Benihana - Santa Monica, CA

Benihana - Santa Monica, CA reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. J

   Jason

   Las Vegas2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined today

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

   Food was excellent, but waited 25 minutes at front room with a reservation. They had the a/c blasting and the front door wind draft. The entire restaurant had their coats on.
   

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   Los Angeles1 review

   5.0

   Dined today

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

   The service was wonderful and food was delicious! Thank you!!
   

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco1 review

   2.0

   Dined 5 days ago

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

   The steak was too raw and the chef forgot the cook one of the courses so we had to tell him and wait until the end
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded 4 days ago

   Dear Guest! Thanks for the review. We're sorry to hear about the issues you encountered during your visit to Benihana - Santa Monica, CA. We always aim to deliver a great experience, and we regret that we missed the mark this time. We take your feedback seriously and will address these issues with our team to ensure they don't occur in the future. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again and provide a better experience.
   

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles1 review

   1.0

   Dined 6 days ago

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

   We arrived, no one ever came to seat us. I called restaurant from front area asked if we could go to bar/lounge area. She said yes We went up there and no one showed up to take our order. I called the restaurant again and asked if anyone was working in the bar/lounge area, she said she was not sure but I should try to wave someone down and ask for assistance. Lol so we left
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded 4 days ago

   Dear Guest! Thanks for visiting us and sharing your experience. We're sorry to hear about the inconvenience you experienced. We understand how frustrating it can be to not be greeted when you arrive, especially when you're looking for a place to eat. We also apologize for the confusion about the location and the delay in service. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we're working to improve these aspects of our service. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
   

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5. A

   Alejandra

   Los Angeles1 review

   1.0

   Dined 6 days ago

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

   Very bad experience, the waiter was new, he didn't know anything, he was the same as me, visiting the place for the first time. The cook kept touching his face and kept cooking without cleaning his hands. We wanted to order more food because the waiter made a mistake, the cook didn't want to cook any more for us. They were charging us much more than half, the food was very good but everything else was a very bad experience.
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded 5 days ago

   Thanks for visiting us, Alejandra. We're really sorry to hear about your experience at Benihana - Santa Monica, CA. It's clear that we didn't meet your expectations and for that, we sincerely apologize. We always strive to provide top-notch service and it's disappointing to hear that we fell short during your visit. Your feedback regarding the knowledge of our staff, cleanliness of the kitchen, and pricing is valuable and will be used to improve our services. We hope you will give us another chance to make it right. The Management Team
   

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6. J

   Jerry

   Unspecified2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 2 March 2025

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

   Had a great date with my girlfriend and it was her first time. She said how amazing the food was and the experience
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded on 3 March 2025

   Thanks for the review, Jerry! We're thrilled to hear that you and your girlfriend had a wonderful date at Benihana - Santa Monica, CA. It's great to know that you found our food amazing and the experience delightful. We strive to make every visit a memorable one for our guests, and your feedback is a testament to that. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable dining experience.
   

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7. O

   Oleg VIP

   New York City5 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on 28 February 2025

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

   Horrible undercooked food. Filthy place. Smells horrible. Waiters are demented forgetting things. If your cook is Alexis get up and ask for different cook. The kids were sitting at the table and he was barely speaking. The guy is very slow and couldn’t do any of the tricks other experienced cooks did. He couldn’t do the volcano and threw it into the trash. We did not fully eat food fearing for poisoning of undercooked raw fish meat. He couldn’t grill vegetables either. It is like a small child was cooking. See photos of barely fried vegetables.
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded on 2 March 2025

   Dear Oleg, We’re sorry your experience didn’t meet expectations. We take food quality, safety, and service seriously and will address your concerns with our team. While chef experience levels vary, we appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve. We’d love the chance to make things right—please reach out to us directly. Best regards,
   

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8. J

   Jay

   Los Angeles12 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on 25 February 2025

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

   This location has sustained many ‘hits’ from pandemic to current day. Still a great dining experience with comparable cost and food portions. But if WE don’t continue to regularly support, this location has the potential to become a remembrance of their great past.
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded on 27 February 2025

   Hello Jay, Thank you for your kind words and for choosing to dine with us during these challenging times. We're thrilled to hear that you still find our food portions and cost comparable and that you still enjoy your dining experience. We truly appreciate your continued support and we look forward to your next visit. Best regards, Benihana - Santa Monica, CA Management Team
   

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9. G

   Greg

   Las Vegas1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 16 February 2025

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

   Everything was excellent except for the cleanliness of the men's restroom
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded on 17 February 2025

   Thanks for the review, Greg! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your dining experience with us at Benihana - Santa Monica, CA. We're glad you appreciated our food and service. We take pride in maintaining a clean environment and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We'll certainly look into this matter. We hope to serve you again soon!
   

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10. K

    Keith

    Los Angeles2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

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

    Family fun, or a date night, not gourmet but entertaining.
    

    Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded on 17 February 2025

    Hello Keith, Thank you for choosing Benihana - Santa Monica, CA for your family fun or date night. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We strive to provide an entertaining and unique dining experience for all our guests, so we're glad you appreciated our efforts. We appreciate your feedback regarding the value. We always aim to provide the best quality food and service, and we'll take your comments into consideration. We hope to welcome you back soon for another entertaining and memorable experience. Best Regards, The Management Team
    

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