Benihana serves a high quality and tasty teppanyaki. However, Benihana's sushi is outstanding. Benihana is one of the top Japanese sushi places in Chicago. The teppanyaki area is fairly large. If you are waiting to be seated, the restaurant is probably gathering up the group of customers, assigning the chef and helpers to the table, and so on. It's not a matter of no space available. The simplest way to see the teppanyaki options is to view the menu at their web site. The ingredients that are used for these dishes are high quality and fresh. Squid is fresh, steak is restaurant quality, even the onions are Vidalia type. The green tea is magnificent. The rice is a well-chosen variety that is cooked perfectly.The seasoning that Benihana uses goes well with the teppanyaki. The end result is a tasty, almost luxuriously satisfying meal. Benihana achieves this result using almost the bare minimum of ingredients, further emphasizing, confirming, as it were, the high quality of its teppanyaki. Japanese meals have no dessert, but there is a green tea ice cream on the menu available for those who want a dessert. The sushi bar has its own space and its own dining room. There is not much to say about the sushi. It is fresh and outstanding, outclassing most other restaurants in Chicago. This is a Japanese sushi bar, so you can run up a big bill quickly. A seaweed salad, tofu side dish, soup and an a la carte sushi order can start at $50, not counting drinks and sake. It's worth it. The teppanyaki lunch menu is basically the same as the dinner menu, but much less expensive. Consider going at lunchtime if that is an option. Benihana is an excellent teppanyaki restaurant and a truly outstanding sushi bar. I recommend the teppanyaki for lunch, the sushi anytime. ===== 10-26-11: We had lunch at Benihana yesterday. The restaurant must be under some competitive and economic pressure. (1) In the evening happy hour time, like 5:00-7:00 (call to find out the exact hours), the sushi bar is offering half-price nigiri, an amazing deal. (2) for all teppanyaki lunches, vegetable fried rice is now included. It is no longer $2.50 extra, although chicken fried rice is $1.00 extra, which is, in my opinion a rather modest surcharge. Overall, Benihana is now an exceptionally good deal. --- wys
(4)
Steph V.
I love the food and the Chef Ramiro is awesome! Good laugh, environment, and I really love that they have brown rice. The ginger sauce is amazing!
(4)
Scott P.
This benihanas sucks. The lady clearing our table was bossy and angry. Our chef (efren)had the nerve to serve the 3 members of our party the smallest possible portions of vegetables (no kidding, 4 peices of onion...) and rice while giving the other people at our table much better portions (I feel, based on this and the language they spoke to one another in, there was a bias here...). Food was over salted. The ocean treasure was not worth 20 bucks, nevermind 40. Just bad bad bad.
(2)
Erin K.
I sometimes wonder how other people choose restaurants to try. For my family, its based on coupons. Most specifically, the birthday coupons my sale-frenzied father signs ALL of us up to receive. I'm feeling like Kim Kardashian having multiple birthday dinners...you know, minus the perfect hair, fancy dress and heaps of people wanting to know my every move. For my mom's 3rd birthday dinner...we went to Benihana. Getting there about 5:15pm seemed like a perfect time. It was busy but we didn't have a wait. As we left, it seemed much more crowded...and now I know why. They have great food! I realize that I'm probably as easy to entertain as a kindergartener, so a place like this is great and as I watched the chef flip shimp tails into his hat and pocket, I was thinking of people I would like to bring back here. The waitress offered us drinks, sushi, and specials. We went with just the specials and were quite pleased. Once the chef arrived (after a tasty onion soup and a light house salad) we had zucchini, onions, shimp...chicken fried rice, steamed rice, chicken, steak...lots of steak! For a girl who is usually heavily dependant on steak sauce, I was pleased with both the ginger and the mustard based dipping sauces. I also very much liked to watch what was being fixed before me...both for my family and the others at our table. For a light dessert, we choose chocolate ice cream to go with our hot tea. (Mom's dessert came with a candle, a photo which was printed and given to us before we left and a rendition of Happy Birthday in 2 languages!) While our waitress was a little lacking with the few things we asked for (my steamed rice was about 10 minutes late and we had to ask for it..she was coming back with my mom's second cup of tea as we were leaving, we thought she forgot...) it wouldn't prohibit me from returning. I suppose now I will just have wait for my birthday coupon to arrive! In the mean time I'm going to try my hand at making a grilled onion volcano of steam for myself...if I only had a hat for my shrimp tails as well!
(4)
Darla W.
We went on a Saturday night, and could only get 8pm reservations which was a little disappointing with two kids in the tow. However that is not a reflection of my rating. We have been to other Hibachi restaurants and we were not impressed with Benihana's as much as we were other places. I can say the cocktails were delicious and all the staff were friendly but the food was not at the top of our caliber. I do think it is great for groups though!
(3)
WeiWei C.
Benihana is one of my favorite place for lunch. Every time i go, always with a bunch of moms and kids, and they are super nice, plus they don't mind we sit there and talk for long time. Lunch are great value, just little under $20, included tips and tax, it will feed all 3 of us.
(4)
Stacey W.
The only problem I've ever had with this Benihana is trying to get a refill. Besides that the food is delicious, the chefs are entertaining (not always authentic Japanese chefs, but who really cares?), and I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated. The fried rice is AWESOME, the flavored lemonades are even better (when you can get them), and they serve Häagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert. Their dinner-for-2 specials really can't be beat!
(4)
Amanda C.
I'm a fan of hibachi Japanese restaurants. They are pricey, but I've always enjoyed the food and show. It's not something we do often (because frankly who can afford it) but we go at least once a year. For the most part, this was just like any other Japanese hibachi. Sit at a table with 6 other strangers and have your food cooked in front of you. I went here on my actual birthday. It seemed like every 4 minutes the staff was hovered around another table singing happy birthday. There were 2 other people at my table celebrating their birthday too. I did sign up with them a couple years ago and they send a birthday coupon for $30 off. That was nice. I did use this coupon, I didn't feel like we were treated different for using a coupon either. The staff was all very very friendly and attentive. The food was delicious. The filet cooked a perfect medium rare as ordered, the soup (not miso like another reviewer suggested) is an onion soup with onion straws, green onions and mushrooms in it. I LOVED this soup. It's probably the best soup I've had at a Japanese restaurant. The ginger salad was just like any other ginger salad, nothing really made this one stand out. The fried rice was delicious, we ordered fried noodles too, they are not on the menu and they were fantastic! The zucchini and onions were good. Others are right, it is A LOT of onion, but we love onion so we were pleased with this. I had the lobster tail. It was my first time to try lobster. Shocking I know. I wasn't impressed. I definitely feel like lobster is something I should try at a seafood place, steamed, with lemon butter. Hibachi lobster just isn't doing it for me. I wish I would have ordered the jumbo shrimp instead. They were enormous and delicious ( I tasted my boyfriends.) My filet is what was called the Chateaubriand. It's a prime cut of tenderloin. It costs a little more but it's definitely worth it. My boyfriend had a regular filet, and while it was delicious too, mine was leaps and bounds better in regards to taste. They were both very tender, melt in your mouth tender. There were a couple things that were unpleasant for me. The first was the $3 price tag on Pepsi. I noticed other people at our table ordering water which I thought was funny because if they would have read the menu they would know that the waters cost $2. Beverage prices are steep. You wouldn't notice probably after shelling out $40 a plate for food, but I notice things like this. The other thing that bothered me was the volume. I don't know if it's because I'm a year older or what, but I couldn't hear anything anyone from the staff said to me. I had to keep looking at my partner for "translation." Our chef was a low talker. Every time he said something to me I just smiled and nodded. He probably thought I was "slow." Another thing I was sorry about was they don't have the traditional seafood sauce like most other hibachis. I LOVE seafood sauce and was extremely disappointed they didn't have it. They did have one though but it was a ginger seafood sauce. Not the same. Overall it was a good time. The food was good, the show is fun and they take your picture (maybe for the birthdays?") Without a coupon, before tip, ordering 2 of the most expensive dishes on the menu the ticket ran about $100. I think this is extremely reasonable for the amount and quality of food. I would say try this place at least once.
(3)
Osiris V.
Went there today. Got Sammy..he's the BEST. ;) They changed their menu a bit. Instead of onion and zucchini, now you get onion, zucchini AND carrots. Still great.
(4)
Jade M.
This was my first time at Benihana's and God willing it will be my last. 1) it's like a zoo in there. All the servers run around like chickens with their heads cut off, I had like 3 different servers coming up to our table for drink orders and etc and that's not even including the cook. It was so confusing who was supposed to be helping us. And when I ordered something from one server, one of the other ones would come up to me and I'd basically have to repeat my order 4x. 2) it's filthy. The floors are unreasonably dirty. I know that since they cook the food in front of you a lot can end up on the floor, but if I was a cockroach or a rat, Benihana's is the place to be. Also they clean the grill thing with a soggy looking towel that makes it reek like bleach and then they cook your food on the bleach reeking table top. 3) lets get to the worst part, the food. Ok where to start? I guess at the miso soup? They serve you this broth soup, that I am assuming is supposed to be miso, except missing the few ingredients in miso soup and replaced with uncooked mushroom and some other questionable looking things. The ginger salad they serve is not at all appetizing looking but tasted okay.. I ordered something safe for my main course, lemon chicken. Wow, that was probably the single worst piece of chicken I ever had. I dont eat fast food but Mc Donalds does a better job with their chicken and theirs isn't even real! So Benihana's starts off with real chicken breast. Ok good start. Then the chef cuts it into pieces and puts 2 dollops of this fake butter, looking stuff on your chicken, and finishes it off with squeezing a lemon wedge on top. I didn't get one hint of lemon when I tasted it, and that fake butter stuff coated my mouth and insides with the nastiest feeling. I had to go home and scrub my mouth with a toothbrush to get that oil coating out of my mouth. I literary felt sorry for my body for eating those 5 pieces of chicken. And by the way, the onion and zucchini that they serve as a veggie dish are just as fowl. I wouldn't feed this food to my dog or even a starving child in a 3rd world country. Also the set up is not at all good for conversing with friends. These style restaurants are good for awkward blind dates, or for the family where the kids are in an awkward stage and hate talking to their parents, or even small work group outings. Because it gives you something to talk about. But if your social skills are fine and you want to have intimate conversations or be able to talk at all then this is NOT the place for you.
(1)
Katherine B.
The thing I've noticed with a lot of hibachi places is that they over cook their scallops so that they become quite rubbery but Benihana does not, the calamaria and scallops are never chewy and are sooooo good. It's a bit pricey but it is so worth it. The soup, salad and fried rice are perfect and the chefs are actually quite talented. It's more than a show to them.
(5)
Jennifer S.
We had a fun group dinner last night at Benihana. It is always a great place to take a large group to have some fun, food and drinks. The food is good, but nothing special. The service was a-ok, but again, nothing special, but still a fun place to take a group for dinner nevertheless!
(3)
Buttermilk P.
O-ver rat-ed clap-clap clap-clap-clap. The food was good but the reason to go here is the chef's who do all sorts of tricks flipping their utensils before, during and after they prepare your meal in front of you. The food was pretty much all the same to me, chicken and shrimp on the hibachi grill (a hot/huge griddle). Again, it was good but nothing spectacular. My wife and I went for lunch and our waiter was terrible (a young kid who seemed to loathe the idea of serving the gringos for another day). The chefs do all the work by preparing and serving the food. The waiters do minimal tending and bring water. We wanted to tip the chef but he disappeared after serving us so regretfully we had to tip our waiter. It was nice to say we've had the Benihana experience but I'm not counting the days till I go back.
(3)
Josh K.
Benihana's never disappoints. The food is always great and the chefs always put up with my special requests (no onions, extra hot sauce). My particular visit this week was no different. The manager was very nice and showed me the table we would be sitting at in advance of the arrival of the remainder of our party (large group). I can only imagine what it must be like for the servers to handle such a large group (about 20 people), but they did a good job. Kudos to another great Benihana's performance.
(4)
Melisah B.
My boyfriend and I went here for his birthday this past Sunday. The staff was really great about accommodating my food allergies and with that being said, the only thing I was really able to eat was some chicken cooked with oil and lemon, but it was still delicious sans all the butter, soy sauce, egg, etc. The only other items I was able to eat, both of which came with my dinner, was a plain side salad and plain steamed rice. They forgot to give me the rice and I had to ask for it after the chef quickly packed up and left at the end after serving the regular fried rice to everyone else. Hmm. The only complaint I have is that our waitress seemed to be distressed by any questions that I had which I didn't think were difficult such as requesting that one ingredient be omitted from my cocktail. She was also openly upset either about some other customers or other employees and loudly complained about them as she stood in front of our table after the chef had left and stormed away before returning with a posse with which to sing happy birthday. Overall, it was a nice night out and it was also the first dining out experience I've had since I learned about all of my [unfortunate] dietary restrictions and the chef was great about asking questions to be sure he wasn't serving me anything that would kill me!
(4)
Edward B.
Only offering 4 stars because it's expensive, and I'm just not a fan of expensive restaurants because I'm a frugal person. I friend and I went because I signed up for their email list and I had a coupon for a free meal ($30 max - a nice deal) during my birthday month. Had the warm Benihana sake....not the best sake you can get..skip it. Everything else was very high quality, very tasty and had enough leftovers from my meal alone for a second leftover meal. The show was pretty amazing....our chef was very impressive.
(4)
SANDY P.
I love it, love it, love it!!! The best Chinese food I have every had in my life! And when they cook it infront of you, it makes your exprence there even better!
(5)
Martin D.
Saturday, we were celebrating my gals favorite aunt's bday. So, her choice was Beni's! I havent been here in about 10 years and I can't say why I havent come back sooner! The dinner starts off with a great show. The chef on Saturday was crowd pleasing and humorous. He did a lot to keep everyone involved as well as our attention. Some of the tricks are really amazing and fun. As for the food, I have never had a bad meal here. I had the chicken and shrimp and it was outstanding. The fried rice and veggie tempura was also delicious. That all said, good food a plenty and entertainment...I can't ask for more!
(4)
Joey B.
This place is spectacular. You first walk in and see some tables( it kinda gets crowded) the tables are for waiting. Then when your waitress brings you to your table you see a stove. At this place they make it fresh and in front of your eyes. They even do tricks. My favorite cook so far is Juan. When your food comes it's great. Sushi Is good to. The price isn't to bad kinda pricey but well worth it.
(5)
Carrie S.
Benihana's is always a fun hibachi grill experience. I've been here a few times and it doesn't get old with the fun tricks that the chefs do. I always enjoy their cocktails like a ginger sake martini which was particularly tasty. The food is generally good. Nothing too special and the homemade fried rice good use some more soy sauce. Our chef definitely liked garlic butter because our fried rice was distinctly garlicky. The sushi tends to be pricey, though there's an all you can eat sushi special for happy hour that's worth a try. It's a good dinner entertainment place like dinner theatre only the food is the focus not the cringe worthy acting.
(4)
Shirelle L.
I love this place. Everytime I go, I get a fun and friendly chef. I'm amazed at how fast they are.
(5)
Nicky C.
Smells awful and shady tactics. Went there on a birthday certificate with my mother and kids. I was paying for my meal with my certificate and my mother was paying for herself and the kids. Manager approaches and says I can't do that because we are in the same party. But there is no rule against separate checks, so I didn't understand. I asked proof in writing,..but claimed she was the gm and could just make up the rules. I once again stated that she needs to provide such a rule in writing. She the said there was no way she could include every scenario in writing? What? Has she ever signed an Apple iTunes agreement? Clearly not the brightest. I just left. I've been going there for years now and will never go back again. These people are desperate for cash and they cut corners with the lack of updates to the grill areas and it smells like old diapers in the restaurant.
(1)
Kris Z.
I love Benihana's. You can get good sushi, a mai tai, and entertainment along with good, fresh japanese teppanaki(sp?) Some chefs are better than others in the talent show dept. but still entertaining and sometimes you even make friends at the table. Instead of steak, always get the tenderloin. Well worth the upgrade.
(5)
Susan D.
Came here on a Friday night to take my daughter out for her birthday. We had a party of 4 including a 2 year old who loves to eat out and is very well behaved. We were crammed in to a table with 3 strangers. Hardly any elbow room. My daughter ordered some sushi, which did arrive fairly promptly and she enjoyed it. However the others at our table had to keep asking for their appetizer several times. The manager then came to apologize that there would be a small delay in having a chef for us (on a Friday night? Poor scheduling!) and over half an hour later we were very hungry, the baby was getting a bit restless, and still no chef, so we left. We did receive a small bowl of soup and a small salad with icky watery dressing on it that I for one could not eat. The manager at least was apologetic, did not charge us for what we'd had so far, and gave my daughter a coupon to use next time. That's the only reason I am giving this experience 2 stars instead of 1. But she can come back by herself, I won't go out of my way to give it a 2nd chance.
(2)
Yurgen Y.
Can't speak for the food that they toss in their dirty hats, but the endless sushi is awesomely fresh. No one wants foul fish. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Marissa G.
My buddy treated me to dinner for my 1/2 birthday. (Weird right? LoL her argument was that she was out of the country and missed the actual date and is making it up) The food was pretty good, the cook was entertaining, but what made me a fan of this place can be summed up in two words: Benihana Soup. Srsly I would have that for lunch everyday if I could. I just wish they they had take out for that reason alone, because going there only for the soup would be kinda weird and lol.....cheap looking.
(4)
Andrey R.
went there for my birthday with my family and best friend! great experience with watching how your food are being done in a front of you. I, personally, am a big seafood fan, ordered Salmon. It was delicious. Service was great, they sang Happy Birthday to me and even was complimentary group picture. Definitely will come back.
(3)
Lexi S.
i love this place and the one downtown is also good. but would like to try their sushi instead. The food was pretty good i yet felt we didnt get too much food for what we paid for. unless i just didnt request more than a handful lol. yet i love to see them prepare the food in front of me and also fast service. it is good but i wouldnt go there too much it is expensive for their food.
(3)
S S.
Pleasantly surprised. I never had sushi here until a few years ago and it is still one of my top 3 sushi places in the west suburbs
(4)
Cassie B.
i have been here twice. the first time was a LOOOONG time ago and it was so very fun to see the stuff made in front of you. the atmosphere/decor is cutesy Japanese. the second time was more recently, and we went back because we had liked it so much before ... i don't know if it's because i am older, and/or i know more about food, but i thought the tricks were cheesy and the food was only OK. I'd prefer to go to a normal Japanese steakhouse that isn't so pricey. I'm a stick in the mud now i guess.
(3)
Jessica B.
Went here yesterday for lunch with my boyfriend. This is probably one of my favorite places to eat. We got the Chef Special which includes hibachi shrimp,chicken and vegetables (onion, zucchini etc.), ginger salad, soup, rice and green tea. We upgraded our rice to chicken fried rice. We were sat at a table with a mom, grandma, and 2 small children. This was the only negative part to our experience. Maybe that makes me a douche but I don't have kids for a reason, and normally I do not mind but these 2 were somewhat obnoxious. Onion broth soup-AMAZING, Ginger Salad-FANTASTIC (I could literally drink this dressing). Our Chef came out and introduced himself as Jose. He was awesome. He wasn't as animated as some of the others we have had but he was very quick and precise which I appreciated. The shrimp just melts in your mouth and I love it smothered in the mustard sauce. The vegetables were very tender and the chicken was cooked perfectly. I also smother these things in mustard sauce. Lastly, the chicken fried rice is amazing and a must. A little more money but completely worth it. After stuffing my face til it was hard to breathe we finished our lunch with the complimentary green tea. After this all I wanted was a nap. The bill came out to like $48 I think. It's a bit expensive but when I want a treat I think it's worth it. I hope the Chef Special never leaves since this is pretty much the only reason we can afford it regularly.
(5)
Diana R.
Since they closed the Chicago location we had to travel to this Benihana. And i'll tell you we had a great time we had here. The entire staff was EXTREMELY friendly and attentive. The food here is delicious and you must try their Mango Saketini!!! Oh and some of the chef's from the Chicago Benihana location are at this one too!
(5)
Justin R.
The food was good, but I don't like sitting so close to people I don't know. For those of you who haven't been to a Benihana, they have about 8 chairs around one of several large grills where they cook your food right in front of you, which is neat, but I didn't like the close quarters with others, but that's probably just my problem. Kinda pricey, I won't go back unless it's for a special occasion.
(3)
Justin G.
I've only been to this location once since the demise of the one in the city. The experience was extremely lame when you add up how much our meals cost. I will forever hold a grudge with this location. The food was decent, but not great. And our chef sucked. HE DIDN'T EVEN ATTEMPT a trick. And I should put the disclaimer out there that this was definitely only our experience because ALL THE OTHER CHEFS AT OTHER TABLES WERE DOING TRICKS!!! I'd put aside the okay taste if we got the damn show, but no, I got the lame chef. LAME! LAME! LAME! I feel ripped off by the terminal lamocity endeared to us by this pathetic display of non-gusto.
(2)
Lauren S.
I have been here once and I have great memories of it. I ordered the filet mignon I believe and it was delicious. Of course I get lots of other food with it too... soup, rice, veggies, etc. The chicken fried rice was the BEST rice I've ever eaten in my entire life. Had I known it was going to be so good, I would've made it my whole meal! Down sides- too pricey for regular visits, and sitting with strangers. We had a nice but loud bunch and one guy kept talking to us and telling my date "Man, you're on fire!!" And this was before the guy had anything to drink... Anyway it was a great meal and crazy nearby patrons aside, I'd go there all the time if I could afford it.
(4)
kathy b.
please tell me if i'm wrong went here several years back and was disgusted! first thing noticed was the filth! they place/rug was gross. If there is one thing you come to expect in a Japanese setting it is cleanliness! I would have left but didn't want to disappoint my family so they all enjoyed the "show" which is fun but order sushi here! NEVER. I haven't been back won't go back and will caution anyone to wait till they get inspected by the health dept!
(1)
jeff y.
The quality of the sushi has gone done from before, smaller cuts of fish. So disappointed because we only come here for the sushi bar
(2)
Gregor M.
Typical Benihana. Need I say more?
(2)
Lizzi C.
This is such a fun restaurant to go to for a special occasion, since it's expensive. It is packed around dinner time pretty much any day of the week. If you make a reservation, which I think is strongly recommended, you will still have to wait. I think I waited one nite for twenty or thirty minutes and I had made a reservation beforehand. You sit at a long rectangular table with a cooking surface in the middle of it for the chef to prepare food. If you have enough people in your group, you won't have to sit with other parties. A waitress comes around before the chef starts cooking and gets drink orders, sushi orders, and what you want the chef to prepare you at the table. The sushi is prepared at the sushi bar. The sushi is so delicious and fresh-I strongly recommend the Las Vegas rolls. I had never eaten sushi before and was a little afraid, but it was absolutely delicious. I have even ran in on a weeknight to the sushi bar to get an order to go. There are several combinations you can order for the main course from shrimp to steak to chicken, everything is amazing-and cooked right in front of you! The chef does special tricks with the food while he's preparing it...
(5)
Kunal C.
I am a regular Happy Hour visitor here due to a few reasons that I am going to mention below: 1. Chilly Shrimp Roll: nothings gonna change my love for you. :p . This roll is exceptional, in credible and out of the world. I enter the place, and even before ordering water or drinks, I just place an order for this and then browse the menu. Lol. I think I can eat that 3 times a day and 3 times while I am asleep. 2. Happy hour Options: I did read some reviews where people have written about how expensive this place is. Well, sushi places are usually expensive. Good thing about this place is their happy hour menu which have great options that are half off.. 4. Side chicken fried rice: its different that your regular fried rice. Good quality and a different taste. 5. Awesome waiter and waitress: not sure if thats a coincidence, but we usually get our same fav waiter who is awesomeeee. We also get a waitress and she is relaly sweet too. But its either one of them whenever we go and it feels very nice since they feel genuine for us. Out of curiosity, I did try their hibachi once. Great work and the knife show, but the food was average. Didnt like their teriyaki chicken wings either. So I gave 4/5 but for sushi, staff and happy hour, ill give 10/10.
(4)
Cloey S.
My husband and I ate here for the first time last week for his birthday. It was really easy to make a reservation online. I was unaware that they seat you with other people if you have less than 8 in your group. I saw another couple that had a table all to themselves so maybe there's a way to reserve an entire table? I didn't mind too much, but it would have been nice to be able to sit by ourselves. The waitresses were on point. Always making sure drinks were refilled and taking plates away to make room on the table. It does get cramped when you're shoulder to shoulder with another group of people. The chef was entertaining and funny. It was fun to watch our food be prepared and cooked. I ordered collasal shrimp and my husband ordered spicy chicken. We both got fried rice with our meat. I wasn't a huge fan of the shrimp. It was pretty bland. My husband loved his chicken and I also took a bite. Pretty tastey. I loved the fried rice, but my husband wasn't really liking it. They give you two dipping sauces to choose from. A sauce for seafood. It was tangy and I really liked it. The other sauce was a mustard sauce for red meat and chicken. It was ok. The starter soup was delicious. That's something we both loved. We ended with green tea and green tea ice cream. The green tea was way too hot and by the time it cooled off we were already leaving so it was kind of pointless getting that. The green tea ice cream was awesome though. If you like sweet green tea, you'd love this ice cream. This is a place to go to on special occasions. Dress code is business casual, but I noticed not many people followed that anyway.
(3)
Andrea H.
We had a great experience here last night! We made reservations for 7pm but I knew our one friend would be a little late and they book every half hour so I told them that over the phone and they said it would be ok. She ended up being about 20 min later than I thought and the staff was still nice about it and got us in! That's a big deal to me because I know how important reservations are and they were pretty busy. We had a group of 4 so we were seated with 2 other couples, full table our waiter was friendly and our chef was very funny and personable. No complaints there. I feel like with hibachi you kinda just learn as you go. I've always done the pick an entree and just eat everything that comes with it. Remember that you can get fried rice for a little extra! I don't think I saw it on the menu but it's a thing! Since I've been to other hibachi places, I'm a little sad they don't have the egg sauce here or golden sauce, it's my favorite, but the food was very delicious and cooked beautifully. I got scallops last night and that's not an easy thing to cook. Thanks for providing us a fun girls night out! We will be back!
(5)
Joanna T.
Consistent. Every time. Yes, it's a chain, you probably have one in your hood. It can get crazy busy for every holiday, mother's, father's days, Labor Day, just a zoo. They pack you in and get you out as quick as they can so they can seat the next round. I don't come to sit at a table that cooks your food, I come and sit in the lounge area, get my sushi fix when I'm in this area, and leave. They have happy hour specials with some of they're most popular rolls at a really cheap price. The sushi is consistently fresh, if not inventive. Good for fresh sushi, some fried veggie rice which is not greasy and a cup of miso, and quick in the lounge area. Good, fresh, consistent and cheap.
(3)
Hiram C.
We made reservations for a specific time, and didn't get seated for another 15-20 mins later because we needed to fill the table with two other people (8 total). After much waiting, we finally got seated and we managed to get a table for just our family of 6, which was nice. They started with the usual soup and salad, and followed with our order. I was a little a surprised with their selection of items to cook first. They started with the veggies, and then cooked a small portion of shrimp and the chef served one person shrimp and proceeded with the rest of the order. It took at least 15 minutes for the chef to start on the rice. Once the rice was done, he proceeded to serve the rice in a small bowl. In the middle of his trick to serve rice, he drops the bowl and it shattered on the grill, all over the food, forcing him to have to start all over again. By this point, my veggies are getting cold and I'm even hungrier. I was forced to eat my veggies so that I could enjoy them while hot, and eventually got my fried rice 5-10 minutes later. Keep in mind our meat hasn't even been put on grill yet. We waited another 10-15 to get our chicken, shrimp, steak. The food was delicious once we had it, but it was a little frustrating having to wait for everything to be made. The family at the table next to us arrived after we did, and left before we did. On the plus side, I guess the Green Tea ice cream was good. I would give them one more try before officially ruling them out.
(3)
Brent S.
TL;DR Kids had more fun than the adults, decent price, decent show, they screwed up the kids orders but more than made up for it Went for my birthday dinner, we got hibachi, ordered chicken & shrimp for one kid, steak & shrimp for the other kid, plain chicken for both adults, the salad and soups were brought out, I don't know why but every time I forget to tell them to bring ALL the salads without the terrible dressing. I have no idea what it is and not a single person wanted their salad after one bite. The onion soup was good as usual. Then the show began, the guy was decent, lots of razzle and dazzle as usual, they forgot my sons shrimp, then gave him my daughters steak but made more of both to make up for it. The fried rice was decent. The best things were the shrimp and steak. They brought out scoops of ice cream for the kids and me. I would avoid this place and stick with DAO as my favorite hibachi. Protip: $30 gift certificate on your birthday BUT you have to print it out beforehand AND it only applies to your order
(3)
Jonathan P.
I haven't been to Benihana in about 8 years, so with my birthday approaching, I told my wife that I wanted to experience a blast from the past and do some habachi at Benihana. Perfect - dinner and a show, all wrapped up into one tight package. Or so we thought. Right when we walked in to the restaurant, we were hit with a huge wall of seafood smelling smoke. It was pungent, and my with my wife being pregnant, she was not very fond of the odor. We had reservations at 7:30pm on Saturday, but weren't seated until about 8pm. Benihana's knows how to take reservations, but not necessarily keep them, which is the whole point of the reservation process (shout out to Seinfeld). Anyways, we finally get seated at the grill and have to wait another 15 minutes or so while they fill the rest of the table. The one positive about the experience was our waiter - he was really good about refilling my Bud Lights. Dinner was just OK. I will second many other people's comments saying that there was a lot of time between getting the apps, rice and protein. The funniest thing was that the theatrics still haven't changed in the past 8 years - onion volcano, rice in a heart shape, shrimp in the pocket and hat. While I understand that it takes talent, I think that there could be some changes and improvements over the span of 8 years. Once we got home, my wife and I had to immediately change clothes and hop in the shower. The smell was overbearing, and the smell lingered in our car overnight. I should have taken my wife's advice and rolled down the windows. All in all, I'll probably wait another decade to return. Maybe then the chefs will perform some new tricks and hopefully the ventilation system would be updated.
(2)
Jason D.
I love the setting but for the price I was not impressed. Hard to call the grilled shrimp pieces an appetizer and chicken fried rices was three$ extra. I left hungry and spent a nice $80. W two drinks from the bar. Can't say I'll return. Basically I had some steak w white rice and a grilled onion and zucchini.
(3)
Chelsea E.
Go to the Happy Hour and ask for John! (err...I think that's his name ha!) Anywho, everytime my boyfriend and I come into this Benihanna we stop in for the happy hour in the lounge and John always takes real good care of us. Oddly enough, I'm usually a little sick when we make our way to Lombard or just getting over a cold and he always brings me tea to help with my throat (even without asking for it!). If that's not going above and beyond, I dont know what is. Needless to say, we love John and this location better than any other benihana location we've been to around Chicagoland. We'll be back soon!
(5)
Sara T.
Miso hungry... MmMmmmm .... Miso..... Who doesn't love miso?! I have dined at Benihana countless times. It's right by my office so I often go for the express lunch. There are many options for express lunch, all for $10 or less. It's "express" because it's meant for those on lunch break. The only real difference is the rice is brought to you instead of cooked in front of you, so it's nice you still get the teppan show, but with time to spare. I usually get the steak option and it has yet to disappoint. This particular trip, though, I had a hankering for sushi and ordered a sushi combo plate offered during lunch hours. I swapped out the shrimp roll since I don't do shellfish. My combo included 2 tuna rolls + 1 salmon roll, and came with miso soup. Sushi hit the spot - nothing mind blowing but definitely nothing to complain about. I ate about half before getting full so I think it'd be enough for even a large guy. Other: - The service was good. - Get the green tea. They use matcha powder and it's pretty darned good. Pair it with sushi, and I'm in heaven!
(4)
Sonia K.
First let me start by saying that Benihana's was my first introduction to Japanese Plum Wine. Prior to that I thought I couldn't drink wine. That's another story. I LOVED (past tense) Benihana's: literally me and my BFF's would just hop in the car and drive from the far south side to Beni's just because we had a craving-this was all before my latest venture. Not sure what has transpired at Benihana's. Maybe its the new menu's or the chef's, not quite sure but our dinner was horrible to say the least. My friend just asked for the check and he normally overtips. Not this time. My Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice-which I love by the way, was undercooked. Some of the rice kernels were hard and the chef popped rice all over the hibachi grill. I felt like I should have worn a visor or a face guard with googles. I just knew a kernel was going to land in my eye. It didn't help that we had some really demanding people at our table. I think they frazzled the chef even more. To the chef who couldn't get it together. He literally cooked one meal at a time. Not good. How does a meal that starts at 8:30 end at 10:40? He cooked the vegetables first, seafood, and steak last. Of course the veggies and the noodles were super cold by the time the steak was done. By the way the order of noodles are super small. A pack of ramen noodles has a bigger serving. I have tried other Hibachi grills and always rated Benihana's at the top. No more. Sorry Beni I wont be making another trip anytime soon. Cant get past my lobster being cold next to cold noodles.
(2)
Shareef Y.
I don't know why restaurants do this, but nickel and diming your customers is never a good long term strategy. There's far too many hibachi restaurants to pull stuff like this off. First, they want to charge us extra for fried rice. There's literally a grill in front of us and they want to charge $4 per person just for a very small amount of oil and chicken. The included soup and salad are now served in smaller bowls.
(1)
Jason M.
What is all the hype about? I've been to other hibachi places but had alwas heard Benihani was the best. Not really. The food was so-so, the show was nothing special, and all our clothes smelled HORRIBLE afterward. Way overpriced compared to other places and the chefs were inconsistent. Our guy didn't do some of the standard hibachi things like flipping food to people. And I think the hood above our table was broken because there was way too much smoke. Will not return.
(1)
Tamara M.
Its actually surprising that I didn't like this place!!! I don't even know where to begin. Maybe it was the 45 minute wait on a Wednesday night when half of the restaurant was empty. Or it could have been that the hostess assumed that I wanted to sit at the hibachi grill in the corner being squeezed to death by a fat man and his fat family. Like I really had to pull an Dirty Dancing move and tell them that Nobody puts this baby in the Corner!!!! LOL. I am for real, I just couldn't deal. Anyway I had to get out of that situation and get me a table. Anyway back to food and drink. I will start with the drink, I had the apple Fuji bowl and it was delicious! I hate the fact that it was more ice then drink but you know that's how they get you. I had the whole bowl too!!! It was my birthday so I think its ok. Then I ordered the hibachi shrimp with rice of course and that was actually ok. It was not the greatest but it was good enough. My boyfriend ordered the sushi and I had some of it and honestly I was not impressed at all. It was wasn't good. For the price the portions were small and I don't feel like the fish was fresh. Either way I would not go back. Not even for the apple Fuji bowl and I did enjoy that drink.
(1)
Edith s.
our server and chef were great and attentive. The food however, was horrible! The colossal shrimp was a mere 5 shrimp chopped up with zucchini and onions for 27.00 I ordered the sushi comb deluxe.... my sushi was not fresh! it was chewy and slimey. and that was 21.00 for about 7 pieces. After all said and done, we were still hungry and out 180.00 for 4 people. Will not be returning..... ever
(1)
Amisha S.
I had the spicy chicken hibachi and was not disappointed. The soup, salad, shrimp, fried onions and zucchini made for great additions to the meal. Our chef Alex was so sweet and funny and made us have a great time while he cooked. I'd just remove one star for the wait time. We had a 8 pm reservation but still had to wait for Atleast 20 mins for our table. Regardless, I'll definitely come here again!
(4)
Frank J.
Went for my wife's birthday and we enjoyed the ambience of the bar and dining area. Only problem was that the seating was very compact...no elbow room to truly enjoy the eating! Also compact for the two chefs to perform their cooking! Food of course was fresh and tasty as well! The strawberry/pina colada was the best EVER...Creamy and Flavorful! Best to come with a group of people not a place for a romantic seating for two!
(4)
Vanessa C.
Loved my experience there! Went with a group of my girlfriends for a birthday and Miguel was our server. We asked for help picking out dinner and drink choices and loved everything! I've been there a multitude of times and never recieved service as well as Miguels'. He even took a picture and gave it to our group as a souvenir for our friends birthday; how thoughtful! Next time I come here, I'm only asking for Miguel!!
(5)
Frank B.
I take my family here all the time. Always in for good food and good times. Good service and tasty and healthy food.
(4)
Brit H.
Probably the worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. Let's start with seating; we made our reservation for 6:30 pm. We had 8 of our 12 people there so we asked to be sat. We had a 4 month old baby and there were a lot of people in the lounge/waiting area so we wanted to sit. They told us we couldn't be sat without our entire group because then we would have our orders put in at different times. It made sense but we could have just put in our drink order and waited. So our whole party arrives, we put our order in and then only ONE cook comes out.... I waited 10 mins for our other cook to come out and make our order before speaking to the manager. I spoke to a woman manager and said that I didn't understand what was going on. We were told we couldn't sit before our whole party arrived because you didn't want to cook our foods separately and now our whole party is here and our food is being cooked separately. She made an excuse and said that the cook probably just got our ticket late. I said well if you have a big party both cooks should be prepared and receive the orders at the same time. She then came to the table and told the cook to rush our food. My 3 year old niece ordered a cup of milk. After about 10 mins she threw up everywhere; herself, her food, the table and floor. Her dad took her to the bathroom and she said that the milk tasted kinda funny. We take the lid off the cup and there are HUGE chunks of old curdled milk. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. I walk over to a male manager and the first thing he does is blame it on a new vender. Instead of apologizing for a 3 year old throwing up he makes an excuse for it instead. After speaking to him and telling him that he needed to go to every table and make sure no other child had spoiled milk we sit down; by this time I am beyond irritated. I worked in the restaurant industry for 7+ years. You NEVER make an excuse for giving someone spoiled or bad food/drinks especially a CHILD!!! The woman manager comes over and tells me that she just drank the milk and that it was JUST FROZEN! At that point I went off. I let her know that the other manager made an excuse and now she is making an one too. I take her, the other manager and my cousin to the bar to try and not make a scene. I have the cup of spoiled milk in my hand, put my hand in the milk and grab a handful of chunks. I asked her if this looked like FROZEN MILK??? I asked her if she would drink this if I was given to her???? She then says you want me to drink it I'll drink it!!! Takes the spoiled milk out of my hands and chugs....That is definitely not what I expected but she is dumb for drinking it. All I wanted was for the managers to apologize to my niece, her parents, to ask what they could do to make things better and to check the other tables to make sure no other child was going to get sick. Instead I got excuses and a half ass apology. The only reason she took care of some of our bill was because she was scared of me. Lets just say I will never return.
(1)
kim s.
Typical Japanese restaurant, lower quality good at high prices. The one thing I do not understand is how they can use the same cooking spatula for raw chicken and veggies that already have been cooked. Will not return.
(2)
Rachael Z.
I wouldn't call myself an expert, but let's just say I've been around the Hibachi grill a few times or so. That being said, this was by far the worst tasting & experience to-date. I'll preface by saying I am blatantly comparing this to previous experiences at: Shinto Naperville, Domo 77, Kampaii and Shogun. I visited Benihana for lunch and ordered similar to what I would have ordered had it been a dinner. To begin with, the atmosphere is very drab. Low ceilings and muted, dark colors, with less than clean plates and surface areas (there was rice on my counter when I sat down). I presumed that the large plates sitting out were for decoration only (given that they had streaks on them and looked dirty) but food was indeed placed on them. I'd prefer to see a server bring out my plate if I'm going to eat out of it, not just arrive to it sitting there. The servers (taking orders and drink refills) were perfectly fine and attentive (if anything, moreso than in most other Hibachi restaurants). I loved that they had smaller lunch portions, though, surprised I had no leftovers. No soup was served, but I don't know if this is standard because it was lunch or normal at Benihana. Also, no shrimp appetizer, but again - not sure if that's because it was lunch or just the way Benihana operates. What a disappointment the salad was! Mushy cherry tomatoes and hard cabbage accompanied the greens, but the dressing was the major disappointment. I could practically drink ginger dressing but this wasn't nearly as tangy or mouth watering as I've had in the past. Our vegetables consisted of lots of onions, some zucchini, and tiny slivers of carrots that may as well not be counted, since there was probably one straw per person. I always look forward to vegetables, but hardly count half an onion and a few slices of zucchini as enticing. I did love that fried rice was the standard (no upcharge) but would rather have to pay an upcharge and receive better fried rice! Again, this didn't have as much flavor as I've had at other establishments. I chose scallops, and they cooked and cooked and cooked...until they were charred rubber - then they were served to me while every one else waited on the remainder of the food. So not only did I have rubbery scallops, but could have finished my meal well before everyone else at the table. I could have let all of this slide, if I had some delicious golden sauce (ie egg yolk sauce) to slather everything in, but they didn't even offer that either! Lastly, I can't help but point out how rehearsed everything was. Our Hibachi chef never cracked a smile and all his "jokes" felt forced. Unless I have to for work, I won't return to Benihana. Shinto in Naperville is where it's at.
(2)
James D.
The steak in the Rockys Choice was kind of fatty : ( the cook, Oscar, missed catching several shrimp tails in his hat, but other than that it was good!
(3)
Vick C.
I would recommend everyone should stay away from this restaurant, bad service! So we went to lunch there today with party of 5, late afternoon and apparently they sushi dining area wasn't full at all, but we still have been told to wait for 40 mins! I'm like are you kidding me? So I tried my best to ask them why we need to wait for that long when the dining is not full at all , they said that's how it is! So then we waited for half an hour when we asked again and found out that stupid manager or owner was confused that we want to do hibachi which I never said we would. If she was trying to ask and value her customer instead of giving out her dirty look when the customer trying to explain it, we won't starving for so long! Their waiter are not helpful too. Ok it was still take them another 10 mins to clean up the table, smart !!! No manner or skills to serve customer at all! Not saying we need to wait another half an hour for the food! Terrible! Stay away of this place if you want your life live better! Fail!! I don't usually gave one star, however the Manager pissed us off badly, just a week ago we went to kiku restaurant in Naperville , what a day and night different, I don't mind to pay more for good food and service at all, but nope, not banihana .. Thanks!
(1)
Kestutis N.
Ok I don't know where to begin. Maybe it's the fact that from a start no one out of 3 hostess would even ask where you want to sit like table or Hibachi then they place you at clearly crowded Hibachi table and expect you to sit there and enjoy. When it came to ordering the food shrimp with fried rice was excellent well done on the shrimp but when it came to sushi and sashimi you better off going to Chinese buffet it's cheaper there and you will get the same quality as this place. As for a flavor factor this place is as good as the people that eat there and that is pretentious wanna bees. As far as the waiter john goes he was the only thing good about this place and I would recommend him finding more stable place to work. John your talents are waisted there
(2)
Patriicia S.
We used to love going to this place! But we were there on Sat. Feb.21 for my son's birthday. The service was horrible!!!! Everything they did was not what they nomally do. The waitresses were never around. And even our Chef noticed and was trying to get there attention. They didnt bother to sing the birthday song. What was upsetting was we had 8 people with us so they get there tip but I was not about to give any more then that for sure. Maybe since they knew they had there tip they weren't going to bother to work for it!!!! Very disappointed and will be looking for another location!
(1)
Alyssa N.
nice restaurant if you want an experience. not great if you are going for lunch. way too expensive for lunch but the sushi is good.
(3)
Luis S.
Great lunch specials as well as happy hour specials, not a bad place for date or even family outing as chefs certainly put on a food show for the kids. Everything is prepared in front of you, nice hibachi style. Service is pretty standard and food is fairly good except their salad and some dressings, i'd skip on those. Also make sure to take advantage of their birthday club special. Lastly they are closed between 2-5 I believe so don't go there during that time. Other than that haven't been to many other hibachi restaurants so hard to compare this to anything, but moral of the story liked it!
(4)
Shin M.
This is one of my favorite chains. The hibachi steak with vegetables and fried rice with the sauce is soo good. It also comes with delicious salad with ginger dressing. The sushi here is really good too! The best deal is during lunch time. Hibachi steak is $13 and the lunch boat special is $10 and it comes with miso soup, salad, sushi, sashimi, and a little bit of meat. Vegas roll is a specialty roll that is pretty good Dragon roll is alright Spicy tuna is alright Rainbow roll is alright Spider roll is pretty good Gotham roll is really good and definitely a favorite specialty roll Philadelphia is always my favorite simple roll bc of the cream cheese Sushi combination deluxe comes with soup and salad but there's not that much sushi and the sushi that there is is pretty tasteless Sashimi platter is similar to sushi combination in that it doesn't come with much sashimi and the ones that are on the plate aren't that good The owner has changed since the past year and he has made a ton of changes to the restaurant that really sucks, especially him changing the end of happy hour from 8 to 7. It is because of the new owner and all of his changes that I dropped this rating from a 5 star to a 4 star.
(4)
Tenea H.
Arrived 8 minutes early...Doors open at 5pm, and apparently not a minute sooner. Nevertheless for a chain restaurant, I really loved the service here. I came here to spend my $30 birthday gift credit which was expiring in one day. I was apprehensive, because all of my other dining experiences with Benihana have been group/hibachi style. I was pleased to find the place virtually empty because they were just opening. So I got a booth to myself, which may seem lonely to some (ME) but most of my peeps live in the city, so I just went ahead and took one for the team. I was glad that the waiter was extremely prompt, asked if I had any promos/coupons, which I immediately whipped out proudly, lol I ordered 3 types of sushi, 2 full rolls and 1 half roll, some hibachi rice and banana tempura. All was good. My goal was to order enough to get me to $30 and so I could take it home to share with the BF. Well my mission was accomplished, and my total bill was only 0.82, #talesofextremecouponing. After such a delicious meal here and such great service, I will surely be back for another round of after work debauchery during their Happy Hour.
(5)
Elvira P.
Food was great, service too. The chefs are pretty cool to watch the only thing I don't really like is that you have to sit with complete strangers if you only go with one other person. Try to bring a group so you'll be more comfortable.
(4)
Eugene W.
Great restaurant. I only had sushi on my visit during Happy Hour (5-8 pm on Thursdays). Many of the sushi rolls were half off, so it was great value. I would highly recommend the Gotham Roll. It has delicious crisped lotus stuck into it, with crab/imitation crab meat, tempura (I believe?), and cream cheese inside. They are really good. All of the other rolls I got (Rainbow Roll, Las Vegas Roll) were also good. The restaurant was clean and the servers were nice. I will reserve the 5 star rating for only places with absolutely exceptional sushi, though.
(4)
Cat C.
I love this place, the child does not. We always have an amazing time. I tend to come for events like my birthday, when they send you a super great coupon to use. Even when you have a new chef, the show is great and worth seeing, and the food is delicious.
(4)
Nikki T.
I'm going to be blunt, I love Benihana. It's the boyfriend's favorite restaurant so we tend to come here a lot. It's actually pretty sad how often we come here... Our usual Benihana routine, which makes things even sadder, is as follows: 1. Walk in and let them know that we would like a table. 2. Go to the bar and wait while we sip on some drinks. 3. Get escorted to the table (You like that? "escorted" to the table, makes us sound fancy) 4. Joke with the chef and watch him do all his fun tricks 5. Eat as much as we can then pack up the rest With as many times as we've been there I don't think we've ever had a bad experience. Starting with the host and hostess, they are friendly and promptly put our names down and give us one of those little beeper things. They're still nice whenever we ask if we can wait a little longer for a table, if we're enjoying our time at the bar. The bartenders are really great too. They always tell us the specials of the day and give us their recommendations on sushi rolls and drinks. But the chefs there are the stars! Not only talented with the tricks they do when they cook and still manage to make my steak a perfect medium rare, but they have the best personalities. My boyfriend and I are pretty social people; we like to talk, so we always end up having really random and funny conversations with the chef and the other guests at our table. We've encountered so many funny and great chefs there that we almost always have to compliment them to their manager! The last time we were there it was actually just my boo and I at the table and the chef completely switched up all of the usual tricks so we could see something new and different to really entertain us!! The food is always great and they give you so much of it! The entrees come with soup, salad, shrimp and veggie appetizer, and your actual meal. Some even come with an ice cream dessert :) We almost always take food home with us. I think this one will always be a favorite!
(5)
Danny M.
Came here without a reservation and had to wait a good 20 minutes by the bar. We wanted Teppanyaki and this place was packed at 7pm. As soon as we were seated, our server came and took our orders. He wasn't the best at his job and never really came back to check up on us. Plus, 2 people from our group didn't want the Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice and got white rice instead. He never brought it to them until the end when we had to ask for it. At this time, they were almost done with their food already. Our chef on the other hand was good. His name was Jian and he was pretty entertaining and an excellent cook. For food, I got the Land and Sea, which is a Filet Mignon and Sea Scallops. This was really good and probably my favorite thing to get here. I also got to try the Benihana Trio, which had shrimp, steak, and chicken. This was good, but I like mine more. It is definitely the most filling one though. The Teriyaki Chicken was my second favorite. I will definitely come back, especially for Happy Hour!
(4)
Kimber H.
My brother's girlfriend and I went for a post birthday dinner and arrived at a little after 9 pm. The portions were very small and the food was poorly seasoned. I don't know if it was because it was late, but both of us were disappointed and underwhelmed. That's the last time I will go to Benihana...just a waste of time and money. They should stop seating people at 9 pm, if they aren't going to give the same quality of service as customers seated at 6 pm. They'd get no stars if possible. Ugh..
(1)
Al M.
Love this place. The sushi is great. The lunch specials are great and the drinks delish. One of our go-to regular places.
(5)
Gaby Z.
As suggested by the brand ambassador, I did contact Benihana in regards to our NYE experience. Within a few days, local manager contacted us, and apologized many times for our bad experience. She assured us that this experience is not the standard that Benihana lives up to, and offered us a gift certificate to come back in, and give them another chance. It is nice to know that even though it is a chain restaurant, they do take their customers seriously and strive for higher standards. I will write another update if we go back.
(3)
Dustin T.
I always get the lunch special. The udon noodles lunch special a great deal for a decent price. I have noticed that it has been getting more and more expensive every year... :(
(4)
Michael P.
Benihana used to be a must stop whenever we saw one anywhere in the country. That was 20 years ago. Other than being entertaining for eight-year-old children, there's no reason to go anymore. The talent of the chefs used to add to what was 3.5 star food. The skill and pride has just faded with the years. Dirty tables, dirty silverware, dirty glasses, and dirty plates don't help. I still love the salad dressing. Sushi? Not here. Please, not here. Drive 15 minutes to downtown Hinsdale to get the best sushi in the burbs.
(1)
Maricela N.
The best time to go for hibachi is during lunch hours. Which is between 11:30a.m and 2p.m. If you have the chance to go between those times make sure to ask for express lunch. It's cheaper in price for the same portions. The only difference is that the menu is a bit shorter and you don't get the show from the chef. But if your just there to eat then this is great! There Sushi is also very good. They have happy hour from 5-8p.m. Benihana is a great place to go to for any type of celebration. The only down side is there management. They sometimes seem clueless. But overall I always enjoy the food.
(3)
Damian O.
Best Habachi restaurant there is. Way classier and high quality than Domo or Bricktop. Classic Habachi dishes, and a show if you're up for it.
(4)
Sam K.
This Benihana chain is professional and clean. I always have a great time coming to Benihana because the food is always excellent although most of the chef tricks are a bit outdated to me as they no longer excite me. But I still do my best to pay attention :) for politeness. Price is steep and sometimes food portion can be surprisingly small (based on price expectation). But I still recommend this place for a good time with families and friends! With families, I usually recommend ordering many combo orders and share: such as Land & Surf, Benihana Delight etc.
(4)
Nikki K.
I like Benihana. The food is tasty and it's a fun experience. We've always had good experiences at this location.
(4)
Morgan-yelp G.
Excellent food and show with the chef cooking the meal at the table. Dined on Christmas day and had to wait two hours for a party of two (don't go without reservations). Were paired with a family of six, all very pleasant table companions. Good range of specialty cocktails (saketini), warm sake, California wines.
(3)
Kevin S.
I must agree with Rachael Z. in that Domo 77 offers MORE food, BETTER food, and LOWER prices than Benihana. Benihana is not bad, but it's certainly a worse option than Domo or Japan 77. And they don't even have the garlic breaded shrimp for which Domo is so popular!
(3)
Matthieu G.
The restaurant was overcrowded and service really poor. When I walked in, I was told that they were a bit behind and that I would have to wait 10 to 15 minutes to be seated at my table... after 15mn, I was told again the exact same thing...it took a full hour before we got seated which I think is completely unacceptable when you have a reservation.
(1)
Matthew S.
I do like the food here. Sometimes it is better than others but my main complaint is the service. They are usually understaffed and the customer service is pretty poor. Tonight we were there and just having sushi. After waiting over 30 minutes for the second portion of our order, our waiter asked us what we wanted to do. Well I did want to finish eating but said well just forget it now. He and the manager both offered to take off the portion of the food that never came. What a novel idea, not charging someone for something they did not eat. They should have brought the food and not charged us for that portion of the order. Bringing us a complementary round of drinks while we finished waiting would have had us leaving 1. Paying more on the final bill 2. Leaving Happy 3. Not leaving a bad review on the internet. Doesn't take much but the manager there doesn't get it so how can the staff be expected to.
(2)
Jie S.
A semi-regular place for me and my friend to meet up during the lunch hour when we want sushi. Just a nice and right location for both of us. And we could always get our favorite table on the window side. Most times, I get the lunch boat with Salmon for $9.25 which comes with a salad, miso soup, edamame, sashimi, 4 pieces of California rolls, shrimp and veggie tempura, half orange and hot green tea. A very good deal indeed for a healthy Japanese lunch. Everything is pretty good but not exciting. We also has tried all kinds different sushi. Frankly they are all decent but lack of a Wow factor. We reserve the dinner time for kids especially when a few families go together. Hibachi is always my kids' favorite dinner. They enjoy the cooking show while they eat their food without complaining. A Win-win for kids and moms! I like the food but grilled meat and fried rice are a bit greasy and a bit salty for me. So sometimes I opt to have the Sushi rolls or a noodle soup. They have the chef's table membership which is free to sign up. I did it and received my $30 coupon before my birthday. Some free sushi rolls!
(3)
Jeff S.
We took the family (and a couple of friends) for New Year's Eve, a 5pm seating. They were late getting us seated, and then we sat at our table waiting to give drink orders for a while. But once they got moving, things were fine. The usual knife-juggling show was fun, the guy was personable, and the food was excellent. Had their benihana punch bowl drink and the amazing plum wine. Ate too much. We had a good time. Not the most amazing dining experience ever, but entertaining and with good food and passable drink service. For something out of the ordinary once or twice a year, it's a good deal.
(3)
Christine M.
This review is based on my recent experience at Benihana for lunch. My sister is a fan, so we met here at 12:30 during the week. We did have to wait 20 minutes (they said it would be 10) for a chef supposedly, but really since we only had 5 in our party, we had to wait until 2 more customers walked in. The hibachi area is not very well ventilated, but I understand that is a common complaint. The floors were disgusting considering they had just opened at 11:30! The cook did his best at doing some tricks and this was fine, but the meal felt very uncoordinated. Even though everyone doesn't order the exact same thing, I really don't feel like they do a good job of serving everyone something at once and making it known when to eat. There was no communication from him (via hand movements, facial expressions, or words) and the lunch just felt very choppy compared to previous experiences I've had at hibachi style restaurants. The food itself was really not that great either. The salad was eh, vegetable rice had crunchy white onion in it, vegetables were 80% onion and 20% zucchini, shrimp and chicken just okay. I realized your opinion may differ if you really enjoy onion. I do not. :) The waitress was kind of MIA. I don't think the pricing was that great for a lunch and the quality/amount of food served. I won't return and plan to introduce my sis to some better restaurants!
(2)
Courtney L.
Benihana's is a great special occasion restaurant. I've been here twice (9 years ago for my high school graduation and then last weekend for my brother's high school graduation). The service was very friendly and the waitress was able to describe the menu to us easily (some of our group had not been before). The drinks were constantly refilled and anything not cooked on the grill (couple sushi rolls) came out quickly. I also appreciated that they space it out so that everyone is eating at the same time. One person is not getting the meal sooner than another. However, I can't imagine coming here on a regular basis (unless you are sitting at the sushi bar perhaps; the sushi was good). Despite the 9 YEARS between visits, the show was exactly the same. The food is really good. Quality meat and seafood, but nothing particularly amazing. The 2nd time around, it was more fun watching the people who have not been here before enjoy it rather than soak it all in myself. For the price, you could get a stand out meal (granted without a show) at another upscale restaurant; I feel like everything here you could recreate at home. They do try to herd you out once your meal is over, but they do want to open the table for the next group and seating is rather limited (definitely get a reservation)... however, the course of our meal took 2 hours... so can't really say we were rushed. Overall, Benihana is a great time. Worth a visit and a great time for a special occasion, just not a place I would return to time and time again.
(3)
F K.
Their sushi is amazing not to mention their happy hour sushi prices are very reasonable. I recently had hibachi with a few friends and not only the food but the quantity were good. Service is so-so.
(4)
Yari S.
It's small and Lord forbid you want to stay longer. They kick you out to seat other people so u can't relax and catch up. Food isn't all that, nothing special. They charged extra for actual fried rice which is ridiculous. I have no desire on ever going back.
(1)
Rosanna L.
Benihana lunch specials are the best! You can get a lunch boat special that includes: Choice of Chicken, Salmon or Beef* Julienne, shrimp and vegetable tempura, sashimi and half California Roll served with edamame, miso soup, salad, steamed rice and fresh fruit for ONLY $10! Now that is a deal and the food is delicious! I went here to celebrate my birthday and it was my first time going during dinner time so I was sure what to expect. If you sign-up for Benihana.com they give you a complimentary birthday certificate for a free meal! I had asked the server what entree can I order? He said anything so of course I went with the filet mignon and lobster tail! Our chef was very entertaining and he cook our food to just how we liked it! My filet was delicious, tender, juicy and cook just how I like it. The lobster tail with butter and lemon sauce was to die for! We also got onion soup and ginger salad as starters, grilled shrimp as appetizers, our entree, hot green tea, and ice cream (all included in the entree!). The servers even clapped and sang happy birthday to me (it was quite embarrassing lol) and one of the servers took my picture and printed out and put it in a Benihana frame for me, which I thought was very thoughtful! Definitely a memorable birthday dinner! However, after receiving our bill the complimentary free dinner was for an entree up to $30 only, which I wish the server would of told me.
(4)
Maggie R.
Food-good..nothing exceptional Show-typical Asian, or should I say Mexican since our cook was Mexican. Celebrating an event? They'll bring out dessert and and candle with a funky candle-holder. Mine was a cat. Odd.
(4)
Kamilah S.
It was my first time at this Benihana's, but it was the same great, friendly experience as always. Great food, nice drinks. I had a great time.
(5)
Norma R.
My sister and her husband where just there. And they found a live roach in their food, the manager didn't charge them for one meal. Are you kidding me!!! They shouldn't have charged them for the families meal. If you like to eat food infested with roaches keep eating here. NEVER EVER EATING HERE!
(1)
Gene K.
I have gone a few times with the family and the kids mostly liked it. The food is pretty basic in preparation using butter and soy sauce. You get a couple of side sauces to dip your food. I've had chicken, shrimp and steak. They were all ok but nothing spectacular. You go for the atmosphere. The kids enjoy watching the chef put on a show while cooking. The prices were reasonable for this type of restaurant.
(3)
Michelle M.
I LOVE BENIHANA. I've been coming to Benihana since I was a little kid. It was my absolute favorite restaurant as a child and I've eaten here so many times on special, happy occasions that the entire affair has taken on a comforting, ritualistic quality. Sit down, have a yummy drink (when I was little I would get a virgin piña colada), watch the chef make a volcano and choo-choo train out of onion slices, eat some tasty food. They are pretty accommodating and will even give me an extra soup instead of salad, because in many ways I am still six years old and opposed to eating raw vegetables. Ok, so it may be inauthentic, Americanized "Japanese" food. That does not mean it doesn't taste good (it does). It's silly and fun and they have awesome fried rice. I like to get either the filet mignon with lobster or shrimp or the ocean treasure- shrimp, scallops and a lobster tail. The lobster I had last time was delicious- perfectly cooked and buttery-delicious. I enjoyed every morsel. And the sauces! I would buy a vat of the mustard and ginger sauces and dip everything I eat EVER in there. The sushi here is really, good, too. Tip: Sign up for their birthday coupon! You get $30 off the month of your birthday and they will sing and clap at you, then take a photo of you, looking all embarrassed and confused. Awesome.
(5)
Jane S.
I love having lunch at this Benihana's. We usually sit at the sushi section, the ventilation is pretty good we don't get the smoke from the hibachi section next door. They have a full selection of rolls, hand rolls and sashimi at the sushi bar. I usually go for one of the 3 lunch specials. The lunch boat has miso soup, salad, shimp and veggie tempura, a few pieces of sashimi, 4 small California rolls, edemame and 1/2 orange, along with a choice of Salmon or Beef terayaki. Great value for under $10. For around 11-12 dollars you can select either Sushi combo (3 types of rolls - 4 pieces each + 5 sushi) or the Sushi/Sashimi combo (7 pieces of sashimi with 5 pieces of sushi). Combo only comes with the miso soup. So far one of my favorite places for a quick and light lunch out at a very reasonable price.
(4)
Danny Y.
Happy hour's when you want to go. sushi rolls for $6, hand rolls for $2.50. When an iced tea ($3) costs more than the hand roll, you win. Didn't particularly enjoy their ceviche, though... tasted like lime soup. Dinner prices are pretty expensive on the hibachi side... so I'd avoid that and go during lunch.
(4)
Natasha M.
My brother and I really love this place! We have come here twice for our birthdays. The staff pays attention very well. If we want a refill they'll bring it out right away. We always get the shrimp with the fried rice. The whole meal comes with salad first. Not a fan mostly because of the ginger sauce. Its to much ginger and just to much sauce in general. When the guy comes to cook he makes us veggies which consist of zucchini and onions. I really like them and im picky on my veggies. Then we got our fried rice with shrimp and the shrimp is good but my favorite dish is the fried rice. I'm in LOVE with it lol. Its that good! Since it was our b-day we both got vanilla ice cream and whipped cream right next to it with chocolate syrup drizzled on top. Really good! They also take your photo with family and give you a copy. The family next to us also did it with a graduate. So we love this place!!!
(5)
Jeanna G.
I took my husband here for his birthday yesterday, and we were both excited to have Japanese food again, since there are no good places in DeKalb to go and it's been years since we've had it. He always told me how much fun Benihana was the times he went years ago. We arrived in the early dinner hours, and we did have a reservation. I'm glad we made one, because as soon 5pm rolled around way more people started coming in. We ordered the Chef Special, which seemed like the more economical way to order, I couldn't justify ordering a $35 meal just for one person when we can get two for $48. But, before we even sat down my husband let the hostess know that I had a shellfish allergy, and no shellfish could come in contact with anything we would be eating whatsoever. Not only did they check to make sure I was the one with the allergy once, not twice but three times. I notice they have a little seating chart they use to determine who gets what food, and if there are any special requests, which was really nice to see. I was very pleased with that, because some places I'm sure "forgets", and ends up cooking the shrimp right next to the chicken. In fact our chef cooked the shrimp last for my husband, our friend and another couple. The chef special includes chicken and steak, rice (steamed or chicken fried...I wanted steamed, not big on egg cooked with it), ginger salad, onion soup (which tasted like chicken broth watered down) and green tea, which was delicious. The only complaint I have is they give you nowhere near enough veggies. They only give you onions and zucchini!! Other places gives you mixed hibachi veggies with more than just two kinds. The rice was delicious but again, nowhere near enough for me. Also, no noodles. I thought getting fried noodles was customary for any Japanese steakhouse? However the steak and chicken portion made up for the lack of veggies. The chicken and steak were delicious, and perfectly cooked. The salad was "meh".... I really didn't like it that much - I ate one bite and pushed it to the side. The staff did come out and sing happy birthday to my husband, which was really neat. Usually I hate boisterous/obnoxious birthday singing at restaurants but this was pretty cool. They took our picture and sung a Japanese (I think?) birthday song too. Overall, I think the food was pretty good, but not amazing. I think you're paying for the show, not the quantity of food (which was not a lot, except for the chicken/steak).
(4)
D.M. M.
This is a fun restaurant to go for a birthday. I'm not sure I want to go there with just the two of us though, and sit with strangers around the grill... but going with a group of friends/family is fun. The food was very good, the chef was fun to watch as he prepared the food at the table and he paid attention allergies very well and I was pleased to learn they did not use MSG! I was always worried about going there because of that. We loved the ginger salad dressing, we even bought one for carryout to take home with us. The prices are a bit high so we won't be able to go there too often, but hopefully we'll get to go a couple times a year.
(4)
Rello R.
I have never had a bad time here. The drinks are great and the food is fabulous. I tend to go here for any big or small event. I like this place so much I have came by myself. I love everything about it. The tricks are getting old and its hard to act excited about the same routine but hey the food is good. I usually get the Rocky's Choice or Benihana Delight. My 2 favorites!!!!!
(5)
Lovely J.
Terribly DISAPPOINTED; I just found out this evening on "Martin Luther Kings B-Day" that the Benihana on Butterfield Road in Lombard, IL is unorganized and unconcerned about how the hostesses are treating African American guests. The hostess gave us a waiting remote that she never activated in their system. We sat there and waited over 20 minutes to be seated and all the hostess and the manager (Grace) had to say when I brought it to their attention was that "they didn't know what happened" My family and I have supported this establishment for years; hate it had to end this way!
(1)
Rocio S.
Yum, yum! Fun times, good food, and yummy drinks! I love to come here with family!
(5)
Dan C.
Fun night celebrating at Benihana. Place keeps our 3 year old entertained all night. We actually enjoyed our time and ate while he watched the show! First time trying the sesame crusted tuna - VERY good! Will be back again.
(4)
Jason R.
(Quick tip: Make a reservation on the weekends, unless you enjoy long waits in restaurant holding pens). I typically don't eat here, but for the past two years I have gone to celebrate a friend's birthday. That's about the only time I'd go. I do enjoy the show from the chefs; their cooking and cutting skills are unrivaled. However, I do prefer conversing with my dining mates and that's nearly impossible to do when you can potentially be seated 10 or 12 feet away. Even if you want to talk to someone two or three seats over, you practically have to shout to be heard above the ventilation fans and clinking and clanking of the cookwear. The food is good, but it's never as good as you want it to be for the price you end up paying. Again, I understand part of that is paying for the cooking show taking place in front of you, but if you've seen it once you've seen it a hundred times; the thrill wears off. And for some reason, the folks on the hibachi side don't know what Sriracha is and that it's available on the sushi side of the restaurant. I like my Asian food extremely spicy, but they look at me like I have a third eye when I ask for Sriracha to spice up what is typically a bland tasting dish. In short, the show is nice but the food is average. I would (and do) only eat here if I am invited out by a friend who is going here.
(3)
Sara D.
AWFUL! This was the WORST Japanese restaurant I have ever eaten at! If you want overpriced flavorless food this is the place for you!! They even charged for hot sauce!
(1)
Federico H.
Overall, Benihana was a highlight of my day, but our group did have a few problems with our experience. We enjoyed our hibachi meal about as much as other hibachi restaurants. We enjoyed the appetizers, especially the zucchini and shrimp, both of which were fabulous. The filet mignon was also wonderful, as well as the "colossal shrimp". However, the teriyaki chicken lacked a teriyaki flavor. We all eventually got to drinking the wonderful strawberry lemonade. Our cook seemed a little nervous as if it was his first day. He began to prepare the teriyaki chicken mentioned above as if it was lemon chicken. We reminded him that we had ordered teriyaki chicken, and towards the end of the cooking, he quickly put on the teriyaki sauce. The staff seemed to have rushed us throughout all our meal, and there was no need, since a few tables were completely empty. We were not pleased when the bill arrived simultaneously with our desert and weren't even asked if we needed anything else, something very unusual for a high-end restaurant. Overall, however, this was a good experience!
(4)
Paul L.
Nothing bad to say, as I've been coming here for years. However, one tip: This place loves salt (Not that there's anything wrong with that). So, save yourself some dough by foregoing the expensive chop of meat and go for the regular steak dishes, as they taste very similar when all said and done. Trust me, I'm that guy. I did side-by-side comparisons.
(5)
Bella J.
I have been to Benihana only couple of times. First time was long ago and I remember sitting next to the big table where the chef makes food just in front of you. It is a quite entertaining show. All the seafood is being flipped in front of you and then goes to your plate! Thumbs up for that. Second time i went there was not so long ago. I was with friends that are regular customers in this restaurant. We went to the sushi bar and got served right away. Firstly, we got some mushroom soup that i didn't like so much, but later we got hot sushi. It was delicious. Also, the waiter was constantly filling up on the green tea which was nice.
(4)
Junior D.
I have been to other local Hibachi restaurants that blow Benihana's out the water. Benihana's is overpriced and over rated. Long wait, and my chicken tasted like rubber. Portions were small compared to other hibachi places. We had a party of 7 and the cook was trying to entertaining but forgot to cook food for 2 people. So they had to watch us eat while they waited for their food. The only reason I gave 2 stars is there sushi was good.
(2)
Ruby P.
As my first time being at a hibachi grill it was interesting. The showmanship of the chef was great. I had the Teriyaki Chicken with a side of Chicken fried rice. In all honesty the meat was pretty blah tasting. I ended up having shrimp on my plate for some reason also and it tasted plain, too. The meat was prepared just by cooking(no seasoning) THEN after its finished by putting the sauce on it. It didn't have time to soak up any of the yummy flavoring. For the expensive pricing you did get a very reasonable amount of food. Also, for a Friday night at 8 pm it was pretty empty.
(3)
Suzy D.
This is really 2.5 stars. Okay so my husband and I were driving around in the burbs and were trying to decide where to grab lunch. I have never been to Benihana so I wanted to try it. I thought that the chefs were going to like toss shrimp into my mouth and I would catch them....like the stuff you see on TV. My husband has been to Benihana before and told me not to set my hopes too high because he said it was Americanized Japanese food..but I thought it was worth trying. So we arrived at Benihana, the parking lot was kind of empty for noon on a Saturday, but we went in anyways. The restaurant is quite large and it was pretty empty. There were a few families grabbing lunch, but the place was not at all busy. We were asked if we'd like to sit at the sushi counter or at a tepanyaki table. Since I was here to see the amazing tricks of food tossed in the air, we chose to be seated at the tepanyaki table. Our entrees came with fried rice, veggies, and salad. The salad was okay, but there was a bit too much dressing and it had a strange aftertaste. We watched our chef prepare our meal (I had scallops and shrimp, and my husband had yakisoba and steak). It was fun watching him do the little tricks, but he put butter on EVERYTHING. This is definitely Americanized Japanese food and made what I thought would be a fairly healthy lunch pretty unhealthy afterall. Everything was decent. Nothing delicious or worth writing home about though. Anyways, nobody tossed any shrimp in my mouth...so that was a little disappointing. Overall, I am not a big fan of the food and won't be back because I prefer authentic Japanese cuisine. However, I believe Benihana is a decent place for people that want Americanized Japanese food.
(3)
Cam L.
The best hibachi! They have a great hibachi chicken and shrimp combo for two... And amazing fried rice and fresh sushi!! You will NOT be disappointed!
(4)
Sarah H.
And they have expanded the Endless Sushi Lover for $26.95 a person deal to include Friday and Saturdays. My suggestion: Call ahead, make sure it is still going on. I cannot say this enough, $26.95??? Skip that insane hour long wait for crappy tepanyaki and make a beeline to the sushi bar. I have never had to wait.
(5)
Aileen E.
We come here often for the lunch specials which are of great quality for the price. The sushi is fresh and the rice sticky! The specials are a good deal and come with either soup, salad, and ice cream depending on which special you choose. All of which are worth trying and delicious. Will be back!
(4)
Kawone H.
Nothing special. Food and service was average, wig nothing that stood out. Compared to other teppanyaki grills, Items are an extra charge, such as fried rice or noodles. Whereas comparable restaurants provide those items in lieu of plain (white) rice. There was a time when Benihana offered the only, thereby the best, in this style of cooking. Now, there is competition that makes it worth the cost. I'm certain that I will opt for those other restaurants in the future.
(3)
Dan K.
There is an express lunch which I think is kind of a hidden thing? I dunno, I never knew about it until recently. You have a limited menu and you don't get the full show. However they still do a condensed version that doesn't include the making of the fried rice. You sit at tables away from the riff raff that want entertainment and you can be in and out in about 30 minutes. Ok looking at some other reviews, it's not that hidden. But, it was hidden from me, so I'm gonna leave it up there. This place is pretty big and always fairly quick. I've only been here for lunch though, so I can't comment on dinner.
(4)
Bill S.
Benihana has never really disappointed me. However, they use the same food presentations over and over again. The heart rice, the volcano train onion tower and the shrimp toss in the hat or pocket and knive play before cooking and the egg spin on the spatula. Wish they would add some new acts. All in all,food is good and they take a picture of you and your birthday as a memento. Haven't tried the sushi bar or really haven't paid attention whether they have any drink specials. Great place for families. Wish the waiters did a better job refilling my drinks. Would be easier if they placed hot tea pot or water pitcher for the table. Also took one star off for the very bland salads that taste worse than fresh start brand the the soup was literally all water and maybe two pieces of small onion. Please prove these items.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No 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 : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Wesley S.
Benihana serves a high quality and tasty teppanyaki. However, Benihana's sushi is outstanding. Benihana is one of the top Japanese sushi places in Chicago. The teppanyaki area is fairly large. If you are waiting to be seated, the restaurant is probably gathering up the group of customers, assigning the chef and helpers to the table, and so on. It's not a matter of no space available. The simplest way to see the teppanyaki options is to view the menu at their web site. The ingredients that are used for these dishes are high quality and fresh. Squid is fresh, steak is restaurant quality, even the onions are Vidalia type. The green tea is magnificent. The rice is a well-chosen variety that is cooked perfectly.The seasoning that Benihana uses goes well with the teppanyaki. The end result is a tasty, almost luxuriously satisfying meal. Benihana achieves this result using almost the bare minimum of ingredients, further emphasizing, confirming, as it were, the high quality of its teppanyaki. Japanese meals have no dessert, but there is a green tea ice cream on the menu available for those who want a dessert. The sushi bar has its own space and its own dining room. There is not much to say about the sushi. It is fresh and outstanding, outclassing most other restaurants in Chicago. This is a Japanese sushi bar, so you can run up a big bill quickly. A seaweed salad, tofu side dish, soup and an a la carte sushi order can start at $50, not counting drinks and sake. It's worth it. The teppanyaki lunch menu is basically the same as the dinner menu, but much less expensive. Consider going at lunchtime if that is an option. Benihana is an excellent teppanyaki restaurant and a truly outstanding sushi bar. I recommend the teppanyaki for lunch, the sushi anytime. ===== 10-26-11: We had lunch at Benihana yesterday. The restaurant must be under some competitive and economic pressure. (1) In the evening happy hour time, like 5:00-7:00 (call to find out the exact hours), the sushi bar is offering half-price nigiri, an amazing deal. (2) for all teppanyaki lunches, vegetable fried rice is now included. It is no longer $2.50 extra, although chicken fried rice is $1.00 extra, which is, in my opinion a rather modest surcharge. Overall, Benihana is now an exceptionally good deal. --- wys
(4)Steph V.
I love the food and the Chef Ramiro is awesome! Good laugh, environment, and I really love that they have brown rice. The ginger sauce is amazing!
(4)Scott P.
This benihanas sucks. The lady clearing our table was bossy and angry. Our chef (efren)had the nerve to serve the 3 members of our party the smallest possible portions of vegetables (no kidding, 4 peices of onion...) and rice while giving the other people at our table much better portions (I feel, based on this and the language they spoke to one another in, there was a bias here...). Food was over salted. The ocean treasure was not worth 20 bucks, nevermind 40. Just bad bad bad.
(2)Erin K.
I sometimes wonder how other people choose restaurants to try. For my family, its based on coupons. Most specifically, the birthday coupons my sale-frenzied father signs ALL of us up to receive. I'm feeling like Kim Kardashian having multiple birthday dinners...you know, minus the perfect hair, fancy dress and heaps of people wanting to know my every move. For my mom's 3rd birthday dinner...we went to Benihana. Getting there about 5:15pm seemed like a perfect time. It was busy but we didn't have a wait. As we left, it seemed much more crowded...and now I know why. They have great food! I realize that I'm probably as easy to entertain as a kindergartener, so a place like this is great and as I watched the chef flip shimp tails into his hat and pocket, I was thinking of people I would like to bring back here. The waitress offered us drinks, sushi, and specials. We went with just the specials and were quite pleased. Once the chef arrived (after a tasty onion soup and a light house salad) we had zucchini, onions, shimp...chicken fried rice, steamed rice, chicken, steak...lots of steak! For a girl who is usually heavily dependant on steak sauce, I was pleased with both the ginger and the mustard based dipping sauces. I also very much liked to watch what was being fixed before me...both for my family and the others at our table. For a light dessert, we choose chocolate ice cream to go with our hot tea. (Mom's dessert came with a candle, a photo which was printed and given to us before we left and a rendition of Happy Birthday in 2 languages!) While our waitress was a little lacking with the few things we asked for (my steamed rice was about 10 minutes late and we had to ask for it..she was coming back with my mom's second cup of tea as we were leaving, we thought she forgot...) it wouldn't prohibit me from returning. I suppose now I will just have wait for my birthday coupon to arrive! In the mean time I'm going to try my hand at making a grilled onion volcano of steam for myself...if I only had a hat for my shrimp tails as well!
(4)Darla W.
We went on a Saturday night, and could only get 8pm reservations which was a little disappointing with two kids in the tow. However that is not a reflection of my rating. We have been to other Hibachi restaurants and we were not impressed with Benihana's as much as we were other places. I can say the cocktails were delicious and all the staff were friendly but the food was not at the top of our caliber. I do think it is great for groups though!
(3)WeiWei C.
Benihana is one of my favorite place for lunch. Every time i go, always with a bunch of moms and kids, and they are super nice, plus they don't mind we sit there and talk for long time. Lunch are great value, just little under $20, included tips and tax, it will feed all 3 of us.
(4)Stacey W.
The only problem I've ever had with this Benihana is trying to get a refill. Besides that the food is delicious, the chefs are entertaining (not always authentic Japanese chefs, but who really cares?), and I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated. The fried rice is AWESOME, the flavored lemonades are even better (when you can get them), and they serve Häagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert. Their dinner-for-2 specials really can't be beat!
(4)Amanda C.
I'm a fan of hibachi Japanese restaurants. They are pricey, but I've always enjoyed the food and show. It's not something we do often (because frankly who can afford it) but we go at least once a year. For the most part, this was just like any other Japanese hibachi. Sit at a table with 6 other strangers and have your food cooked in front of you. I went here on my actual birthday. It seemed like every 4 minutes the staff was hovered around another table singing happy birthday. There were 2 other people at my table celebrating their birthday too. I did sign up with them a couple years ago and they send a birthday coupon for $30 off. That was nice. I did use this coupon, I didn't feel like we were treated different for using a coupon either. The staff was all very very friendly and attentive. The food was delicious. The filet cooked a perfect medium rare as ordered, the soup (not miso like another reviewer suggested) is an onion soup with onion straws, green onions and mushrooms in it. I LOVED this soup. It's probably the best soup I've had at a Japanese restaurant. The ginger salad was just like any other ginger salad, nothing really made this one stand out. The fried rice was delicious, we ordered fried noodles too, they are not on the menu and they were fantastic! The zucchini and onions were good. Others are right, it is A LOT of onion, but we love onion so we were pleased with this. I had the lobster tail. It was my first time to try lobster. Shocking I know. I wasn't impressed. I definitely feel like lobster is something I should try at a seafood place, steamed, with lemon butter. Hibachi lobster just isn't doing it for me. I wish I would have ordered the jumbo shrimp instead. They were enormous and delicious ( I tasted my boyfriends.) My filet is what was called the Chateaubriand. It's a prime cut of tenderloin. It costs a little more but it's definitely worth it. My boyfriend had a regular filet, and while it was delicious too, mine was leaps and bounds better in regards to taste. They were both very tender, melt in your mouth tender. There were a couple things that were unpleasant for me. The first was the $3 price tag on Pepsi. I noticed other people at our table ordering water which I thought was funny because if they would have read the menu they would know that the waters cost $2. Beverage prices are steep. You wouldn't notice probably after shelling out $40 a plate for food, but I notice things like this. The other thing that bothered me was the volume. I don't know if it's because I'm a year older or what, but I couldn't hear anything anyone from the staff said to me. I had to keep looking at my partner for "translation." Our chef was a low talker. Every time he said something to me I just smiled and nodded. He probably thought I was "slow." Another thing I was sorry about was they don't have the traditional seafood sauce like most other hibachis. I LOVE seafood sauce and was extremely disappointed they didn't have it. They did have one though but it was a ginger seafood sauce. Not the same. Overall it was a good time. The food was good, the show is fun and they take your picture (maybe for the birthdays?") Without a coupon, before tip, ordering 2 of the most expensive dishes on the menu the ticket ran about $100. I think this is extremely reasonable for the amount and quality of food. I would say try this place at least once.
(3)Osiris V.
Went there today. Got Sammy..he's the BEST. ;) They changed their menu a bit. Instead of onion and zucchini, now you get onion, zucchini AND carrots. Still great.
(4)Jade M.
This was my first time at Benihana's and God willing it will be my last. 1) it's like a zoo in there. All the servers run around like chickens with their heads cut off, I had like 3 different servers coming up to our table for drink orders and etc and that's not even including the cook. It was so confusing who was supposed to be helping us. And when I ordered something from one server, one of the other ones would come up to me and I'd basically have to repeat my order 4x. 2) it's filthy. The floors are unreasonably dirty. I know that since they cook the food in front of you a lot can end up on the floor, but if I was a cockroach or a rat, Benihana's is the place to be. Also they clean the grill thing with a soggy looking towel that makes it reek like bleach and then they cook your food on the bleach reeking table top. 3) lets get to the worst part, the food. Ok where to start? I guess at the miso soup? They serve you this broth soup, that I am assuming is supposed to be miso, except missing the few ingredients in miso soup and replaced with uncooked mushroom and some other questionable looking things. The ginger salad they serve is not at all appetizing looking but tasted okay.. I ordered something safe for my main course, lemon chicken. Wow, that was probably the single worst piece of chicken I ever had. I dont eat fast food but Mc Donalds does a better job with their chicken and theirs isn't even real! So Benihana's starts off with real chicken breast. Ok good start. Then the chef cuts it into pieces and puts 2 dollops of this fake butter, looking stuff on your chicken, and finishes it off with squeezing a lemon wedge on top. I didn't get one hint of lemon when I tasted it, and that fake butter stuff coated my mouth and insides with the nastiest feeling. I had to go home and scrub my mouth with a toothbrush to get that oil coating out of my mouth. I literary felt sorry for my body for eating those 5 pieces of chicken. And by the way, the onion and zucchini that they serve as a veggie dish are just as fowl. I wouldn't feed this food to my dog or even a starving child in a 3rd world country. Also the set up is not at all good for conversing with friends. These style restaurants are good for awkward blind dates, or for the family where the kids are in an awkward stage and hate talking to their parents, or even small work group outings. Because it gives you something to talk about. But if your social skills are fine and you want to have intimate conversations or be able to talk at all then this is NOT the place for you.
(1)Katherine B.
The thing I've noticed with a lot of hibachi places is that they over cook their scallops so that they become quite rubbery but Benihana does not, the calamaria and scallops are never chewy and are sooooo good. It's a bit pricey but it is so worth it. The soup, salad and fried rice are perfect and the chefs are actually quite talented. It's more than a show to them.
(5)Jennifer S.
We had a fun group dinner last night at Benihana. It is always a great place to take a large group to have some fun, food and drinks. The food is good, but nothing special. The service was a-ok, but again, nothing special, but still a fun place to take a group for dinner nevertheless!
(3)Buttermilk P.
O-ver rat-ed clap-clap clap-clap-clap. The food was good but the reason to go here is the chef's who do all sorts of tricks flipping their utensils before, during and after they prepare your meal in front of you. The food was pretty much all the same to me, chicken and shrimp on the hibachi grill (a hot/huge griddle). Again, it was good but nothing spectacular. My wife and I went for lunch and our waiter was terrible (a young kid who seemed to loathe the idea of serving the gringos for another day). The chefs do all the work by preparing and serving the food. The waiters do minimal tending and bring water. We wanted to tip the chef but he disappeared after serving us so regretfully we had to tip our waiter. It was nice to say we've had the Benihana experience but I'm not counting the days till I go back.
(3)Josh K.
Benihana's never disappoints. The food is always great and the chefs always put up with my special requests (no onions, extra hot sauce). My particular visit this week was no different. The manager was very nice and showed me the table we would be sitting at in advance of the arrival of the remainder of our party (large group). I can only imagine what it must be like for the servers to handle such a large group (about 20 people), but they did a good job. Kudos to another great Benihana's performance.
(4)Melisah B.
My boyfriend and I went here for his birthday this past Sunday. The staff was really great about accommodating my food allergies and with that being said, the only thing I was really able to eat was some chicken cooked with oil and lemon, but it was still delicious sans all the butter, soy sauce, egg, etc. The only other items I was able to eat, both of which came with my dinner, was a plain side salad and plain steamed rice. They forgot to give me the rice and I had to ask for it after the chef quickly packed up and left at the end after serving the regular fried rice to everyone else. Hmm. The only complaint I have is that our waitress seemed to be distressed by any questions that I had which I didn't think were difficult such as requesting that one ingredient be omitted from my cocktail. She was also openly upset either about some other customers or other employees and loudly complained about them as she stood in front of our table after the chef had left and stormed away before returning with a posse with which to sing happy birthday. Overall, it was a nice night out and it was also the first dining out experience I've had since I learned about all of my [unfortunate] dietary restrictions and the chef was great about asking questions to be sure he wasn't serving me anything that would kill me!
(4)Edward B.
Only offering 4 stars because it's expensive, and I'm just not a fan of expensive restaurants because I'm a frugal person. I friend and I went because I signed up for their email list and I had a coupon for a free meal ($30 max - a nice deal) during my birthday month. Had the warm Benihana sake....not the best sake you can get..skip it. Everything else was very high quality, very tasty and had enough leftovers from my meal alone for a second leftover meal. The show was pretty amazing....our chef was very impressive.
(4)SANDY P.
I love it, love it, love it!!! The best Chinese food I have every had in my life! And when they cook it infront of you, it makes your exprence there even better!
(5)Martin D.
Saturday, we were celebrating my gals favorite aunt's bday. So, her choice was Beni's! I havent been here in about 10 years and I can't say why I havent come back sooner! The dinner starts off with a great show. The chef on Saturday was crowd pleasing and humorous. He did a lot to keep everyone involved as well as our attention. Some of the tricks are really amazing and fun. As for the food, I have never had a bad meal here. I had the chicken and shrimp and it was outstanding. The fried rice and veggie tempura was also delicious. That all said, good food a plenty and entertainment...I can't ask for more!
(4)Joey B.
This place is spectacular. You first walk in and see some tables( it kinda gets crowded) the tables are for waiting. Then when your waitress brings you to your table you see a stove. At this place they make it fresh and in front of your eyes. They even do tricks. My favorite cook so far is Juan. When your food comes it's great. Sushi Is good to. The price isn't to bad kinda pricey but well worth it.
(5)Carrie S.
Benihana's is always a fun hibachi grill experience. I've been here a few times and it doesn't get old with the fun tricks that the chefs do. I always enjoy their cocktails like a ginger sake martini which was particularly tasty. The food is generally good. Nothing too special and the homemade fried rice good use some more soy sauce. Our chef definitely liked garlic butter because our fried rice was distinctly garlicky. The sushi tends to be pricey, though there's an all you can eat sushi special for happy hour that's worth a try. It's a good dinner entertainment place like dinner theatre only the food is the focus not the cringe worthy acting.
(4)Shirelle L.
I love this place. Everytime I go, I get a fun and friendly chef. I'm amazed at how fast they are.
(5)Nicky C.
Smells awful and shady tactics. Went there on a birthday certificate with my mother and kids. I was paying for my meal with my certificate and my mother was paying for herself and the kids. Manager approaches and says I can't do that because we are in the same party. But there is no rule against separate checks, so I didn't understand. I asked proof in writing,..but claimed she was the gm and could just make up the rules. I once again stated that she needs to provide such a rule in writing. She the said there was no way she could include every scenario in writing? What? Has she ever signed an Apple iTunes agreement? Clearly not the brightest. I just left. I've been going there for years now and will never go back again. These people are desperate for cash and they cut corners with the lack of updates to the grill areas and it smells like old diapers in the restaurant.
(1)Kris Z.
I love Benihana's. You can get good sushi, a mai tai, and entertainment along with good, fresh japanese teppanaki(sp?) Some chefs are better than others in the talent show dept. but still entertaining and sometimes you even make friends at the table. Instead of steak, always get the tenderloin. Well worth the upgrade.
(5)Susan D.
Came here on a Friday night to take my daughter out for her birthday. We had a party of 4 including a 2 year old who loves to eat out and is very well behaved. We were crammed in to a table with 3 strangers. Hardly any elbow room. My daughter ordered some sushi, which did arrive fairly promptly and she enjoyed it. However the others at our table had to keep asking for their appetizer several times. The manager then came to apologize that there would be a small delay in having a chef for us (on a Friday night? Poor scheduling!) and over half an hour later we were very hungry, the baby was getting a bit restless, and still no chef, so we left. We did receive a small bowl of soup and a small salad with icky watery dressing on it that I for one could not eat. The manager at least was apologetic, did not charge us for what we'd had so far, and gave my daughter a coupon to use next time. That's the only reason I am giving this experience 2 stars instead of 1. But she can come back by herself, I won't go out of my way to give it a 2nd chance.
(2)Yurgen Y.
Can't speak for the food that they toss in their dirty hats, but the endless sushi is awesomely fresh. No one wants foul fish. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Marissa G.
My buddy treated me to dinner for my 1/2 birthday. (Weird right? LoL her argument was that she was out of the country and missed the actual date and is making it up) The food was pretty good, the cook was entertaining, but what made me a fan of this place can be summed up in two words: Benihana Soup. Srsly I would have that for lunch everyday if I could. I just wish they they had take out for that reason alone, because going there only for the soup would be kinda weird and lol.....cheap looking.
(4)Andrey R.
went there for my birthday with my family and best friend! great experience with watching how your food are being done in a front of you. I, personally, am a big seafood fan, ordered Salmon. It was delicious. Service was great, they sang Happy Birthday to me and even was complimentary group picture. Definitely will come back.
(3)Lexi S.
i love this place and the one downtown is also good. but would like to try their sushi instead. The food was pretty good i yet felt we didnt get too much food for what we paid for. unless i just didnt request more than a handful lol. yet i love to see them prepare the food in front of me and also fast service. it is good but i wouldnt go there too much it is expensive for their food.
(3)S S.
Pleasantly surprised. I never had sushi here until a few years ago and it is still one of my top 3 sushi places in the west suburbs
(4)Cassie B.
i have been here twice. the first time was a LOOOONG time ago and it was so very fun to see the stuff made in front of you. the atmosphere/decor is cutesy Japanese. the second time was more recently, and we went back because we had liked it so much before ... i don't know if it's because i am older, and/or i know more about food, but i thought the tricks were cheesy and the food was only OK. I'd prefer to go to a normal Japanese steakhouse that isn't so pricey. I'm a stick in the mud now i guess.
(3)Jessica B.
Went here yesterday for lunch with my boyfriend. This is probably one of my favorite places to eat. We got the Chef Special which includes hibachi shrimp,chicken and vegetables (onion, zucchini etc.), ginger salad, soup, rice and green tea. We upgraded our rice to chicken fried rice. We were sat at a table with a mom, grandma, and 2 small children. This was the only negative part to our experience. Maybe that makes me a douche but I don't have kids for a reason, and normally I do not mind but these 2 were somewhat obnoxious. Onion broth soup-AMAZING, Ginger Salad-FANTASTIC (I could literally drink this dressing). Our Chef came out and introduced himself as Jose. He was awesome. He wasn't as animated as some of the others we have had but he was very quick and precise which I appreciated. The shrimp just melts in your mouth and I love it smothered in the mustard sauce. The vegetables were very tender and the chicken was cooked perfectly. I also smother these things in mustard sauce. Lastly, the chicken fried rice is amazing and a must. A little more money but completely worth it. After stuffing my face til it was hard to breathe we finished our lunch with the complimentary green tea. After this all I wanted was a nap. The bill came out to like $48 I think. It's a bit expensive but when I want a treat I think it's worth it. I hope the Chef Special never leaves since this is pretty much the only reason we can afford it regularly.
(5)Diana R.
Since they closed the Chicago location we had to travel to this Benihana. And i'll tell you we had a great time we had here. The entire staff was EXTREMELY friendly and attentive. The food here is delicious and you must try their Mango Saketini!!! Oh and some of the chef's from the Chicago Benihana location are at this one too!
(5)Justin R.
The food was good, but I don't like sitting so close to people I don't know. For those of you who haven't been to a Benihana, they have about 8 chairs around one of several large grills where they cook your food right in front of you, which is neat, but I didn't like the close quarters with others, but that's probably just my problem. Kinda pricey, I won't go back unless it's for a special occasion.
(3)Justin G.
I've only been to this location once since the demise of the one in the city. The experience was extremely lame when you add up how much our meals cost. I will forever hold a grudge with this location. The food was decent, but not great. And our chef sucked. HE DIDN'T EVEN ATTEMPT a trick. And I should put the disclaimer out there that this was definitely only our experience because ALL THE OTHER CHEFS AT OTHER TABLES WERE DOING TRICKS!!! I'd put aside the okay taste if we got the damn show, but no, I got the lame chef. LAME! LAME! LAME! I feel ripped off by the terminal lamocity endeared to us by this pathetic display of non-gusto.
(2)Lauren S.
I have been here once and I have great memories of it. I ordered the filet mignon I believe and it was delicious. Of course I get lots of other food with it too... soup, rice, veggies, etc. The chicken fried rice was the BEST rice I've ever eaten in my entire life. Had I known it was going to be so good, I would've made it my whole meal! Down sides- too pricey for regular visits, and sitting with strangers. We had a nice but loud bunch and one guy kept talking to us and telling my date "Man, you're on fire!!" And this was before the guy had anything to drink... Anyway it was a great meal and crazy nearby patrons aside, I'd go there all the time if I could afford it.
(4)kathy b.
please tell me if i'm wrong went here several years back and was disgusted! first thing noticed was the filth! they place/rug was gross. If there is one thing you come to expect in a Japanese setting it is cleanliness! I would have left but didn't want to disappoint my family so they all enjoyed the "show" which is fun but order sushi here! NEVER. I haven't been back won't go back and will caution anyone to wait till they get inspected by the health dept!
(1)jeff y.
The quality of the sushi has gone done from before, smaller cuts of fish. So disappointed because we only come here for the sushi bar
(2)Gregor M.
Typical Benihana. Need I say more?
(2)Lizzi C.
This is such a fun restaurant to go to for a special occasion, since it's expensive. It is packed around dinner time pretty much any day of the week. If you make a reservation, which I think is strongly recommended, you will still have to wait. I think I waited one nite for twenty or thirty minutes and I had made a reservation beforehand. You sit at a long rectangular table with a cooking surface in the middle of it for the chef to prepare food. If you have enough people in your group, you won't have to sit with other parties. A waitress comes around before the chef starts cooking and gets drink orders, sushi orders, and what you want the chef to prepare you at the table. The sushi is prepared at the sushi bar. The sushi is so delicious and fresh-I strongly recommend the Las Vegas rolls. I had never eaten sushi before and was a little afraid, but it was absolutely delicious. I have even ran in on a weeknight to the sushi bar to get an order to go. There are several combinations you can order for the main course from shrimp to steak to chicken, everything is amazing-and cooked right in front of you! The chef does special tricks with the food while he's preparing it...
(5)Kunal C.
I am a regular Happy Hour visitor here due to a few reasons that I am going to mention below: 1. Chilly Shrimp Roll: nothings gonna change my love for you. :p . This roll is exceptional, in credible and out of the world. I enter the place, and even before ordering water or drinks, I just place an order for this and then browse the menu. Lol. I think I can eat that 3 times a day and 3 times while I am asleep. 2. Happy hour Options: I did read some reviews where people have written about how expensive this place is. Well, sushi places are usually expensive. Good thing about this place is their happy hour menu which have great options that are half off.. 4. Side chicken fried rice: its different that your regular fried rice. Good quality and a different taste. 5. Awesome waiter and waitress: not sure if thats a coincidence, but we usually get our same fav waiter who is awesomeeee. We also get a waitress and she is relaly sweet too. But its either one of them whenever we go and it feels very nice since they feel genuine for us. Out of curiosity, I did try their hibachi once. Great work and the knife show, but the food was average. Didnt like their teriyaki chicken wings either. So I gave 4/5 but for sushi, staff and happy hour, ill give 10/10.
(4)Cloey S.
My husband and I ate here for the first time last week for his birthday. It was really easy to make a reservation online. I was unaware that they seat you with other people if you have less than 8 in your group. I saw another couple that had a table all to themselves so maybe there's a way to reserve an entire table? I didn't mind too much, but it would have been nice to be able to sit by ourselves. The waitresses were on point. Always making sure drinks were refilled and taking plates away to make room on the table. It does get cramped when you're shoulder to shoulder with another group of people. The chef was entertaining and funny. It was fun to watch our food be prepared and cooked. I ordered collasal shrimp and my husband ordered spicy chicken. We both got fried rice with our meat. I wasn't a huge fan of the shrimp. It was pretty bland. My husband loved his chicken and I also took a bite. Pretty tastey. I loved the fried rice, but my husband wasn't really liking it. They give you two dipping sauces to choose from. A sauce for seafood. It was tangy and I really liked it. The other sauce was a mustard sauce for red meat and chicken. It was ok. The starter soup was delicious. That's something we both loved. We ended with green tea and green tea ice cream. The green tea was way too hot and by the time it cooled off we were already leaving so it was kind of pointless getting that. The green tea ice cream was awesome though. If you like sweet green tea, you'd love this ice cream. This is a place to go to on special occasions. Dress code is business casual, but I noticed not many people followed that anyway.
(3)Andrea H.
We had a great experience here last night! We made reservations for 7pm but I knew our one friend would be a little late and they book every half hour so I told them that over the phone and they said it would be ok. She ended up being about 20 min later than I thought and the staff was still nice about it and got us in! That's a big deal to me because I know how important reservations are and they were pretty busy. We had a group of 4 so we were seated with 2 other couples, full table our waiter was friendly and our chef was very funny and personable. No complaints there. I feel like with hibachi you kinda just learn as you go. I've always done the pick an entree and just eat everything that comes with it. Remember that you can get fried rice for a little extra! I don't think I saw it on the menu but it's a thing! Since I've been to other hibachi places, I'm a little sad they don't have the egg sauce here or golden sauce, it's my favorite, but the food was very delicious and cooked beautifully. I got scallops last night and that's not an easy thing to cook. Thanks for providing us a fun girls night out! We will be back!
(5)Joanna T.
Consistent. Every time. Yes, it's a chain, you probably have one in your hood. It can get crazy busy for every holiday, mother's, father's days, Labor Day, just a zoo. They pack you in and get you out as quick as they can so they can seat the next round. I don't come to sit at a table that cooks your food, I come and sit in the lounge area, get my sushi fix when I'm in this area, and leave. They have happy hour specials with some of they're most popular rolls at a really cheap price. The sushi is consistently fresh, if not inventive. Good for fresh sushi, some fried veggie rice which is not greasy and a cup of miso, and quick in the lounge area. Good, fresh, consistent and cheap.
(3)Hiram C.
We made reservations for a specific time, and didn't get seated for another 15-20 mins later because we needed to fill the table with two other people (8 total). After much waiting, we finally got seated and we managed to get a table for just our family of 6, which was nice. They started with the usual soup and salad, and followed with our order. I was a little a surprised with their selection of items to cook first. They started with the veggies, and then cooked a small portion of shrimp and the chef served one person shrimp and proceeded with the rest of the order. It took at least 15 minutes for the chef to start on the rice. Once the rice was done, he proceeded to serve the rice in a small bowl. In the middle of his trick to serve rice, he drops the bowl and it shattered on the grill, all over the food, forcing him to have to start all over again. By this point, my veggies are getting cold and I'm even hungrier. I was forced to eat my veggies so that I could enjoy them while hot, and eventually got my fried rice 5-10 minutes later. Keep in mind our meat hasn't even been put on grill yet. We waited another 10-15 to get our chicken, shrimp, steak. The food was delicious once we had it, but it was a little frustrating having to wait for everything to be made. The family at the table next to us arrived after we did, and left before we did. On the plus side, I guess the Green Tea ice cream was good. I would give them one more try before officially ruling them out.
(3)Brent S.
TL;DR Kids had more fun than the adults, decent price, decent show, they screwed up the kids orders but more than made up for it Went for my birthday dinner, we got hibachi, ordered chicken & shrimp for one kid, steak & shrimp for the other kid, plain chicken for both adults, the salad and soups were brought out, I don't know why but every time I forget to tell them to bring ALL the salads without the terrible dressing. I have no idea what it is and not a single person wanted their salad after one bite. The onion soup was good as usual. Then the show began, the guy was decent, lots of razzle and dazzle as usual, they forgot my sons shrimp, then gave him my daughters steak but made more of both to make up for it. The fried rice was decent. The best things were the shrimp and steak. They brought out scoops of ice cream for the kids and me. I would avoid this place and stick with DAO as my favorite hibachi. Protip: $30 gift certificate on your birthday BUT you have to print it out beforehand AND it only applies to your order
(3)Jonathan P.
I haven't been to Benihana in about 8 years, so with my birthday approaching, I told my wife that I wanted to experience a blast from the past and do some habachi at Benihana. Perfect - dinner and a show, all wrapped up into one tight package. Or so we thought. Right when we walked in to the restaurant, we were hit with a huge wall of seafood smelling smoke. It was pungent, and my with my wife being pregnant, she was not very fond of the odor. We had reservations at 7:30pm on Saturday, but weren't seated until about 8pm. Benihana's knows how to take reservations, but not necessarily keep them, which is the whole point of the reservation process (shout out to Seinfeld). Anyways, we finally get seated at the grill and have to wait another 15 minutes or so while they fill the rest of the table. The one positive about the experience was our waiter - he was really good about refilling my Bud Lights. Dinner was just OK. I will second many other people's comments saying that there was a lot of time between getting the apps, rice and protein. The funniest thing was that the theatrics still haven't changed in the past 8 years - onion volcano, rice in a heart shape, shrimp in the pocket and hat. While I understand that it takes talent, I think that there could be some changes and improvements over the span of 8 years. Once we got home, my wife and I had to immediately change clothes and hop in the shower. The smell was overbearing, and the smell lingered in our car overnight. I should have taken my wife's advice and rolled down the windows. All in all, I'll probably wait another decade to return. Maybe then the chefs will perform some new tricks and hopefully the ventilation system would be updated.
(2)Jason D.
I love the setting but for the price I was not impressed. Hard to call the grilled shrimp pieces an appetizer and chicken fried rices was three$ extra. I left hungry and spent a nice $80. W two drinks from the bar. Can't say I'll return. Basically I had some steak w white rice and a grilled onion and zucchini.
(3)Chelsea E.
Go to the Happy Hour and ask for John! (err...I think that's his name ha!) Anywho, everytime my boyfriend and I come into this Benihanna we stop in for the happy hour in the lounge and John always takes real good care of us. Oddly enough, I'm usually a little sick when we make our way to Lombard or just getting over a cold and he always brings me tea to help with my throat (even without asking for it!). If that's not going above and beyond, I dont know what is. Needless to say, we love John and this location better than any other benihana location we've been to around Chicagoland. We'll be back soon!
(5)Sara T.
Miso hungry... MmMmmmm .... Miso..... Who doesn't love miso?! I have dined at Benihana countless times. It's right by my office so I often go for the express lunch. There are many options for express lunch, all for $10 or less. It's "express" because it's meant for those on lunch break. The only real difference is the rice is brought to you instead of cooked in front of you, so it's nice you still get the teppan show, but with time to spare. I usually get the steak option and it has yet to disappoint. This particular trip, though, I had a hankering for sushi and ordered a sushi combo plate offered during lunch hours. I swapped out the shrimp roll since I don't do shellfish. My combo included 2 tuna rolls + 1 salmon roll, and came with miso soup. Sushi hit the spot - nothing mind blowing but definitely nothing to complain about. I ate about half before getting full so I think it'd be enough for even a large guy. Other: - The service was good. - Get the green tea. They use matcha powder and it's pretty darned good. Pair it with sushi, and I'm in heaven!
(4)Sonia K.
First let me start by saying that Benihana's was my first introduction to Japanese Plum Wine. Prior to that I thought I couldn't drink wine. That's another story. I LOVED (past tense) Benihana's: literally me and my BFF's would just hop in the car and drive from the far south side to Beni's just because we had a craving-this was all before my latest venture. Not sure what has transpired at Benihana's. Maybe its the new menu's or the chef's, not quite sure but our dinner was horrible to say the least. My friend just asked for the check and he normally overtips. Not this time. My Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice-which I love by the way, was undercooked. Some of the rice kernels were hard and the chef popped rice all over the hibachi grill. I felt like I should have worn a visor or a face guard with googles. I just knew a kernel was going to land in my eye. It didn't help that we had some really demanding people at our table. I think they frazzled the chef even more. To the chef who couldn't get it together. He literally cooked one meal at a time. Not good. How does a meal that starts at 8:30 end at 10:40? He cooked the vegetables first, seafood, and steak last. Of course the veggies and the noodles were super cold by the time the steak was done. By the way the order of noodles are super small. A pack of ramen noodles has a bigger serving. I have tried other Hibachi grills and always rated Benihana's at the top. No more. Sorry Beni I wont be making another trip anytime soon. Cant get past my lobster being cold next to cold noodles.
(2)Shareef Y.
I don't know why restaurants do this, but nickel and diming your customers is never a good long term strategy. There's far too many hibachi restaurants to pull stuff like this off. First, they want to charge us extra for fried rice. There's literally a grill in front of us and they want to charge $4 per person just for a very small amount of oil and chicken. The included soup and salad are now served in smaller bowls.
(1)Jason M.
What is all the hype about? I've been to other hibachi places but had alwas heard Benihani was the best. Not really. The food was so-so, the show was nothing special, and all our clothes smelled HORRIBLE afterward. Way overpriced compared to other places and the chefs were inconsistent. Our guy didn't do some of the standard hibachi things like flipping food to people. And I think the hood above our table was broken because there was way too much smoke. Will not return.
(1)Tamara M.
Its actually surprising that I didn't like this place!!! I don't even know where to begin. Maybe it was the 45 minute wait on a Wednesday night when half of the restaurant was empty. Or it could have been that the hostess assumed that I wanted to sit at the hibachi grill in the corner being squeezed to death by a fat man and his fat family. Like I really had to pull an Dirty Dancing move and tell them that Nobody puts this baby in the Corner!!!! LOL. I am for real, I just couldn't deal. Anyway I had to get out of that situation and get me a table. Anyway back to food and drink. I will start with the drink, I had the apple Fuji bowl and it was delicious! I hate the fact that it was more ice then drink but you know that's how they get you. I had the whole bowl too!!! It was my birthday so I think its ok. Then I ordered the hibachi shrimp with rice of course and that was actually ok. It was not the greatest but it was good enough. My boyfriend ordered the sushi and I had some of it and honestly I was not impressed at all. It was wasn't good. For the price the portions were small and I don't feel like the fish was fresh. Either way I would not go back. Not even for the apple Fuji bowl and I did enjoy that drink.
(1)Edith s.
our server and chef were great and attentive. The food however, was horrible! The colossal shrimp was a mere 5 shrimp chopped up with zucchini and onions for 27.00 I ordered the sushi comb deluxe.... my sushi was not fresh! it was chewy and slimey. and that was 21.00 for about 7 pieces. After all said and done, we were still hungry and out 180.00 for 4 people. Will not be returning..... ever
(1)Amisha S.
I had the spicy chicken hibachi and was not disappointed. The soup, salad, shrimp, fried onions and zucchini made for great additions to the meal. Our chef Alex was so sweet and funny and made us have a great time while he cooked. I'd just remove one star for the wait time. We had a 8 pm reservation but still had to wait for Atleast 20 mins for our table. Regardless, I'll definitely come here again!
(4)Frank J.
Went for my wife's birthday and we enjoyed the ambience of the bar and dining area. Only problem was that the seating was very compact...no elbow room to truly enjoy the eating! Also compact for the two chefs to perform their cooking! Food of course was fresh and tasty as well! The strawberry/pina colada was the best EVER...Creamy and Flavorful! Best to come with a group of people not a place for a romantic seating for two!
(4)Vanessa C.
Loved my experience there! Went with a group of my girlfriends for a birthday and Miguel was our server. We asked for help picking out dinner and drink choices and loved everything! I've been there a multitude of times and never recieved service as well as Miguels'. He even took a picture and gave it to our group as a souvenir for our friends birthday; how thoughtful! Next time I come here, I'm only asking for Miguel!!
(5)Frank B.
I take my family here all the time. Always in for good food and good times. Good service and tasty and healthy food.
(4)Brit H.
Probably the worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. Let's start with seating; we made our reservation for 6:30 pm. We had 8 of our 12 people there so we asked to be sat. We had a 4 month old baby and there were a lot of people in the lounge/waiting area so we wanted to sit. They told us we couldn't be sat without our entire group because then we would have our orders put in at different times. It made sense but we could have just put in our drink order and waited. So our whole party arrives, we put our order in and then only ONE cook comes out.... I waited 10 mins for our other cook to come out and make our order before speaking to the manager. I spoke to a woman manager and said that I didn't understand what was going on. We were told we couldn't sit before our whole party arrived because you didn't want to cook our foods separately and now our whole party is here and our food is being cooked separately. She made an excuse and said that the cook probably just got our ticket late. I said well if you have a big party both cooks should be prepared and receive the orders at the same time. She then came to the table and told the cook to rush our food. My 3 year old niece ordered a cup of milk. After about 10 mins she threw up everywhere; herself, her food, the table and floor. Her dad took her to the bathroom and she said that the milk tasted kinda funny. We take the lid off the cup and there are HUGE chunks of old curdled milk. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. I walk over to a male manager and the first thing he does is blame it on a new vender. Instead of apologizing for a 3 year old throwing up he makes an excuse for it instead. After speaking to him and telling him that he needed to go to every table and make sure no other child had spoiled milk we sit down; by this time I am beyond irritated. I worked in the restaurant industry for 7+ years. You NEVER make an excuse for giving someone spoiled or bad food/drinks especially a CHILD!!! The woman manager comes over and tells me that she just drank the milk and that it was JUST FROZEN! At that point I went off. I let her know that the other manager made an excuse and now she is making an one too. I take her, the other manager and my cousin to the bar to try and not make a scene. I have the cup of spoiled milk in my hand, put my hand in the milk and grab a handful of chunks. I asked her if this looked like FROZEN MILK??? I asked her if she would drink this if I was given to her???? She then says you want me to drink it I'll drink it!!! Takes the spoiled milk out of my hands and chugs....That is definitely not what I expected but she is dumb for drinking it. All I wanted was for the managers to apologize to my niece, her parents, to ask what they could do to make things better and to check the other tables to make sure no other child was going to get sick. Instead I got excuses and a half ass apology. The only reason she took care of some of our bill was because she was scared of me. Lets just say I will never return.
(1)kim s.
Typical Japanese restaurant, lower quality good at high prices. The one thing I do not understand is how they can use the same cooking spatula for raw chicken and veggies that already have been cooked. Will not return.
(2)Rachael Z.
I wouldn't call myself an expert, but let's just say I've been around the Hibachi grill a few times or so. That being said, this was by far the worst tasting & experience to-date. I'll preface by saying I am blatantly comparing this to previous experiences at: Shinto Naperville, Domo 77, Kampaii and Shogun. I visited Benihana for lunch and ordered similar to what I would have ordered had it been a dinner. To begin with, the atmosphere is very drab. Low ceilings and muted, dark colors, with less than clean plates and surface areas (there was rice on my counter when I sat down). I presumed that the large plates sitting out were for decoration only (given that they had streaks on them and looked dirty) but food was indeed placed on them. I'd prefer to see a server bring out my plate if I'm going to eat out of it, not just arrive to it sitting there. The servers (taking orders and drink refills) were perfectly fine and attentive (if anything, moreso than in most other Hibachi restaurants). I loved that they had smaller lunch portions, though, surprised I had no leftovers. No soup was served, but I don't know if this is standard because it was lunch or normal at Benihana. Also, no shrimp appetizer, but again - not sure if that's because it was lunch or just the way Benihana operates. What a disappointment the salad was! Mushy cherry tomatoes and hard cabbage accompanied the greens, but the dressing was the major disappointment. I could practically drink ginger dressing but this wasn't nearly as tangy or mouth watering as I've had in the past. Our vegetables consisted of lots of onions, some zucchini, and tiny slivers of carrots that may as well not be counted, since there was probably one straw per person. I always look forward to vegetables, but hardly count half an onion and a few slices of zucchini as enticing. I did love that fried rice was the standard (no upcharge) but would rather have to pay an upcharge and receive better fried rice! Again, this didn't have as much flavor as I've had at other establishments. I chose scallops, and they cooked and cooked and cooked...until they were charred rubber - then they were served to me while every one else waited on the remainder of the food. So not only did I have rubbery scallops, but could have finished my meal well before everyone else at the table. I could have let all of this slide, if I had some delicious golden sauce (ie egg yolk sauce) to slather everything in, but they didn't even offer that either! Lastly, I can't help but point out how rehearsed everything was. Our Hibachi chef never cracked a smile and all his "jokes" felt forced. Unless I have to for work, I won't return to Benihana. Shinto in Naperville is where it's at.
(2)James D.
The steak in the Rockys Choice was kind of fatty : ( the cook, Oscar, missed catching several shrimp tails in his hat, but other than that it was good!
(3)Vick C.
I would recommend everyone should stay away from this restaurant, bad service! So we went to lunch there today with party of 5, late afternoon and apparently they sushi dining area wasn't full at all, but we still have been told to wait for 40 mins! I'm like are you kidding me? So I tried my best to ask them why we need to wait for that long when the dining is not full at all , they said that's how it is! So then we waited for half an hour when we asked again and found out that stupid manager or owner was confused that we want to do hibachi which I never said we would. If she was trying to ask and value her customer instead of giving out her dirty look when the customer trying to explain it, we won't starving for so long! Their waiter are not helpful too. Ok it was still take them another 10 mins to clean up the table, smart !!! No manner or skills to serve customer at all! Not saying we need to wait another half an hour for the food! Terrible! Stay away of this place if you want your life live better! Fail!! I don't usually gave one star, however the Manager pissed us off badly, just a week ago we went to kiku restaurant in Naperville , what a day and night different, I don't mind to pay more for good food and service at all, but nope, not banihana .. Thanks!
(1)Kestutis N.
Ok I don't know where to begin. Maybe it's the fact that from a start no one out of 3 hostess would even ask where you want to sit like table or Hibachi then they place you at clearly crowded Hibachi table and expect you to sit there and enjoy. When it came to ordering the food shrimp with fried rice was excellent well done on the shrimp but when it came to sushi and sashimi you better off going to Chinese buffet it's cheaper there and you will get the same quality as this place. As for a flavor factor this place is as good as the people that eat there and that is pretentious wanna bees. As far as the waiter john goes he was the only thing good about this place and I would recommend him finding more stable place to work. John your talents are waisted there
(2)Patriicia S.
We used to love going to this place! But we were there on Sat. Feb.21 for my son's birthday. The service was horrible!!!! Everything they did was not what they nomally do. The waitresses were never around. And even our Chef noticed and was trying to get there attention. They didnt bother to sing the birthday song. What was upsetting was we had 8 people with us so they get there tip but I was not about to give any more then that for sure. Maybe since they knew they had there tip they weren't going to bother to work for it!!!! Very disappointed and will be looking for another location!
(1)Alyssa N.
nice restaurant if you want an experience. not great if you are going for lunch. way too expensive for lunch but the sushi is good.
(3)Luis S.
Great lunch specials as well as happy hour specials, not a bad place for date or even family outing as chefs certainly put on a food show for the kids. Everything is prepared in front of you, nice hibachi style. Service is pretty standard and food is fairly good except their salad and some dressings, i'd skip on those. Also make sure to take advantage of their birthday club special. Lastly they are closed between 2-5 I believe so don't go there during that time. Other than that haven't been to many other hibachi restaurants so hard to compare this to anything, but moral of the story liked it!
(4)Shin M.
This is one of my favorite chains. The hibachi steak with vegetables and fried rice with the sauce is soo good. It also comes with delicious salad with ginger dressing. The sushi here is really good too! The best deal is during lunch time. Hibachi steak is $13 and the lunch boat special is $10 and it comes with miso soup, salad, sushi, sashimi, and a little bit of meat. Vegas roll is a specialty roll that is pretty good Dragon roll is alright Spicy tuna is alright Rainbow roll is alright Spider roll is pretty good Gotham roll is really good and definitely a favorite specialty roll Philadelphia is always my favorite simple roll bc of the cream cheese Sushi combination deluxe comes with soup and salad but there's not that much sushi and the sushi that there is is pretty tasteless Sashimi platter is similar to sushi combination in that it doesn't come with much sashimi and the ones that are on the plate aren't that good The owner has changed since the past year and he has made a ton of changes to the restaurant that really sucks, especially him changing the end of happy hour from 8 to 7. It is because of the new owner and all of his changes that I dropped this rating from a 5 star to a 4 star.
(4)Tenea H.
Arrived 8 minutes early...Doors open at 5pm, and apparently not a minute sooner. Nevertheless for a chain restaurant, I really loved the service here. I came here to spend my $30 birthday gift credit which was expiring in one day. I was apprehensive, because all of my other dining experiences with Benihana have been group/hibachi style. I was pleased to find the place virtually empty because they were just opening. So I got a booth to myself, which may seem lonely to some (ME) but most of my peeps live in the city, so I just went ahead and took one for the team. I was glad that the waiter was extremely prompt, asked if I had any promos/coupons, which I immediately whipped out proudly, lol I ordered 3 types of sushi, 2 full rolls and 1 half roll, some hibachi rice and banana tempura. All was good. My goal was to order enough to get me to $30 and so I could take it home to share with the BF. Well my mission was accomplished, and my total bill was only 0.82, #talesofextremecouponing. After such a delicious meal here and such great service, I will surely be back for another round of after work debauchery during their Happy Hour.
(5)Elvira P.
Food was great, service too. The chefs are pretty cool to watch the only thing I don't really like is that you have to sit with complete strangers if you only go with one other person. Try to bring a group so you'll be more comfortable.
(4)Eugene W.
Great restaurant. I only had sushi on my visit during Happy Hour (5-8 pm on Thursdays). Many of the sushi rolls were half off, so it was great value. I would highly recommend the Gotham Roll. It has delicious crisped lotus stuck into it, with crab/imitation crab meat, tempura (I believe?), and cream cheese inside. They are really good. All of the other rolls I got (Rainbow Roll, Las Vegas Roll) were also good. The restaurant was clean and the servers were nice. I will reserve the 5 star rating for only places with absolutely exceptional sushi, though.
(4)Cat C.
I love this place, the child does not. We always have an amazing time. I tend to come for events like my birthday, when they send you a super great coupon to use. Even when you have a new chef, the show is great and worth seeing, and the food is delicious.
(4)Nikki T.
I'm going to be blunt, I love Benihana. It's the boyfriend's favorite restaurant so we tend to come here a lot. It's actually pretty sad how often we come here... Our usual Benihana routine, which makes things even sadder, is as follows: 1. Walk in and let them know that we would like a table. 2. Go to the bar and wait while we sip on some drinks. 3. Get escorted to the table (You like that? "escorted" to the table, makes us sound fancy) 4. Joke with the chef and watch him do all his fun tricks 5. Eat as much as we can then pack up the rest With as many times as we've been there I don't think we've ever had a bad experience. Starting with the host and hostess, they are friendly and promptly put our names down and give us one of those little beeper things. They're still nice whenever we ask if we can wait a little longer for a table, if we're enjoying our time at the bar. The bartenders are really great too. They always tell us the specials of the day and give us their recommendations on sushi rolls and drinks. But the chefs there are the stars! Not only talented with the tricks they do when they cook and still manage to make my steak a perfect medium rare, but they have the best personalities. My boyfriend and I are pretty social people; we like to talk, so we always end up having really random and funny conversations with the chef and the other guests at our table. We've encountered so many funny and great chefs there that we almost always have to compliment them to their manager! The last time we were there it was actually just my boo and I at the table and the chef completely switched up all of the usual tricks so we could see something new and different to really entertain us!! The food is always great and they give you so much of it! The entrees come with soup, salad, shrimp and veggie appetizer, and your actual meal. Some even come with an ice cream dessert :) We almost always take food home with us. I think this one will always be a favorite!
(5)Danny M.
Came here without a reservation and had to wait a good 20 minutes by the bar. We wanted Teppanyaki and this place was packed at 7pm. As soon as we were seated, our server came and took our orders. He wasn't the best at his job and never really came back to check up on us. Plus, 2 people from our group didn't want the Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice and got white rice instead. He never brought it to them until the end when we had to ask for it. At this time, they were almost done with their food already. Our chef on the other hand was good. His name was Jian and he was pretty entertaining and an excellent cook. For food, I got the Land and Sea, which is a Filet Mignon and Sea Scallops. This was really good and probably my favorite thing to get here. I also got to try the Benihana Trio, which had shrimp, steak, and chicken. This was good, but I like mine more. It is definitely the most filling one though. The Teriyaki Chicken was my second favorite. I will definitely come back, especially for Happy Hour!
(4)Kimber H.
My brother's girlfriend and I went for a post birthday dinner and arrived at a little after 9 pm. The portions were very small and the food was poorly seasoned. I don't know if it was because it was late, but both of us were disappointed and underwhelmed. That's the last time I will go to Benihana...just a waste of time and money. They should stop seating people at 9 pm, if they aren't going to give the same quality of service as customers seated at 6 pm. They'd get no stars if possible. Ugh..
(1)Al M.
Love this place. The sushi is great. The lunch specials are great and the drinks delish. One of our go-to regular places.
(5)Gaby Z.
As suggested by the brand ambassador, I did contact Benihana in regards to our NYE experience. Within a few days, local manager contacted us, and apologized many times for our bad experience. She assured us that this experience is not the standard that Benihana lives up to, and offered us a gift certificate to come back in, and give them another chance. It is nice to know that even though it is a chain restaurant, they do take their customers seriously and strive for higher standards. I will write another update if we go back.
(3)Dustin T.
I always get the lunch special. The udon noodles lunch special a great deal for a decent price. I have noticed that it has been getting more and more expensive every year... :(
(4)Michael P.
Benihana used to be a must stop whenever we saw one anywhere in the country. That was 20 years ago. Other than being entertaining for eight-year-old children, there's no reason to go anymore. The talent of the chefs used to add to what was 3.5 star food. The skill and pride has just faded with the years. Dirty tables, dirty silverware, dirty glasses, and dirty plates don't help. I still love the salad dressing. Sushi? Not here. Please, not here. Drive 15 minutes to downtown Hinsdale to get the best sushi in the burbs.
(1)Maricela N.
The best time to go for hibachi is during lunch hours. Which is between 11:30a.m and 2p.m. If you have the chance to go between those times make sure to ask for express lunch. It's cheaper in price for the same portions. The only difference is that the menu is a bit shorter and you don't get the show from the chef. But if your just there to eat then this is great! There Sushi is also very good. They have happy hour from 5-8p.m. Benihana is a great place to go to for any type of celebration. The only down side is there management. They sometimes seem clueless. But overall I always enjoy the food.
(3)Damian O.
Best Habachi restaurant there is. Way classier and high quality than Domo or Bricktop. Classic Habachi dishes, and a show if you're up for it.
(4)Sam K.
This Benihana chain is professional and clean. I always have a great time coming to Benihana because the food is always excellent although most of the chef tricks are a bit outdated to me as they no longer excite me. But I still do my best to pay attention :) for politeness. Price is steep and sometimes food portion can be surprisingly small (based on price expectation). But I still recommend this place for a good time with families and friends! With families, I usually recommend ordering many combo orders and share: such as Land & Surf, Benihana Delight etc.
(4)Nikki K.
I like Benihana. The food is tasty and it's a fun experience. We've always had good experiences at this location.
(4)Morgan-yelp G.
Excellent food and show with the chef cooking the meal at the table. Dined on Christmas day and had to wait two hours for a party of two (don't go without reservations). Were paired with a family of six, all very pleasant table companions. Good range of specialty cocktails (saketini), warm sake, California wines.
(3)Kevin S.
I must agree with Rachael Z. in that Domo 77 offers MORE food, BETTER food, and LOWER prices than Benihana. Benihana is not bad, but it's certainly a worse option than Domo or Japan 77. And they don't even have the garlic breaded shrimp for which Domo is so popular!
(3)Matthieu G.
The restaurant was overcrowded and service really poor. When I walked in, I was told that they were a bit behind and that I would have to wait 10 to 15 minutes to be seated at my table... after 15mn, I was told again the exact same thing...it took a full hour before we got seated which I think is completely unacceptable when you have a reservation.
(1)Matthew S.
I do like the food here. Sometimes it is better than others but my main complaint is the service. They are usually understaffed and the customer service is pretty poor. Tonight we were there and just having sushi. After waiting over 30 minutes for the second portion of our order, our waiter asked us what we wanted to do. Well I did want to finish eating but said well just forget it now. He and the manager both offered to take off the portion of the food that never came. What a novel idea, not charging someone for something they did not eat. They should have brought the food and not charged us for that portion of the order. Bringing us a complementary round of drinks while we finished waiting would have had us leaving 1. Paying more on the final bill 2. Leaving Happy 3. Not leaving a bad review on the internet. Doesn't take much but the manager there doesn't get it so how can the staff be expected to.
(2)Jie S.
A semi-regular place for me and my friend to meet up during the lunch hour when we want sushi. Just a nice and right location for both of us. And we could always get our favorite table on the window side. Most times, I get the lunch boat with Salmon for $9.25 which comes with a salad, miso soup, edamame, sashimi, 4 pieces of California rolls, shrimp and veggie tempura, half orange and hot green tea. A very good deal indeed for a healthy Japanese lunch. Everything is pretty good but not exciting. We also has tried all kinds different sushi. Frankly they are all decent but lack of a Wow factor. We reserve the dinner time for kids especially when a few families go together. Hibachi is always my kids' favorite dinner. They enjoy the cooking show while they eat their food without complaining. A Win-win for kids and moms! I like the food but grilled meat and fried rice are a bit greasy and a bit salty for me. So sometimes I opt to have the Sushi rolls or a noodle soup. They have the chef's table membership which is free to sign up. I did it and received my $30 coupon before my birthday. Some free sushi rolls!
(3)Jeff S.
We took the family (and a couple of friends) for New Year's Eve, a 5pm seating. They were late getting us seated, and then we sat at our table waiting to give drink orders for a while. But once they got moving, things were fine. The usual knife-juggling show was fun, the guy was personable, and the food was excellent. Had their benihana punch bowl drink and the amazing plum wine. Ate too much. We had a good time. Not the most amazing dining experience ever, but entertaining and with good food and passable drink service. For something out of the ordinary once or twice a year, it's a good deal.
(3)Christine M.
This review is based on my recent experience at Benihana for lunch. My sister is a fan, so we met here at 12:30 during the week. We did have to wait 20 minutes (they said it would be 10) for a chef supposedly, but really since we only had 5 in our party, we had to wait until 2 more customers walked in. The hibachi area is not very well ventilated, but I understand that is a common complaint. The floors were disgusting considering they had just opened at 11:30! The cook did his best at doing some tricks and this was fine, but the meal felt very uncoordinated. Even though everyone doesn't order the exact same thing, I really don't feel like they do a good job of serving everyone something at once and making it known when to eat. There was no communication from him (via hand movements, facial expressions, or words) and the lunch just felt very choppy compared to previous experiences I've had at hibachi style restaurants. The food itself was really not that great either. The salad was eh, vegetable rice had crunchy white onion in it, vegetables were 80% onion and 20% zucchini, shrimp and chicken just okay. I realized your opinion may differ if you really enjoy onion. I do not. :) The waitress was kind of MIA. I don't think the pricing was that great for a lunch and the quality/amount of food served. I won't return and plan to introduce my sis to some better restaurants!
(2)Courtney L.
Benihana's is a great special occasion restaurant. I've been here twice (9 years ago for my high school graduation and then last weekend for my brother's high school graduation). The service was very friendly and the waitress was able to describe the menu to us easily (some of our group had not been before). The drinks were constantly refilled and anything not cooked on the grill (couple sushi rolls) came out quickly. I also appreciated that they space it out so that everyone is eating at the same time. One person is not getting the meal sooner than another. However, I can't imagine coming here on a regular basis (unless you are sitting at the sushi bar perhaps; the sushi was good). Despite the 9 YEARS between visits, the show was exactly the same. The food is really good. Quality meat and seafood, but nothing particularly amazing. The 2nd time around, it was more fun watching the people who have not been here before enjoy it rather than soak it all in myself. For the price, you could get a stand out meal (granted without a show) at another upscale restaurant; I feel like everything here you could recreate at home. They do try to herd you out once your meal is over, but they do want to open the table for the next group and seating is rather limited (definitely get a reservation)... however, the course of our meal took 2 hours... so can't really say we were rushed. Overall, Benihana is a great time. Worth a visit and a great time for a special occasion, just not a place I would return to time and time again.
(3)F K.
Their sushi is amazing not to mention their happy hour sushi prices are very reasonable. I recently had hibachi with a few friends and not only the food but the quantity were good. Service is so-so.
(4)Yari S.
It's small and Lord forbid you want to stay longer. They kick you out to seat other people so u can't relax and catch up. Food isn't all that, nothing special. They charged extra for actual fried rice which is ridiculous. I have no desire on ever going back.
(1)Rosanna L.
Benihana lunch specials are the best! You can get a lunch boat special that includes: Choice of Chicken, Salmon or Beef* Julienne, shrimp and vegetable tempura, sashimi and half California Roll served with edamame, miso soup, salad, steamed rice and fresh fruit for ONLY $10! Now that is a deal and the food is delicious! I went here to celebrate my birthday and it was my first time going during dinner time so I was sure what to expect. If you sign-up for Benihana.com they give you a complimentary birthday certificate for a free meal! I had asked the server what entree can I order? He said anything so of course I went with the filet mignon and lobster tail! Our chef was very entertaining and he cook our food to just how we liked it! My filet was delicious, tender, juicy and cook just how I like it. The lobster tail with butter and lemon sauce was to die for! We also got onion soup and ginger salad as starters, grilled shrimp as appetizers, our entree, hot green tea, and ice cream (all included in the entree!). The servers even clapped and sang happy birthday to me (it was quite embarrassing lol) and one of the servers took my picture and printed out and put it in a Benihana frame for me, which I thought was very thoughtful! Definitely a memorable birthday dinner! However, after receiving our bill the complimentary free dinner was for an entree up to $30 only, which I wish the server would of told me.
(4)Maggie R.
Food-good..nothing exceptional Show-typical Asian, or should I say Mexican since our cook was Mexican. Celebrating an event? They'll bring out dessert and and candle with a funky candle-holder. Mine was a cat. Odd.
(4)Kamilah S.
It was my first time at this Benihana's, but it was the same great, friendly experience as always. Great food, nice drinks. I had a great time.
(5)Norma R.
My sister and her husband where just there. And they found a live roach in their food, the manager didn't charge them for one meal. Are you kidding me!!! They shouldn't have charged them for the families meal. If you like to eat food infested with roaches keep eating here. NEVER EVER EATING HERE!
(1)Gene K.
I have gone a few times with the family and the kids mostly liked it. The food is pretty basic in preparation using butter and soy sauce. You get a couple of side sauces to dip your food. I've had chicken, shrimp and steak. They were all ok but nothing spectacular. You go for the atmosphere. The kids enjoy watching the chef put on a show while cooking. The prices were reasonable for this type of restaurant.
(3)Michelle M.
I LOVE BENIHANA. I've been coming to Benihana since I was a little kid. It was my absolute favorite restaurant as a child and I've eaten here so many times on special, happy occasions that the entire affair has taken on a comforting, ritualistic quality. Sit down, have a yummy drink (when I was little I would get a virgin piña colada), watch the chef make a volcano and choo-choo train out of onion slices, eat some tasty food. They are pretty accommodating and will even give me an extra soup instead of salad, because in many ways I am still six years old and opposed to eating raw vegetables. Ok, so it may be inauthentic, Americanized "Japanese" food. That does not mean it doesn't taste good (it does). It's silly and fun and they have awesome fried rice. I like to get either the filet mignon with lobster or shrimp or the ocean treasure- shrimp, scallops and a lobster tail. The lobster I had last time was delicious- perfectly cooked and buttery-delicious. I enjoyed every morsel. And the sauces! I would buy a vat of the mustard and ginger sauces and dip everything I eat EVER in there. The sushi here is really, good, too. Tip: Sign up for their birthday coupon! You get $30 off the month of your birthday and they will sing and clap at you, then take a photo of you, looking all embarrassed and confused. Awesome.
(5)Jane S.
I love having lunch at this Benihana's. We usually sit at the sushi section, the ventilation is pretty good we don't get the smoke from the hibachi section next door. They have a full selection of rolls, hand rolls and sashimi at the sushi bar. I usually go for one of the 3 lunch specials. The lunch boat has miso soup, salad, shimp and veggie tempura, a few pieces of sashimi, 4 small California rolls, edemame and 1/2 orange, along with a choice of Salmon or Beef terayaki. Great value for under $10. For around 11-12 dollars you can select either Sushi combo (3 types of rolls - 4 pieces each + 5 sushi) or the Sushi/Sashimi combo (7 pieces of sashimi with 5 pieces of sushi). Combo only comes with the miso soup. So far one of my favorite places for a quick and light lunch out at a very reasonable price.
(4)Danny Y.
Happy hour's when you want to go. sushi rolls for $6, hand rolls for $2.50. When an iced tea ($3) costs more than the hand roll, you win. Didn't particularly enjoy their ceviche, though... tasted like lime soup. Dinner prices are pretty expensive on the hibachi side... so I'd avoid that and go during lunch.
(4)Natasha M.
My brother and I really love this place! We have come here twice for our birthdays. The staff pays attention very well. If we want a refill they'll bring it out right away. We always get the shrimp with the fried rice. The whole meal comes with salad first. Not a fan mostly because of the ginger sauce. Its to much ginger and just to much sauce in general. When the guy comes to cook he makes us veggies which consist of zucchini and onions. I really like them and im picky on my veggies. Then we got our fried rice with shrimp and the shrimp is good but my favorite dish is the fried rice. I'm in LOVE with it lol. Its that good! Since it was our b-day we both got vanilla ice cream and whipped cream right next to it with chocolate syrup drizzled on top. Really good! They also take your photo with family and give you a copy. The family next to us also did it with a graduate. So we love this place!!!
(5)Jeanna G.
I took my husband here for his birthday yesterday, and we were both excited to have Japanese food again, since there are no good places in DeKalb to go and it's been years since we've had it. He always told me how much fun Benihana was the times he went years ago. We arrived in the early dinner hours, and we did have a reservation. I'm glad we made one, because as soon 5pm rolled around way more people started coming in. We ordered the Chef Special, which seemed like the more economical way to order, I couldn't justify ordering a $35 meal just for one person when we can get two for $48. But, before we even sat down my husband let the hostess know that I had a shellfish allergy, and no shellfish could come in contact with anything we would be eating whatsoever. Not only did they check to make sure I was the one with the allergy once, not twice but three times. I notice they have a little seating chart they use to determine who gets what food, and if there are any special requests, which was really nice to see. I was very pleased with that, because some places I'm sure "forgets", and ends up cooking the shrimp right next to the chicken. In fact our chef cooked the shrimp last for my husband, our friend and another couple. The chef special includes chicken and steak, rice (steamed or chicken fried...I wanted steamed, not big on egg cooked with it), ginger salad, onion soup (which tasted like chicken broth watered down) and green tea, which was delicious. The only complaint I have is they give you nowhere near enough veggies. They only give you onions and zucchini!! Other places gives you mixed hibachi veggies with more than just two kinds. The rice was delicious but again, nowhere near enough for me. Also, no noodles. I thought getting fried noodles was customary for any Japanese steakhouse? However the steak and chicken portion made up for the lack of veggies. The chicken and steak were delicious, and perfectly cooked. The salad was "meh".... I really didn't like it that much - I ate one bite and pushed it to the side. The staff did come out and sing happy birthday to my husband, which was really neat. Usually I hate boisterous/obnoxious birthday singing at restaurants but this was pretty cool. They took our picture and sung a Japanese (I think?) birthday song too. Overall, I think the food was pretty good, but not amazing. I think you're paying for the show, not the quantity of food (which was not a lot, except for the chicken/steak).
(4)D.M. M.
This is a fun restaurant to go for a birthday. I'm not sure I want to go there with just the two of us though, and sit with strangers around the grill... but going with a group of friends/family is fun. The food was very good, the chef was fun to watch as he prepared the food at the table and he paid attention allergies very well and I was pleased to learn they did not use MSG! I was always worried about going there because of that. We loved the ginger salad dressing, we even bought one for carryout to take home with us. The prices are a bit high so we won't be able to go there too often, but hopefully we'll get to go a couple times a year.
(4)Rello R.
I have never had a bad time here. The drinks are great and the food is fabulous. I tend to go here for any big or small event. I like this place so much I have came by myself. I love everything about it. The tricks are getting old and its hard to act excited about the same routine but hey the food is good. I usually get the Rocky's Choice or Benihana Delight. My 2 favorites!!!!!
(5)Lovely J.
Terribly DISAPPOINTED; I just found out this evening on "Martin Luther Kings B-Day" that the Benihana on Butterfield Road in Lombard, IL is unorganized and unconcerned about how the hostesses are treating African American guests. The hostess gave us a waiting remote that she never activated in their system. We sat there and waited over 20 minutes to be seated and all the hostess and the manager (Grace) had to say when I brought it to their attention was that "they didn't know what happened" My family and I have supported this establishment for years; hate it had to end this way!
(1)Rocio S.
Yum, yum! Fun times, good food, and yummy drinks! I love to come here with family!
(5)Dan C.
Fun night celebrating at Benihana. Place keeps our 3 year old entertained all night. We actually enjoyed our time and ate while he watched the show! First time trying the sesame crusted tuna - VERY good! Will be back again.
(4)Jason R.
(Quick tip: Make a reservation on the weekends, unless you enjoy long waits in restaurant holding pens). I typically don't eat here, but for the past two years I have gone to celebrate a friend's birthday. That's about the only time I'd go. I do enjoy the show from the chefs; their cooking and cutting skills are unrivaled. However, I do prefer conversing with my dining mates and that's nearly impossible to do when you can potentially be seated 10 or 12 feet away. Even if you want to talk to someone two or three seats over, you practically have to shout to be heard above the ventilation fans and clinking and clanking of the cookwear. The food is good, but it's never as good as you want it to be for the price you end up paying. Again, I understand part of that is paying for the cooking show taking place in front of you, but if you've seen it once you've seen it a hundred times; the thrill wears off. And for some reason, the folks on the hibachi side don't know what Sriracha is and that it's available on the sushi side of the restaurant. I like my Asian food extremely spicy, but they look at me like I have a third eye when I ask for Sriracha to spice up what is typically a bland tasting dish. In short, the show is nice but the food is average. I would (and do) only eat here if I am invited out by a friend who is going here.
(3)Sara D.
AWFUL! This was the WORST Japanese restaurant I have ever eaten at! If you want overpriced flavorless food this is the place for you!! They even charged for hot sauce!
(1)Federico H.
Overall, Benihana was a highlight of my day, but our group did have a few problems with our experience. We enjoyed our hibachi meal about as much as other hibachi restaurants. We enjoyed the appetizers, especially the zucchini and shrimp, both of which were fabulous. The filet mignon was also wonderful, as well as the "colossal shrimp". However, the teriyaki chicken lacked a teriyaki flavor. We all eventually got to drinking the wonderful strawberry lemonade. Our cook seemed a little nervous as if it was his first day. He began to prepare the teriyaki chicken mentioned above as if it was lemon chicken. We reminded him that we had ordered teriyaki chicken, and towards the end of the cooking, he quickly put on the teriyaki sauce. The staff seemed to have rushed us throughout all our meal, and there was no need, since a few tables were completely empty. We were not pleased when the bill arrived simultaneously with our desert and weren't even asked if we needed anything else, something very unusual for a high-end restaurant. Overall, however, this was a good experience!
(4)Paul L.
Nothing bad to say, as I've been coming here for years. However, one tip: This place loves salt (Not that there's anything wrong with that). So, save yourself some dough by foregoing the expensive chop of meat and go for the regular steak dishes, as they taste very similar when all said and done. Trust me, I'm that guy. I did side-by-side comparisons.
(5)Bella J.
I have been to Benihana only couple of times. First time was long ago and I remember sitting next to the big table where the chef makes food just in front of you. It is a quite entertaining show. All the seafood is being flipped in front of you and then goes to your plate! Thumbs up for that. Second time i went there was not so long ago. I was with friends that are regular customers in this restaurant. We went to the sushi bar and got served right away. Firstly, we got some mushroom soup that i didn't like so much, but later we got hot sushi. It was delicious. Also, the waiter was constantly filling up on the green tea which was nice.
(4)Junior D.
I have been to other local Hibachi restaurants that blow Benihana's out the water. Benihana's is overpriced and over rated. Long wait, and my chicken tasted like rubber. Portions were small compared to other hibachi places. We had a party of 7 and the cook was trying to entertaining but forgot to cook food for 2 people. So they had to watch us eat while they waited for their food. The only reason I gave 2 stars is there sushi was good.
(2)Ruby P.
As my first time being at a hibachi grill it was interesting. The showmanship of the chef was great. I had the Teriyaki Chicken with a side of Chicken fried rice. In all honesty the meat was pretty blah tasting. I ended up having shrimp on my plate for some reason also and it tasted plain, too. The meat was prepared just by cooking(no seasoning) THEN after its finished by putting the sauce on it. It didn't have time to soak up any of the yummy flavoring. For the expensive pricing you did get a very reasonable amount of food. Also, for a Friday night at 8 pm it was pretty empty.
(3)Suzy D.
This is really 2.5 stars. Okay so my husband and I were driving around in the burbs and were trying to decide where to grab lunch. I have never been to Benihana so I wanted to try it. I thought that the chefs were going to like toss shrimp into my mouth and I would catch them....like the stuff you see on TV. My husband has been to Benihana before and told me not to set my hopes too high because he said it was Americanized Japanese food..but I thought it was worth trying. So we arrived at Benihana, the parking lot was kind of empty for noon on a Saturday, but we went in anyways. The restaurant is quite large and it was pretty empty. There were a few families grabbing lunch, but the place was not at all busy. We were asked if we'd like to sit at the sushi counter or at a tepanyaki table. Since I was here to see the amazing tricks of food tossed in the air, we chose to be seated at the tepanyaki table. Our entrees came with fried rice, veggies, and salad. The salad was okay, but there was a bit too much dressing and it had a strange aftertaste. We watched our chef prepare our meal (I had scallops and shrimp, and my husband had yakisoba and steak). It was fun watching him do the little tricks, but he put butter on EVERYTHING. This is definitely Americanized Japanese food and made what I thought would be a fairly healthy lunch pretty unhealthy afterall. Everything was decent. Nothing delicious or worth writing home about though. Anyways, nobody tossed any shrimp in my mouth...so that was a little disappointing. Overall, I am not a big fan of the food and won't be back because I prefer authentic Japanese cuisine. However, I believe Benihana is a decent place for people that want Americanized Japanese food.
(3)Cam L.
The best hibachi! They have a great hibachi chicken and shrimp combo for two... And amazing fried rice and fresh sushi!! You will NOT be disappointed!
(4)Sarah H.
And they have expanded the Endless Sushi Lover for $26.95 a person deal to include Friday and Saturdays. My suggestion: Call ahead, make sure it is still going on. I cannot say this enough, $26.95??? Skip that insane hour long wait for crappy tepanyaki and make a beeline to the sushi bar. I have never had to wait.
(5)Aileen E.
We come here often for the lunch specials which are of great quality for the price. The sushi is fresh and the rice sticky! The specials are a good deal and come with either soup, salad, and ice cream depending on which special you choose. All of which are worth trying and delicious. Will be back!
(4)Kawone H.
Nothing special. Food and service was average, wig nothing that stood out. Compared to other teppanyaki grills, Items are an extra charge, such as fried rice or noodles. Whereas comparable restaurants provide those items in lieu of plain (white) rice. There was a time when Benihana offered the only, thereby the best, in this style of cooking. Now, there is competition that makes it worth the cost. I'm certain that I will opt for those other restaurants in the future.
(3)Dan K.
There is an express lunch which I think is kind of a hidden thing? I dunno, I never knew about it until recently. You have a limited menu and you don't get the full show. However they still do a condensed version that doesn't include the making of the fried rice. You sit at tables away from the riff raff that want entertainment and you can be in and out in about 30 minutes. Ok looking at some other reviews, it's not that hidden. But, it was hidden from me, so I'm gonna leave it up there. This place is pretty big and always fairly quick. I've only been here for lunch though, so I can't comment on dinner.
(4)Bill S.
Benihana has never really disappointed me. However, they use the same food presentations over and over again. The heart rice, the volcano train onion tower and the shrimp toss in the hat or pocket and knive play before cooking and the egg spin on the spatula. Wish they would add some new acts. All in all,food is good and they take a picture of you and your birthday as a memento. Haven't tried the sushi bar or really haven't paid attention whether they have any drink specials. Great place for families. Wish the waiters did a better job refilling my drinks. Would be easier if they placed hot tea pot or water pitcher for the table. Also took one star off for the very bland salads that taste worse than fresh start brand the the soup was literally all water and maybe two pieces of small onion. Please prove these items.
(4)