Benihana - Orlando - International Drive, FL

Review summary

1. Y

   Yousif

   Orlando1 review

   2.0

   Dined today

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

   I arrived 15 minutes before my reservation and still had to wait 45 minutes to be seated. We ordered a five-course meal that included rice, but the chef prioritized another group, giving them full attention and serving their rice first. When it was our turn, he started serving meat and seafood, but no rice was provided. We waited about 15 minutes, expecting the rice to arrive so we could enjoy our meal properly. Instead, we suddenly noticed the chef cleaning the grill. When we asked about the rice, he casually said, “Oh yeah, I forgot,” and disappeared into the kitchen. Meanwhile, we sat with full plates of untouched food. To make things worse, a waiter came with the bill while we were still waiting for our rice. When we pointed this out, he hurried to the kitchen and returned with four portions of rice in to-go boxes. At that point, we felt like we were being served at a shelter rather than a fine dining restaurant. Despite explaining that we hadn’t even started eating, the staff seemed indifferent, simply handing us takeout boxes and dismissing our concerns. In the end, we paid $324 for a completely ruined dining experience. My kids even said they would have enjoyed McDonald’s more. Benihana has always been our go-to for family outings, and we’ve never had an issue before. However, this particular branch needs serious management attention. A night that was supposed to be special turned into a frustrating disappointment.
   

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   Columbus1 review

   2.0

   Dined today

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

   Arrived at 8:30 for a reservation… finally seated at 8:59. Immediately placed food and drink orders. Chef finally came to table at 9:30 and the dinner service was so incredibly slow… we finally had all of our food and was checking out at 11:15… I never in my wildest dreams expected a 3 hour dinner that late with a 6 year old in our party… to top it all off, the ceiling was raining inside while it was dry as could be outside
   

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Exclusive1 review

   1.0

   Dined today

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

   Manager, I recently visited Benihana’s to celebrate my son’s sixth birthday, expecting a lively and engaging hibachi-style experience. Unfortunately, I left feeling extremely dissatisfied with the presentation and overall quality of service. Our table had two birthday celebrations with a total of nine guests, and given the price we paid (around $300 party of 5), I expected a much higher level of entertainment and culinary performance. The presentation felt lackluster, rushed, and not up to the standard I’ve experienced at other hibachi-style restaurants, including Benihana. It did not reflect the value of what we paid, and it certainly did not deliver the fun and engaging experience we were hoping for, especially for a child’s birthday!! I’m not sure if this was due to the location being in a tourist-heavy area, if the chef was exhausted, or if they weren’t fully trained, but whatever the case, the experience fell short. This visit has unfortunately changed my perception of what to expect from Benihana’s and hibachi-style restaurants in general. Given the variety of options available, I now feel that the experience is more about paying for the name rather than the quality of service. I wanted to share this feedback in hopes that it can help improve future customer experiences. I truly believe that a well-executed hibachi experience should be memorable and enjoyable, and I would love to see your establishment meet those expectations consistently. Best regards, Krys
   

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4. T

   Tom

   Indiana8 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Had’nt been to Benihana in a while but totally enjoyed it!! Christian our “chef” was awesome! Enjoyed meeting a couple from North Carolina and their daughter and son-in-law and 2 granddaughters!! Food was great and ambience very good! Would highly recommend!!
   

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Miami5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Food was delicious and our chef was really funny and attentive.
   

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6. R

   Robert

   Orlando1 review

   2.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Child’s food came out when it was time for us to leave, drink took 20 minutes to arrive but it was delicious. Staff was great as well as the hibachi cooks. Deep fried calamari was overcooked from the kitchen, next time I’ll spend $300 dollars elsewhere but thank you for the same volcano train each visit!
   

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7. K

   Kathryn VIP

   Greater Boston21 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   A positive experience …. Sat with some very nice people at
   

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Mississippi2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   For the price it was not worth it. I’ve always wanted to try it. The wait service was excellent, I was surprised given the reviews I read. The cook was really nice and talkative. The food was not good and overpriced.
   

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9. S

   Summer

   Orlando2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   Dinner started out okay until a member at our table found a hair in their food, (the cook had no hair so it wasn't his). Then, we found a piece of plastic in my son's food. The manager questioned him as to where he found it, coming off like we put it in there, and that was the last we saw of the manager. We received no apologizes from him for this nor did the lady with the hair in her food. The server was nice, but once the cook showed up we didn't see her again until well after he left, leaving us thirsty with drinks empty the entire meal. All patrons at the table had no drinks for well over 25 minutes. When I did see her helping another table, she saw me and indicated she'd be over....and was about 10-15 minutes after that. We asked for refills and a box. She came back with the box and no refills, where we asked again. She came back with the check and no refills so we asked a 3rd time, and were told all teas were out, however, we did finally receive some lemonades to go instead. This on top of my husband getting charged and given a second set of noodles when he just ordered a regular meal with no extra noodles. My kids were also charged for noodles with their kids menu, which I though was weird since otherwise all their kids shrimp hibachi would have had was shrimp with a small side salad appetizer and I have a hard time believing that it cost 24.50 for 5-6 small shrimp and a side salad since drinks weren't included and she asked if they wanted steamed rice or noodles. It was exorbitantly expensive, considering the amount of food, the server issues, and being served plastic in the food. We could've gone to any other hibachi grill and paid much less per person, gotten more food, and had a better experience as the food itself was average tasting as well. We were not happy with the experience and plan to skip going here in the future and go to a different hibachi grill instead.
   

   Benihana - Orlando - International Drive, FLResponded 3 days ago

   Dear Summer, We're truly sorry to hear about your experience. Finding foreign objects in your food and facing service challenges is unacceptable, and we sincerely apologize for the disappointment. We strive for high standards in both food safety and customer service, and it's clear we fell short during your visit. We appreciate your feedback and will address these concerns with our team to prevent future issues. Your experience matters to us, and we’d love the opportunity to make things right. Please reach out so we can discuss how to improve and regain your trust.
   

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10. L

    Lisa

    E. Tennessee1 review

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

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

    Our server was pleasant, but was not around. We had to track him down to get water refills. He took an extended amount of time to clear our soup and salad plates and get our check. We also were crammed into a table. We were a party of 4 and were sitting with a party of 6. After we finished our soup and salad, our chef didn’t come to the table for quite a while. He was very good and entertaining. He was the highlight of our night. The food was very good. The restaurant was busy and they told us when we checked in they were about 15-20 minutes behind. The party at our table waited 40 minutes and sushi they ordered was not delivered until they asked a second time. It was busy but not that busy. It was a Tuesday night. People that came in after us were seated, had drinks from the bar, sushi, and their chef was cooking all before our table.
    

    Benihana - Orlando - International Drive, FLResponded 3 days ago

    Dear Lisa, Thank you for your feedback. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the food and that your chef made the experience entertaining. However, we apologize for the delays in service and the wait times you encountered. We understand how frustrating it can be to feel overlooked, and we’ll address these concerns with our team to improve efficiency and attentiveness. Your experience matters to us, and we truly appreciate your patience. We hope you'll give us another chance to provide a smoother and more enjoyable visit next time.
    

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