It started off great. It was my son's 10th birthday and his wish was to go to Benihana. We had been at Lego land all day and were a bit tired. I made the mistake and made reservations for the next day not knowing. They still were able to squeeze us in. We were seated after 15mins. Once we sat it took a while for a server to take our order. After 30 mins we only had drinks, after another 15 mins I asked where the chef was and were then told they had allot of chefs call out and it would be another 30 mins. Our kids 10 and 6 were very hungry. Server offered to bring white rice and edamame. We only received the white rice and soup. After abother 20 mins I called server over and she could not give us a time when we were going to be able to get a chef at our table. The only managers that I noticed were talking amoungst themselves the entire time. Never once did they come and apologize or explain the delay. So after an hour we decided to leave..by this time it was too late to go to another restaurant. So definitely never coming back and do not recommend. read more

While the food and the chef were amazing and the service was otherwise great, we encountered a few issues during our visit. We had a reservation for 8:30 PM but were informed upon arrival that there would be a 30-minute delay due to overbooking. After waiting 30 minutes, we inquired again and were told there were still three tables ahead of us. Additionally, I would like to bring to your attention the condition of the women's restroom. There was toilet paper all over the floor, the facility smelled as though it required maintenance, and the diaper changing station was dirty. read more

Terrible Experience at Benihana Our reservation was for 4:45 PM, but we weren't seated until 5:00, and our chef didn't arrive until almost 6:00 PM. We had kids with us, and they were starving by the time food was finally being made. When the food did come, it was a huge disappointment. My steak and my daughter's steak were both so over-salted they were inedible. I ordered her steak medium, but it came out raw, and I had to ask the chef to cook it longer. The only thing the restaurant offered was $50 off, which didn't make up for the poor service, long wait, and awful food. Do not go here -- total waste of time and money. read more

The food was wonderful! Sofia took great care of us! Can't wait until next time! Filet mignon, seafood, chicken, cocktails... all were really good. read more

Food, service and ambiance were amazing. It's a bit pricey but great for a special occasion. Drinks were great and they had some special $8 St Patty's day drinks. My husband got the Wagu. It was the best I have ever had. Cooked perfectly read more

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

Hope you're not hungry or have anywhere else that you need to go. Reservation? You're not getting seated for at least 45-60 min past it. Ordering for pickup? It won't be ready until AN HOUR past the "pick up" time. AN HOUR! Why tell us it will be ready then? Every time. Picking a new place for milestones. I don't know if they are understaffed or what, but it's definitely not the hibachi chefs' faults. They are amazing but super overworked. read more

My family and I have been celebrating here for years for many different occasions. Last week we decided to check out their power lunch special. The rice was not cooked on the grill but brought out already prepared. Mine and my daughters was lukewarm, my aunt and niece that arrived shortly after had theirs so fresh it arrived after their meal. Quality is usually always fresh however if you have reservations for dinner it's hit or miss on seating upon arrival. I've always arrived prior to reservation time. On occasion we've had to wait up to an hour after arrival and on a few occasions we received multiple calls from the restaurant 10-15 minutes PRIOR to reservation time to ask if we were still coming or in our way. Extremely tacky for this type of restaurant which we've now eliminated from our "special occasion" option. The ONLY reason for the 5 star review is our chef on our last visit. Santos made it fun in such a short time span (due to the power lunch special). We will definitely be back because we enjoy the show and food quality. We will also specifically request Santos as our chef BUT hope reservation time are equally respected!!! read more

What a disaster! Despite a 5:45 reservation to celebrate my birthday, by 7:30 we all finally got up from the table and left- having not eaten! They were so short staffed with chefs, that most tables were waiting 60-90 minutes after ordering to even have a chef come to their table. The manager kept trying to assure us that a chef was coming "soon", but after 45 minutes of that excuse, we finally had enough and left. Our waiter Zachary was awesome, and we all genuinely felt bad that he was the one stuck apologizing to over and over when it was outside his control. For the overpriced experience of eating at a Benihana, one would expect them to be staffed and able to feed people within 2 hours of their reservation. I guess not. It would really take a lot for me to go back again, which is sad because I used to celebrate my birthday at the local Benihana in New York when I was a kid and my own kids really like the traditional. But the price and awful experience make returning unlikely. read more

Late night dining....what could be better than a decent restaurant right next to your hotel? When checking in to the hotel next door, the front desk guy told us Benihana is open until 11pm so would be a great place to grab a late dinner since we checked in at 9pm. We arrived for dinner around 9:15 or so. First off, the last time I was at a Benihana was on a date when I was 16 years old in Los Angeles. That experience was wonderful so I expected something decent. We did not get decent. Upon walking up to the restaurant this past Friday night, the interior was VERY brightly lit (not good ambiance unless you're at Denny's or something) and there were only two tables filled - one at a teppanyaki table and the other at a regular table. We decided to sit at the bar. The female server at the bar seemed to care less that we were there, in fact it was pretty obvious that she wanted us to eat and get the heck out. We were wanting to order our drinks in the signature souvenir cups and told her that however our drinks were served in regular glasses. I could detect NO cucumber in my Tokyo Mule (was supposed to have muddled cucumber) so I asked about it. Our server said she could add more and when she brought it back, the only thing I saw that was different was a cucumber slice in the drink. My guy had a Benihana Punch which was really sweet but that's his own fault! We ordered a 2nd round midway through our meal and my guy went with Captain & Coke but he was served Jack & Coke. She was NOT busy so I'm not sure how she got it wrong. I made it easy by ordered Patron over ice. Like I said, she didn't care that we were there spending money, she just wanted to be done. Items we ordered: Edamame. It was warm with a hint of salt and good. Had to ask for soy sauce. Our server kept clearing items including the bowl for the edamame pods and not returning it. I had nowhere to put my empty pods. Weird. Sesame Garlic Wings: very tasty, I enjoyed these a lot. Steak Fried Rice: My husband said it was very dry and didn't have much flavor. Pork Gyoza: I didn't eat any but my guy said they were ok Land & Sea: This was filet mignon, scallops and vegetable. This was a sorry excuse for an entree. The scallops were over cooked and the filet mignon was served chopped up. Chopped up? Never in a million years did I expect that. The vegetable was chopped zucchini which was just OK. As I said, our server was inattentive for the most part and kept clearing things which made us feel like she wanted us gone. I will say this was the worst $200 meal I've ever had. read more

Benihana - Carlsbad - Delicious wings - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Chef Irvin is nice with the rice!!! By far the best show! Thank you for all the laughs and great cooking. read more

Benihana - Carlsbad - Chef Irvin - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We arrived at 11:30 but no one was around by desk until bartender saw us and seated us. We opted for table not the cooktop meal. Food was good but it took forever, and came out 2 plates each 10 mins apart and it was just us (table of 4) and another table of 2. Food Pricey even for lunch. Great waiter/bartender though. Wouldn't return and i live across the street read more

Just always such a great time at Benihana except for the end. we have a yearly tradition where we do Benihana for one of our birthdays. We always arrive early and have happy hour each time. After a few sake bombers, sushi rolls and punch we are ready for the main event. This year our chef was Marco and he was fantastic. I rarely get the trio but after seeing other tables and the quality of meat, I had to. Marco asked while he was as cooking my steak if it was done to my liking and he delivered a perfectly cooked rare steak with optimum garlic butter. Luis also provided quick service which I appreciate. The manager on 02/06 at 6pm Bret on the other hand, meh. Benihana was running a promotion on BOGO fried rice that he said could not be honored with the birthday certificate. I begrudgingly paid, but I felt worst for the patrons next to me who only got the extra fried rice to take it home. Granted the fine print was on the certificate NOT the BOGO rice. Again, Although peeved, I accepted the $8 technicality, but this does feel quite penny smart and pound foolish. I was thinking of taking my parents here at the end of the month for my birthday, which we would have spent well over $400 with food and drink, but now I feel like it would be better to go elsewhere since they would rather not comp it out. Oh well, there are locations in San Diego and Temecula that we may patron instead. read more

By far the best Benihana we've been to! The restaurant is clean and the chef cooked the most tender steak I've ever tasted! Aries was also very friendly and attentive to our daughter's food allergy! Service is a bit slow as we waited ONE HOUR to get our food, but the waitress was quick and very accommodating with any additional requests. The restaurant looks like an old Mexican restaurant on the outside, but inside definitely a nice tepinyaki and habachi place! Would come back again for another special occasion for sure! Well as long as Aries is the chef lol! read more

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Against my better judgement, I let some friends drag me here. What a terrible experience. Even with a reservation, there is a long wait just to be seated. To prove that this wait wasn't a fluke, it took even longer for the cook to show up. The glacially long wait was expertly matched with the glacially slow service. The pre-scripted ad-libs by the cook fell flat. We were rushed through our meal to allow another party to sit at our hibachi table. The manager was rude when we asked about the poor experience. Save your time and money and go across the street to Pick Up Stix. I'll try not to hold this against my friends! read more

as part of a group of six the other night, it was terrible. The chef overcooked and it was tasteless. come for the but for the food and I would never go back again. What expect, it only has a 3.2 rating. I will be contacting the management and asking for our money back. read more

That response is unacceptable and disingenuous. My research shows that Benihanalistens.com appears invalid or inactive, and many reviewers report that feedback submitted there is never acknowledged or resolved. I had already send my feedback via email/general form on their official site . In short: they failed to deliver the basics of service for a special occasion, offered no apology in person, and then unhelpfully directed me to a non‑functional feedback portal post‑review. For the considerable cost and effort, this experience was deeply disappointing. I will not return -- and I cannot recommend Benihana for any event where service and reliability matter. read more

The drinks, apps, and ice cream were all delicious! Chef was entertaining and we had a good time there. What fell short was the entree. I ordered the spicy shrimp and the dish was dry and salty. Thankfully we had drinks to keep us busy, but we spent about 2.5 hours here. (Plus we had reservations) definitely a treat but not sure when I would plan on coming back. read more

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I can't leave Zero stars or I would for an absolute sh*t show. Reservations for four and a 45 minute drive to the restaurant only to be told an hour plus wait not to mention the 50 people in the lobby and in the parking lot, all waiting because nobody can manage a book of business. Don't waste your time on this cluster f*ck. read more

Always a great experience at this location. We've had the same chef twice and he's been awesome both times! Funny and personable. This can be a busy location on weekends and during the season but typically during lunch on a Monday/Tuesday we get a table no problem. read more

Benihana - Carlsbad - Chef Joshua- always great! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I got here at 645. Seated pretty quickly! We sat with another family! Super cool by the way! I was with my family. So the waitress came to take our drink order about 7ish... she then told us it would be about 45 minutes to hour wait for a chef. We said totally fine! What made us upset was that, there were 4 other tables that sat AFTER us and their chefs came within 15-20 minutes! It was 8:05 and no one had still come to our table yet. We told the waitress that we're getting a little frustrated and it seem a little unfair at this point that other tables have their chefs and we're still here waiting for our food. She apologized and told us he should be coming shortly. We were already annoyed and upset but by the grace of God we had the BEST chef ever, SHOUT OUT TO TREVOR!!!! He SAVED the night, his attitude was exactly what we needed because I was OVER IT but he made the evening instantly better. The food was great! Exactly what i always expect when I come to Benihana's! It was just the wait and people being served before us. Thank you Trevor for saving the night. Thanks to the waitress for being nice to us, she tried her best! But Benihanas y'all need to hire more chefs because that wasn't cool. read more

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This is no reflection on the chef, waiter/waitress staff and food. This is more so on upper management. I came for a birthday dinner on a Friday with a reservation for 7:30 pm. We arrived on time and the host/manager told us they were running behind and we'd be seated in an HOUR. We finally were seated around 8:50 pm after sitting at the bar. We did not EAT until 10:30 pm. They brought us our soup 30 min after being seated, and then a salad 30 min later. Clearly trying to draw out the time until we could get a chef. Multiple parties were also waiting and frustrated around us. They ended up comping some sushi and edamame for people in light of the delay which was appreciated. The staff/chefs were overworked, apologetic, and generally very nice but the overall upper management and delay was absolutely ridiculous and they should not be accepting so many reservations if they cannot accommodate it. Shame on upper management for burning out their employees and making them deal with the angry/frustrated customers. read more

Eddie was a amazing cook. All his food was exceptional. His energy was amazing friendly and put his energy into his food

Worst restaurant experience of my entire life - hands down. Made a 6:15 reservation for my daughter's 10th birthday. When we arrived, we were told they were running 30 mins late on reservations. A little odd, but ok. 45 min later, we were still waiting. Kept checking in, they kept telling us they didn't know when we'd sit down. Of course we wanted to leave, but my daughter was so set on Benihana for her birthday and wanted to wait. We finally sat down around 8:30, more than 2 hrs after our reservation. And then we sat and sat and sat at the table. We finally started our dinner at 9:15. 3 hours after our reservation! They didn't offer to bring us any snacks or edamame or anything, even though we were there with 2 kids and their grandma. They didn't offer a discount. They didn't say sorry or check in on us. They kept telling us we would sit down soon instead of being honest about the actual wait. The poor chef we had was clearly exhausted and miserable. One of the workers told me this situation is NOT uncommon! The managers blamed everything on "corporate" instead of taking ownership and trying to problem solve. How are these incompetent people managers?? The food is SO expensive and so average, and the chef "performance" was so bad, mostly because the guy just looked overworked and unhappy to be working there. I felt bad for him. I honestly don't understand how they are still in business. Will be telling everyone I know to stay away. read more

Hey Lee. Thanks for your reply. I have submitted feedback via Resy & via Benihana's website. No one has responded. We actually attempted to go 3 separate times. Just because we thought it would be a fun experience for our child. The second attempt, I came in during a non busy time to speak to someone about when they thought it would be a good time to return so we didn't end up with the terrible wait experience. We were willing to have a 4pm dinner to avoid the waiting issue. The worker convinced us it would be better to come for a late lunch instead. So we relented. Showed up for our 1pm reservation and the poor worker had to deal with others who had reservations and were waiting. We were told it would be about an hour because of staff shortage and could we come back around 4. This was annoying bc that was what I had tried to book but was discouraged -- and convinced to take the 1pm. Since we already had plans, we left, again, without a meal. Again, workers re-iterated that your entire system is pretty disorganized and how it was a regular occurrence. I'm writing this not bc I'm upset. I'm letting management know they have a serious reservation issue that needs to be addressed. Do with this info what you will. read more

Had a reservation for 1100 and was sat as soon as we walked through the door. Our server, Sophie, very polite, very attentive, and provided us with excellent service the entire time. Within the first 15 mins we had drinks, soups and our salads. No more than 30 mins after being sat, our chef, Jorge, was well into cooking and serving our meals. Overall, and especially in comparison to the service we got at the same restaurant a few years prior, the experience was great! We will definitely be going back! read more

The food was not good....dry, salty, overcooked. Way overpriced. I was sitting at the bar and watched the bartender rinse a wine carafe in the handwash sink. They need to be taught basic food safety and sanitation. I won't be back. read more

Our family made a dinner reservation weeks ago for Christmas Day. We showed up for our 6:30pm reservation, to be told that they were only now seating 4:30pm reservations. I get it, things happen...but come on...if sh*t hits the fan, you can at least call and let your customers know what's going on in advance, so they can try to make other plans. Especially on a holiday when there's limited options. I felt bad for the hosts in the front who had to deal with the angry mob of guests. There was no manager to be seen. read more

Service was not up to par. Chef was fine. Food was poor quality and bland. It was extremely loud and noisy impossible at to carry on a conversation at cook table all the way to the rear corner. read more

Made 6pm reservations for Father's Day 6 weeks in advance. When we arrived, we were told several chefs called out and they over booked reservations. Said it would be at least 45 minutes to get a table and another 45 minutes after that before seeing a chef! We received text messages confirming our reservation but nobody bothered to text or call letting us know they double booked our reservation! Unbelievable management! Worst ever!! read more

Made a reservation for 7pm the day before father's days to avoid crowds. Still here waiting an hour and a half later. Lady at the front said reservation don't exist here. It's first come first serve. Ended up leaving at 8:40pm never got seated. read more

I ordered DoorDash and it was for anniversary. Suppose to be a surprise. Order took over 200 minutes and then cancelled. Absolutely terrible and nothing offered but a refund. read more

It's always fun for the kids to eat at Benihana. They love the food and get entertained. We all picked different things so we could share. We got two filets and two kids got shrimp and we had one with scallops. Everything was delicious as always and half the fun is the entertaining chef who cooks your food. He could catch an egg in his hat and the kids were especially excited about the volcano. Even our picky one loved the fried rice . Thanks guys read more

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Rocky Aoki named his restaurant after his parents' Tokyo coffee shop which was itself named after a flower that his father saw in postwar ruins, a lonely but hopeful and singular Safflower pedal. Benihana means Safflower in Japanese and this is the meaning of the logo as well. Benihana opened in 1964, featuring an authentic Japanese farmhouse interior and food prepared on steel teppanyaki grills right in front of customers. They featured highly trained teppanyaki chefs delighting customers with intricate knife work and theatrics. And so it continues to this day. I had the Trio: Chicken, Filet Mignon, and Large Shrinp The chicken fried rice was so good! The garlic butter was the secret. And....the sauces made it all unforgettable, especially the chili paste (made on site, special request) which was a revelation (sweet and spicy) I was impressed. I ate every bite! I dare you to as well. read more

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Our New Year's Eve dinner was a complete disaster. we arrived at 6:02pm with a reservation for 3 ( two adults and a toddler. we're told the wait was no more than 20 mins. At this time, we went to the bar and ordered one Wine and a beer while we waited for our table. As we surveyed, the area, we noticed that large parties were still gathered, in the lobby waiting tables. As time progressed from 20 mins to 35 minutes We were then told the corporate office is at fault for over booking reservations. When I received two notifications that week, asking if I could confirm my reservation for said date and time. It did not receive a phone call about their over booking issues as well as additional wait time for New Year's Eve. Manager was nowhere to be seen no apologies. Staff kept stating that they were not at fault and it was a corporate issue. And if we would like to make a complaint, we can email the QR code that they provided when I asked to speak to the manager. He finally came up after about 15 to 20 minutes. With no explanation just kept apologizing that corporate had overbooked reservations. he also stated at this time that there was nothing that he could do and he has given his notice,because of this ongoing issue, and that the only reason he was there tonight was because he was there for his staff to support them. We were never given anything complementary. We were never even asked if we wanted water or appetizers to hold us until our table was ready. We're finally seated at 7:51 PM. We're finally given our water at 8:20pm We were finally able to receive our appetizer at 8:52 PM. And we were given our bill at 9:28 PM. As a family who has been coming to Benihana's for many years, this was the worst experience. Our meal felt completely rushed. We were not given anything complementary. After driving a total of one hour to have the absolute worst meal experience. Benihana prides itself on putting on a show that you will never forget, we will never forget New Year's Eve of 2024. Benihana's needs to make this right because we were not the only ones who suffered. read more

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

The waitress up charged by 33% for her own tip. Food hygiene is disgusting. The same utensils were used for handling raw chicken, raw beef, and raw seafood as well as serving cooked food. Cross contamination galore. read more

DO NOT BOTHER WITH A RESERVATION!! Or really this place in General. We had a really poor experience. Made a reservation weeks in advance for a special occasion dinner with friends. After checking in with the host we have a seat and wait., and wait and wait. After 40 minutes I ask the host what the deal is. She rudely informs me they are majorly running behind. (No duh) no apologies no excuses just it's going to about 20 more minutes, and I mentioned this would have been good information when I originally checked in. However the kids were excited to be there so we stuck it out. We were finally seated 1 hour past our reservation. Then we wait over an hour before our chef comes to cook. The kids were breaking down at this point but what choice did we have.. The waitress that brought the drinks was nice enough and the chef too, he was funny and put on a good show, no fault of theirs. but we had a 7:30 reservation and left the restaurant at 10:50. The food is decent but the prices are outrageous. I wouldn't have a problem with the price if the service and facilities were top notch but this place is completely run down with dirty bathrooms, dinged up furniture and the marquee signage has multiple lights out. We saw several tables with upset customers and even noticed a couple get up and leave after being seated with no attention for over 30 minutes. We asked what in the world is going on and we were told now an unlimited amount of reservations can be made at any time and staff has been slashed in half. Explains A LOT. This restaurant was recently sold to a new corporation and you can tell the new owners don't care about the customer experience only $$$ and at a restaurant like Benihanas the whole concept is a "dining experience??? " !!! So go figure. We won't be back and I TRULY feel sorry for the staff as they will get the brunt of unhappy guests and low tips because of bad corporate decision making. I feel for Anyone dining here that wants nice night out. I'll be shocked if it stays open at this rate, Carlsbad has plenty of great restaurants and this isn't one of them. read more

Man this was our go to spot for years. Ever since they got bought out a few years back the food has become almost inedible. The place is looking so rundown as well. Such a disappointment. I ordered fried rice for 4 to go for almost $50!!! Upon receiving it the chicken pieces on top were hard as a rock and translucent. I watched them load the rice that was not fresh out of a premade warm tub and had a thick oil layer on it and the chicken was soaking in a preheated warmer as well. Also I could see a lady dumping a bunch of frozen shrimp in a sink so good to know that isn't made fresh. I wrote uber to let them know (where I placed my order) that my food was inedible and they did nothing. So very disappointed. Sadly, as much as I used to love it I think this is the last time for us. read more

I planned my office Christmas party here we had a 630 reservation confirmed weeks ago. We arrived at 6:15 PM and checked in and they said we'll be right with you. We waited and waited and waited. I invited my three boys, 6,6&9. They kept telling us it was almost ready, I went to the bar and got one round of lemonades and drinks for $200, after waiting for an hour and 15 minutes we eventually left and went to draft Republic. We will never come here again. this is the worst customer Service I've had at a San Diego restaurant. read more

Irvin was our chef- his welcoming, fun, upbeat energy really added to the experience! Food was delicious as well!

Price is just so expensive. The atmosphere is very fun, the food was good, but it really is outrageous that a child's meal is $30. Staff was friendly and we had a good time...but for a family of 6 this isn't really possible Again. read more