Benihana - Concord, CA

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

Review summary

1. S

   Shajuanna

   San Francisco2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined today

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

   So I feel like this needs to be explained. I wanted to do the promotion which was $39 per person and the promotion was called taste of benihana. Now upon arriving I walked in and they said my table will be ready. I initially booked for the bar so when I told the receptionist when I walked in I said for my promotion I am booked for the bar. Do they cook by the bar and she said no. You can only get seated in the dining area where they cook in front of you. So I said okay. I rather sit there. What I did not know was my promotion is only for the bar. The $39 per person is only for the bar meaning that they do not cook in front of you. They just serve you your meal being my first time here at benihana. I felt like this should have been explained thoroughly. I wanted the experience of the chef cooking in front of you so I sat in the lounge area where they do cook in front of you. The only thing is you pay extra for that which is not that bad. It's $7 extra person. However, the amount of space that you get is ridiculous. Like I felt like I was a sardine they squeezed nine people in at a small table. And my party was a party of two adults and a newborn child in a stroller so we were very squished like sardines. Everything was good, the waitress, the chef everyone. The ambiance was great. However, I am only upset about the promotion that wasn't explained. That should have been explained better and the fact that we were squished at a table with nine people. I feel like the table should only sit six people. Max. It's truly unfair to sit all those people. At one table. We were elbow to elbow. I kept dropping my fork because I was so squished and didn't have elbow room to even eat let alone drink.
   

   Is this helpful?

2. L

   Lee

   San Francisco1 review

   2.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   I really wish they would either not overbook or not accept walk ins during reservation times. We didn’t get seated until an hour and 15 minutes past our reservation time and we weren’t the only ones which is super frustrating. We booked the reservation to AVOID a crazy long wait. 15-30 minutes is understandable but come on. The hostess seemed annoyed with everyone. Our chef was the best part of the meal. Normally when we have gone and they have been backed up the chefs rush through and don’t take any time with you but this one made the wait 85% worth it. He is the only reason we would return. For the prices they charge they definitely need to respect people and their time.
   

   Is this helpful?

3. K

   Kevin VIP

   Minneapolis28 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Food was good, service ok and place was crammed with people and super noisy, so not very enjoyable
   

   Is this helpful?

4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   Been to benihanas many times but last night was our best. I’ll just say this… not all Benihana chefs are made the same and Jazz in the concord Benihanas is an exception. The way he chef’d up the habachi…. the final result was the best meal we’ve ever had there. The fried rice was better, the lobster was perfect, the filet was a perfect temp. He made everything with care and love and it transcended the night. I will only eat there is Jazz is cooking. Dudes a star. Thanks for the experience.
   

   Is this helpful?

5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Hawaii1 review

   1.0

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   No good service never received our food🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
   

   Is this helpful?

6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New York City1 review

   1.0

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   Waiters are either tired or overworked. Food was ok, definitely no value for the money you pay.
   

   Benihana - Concord, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Dear Guest! Thanks for the feedback. We're sorry to hear that you had a less than satisfactory experience during your visit to Benihana - Concord, CA. We strive to provide excellent service and it seems we fell short during your visit. We also understand your concerns about the quality of the food. We assure you that we are always working to improve our services and offerings. We hope you'll give us another chance to provide you with a better dining experience.
   

   Is this helpful?

7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Orange County1 review

   5.0

   Dined on March 16, 2025

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

   Great experience for the entire family! Good was good!
   

   Benihana - Concord, CAResponded 6 days ago

   Dear Guest, We're so glad to hear you and your family had a great experience! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback. We look forward to serving you again for another enjoyable meal!
   

   Is this helpful?

8. K

   Karen VIP

   Portland6 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on March 16, 2025

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

   Quite disorganized long waits, load chaotic environment. We arrived 5 minutes before our reservation time, after having reconfirming the day before. After 15 minutes I softly asked about the status of our table and was told we were on the list and a few people ahead of us. After 15 more minutes I asked again, this time requesting an approximate seating time and was told it would be another 20-40 minutes. I asked to speak to the manager who showed little sympathy stating more people showed up and were eating slowly that night. I then inquired whether they gave any preference to those who had made and confirmed reservations; upon receiving a lackluster answer I expressed my disappointment with having to wait an hour or more past my appointed time to be seated. It gets worse. We were seated with a nice family who also indicated some disappointment with the wait. Our server came and took drink orders and upon bringing the drinks took our food orders. After watching several tables around us all of which were seated after us getting their food we asked the server about the status of our chef/food. We had little confidence in the answer and after 15 minutes the other family asked to speak with the manager. The manager explained the server forgot to put in our food order and was going to solve the issue and provide a discount on our meals. The 10% discount was an insult. Summary: long wait for table in loud, hectic environment, an even longer wait for food, which was pretty good, and management who did not really care about us as customers. They most certainly do not want discerning customers at this location.
   

   Benihana - Concord, CAResponded 5 days ago

   Dear Karen, We're truly sorry to hear about your disappointing experience. We understand how frustrating it must have been to wait well past your reservation time and then face additional delays with your order. This is not the level of service we strive to provide, and we sincerely apologize for your experience. Your feedback is incredibly valuable, and we will be addressing these concerns with our team to ensure better handling of reservations and service in the future. We truly appreciate you giving us a chance, and while we regret that we let you down this time, we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a much better experience in the future. If you’d like to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to us directly.
   

   Is this helpful?

9. s

   shannon VIP

   San Francisco16 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 14, 2025

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

   We had the BEST EXPERIENCE YET!!! We go to Benihana in every city, state we travel to for decades! Every year a group of friends would get 2 tables loaded because all our birthdays fall around the same time! But we lost our Sacramento location so now it’s just me and my husband. We definitely got seated with best group of strangers yet!!! Super fun group!!!! The servers and chef were impeccable!!!! FUN!!!!
   

   Benihana - Concord, CAResponded 3 days ago

   Thanks for visiting us, Shannon! We're thrilled to hear that you and your husband had such a great time at Benihana - Concord, CA. It's always a pleasure to serve you and your friends for your special celebrations. We're glad you enjoyed the food and the service. We look forward to welcoming you back for many more years to come.
   

   Is this helpful?

10. J

    Jennafer Anne VIP

    San Francisco7 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 14, 2025

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

    My experiences at this location have been exhausting. Last night, we were celebrating a birthday and arrived a bit early, yet we were still seated exceptionally late. When we finally sat down, 5 to 10 minutes after the rest of table had been seated, but we were the first to be asked for our order. Since we had just arrived, we requested a little extra time, particularly to review the drink options. This appeared to upset the server. Our server, whose name I won’t mention, came back and took our order, but our chef arrived before our drinks (which weren’t from the bar), soup, or salads. When the soup and salad were finally served together, our server disappeared, and we never saw him again. One of our guests had a food allergy, and her meal was prepared separately, which we appreciated. However, despite asking multiple times if the ingredients were okay, the chef still combined items she couldn’t have and failed to acknowledge the mistake. Additionally, I had requested a topping, not an extra protein, but was given something I didn’t order and was forced to keep it. I was completely caught off guard, and our server was still nowhere to be found. Other servers in the area eventually stepped in to help, but unfortunately, this experience reinforced my hesitation about returning.
    

    Benihana - Concord, CAResponded 3 days ago

    Hey Jennafer Anne, We're truly sorry for your recent experience at Benihana - Concord, CA. We regret the inconvenience caused by seating and service delays. We understand your concerns about food allergies and combined items. We also regret the mix-up with the topping order. We're continuously working to improve our service and food quality. We appreciate your feedback and hope to have another chance to serve you better. Best regards, The Management Team
    

    Is this helpful?