Benihana - San Diego, CA

Review summary

1. N

   Nick

   San Diego

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined today

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

   We weren’t even able to eat. Our reservation was at 8pm. When we arrived at 7:50 we were asked if our whole party was present, to which we replied yes. Only to be told that we would be playing a waiting game bc the tables were not ready yet. After waiting about 30 min, we asked what was going on. They said they hadn’t seated the 7pm reservations yet, so we would need to still wait. At that point, we decided to leave. I understand that tables do go over bc of the experience but communication ahead of time letting all the later reservations know that they were 1 hour or more behind would be nice.
   

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2. R

   Randy

   San Diego

   12 reviews

   1.0

   12 reviews

   Dined today

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

   Oh we were seated one hour after it reservation time, waitress was so busy that we weren’t waited in for 30 minutes later, food came another 30 minutes, Food was very disappointing and no follow up by waitress, one order was incorrect
   

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3. K

   Katie

   San Diego

   24 reviews

   3.0

   24 reviews

   Dined today

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

   It was super-duper busy; approximately 20 or so grouped in front of the hostess station, unknown additional guests waiting for tables in the bar. Despite my reservation it still took an hour to get seated. The parking lot was full but fortunately the restaurant offered inexpensive valet parking. The hostesses remained friendly and organized despite the over-crowded conditions. I had a lot of respect for the chef serving our table. By the time we were seated, he had to deal with people who had been waiting a prolonged period for their meals. We were tired and unsmiling; I can only imagine how he was doing what with the number of customers in the house. He remained focused, delivered the showmanship expected of a teppanyaki table and our food was delicious. Our cocktail server provided, calm, friendly and prompt service as well. The staff service made up for the awful over-crowded conditions. If I ever eat there again, I will go at an off-peak time and definitely never again on Christmas Eve.
   

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4. C

   Cori

   San Diego

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   Great service and good was outstanding. We all had a great time. Thanks again!
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 1 day ago

   Dear Cori, thank you for sharing your positive experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the excellent food and quick service during your visit. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back soon.
   

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5. T

   Tina

   Central Coast

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   Be prepared to pay a fee for valet parking as their parking lot is extremely small and all the employees also use that parking lot so that you pretty much have to use valet parking for a fee. Volume was very loud, but our chef Sergio was fantastic! The service was slow and a bit forgetful - make sure you have at least 2+ hours to experience it all.
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 1 day ago

   Dear Tina, thank you for taking the time to review us, we are very thrilled to hear about your experience and hope you come back soon for another great time!
   

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6. F

   Fabiola

   New York City

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   Buena experiencia Comida rica Buen ambiente Recomendable
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Hola, Fabiola! Gracias por tomarte el tiempo de dejarnos una reseña, apreciamos mucho saber que hemos creado un recuerdo especial para ti. Esperamos vernos pronto.
   

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7. V

   Vivian

   VIP

   Las Vegas

   5 reviews

   3.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   They were lost with the reservations and one hour behind. When we got sit at our table, drinks took 30 minutes. Food was good. Not sure if will come back again, this is the second time the same issues happened. A lot of people left to eat somewhere else.
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 1 day ago

   Hey, Vivian! Thank you for taking the time to review us. We regret that your visit didn't meet your expectations. Rest assured, your comments are noted and will be used to enhance our services. We hope for the opportunity to exceed your expectations in the future.
   

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8. J

   Joe

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   Food was excellent and our chef was very entertaining.
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 1 day ago

   Thanks for the feedback, Joe! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our food and found our chef entertaining. We always strive to provide an excellent dining experience at Benihana - San Diego. Your ratings on food, service, and value are greatly appreciated. We noticed that our service didn't quite meet your expectations and we're always working to improve. We hope to see you again soon!
   

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9. J

   Juliana

   Seattle

   6 reviews

   1.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   We waited a total of two hours to get seated and start eating. The service was subpar. The entertainment value when eating there has gone down. The service took 30 minutes after waiting for an hour to get served and the food was not prepared properly. Will not come back to this location. Benihana will be one of my bottom options from now on. Disappointing
   

   Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 3 days ago

   Hi Juliana, We're truly sorry to hear about your recent experience at Benihana - San Diego. It's clear that we didn't meet your expectations, and for that, we sincerely apologize. We strive to provide top-notch service and delicious food, and it's clear we fell short during your visit. We also regret that you found our entertainment value to be lacking. We appreciate your feedback, and we will certainly take it into consideration as we continually work to improve our services. We hope you'll reconsider and give us another chance to serve you better in the future. Best regards, Benihana - San Diego Management Team
   

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10. M

    MICHAEL

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

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

    Has 7:15 reservations. No one took a drink order till almost 8:15pm. Has a chef by 9. Done with dinner at 10pm. I get it's the Christmas season and it was busy but that was ridiculous and only to be comped an appetizer.
    

    Benihana - San Diego, CAResponded 5 days ago

    Hello Michael, We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience at Benihana - San Diego. We apologize for the delay in taking your drink order and the delay in dining. We understand that the holiday season can be hectic, and we understand how frustrating this can be. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed our food and we'll work on improving our service during peak times. We hope to serve you better in the future. Best, The Management Team
    

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