Benihana - San Diego, CA

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco1 review

   5.0

   Dined today

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

   Had a great experience at Benihana. Terry the manager was great and got us in at our reservation time even though they were extremely busy and backed up. They were so attentive to detail. Our server Leticia took great care of us and the Chef Pino was excellent. Had a great time.
   

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2. BR

   BillR

   San Diego3 reviews

   1.0

   Dined today

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

   No parking, an hour behind reserved time, sat in small hot noisy room right outside kitchen, chef was awful, and of course overpriced food
   

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3. S

   Stephanie

   Unspecified1 review

   3.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Some waitresses are bad and ignore you. We made reservations at 830 and didn’t eat until 1030. Do not recommend even trying to make reservations. Cooks are amazing and food is good as well.
   

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Orange County2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   They seemed a bit understaffed. One waitstaff was servicing 3 tables of 8 people, which resulted in delays in service.
   

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5. J

   Jim VIP

   Chicago18 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   made a reservation for eight people arrived on time was told to wait for 20 minutes once seated the chef came to our table and told us it would be an hour before we could be served because they had a staff shortage. They apologize and told us we should go back to downtown San Diego and find someplace to eat there. I guess we were very disappointed and we didn't wind up eating dinner until after 10:30 at night.
   

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Diego3 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   This location seems to have gone downhill a little bit. The food tasted great, of course! But the service was lackluster- had to wait for a table 30 minutes after our reservation time, forgot to put my kids drinks in the cool mugs, forgot to have bowls for the rice at our table, forgot refills, and had an incredibly long wait at our table between courses. This was challenging because we had our three kiddos and celebrating one of their birthdays. Everyone was so hungry- our reservation was for 7 o’clock and we didn’t even have our chef until 9 o’clock. I expect this on a Friday or Saturday, but we went there on a weeknight! The saving grace was our chef, who we had a great time with! But we all left very tired and a bit distraught. We don’t plan on coming back to this location anytime soon.
   

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7. K

   Kylie VIP

   San Diego9 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   We went to dinner here for my partners birthday. If you’re sensitive to loud noises do NOT come here. The chef puts on a little show which is very well executed but he bangs the utensils a lot and that was jarring for me. The food was cooked well but nothing memorable, after all the entertainment is what people come here for. If you want A+ surf and turn you should consider a different restaurant this is more like a B+. It’s very kid friendly as far as the food and entertainment goes. The kids are always engaged and have a good time. Our server however was no where to be found and we didn’t get any drink refuses until we were ready to leave. For a table of five I believe the bill was about $250+. I wouldn’t say this is cheap for the quality of food but again you are going here for the entertainment. This is a good place for parties off all sizes and ages. Over all it was a good experience but nothing wonderful.
   

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Diego2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   We had a reservation for 6:15 and waited 50 minutes to be seated. I would expect this on a Friday or Saturday night, but a Tuesday? I was surprised. Another party we sat with asked to speak to a manager and they never showed up at the table. Benihanas is a great restaurant for special occasions, but I would not dine here otherwise.
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Dear Guest! We sincerely apologize for the long wait and the poor experience you had on your recent visit, especially on a Tuesday. This delay and lack of managerial follow-up are unacceptable and not reflective of the high standards we strive to maintain. We truly appreciate your feedback and will address these issues with our team to prevent this from happening again. We hope you'll consider giving us another chance to provide the special experience Benihana is known for. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Best regards,
   

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9. ST

   STEPHENO

   San Diego1 review

   2.0

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   Our reservation was for 6:15 but we weren’t even seated until 645
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 3 days ago

   Hi Stepheno, We're really sorry to hear about the delay you experienced during your visit to Benihana - San Diego, CA. We understand how frustrating that can be and we apologize for the inconvenience. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed our food and service. We appreciate your feedback and will certainly use it to improve our service. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again soon. Best Regards, Benihana - San Diego, CA Management Team
   

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10. OT

    OpenTable Diner VIP

    Houston8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

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

    Excellent food and experience. The staff was very professional and the food was delicious.
    

    Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 3 days ago

    Dear Guest! Thanks for the feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your dining experience with us and found our food to be delicious. It's always our goal to provide a professional service and top-notch food to our guests. We appreciate your kind words and look forward to serving you again soon! Best, The Management Team at Benihana - San Diego, CA
    

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