Benihana

I am happy they closed this location. My friends and I made dinner reservations for my birthday and it was a complete disaster. We were rushed and they burned our food. They even went so far as turning off the lights and entire staff huddled around the tables in front of us as we wrapped up our dinner. Why make dinner reservations beyond a certain time and do such a thing? My dinner reservation was at 10 pm and we were out by 11 pm. Corporate has been contacted and here we are months later and I still haven’t heard back.

Fun spot for a dinner, always bring our friends from out of town here for dinner. Always a great time.

Benihaha was close cus we couldn’t come to an agreement with corporate!!! Like most of you people don’t know benihaha Beverly Hills was franchise!!! By September 2015 our contract had to be renew but unfortunately!!! We couldn’t make it happen!!! I was there I work there for 9 years is not because an infestation, everything else is a lie! #missyoubeni

Closed by the health department for harboring RATS. No that’s different from vermin infestation harboring rats and vermin is a whole Nother category apparently anyway based on the history of Benihana’s i am giving them five stars only because to me this restaurant is a staple and fixture of Beverly Hills I have eaten here over the years and have enjoyed the entertainment value not to speak of the choice cuts of fresh seafood steaks etc. anyway I wonder where Sam Sam the greeting friendly front of housecharacter that has been there for over 30 years and used to see John Lennon and Yoko Ono to their tables.
As a clean freak hearing the news as to how this restaurant was closed down was a shock. I sincerely hope that a new Benihana’s opens with more of a strict policy of cleanliness.

If you sign up on their website, you’ll get a $ 30 gift certificate that you can use on your birthday (expires a few weeks later). HOWEVER you can only use it for dinner :(
Parking was easy to find on the street, valet was $ 6.50 smh
We came here on Labor Day for dinner, no reservations. It was about half an hour wait. We got the steak and shrimp which comes with salad/​soup/​entrée/​rice/​veggies/​ice cream. I was so full by the end I could barely breathe. The chef was entertaining, better than other hibachi grill places I’ve been to. The fried rice is amazing but it’s $ 4 more… normally only the steamed rice comes with it.
I feel like people only come here for their birthday, there were 5 birthdays in the restaurant during our dinner which kind of got annoying. If you do come for your birthday, they give you a «free» ice cream (except my entrée already came with an ice cream…) and they didn’t even let me choose what flavor I got. –_​_​_​-​…
Overall if you’re just coming here for your birthday to use the gift certificate, you might as well just come for lunch (it was only ~$ 15 per person for lunch). For dinner it was still pricey, and it came out to $ 30 per person.
⁴⁄₅ for food, –1 for being overpriced

What happened?!
I used to LOVE Benihana! However, the past couple times I have been here, it seems like it’s going downhill. Is it just me or does it seem to take forever to get to the table and get served even if you have made reservations? We just went recently and it felt like I was in a ghetto buffet/​restaurant in Las Vegas or something. You would think with this location being in Beverly Hills, the employees would be a little more put together and it would be nice, cozy, and clean. Also, it was HOT in the restaurant. Our server had a very bland attitude. She got the job done but no personality whatsoever. Our chef was very friendly and seemed to take pride in his cooking skills, but the food was just eh to me. Benihana used to be so good and the food used to taste fresh! What Happened over the years?! Omg don’t even get me started on the bathroom! SO NASTY! It reminded me of what a bathroom in a shady night club would look like. I don’t know who’s job it is to keep the bathrooms clean, but they dropped the ball. It was dirty, paper towels everywhere, and it SMELLED RATCHET! This location is in Beverly Hills. It should be expected to be CLASSY… They need to do better. The valet prices are a JOKE! I think it was like $ 6.50 to valet in the tiny parking lot they have where you can easily walk to your own car lol. Anyway, our last experience with Benihana is definitely the last time we will be eating there. Hopefully they will clean it up! Eeeek!
I hope this review helps you decide on where to dine in the Hills of Beverly! :)

Terrible and so ghetto! The waitress was super grouchy and mean. I asked her several times if the miso soup has fish broth due to my allergy and she kept saying no, and getting mad at me for asking. I later on asked the manager who said yes it does!
While taking our cocktail orders she practically yelled at one of us BC.
After the manager said something to her (which was right before we got the bill and were wrapping up) she suddenly came smiling and apologizing, and finally brought us water we had been waiting all night for.
She also said OMG out loud while someone else at the table ordered, and was just plain rude. The teppan chef looked like he was in a bad mood as did the others at the other tables. He didn’t do all the fun stuff you expect at a teppan grill.
My food was bland and my husband says his steak was super bland as well.

Awful awful awful!!!
Our cook was so BORING!!! We saw the other tables having so much fun, our cook didn’t even smile. This place is HORRIBLE! The food is boring and its SMALL PORTIONS!!! Never going here again!!! Waste of money! I’m not a happy customer. It’s HOT!!! And your clothes will smell bad afterwards.

I believe this was my 4^th time coming to this location.
I love their food and the entertaining chefs.
Good food portion, always have some food to go that I couldn’t finish. Filet mignon and lobster tail are my favorites. Their green tea ice cream is so flavorful!
There are many parking meters in the area, so if you don’t want to use valet parking, just park nearby and walk there.
This place is always packed at least when I went, One of the reasons is that they offer a free birthday meal. I always see people celebrating birthdays. This time I went, every single table had a birthday boys and girls! lol
This location may not be a suitable place for a romantic date night because it’s lively and sometimes it can get noisy.
There always are plenty of kids, running around and screaming (I know that’s what kids do and I’m not complaining) so this place is more like for family get together or dining out with friends.
I recommend Santa Monica location if you want to enjoy your meal in calmer atmosphere.

Remember when there was a show at Benihana and the chefs weren’t in a rush to get to the next table on a Monday night? And when you could bring your two nieces to watch some death-​defying knife juggling and how that made the over-​priced, bland food taste not-​so-​bland? Well, those days are over. The kids have played fruit ninja. And did I mention the food is now extra bland? Even the sauces that apparently go with EVERYTHING are also very bland. Darn.

This place has gone downhill. The portions have shrunk significantly. The $ 24 Teriyaki Chicken was a mere 5 pieces of chicken with more green onion than anything, it was lightly drizzled with the thinnest Teriyaki sauce i’ve ever seen. The Colossal Shrimp was nothing more than a few Medium shrimp. The White Noodles (?) on the kids menu was drenched in butter.
The service from start to finish was awful. The Chef was rude more than funny. When my Mother asked for another salad the Chef replied, «$ 5 dolla !», mocking Chinese language. My young niece is Chinese and was very confused by this.
The waitress, Anamarie (?), on the other hand just seemed very inexperienced. She completely lacked follow through on her duties as a server. She forgot to bring us our green tea in the beginning of the meal. When I asked for two more bowls of rice 20 minutes went by with no sign of her, when she came back I had to remind her again about the rice. I also mentioned that my Mother asked for another bowl of salad. She was very confused as to why I wanted another salad. I told her nevermind because she wasn’t understanding. I also had to remind her about the green tea and the ice cream that came with our meal.
The bathroom was even disgusting and had no tissue in stall.
NOT GOOD FOOD, NOT GOOD SERVICE.

I love this place! This is my go to place for special occasions, especially birthdays. And it seems like it’s everyone’s birthday when you go there. Register on their website to receive a $ 30 gift certificate to use on the month of your bday, so generous of them! Also, make a reservation since this is a very popular location and they are usually fully booked.
I always get the fried rice! I usually get the filet mignon/​lobster combo. I usually get my meat cooked med well, but when I did that on my last visit, I wished I had ordered it med since it was overcooked. Each order comes with onion soup, green salad with miso dressing, shrimp appetizer, and veggies (onions, mushrooms and zucchini) as well as two sauces.
I love everything about this place! Can’t wait to go back!

After 15 years of being a loyal customer, this location has finally severed my relationship with this restaurant.
When I spend over $ 100 on a meal I expect to not endure screaming undisciplined children serenading my ear, staff taking 30 minutes just to bring my soup, and the chef waiting 45 minutes for a family with 4 little screaming children to show up before starting my order.
This place has gone from a class act establishment to a higher grade, overpriced McDonalds!
By the way, don’t bother complaining to the staff, your issue will always fall on deaf ears. So sad that they let this place become so trashy because they really did have some good food.

I have been coming to Benihana Beverly Hills for many many many years. The food is consistently «good.» You aren’t coming to Benihana for a gourmet meal but a fun dining experience. Definitely make reservations or you will be waiting. I love the hibachi shrimp.
They have great lunch specials, it’s basically ½ off of their dinner menu.

I should note that Benihana is my all-​time favorite restaurant. I’ve been going to Benihana my entire life. I love the food and the experience. You will leave smelling like meat & smoke but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Having been to all the Benihana restaurants in the Los Angeles area area numerous times, (Santa Monica, Encino, La Cienega) I can confirm that this is the best Benihana. The food is better. I can’t put my finger on why but it is.
Even though I went for dinner, I have been for lunch and I can confirm you get pretty much the same size portions for half the price.

This is the usual Benihana location we frequent for birthdays. We tried the Torrance Benihana once and swore to stick to Beverly Hills! Wish I can make opentable reservations online, much more convenient than having to call multiple times due to busy signal. But apparently this is a franchise one and they don’t take reservations online. Hmm. They need to get on the program and join the 21^st century.
Aside from the reservations issue, this is our preferred Benihana. The servers and chefs are friendly and entertaining. Join the Chef’s Table and enjoy your $ 30 certificate with purchase of a Teppan entrée. Or Kids Club get a funky monkey drink cup.
Pricewise it is on the expensive side but I guess you are paying for the «entertainment». The Birthday credit helps even it out a bit. They treat the birthday boy/​girl to a complimentary ice cream scoop with a candle. Sweet! :-)
We tried the salmon & noodles entrée and a couple sushi rolls and tempura. First time trying the sushi rolls. It was kinda weird to have cherry tomatoes and lettuce in the sushi roll. Totally americanized. Prolly first and last time ordering sushi at Benihana. You are there after all for the Teppan cooking show.
Last tip. Skip the valet. After 6pm, park for free on the streets South of Wilshire. Or find $ 4.50 after 4pm flat rate parking just a few steps South of Benihana.

It was my first time coming to Benihana… never understood what the whole craze was about but I definitely see why people would enjoy coming here.
Location:
Benihana in Beverly Hills is located on La Cienega Blvd right off of Wilshire Blvd. it is situated around many other restaurants which is nice if you decide, «oh maybe I want to eat something else»
Parking:
The street parking situation can be easy as there are many parking meters littered up and down La Cienega but on this particular day it was raining so my boyfriend decided to use valet. Granted I did not pay or drive so I can’t tell you how much valet was.
Benihana:
When you enter through the double doors you are immediately hit with the waft of cooking oil. Look I get it the vents won’t be able to keep the restaurant that ventilated by my goodness don’t spray your best perfume because you will still come out smelling like you decided to bask yourself in cooking oil.
We had reservations which I recommend and we only waited for 5 minutes before being escorted to our table. As soon as the other people came to sit down the waitress immediately came to take our drink order. I love plum wine and whenever I see it I get it! I ended up getting plum wine which was delicious. I ordered the salmon and my boyfriend ordered the chicken. I love how the chef does some cool tricks will preparing the food. It really was entertaining. I found myself oohing and aahing a couple times and even clapping in joy. How old am I…4???
The chef prepares fried rice, shrimp and vegetables for everyone which btw all of it was delicious. The only reason why I rate it 4 is just the smell which took me a while to adjust to.
Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ⁶⁄₁₀₀

There are a few things I go out of my way to avoid. Chain restaurants, valet parking, and Beverly Hills are on that list.
However, I associate with a crowd whose love for novelty and free shit overrides certain allegiances away from corporate chains. Did you know Benihana gives you a free dinner on your birthday? Now you know. Because of this, I’ve ended up here about three times in the last two years. Benihana’s soooo corny. It’s a chain, pseudo-​upscale restaurant. It’s not authentic, in the slightest. But I have to admit: every time I’ve come here, I’ve enjoyed myself.
First of all, all you have to do is drive south of Wilshire on La Cienega and there’s ample street parking.
Their cocktails are actually quite delicious (and potent,) and they serve them in kitty-​cat shaped cups! Cuuute! And the dudes at the bar are always so friendly; more so than one would imagine from a corporate chain.
The food is aiight. I ordered my meat rare; they made it rare. It was good.
Sometimes, you end up sharing tables with other patrons of the restaurant. Every time this has happened, I’ve ended up getting in some seriously RICH conversations with LA folk from all walks of life. This is not a restaurant with pretentious food with ‘artisan’ in the title that attracts nothing but white twenty-​somethings with trust funds. Businessmen, westsiders, ex-​convicts, they’re all here and that, my friends, is pretty rad.
Sometimes, it’s good to get out of your hipster bubble. Haters gonna hate, as they say.

Garlic butter gives me life.
We love coming to this Beni’s! Reservations are a must. Every chef and waiter we have ever had has been great.
Tonight we got the Las Vegas roll to start — it was yummy and super spicy!
I had the Ocean Treasure which comes with Scallops, Lobster and Shrimp. So fresh and delicious.
Perfect place for a fun date.

I had never been to this Benihana, even though it is closest to my pad. So, me and a friend decided to try it out and were not disappointed. I really wanted to have some of the fried rice they have and it was just as delicious as I had remembered.
Yes, Benihana is cheesy in a way and a little cliché but it’s still fun once in a while and the food is actually pretty good if you are in the mood for it.
I had the delight, which includes chicken fried rice, salad, soup, teriyaki chicken and grilled shrimp off the hibachi grill. The shrimp was spectacular; the chicken was good; the salad was delicious with their standard dressing and the soup was good with the particles of onion underneath.
Of course you get the classic Benihana show, which includes a goofball chef flipping around nine, flipping the tales of the shrimp into their little hat and flipping items onto plates etc. Oh and of course, the onion volcano.
Make a reservation if you’re coming here on the weekend, it was jam packed and people did get turned down who came in without a reservation. Also, if you have never been to Benihana, be prepared to sit with others as you will never have a table for two, Especially if you want the hibachi situation.
Valet parking is six dollars as of the date of this review.

La comida es exquisita, cocinada con malabarismos en las bbq enfrente tuyo con lo que probablemente tu ropa al salir notendra el mejor de los aromas para ir a una elegante fiesta. La unica pega el elevado precio. Un capitulo de the office fue rodado alli.

Cooking at the table! This is quite entertaining and we enjoyed the show. The food was of excellent quality and we definitely can recommed the filet mignon and the hibachi chicken for two (48 $). Last star not given as at seems to me that the cooking procedure was done in a hurry — could be more relaxed. We felt a bit rushed from appetizer to main course.