I pretty much just like eating sushi here and its not all that great here. I dont ever pick this place by choice its always someone's birthday or something and they have never been so we all end up here like other's have said. They do have good drinks here I think they discontinued their specialty sangria though that was my fav. Teppanyaki is always fun but you will pay handsomely for the ambiance here. Go if you have $ to spare, or have never been!! It is fun for groups and or special events, great for kid's. Last time I went I saw nothing but High School kids in prom dresses.
(3)
Susan T.
Yuck!! We go often and this time was the worst. The service was aweful and I had my 7 year olds free birthday coupon. It was a Sunday and when I tried to use it they informed me they only use them Mon-Thurs. but that is not written on the coupon. The waitress was so rude!!
(2)
Renee G.
Went to Benihana yesterday for dinner with my family. Normally it is a good experience, however, yesterday was not too great. The food was cooked too quickly so it was not cooked all the way - it was almost like a race to see how quickly he could get done and onto the next table. We waited and waited for our rice and refills on drinks. Our food got cold while we were waiting for the rice. This meal is too expensive for this kind of service - I don't care how busy the restaurant is.
(2)
Patricia C.
The server we were given initially was very rude and unfriendly. We were there for Mother's Day and were given a special Mother's Day menu. The print at the bottom said you could ask for other menus yet when we asked this server did not want to give us another menu. After complaining to the manager, we were given another server who was very nice. Out of the five people in our party, four of us enjoyed our food. One ordered grilled veggies, and was given veggies steamed to the point of being mushy. Having to pay extra for fried rice is ridiculous also. I will definitely try another teppanyaki restaurant in the future.
(2)
Kate N.
This was my first visit to Benihana and my husband's first visit since dining at Benihana in Illinois many years ago. We had a great experience as our waitress was awesome and our food delicious! The complimentary salad and soup were both very tasty and the main meal was amazing. We shared the Colossal Mango Shrimp which had the most incredible Mango sauce either of us have ever tasted and the Shrimp just melted in your mouth! For dessert we had the tempura banana and icecream....yum! My husband had the happy hour Saki and at $2 what a bargain! I tried their Japanese Soda - Ramune Soda - Strawberry flavor....wow! I have never, ever been excited about Soda before.....hardly drink the stuff....but this was tasty. A great alternative if you can't drink alcohol. I would have to say that to get the most out of this restaurant the Teppanyaki Menu is the way to go. To me the food and service were 5 star....only missing a star because of the atmosphere.....could be a little more cozy.
(4)
Kelsey G.
I went here for the first time because I had a $30 gift card for my birthday from their Chef's Table Club. We went for lunch and sat at one of the grills with another group. I ordered the passion fruit lemonade which was way too sweet for my tastes, and the Benihana Excellence. My dining partner got the Lunch Sea Scallops. Both of our meals came with a "salad" and mine came with soup. These were incredibly disappointing and looked like something from a really cheap buffet. The salad was drenched in an unappetizing dressing and the soup tasted like salted hot water. Luckily the rest of the meal was a lot more enjoyable. The scallops came with fried rice; the scallops were great (especially for the rice) and the rice was good, although a bit on the salty side. My shrimp, and vegetables were really good and the teriyaki beef was good but it was drenched in too much sauce for me. I personally thought the food tasted better without any of their dipping sauces. At the end of the meal they gave me ice cream with a candle on it and sang happy birthday. They also took a photo of us and printed it out and put it in a little paper frame. I definitely recommend signing up for the birthday special because it is a great deal. Also, of it's your first time go for lunch because they have a lot of reasonable lunch entrees. Not sure if I would be as pleased with the experience if I had to pay $50 for it; but for $20 it was fantastic.
(4)
Talia R.
Let me start off by saying I LOVE Benihana. There isn't one in the area where I live so whenever I'm out of town I try and go there for lunch or dinner. My family and I had a reservation and they were ready to seat us when we arrived. The waitress was cute and super friendly, our chef was also great. Now what everyone is waiting for, the food was EPIC! I don't know if I've ever had a better meal at Benihana. If you're looking for an awesome meal plus good entertainment and you're willing to spend some money to treat yourself, I would definitely recommend dining here.
(5)
M. R.
We went here because we wanted to try the all-you-can-eat sushi special. This turned out to be a mistake of the most regrettable variety. Things started out purely OK. Service: average. Dining situation: average. Food: spectacularly average. We left with almost exactly the same bill we would have had if we'd all just ordered what we wanted. That was probably the idea on their part, but we figured it was worth it from a scientific point of view. One of my fellow dinner guests subsequently developed a very bad case of food poisoning. I also did not feel so hot, but I ate less than a quarter of the tuna he did. I got better in a few hours. We feared we would have to take him to the doctor. The case of this particular Benihana, I would have to advise against experimenting on your own. I'm sure there's somewhere you can attain the most holy grail of blowing the curve on all-you-can-eat sushi. Somewhere that won't leave you unable to consume anything besides applesauce for more than two days.
(1)
Quynh N.
One of the best happy hour! Great deals, good food. Bartender Carlos, aka "Charlie", is great. He is friendly and provides genuine service. We will definitely be back when Carlos is working.
(5)
Kara R.
As you can probably tell by my other reviews-- I'm one of those, "if you don't have something nice to say....yadda yadda yadda." But in the spirit of Yelp and actual critical review--- I'll have to suggest steering clear of Benihana; at least until they add more spices and seasonings to their repertoire. Yes, yes, yes, I should've known. I'm not much of a 'chain' eater-- but this was my boyfriend's family's pick for his graduation dinner. It seems to be a family favorite.... which I can't say I really understand. At all. I also should mention that this review is based entirely on their only vegetarian dinner option. I didn't get a look at the bill, but my course was at least over $25 for far less than exemplar fare. Granted, this included a miso soup, small lettuce & carrot salad, tofu appe, egg fried rice, grilled assorted vegetables as the entree, and a scoop of rainbow sorbet for dessert-- but it reaffirms how one should rely on the old standby of quality versus quantity. And I guess they have to charge that much to keep the Benihana salt mines open.... heaven sakes! The waitress was giggling to herself about how much water I was putting down, but I really can't imagine that this is a rare thing with their preferred method of seasoning; salting the bejesus out of everything from the pasty, ginger-esque dressing on the salad and the soggy, cold, fried tofu appe to the soy-and-butter sopping vegetables. The only reprieve was the rainbow sorbet and a nice hot green tea closer. Everyone else at the table had either a meat or seafood course, and were quite satisfied with their meals, so MAYBE it was just the veggie option or MAYBE I'm just a picky foodie or just MAYBE this place really needs the constructive criticism. And yes, I also realize this place is possibly more about the show than the food...???.... but our chef, though nice, was quite lackluster and didn't have a full cashe of tricks to unveil. Just the onion volcano. Sigh.
(1)
Ebony K.
My very first visit to Benihana was for my free birthday meal. I arrived at about 5:45pm and since I didn't have a reservation I had to wait until about 6:30pm for the next hibachi table that had room. No biggie I went to the bar, had glass of Cabernet and order the dragon roll. I mean it was happy hour and all and it was pretty reasonable so I had no problem waiting. Well lucky me gets seated with a family of 5 1/2. I say that because it was the two adults, three boys (the oldest was celebrating his 14th birthday) and a newborn baby girl, hence the 1/2. The father looked like a George Bush Jr clone, I KID YOU NOT! I had to do a double take that is how much this man resembled him. Let me just say that this family loves them so sushi. They ordered a ton of it along with their man courses. My kind of family! They were pretty comical that's for sure. Our server (who's name I never got until I got the bill) was friendly enough but I kinda felt like and after thought as she seemed to be more focused on the family. No biggie but even though my meal was "free" doesn't mean you have to treat me any different. I say "free" as it was free up to the first $30 and anything over you had to cover. Again no biggie. I ordered the Splash and Meadow which was steak and colossal shrimp. We started off with the miso soup which was really good, especially since it had fried onions and scallions mixed in the broth and wasn't overly salty like some miso soups can be. We received our salads very late, like we were in the middle of our hibachi presentation when we received them. I must say I was disappointed in the salad dressing as it was just blech. Almost like it was missing something and believe it or not, I was actually looking forward to my salad. Oh well. The fried rice cost extra and I didn't know it and had I realized it, I would have just ordered regular white rice. It is mixed with some chicken, vegetables, etc, which I understand the extra cost but honestly it tasted as if the rice was undercooked. It was still hard. Another disappointed but oh well. Now the shrimp appetizer along with the all the vegetables and the colossal shrimp that came with my meal were very good. The chef was generous with the shrimp because two of the kids didn't want any. I think they were pretty full from all the sushi that they ate. Now onto my steak. I was a little disappointed because I wanted it medium rare and it was medium done but still not too bad. By the time everything was actually ready, I was full as I had had that dragon roll while waiting for my table and had tasted everything as it was prepared. So needless to say I ended up taking my entire meal home. I spent about $20 total at the bar and for dinner including tip. I will probably be back again someday soon. Side note, I did notice that they have a sign for all you can eat sushi for $26.95 Sunday thru Thursday. I may have to go back and try that one day.
(3)
Jamie F.
I haven't eaten at a Benihana in over a year. Last time I went I was in a different state. Regardless of where I was it doesn't really matter. This place is like a high end McDonalds. Same stuff everytime. I had steak, scallops and fried rice. The steak was blah. Scallops are one of my faves. Add on lemon and butter and there really isn't a chance of Fu#$ing these up. My point is the scallops were great and I really like fried rice too. The theatrics were decent but not as riveting as I remember. Last time I went I was probably drunk or the chef cut his finger off. I'm sure I will go again.
(3)
Eduardo F.
Fresh food
(5)
Jesse F.
Amazing show and amazing tasting food!
(4)
Ed C.
Well, my kids like Benny-Ha-ha..... We've eaten here several times - most recently on 2011-04-29. We've dined at the teppanaki tables in the past, but most of the time (including our most recent visit) we just go to the sushi bar. The happy hour menu in the sushi bar brings prices down to a reasonable level; we can order several items, have a fair meal and not feel like we'll need another mortgage. Usually, I order the hand rolls and an assortment of appetizers or sashimi. Quality seems to be hit-and-miss depending on who made your order - the chef or the sous-chef. The place is obviously cutting cost; in recent visits (as in more than one), they've stopped providing complimentary edamame and the portions seem to have gotten smaller. In the past, we have tried the teppanaki tables - usually when we have a group in town. It's a bit of a chef show (same routines almost 95% of the time), but that's what it is - a show. The resulting food tends to be somewhat bland. You're paying for the experience and average food; I'd rather pay for good food and live with the experience. For now we'll stick with the happy hour sushi bar menu.
(2)
Lori J.
Food wasn't good and had no flyovers because the chief had to cook it fast since we waited for over an hour for him to show up. We come here all the time and usually the food is good. It looks like they were shorts on staff f. Every time we asked we were told he is in the back preparing it in the back. Everyone on the table was hungry and was complaining.
(1)
Amber G.
I can say that everything that I had here was pretty damn good. I went for my birthday with my husband a couple of months ago. We had the onion soup to start which tasted so familiar.....we both decided that it tasted like the broth in BEEF TOP RAMEN....hahahahahah. Not necessarily a bad thing... Then we had some fried rice, chicken, shrimp, and steak....all very yummy. No complaints and the cook we had was super cute !!! Always a plus. We shared our table with another family that were very nice and social and they had a birthday girl in their party also. They gave us a hilarious pineapple boat for a birthday treat, sang a song, and took a picture. We had a great time and the only reason that I gave 3 stars is because we spent a shitload of money in here and I was stilla bit hungry when I left.
(3)
Ron C.
My kids fav b-day eatery request....... It's not the best, but it is consistent. I guess that is what you can expect for Chain Restaurants like this.... For the various times we have gone, wait has not been bad and service has been good. For the food..... Again consistent - not great but not bad. If you order the specialty section, you get soup, salad, appetizer (shrimp), main dish, rice (fried - extra cost or steamed), veggies(lots of onions and zucchini), and dessert (your choice of ice cream). The chicken fried rice has butter, butter, and more butter some salt, pepper, and soy for seasonings. I like simple food preparation, but the amount of butter used is way too much. I typically get the steak/seafood combo and these are cook to order and most of the time are cooked correctly for my taste (especially last Friday night). Entertainment wise (seriously this is the reason why you go to a place like this, right?) is a joke. Most of the chefs we have had need to practice their routines. Or at the very least be funny if you drop stuff. Atmosphere is good, can't complain. Great for b-day picture taking with some of the art on the walls. We will continue to go as along as our kids like this place.
(3)
Halie J.
My husband and I went to the Scottsdale location on 7/7/13 for our anniversary lunch, we were told we could seat ourselves, sat at the Sushi Bar, waited 10 minutes before anyone even noticed we were there (place was dead), after we were finally noticed it took about 15 minutes to get our drink order then another 10 min to finally order our food. Our waitress was too busy in the back telling her manager that a lady wanted to talk to her and she hasn't even ordered her food, said she was bitchy and just went on and on about this customer. First of all, if you are going to complain about a customer DON'T do it were other customers can hear you. After we put our order in, my husband had received his sushi order as I sat there and waited FOREVER for my 1 cali roll, asked the waitress if she got it and she tells me, "yes, I sent it in but the chef OBVIOUSLY didn't read it, once again complaining about something else in front of us." When my order of food came it was cold and not good at all, my hubby had ordered a side or fried rice, actually we both ordered friend rice and both got chicken fried rice, when we asked about my hubby's rice she tells us oh the chef must have forgotten about it, Ill make sure he gets it on now. As we can see into the kitchen, she comes out with a bowl of hot steamy rice that we watched her microwave, she tells us, FRESH OFF THE GRILL! Ha, YEA RIGHT! Overall the service was HORRIBLE and the food was just as bad. For my first time ever being there I was VERY disappointed and not sure I will return to that location.
(1)
Kristin S.
Where I'm from we call this hibachi, not teppanyaki. (Mt. Fuji I love you!) Hibachi was always a fun option for a birthday party as a kid and it had been a while since I had gone to one. This was my first experience at a Benihana, I've always gone to locally owned places. I went with a rather large group and although we waited about 25 minutes after our reservation time they were able to give us two tables next to each other. That was probably the best part of the experience. As far as hibachi goes, it was a totally underwhelming experience. The only "trick" our chef did was the onion volcano thing and it didn't even fire! It only steamed! There was no flipping of shrimp tails, no egg trick, nothing. It was as if we were eating at a regular restaurant. I didn't expect the food to be stellar but I did expect a show, I mean isn't that the whole point?
(3)
K P.
I honestly love Benihana, but the problem I have is that I don't get the same level of service every time I go. There have been times where dinner has been an amazing experience and the food is very good and times where I feel like I got screwed out of 100 bucks. I think that lunch is a lot better deal than dinner, and far more reasonably priced. I made a BIG MISTAKE recently when I tried to go in with my boyfriend and there were no spots at the Teppanyaki table available. We sat down at the regular tables, but still ordered the same meals you would get from the table where you get the show. Not only did we pay a ton of money and not get the full experience, but the food was bland and horrible. I got a scallops/filet plate and there was only 1 scallop chopped up into tiny pieces in front of me. Even though we weren't able to have the normal dining experience doesn't mean we should have to get kitchen scraps if we were paying the same price. What a disappointment.
(3)
Ryan D.
OK, I know Benni's is more known for their Teppanyaki but for an uppity Japanese place you'd expect the sushi to be equally as good right? Meh. Not only did it suck, but the selection was limited, they were 'out' of many items, and it was overpriced. I don't recommend it. The company at our table included a young couple celebrating a birthday and an extremely douchey, divorced father/daughter duo that did not stop arguing the ENTIRE time. The girl was huffing and whining about her mercedes not being the model she had hoped for, elbows all over the table. The dad was talking very loud and using profanity, blaming the mom and calling her and the girl insulting names. It took everything in my power not to walk over and politely ask the guy to leave our table because I know it would have escalated. So after a bit the guy picked up on the rest of us at the table looking perturbed and he apologized, but still kept arguing, only a little quieter now. Enter chef: a Mexican fellow with an exotic Latin romance novel name I can't remember. He introduced himself and Julie jokingly asked if his name was Japanese. He laughed and was actually a good sport about it, injecting little bits of hispanic humor throughout the cooking experience...and offered to serve Julie her chicken open-faced or wrapped in a burrito if she preferred :) He wasn't all that impressive with his knife work and tossing tricks which we didn't really care about but it's still expected, especially for the kids (and the price). The food however was cooked to perfection and more than made up for the sub par sushi. He made it a point to give the arguing d-bags sample pieces first so they'd have something to occupy their mouths, and winked at the rest of us which was pretty cool. All in all it was a fairly entertaining evening, and aside from the sushi the rest of the food was awesome. The Saki and Kirin helped take the edge off and toward the end the whole table was talking and being friendly, and we even got to bomb the birthday girl's photo op haha. Btw, if birthday girl or someone that knows her reads this, we would like a copy of that photo!! We tried to download it from the Benihana website but of course they were having 'technical difficulties' with it that night. Hmm I wonder if their sushi chef doubles as their web developer?
(3)
Ann Marie K.
Fun place for groups! Benihana wouldn't be my first choice for sushi or for going out at all really, but if you have a special occasion for some friends it would be a good place to consider. Pricey food, but I thought it was good. Haven't tried the sushi yet. Benihana is known for it's tables which are centered around a stove. You get your own chef who comes over and prepares your whole meal for you! They do lots of crazy tricks and entertain the table while cooking. Lots of fire tricks too! It's the kind of place you can say you have been to and it;s a fun experience, but you don't need to go back after that.
(4)
Julie R.
DH & I went to Benihana on friday night. All of the food had too much butter and salt, which were the only seasoning used. We were crowded on our table, service was ok. Food could have had more taste. We had the chicken and shrimp entree with ice cream. The hibachi at Sapporo was a lot better!
(2)
Jenna K.
Awesome food! Make sure to try the marble soda - its great! The spicy chicken is amazing, and my friend got seafood, which was also delicious. Everything is cooked in front of you and tastes fresh! I would definitely go back!
(5)
M R.
We were on vacation recently and decided to have lunch, ate at the sushi bar, food was great, our server was always close by in case we needed anything, definitely recommend this place !
(4)
Anna Marie G.
In all my years eating at Benihana's i have never had as much fun as i did this last weekend for Greg's birthday. We had dinner at 10:30pm and had the funniest chef ever! It was a long day for all of us and i know i was starvin like marvin. The servers name was Hideo and he was too fun. A little x-rated but not too. He was so subliminal he had all of us rolling. The server was also gracious and quick. She had us served up very fast. Brought out the delicious miso soup and ginger salad after serving up our drinks. Charles and I had the hot sake, Brian & Greg each had the Asahi beer, i think the ladies had grey goose and soda. Our food was all over the menu. Brian had the Shrimp, Chicken & Filet Mignon while i had the Lobster, & Filet Mignon, Greg had the Shrimp & Chicken, Kristine the same and Charles the Filet Mignon while Tiffany had the Mango Chicken and Alondra the Filet mignon i think as well. Everyone raved about their food. My lobster was divine. The Fillet Mignon was cooked medium rare to perfection! The Benihana vegetables are always my favorite and i totally wish i knew how to order extra! The chef had many more tricks up his sleeve than most Tepan Yaki chefs around town, so i was still captivated by the twirl of his knife. One thing i miss from the NJ Tepan Yaki spot we frequented was the sake in the season bottle slung at us from the other side of the grill. Never the less i love this place and 6 months in between each visit is toooo long! Luckily we had 8 of us in our party because we took over half of the grill. The manager took a photo of our group for Gregs birthday so you should be able to find it online ^_~.
(4)
Shawn H.
I had the shrimp scallops and calimari. It was pretty bland. We had the only japanese cook and he was the only one who couldn't spin knives. Throw things in the air etc. Was dissapointed. The waiter couldn't speak English and charged me fir a vodka on ice that we didn't order. Trying to get them to take it off the bill was more frustrating and stressful than paying the 7.50 for it. Next time I think I'll try an authentic Japanese place if I have the urge for Japanese cuisine.
(1)
Grrr i.
Shocked by how delicious their sushi was. I expected it to be decent to not decent. Defintely above average. This is surprising as you don't find the typcial Scottsdale horseshit ferrari driving plastic boobies everyhwere and pretentiious little c-suckers that have so much shit in their hair it catches fire from the frigin Teppan Yaki flame. baha. The rolls are huge, the sushi is fresh and they are unbelieveably inexpensive. I also got the whole chef show in front of me and ordered my chicken fried rice with shrimp and filet mignon. Again, silly inexpensive and orgasmically delicious. (New Lucky Charms trademark??)
(4)
Hilary P.
My friends and I had a blast at Benihana on a recent visit! I'm sure we could have found better Asian food in Scottsdale (especially the sushi) but you really go to Benihana for the show. The chef at our table was great and actually was able to get all of food on our plate, even the stuff he threw. You can't go wrong with the Tepanyaki anything (and it's a great place to go if you're doing a protein diet). As for the sushi--ehh--go somewhere else for that. We all left laughing and happily stuffed. They're opening a location in Chandler soon, too!
(5)
Natalie M.
I could just copy and paste Kristin S' review since we were a part of the same group that went. Kudos for giving our large group of girls two tables together but BOOO for making us wait so long. Not only was it a half hour after our reservation time but people got there early to warn them of our partys arrival. Our reservation had been down at least a week in advance, it could have been better planned on their part but anyway. The food here is crap... unless you like everything flavored with nothing but soy sauce, don't bother going. I always loved Benihana as a kid and either I grew up and learned what good food really is or this place seriously went to crap. The show sucked, the drinks were weak and expensive and the food was bland. I took my leftovers home to my husband who said "I thought you went to benihana, this tastes like ****" and that was promptly followed by the "did we just grow up because I thought it used to be good conversation."
(2)
Josh D.
Do you like being entertained by a knife-wielding Asian chef cooking at your table while you eat? If this may sound interesting, grab a group of friends and check this place out. Just don't expect the food to be stellar, and if you order sushi be prepared for less than average. Benihana is a chain that specializes in a culinary circus type environment over anything else.
(3)
wayne r.
AYCE sushi? At Benihana? Yeah. How to describe it? I guess the best I can come up with is "production sushi". Remember those documentaries that were on TV about the painting factories where people painted the same painting day in, day out tens of times a day? That's what the sushi I had at Benihana was like. Thier crab mix was dry, the eel sauce probably came directly from a bottle that said "Yoshinoya" in big red letters, the soft shell crab in the spider roll had obviously been cooked some time before. The sushi "chefs" looked somewhat bored and unhappy, and I counted 3 botched orders to tables in the 1 1/2 + hours I was there. Love good sushi? Try someplace else. Want to eat a lot of so-so sushi? Maybe this is for you. Not me, I'm trying elsewhere.
(2)
Bil Z.
For a chain restaurant, this is one of, if not the best. Grew up going to the original in NYC, so I may be biased, but I have never not had a good meal here. Whether you sit down at one of the hibachi tables, or head to the sushi bar in front, the food is always good. The service is friendly and attentive, and of course you get that great little cutlery show during dinner preparation at the Hibachi bar. Average prices, you can go casual, or get a little dressed up and not feel out of place...
(5)
Tracy M.
Went there on a Tuesday night, the staff was very friendly but we had a really long wait for the teppanyaki chef. It was kind of a bummer. The manager came over, apologized and offered the table free edamame. I'm not sure if they had more parties come then expected or what but it was really nice that the manager went out of his way to try to make us feel comfortable. The food was delicious! I highly recommend the fillet, calamari or scallops. I tasted some of the Chateaubriand and in my opinion the fillet was just as flavorful and tender.
(4)
Ceejay Y.
I came here tonight with my sister for My Mom's birthday. Our waitress was on her ish and had a lot of spunk and personality. I appreciate that these days... The food was delicious and all of us ordered something different to all sample as one. I had Steak and Shrimp along with the Spicy Hibachi Chicken. My mom had colossal shrimp and my sister had the seaside trio. It can get pricey if you just order what looks good w/o looking at its price, however sometimes you have to spend a little to EAT GOOD! lol. The fried rice and our chefs vegetables also hit the spot ! Overall really impressive place to eat for a birthday or special occasion. 4 STARS
(4)
Danielle G.
Came here right at 5pm when they opened to place an order for take out. They told me to sit and wait for a server. 4 different servers walked pasted me before someone asked if I was waiting for something. Yeah, to order. Placed my order and sat there for 25 more minutes and all of what I ordered was chicken fried rice. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? WERE YOU PICKING THE RICE IN THE FIELDS? I could of gone grocery shopping and had quadruple the portions all in 25 minutes! I was getting visually frustrated so one of the managers came over and said "can I get you something to drink while you're waiting?" "Is that going to get added to my bill? Yes? Then NOOOO. After waiting for this damn rice for what felt like the damn prehistoric era I get my food and walk back to my job. I get in, open my bag and portion didn't even fill the box! It was literally flavorless, like the chef doesn't cook with salt, people or even soy sauce. I noticed when I left even after 5:30 there were still parties with 5pm reservations that had not been seated in an entirely empty restaurant. I don't even feel like I need to dine in here to know its a tragic and terrible place to go. This is a NO NO NO NO NO x infinity for me.
(1)
Clarence Thomas ..
Not the worst hibachi but definitely not the best. Food was good EXCEPT chicken fried riced needed a little more work. (Clumped portions of the rice still solid white after cooking-this should not happen). Key things that need to be improved upon: Mediocre service: 1. The waiter seemed nice but I had to step away from the Hibachi table and go to the bar for a 2nd refill on a soft drink because waiter continuously forgot. Lack of preparation 2. Cook had to leave the grill unattended (x2)because the ingredients needed was not on the food cart. One of those times the grill was on. Cross contamination 3. There were mixed groups sitting at the grill and while serving the food, the cook's instrumentation would make contact with some of the guest plates, which they had already been eating on. (hopefully nobody was ill/or had a virus). Would give 3 stars but the cross contamination is a health hazard.
(1)
Ryan M.
Great experience and really good food. The chefs are awesome a put on a great show! We will be back.
(5)
Sara E.
I had to struggle to justify my two-star rating, but my vegetables were okay and there was also plenty of parking... yeah, that's how horrible this place was. My group had reservations for a Sunday at 12:30. We had 9 people, so we took up an entire table to ourselves. The service was painfully slow from this point on. We saw our waiter in 15 minute intervals, and he would always rush off before making sure we had everything we needed. And this was BEFORE the chef even started cooking. We didn't even see our chef until 1:20... almost an entire hour of waiting at the table! Soup and salad doesn't take THAT long to eat...... Benihana used butter and soy sauce as their two flavorings. Everything tasted the exact same and was so, so plain. I was hoping for more of a teriyaki flavor for at least my chicken. Also, the dipping sauces aren't good either, so you're basically stuck with really bland food that's been drenched in butter. Also, if you have kids, they probably will be underwhelmed as well. This place is no-frills due to a few lawsuits (that is what our chef said). What fun is teppanyaki without FIRE?! The only "trick" they do is an onion train thing. There are better, locally owned teppanyaki restaurants in town. We definitely won't ever be back...ever.
(2)
Victor M.
So have you ever watched the television show Hell's Kitchen and seen the episodes where the food service takes 3 hours or so and you're thinking, "Good god, those poor poor people held hostage by incompetent chefs?" Welcome to my Benihana experience. We had a reservation on a Friday for 8:30pm for 2. We arrive, get seated promptly at a teppanyaki table with another couple celebrating their 8th wedding anniversary and a foursome celebrating a birthday for one of the girl's in the group. Our waitress comes over, we all place drink orders, lots of Sake. I had drunken whale, a few bottles of Kiran Ichiban are purchased. All of us are here to spend money and have fun. So at this point it's around 9. Still no chef. our waitress takes our order. I order the Rocky's choice, filet mignon and chicken. My partner gets the Splash N' Meadows, basically surf and turf. The girl next to us orders Yakisoba noodles and scallops. The waitress starts bringing us the early courses of our meal. Good onion soup. It disapears quickly. Good salad, also quickly gone. More sake is had. We've spent quite a bit on alcohol at this point. We get a newbie chef Im assuming. Im bummed cuz while weve been waiting Ive seen 3 other teppanyaki shows and services end, so Im thinking maybe there's a snafu and thats why its taking a bit. I try to let it go. My partner goes to the bathroom for a minute the chef comes out and his knife show or what was supposed to be lasts about 10 seconds. She's like I missed it?! Mind you the table next to us, their knife show was about a few minutes long and was really cool. Ours was flip spatula 3 times ok Im in a rush since youve been waiting. Ok, strike 1. We HAVE been waiting. Don't rush through the fun stuff just to get caught up cuz you were dicking around. He screws up the onion volcano 3 times. Were cheering him on to get it right but seriously *I* can do this trick. But Im jumping ahead. It takes him like half an hour to do the rice and veggies. He's clearly in the weeds where he;s cooking one thing at a time even thought there's 7 different orders. He cooks one entire groups steaks before he gets to us, all the while leaving veggies on a plate or the side of the table only mixing them in once we're like ok stop youre gonna go over. He screws up the birthday girl's steak order as well done instead of medium and puts it on her plate anyway then makes her another steak and makes the rest wait. He overcooks the girl next to us scallops til they're singed hockey pucks. He plants butter on the table and it splashes on my arms and over the girl's chiffon blouse. It's about 11:00pm now and he's barely finishing the girl's yakisoba. Yes. ELEVEN PM. The restaurants closed. The cleaning people are there and our food is BARELY getting ready to serve. My food was ok. I destroyed it because I was starving. But the rice was under seasoned and had some raw veg, the onions were overcooked and greasy. I stopped him on my steak and lucked out that it wasnt overcooked like my chicken was. The manager then comes over and comps chiffon girl's meal, which means that their order which was close to 500-600 was on the manager. But then only offers me half of after I clearly hear her comp the guests next to us. I was spending about 150, that's chintz, pure and simple. If youre going to comp half the guests for the same experience, then comp everyone we were all spending a lot of money. I wouldve even come back if that had happened. So yeah we're offered half off the next group is comped and we still have a dessert course coming. Needless to say, were not going to eat one more course in a closed restaurant when its past 11pm and our reservation was at 8:30pm. I think what sucked was the rushing through the fun stuff and then he was in the weeds after and overcooking everything for fear of making more mistakes.
(2)
Amy L.
All I have to say is this place needs to start selling the butter they use to cook everything. Extra butter on errythangg.
(3)
Subodh N.
The food is average. Have had better sushis at other places. The ambience and theatrics of the chefs are a good treat. They take a loooong time to get started though. Service is mediocre. Overall its good to experience something different but wouldn't try this frequently.
(3)
Megan R.
I love Benihana. I especially love the $30 coupon they send for your birthday each year. What a great deal! The place is always packed and the food is always delicious. I've never had a bad meal, nor have I had a chef that wasn't entertaining. If you love Teppanyaki, I recommend this place. It is always consistent, the service is always on par and the food is great. Tip: Spend the extra couple bucks and get the fried rice!
(4)
Braden N.
I went here on a Monday night to celebrate my wife's birthday with her. I have to say, everything was timed perfectly and the food was delicious. Getting food hibachi style will require you to obviously sit with another party or two, but that is very normal and each party has their own side conversations anyway, every now and again you might speak to each other, but regardless, you will have a good time. The chefs are very professional, our server was very good at getting everything out the way we hoped, and they treat us very well as their guests. Not sure how long of a wait is normal for this place, but we got right in at 7pm on a Monday night. I would recommend calling before hand to see if they have call-ahead seating or even reservations. We were a bit nervous that we would have to wait a while. 5 star rating for me!
(5)
Tommy T.
I don't know how the average rating here is so low. This is a great spot with consistently great food.... At least for the teppan side. I've never eaten at just the sushi bar although I have had some and it's always been fine, no complaints. I eat at Benihana very regularly and I have no complaints so I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good date night or fun dinner atmosphere. The vibe of the table can depend on your chef since they all have Their own personalities but overall it's usually a fun experience to match e great food. I always go with the deluxe treats which is filet and lobster with the shrimp appetizer (included), a salad with amazing dressing and a soup also which is very good. I'd say all of the above are far better than their "competitors" like Ah-So, Sapporo, etc and usually better pricing.
(5)
Jenna W.
I was seated one hour ago and a chef has not arrived to cook for us yet. The front desk staff has an interesting strategy of telling people the wait is 4 times longer than it actually is so they can go home early. There are tables of dissatisfied people staring at empty drinks , they've probably had refilled 5 times, as they sit famished and bored waiting for their food. I really wish there were more Teppanyaki choices in N. Scottsdale. I'll remember this visit and how I'm fighting back the exhaustion of being in this establishment for 1.5 hrs and am starving to death.
(1)
Dwayne O.
Not a big fan of chain restaurants but this location gives you the feel of a local restaurant. Have had the teppenyaki and mostly eat in the sushi bar area. The manager is always friendly and accomodating. We try to have Sashi serve us as much as possible, she always takes care of us and gives us special treatment. We try to make it to the half price sushi happy hour which is M - Th until 7:30 pm. When celebrating a special occasion we will eat in the teppenyaki area which is always entertaining. The lunch menu is also a great buy if you order the lunch boat which comes with miso soup, salad, entree chicken or beef, california roll, sashimi, eminabe, and rice for around $11.00 Don't forget to sign up for the Chef's Table Club online and for your birthday they will email you a $30 coupon toward your dinner. This location in the Scottsdale Promenade and has plenty of parking and in a great location with many other high end restaurants. This is one of our go to restaurants and will continue to go there. Great food and service always.
(5)
Rand H.
Dropped in here for a little Teppanyaki Lunch UYE today with Jackie R., Mike C., Connie and Scott W. This was my first visit to a Benihana and I went with a Hibachi Steak, which started with a nice Romaine Lettuce salad with Ginger Dressing. Then came Fried Rice with bits of veggies, eggs, and seasonings. That was followed with strips of various veggies, grilled, along with a N.Y Strip Steak, diced during the cooking process, with grilled mushrooms. We each also each received cups of 2 different sauces to add to the veggies & meat as desired, and green tea was included to drink. Service from both Server Amanda and Chef Hiro was friendly and cheerful. Hiro's performance with flying and clicking knives, spatulas, bowls, salt shakers & whatever else was around was amazing and lots of fun. (I have a hunch he's been doing this for a long time!) The food was all good, although I prefer the Fried Rice at some of the Asian Buffets I haunt, and this isn't quite a favorite style of a food for me. (I like my New York Steak whole!) :-) With that said, it WAS what I expected to find here (from having seen their TV commercials over the years), everything about the food, service and dining room were fine, and we all had fun here today! :-)) Hibachi Steak Lunch: $12.50
(4)
David S.
Our chef was from a mystical place called Guadalajara Tokyo. He was fun and performed the usually tricks including the Cho cho onion, the beating heart fried rice and of course, the flying shrimp! A nice diversion to our routine. We'll be back!
(4)
ms. b.
The amazing shrinking SHRIMP (chilie shrimp) and the NEW so call wow roll...., trickery same #^*+ish different plate
(3)
Tricia F.
One star for the fish bowl drink. One star for the upscale ambiance. No more stars. Happy hour is 4 until 730... But it still likely take you that long to get your food. Waited 40 minutes for a single roll. By the time it was delivered (post manager intervention) it was too late to order any more happy hour items. Wouldn't come back. In fact we're going back to Teharu down the street now!
(2)
Chandler H.
Benihana Review Benihana is an Asian sushi restaurant that has a very cultural atmosphere of old Asian culture. It was founded by Hiroaki, or rocky, who was the son of a samurai that owned a coffee shop. His father's drive made him want to open his own restaurant when he moved to the United States. Outside there is Asian stones and fountains already creating the atmosphere before even entering. You walk In the door, and you see the waitress, wearing normal black as waitresses do, but what awaits you is a fantastic personal chef that cooks you Asian style food. You sit around a table with a chef in the middle who serves you whatever you order. It is a very strange and wonderful experience. Although I am not normally a fan of Asian culture or food for that matter, I was wonderfully surprised with the food I ordered. I also tried some of the sushi which I really disgust but they do it well if you do like sushi, it tastes okay and is textured well. I and my family also enjoyed the service, having a personal chef serve everybody is and interesting mode and works effectively. We didn't have too long of a wait but I can see how you could have a terrible wait if you go on a Friday night, but we went on a Monday so not many people were there. Seated quickly and amazing food are two checks in the favor of Benihana and the Japanese style cultural atmosphere really put the icing on the cake. Over all we had an awesome time, the food was fantastic and the atmosphere, was gorgeous. I would recommend this place to anybody if they really like Asian food. Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.
(4)
Marty F.
We usually visit this place about two to three times a year (various locations). We really enjoy the food and the teppanyaki chefs are the best. We've had Tim both times at this location and he's always been great. The waitress was a bit slow this last time as nearly all 10 in our party had empty glasses and dishes were starting to pile up I looked over and realized she was handling two other massive tables. Always look forward to coming back here!
(4)
Shirley C.
We enjoyed a great family dinner last evening at Benihana. Service was excellent as was the food. Great to watch the chef and his grill mastery. We will certainly be back again.
(5)
Gina J.
I came here this evening with a large group to celebrate a birthday. The Sake-Sangria was delish! A definite must try. In our party, we all had the filet and others had the lobster tail, shrimp or chicken and everyone was happy. The chef was entertaining and everyone left with their bellies full and smiling faces. Top Notch service!
(5)
Dave T.
I came in with my fiance for a birthday dinner and had a great time. For those of you who don't know, if you sign up on their email list, you get a certificate for $30 you can use during your birthday month. It's a GREAT deal! Pretty funny, but it seemed like half the people there were celebrating a birthday. The staff is very kind here, and works very fast. The food is delicious, and their Happy Hour goes until 7:30 PM, with great food/drink specials. Our Chef Toshi was nice enough. I'm sure they all have different personalities, but he did a good job. If you haven't been here yet, sign up for the birthday coupon and come check it out. ENJOY!
(4)
Chris Z.
Benihana is a decent place to get hibachi or sushi anywhere in the country. We've been to this location a couple times per year for the past few years and it is always pretty good. The sushi? There's better in the valley. The tepanyaki? Same. The drinks? Pretty good. The prices? On par with everyone else and the happy hour specials are pretty good. But let's be realistic here. Most people come for the chef's table birthday special. The coupon has gotten worse over the past year. It is now a discount with another purchase, cannot be combined with happy hour prices, and the times you can come are more limited. They are all fair policy changes since businesses need to (and deserve to) make money. But at full price I do not find the food or experience to be worth the trip across town. There are areas with better sushi, better tepanyaki, and better prices. It is good but not great. If there was a location in the west valley I could see going here when I got the itch to sit around a table grill. But with the recent changes I wonder if even the birthday special is worth the trip across town. Or if I'd rather pay full price and drive half as far.
(3)
Jenn W.
Meh. We have been here several times over the last few months. We have come both with our kids and without - we always sit in the lounge/sushi area even though we never order sushi and always order hibachi (those of you with small children can appreciate this). The food is just average and the portions are a bit on the small side for the price. I appreciate that they allow me to substitute my salad for extra soup. The service here can be a bit slow. I can consistently expect them to bring out my fried rice far before my entree...yep, my rice is always cold by the time my entree arrives. There can be quite a wait at times, especially at the grills- I suggest looking on Open Table for a reservation. Overall, I prefer my local Japanese steakhouse in my home town (not chain affiliated) but this hasn't and probably won't stop me from coming back.
(3)
Lilly S.
We love it here. I can't tell you how many times we've been here in the past 7 months. Amanda is THE best server and the chicken and rice with extra garlic butter is the best !
(5)
Dominic A.
Rudest front desk- reception team ever - completely unimpressed by the incredible lack of respect and quality of help here. They should be ashamed.
(1)
Skip H.
I attempted to bring my family there without a reservation at 5pm. The front gal told me she could seat us at 7! It came off rather rude ... as if I'm going to sit there for 2 hours.
(1)
Kayla M.
Came here for a business lunch and absolutely loved their lunch menu! Which doesn't happen to be available in Vegas, so that's a win for Scottsdale! We were quickly seated and promptly greeted. Our server was sweet and the food came out fast. 5 stars for all that. But the restaurant felt sort of like a diner with sort of dingy booths and I was disappointed in the food a bit. I ordered the Salmon lunch box for $10.95. It came with a salad with I didn't care for, Miso soup which was good, and the entree had a glazed piece of salmon that was tasty but small, edamame which was cold, a couple of pieces of a California roll which were meh.. but good enough to eat. It also had a side of rice but I didn't try it. The prices were decent for lunch, and I'd be willing to give it another go to try something else off the menu, but it didn't bowl me over.
(3)
Anna R.
Went here with a group of friends last weekend and we had a good time. Mostly that was due to the company and the fact that we are a fun bunch! I'm giving this 3 stars because the food was decent and even though expensive, I feel it was worth the money (we reserved a teppanyaki table). To break it down: Soup course was really good. Salad was not so good. Didn't even finish it. Shrimp appetizer was literally 4 bites of chopped up shrimp. Kind of strange. Fried Rice was probably the best thing of the night. And they give you a fairly large portion. The only thing I didn't love was they serve it separately from the actual entree and I prefer to eat it all together. For the main course I had the filet which was very good, served with some onions and zucchini and mushrooms. All in all, an enjoyable experience but I won't be returning anytime soon. I say this because I am a foodie. And if I am going to plop out $30 for a meal I'd prefer it to be for something a little more intriguing than stir fry. And I can make a mean filet mignon myself. But I'm glad we went and tried it out.
(3)
RENISHA R.
I've just moved to Phoenix and I attempted to use my chef's table birthday certificate that is a yearly tradition for me. This year, I was unable to use it because I was dining alone and apparently I needed to order 2 entrees to use my certificate. The certificate does not clearly state that 2 meals need to be purchased. So not only did I have to pay for my meal (which I didnt expect), but i left my entire entree at the restaurant because I had to get to work. They offered to hold it for me, but i didnt have time to get back there. So basically I paid $35 for an entree I did not receive. So frustrating. Guess I will have to find a new tradition. On a happier note our chef, Kyle, was fantastic. It was the best show I'd seen yet. Thanks Kyle!
(2)
Karen O.
The food was good, and our chef (George) was really friendly and entertaining. But when we called to make the reservation, we told them we were coming for our daughter's 15th birthday. After we checked in, I excused myself from the table to go to the hostess at the front desk to make sure they knew it was her birthday. (They just do a little cake and a song, no huge deal, but it's festive.) But the end of the meal came, the check arrived, and it was clear they still forgot. So as we were leaving, I mentioned to the hostess at the front desk that it was forgotten and was told, "Well, it's not OUR fault up here. We write it down on the slip, and your SERVER is supposed to check it. We can't help it if she doesn't." Um ... not impressive customer service.
(2)
Curtis L.
I had the yakisoba noodles with tofu... It was more food than one person can eat. My meal also came with soup, salad and fried rice. The special sauce they use on the noodles is tasty and brings out the flavor of all the different veggies. Although, I've been to a few Benihanas I personally enjoyed the location in Scottsdale. It's clean, not too cold and the service was excellent. This is also a good meal to order when ordering to go. I've done that a few times in the past. Enjoy!!!
(5)
John T.
Always a great time. I really like this chain and frequent it in many cities. This one is only a 4 star because the Chef was very poor. The food quality was excellent but his showmanship was not there. Definitely a good place to take out of town guests and groups. JT
(4)
David R.
Benihana. Outside of hearing about in The Wolf of Wall Street and hearing about it in a few movies, I didn't know much about them. Benihana is all about the performance. It is surreal to see the chef performing in front of you. The chefs I have seen have been very entertaining, and it was the most enjoyable aspect of the experience (outside of the main course). Soup: Their version of Miso soup is meh. It is a watery miso soup with little fried onion slivers in the bottom of the bowl. There is also a few green onion pieces in the bowl. It was disappointing to the say the least. Salad: Ack! This is not a great experience! The salad is just a hodgepodge of different veggies with a drizzle of their insipid dressing. It is just this orange/yellow goo. It is like the people in the back blew their nose into bowl. I keep forgetting to tell them to hold the salad. Torture should not be part of my dining experience... Appetizer: This is when things start to really pick up. The hibachi shrimp beyond tasty, and the two sauces really help the experience. I started to actually enjoy this restaurant. Fried Rice: If you order white rice, they will bring it to you from the back. If you ordered the fried rice, they will prepare it right in front of you. It is really good, and it is makes elevates the experience seeing it made fresh right in front of you. Main Course: Will the chef makes the hibachi vegetables, they will do a little show with that. They will make a little volcano with the white onion. They will also do a train as well. It is kind of funny seeing it for the first time. It really makes you feel like a kid, and the vegetables are great when cooked on the grill. Both times I went to Benihana, I went with the Hibachi Supreme (Chateaubriand and Lobster) and the Benihana Trio (Filet Mignon, Chicken, Colossal Shrimp in lemon butter). My wife and I both enjoy the Chateaubriand from Benihana. It is her favorite in the valley (her all-time favorite is the Chateaubriand from Bern's in Tampa, FL, but no one can really compete with that). The Benihana trio gives you more food, but the Hibachi Supreme is better tasting. So, I guess it is a trade-off there. Dessert: Since I went with their specialty selection, I get a bowl of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. There is only three flavors (strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla). Both times I have been here, I went with chocolate. My second evening here, they poured chocolate sauce over it. That was pretty good. But, it is still just Häagen-Dazs ice cream that you can buy from the store. So, it is good, but not great. Overall, the four stars is over the main course and the appetizer. The point deduction is mostly from the salad (ack!), and their Miso/Onion soup doesn't set the world on fire. I will go there, but I would skip their salads. They are not worth it. Price: the price for food is lower than what you would pay at Donovan's, Flemings, etc, but it is higher than the typical asian restaurants (it costs a little bit more than P.F. Chang's). I did not feel cheated, and the quality of the main course and appetizer more than made up for it. I will definitely go back to Benihana's in Scottsdale!
(4)
Kelly V.
My best friend loves this restaurant and at her urging, we made a reservation. The food was good, the "show" was fun and the drinks were tasty. Ultimately though, it's just not my thing.
(3)
Tee G.
Wow ! The atmosphere with a great group is what you get here. The food is very good , and what to expect from a Benihanas. I would have given a 5 star but there were a couple of minor things ; our waiters personality didn't match the festive and fun environment. He did a good job with our orders but didn't offer any suggestions or add to the fun. The other reason for the 4 star is the sushi rolls. They were ok , not great. Stick to the hibachi. We will definitely go back , we love it !
(4)
Bad L.
Benihana is always a long-time favorite. Who hasn't been there to dine teppanyaki style (where they cook in from of you,) and had a smoking onion volcano or a choo choo train on the skillet! The food is always decent, but way over priced as expect. This place is great for parties of 6-8 (we were there for a client dinner) and/or birthday parties. The rinks are pretty weak, but the food is tasty. Last time we were here was about 5 years ago, but it's always crowed and always fun. The sushi is not very good. Our table ordered a couple of standard rolls (spicy tuna, crab, rainbow, etc.) and it honestly tasted like over-priced grocery store sushi. I could have had better sushi at the Frys in Paradise Valley.
(4)
Stephanie B.
This place is always great. We made reservations for a date here. We got sat right away. The service is always fast and very entertaining. Somehow the chefs always have a way of making their show entertaining and unique to them. So we were very pleased with the entertainment! It is exciting to see your meal cooked right in front of you. Our guy made a heart and made it beat which was awesome! The food is guaranteed good. Always love the soup and salad to start. The chicken and rice I got was excellent as well. I was very happy with this Benihana's. I have been to other locations as well. They are always great!
(5)
Anne A.
Best Hibachi Chateaubriand!
(5)
Katie R.
This place is not for foodies. If you don't mind overpaying greatly for protein and vegetables with butter and oil and virtually no seasoning, you might not mind the ridiculous prices. The only reason I give it more than one star, is I see that it could be fun to bring a kid. But if you are coming to eat a good meal, you will be disappointed.
(2)
Caleb S.
Food is always good, but sometimes you get that chef that makes you regret coming. I go here quite a bit so the likelihood of that happening is higher. Kind of pricey but what do you expect. And sometimes you get stuck sitting with the "weird people" who can't have any salt, gluten, sugar etc which ruins the fun for everyone. Service here is really slow too on any day of the week which is odd since all they do is take orders and bring out the apps. Oh well will keep going back cause it's better then Sapporo right down the street.
(3)
Mischell M.
This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANT!!! I go every year for my birthday and as much as possible throughout the rest of the year. The food is cooked in front of your with amazing chefs that do tricks. I have been going to Benihana restaurants for over 20 years and still love it. This particular restaurant is my favorite because they are always friendly and accommodating.
(5)
Jody K.
We went to Benihana because my husband received a $30 birthday certificate from them and my toddler son received his free birthday cup. We were seated with 2 other families who were also celebrating birthdays with the same certificate. They were a fun bunch. Our chef, John was really nice and very accommodating to our son. He was funny and cracked jokes with us while cooking. I know it must be a hard job to have to stand there and entertain people and cook and sweat so we definitely were appreciative for him. The husband and I both ordered the "Splash & Meadow" - which was jumbo shrimp and steak. Our son had the "child's" version of it. Even though hubby's dinner was "paid" for, we still ended up with a $74.00 bill. They added on gratuity that said it was "suggested" but had no where to really change it - the only extra line was to add on "additional tip". "All of our beef is USDA Choice, aged to perfection and hand-butchered on premise. Served with Benihana onion soup, Benihana salad, shrimp appetizer, hibachi vegetables, homemade dipping sauces, steamed rice, Japanese hot green tea and Häagen-Dazs ice cream, sherbet or sorbet." I want you all to take a look at this description - and let me say that none of us received hot green tea...and ONLY the people who had the birthday coupon received ice cream. When we asked if us "regulars" could get ice cream, they said we had to pay extra for it when it CLEARLY states on the menu that it comes with our dinner! Total crap. Also, the "onion" soup was completely tasteless. It was just broth with some mushrooms and dried onions tossed in. I do say that the shrimp and steak was pretty good and even better when dipped in their mustard sauce. I probably will not come back again - even if we get a birthday dinner, it's still expensive and it's mostly for the entertainment of the Chef cooking for you that you're paying for.
(3)
Veronica M.
Well the food was great but the experience was very unprofessional. Our waitress was working hard doing her thang when our fellow table diners decided to give her a hard time. After a discussion with the manager the other diners were able to figure things out. Well I felt that it was very unprofessional that the chef "Kyle" I believe was down talking his fellow coworkers to the guests at out table. To me this is very unprofessional especially since the girl was clearly having a bad time with this guest yet he decided to play on the blame game and get bad talk his coworkers. Horrible experience at this place. There should be no exception of talking bad about your coworkers to customers especially.
(2)
Danielle H.
HORRIBLE, SLOW service. The only reason I gave them 2 stars is because, well, I'm too nice. I rarely, if ever, complain in restaurants, preferring to rant afterwards to my fellow diners. But I just couldn't let it go this time. The second star was earned because the manager acknowledged waiting over an hour to get our food was unacceptable and discounted a portion of the meal. It was a shame the experience sucked because my dad was looking forward to seeing his visiting grandchildren get a kick out of the teppanyaki chef.
(2)
Heather J.
We have eaten here twice and both times the service has been great. I highly suggest making sure you get reservations though. Totally kid friendly too!
(4)
Dave K.
Tim did a great job as chef. Food was great! Don't know how it could have been better!
(5)
Candace R.
4 stars for the food and the end of my dining experience there. I received a birthday gift certificate for Benihana and since yesterday was the last day to use it and there's a location near my office, I decided to stop in for a solo dinner in the lounge. I was told to take a seat wherever I wanted and took a seat at the sushi bar. That is where I waited for about 10 minutes to be recognized. It seemed like the family to the left of me was getting impatient waiting for their food (they already had drinks), and a party to my right had to stop a server to let them know they had been waiting to place there order. This is where I took my chance to request a menu, which was eventually given to me by my sushi bar neighbor who noticed I was still waiting after a few minutes. To start, I had the onion soup and salad. I could drink gallons of the ginger salad dressing so I was in a much better mood once I had food in front of me. I ordered a California roll and crispy shrimp roll for the main course. The Cali roll was to be expected, the Crispy shrimp roll was good, but huge. It was hard to get it all in in one bite, but super messy if I did two. To finish, I had the banana tempura, of which I enjoyed the ice cream and pocky stick the most, if that tells you anything. Once my server got in the swing, she was great the rest of the night, so there may have been some miscommunication on who was taking what diners.
(3)
Andie S.
I went here for one of my high school proms a few years ago and still remember getting hit in the face with vegetables. I'm betting the guy cooking the food was new because whenever I tell the story, people always seem surprised. The menu is tiny and pretty pricey. Honestly, I wouldn't be so upset if the menu actually gave a reasonable amount of options. The food was decent, just not what I wanted or what I expected. They could definitely do better.
(3)
Jason B.
My wife got me the BEST GIFT EVER for my birthday - the Master Teppanyaki Chef Experience ( benihana.com/bethechef )! I love teppanyaki probably more than I should and definitely more than anyone in my family so I don't get to go as often as I would like. I mean it's dinner AND a show! How can it NOT be awesome with fancy food tricks, fried rice, shrimp, and steak? Mix in some saki bombers and you can't go wrong. For the Master Chef Experience you are trained at the fine art of teppanyaki then are able to bring your friends/family in for dinner that you cook. Training is held Monday through Thursday at 1:00ish which I guess is understandable because they don't want you messing around with knives and hot food in the midst of the lunch or dinner rush. It still pisses me off though because I work during normal business hours. I guess it is a small price to pay to hopefully make a fire volcano and fling some shrimp at my wife. The training was awesome. My personal teppanyaki chef/teacher (Hideo) and I pretty much had the place to ourselves so I would not be embarrassed if I sprayed rice everywhere. The training took about 30 minutes and my teacher pretty much went over everything. He taught me some tricks, some jokes and of course some safety stuff that went in one ear and out the other. The whole thing was a blast. On the day of the big even where I would cook for my family they gave me an apron and chefs hat so I looked pretty legit. Everything went off without a hitch and I made some awesome teppanayaki. My technique still needs some work but I did excellent for my first time. Anyway, the whole experience was a blast and I would recommend it to anyone. The manager (I don't have his name) and Hideo were awesome and really did make the whole thing special throughout my training and main event.
(5)
Mike O.
_STILL_ DOUBLE-X BLACKLIST. WON'T GO BACK. EVER. Gimmicky play-with-your-food-is-OK teppan-style dining's novelty keeps packing people in. Not me. I went back after 18 months, and thankfully saved myself a tidy fiddy. I left shortly after arriving. ##maguro is that pink plank that you get from House of Rice (Is that place still out there?) CRAP! Yet they still fill the place. Somehow. On arrival, as usual, there are 15 people waiting to be seated. Not surprisingly there is NO ONE sitting at the sushi bar. We sit right down. But what I see is nauseating. ##One or two pieces of cut fish on each large white plastic plate. It looks like a morgue-slash-biology-project gone wrong. They're already wearing rubber gloves. All that's missing are the surgical masks! OK, so what are all these people doing here then? It's for Teppanyaki-style dining. It's the novelty of your food being steel-grill cooked in front of you, The cook will even play with your food like you used to when you were 4 years old and if you take your mom with you, you can thumb your nose at her while you play along. Ooh, look at me pile the rice up like a heart and then stick my spatula under it to make it beat! Don't miss the Sliced onion volcano and steamy railroad train, complete with sound and lighting effects! Yeah, fried rice's egg must be added at the last moment. It's so the egg will be light and flavorful, not charred hard after 8 minutes of food play! @Hiro: let me know where you end up next. @benihana: DOUBLE-X. YOUARETHEWEAKESTLINK GOOD BYE.
(1)
Jonathan G.
I have always enjoyed this place. The atmosphere is great, the staff are great and the food is great. If you come see if you can get Hiro as your chef, amazing...
(5)
Jenny H.
My Husband and I visited this establishment Monday evening - arrived @ 8:30pm for Sushi. The Sushi bar area seating was already closed for the evening so we were directed to the bar. We were the ONLY people at the bar so you would think we'd get a lot of attention but it was quite the opposite. We placed a small order with intentions of ordering more-had the bartender leave a menu. We had to ask for water and once our food was delivered we didn't see or hear from the bartender until the plates were empty. I looked around for the menu he left only to find that he had taken it away which gave me the feeling he didn't want us to order anything else. He never asked how our food was - really didn't care about anything but closing down to place to get out of there. We asked him why he didn't care and he didn't have an answer. We left and mentioned our unhappy experience to the hostess (2) and they said they would report it to the manager. I am sure they didn't and I wont be back. Pitiful.
(1)
John S.
Took my wife amber here and the good and service was awesome! Margarita was our server and she was attentive and had personality. Tim was our chef and he put on a great show! I say if they had 5 more Tim's that that place would be packed every night. The food was fresh and had a lot of flavor we split the filet mignon and lobster tail. I will be back for sure thank you Benihana
(5)
Yvonne G.
Had a wonderful dinner with John as our chef. Everything he prepared was to perfection. There is a tendency of hibachi chefs to overcook food especially the shrimp. This was not the case. So happy that the shrimp was cooked perfectly for a change! Thanks John!
(5)
Lauren J.
As my first time eating here, I was really excited to try a teppanyaki style and get the experience of having a chef prepare the food in front of you. We couldn't get a reservation until 9pm on a Saturday so by the time we sat down, we were all starving. And, since we were only a group of 4, we had to wait about 10 minutes until another party of 3 was seated with us. Next time, I will be sure to bring 8 so we can all sit with people we know. The waitress was very attentive, getting our drinks and re-fills quickly. We were served a soup and salad before the chef came over to prepare our dinner entrees. In my opinion, I wasn't a fan of either the soup or salad. The soup flavor was bland to me and the salad dressing was sour tasting. The chef came over, introduced himself and began cooking our food. He was pretty quiet, which surprised me because I thought the chefs were supposed to put on more of a show. Oh well, he was nice enough. Then, when I went to excuse myself to the ladies room, I was appalled at how unclean they were! For such an expensive restaurant, you would think the bathrooms would be really nice and attended for...I literally walked in and two of the three stalls were backed up. And, on top of that, there was a mushroom floating in one of the toilets! EWW! If I didn't have to go so bad, I would have held it. Not okay! When I returned to my seat, the chef cooked our meals and a few "appetizers" including hibachi shrimp and cooked veggies of mushrooms, zucchini and onions. We also ordered chicken fried rice, which was to die for! I really enjoyed watching the chef prepare everything...in my opinion the real reason to go here. For our entree, we ordered filet and scallops. We asked for the filet to be cooked medium rare and it was way overcooked! I would say more well done if anything. I also found that the meat was really under seasoned...but they do provide a couple sauces to go with the meals. They do give a lot of food to you....and after dinner, we got green tea and ice cream. I'm glad I shared everything because it really was a lot of food! All in all, this place was fun. There were a lot of birthdays going on and this would be a place I would return to have a celebration or just a fun night out with a lot of people. But, I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be. Plus, the price is steep so not somewhere I can go often. So, I would return but it's not going on my top 10 favorite restaurants list.
(3)
Naomi G.
The chefs at Benihana are always amazing. The food was all kinds of delicious, but the customer service was lacking. We had made reservations for two tables, and when our party was seated we were taken to one table with 11 chairs with some chairs placed behind the first row. When we told the hostess that this was a special occasion and we were promised two tables when booking the reservation she was not apologetic with a quick "OK well I'm not the one who took the reservation". Rather than offer any kind of apology or a free round of drinks or complimentary appetizer, the staff actually seemed irritated that we wanted them to correct the mistake. Saying "actually we normally seat 11 people at one table," (not possible, you couldn't have 11 oompah loompas at one table; these chairs wouldn't fit, people would have to eat with plates in their laps). We were re-seated 10 minutes later at two tables, but I wish the situation had been handled differently because I would love to give five stars. Toshi, we loved every moment of you.
(3)
Michael N.
We went this time for my wife's birthday. She got a $30 certificate from their birthday club or membership. That being said, for the two of us, we still dropped $80. The Saki Bomber with large ASHI beer was $20 in itself. The food was really flavorful, but after seeing the same chef routing more than 5 or 6 times, it loses it's luster. It is a great place to go to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, etc if you have not been before and would like something a bit different and entertaining, give it a try.
(4)
Sanford R.
My experience at this Benihana location was outstanding! My wife and I both went for the first time last year celebrating our birthdays, which are three days apart. We both were thrilled to have a $30 gift certificate, which Benihana offers for birthdays when you signup. This was an amazing deal, but it seems like they have changed the rules and now require you to buy an entree to be able to use the certificate. I have found that Japanese restaurants in general seem to treat their customers really well, but the service here in Scottsdale was even better than I expected. We were really impressed with our waiter. He was on top of everything and made sure that we had fresh soda for the length of our whole meal. I really appreciated that he kept bringing us refills without even having to be asked. That seems to be a rarity when we go out to restaurants, so I have to applaud this Benihana location for their outstanding service! As for the food it was excellent as well. My wife and I both love Teppanyaki, and I would say it met our expectations. The appetizer portion of the meal was about average for Teppanyaki restaurants, but the filet mignon was cooked to perfection. We both loved it! Our Teppanyaki Chef wasn't quite the best we had seen, but he was pretty funny and the show was entertaining. It was an amazing experience for our birthdays and it ended with a special treat. Some of the staff came and sang 'Happy Birthday' to us (both in English and Japanese) and brought us our dessert. I really loved the rainbow sherbet ice cream, although my wife didn't think much of her dessert (she was probably too full at that point). The manager also gave us a free souvenir photo, which I thought was a nice touch to what was already a great meal!
(4)
Becky G.
Exceptional service. Our chef was very fun and entertained our 4kids. The filet was amazing and cooked perfectly. The chicken was juicy. We will come back when we are in Scottsdale again.
(4)
Jake D.
I understand the inflated prices on the entrees surely factor in the "entertainment" factor, but I still can't help but be underwhelmed by the food at the end. Our server and chef were great, but I would have felt differently about spending $35+ for my meal had it not been for the birthday voucher.
(3)
Linda W.
We were expecting a 40 minute wait for dinner on New Years eve but only had to wait 5 minutes! And our serving chef, Daryl, was the best! He had his own routine and was so entertaining!
(4)
Sarah S.
Food was delicious, all enjoyed the night out. Our server was not all that personable and could have checked on us more frequently, hence the 4 stars vs 5.
(4)
Anne W.
I had the most amazing date at Benihana last night. We had Japanese beer that was very light and tasted pretty good. I think I will stick to Bud Light if I want a light beer though. We opted to do the chef's special which was filet mignon and chicken for two people. We received soup and salad before the hibachi chef got to our table. I really enjoyed the soup and ate just a bit of my salad. I usually like the ginger dressing to be more creamy rather than chunky ( I am from the south). Our hibachi chef -Michael was very talented and gave us more than plenty to eat. He of course made a volcano - but oddly no fire was lit (maybe safety regulations) all in all he was very entertaining. We got fried rice, a shrimp appetizer, veggies, and of course chicken and meat. It came with two sauces- one spicy/chili like and the other was a mustard based sauce. I asked the server if I could have some Shrimp sauce (yummy yummy sauce). He said they did not have any- it isn't out in this region. He told me it was more Midwestern and southern. I don't think Arizonians know what they are missing. The sauce MAKES fried rice taste even better than it already is. I don't get why any hibachi restaurant doesn't have it out here. Anyways, our meal was delicious. I had a wonderful time and leftovers to eat. I plan on going back for special occasions or with my 30 dollar gift certificate you get for your birthday.
(5)
Fairbi K.
For my dad's birthday last night my mom got all my siblings together for dinner. We had 9 in our party so we got our own table. About half of us started off with cocktails, I personally got their signature punch which was so delicious & very reasonable during hh for $5 (only at the bar though, not at the table). I don't know why they did, but my bro & mom ordered some apps for everyone, an assortment of tempura (shrimp, scallops & veggies) & edamame. Both were ok but cold, blech. Shortly after we received our soups & salads. The soup was pretty tasty but the salad was drenched in dressing. Everyone ordered something from the teppanyaki menu, except my sis who opted for sashimi & a couple sushi rolls, which she enjoyed. I can't recall what everyone else ordered but my hubby got rocky's choice (steak & chicken) & I got samurai treat (steak & shrimp). Our chef Julio was nice enough but messed up on the tricks quite a few times, isn't that what we're paying for here? Regardless, we all had some laughs & it was fun. The food was ok. I ordered my steak med-rare & some parts were rare while others were pretty well done, not very consistent. They use so much oil & butter yet the food was flavorless, we had to use a lot of extra soy sauce & salt. I'd say the best food item was probably the fried rice, but again it needed extra soy sauce added. A couple of us ordered dessert after dinner, green tea & chocolate ice cream & banana tempura. The ice creams were ok, definitely store bought & seemed a lil old. I didn't try the banana tempura but those who had it said it was ok also. I almost forgot to mention, since it was my dad's birthday they sang to him (which he hated) & took a pic for him to take home (nice touch). I didn't foot the bill but was informed that it was over $500 with tip! There were a few people in our party who had never been before so I'm glad they got to experience it, but when you compare the quality of the food to the price it just doesn't add up. Yes you get a show, but I care more about my food tasting good than some tricks. I would maybe come back for some of their punch during hh & fried rice, but that's about it.
(2)
Natalie G.
I'm with J C. on this. The chef was pretty entertaining, but not enough to equate the price I just paid. I also ordered my teriyaki steak mid-rare and received it mid-well. Husband's steak was drenched in butter and salt. One of the other patrons at our table asked for his steak without mushrooms. The chef was about to pour the mushrooms onto his plate until the dude reminded him that he didn't want them. The chef quickly redirected the pile mushrooms onto another dude's plate, which already had his fair share of veggies. What steak lover really wants extra vegetables? He didn't look pleased as he shoved them over so he could continue cutting his steak. I don't know if I looked especially pale that day to where the waiter thought I was so parched, but he was constantly bringing me drink refills. After finishing my first glass of coke, I asked for green tea, yet he brought me another coke. When he realized his mistake, he brought out my green tea and, about ten minutes later, another coke so I had two cokes and a green tea. He doubled me on my cokes at least one more time during the meal, not to mention leaving my empty green tea cup each time. I started pushing the new cokes to the girl next to me so I didn't look like I had a drinking problem. It was a nice conversation starter. Unfortunately, she drinks diet, so she wasn't very appreciative. We ended up asking the waiter why he kept bringing them and he said "It looked like it was getting watered down with the ice melting." Oh. Interesting. I guess it's better than him never bringing me refills? But not by much. By the end of the night, I should have had their birthday song memorized. Literally every single teppanyaki table had someone with a birthday at it. Apparently this is the place to go for birthdays? Personally, I'll be skipping Benihana for mine.
(2)
Alynn C.
I've gone a couple of times in the last few weeks. Each time the food was good. The chefs antics were the same each time., and I agree with another reviewer, it really does seem as if each table is having a birthday. The place is very loud. Happy hour specials at the bar while waiting for the table weren't bad, $2 for a carafe of sake. I also agree the wait staff can very significantly. The first time we went it wasn't very busy. We were seated immediately. However at the end of the dinner we didn't get offered our tea or ice cream. The second time we went despite it being very busy, we got offered that but once my water ran out, I never got a refill. Go figure. Another nice thing is that it seems the majority of the staff was bilingual, so my Spanish speaking hosts were very comfortable.
(3)
Courtney F.
I had a 7:30 reservation on a Monday night. I did not get seated until 8:15. At 9:00 no chef had come to cook for us. I had already complained to the manager once and he did nothing. Finally my family had to leave as we had hungry young children. I am so disappointed and will never go here again.
(1)
Ann D.
We arrived at 6:00 p.m. on a Thursday evening and were told since we didn't have reservations we couldn't be served until 8 unless we wanted to eat in the sushi lounge, where supposedly the menu was the same. We chose to do that, though it did not seem to be much of a menu. My husband ordered a steak entree and I ordered volcano shrimp, basically shrimp on greens. His order was delivered a good fifteen minutes before mine. What's up with that? The food was okay, but the timing sucked!
(2)
J C.
Everyone raves about Benihana's. Frankly I don't think the 20 minute show is NOT worth the price. I've gone there four times - each time was a different location. And although it was a bit entertaining, the steak was always over cooked. (I ordered medium-rare) The fried rice was good, but no better than one of those "fast-food" places for less than half the price. Over all, I rate Benihana's as just Okay with three stars.
(3)
Julie C.
YUK; save your money and go elsewhere! My husband and I went for lunch on Tuesday, I got the Express Lunch Combo with Chicken and Shrimp plus asked for the rice to be upgraded to the Chicken Fried Rice with Vegetables. The food was very disappointing to say the least, the food tasted like a frozen entree (very plastic like). The chicken was dry and flavorless, the shrimp was old and leathery. The upgraded rice did not have any upgrade (no vegetables added to it and the chicken pieces were minuscule) to justify charging me an extra $3.50.
(1)
Gabi M.
I think it had been a solid 5 months since my last visit to Benihana... and I still stand by my 3 star review. It was just as I remembered - same waitress and all! I took my BF's sister for dinner there on a Sunday night. We each ordered a Benihana salad (I do love that dressing) and a miso soup. I think they gave us a different kind of soup but we ate it anyways... We shared a Las Vegas roll, a spicy tuna roll, and then each had our own selections of nigiri (I had ikura and she had eel) and handrolls (I had spicy scallop and she had eel). It was all edible but not spectacular. I recommend against ordering the Las Vegas roll - it has way too much cream cheese and sauce on it. Other than that, go to Benihana for a quick sushi dinner that is decent quality and price for sushi but no atmosphere - don't say i didn't warn you!
(3)
Denise S.
Just wrote a bad review of the Chandler Benihana which reminded me I owed Scottsdale a good review. We went in July for my husband's and best friend's birthday. Of course they had the bday certificates. Since theirs were covered I indulged and ordered the Hibachi Chateaubriand to share with my 7 year old. OMG it was extremely tender and delicious with the garlic butter. So repeatable. Our chef was very personable and cooked everything perfectly. Scottsdale Benihana is so much better across the board (food, service, and environment) than Chandler Benihana. Worth a longer drive.
(4)
Lyn C.
I like this Benihana. We go here for birthdays pretty much (they have a great birthday "chefs club" thing) and we always enjoy ourselves. Every time we go it seems like everyone is there for the same reason...birthdays, which makes it kind of fun. I love the teppenyaki tables and the entertainment. The chicken fried rice is amazing as are the shrimp and filet mignon. In fact, I've liked pretty much everything I've had...but definitely choose the filet over the hibachi steak. I like how they take your picture and give it to you right away because it makes for some fun memories. The green tea ice cream isn't very good...so next time I'll just stick with vanilla or chocolate. Overall, a great place!
(4)
Vicky F.
Loved our food being cooked in front of us! The chef was exceptional with his tricks. Awesome shrimp and chicken,
(4)
Tim N.
Wow, what a disappointment! Indifferent service and food with no flavor! Went today (Thursday) for lunch, had a couple of piece of sushi and a combo lunch. Food was super salty but with little flavor except for pepper. Never offered a drink refill just really disappointing.
(2)
Katie K.
Amazing place, great food, better service. Melinda always takes care of me and offers great customer service! Even the fried rice is exceptional here! :)
(5)
Gary R.
I have had better.
(2)
Kaci R.
The only downside for me is how pricey it is. But I love teppanyaki and this is really the only good one around. My husband and I have been here a few times and always leave very satisfied. The food is incredible. I love the soup, salad, garlic fried rice, steak, veggies, and complementary shrimp that come with it. So good! The chefs are always so entertaining and different each time. I also had their 'Benihana Punch' (alcoholic fruity drink) and it was really good! We went on my birthday this last time and they always give you an ice cream dessert and take a picture of you and your family which they print out and give back to you. Such great service. Totally worth the money but wish it was cheaper so I could go more often!
(5)
Lynsey H.
Sushi is average but good happy hour!
(2)
John J.
On all special occasions relating to ME (eg. fathers day, birthdays), I choose this place for the all you can eat sushi lovers menu. Sushi quality is certainly as good as any place I've ever been. It's a bit pricey, but if you do it right, you'll win every time. One tip.....do the all you can eat sushi special with a friend who can pound it as hard as you can. That way you can order a good variety and not have to eat entire rolls by yourself.
(4)
David B.
I had never been to a Benihana before today, but upon hearing of their off the charts happy hour, we decided it to be a good time to try. Well, the prices are amazing. 3.75 for just about every roll, 1.25 for eel nigiri, and 3 bucks for shishito peppers. They have a pleasant list of specialty drinks for five dollars each as well! I'm stoked now and ready to get my drink on and tear up some sushi. Well, the sushi offerings were on the verge if being inedible. I'm not completely convinced that the seafood was the freshest in town at this moment, and the tempura on some of the rolls was nothing but flour and water and impossibly chewy. Nasty! I will say one thing though, the shishito peppers were frigging amazing. Hence the extra star, I will go back for those and some five buck hooch.
(2)
Mufazzal B.
Went with the family of 4, we had a great time, food is a bit bland, so ask for the spice. I did not think I would like the Miso soup but was pleasantly surprised. We had a birthday girl , they did make it very special for her. I had the chicken and would have hoped it would not been so dry , but was a little disappointed. Overall a good family experience, A little pricey but worth the experience if you have not done it before.
(4)
Abby F.
3.5 stars. Look, I love a good gimmick and the founder of Benihana certainly stumbled upon a good one when he decided to make dinner a show decades ago. I've been going through a bizarre period of craving Benihana all the damn time recently and I get my fix at this location. The wait staff's service is very spotty (sometimes attentive, sometimes rushed, sometimes poor) but the teppanyaki chefs are consistently quite good. The food itself is also consistently good. I've had a couple of incidents at this location with the way they've handled the bill but the manager is fabulously attentive and has always made it right, assuring that I will be back for more. A lot of these reviews are pretty cynical about this joint and I'm not really sure why. No, I wouldn't come here specifically for sushi. Yes, this seems to be quite a destination for birthdays and you will hear that birthday jingle many times throughout the night. Yes, this is best suited to a special occasion given the cost but I always leave with leftovers for the next day. Yes, they cook with a lot of sodium and butter so if you're watching your figure, take heed. It's a noisy joint with a lot happening everywhere so if you're looking for a quiet place to take your sweetie, this may not be the restaurant for you. The Chef's Table is a very good perk - they provide you with a $30 gift certificate for your birthday, hence all that singing. Kids (and kids at heart) generally get a kick out of the show - I know I do, even if it is a little silly. And quite frankly, we could ALL use a little silly in our lives.
(4)
Colby M.
We went with friends and their two little kids. While the food was okay, a little bland for my taste. I've been to Benihana's before and this was probably a little below expectations. However, our chef is what inspired me to give this one five stars. It was the two kids first experience to a teppan restaurant and our chef definitely played to them. It was an awesome experience for the kids which made all the adults happy. My favorite part was when our chef asked the little boy in our group to cook the chicken gave him a spatula and kept asking if he remembered to flip the chicken. Priceless moments! Thanks Benihana!
(5)
Sarah K.
I was really really looking forward to dining at Benihana for lunch with my business team. We were a few minutes late and the hostess informed us that she thought we weren't coming. What a welcome! All 10 of us squeezed around the teppan grill and waited for our waitress. She took our drink orders and disappeared for five minutes. One of us switched seats and the waitress was completely thrown off when she returned with our beverages. What a personal touch! We waited. And waited. And waited. Had our drinks refilled, then FINALLY the chef showed up. He complained that one of my colleagues was in the way of his food cart. He was sarcastic and condescending during the entire preparation. The "theatrics" of it all were sub-par. My memories of a joyous dining experience here were squashed. Don't be fooled--just because it's cooked in front of you doesn't qualify it as "healthy". EVERYTHING is cooked in oil, heaps of butter, soy sauce and salt. The chicken was tough, but the sauce was deliciously spicy. The afternoon and evening after that lunch I felt nauseous, bloated and useless. My saliva feels thick because I'm so dehydrated from the sodium and fat. Eating at Benihana reinforces my commitment to eating food I can feel good about--fare that Benihana does not cater to.
(1)
Jennifer B.
My family eats here about once a month, and the food is always delicious. I've been going to Benihana since I was a little girl, and it has never disappointed. At this location, the manager and wait staff are very nice. We typically request to sit in Lee's section -- he's extremely friendly and efficient. Even if we're seated elsewhere he'll stop by and say hi. I feel that personal touches like that make the experience even better. Also, the birthday club is very nice...they give you $30 off your meal!
(4)
Timothy H.
Hadn't been in a couple of years, so we stopped in for dinner last week. Hasn't changed at all. The food is delicious, yet overpriced. And the chefs are great at what they do, and are performing comedians as well. Benihana is more an experience than anything else. We took our nephews who were in town visiting. It was their first time, and obviously they loved it. Watching the chefs cook is really why you dine here. It's culinary entertainment. If you've seen one show, you've seen them all. But I like to stop in every couple of years to see it again.
(4)
Josh J.
We went here for Mother's Day and the food was mediocre, the service was TERRIBLE and the bathrooms were filthy. It was a huge disappointment on Mother's Day, we will NEVER go back!
(1)
Lauren E.
I have always enjoyed Benihana! The food is very good for the price you pay, and I just love how I am able to eat a bit of everything while I'm there. We have had some great chefs too. The only thing is that some of the servers have been a bit slow before. Otherwise, this place is great!
(4)
Busy B.
Okay, so I was told by a co-worker, that if you sign up for their Chef's table you'll get a $30 gift certificate send to your e-mail to be used in a certain amount of time. SOunded good and received the certificate. We went to Benihanas last night. We had been there before and the quality of sushi is good, the sake very average. So, we were going to use my certifcate and had a bunch of sushi to share. When she brought the bill, they charged us $9.75 for a large sake each. They same 'average sake' they serve in a bit smaller for $2. In the end we paid just as much as our regular bill going to Benihana's. What a rip-off that was.
(3)
Celeste W.
One of the worst dining experiences I've ever had! At $2.50 per slice of sashimi, I expected a lot better than a recently defrosted and grainy slice of tuna. Also, do not get the Lobster Roll...it tastes like shrimp tempura that costs $27. The service was also bad. The manager knew we had a large party (we made reservations) and assigned a new waitress to handle the table by herself. We got through half of the meal before getting our beers, and it took 30 min (not exaggerating) to get our bill. Would not go back.
(1)
Roy G.
Great Happy Hour menu! Good selection! 1/2 off sushi! My wife and I split a huge tropical drink (I forget the name of it) that was blue and then we filled up on sushi. We got out of there for less than $35. We will go back for sure!
(5)
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Address :16403 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ, 85254
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Laura R.
I pretty much just like eating sushi here and its not all that great here. I dont ever pick this place by choice its always someone's birthday or something and they have never been so we all end up here like other's have said. They do have good drinks here I think they discontinued their specialty sangria though that was my fav. Teppanyaki is always fun but you will pay handsomely for the ambiance here. Go if you have $ to spare, or have never been!! It is fun for groups and or special events, great for kid's. Last time I went I saw nothing but High School kids in prom dresses.
(3)Susan T.
Yuck!! We go often and this time was the worst. The service was aweful and I had my 7 year olds free birthday coupon. It was a Sunday and when I tried to use it they informed me they only use them Mon-Thurs. but that is not written on the coupon. The waitress was so rude!!
(2)Renee G.
Went to Benihana yesterday for dinner with my family. Normally it is a good experience, however, yesterday was not too great. The food was cooked too quickly so it was not cooked all the way - it was almost like a race to see how quickly he could get done and onto the next table. We waited and waited for our rice and refills on drinks. Our food got cold while we were waiting for the rice. This meal is too expensive for this kind of service - I don't care how busy the restaurant is.
(2)Patricia C.
The server we were given initially was very rude and unfriendly. We were there for Mother's Day and were given a special Mother's Day menu. The print at the bottom said you could ask for other menus yet when we asked this server did not want to give us another menu. After complaining to the manager, we were given another server who was very nice. Out of the five people in our party, four of us enjoyed our food. One ordered grilled veggies, and was given veggies steamed to the point of being mushy. Having to pay extra for fried rice is ridiculous also. I will definitely try another teppanyaki restaurant in the future.
(2)Kate N.
This was my first visit to Benihana and my husband's first visit since dining at Benihana in Illinois many years ago. We had a great experience as our waitress was awesome and our food delicious! The complimentary salad and soup were both very tasty and the main meal was amazing. We shared the Colossal Mango Shrimp which had the most incredible Mango sauce either of us have ever tasted and the Shrimp just melted in your mouth! For dessert we had the tempura banana and icecream....yum! My husband had the happy hour Saki and at $2 what a bargain! I tried their Japanese Soda - Ramune Soda - Strawberry flavor....wow! I have never, ever been excited about Soda before.....hardly drink the stuff....but this was tasty. A great alternative if you can't drink alcohol. I would have to say that to get the most out of this restaurant the Teppanyaki Menu is the way to go. To me the food and service were 5 star....only missing a star because of the atmosphere.....could be a little more cozy.
(4)Kelsey G.
I went here for the first time because I had a $30 gift card for my birthday from their Chef's Table Club. We went for lunch and sat at one of the grills with another group. I ordered the passion fruit lemonade which was way too sweet for my tastes, and the Benihana Excellence. My dining partner got the Lunch Sea Scallops. Both of our meals came with a "salad" and mine came with soup. These were incredibly disappointing and looked like something from a really cheap buffet. The salad was drenched in an unappetizing dressing and the soup tasted like salted hot water. Luckily the rest of the meal was a lot more enjoyable. The scallops came with fried rice; the scallops were great (especially for the rice) and the rice was good, although a bit on the salty side. My shrimp, and vegetables were really good and the teriyaki beef was good but it was drenched in too much sauce for me. I personally thought the food tasted better without any of their dipping sauces. At the end of the meal they gave me ice cream with a candle on it and sang happy birthday. They also took a photo of us and printed it out and put it in a little paper frame. I definitely recommend signing up for the birthday special because it is a great deal. Also, of it's your first time go for lunch because they have a lot of reasonable lunch entrees. Not sure if I would be as pleased with the experience if I had to pay $50 for it; but for $20 it was fantastic.
(4)Talia R.
Let me start off by saying I LOVE Benihana. There isn't one in the area where I live so whenever I'm out of town I try and go there for lunch or dinner. My family and I had a reservation and they were ready to seat us when we arrived. The waitress was cute and super friendly, our chef was also great. Now what everyone is waiting for, the food was EPIC! I don't know if I've ever had a better meal at Benihana. If you're looking for an awesome meal plus good entertainment and you're willing to spend some money to treat yourself, I would definitely recommend dining here.
(5)M. R.
We went here because we wanted to try the all-you-can-eat sushi special. This turned out to be a mistake of the most regrettable variety. Things started out purely OK. Service: average. Dining situation: average. Food: spectacularly average. We left with almost exactly the same bill we would have had if we'd all just ordered what we wanted. That was probably the idea on their part, but we figured it was worth it from a scientific point of view. One of my fellow dinner guests subsequently developed a very bad case of food poisoning. I also did not feel so hot, but I ate less than a quarter of the tuna he did. I got better in a few hours. We feared we would have to take him to the doctor. The case of this particular Benihana, I would have to advise against experimenting on your own. I'm sure there's somewhere you can attain the most holy grail of blowing the curve on all-you-can-eat sushi. Somewhere that won't leave you unable to consume anything besides applesauce for more than two days.
(1)Quynh N.
One of the best happy hour! Great deals, good food. Bartender Carlos, aka "Charlie", is great. He is friendly and provides genuine service. We will definitely be back when Carlos is working.
(5)Kara R.
As you can probably tell by my other reviews-- I'm one of those, "if you don't have something nice to say....yadda yadda yadda." But in the spirit of Yelp and actual critical review--- I'll have to suggest steering clear of Benihana; at least until they add more spices and seasonings to their repertoire. Yes, yes, yes, I should've known. I'm not much of a 'chain' eater-- but this was my boyfriend's family's pick for his graduation dinner. It seems to be a family favorite.... which I can't say I really understand. At all. I also should mention that this review is based entirely on their only vegetarian dinner option. I didn't get a look at the bill, but my course was at least over $25 for far less than exemplar fare. Granted, this included a miso soup, small lettuce & carrot salad, tofu appe, egg fried rice, grilled assorted vegetables as the entree, and a scoop of rainbow sorbet for dessert-- but it reaffirms how one should rely on the old standby of quality versus quantity. And I guess they have to charge that much to keep the Benihana salt mines open.... heaven sakes! The waitress was giggling to herself about how much water I was putting down, but I really can't imagine that this is a rare thing with their preferred method of seasoning; salting the bejesus out of everything from the pasty, ginger-esque dressing on the salad and the soggy, cold, fried tofu appe to the soy-and-butter sopping vegetables. The only reprieve was the rainbow sorbet and a nice hot green tea closer. Everyone else at the table had either a meat or seafood course, and were quite satisfied with their meals, so MAYBE it was just the veggie option or MAYBE I'm just a picky foodie or just MAYBE this place really needs the constructive criticism. And yes, I also realize this place is possibly more about the show than the food...???.... but our chef, though nice, was quite lackluster and didn't have a full cashe of tricks to unveil. Just the onion volcano. Sigh.
(1)Ebony K.
My very first visit to Benihana was for my free birthday meal. I arrived at about 5:45pm and since I didn't have a reservation I had to wait until about 6:30pm for the next hibachi table that had room. No biggie I went to the bar, had glass of Cabernet and order the dragon roll. I mean it was happy hour and all and it was pretty reasonable so I had no problem waiting. Well lucky me gets seated with a family of 5 1/2. I say that because it was the two adults, three boys (the oldest was celebrating his 14th birthday) and a newborn baby girl, hence the 1/2. The father looked like a George Bush Jr clone, I KID YOU NOT! I had to do a double take that is how much this man resembled him. Let me just say that this family loves them so sushi. They ordered a ton of it along with their man courses. My kind of family! They were pretty comical that's for sure. Our server (who's name I never got until I got the bill) was friendly enough but I kinda felt like and after thought as she seemed to be more focused on the family. No biggie but even though my meal was "free" doesn't mean you have to treat me any different. I say "free" as it was free up to the first $30 and anything over you had to cover. Again no biggie. I ordered the Splash and Meadow which was steak and colossal shrimp. We started off with the miso soup which was really good, especially since it had fried onions and scallions mixed in the broth and wasn't overly salty like some miso soups can be. We received our salads very late, like we were in the middle of our hibachi presentation when we received them. I must say I was disappointed in the salad dressing as it was just blech. Almost like it was missing something and believe it or not, I was actually looking forward to my salad. Oh well. The fried rice cost extra and I didn't know it and had I realized it, I would have just ordered regular white rice. It is mixed with some chicken, vegetables, etc, which I understand the extra cost but honestly it tasted as if the rice was undercooked. It was still hard. Another disappointed but oh well. Now the shrimp appetizer along with the all the vegetables and the colossal shrimp that came with my meal were very good. The chef was generous with the shrimp because two of the kids didn't want any. I think they were pretty full from all the sushi that they ate. Now onto my steak. I was a little disappointed because I wanted it medium rare and it was medium done but still not too bad. By the time everything was actually ready, I was full as I had had that dragon roll while waiting for my table and had tasted everything as it was prepared. So needless to say I ended up taking my entire meal home. I spent about $20 total at the bar and for dinner including tip. I will probably be back again someday soon. Side note, I did notice that they have a sign for all you can eat sushi for $26.95 Sunday thru Thursday. I may have to go back and try that one day.
(3)Jamie F.
I haven't eaten at a Benihana in over a year. Last time I went I was in a different state. Regardless of where I was it doesn't really matter. This place is like a high end McDonalds. Same stuff everytime. I had steak, scallops and fried rice. The steak was blah. Scallops are one of my faves. Add on lemon and butter and there really isn't a chance of Fu#$ing these up. My point is the scallops were great and I really like fried rice too. The theatrics were decent but not as riveting as I remember. Last time I went I was probably drunk or the chef cut his finger off. I'm sure I will go again.
(3)Eduardo F.
Fresh food
(5)Jesse F.
Amazing show and amazing tasting food!
(4)Ed C.
Well, my kids like Benny-Ha-ha..... We've eaten here several times - most recently on 2011-04-29. We've dined at the teppanaki tables in the past, but most of the time (including our most recent visit) we just go to the sushi bar. The happy hour menu in the sushi bar brings prices down to a reasonable level; we can order several items, have a fair meal and not feel like we'll need another mortgage. Usually, I order the hand rolls and an assortment of appetizers or sashimi. Quality seems to be hit-and-miss depending on who made your order - the chef or the sous-chef. The place is obviously cutting cost; in recent visits (as in more than one), they've stopped providing complimentary edamame and the portions seem to have gotten smaller. In the past, we have tried the teppanaki tables - usually when we have a group in town. It's a bit of a chef show (same routines almost 95% of the time), but that's what it is - a show. The resulting food tends to be somewhat bland. You're paying for the experience and average food; I'd rather pay for good food and live with the experience. For now we'll stick with the happy hour sushi bar menu.
(2)Lori J.
Food wasn't good and had no flyovers because the chief had to cook it fast since we waited for over an hour for him to show up. We come here all the time and usually the food is good. It looks like they were shorts on staff f. Every time we asked we were told he is in the back preparing it in the back. Everyone on the table was hungry and was complaining.
(1)Amber G.
I can say that everything that I had here was pretty damn good. I went for my birthday with my husband a couple of months ago. We had the onion soup to start which tasted so familiar.....we both decided that it tasted like the broth in BEEF TOP RAMEN....hahahahahah. Not necessarily a bad thing... Then we had some fried rice, chicken, shrimp, and steak....all very yummy. No complaints and the cook we had was super cute !!! Always a plus. We shared our table with another family that were very nice and social and they had a birthday girl in their party also. They gave us a hilarious pineapple boat for a birthday treat, sang a song, and took a picture. We had a great time and the only reason that I gave 3 stars is because we spent a shitload of money in here and I was stilla bit hungry when I left.
(3)Ron C.
My kids fav b-day eatery request....... It's not the best, but it is consistent. I guess that is what you can expect for Chain Restaurants like this.... For the various times we have gone, wait has not been bad and service has been good. For the food..... Again consistent - not great but not bad. If you order the specialty section, you get soup, salad, appetizer (shrimp), main dish, rice (fried - extra cost or steamed), veggies(lots of onions and zucchini), and dessert (your choice of ice cream). The chicken fried rice has butter, butter, and more butter some salt, pepper, and soy for seasonings. I like simple food preparation, but the amount of butter used is way too much. I typically get the steak/seafood combo and these are cook to order and most of the time are cooked correctly for my taste (especially last Friday night). Entertainment wise (seriously this is the reason why you go to a place like this, right?) is a joke. Most of the chefs we have had need to practice their routines. Or at the very least be funny if you drop stuff. Atmosphere is good, can't complain. Great for b-day picture taking with some of the art on the walls. We will continue to go as along as our kids like this place.
(3)Halie J.
My husband and I went to the Scottsdale location on 7/7/13 for our anniversary lunch, we were told we could seat ourselves, sat at the Sushi Bar, waited 10 minutes before anyone even noticed we were there (place was dead), after we were finally noticed it took about 15 minutes to get our drink order then another 10 min to finally order our food. Our waitress was too busy in the back telling her manager that a lady wanted to talk to her and she hasn't even ordered her food, said she was bitchy and just went on and on about this customer. First of all, if you are going to complain about a customer DON'T do it were other customers can hear you. After we put our order in, my husband had received his sushi order as I sat there and waited FOREVER for my 1 cali roll, asked the waitress if she got it and she tells me, "yes, I sent it in but the chef OBVIOUSLY didn't read it, once again complaining about something else in front of us." When my order of food came it was cold and not good at all, my hubby had ordered a side or fried rice, actually we both ordered friend rice and both got chicken fried rice, when we asked about my hubby's rice she tells us oh the chef must have forgotten about it, Ill make sure he gets it on now. As we can see into the kitchen, she comes out with a bowl of hot steamy rice that we watched her microwave, she tells us, FRESH OFF THE GRILL! Ha, YEA RIGHT! Overall the service was HORRIBLE and the food was just as bad. For my first time ever being there I was VERY disappointed and not sure I will return to that location.
(1)Kristin S.
Where I'm from we call this hibachi, not teppanyaki. (Mt. Fuji I love you!) Hibachi was always a fun option for a birthday party as a kid and it had been a while since I had gone to one. This was my first experience at a Benihana, I've always gone to locally owned places. I went with a rather large group and although we waited about 25 minutes after our reservation time they were able to give us two tables next to each other. That was probably the best part of the experience. As far as hibachi goes, it was a totally underwhelming experience. The only "trick" our chef did was the onion volcano thing and it didn't even fire! It only steamed! There was no flipping of shrimp tails, no egg trick, nothing. It was as if we were eating at a regular restaurant. I didn't expect the food to be stellar but I did expect a show, I mean isn't that the whole point?
(3)K P.
I honestly love Benihana, but the problem I have is that I don't get the same level of service every time I go. There have been times where dinner has been an amazing experience and the food is very good and times where I feel like I got screwed out of 100 bucks. I think that lunch is a lot better deal than dinner, and far more reasonably priced. I made a BIG MISTAKE recently when I tried to go in with my boyfriend and there were no spots at the Teppanyaki table available. We sat down at the regular tables, but still ordered the same meals you would get from the table where you get the show. Not only did we pay a ton of money and not get the full experience, but the food was bland and horrible. I got a scallops/filet plate and there was only 1 scallop chopped up into tiny pieces in front of me. Even though we weren't able to have the normal dining experience doesn't mean we should have to get kitchen scraps if we were paying the same price. What a disappointment.
(3)Ryan D.
OK, I know Benni's is more known for their Teppanyaki but for an uppity Japanese place you'd expect the sushi to be equally as good right? Meh. Not only did it suck, but the selection was limited, they were 'out' of many items, and it was overpriced. I don't recommend it. The company at our table included a young couple celebrating a birthday and an extremely douchey, divorced father/daughter duo that did not stop arguing the ENTIRE time. The girl was huffing and whining about her mercedes not being the model she had hoped for, elbows all over the table. The dad was talking very loud and using profanity, blaming the mom and calling her and the girl insulting names. It took everything in my power not to walk over and politely ask the guy to leave our table because I know it would have escalated. So after a bit the guy picked up on the rest of us at the table looking perturbed and he apologized, but still kept arguing, only a little quieter now. Enter chef: a Mexican fellow with an exotic Latin romance novel name I can't remember. He introduced himself and Julie jokingly asked if his name was Japanese. He laughed and was actually a good sport about it, injecting little bits of hispanic humor throughout the cooking experience...and offered to serve Julie her chicken open-faced or wrapped in a burrito if she preferred :) He wasn't all that impressive with his knife work and tossing tricks which we didn't really care about but it's still expected, especially for the kids (and the price). The food however was cooked to perfection and more than made up for the sub par sushi. He made it a point to give the arguing d-bags sample pieces first so they'd have something to occupy their mouths, and winked at the rest of us which was pretty cool. All in all it was a fairly entertaining evening, and aside from the sushi the rest of the food was awesome. The Saki and Kirin helped take the edge off and toward the end the whole table was talking and being friendly, and we even got to bomb the birthday girl's photo op haha. Btw, if birthday girl or someone that knows her reads this, we would like a copy of that photo!! We tried to download it from the Benihana website but of course they were having 'technical difficulties' with it that night. Hmm I wonder if their sushi chef doubles as their web developer?
(3)Ann Marie K.
Fun place for groups! Benihana wouldn't be my first choice for sushi or for going out at all really, but if you have a special occasion for some friends it would be a good place to consider. Pricey food, but I thought it was good. Haven't tried the sushi yet. Benihana is known for it's tables which are centered around a stove. You get your own chef who comes over and prepares your whole meal for you! They do lots of crazy tricks and entertain the table while cooking. Lots of fire tricks too! It's the kind of place you can say you have been to and it;s a fun experience, but you don't need to go back after that.
(4)Julie R.
DH & I went to Benihana on friday night. All of the food had too much butter and salt, which were the only seasoning used. We were crowded on our table, service was ok. Food could have had more taste. We had the chicken and shrimp entree with ice cream. The hibachi at Sapporo was a lot better!
(2)Jenna K.
Awesome food! Make sure to try the marble soda - its great! The spicy chicken is amazing, and my friend got seafood, which was also delicious. Everything is cooked in front of you and tastes fresh! I would definitely go back!
(5)M R.
We were on vacation recently and decided to have lunch, ate at the sushi bar, food was great, our server was always close by in case we needed anything, definitely recommend this place !
(4)Anna Marie G.
In all my years eating at Benihana's i have never had as much fun as i did this last weekend for Greg's birthday. We had dinner at 10:30pm and had the funniest chef ever! It was a long day for all of us and i know i was starvin like marvin. The servers name was Hideo and he was too fun. A little x-rated but not too. He was so subliminal he had all of us rolling. The server was also gracious and quick. She had us served up very fast. Brought out the delicious miso soup and ginger salad after serving up our drinks. Charles and I had the hot sake, Brian & Greg each had the Asahi beer, i think the ladies had grey goose and soda. Our food was all over the menu. Brian had the Shrimp, Chicken & Filet Mignon while i had the Lobster, & Filet Mignon, Greg had the Shrimp & Chicken, Kristine the same and Charles the Filet Mignon while Tiffany had the Mango Chicken and Alondra the Filet mignon i think as well. Everyone raved about their food. My lobster was divine. The Fillet Mignon was cooked medium rare to perfection! The Benihana vegetables are always my favorite and i totally wish i knew how to order extra! The chef had many more tricks up his sleeve than most Tepan Yaki chefs around town, so i was still captivated by the twirl of his knife. One thing i miss from the NJ Tepan Yaki spot we frequented was the sake in the season bottle slung at us from the other side of the grill. Never the less i love this place and 6 months in between each visit is toooo long! Luckily we had 8 of us in our party because we took over half of the grill. The manager took a photo of our group for Gregs birthday so you should be able to find it online ^_~.
(4)Shawn H.
I had the shrimp scallops and calimari. It was pretty bland. We had the only japanese cook and he was the only one who couldn't spin knives. Throw things in the air etc. Was dissapointed. The waiter couldn't speak English and charged me fir a vodka on ice that we didn't order. Trying to get them to take it off the bill was more frustrating and stressful than paying the 7.50 for it. Next time I think I'll try an authentic Japanese place if I have the urge for Japanese cuisine.
(1)Grrr i.
Shocked by how delicious their sushi was. I expected it to be decent to not decent. Defintely above average. This is surprising as you don't find the typcial Scottsdale horseshit ferrari driving plastic boobies everyhwere and pretentiious little c-suckers that have so much shit in their hair it catches fire from the frigin Teppan Yaki flame. baha. The rolls are huge, the sushi is fresh and they are unbelieveably inexpensive. I also got the whole chef show in front of me and ordered my chicken fried rice with shrimp and filet mignon. Again, silly inexpensive and orgasmically delicious. (New Lucky Charms trademark??)
(4)Hilary P.
My friends and I had a blast at Benihana on a recent visit! I'm sure we could have found better Asian food in Scottsdale (especially the sushi) but you really go to Benihana for the show. The chef at our table was great and actually was able to get all of food on our plate, even the stuff he threw. You can't go wrong with the Tepanyaki anything (and it's a great place to go if you're doing a protein diet). As for the sushi--ehh--go somewhere else for that. We all left laughing and happily stuffed. They're opening a location in Chandler soon, too!
(5)Natalie M.
I could just copy and paste Kristin S' review since we were a part of the same group that went. Kudos for giving our large group of girls two tables together but BOOO for making us wait so long. Not only was it a half hour after our reservation time but people got there early to warn them of our partys arrival. Our reservation had been down at least a week in advance, it could have been better planned on their part but anyway. The food here is crap... unless you like everything flavored with nothing but soy sauce, don't bother going. I always loved Benihana as a kid and either I grew up and learned what good food really is or this place seriously went to crap. The show sucked, the drinks were weak and expensive and the food was bland. I took my leftovers home to my husband who said "I thought you went to benihana, this tastes like ****" and that was promptly followed by the "did we just grow up because I thought it used to be good conversation."
(2)Josh D.
Do you like being entertained by a knife-wielding Asian chef cooking at your table while you eat? If this may sound interesting, grab a group of friends and check this place out. Just don't expect the food to be stellar, and if you order sushi be prepared for less than average. Benihana is a chain that specializes in a culinary circus type environment over anything else.
(3)wayne r.
AYCE sushi? At Benihana? Yeah. How to describe it? I guess the best I can come up with is "production sushi". Remember those documentaries that were on TV about the painting factories where people painted the same painting day in, day out tens of times a day? That's what the sushi I had at Benihana was like. Thier crab mix was dry, the eel sauce probably came directly from a bottle that said "Yoshinoya" in big red letters, the soft shell crab in the spider roll had obviously been cooked some time before. The sushi "chefs" looked somewhat bored and unhappy, and I counted 3 botched orders to tables in the 1 1/2 + hours I was there. Love good sushi? Try someplace else. Want to eat a lot of so-so sushi? Maybe this is for you. Not me, I'm trying elsewhere.
(2)Bil Z.
For a chain restaurant, this is one of, if not the best. Grew up going to the original in NYC, so I may be biased, but I have never not had a good meal here. Whether you sit down at one of the hibachi tables, or head to the sushi bar in front, the food is always good. The service is friendly and attentive, and of course you get that great little cutlery show during dinner preparation at the Hibachi bar. Average prices, you can go casual, or get a little dressed up and not feel out of place...
(5)Tracy M.
Went there on a Tuesday night, the staff was very friendly but we had a really long wait for the teppanyaki chef. It was kind of a bummer. The manager came over, apologized and offered the table free edamame. I'm not sure if they had more parties come then expected or what but it was really nice that the manager went out of his way to try to make us feel comfortable. The food was delicious! I highly recommend the fillet, calamari or scallops. I tasted some of the Chateaubriand and in my opinion the fillet was just as flavorful and tender.
(4)Ceejay Y.
I came here tonight with my sister for My Mom's birthday. Our waitress was on her ish and had a lot of spunk and personality. I appreciate that these days... The food was delicious and all of us ordered something different to all sample as one. I had Steak and Shrimp along with the Spicy Hibachi Chicken. My mom had colossal shrimp and my sister had the seaside trio. It can get pricey if you just order what looks good w/o looking at its price, however sometimes you have to spend a little to EAT GOOD! lol. The fried rice and our chefs vegetables also hit the spot ! Overall really impressive place to eat for a birthday or special occasion. 4 STARS
(4)Danielle G.
Came here right at 5pm when they opened to place an order for take out. They told me to sit and wait for a server. 4 different servers walked pasted me before someone asked if I was waiting for something. Yeah, to order. Placed my order and sat there for 25 more minutes and all of what I ordered was chicken fried rice. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? WERE YOU PICKING THE RICE IN THE FIELDS? I could of gone grocery shopping and had quadruple the portions all in 25 minutes! I was getting visually frustrated so one of the managers came over and said "can I get you something to drink while you're waiting?" "Is that going to get added to my bill? Yes? Then NOOOO. After waiting for this damn rice for what felt like the damn prehistoric era I get my food and walk back to my job. I get in, open my bag and portion didn't even fill the box! It was literally flavorless, like the chef doesn't cook with salt, people or even soy sauce. I noticed when I left even after 5:30 there were still parties with 5pm reservations that had not been seated in an entirely empty restaurant. I don't even feel like I need to dine in here to know its a tragic and terrible place to go. This is a NO NO NO NO NO x infinity for me.
(1)Clarence Thomas ..
Not the worst hibachi but definitely not the best. Food was good EXCEPT chicken fried riced needed a little more work. (Clumped portions of the rice still solid white after cooking-this should not happen). Key things that need to be improved upon: Mediocre service: 1. The waiter seemed nice but I had to step away from the Hibachi table and go to the bar for a 2nd refill on a soft drink because waiter continuously forgot. Lack of preparation 2. Cook had to leave the grill unattended (x2)because the ingredients needed was not on the food cart. One of those times the grill was on. Cross contamination 3. There were mixed groups sitting at the grill and while serving the food, the cook's instrumentation would make contact with some of the guest plates, which they had already been eating on. (hopefully nobody was ill/or had a virus). Would give 3 stars but the cross contamination is a health hazard.
(1)Ryan M.
Great experience and really good food. The chefs are awesome a put on a great show! We will be back.
(5)Sara E.
I had to struggle to justify my two-star rating, but my vegetables were okay and there was also plenty of parking... yeah, that's how horrible this place was. My group had reservations for a Sunday at 12:30. We had 9 people, so we took up an entire table to ourselves. The service was painfully slow from this point on. We saw our waiter in 15 minute intervals, and he would always rush off before making sure we had everything we needed. And this was BEFORE the chef even started cooking. We didn't even see our chef until 1:20... almost an entire hour of waiting at the table! Soup and salad doesn't take THAT long to eat...... Benihana used butter and soy sauce as their two flavorings. Everything tasted the exact same and was so, so plain. I was hoping for more of a teriyaki flavor for at least my chicken. Also, the dipping sauces aren't good either, so you're basically stuck with really bland food that's been drenched in butter. Also, if you have kids, they probably will be underwhelmed as well. This place is no-frills due to a few lawsuits (that is what our chef said). What fun is teppanyaki without FIRE?! The only "trick" they do is an onion train thing. There are better, locally owned teppanyaki restaurants in town. We definitely won't ever be back...ever.
(2)Victor M.
So have you ever watched the television show Hell's Kitchen and seen the episodes where the food service takes 3 hours or so and you're thinking, "Good god, those poor poor people held hostage by incompetent chefs?" Welcome to my Benihana experience. We had a reservation on a Friday for 8:30pm for 2. We arrive, get seated promptly at a teppanyaki table with another couple celebrating their 8th wedding anniversary and a foursome celebrating a birthday for one of the girl's in the group. Our waitress comes over, we all place drink orders, lots of Sake. I had drunken whale, a few bottles of Kiran Ichiban are purchased. All of us are here to spend money and have fun. So at this point it's around 9. Still no chef. our waitress takes our order. I order the Rocky's choice, filet mignon and chicken. My partner gets the Splash N' Meadows, basically surf and turf. The girl next to us orders Yakisoba noodles and scallops. The waitress starts bringing us the early courses of our meal. Good onion soup. It disapears quickly. Good salad, also quickly gone. More sake is had. We've spent quite a bit on alcohol at this point. We get a newbie chef Im assuming. Im bummed cuz while weve been waiting Ive seen 3 other teppanyaki shows and services end, so Im thinking maybe there's a snafu and thats why its taking a bit. I try to let it go. My partner goes to the bathroom for a minute the chef comes out and his knife show or what was supposed to be lasts about 10 seconds. She's like I missed it?! Mind you the table next to us, their knife show was about a few minutes long and was really cool. Ours was flip spatula 3 times ok Im in a rush since youve been waiting. Ok, strike 1. We HAVE been waiting. Don't rush through the fun stuff just to get caught up cuz you were dicking around. He screws up the onion volcano 3 times. Were cheering him on to get it right but seriously *I* can do this trick. But Im jumping ahead. It takes him like half an hour to do the rice and veggies. He's clearly in the weeds where he;s cooking one thing at a time even thought there's 7 different orders. He cooks one entire groups steaks before he gets to us, all the while leaving veggies on a plate or the side of the table only mixing them in once we're like ok stop youre gonna go over. He screws up the birthday girl's steak order as well done instead of medium and puts it on her plate anyway then makes her another steak and makes the rest wait. He overcooks the girl next to us scallops til they're singed hockey pucks. He plants butter on the table and it splashes on my arms and over the girl's chiffon blouse. It's about 11:00pm now and he's barely finishing the girl's yakisoba. Yes. ELEVEN PM. The restaurants closed. The cleaning people are there and our food is BARELY getting ready to serve. My food was ok. I destroyed it because I was starving. But the rice was under seasoned and had some raw veg, the onions were overcooked and greasy. I stopped him on my steak and lucked out that it wasnt overcooked like my chicken was. The manager then comes over and comps chiffon girl's meal, which means that their order which was close to 500-600 was on the manager. But then only offers me half of after I clearly hear her comp the guests next to us. I was spending about 150, that's chintz, pure and simple. If youre going to comp half the guests for the same experience, then comp everyone we were all spending a lot of money. I wouldve even come back if that had happened. So yeah we're offered half off the next group is comped and we still have a dessert course coming. Needless to say, were not going to eat one more course in a closed restaurant when its past 11pm and our reservation was at 8:30pm. I think what sucked was the rushing through the fun stuff and then he was in the weeds after and overcooking everything for fear of making more mistakes.
(2)Amy L.
All I have to say is this place needs to start selling the butter they use to cook everything. Extra butter on errythangg.
(3)Subodh N.
The food is average. Have had better sushis at other places. The ambience and theatrics of the chefs are a good treat. They take a loooong time to get started though. Service is mediocre. Overall its good to experience something different but wouldn't try this frequently.
(3)Megan R.
I love Benihana. I especially love the $30 coupon they send for your birthday each year. What a great deal! The place is always packed and the food is always delicious. I've never had a bad meal, nor have I had a chef that wasn't entertaining. If you love Teppanyaki, I recommend this place. It is always consistent, the service is always on par and the food is great. Tip: Spend the extra couple bucks and get the fried rice!
(4)Braden N.
I went here on a Monday night to celebrate my wife's birthday with her. I have to say, everything was timed perfectly and the food was delicious. Getting food hibachi style will require you to obviously sit with another party or two, but that is very normal and each party has their own side conversations anyway, every now and again you might speak to each other, but regardless, you will have a good time. The chefs are very professional, our server was very good at getting everything out the way we hoped, and they treat us very well as their guests. Not sure how long of a wait is normal for this place, but we got right in at 7pm on a Monday night. I would recommend calling before hand to see if they have call-ahead seating or even reservations. We were a bit nervous that we would have to wait a while. 5 star rating for me!
(5)Tommy T.
I don't know how the average rating here is so low. This is a great spot with consistently great food.... At least for the teppan side. I've never eaten at just the sushi bar although I have had some and it's always been fine, no complaints. I eat at Benihana very regularly and I have no complaints so I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good date night or fun dinner atmosphere. The vibe of the table can depend on your chef since they all have Their own personalities but overall it's usually a fun experience to match e great food. I always go with the deluxe treats which is filet and lobster with the shrimp appetizer (included), a salad with amazing dressing and a soup also which is very good. I'd say all of the above are far better than their "competitors" like Ah-So, Sapporo, etc and usually better pricing.
(5)Jenna W.
I was seated one hour ago and a chef has not arrived to cook for us yet. The front desk staff has an interesting strategy of telling people the wait is 4 times longer than it actually is so they can go home early. There are tables of dissatisfied people staring at empty drinks , they've probably had refilled 5 times, as they sit famished and bored waiting for their food. I really wish there were more Teppanyaki choices in N. Scottsdale. I'll remember this visit and how I'm fighting back the exhaustion of being in this establishment for 1.5 hrs and am starving to death.
(1)Dwayne O.
Not a big fan of chain restaurants but this location gives you the feel of a local restaurant. Have had the teppenyaki and mostly eat in the sushi bar area. The manager is always friendly and accomodating. We try to have Sashi serve us as much as possible, she always takes care of us and gives us special treatment. We try to make it to the half price sushi happy hour which is M - Th until 7:30 pm. When celebrating a special occasion we will eat in the teppenyaki area which is always entertaining. The lunch menu is also a great buy if you order the lunch boat which comes with miso soup, salad, entree chicken or beef, california roll, sashimi, eminabe, and rice for around $11.00 Don't forget to sign up for the Chef's Table Club online and for your birthday they will email you a $30 coupon toward your dinner. This location in the Scottsdale Promenade and has plenty of parking and in a great location with many other high end restaurants. This is one of our go to restaurants and will continue to go there. Great food and service always.
(5)Rand H.
Dropped in here for a little Teppanyaki Lunch UYE today with Jackie R., Mike C., Connie and Scott W. This was my first visit to a Benihana and I went with a Hibachi Steak, which started with a nice Romaine Lettuce salad with Ginger Dressing. Then came Fried Rice with bits of veggies, eggs, and seasonings. That was followed with strips of various veggies, grilled, along with a N.Y Strip Steak, diced during the cooking process, with grilled mushrooms. We each also each received cups of 2 different sauces to add to the veggies & meat as desired, and green tea was included to drink. Service from both Server Amanda and Chef Hiro was friendly and cheerful. Hiro's performance with flying and clicking knives, spatulas, bowls, salt shakers & whatever else was around was amazing and lots of fun. (I have a hunch he's been doing this for a long time!) The food was all good, although I prefer the Fried Rice at some of the Asian Buffets I haunt, and this isn't quite a favorite style of a food for me. (I like my New York Steak whole!) :-) With that said, it WAS what I expected to find here (from having seen their TV commercials over the years), everything about the food, service and dining room were fine, and we all had fun here today! :-)) Hibachi Steak Lunch: $12.50
(4)David S.
Our chef was from a mystical place called Guadalajara Tokyo. He was fun and performed the usually tricks including the Cho cho onion, the beating heart fried rice and of course, the flying shrimp! A nice diversion to our routine. We'll be back!
(4)ms. b.
The amazing shrinking SHRIMP (chilie shrimp) and the NEW so call wow roll...., trickery same #^*+ish different plate
(3)Tricia F.
One star for the fish bowl drink. One star for the upscale ambiance. No more stars. Happy hour is 4 until 730... But it still likely take you that long to get your food. Waited 40 minutes for a single roll. By the time it was delivered (post manager intervention) it was too late to order any more happy hour items. Wouldn't come back. In fact we're going back to Teharu down the street now!
(2)Chandler H.
Benihana Review Benihana is an Asian sushi restaurant that has a very cultural atmosphere of old Asian culture. It was founded by Hiroaki, or rocky, who was the son of a samurai that owned a coffee shop. His father's drive made him want to open his own restaurant when he moved to the United States. Outside there is Asian stones and fountains already creating the atmosphere before even entering. You walk In the door, and you see the waitress, wearing normal black as waitresses do, but what awaits you is a fantastic personal chef that cooks you Asian style food. You sit around a table with a chef in the middle who serves you whatever you order. It is a very strange and wonderful experience. Although I am not normally a fan of Asian culture or food for that matter, I was wonderfully surprised with the food I ordered. I also tried some of the sushi which I really disgust but they do it well if you do like sushi, it tastes okay and is textured well. I and my family also enjoyed the service, having a personal chef serve everybody is and interesting mode and works effectively. We didn't have too long of a wait but I can see how you could have a terrible wait if you go on a Friday night, but we went on a Monday so not many people were there. Seated quickly and amazing food are two checks in the favor of Benihana and the Japanese style cultural atmosphere really put the icing on the cake. Over all we had an awesome time, the food was fantastic and the atmosphere, was gorgeous. I would recommend this place to anybody if they really like Asian food. Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.
(4)Marty F.
We usually visit this place about two to three times a year (various locations). We really enjoy the food and the teppanyaki chefs are the best. We've had Tim both times at this location and he's always been great. The waitress was a bit slow this last time as nearly all 10 in our party had empty glasses and dishes were starting to pile up I looked over and realized she was handling two other massive tables. Always look forward to coming back here!
(4)Shirley C.
We enjoyed a great family dinner last evening at Benihana. Service was excellent as was the food. Great to watch the chef and his grill mastery. We will certainly be back again.
(5)Gina J.
I came here this evening with a large group to celebrate a birthday. The Sake-Sangria was delish! A definite must try. In our party, we all had the filet and others had the lobster tail, shrimp or chicken and everyone was happy. The chef was entertaining and everyone left with their bellies full and smiling faces. Top Notch service!
(5)Dave T.
I came in with my fiance for a birthday dinner and had a great time. For those of you who don't know, if you sign up on their email list, you get a certificate for $30 you can use during your birthday month. It's a GREAT deal! Pretty funny, but it seemed like half the people there were celebrating a birthday. The staff is very kind here, and works very fast. The food is delicious, and their Happy Hour goes until 7:30 PM, with great food/drink specials. Our Chef Toshi was nice enough. I'm sure they all have different personalities, but he did a good job. If you haven't been here yet, sign up for the birthday coupon and come check it out. ENJOY!
(4)Chris Z.
Benihana is a decent place to get hibachi or sushi anywhere in the country. We've been to this location a couple times per year for the past few years and it is always pretty good. The sushi? There's better in the valley. The tepanyaki? Same. The drinks? Pretty good. The prices? On par with everyone else and the happy hour specials are pretty good. But let's be realistic here. Most people come for the chef's table birthday special. The coupon has gotten worse over the past year. It is now a discount with another purchase, cannot be combined with happy hour prices, and the times you can come are more limited. They are all fair policy changes since businesses need to (and deserve to) make money. But at full price I do not find the food or experience to be worth the trip across town. There are areas with better sushi, better tepanyaki, and better prices. It is good but not great. If there was a location in the west valley I could see going here when I got the itch to sit around a table grill. But with the recent changes I wonder if even the birthday special is worth the trip across town. Or if I'd rather pay full price and drive half as far.
(3)Jenn W.
Meh. We have been here several times over the last few months. We have come both with our kids and without - we always sit in the lounge/sushi area even though we never order sushi and always order hibachi (those of you with small children can appreciate this). The food is just average and the portions are a bit on the small side for the price. I appreciate that they allow me to substitute my salad for extra soup. The service here can be a bit slow. I can consistently expect them to bring out my fried rice far before my entree...yep, my rice is always cold by the time my entree arrives. There can be quite a wait at times, especially at the grills- I suggest looking on Open Table for a reservation. Overall, I prefer my local Japanese steakhouse in my home town (not chain affiliated) but this hasn't and probably won't stop me from coming back.
(3)Lilly S.
We love it here. I can't tell you how many times we've been here in the past 7 months. Amanda is THE best server and the chicken and rice with extra garlic butter is the best !
(5)Dominic A.
Rudest front desk- reception team ever - completely unimpressed by the incredible lack of respect and quality of help here. They should be ashamed.
(1)Skip H.
I attempted to bring my family there without a reservation at 5pm. The front gal told me she could seat us at 7! It came off rather rude ... as if I'm going to sit there for 2 hours.
(1)Kayla M.
Came here for a business lunch and absolutely loved their lunch menu! Which doesn't happen to be available in Vegas, so that's a win for Scottsdale! We were quickly seated and promptly greeted. Our server was sweet and the food came out fast. 5 stars for all that. But the restaurant felt sort of like a diner with sort of dingy booths and I was disappointed in the food a bit. I ordered the Salmon lunch box for $10.95. It came with a salad with I didn't care for, Miso soup which was good, and the entree had a glazed piece of salmon that was tasty but small, edamame which was cold, a couple of pieces of a California roll which were meh.. but good enough to eat. It also had a side of rice but I didn't try it. The prices were decent for lunch, and I'd be willing to give it another go to try something else off the menu, but it didn't bowl me over.
(3)Anna R.
Went here with a group of friends last weekend and we had a good time. Mostly that was due to the company and the fact that we are a fun bunch! I'm giving this 3 stars because the food was decent and even though expensive, I feel it was worth the money (we reserved a teppanyaki table). To break it down: Soup course was really good. Salad was not so good. Didn't even finish it. Shrimp appetizer was literally 4 bites of chopped up shrimp. Kind of strange. Fried Rice was probably the best thing of the night. And they give you a fairly large portion. The only thing I didn't love was they serve it separately from the actual entree and I prefer to eat it all together. For the main course I had the filet which was very good, served with some onions and zucchini and mushrooms. All in all, an enjoyable experience but I won't be returning anytime soon. I say this because I am a foodie. And if I am going to plop out $30 for a meal I'd prefer it to be for something a little more intriguing than stir fry. And I can make a mean filet mignon myself. But I'm glad we went and tried it out.
(3)RENISHA R.
I've just moved to Phoenix and I attempted to use my chef's table birthday certificate that is a yearly tradition for me. This year, I was unable to use it because I was dining alone and apparently I needed to order 2 entrees to use my certificate. The certificate does not clearly state that 2 meals need to be purchased. So not only did I have to pay for my meal (which I didnt expect), but i left my entire entree at the restaurant because I had to get to work. They offered to hold it for me, but i didnt have time to get back there. So basically I paid $35 for an entree I did not receive. So frustrating. Guess I will have to find a new tradition. On a happier note our chef, Kyle, was fantastic. It was the best show I'd seen yet. Thanks Kyle!
(2)Karen O.
The food was good, and our chef (George) was really friendly and entertaining. But when we called to make the reservation, we told them we were coming for our daughter's 15th birthday. After we checked in, I excused myself from the table to go to the hostess at the front desk to make sure they knew it was her birthday. (They just do a little cake and a song, no huge deal, but it's festive.) But the end of the meal came, the check arrived, and it was clear they still forgot. So as we were leaving, I mentioned to the hostess at the front desk that it was forgotten and was told, "Well, it's not OUR fault up here. We write it down on the slip, and your SERVER is supposed to check it. We can't help it if she doesn't." Um ... not impressive customer service.
(2)Curtis L.
I had the yakisoba noodles with tofu... It was more food than one person can eat. My meal also came with soup, salad and fried rice. The special sauce they use on the noodles is tasty and brings out the flavor of all the different veggies. Although, I've been to a few Benihanas I personally enjoyed the location in Scottsdale. It's clean, not too cold and the service was excellent. This is also a good meal to order when ordering to go. I've done that a few times in the past. Enjoy!!!
(5)John T.
Always a great time. I really like this chain and frequent it in many cities. This one is only a 4 star because the Chef was very poor. The food quality was excellent but his showmanship was not there. Definitely a good place to take out of town guests and groups. JT
(4)David R.
Benihana. Outside of hearing about in The Wolf of Wall Street and hearing about it in a few movies, I didn't know much about them. Benihana is all about the performance. It is surreal to see the chef performing in front of you. The chefs I have seen have been very entertaining, and it was the most enjoyable aspect of the experience (outside of the main course). Soup: Their version of Miso soup is meh. It is a watery miso soup with little fried onion slivers in the bottom of the bowl. There is also a few green onion pieces in the bowl. It was disappointing to the say the least. Salad: Ack! This is not a great experience! The salad is just a hodgepodge of different veggies with a drizzle of their insipid dressing. It is just this orange/yellow goo. It is like the people in the back blew their nose into bowl. I keep forgetting to tell them to hold the salad. Torture should not be part of my dining experience... Appetizer: This is when things start to really pick up. The hibachi shrimp beyond tasty, and the two sauces really help the experience. I started to actually enjoy this restaurant. Fried Rice: If you order white rice, they will bring it to you from the back. If you ordered the fried rice, they will prepare it right in front of you. It is really good, and it is makes elevates the experience seeing it made fresh right in front of you. Main Course: Will the chef makes the hibachi vegetables, they will do a little show with that. They will make a little volcano with the white onion. They will also do a train as well. It is kind of funny seeing it for the first time. It really makes you feel like a kid, and the vegetables are great when cooked on the grill. Both times I went to Benihana, I went with the Hibachi Supreme (Chateaubriand and Lobster) and the Benihana Trio (Filet Mignon, Chicken, Colossal Shrimp in lemon butter). My wife and I both enjoy the Chateaubriand from Benihana. It is her favorite in the valley (her all-time favorite is the Chateaubriand from Bern's in Tampa, FL, but no one can really compete with that). The Benihana trio gives you more food, but the Hibachi Supreme is better tasting. So, I guess it is a trade-off there. Dessert: Since I went with their specialty selection, I get a bowl of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. There is only three flavors (strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla). Both times I have been here, I went with chocolate. My second evening here, they poured chocolate sauce over it. That was pretty good. But, it is still just Häagen-Dazs ice cream that you can buy from the store. So, it is good, but not great. Overall, the four stars is over the main course and the appetizer. The point deduction is mostly from the salad (ack!), and their Miso/Onion soup doesn't set the world on fire. I will go there, but I would skip their salads. They are not worth it. Price: the price for food is lower than what you would pay at Donovan's, Flemings, etc, but it is higher than the typical asian restaurants (it costs a little bit more than P.F. Chang's). I did not feel cheated, and the quality of the main course and appetizer more than made up for it. I will definitely go back to Benihana's in Scottsdale!
(4)Kelly V.
My best friend loves this restaurant and at her urging, we made a reservation. The food was good, the "show" was fun and the drinks were tasty. Ultimately though, it's just not my thing.
(3)Tee G.
Wow ! The atmosphere with a great group is what you get here. The food is very good , and what to expect from a Benihanas. I would have given a 5 star but there were a couple of minor things ; our waiters personality didn't match the festive and fun environment. He did a good job with our orders but didn't offer any suggestions or add to the fun. The other reason for the 4 star is the sushi rolls. They were ok , not great. Stick to the hibachi. We will definitely go back , we love it !
(4)Bad L.
Benihana is always a long-time favorite. Who hasn't been there to dine teppanyaki style (where they cook in from of you,) and had a smoking onion volcano or a choo choo train on the skillet! The food is always decent, but way over priced as expect. This place is great for parties of 6-8 (we were there for a client dinner) and/or birthday parties. The rinks are pretty weak, but the food is tasty. Last time we were here was about 5 years ago, but it's always crowed and always fun. The sushi is not very good. Our table ordered a couple of standard rolls (spicy tuna, crab, rainbow, etc.) and it honestly tasted like over-priced grocery store sushi. I could have had better sushi at the Frys in Paradise Valley.
(4)Stephanie B.
This place is always great. We made reservations for a date here. We got sat right away. The service is always fast and very entertaining. Somehow the chefs always have a way of making their show entertaining and unique to them. So we were very pleased with the entertainment! It is exciting to see your meal cooked right in front of you. Our guy made a heart and made it beat which was awesome! The food is guaranteed good. Always love the soup and salad to start. The chicken and rice I got was excellent as well. I was very happy with this Benihana's. I have been to other locations as well. They are always great!
(5)Anne A.
Best Hibachi Chateaubriand!
(5)Katie R.
This place is not for foodies. If you don't mind overpaying greatly for protein and vegetables with butter and oil and virtually no seasoning, you might not mind the ridiculous prices. The only reason I give it more than one star, is I see that it could be fun to bring a kid. But if you are coming to eat a good meal, you will be disappointed.
(2)Caleb S.
Food is always good, but sometimes you get that chef that makes you regret coming. I go here quite a bit so the likelihood of that happening is higher. Kind of pricey but what do you expect. And sometimes you get stuck sitting with the "weird people" who can't have any salt, gluten, sugar etc which ruins the fun for everyone. Service here is really slow too on any day of the week which is odd since all they do is take orders and bring out the apps. Oh well will keep going back cause it's better then Sapporo right down the street.
(3)Mischell M.
This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANT!!! I go every year for my birthday and as much as possible throughout the rest of the year. The food is cooked in front of your with amazing chefs that do tricks. I have been going to Benihana restaurants for over 20 years and still love it. This particular restaurant is my favorite because they are always friendly and accommodating.
(5)Jody K.
We went to Benihana because my husband received a $30 birthday certificate from them and my toddler son received his free birthday cup. We were seated with 2 other families who were also celebrating birthdays with the same certificate. They were a fun bunch. Our chef, John was really nice and very accommodating to our son. He was funny and cracked jokes with us while cooking. I know it must be a hard job to have to stand there and entertain people and cook and sweat so we definitely were appreciative for him. The husband and I both ordered the "Splash & Meadow" - which was jumbo shrimp and steak. Our son had the "child's" version of it. Even though hubby's dinner was "paid" for, we still ended up with a $74.00 bill. They added on gratuity that said it was "suggested" but had no where to really change it - the only extra line was to add on "additional tip". "All of our beef is USDA Choice, aged to perfection and hand-butchered on premise. Served with Benihana onion soup, Benihana salad, shrimp appetizer, hibachi vegetables, homemade dipping sauces, steamed rice, Japanese hot green tea and Häagen-Dazs ice cream, sherbet or sorbet." I want you all to take a look at this description - and let me say that none of us received hot green tea...and ONLY the people who had the birthday coupon received ice cream. When we asked if us "regulars" could get ice cream, they said we had to pay extra for it when it CLEARLY states on the menu that it comes with our dinner! Total crap. Also, the "onion" soup was completely tasteless. It was just broth with some mushrooms and dried onions tossed in. I do say that the shrimp and steak was pretty good and even better when dipped in their mustard sauce. I probably will not come back again - even if we get a birthday dinner, it's still expensive and it's mostly for the entertainment of the Chef cooking for you that you're paying for.
(3)Veronica M.
Well the food was great but the experience was very unprofessional. Our waitress was working hard doing her thang when our fellow table diners decided to give her a hard time. After a discussion with the manager the other diners were able to figure things out. Well I felt that it was very unprofessional that the chef "Kyle" I believe was down talking his fellow coworkers to the guests at out table. To me this is very unprofessional especially since the girl was clearly having a bad time with this guest yet he decided to play on the blame game and get bad talk his coworkers. Horrible experience at this place. There should be no exception of talking bad about your coworkers to customers especially.
(2)Danielle H.
HORRIBLE, SLOW service. The only reason I gave them 2 stars is because, well, I'm too nice. I rarely, if ever, complain in restaurants, preferring to rant afterwards to my fellow diners. But I just couldn't let it go this time. The second star was earned because the manager acknowledged waiting over an hour to get our food was unacceptable and discounted a portion of the meal. It was a shame the experience sucked because my dad was looking forward to seeing his visiting grandchildren get a kick out of the teppanyaki chef.
(2)Heather J.
We have eaten here twice and both times the service has been great. I highly suggest making sure you get reservations though. Totally kid friendly too!
(4)Dave K.
Tim did a great job as chef. Food was great! Don't know how it could have been better!
(5)Candace R.
4 stars for the food and the end of my dining experience there. I received a birthday gift certificate for Benihana and since yesterday was the last day to use it and there's a location near my office, I decided to stop in for a solo dinner in the lounge. I was told to take a seat wherever I wanted and took a seat at the sushi bar. That is where I waited for about 10 minutes to be recognized. It seemed like the family to the left of me was getting impatient waiting for their food (they already had drinks), and a party to my right had to stop a server to let them know they had been waiting to place there order. This is where I took my chance to request a menu, which was eventually given to me by my sushi bar neighbor who noticed I was still waiting after a few minutes. To start, I had the onion soup and salad. I could drink gallons of the ginger salad dressing so I was in a much better mood once I had food in front of me. I ordered a California roll and crispy shrimp roll for the main course. The Cali roll was to be expected, the Crispy shrimp roll was good, but huge. It was hard to get it all in in one bite, but super messy if I did two. To finish, I had the banana tempura, of which I enjoyed the ice cream and pocky stick the most, if that tells you anything. Once my server got in the swing, she was great the rest of the night, so there may have been some miscommunication on who was taking what diners.
(3)Andie S.
I went here for one of my high school proms a few years ago and still remember getting hit in the face with vegetables. I'm betting the guy cooking the food was new because whenever I tell the story, people always seem surprised. The menu is tiny and pretty pricey. Honestly, I wouldn't be so upset if the menu actually gave a reasonable amount of options. The food was decent, just not what I wanted or what I expected. They could definitely do better.
(3)Jason B.
My wife got me the BEST GIFT EVER for my birthday - the Master Teppanyaki Chef Experience ( benihana.com/bethechef )! I love teppanyaki probably more than I should and definitely more than anyone in my family so I don't get to go as often as I would like. I mean it's dinner AND a show! How can it NOT be awesome with fancy food tricks, fried rice, shrimp, and steak? Mix in some saki bombers and you can't go wrong. For the Master Chef Experience you are trained at the fine art of teppanyaki then are able to bring your friends/family in for dinner that you cook. Training is held Monday through Thursday at 1:00ish which I guess is understandable because they don't want you messing around with knives and hot food in the midst of the lunch or dinner rush. It still pisses me off though because I work during normal business hours. I guess it is a small price to pay to hopefully make a fire volcano and fling some shrimp at my wife. The training was awesome. My personal teppanyaki chef/teacher (Hideo) and I pretty much had the place to ourselves so I would not be embarrassed if I sprayed rice everywhere. The training took about 30 minutes and my teacher pretty much went over everything. He taught me some tricks, some jokes and of course some safety stuff that went in one ear and out the other. The whole thing was a blast. On the day of the big even where I would cook for my family they gave me an apron and chefs hat so I looked pretty legit. Everything went off without a hitch and I made some awesome teppanayaki. My technique still needs some work but I did excellent for my first time. Anyway, the whole experience was a blast and I would recommend it to anyone. The manager (I don't have his name) and Hideo were awesome and really did make the whole thing special throughout my training and main event.
(5)Mike O.
_STILL_ DOUBLE-X BLACKLIST. WON'T GO BACK. EVER. Gimmicky play-with-your-food-is-OK teppan-style dining's novelty keeps packing people in. Not me. I went back after 18 months, and thankfully saved myself a tidy fiddy. I left shortly after arriving. ##maguro is that pink plank that you get from House of Rice (Is that place still out there?) CRAP! Yet they still fill the place. Somehow. On arrival, as usual, there are 15 people waiting to be seated. Not surprisingly there is NO ONE sitting at the sushi bar. We sit right down. But what I see is nauseating. ##One or two pieces of cut fish on each large white plastic plate. It looks like a morgue-slash-biology-project gone wrong. They're already wearing rubber gloves. All that's missing are the surgical masks! OK, so what are all these people doing here then? It's for Teppanyaki-style dining. It's the novelty of your food being steel-grill cooked in front of you, The cook will even play with your food like you used to when you were 4 years old and if you take your mom with you, you can thumb your nose at her while you play along. Ooh, look at me pile the rice up like a heart and then stick my spatula under it to make it beat! Don't miss the Sliced onion volcano and steamy railroad train, complete with sound and lighting effects! Yeah, fried rice's egg must be added at the last moment. It's so the egg will be light and flavorful, not charred hard after 8 minutes of food play! @Hiro: let me know where you end up next. @benihana: DOUBLE-X. YOUARETHEWEAKESTLINK GOOD BYE.
(1)Jonathan G.
I have always enjoyed this place. The atmosphere is great, the staff are great and the food is great. If you come see if you can get Hiro as your chef, amazing...
(5)Jenny H.
My Husband and I visited this establishment Monday evening - arrived @ 8:30pm for Sushi. The Sushi bar area seating was already closed for the evening so we were directed to the bar. We were the ONLY people at the bar so you would think we'd get a lot of attention but it was quite the opposite. We placed a small order with intentions of ordering more-had the bartender leave a menu. We had to ask for water and once our food was delivered we didn't see or hear from the bartender until the plates were empty. I looked around for the menu he left only to find that he had taken it away which gave me the feeling he didn't want us to order anything else. He never asked how our food was - really didn't care about anything but closing down to place to get out of there. We asked him why he didn't care and he didn't have an answer. We left and mentioned our unhappy experience to the hostess (2) and they said they would report it to the manager. I am sure they didn't and I wont be back. Pitiful.
(1)John S.
Took my wife amber here and the good and service was awesome! Margarita was our server and she was attentive and had personality. Tim was our chef and he put on a great show! I say if they had 5 more Tim's that that place would be packed every night. The food was fresh and had a lot of flavor we split the filet mignon and lobster tail. I will be back for sure thank you Benihana
(5)Yvonne G.
Had a wonderful dinner with John as our chef. Everything he prepared was to perfection. There is a tendency of hibachi chefs to overcook food especially the shrimp. This was not the case. So happy that the shrimp was cooked perfectly for a change! Thanks John!
(5)Lauren J.
As my first time eating here, I was really excited to try a teppanyaki style and get the experience of having a chef prepare the food in front of you. We couldn't get a reservation until 9pm on a Saturday so by the time we sat down, we were all starving. And, since we were only a group of 4, we had to wait about 10 minutes until another party of 3 was seated with us. Next time, I will be sure to bring 8 so we can all sit with people we know. The waitress was very attentive, getting our drinks and re-fills quickly. We were served a soup and salad before the chef came over to prepare our dinner entrees. In my opinion, I wasn't a fan of either the soup or salad. The soup flavor was bland to me and the salad dressing was sour tasting. The chef came over, introduced himself and began cooking our food. He was pretty quiet, which surprised me because I thought the chefs were supposed to put on more of a show. Oh well, he was nice enough. Then, when I went to excuse myself to the ladies room, I was appalled at how unclean they were! For such an expensive restaurant, you would think the bathrooms would be really nice and attended for...I literally walked in and two of the three stalls were backed up. And, on top of that, there was a mushroom floating in one of the toilets! EWW! If I didn't have to go so bad, I would have held it. Not okay! When I returned to my seat, the chef cooked our meals and a few "appetizers" including hibachi shrimp and cooked veggies of mushrooms, zucchini and onions. We also ordered chicken fried rice, which was to die for! I really enjoyed watching the chef prepare everything...in my opinion the real reason to go here. For our entree, we ordered filet and scallops. We asked for the filet to be cooked medium rare and it was way overcooked! I would say more well done if anything. I also found that the meat was really under seasoned...but they do provide a couple sauces to go with the meals. They do give a lot of food to you....and after dinner, we got green tea and ice cream. I'm glad I shared everything because it really was a lot of food! All in all, this place was fun. There were a lot of birthdays going on and this would be a place I would return to have a celebration or just a fun night out with a lot of people. But, I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be. Plus, the price is steep so not somewhere I can go often. So, I would return but it's not going on my top 10 favorite restaurants list.
(3)Naomi G.
The chefs at Benihana are always amazing. The food was all kinds of delicious, but the customer service was lacking. We had made reservations for two tables, and when our party was seated we were taken to one table with 11 chairs with some chairs placed behind the first row. When we told the hostess that this was a special occasion and we were promised two tables when booking the reservation she was not apologetic with a quick "OK well I'm not the one who took the reservation". Rather than offer any kind of apology or a free round of drinks or complimentary appetizer, the staff actually seemed irritated that we wanted them to correct the mistake. Saying "actually we normally seat 11 people at one table," (not possible, you couldn't have 11 oompah loompas at one table; these chairs wouldn't fit, people would have to eat with plates in their laps). We were re-seated 10 minutes later at two tables, but I wish the situation had been handled differently because I would love to give five stars. Toshi, we loved every moment of you.
(3)Michael N.
We went this time for my wife's birthday. She got a $30 certificate from their birthday club or membership. That being said, for the two of us, we still dropped $80. The Saki Bomber with large ASHI beer was $20 in itself. The food was really flavorful, but after seeing the same chef routing more than 5 or 6 times, it loses it's luster. It is a great place to go to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, etc if you have not been before and would like something a bit different and entertaining, give it a try.
(4)Sanford R.
My experience at this Benihana location was outstanding! My wife and I both went for the first time last year celebrating our birthdays, which are three days apart. We both were thrilled to have a $30 gift certificate, which Benihana offers for birthdays when you signup. This was an amazing deal, but it seems like they have changed the rules and now require you to buy an entree to be able to use the certificate. I have found that Japanese restaurants in general seem to treat their customers really well, but the service here in Scottsdale was even better than I expected. We were really impressed with our waiter. He was on top of everything and made sure that we had fresh soda for the length of our whole meal. I really appreciated that he kept bringing us refills without even having to be asked. That seems to be a rarity when we go out to restaurants, so I have to applaud this Benihana location for their outstanding service! As for the food it was excellent as well. My wife and I both love Teppanyaki, and I would say it met our expectations. The appetizer portion of the meal was about average for Teppanyaki restaurants, but the filet mignon was cooked to perfection. We both loved it! Our Teppanyaki Chef wasn't quite the best we had seen, but he was pretty funny and the show was entertaining. It was an amazing experience for our birthdays and it ended with a special treat. Some of the staff came and sang 'Happy Birthday' to us (both in English and Japanese) and brought us our dessert. I really loved the rainbow sherbet ice cream, although my wife didn't think much of her dessert (she was probably too full at that point). The manager also gave us a free souvenir photo, which I thought was a nice touch to what was already a great meal!
(4)Becky G.
Exceptional service. Our chef was very fun and entertained our 4kids. The filet was amazing and cooked perfectly. The chicken was juicy. We will come back when we are in Scottsdale again.
(4)Jake D.
I understand the inflated prices on the entrees surely factor in the "entertainment" factor, but I still can't help but be underwhelmed by the food at the end. Our server and chef were great, but I would have felt differently about spending $35+ for my meal had it not been for the birthday voucher.
(3)Linda W.
We were expecting a 40 minute wait for dinner on New Years eve but only had to wait 5 minutes! And our serving chef, Daryl, was the best! He had his own routine and was so entertaining!
(4)Sarah S.
Food was delicious, all enjoyed the night out. Our server was not all that personable and could have checked on us more frequently, hence the 4 stars vs 5.
(4)Anne W.
I had the most amazing date at Benihana last night. We had Japanese beer that was very light and tasted pretty good. I think I will stick to Bud Light if I want a light beer though. We opted to do the chef's special which was filet mignon and chicken for two people. We received soup and salad before the hibachi chef got to our table. I really enjoyed the soup and ate just a bit of my salad. I usually like the ginger dressing to be more creamy rather than chunky ( I am from the south). Our hibachi chef -Michael was very talented and gave us more than plenty to eat. He of course made a volcano - but oddly no fire was lit (maybe safety regulations) all in all he was very entertaining. We got fried rice, a shrimp appetizer, veggies, and of course chicken and meat. It came with two sauces- one spicy/chili like and the other was a mustard based sauce. I asked the server if I could have some Shrimp sauce (yummy yummy sauce). He said they did not have any- it isn't out in this region. He told me it was more Midwestern and southern. I don't think Arizonians know what they are missing. The sauce MAKES fried rice taste even better than it already is. I don't get why any hibachi restaurant doesn't have it out here. Anyways, our meal was delicious. I had a wonderful time and leftovers to eat. I plan on going back for special occasions or with my 30 dollar gift certificate you get for your birthday.
(5)Fairbi K.
For my dad's birthday last night my mom got all my siblings together for dinner. We had 9 in our party so we got our own table. About half of us started off with cocktails, I personally got their signature punch which was so delicious & very reasonable during hh for $5 (only at the bar though, not at the table). I don't know why they did, but my bro & mom ordered some apps for everyone, an assortment of tempura (shrimp, scallops & veggies) & edamame. Both were ok but cold, blech. Shortly after we received our soups & salads. The soup was pretty tasty but the salad was drenched in dressing. Everyone ordered something from the teppanyaki menu, except my sis who opted for sashimi & a couple sushi rolls, which she enjoyed. I can't recall what everyone else ordered but my hubby got rocky's choice (steak & chicken) & I got samurai treat (steak & shrimp). Our chef Julio was nice enough but messed up on the tricks quite a few times, isn't that what we're paying for here? Regardless, we all had some laughs & it was fun. The food was ok. I ordered my steak med-rare & some parts were rare while others were pretty well done, not very consistent. They use so much oil & butter yet the food was flavorless, we had to use a lot of extra soy sauce & salt. I'd say the best food item was probably the fried rice, but again it needed extra soy sauce added. A couple of us ordered dessert after dinner, green tea & chocolate ice cream & banana tempura. The ice creams were ok, definitely store bought & seemed a lil old. I didn't try the banana tempura but those who had it said it was ok also. I almost forgot to mention, since it was my dad's birthday they sang to him (which he hated) & took a pic for him to take home (nice touch). I didn't foot the bill but was informed that it was over $500 with tip! There were a few people in our party who had never been before so I'm glad they got to experience it, but when you compare the quality of the food to the price it just doesn't add up. Yes you get a show, but I care more about my food tasting good than some tricks. I would maybe come back for some of their punch during hh & fried rice, but that's about it.
(2)Natalie G.
I'm with J C. on this. The chef was pretty entertaining, but not enough to equate the price I just paid. I also ordered my teriyaki steak mid-rare and received it mid-well. Husband's steak was drenched in butter and salt. One of the other patrons at our table asked for his steak without mushrooms. The chef was about to pour the mushrooms onto his plate until the dude reminded him that he didn't want them. The chef quickly redirected the pile mushrooms onto another dude's plate, which already had his fair share of veggies. What steak lover really wants extra vegetables? He didn't look pleased as he shoved them over so he could continue cutting his steak. I don't know if I looked especially pale that day to where the waiter thought I was so parched, but he was constantly bringing me drink refills. After finishing my first glass of coke, I asked for green tea, yet he brought me another coke. When he realized his mistake, he brought out my green tea and, about ten minutes later, another coke so I had two cokes and a green tea. He doubled me on my cokes at least one more time during the meal, not to mention leaving my empty green tea cup each time. I started pushing the new cokes to the girl next to me so I didn't look like I had a drinking problem. It was a nice conversation starter. Unfortunately, she drinks diet, so she wasn't very appreciative. We ended up asking the waiter why he kept bringing them and he said "It looked like it was getting watered down with the ice melting." Oh. Interesting. I guess it's better than him never bringing me refills? But not by much. By the end of the night, I should have had their birthday song memorized. Literally every single teppanyaki table had someone with a birthday at it. Apparently this is the place to go for birthdays? Personally, I'll be skipping Benihana for mine.
(2)Alynn C.
I've gone a couple of times in the last few weeks. Each time the food was good. The chefs antics were the same each time., and I agree with another reviewer, it really does seem as if each table is having a birthday. The place is very loud. Happy hour specials at the bar while waiting for the table weren't bad, $2 for a carafe of sake. I also agree the wait staff can very significantly. The first time we went it wasn't very busy. We were seated immediately. However at the end of the dinner we didn't get offered our tea or ice cream. The second time we went despite it being very busy, we got offered that but once my water ran out, I never got a refill. Go figure. Another nice thing is that it seems the majority of the staff was bilingual, so my Spanish speaking hosts were very comfortable.
(3)Courtney F.
I had a 7:30 reservation on a Monday night. I did not get seated until 8:15. At 9:00 no chef had come to cook for us. I had already complained to the manager once and he did nothing. Finally my family had to leave as we had hungry young children. I am so disappointed and will never go here again.
(1)Ann D.
We arrived at 6:00 p.m. on a Thursday evening and were told since we didn't have reservations we couldn't be served until 8 unless we wanted to eat in the sushi lounge, where supposedly the menu was the same. We chose to do that, though it did not seem to be much of a menu. My husband ordered a steak entree and I ordered volcano shrimp, basically shrimp on greens. His order was delivered a good fifteen minutes before mine. What's up with that? The food was okay, but the timing sucked!
(2)J C.
Everyone raves about Benihana's. Frankly I don't think the 20 minute show is NOT worth the price. I've gone there four times - each time was a different location. And although it was a bit entertaining, the steak was always over cooked. (I ordered medium-rare) The fried rice was good, but no better than one of those "fast-food" places for less than half the price. Over all, I rate Benihana's as just Okay with three stars.
(3)Julie C.
YUK; save your money and go elsewhere! My husband and I went for lunch on Tuesday, I got the Express Lunch Combo with Chicken and Shrimp plus asked for the rice to be upgraded to the Chicken Fried Rice with Vegetables. The food was very disappointing to say the least, the food tasted like a frozen entree (very plastic like). The chicken was dry and flavorless, the shrimp was old and leathery. The upgraded rice did not have any upgrade (no vegetables added to it and the chicken pieces were minuscule) to justify charging me an extra $3.50.
(1)Gabi M.
I think it had been a solid 5 months since my last visit to Benihana... and I still stand by my 3 star review. It was just as I remembered - same waitress and all! I took my BF's sister for dinner there on a Sunday night. We each ordered a Benihana salad (I do love that dressing) and a miso soup. I think they gave us a different kind of soup but we ate it anyways... We shared a Las Vegas roll, a spicy tuna roll, and then each had our own selections of nigiri (I had ikura and she had eel) and handrolls (I had spicy scallop and she had eel). It was all edible but not spectacular. I recommend against ordering the Las Vegas roll - it has way too much cream cheese and sauce on it. Other than that, go to Benihana for a quick sushi dinner that is decent quality and price for sushi but no atmosphere - don't say i didn't warn you!
(3)Denise S.
Just wrote a bad review of the Chandler Benihana which reminded me I owed Scottsdale a good review. We went in July for my husband's and best friend's birthday. Of course they had the bday certificates. Since theirs were covered I indulged and ordered the Hibachi Chateaubriand to share with my 7 year old. OMG it was extremely tender and delicious with the garlic butter. So repeatable. Our chef was very personable and cooked everything perfectly. Scottsdale Benihana is so much better across the board (food, service, and environment) than Chandler Benihana. Worth a longer drive.
(4)Lyn C.
I like this Benihana. We go here for birthdays pretty much (they have a great birthday "chefs club" thing) and we always enjoy ourselves. Every time we go it seems like everyone is there for the same reason...birthdays, which makes it kind of fun. I love the teppenyaki tables and the entertainment. The chicken fried rice is amazing as are the shrimp and filet mignon. In fact, I've liked pretty much everything I've had...but definitely choose the filet over the hibachi steak. I like how they take your picture and give it to you right away because it makes for some fun memories. The green tea ice cream isn't very good...so next time I'll just stick with vanilla or chocolate. Overall, a great place!
(4)Vicky F.
Loved our food being cooked in front of us! The chef was exceptional with his tricks. Awesome shrimp and chicken,
(4)Tim N.
Wow, what a disappointment! Indifferent service and food with no flavor! Went today (Thursday) for lunch, had a couple of piece of sushi and a combo lunch. Food was super salty but with little flavor except for pepper. Never offered a drink refill just really disappointing.
(2)Katie K.
Amazing place, great food, better service. Melinda always takes care of me and offers great customer service! Even the fried rice is exceptional here! :)
(5)Gary R.
I have had better.
(2)Kaci R.
The only downside for me is how pricey it is. But I love teppanyaki and this is really the only good one around. My husband and I have been here a few times and always leave very satisfied. The food is incredible. I love the soup, salad, garlic fried rice, steak, veggies, and complementary shrimp that come with it. So good! The chefs are always so entertaining and different each time. I also had their 'Benihana Punch' (alcoholic fruity drink) and it was really good! We went on my birthday this last time and they always give you an ice cream dessert and take a picture of you and your family which they print out and give back to you. Such great service. Totally worth the money but wish it was cheaper so I could go more often!
(5)Lynsey H.
Sushi is average but good happy hour!
(2)John J.
On all special occasions relating to ME (eg. fathers day, birthdays), I choose this place for the all you can eat sushi lovers menu. Sushi quality is certainly as good as any place I've ever been. It's a bit pricey, but if you do it right, you'll win every time. One tip.....do the all you can eat sushi special with a friend who can pound it as hard as you can. That way you can order a good variety and not have to eat entire rolls by yourself.
(4)David B.
I had never been to a Benihana before today, but upon hearing of their off the charts happy hour, we decided it to be a good time to try. Well, the prices are amazing. 3.75 for just about every roll, 1.25 for eel nigiri, and 3 bucks for shishito peppers. They have a pleasant list of specialty drinks for five dollars each as well! I'm stoked now and ready to get my drink on and tear up some sushi. Well, the sushi offerings were on the verge if being inedible. I'm not completely convinced that the seafood was the freshest in town at this moment, and the tempura on some of the rolls was nothing but flour and water and impossibly chewy. Nasty! I will say one thing though, the shishito peppers were frigging amazing. Hence the extra star, I will go back for those and some five buck hooch.
(2)Mufazzal B.
Went with the family of 4, we had a great time, food is a bit bland, so ask for the spice. I did not think I would like the Miso soup but was pleasantly surprised. We had a birthday girl , they did make it very special for her. I had the chicken and would have hoped it would not been so dry , but was a little disappointed. Overall a good family experience, A little pricey but worth the experience if you have not done it before.
(4)Abby F.
3.5 stars. Look, I love a good gimmick and the founder of Benihana certainly stumbled upon a good one when he decided to make dinner a show decades ago. I've been going through a bizarre period of craving Benihana all the damn time recently and I get my fix at this location. The wait staff's service is very spotty (sometimes attentive, sometimes rushed, sometimes poor) but the teppanyaki chefs are consistently quite good. The food itself is also consistently good. I've had a couple of incidents at this location with the way they've handled the bill but the manager is fabulously attentive and has always made it right, assuring that I will be back for more. A lot of these reviews are pretty cynical about this joint and I'm not really sure why. No, I wouldn't come here specifically for sushi. Yes, this seems to be quite a destination for birthdays and you will hear that birthday jingle many times throughout the night. Yes, this is best suited to a special occasion given the cost but I always leave with leftovers for the next day. Yes, they cook with a lot of sodium and butter so if you're watching your figure, take heed. It's a noisy joint with a lot happening everywhere so if you're looking for a quiet place to take your sweetie, this may not be the restaurant for you. The Chef's Table is a very good perk - they provide you with a $30 gift certificate for your birthday, hence all that singing. Kids (and kids at heart) generally get a kick out of the show - I know I do, even if it is a little silly. And quite frankly, we could ALL use a little silly in our lives.
(4)Colby M.
We went with friends and their two little kids. While the food was okay, a little bland for my taste. I've been to Benihana's before and this was probably a little below expectations. However, our chef is what inspired me to give this one five stars. It was the two kids first experience to a teppan restaurant and our chef definitely played to them. It was an awesome experience for the kids which made all the adults happy. My favorite part was when our chef asked the little boy in our group to cook the chicken gave him a spatula and kept asking if he remembered to flip the chicken. Priceless moments! Thanks Benihana!
(5)Sarah K.
I was really really looking forward to dining at Benihana for lunch with my business team. We were a few minutes late and the hostess informed us that she thought we weren't coming. What a welcome! All 10 of us squeezed around the teppan grill and waited for our waitress. She took our drink orders and disappeared for five minutes. One of us switched seats and the waitress was completely thrown off when she returned with our beverages. What a personal touch! We waited. And waited. And waited. Had our drinks refilled, then FINALLY the chef showed up. He complained that one of my colleagues was in the way of his food cart. He was sarcastic and condescending during the entire preparation. The "theatrics" of it all were sub-par. My memories of a joyous dining experience here were squashed. Don't be fooled--just because it's cooked in front of you doesn't qualify it as "healthy". EVERYTHING is cooked in oil, heaps of butter, soy sauce and salt. The chicken was tough, but the sauce was deliciously spicy. The afternoon and evening after that lunch I felt nauseous, bloated and useless. My saliva feels thick because I'm so dehydrated from the sodium and fat. Eating at Benihana reinforces my commitment to eating food I can feel good about--fare that Benihana does not cater to.
(1)Jennifer B.
My family eats here about once a month, and the food is always delicious. I've been going to Benihana since I was a little girl, and it has never disappointed. At this location, the manager and wait staff are very nice. We typically request to sit in Lee's section -- he's extremely friendly and efficient. Even if we're seated elsewhere he'll stop by and say hi. I feel that personal touches like that make the experience even better. Also, the birthday club is very nice...they give you $30 off your meal!
(4)Timothy H.
Hadn't been in a couple of years, so we stopped in for dinner last week. Hasn't changed at all. The food is delicious, yet overpriced. And the chefs are great at what they do, and are performing comedians as well. Benihana is more an experience than anything else. We took our nephews who were in town visiting. It was their first time, and obviously they loved it. Watching the chefs cook is really why you dine here. It's culinary entertainment. If you've seen one show, you've seen them all. But I like to stop in every couple of years to see it again.
(4)Josh J.
We went here for Mother's Day and the food was mediocre, the service was TERRIBLE and the bathrooms were filthy. It was a huge disappointment on Mother's Day, we will NEVER go back!
(1)Lauren E.
I have always enjoyed Benihana! The food is very good for the price you pay, and I just love how I am able to eat a bit of everything while I'm there. We have had some great chefs too. The only thing is that some of the servers have been a bit slow before. Otherwise, this place is great!
(4)Busy B.
Okay, so I was told by a co-worker, that if you sign up for their Chef's table you'll get a $30 gift certificate send to your e-mail to be used in a certain amount of time. SOunded good and received the certificate. We went to Benihanas last night. We had been there before and the quality of sushi is good, the sake very average. So, we were going to use my certifcate and had a bunch of sushi to share. When she brought the bill, they charged us $9.75 for a large sake each. They same 'average sake' they serve in a bit smaller for $2. In the end we paid just as much as our regular bill going to Benihana's. What a rip-off that was.
(3)Celeste W.
One of the worst dining experiences I've ever had! At $2.50 per slice of sashimi, I expected a lot better than a recently defrosted and grainy slice of tuna. Also, do not get the Lobster Roll...it tastes like shrimp tempura that costs $27. The service was also bad. The manager knew we had a large party (we made reservations) and assigned a new waitress to handle the table by herself. We got through half of the meal before getting our beers, and it took 30 min (not exaggerating) to get our bill. Would not go back.
(1)Roy G.
Great Happy Hour menu! Good selection! 1/2 off sushi! My wife and I split a huge tropical drink (I forget the name of it) that was blue and then we filled up on sushi. We got out of there for less than $35. We will go back for sure!
(5)