Came to this location Tuesday Oct 9th for happy hr, I had several other options but was so excited to come here. I was the only customer seated literally at the bar and a young man " can't remember his name helped me order my first cocktail , he was friendly & knowledgeable about the menu however, after that I ordered chicken wings got another cocktail. An hour has passed & the bartender made me aware that he checked on my food and was told that my food wasn't made it yet " puzzled " I hadn't realize that my chicken wings hadn't came out so I proceed to ask, would he be accommodating me for the long wait HE SAID NO I'll go check on your food and it should be out shortly . 30 mins later Still no food at this point Im annoyed I then pulled the manager to the side and explain to her what happened . She apologized and took the food & (1) drink off my tab. I thanked her and boom here comes the bartender, with my food . The manager told him don't bother She doesn't want it anymore can you please cash her out. Mind you all drinks or $10. I get my check and I see $14.96 at first I was gonna pay but something didn't sit well with me because taxes aren't that high . Now I'm extremely angry saw another team member and had them check my tab out and they confirmed that the bartender added a tip to my tab wow . The nerve of him to attempt to steal from me .. who are you to make someone give you a tip for a service that was never given . I than spoke with the regional manager about the situation he was fake concerned, however, at that point I shouldn't have had to pay for anything. I am lost for words and I feel like that Bartender should be held accountable for trying to steal from a paying customer might I add the restaurant was completely empty there is no way I waited almost an hour for chicken wings. I am completely disgusted. read more

Benihana - Sake sangria - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I had a very difficult interaction earlier this month with a staff member and with the call center. Unfortunately, the manager, Lance, was blamed in the situation. He very kindly rectified the entire situation by email and when I went in to the restaurant, we had a very nice conversation. I appreciate Lance for taking the time to speak with me and look forward to coming back to Benihana - Michigan Ave. read more

I chose Benihana for our anniversary because my boyfriend loves it. It's a place he knows he can get something he will enjoy, and we've had a good time the last few times we have been here. Unfortunately, we won't be back - to this location, at least. To start, we were absolutely late for our reservation. It was only 15 minutes, but that's completely on us. When we arrived, they said it was no problem, and it took about 15 minutes to get us seated. After we were seated, the server got our drink orders, and eventually our dinner orders. It took about 45 more minutes before the chef showed up at our table. Everyone was antsy, but we were still good to go. The chef and the server were both very friendly, and did a good job. Sadly, the food did not live up to the inflated price Benihana charges. The rice had been sitting for FAR too long before it made its way to the table, and was crunchy and dry - even the fried rice made at the table since it used the same rice as my steamed rice. The portion sizes have continued to get smaller and smaller at Benihana, but the prices have just increased. Even that, sort of expected. My main issue is the new Bounty of the Sea meal that came out to the table as a foil and plastic-wrapped bubble that sat on the grill - and sat, and sat, and sat, and sat. Beyond the very small portions of various seafood that were supposed to be in the dish (this was no bounty), it was turned into little rubber chunks for sitting so long on the grill. Then, the whole thing - foil, plastic and all - was put on my plate on top of the other food that was already on my plate - completely inedible. I got up to let my boyfriend finish his meal and talk to someone that could help me. It was clear from the moment I walked up to her that she had no interest in hearing what I had to say. She rolled her eyes as I explained the problems, and half-heartedly apologized in the most condescending tone I think she could muster. When asked what she could do, or if she could get me something else, I said no - I just wanted that meal removed from the bill since it was inedible. She followed me to my table and took my plate. When we got up to get out check and leave, she hovered while the server (who was incredibly sweet and apologetic) tried to get us taken care of. When I saw that my meal was still on the bill, I pointed it out to the server, but the manager(?) was very quick to point out that the meal was removed at the bottom of the bill - my mistake. All in all, this was a terrible experience for our anniversary, and I will not be returning to Benihana. There are plenty of other hibachi restaurants in Chicago, and I'll be giving them my business. read more

Okay so I knew going into this the wait could likely be hours even with a reservation. These reviews were not wrong. We had a 7pm reservation and we finally got seated at 8:30 Luckily we were about to cram into the crowded bar and get too many drinks on an empty stomach. By the time we ordered and got our food I think it was about 9:30? Did I have fun? Yes. Would I go back? Maybe if I wasn't hungry and wanted to smell like hibachi for 24 hours. read more

Our sever was incredible and our chef was even better thanks to the whole staff for a great celebration!

I wanted to take my wife out for a nice dinner, something special. It had been a number of years since we had been to a Benihana restaurant and we really enjoyed that dining experience. Made reservations for two for six o'clock on a Tuesday evening. We arrived just before six and were asked to wait as the hostess had to seat another couple first. No problem but just standing there, we realized that this was not going to be a quiet dinner as the place was noisy. Hostess seated us far into a corner table and then seated a family of husband, wife, mother/mother in law and three small childred. That was at 6:05. Waitress came over and was pushing special Benihana drinks, just wanted water, I ordered the six course meal and wife ordered the five course meal, both expensive. Tenderloin, lobster tail, "collosal" shrimp cocktail, complimentary white rice and green tea. Wife had "collasal" shrimp, calamari, scallops. Family kept ordering drinks for kids, they were very good. Finally at 7:10, the cook came, asked how I wanted beef, medium, got it well done, Want Hibachi rice, used to be included with expensive Rocky Special meal, now $7.50 per meal. Add $15.00 to bill for RICE. I saw the lobster tail show up, used to be cut, cooked, in put back into shell, meat crispy, no shell. The shrimp were 21-25 count, sure wasn't collosal. Cooks used to be Japanese, now short order cooks from local hamburger stand. All the while, next table has all young boys, maybe a birthday, as young kids having fun, very noisy. At these prices, someone had to have won the lottery. Sort: The food was way overpriced for the quality, which was poor. Presentation was awful, felt bad for the family as they wanted the kids to enjoy the show...no show! The wait of over an hour to be served MIGHT be good if you are an adult and are buying their $22 special drinks. But with kids, don't waste your money. In the past, we had gone to several Benihanas, in Las Vegas, Chicago, and this Lombard location. we will NEVER GO BACK TO ANY OF THEM. What a rip off, long waits, poor food, very high prices, no circus. Save money, have a MUCH better meal, go to Texas Roadhouse oreven a family restaurant. "Rocky" would be spinning in his grave. Mike W. read more

The food is good but seems so over priced? Charging $7.50 for fried rice and then another $7.50 for noodles is a crime I am sure of it. Service was good!! We had a little incident at our table and the managers handled it perfectly to the point where I would want to come back but the price seems absolutely insane to me. It is very loud and was hard to hear our server but we did end up having fun!! read more

This place is slow as shit. Been waiting an hour no cook has came out as of yet. This place only wants to up sale you. I've never been ignored like this. 7 other people waiting and the cook decided to come out at 10:40. Place closes at 11:00. Damn working there people like mad here. Hire some more help to serve your customers. If you can't afford the overhead at this location then move. Sucks here read more

Serdar Chef Great job Foo was Excelente Servicio excelente Buen ambiente La Comida muy buena 10 de 10.... read more

We waited over an hour for a chef while seated at the table with no food and no drinks started. The chef (Keily) had no energy but it started off fine onion volcano etc. Still low energy but I was there for the food not the show. My 2 fav parts are the shrimp and the fried rice which both went wrong. We had to wait til the end of the meal for shrimp due to a guest in another party having a shellfish allergy, understood. However when we did get it after the meal was finished it was the worst shrimp I ever had. Seemed slightly undercooked, chopped into small pieces, and no flavor. The rice was cooked to what smelled and looked like perfection, however before plating the rice into bowls the chef decided to use the spatula to place RAW CHICKEN on the grill and immediately scoop the rice with the same spatula. I stopped her after the first bowl and asked her to please use a different spatula the chef behind her offered her one which she declined. She wiped the spatula once on a towel as she made faces showing her irritation for being called out and scooped the remaining rice which I did not feel safe eating. She made no effort to rectify the situation just became rude toward me for the remainder of the dinner. I decided I would ask for rice to be made for my friend and I or it removed from our bill.. the manager did send new rice which did not look as good as the fresh hibachi rice and later sent champagne to the table as an apology (me and my guest dont drink champagne and were drinking red wine and a mojito) After that any semblance of a show was over and she only spoke to me briefly about mushrooms and with an attitude. Worst overall experience start to finish ive ever had at a benihana or any hibachi restaurant. Waiter was MIA most the meal, drinks weren't refilled, portions were small, chicken was rubbery and squeaky to chew, the table next to us was splashed with oil, but the food safety was the biggest concern by far, Food 101 dont go from raw chicken to serving cooked food with the same utensil.. GROSS read more

Service was rather mundane, as we only sat at a table instead of getting the Hibachi experience and had to wait although many tables were open. Our server wasn't rude, however just did the bare minimum; I imagine only 15-20 words were exchanged the entire time. Water had to be asked for twice and was never refilled. The Overall food was also rather simple, as a first time customer and with a premium price like that I expected much better and my expectations were not met. Everything just tasted coated in pepper and getting noodles over white rice was a lot more of an up charge than it should've been. Just disappointing. read more

Our server Thomas was very attentive and friendly and right on top of our needs. The food was tasty and the chef put on a great show. Recommend the lobster roll read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here while on vacation during the week, and we waited 20 minutes before we got a waiter, waited another 15 for our drinks, another 15 for our soup and salad, And then another 40 minutes before someone at our table got up and asked for a manager because we weren't checked on and still had not received our appetizers. A chef finally came he performed well, but still got multiple orders wrong and the food was bland and not cooked properly. First time experience at a benihanas for myself, and I probably won't visit another one for a very long time if not ever. No apologies were given to us about the experience. We actually didn't tip at all, and we have tipped 10% reluctantly before for bad service. This by far was a terrible experience. read more

I have been going to Benihana on my birthday for more than 30 years. I've seen a ton of amazing chefs but Ardis is the man - handled a ton of different requests, made us all laugh and had the best moves. Highly recommended. Nothing better than Benihana on your birthday! read more

Benihana - The best birthday party anywhere - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Warning do not go here it will take forever The waiting to get in is Crazy. I've been here multiple times and every time I'm delay well over over an hour late for my reservation Do not go here. read more

The experience was awesome which is why i think most people go there for. Staff were very friendly and inviting. Bathrooms clean and establishment kept tidy. Food is AWESOME and they have a kids meal as well. read more

Benihana - The start of the experience and the cooking of our food - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Hemam was great! Food was great, bartender was great! Drink Was great! Merry Christmas! read more

Benihana - Prickly Pear Margarita - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visit the location and I would say it was good. Wasn't too busy so was able to sit at a hibachi table quickly. Nice portion size and chef did a great job. Waiter was cool. Definitely worth considering Great location to shop! read more

Benihana - Front Entrance - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

We had a disappointing hibachi experience this afternoon. The initial service was slow and inattentive like a beer was brought and we had to find our own glass to pour it in. We weren't asked about refills until an hour later. It took 20 minutes after soup to have the chef arrive. Our chef was friendly but not very skilled - he dropped his spatula on the floor and had to flag down the server to get him a clean one. Later he got egg shell in the egg and had to fish it out. His tricks failed multiple times. Just a rough experience. On top of that, my chicken was extremely tough and inedible - just poor quality. I've been to hibachi before and usually love it but I would avoid a repeat of this experience read more

Over priced... they take small amounts of food and try to make it look like a lot. The drinks are water down

The food was terrible the meat was old and dry I will not shop here again . The customer service was great . The restaurant was clean it had a few people standing in front begging for money read more

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME Reservation doesn't count for anything and staff is rude!!! I called the number on Google to make a reservation at 7:30. We arrived at 7:20 after receiving a text message saying our table was ready. After asking about it for the first time they said 10-15min and gave us a vibrating disc, the second time they said we were 3rd, and the third time they said that they do not do reservations but we were next and still made us wait 10min longer until we decided to leave (after a total wait of 1 1/2 hour WITH RESERVATION!!) The guy "Gary" was very rude and told us that we could keep waiting or leave and they said that we were in the list for the reservation but then they said that they don't do reservations AND THEN he denied saying that they don't do reservations. They did not apologize for the inconvenience or offer anything while we waited for over an hour. They instead gave us an attitude and told us to wait or leave after giving us three different answers and with an attitude. This was a reservation I made for my mother birthday and they ruined the night and we had to pay cancellation fees on the rest of our plans to not even eat there. I have to mention that we asked calmly many times until they started giving us an attitude and raising their voice at us. During this night we saw at least three more bad reviews appear after we posted ours on Google and all of them said the same thing about the wait and the rudeness. This is unacceptable, unprofessional, and inconsiderate. DO NOT GO HERE If I could put zero starts I would read more

We were in Chicago to celebrate my birthday. We decided to stop in after the 360 observatory experience. My daughter and I sat at the bar. The hostess warned us that the kitchen was behind but close to an hour later my order came out and despite ordering medium well, my food looked liked it needed bandage from the closest ER! This was so bad I won't try another Benihana ever! read more

This was about Takeout. We ordered a meal for 4 , which includes 4 salads, 4 servings rice & beef and vegetables. After we picked it up, we checked the bag and the pic below is all the rice & veg included. Went back inside , complained and received another container of rice . The food was delicious, but they are NOT careful on portions. Check your order before going home! read more

Benihana - 1/2 container of rice and a few veggies , meant to be for 4ppl. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I order in this night and I can say it was still good. I was disappointed that it didn't come with standard white rice but overall everything was really good. The flavors are flavoring but if it's too high in salt cutting with white rice would've been nice. I order hibachi NY strip & hubby ordered Sushi. We smashed. The aesthetics were giving and appreciate the bag as if it's a pick up order bs plastic weird ish. Thanks all. If I had my white rice they would've gotten 5 stars for home delivery read more

See all

Our waitress, busboy, chef, and the food were all phenomenal tonight! This review is solely reflecting the host person who called me 30 mins before our reservation time. I made the reservation 3 weeks prior to my birthday when we were planing to celebrate in this Benihana location again. And I had 14 people RSVPed. OpenTable only gave me 10 people maximum option when making reservation online, so I picked 10 and left comment saying that "I actually had 14 coming, please contact me if needed." Fast forward. There came to 30 mins before my party's arrival. The host person called me blaming me for putting in a "wrong" party size, as if it were my fault that they didn't notice my comment regarding the actual party size, as if they were so busy and my "wrongdoing" was creating big burden to their smooth business flow. I simply replied "but you are the one calling me to confirm the reservation only 30 mins before with the fact that I made the reservation three weeks ago." 5 seconds silence. Then the host person continued, "since you have 14 people, we will have to seat whoever can't fit in one table to another one!" With a super annoyed, unpleasant tone. I was like, wow. Just. Wow. And guess what. It's Thursday night plus dinner rush time at 6:45pm. When we were seated as they requested "all of the party to present for a table," there were only five tables (four teppanyaki+1 regular table) with customers, which contributed less than half of the capacity! More than half of the establishment was clean and empty like Nara's streets during pandemic! If I was still wondering why the business sucked like that on a Thursday dinner rush at such a popular location. I am not anymore. Celebrating my birthday in Benihana started back in 2012 and I have managed to stick to it every year. This downtown location is convenient to most of my party. But among three times dining here, I've had two negative experience. I probably need to start considering other locations next year, unfortunately. read more

Benihana - Super adorn little Geisha shaped cocktail cup! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was excellent, but the service was terrible. Our server Clara only visited the table once after taking orders, and got multiple orders at the table wrong. Someone in our party with a dietary restriction was not treated seriously, and they did not adhere to it at all. She was served foods she said she could not eat, after being given attitude by the server over the request. Multiple incorrect additional charges on the check, orders were given incorrectly to the chef (not the chefs fault) and the experience was overall terrible. The manager Gary gave us a free drink thinking it would shut us up, then refused to remove the 22% auto gratuity he previously told us we would not have to pay. I support large part auto gratuity, but that was a completely undeserved tip for terrible service. Overall unacceptable experience for how much was paid. read more

Terrible service, food and experience. Not worth the money at all. I cannot recommend this place and will never be back

Had reservation. Walked in and the guy in front barely looked up from his tablet and wouldn't seat us because my friend (who walks with a cane because of recent knee replacement) says he won't seat us until all are present, even though he can see her outside coming down the stairs. We are seated and the lights are pointed into our eyes, the floors are so greasy our chairs and shoes are sliding around, and we sit there waiting for 10 minutes before anyone comes around. We are there for 1 hour and we're only served drinks, soup, and salad. Our drinks were dry for 20 minutes and no one came around checking on us. After an hour, we paid for what we owed them and left before the chef showed up. The first time that I have walked out of a restaurant mid-meal and probably the worst service that I have ever had at a restaurant. When we left, 3 staff were just hanging out around the front podium not paying attention to the patrons. Very poor management. Sorry Benihana, never again. read more

Everything was excellent for my son's birthday celebration. Shout out to our chef Ardis!!! He did an excellent job and we really enjoyed the time with him. His service was perfection. Everything he made for my family was very delicious. read more

Benihana - Thank you Ardis! We had an excellent evening and the food was delicious! You are a five star chef. The best in town. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Missing items, noodles not completely cooked. Must have cooked mu but en chicken without cleaning from cooking steak got a couple pieces I DONT EAT STEAK. I call them for refund and I was directed to call Uber. Not a great experience ! read more

I just have one word. ARDIS! He's the best teppenyaki we have had here. 15 year tradition of coming for a birthday. ARDIS delivered the best service, show and meal we have had!! read more

Abby was a wonderful server! Very kind and provided great and timely service. Food was absolutely delicious and had tons for leftovers. We had a wonderful experience celebrating my birthday at Benihana. Can't wait to come back! read more

Everything was amazing! From the time I walked in to when we left. We were greeted and seated quickly. The server took our orders and came back with everyone's drinks properly. The chef put on a skillful show! The food was delicious, they made accommodations for my dietary needs and passed the information to the chef..!! The restaurant itself was very clean. I have family that worked in hospitality for years and say look at store, management, and the staff. This restaurant excels in ALL categories!!! read more

See all

I've ordered from and dined at this restaurant twice, mainly because it's close to where I live. Out of those visits, the food was only decent once. Unfortunately, today's experience was terrible. I tried the four courses, and the main dish the shrimp was especially disappointing. Overall, the food is consistently below expectations, and for some reason, the onion soup is always lukewarm. My hibachi rice was also extremely mushy. On a positive note, the servers and hostess are always kind and welcoming. read more

Spent $230 on food that was the same quality as $50 takeout. No offense to our very nice chef, but no hot grill show is worth that kind of markup. read more

Ever since we arrived in Chicago, we wanted to come to Benihana. We reserve going to places like Benihana for special occasions. When Joseph's birthday came around, we decided to come here. First off, Seven our server did a fabulous job in serving us. He explained to us about how the chefs at Benihana prepare the entrees. We found him prompt, friendly, and executed his duties precisely. He deserves an A+. Our chef, Rafael prepared a delicious entree for us. Being a Benihana chef, Rafael understood how to maneuver his cooking tools perfectly. He knew how to have fun with the eggs. I ordered the Seafood Diablo. It tasted delicious. For his birthday, Joseph ordered the Rocky's Choice. He said he liked it. I always liked looking at the decor at Benihana. It reminded me of Tanaka of Tokyo out in Honolulu, HI. Being a Japanese themed chain restaurant, it featured a large dog statue near the back. That gave Benihana more character. Come to Benihana. Bring friends, family or even a date. read more

Benihana - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Had such a great time at Benihana! The food was sooo good. Definitely upgrade with scallops. The chef Sergio is so fun and entertaining. Our server Lillie was lovely too. Definitely will come back and highly recommend! read more

See all

We had a 9 PM reservation but weren't seated until around 9:35 PM, which was disappointing since we arrived on time. While we waited, we enjoyed great drinks at the bar. As a vegetarian, I found the food mediocre--specifically the tofu steak, which lacked anything special. However, my partner, who eats meat, really enjoyed their meal. One unique perk: if you ask the staff to take your picture, they'll give you a free print! A nice touch to end the night. read more

It's my birthday and I had to spend it alone as I live out of state and had work in Chicago. I received a birthday coupon to my email for Benihana so I was very excited and stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. The server Stephanie was soooo helpful and sweet and made the experience even more enjoyable. At the end when I presented my coupon she made sure to get me the discount and even brought me some free ice cream with a candle and sang happy birthday to me. Great experience read more

See all