Benihana - Santa Anita, CA

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1. LM

   LeslieM

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined today

   overall2food4service3ambience4

   The chef was great, no complaints. The real problem was the person that took our order. First over 15 minutes for our drinks to be taken maybe another 30 for us to be told nitro ran out. No problem, however in total it was close to 40 minutes sitting waiting, no apps nothing. Once the chef came out everything moved very quickly. Until they hadn’t given him our proper order for the table. So 2 people were left watching everyone else eat their proteins. Again the chef was great, fun, the rest was awful. No exaggeration. We had 3 kids at the table reservation 8:30 sat at said time, we started eating 9:34
   

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2. K

   Kathy

   Omaha

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined today

   overall3food3service1ambience1

   Reservation was at 815pm, sat us at 845pm. We got our drinks at 915pm so you can assume how the rest went, very very very slow. Server was no where to be seen, also by drinks I meant water because their soda machine filter was being replaced and was told eventually they’ll bring the soda. Well it never came. The worst part was I said I was allergic to mushrooms and no care in the world. Onions were all mixed with the mushrooms, cool! Just great!
   

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3. AM

   AshleyM

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined today

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Always a great time when my husband and I come in for dinner and always a wonderful experience.
   

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4. L

   Lovetodine

   Las Vegas

   3 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   3 reviews

   Dined today

   overall2food2service1ambience4

   Our reservations were at 5:30 and it was 6:30 and we still had no food or chef our chef arrived till 7pm and our food was still taking long to cook and they forgot my daughters a Chicken for her meal I had to let them know by then everyone has already received their food. Benihana needs major improvements on service
   

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5. PM

   PatriciaM

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   overall4food4service5ambience5

   Wonderful birthday celebration for my sister. Service was good and food was tasty! Chef was entertaining!
   

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Great service and food. A nice way to celebrate our daughter's high school graduation. It was good that we made reservations as it was already busy from the time they opened.
   

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7. RD

   RobinD

   Los Angeles

   5 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   overall2food4service3ambience2

   We were sat 30 mins after our reservation and didn't eat until an hour later. We were not in a rush but have patience for the later times. Go get a drink from the bar. Good to see people back out and enjoying themselves.
   

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8. KS

   KennethS

   Los Angeles

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   We had a great time for my birthday and with friends.
   

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9. MK

   MatthewK

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall1food1service1ambience1

   I rated the food a 1 star because we didn’t get to try it. Everything else was legit a 1 star because it took us 20 minutes after our reservation to be seated which is fine, the hostess when we asked what’s the estimate when would we be seated and she just said “a long time”. I understand a restaurant cannot be completely perfect but we were sitting at the table for an hour and the server we had told us sorry for the wait, took our order and said the chef would be coming to us next. She gave us our soup and salad that came with our meal and our drinks but then the chef was still not there even an hour after we’d have been sitting and the timing of when we ate our appetizers to waiting for the chef to come we just lost our appetite and just left. I’ve been to benihanas where I’ve had good experiences and looked around where things seemed like they were on it. This location it looked like the staff didn’t know what they were doing. We saw the manager on the computer for 20 minutes looking like he was figuring out how to use it.
   

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10. S

    Shamara

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Reservations and still had to wait over 30minutes to get seated. Then we waited another 45 minutes to get a cook. All on a Monday evening. Just be prepared to wait if its dinner time.
    

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11. s

    shirleybear7

    Los Angeles

    14 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on May 21, 2023

    overall2food1service1ambience1

    Our server was the least enthusiastic. He was not engaging at all. Food tastes all the same, tons of butter, salt and pepper and soy sauce. Chicken is dry even with all the butter. Scallops did not taste fresh at all.
    

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12. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    vip
    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall1food1service3ambience4

    Chef was not good at all, kept wiping his nose with his hands and just kept cooking, food was also burnt and bland. Didn’t want to say anything because our waitress was so busy and I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded 3 days agoDear Guest, we're sorry to hear that our team member wasn’t able to provide you with the service experience you were looking for. We will be sure to pass your feedback on, and we’ll work on improving our guest service in order to meet your expectations in the future. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to leave us a review! Please feel free to reach out with further feedback or any questions via our Contact Us page on our website.
    

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13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Love the food and experience, will go back again soon
    

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14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Chef excellent Food 10/10
    

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15. J

    Jeremy

    Los Angeles

    47 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on May 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Another lovely and delicious meal for the whole family.
    

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16. D

    Disppointed

    Palm Springs

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall2food3service2ambience2

    Disappointed. Our chef was not entertaining like other chefs which is part if the experience at thisrestaurant. My grandkids received their rice late in the meal as well. And a panhandler was permitted to walk in and ask for money from diners.( manager was informed)
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on May 17, 2023Dear guest, 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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17. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The chef slapped my steak twice and asked if I liked it 🫠
    

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18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I appreciate the chef going above and beyond to make my daughters smile. Such an amazing job. The server was also on top of the service making sure everything was good!
    

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19. DY

    DesireeY

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall3food2service3ambience3

    The food is too oily and salty compared to other teppenyaki restaurants we've been to. While our teppenyaki chef was entertaining and funny, the food he prepared included more oil than needed and while the menu said the food would be "lightly seasoned", it tasted salty. My small bowl of fried rice had a tiny pool of oil at the bottom which then caused me to stop eating it. I ordered a purple party colada which was this beautiful lavender-colored drink on the rocks with a pineapple wedge and leaf for decoration. I received a blended lavender drink in a glass with very little alcohol and no decoration. Our wait staff was very obviously new to the job and struggled at times supporting our table of 9. She was friendly and tried her best. Overall, I was underwhelmed and will not be returning to this franchise opting for other similar restaurants that use less oil to cook and adds more alcohol to their cocktails.
    

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20. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall3food5service3ambience5

    Server forgot to give us our forks, which was okay that’s understandable. But then I asked for siracha, he forgot about that I had to remind him. Then I asked for another beer and he never came back to give me one. Never even remember I ordered one.
    

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21. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Eric aguilera best chef in town ask for him and dont forget to tip
    

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22. L

    Luvbeni

    Los Angeles

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Chef Erik was amazing! Had us laughing the whole time. Food was delicious!! The sushi we had was soooo good!
    

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23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 11, 2023

    overall1food4service1ambience1

    I made a reservation at Benihanas 3 days prior for Mexican Mother’s Day . We planned on having a nice dinner and movies after. We arrived 15min before our reserved time and the host checked us in. There would be groups before us getting checked in and getting seated right away, naturally we check in with the host to make sure they didn’t forget about us. We did not get seated for another 1hr and 15min . Finally a male host told us our table was ready and instead of walking us to the table he just pointed to the table and told us to sit in the far table. As we sat another female host told us we were not allowed to sit in the table yet and slammed the plates in front of us and stormed off to get another party. When she came back she completely ignored us and only gave the other group menus and took their order. We were about the last group being seated, we only had 3 people in our party. By the time we sat down and started our salads the bar was closed and we were not able to try the seasonal cocktails. The chief looked stressed and seemed to rush through the cook out. We ended up canceling our movie plans because there was no way we were going to make it in time. The hostess is very unprofessional and should not work there .
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on May 11, 2023We're sorry to hear you had such a negative experience at our restaurant. Our goal is always to provide excellent service and great food, so we're disappointed that we didn't meet your expectations. We would love to speak with you further about your visit so we can improve our service in the future. Please reach out to us via our Contact Us page on our website.
    

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24. S

    Shaun

    Los Angeles

    18 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on May 11, 2023

    overall3food4service1ambience1

    We made a reservation for 6 people at 7:30 pm. We were seated at 8 pm. What are reservations for in the first place? If Opentable is the conduit for reservations, then this should be honored. 5 or 10 minutes I understand, but a half hour on a Wednesday? No, not acceptable.
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on May 12, 2023Dear Shaun, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're very sorry you experienced a long wait and we appreciate your patience. We understand that your time is valuable and we are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. We’re hopeful that you will allow us to serve you again. If you wish to contact us with further details regarding this experience, you may reach us by visiting our Contact Us page on our website.
    

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25. CQ

    ChecoQ

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 11, 2023

    overall4food3service4ambience3

    Chef was young and overcooked meats, but was entertaining and very amiable. Vegetables and rice were excellent!
    

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26. TM

    TaraM

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This was the second time ever that I have been there, and it was really good. We had the same chef from our first visit, and he was so much fun. We were a party of 8 celebrating a heavenly birthday and the compassion for the kids were great. They made our food and visit memorable. We will be back!
    

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27. MS

    MischievousSmile

    Tahoe

    23 reviews

    4.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on May 9, 2023

    overall4food5service2ambience2

    We were seated for a 7 pm reservation at 7:20 pm. No explanation or apology. After being seated we did not receive any food until nearly 8 pm. The chef and our own waitress were very pleasant, but the host and hostess did not seem to care that they had us waiting for so long. My parents are both 80-years-old, and it was hard on them to wait to be seated, even harder to wait until nearly an hour after our reservation to eat. One does not come to Benihana not hungry! If it weren’t for the fact that the food is always delicious, and that our chef, Servando, was great, this would have been a two-star review, at best.
    

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28. Y

    Yesi

    Los Angeles

    43 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    43 reviews

    Dined on May 9, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    For this time around we did not have to wait long for our chef to cook for us, he came out in a timely manner and we got lucky in getting the same cook as last time, Servando. The chef is always making conversation and makes us feel comfortable, and his food is really good. Our waiter was also attentive and very sweet. Cannot wait to come back.
    

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29. B

    Bar4201

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall1food4service1ambience2

    HORRIBLE SERVICE! The chef didn’t come out until an hour and a half after our reservation, and the server Valerie was HORRIBLE. She was rude, and didn’t even check up on us. At one point our chef had to look for her. Our chef came once we complained to the manager. Our chef was amazing btw, it wasn’t his fault. He was very nice, and entertaining. The whole hour and a half that we waited, our server never came to check on us or refill our drinks. She only came when we finally caught her attention. Horrible experience. I think she didn’t care because the gratuity was already included.
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on May 9, 2023Dear Bar4201, on behalf of Benihana, we would like to offer our sincere apologies for the long wait time you endured during your last visit. We understand that your time is valuable and we are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. Please feel free to contact us with further details regarding this experience by visiting our Contact Us page on our website.
    

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30. DB

    DahliaB

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall4food2service5ambience5

    Service was great, food needs A LOT of help. Why so much garlic and no other flavor?
    

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31. AG

    AlbertG

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall4food4service3ambience3

    Good place to have a decent meal to an entertaining cooking show. Wait staff appeared to a bit overwhelmed as some items took a while to arrive or were altogether forgotten but the restaurant made up by taking the forgotten/late items of the bill.
    

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32. CW

    CharlesW

    Los Angeles

    25 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Good food, entertaining chef, good service, good drinks, good ambiance. All in all a great experience. thanks!
    

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33. k

    ksue

    Los Angeles

    6 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 2, 2023

    overall2food4service4ambience2

    it seems this restaurant has really terrible management. Our server and chef were the best part about the dining experience. But we will definitely not be going back to this restaurant. We made a 5pm dinner reservation, and had 2 small children with us. We arrived on time to an empty restaurant, but didn't get seated till 30 minutes after our arrival/reservation time. Once seated, they didn't send the chef to our table till 6pm. So one hour past our reservation, and we still had NO food...and 2 kids. Extremely bad management of a restaurant.
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on May 4, 2023Dear ksue, we’re sorry to hear about your disappointment with us and we would like to thank you for sharing your feedback. If you wish to contact us with further details regarding this experience, you may reach us by visiting our Contact Us page on our website.
    

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34. TM

    TerriM

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 1, 2023

    overall1food2service1ambience1

    Seafood mix was not done well. Table was way too small no room for drinks sauces or plate. We were 4 average size adults sitting on a third of the table.
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on May 11, 2023Dear TerriM, we apologize for your recent visit and we thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. If you wish to contact us with further details regarding this experience, you may reach us by visiting our "Contact Us" page on our website.
    

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35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Central Coast

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 30, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Jeremy was great. Everything was cooked to perfection and he was very entertaining
    

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36. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 30, 2023

    overall2food3service5ambience3

    The steak was good. Seafood was tasteless. Super hot and crowded. Benihana is no longer the place to go for teppanyaki grill. Shogun and Sayaka’s food is so much better.
    

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37. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 28, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience3

    We felt the cook was as rushing and the serving staff kept forgetting our refills. Also when we ordered a second order of teriyaki chicken it was cooked in the back of house and when they brought it out didn’t bring out rice, soup and salad, but they still charged us full price for the meal. Very disappointed in how this Benihana operated.
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on May 4, 2023Dear Guest, we're sorry to hear that our team members weren’t able to provide you with the service experience you were looking for. We will be sure to pass your feedback on, and we’ll work on improving our guest service in order to meet your expectations in the future. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to leave us a review! Please feel free to reach out with further feedback or any questions via our Contact Us page on our website.
    

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38. RE

    REG04

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 28, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Overall experience was great. Server seemed a bit under pressure or as if in a hurry. Chef was fantastic!
    

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39. RO

    aRestaurantOwner

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on April 28, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience4

    Ginger sauce recipe was mismade, chef forgot our rice, burned the shrimp, had to run back to the kitchen twice for things he forgot to put on his cart. But through all this, he was very personable and engaging. Rice was finally served LAST. Our food was left to get cold on the plate while waiting for some rice, steamed white rice, that is. Not the egg fried rice. That was served timely to all the other guests.
    

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40. DL

    DaisyL

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 27, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience2

    We had a reservation for 6:30 pm on a Wed night that wasn’t busy at all we checked in on time. Fifteen minutes later we asked how much longer and the front desk said they are just busting the tables so should be soon. Another 30 min passed and we were still waiting and I was starving so told them we were just going to the bar area and eat there. The girl just said ok and that was it. Didn’t even apologize or felt bad. I am never going back there again.
    

    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on May 3, 2023Dear DaisyL, on behalf of Benihana, we would like to offer our sincere apologies for the long wait time you endured during your last visit. We understand that your time is valuable and we are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. Please feel free to contact us with further details regarding this experience by visiting our Contact Us page on our website.
    

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