I love to hate on chains and Benihana is not an exception. Over priced products without justification. It's Japanese hibachi and sushi with some Asian decor. They have a good bar drink menu but you'll pay a premium just as you do for food. I've eaten here twice both times due to gifts and coupons and it's ok but if I had to pay full price there are better bangs for your buck in this area of heavy Asian influence. read more

My boyfriend wanted to go to Benihana for his birthday since he received a $30 gift certificate for it. Neither of us had been there before so we'd thought we give it a try and we never say no to free food. We got there around 4pm but they didn't open until 4:30pm so we didn't mind waiting for a little bit. My boyfriend also happened to bump into his old high school teacher so we passed the time catching up with them as well. While we were waiting I sneaked a cake I had picked up earlier to the hostess for them to bring out later. To my disappointment, she informed me that customers are not allowed to bring in any outside foods but she would keep it in the fridge until then. After persuading her further with no luck, I reluctantly agreed to give it to her since I'd been carrying it with me for more than an hour in my purse (don't worry I put ice packs in it to keep it cool). Our server was very friendly and helpful. We ordered a side of Hibachi Chicken Rice which was really good. It was really flavorful and rich so that's something I would recommend if you decide to go. For entrees, my boyfriend ordered the Splash 'N Meadow and I had the Sashimi Deluxe. They both came with a side salad, side soup and dessert. The serving size for Splash 'N Meadow (Steak with grilled shrimp and zucchini) was relatively small for the price. The dish was average. My Sashimi Deluxe was just ok. It came with about 6 different types of fish. I would say that the white tuna was probably the best out of all them but not anything special. And the side salad had the typical ginger dressing which was okay as well. My boyfriend thought it was a little bitter and I just thought the quality was eh. The miso soup was average as well. For dessert, my boyfriend ordered the rainbow sorbet which I didn't like but he enjoyed. It was a bit too artificial for me. Towards the end of the meal, I asked the waiter to bring out the cake since we were leaving. When I told him that the hostess said I couldn't bring in any outside foods, he was genuinely surprised by that since he had no idea. I could tell from his expression that he would have brought it out if I had asked him for dessert. Overall, I would not go back there again. It's a relatively expensive place for average quality food. Although the atmosphere and decor is nice, it's def. not worth the price. read more

Benihana - Edison - Japanese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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Benihana was OK in my book. It wasn't phenomenal, but everything was solid. They cooked the meat properly to temperature (which actually isn't something that many hibachi places do well). They also used a good amount of egg in their fried rice, which is essential. The one thing that keeps me from rating Benihana any higher is the one thing that everyone else seems to love so much about it. Garlic butter? ...in fried rice? That's just unnatural. Fried rice is supposed to have the taste of salty soy sauce, not... garlic butter. Since they seemed to use the garlic butter on everything, I feel like it has to affect the overall rating. Our service was excellent, especially the chef; but I feel like we had the only Asian chef in the place. So, I don't know if everyone has the same experience that we did. read more

I never write yelp reviews but I had to write this one. The one star I gave this place is only because the Sumo Roll I ordered was actually really good. Other than that, the food my family ordered (hibachi steak and chicken for two, samurai treat, and mango salmon) was completely overpriced for its quality. I ordered the calamari sauté from the appetizer menu and it was literally a few pieces of calamari on a side plate. The service was slow and we had no idea who our waiter/waitress was. About 3 people were serving us but was no where to be seen when we were ready to order but they were quick as hell to collect our money for the bill. Over all a horrible experience and I will never return. read more

Benihana - Edison - This is their calamari sauté off their appetizer menu as they told me. Wtf is this. - Japanese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

The wait wasn't so so bad. The host and hibachi cook were nice but our server was outstanding keeping up tabs with drinks and assuring we were set before, during, and after eating! 10/10 recommend and if you're lucky you should ask for Kaylanna to serve! read more

Seated immediately for hibachi...its very loud but nice inside the hibachi room...I'm surprised by these bad reviews but I was there for a Saturday lunch with my boyfriend our waiter was nice and the hibachi cook was nice as well. The show wasn't all that fantastic but I don't care. I got the spicy chicken hibachi and well my butt is still on fire...feel bad for my boyfriend. Everything was cooked well and tasted good. Other people had delicious looking drinks...I don't know if id return mainly because there are better non-chain local japanese restaurants. read more

I use to love coming here. But lately in the last year for some reason 90% of the time I order soda and the glass is dirty. Also at times the waiters forget to come back to the table to ask if I need more water or soda. I find my self too often looking for my waiter. The reason I gave this place more than one star is cause the food is really good here. And the chef are the best part of this place. But for a place that charges so much for one plate they need to hire better employees and give better customer service . read more

The only reason why i go to Benihana is because they send me and my friends a $30 gift certificate for our birthdays. It's overpriced, food isn't that great, and service is terrible. CONS 1) Their yakisoba (the one time I've had it) was way too salty for me to properly enjoy. 2) The most recent time I went, I sat at the bar so I expected quicker service. Wrong. I was basically staring at my waiter the entire time hoping he would see that I was trying to get his attention. 3) The waiter gave me sushi and I had NOTHING to eat it with. I had to wave my hands like a lunatic to tell him I needed chopsticks. This service was absolutely unacceptable. 4) I asked for spicy mayo with my sushi. Waiter said he would get it but didn't. 5) The sushi was not bad. But bad for the price. The spider roll (soft shell crab) was literally 4 rolls for $11 and the other roll was more decently priced but nothing spectacular. 6) I wanted to get out of there ASAP cause I hated this place but the waiter wouldn't come pick up check omg. PROS 1) However, their portions are definitely huge, especially for their lunch special price. But that doesn't make this place worth going without a coupon. Even with a coupon, I'm reluctant to enter this place. I feel bad because the manager of the restaurant seems nice but everyone else is so not up to par. The prices they charge for the entrees are way too expensive for the food and the service. Don't go unless you have a reason to. read more

Going to Benihana for your Birthday is a family tradition with us. They have never let us down. They do a great job providing a good dinner and a great experience. read more

Been here twice. Classy interior, nice bar set up, lots of hibachi tables. Food has been good, but seems overpriced. We usually get the chicken and steak for two which is nice because you get so much food. For what you pay for drinks, they are pretty small. I just wish the prices would go down a bit but you're also paying for a show. Our chef, "Rong" was his name, was funny and pleasant. He made a beating heart out of rice and a train out of onions. It's a good place to take a date or family for sure and expect to bring home a doggy bag. No complaints about service, I got refills on my drinks right away and enjoyed the experience. read more

I've been here so many times & tonight was by far the best! If you're lucky enough to get Hernan I'm sure this will be your best time here too! Awesome guy, awesome food! Can't wait to come back! read more

Benihana - Edison - Amazed by the FIRE - Japanese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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Service: bad Food: fair Ambience: good Price: way too much -- not worth it! I went here with my boyfriend for dinner one night and we decided to do hibachi. We had to ask our waiter for the drinks and never came back to ask if we want anymore. You might as well serve yourself since they never came to check on us. Their show was terrible, rice was blah,...you're better off going to U-yee sushi for hibachi because it's more entertaining and the rolls are half priced. Will never go back again.... read more

Will not accommodate large parties over the weekend. Despite needing a reservation for 20 people. They would rather give up a 20 person dinner party than give a reservation. So crazy read more

I was at the bar waiting for a group of friends and asked The bartender Ives for a drink. He is hands down the reason why I am going to come again. His drinks are so good that I might just be an alcoholic now. Kidding. read more

We went here for a birthday celebration. The chef was great and the food was good. The waiter was non existent and basically ignored us the entire meal. Unfortunately the lack of service ruined our experience. read more

Every time I come here I pay more and get less food. I must admit I was taken back by the large number of people waiting to get seated on a Saturday night. So many large families and the only thing I was thinking is how are these people affording this! This restaurant is priced much higher than other Hibachi restaurants and most other chain restaurants in general. I had reservations for 6 and waited 30 minutes to get seated which wasn't bad for the huge number of people waiting. The place was packed and I must say the service was good. Our server was very nice and was very accommodating. The soup and salad came out after a short while and both items were delicious. The chef came out in a timely fashion and started his exhibition of twirling knives, flipping stuff into his hat and of course cutting the onions to form a volcano which he lit on fire! I always enjoy the showmanship of the chefs and he gravitated towards my 6 year granddaughter with his wit and banter! The chef gave everyone zucchini and then made the fried rice which was delicious. The shrimp appetizer was next. He cut up the shrimp in a way to seem you got more than you thought. If I got a total of 2 shrimp I was lucky! I ordered the Ocean Treasure which is shrimp, scallops and lobster tail. It was amazing but the serving amount was again less than desirable. For $43 you would expect a more satisfying serving amount! I was still hungry craving for more. Last but not least the chef started cutting up the onions from the volcano and served them. This was very odd. I would have thought to mix in some mushrooms or even noodles or bean sprouts. Just onions! I must admit after I finished my entire meal I was craving for more! I am usually stuffed after leaving Hibachi restaurants but not this one. The flavor of the food is outstanding but you are definitely not getting enough bang for your buck! This is why I am only giving 3 stars. read more

Good food, good service, good ambiance!! Will definitely return very soon!!! Food was not greasy. Servers were very attentive. Quick service... read more

Benihana - Edison - Japanese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

Hands down the best Benihana I've been to. Great staff (with the exception of one chef), managers are so nice and helpful. My husband and I come at least once a month! Love love love. read more

The food is really good but a couple things make it not worth it. I've been here enough times (~10 times) to know that this is a definitely the norm. 1) The wait time to be seated 2) The wait time for your food to actually come to your table (seriously, I've waited 25 minutes for a salad here before and 45 minutes for an entre) 3) The amount of mix-ups and errors they make (like bringing the wrong dish, not remembering the allergy that you warned them about, or forgetting to bring utensils to your table) I just can't justify coming here anymore. I do not recommend this specific location. I hope the other ones are better. read more

Their happy hour is so on point!! We got yellowtail shashimi with jalapeños on top $4.5 crispy spicy tuna roll (only 4 pieces) $6 and the rainbow roll $6 the sakes at $3 each (the small bottles) over all I would go here again for happy hour I really enjoyed it! The drinks weren't bad either $5 the regular! Also just recently tried the fish tacos for $6 they were really good!! read more

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God. Why do I torture myself by going to places I already know I don't like? Not sure the answer to that but another visit here many years later and there's still nothing to rave about. The plus: they give you so much food your belly might just explode. The negative: it doesn't taste great and it isn't cheap. Just go get Chinese food and force your boyfriend/girlfriend/sister to arrange the white rice in the shape of a heart and make it "pump" like the Hibachi chef does. Only they will probably have more personality than those chefs. read more

Noting to say about the food. The food is always good. The majority of the issues with this location is always the wait time. Usually we get seated on time. This time they tend to over book our reservations. We had a reservation bw 730 and 8pm. We tend to come around 15 mins early as the wait time can exceed the your reservation time. This time was ridiculous. The place was packed on a tues granted and you can sense the tension in the air as they were behind by 4 reservations. We over heard the receptionist to his colleague that there was a party of 21 that came in without a reservation. This infuriated the customers that had reservations. I have two kids and they were hungry and crying. Also it was my daughters birthday! We then finally got in. The other problem is the wait for a Chef. It can take almost a half hr to 45 mins to get to cooking. Overall I will not be coming back to this location as the service is not the best and can be frustrating when you have little ones. read more

This is my UPDATE!! Steve the manager reached out and apologized! Within a week!!! He apologize and if you read my review he was the manager who initially helped me.. He was very sincere with his apology and he wanted to make it right!!! So I took him up on his offer today, by the way it's Easter.. He greeted me when I arrived and treated me and my daughter great!! The food was great, even my daughter said that this was a great time! Kevin our waiter was very ATTENTIVE and polite!! This is what I'm use to for all the years that I've been coming to Benihana this is the normal treatment! My regular Chef Hernan came over and welcomed me back!!! Today was awesome! We enjoyed our Easter!! Thanks to Steve for his compassion and thoughtfulness for the customer!!! read more

I heard a lot of great reviews about this place and always wanted to try it . Finally had the chance and I have to be honest it didn't measure up to my expectations. The decor felt traditional and I was very excited. I dined solo for lunch during the week . A sign at the front said reservations required, I didn't have a reservation but they said it wasn't an issue. There were only 2 tables seated , one party at the grill and one person at the bar so they were pretty empty . I was told to please wait to be seated . I waited 15 minutes to be brought to a table . I ordered the scallops off the lunch menu and a sushi roll . The sushi came out in a timely manner , but my meal took well over a half an hour. As a sushi lover I was immediately disappointed with the temperature , texture and taste of the sushi . Nothing about it was enjoyable . The sushi had extra tempura flakes on top which weren't edible. The amount of salt in the sushi or the tempura was so overwhelming I literally had to take the flakes off and couldn't add soy sauce. I requested that my veggies and scallops be served separately from the rice. I've been to hibachi places before and am aware that I ordered off the lunch menu but considering the price I was disappointed with the portion size . The actual vegetables and scallops were enjoyable just not enough . The vegetables only consisted of zucchini and onions. I had asked to substitute two portions of vegetables instead of rice , I was told no. I offered to pay extra - again I was told no . Overall I wasn't impressed . There are far better sushi/hibachi restaurants that have better quality, service, portion, and prices. read more

Benihana - Edison - Shrimp Crunchy Roll - Japanese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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This review is based on service which was horrific, from the moment we stepped in this establishment. The "hostess" have negative ZERO customer service. It's actually disgusting. There is no "hi how can I help you" greeting or "welcome". It's, how many... they take your name and that's it. I said thank you because I'm a polite person who has manners and was in turn ignored and not even looked at or given a smile in return. We were eventually called to only wait an additional 10 minutes on a busy walk way until the table was ready. Once arriving at the table we waited over 20 minutes until someone came to take drink orders. This was only because we questioned the time frame we were sitting without assistance. Had we not said anything I believe we would have sat longer. Unacceptable and disappointing. The food and chef were good , we could not complain about that. The wait staff for our table was a little ghetto, "you want anotha drink" again unacceptable. I asked what looked to be a manager if they sing happy birthday , he advised me that they indeed do. I asked if he could have happy birthday sung to my sister he said absolutely. Well that did not happen. Unacceptable. The check was brought out and I had to flag down another wait staff to pay since the waiter for my table was nowhere to be found. Yet there seemed to be many employee standing around talking to one another. The only people who seem to value their job here are the chefs/cooks. read more

Kind of mixed feelings about Benihana. I used to big a huge fan, but now I'm sort of in the middle of the road with it... First of all, I gotta say, I'm a huge fan of Japanese food, and an even bigger fan of hibachi! I've come to Benihana several times over the years since it opened, but I'll just review my most recent experience. The fiance and I came for a date night and had 8:30 reservations. We arrived at 8:00, so we hung out at the bar and each got a drink while waiting. I ordered a Kirin Ichiban, not a light, but I guess that's what the bartender heard cause thats what I got. My fiance got a frozen cocktail, which seemed to be a difficult choice for them. First, the bartender had to go back to get a glass. Then, he realized one of the syrups for the drink had run out, so he had left again to get more...all in all the drink turned out fine, but it seemed like the bartenders were all chickens with their heads cut off and the bar was a bit of mayhem (it was a Saturday night, so I guess things were pretty busy). Anyhow, we got seated at about 8:20, which was nice since it was earlier than our reservation. I got the spicy chicken hibachi, while my fiance got the vegetable delight hibachi. We got the standard soup and salad starters (the salad was off, not as good as I remember it being). The chef was great though (when aren't they) and everything following came out tasting really good! He even knew to cook my fiances vegetarian meal before the meat entrees...meanwhile, before adding the hot sauce to my chicken, he looked at me to see how much I would want. I signaled for him to go for it, so he put A LOT (which I appreciate since I love spicy food)! We thought our meals came with ice cream at the end, which you would figure they would do considering the meals cost $20 each, but alas this was not the case...so, the food cooked by the hibachi chef was great, nothing to fault there. The rest of the experience was a little off, which you wouldn't expect when spending $20/person. read more

Family of ten. Three highchairs needed for three toddlers please. When we arrived at the table at 5:10pm, two highchairs (not three) were randomly placed around the table. We had to request a third highchair and then reorganize the seating. Not having a chance to glance at the menu, I asked the server for tempura I've had in the past. With salmon and cream cheese, I said. -blank stare- I quickly glanced down and (incorrectly) ordered a Philadelphia roll. Because I'm unable to eat raw fish at the moment, I was unable to eat the Philadelphia roll. I told the server I had mistakenly ordered the Philadelphia roll instead of the tempura Las Vegas roll (similar ingredients, just tempora style). She returned about five minutes later and asked, "Did you want to order a Las Vegas Roll?" Ummm...YES. the Las Vegas roll arrived after I had rice on my plate and I was charged for both rolls. The chicken fried rice barely had any chicken in it yet the least expensive ingredient, onion, was plentiful. The timing of the meal was totally off. Lastly, since when did Benihana start charging extra for fried rice? The biggest disappointment was drink refills (6 waters and one coke) that came literally 20 minutes after our first of three requests. Two different managers radioed staff to no avail but neither actually went to get the refills themselves. They just stood around watching us dehydrate. Managers need to lead from the front! read more

Visited the restaurant on a work lunch with the entire team - maybe around 40 people. Typical habachi food which was good. The show was normal. They are really good with groups as they are prepared to take your picture for you. Would go again for the right occasion. read more

The performance by chef is fancy. But the food is so-so. I even feel discomfort after eating here... but I'm not 100% sure if it's caused by the food here because at least by watching the cooking process I don't see anything wrong... (the culprit might be the sauce though). read more

Today was the worst experience! I'm coming in with me and my husband for my BIRTHDAY dinner and though the sushi side had only 3 patrons sitting there we had to wait 10min. So we did. So then the hostess tells me to wait another 10min bc she said her manager told her that where they went to sit us there are people next to us and it will take 10min to separate them to make the table private. WHAT? The section was empty! They could not place us somewhere else? The manager tonite must be an moron! read more

Excellent excellent excellent! Fresh, clean and friendly. Very convenient to the Menlo mall and great lunch selections as well.

It's more about the experience than the food. Food is hot, chef puts on a cute show and its fun with a group. As for the food, I like it once in awhile and is very filling. CLEANLINESS - very clean SERVICE - good PRICE - expensive for what you get - you are probably paying for a chef to cook in front of you. read more

I had a great first time experience. The soup and salad was good. Main course dinner of Chateaubriand was the best. I've been to quite a few hibachi restaurants, so I'm familiar with mostly all of the tricks the cook does. The waiter was very attentive. Only two other people were at my table, so it was relatively quiet. Overall, it was enjoyable. I will go back again some time soon. read more

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LOVED my experience today. I was seated right when I walked in, my waitress Mia especially made my experience better when I accidentally ordered a drink I realized I did not like. She refused to take no for an answer and tried matching my drink preferences with something she thought I would like more. The food was amazing and I would recommend to come back 100%. read more

I treated my mother to Benihana's yesterday evening where we had a reservation. We were seated in a timely manner and our waiter was very kind. While our chef wasn't the best performer his cooking was superb. We come to Benihana's once a month and we have never had the pleasure of having Rong as a chef. He was very friendly and went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied. We can't wait to come back and have Rong as a chef for us again! read more

Benihana is just an overrated and overly-expensive Japanese chain hibachi restaurant. The environment is very festive and entertaining because of the hibachi chefs (ours was hilarious), but that's really the only perk you would get out of it. The pricing is ridiculous and you end up paying about $30 per person before taxes and tips. The taste and quality of the food is very mediocre and the flavor is basically a combination of butter and soy sauce heated. I ordered the Hibachi Chicken with mushroom and it was very tasteless, even after I watched them dump spoon after spoon of butter and soy sauce. The portions are heaping and everything is cooked right in front of you (if you order the hibachi). I didn't personally taste their sushi, but friends reported that it was very fresh and delicious. read more

This was my first time eating at Benihana. We were seated almost immediately and the cook showed up in no time---star. I have been to several other hibachi-style restaurants and this one wasn't anything spectacular in comparison to those. The meal was pretty good--star, but nothing I couldn't find at a fast food type chinese restaurant. However, it's always cool to interact with the guy who is preparing your meal. We had a really cool cook---star. If you're in the mood for some decent food, give them a go..but don't expect anything above and beyond what you'd normally get at an average hibachi joint. read more

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We took my 77yr old father here for his bday with our family a couple weeks ago. I was looking for something with entertainment value that would also accomodate 7 adults and 3 kids. This was an excellent choice. Shirley , our waitress was both gracious and also on top of keeping everyone satisfied with drinks and what not. The chef was both entertaining and cooked at a good pace so everyone had something to eat the whole time. A TON of food. Most of us had to take to go boxes of our Hibachi meals. Everyone loved it. My Hibachi chicken I did not even get to after filling up on the Shrimp, Zucchini and Rice. I opted to skip the noodles. The chicken was tasty the next day though. Great time. I would definitely go back. My vegetarian husband also enjoyed his meal. read more

The food was delicious and both our waiter and chef where very friendly. My only complaint was that the room was very hot. You would think that they would turn up the AC to counteract the heat from the grills. Even before our chef arrived to start the cooking process, I was sweating like crazy. read more

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Came here for a quick lunch. The service is friendly and attentive and the food was ok but nothing crazy. I guess I'm over the whole hibachi thing. Fun for family though read more

Benihana - Edison - Japanese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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