This was my first time coming to Benihana as an adult and I'm saddened to say I had a bad experience. The food is kind of bland but what really irked me was the service. My best friend and boyfriend brought me out here for a late birthday dinner, we had made reservations for 9pm and they seated us at 9:20. Our first server was really nice and accommodating, we had a few questions about how it all worked, and she answered very nicely. It was unfortunate that she wasn't our "original" sever because she was covering the other server while she was on break. Anyway, our "original" server shows up and she didn't even greet us or let us know she was back. But that's besides the point.... After the chef cooked all the food and plated it for us, he left and our server started clearing some dishes and was already placing the checks around the table. Keep in mind we barely got all our food. She kept pacing back and forth, opening the check book to see if we had placed our payments. She probably did this like 5 times. I felt very rushed and uncomfortable because she was super passive aggressive. Finally my best friend caved and put her payment in. The server was quick to come back to input payment. We had all gotten the 2 protein menu items which comes with an ice cream at the end and I had to remind the server about it twice. Everyone around us had very nice servers and weren't getting rushed out like we were. Other tables got sang happy birthday but our server didn't even care about mine (which isn't really an issue because I'm a grown adult-however it's just to emphasize how other servers were doing their jobs well and ours was in a bad mood for some odd reason). I got her name from another server, I believe it was ASHLEY. She's the blonde woman, with really long fake clumpy eyelashes and an Asian tattoo behind her right ear. I've tried calling the establishment and even left my phone number but have gotten no response from the general manager. Such a shame to have birthday with a negative experience. Won't be coming again. read more

Absolutely horrible!!!!!! Delivered online for my boyfriends birthday. Trays were all cracked, my bag was soaked and the delivery man dropped half of my food on floor...on top of that business never ever ever answer phone not okay! Pay $85 for nothing....horrible service never again. You guys are a horrible establishment who take advantage of people...disgusting read more

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First of when making a reservation they lack respect of others time. If I book a reservation at a specific time I expect to be seated within +- 5 minutes. We made a reservation for 7:15 and waited an extra 30 minutes for seating. If you don't have capacity for a reservation then don't allow us to schedule a reservation. Other than that table service was good even though the food was good the reservation for this place being 30 minutes behind put a sour taste on not only the restaurant but the brand itself. Don't go here if you expect your reservation to be on time. read more

I have dined at this location many times since the 80s and I'm seeing a major decline in quality. I went last night and I'm regretting my visit. Regarding COVID safeguards: LA restaurants are supposed to check COVID vaccine status as customers arrive, this place didn't. The staff wear masks and they now make you go online to see the menu, but other than that, the place looked as it did pre pandemic. All tables were completely full, there were no empty tables and no staggered seating. The food was not as good as it once was. The cook used way too much butter and salt. I waited 15 minutes for more water, the waitress had disappeared for awhile. Our entrees come with an ice cream dessert and they never offered it to us. Instead, the gave us the bill and closed our table. It felt like we were being rushed out. Including a 20% tip, it cost $60 per person without alcohol (drinking water). At this point, I doubt I'll be going back, even after this pandemic headache is behind us. read more

One of my favorite restaurants because of the vibe and the price don't matter how old you are it's always a great time and a good date night

We had a rocky start last night. We normally go to a Benihana's traditionally for my father in-laws birthday dinner celebration and we have been to this location several times in the past. After a 30 minute wait and a very rude and surly attitude from one of the hostesses I thought this was going to be a very rough night. Luckily another hostess stepped in, brought management and the rest of the night was a very pleasant and very fun experuence, especially for my son and for my daughter, who never had the Benihana experience before, and all was fantastic. Service was attentive, the food was what we expect, and the showmanship was on point. Thanks again especially to the hostess and management who stepped in, as otherwise this would be a very different review. read more

Yelp 2018 9/100 Well, i came back today after a manager reached out to me to see if service would be better. GLARING difference in a positive way. Most restaurants say "we're working on it," get you back in, and nothing changes. Today i sat in the restaurant, not the lounge and service was great. My waitress was very attentive, i had refills on water as soon as i got to half, and the food/chef was great as usual. The best part was i had two managers come talk to me at the end of my meal (didn't have any complaints nor ask them to come over so this was nice) to see if my experience was better this time and to give me some insight on the lounge side and address my complaints. I'll definitely be back to sit on the teppanyaki side and enjoy the good food everyone is used to at Benihana. Nice to see some restaurants actually back up what they say when you have a complaint read more

Such a fun place and the food is still decent. That garlic butter they use is everything!

I was nervous to go here for my birthday after reading the recent reviews. Pros: - We got seated within 10 minutes after arriving for our reservation. - Our server Ashlee was very nice and attentive. - Filet mignon was great. - The place was pretty clean, it's not a shiny new restaurant but it's decently maintained. Cons: - Our chef didn't really put on a great show, no fire and didn't talk much. - Fried rice was under seasoned and bland. read more

Although I'm really glad that Benihana is still open offering takeout (and want to thank the employees working in the food industry during this pandemic, I truly salute all you guys), this $8 veg roll was pretty damn disappointing. Really? This is acceptable? I know this isn't what you're supposed to order at Beni's (I got many other classic hits with this order) but this roll was for my vegetarian wife as an appetizer. Very disappointing! Pandemic or not, these places still need to be held accountable on their quality. read more

Benihana - Encino - Veg roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

I'm regularly an easy going guy but seeing my family this way pushes me to write this. Wow. This was a disaster. I will never make a review like this in my life. The manager was an absolute brute. Completely neglected our concerns about the dysfunctional wait times (and I'm being modest here). Terrible incompetent hosts at the front who had no idea what in the world they were doing. We took our parents and grandma to eat here for the first time and WOW, they are never stepping foot in here again. The worst part about it was that the manager had no ounce of sympathy. He came in blaming US for not being patient to get seated. WE WAITED 2 HOURS AT THIS POINT WHEN ORIGINALLY THEY SAID 1 HOUR!!!! My mom, God bless her soul, had tears coming down about how DISRESPECTED this place made her feel. No level of service should make a customer feel this way, I mean, how did it ever come to this low of experience from the "highly" esteemed Benihana's?? No thanks. read more

This review is for the restaurant only!! We wanted to celebrate our anniversary there but when we walked in, I took a long look at the place and for the price point of this establishment, they need a serous overhaul!! The rugs look like they've NEVER been cleaned or replaced since they built the place and the whole place just looked awful. Dirty, dingy And OLD. We cancelled our reservation and went elsewhere because quite honestly, it looked like a restaurant from the "hood" it was so gross. Never eating at this location ever. read more

Over priced! Place smells bad, they need to wash their carpet. Food isn't that great. Last time I go there ‍

So on November 9th was my Bday ordered from this place i also had a 30$ gift from Benihanas thought i was using it when i picked up my cold food the gentleman at the desk or table was not nice he wouldn't allow me to utilize my coupon from my phone that i get from benihanas once a year and this year im finally trying to use it and he wouldn't accept my coupon. Wow on Top of that my fpod was cold they didn't have the soup that went woth my 6 course meal so I ended up spending over 50$ which sucked Big time its my bday and no good service will not be returning to this location. read more

As vegans my sister Annie and niece Chanel and I were pleasantly surprised at how accommodating that this Benihana was in taking care of our needs ! And going above and beyond in every way to make sure that we were satisfied all the way around ! From the moment we walked in we were greeted warmly by the nice woman who seated us. (Sorry didn't get her name) and then by Natalia who was our server. We explained that as vegans we wanted to order noodles, tofu and vegetables and she couldn't have been more understanding and pleasant. Our chef Eugene was also very careful to prepare our food first so there would not be cross contamination. He was also very friendly and an excellent and entertaining chef ! The food was delicious and because it was also my birthday - Natalia brought our a bowl of fruit instead of ice cream. So thoughtful ! All in all just an amazing great experience and everybody could not have been nicer ! I would recommend this Benihana to anyone - even fellow vegans like us ! read more

Benihana - Encino - Noodles, Tofu and Vegetables ! A delicious Vegan meal ! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Encino, California

We ordered for pick up, unfortunately when we came home part of our order was not in the bags, they left out the vegetable fried rice and soup. But the sushi was good and very filling, we enjoyed what did come home with us, too bad about the vegetable fried rice and soup, I was looking really forward to it to complement our main entrees. So, if you are picking up an order, make sure to check out the order in the to go bags before you leave to be sure your order is complete. read more

TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT TERRIBLE SERVICE! THEY RUINED OUR VALENTINES DAY! Had a reservation at 9:45 we arrived at 9:25 to find over 100 people packed in the waiting area why? Because they over booked people LOL what kind a restaurant even manages to do this? We were told they were behind 2 hours!! Thanks for ruining everyone's Valentine's Day never coming here again! Long story short we ended up leaving since we were told we would probably sit around 11 PM to eat (such a joke) so we ended up going on yelp to find another place to eat at since Benihana ruined our dinner date tonight ! read more

Worst service ever!!! Waited with our kids for over an hour to get seated and served!! Took them twenty minutes to get our sodas. Then the waiter stated it takes 25 minutes for the chef to come and feed us! Pathetic. Ridiculous and horribly managed!!!! I do not recommend this place whatsoever!!!!! read more

We are big fans of Benihana. We went this week for my birthday. We had a reservation for 6 pm and were promptly seated by 6:05. Our hostess, Amanda, was excellent. She was super polite and friendly. Another guest (from a different party) was very mad that she could not have 15 people sit at 1 table. She was very rude to Amanda. Amanda stayed calm and explained the situation to the crabby woman. Our chef, Gustavo, was super friendly and fun. He did a few tricks we have never seen before. Heidi was on point with the refills and boxes, never skipping a beat. One of the best experiences we have had at this location. read more

Delivery for Postmates on a Week Day. The Reception Waitress was Pleasant. The Manager was a bit of a Jerk to me.!!! Waited 53 minutes for 2 delivery orders. A Woman comes in 15 after me after waiting near me , I asked, "Is it Always like this??? 15 later she gets her order, and gone !!! If I did say anything, I'd probably still be waiting!!!! Time Management is Horrible!!!! Delivery is not there Forte' read more

The front desk is not helpful at all. I tried making a reservation over the phone for my group and was told I needed manager approval! Never got a call back, proceeded to go in person and the front desk hostess with all the piercings was not helpful and is probably not the best face to greet guests. Not even a smile was given on arrival. They really made us feel unwelcome and told us we had a 2+ hour wait on a Monday night! We already hesitate of going to Benihana but this definitely solidified us wanting to give it another try. There are so many other tepan restaurants no need to go through this again. We got better customer service from the valet attendant. read more

Food was great, the show was was nice could've been more cheerful. Can't go wrong with a Benihana night. Decor and building is outdated with the carpet and decor but again can't go wrong with Benihana. read more

The bartender here is trash. Not only was she not friendly she was kinda rude. Long story short when I sat down it was happy hour. By the time I ordered she said happy hour was over and so should your shift. Won't be back at that bar. read more

Terrible terrible service! Made my appointment at 9 and it's 11 and barely sitting down. Definitely the last time I'll be back here. Management doesn't even care about everyone's reservations and complaints.... and they expecting a tip.. as you can see from The photo it is 10:48 on Valentine's Day and we are still waiting to be served.. read more

Our server Ali was amazing tonight and dinner was great. We came to celebrate a friends birthday and this was the perfect spot!

Worst worst worst place to pick up take out. 1st. My order was placed 20 minutes prior to me arriving and they still hadn't rung it in to their system. 2nd. The blonde girl going take out has no idea what she is doing, nor does the management at managing their employees. 3rd. They tell me it's going to 30-40 mins, it actually took over an hour. So my total time from placing the order to receiving the order was over an hour and 20 minutes. And all I got was Ramen, 2 of them and one appetizer. 4th. They bring me my food and there is only one ramen. The girl at the take out says the noodles is one ramen and the broth is the other one. I told he no your wrong this is only one ramen. She said hold on let me check with the kitchen and comes back and tells me the order is correct. Again I tell her this is only one ramen. 5th. I ask for the manager now for the 2nd time and show him the bag and he confirms it is only one. Then I wait another 10 minutes for them to make the other one while my other food is getting cold. In conclusion this was probably the worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant ever in my life. I will NEVER EVER go back and support a establishment that has no idea what they are doing. No wonder why they have 3 stars, that's basically 1 star in yelp world. I hope the GM reads this and takes care of the problem so other customers can have a better experience. read more

Had a terrible experience from the moment we walked in the host was not welcoming.Spoke to the manager about her and he seemed insensitive also . read more

Most incompetently run restaurant I've ever been to. A few months ago we go in there with a reservation and they have us wait for over an hour, when finally we continued to ask and after multiple parties were let in before us they said they didn't have our name. When we call for pick up wait is always for sure over an hour. They should be out of business, their mismanagement isn't a one off thing but totally a pattern Be warned. read more

I almost never do reviews . Maybe like 3 my whole life but i just had too . First it took 30 minutes after we where seated just to be asked if we wanted something to drink . Then another 20 minutes to get it and 50 minutes in we still do t have anything apparently they ran out of some of our beverages and never bothered to tell us , also we still don't have a cook so it will probably be another hour before we eat Oh and the staff has an attitude becuase we asked about our order ‍ read more

5 stars for the service from beginning to end. Nalinee is very helpful. It was a great experience from beginning to end. Food is great, I love their ginger sauce with the steak, always have to order takeout every time we come:) Benihana is always my favorite place to go to!! read more

This location was filthy! The floors were dirty, food was not up to par, the waiter was beyond rude! Literally was so rude, I almost walked out . I have never in my life imagined that a place charging this much would have offered such poor service! Invest in a vacuum and or broom for Gods sake ! The cook was at least friendly and tried to do his best with the filth given to him . Please save your money and go to Yomatos down the street! read more

I am so done with Benihanna in Encino. The last 3 times I've ordered(over $100), I've been very dissatisfied. Last night I had it delivered and the rice was old and burnt tasting (I bought the $25 size). My shrimp was actually mushy. I placed my order @ 4:30pm to beat the dinner crowd. I paid $6 for a sauce that I didn't receive, nor did I get the 2 sauces that come with the meal. I was given soy sauce, some orange sauce, and a garlic butter. I even paid 70 cent each to get extra ginger and mustard sauce, which I didn't get. Not to mention the quantity of food is decreasing. I had guests over that wanted to have them for the first time and none of us finished our plates. This is my favorite restaurant. I'm ashamed I wasted so much $ on this place. I'll drive to Santa Monica from now on. I'm done with the Encino location. read more

Probably the worse of the locations I've been in Los Angeles county. From the service to the food, it just barely makes it to average. It's better to go drive a little further away for a better experience. Also, expect to pay for parking. read more

I've been to two other Benihana locations and they were both great and had wonderful dining experiences. This location was not what I expected. Unfortunately with this location, you have to pay for parking in the back of the restaurant down a narrow driveway. I understand that this is a smaller restaurant, but my experience here was a little uncomfortable. I had a 9pm reservation for myself, my fiance, and her two children. I was expecting a fantastic dinner/show like I did the other two fantastic locations. When entering the restaurant, there was no one to great us warmly. I looked around for a minute and saw a gentlemen standing behind his computer. He looked like he had it for the night and just wanted to leave. With his apathetic look and attitude, he asked for my name and reservation time. Then we were asked to have a seat until we were called. If you have never been to a Benihana restaurant, you need to understand that if you have a small party, you will be seated with other random people you don't know. This is how their seating system works to make sure their tables/cooking areas are filled. It's always a good idea to have a large party with your family/friends to make it a comfortable experience. We showed up a little early and waited for about 20min to be seated. In that 20min we waited, I noticed that inside the restaurant looked a little run down and the furniture was beat up. It was a small waiting area and other people were just standing around also waiting to be seated. Their carpets look very dirty and not maintained/cleaned. Unfortunately we saw a commotion going on between a waitress and the bartender. The waitress was shouting very loudly at the bartender with a horrible attitude about a customers drink order and the customers receipt if that person paid or not. Customers were looking at each other with a disgusted look on their faces. This was very unprofessional and we felt uncomfortable and my fiance asked if we should leave and find another restaurant to go to. We decided to give this place a chance since it was our first time at this location. The dining area was small and all the tables/cooking areas were very close to each as well as the seats, it felt very cramped. Unfortunately we were seated with another group of young people who were very loud and obnoxious. Their profanity was very disgusting and made our experience there even more uncomfortable then it already was and hated the fact that my fiances kids had to hear all that. The guy sitting next to me kept bumping me with his elbow and I had to squeeze much closer to my fiance just to keep this guy from nudging me. There was almost no space for me to eat comfortably. The chef and his cooking were great. The food was good, but a little overpriced, $205.00 for four people. I was just happy that my future family enjoyed their meal. All in all, I'm sorry to say that I would not recommend this location to anyone. "Two things remain irretrievable: time and a first impression." ~ Cynthia Ozick. read more

We came to Benihana for my brother's birthday. The food was low quality and cooked with cheap oil. Benihana needs to update the menu. The restaurant is in disrepair and disappointing. read more

Been eating here for decades. What happened Benihana? Your food has gone down hill! Here are 2 pictures see for yourself. One was colossal shrimp and the other was large scallops. Very disappointed-three other customers were also complaining when we were there. read more

We went to Benihana in Encino on October 3rd for my husband's birthday. And of course, using the $30.00 birthday coupon! We had the best meal, service and experience we've ever had there! Our chef, Anthony, prepared such a delicious dinner for us. We had the Hibachi Supreme, as we always do for these birthday celebrations. The Hibachi Supreme consists of the Chateaubriand, lobster tail and everything else that goes along with the meal. It was divine!! Chef Anthony was just great! He cooked everything to perfection and seasoned it all perfectly! There also was a family of 4 sitting with us for whom were so sweet. He had the kids laughing as he prepared our food. He was so pleasant and such an excellent chef! Our waitress, Bam, was also very pleasant and attentive. Can't say enough about our experience, as it had been lacking in the past. We're so glad we went back! New management, per chance? read more

Benihana is literally the last place I'd write a review for, let alone a 2 star review. But here I am and here you are. My uncle was visiting from Paris and we wanted him to get the Benihana experience. I read all the terrible reviews saying how bad the wait is. I'm a patient person, I figured we'd check in early and just get a drink and talk it out since we were a group of 5. Reservation was at 8, we sat at 9:15. When we sat, our orders werent taken for another 15 minutes. The original wait was already long enough - it's really awkward to tell someone how fast American restaurants are at serving and the efficiency and hospitality of the restaurant industry, then experience this. Don't get me wrong, I know they seat 8 at a time and the chefs put on a show so everything is times, but there was definitely a chef shortage. Food is drenched in garlic butter for some taste. Chefs are tired and overworked. No excitement anymore. Just go to Gyu Kaku and do it yourself - it'll be faster, fresher, more flavorful and fun. Really disappointed but there's a reason why we never come here read more

Horrible service I reserved my Chef 1 month in advance I was 10 minutes late to my reservation compared to other guest that arrived 45 minutes late I was treated so rude I was called sir by a server when I am 100% women I just felt so Insulted no apology for the price I paid you would expect top-notch service I still waited 45 minutes to eat. I will never return to this restaurant I don't recommend this restaurant for any celebration. Valet parking was the worst the woman that took my truck drove off like if she was on a race track asked me to hurry up open my door and told me if I was done and ready for her to take my truck I was getting my nine-month-old baby out of the car seat and gathering all my belongings when she rudely told me to hurry up when there was no other cars waiting to come in or out most horrible experience ever. read more

Not a great experience. 2 hour wait at the table. We are two girls, and they sat us with a group of weird men who kept starring at us. The food finally comes and it was 3/10. The rice was soggy, the scallops were hard, and the meat was hard to chew. 150$ down the drain. read more