Benihana - Carlsbad, CA

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   A little bit of a wait but it was well worth it, the food was great. I got the emperor's feast and it was amazing the steak was juicy and cooked to a perfect medium, and the lobster complimented it perfectly. It was fun having the food cooked in front of us and a great experience as always. And the bartender put a lot of cherries in my Shirley temple so I was very happy!
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded today

   Thank you for your kind review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your dining experience and we hope to see you again soon.
   

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2. S

   Samantha

   VIP

   San Diego

   30 reviews

   2.0

   30 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   I'm kicking myself for not reading the many, many reviews that said we would be waiting two hours before we sampled a morsel of food, even with a reservation. We had a 7:00 reservation and we were seated about 8:15. We were finally assigned a chef about 9:00--there just aren't enough chefs. The hostess was dismissive and unapologetic, perhaps because her whole job is having to tell people that they will now wait over an hour to sit down after they took the time to make a reservation. Our various servers were all sweet, and clearly overwhelmed themselves. The room was raucous and there was some smell in the air--oil? spices? who knows?--that had people all over the room coughing and sneezing, and we were all joining that chorus at our table. We were there for my daughter's birthday so I felt incredibly guilty. Ultimately, she loved the food, but my little nephew didn't make it and had to be taken home by his father, and neither of them got to eat. The food is priced insanely considering there is no way to share with anyone, so you are paying an exorbitant amount for a series of courses that most people do not want. Also, they give you the (admittedly delicious) rice first, so everyone has had soup, salad and rice and is ready to go home before the chef makes the actual "meal." Our chef was sweet and very good at his job, and everyone enjoyed the food and had fun watching him do all the tricks. But we didn't leave until nearly 10:30 and that was way longer than I wanted to be there. Today, I look back on last night like it was a fever dream--a long, loud, oily episode of total pandemonium. I can't imagine under what circumstances I would willingly do that again.
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded today

   Dear guest, thank you for sharing your experience. We regret that we didn’t meet your expectations on this occasion. Your feedback helps us improve, and we’d be grateful for the opportunity to make things right. Please contact us through our “Contact Us” page on our website.
   

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3. N

   Nicole

   VIP

   San Diego

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   The food and service were great. But we had to wait 45 minutes even with our reservation.
   

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4. R

   Ronnil

   Los Angeles

   24 reviews

   3.0

   24 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Our first time ever going to a Benihana and was looking forward to it. Made reservations at 6 PM and finished dinner at 8:30. Granted the restaurant was packed and very busy. The service was not great. We had to wait a while to get served and had to keep looking for our waiter. Overall not a great experience for our first time.
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded today

   Dear guest, we appreciate your review and are sorry to hear that your experience wasn’t satisfactory. We would love the chance to make things right. Please contact us by visiting our "Contact Us" page on our website
   

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5. J

   Jeannette

   VIP

   Philadelphia

   42 reviews

   3.0

   42 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   The service was very slow . My family reservation was for 4:30 pm. We didn’t eat until 6:30 PM. Also chicken was not tender. This was a second state to eat at this Benihana. We had reservations for Christmas Day at 4:30 . We arrived at 4:15. By 6:00 we was not seated. We left the restaurant and went to Union Restaurant in Encinitas. I received an alert and call at 6:30 from the restaurant that my table was ready.
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded today

   Dear guest, thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We’re sorry to hear that your visit didn’t go as expected. We value your feedback and invite you to share more details with us. Please visit the “Contact Us" page on our website.
   

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6. R

   RITA

   Orange County

   12 reviews

   5.0

   12 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   Benihana - Carlsbad.never disappoints! Service was outstanding (especially Carlie and our Chef) by everyone! We celebrated a birthday and everyone had a fun time!
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded 3 days ago

   Thank you for your kind review! We’re pleased to hear that you enjoyed your experience and look forward to your next visit.
   

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   jennifer

   VIP

   Phoenix

   5 reviews

   1.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   We had a reservation but when we got there then they said they were running 45minutes behind for reservations. The place was a mess (food drinks used plates etc) everywhere.
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded 3 days ago

   Dear valued guest, we’re sorry to learn that your visit was less than satisfactory. We take your feedback seriously and would love the opportunity to discuss how we can improve. Please visit our “Contact Us” page on our website to share more details.
   

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8. L

   Leanne

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   Made a reservation days in advance however our wait was still over an hour. Habatchi chef wasn't entertaining sweet guy but was disappointed. Food was good not great. I won't be coming back unless attending ar someone else's invitation
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded 3 days ago

   r guest, thank you for your comments. We regret that we did not provide the level of service you anticipated. We’re dedicated to improving and would appreciate any additional details you can offer. Please contact us through our “Contact Us” page on our website.
   

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9. L

   Lara

   VIP

   Salt Lake City

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   We had a reservation at 5:45 we didn’t get seated until 7:20
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded 3 days ago

   Dear valued guest, we’re sorry that your recent visit did not meet your expectations. Your feedback is important to us, and we would like to understand more about your experience. Please reach out to us by visiting our “Contact Us” page on our website.
   

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10. L

    Lucas

    San Diego

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

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

    We had a 5:15 reservation and knowing that service isn’t always going to be great on Christmas Day due to limited staff, our group of 5 remained patient. The people at the counter were telling people that they were running 45 minutes or so behind but that clearly wasn’t true just false hope. No sign of a manager trying to be apologetic or anything just young adults trying not to deliver bad news to people that took the time to make a reservation only to wait almost 2 hours in a lobby. We finally got seated around 7:00 and the rest of the experience was about what you would expect if you have been to this type of restaurant before. I would never return to this location and would probably think twice about going to another one.
    

    Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded 3 days ago

    Dear guest, we appreciate your review and are sorry to hear that your experience wasn’t satisfactory. We would love the chance to make things right. Please contact us by visiting our "Contact Us" page on our website
    

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