Food and Chef was terrible, the server was only served us 5 times (Drink, Order, spoon for kids, dessert, check) and having $100 tip. If im paying 15% service fee, should it has more servers to serve the customers? I only saw 2 or 3 server the whole floor
Thomas
I set a reservation for my family and my brother's to meet for dinner at 5:15 -- not prime time. All told the party was three adults, a 1-year old, 4 yr old, 7 yr old and 8 yr old. We were admittedly a bit late, not getting seated until 5:30. We ordered, received our soup and salad ... and then waited. At the one hour point, we asked where our chef was to be told they did not have enough chefs to cover and it would be a moment. Three parties that arrived later than us had chefs and full meals within 20-30 minutes of seating. At one hour 15 minutes I decided to leave and get the 1-year old home so she wouldn't freak out from missing her bedtime and ruin the evening for everyone at tables around us. The rest of my party wasn't fed until 30 minutes later -- a total of 1h 45m after seating. We were sent some appetizers, one free drink, etc., but, with kids, it's not the food, it's the time spent sitting when bedtime is approaching. If you don't have enough chefs, I understand, work schedules are tough. But (1) tell us that's the case and let us choose whether to order or not; and (2) don't leave the table with young children as the one that suffers. It's cruel to the kids, the parents, and everyone around that table. We go to Benihana about twice a year because the kids like it, but I can't see myself returning. The food is overpriced, the "wow" factor of teppanyaki fades for the kids, and the service was just atrocious.
Otto
Was there on a date and was expecting better, when we got seated we got greeted by our waitress and ordered appetizers and drinks. On the order came is was all wrong, we apparently got orders from another table by mistake. After letting out host know about the issue it took another 35 min to get our correct order. An hour passes and we still don't have a cook at our table. I asked our host about the situation and she seemed confused herself. She came by 10 minutes later saying there should be a cook coming out shortly. After 45 minutes and still no cook at our table the host comes by again saying she let her manager know of the problem. 30 min later and still no cook. We're all obviously annoyed at this point. The host stopped coming by and we have all been sitting there for over 2 hours. The managers has walked by us numerous times and didn't acknowledge any of use at the table. I literally just stare at the manger walking by making eye contact and he still doesn't acknowledge the table that has been there for an absurd amount of time. Finally after 2:30 hours we get our cook. No complaints on the cook but we weren't offered and think for the ridiculous wait time. Not even a apology from the manager for the host. Probably will be the last time I visits there unfortunately.
Tim
They literally left us in the dusk. Service was awful.... And the said awful things about us. Won't go back again
Lissette
Chef was amazing and our server. We had a reservation and had to wait 35 minutes to be seated. We had 3 kids with us that were hungry.
Alexis
We had a reservation and unfortunately did not get seated until 90 minutes later. They were running so late parties were cheering when their name finally got called. The hostess told us they were running late on reservations by about 15 parties.
Shelly
Great place to be disappointed for your birthday. I had a 7pm reservation to Benihana for my friends birthday, we waited 1 hour and 20 min before we gave up. We waited in a crowded lobby full of other people with reservations that were severely delayed, standing, hungry, disappointed, and most were there to celebrate a birthday. It's incredibly difficult to get another last min reservation for a party of 10 on a Saturday night, so many people had no choice but to wait it out. Our group with pregnant women got hungry and very tired of standing so we left. Some of us drove 45 min into the city, others needed to get back to nannies watching our kids and were on borrowed time. We had to go to another restaurant we hadn't planned on and it's just not how anyone wanted to spend their Saturday night no less their birthday. I understand some things are not possible to control (staff gets sick, restaurants get overwhelmed, ect) but this seems recurrent with this location based on other reviews. This restaurant should not be able to book via open table because clearly they're overbooked consistently and its only serving to make a lasting impression on customers to never go back again.
Jill
We had a 6:45 reservation, we did not get seated for 1 1/2 hours (8:15). We asked for them to reimburse us for that extra 1 1/2 hour of parking and they would not. It would have been helpful if they would have told us when we walked in that it would be at least another hour wait. I was just glad we did not have young children with us.
Raja
Waiting over 30 mins past our reservation time. Once seated, we then waited for 15 to 20 minutes to get our drinks including water. Noise level is off the charts. The restaurant is totally chaotic.
Linda A
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!
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.
amitkumar
I'm writing to share some concerns about the experience my family had during our visit to Benihana on 11/21/2025. We came to celebrate my son's 6th birthday, but unfortunately the experience fell far below expectations. We have spent countless birthdays at Benihana's and it is our kids favorite dinner spot, however our last experience was beyond disappointing. From the start, the service felt rushed and disorganized. Despite having a 7:15 PM reservation, we did not receive our soup until around 8:15 PM—a full 55 minutes later—while our kids were hungry and growing impatient. What affected us most was the mishandling of the birthday celebration. Our waiter gave the birthday cake and song to another guest at the same table, even though it was clearly meant for my son. We had told the waiter at the start we were celebrating our sons 6th birthday, however he gave the ice cream with candles to the other two birthdays at the table and forgot our sons The same person ended up receiving two cakes, while my son got nothing and was left feeling sad and disappointed on his own birthday. The waiter also tossed his chocolate ice cream on a pile of dirty napkins- careless treatment that my son clearly noticed. Additionally, at the end of the meal, we felt pressured to leave a 20% tip as the waiter stood directly in front of us watching as we paid. This made the situation uncomfortable, especially considering the service was not reflective of that value. Overall, the experience was not what we hoped for, especially for such a special occasion. I wanted to bring this to your attention because we normally enjoy Benihana, and this visit was very upsetting for our family. I would appreciate a follow-up or any steps you can take to address this situation. We spent almost $200 for poor service from Raymond (name of the server). For long time customers, I am hoping you will make this right. Thank you for your time. Amit
anne
Wait service MIA could not get second drink. Rice arrive with dessert loud Banga unnecessarily noisy. Even young children scared by noise thé chef made and yet they continued.
janet
We had reservations for 6:30. We were seated at 7:15. No offer of a glass of wine or ?... I was affected by the fumes from the hot oil, coughing. A lot of upselling.
Jesus
I visited this restaurant yesterday for my birthday, and it was an amazing experience from start to finish. The food was delicious — every dish was full of flavor and cooked perfectly. I especially want to give a shoutout to the cook, Freddy. He absolutely crushed it in the kitchen. You can tell he puts real care and skill into what he does, and it made the whole meal unforgettable. The service was great, the atmosphere was welcoming, and overall it was the perfect place to celebrate. I'll definitely be coming back, and I highly recommend asking for anything cooked by Freddy — you won't be disappointed!
Food and Chef was terrible, the server was only served us 5 times (Drink, Order, spoon for kids, dessert, check) and having $100 tip. If im paying 15% service fee, should it has more servers to serve the customers? I only saw 2 or 3 server the whole floor
I set a reservation for my family and my brother's to meet for dinner at 5:15 -- not prime time. All told the party was three adults, a 1-year old, 4 yr old, 7 yr old and 8 yr old. We were admittedly a bit late, not getting seated until 5:30. We ordered, received our soup and salad ... and then waited. At the one hour point, we asked where our chef was to be told they did not have enough chefs to cover and it would be a moment. Three parties that arrived later than us had chefs and full meals within 20-30 minutes of seating. At one hour 15 minutes I decided to leave and get the 1-year old home so she wouldn't freak out from missing her bedtime and ruin the evening for everyone at tables around us. The rest of my party wasn't fed until 30 minutes later -- a total of 1h 45m after seating. We were sent some appetizers, one free drink, etc., but, with kids, it's not the food, it's the time spent sitting when bedtime is approaching. If you don't have enough chefs, I understand, work schedules are tough. But (1) tell us that's the case and let us choose whether to order or not; and (2) don't leave the table with young children as the one that suffers. It's cruel to the kids, the parents, and everyone around that table. We go to Benihana about twice a year because the kids like it, but I can't see myself returning. The food is overpriced, the "wow" factor of teppanyaki fades for the kids, and the service was just atrocious.
Was there on a date and was expecting better, when we got seated we got greeted by our waitress and ordered appetizers and drinks. On the order came is was all wrong, we apparently got orders from another table by mistake. After letting out host know about the issue it took another 35 min to get our correct order. An hour passes and we still don't have a cook at our table. I asked our host about the situation and she seemed confused herself. She came by 10 minutes later saying there should be a cook coming out shortly. After 45 minutes and still no cook at our table the host comes by again saying she let her manager know of the problem. 30 min later and still no cook. We're all obviously annoyed at this point. The host stopped coming by and we have all been sitting there for over 2 hours. The managers has walked by us numerous times and didn't acknowledge any of use at the table. I literally just stare at the manger walking by making eye contact and he still doesn't acknowledge the table that has been there for an absurd amount of time. Finally after 2:30 hours we get our cook. No complaints on the cook but we weren't offered and think for the ridiculous wait time. Not even a apology from the manager for the host. Probably will be the last time I visits there unfortunately.
They literally left us in the dusk. Service was awful.... And the said awful things about us. Won't go back again
Chef was amazing and our server. We had a reservation and had to wait 35 minutes to be seated. We had 3 kids with us that were hungry.
We had a reservation and unfortunately did not get seated until 90 minutes later. They were running so late parties were cheering when their name finally got called. The hostess told us they were running late on reservations by about 15 parties.
Great place to be disappointed for your birthday. I had a 7pm reservation to Benihana for my friends birthday, we waited 1 hour and 20 min before we gave up. We waited in a crowded lobby full of other people with reservations that were severely delayed, standing, hungry, disappointed, and most were there to celebrate a birthday. It's incredibly difficult to get another last min reservation for a party of 10 on a Saturday night, so many people had no choice but to wait it out. Our group with pregnant women got hungry and very tired of standing so we left. Some of us drove 45 min into the city, others needed to get back to nannies watching our kids and were on borrowed time. We had to go to another restaurant we hadn't planned on and it's just not how anyone wanted to spend their Saturday night no less their birthday. I understand some things are not possible to control (staff gets sick, restaurants get overwhelmed, ect) but this seems recurrent with this location based on other reviews. This restaurant should not be able to book via open table because clearly they're overbooked consistently and its only serving to make a lasting impression on customers to never go back again.
We had a 6:45 reservation, we did not get seated for 1 1/2 hours (8:15). We asked for them to reimburse us for that extra 1 1/2 hour of parking and they would not. It would have been helpful if they would have told us when we walked in that it would be at least another hour wait. I was just glad we did not have young children with us.
Waiting over 30 mins past our reservation time. Once seated, we then waited for 15 to 20 minutes to get our drinks including water. Noise level is off the charts. The restaurant is totally chaotic.
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!
Restaurantji Recommends
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.
I'm writing to share some concerns about the experience my family had during our visit to Benihana on 11/21/2025. We came to celebrate my son's 6th birthday, but unfortunately the experience fell far below expectations. We have spent countless birthdays at Benihana's and it is our kids favorite dinner spot, however our last experience was beyond disappointing. From the start, the service felt rushed and disorganized. Despite having a 7:15 PM reservation, we did not receive our soup until around 8:15 PM—a full 55 minutes later—while our kids were hungry and growing impatient. What affected us most was the mishandling of the birthday celebration. Our waiter gave the birthday cake and song to another guest at the same table, even though it was clearly meant for my son. We had told the waiter at the start we were celebrating our sons 6th birthday, however he gave the ice cream with candles to the other two birthdays at the table and forgot our sons The same person ended up receiving two cakes, while my son got nothing and was left feeling sad and disappointed on his own birthday. The waiter also tossed his chocolate ice cream on a pile of dirty napkins- careless treatment that my son clearly noticed. Additionally, at the end of the meal, we felt pressured to leave a 20% tip as the waiter stood directly in front of us watching as we paid. This made the situation uncomfortable, especially considering the service was not reflective of that value. Overall, the experience was not what we hoped for, especially for such a special occasion. I wanted to bring this to your attention because we normally enjoy Benihana, and this visit was very upsetting for our family. I would appreciate a follow-up or any steps you can take to address this situation. We spent almost $200 for poor service from Raymond (name of the server). For long time customers, I am hoping you will make this right. Thank you for your time. Amit
Wait service MIA could not get second drink. Rice arrive with dessert loud Banga unnecessarily noisy. Even young children scared by noise thé chef made and yet they continued.
We had reservations for 6:30. We were seated at 7:15. No offer of a glass of wine or ?... I was affected by the fumes from the hot oil, coughing. A lot of upselling.
I visited this restaurant yesterday for my birthday, and it was an amazing experience from start to finish. The food was delicious — every dish was full of flavor and cooked perfectly. I especially want to give a shoutout to the cook, Freddy. He absolutely crushed it in the kitchen. You can tell he puts real care and skill into what he does, and it made the whole meal unforgettable. The service was great, the atmosphere was welcoming, and overall it was the perfect place to celebrate. I'll definitely be coming back, and I highly recommend asking for anything cooked by Freddy — you won't be disappointed!
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