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    Benihana - San Diego

    3.1 (3.5k reviews)
    Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    BENIHANA - SAN DIEGO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Loud
    Happy hour specials

    Recommended Reviews - Benihana - San Diego

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    Kids menu
    Teresa T.

    The food was very good, and our cook and servers were all friendly, fun, and made the experience enjoyable! It definitely has a busy, lively atmosphere and is a fun place to go for the whole hibachi experience. My biggest complaint would be the pricing. It was quite a bit more expensive than some other hibachi restaurants we've been to, although that may just be a California thing! I also noticed the children's meal prices were different from what I had seen online, so it seems like their menus may have been updated recently. I was also a little surprised that the meals only come with white rice and chicken fried rice is an additional upcharge. For the price you're already paying, I personally feel like you should be able to choose between white rice or fried rice without paying extra. Overall, though, the food was delicious, the staff made it fun, and the atmosphere was energetic and entertaining. We had a good experience I'd just be prepared for a pricier meal and a few add-ons!

    Receipt. No tip and manager could not even say sorry went back never came out to say something
    Nancy L.

    Terrible Service. Came here to celebrate my bday family 6 The service was terrible had to ask for water we ordered appetizers and at the same time decided to order our food appetizers all cold .!! We waited for our food for over an hour . No one came to check if we needed water to clean the table I asked for tea refill and never got it . Finally got our plates all 10-15 min apart by the time I got my food I have had it I spoke to the manager told him why we were upset and told him that the amount of food service and quality for the amount charged is absurd and ridiculous he asked how he can make it up . I told him I am not going to take advantage but I do feel the service is was terrible. Manager heard and left never did anything. There goes a bday celebration and to pay over $400 and not even get a glass of water refilled . Never again coming back here very disappointed since I know Benihana's is a staple to SD well known. Customers are not taken care of.

    Shrimp and zucchini appetizer
    Serena G.

    The staff was very friendly and welcoming, and the food was okay. I think our chef may have been a little newer, but overall we still had a nice experience. My biggest disappointment is how much Benihana has changed when it comes to portions versus price. It keeps getting more expensive, but it feels like you're getting less and less food. They used to fill the rice bowls to the top, and the appetizer vegetables used to be a generous portion. Now it feels like you get three shrimp, a couple pieces of zucchini, and much smaller portions overall -- while the bill definitely isn't getting any smaller! I've always liked Benihana and I'll still come back, but I really wish we could hit "rewind" and bring back some of the old Benihana -- the generous portions, the elegant atmosphere, and the experience that made it feel special. ‍ For what you're paying now, the portions should definitely be better.

    Jamie G.

    I been to Benihanas many of time and never experienced this any time we've ever came. Our chef that cooked for us was new you could definitely tell but that wasn't the problem. My husband ordered the Tuna steak (which is what he ALWAYS orders) sesame crusted on the outside. They changed something within the order flavors were not the same. Comes with seared avocado, tomato, onion and edamame that is at underneath. While the chef was cooking we noticed it seared veggies were getting a bit over cooked and burned. When we told the chef he said he said no it's suppose to be like that but if we don't like them as charred then we shouldn't eat it. Whatttt?? That was the response was unreal. You pay a lot of money to go to this restaurant so this response was crazy to hear. My husband did speak with the manager and he did make it right so that was great to see. Also, I tried to claim my $50 birthday reward when I showed the server her response to me was that it's not valid during certain days and times. Since when?!! Email didn't state anything and when I logged in to the portal I didn't see anything either. Don't get me wrong the server was great. But it just overall not a great experience at all.

    Yvette G.

    The food was delicious! Came here with family and friends, the server was very helpful. Definitely would come back again.

    Bill
    Jim E.

    Next to my hotel so stopped in for happy hour dinner, spicy tuna roll, chicken fried rice, cheese burger and fries. Rice and spicy tuna came fast, burger took a little longer, spicy tuna rolls was good and tasted as expected, chicken fried rice was under seasoned, had to add some pepper to spice it up. Burger took a while to arrive, it's a smaller burger, bigger than a slider but not a 1/2 pound burger. Size of the burger was good and it did taste good. Sitting in the lounge area was ok, server was attentive. Price for happy hour menu items was reasonable.

    Express lunch
    Norma D.

    I haven't been in a Benihanas in a very long time. I've been receiving emails about their express lunch specials for $15.95 so I had to try. I upgraded to the filet for $19.95, which was cooked perfectly. Portion size was small but expected for lunch. Chef was great with a sense of humor. The fried rice was premade so highly mediocre. Service was average, no one thanked us for coming in, not even the 2 girls standing at the hostess desk when we left.

    Valet parking
    Jade C.

    Extremely disappointed with the poor time management and customer service at Benihana for Father's Day. We had a 5:00 PM reservation, arrived on time, and encountered massive crowds. ​When checking in, the hostess was incredibly rude. After asking for my name and how many kid menus we needed, she dismissed me. When I asked for an estimated seating time, she rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. When I called her out on the eye-roll, she tried to claim she was just "blinking." ​The manager, Jesus, stepped in and explained they were running behind because tables were staying longer than the usual 1.5 hours. For a major holiday, the restaurant should plan its capacity accordingly instead of overbooking reservations. Waiting 45+ minutes past a reservation time with young children on a schedule is completely unacceptable. ​Shoutout to the second hostess who actually showed empathy, listened to my frustration, and helped cancel our reservation. While 2 out of the 3 staff members I interacted with had good customer service, the overall experience was a failure. What is the point of accepting reservations if you can't honor them? Not a good vibe. Will not be returning. I don't like taking pictures of other people to post without permission. I can't show the crowd.

    Meya B.

    Overall, we had a really good experience, but it definitely wasn't without some bumps along the way. We arrived around 7:50 for our 7:45 reservation and were seated immediately, which was a relief since we were worried about being a few minutes late. Ironically, if we had arrived early, we would've just been waiting even longer. The other couple at our table had been there since 7:10, and the last group had an 8:00 reservation. After we'd all been waiting for close to an hour (almost two hours for the first group), we were told that nearly all of the chefs had to leave because of an emergency, leaving only a couple of chefs cooking at other tables. While emergencies happen and that's understandable, it would've been nice to receive updates sooner instead of wondering what was going on. About an hour and a half after we were seated (roughly two hours for the other group), our chef finally arrived, and honestly, he completely turned the night around. He was energetic, funny, and read the table perfectly. We all agreed we'd rather eat than have a long performance, so he kept the show entertaining while also cooking efficiently. You could tell he was doing his best to make up for the delay, and we really appreciated it. The food was excellent. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and worth the wait, and the two birthday guests in our party were surprised with complimentary lobster tails, which was a really thoughtful gesture that helped salvage the evening. I'm giving four stars because the long wait significantly affected the experience, and after reading other reviews, it seems delays like this aren't uncommon. That said, the staff handled a difficult situation as well as they could, our chef was fantastic, and the food was delicious. I'd definitely come back, I just hope the timing is smoother next time.

    Yummy
    Geronimo T.

    July 13th Saturday Arrived here before the rush. Had reservations for 3:45-4pm for a party of 3. Was greeted and seated! We sat down at our assigned table waiting for our host to arrive. Again, we were the first ones in the restaurant to get seated so I can only think that they were still in preparation to serve their customers. Our host arrived 10 minutes later. Friendly and funny. He took our drink orders as well as choosing the type of meats we wanted to eat. Lobster, steak, chicken and shrimp were selected for the entrees. Our drinks arrived along with the Chef. The Chef was entertaining. He was funny and outgoing while he cooked our meals. Received what we ordered. All was delicous! No complaints! Yummy in my tummy! Had a good time dining at this location. The restaurant was clean and everyone was friendly. Its pricey but well worth it for the entertainment being received. Show and dinner is a great combo. Nice ambiance with the decor. Parking is tight, this restaurant has Valet service that can accomadate a stress free parking experience. Big Kudos to our Chef and Host. Their names are Sean and Jake. I forgot who was who but they were both friendly and funny!! These two made my restaurant experience worth while. Definitely coming back if I am in the area!

    HIBACHI CHATEAUBRIAND* and lobster
    Crystal M.

    Wanted to use my birthday credit, so I had a nice lunch. One thing I have noticed a lot here is the wait even when you have a reservation can be ridiculous by the time the chef gets to your table. The chef this time around was great and made the food tasty. They did increase the prices quite a bit. For the amount they increased, you would think they would put a little into the restaurant. It's looked the same for decades.

    DELUXE TREAT - steak & lobster
    Michelle K.

    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!

    Chef
    Michele M.

    We decided to try Benihana because of an email I received about their new power lunch which is guaranteed in a window of 45 minutes or lunch is on them. The prices were 15.95 for chicken, shrimp, or tofu. And 19.95 for filet or NY strip. All lunches come with soup or salad and fried rice. I ordered the chicken and my friend ordered the shrimp. The chef comes out and cooks the protein on the grill. A little show but no onion volcano or anything fancy. The fried rice is brought out in a bowl which is fine with me. All proteins are served with the zucchini and onions. My chicken also came with mushrooms which was delicious. Overall the portion size was just right, except I did have half a bowl of fried rice left. So for $15.95, we feel like it was a really good meal for a great deal. Soft drinks were $5 a piece so that wasn't such a great deal. Service was awesome and friendly. The restaurant was clean and cool. We were out in less than an hour.

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    1 month ago

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    Isabella was such a great server! Very helpful full and sweet, offered us refills without needing to ask her.

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    Page 1 of 88

    Benihana - San Diego Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Benihana - San Diego

    How long will they hold a reservation?

    Honestly, even if you get a reservation at a certain time, you will have to wait 30-40 minutes to get seated. Another 30 minutes to get your chef and food. On weekends, reservations are highly recommended, as they will not take any walk-ins. Only… 

    What time does dinner start?

    I believe it is 4PM.

    Bar or standard?

    They have a bar (for drinks and sushi) and dining areas for hibachi and other orders.

    Is a standard table a teppan grill when booking on open table?

    Oooh! i am not sure about that. I had called to make a reservation.

    Has anyone gotten a response from "benihanalistens.smg.com/"? It's been a month and still NOTHING.…

    Nope. I contacted them months ago, as did my husband in a separate message and neither of us ever received any sort of response. It's too bad because we used to go several times a year for celebrations, but we'll probably never go back.

    Do they answer their phone ever?

    If you're lucky, but don't even bother going even if they do answer.

    What is the best way to make a reservation? I tried calling but there was no answer. Just an endless loop. Are walk-ins cool or maybe an online reservation system?

    You can make reservations on Open Table

    Is there a limit for reservation size?

    No limit that I've been told.

    I've been calling Benihana multiple times a day since Friday to get in touch with someone re: my reservation. Option 1 & 0 don't work. Just keeps ringing & ringing, can't lvm. HELP?

    Same thing happened to me except with option 0 someone picked up the phone but no one was talking. I can just hear people in the background. Extremely frustrating!

    How is the parking?

    No issues with parking. Didn't notice if they had valet but self park is more than enough.

    Do they have the lunch special on weekends?

    No.

    Question on the using the $30 birthday certificate. Your party has to order at least $30 worth of food and then the certificate will cover your $30 order? So basically buy one get one free.

    Yes, it's more BoGo than free. As long as you order any adult entree, the next $30 will be free (can be another adult entree, sides, sushi rolls, or desserts).… 

    Are the teppanyaki service available during covid or just right go?

    Not when we were there three weeks ago.

    Is the dining area open right now?

    We were there last week and they had indoor dining only. They were spacing people out and there was quite a wait. I would have preferred outdoor dining. They are set up for that but they were not using it.

    Is there yum yum sauce here?

    If you're talking about the ginger and mustard sauces then yes there are two yum yum sauces there!

    How is it eating at the bar?

    Great. It is a fantastic experience.

    What time is happy hour? Weekends?

    Believe it ends at 630 and doesn't include weekends, Friday -Sunday

    Is there a bar?

    Yes, there’s a bar and their happy hour is great!

    How many people can their teppanyaki table seats?

    The ideal number is 8. However, they can fit as many as 12, but it's awfully cramped. I was part of a group of 10, and as long as some of us sat to our side like a crowded blackjack table at a casino, we were alright.

    What are the prices of the hibachi chicken and the hibachi chicken rice with the the teppanyaki show? And without?

    the HIBACHI CHICKEN with Chicken breast and mushrooms grilled with butter and sesame seeds is for dinner $20.80. The HIBACHI CHICKEN RICE bowl which is an original Benihana classic, has Grilled chicken, rice, egg and chopped vegetables with garlic… 

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    Tabu Shabu - North Park - Outside

    Tabu Shabu - North Park

    4.6(731 reviews)
    2.2 mi•North Park
    •$$
    Healthy dining

    The food was amazing. everyone here is so kind and we had The perfect amount of food for our family…read moreof six. The service was excellent and I don't know what ambiance means.

    Great service. We…read moreloved this a few months ago and came back. Immediately when we walked in a manager we recognized said "welcome back". Let me tell you.... When you only ate somewhere once but they remember you that makes you want to keep coming back! One big draw for me is the kids meal and options/service for kids. If a kid is under 7 they don't charge for them to split your meal with you and they can still get their own soup bowl and chair. Also, they have a kids meal option for 10 and under. My kids absolutely love being treated like real customers. They get to cook their own food and the team addresses them kindly and tends to them. By the nature of this type of meal there is a decent amount of checking in the waitstaff has to do like adjusting cook temps, delivering plates and drinks, coming back for add ons etc so it is a good restaurant experience for kids. They even have high high chairs (not a typo) for the babies. The food is good. Everything is prepped to order... you can literally see people slicing your meat or putting your vegetables together in the back. I come here because I want quality and not the volume of an ACYE place. I'd prefer to spend my calories wisely. I was surprised that it was full but no wait on a weekday. It's hard to find somewhere with a vibe on a weekday but this place has one. It's a short drive from the zoo and Balboa park so I'm sure the team will see us again.

    Photos
    Tabu Shabu - North Park - Wagyu short rib

    Wagyu short rib

    Tabu Shabu - North Park
    Tabu Shabu - North Park

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    Besthibachi

    Besthibachi

    2.9(53 reviews)
    3.5 mi•East Village, Core

    Decided to do a stay cation this weekend and at about midnight we had a craving for hibachi…read more Stoked to find out this place was two blocks from where we were staying. First, this concept is awesome. I wish this was a more Common chain and they had one in north county because i would be all over it! Anyways, I'm not sure if it was a slow evening but at first we thought they might not have been open. All of their TV's were off and the dining room was empty, but the door was open so we went for it! We ordered a combo of NY strip and chicken It was about a 10 minute wait, got our food and walked back to the room to eat. This was delicious. We shared a plate and thank goodness we did because the portioning was great! The fried rice was delish. The NY strip was perfect and the yum yum sauce was great! I couldn't tell if it was the chicken or the veggies but something was a little salty, but overall it was delicious. I will definitely go back! Thanks for the great food!

    Thought I'd give this place a chance even though it's always dead but was not a fan…read more The chicken itself was fine, but everything tasted overwhelmingly like butter. Also when I lifted the rice and vegetables, there was about an inch of sauce pooled at the bottom of the container, which left the rice soggy and the vegetables drenched. Unfortunately, I wouldn't order this agai

    Photos
    Besthibachi - Kitchen preparation area

    Kitchen preparation area

    Besthibachi - A very sad and overpriced side of lobster.

    A very sad and overpriced side of lobster.

    Besthibachi - Shrimp side order

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    Shrimp side order

    Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ

    Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ

    4.3(685 reviews)
    3.6 mi•Kearny Mesa
    •$$$

    Came here to celebrate my birthday and had such a wonderful time! It was my first time here and we…read moretruly enjoyed our meal and service. The meat choices here are great quality and the service was A+! I look forward to our next time back here!!

    Incredible Kobe, but disappointing service for a birthday…read more We came here to celebrate a birthday with a party of 6. The interior is beautiful and intimate,perfect for a celebration. The self-cooking process and tablet ordering service was explained clearly to us from the start. The meat quality here is exceptional. We ordered both the Family Wagyu Platter and the Family Prime Kobe Platter. While both were delicious, the Kobe was the absolute standout and so good that we ended up ordering a second platter of it. My nephew enjoyed his meal immensely. Unfortunately, the service didn't match the quality of the food and ruined the mood for our celebration. When the second half of our party arrived, there was a confusing mix-up, and the staff actually sent my 10-year-old nephew outside to wait on the sidewalk. To cap things off, they completely forgot the complimentary birthday dessert we were promised. The food is easily a 4/5, but because of the safety oversight with my nephew and the forgotten birthday treat, I'm giving this a 3-star rating. It's a great spot for the meat, but the hospitality needs a lot of work.

    Photos
    Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ - This is where you cook your prime rib at your own table just the way you like it

    This is where you cook your prime rib at your own table just the way you like it

    Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ - Family Set

    Family Set

    Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ - Family Combo

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    Family Combo

    Benihana - San Diego - sushi - Updated September 2026

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