Came for my daughter's birthday dinner and an amazing experience. Izak our chef took care of us with beautiful entertainment and some of the most tasty food. We've had the whole time. Thank you Benihana for a great birthday dinner. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Our Chef Paul was really great. We will definitely come here again! The food was delicious. The restaurant is a great venue for dining!

My family and I came to celebrate an early Mother's Day and we were pleased to have Chris be our hibachi chef! He was great as well as the food! read more

I recently made my annual birthday pilgrimage to Benihanas because of the great birthday certificate they offer as part of joining the Chefs Table! I got the steak and lobster and it was cooked perfectly. Definitely upgrade for the garlic chicken fried rice. I was so full after all 6 courses. I also got the lychee martini which was refreshing and not too sweet. I had a particularly outstanding experience this time, all thanks to our chef Paul! Paul was funny, talented and a great cook! His jokes were witty, his skills were top notch and he made the experience especially special for me since it was my birthday. He had a great energy and made dinner really fun. Honestly the best dinner and show I've had here! read more

Benihana - San Diego - DELUXE TREAT - steak & lobster - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

We were a party of seven celebrating my son's graduation. We arrived around 8:25 p.m. as walk-ins and were informed that the restaurant was short-staffed. To help secure a table, I made an online reservation for 8:45 p.m., and we were seated around 8:55 p.m. We understood the delays given the staffing situation. We ordered drinks, appetizers (dumplings, calamari, and a sushi roll), a chicken tender meal for my granddaughter, and our hibachi dinners. Our chef, Avelino, initially brought food intended for another table but quickly corrected the mistake and provided an entertaining hibachi experience. He did a great job making the evening enjoyable despite the delays. During the cooking show, Avelino asked us to leave a review, and at that point I posted a positive review because he had been wonderful. However, several issues occurred afterward. While our meals were being prepared, we still had not received our appetizers, my granddaughter's chicken tenders, or the extra portion of rice my son had ordered. Avelino noticed the issue and spoke with our server. The server then informed us that the kitchen had already closed and could no longer prepare the appetizers or the child's meal. This was very disappointing, especially since those items had already been ordered. Communication between the kitchen, server, and chef appeared to be lacking. To help, Avelino set aside some non-spicy food for my granddaughter because the hibachi meals we ordered were spicy. We appreciated his effort, but it should not have been necessary. My granddaughter's meal never arrived, the appetizers were never served, and my son did not receive the extra rice he ordered. Avelino even had to split a portion of rice between two people so it appeared that my son had more. Avelino deserves recognition for doing everything he could to improve the situation, and his service was excellent. Unfortunately, the lack of communication, missing items, and the kitchen closing before completing our order left us disappointed. To make matters worse, I was charged twice for the bill, totaling $355.91 per charge, and I was not provided with a receipt at the restaurant. Fortunately, I was able to locate the charges through my account, but I am still waiting for clarification and resolution regarding the duplicate charge. I contacted corporate twice but no answer. While Avelino's efforts were outstanding and greatly appreciated, the overall experience fell far below expectations for a special family celebration. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

This was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. Despite having reservations, we waited more than three hours to be seated. In hindsight, we should have left, but we stayed because we were celebrating a birthday. The service was poor throughout the evening. The chef was adequate, but the food was bland, greasy, and disappointing. To make matters worse, the table next to us repeatedly used profanity in front of children, which created an uncomfortable atmosphere. Overall, the experience was frustrating from start to finish. I would not return, even if the meal were free. There are far better options elsewhere. Stay away. read more

A Diminished Feast in the Realm of Flavor Greetings, noble travelers! Captain 619 here, pen in hand, ready to recount a recent journey to the fabled establishment known as Benihana in the enchanted land of San Diego. It has been many moons since I last ventured here with my kin, and I had hoped for a grand feast to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary. Alas, my hopes were dashed upon the rocky shores of disappointment. As I crossed the threshold into this culinary realm, I found the bathrooms to be lacking in the care befitting a realm of such supposed grandeur. They were in disarray, as if neglected by the very sprites tasked with their upkeep. Furthermore, the table where we were seated bore the remnants of past feasts--food residue clinging stubbornly to its surface, a grim reminder of battles fought and won by previous patrons. The ambiance felt aged and weary, as though the magic that once filled the air had faded into a distant memory. I longed for a feast worthy of our anniversary, yet what awaited us was a banquet that fell short of our expectations--a mere shadow of the glorious gatherings of yore. In this moment of reflection, I can only hope that the guardians of this establishment will rekindle the spirit that once made it a beacon of culinary delight. Until that day comes, dear friends, I shall seek my feasts elsewhere, yearning for a time when the tables are set anew and the laughter of patrons fills the air once more. May your quests be filled with flavor and joy! Captain 619 read more

Benihana - San Diego - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

It's been a long time that I haven't been in Benihana... nothing changed though. Their customer service still superb, the performance of the chef and the food, spectacular! Shout out to Fausto! He's not too loud but still funny. He's cooking is so entertaining! Big portions too!!! Even the waitress is great! I didnt get her name. My hubby and I got the 5-course meal. Mine is the Oceanture and my husband got the Steak Hibachi. I got used to getting green tea matcha ice cream at the end of the dinner, I didn't know that the package we got doesn't include the ice cream. But our waitress was kind enough to offer it to us on the house. I was just too full already so I respectfully declined... but that's really nice of her! We'll surely come back read more

See all

Decided to hit up the weekday happy hour on a whim. Sat at the bar since I was by myself. Matthew & Drew were the bartenders and they were super attentive. They both made an AMAZING Exotic Mojito ($9 for HH). I'm so stuffed because I ordered so much. It was so good. I definitely will be back again, and hopefully my guys are working again when I come in! read more

Benihana - San Diego - Happy Hour Menu & Exotic Mojito - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Benihana, Mission Valley, San Diego A reservation was for 1:45. We waited 20 minutes to be seated and we've been waiting for over an hour for a chef to come to our table so we've been staring at this all that time and still no sign of a chef. What happened to you, Benihana? read more

Benihana - San Diego - Empty grill - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped by Benihana and sat at the bar only, and it turned out to be a great experience. The bar area has a fun but relaxed atmosphere, perfect if you want Benihana food without doing the full hibachi table. The bartenders were friendly and attentive, and drinks came out quickly. Happy hour is a nice bonus with good deals on both drinks and appetizers. Everything we ordered was fresh and tasty, and service was consistently good. Definitely a great spot for a casual night out, drinks with friends, or a quick date night. I'd come back again just for the bar and happy hour! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8QujBeC/ read more

See all

Food and service time was spent w the best people and amazing chef I'll be back for more with this chef Didn't wait long good time read more

Benihana - San Diego - The best ever!!!! Seriously good energy very attentive made the night !!! #askforavelino - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I made a reservation for 6:30pm on a Friday night for my husband's birthday. I noted that it was his birthday on the reservation. When we arrived there were people waiting outside, inside and frankly all over. We decided to wait in the bar and get some drinks until our name was called. We were finally seated at our table at 7:40pm. Our server was very attentive and took our order and delivered our drinks, soup and salad in a timely manner. Then we waited and waited and waited some more for our chef. Our table wasn't the only one waiting either. We asked what was taking so long and were told that they didn't have enough chefs and that they were overbooked. The server who took our order kept apologizing and brought a complimentary order of edamame which was nice and appreciated. Our chef finally arrived around 9pm! He did a great job and the food was good. He just seemed a bit tired and not as animated as some of the other chefs. It didn't help that our table wasn't very enthusiastic because we were all tired of waiting so long! We finished our meals and the ice cream came and there was no candle on my husband's ice cream. I told our chef it was his birthday. No one came to sing to him. Additionally, the restrooms were a mess. The stall I used literally had feces rubbed on the wall. I swear I can't make this stuff up! By the time we left it was 10:10pm. I felt horrible because it was my suggestion that we go there for my husband's birthday. He and my daughter had never been to Benihana before and I had really talked the experience up to them. It was a complete disappointment. Having dinner should never take almost 4 hours! read more

We went for date night and had so much fun!!! $39 for 4 course meal, entertainment, extra food and new friends. Wine was good. Loved it read more

See all

If you want the Hibachi/teppanyaki show then you need to sit at the grill. There were over a dozen tables with grills that seat 8 each. You'll be sharing space with others. We shared the filet mignon ($54) 5 course meal that comes with onion soup, salad, shrimp, vegetables, 2 dipping sauces, rice (option to upgrade to chicken fried rice), hot green tea. The 6 course has ice cream added. The chef did his thing with the dancing utensils and egg along with the I heart u rice. Loved that he automatically split our portions on the plate. Instead of an upgrade, we ordered Chicken rice ($9) by itself. We were shocked that it was the same size as the others who upgraded. The rice was just full of butter and bland. We also ordered Shrimp crunchy roll ($19) and Chili ponzu yellowtail roll ($25). The crunchy roll was not crunchy. It was like old panko. I think Benihana lost its touch over the decades and we were not impress by the quality of food, smaller portions and high prices. read more

See all

There was no follow up as the reply said to reach out I left a voicemail on the corporate answering phone - sent cust service the issue on their contact us form. Very shady they have become sadly new owners not a good way to do business. read more

We were eager to dine here while visiting SD. The location was convenient, and we chose to overlook some of the reviews since chains don't always get the ratings they deserve. Unfortunately, we didn't end up dining here. This review is based solely on the guest experience prior to being seated. First impression: parking is limited, with valet as an option. The lobby is extremely small and was packed with large parties waiting to be seated. It made us wonder--was this just a busy night, or is there an issue with how reservations and table timing are managed? We had a 6:00 PM reservation and our table was not available for 50 minutes. It became clear that reservation times are more of a suggestion than a commitment. My husband and I had invited family to dinner and had limited time together. We ended up losing almost an hour just standing and waiting. Since we needed to make sure our nephew was fed, we ultimately left and went to another nearby restaurant where we were seated immediately. It's unfortunate, because we were genuinely looking forward to dining here. The hosts were kind and apologetic, but it seemed like they didn't have much control over the situation. It may help to either limit the number of reservations accepted or be more transparent about expected wait times. Based on other reviews, it sounds like delays can continue even after being seated. read more

Avelino was our teppanyaki chef & he was funny & personable! we were a party of 9, celebrating 2 birthdays, & he made us laugh throughout the experience. he didn't do quite as many tricks as other chefs have done & i found that i actually preferred that. we had two waiters & they were also super helpful & friendly. all our food was delicious & cooked just the way we requested. the wait was good & splitting the check evenly amongst 6 of us was easy. thank you! read more

Food was excellent, had the Chateubriand...amazing!... our chef Piña was great, good ambiance and extra love on the food.. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Chateubriand... - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

If my husband and I didn't love Benihana in general, this review would be lower. We've apparently been spoiled by the Beverly Hills and Santa Monica locations because this location is managed very poorly. Our reservation was at 6pm and our chef did not arrive at the table until 7:10pm. The parking lot is very small, with half of it reserved for valet (I think $8?). There's some street parking right outside the lot if you're feeling lucky. The lobby is TINY. Like they just decided they wanted to expand the bar/sushi area so they can pack as many tables in there and leave no room for anyone to stand in the entrance. The hosts were very professional and friendly, doing their best, but you can tell they were stressed out. We were seated almost immediately at our table, but then the waiting began. Our server, Cynthia, was very attentive and apologetic, but it was a surprise to be sitting there without an ETA or end in sight. The table behind us got there maybe 20 min after us and complained, got their chef immediately. We waited a total of 1 hr and 10 min. That's a VERY long time for any customer to be kept waiting, and it was even harder for my daughter (who is 3 yrs old). Once our chef finally arrived he was FANTASTIC. I did not catch his name but honestly if it wasn't for him I would have left a 1 star review. He was skilled, entertaining, excellent with keeping our orders organized, and all the food was prepared perfectly. He really saved the night. Picture here for management - please give him a bonus for single-handedly saving the evening. I do not understand why management would allow for so many tables and reservations at such close intervals if there are not enough chefs to keep up. Based on other reviews on Yelp, this was not a singular event. Dining should be enjoyable, reservations should be honored. Instead of packing people in like sardines perhaps consider a revisit of your booking system. Lastly, you'd think managers would have basic customer service/hospitality skills: if you are running over an hour behind, offer your guests some consolation! There was nothing. No appetizer, drinks, desserts, etc. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Jesse B. did an absolutely AMAZING job! From the moment we got there, he made the entire experience unforgettable. He got us seated quickly, was incredibly entertaining, and his cooking was beyond excellent. The food was delicious, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. You can truly tell he cares about giving guests the best experience possible. This isn't even our first time with him, and every single time he exceeds expectations. Jesse B brings such great energy, talent, and personality to the table. If you get the chance to have Jesse B., you are seriously in for an incredible experience. Highly, highly recommend! read more

Benihana - San Diego - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

A Guide to the Perfect Dinner at Benihana Make a reservation for Friday for 4 at 7:30pm. Show up 5 minutes early and check-in and receive your buzzer to alert when table is ready. Go to bar with your party and have drink. You've finished your drink. The buzzer alerts you at 8:25 your table is ready Your group is seated. This is your 1 chance to order and get drinks for the next hour. It's 9pm, no chef. There is no server. Go to bar and retrieve drinks for your party. Send birthday-lady to find a manager. 9:05 Discuss alternative eating solutions and order Dominos to Benihana. 9:20 Welcome your chef. 9:30 Take in the wonder of the Onion Volcano. 9:31 Receive Dominos Pizza. 9:34 Eat fried rice. 9:40 Consider the rib eye you've just been served. 9:50 Admit dinner failure. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Benihana Losing Customers on a Friday night. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

We've been to the Benihana location in Hawaii, so we decided to try this location because of the free $30 birthday certificate. I signed up in Hawaii. I also am a member of the Friends with Benefits which comes with a bigger birthday certificate ($50). We planned to use it at one of the sister companies. We came as a party of four, and two other couples were seated with us. A person in both parties was also celebrating a birthday with the same coupon -- woohoo for November babies! (We're basically Valentine babies ). Remember to print out your birthday coupon! Service & Atmosphere Service was great from start to finish. The restaurant was packed on a Tuesday, so I'm glad my husband made a reservation ahead of time. Our chef was funny, engaging, and kept us entertained the whole time. He cooked everything perfectly and checked in to make sure we were happy with how things turned out. The servers were attentive. Food I ordered the Hibachi Supreme -- 8 oz tenderloin and lobster tail -- which comes as part of a 6-course meal. The onion soup came out room temperature, and another couple asked for theirs to be reheated. The 6 course comes with: onion soup, salad, shrimp, vegetables, mushrooms, steamed rice, Hot Green tea, and choice of ice cream (vanilla, sherbet or green tea). My middle son ordered the 5-course steak, and he enjoyed it -- steak was tender, and he liked the portion size. The difference between the 5 course and 6 course is you don't get dessert. My youngest ordered the kids' California Roll. I know I tried to push him to order an items that needed to be cooked. I found out that kids have a special membership. They get a free mug on their birthday with a purchase of the kids meal. My husband went with the Samurai Treat, and his meal came out great as well. We opted in to pay extra for the fried rice and enjoyed it. Drinks & Extras I ordered the Benihana Punch, and it was perfectly sweet -- not too strong, not too sugary. I choose to pay extra for the collectible mug, and I got to choose from three designs. When the meal was complete the staff came over to sing Happy Birthday (3 birthday celebrants). I chose matcha which I liked. We will probably come back to enjoy happy hour or the lunch specials. It was a bit pricey but I enjoyed it :). They also offer military discount. Thanks Benihana for the $30 birthday certificate! read more

See all

Is Terri short for Terrible? Because it's definitely not short for Terrific. I came here last night to celebrate my graduation with a party of 10 and it was an experience I will never forget, unfortunately not for the right reasons. The staff was genuinely wonderful, kind, congratulatory, and apologetic about the wait. Our hibachi chef Chris was absolutely fantastic. I wish I could give the team 5 stars, because they deserve it. We had a 7:30 reservation and were told there was an hour delay. We asked to wait in the bar area and employees said yes, so we sat and ordered sushi and drinks. Then the manager Terri came over huffing and puffing, scolded us, and told us we couldn't sit there, claiming she was "reserving" those tables for a party. Here's what's important: every other table in that bar area had guests doing the exact same thing, waiting on their reservations, having drinks or sushi, no full dinner plates. She walked past all of them and singled out our group specifically. There was no signage, no communication to the staff who had just told us we could sit there, and the chairs weren't even arranged for a party. WE had put them together. When I pointed out that her own staff had allowed us to sit there and that clearer communication would have prevented the confusion, she became hostile. My brother addressed her conduct and she threatened to cancel our entire reservation and remove us from the restaurant. We moved and arranged another set of tables to fit our group, which she also could have done for her party to avoid this whole situation. At 8:18 PM I received a text from OpenTable confirming my table was ready. When I went up, staff asked our party to stand by the wines to be seated. They looked at their tickets and were surprised, because it wasn't my name even though I got the text. They looked at their system and found my name still on the waitlist and not up for a table. They pointed at an image of tables and said they would need to talk to Terri to figure out what happened. I then watched Terri quietly approach a group that had just entered the bar area. One person in that party said "yay, she saved the night" as they were taken to a table. Two systems confirmed I was next. OpenTable and the waitress's own ticket. We were not actually seated until 8:42 PM. I have the OpenTable text and photo timestamps to prove it. Check the security footage. This is not disorganization. This is a predatory practice. People come here for birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. They have driven there, gotten dressed up, and have nowhere else to go on short notice. Overbooking knowing that customers are essentially stuck is intentional, and it is at customers' expense. This is a one-manager problem. The rest of the team deserves 5 stars. But Terri should not be running this location, and based on a year's worth of reviews saying the exact same thing, Benihana is not listening, despite directing everyone to benihanalistens.com. Ironic. Also referred to as Terry in other reviews. I invite you to search her name both ways. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Text confirming my table is ready. 48 minutes after our 7:30 reservation but table was not ready and hostess was confused. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Worst experience at an upscale (expensive) restaurant ever. A Chef who acted as though he had not been trained at all. He cooked our food ONE ITEM at a time!! We ended up eating each vegetable alone as it was getting cold. No show, no interacting with us, the customers, it was totally bizarre. No eye contact, nothing. The "manager" did nothing but bring us coupons to spend MORE money to get a little money off.. as if we would ever return. read more

It's been a long time since I've been to Benihana. We were celebrating a friend's bday and it was fun enough. Our cook was Miguel who was very funny. I felt it was more like a comedy show vs like the good old days where they performed tricks like throwing the shrimp tail into the hat. No more throwing food in the air , just tapping the spatulas loudly. He did do the smoke and fire thing with the onion rings. There were 6 of us so we had the entire table to ourselves. I ordered the 6 course meal which included soup, salad, shrimp, zucchini, mushrooms, the Splash N' Meadow which was steak and shrimp, fried rice and ice cream. The steak was cooked perfectly - medium rare. I felt the food was a little salty but it was tasty because of all the butter they used. LOL. I also ordered a Hugo Spritz which was good. (There's a full bar.) Service was good. This was expensive, about $60 for each meal choice and cocktails were about $16-18 each. So after tax and gratuity, it was about $100 per person. You can definitely get better food else where but it's more for the novelty. They sang "Happy Bday" and jiggled a tambourine to our friend. They don't take the complimentary Benihana photo of your party anymore. As mentioned before they don't do as many tricks anymore so to me it's not as great . I think you can sign up online and on your bday month you get $30 off. Parking was difficult as the parking lot was full so we had to find street parking. Is this a place I would go to all the time? No, but maybe once in a blue moon for someone's bday. read more

See all

We had reservations for a group of people. We are now 30 minutes past our reservation time and they said maybe another 45min. Don't schedule reservations for time slots you cant honor. Im stuck trying to entertain my guest. Its now been 50 minutes. No table Its now 1009pm. No food. We should get a discount or apology. Its now 1041pm. No food. No chief and waiting. Extremely poor service. We have a great server, however, still no food. 845pm reservations. 1052pm still no food. I do not recommend this restaurant read more

Loving their new Friends with benefits rewards program!! We went for my Birthday with the new reward. Sat in the bar area for happy hour and loved it!! we usually do the large table with all the things so we thought we'd try something different. The happy hour menu is pretty solid!! Added in chicken fried rice, because it's the best but also tried the wagu friend rice... not worth that price point I have to admit. The sushi, edamame, and gyoza was fresh, and everything tasted great!! As the evening goes on the front check in area gets kinda loud, but not unbearable!! We will definitely be back for happy hour again!! read more

See all

You'll definitely have a fun dinner experience at Benihana. My family had reservations and we only needed to wait about 5-10 min for the table to be ready. Chef Luis was great, he was so funny and all the food came out good! Dinner at Benihana is definitely a good idea if you're looking for dinner with entertainment. read more

Came here for Valentine Dinner! I made a reservation at 6:30pm but we still had to wait until 7pm to be seated due to them being backed up. Better to reserve at an earlier time for a busy occasion like Valentine! We sat at the teppanyaki table and the experience and food were overall good and fun! We had a funny chef and food was what you expect from a place like Benihana! At the end of the night they gave us complimentary valentine macarons and someone else at our table brought up having their picture taken! They actually take your picture, print it and place it in a Benihana paper frame for you! That was cool. Definitely recommend the teppanyaki experience for a dinner either entertainment! read more

Reservations highly recommended! Especially on a holiday, but I recommend always making one just to make sure your party gets seated. Each teppan area holds up to 8. We were a party of 7. Thanks Linda for servicing us. You were on top of everything from the beginning to the end. Ray was a great chef! Very comical and kept everyone engaged. The food was great! Very tasty. Shrimp, medium rare beef and lobster, very well prepared. I suggest the five or six course meal. This comes with salad soup, veggies and shrimp appetizer. The six course entrée comes with choice of flavor ice cream for dessert. Our total bill was $431 and that was with no alcoholic drinks. BUT I originally was going to give a 5 star review until I viewed that receipt. She talked us in to upgrading to the chicken fried rice. So 6 out of 7 of us decided to upgrade. Wow! That's a $9 upgrade JUST to get a bowl of fried rice! That was a $56 charge just for a small bowl of fried rice with one thigh of chicken split up between the six of us. Yea I got like 2 small pieces. You definitely don't need to up charge $9....that put our $54 choice of five course meal to $63! Sooooooo not worth it. One star for the waitress, one star for the chef and one star for the experience for a total of 3 star review! My kids will have to beg me in order to come back here any time soon. read more

My family and I have been loyal customers of this Benihana in San Diego for years. We have celebrated our anniversary there, my grandkids' birthdays, and even held business meetings there, which is why what happened on March 21, 2026, was so heartbreaking. We had a reservation for 8 people at 7:15 p.m. for Teppan seating and checked in immediately. The front host, who I believe may have been named Demi, was exceptional. She was welcoming, attentive, playful with my grandkids, and even took our family picture. She made us feel appreciated from the moment we arrived. Unfortunately, once we were seated, the entire experience changed. Our waitress came to the table aggressively and pushed us to order drinks and food immediately "in one shot." As we ordered, she repeatedly commented that it was "too much food," asked if we were going to share, and even told my daughter to split my grandkids' plate. That alone made all of us uncomfortable. The worst moment came when I ordered a Perfect Piña Margarita for my wife, which was going to be shared with my wife and daughter. When the waitress returned with an extra glass, she tried to pour the drink at the table. In the process, part of it spilled onto the hot table, creating steam, and we could all clearly see the liquid running down the outside of the glass, over her hand, between her fingers, and dripping from her nails into my daughter's glass. We were shocked. I told her that was not right, and she simply walked away. Later, when I tried to add a lobster tail, she again told us it was "too much food," as though she had authority to decide what we could order. At that point, my family was already upset and had lost our appetite. I asked to speak with the manager. The night manager, Terri, arrived already confrontational, cut me off while I was explaining the situation, and defended the waitress by saying that many people order food they cannot pay for. I found that remark deeply offensive. I felt my family was being stereotyped and discriminated against, possibly because we are Hispanic. When I told her that was not right and that I would be speaking with management, she replied, "I am the manager," and then told us in front of other tables to clear the table. We left humiliated, heartbroken, and disgusted. Another server gave us the number to report the incident and said this was not the first time. After years of supporting this restaurant, I never expected my family to be treated this way. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Some of her staff was upset the way we were treated and gave us the number to report her - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

6:45 reservation, 9 pm now still waiting for the chef, when asked ETA , was told 1 more table , in front of us, when asked actual ETA, was told 15 minutes. 30 minutes later no one has come. Would've been nice to have been told from the start they were this far behind, we would have gone elsewhere. read more

My husband and I love going to Benihana for dinner - we have probably been here at least five times in the past six months. Tonight was probably one of the smoothest nights we have had here. We decided to come early (I booked a reservation for 5pm). We only waited about 10 minutes and were seated. Once seated, we met our server, Isabella, pretty quickly after the hostess did her spiel. She got our drink orders, food orders, and knocked out everything like a professional that had been doing the job for at least 10 years. When I asked how long she had been working there, I think she thought I had a criticism about her service coming. She sheepishly said, "Oh, can you tell? I have only been here one week." I couldn't believe it. This girl KILLED it. Not only did she expertly time everything, she managed to take care of refills and remember additional requests made (i.e., to go bags, extras). She flipped that table by 6:30pm. She was excellent. Ambience was good as usual. The food was great, and we really enjoyed our dining experience. I hope we get her again the next time we come in. read more

My wife wanted teppanyaki for dinner, specifically Benihana. She made reservations for 7:15pm, and we showed up at 7:12pm to check in. There were a ton of people waiting, and despite having a reservation and showing up on time, we didn't get seated for another 45 minutes. Not a good start. After being seated on the teppanyaki table, along with the 3 others tables (4 per room) our server quickly took our drink orders, and brought them out shortly after. Then he took our orders and left. As we sat there, the other 3 stations all had chefs and started cooking, but we were still waiting. Finally our chef showed up and cooked our food, did the usual tricks and made jokes, although no one was really laughing probably because we were all hungry. By the time we finished eating, it was 10pm, and the other 3 tables had all been cleared. I didn't read other reviews, but I'm guessing slowness was probably one of the more common complaints. The food was okay, my wife and son liked the fried rice ($8 extra!) more than the main meal. I thought the rice was just okay, and sadly my main course chicken was overcooked and was dry. A $200 dinner for 3 with such a long wait is not my idea of a good restaurant experience. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Here to dine in and unwind on a Friday night and I am glad I called ahead 10 minutes because it gets packed fast! Parking is tough especially on weekends so I used their valley parking for $10 and it's worth it for me instead of circling around the parking lot. There are two separate dining options here, teppan or sushi. I went with teppan and that is their most popular dining experience where you have your very own personal chef at the table and entertain you while you are eating. I ordered Rocky's Special which comes with New York strip and chicken. You can choose how you want your steaks done. I always go with medium rare because most of the steakhouse have trouble cooking steaks medium rare. I also added scallops to my order. I highly recommend getting fried rice even if you are on diet I promise it's worth every calories. As a former teppan chef from Carlsbad location, I know for a fact their seafood is extremely fresh and clean as they are prepped daily at the resturant. I used to prep lobster, scallops, and cleaned the shrimps myself. Eat the seafood here with confidence. As matter of fact all of the foods here is fresh, well organized and stored well and all of their dishes are excellent. You can't go wrong with any of the items on their menu. Avelino was my personal teppan chef and he made us laugh and even incorporated a magic trick I've never seen. We all have a great time and I was able to talk to everyone in my group. It was such a wonderful evening. A little secret... come here during their lunch hours on weekdays. It's less crowded and their lunch specials is just as good. read more

See all

Pardon my candor, but this place is an absolute $hit hole! Poorly managed, low quality food, and the manager lacks customer service skills, proficiency, and pride of leadership. Please don't go here... you will surly regret it if you do. read more

Genuinely got checked up on every 45 minutes. Not attentive at all. The chef had to buss. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Somethings never change and in this case it's not good. This place is still super busy and still doesn't have enough chefs. We came for a birthday celebration just like most of the restaurant. Seated fairly quickly in the one back dining area that had four stations so 8 tables. All sat within 15 minutes of each other. Server was great - drinks, salads and soups came fast then the wait begins. Our chef was a female that was really dull, no charisma and food was just okay. Meanwhile another 45 minutes passes and the other half of the dining room still waiting for chefs - chaos breaks out when the chef rolls in and goes to a table that hadn't been waiting as long as another- people yelling, managers trying to calm folks down offering whatever they can to diffuse the situation. Bottom line - TELL PEOPLE WHEN THEY CHECK IN THAT ITS GOING TO BE SUPER DELAYED! while our dinner was average time as we expect it having been there before but if chefs call in, adjust better by letting people sit and wait and then blow up causing the whole experience for others to suck. I'm out going forward - for the price tag I'd like to be served in style and appreciated, especially when the experience in the cooking was dull and the outcries were entertaining it was so awkward. read more

Very mediocre food but I think the allure is the name. Super hot inside so come prepared. To me it wasn't worth the price tag, but for the sake of a birthday celebration I had a great time. Just wouldn't be back. Shout out to the employees tho. They were very fun and entertaining and we had a great time. read more

Benihana - San Diego - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Diego, California