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Benihana
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
1447 4th StSanta Monica, CA 90401
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
(310) 260-1423
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Touristy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
107 reviews for Benihana
Review Highlights
"The chicken fried rice is always to die for."
(in 13 reviews)
"...loved how little kids get so excited about an onion volcano."
(in 12 reviews)
"Great lunch specials."
(in 6 reviews)
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106 reviews in English
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Review from Michelle M.
Lake Forest, CA
12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Solid 4 stars for this place.
I've never been here, but my date highly recommended it. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Benihana impressed me!
We walked in around 4:30pm and was seated right away. Tables are set up that up to eight people can sit at the same table -- so be prepaired to have strangers sitting with you. The chefs will cook your meals right in front of you and usually do a cool, boardering on cheesy, show for you while they are cooking. It's entertaining for a first timer, but I heard that they do the same stuff every time you come.
I ordered the Steak and the "upgraded rice", which I hear is worth the couple extra bucks. The rice was wonderful and the Steak was perfect -- so tasty. Since one of my tablemates ordered the seafood, I got a few pieces of the shrimp, which was great too and I usually don't like seafood.
For a drink, I ordered a Mai Tai, which was really strong and not so fruity, which I like!
All in all, this place impressed me on my first impression. Definately not a place if you're expecting a romantic dinner or a private place to talk, but somewhere that is fun and a good experience!
Cheers! -
Review from Chrissy K.
Manhattan Beach, CA
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Go to the beverly hills location if you can. The food here is good, but our service sucked!!! We were at benihanas for 3 hours! We waited for her to drop the bill off for 20 min, pick up the payment for 20 min, get back our payment 10 min later, only to realize that she actually charged us for the sake she forgot to bring us (and there was no way we were actually going to wait for her to attempt taking that off the tab).
On a more positive note, the chef we had was actually thoroughly entertaining. He was actually asian! Also, in addition to doing all the standard tricks, he told some pretty entertaining jokes.
Lastly, this place should have a valet. I hate parking in huge structures, the valet would have been really nice to have. -
Review from Chandler M.
Los Angeles, CA
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Benihana is foremost a tourist spot. you get dinner and a show in an open dining experience. The food, while good is easily better at any restaurant that you can add about $5 to the bill. It's a not-quite steakhouse with asian teppanyaki replacing the back kitchen.
I love seeing the onion volcano and the various rice molds.
We came for a friends birthday, and I ordered the filet mignon with shrimp (no mushrooms)(I don't like the fungus). The peopel on our party all knew each other so it was a very fun distraction and the chef fed into it, making a very cool exciting experience...we sampled basically everything and since we had like 8 people, a table was all ours. Benihana is definitely worth going with a big group.
I wish I could give this place 4 stars, but the food is so average. after the show and the food you get (which isn't really a lot...or is it? The food is pretty much received in small streams and trickles according to the chef's ability to cook the food so you never really have either a full or empty plate)...theres nothing really to the food. I get that the food is extremely fresh, but the sauce you get just isn't enough.
Maybe I'm just not a fan of japanese style cooking which relies on the natural flavor, but even then you get such little portions at a time it never really shines. -
Review from Su L.
Culver City, CA
2/1/2012
I tried tepanyaki at various restaurants before but honestly never had anything amazing. It's always somewhat plain but food was decent at Benihana so it deserves three stars. Note that waiting time is EXTREMELY long. The chef put on some tricks which i haven't seen at other restaurants, which was entertaining. We tried filet + scallop and lobster tail + steak and the conclusion was that filet plus lobster would be the best combination. The restaurant also provided two kinds of sauce, which added flavor to the meat. I'm not sure I would be willing to pay over $30 per person for tepanyaki again but with a decent coupon, i could come back.
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Review from George S.
Tarzana, CA
1/29/2012
About a 40 minute wait, even with a reservation. Service was slow. The adjacent table was seated about the same time as ourrs, slowing things down with two chefs back to back,. Chicken fried rice is great. Other food was good.
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Review from Bridget P.
Santa Monica, CA
11/9/2011
No, it's not an authentic teppanyaki place, yes, it takes a long time to have dinner, and yes, the portions are small for the price, but you come here to be entertained with a show. Look at it that way and you'll enjoy your experience more.
My advice:
- Sign up for their e-mail list and you'll get your meal free on your birthday. I wish I'd read the Yelp reviews, because I didn't know this on my birthday until other diners at the table told us!
- Get the hibachi chicken fried rice. It's $3, it's fried in GARLIC BUTTER among other things, and it's delicious and made in front of you.
- Happy hour at the bar upstairs is until 8 and the drinks are half off. Sushi is cheap too. Go early, come here to get some drinks, then get dinner, because I don't think the drink specials apply downstairs.
I was taken here on my birthday dinner. You are seated very close to the others at your table and probably will talk to them, so don't come here for a romantic dinner or a deep conversation, but rather a party-like scene. We split the spicy hibachi chicken and the shrimp/hibachi steak combo, both of which came with veggies, shrimp appetizer, and ice cream.
I wish the meat was a little more seasoned/flavored aside from the dipping sauces, but it was fun watching our chef's onion volcano, crazy knife skills, and he did some magic tricks too. We got a good one who seemed to have fun with his job. I loved how juicy and tender the steak was too, that was probably my favorite. Everything else was prepared in very similar fashions (he just left extra chicken from other orders, then put spicy sauce on it) and it was interesting to watch. Seemed like it would be a great place for kids.
I tried picking up tips from the chef to use while entertaining at home. I don't think I could ever do the knife spins, or flipping the cutting boards without giving someone a piece of steak in the face, but I DID learn to grill EVERYTHING in huge piles of BUTTER. That's what he did and you KNEW it was going to be amazing..... what isn't amazing without more butter? -
Review from Sophie S.
Santa Monica, CA
1/16/2012
If you haven't had someone cook in front of you, this is the best place for dining and entertainment.
Fun place to go for any occasion, any time.
Great food, and service.
Parking is a bit of an issue. -
Review from Reecoe B.
Los Angeles, CA
12/11/2011
My friend and went here to celebrate my birthday, and while we have been to Benihana before we had never gone to the one in Santa Monica...and we will not be returning!!!
When I arrived my friend was already seated but at a table with young children, say what you want about me but I do not care to be around children; especially when I have some input. I asked the manager if we could be moved to a table with only adults and he looked at me as if I was joking. His response to me was "you can wait" so I said "alright we will wait". We waited for probably 45 minutes to an hour before a table of all adults was available, which I didn't mind at all.
Once we were finally seated I found a dead bug in my water which I had previously been drinking. I pointed it out to the manager and I didn't make it a big ordeal because of my previous request for a table with no children. He apologized and brought me a new water immediately. The rest of the meal went off without a hitch my shrimp was slightly over cooked but no big deal, and the manager even comped the fried rice that we ordered to go because of the bug situation. At this point I thought the meal was good nothing special but decent, or so I thought...
Around 1am I woke up feeling very nauseous so I got up and went to the bathroom and spent the rest of the night in there will severe diarrhea and vomiting, not my idea of fun. I'm not sure what it was but I will not be returning, I can forgive mediocre service, and even a hostess with an attitude problem; but once you give me food poisoning I simply can't forgive that. -
Review from Randy B.
10/24/2011
The good: the "experience". The teppanyaki chefs are great at this location. I've been 5 or 6 times, each time much fun with the near death thrills and experiences of flying swords and fire. It makes a fun for a small party to sit together, or even for a 'first date' since its interactive with the chef and others at the table -- good for breaking the silence!
The food is very good! Chicken fried rice is supreme, love the shrimp, and love the steak; atop with the grilled mushrooms, onions, and zucchini -- ummmmmmmmm mmmmmm!
The 'okay': parking on the street (metered), valet sometimes, and parking lot across the street. Prices are a tad high.
The 'bad': busy location. A reservation is absolutely necessary. Even with a reservation, I've had to go upstairs to the bar for a drink or two until my spot was ready. Although, after a drink -- the bad even becomes good! -
Review from Jessica Y.
Los Angeles, CA
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sign up for Benihana's mailing list! They send you $30 on your birthday = FREE MEAL!!! And the certificate is valid during the whole month of your birthday (Mon-Thurs), so it's pretty flexible.
I got the teriyaki steak, chicken fried rice, and half a caterpillar roll all for FREE.
What everybody said about the performance and food is true. A bit overpriced, not incredible flavors, you're really paying for the experience. A couple tips:
- chicken fried rice is a must
- I would recommend ordering steak here over seafood/chicken, for some reason it always turns out better
- drinks are yummy, but weakkk -
Review from Jaime B.
9/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Okay, yes, it's inherently cheesy and this location can be rather touristy, but their lunch specials can hit the spot. I suspect that crack makes up a significant portion of the "herb butter" they put in the fried rice because I sometimes crave the hell out of it but I can't really explain why.
Lunch is always a production whether you want it to be or not. You're going to get the onion volcano, the spatula juggling, the beating heart made of fried rice, the whole shebang. I'm always tempted to tell the poor chef "You really don't have to do that. We were here last week, it's fine." but I don't want to offend him.
The Hibachi Steak with mushroom or the Beef Julienne is reliably good. The lunch specials come with salad, vegetables, and the aforementioned crack fried rice. This location has also recently finished building their sushi bar, where they apparently offer endless sushi M-Th. Due to a deep suspicion of all you can eat sushi, I don't think I'll be partaking of that, but your mileage may vary.Listed in: Lunching in Santa Monica
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Review from Aileen P.
6/9/2011
Benihana was a 4-star for me until I came here for dinner.
Call me crazy, but I think the dinner service takes a lot longer than lunch (carve out 2+ hrs from your schedule, for SURE). Here's what gets me all huffy and puffy about Beni's: for dinner, they add $6 dollars more to the lunch menu for the exact same portions. On top of that, the chicken sits on the grill, saved for LAST for obvious reasons, but... then it comes out super dry. If I'm paying $17 dollars for a chicken plate, that chicken better be somethin' special! I love the show and all, but on an empty stomach, it's hard not to care less about all the tricks and tickles -- just gimme my food!
OK, now that that rant is over, the experience is lovely, and the chefs have always been great at what they do! I like this place for lunch -- the sushi is pretty good, and their fried rice is awesome. I think some of the veggies are over-grilled at times, but they're always really good at catering to each individual's preferences and/or allergies.
For the most part, the servers have always been really great, however, on multiple occasions, they've charged double on my (or someone else in my party's) credit card. -
Review from Drew B.
11/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is a great and popular place to have a B Day dinner. They give you a $30 coupon online for your BD. This place is usually very busy so reservations help. Drinks are expensive and not too strong. The food is great practically everything: soup, salad, shrimp appetizer. Steaks, lobster tails, vegetable and sauces all Hot and fresh. Kids enjoy chicken. The only variable is the chef, comtimes you get a good one that makes it fun, sometimes a bump on a log that just cooks and gloats. TAN, was the man last time flipping shrimp tails in his hat throwing the knives around. Clap Clap. They usually have a monthly special for two that is under $40. Steak and Lobster pretty reasonable @ $36.
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Review from Food L.
Los Angeles, CA
11/14/2011
I came here once for lunch and once for a birthday dinner. The lunch was wonderful, but the birthday dinner was "A-OK".
I know I shouldn't be bagging on our "chef", but I walked in there knowing it was going to be luck on who was going to end up cooking our food and giving us a show. He unfortunately dropped everything he threw in the air, which was disappointing, and he didn't seem to care. I also asked for my filet mignon medium rare, and I got it medium well.
But that alone doesn't justify three stars. I arrived with my friends at 7:45PM, which was 15 minutes after our scheduled reservation. I called in and said that we were going to be late. They said we have 15 minutes to get there or the seats will be given away. Fair enough. So we get there EXACTLY 15 minutes late, and I say to the hostess out of breath (we ran), "we're here!" She looks up, just points to her digital clock and tells us no, it's 7:47PM and you're table is gone. She is the hostess, and it is not her place to let us know that she's been having a bad night or whatever it is that gives her a nasty demeanor. Unfortunately, I had a sudden urge to be loud and violent, but I resisted. It ruined my night, and the rubbery filet mignon didn't help. -
Review from Gabe P.
Huntington Beach, CA
8/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
The last time I have been to this Benihana was two years ago, for my birthday celebrated with my Father and co. It really hasn't changed much, the food is still bomb, the performance was still bomb. Same tricks, but they still impressed me. I have always and will always respect the chefs here because what they do is an art, and they know it too.
The food is a little bit over priced, but it's worth the performance and the quantity. I ordered the Yakisoba with steak. It was a marvelous meal. The noodles were very sweet and the steak was cooked to perfection.
My little brother ordered steak and chicken. The chicken was rather dry and tasteless, but the steak was the most succulent.
So if I have to recommend something, order the steak and not the chicken. The chicken tastes like any ordinary meat you can get anywhere, so even though it's three dollars extra, just get it. -
Review from A O.
Los Angeles, CA
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
You either love it or hate it. This restaurant may have been one of the 1st Japanese "chain" restaurants in the U.S. The nostalgia factor is probably high for your grandparents generation, when this place was in its glory days.
Compared to other J-restaurants in trendy LA, this place isn't up to par, but I can always count on a solid complete meal. The meals usually include soup, salad, appetizer (shrimp and veggies), main course, and dessert and tea. We usually go for birthdays, they have the $30 email credit (see other reviews) which helps with the cost. I'd recommend the filet and shrimp dinner.
My 2 year old adores this place and it is nice to converse (most of the time) with the other people at your table. A week later I still hear him say, "Daddy, the man flipped the shrimp in his hat." Gets him every time.
Worth it at least once in your life. And the fried rice is really tasty, probably due to all the garlic butter! -
Review from Jean L.
3/6/2011
There was a 20 minute wait on a Thursday night, and we asked if we could grab a drink during. They pointed us toward the upstairs lounge, which turned out to be completely empty. No visitors, no bartender, nada. A waitress ultimately showed up and offered two drink specials, but didn't know the ingredients save the name.
We were seated sooner than expected at a table with six others. After handing out the soup and salad, and getting us our sake, our waitress basically disappeared. She never cleared our table for empty bottles - I had to hand it to another passing waitress. Waters were never refilled.
Our chef was fortunately pretty hilarious though.
Decided on the $42 for 2 special of 'onion' soup, salad, filet mignon and shrimp. The onion soup exemplified MSG in liquid glory. The salad was amply dressed with ginger sauce.
Filet mignon was pretty tender, the shrimp was okay, mushrooms were loaded with butter. Also opted for the chicken fried rice, which was second best to the filet.
It's a decent place for this benihana/tokyowako type of meal, but be prepared to be ignored. -
Review from Vergine A.
Pasadena, CA
6/2/2011
Ok, real quickly...first, the food is ok! Nothing to rave home about! It doesn't suck, but I really like Tokyo Wako or even Shogun wayy better!
Second, the place is hella loud, you can barely hear the waiter or chef or even the person sitting next to you! I mean, I'm not complaining this time because our kids were with us and the baby got fussy towards the end, so the noise level in the restaurant totally masked her crying! But, I usually don't like yelling while having dinner!
Third, the show the chef puts on is really weak! Even my 3 year old noticed that the show isn't as good as Tokyo Wako or Shogun! -
Review from Dan E.
Simi Valley, CA
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
When I called for a resevation and asked for 8pm the lady on the other end made a rude "uhhhh" sound then said ok your booked for 730pm" me: "um I asked for 8pm" girl: "your lucky to even get this time do you want it or not" wow great service from the start. I wanted to take my girl out so I said ok. Fast forward to me arriving at 730 then having to wait over a half an hour to even be seated. I thought a reservation meant a seat was reserved for you? Anyways I gave 3 stars because the food was fantastic (filet and chicken) and the sevice was great after being seated.
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Review from Michael S.
Marina del Rey, CA
Benihana is overpriced, awkward, bland, and boring. My wife and I spent $135 including tips and the experience just wasn't worth it.
Warning:
The Fried Rice and Ice Cream were pushed by the server as if they were part of the meal, however, they aren't included. We ended up paying $12 extra for those things even though we didn't really want/need them. A waste of food and money.
The orders for the table were wrong so our "chef" ended up cooking and then throwing away a couple items (squid, a piece of beef) and then he accidentally gave us somebody else's chicken, so, he had to order more of that, too. They also forgot my Filet Mignon and had to cook it separate. It didn't go well for the chef and his frustration level was evident in his performance / attitude. It wasn't fun. It was watching someone do a "job" on a bad day.
My wife chose the Ocean Treasure which comes with one Lobster Tail, 4 or 5 small Scallops and 4 or 5 medium-size Shrimp. The scallop seemed overcooked. The lobster was literally flavorless. The shrimp weren't colossal and tasted the exact same as the shrimp served as an appetizer. Neither sauce helped much although the Ginger Sauce had the most zing.
I tried the Filet Mignon teppan-yaki. It comes with the same watery Onion Soup and side Salad as all the entrees. Both are rather bland although the salad was filling. The beef was prepared medium and was the best of the meats we tried. We also were given an order of chicken (by mistake) which was dry and boring.
My favorite items were from the bar area. The Las Vegas Roll was a great change of pace from traditional Japanese Rolls. It is Spicy Tuna and Cream Cheese fried in Tempura flakes. Each slice is served with a Jalapeno on top. The warm and spicy sushi felt like a real treat.
We also got two of the specialty drinks: an Exotic Mojito (Malibu Mango Rum, Passion Fruit Purée, Pineapple Juice, Lime and Mint) and a 1964 (Hendrick's Gin, Sake, Cucumber, Lime Juice, and St. Germain). The 1964 was the better of the two, but both leaned towards the sweet side. For dinner, I switched to Sapporo Beer. A happy hour was advertised on the web site, but it's apparently not true for this location.
Potential might be there for Benihana to be something special, but it really failed on the night we visited except for the friendly bartender.Listed in: Asian in L.A., Nihon no Ryori, Must Be Santa Monica
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Review from Michelle E.
Torrance, CA
6/1/2011
Took my boyfriend here for his birthday. We arrived early and were seated and served promptly. The waitress was the only thing keeping this from a five star experience. She didn't make eye contact and obviously didn't care about us. My boyfriend presented her with a $30 birthday coupon and she blurted out bluntly 'Those are only good Monday through Thursday ' without even looking up, like she could care less. Wrong wrong wrong. Is that how you respond to someone when you learn it is their birthday? Howabout 'happy birthday!' to start....???? Anyhow, my boyfriend, undeterred, talked to the manager, Jesus. He was very understanding and accepted the coupon anyway. Because of Jesus, I am sure that we will be going back for our special occasions.
We loved the mangotinis and got the the ceramic bodhi mugs (I may be calling it by the wrong name, but they're adorable anyhow)... souvenirs! Yay! For dinner we both had the had the Chateaubriand and lobster tail and added scallops... yum on all accounts except my scallops were tough, like they'd been overcooked and were sadly lacking seasoning. Would not order them again. My man did turn me on to something. Take your mustard sauce and just dump it on top of your fried rice. I know it sounds gross....I was skeptical at first...man it made that rice insanely good!!!! yum yum yum.
Overall, we had a great time here and appreciate Enrique's cooking and the help from management... it will keep us coming back! -
Review from Tiffany C.
Temple City, CA
6/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
My first teppenyaki experience!
Our waitress and chef were both very attentive, save for one minor hiccup: when we were ready to pay for our check our waitress remained MIA for longer than necessary. However, we just waved down the hostess and she promptly had another waitress help us.
I had heard about teppenyaki restaurants quite a lot, but never actually had been to one until now. The onion volcano was really fun and so was the shrimp-into-the-hat-flipping. It amazed me first and foremost how systematic, efficient and orderly the chef had to be in order to portion all the food correctly and make sure everything was cooked perfectly. ;)
I was really happy with the fact that the chef always asked us if our food was cooked to our liking, and we all agreed yessss! The fried rice especially was very tasty.
Our neighbors that we shared the table with were a little awkward and not very friendly though, so try to get a full table and have everyone order something different so you can all try each other's.
Also, you get a free meal during the month of your birthday if you fill out a simple form.
Overall, good experience. A must-eat if you have never been, but I do see the novelty of the experience wearing off after one or two visits. -
Review from André E.
Los Angeles, CA
3/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was a little worried about coming here with all the negative reviews, but with a $30 credit thanks to their "Chef's Table" club I figured it couldn't be THAT bad. I was wrong.
If I wasn't actively trying to get a refill I wouldn't be getting one. The chef didn't seem excited to be there and didn't even flip the shrimp! (seriously? How can you work here and not flip the shrimp? On the topic of the sad sack chef, I feel like whenever I come here every other table is being way more entertained by a happy peppy guy.)
The food is mediocre but nothing can beat hot steak right off the grill (hence the 2 stars). Your money can be better spent else where, anywhere really. -
Review from Valerie V.
Playa Del Rey, CA
5/16/2011
I love Teppan Steakhouses and have been to several dozen over the last 10 years. At one point I went to 6 in a matter of a week in Hawaii.
Benihana's is what I perceive as the biggest chain of Teppan Steakhouses. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad.
I went there on Sunday around 5:30 and was told the wait was about 5-10 minutes. This turned into around a 25 minute wait as the dinner rush came through, mostly with reservations.
The waitress was very attentive at first but was nowhere to be found towards the end of our meal.
The food is always amazing, not sure how you can screw up food your cooking in front of your guest. I got NY Steak and Jumbo shrimp and my Mom got Filet and shrimp. The chicken fried rice is always to die for! LOVE IT!
The highlight besides the food was our chef Brian. He was so attentive and asked every step of the way if our food was cooked to our expectation. Even with the meat before he put it on your plate he made sure it was cooked to your satisfaction. He even said to me your definition of medium is different than others so I want to make sure it's cooked to your liking!
I would go back but definitely worth making reservations! -
Review from yuri c.
Updated - 11/15/2011 1 photo
i had the lunch boat when i dined in here the other day and i unexpectedly loved it. it's less than $10 but it comes with rice, soup, salad, sashimi, tempura, and your choice of meat- chicken, beef, salmon. i would recommend salmon :) i was full and so happy!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/19/2011
i did a take-out for lunch the other day. it was called the lunch duet :) there were 2 choices you… Read more »
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Review from Mitra K.
Los Angeles, CA
9/9/2011
If you didn't know about their express lunches - now you do! These are great for a quick fix on your Beni-cravings. The selection and the portions are just right. Also - you must ask for a side of their special hot sauce which comes as a paste. Mix that stuff into your fried rice with a little of the salad dressing and you have pure ecstasy in a bowl. Mouth-watering!
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Review from Mari M.
12/20/2010 4 photos
2.5 stars.
Came here with my boyfriend for dinner.
Now I've been to a few Benihana and their other sister chain Haru back in NYC.
Benihana isn't really Japanese. I know the owner is but it's a BBQ place. Definitely has Japanese influence but it's whole thing is the juggling and entertaining chefs. Which they really are entertaining and have amazing skills.
But it's very very very loud. Like you are in a sports bar. And I don't know if it was because it was holidays there seemed to be a birthday at every table so every couple of minutes the waitresses were singing happy birthday. It was obnoxiously loud. I think it's probably great for group of friends or with a family but it's not very relaxing.
We ordered the hibachi steak and the filet mignon with lobster tail special.
We also added like $3.50 to upgrade to chicken fried rice.
One thing I LOVE at this place is the chicken fried rice. It is really nice when it's made right there in front of you. Although warning if you don't want garlic in it you have to tell the chef.
The chef's definitely entertaining with the steaming volcano onions and thumping chicken fried rice heart and juggling of his utensils. But my boyfriend had gone to a Benihana couple years ago and remembered a lot of what the chef's going to do so... I don't know how worth it is to go again and again.
Plus our bill was 80 bucks... If it wasn't for my relatives giving me gift certificate I don't think I would have come here... The food's decent, the filet mignon was melt in your mouth good and lobster tail was amazing. But I'm not sure if it's worth the price and the atmosphere's just not there for the upscale restaurant experience.
It's so hard to find parking here also on a Friday night :/ -
Review from Laura G.
Los Angeles, CA
4/27/2011
Wasn't very entertaining compared to other restaurants like this. Our chef was AWFUL. He kept dropping his 'tools', didn't flip the shrimp (even though there were two orders), and wasn't a very happy/entertaining chef overall. My friend's sushi roll was forgotten about as well as another's order of edamame. We finally mentioned something about the roll never coming out and then when we got the check and were charged for two. Minor, I know, just annoying.
Overall, NOT WORTH IT!!! -
Review from Shirin E.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2011
I went there for my BD with 13 of my friends! They were very accommodating given that my friends didn't arrive on time.
Food was good in general ... especially the (rare) fillet mignon and chicken fried rice. I wouldn't order chicken next time.
Atmosphere is appropriate for Birthdays, service was good in general. -
Review from Claire M.
Los Angeles, CA
8/23/2011
Personally I like this place a lot. Took my cousin from France here and she absolutely adored it. She's not a huge fan of meat and was happy that they had selections for her that didn't involve meat (or too much of it). We both loved the fact that they cooked the meals in front of you and it was spacious enough that you didn't have to shout to the person next to you to be heard. All the staff is really nice. I really have nothing negative to say about this place. You should all give it a go atleast once in your life :)
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Review from Shaun R.
Santa Monica, CA
8/10/2011
This was a bit of a disappointment for me. I came to Santa Monica from Kansas and our Japanese Steakhouse chain there was much better.
First, we ordered some sushi and it shocked me in a bad way. Not what I would expect from this class of restaurant. The form, flavor, and rice we all unsatisfying me. It was only $7 bucks so I wasn't expecting much.
Next the chef showed up. He did the normal clanging knives bit and made what I think was supposed to be a beating heart. I don't think he ever made a sound and the show was less than spectacular.
As for the food I felt that it was poorly seasoned as well. I could not believe my eyes when he cut my scallops in half while frying them and destroying the texture. I asked for medium rare on my mignon but got medium well.
It wasn't inedible so they are getting a 2 instead of a 1. They also moved our table because the waitress broke glass which I was happy for. It just did not have the atmosphere, show, or taste I would expect for the cost. Maybe it was a bad night, but the other tables I was watching did not look much better either. Perhaps their other restaurants are better. -
Review from Vy T.
Los Angeles, CA
3/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place is good for big groups. If you go as a couple they'll seat you with other couples or a family so it's kinf of akward.
The food however is decent and tastes great which is mainly why we go. They offer combinations and my fiance and I always mix and match.
The service is friendly and they greet you right away. It is a 'show' style dinner however the chefs just seem bored of doing the same old routine with the onion and the oil and the shrimp tails. -
Review from Yuro W.
Los Angeles, CA
3/21/2011
The veggie salad was the best ever,
And I ordered 3 lobster tails. Great entertainment by chef. Waitress was slow at picking up plates to make room for other incoming food, other than that it was great. -
Review from J K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food and good service. Try their express lunch menu. It's quick and very affordable. About $11 for lunch without the chef cooking and putting on a show for you at the table.
Haven't been to this location for dinner, but usually at dinner time it's a different experience/environment/price range. -
Review from Sarah G.
Los Angeles, CA
7/25/2011
I've been going to Benihana since I was a kid...back when they used to be in Marina del Rey next to the Cheesecake Factory and now to this location.
WE always make a reservation, so when we go and give our name, we are seated right away. The most we've ever had to wait was 10 minutes, but I saw how busy it was, and it was only one time...no big deal.
I always order Rocky's Choice: soup, salad, chicken fried rice (the best I've had in my life), veggies, shrimp, chicken, and steak. PLUS it comes with dessert...I always get the banana tempura...DELICIOUS!! All this food for a VERY good price!! AND it's cooked to perfection...NOT DRY like some people were saying.
My parents always get the fillet mignon...so delicious...so juicy...must try!
I have seen the show a million times, so I don't really go there to see a show, I go there for the good food. I love that it's cooked in front of us, so when we get served, it's HOT and literally right off the grill.
To the people who complain: just go elsewhere...you obviously don't appreciate good food. -
Review from Chris M.
San Gabriel, CA
12/16/2010
First off, all I can really I HATE how this is the closest Benihana restaurant to me. On the other hand, I would also hate if one of these restaurants were near me because then I would go and eat there every so often and my wallet would be empty!
This restaurant is pretty expensive for my budget. The chef that was managing my table sure knew how to entertain us. They get a thumbs up for that part. The food looked so good as it was on the grill cooking in front of us and I just couldn't stop my mouth from drooling. AND I would have drooled a river! I was told that the fried rice was good so I went ahead and got that and I ordered the salmon. I regret not getting the chicken or steak. The salmon just didn't really appeal to my tastes. I found the salmon really dry and I didn't think it was worth $30.
A few people eating with us got lost on the way there and reading some of the other reviews I'm guessing they aren't alone in that category. I have to admit that the place would be rather hard to find if you're a first timer.
So, if you've got money to blow. Go to Benihana! As long as you don't mind walking out of the restaurant smelling like teppanyaki and ready to plunge into a food coma. Plus, ask for one of those nifty Benihana chef hats! -
Review from Stephanie L.
Los Angeles, CA
7/9/2010
Really, the only thing that sucks about this location is parking. It can get pretty hectic and busy during the meal hours, but there's a convenient parking lot across the street that is free for two hours. Even if it says "Full" on the sign, there are ALWAYS parking spaces, especially if you are willing to travel all the way to the top of the lot.
Back to the food... I'm always in a pinch for time during my lunch breaks and have been wanting to enjoy something other than fast food. I recently discovered this new thing called "Express Lunch" at Benihana. A friend brought me here and I don't think anything really compares for the price or flavor.
Basically, you have a choice of many of their popular meal dishes but it's made quicker, minus the show, and for much cheaper.
For 10 bucks, you can get any two combinations of Hibachi Chicken, Steak or Shrimp along with a side salad, vegetables and fried rice. Our food came pretty quickly, and was absolutely delicious.
I know they specify that one sauce is for seafood and one for meats? Or one for vegetables and, I don't know. Either way, I only use the ginger dipping sauce for EVERYthing and it's perfect.
We also got the fried banana tempura dessert which was, oh, I don't even know if I have words. Dessert always makes me happy and I ordered mine with chocolate ice cream and... I was definitely happy.
Our waitress was incredibly pleasant and friendly--that was the cherry on top. Good service goes a long way! -
Review from Amanda L.
5/16/2011
Benihana's, Benihana. Not much to complain about here. The food is good, always consistent. Maybe it's me, but the whole cooking show has lost its cuteness for me...maybe I'm just getting old. lol. Got a Coconut Saketini at the start that was lovely. Mostly I was just happy to be with my date - it is a great date spot.
-
Review from Felicia T.
Santa Monica, CA
4/15/2010
First off, know that you are walking into a franchise trap. You are paying for the novelty of seeing chefs do kungfu tricks and flips to your onions and eggs. You yell along, your blood pumped "this is the coolest shit ever! see how he makes a volcano out of onion layers? see the rice beats and jumps around? oh chiiittt!" Then the check comes, you are not very full, and you wondered if you even liked the food, since it was bland and too mediocre to be paying $70 for. My friend, you missed the note: You will pay for entertainment, not the food..
You'll enjoy some tricks and jokes that the chef pops up now and then, and you'll definitely be hearing lots of birthday shout outs and sing a longs.. this place is popular for that. It can get annoying.
On to the food: The salad was one of the best dishes there. This is sad. But when it came to the real meat/ seafood, they were on the bland side. And I felt bad adding sauce or salt since the chef kept watching you. I didn't want to ruin his creation, even if it wasn't good in the first place. I should have. The fried rice was good, and only because the chef put like a stick of butter on it. Heart attack alert!
I didn't pay for my meal. And even so, I didn't like it. Don't think I will return, unless someone is paying again and i owe them a favor. -
Review from Katherine N.
Santa Monica, CA
2/13/2009
My brother has been coming here for his birthday every year since he was 11 or 12, as well as last night on his 27th birthday. He has matured from shirley temples to sake when he comes.
"God, I hope Dan doesn't pick Benihana again. Last time we went for his birthday, I was on the side of the table of 3 drunks who were obviously drunk before this place, and smelled very bad. "
*Cut to next scene, last night around 6:55pm, I hop out of my car at the $8 valet and speedily walk into the restaurant so I won't be given shit for being late, because my dad's watch is set a few minutes fast and he expects everyone else's watch/clock/phone to say the same thing as his,*
I walk in and to my right sitting down is a touristy family in shorts and light patterned sweaters. That is not my family. Then in front of me are two huge basketball players who even slouched are at least a few inches taller than me when I am standing up in heels. They are not my family.
Finally I look to my left and there is a well aged late 60's guy in a vintage Prada casual suit. A woman who slightly resembles what Farrah Faccet now looks like. A guy who has a rugged look to him, except he is metro- sexual looking oh so cool with his two cell phones, and finally a woman who is in a pea coat, skinny jeans, some vintage flats and looks like she just spent an hour running. This is my family. Even at a little kids birthday party, we talk property and real estate.
This year we were seated across a sweet 30 something couple and a mother in law, they shared a bottle and kept to themselves. No smelly people for my sister this year!
We looked through the drink menus and now I am starting to consider Benihana as a pre-party place, the drinks are way cheap, $7 for a vodka soda. We ordered some wine, some Sake, and a couple dirty martinis, yum!
I love the smell of the sauce the chef throws on the habachi grill and with the meat and the vegetables and the spices, We obviously got the chicken and steak combo with the fried vegetable rice, because isn't that what everyone gets?
Me and my sister discovered their sushi menu which must be a recent addition because we would have tried it last time. You can't expect the sushi here to be anything special, I got the dragon roll and two of the cuts somehow became one, and on top of that I couldn't get them separated :(
BUT IN THE END, don't you come here to watch THE ONION VOLCANO ERUPT?
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