Benihana - San Diego, CA

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1. R

   Renee

   San Diego

   11 reviews

   3.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   overall3food3service3ambience3

   Took the kids there to celebrate daddy’s birthday. The food is good and service was ok. The chef took over 40 minutes to come to the table. So if you are on a time table I would say don’t go here. There were 4 adults and about 3 kids at the table. We all ordered chicken fried rice. We also asked for 3 more fried rices to go. So that’s about 10 rice orders. They doubled up in rice but in nothing else! There were maybe 1 cup of chicken for 10 cups of rice! and 4 eggs.. The show was the usual so it was fun and we were all smiling.

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2. TJ

   TinaJ

   San Diego

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   overall2food2service3ambience1

   I reserved a table for 9 for a birthday party. We were put in the back area newer box. It was ice cold. White walls made it feel like a box. We had someone come unexpectedly and asked the server for an extra chair and setting, the server initially declined and said we could NOT add a guest. He said no more than 9 to a table. I pointed out the table next to us had 10. I pointed it out because he said no no more than 9. I said not true look over there. He left to talk to a manger and brought a plate. We had already made room and placed a chair while he was gone. The cook was super slow . Our food was cold. 2 plates were not cooked very well. Wasted food after I spent 490.00 bucks. The lobster was less than par undercooked and no flavor. I have never experienced this before. We are valuable customers and continued to place many take out orders during COVID. The food was better at take out. I feel like I could have had a better experience somewhere else for half the money. Terrible ambiance and atmosphere. Although it was a bad experience and a bad start with the server, he was tentative initially, he was the better part of the visit. I am not sure if you are no longer taking pictures but it was never offered on this visit. Worst visit.

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3. b

   brianh

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   1.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall1food5service1ambience1

   this place was a dump. it used to be nice. the service was crap. waited for 30 minutes before water or drinks were offered. the cook Jared was good, his food tasted great. that was the only saving grace for an otherwise dismal experience. until they up their game dont go there expecting anything more than cheap seats, poor service and snotty hostesses.

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4. MO

   MistyO

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall1food1service1ambience1

   My husband and I have been coming to Benihana for years from when we first met 2003 making it a family tradition for our Birthdays but sadly over the years the service and food has gone down. Our last visit the food wasn't the same nor was the service. Hope this gets fixed soon

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5. MD

   MickeyD

   San Diego

   8 reviews

   4.0

   8 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall4food5service3ambience3

   The food and entertainment by our chef Aries was phenomenal. The downside is that it took almost an hour for food to start coming out.

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6. MM

   MyyshaM

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   I completely enjoyed my birthday at Benihana, the service was quick and friendly

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7. K

   Kimberly

   San Diego

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall3food5service3ambience3

   Slow service, waited 20 mins for our drinks and 45mins for cook to come

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8. R

   Ryan

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall2food5service1ambience3

   Made a reservation multiple days in advance and it was still 30 minutes after when we were finally seated. Then we were informed it would be an hour and a half delay till the chef arrived. Why wait till then to tell us instead of saying when we checked in there would be a delay?

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9. h

   heatherc

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall2food3service3ambience3

   Hostess was Was rude and took a half hour to seat us Even though we had a reservation. Chef and waiter were fabulous food was good but we all ended up with an upset stomach

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10. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Baja California

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service1ambience3

    Service was very slow, we were completely forgotten by our server after we were served drinks.

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11. CC

    ChristinaC

    San Diego

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall1food5service1ambience2

    It was 20 minutes past our reservation before we were seated. 1 hour after our reservation before we received anything to eat.

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12. F

    Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience3

    Great service and great food. Drinks were good. Everything was on time. 👌 👍

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13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Austin

    2 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall2food2service3ambience2

    We waited at the table for 55 minutes before the chef came to begin working on our meal. The entire restaurant was fairly dirty. The food was average at best. We weren’t expecting 5 star dining but a fun and entertaining evening. Fail.

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14. AB

    AmandaB

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Miles was our server and was fantastic! He was very energetic and you could tell he genuinely wanted everyone to have a great time. My husband and I don’t get many date nights and will definitely be back! The food was also phenomenal. Nicholas was our chef and he did not disappoint. Engaged the whole table as he cooked and it didn’t take away from the quality of the food which was absolutely wonderful. Very continuously impressed with the quality and service of the restaurant given that it’s a chain.

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15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall2food2service2ambience2

    The grill and table still had remnants of the previous meal. Large piece of onion on girls and rice sprinkled around grill and table. Chef arrived and started making our food. The grill was on too high and he had to serve us our rice on our plate without bowls because the server hadn’t brought them yet and he was afraid the rice would burn. Needless to say, not everyone got the same portion and our rice was cold by the time our meat was prepared. The salad and soup didn’t come out until after our rice had been cooling off - our soup was watered down and there was no cabbage in our salad because they had ran out. Later I heard a server tell other guests they had ran out of soup! Our chateaubriand was chard and dry and my lobster was charred and overcooked because the grill was too high and it wasn’t prepared correctly. Benihana has lost their unique service and delicious food preparation I learned to expect from them. It looked like most chefs and servers were new - I didn’t even see the same manager. Definitely disappointed - I’m losing my hope that it would return to their pre COVID standards.l

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall3food2service4ambience2

    It’s ok. For an Asian person

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17. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Benihana’s was an experience. Art Chef Kevin was very knowledgeable of the meal and he served us a delicacy. Good to know he was from the south as we are from Florida and North Carolina so we were able to engage in a bunch of lightnesses that come from the south. Learned a lot that you don’t do Yum Yum sauce in California but you do a garlic sauce. The party of 6 we came in with came for the navy family and friends day. We will come back to Benihana’s when we come back to San Diego.

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18. M

    Melissa

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall1food3service3ambience1

    I have been going here for years and yesterday was the worst experience I have ever had. They seated us in an area that was VERY loud. We are used to it being loud, but this was ridiculously loud. Our server was AMAZING the only good part of our night. First, I wanted to order a to go order to take home for my husband, but I could not do it from my table I had to go up to the lounge area to order it and miss part of the show. While ordering the to go order the cashier was very confused that I wanted to order the food but have it started in 10-15 minutes she just kept saying to me that I should come back which I did not want to do because then my food at my table would be getting cold while I ordered and I would be missing more of the show. I finally ordered but since my husband is lactose intolerant I had to request no butter when it wasn't on my receipt I had to interrupt two staff members who were chatting about a test they had to take to make sure they got the allergy information the girl (same one that took my order) said "yeah I have to go tell the cooks because I can't enter that" and seemed annoyed that I questioned her. I just spent $40 on a meal and if they put butter on it he would not be able to eat it. When I returned to our table I came back to not the normal show I was used to. The chef was not energetic and spoke so low that none of us understood him. Overall I was very disappointed. We were a table of 6 and I took food home to my husband so we spent over $250 for a poor experience. Not sure I will be back.

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19. TS

    TSherm

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    It was our first time there and it was an amazing experience! You asked about noise level and other than screaming kids (which I know you can’t help) it was fine!

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20. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great service and food

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21. JB

    JohnB

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall2food3service2ambience3

    If you don’t have the staff to run the restaurant then you need to cut down the amount of reservations you accept. I had an 8:15 reservation and the cook didn’t come out and start cooking until 10:15. If I would’ve been made aware of that before I showed up then I would’ve just came later instead of waiting in an uncomfortable chair for 2 hours.

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22. l

    leila408

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Was delicious 😋 we celebrated 2 birthdays, and got to use our birthday certificate. Everything we had was flavorful. Definitely will go back and try other dishes.

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23. MB

    MargieB

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Jesse, our Chef was Fabulous and very Fun! He really made the dinner and our experience at the Mission Valley Benihana memorable.

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24. a

    alvarog

    San Diego

    32 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    32 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    Jake the chef was phenomenal!! One of the best and most fun experiences we’ve had at Benihana

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25. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on June 23, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I know I provided a 5 star rating, and it is mostly deserved. Here is how the night went ... Our waiter, Brandon was attentive and didn't skip a beat. He was great! Our chef Pina (that is what the name tag said, but I don't think that was his actual name, and I didn't hear what he said it was), on the other hand, was a different story. The food tasted great as always, but the chef did manage to faulter in 3 ways, which made my sad because it was my birthday. 1st, he gave my son's extra rice to my BF when he ordered white rice, then I reminded him to please give my son's and my shrimp to the BF, which he again acknowledged. Yet, he put it on our plates, no more than 2 minutes after me reminding him. Lastly, he left the fat on my steak, which had never happened before. I was very disappointed by him. The manager had even come around to check on everything, but nothing had been wrong by that point. Overall good experience, and I will be back.

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26. TD

    TonyD

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 23, 2022

    overall3food2service4ambience1

    The restaurant is run down. Oceanside is much better. I asked for separate checks and they didn’t do that.

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27. j

    jbers8

    Sacramento

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 22, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    We were seated and our order was taking but not correctly. Asked to replace my soda as it was flat for water. Was still charged for my soda. Meal came and it was ok, not the usual level of good. Didn’t finish my food as my steak was super fatty. Then they took our payments and had us leave the table. Didn’t even serve us the dessert!! For $100 it was a huge waste. We hit fast food on our way back to the hotel as we were all still hungry.

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28. D

    Dave91942

    San Diego

    24 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on June 22, 2022

    overall3food5service1ambience5

    This is the first time we've had sub par service at Benihana. The host staff wasn't very friendly. Our server was terrible. Hopefully he was just having a bad day but Daniel got our order wrong, didn't bring refills, and was basically absent for the entire meal. The good news is that our chef, Sergio, was outstanding and brought the Benihana magic back to life. He was able to fix the order mistakes and dinner was fantastic. At the end, Daniel brought the bill and my wife had to ask about boxes and ice cream. We're pretty sure he would have just skipped it if we didn't ask. Again, this is the first time we've ever had bad service at Benihana... so hopefully it's just a bad night.

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29. A

    Anna

    San Diego

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 22, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience3

    Been coming here for years and this was not a great experience. Not as good as it used to be and too expensive.

    Report
30. SG

    ShareG

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 21, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    do it eat here! even with a reservation, the wait is still 1-2 hours

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31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on June 21, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    It das my friend Bday and we went to Benihana to celebrate it and I had a blast. We had to wait a long time to our chef come to our table but Ariel made it worth. He was funny and gave us a complete show . He’s definitely a show man and a great chef for sure. The food was delicious and my friend was super satisfied and happy. Definitely recommended

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32. EL

    ELee

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 20, 2022

    overall3food3service1ambience2

    made reservation for 7:15pm and had to wait for the chef for almost an hour. not a pleasant experience when wait was an hour from the reservation time.

    Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded on June 21, 2022Dear ELee On behalf of our team here at Benihana, we sincerely apologize for your experience and understand your concern. If you would like to get in touch with our team, please do so via the Contact Us page on our website so that we can further address this matter. 

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33. JR

    JenniferR

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 20, 2022

    overall2food3service3ambience4

    We waited on the table too long 30 mins after we were sat down . Reservation at 7 pm we started eating at 8 pm .

    Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded on June 21, 2022Dear JenniferR We apologize for your recent visit. To better assist you, please contact our team via the Contact Us page on our website.

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34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 20, 2022

    overall3food2service3ambience3

    This time the go

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35. KC

    KimC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 20, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent service, fresh food, relatively quick seating, and positive vibes.

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36. D

    Dinner

    San Diego

    29 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on June 19, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    Fun spot for special occasions. Kids loved it! It’s pricey but enough food for two meals so take home leftovers. Great drinks, great food and excellent service!

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37. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 19, 2022

    overall3food4service2ambience2

    Take more than an hour to get our dinner prepare

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38. f

    foodie4life

    San Diego

    22 reviews

    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on June 18, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our server (Jason?) and cook were great ! Service and entertainment made our meal most memorable!

    Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded on June 21, 2022Dear foodie4life Your feedback is appreciated. We are pleased to hear we were able to create a great memory for you and your party!

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39. MW

    MeisjeW

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 18, 2022

    overall3food4service4ambience4

    Reservation was for 2 pm. We didn't get seated until 2:35. That was frustrating. Then once seated it took awhile longer for a server to tend to us. Then my husband ordered the "land and sea" and somehow they forgot the sea. The neglected was make his scallops and instead just said sorry we will discount Bill. They took 8 dollars off our 200 dollar bill, not exactly my idea of the 'big discount" the server promised. Service was also extremely slow. It was nearly 6 pm when we were done and out of there. Not interested in going back anytime soon especially for a holiday.

    Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded on June 21, 2022Dear MeisjeW On behalf of our team here at Benihana, we sincerely apologize for your experience and understand your concern. If you would like to get in touch with our team, please do so via the Contact Us page on our website so that we can further address this matter. 

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40. M

    Mave

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on June 18, 2022

    overall3food3service3ambience2

    Benihana is starting to look, smell, and feel old. The chefs and staff aren’t exciting anymore, they should refresh the table routine and act. The front desk ladies were leaning their head on their hand showing how bored they were, not something you want to walk into. And one was scratching her braids, ew, not the sign of cleanliness that you want to see when walking into a restaurant. The ceilings are stained, the tepanyaki grills aren’t clean anymore and they no longer offer to take a photo. The food is okay, but it’s not a special as it used to be.

    Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded on June 21, 2022Dear Mave On behalf of our team here at Benihana, we would like to sincerely apologize for your recent visit with us. With your feedback, we look forward to improving the guest experience and would like to thank you for taking the time to share your review with us. If you would like to get in touch with our team, please do so via the Contact Us page on our website

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