Benihana - San Diego, CA

Name: Benihana - San Diego, CA
Address: 477 Camino del Rio S, San Diego, CA, United States, 92108
Telephone: (619) 298-4666
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.2

4.2

6439 Reviews

$30 and under

Japanese

Top Tags:

Welcome to Benihana and a dining experience unlike any other! Our guests are seated at communal tables in groups, where your personal chef will perform the ancient art of Teppanyaki. Watch as we slice and dice, preparing a meal that will dazzle your eyes as well taste buds, whether you choose mouth-watering steak, tender chicken or succulent seafood. You can also enjoy sushi prepared by a talented sushi chef and indulge in a specialty cocktail. Benihana’s famous showman chefs are legendary in San Diego. The restaurant is located near hotel row off the 8 Freeway, exit Mission Center Drive. Benihana is near Mission Bay, SeaWorld, Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo.

On-site valet parking is avaliable for $8.00 per vehicle.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 28, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 135 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Steakhouse
Hours of operation
Lunch Daily 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 298-4666
Website
http://www.benihana.com/locations/sandiego-ca-sd
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
477 Camino del Rio S, San Diego, CA 92108
Neighborhood
Mission Valley
Cross street
8 FWY and 163 FWY
Parking details
Private Lot
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wine

Featured in

Popular dishes

What 6,439 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2

4.2 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.1Service
4.1Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Diego
Most Booked
San Diego
Most Booked

6,439 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Chef and server were great. Food was the best I’ve had there, seasoned and cooked to perfection 👏🏻
Is this helpful?
DP
DavidP
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Izaac was a phenomenal chef. He kept the table engaged, and made spectacular food for us.
Is this helpful?
j
jeffj
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
All of these years and still great and good service Kids have a great time
Is this helpful?
ES
ErikS
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall1food4service1ambience2
My reservation was for 815pm. We didn't get seated until 840pm. Server left us unattended serveral times without checking on us for long periods of time and didn't inform us when the chef would appear. Chef finally arrived 1020 and we started our meal at 1045. This was very unnacceptable. Chef did a great job with the food prep but the server innability to check on us in a consistent matter made the experience dissapointing.
Is this helpful?
LC
LeahC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Little noisy for baby - but she eventually fell asleep. Had to ask for happy birthday song / even after they asked several times about a Bdsy. Food excellent. Cook was FAB. Thank you!!
Is this helpful?
W
William33
San Diego
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience3
Birthday experience was great . Chef was entertaining and food and drinks were tasty
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall1food1service5ambience5
The food was not good. But I paid a lot for the food. I was disappointed in the food
Is this helpful?
N
Nashfoodie
Nashville
3 reviews
vip
4.0
3 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall4food4service4ambience4
The show for the food preparation wasn’t as exciting as I’ve seen before at other locations. It was more or less a guy just cooking on a hibachi table.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
3 reviews
vip
2.0
3 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall2food2service4ambience2
Don't eat at the bar seating. Not the same as the grill. The show is worth the wait.
Is this helpful?
HJ
HowardJ
San Diego
6 reviews
vip
3.0
6 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall3food2service4ambience4
In the past the onion soup had a robust taste and onions. What was served was a very thin broth with little taste and no onions. Also the sauces seemed to be watered down, mustard sauce had no taste as did the special order yum yum sauce. My wife ordered the combination streak and shrimp and cook did not have her shrimp on cart and had to send for it after she had finished her steak. Table was full, one individual said she was allergic to seafood and all of the food was cooked and then shrimp was cooked last. I only had the shrimp so most people were through eating by time I received my food. In the past the food for the person with allergies had food cooked in the back, this should have been done. Cook was very good.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 20, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a good time at Benihana! It takes a bit to get the show going but once it starts dinner feels like a breeze
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
2 reviews
vip
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 19, 2023
overall1food1service1ambience1
This was the worst experience I’ve ever had. We were seated 15 minutes after our reservation time and drinks weren’t delivered for another 30 minutes after. Food didn’t start until an hour after we sat down. The entire staff from start to finish was unenthusiastic and inattentive. 0/10 really would never come back.
Is this helpful?
CN
CorbinN
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Really liked our chef Dane he was a super funny guy. Can't wait to go again!
Is this helpful?
CH
CrystalH
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on September 19, 2023
overall2food3service2ambience4
Our chef was boring, over peppered everything and I couldn't even hear him well. Drink service was sparce at best. I have been to your establishment many times and have to say this visit was very poor in comparison.
Is this helpful?
SO
ShelbyO
Phoenix
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on September 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a wonderful time celebrating after a wedding ceremony downtown san diego! Love going here for all our special occasions.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience3
Upon arrival the hostess looked at us like we were lost and didn’t greet us. Which really upset me. However when we got to our table our server Jesse was amazing. He turned a bad situation around and made the evening worth the $300 I spent. The restaurant needs a make over to say the least. I tried to get the name of the lady that didn’t greet us but she wasn’t wearing a name tag. Over all it was great. The hostess should be fired. The real MVP was Jesse.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on September 17, 2023
overall1food1service5ambience3
The food was not good! We got stomach problems after leaving me and my wife
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great food and service! We love the food and the service
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a great time. Got here early and had the chef to ourselves.
Is this helpful?
ML
MelanieL
San Diego
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on September 15, 2023
overall4food3service5ambience4
Was not impressed with quality of food. Hibachi steak was tough even at medium rare.
Is this helpful?
CM
ChrissyM
San Diego
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on September 15, 2023
overall2food4service1ambience2
We had the absolute worst waitress. It took forever for her to greet us. Then took forever for our drink order and then forever for our drinks. I had to ask twice to bring sweet in low for my iced tea. She was rude to another group of men at our table.
Is this helpful?
RO
ROGERA
San Diego
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Santi was a great chef and entertainer. Angela, our waitress was fantastic. Can’t wait to go again
Is this helpful?
AE
AnthonyE
San Diego
45 reviews
vip
4.0
45 reviews
Dined on September 14, 2023
overall4food5service2ambience4
The service was exceptionally slow, but the food and atmosphere were both great. It’s a common problem. Minimum wage went up, so the restaurant is short staffed. They can’t afford to keep everyone. Things were slow. We waited 20 minutes for the check, but we still got fed.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
3 reviews
vip
1.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 14, 2023
overall1food3service1ambience1
Horrible experience. We got there and there was an extra chair and we did not fit . We sat down super tight. We ordered our drinks and got them but the server never appeared again after food and beverage order . So no refills and no more beer. We proceeded to order and our Edamames Just never arrived. When we asked the server she said she would take them off the check but not even apologized. The teppanyaki started out and while he was serving we noticed our plain white rice was missing . We asked and we got it at the end of the meal . Our chicken breast and mushrooms were described as chicken breast and mushrooms and we did not receive mushrooms . So we asked and he said that because we did not ask for them he did not cook them . So he went to get more to the kitchen. We also had a coupon for our birthday and tried to apply it last time . Well , a manager , server or i honestly don’t know the titles of these people but he signed our paper saying that we could come and make it valid next time .and at the time of payment ,the server of course appeared to charge for the food and would not want to apply it. The manager came out (jose or Jesus ) and he made sure we knew that he did not care and that he would not validate the coupon or he did not care about all the inconveniences we had. After he verified all the information (15 minutes took him for his intvestigation ) he came out and gave us a check with a drink we did not order . He went back to remove the charge of the drink and came back out with a discount for the inconvenience. Of course no discount was even enough for the horrible service , all the mistakes and the horrific attitude they had . It was an absolute favorite for the family . We celebrated birthday and even Christmas Eve . Not any more !!! Save your time
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on September 13, 2023
overall3food5service2ambience5
Benihana is a family favorite for us. We have been coming here for birthdays for decades. The food was good, you can count on that. We had a chef who was so soft spoken that we could not hear him. He was so slow that he cooked the rare tuna through, he was sloppy and dropping food on the grille in a messy fashion. This didn’t affect the flavor, but the precision you come to expect was lacking sorely. The waitress bringing food and drinks was so slow that we never did get the green tea after the meal. It was already two hours and we weren’t willing to wait any longer. It’s was too bad, usually we have a great time.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on September 11, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience4
Food was good but be prepared to wait even if you have a reservation.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had an amazing time at Beni’s in San Diego Our Chef Alfredo and server Jose were fun, professional and on point. Thank you for a great Birthday Dinner. 🥰
Is this helpful?
I
Iceleen
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The good was great, Chef did an amazing job. The service was great, our server was extremely attentive.
Is this helpful?
A
Angel
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience5
We have been there a few times, every time we make reservations. The first time the sat us down at the regular tables even though we had reservations. The following time we went, made reservations, but called to confirm that it was with the chef's, I was told all reservations are for the table s w chef's. This time around same made reservations and confirmed were we would sit. When we got there the greeter was going to place us at the regular tables, when we told her we made reservations she said it was not guaranteed that we were going ro have a spot. Then we advised we called and confirm and she seemed unhappy made us wait another 20 min. Did not offer kids hats or anything and when it was our turn she said go wait over there and they'll be with you. We saw the way she greeted other customers and it she seemed like another person witht hem, nice and courteous. Other than that the cheft and the food was great! Sometimes, feel discriminated!
Is this helpful?
CN
ChristianN
San Diego
7 reviews
vip
4.0
7 reviews
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
In the last year or so, Benihana has raised their prices across the board. Most importantly, they no longer have lunch pricing on the weekends, which effectively doubles the lunch price from what it used to be. While I love this restaurant and have had approximately 40 birthdays there, I'm going to have to switch to mid-week because of costs.
Is this helpful?
DA
DnitaA
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was great! Carlos was our chef. He did an excellent job of entertaining us and cooking at the same time. We celebrated 4 birthdays in our party, and they sang to us. We will be back.
Is this helpful?
TS
TommieS
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall1food2service1ambience4
The chef Dane was very funny but very unhappy he talked bad about his coworkers and also told us about the food being unhealthy. He told us that the show that they give while serving the food is dangerous and stupid. He put a chunk of garlic butter inside of my friends rice. He was being very rude and disrespectful to his coworkers saying that they were weird it’s only Dane’s 4th day on the job so I understand why it went the way it did.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our server named Linda was very nice, she had great customer service & was very pleasant! I will return for my next 50th birthday. The food was delicious too
Is this helpful?
J
Joejoe
San Diego
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on September 8, 2023
overall3food5service5ambience5
Great food, great service! The only problem is the parking. They made many of their parkings valet for $8 tsk tsk
Is this helpful?
LS
LoveSteaks
San Diego
16 reviews
vip
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on September 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always love celebrating birthdays here. Delicious food, fun atmosphere.
Is this helpful?
IM
IvyM
San Diego
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
It is pricey but the food always comes out great.
Is this helpful?
JW
JenniferW
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Louis was an our chef and he was outstanding. We celebrated a birthday and the food was great.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on September 5, 2023
overall1food1service1ambience1
We had a reservation for 4 people at 6pm. By 7:30pm, they still hadn’t started our food. The server was very nice and kept telling us what was going on, but after an hour and a half, me and my friends got up and left. I’m sad and disappointed as I was very much looking forward to my bday dinner.
Is this helpful?
R
Raquel
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on September 4, 2023
overall1food5service3ambience5
We had reservations at 4. They didn’t start to cook our food till 5:30ish. I understand they were short staffed but my husband has a strict diet and will not eat past 5pm 5:30 the latest and my 2 year old was over it after an hour so neither of them wanted to eat. Had they told me when we checked in I would have gone on another day. Other then that everything was great as always
Is this helpful?
LS
LoriS
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on September 4, 2023
overall3food3service4ambience4
I went during lunch time and with the amount of money spent, the steak was very small. There was a total of 8 pieces on my plate. Then the cook, put my order of scallops on another guest plate and when he realized I ordered them, he took off their plate and put on mine, which I felt was poor service.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Benihana - San Diego, CA using the Order Online button. Benihana - San Diego, CA also offers delivery in partnership with Postmates and Uber Eats.

Benihana - San Diego, CA is rated 4.2 stars by 6439 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 28, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 135 times today

Order delivery or takeout

477 Camino del Rio S, San Diego, CA 92108

Additional information

Cross street
8 FWY and 163 FWY
Neighborhood
Mission Valley
Hours of operation
Lunch Daily 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Steakhouse
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wine

Website
http://www.benihana.com/locations/sandiego-ca-sd
Phone number
(619) 298-4666

Benihana - San Diego, CA

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

100 San Diego Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

50 San Diego Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Popular dishes

Chicken Yakisoba

Teriyaki Chicken

Benihana Trio

Menu

What 6,439 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

FAQs

Does Benihana - San Diego, CA offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Benihana - San Diego, CA restaurant rated?

Is Benihana - San Diego, CA currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

100 San Diego Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

50 San Diego Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day