I don't understand why this location has such a low rating. The food was terrific. The service was stellar and the chef did a great job not only cooking but entertaining us. This is our second time here, only because it's a bit of a drive. Ignore the ratings and go. You'll have a great time! The only thing I want to add is we don't go during the very busiest time such as late dinner. The other day we went at noon. Go! Enjoy! read more

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Wagyu was delicious! Love the crispy rice appetizer. Salad, soup, stir fry veggies and fried rice were meh. Had to repeatedly ask for items we were supposed to get. Came for happy hour, but Service in the lounge was mediocre and overall overpriced if you are not doing the teppanyaki. read more

Terrible service from hostess & manager. It was so bad, we didn't even order & wound up leaving...

Three strikes you're out! I mentioned to the server that I actually had never seen a lobster so small. SHe said, yeah we get a lot of complaints about the portions being so small! but certainly didn't offer anything to make up for it and I swear the scallops were half the size of any I've ever had. the service was very good but paying almost $500 for dinner for five people! over the top considering the $72 seafood dinner was really worth about half of what we paid, this was my third visit since the opening and the first two were really disappointing. There's other Teppan options in the area. GO THERE! read more

Today I took my family to this fine establishment and was served Vincent and Chef Levi. We had excellent service, great food and fantastic atmosphere. Vincent had excellent customer service and very knowledgeable about the menu. Chef Levi was excellent at his craft and entertaining for my boys, he also made FANTASTIC food. This visit was way past my expectations and I would gladly bring my family back. read more

While I was in Temecula for my birthday weekend stopped in here for dinner and the service was great the hibachi chef was very personable and entertaining. He cracked a few jokes and kept the mood lite. The food came out pretty good and was more than enough. read more

My family and I usually come here for our birthdays and we're always satisfied. The last few times we came our wait time was super long and the food was mediocre. Tonight was definitely the last time any of us will be coming here for our birthday dinners. The food was not worth the price, everything was overcooked. It seems like they raised their prices again and are cutting costs in the restaurant. Even charged us $4 for adding spicy teriyaki sauce to our chicken. Save your money and spend it elsewhere. You can get a much better meal at a steak house or anywhere in Old town. read more

We had a 7 pm reservation for my husbands birthday and arrived around 645pm. The waiting area was already crowded. Around 7pm, I checked in with the hostess to ask when we might be seated and was told we were third in line. About 5 minutes later, the hostess called 3 separate parties of 2, then another 3 person party, without any update or explanation to us. There was no communication afterwards about our status or expected wait time. The waiting area itself was very uncomfortable, it was crowded, and the front door opened frequently, creating a wind tunnel effect where cold air rushed in every time someone entered or exited. After waiting a total of 45 minutes past our reservation time with no updates or acknowledgment, we decided to leave and go elsewhere. Disappointing experience, when having a reservation and expecting basic communication. Hire friendlier hostess that knows customer service. read more

I don't understand why it takes almost an hour to get appetizers in the lounge. There are 2 other tables only 1 other with food. all the cooking is at the tables and we still don't have our appetizers. We were here last week too had dinner reservations came in an a half hour before to have drinks and an appetizer and were told not to order an appetizer because we'd never get it. We got our drinks as we were being called to our table. Service both times was really good. It's not the servers fault. read more

Wow! Visited today, Sunday 12/21. We arrived around 6:30pm and walked out at 10:30pm. Yes, 4 hrs! The 1st hour we waited to be seated. We were told reservations had priority which - fine no problem. Got drinks at the bar in the meantime. Our 1st hint should have been the overwhelmed bartender. He was the only person behind the bar making drinks for people at the bar and the restaurant. Then we were seated by the grill, a nice woman took our drink order and asked if we'd like appetizers. 30 mins later we have drinks and our appetizer. Some time later we place our order. Another 20 mins later we get our onion soup. By this time we are about 2 hrs into our dinner journey with 3 kids in tow- they're doing incredible considering children's short attention/patience span. Finally, chef comes to cook only to find the grill hadn't been turned on and once he tried to turn it on it turned off. We were then asked to sit at another table. At this point we really considered heading elsewhere. Finally, chef is able to begin cooking after getting the grill hot enough. Well, not enough with the staffing issues - they also missed our order of shrimp fried rice so we had to wait for the chef to go get the shrimp. All in all, the customer service and understaffed restaurant issues were very apparent. Our chef was nice, food was overall good, but I'd find it highly unlikely that we'd return. read more

Had diner there for Mother's Day. Grill was broken before we sat down. The cook knew it and the staff. It would keep cutting off and get cold. Rice wasn't able to cook properly. Had to slow cook the chicken so was tough. Salmon never got cooked. Didn't even bring out my daughters food (forgot to bring it out) So for Mother's Day we got bad food and was at the table for way to long waiting on the cook top to work and then waiting for food that never showed up and couldn't eat the salmon that wasn't cooked. The staff was nice enough not to charge for the chicken plate and the salmon out of our bill for a party of 7, but the whole experience was not good at all. Been to this location a few times but will never go back. read more

went in as a party of 2 and were taken to table with other parties, served by nathan (amazing service) , other people at our table had a terrible attitude. VERY rude to the staff. And to the person cooking our food. Had a great time besides the other people at our table just being RUDE ASF to the staff. The poor cook rlly tried his best to be nice and stay in good spirits but the people where rlly beating up this mans energy, told the manager everything was terrible when they didn't even acknowledge the server taking orders and messed up their own food orders, and i even stood up for the staff and said something to let them know they should lower their tone. I have no patience for stupid ass rude people like the people at our table. Some people in this world deserve nothing but shit like them. Thank you nathan and gian, those people were rlly terrible to yall and I AM SORRY . read more

Benihana - Temecula - the people to the left were RUDE ASF !!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Started at the bar and got a drink. The wait for the chef took about 45 mins. They were behind and service was slow. Ana was our server and our chef was Levi. The chef started out great but it fizzled out when he insulted me. Joking or not, nowadays you don't know who you are dealing with. I'm more mindful to keep my cool. To add insult to injury my steak was overcooked, tasteless, & overcooked. Thanks Benihana! read more

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So disappointed. Haven't been to a benihana in a while. Decided to take family, it was not worth $60-$50 plate. I noticed the grill was dirty before they started cooking. The fried rice was bland no flavor at all. We got no grilled veggies. You supposedly pay extra for the "show" but there was no show at all. We never saw the waitress. 2 stars because the steak was actually good. read more

Went there on my birthday with a party of 10. Ian provided the cooking skill, and just the right amount of jokes to keep us entertained. Everyone had fun. read more

Always a fun time going to Benihana. Usually I treat my girlfriend here for date nights. On Valentine's day, we tried their wagyu menu, as we never had A5 wagyu. ITS SO YUMMY!! The only reason I'm leaving 4 stars is due to the hour waits we had the last few visits, even though we had reservations. Other than that, this place is amazing and no complaints! read more

Benihana - Temecula - WAGYU - A5 JAPANESE TOKYO BROIL (5OZ) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Alyssa and Raymond are great! so friendly and attentive, great humor and a great time (: highly recommend read more

Benihana - Temecula - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Great time as usual. Kevin was a great chef - very engaging and great with the kids. Food was great as always, as was the service. In the past the service has been a bit slow at times, but having come back over the months, it has really gotten dialed in now. We will definitely be back! read more

While we waited for our table on of the waitresses walked around and service California rolls. We were seated in a timely manner. The food was delicious and our cook put on the performance that each cook does for each guest. His show was electrifying and very enjoyable. We were too stuffed to get desert. Thank you Benihana read more

Our first experience here was absolutely horrible. We walked in, gave the hostess our name, and told her we had a party of four with one person on the way. Even though the restaurant was completely empty and extremely slow, she refused to seat us until every single person in our party arrived. It made no sense given how dead the place was. I asked if we could at least look at a menu while we waited, and she said she would only give us menus once we were seated. That was the first red flag. The food itself was just mediocre at best. Portions were very small for the price. If you choose the chef's table option, be prepared to pay almost $39 just for chicken yakisoba -- which is totally ridiculous. For a group of four (including one kids meal), our total bill was over $250. Definitely not worth it. I also spoke to the manager hoping to address the situation, but she was no help and came across just as rude. Honestly, it's no surprise the restaurant was empty. Never again. Our first experience was beyond disappointing. read more

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We had a 7pm reservation about a month in advance for our 80 year old grandma's birthday - for 8 people in total, with some who flew in from out of town. When we arrived a few minutes before 7pm, the teenage hostess told us they were "just now seating the 6pm people." I saw crowds lurking outside, and there were people inside still seated, waiting for a chef. When we asked why they double-booked, the teenage hostess said "Oh it's corporate." We decided to head over to the nearby Karl Strauss and were seated promptly right away on the nice patio. Benihana did not call us till 75 minutes later. No one is gonna make an 80 year old wait 75 minutes to celebrate their birthday. We're glad we didn't wait around and were almost done with our meal by the time they called us. I can understand if it was the first month they opened, i.e., they are working out the kinks with staffing. But they need to figure out the double-booking issue. It isn't good to allow people to book reservations and then tell them "Hey we are still seating people that were here an hour before and no we don't know when you will get a table due to limited seating." If you have a special celebration with a crowd of 5-8 or more people, please don't even bother making a reservation. Go somewhere else where they honor your time. read more

This Benihana truly knows what Benihana stands for. I've been a customer since I was a kid and my dad LOVED Benihana it was our weekly outing with our family. He passed away in 2012 and I keep supporting Benihana but every other location is not up to par. Temecula knows what quality, customer service and entertainment is. Thank you for bringing back great memories while I start the same tradition with my son. read more

My daughter and I had a date together for lunch and I must say I keep coming back due to the service and environment. Jazzy the bartender made it extra special for my daughter and I today. Very attentive and constantly checking on us often. Went above and beyond to assure we were taken care of and made cute decorations for St. Paddy's day on our drinks. Highly recommended! read more

Benihana - Temecula - My little date today - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Gian was amazing! He made our food so tasty and has a great sense of humor! Will come back for sure. Jesse was our waiter who was super attentive to our needs and caring. Both of them were wonderful! read more

Benihana - Temecula - The food was tasty and delicious. Gian kept us entertained and has a great sense of humor! Will be coming back for sure! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

We were very disappointed with our recent visit to Benihana. After being promptly seated, we had about an hr wait from the time our food was order to the time the chef came out, only to find that our table wasn't heated and not working. We then had to move to another table, which delayed us even further. By this point, my son was so hungry we had to ask for just white rice and soy sauce to hold him over. While our waitress and chef were both very kind and accommodating, the manager on duty was not. When we had mentioned how long everything had taken, instead of receiving understanding, we were met with attitude by her. Not to mention, the manger even said she would make sure to take care of us, but she did nothing for us, she didnt even visit the table once afterwards. Note, it was not even busy at the time. This left a very negative impression, especially after such a frustrating experience. read more

Sorry for this review without any food pictures of the great food. We had the seafood diablo and wagyu. Trust me when I say that this is the first time in a while the food is perfectly seasoned (thanks Giancarlo). Also the service by RJ was top level. Staff had great personalities and professionalism. read more

Food is good chefs are amazing!!! Customers service is not! Today was my birthday and I was trying to redeem my 50 dlrs gift card and they just came with excuses and didn't help at all whatever I'm also pregnant and I order a plate to take home because I was craving so bad! They forgot to put my rice!!!!!!! I paid 62 dlrs just to take home meat and vegetables which they whole point was my rice! We call and they even said sorry or something just our rice refund and is going to take 6 business day!! If you ask to go Just double or triple check you food!! I'm soooo disappointed read more

I don't believe I'm going back. I e been there twice and the meat ( beef) is so unflavored.

Birthday dinner- 3/25/25 Chef was absolutely horrible. I asked twice for the sauces so I could eat with my rice and shrimp. I finally had to ask the server to bring me some. My colossal shrimp was cut into half and given to another patron at the table because the chef did not bring enough appetizer shrimp out. His timing on cooking was bad. He kept acting like he was "gangster" telling bad jokes. This chef needs to go back to school and concentrate on Cooking! "Get it G?" Vegetables not cooked very well. Left onions to sit on grill after my plate had already been collected. Twice within the last month was bad. Only went this time for my 30 dollar birthday certificate. Save yourself the trip and go to other Benihana's or if in Temecula go to Showgun. Very disappointed. I should have learned from my 1st trip. Manager needs to step up and make things right. PS- a very loud place. read more

Benihana - Temecula - Oh look- Chicken, Shrimp, Rice but where is my Sauce? Junk!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Great Benihana location! Been to many in southern CA and this by far was the best of them. The restaurant was bright, clean, and modernized. The food was cooked well. The wait staff and chef was at the top of their game. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. We got at least 4 drink refills without even asking. I don't eat dairy and the chef was overly accommodating and cheerful to help ensure my request. This may become my new go to for Benihana locations. read more

This review is for people who have never been to a Benihanas before and for informational purposes only. For those that have been to Benihanas or another hibachi experience, you know the drill. I am writing this review because the family next to us got up and left after their meal was served to them. The husband had stated everything was wrong with it and questioning why he's paying $70 for his sloppy-looking plate. So I want to give people a heads up on what to expect. Benihana (and any hibachi show experience) is not a fancy restaurant. It's a potentially fun experience in which you will eat average food and pay a premium for it due to the chefs show. You can expect the food should taste good, but not anything beyond great. read more

We reserved an 8:30pm online and didn't get seated until after 9. After which we sat at the table until 10:15 and a chef hadn't arrived yet. We left at 10:20pm to go to Jack in the box as all the restaurants had closed. The manager apologized and gave us (2) $25 dollar vouchers to come back. (Prices here are super high so it would have barely covered an appetizer). I just gave them to a couple who had waited as long as we had so they could use it. I'm never coming back here to waste time. Do yourself a favor... go to Shogun. Better experience all around. read more

I've been to Benihanas so many times and in most cities. I was starting to lose hope with the overcooked hard rice. Levi was our cook and let me say he's sooooo cute, super friendly and my food was cooked perfectly. Thank you Levi, our table agreed and he should be a model! read more

The food was good as always I got chicken and filet mignon. Might I also add that the yum yum sauce is a blessing from up above that's all I thought about that day I think I cried a little bit as the yum yum sauce covered steak touch my taste buds. The service was normal as usual a guy came and cooked in front of us while making jokes about how I'm chronically on fornite if I use the term emote sadly I laughed so hard I cried at that but other than that amazing. The atmosphere was nice and was dimly lit just how I like it. read more

Benihana used to be one of our go-to restaurants whenever we were in San Diego or Carlsbad, so we were excited to try the new Temecula location -- but unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment. We expected higher prices, but what we didn't expect was poor service and food that didn't meet the standard. The biggest issue was the happy hour policy. We ordered drinks at the bar during happy hour, then were seated at our table. When I went back to the bar to order another drink, I was told we no longer qualified for happy hour pricing just because we had been seated -- which makes no sense, especially considering we were already spending hundreds for our party of four. To top it off, the bar staff and our server were both rude. The only saving grace was the chef -- he was entertaining and gave a great performance. But beyond that, the experience was frustrating and definitely not worth the price. Really disappointed. I don't think we'll be back. If you want a better hibachi experience in the area, I'd recommend trying Shogun instead. read more

First time to this location. Had 5pm reservation on Sunday. Nice location and good use of red. We were about 15min early to the reservation and they took about 10 min to seat us. Staff were friendly. -1 star for the tight seating. Paying $60 a plate squeezed in 9 people to a table so they can get their bang for a buck. -1 for service...VERY slow to get drinks, hardly came back to check on us. Waitress was nice but not attentive. Didn't receive kids drinks until almost the entree. -1 for entertainment. Charles is a nice guy but very quiet and not the hype all the other tables were getting. We paid $300 before tip to be squeezed in like sardines, wait 20min for drinks, and minimal entertainment. Also some of the chicken had blood red all over it. Quite unappetizing. Such a cash cow business. Also you only get a spoonful of ice cream for the $60 a plate. They charge an extra $8.50 for 3 shrimp in the fried rice. read more

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Been here twice now and both times were great. We had a reservation both times so we were sat quickly. The cooks all have their own style and quirks. We did prefer one of the cooks over the other so the taste of food does vary on who you get. I've had the lobster, filet mignon, colossal shrimp, chicken, and scallops. They were all great. They offer five and six course meals so there is something for everyone. read more

Not impressed, and I really wanted to be. I wouldn't go back unless I had to. The only thing that made it remotely enjoyable was our chef, Levi. The portions or quality for the food did not justify the price. 3 stars = 1 for good cleanliness and 2 for Levi. I wanted to add that we had a reservation at 500. We were contacted at 445 that it was ready but we weren't there yet. We arrived a little before 5 and were told we'd get seated when the entire party was present so imagine my surprise when we had to wait 15 more minutes for our table when they arrived at 500 I expected to see a full restaurant but no - maybe 1/4 tables were seated. read more

Ian was a blast!! We loved his voice impersonations, dad jokes, chill demeanor and btw, he can cook (we all know not all chef's food comes out the same). I'd recommend asking for Ian any day of the week and hope you're lucky enough that he is here. read more

I booked a table for two. They quickly took us to our seats and took our order. We waited an hour for our food to arrive, which was really bad service! While we were eating, I realized there were no mushrooms in my dish. When we asked the waiter about it, he said they had run out of mushrooms. We didn't mind that, but it would have been better if they had told us at the start. That's what good customer service is all about. I had great service at Benihana in San Diego, but after this experience in Temecula, I won't be coming back! The service here was terrible, and I can't recommend it. I'm very disappointed. read more