We were a group of 6 with two kids, and Farouk was very friendly, patient, and attentive-especially with the kids as we encouraged them to order on their own. He made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. When one of the kids accidentally dropped his birthday ice cream dessert, Farouk immediately brought out a new one, which we really appreciated. He even gave the kids memorabilia cups, which made their day. The kids really had fun and enjoy birthday celebration there. read more

Food was good. But came to the 45 min power lunch definitely was in there for almost two hours, and it says in the fine print that if they don't have it done in 45 lunch is on them and I still paid. So I will be calling corporate. They were short staffed, the hostess had a bad attitude. An employee who was coming for the evening shift road her electric scooter inside the restaurant like all the way to the back. That is so ghetto and unprofessional. The smell when you walk in reeks of urine it literally smells like outside. So disappointed and I'm not sure if he was the general manager or the owner but he was a black man and as a black woman this makes my skin crawl. Like due your due diligence as a manager or an owner making our people look bad. Terrible, terrible, terrible. Will not be coming back to this location at all, and would love to because I'm a local but never again. Also, my server didn't know what the matcha mist drink was, I have been ordering that for years. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Can't believe I'm writing a review for Benihana lol but here we are. Came to get a $200 gift card for someone who requested it. Waited 30 minutes before leaving without a gift card. The hostesses said only the manager knew how to do gift cards despite them running a literal gift card promotion and having a giant sign for it right in the entry way. They said they would ask the manager to come out of the back multiple times, but every time they returned to the hostess stand they just ignored me instead of saying something like, "I let the manager know you're waiting." So literally no clue if they even told the manager or not but I got tired of standing in the crowded entrance. Big zero stars from me and what you would expect from a literal Benihana chain. read more

Came here on Sunday for lunch with the family. Friendly staff and delicious food. Would come back. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I have a like-hate relationship with Benihana. I'm usually forced here for family celebration dinners like birthday for my young nephews, kicking and screaming but once I'm there, the food is of course decadent and worth the diet splurge because it IS tasty (thanks to the troves of butter they put into every dish). But what becomes increasingly more tiresome is how bad the host stand operates, and in turn the wait. This last visit a few weekends ago, we were shocked, all 3 hosts were away from the stand for a good 10+ minutes, then meandered back looking out-of-it and completely unapologetic. A young blond girl was leading the pack (the other 2 were guys). I always like to give staff the benefit of the doubt if they're maybe swamped, but all 3 at once? We joked they probably were out back smoking together given they returned at such a glacial pace with no sense of urgency. I don't recall the last time a Benihana reservation is ever seated on time or food not service at least an hour after you've been seated, so make your reservation time accordingly, but know that they check you in only after your entire party arrives. From there, expect more waiting. Our dinner was a bit out of whack- we couldn't believe how long we had to wait for our chef (with kids in tow this wait becomes even more unbearable) and they completely forgot our onion soup until I asked. Also as expected the entire establishment is dingy/unkempt and bathroom, etc. is what you expect: sticky, messy. But, shout out to our server Johannes who was at least trying hard, and he was nice to us, and did get us our sake bottles in a timely fashion (and was kind enough to offer an ice bucket unprompted) as we tried to take some of the edge off for the adults. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Wagyu options: Japanese, American, Australian - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION. It needs a complete revamp. As soon as I walked through those doors I noticed a dingy smell. It smelled like a dusty old dive bar. I immediately wished I would've went somewhere different for my birthday. The place is covered in old carpet that needs to be replaced. We were sat towards the back and I noticed a cross smell. It was the bathroom! Could literally get words of the restroom. It was gross. The place is so dark too. Doesn't not look like a high end restaurant at all for what they charge folks. They packed the table too tight. The food was good but nothing spectacular. The chefs didn't do as fun stuff like they used too. Like tossing the shrimp tails and other tricks. read more

This is a great spot to stop by whenever you're in Santa Monica. I like to come here after a walk on the pier. Ambience is chill. You usually end up making friends with people in your table .The service is great, the staff is friendly, and the food is always yummy! read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Noodles - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Honestly, I've never written a review like this in my life, but I had to say something. We had a BIRTHDAY reservation and waited an hour to be seated and ended up having to leave because we were going to miss another reservation that we had later on in the night. The hostess was honestly a little rude and was not apologetic in the slightest. Leo, the waiter was really nice though and I actually gave him a 10 out of 10 and he should get a raise. You'd think because John Lennon and Yoko Ono ate there that it would be a little bit more of an organized establishment. read more

We had a reservation for a party of 10, to celebrate my daughter's 8th grade culmination. The restaurant was packed with large parties and seemed to be understaffed that day, so they were about an hour behind on reservations. We had an amazing experience nonetheless! Our server, Mika, and chef Andre were WONDERFUL!! Service was out of this world, for the day to be so hectic. They handled it wonderfully, and did not miss a beat. Of course the food was great as well. The manager, Jaime, also came to our table to apologize for the wait and made sure that we were able to enjoy our special occasion. Always my favorite Beni location! Thank you all. We'll be back soon. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - prickly pear marg + Las Vegas roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

5:45 reservation on Saturday evening. Absolute chaos, tons of people waiting. At 6:10, they tell us "it will be a while" Ugh - we left hungry. An example of the infamous Seinfeld "you just can't -keep- the reservation" episode. read more

Benihana? More like Beni-I-don't-wanna. Took my triplet daughters here for their birthday thinking it would be a lovely experience -- dinner and a show! Right? Wrong! Our experience started off unpleasantly when the chuddy boy at the front desk with his flippant attitude disrespected my kind sweet birthday daughters. From there, the chef's performance was good but very very short. I did love the his jokes though, that butterfly one made me LOL. I'd also like to note that yum yum sauce was not readily available, they basically had it under lock and key - why was that? Was there a shortage? Is it made of gold? One would assume! The cherry on top was when I got the bill. My already intellectually challenged daughters can say goodbye to any hope for their futures after I basically spent their college tuition on fried rice upgrades. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous. Such a scam but probably would also return. Cheers, George read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Who doesn't love dinner and a show! This place is perfect to celebrate those milestones. They have great menu options and everyone leaves feeling satisfied. We had the best time celebrating a birthday and the chef was very attentive and fun. During the week it may be a little dead, but it made it easier to walk in and eat. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I came to Benihana Santa Monica for my birthday dinner with my daughter, expecting the same quality and experience I've had at other locations--especially the San Francisco one. Unfortunately, this visit didn't quite measure up. The food was decent--nothing spectacular, but acceptable for a teppanyaki-style meal. I had the trio, which was cooked well, and my daughter enjoyed the edamame and tempura appetizer. The classic Benihana grill performance was entertaining as always and a highlight. Where this location really shined was the service. Both our server and chef were warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, which made the evening feel special despite other shortcomings. The biggest letdown was the ambience. The interior feels very dated--like it hasn't been updated since the '90s--and lacks the polish you might expect in a Santa Monica dining spot. A remodel would go a long way in refreshing the space and matching the level of service provided. All in all, it was an enjoyable dinner, mostly thanks to the staff and the experience for my daughter--but I wouldn't rush back to this location unless it gets a much-needed facelift. read more

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Horrible experience, and unfortunately far beyond benefit of the doubt The rundown: 6pm - Entire party arrived for our on time reservation. 6:30pm - Seated 7pm - Order finally taken 7:30pm - 2 tables that were seated far after we were had received their chefs! Umm, what? 8:30pm - chef finally arrived the moment were ready to walk out. THAT'S 2.5 HOURS AFTER RESERVATION, AND 1.5 HOURS AFTER ORDER TAKEN. To add insult to injury, we were celebrating 3 birthdays and had 3 excited (and hungry) kids with us so with the ridiculous wait time aside, we still looked forward to the true Benihana fun and engaging and charismatic experience. NONE of that happened. Our chef was nice but not welcoming, barely engaged even after our efforts with him. He was quiet and did absolutely ZERO Benihana cooking tricks or any sort of entertainment whatsoever. No excitement, no play, and most importantly you could tell he just didn't care to even try :( There was no communication. He was unprepared - left a couple times to get items he was missing. When we asked for the usual side sauces he said he was out, but the table next to us had plenty? And didn't call over anyone to get some for us. Although chef, staff, and management were all aware we were celebrating 3 birthdays, there was no singing, no candles, no nothing. After all this, the Manager was never to be found and in the moments he was there he barely apologized or made any efforts to explain or make anything better. THAT was the final burn. We were all willing to understand any mishaps and move on as no one is perfect all the time, but he didn't offer any consolation, explanation, or sincere apologies. According to the staff, none of them have been happy with the manager so that says a lot. Anyway, we kept our spirits up as much as possible but in the end all very disappointed to not have had the true Benihana experience we know and love, especially on our birthdays. I would not come back but if anything next time I'd research a location with a tried and true manager that cares. read more

I hate that I have to give this location another bad review. But they just refuse to do better. Ordering from the app when you change anything you will come up short. They don't put the garlic butter in the rice. Now we know that's where the flavor comes from. If you order the rice without onions there are no vegetables. Makes no sense. Dry rice after spending $80 and they only put 1 garlic butter in the bag for 4 servings... The take out service is bad, too. They leave the bags unattended at the desk. The walk over and give them to you and don't wait to see if you need anything else. But they expect a tip. Make it make sense. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Receipt - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Today we had the pleasure of going to Benihana in Santa Monica. We were seated it was nine of us and we got a waiter named Joseph Joseph was simply amazing he catered to all of us he was very optative and kept coming back and checking on us which we loved. Our chef was Jerry he was amazing seasoned the food to perfection use ample garlic butter in our food as we requested and was friendly and it just was a good time. The restaurant was quiet for Saturday at 3:30 and we had just came from a graduation so I knew they probably were gonna get busy a little later there are several graduations today but the restaurant was nice the service was really good and the food was good the drinks were amazing. Good job Benihana read more

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Came here for my birthday dinner and it was everything I hoped for! I'd been wanting to do a hibachi-style dinner for a while, and my girlfriend and friend helped organize the evening -- they absolutely nailed it. We had a party of seven, and the energy at the table was amazing. Our chef was entertaining, the food was delicious, and the signature Benihana theatrics -- from the flying shrimp to the flaming onion volcano -- were on full display. It's such a fun and interactive experience, perfect for celebrations. We started off with the miso soup and salad, and I ordered some spicy edamame on the side (highly recommend!). Everyone went for the hibachi steak or shrimp with fried rice, and everything came out flavorful and perfectly cooked. The drinks were great too -- we shared one of their giant cocktails, the Rocky's Margarita, which was both strong and refreshing. The staff made the night even better -- they surprised me with free ice cream and sang happy birthday. It was such a wholesome and memorable experience. All in all, Benihana Santa Monica delivered on every front: great food, great service, and great vibes. I left full, happy, and already planning my next visit. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Had the worst Benihana experience ever here. Our reservation was for 8:15. We probably got seated at around 8:35 or 8:40. After getting seated, maybe 10 minutes later our server comes up to show the specialty wagyu meats they're trying to upsell. It's so loud in there, he's wasting breath and time because we can't even hear him. Comes back another 10 minutes later to take our drink orders only(we could have ordered...), comes back with drinks 10 minutes later. Then has to go get straws. We finally get our orders taken at 9:08. We didn't get a chef cooking at our table until 9:40. Then my friend was served steak that was clearly rare(she asked for med rare). She couldn't even eat it. The onion soup I normally love from Benihana was flavorless here. Everything was lacking and underwhelming. This was an insanely expensive meal to be such a huge disappointment and massive waste of time. We weren't leaving the restaurant until around 10:30. I normally love Benihana, but our experience at this location was an absolute disaster. And after looking through some other reviews... my experience seems to be a common one here. I would never come back. read more

Benihana is definitely a fun experience that everyone should try at least once, which is why I took my partner, he had never been before. Our reservation was at 7:30 PM, and we didn't finish until around 9:30 PM. Our whole table ended up waiting a long time, and the couple next to us actually left because it was taking so long. The food was good, but the service was really slow, even when it came time to get the check. It didn't seem that busy--the restaurant wasn't full, with many empty sections--but the long wait left the rest of our table pretty unhappy as well. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Benihana in Santa Monica is my number 1 Spot can't speak for other locations. This place I visited on all birthdays and special occasions and celebrations love Hibachi and chicken and shrimp meal and course stem fried I highly recommend recommending Santa Monica location and Arcade LA county . read more

This is a fun restaurant experience for a family and will appeal to multiple generations. We go as a special occasion spot - for our kiddos birthday dinner or if family is visiting from out of town. It's a unique experience of having a giant heated grill and chef cook right in front of you and the chefs are usually quite personable. Depending on which chef you get, it can be quite entertaining with different chefs adapting their cooking routines. Food is decent but you really come here to be entertained by the atmosphere. My kiddo loves it and I'm sure will be practicing his Benihana cooking skills for the next week or so. He takes the paper hat they give out and literally tries to flip food into it. Jaime was our host during the check out, and he was incredibly kind and accommodating to our family. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

You can't beat a classic like Benihana I went for my birthday this year with my $30 coupon. If you haven't signed up for this deal it's definitely worth it. The food is freshly prepared and always delicious and of course you enjoy the show always enjoyable and always a great deal for those taking you out since you're meal is basically free. I always go home with lots of leftovers which are a welcome lunch the next day. Yum Yum.. read more

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Benihana's are place that is fun to experience one time or if you had kids but that's about it. They're known for their exciting and enthusiastic service which I think is fun to experience. However, the food itself isn't particularly notable. Especially considering the price, the food is okay. The most tasty dish was the chicken fried rice. Unfortunately, as you can see in the photo, the amount of chicken compared to the rice was awful. I think each person got like a teaspoon of chicken. We also enjoyed the soup and salad. Everything else (vegetables, shrimp, steak) was just okay. Not sure if you have to ask for green tea (included in the special) but they didn't serve it to us. Despite the time it took between each dish (it's made in front of you so it took a while) and all the appetizers, my partner and I left still feeling like we could eat more. It's a good place to experience once and hang out with friends but it's not a place to go for the food. read more

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Had a great time at Benihana. Marlon, Cher, and Kevin gave us the best customer service! The chef put on a great show--fun, lively, and delicious. The fried rice and steak were perfectly cooked, and the atmosphere made it a fun evening out with friends. Drinks were also delicious!!! Definitely coming back. read more

My daughter's WEDDING dinner was a nightmare . Reservation at 620 sat at 720. Waitress shows up 8 minutes after being sat. Back 13 minutes later. No chef took our order for 48 minutes we sat. Girl came back 4x saying he's coming in 4 minutes. I told her stop telling us that. It's been 4 times. I complain they come by with scratch off coupons for next visit. What a joke. We were there 3+ hours received no discounts and missed the rest of the night activities. Management is a JOKE. Been in restaurant business for 30+ years all those managers should be fired! NEVER GOING BACK. They ruined the entire evening. Can't have a do over on a wedding dinner or get back the time we missed. I'm so disgusted read more

This restaurant is not what it use to be. We went for my son's 16th bday and were disappointed with the cleanliness of the establishment. Bathroom was filthy and the carpet seemed like it hasn't been cleaned is years. The food was just ok. Way too much butter and salt. This restaurant definitely lost its charm! Very expensive too. read more

Came here on my birthday. I had been here before in the past and it was great but the managers today were super unorganized. We had checked in early and had mentioned our entire party was here (we weren't waiting on anyone else to show up later). Yet they tell us 10 minutes after our reservation time that we were only partially checked in. Then the manager working the front forgot our reservation entirely. Not to mention they let in a family with a DOG at the food table. Wasn't a service dog or anything either. All of the walk-ins had seated before us. However Israel (our chef) and Caesar (our waiter) were genuinely awesome. Their hospitality and service was impeccable that it turned our night around for the better. Genuinely kudos to them and they deserve a raise. Made my birthday enjoyable. The food Israel prepared us was amazing. Everything was perfectly seasoned and was simply food you could never stop thinking about. read more

understaffed extremely slow service if they are understaffed, they should limit their reservations but instead, they pack in customers and make them wait for a long time Poor management with no apologies Unacceptable & extremely unprofessional read more

Very slow service. I ordered rice to-go (specifically curbside) and after it was 20 minutes late and I'd been on hold for 10, I went inside to retrieve my order and it still wasn't ready. Their system gave me a time it would've ready and it wasn't done until far after, and it was only rice. Not efficient. The portions are very small as well. See photos. read more

Racism is at an all time high & is shoved in your face with so much ego & pride in this day & age. The manager George was completely unprofessional & was blatantly dismissive towards my group of black professionals with our concerns of long wait times of taking our order, although arrived earlier & not receiving our correct orders when we finally received them. Steer clear of this location if you want to be treated fairly. I'll be talking with Caroline this week about this matter. O I forgot to mention, Caroline is the mayor of Santa Monica read more

Amazing service at the bar first waiting for my fiends to come and then the chef Nemesio was so great !!! I really enjoyed my fried rice I forgot my left overs lmao but anyways it was a great birthday dinner !!!!! read more

Ordered catering with the combination packages. Hibachi chicken fried rice was missing & when transferred to the manager he tried to tell me it came with white rice. Nowhere in the website states the combination packages come w/ white rice. Even if it was white rice, there was still no rice. I was given the reason that food was still in the kitchen when the driver came. Shouldn't the take out person check the bags with the ticket before giving it out?????? Used to work in a restaurant & that was the protocol. Food came almost an hour late just for the rice to be missing. Our only options were to get credit in their restaurant. (Turned off from ever going to that location) or for US to pick it up at their location (which was 30 mins each way). The only good thing is we got a partial refund, but should've read the reviews before choosing this location. We actually found out ALSO the onion soup is missing but it's pointless calling the restaurant. read more

I wish I read the comments before. Reservation at 5, the seated us at 5:30, we had our soft drink at 6pm, they started with a soup that tasted like from a ramen package, powdered blend and truly disappointing, the salad looked so horrible, not even McDonald's would serve a salad like that, gross tasting. Never had a waitress ask to refill my drink. I would not recommend, specially when you have a hungry child. Bad service bad everything and FREEZING COLD!!! read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Powdered packaged soup with old salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

First time going to a hibachi restaurant in the US. I made an appointment for 8:45, checked in at 8:47 with the host and was guided to our seats with some other customers 15min later. The ambiance was a chill, dark, vibe but made it fun because of the friendly chefs doing little tricks while cooking. All of the employees were nice. As for the food, we ordered: - Benihana punch: sweet alcoholic drink that's very pineapple juice dominated. Yummy - raspberry lemonade - ponzu & chili yellowtail: not my favorite, very little yellowtail for the price of being $18 - chicken fried rice: had a nice aroma from the butter they use, good flavors overall - surf side: scallop, calamari, and colossal shrimp. shrimp was a bit overcooked - Benihana special: steak was tender, although asked for medium rare but got medium. lobster was also yummy with a nice smokey flavor but a bit overcooked Everything was cooked well! I especially recommend the chicken fried rice and the Benihana special that came with lobster and the Benihana steak, which was tender. Only thing is they forgot about the white rice with our entree and had to remind them towards the end when everything was served.. The bill came out to be very close to $200, so it is most certainly on the high end side. This price definitely includes the experience of the chefs entertaining you! It is a nice place to visit for celebrations like birthdays as it is a fun, moderately loud dinner spot! read more

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The food was incredible and our chef was great! Love the 50 dollars they give you on your birthday. There was a mishap with allergies and the host. It took a bit longer than I thought to get situated and fine the right wait staff. Other than that it was delicious. read more

Benihana - Santa Monica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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On the first day of 2025, we celebrated life at Benihana. The food was delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed the show put on by the chef. One person in our party had a birthday, and the staff celebrated with a song and a special treat. The atmosphere is very family-friendly, and this location even has a second-level bar. There is 90 minutes of free parking available across the street. The prices are a bit high, averaging around $50 per person, excluding drinks. Overall, it was a fun experience! Additionally, a staff member came by, took a picture of us, and placed it in a frame for us to keep. read more

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My husband and I haven't been to a Benihana in awhile and since we live locally and wanted dinner "and a show," decided to come here. We made reservations and were waiting to be seated. It's apparent that they are still very very busy/packed, but seem extremely understaffed. We were seated a little later than our allotted time, but didn't get our drinks and orders taken until later. And after even more time passes, our chef finally got to us to start cooking. This is really no fault to staff, it's the owner or manager's fault. Everyone is so busy running around and waiting on these large groups that it's no wonder some people get frustrated. The seating is a little too tight. I wish they would give more people elbow room. But the food remained the same. It was fine. The restaurant badly needs an update. It's so dark and musty inside. I think next time I want teppanyaki, I will go elsewhere. read more

Benihana truly made our night unforgettable. My daughter is a very picky eater, and going out to eat can usually be stressful for us as parents. But Adrian, our chef, went so far above and beyond to make her feel comfortable, included, and excited about her food. He was patient, kind, and genuinely attentive to her preferences -- something that made all the difference. Not only did she eat happily (which is rare!), but now she keeps asking to go back... so I guess we're in trouble . But honestly, as a parent, seeing your child enjoy a meal and feel cared for is priceless. If you're a parent with a picky eater, this is the place. The experience, the service, and the heart Adrian brought to the table made this a win for our whole family. Thank you so much to Adrian and the entire Benihana team -- we truly can't thank you enough. We'll definitely be back (probably very soon!). read more

Worst Benihana I've gone to. Waited hour and a half for take out order mind you we did it over phone. Got there only two tables being serviced and still had employees walking around not even acknowledging clients in front. To top it off when they finally did give our order half our order was missing. Never coming again read more

Ordered on the website. They used DoorDash. The food was terrible for such a high price. It was ice cold. The Steak was overcooked, there were no sauces. DoorDash tells you to contact the restaurant for any issues. I was unable to reach the staff. Do not order online, there is no recourse for customers with issues. Everything was cold! They shouldn't offer delivery. read more