Benihana - San Diego, CA

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   1.0

   2 reviews

   Dined today

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

   I made a reservation for 9 people, requesting 3 high chairs for 6:15PM. Our party arrived promptly at 6:15, checked in and were told our table would be ready shortly. We confirmed that we would need 3 high chairs. At about 6:45, we had not been seated and went back to the hostess to inquire the hold up and were told our table was being cleaned. A member of our party spoke with Carlos the manager to let him know how long we had been waiting, he didn’t even apologize for the wait and was extremely rude. We did not sit down until 7:02PM. When we got to our table there were only 2 high chairs, when we asked the hostess for a 3rd high chair she responded rudely saying that there weren’t anymore and they would bring us one when it became available(she never did). We were hopeful that things would get better once we sat down, but they definitely didn’t. Our server did not attend to us. We were a table of 6 adults and 3 kids who needed water and food and she took her time getting our drinks and order. Waiting for our chef was another mess. He did not start cooking until 8PM. At this point we had 3 very tired and hungry children all 3 years old and under. One of the families with us had to leave because their one year old became so restless due to the long wait. We planned this outing for our kids to enjoy a fun show and dinner, which is why we chose a 6:15 reservation. We did not leave the restaurant until close to 9PM. Absolutely ridiculous and we will never be back
   

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2. C

   Crystal

   VIP

   San Diego

   3 reviews

   1.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Crazy wait times for this particular evening. Fausto saved the day as our chef!
   

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3. k

   kimo

   San Diego

   5 reviews

   3.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   We have been going to this Benihana for many years. Last night was a so-so experience. Prices are high, portions smaller, and the chef didn’t have much personality.
   

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4. J

   Jessica

   VIP

   San Diego

   3 reviews

   3.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   The food was amazing! Unfortunate our waitress seemed annoyed by us the entire dinner. It became a little uncomfortable.
   

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5. k

   kami

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   Lovely time with my daughter. Every employee OUTSTANDING!!! Delicious food, incredible staff! Once a year treat! Excellent Restaurant 👍🏿
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Hey Kami, we're thrilled to hear that you had a lovely time at Benihana - San Diego, CA! It's great to know that our team made your experience outstanding and that you enjoyed our food and the incredible staff. It's our goal to make your yearly treat a memorable one. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to serving you again in December. Thanks for choosing us!
   

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6. J

   Jen

   San Diego

   20 reviews

   3.0

   20 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   We love Benihana and like to come for special occasions. And usually there is a little bit of a wait to be seated but this time we had to wait over an hour past our reservation time. It was very frustrating and unusual for a Monday night. Not sure what was going on, but super disappointing.
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Hello Jen, We're truly sorry to hear about your recent experience at Benihana - San Diego, CA. It's never fun to have our reservation time or your seating time not respected, especially on a day like Monday when our guests are often at our restaurant. We understand how frustrating that must have been for you. We are looking into this situation to ensure it doesn't happen again. We hope you'll give us another chance to provide the wonderful dining experience you've come to expect from us. Best regards, The Management Team
   

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7. J

   JAVIER

   VIP

   San Diego

   6 reviews

   4.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   After reservation time we waited 25 minutes to be seated.
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Hello Javier, Thank you for your feedback and for giving us a chance to improve. We're sorry to hear about the delay you experienced during your visit. We understand how frustrating that can be and we're truly sorry for any inconvenience caused. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed the food and we hope to provide you with a more enjoyable dining experience in the future. Best regards, Benihana - San Diego, CA Management Team
   

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8. D

   Denise

   Palm Springs

   19 reviews

   2.0

   19 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   We did not have a good experience. It took an hour between when they seated us vs a chef cooking for us. We will not be returning. The chef was nice & fun but waiting so long for the chef to show up was ridiculous. I tried to speak with the manager & ask what was going on. Manager said that it’s normal. I’ve been to Benihanas in different cities& even this location and it has NEVER taken that long. I do NOT recommend this restaurant.
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Hello Denise, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at Benihana - San Diego, CA. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed the chef's time with us and found his service enjoyable. However, we're truly sorry to hear about your wait time and the frustration it caused. We understand how frustrating it can be to wait for services and we apologize for the inconvenience caused. We're continuously working on improving our service time to provide our guests with a smoother experience. We hope you'll reconsider and give us another chance to serve you better in the future. Best regards, Benihana - San Diego, CA Management Team
   

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9. S

   Sogol

   VIP

   San Diego

   11 reviews

   4.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

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

   Our chef Peul was great! He was the best! The food was great as well!
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 4 days ago

   Hey Sogol, Thank you for taking the time to leave us this wonderful review. We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our chef and enjoyed the food. We always aim to provide our guests with the best dining experience possible, and your feedback is a testament to that. We look forward to serving you again soon. Best regards, The Management Team at Benihana - San Diego, CA
   

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10. J

    Juan Francisco

    VIP

    Dallas

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

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

    They gave me my table, 40 minutes after Waiting For My Reservation Period. The Cook was clearly in a really bad mood answer my son only very rude manner. Told him he no any of the tricks. Then they forgot the two birthdays we we’re celebrating they, mixed up all our order. We got our drinks and never got a single refill until we got the check. They refilled one of the sodas. The smell of the restaurant when you’re walking. It’s also none pleasant. Definitely not what a Benihana experience used to be
    

    Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 4 days ago

    Hello Juan Francisco, We are deeply sorry to hear about your recent experience at Benihana - San Diego, CA. We understand that waiting and mixed-up birthday orders are not up to our usual standards. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and assure you that we are taking your feedback seriously. We will work on improving our service to ensure a better dining experience for our guests in the future. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again and provide a better experience. Best regards, Benihana - San Diego, CA Management Team
    

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