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  • Benihana - Carlsbad

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Reserve at Benihana - Carlsbad

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Benihana - Carlsbad
Benihana - Carlsbad

Benihana - Carlsbad Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.benihana.com/locations/carlsbad-ca-ca
  • Phone: (760) 929-8311
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, Saturday - Sunday: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm

    Dinner: Monday - Friday: 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Saturday: 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Sunday: 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
  • Executive Chef: Toshiya Nemoto
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Private Party Facilities: Ask about Private Event Dining.

    Book your next event in our private dining room. Perfect for private parties, corporate meetings, birthday celebrations. Subject to availability; please call for details.
  • Private Party Contact: Manager

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Poinsettia
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Parking Details: Free parking for Benihana guests
A word from Benihana - Carlsbad
Prepare for a dining experience unlike any other. Watch as your personal chef performs the ancient art of Teppanyaki. Listen as razor-sharp blades slice through tender steak and juicy chicken. Take in the aroma of sizzling shrimp, lobster and savory vegetables.

Or visit our sushi bar,… where your sushi chef will prepare fresh nigiri, sashimi and specialty rolls, all with the same flair that made Benihana a legend in Japanese cuisine.
Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerKid Friendly
  • Diners' Choice WinnerSpecial Occasion
Diner Reviews
  • "We had a birthday celebration group of six (four adults and two children). Our server attempted to welcome us and explain some things, but her voice was weak and the noise level was so high that we really couldn't understand what she was saying. In any event, we did get our drinks in good order and placed our dinner orders. The chef was entertaining, friendly and courteous. He was especially great for the kids with his onion volcano and flipping the shrimp tails into his hat. The food was good, prepared as requested and the portions generous. We enjoyed the event, but be aware that conversation with anyone but those right next to you is almost impossible. A good spot for special event celebrations."
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "I found it very easy to make a reservation online and get confirmation. It was my daughter's birthday and we normally go to Benihana in Mission Valley so I thought Carlsbad would be nice since she live in Escondido. My great grand baby 9mos enjoyed watching the chef. It was exciting to watch him. Thanks for a wonderful time. Oh, we even got pictures."
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "We always enjoy taking the grand kids Benihana's and the food is good also."
    Dined on 7/8/2014
  • "We made a reservation and were seated on time. We were a little early so we took advantage of happy hour with a drink and California Roll. We had a birthday coupon which made the meal a great value. I also saw the chef make cheerfully make the food without ingredients that guests choose not to eat. This is a good way to make sure that you only eat what you want to eat. Great fun, great food, and a great value are all of the ingredients we enjoy."
    Dined on 7/7/2014
  • "Best looking Benihana that I've been to so far building looks new and the inside look great. Got docked a star because the noise level was a little too high. Food is pretty much the same as other Benihanas. Chef seemed new and food was good but lacked flavor and impact compared to other Benihana locations. Would always recommend the Hibachi Steak! This is one amazing piece of meat that is a must try! Get it medium rare! Sake is good and price reasonable. Sashimi/Sushi are excellent but way way too expensive. Not worth the price if you ask me."
    Dined on 7/5/2014
  • "Used my new credit card for the first time here, and the next morning my credit card was full of fraudulent charges from all over the US! Looks like servers here are stealing their customers' credit card information. Don't go to this location, unless you pay cash!"
    Dined on 7/2/2014
  • "The food was excellent. It's a great spot for a larger group though. My wife and I didn't mind sitting next to ransoms but some people may I guess... Cooks little show can get pretty loud banging on the little grill thing an all but it's fun. Great experience for my one year anniversary. Thanks Benihana."
    Dined on 7/1/2014
  • "We have to save up our money to go here. It's very expensive for us. We don't get to go that often, but when we do we sure do enjoy it!!!!"
    Dined on 6/29/2014
  • "Our drink order was slow in arriving, and meanwhile the chef began our meal preparation in front of us. We had just gotten our cocktails when we had to start eating the first round of food. We would have liked to enjoyed our drinks for a few minutes before eating. Somehow, the timing felt "off", like maybe they couldn't coordinate well. Perhaps they are trying to "speed up" the process so they can turn over more tables in an evening, but this had been one of the things we always have liked about this place - you can relax and enjoy a nice long meal. But not this time. The food itself was still great, and the staff was pleasant."
    Dined on 6/21/2014
  • "Awesome fun for family and friends. Any celebration or just lunch and cocktails with the girls, great for any occasion."
    Dined on 6/16/2014
  • "Last time I ate there I remember the food being awesome. This time not so much. The steak was dry and the shrimp was dry over cooked."
    Dined on 6/16/2014
  • "I have been a fan for 30 years. I take my family out to Benihanas for all festive occasions like birthdays, and father's day. AS my family has grown it has gotten more expensive but the memories which always includes a great photo live with us forever! Keep doing what you do Benihanas. Perfection cannot be improved!"
    Dined on 6/15/2014
  • "We always have a great time at Benihanas!! It's amazing for kids and adults alike!!"
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "We took our 6 and 9 year olds to celebrate my birthday. Young kids, at best, are challenging in a restaurant. Not only were they great, totally mesmerized and behaved but they LOVED the food as did we all!!! We will go again and take others as well."
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "We frequent this dining establishment often! On this occasion we celebrated our nephew's graduation. The hostess stand employees, the wait staff and the chef were VERY patient and accommodating!! They made this SPECIAL occasion even more special! We really appreciate all their efforts! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"
    Dined on 6/5/2014
  • "Our soup was cold ...had to send to back...there were 6 of us...and then the waitress dropped the soup bowls and it all went in...my lap...my hair...our chairs.....not good....:("
    Dined on 6/4/2014
  • "Three of the diners at our table were celebrating a birthday. Chef was terrific and even did magic tricks. Delicious food and fun entertainment."
    Dined on 5/27/2014
  • "I think the chef's in Carlsbad are very new and may not have too many years of culinary experience; at least in the tricky culinary area. The restaurant manager was very customer-service oriented. The bus boy spilled a cup of water on my husband's pants while he was cleaning up the table and she was very accommodating and comped our bill. We were not expecting that since accidents do happen so we left a nice tip for our server and cook. The food isn't great but we go here once a year to celebrate our birthdays since we get $30 off coupon so it's nice to have entertainment and food, all at the same time. "
    Dined on 5/26/2014
  • "Had my first teppanaki experience at Benihana while my mom visited from Vancouver, BC. It was a blast. The chef was friendly, funny and artistic. The food was good and my company enjoyed the artistry and entertainment while they ate. The experience was a bit pricey for what you got but I would love to go back."
    Dined on 5/26/2014
  • "Our chef that night was Ignacio (i was hoping for Dong- if you get him, you know it will be good). Ignacio was funny, friendly & had a great manner, but i think he needs to go back & freshen up his skills with more training. We had a collapsing onion volcano & a near collapse from his onion train. There was badly overcooked chicken all around that he failed to cut through with his poor knife cuts, leaving the large chunks connected together in groups of two and three. We went awkwardly using our forks to make the chicken more manageably sized. Zucchini was cut in too small or too larges sizes as well. My shrimp ended up with 4 pieces of shell & one lemon seed. Lastly, everything was dumped together in a messy single pile on the plate."
    Dined on 5/23/2014
  • "Came with our four year old and were made to feel very welcomed and special. Thank you!"
    Dined on 5/22/2014
  • "This is a great restaurant to bring co-workers, family, kids, friends or a date to. You can always rely on Benihana to serve good tasting food with attentive servers. The restaurant does have their newer chefs work during the week and non-peak hours so sometimes the food is cooked a bit slower, without as much flare, or excitement. The seasoned chefs are usually brought out on the weekends and during peak hours and you can tell a difference in their cooking abilities and showmanship. My only complaint with this restaurant is the noise level (and it's a bit over-priced). If you are looking for a nice, quiet, romantic dinner, this is not your place but it is if you're looking for something fun and entertaining while you dine."
    Dined on 5/22/2014
  • "The staff, atmosphere, and food were great!! The waitress was nice, attentive, and funny. I had flowers delivered there for my partner's birthday and someone called to let me know the flowers had arrived. I don't dine out often, but I love Benihana!!!"
    Dined on 5/18/2014
  • "Teppanyaki chef was great, however, support from kitchen was quite poor. Delivery of the food to the table was kind chaotic evidenced by exchanging of food trays with the next table. What was not acceptable was that some sides were not delivered. Serving of corn with the kid's meal of my grandson who celebrating his birthday and the reason we were there, was not served until after he had finished his entree. My side of steamed rice did not come even after repeated requests by the chef and even after he had to leave the table to go to the kitchen to follow this up. Finally, the side of rice was served but that was when my steak entree was already cold. A server supervisor at least came and apologized later but such things should not happen."
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "Our chef Seiji did an outstanding job ... Taste was excellent."
    Dined on 5/16/2014
  • "The food was just average and what you might expect from a chain restaurant surrounded by chain hotels. The chief had been a Teppanyaki cook for fourteen years and could not catch any of the food or tools during his show, so at a certain point you just have to laugh at the lack of expertise he did not display."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "My boys and I took my 88 year old mom here for mother's day. The chef, Tim, was fun, hilarious, overall great."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "They were very accommodating. We had made a reservation for 4:30 & we were running late, so we called when we got on our way & they said that they would seat us as soon as they could when we got there & we got there & were seated right away! That was awesome since we had to get to the prom after that. The chef was great, very funny & actually asian :)"
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "Let me start off with positive. We made a reservation and we were seated within five minutes of arrival. It all went downhill from there. Our chef could not understand that we were celebrating a first communion, but rather he kept saying over and over happy birthday... crazy. His English was horrible. Two of us had the fish and it was pretty much raw. It seemed like the restaurant was in a hurry to get us in and out. We will never go back. Overall, the staff was not friendly and the service was below par. "
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "We took our two boys (2 & 3) and the restaurant was so good to them. We had such a good time and the food was so good. Plan to go again soon!!"
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "This was a very special birthday lunch. Chef Tim was fantastic, he was very funny and social. The kids Loved it! It was a little pricey though."
    Dined on 5/4/2014
  • "We really enjoyed our experience. The service was excellent, the food exceptionally good. We have dined at other Benihana's, being a favorite for about 20 years. We know the menu and the drill well. My husband repeated several times Sat. eve. and Sun. how delicious his Chateaubriand lobster combo was. My son and I enjoyed the special filet mignon and chicken for 2. Our chef was very entertaining and our server most attentive. It continues to be a great place to celebrate special occasions."
    Dined on 4/26/2014
  • "What you really pay for at Benihana in my opinion is the show that the chefs put on. As always, our chef (Ignacio) was very good at what he does, despite the few fumbles he had, and the food turned out well. I still think that besides their friend rice, Benihana's food is very mediocre but i frequent the place just because they can always get a smile out of me and my date. "
    Dined on 4/26/2014
  • "We dined at the Benihana in Carlsbad, Ca. Our Chef was David. He was definitely the best, most entertaining and funny Chef we have ever had at our many visits to Benihana. We were, at first, disappointed that our Chef was not Japanese but ,David changed our minds the moment he stepped behind the gril. Our food was delicious but the fun and entertainment David provided was the best ever!"
    Dined on 4/26/2014
  • "Overall great experience. Will try and go bavk with my friends to dine again there. "
    Dined on 4/25/2014
  • "My family took me here for my birthday and we had a great time. The food was delicious and the show was excellent! Our seven year old daughter had a blast. They even gave her three cherries with her Shirley Temple:) My husband and I had the filet and chicken combo and it was mouth watering. Plus, I love their dipping sauces and fried rice!!!"
    Dined on 4/25/2014
  • "We ate dinner here for my husband's birthday and chose it as we had our 16 month old grandbaby with us. The teppan chef was entertaining and very attentive to the baby. Our food was cooked to perfection and we all had a most enjoyable evening. The food is always tasty and fresh and there is always plenty of it. "
    Dined on 4/24/2014
  • "We were visiting from New York and have been to other Benihana's in New York, but felt this was such a lovely and great experience. The restaurant was very enjoyable and the food was oh so good."
    Dined on 4/22/2014
  • "I have ordered the Ahi Tuna, the chef totally messed it up, he first cooked the vegetables and sauce and than cooked the fish, by the time the fish was ready the sauce went bad. each one of us had his food ready in a totally different time, we did not enjoy our dinner at all"
    Dined on 4/20/2014
  • "Perfect for a family birthday dinner when you are mixing adults and young children."
    Dined on 4/20/2014
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