- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Benihana Ontario Corp
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
17 reviews for Benihana Ontario Corp
we came here to celebrate my mom's bday. benihana has one of the best birthday deals i've ever heard of - if you're part of their club (free to join), on your bday month they give you a $30 gift certificate to use! we met up here at 5:30pm on a saturday evening and there was already a 2 hour wait for teppanyaki, so we decided to eat at the sushi bar.
sushi is americanized - mostly california rolls, tempura rolls, and variations thereof - and other dishes (steak, seafood) seem a tad pricey to me.
service was ok but we had to request water refills and they gave us a hard time when we presented the gift certificate at the end of the meal instead of at the beginning (although i don't know why it mattered). with respect to service, the benihana in rowland heights is better but in terms of decor, i think this ontario one wins by a hair.
notes:
- sign up for their free club for the $30 bday gift certificate (and they don't even spam - yay!). and if you decide to use the certificate, present it at the very beginning of the order
- make sure to make reservations if you want to eat teppanyaki. the longer we were there the more people built up; when we left people were crammed into the main lobby, overflowing close to the bathrooms and outside!
S'okay. The one in Vegas is scads better. And way cooler too, what with all the water/waterfalls/bridges etc.
*Service is hit-or-miss.
*Food is pretty consistent. That is to say okay. My favorite thing is the Ginger Salad Dressing, which thanks to Todd Wilbur (whose books I buy with cult-like fanaticism) I can make at home. They need more seasoning on the meat, seafood, and chicken. They are a bit bland. Fried rice is fairly good.
*The chefs at the teppanyaki table (and I use the word 'chef' loosely) are the same as the service: also hit-or-miss. I've been here a few times and it runs the gamut from really-happy-sake-drinking-I-guess-they-think-this -is-how-they-think-Americans-think-chefs-at-a-tepp anyaki-table-should-act-like to chefs that barely cracked a smile and grunted resentfully at everything you said (breaking the American's stereotype, I guess).
A final note: for a chain (shudder, shudder) restaurant, they really are "diverse" in how each restaurant looks. The one in Vegas looks nothing like the one in Seattle, which looks nothing like the one in Ontario, which looks nothing like the one in San Antonio, which looks nothing like the one in Beverly Hills. My sinister thoughts on this have to do with location/neighborhood profiling. Of course, I'm probably being paranoid. McDonald's does the same damned thing. No plot. Just Big Business in America for a Medium-Sized Japanese Steak House. Ironic.
I'm in the area for the next two days, so hubs and I decided to stop by and take advantage of the more reasonable lunch prices here at Benihana's. There was no wait and we were seated immediately.
Our waitress was okay, not the most attentive, but still nice. But I guess what really makes the experience is not only the chef and his tricks but the people that you dine with. The first time we came here, we sat with a couple having a love affair who practically made out at the table, much to our disgust. How do I know it was an affair, you ask? Both times their cell phones rang, each person got wide-eyed and goes, "ssshhh! it's her!" or "sssshh, it's him!" proceeded by each of them saying something along the lines of "I'm running errands and will be home later sweetheart." That was entertaining.
Today we had a mother, grandmother and their obnoxious teen daughter/grandaughter in tow. She loudly announced, "it's my birthdaaaaay!!!" to which we responded, "Happy Birthday!" Then said b'day girl proceeded to boss the waitress around and tried to rudely correct our chef, Akuto, of getting her order wrong. Not the case. Her bad behavior continued all throughout the meal. She must've caught us looking at her quizzically and said across the table, "yea, are you Chinese?" To which I said, "Filipino." And she goes, "yea, same thing, you're Asian." Wow. Lucky for her I resisted hurling my chopsticks at her face and gave her a tight smile instead. Her mom looked horrified and apologized but we told her not to worry about it.
Onto the food. It was tasty and delicious, cooked perfectly. I had the chicken and scallops and hubs had the shrimp and beef julienne, which is basically thinly sliced beef, green onions with some type of sauce. Akuto was great and put on a good show for us despite the teen interrupting him every now and then.
After we said our "domo arigatos" we left and noticed the wait staff giving murderous looks to the annoying teen at our table. We noticed they refused to sing "Happy Birthday" to her in Japanese and instead gave her a pineapple slice with an umbrella in it sans the song. Pretty funny.
The best way to describe the Benihana experience is to say it's a "first time" kind of a place, especially if you go with a group. Starting out as a Teppanyaki "virgin," you'll enjoy the show and the distinct flavors of this unique cooking method. Your second visit to Benihanna, however, is likely to be a disappointment because the show is always the same, the prices are steep, and if you've been to one of the more authentic Teppanyaki restaurants, you'll realize that Benihana's food doesn't compare to the best.
My recent visit to the Ontario Benihana with a group of six was the third or fourth time I've been to a Benihana. In addition, I've eaten some really great Teppanyaki at other restaurants over the years, so I had a solid basis for comparison. Quite frankly, I was bored with the show, the food and the staff. The only elements of the evening that weren't boring were picking up the group's $240 tab and watching the reactions of those in our group who hadn't been to a Teppanyaki restaurant before. Their enjoyment of the experience made the price more palatable.
So, if you're with a group of friends or family and you haven't experienced Teppanyaki, by all means, load up your wallet and head for Benihana. Otherwise, do some research on Yelp and find a superior Teppanyaki joint where you'll really enjoy the food.
I am dead serious when I say I was two seconds away from jumping over the host stand and kicking the crap out of a female hostesses that works there. The only reason I did not? She probably was underage.
The chef and waitress were great, the only reason I didn't return with a can of gasoline to burn this sh*thole down.
Seriously, if you have a 16 year-old that wants extra $$$ I will pay to have that hostess popped in the face!!
I came recently for my very first trip to Benihana with a couple of my friends. I had been to a teppanyaki grill before, so this was nothing really new.
I guess in the end, my main complaint is the price. Is the food good? Yes. Was it the best steak I ever had? No. Was it worth $30? Certainly not. And certainly not because it wasn't cooked to order....which, IMO, when you charge a premium for your steak, it must be. I don't know if it was the few extras we ordered, but I got stuck with a $150 bill, and I didn't really like it that much. Again, it was good....I just don't think it was *that* good. Personally, I have been just as happy at some of the less expensive options in area, but I have never been really thrilled with teppanyaki to begin with.
I hesitate to go against the grain of the reviews on this restaurant. Maybe I had an off experience. Maybe not. Maybe I'm just picky and cheap. In the end, my friends will have to drag me back on their tab to see if my experience improves any.
Benihana or I think more like Benihaha or Benikaka. Perhaps the latter!
Enter the door not to be greeted by anyone and be stared down by this worker (Leo) behind the counter just staring at us.
Hey dude....dude...there's some people in front of you.....hey dude you're supposed to say hello......or something.
Nope...Mr. Mannequin (Leo) just stood there except when he flirted with the waitress that attempted to help us.
Finally, they sat us down and brought us sodas took our order. We waited...waited....waited....and waited some more and they sat people down and more people next to us.
This place was kinda like Disneyland. You had to wait until all the seats were filled, before the ride would go. Oh yeaaah and Mickey Mouse was at the door.
They bring us this...aaaah.....soup (if you want to call it that). This soup (chicken broth) has 1/4 of one mushroom in it and two things that looked like eyeballs looking at me.
I don't like eyes staring at me while I'm eating, so I stabbed those two little eyeballs with my fork as they screamed back at me and the soup splashed everywhere....
Aaaah...excuse me....hey you got eyeballs in this soup.....as the rest of the customers moved slowly away from me and obviously didn't stare at me.
That's it....that is it....no more of this crappy broth called soup with whatever was in it staring at me..
Finally they bring out a TV tray and put it on the burner and everyone was laughing at it including me as it bubbled up (see photos of crappy salmon).
It turned out to be my Fish Tsutsumi-Yaki (TV tray) which was just a small piece of tasteless salmon @ $22.10 with some veggies . Why the fancy words for salman???
The chicken lunch my mom got @$9.00 was a total rip off with only 6 or 7 small pieces of chicken with some veggies.
Funny...how grill look like casino blackjack table. Aaaah.....flip over plates and let's play blackjack..............hmmmm........ya think?
Our waiter Calvin was very personal with his routine and was a very excellent chef as you can see in the photos. He actually made a heart out of the rice (also in photos) and Calvin really deserves three stars.
Humble customer ask.......Why faces look so pissed off?
Humble customer ask.........Why no greeting at door?
Humble customer ask.......Why food very bland and crappy?
Humble customer ask.......Why you ripe me off?
Humble customer say.....Terrible....terrible....oooooh...just so very terrible..........
OK, first let me say I'm 6'3" & a 250lb. guy. I only go to this place for someone's special day. I always leave Benihana's hungry. I hate the show. The food is ok, but definately overpriced. This time I did add some sushi. Made it bearable. The green ice tea is good too! Hope this is the last time I ever have to go.
Never cared for this joint but I went with my Mom for lunch, they have a $9 boat lunch special, choice of sesame chicken, stir fry beef, or salmon, I got salmon. This included rice, miso soup, salad, 4 pieces of cal rolls, tempura, enadame, 4 pieces of sashimi, & of course the salmon. Pretty good deal, so they get an extra star for value
I've never had Benihana Teppan yaki. I always sit in the sushi bar. Although not at the bar, but in the sushi dining area. (Sam, the best sushi maker, quit, so I don't like sitting at the bar anymore :))
Sushi and quality of food are not bad, although not the best, but they are ok. I like Omokase in Haven also (some items are better here).
Worth to try. :)
my Boyfriend Raved about Benihana's forever, so when we stayed a week in Rancho Cucamonga, he was so excited to finally get to take me to one. I can actually say that I was really disappointed. Our chef hardly did any cool cook tricks for us, the food was just mediocre (and honestly, that is being generous), and the tab was OUTRAGEOUS. Maybe we just came on an off night, but I wish we would have spent the $80 dollars somewhere else. Apparently the Benihana's in Las Vegas is suppose to be amazing, but i just don't know if I can drag myself to waste the money again.
I love Benihana, and this is the closest one to my home. I have been to several locations and they have all been consistent with the quality of food and service. I give them 5 stars.
My usual is the Hibachi Chauteaubriand. I don't know how to spell it. (I'm willing to bet, neither do you! ^^) I ask for medium rare, and occasionally I get meat thats a little more cooked than I asked for. My last visit gave me a medium to medium well done meat and I was not too happy about that. That's ok though, the steak is still good.
Seafood diablo is my mom's favorite. It is delicious! I like to ask for the diablo sauce with any dish I order. I like mixing the sauces... @.@ Too much diablo sauce will make your food very very salty and sticky.
I tried everything on the menu and have concluded, there is nothing bad here. I personally don't like teriyaki sauce very much so I never ordered it, but i have had tried a bite. It was too sweet for me.
I don't like to order chicken here. If someone I go with orders it I have one or two pieces, and each time I think it's a little dry.
The salad is awesome, the soup is even better. YUMMY!
Love the fried rice. You must NOT skip the fried rice. Pay the extra $3. It is so worth it.
Green tea ice cream is to die for. Always save some room for the green tea ice cream.
They are usually very good at refilling your glass and coming by to make sure they get you everything you need. I wish their water glass was a little bigger though, I prefer not having the waitresses refilling my glass every few minutes.
If you have children or it is your first time here, the show is very entertaining...IF you get a cook that is playful. Sometimes I see cooks that really look like they don't want to do the show and they are very monotonous and bored looking. I prefer this because I come here for the food, not the show. I've seen it all, its boring now, i just want the food! o.O
You can come here on your birthday and get some pineapple slices and a picture taken.
I went for my sister's Bday and had a fabulous time! I haven't been back for a while, which makes me wonder since now there are such bad review all of a sudden? Our chef was wonderful. His tricks, his jokes, we had a great time. The food was so good as well and it was plentyful! We had a great time. Maybe it was luck? I'll have to go back & find out!
I always get the chicken and steak.
They cook it right in front of you and its one of the best eating expericances ever. you gotta go if you never have
Definitely a great show.
The food is great and really fresh. Definitely what I expect from a higher class sushi and Teppanyaki restauarant. Teepanyaki is good and they have the better cuts of meats. THat is not what sets it aside from other imitators. THeir menu evolves ever so slightly and is not influenced by trends. Just good Japanese foods.
Also, what I like about this place is that they trust their meat. THey are not afraid to cook the meat to taste and not overcook it like some Japanese places do. The worst thing you can do to a really good cut of beef is overcook it to the point where flavor leaves it.
Lunch menu is a great value for this place. The boat specials are rather large and very filling.
Dessert Menu is a little small but who cares they have Sherbert and Green Tea Ice Cream . . .LOL
I had totally forgotten how much fun group dining at Benihana's can be. I remember going to the one in Encino for birthdays when I was in high school. Maybe it's because there are not many of them in Northern California. Our professional organization "group" actually had a lot of fun eating here, so I would certainly recommend this place, which is in the "food" area of the nearby Ontario Mills shopping center. I had the Seafood Combo - shrimp, scallops and lobster...pretty yummy.
I came here for my 22nd birthday and I had so much fun!! We had to get two tables but we got one that was kind of in a circle which made it hard to talk but then again I had nearly 15 people there. The presentation was awesome and the food was sooo yummy I can't wait to go back! Apparently they do the same things at all the benihanas (this was my first time) soo it wasn't as intriguing to some of my returning friends. However I enjoyed it and honestly probably would the second time around as well. The drinks here are strong! I asked for it weak and the waitress told me I'd be fine...I guess she was into getting the birthday girl waaaaay drunk...or maybe I am weak =D. At the end they gave me pinapples and a buddha candle to blow out and then they took a polaroid of my entire bday clan for me! YAY thank u benihana for being a part of my 22nd!! =) maybe I should I have a 22.5 here OOOH YEA im bringing half birthdays BACK!
