soy sauce was already on the cart, and the chef did an amazing job preparing the gluten-free meat first before he added the regular sauces to the grill. It's wonderful to know that customer service isn't dead. Benihana might be a chain, but the people at the San Francisco restaurant know how to make every diner feel welcome! We'll definitely be back!

The food itself is really good. The sushi rolls were excelent! The Chef did a nice job! The waitress and service were a bit slow.

We came here to celebrate my grandson’s birthday. Our party of five shared the table with a family of three who were unknown to us. Two things…First, we all ordered the fried rice but when the table chef distributed what he made, he did not have enough for our party and was missing a cup. For some reason, the chef gave the customer seating on the other end 2 cups of fried rice. The chef left our table and came back with an already cooked fried rice. Second, our order of medium rib eye steak was given to the same customer on the other end of the table who ordered a well done steak and thus getting 2 orders of steak. The customer ordered only one steak but got two and was not charged for the 2nd . The chef left the table and came back with a piece of rib eye for our party. We had to wait until the last piece of steak was cooked before we started our meal. I suggest the management look into these situations to avoid unbilled mistakes and losses. We have been coming to this restaurant but this night was a disappointment.

Loved this place the food was a beautiful explosion of taste and perfect washed down with a little sake. The staff were so friendly and helpful and gave us lots of information about the menu and what was good to try. We ate at the bar and this was fine as we had come early but hadn't booked a table. After a long day we were glad to sit and have a good feast of great food.

I hadn't eaten at a Benihana in years but New Orleans friends who were staying at a Japan town hotel invited me for dinner there. It was Super Bowl Sunday and not very crowded. We shared our table with only one other couple so service was really very good. Our chef was Mexican and I noted that there were very few Japanese staff. Preparation of the meal was the usual Benihana production, knives flying, seafood diced in perfect pieces, a most entertaining show. I had the Surf Side a trio of grilled colossal shrimp, calamari and tender sea scallops. It was outstanding. Grilled zucchini and onions accompanied it. My friends ordered Mango Salmon which they said was delicious. We had a great evening and I was lucky enough to find street parking right in front.

The service was good, a little short the show of food but really I didn't mind when I tried the food so delicious. The attention of the hostess is not very good (appear lost at work or distracted), and making a reservation really took many tries to find the time we wanted. The food was worth the wait.

It's fun to see you meal cooked in front of you with a little bit of a show, but the food itself isn't that great. Especially the chicken is dry and the cheap appetizer shrimp tasted much better than the expensive lobster. We spent only 50 minutes in the restaurant, had an expensive but mediocre meal and I had a headache from all the noise. My main problem with this place is the extreme amount of noise. Not just from the hundreds of customers talking but also from the cooking shows, screaming children, and singing waiters, which makes it hard to have a conversation. Also the other people at our table decided to finish their meal immediately after the cooking was over, and asked for a box to take things home. Because the cook had just finished our plates were very full with our main order of meat and fish, which we wanted to enjoy eating. But because the others were ready for dessert we were rushed by the waitress to choose our complimentary dessert while we had just started eating. The bill was also deposited way before we were done. At another restaurant I would have slowly enjoyed my meal while having a conversation with my dinner partner maybe ordering another glass of wine. But here nothing was enjoyable, they were ready to push us out to make place for new customers. They give you a $30 meal certificate for your birthday, which seems great, but you still end up paying a lot of money when you go to have dinner there with someone else. They also like to charge you extra for little things you don't know about until the bill arrives. We went there with two people, we did not order appetizers, we just ordered a teppanyaki meal each, one glass of wine and two waters and still ended up paying close to $50, and we had that $30 gift certificate. Have been to this restaurant twice (for my birthday and my husband's) but we're not going here again. We can have much better food for a lot less money in a nice restaurant where we can take our time and actually have a conversation.

Visually the drinks were attractive great for social media shares. Most were a bit too sweet for our taste. I had the baby Blue Ocean which had Malibu Rum, New Amsterdam Pineapple Vodka, sake, blue curaçao and tropical fruit juices. We also had the prickly pear margarita which had Astral Blanco Tequila, lime agave sour and prickly pear purée with a float of Grand Marnier and the Exotic mojoto Which had Malibu Mango Rum with passion fruit purée, pineapple juice, fresh limes and mint. The drinks were a bit speedy and since they were sweet we decided to have well drinks just a cape cod, mango rum with club soda and special addition sake. The well drinks were nearly as expensive as the specialty drinks. If you want visually appealing drinks this is a good choice but expect to pay for it and expect they may be sweet.

Food was okay sadly :/ but the show was good our chef looked a little lost though figuring out what to make, the green tea ice cream for my birthday was amazing the service there was 5stars but the food was the only reason i didn't give it 5 because my Shrimps were burnt , the waitress was so nice she went above and beyond .

Ate here after a meeting in a nearby hotel. It is close to the airport, but the table was sticky and it took over 45 minutes just to get our orders taken. The restaurant wasn't full, but the staff wasn't really interested in taking our order or service. The sushi was not well made and fell apart so it was very difficult to eat. After we had finished it took over 25 minutes to get the bill. This was the worst meal that I have ever had in the Benihana chain and have eaten in them many times. The view is nice to watch the planes land, but the food and service were poor, slow and not friendly to any of the tables (3) that our group of 12 occupied. We meet nearby twice a year and will not be coming back.

Too salty, one of hundreds in the chain, so-so quality, could be a lot fresher.

The experience was great and the food good.. The chicken was a bit bland and a tad dry and they never lit the volcano made of onions like most do, but over all really good.. The los Vegas roll was so yummy and the spicy chicken pretty good.. Appetizers are not really needed though since you will have tons of food coming.. A little pricy and they charged extra for fried rice.. Which at the time seams like it comes with the meal.. Fun time

I love dinner and a show. I can never get bored with Benihana. The service is great. The lychee martini is my new favorite drink. It is nice seeing families out and enjoying the show. The only down side is how bland the food at times can be but I still come back. After coming here with my husband, I think that we might explore more dinner and show ideas and different locations.

I have to preface by saying that a friend and I went here on a night of a big basketball game. I don't follow basketball, but apparently it was a big deal. We walked into front desk area where to hostess yakked incessantly on the phone and completely ignored us. This went on for several minutes so we just walked right past them and into the bar area. A host greeted us and before we had a chance to speak announced that if we wanted a seat at the bar or a table for dinner, we were out of luck (even though I didn't see anyone in the dining room). The bar was jammed with screaming sports fans. We were shown to a table at the edge of the bar area. The table was dingy and worn. Conversation was virtually impossible over the din. Three different servers asked for our order which was odd. We were served quickly and the sushi wasn't all that bad. We beat a hasty adieu when a table with several children was seated next to us and the noise became migraine-inducing.

Its interesting, we gathered around a table with cooking place. They took our order and then a cooker came to cook our food in front of us. He was a mexican i think but made shows same with japanese cooker make. Food was really delicious, show was interesting. Nice to experience.

Benihana is a given as a commercial Japanese cook-at-the-table place, but the quality is there to make it a worthwhile option for dinner. We had an excellent presentation of the meal by our chef, and a highly attentive waitress who kept the cocktails full at all times. The food is extremely flavorful and portions are generous. You pay for it (!!), but you get a lot, too.

It was a good show. Food was good but I like my food with a bit more salt. Now I'm assuming I could have requested more but since it was our first time we didn't know what to expect or how things worked. They took a picture at the end and gave it to us which was pretty cool (now we have a small souvenir)

A classic for kids birthday celebrations. Kids love the theater of watching food cooked in-front of you. The chefs are great. They engage diners, have fun doing it, and put on a good show. The food is fine, but it really the experience that makes it worth a visit.

Regular spot for brothers lunch. Recommend the Express Lunch Boat with either chicken, steak or Salmon @$12.95. Comes with soup, salad, tempura, endgame, sushi dessert and hot tea with your entree!!!🙏🙏🙏

I love this place as do my kids. They make dining fun and it's a great way to celebrate or just be together with family. Cheaper at lunch, but still great food, entertainment and service. You can't be disappointed.

Reserved two full tables for 8 year old and friends (+parents) during early dinner seating. Well worth it to have kids all at a table enjoying dinner and the show by the chefs. Yes it's a little over the top but the kids love it. Several other birthday dinner parties going on and the place was packed but well staffed for a Friday night. Staff was well attentive and made everything run smooth. Helped with serving cake (no extra cake charge). No extra charge for a large group. Make reservations well ahead of time. Meals were delicious.

I was really excited to go here,it was my first time at a hibachi style dining experience. I was willing to tolerate the lack of accessibility to the bathroom, because I always needed someone to open the door. Something was wrong with their water pressure and heat,that there was lots of water all over the floor, I'm glad I was in a wheelchair, otherwise I could have slipped. My wheelchair usage is temporary,so I am able to say,that lifetime disabled people have no actual safe space in this establishment. While I was waiting for my food,the cook of the next table hit me really hard with his food cart, I was having too much of a good time because the sake was hitting nicely, so I just laughed because the dude didn't hurt me, but he his me hard enough to shake my wheelchair. It takes a lot to shake a wheelchair. Why would this other cook be so careless? Please show your people to be more cautious. There was definitely enough room away from me to have passed by, I wondered if he was just a bad worker. I had to go use the bathroom again and when I came back,the steak I was waiting for was finished and on my plate, I got a few bites in, and I was already getting rushed to finish. A woman came by and stacked the plates. Most of the people at my table had to pack up their food to go. We were entirely too rushed. No one at my table actually finished their meal. I will probably visit all the other Japanese foods places before I go back to Benihana. For a first time experience, this was horrendous. To give credit, the staff was under staffed, they tried their best, but getting hit by a food cart,hard, was the last straw. If I go back, I would really love to actually finish my meal.

Its a day before Thanksgiving, and my wife and I was fighting the shopping crowd at Costco, in San Francisco. We barely finished paying at the lineout, when it was almost time for our lunch engagement with my brother. He called from Japantown and was waiting for us to eat lunch. We rushed over and met him at Benihana Restaurant. Apparently, he loves the Japanese Bento lunch there. We were promptly seated and we scanned the menu and informed the server we wanted two steak lunch boat orders and one with chicken. Green tea came with the meals. And, the server was very good while we were there, always checking our needs. The lunch meals were served on a boat platform. And, it really WOW our wide open eyes when they came! Soup and salad were included. There on the boats were feasts just for the moment. Sushi, fish, tempura, etc. We ate them all. The bill came to $37.75 before tax and tips. It was a reasonable price. Try Benihana in Japantown Mall, if you are in the neighborhood.

The concept of cook at your table was really awesome and the food they served was really yummy. the knife art of chef was amazing

Benihana is one of my daughter's favorite restaurants, and she chose it for her birthday dinner. The food was excellent. Many good alternatives. The preparation show is also fun and entertaining. The preparation show meant that the "courses" were served over an extended period of time due, so there is good time for watching, talking and eating.

3½* Benihana’s 1737 Post SF 94115 Great access to the Kabuki Theatre a block away. Happy Hour M-Th, 4-7 Bud Lite $3.50; Kirn Lite $4 Wines $6 Nice small seawood salad $3.25 Tasty fish tacos, hard shell stuffed with plenty of ceviche $6.25 Beef gyoza okay $4.75 Veggie tempura was good $4.75 Noise level is high Food service in bar area underwhelming except for Melannie who was great

Visited here after previous good experiences in the Orlando and San Jose restaurants. Made an advance reservation for 8.30pm, arriving early, but still didn't get seated until nearer 9pm with no updates as to the delay from front of house staff. The restaurant wasn't even that busy. Waiter took our orders, but when I ordered a drink, he looked blankly saying they didn't have that beer, until I pointed it out on the menu to him. Chef was good, but failed to make me a fried rice as the waiter hadn't written it down on his order pad. Chef made me an individual one, once made aware of this mistake. This was taken off the bill by the waiter, which was a good gesture. Waiter told us that fried rice was $1 extra when in fact it was $3. As it was nearly closing time, waiter brought out the cheque before we had all even finished our meals and it felt like we were being rushed. Overall the cooking experience was good, but the waiter service was poor. Wouldn't rush back to this particular restaurant.

This restaurant is a guarantee of excelent food and great service. Their menu is diverse and the prices are adequate.

Setting: Being in Japantown it is situated in the right spot. Public Parking garage is close, so that you don't have to drive far. Very nice and respectful hostess (because sometimes you get "the looks" when you come with children). Restaurant was crowded and yes you need a reservation. Food: They prepare it in front of you at the hibachi table. Let me tell you, that the sizes you get are bigger than in traditional SFO restaurants. Raw material quality is superb. Cooked to perfection. Our cook was very nice and did a great show. Service: Nice and very attentive for the drinks. We would return, it was an awesome experience.

This is the 3rd Behihana restaurant I have been too and they all are becoming the same, overpriced fried food with a boring show, dirty atmosphere and tasteless food. The wait is always long, the smell is always of smoke, and the floors, furniture, walls, tables etc. feel like grease has been just layered on them from years of cooking and lack of detail to cleaning. You think they would clean these restaurants with something more than water once a month just to keep the grease down!!! I had lunch with my wife on a Sunday , had chicken and steak, some rice, a horrible salad, some water with one mushroom, a green onion and some miso base that was supposed to be soup and then a bunch of onions, squash and bean sprouts, for $80.00 really!!! I could have gone to a great steak house and had a great steak and my wife would have a wonderful piece of fish for around $100.00 and I wouldn't have smelled like smoke and been hungry still when I left. Ok I know you are paying for a show, but really $35.00 for chicken that is fried like McDonalds at a table with a chef that just really cuts your meat for you like you Mother and serves you some fried rice that has enough soy sauce and salt let alone the MSG that they use like it is water on a dying lawn. My days of Behinana are done if I want a horrible fried meal maybe I will go to McDonalds and order a burger without the bun with extra onions

I am so glad that we went here for dinner! They have a great menu selection and the staff was so friendly and helpful. I have a lot of food allergies and also can't eat certain things due to stomach issues. The staff was very understanding and made sure everything I was served was safe for me. I greatly appreciated this! The food being cooked infront of you was an amazing experience and enjoying it even more so. The best part (as always) was dessert. The banana tempura with green tea ice cream was wonderous! Thank you to the staff for such an amazing experience on our honeymoon and creating a memory here we will never forget! My husband and I highly suggest this place, for the price they charge you get a great atmosphere, great food and an overall great experience.

Not a place for couples or a quiet dinner. Kids are everywhere, and the staff is indifferent and unprofessional (and none are Japanese, including the chefs). They don't even validate for parking, which is a surprise given how much you spend. The food however is very good, the filet mignon the best. Join the Benihana online club and get a $30 coupon good during the month of your birthday, but only Mon thru Thurs!

Food OK - but staff appear far too few and over worked. Waited 1.5 hours before chef started preparing the food - even with reservation. Restaurant looks worn down.

This place offers a variety of quality Japanese style fried beef and rice with great services by chefs and servers. Highly recommendable for any family occasion.