Benihana - Mall of America, MN

Review summary

1. H

   Heidi

   VIP

   Minneapolis

   35 reviews

   4.0

   35 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   We had an excellent chef at our table who was quite experienced. The food was very well prepared. The tables in the back room don’t have the best air circulation, and so it is better to sit in one of the larger rooms. Good air circulation/venting is probably compromised by the fact that it is in the MOA.
   

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2. JJ

   JimJ

   VIP

   Kansas City

   4 reviews

   3.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   Benihana is always a special treat for our family. This last experience something has changed. It felt very rushed. Zucchini and onions used to be cooked and chopped in front of us. This time they were already chopped and were mixed together. Some of us only like 1 of the veggies and we had no choice to say no to one of them. Shrimp appetizer was cooked last. Everything just seemed out of order with minimal fun cooking experience. Part of coming to Benihana is the experience and entertainment which has always been consistent. Hence the disappointment this time. The feeling of being rushed came even at the end when the server explained the 20% service charge. He said it so fast we had to ask him to repeat it. The holidays always feel so rushed and we had hopes to have an enjoyable experience. Hoping this was a one off issue and not a long term change.
   

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   The old fashioned drink was watered down and the server refused to have the bartender remake it
   

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4. N

   Nicole

   Minneapolis

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   The service took too long. We were waiting for over an hour after being seated to even have our order taken, after the meal the server barely came to check on us. Where we waited another 30 minutes before getting our bill.
   

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5. A

   Anna

   San Francisco

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

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

   First time ever at Benihana and I'm not sure if our experience was unusual or not. We had a reservation for 5:45 pm and the chef didn't arrive to our table until 7 pm. We had a tired and hungry 3 year old with us that was starting to meltdown by the time we final were served. For the cost of the meals it wasn't worth it at all, in my opinion. The food was better than I expected it to be but overall the experience was pretty bad. The bathrooms were also disgusting and not attended to at all; toilet paper everywhere, flooded toilets, and just dirty. I don't think we'll be back. I was really hoping to make this a place that we could go as a family since I've heard how much kids enjoy it.
   

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6. M

   MARIA

   VIP

   Minneapolis

   6 reviews

   3.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

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

   We go once a year and are more disappointed every year. They automatically charge 20% service charge on top of extremely high prices. The staff is not motivated to serve us so they don’t! We waited 45 minutes after being seated to get drinks! Very sad as food is great!
   

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7. C

   Craig

   Minneapolis

   2 reviews

   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

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

   I wish they would take less time from order to cooking. It was a 30 minute wait between the server taking out order to the chef coming into cook the food.
   

   Benihana - Mall of America, MNResponded 3 days ago

   Hello Craig, Thank you for taking the time to review your experience at Benihana - Mall of America, MN. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed the food and we sincerely apologize for the delay in service you experienced. We understand how frustrating this can be and we're working on improving our service times. We appreciate your feedback and hope to serve you again soon. Best, The Management Team
   

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8. A

   Alysia

   Minneapolis

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 21 December 2024

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

   Service was excellent from the staff. The food was mediocre at best for the $200 is cost 2 people. We each had one entree and a one beverage. Lobster was dry, “colossal” shrimp were everything but. Scallops were done perfectly & the Australian waygu was cooked perfectly. We sat in the bar area (our choice), and for the price, definitely not worth the cost.
   

   Benihana - Mall of America, MNResponded 6 days ago

   Hello Alysia, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our service and the Australian waygu. However, we're sorry to hear that our food did not meet your expectations. We pride ourselves on our culinary skills and it's disappointing to hear that we fell short this time. Your comments are important to us and we will certainly take them into consideration as we continually strive to improve our food and service. We hope you'll give us another chance to impress you in the future. Best regards, Benihana - Mall of America, MN Management Team
   

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9. M

   Megan

   Hawaii

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on 21 December 2024

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

   Terrible service and surprise 20% service charge at the end. They will say there are signs out describing the fee, but they are not clear to see or in areas that guests can see
   

   Benihana - Mall of America, MNResponded 7 days ago

   Thanks for the review, Megan. We're sorry to hear that your experience at Benihana - Mall of America didn't meet your expectations. We strive to provide excellent service and clear signage regarding our service fee. We understand that it was not clear to you and for that, we apologize. Your feedback is valuable and will be used to improve our service. We hope you'll give us another chance to make it right. Best regards, The Management Team
   

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10. S

    Sandi

    Minneapolis

    18 reviews

    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on 17 December 2024

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

    Great experience with friendly staff who were upbeat, friendly and accommodating. Interacted well with the young family at our table as well as me and my spouse.
    

    Benihana - Mall of America, MNResponded on 19 December 2024

    Thanks for visiting us, Sandi! We're thrilled to hear that you and your spouse had a great experience at Benihana - Mall of America. It's wonderful to know that our team was able to provide a friendly and welcoming environment for all our guests. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to serving you and your family again soon!
    

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