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    Benihana - Encino

    3.1 (2.4k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Benihana - Encino Takeout or Delivery

    Benihana - Encino Photos

    Business Info

    BENIHANA - ENCINO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Benihana - Encino

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    Zean C.

    There's still a long wait even with a reservation. The re we're 2 hostesses and both rude. The other one was extremely rude. They both looked like they hated their jobs and didn't want to be there. The crowd was also from far away San Fernando valley . Not your local neighborhood crowd. 3 stars for the Chef and the server. Both were nice at least. Food wise - quality has gone down big time. Will not go back anymore. That's it for me.

    BENIHANA SALAD
    Jasmine M.

    Great food! I really appreciate the difference here from the one in San Francisco. They do some things the same and some different. I like the steak sauce better in LA although I don't know what makes it different. Maybe it's more spicy? Our chef, Juan, was on the money with the food. Absolutely delicious! We had great company too! The vibe tonight was amazing. So much energy so that everyone had a blast. Only thing I didn't like was that the prices when we got the bill differed from the menu. Not sure why that was and we didn't bother asking for an explanation. Our server Oliver was very efficient and had a super smile while serving. Good mannerisms. I've got a picture of the menu before we ate and noticed the bill didn't match. We ordered edamame, hot sake, & Hibachi Steak dinner. Parking is valet or you can park on street.

    Chessa D.

    Benihana offers great deals, and I enjoyed celebrating the Fourth of July 2026 there. The Double Cheeseburger, fries, and apple crumble were delicious, especially paired with a Michelob Ultra beer. The young woman who checked me in was friendly and welcoming (unfortunately forgot her name). Justin provided excellent service and deserves special recognition and a pay raise. The environment was spacious, clean, and relaxing. Thank you, and God bless.

    HIBACHI STEAK
    Jessica V.

    Well, despite having a business employee respond to practically every review on here, management clearly has not taken action on any issues presented. It's been a year since my last visit and there are STILL issues with wait times despite having a reservation. It's almost like the owner does not care. We were a party of three and waited an hour. 30 minutes in, we received a text saying our table was ready; however, it took another 30 minutes to "clean" the table even though we could see that it was ready. The quality has significantly gone downhill. Smaller portion sizes and massive amounts of garlic butter to mask the taste of everything. Even the green tea ice cream was only a small single scoop and tasted like a different brand. The waitress did not stop by any time during dinner to see if we wanted more drinks - that's lost revenue on their end as I would've ordered another cocktail. The bathrooms need more frequent cleaning, especially since parents let their children go by themselves. I noticed a used toilet paper on the ground from a kid who went #2 - yuck! Unfortunately, this will be our last time dining at this location after many years of birthday celebrations here.

    Joe-Anne M.

    Benihana in Encino was a really fun and enjoyable dining experience overall. The food was excellent--fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly right in front of us. You can't beat the whole teppanyaki show, and everything we ordered tasted great from start to finish. The service was also on point. The staff was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed, which made the experience even better. The only downside was the parking. You do have to pay, which feels a bit ridiculous considering it's a large lot and you could essentially park your own car if given the opportunity. It kind of feels like just another way to squeeze a little extra money out of customers. That said, the great food and solid service definitely made it worth the visit. I'd still recommend Benihana Encino if you're looking for a fun meal and a good time!

    Tuna Steak
    Aimee C.

    Sad to have to rate Benihana so low... but my recent visits here have been subpar. Service is usually just ok but we usually are left without refills on drinks unless we flag down our waiter. During a recent visit, I was drinking iced tea and my glass cup shattered as I went to sip it. I brought this up to our waitress and she just took the cup from me and replaced it with a new one, no apologies offered or concern, to be quite frank, she seemed annoyed. We brought this up to the manager as well given that the cup could have cut me or someone else and he seemed uninterested. I also ordered a Tuna Steak entree which is typically one of my favorite dishes, however, the tuna tasted like it was not fresh at all. I understand things like this can happen but at the price point, I fear Benihana is dropping in quality. I did want to give a shoutout to our chef Hunter, I must say, he is probably the best Benihana chef I've had and was extremely attentive, interactive & kind. If I choose to visit again, I'd only trust him as our server. At the end of the day, it's Benihana, so you are bound to have some delicious bites of food, but it's sad to see some of the quality being sacrificed.

    Families enjoying themselves !!
    Frank D.

    I'll say this, since this my first time at a Benihana's, it was an Event! One must be prepared for a LOT of energy and people. This location had its fun challenges, like not finding the parking lot driveway for the first time as one may drive by it if not familiar with its location. Parking was valeted in a narrow driveway toward the back. Be prepared to pay $8 for parking after your meal, with no validation. Which I found interesting. Upon entering the restaurant, there were elbow-to-elbow patrons throughout the establishment at 6 pm on a Monday. Wow ! Keep in mind .. if you plan on getting the Teppan Grill Experience, reservations are HIGHLY recommended. The experience, if you've never been to a Teppan grill restaurant .. is a one chef dinner show as he cooks your food on a scorching hot grill right in front of you performing culinary antics of the onion volcano, spatula egg twirls, food-to-patron shrimp tosses, and hat catches using eggs, just to name a few. Prepare yourself for loud clanking spatulas and fork work and flashing lights while food is tossed around just a couple feet in front of you. Once you purchase a course dinner, it is served continuously until the end of the show. The menu is vast and the usual "show" dinners are 5 to 6 courses. We were seated at a full 8 patron grill, while seating is open and usually depends on how big or small they assemble all the parties. Meals consist of the usual basics like Chicken, Shrimp, Lobster, different quality cuts of steak, rice, salad, soup, etc. The food quality here is of an immensely high calibre. The freshness, tenderness, seasoning, and temperature of the food is spot-on ! I have patronized many other Teppan grill restaurants, but pale in comparison. Benihanas is the benchmark of all the Teppan Grill restaurants / experiences and IS the Platinum Standard. Everyone is there to have a great time and witness a memorable culinary wonder! It is also widely popular for birthdays, as well. This would have been a much longer review if I would have described every meal, but when you try it, its reputation speaks for itself. Enjoy and Kanpai !

    Power Lunch (which doesn't say that if one person is in your party orders this, you will have to get it the same thing).

    I will not be coming back here again. My group had the "Power lunch". Because one person ordered this lunch deal we were all forced to order the same thing. They should state this on the power lunch advertising. Ridiculous! The rationale was that you wouldn't get the show and/or food prep time issues. The fried rice that came with our order wasn't very good and was extremely salty. Additionally,my daughter's New York steak was that the best quality. It was chewy/tough and very fatty. Also, the mushrooms were overcooked and salty too. The only reason I gave this establishment two stars was because the filet mignon was well cooked and our server was good. Aside from this, I was not impressed with the overall quality of our meal(s). I do not recommend this place for lunch or dinner. The food is mediocre at best . FYI Dinner was only three or four dollars difference from the lunch special. I forgot to mention that parking is six dollars. So make sure you plan for that as well.

    Tamara D.

    Benihana had been off my radar for at least two decades. I have very fond memories of the whole experience - and it IS an experience - especially being entertained by the teppanyaki chefs. This visit was for a friend's birthday, so expectations were high. There were 14 of us, which meant two tables. At ours, about half ordered the Land & Sea (filet mignon and scallops), and that turned out to be the right move. The filet was tender, the scallops were cooked well, and overall, the food delivered. So why 4 stars? We had 7:00 PM reservations but weren't seated until 7:30. I understand they were trying to coordinate two tables for a larger group, but that feels like something that should have been sorted out earlier in the day. The location itself is older, and it showed a bit - especially with the smoke. Our neighboring table seemed particularly smoky, which drifted over at times. Our server was excellent. She was attentive throughout the meal and even helped cut and plate the birthday cake someone had brought, which was a thoughtful touch. Our chef started off engaging and fun, leaning into the classic teppanyaki performance we all remember. But about halfway through, the show element tapered off, and it became more about simply preparing the food. I'm not sure if that's the norm now or just the style of that particular chef. All in all, it was a fun night, and everyone had a great time. Was it exactly as magical as I remembered? Not quite. Maybe Benihana has changed. Or maybe I have. Either way, it was still a solid, celebratory evening.

    Amy P.

    The food has always been amazing,my chef and server Oliver did wonderful with their services and serving's. The major turned off was the greedy valet guy who took his time to hustle way too aggressively that turned to be harrassing over $8 self parking?? Also the restroom was horrible without soaps solution and toilet papers considering only 2 bathrooms for the whole restaurant that packed with all the smoky cooking foods. I hope the managers are taking notes!

    CHICKEN FRIED RICE
    Melissa L.

    Benihana is usually the go-to spot to celebrate, but my most recent experience was just down-right awful, specifically due to poor and unprofessional service. Our server was largely absent throughout the night and it took around 30 minutes after we were seated to get some water, our drinks, and our food orders taken. Even then, the cocktails that we had ordered looked like they had been sitting at the bar for a while. It took an even longer time for our salad and soup to be brought out; the chef had already started cooking by the time the appetizers arrived. Benihana can get busy sometimes and delays are understandable in those times, but it was a slower night than I've usually seen at this location which made the service even more disappointing. On top of that all, our server had a negative attitude that made our party feel unwelcome. The biggest issue of the night was the end of the meal when it came time to close our bills. We had our checks split in 3, and with each transaction she claimed that the payment machine was not working correctly and it would not allow us to enter our own custom tip amount. According to her, she had been running into that glitch all day. As she held onto the machine, she asked if we wanted to leave 18%, 20%, or 22%. My friends were unfortunately scammed into leaving at least 18%, thinking that they had no other choice or option to close out their checks. When I requested that she try a different machine or just process the total by itself, she responded with "No tip?" and processed the check with no problem... I typically tip appropriately as I respect the work that servers do and I highly appreciate their efforts in taking care of us throughout the night, but between the delays in our food and drinks, lack of attentiveness throughout the night, and the server's deceptiveness at the end of the night, the whole experience was very disappointing and unpleasant. If it were not for our chef, Hunter, I would've given them negative stars. He definitely made up for some of the uncomfortableness we experienced throughout the night, and his cooking was the best food I've ever had at Benihana. He was extremely kind and funny, and you can tell that he genuinely cares about making sure the food is the best quality. If I ever return to Benihana Encino again, it will be for Hunter.

    Nowhere does it state it would be coming from another part of the restaurant.
    Alisha H.

    **Absolutely terrible experience -- first time, huge disappointment (for a birthday no less).** My friends and I went to this restaurant for the very first time today to celebrate my friend's birthday. We were genuinely excited--so excited, in fact, that we drove an hour and a half just to try something new. We made a reservation, told the host it was our first time, and even specifically asked to sit in the hibachi/cook area because we wanted to experience the show in front of us (and we wanted the birthday girl to have the best view). The host agreed and sat us in the middle seats for "perfect viewing." At first, the server had an attitude the entire time, but we tried to ignore it because we were still looking forward to the experience. That's when things got worse. We all ordered the same thing because the lunch package showed a variety of food, and we wanted a little of everything. The cook was actually friendly, and he was the only genuinely good part of the experience. But we immediately noticed he wasn't cooking our food. He was focused on the couple next to us--meanwhile, we were still sitting there waiting, confused and wondering why we hadn't gotten anything yet. Eventually, the cook tells us what we ordered comes from the back kitchen and he doesn't make any of our food. To be clear: **that is exactly why we asked to sit there.** We told the host it was our first time and asked for hibachi. We told the server too. We were excited to watch the chef and have the birthday experience. And somehow none of them communicated that our order would not be cooked at the hibachi table. No one warned us we were choosing something that came from a completely separate part of the restaurant. Why would we be seated in front of a chef who isn't cooking our food, and why would nobody think to tell us that before we ordered? We were awkwardly stuck waiting through everyone else's meal. The couple next to us ate first, and we were just sitting there the whole time like we were invisible. When our food finally arrived, we were already so frustrated that we didn't even want to enjoy it. At that point, we didn't even want our drinks anymore. The experience felt ruined--our appetite was gone. We left extremely disappointed, and honestly upset that we drove all that way and still ended up feeling like we barely ate. And the food wasn't what we expected either. Our rice was just plain white rice, while the couple next to us had the better fried rice, this is exactly what we assumed we ordered based on the lunch package and what we were watching in front of us. We barely ate, got everything packed up to go, and couldn't even finish our drinks. It felt like we wasted food, time, and money. What makes it even more insulting is the lack of communication. Three staff members knew it was our first time. None of them took even a moment to explain how the menu works or clarify that hibachi seating wouldn't apply to our order. Because if we known we would've ordered something completely different!! Then at the end, the server acted like it was no big deal and basically said, "Oh yeah, it's on the menu," like we were stupid for misunderstanding. But if it was that important, they could've explained it--especially since they knew it was our first visit and we were specifically requesting the hibachi experience. So yes--we paid the tab, left, and we were all extremely upset. We drove to another place afterward just to get fast food because we still didn't end up actually eating what we came for. I've never written a bad review about anything before, but today was honestly one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences we've ever had. If you want an actual hibachi show, just be careful--**because apparently the "hibachi seating" experience doesn't mean your food will be cooked in front of you.** And nobody bothered to tell us until after we already waited through the whole table experience. We later on google the menu and nowhere is it stated that the items we selected would be cooked somewhere else.

    Mark H.

    Excellent food! Superb Service! Fun Ambiance! Highly recommend taking in your family here!

    Sumo Roll and Hibachi Steak Fried Rice!!

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    Page 3 of 60

    Benihana - Encino Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Benihana - Encino

    What is the maximum number of people in the hibachi table?

    8 people

    What is the parking situation on a Sunday?

    Valet $10.00

    Do they still require proof of vax for indoors?

    No they don't

    For the birthday certificate. It says to use during dinner time only. What is the earliest time for that?

    5pm

    What is your Corkage fee?

    Yes $25

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    Yamato Japanese Restaraunt

    Yamato Japanese Restaraunt

    3.1
    (890 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Absolutely amazing experience!"…read more The food here is incredible--every single dish was packed with flavor. The staff was super friendly and attentive, making us feel welcome from the moment we walked in. The atmosphere is great too. Highly recommend checking this place out!

    So we decided to try Yamato on a whim while waiting for our son who was at a school party close by…read more When we walked in, it was not busy at all - maybe another 8-10 people sitting at a few of the teppanyaki grills. But for some reason, it took almost 5 minutes of waiting by the "Please Wait to be Seated" sign for someone to actually come and seat us. When we were finally sat, the hostess stuck us in 2 seats against the wall at a completely empty grill table. When we asked if we could move around to 2 seats along the side of the grill so that we wouldn't be squished against the wall, she told us "no... these are the seats for a party of 2." Yet we were the only 2 people at the entire grill at 8:30pm at night.... Anyway, we sat for another 5-10 minutes before they sat 2 other people at our grill and then the server finally asked all 4 of us (mind you, we had been waiting 5-10 min at the table already) for our drink and food orders. The chef who cooked for us was really great, and the food was delicious - shrimp and filet for my wife, and shrimp and Korean BBQ for me. So no complaints on the food... overall I would say that it was above average for a teppanyaki grill, and the chef was really great... But after our food was done, the staff immediately started rushing us to finish up quickly and kept asking if we were ready for the check. We hadn't even finished our food, it was only 9:15, and the restaurant didn't close until 10... When I asked for some saki, the waitress made a mistake and brought me a glass of wine... when I pointed out that I didn't order a glass of wine, but rather some saki, she was clearly annoyed but eventually brought me the saki that had ordered. Well at 9:30, they started closing the restaurant down around us - shutting off lights, and at 9:45, while we still had food in front of us and full drinks, they shut off the music and turned off pretty much all the lights, aside from the lights around our table. It was very clear that they were closing down, whether we finished or not, and well before the 10pm posted closing time. Since we felt so awkward, we quickly finished our food, and asked for the check. When the waitress brought the check, she pointed out that the saki was more expensive than what was advertised on the menu, and guess what? That extra cost of the saki just happened to be the same price as the mistaken glass of wine that they brought over... Coincidence? Anyway, we paid the check, and left our drinks unfinished. When I tried to explain our frustration with the host at being rushed out before we finished our food or drinks, she really didn't seem to care and simply said, "thanks for your feedback." Huh. So after spending almost $200 between 2 people, we had to rush through our dinner, as they started closing down around us as soon as the chef finished cooking. Unfortunately even though the food was good, the service was so bad that we won't be going back.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Tasty salad appetizer
    Tasty salad appetizer
    The Samurai at Yamato's  Great art design and decor here at this great restaurant in Encino

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    The Samurai at Yamato's Great art design and decor here at this great restaurant in Encino
    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya

    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya

    4.2
    (799 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Great find here, nice little sushi restaurant right off Sepulveda, just North of Ventura…read more The sushi here is tasty, tasted fresh, lots of variety. Sushi, Bentos, appetizers, etc. The place is not large inside, but you can sit at one of their tables or at the sushi bar as well. They are open from 12-2:30 for the lunch crowd and then again later for dinner. We got a ton of things, my receipt was too long, had to fold it over for the picture. Started with some spicy edamame's and shishito peppers, cooked perfectly. Miso soup, salmon, spicy tuna, spicy scallop, white fish, veggie tempura, a BSC roll, unagi, baked crab and California rolls. Enjoyed everything very much except for the baked crab roll, it was ok, but not my favorite and I would not order again. Everything else I would get again. There are a few spaces in front on Sepulveda, but you should park in the back in the large parking lot that they have. The lot is not free, just an FYI. Staff was really nice and took care of us well. Their prices are not bad for sushi, more reasonable than others, but the sushi is still high grade and very good. Keep the prices reasonable, provide great service and provide high quality tasty food is a recipe to keep your customers coming back. Check them out, support local and get some great food and service. Enjoy!

    We went on Saturday night without reservations and it took about 30 min get seated. This place was…read morebusy and super packed! They did mentioned they take reservations but get full couple days in advance. Place was lively and food was excellent. We sat at the sushi bar/counter and we ordered directly with chef. We ordered bunch different cut rolls and sushi's. Everything was excellent and fish were fresh! We had really good time. Definitely give it a try.

    Photos
    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya
    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya
    The Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya

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    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    3.8
    (1.8k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$$

    I never knew about this chain of restaurants until yesterday when we were expecting to be in…read moreHollywood too late to return home to Thousand Oaks before they roll up the sidewalks. They "close" at 10:30 (the place was still hopping at 10) and we arrived at a little past 9:00, figuring at that hour we wouldn't need a reservation. Think again, the place was just one click shy of a madhouse. The bar was lively and the tables were occupied mostly by 20-30 somethings in crocks and belly shirts, jabbing food in the mini fire pits and shoveling it in their mouths with the authority of hungry guard dogs. We had to wait 10 minutes or so, for a table and another 7 or so for our server to appear. It gave us a chance to peruse the menus. Yes, menus, plural. There are three laminated ones and a book with pages. Given how extensive the food menus are, the drink menu was a little unimpressive. The sake list had a few things listed, not including a Nigori. The white wine had two, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. We like Sauvignon Blancs but ordered the Pinot Grigio. Mezza Corona. That's what casinos comp pour at the slots in Vegas. It was fine, but not optimum. Overwhelmed by the menus and not particularly craving one thing, we decided to order the "Anniversary" dinner for two. It was a set combination of mostly proteins with the house salad and miso soup. The "poke" wasn't the usual gooey stuff seen in most raw places. It was perfect little cubes of ahi and marinated onions over a bed of pickled seaweed. The salad was large and simple, with a sesame dressing. Then... omg the proteins started to appear. Every single one was delicious. We found that putting the pork belly on the grill helped to keep the following proteins from sticking. The rice was beautifully steamed. The miso soup was even the best I've had in a long time, with lots of tofu and seaweed sinking to the bottom. I can see how this would be a great place for a group, and I can't wait to go with more friends; albeit my husband and I really enjoyed the respite. Our server, Cole, was cool and real. He didn't seem to need to pretend to be nice. He was just a sincere, caring young man. Their happy hour times are worth noting. They're happy throughout the day and night with the exception of 6:30 - 8:30 pm. There is a happy hour combination menu you might want to consider, especially if you've never been here and just want to see what's going on. There are AYCE choices which might come in handy if you're really into some favorites. There's also a big thing about Wagyu. Eh. Different strokes I guess. We'll definitely be back. We really enjoyed the experience. We reduced one star for the silly valet parking and the not-so-great wine list.

    The food is always great when I come here. The consistency is what brings me back. Bistro hangar…read moresteak is always my favorite. Their kimchi and cold tofu are also 10/10. Our server today, Fallon, was nothing but stellar. She would check up on us when she saw our food getting lower. It was nice to see how proactive she was. If you can, definitely ask to be seated in her section. Great dinner and will be back again.

    Photos
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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    Kushiyu

    Kushiyu

    3.8
    (1.1k reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$$$

    This restaurant was absolutely phenomenal! I'm so grateful my husband brought me here because every…read moreaspect of our experience was exceptional, from the food to the outstanding service. A special thank you to Henry for making our visit so memorable. He recommended excellent menu selections and truly went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. As someone who typically does not eat cooked fish, I have to say that the Chilean Sea Bass was absolutely amazing, perfectly prepared and incredibly delicious! Thank you, Henry, and the entire team, for making us feel like family. We can't wait to come back!

    I hadn't been to Kushiyu in about 10-15 years. We decided to revisit it for lunch today because my…read moresister wanted sushi. I ordered the yakitori bento box, which was $20 because this is what they are known for. The yakitori was decent, but nothing memorable, and the rice was drenched in sauce, which made it much less enjoyable. I've had better yakitori at restaurants in the South Bay. Given the price and quality, it would be hard for me to come back for lunch when there are so many options along Ventura Boulevard, or even if I'm willing to drive a little farther to Sawtelle, Little Tokyo, or Gardena for Japanese skewers. One other downside: the restrooms don't have baby changing tables, making it less convenient for families with infants. Overall, this revisit didn't live up to my memories, and I don't see myself returning anytime soon.

    Photos
    The sushi bar and chefs
    The sushi bar and chefs
    Agadashi Tofu-mash
    Agadashi Tofu-mash
    Chicken Heart- Hatsu

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    Chicken Heart- Hatsu

    Benihana - Encino - sushi - Updated August 2026

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