Benihana - Santa Anita, CA

Benihana - Santa Anita, CA reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. L

   Lynn

   Los Angeles1 review

   1.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   I think our chef was doing this for the first time. He was super confused, got our orders wrong, over-peppered and overcooked some food and undercooked other food. He didn’t even know how to handle knives properly so cutting meat and chopping vegetables proved difficult for him (the chicken was shredded and the shrimp was cut into little tiny pieces for some reason.) A girl at our table ordered yakisoba which she didn’t get until everyone else was finished eating. He cooked the food one piece at a time so it took FOREVER which might not have been so bad except there was Zero entertainment. Zero. He tried to do the onion volcano thing but couldn’t even stack the onion rings so he gave up and lit the whole thing on fire instead. Nothing else. Well except when he asked if we wanted to see a butterfly and proceeded to toss some butter on the grill. Butter. Fly. Other tables are marveling at knife spinning, fire stunts, light effects, funny tricks, laughing, cheering etc and our chef kept asking us how our day was. $180 for 2 bored teenagers and one poor mom. People don’t go here for the mediocre food. They come for the entertainment. We got none of that. Our chef was very pleasant and I get that people have to learn but not at the customer’s expense. He should have been accompanied by a more seasoned chef (pun intended) to guide him. Also, we had a 6:45pm reservation. We weren’t seated until around 7:45pm. Will NOT be returning.
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded 4 days ago

   Thanks for visiting us, Lynn. We're sorry to hear about your experience at Benihana - Santa Anita, CA. We strive to provide a memorable dining experience for all our guests, and we apologize if we fell short this time. We take your feedback seriously and will use it to improve our service and culinary skills. We hope to have another chance to provide you with the experience you deserve.
   

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2. J

   Judith

   Los Angeles1 review

   5.0

   Dined on April 12, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Every time we get chef Chris we have a great time and he’s always spot on with the food. We always enjoy going to this location, besides the struggle of parking on weekends.
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on April 15, 2025

   Thanks for the feedback, Judith! We're thrilled to hear that you always have a great time at Benihana - Santa Anita, CA. It's wonderful to know that our team always hits the mark with our dishes and that you enjoy the food. We understand the difficulty of parking during peak hours, and we appreciate your understanding. We're looking forward to your next visit and hope to make your parking experience even more enjoyable. Best, The Management Team
   

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3. A

   Antonia

   Los Angeles2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 30, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Other than making 7:15 reservations then waiting until 7:58 to be seated. The server Albert was wonderful attentive and made sure drinks were refilled as well as asking if anything else was needed. Our chef was the best I believe his name was Brian. He was a great entertainer as well as cook. I thank him for making it a pleasant evening. It’s not easy to entertain and cook every 30 to 40 minutes. He made the best of it. I also like to thank Travis for giving us another opportunity to have this great experience. I believe that no matter what you do “ you do it to the best of your ability” and they did just that. The check in process could be a little customer friendly as they’re the first impression the customer comes into contact with. Don’t assume everyone knows the process of checking in. Let them know once checked how they’ll be called and what the wait time is. Don’t look inconvenienced when approached after waiting for half an hour to ask how much longer will it be to be called? Also, asked what’s the process will I be sent a text or will my name be called? But the server and cook were excellent and this is what will keep customers coming back.
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on March 31, 2025

   Thanks for the review, Antonia! We're thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful experience at Benihana - Santa Anita, CA. It's great to know that our team was attentive and that you found our chef entertaining. We apologize for the wait time and the lack of customer friendliness during the check-in process. We'll definitely take your feedback into account as we strive to improve our services. We're glad you're considering coming back and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!
   

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4. w

   wendy

   Los Angeles5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 30, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I remember going to Benehana at least 30 years ago. And its pretty much the same. The chefs are entertaining. The filet and scallops were very good! The fried rice was excellent. I’m looking forward to taking my grandchildren there.
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on March 31, 2025

   Thanks for visiting us, Wendy! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Benihana - Santa Anita, CA. It's fantastic to hear that you still fondly remember our old place, and we're delighted that you and your grandchildren are excited to dine with us. We're also glad to know that you enjoyed our fried rice and filet and scallops. Your feedback is truly appreciated and it's customers like you that make our job wonderful. We look forward to serving you again soon!
   

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5. L

   Lauren

   Los Angeles1 review

   1.0

   Dined on March 27, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   We didn’t get to eat there— it was over an hour of waiting so we left.
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on April 3, 2025

   Hello Lauren, We're truly sorry to hear about your experience. It's never our intention to keep our guests waiting, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We understand that the wait time was frustrating and we assure you that it was not our intention. We appreciate your feedback and will definitely use it to improve our service. We hope you'll give us another chance to serve you better in the future. Best, The Management Team at Benihana - Santa Anita
   

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6. S

   Shayna

   Los Angeles2 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on March 27, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Waiting 50 minutes to sit and 50 minutes for the chef. And didn’t tell us fried rice was extra.
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on March 30, 2025

   Thanks for visiting us, Shayna. We're truly sorry to hear about your experience at Benihana - Santa Anita, CA. We understand how frustrating it can be to wait for your table and for your meal, especially when you've made a reservation. We sincerely apologize for the mix-up with your order and the longer than usual wait time. We're glad you enjoyed the food, but we understand that this isn't the standard we strive for. We appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve our service. We hope you'll give us another chance to make your next visit a more enjoyable one. The Management Team at Benihana - Santa Anita, CA.
   

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7. J

   Jose

   Los Angeles5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 26, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Chef Alex was great! Whole staff was attentive and nice! Food was incredible!
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on March 28, 2025

   Hello Jose, We're thrilled to hear that you had such a wonderful experience at Benihana - Santa Anita, CA! It's fantastic to know that our chef and staff made a positive impression on you. We always strive to provide top-notch service and delicious food, and we're glad you enjoyed them. Your kind words mean a lot to us and we look forward to serving you again soon. Best regards, Benihana - Santa Anita, CA Management Team
   

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8. k

   karl

   San Francisco7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 23, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Good seemed to taste better here than other Benihana restaurants!
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on March 28, 2025

   Hello Karl, Thank you for your positive review and for rating us higher than other Benihana restaurants! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the food and service here. We always strive to provide the best dining experience for our guests. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to serving you again soon! Best regards, The Management Team at Benihana - Santa Anita, CA
   

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9. C

   Crystal

   Los Angeles2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 19, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   It’s was nice . Good customer service . Friendly service
   

   Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on March 30, 2025

   Thanks for the feedback, Crystal! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience at Benihana - Santa Anita, CA. It's wonderful to know that our customer service and friendly service met your expectations. We strive to provide the best for our guests and your feedback is a testament to that. We look forward to welcoming you back soon! Best regards, Benihana - Santa Anita, CA Management Team
   

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10. J

    Joy

    Los Angeles2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 19, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4

    We had a 7pm reservation. When we got there we were seated right away. The waiter got our orders but we waited for almost an hour to be served our appetizers and drinks. The Chef assigned to us came like after 30mins we finished our appetizers. Chef Alex cooked our orders very good. It was yummy! or maybe we were just too hungry haha! Anyways, It was my birthday celebration and i was happy to celebrate my birthday there with my family and besties!
    

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    Benihana - Santa Anita, CAResponded on March 21, 2025

    Hello Joy, Thank you for choosing to celebrate your birthday with your family at Benihana - Santa Anita. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your time with us and that you found our service to be good. We apologize for the delay in serving your appetizers and drinks. We're always striving to provide the best service to our guests and we'll ensure your feedback is shared with our team to improve our service. We hope to welcome you and your friends again soon. Best regards, The Management Team
    

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