Benihana

I go to this restaurant about once a month. Usually the service is great. And when your paying good money thats what you should expect. This time everything went wrong. First off its my girlfriends birthday. We get seated as normal. Get our drinks. Get our soups. Then next to us a table is now being seated. We get our salads. And then i notice the table that was seated 20 minutes after us already has a chef. This was not a good feeling. We waited almost an hr to actually get a chef to our table. Then he said is everyone okay with no show then i can feed you faster. My girlfriend was upset because she loves seeing the show. She speaks up and says something. Still he gave a very very quick show. Just enough. Everything was cooked all at the same time. Pretty much made me feel like i was being rushed like at SHOGUN KOBE. Then even though we told the waitress it was my girlfriends birthday we were the only table the staff did not sing to. This was a very disappointing trip to say the least. Hopefully someone sees this and reaches out to me because this was horrible service and you better then that and i deserve compensation for a horrible experience

Best Restaurant IN town.. this is my son’s favorite place. prices has gone up but it’s worth the price

Love this place.
We had an amazing experience with chef Pedro, he was very friendly and went out of his way to make our party extra special.

Every time I come here service & food is really good ! Cooks are funny & it’s pretty cool you can actually make reservations! Not to mention they give 40 $ credit towards your bill on your birthday month! ! One thing I suggest t i just be a little more aware on how customers get seated .
Me & my boyfriend had to sit next to another couple that were arguing and just killing our vibe !!

Everything you would expect! You must have the filet mignon… super tender and tasty at medium well… much better than the hibachi steak… great food, service… apple saki is very good!

I haven’t been here since I was a kid and it’s pretty much everything I remember it to be. We had reservations for 4 people and was promptly seated when we arrived. Our server Yuki was very attentive and was always around to refill our drinks. Our chef Miguel was funny and entertaining. Although I must say I was hoping that some of the chefs put a spin on the standard teppanyaki jokes. I heard about 4 other chefs giving out the same jokes but Miguel was funny nonetheless.
Everyone except for myself ordered the Rocky Special (6 course meal). Of course I went against the grain and got chicken and shrimp but I was happy with my choice. We all ordered a shrimp crunchy roll which was pretty much standard issue in terms of taste. Soup ok, salad ok, shrimp appetizer ok, chicken fried rice was full of garlic and butter just the way I like it, onion and zucchini as your only vegg is a let down, chicken ok, shrimp ok. So all in all, everything was ok.
I didn’t mind the price of the meal as I know I’m paying extra for the show. The manager actually gave us $ 10 off if we filled out on online survey which I was happy to do and took less than 5 minutes. So with everything, it was around $ 50 a person including tip which was fair since I got some really good service from the chef and the server.
My gripes are with the facility itself. Considering their prices, I would think they would make enough overhead to hook the place up. The hibachis were so close chefs had to work back to back sometimes. I wouldn’t want to cook with someone grinding on my behind. Hibachis themselves looked kind of old and the floors were either wet or greasy throughout the whole night.

Last night was my first time here, celebrating a niece’s birthday. We fit a party of 10 at a table. You have to make a reservation to be seated at a chef’s table, otherwise you sit at whatever «regular» take is available and they don’t seat you unless your entire party is present. I split an entrée with my mom and daughter. Though my daughter behaved pretty well, this is not a place for antsy toddlers.
Entrees come with salad, soup, veggies, shrimp, and steamed rice. Plenty of food! The only thing that bothered me is that they cook with so much salt and butter! My mom has high blood pressure and I have pancreatitis, so this is definitely not a meal (Yakisoba, $ 19.5) for someone who has to keep a low sodium or extremely low fat diet. I didn’t explore the menu too much so there could be healthier options. (We should have gone with the sushi.) The benihana lemonade was tasty but too syrupy/​sweet so I just added some water. The green tea ice cream was yummy at the end.
The chef was entertaining but not dynamic. Other tables looked more fun. I’ve always wanted to come here because of all the cool things I’ve heard about it but I’m kinda over it now. Also, I think if I didn’t have such a particular diet, I would have enjoyed it more.
Lastly, I slipped about 3 times, in the same place, wearing flats. I suggest they keep all closer eye on their floors.

Excellent Evening … Robert took such Good care of our party of 11 guests. Celebrating my husband’s birthday with family and friends we had a Fantastic evening. Excellent food and our service was First Class. We love Benihana’s and we will recommend this to our family and friends that were unable to join us tonight. We will be back soon. Thanks for our delicious Meal, Drinks and Service.
C. Lovejoy
Alpine, CA.

I have been here a few times before, it has changed over the years and not for the better.
First off the floors where dirty and the servers were too. Maybe the staff could wear aprons and change from time to time, sloppy dress from my prospective.. Chef’s were entertaining as usual but the food was mediocre at best. Steaks were tuff and my ahi was a poor cut and grade. I have much better food at PF Changs but of course without the entertainment.
It was my wife’s birthday and she was disappointed. She said she would not return and I feel the same. Wish it had been better but unfortunately it was not.
Place could use new management from what I could see
Standard response from management, if I could, I would submit pictures to prove my point. From what I can see, your establishment was busy, so really that all that matters, bottom line profit. One less customer won’t make a difference but how hard is it to see when the cooks have dirty aprons on, it’s unappetizing to say the least, it also reflects on the general over all cleanliness of the restaurant. When the grill and knife was cleaned with a dirty rag that already was used somewhere else, it sends a negative message.
I do hope you look into this, it matters to me. Others may not say anything, just not return.

Last night was my first time here with my boyfriend. We did not know that we were going to be seated with a group of 5. It was a bit awkward, but they were friendly. Our server was nice, but she just seemed a bit too serious. I got the yakisoba and tried the chicken rice. My boyfriend got a steak. By the way, it’s probably more than three birthdays if you come here! I love how this place not only sings Happy Birthday you in English, but in Japanese too!
Anyways fast forwarding. Our chef, Miguel, can through. He is HILARIOUS! He made the first experience for us so fun and great. He comes off as a «Japanese/​Mexican chef who speaks little Spanish» hahah. There was never a dull moment with him.
Okay, so my yakisoba was okay. I was not feeling it. It tasted too salty. My chicken rice was a bit plain, it needed more soy sauce & some siracha. However, my boyfriend steak was amazing! It went well with the yellow sauce. I’m going to try that next time.
My experience here was an unforgettable one. I will definitely be back with a group this time. I’m thinking about coming here for my birthday soon too!

Yummy! We came here for my big 40 — YEP, I know it, I’m old and I don’t like to party.
They say that up to 10 can fit at a table, but Uhm, they should say 10 Asians can fit at a table, that would be 4 Samoans then. Lol… good thing I only invited 8 ;) you have to wait for your entire party to arrive to be seated, so make sure your people are on time. You can also have a few drinks in the bar while waiting.
Anyway, the food is awesome and our chef was super funny and fassssst! The price is reasonable about $ 35 – 45 a person depending on what you order. I was full off the rice before my filet mignon even hit my plate. ;)

This is one of my favorite places for happy hour. You can enjoy a good selection of their delicious rolls for a great price. Some of our favorites are crunchy shrimp roll, rainbow roll, chili shrimp roll and poppers but I’m sure the rest are just as good. Also the mai tai and the coconut mojito are a must try.

I’m a regular here and I’ve always been happy with the service.
Tonight was bad. There were seven of us total seated around the table. There were three couples and I’m the seventh person.
Our Chef Crystal started off dropping her folk laddle on the floor while performing her welcome piece. Glad she went back to the kitchen to replace or clean it.
Crystal trying hard and it was good. I was well, the chicken in the fried rice was under cook but the veggies are burnt and it was way too salty. She gave everyone generous portion throughout the meal but me. So messed up. I refused the veggies because it was so mashed and burnt.
We have an amazing server Dinni.

Benihana one of the better restaurants in SD & no ShoGuns is not better, Benihana food, service & vibe is better. A great place to come on a date, for a birthday & even good to bring you’re kids (if there well behaved). Making reservations is best & even then you might wait a few minutes more but it’s worth it. As I waited I read on a picture in there & then googled the story of the owner/​creator of Benihana Rocky Aoki. He started off as a ice cream truck driver then started cooking in the streets of NY in front of his customers hence how the idea of Benihana started. This man started from the bottom & made it to the top, got to admire that. Oh & he has a hot model daughter name Devon Aoki. She’s hot!
Love the food & experience here, tho some people really come dress up you really don’t have to you can come casual just don’t come In sandals or CROCS, (real men shouldn’t wear crocs anyways). The parking can be a bit tight depending what time you come so get valet parking. The customer service has always been good when I come from the hostess to the waiters & the cooks. Everyone is friendly especially the cooks. They do a awesome job with the food & put on a great show as they cook. The food never disappoints here when I come. From making Mickey Mouses & Volcanoes with our food to throwing there knives in the air it’s all great. The food from the shrimp to the steak & veggies it’s all well cooked & full of flavor. The only problem I got is a few times I’ve used there bathroom it looks a bit dirty, they should keep somebody on that at all times.
From the food, to the service & entertainment from the cooks & its vibe it’s all good, I love it. Yes it can be a bit pricy but it’s well worth it. It’s a place I really look forward coming too. And don’t forget to tip you’re COOK! I always give him a tip as I leave they’ve earned it.

The most impressive part of this meal was the «show» that they conduct. I have had more authentic Japanese food in a hole in the wall restaurant for a fraction of the price. Yes they offer the $ 30 dollar birthday voucher which we cashed in on however for 6 people at $ 300 after that, when I had to keep adding salt and soy sauce was not worth it. You do however get plenty of food, soup, salad, shrimp appetizer, main course which can include two choices of either surf and turf or chicken and turf, you get more for your money with this option, however still not worth the price tag. Also note that they charge $ 5 per person for fried rice.
p. s. valet parking is $ 5 however you can park across the street for free.

Benihana — always an entertaining show to go along with good food. The 2 sauces they give you are great. Like a mustard sauce and a ginger sauce that is to die for.
My 7 year old nephew just lived the show and the chef (Sam) played into it as well.
We had the Benihana trio — Filet Mignon, Chicken and shrimp. All was delicious. Service was great too!

When you come to Benihana’s, you aren’t just coming for a meal, you’re coming for an entire dining experience! So much fun celebrating my birthday last night at Benihana!
I signed up online for the Chef’s Table club and got a $ 30 gift certificate to use. Rules are it must be Monday through Thursday during dinner and you must purchase one entrée. Great deal!
The place was packed for a Monday night. The BF and I made an open table for 7:15 but arrived at 7:00 and were immediately seated! It was the BF’s first time at a Teppan style restaurant so he was loving it! Our chef started cleaning the grill and he was already mesmerized haha
I was pleasantly surprised by the food. I knew it’d be good but it was even better than expected. We both ordered the Benihana delight (chicken and shrimp) with fried rice. The fried rice is a must! Pay the extra for it cause it’s worth it. The chicken was so juicy and tasty. Everything was full of flavor!
Someone at our table had a gluten allergy and the chef was great at working around that. He made that person’s food carefully without compromising it or the quality of any of the other food.
So much fun! Oh and at the end of the night, we got a cute ice cream sundae with candle and a photo to take home!

*** Unilocal 100 CHALLENGE 65/​100***
When you’re on vacation especially with a group, a lot of times plans fall thru the cracks and you’re left to adapt with the situation and roll with the punches. Thus was the case Saturday night, we originally planned on having AYCE sushi, we perused our options on Unilocal in the neighborhood of our hotel. Upon arriving we found out that due to a kitchen fire they were closed indefinitely. Plan B was another sushi place 0.3 miles from original place but when we called, we were told there was an hour wait. Hungry and tired from spending the day at Legoland, my sister in law suggested Benihana since they were just there the night before and had a fairly good experience. We opted for lounge seating since there wasn’t a wait for that and our family members said they felt rushed when they sat at the teppan table anyway.
I started with tempura and miso soup. The shrimp was very rubbery and miso was just ok. We ordered several rolls, sashimi and nigiri’s. I got the Rocky’s choice which came with onion soup, salad, Hibachi steak & chicken and ice cream for dessert. My steak although ordered medium was rubbery, so was the chicken and the 3 pieces of shrimp. The vegetables that came with it though was cooked perfectly and very flavorful. All in all, our bill for 5 adults and 4 children came out to be $ 315 before tip which would’ve been okay had the food and service been outstanding. It has been quite a while since I have been to Benihana’s and now I remember why, you go for the teppan experience but don’t expect a mind blowing foodgasm taste wise.

If you end up here, it’s probably someone’s birthday. Thats how I ended up here.
Let’s just dive in, shall we? The reservation policy here sucks. Everyone in your party must be present for them to seat you, which ends up leaving a large cluster of people waiting for other members of their party to arrive. Just plain stupid.
I ordered the Trio which includes rice (3.50+ if you want some soy sauce and seasoning topped on it.)
Collosal shrimp, chicken and filet mignon for $ 38.
Our chef was Angel. Very charasmatic and talented chef. Everyone does the same routine and jokes but I felt that Angel did a fantastic job of keeping it fresh and real.
Ok, now it gets real. The food is good, but to be honest… its not worth it. If you like seeing the tricks, than this may be worth it to you. I personally don’t care for the show. I’ve seen it before and all of the other chefs are doing the same exact routine around you, so it loses its wow factor.
This is a resturant you only need to visit once in your life, and now that ive done it. Im over it and if I can quote the wolf of wallstreet to you all.
«I’m never going there again, I don’t care who’s birthday it is.»

wanna know the best FYI freebee deal out there?
BENIHANA!!!
$ 30 meal certificate for your birthday (with any paid entrée). you should sign up for their bday club pronto: D
this is one of those places that you probably won’t be going to on a random night out. there are chants of birthday singing from nearly every table and pretty much everyone was in a group. fear not if you are only a lonely pair; they will pair you up with a group.
is it the most amazing dinner of your life… no. but its pretty solid and multi course /​filling plus a bit of chef entertainment. our chef was more focused on cooking then flipping his knife around and ya know, im ok with that.
i got the hibachi steak (New York Strip and mushrooms) as my entrée and it was quite tasty and reasonable for the cost. The bday boy got the Samurai treat (Filet Mignon and colossal shrimp)…also very good and obviously better quality meat, but for nearly $ 10 cheaper I was totally fine with mine.
all the things that are included in the meal are quite tasty: the onion soup, salad, shrimp, veggies… you can get fried rice extra or go with the included seamed. seems someone at the table always gets the fried so you can at least enjoy watching it be made. the table on the other side of us was going all crazy and nearly having a clubbing party experience with their chef, while ours was fairly quiet and dinner-​like. its interesting being able to see the differences between them all.
finishes with ice cream — i dont think mine included it but bday boys did. and since it was his bday they gave him a special one and me the standard. the servers are pretty awesome and take good care of you.
i recommend making a reservation. we came on a monday at 7pm and there was a 45 min wait for the chef tables — no wait for regular dining room but who comes to benihana to just get a regular meal without the entertainment?