Ever since they closed the one in downtown Chicago, my friends started coming out here for what they call a "quarterly meeting". Luckily, I had the pleasure of being invited along when I used to live here, so now whenever I get stuck in the burbs for work, we arrange a meeting! The service is always great, even if all of the tricks are predictable. I almost always get the steak and shrimp, with the chicken fried rice. Everything tastes so good (probably all the salt and fat) that I end up stuffing myself until it hurts. The dipping sauces they provide are also really good. My special advice...don't go anywhere after. You will smell like a hot garlic meat grill. Not so cute.
(4)
Patch L.
The sushi is very fresh here! If you come after 530pm they have 1/2 price specials! We usually order the seaweed salad, rainbow roll, dragon roll, & crunchy shrimp roll. All are great! The service is friendly and quick! This place has become one of our favorite & regular place for sushi!
(5)
jt s.
Service with a scowl. This place has gone way downhill. I honestly have been sitting in a half empty place. Been sitting for a half hour with zero service. The chef I am watching looks like he is having the worst day of his life. I recommend you give it a miss
(2)
Anum A.
Benihana is a very enjoyable restaraunt. The food is cooked right in front of your eyes. The chef cooks very fast and it amazing how he twirls his spoons and gets the fire going. This restaraunt is costly ,however, it is worth it.
Good as always but this time for us the service was subpar. We were celebrating a birthday and tried using our $30 "gift" (which we presented at the beginning) but was denied right away because it is only good Monday thru Thursday. This was fine because it did say this on the email. However the server was just not nice...:( it was obvious we were celebrating a birthday (showed him the birthday email, told him, and had several gifts around the table) but did they sing for us? Nope. No singing and no picture :( not even a candle. Just a big fat check at the end. Yeah we could have complained, and put up a fuss etc like most people would but that's just not us. It really was no big deal but to me it kind of was as I'm thinking about it now. So it all comes down to customer service, they could be a little nicer and caring and at least make it look like they enjoy their job. Oh well I better stop before I say too much which I probably already did. Btw...the Lombard location is much friendlier and they have accepted our $30 birthday gift on a Friday and Saturday before. Anyways, we will be back and their food is always excellent and nothing still beats their fried rice. I was just a little disappointed this time with the service. Can't be always perfect, right?
(3)
Jess H.
Was here for lunch. Nice experience. Have not had Japanese cusine since I was little and this was a nice time as not many was in the place around 130 in the afternoon. Chef was doing a nice job cooking. Waiter kept refilling my pop without prompt which I loved. Food was not salty or overseasoned. Was just right. Meat was tender and juicy
(5)
Delia S.
Came here with my husband for a lunch date. Was surprised that it's not what I remember ... The man who cooked our food didn't do many tricks while cooking. The portions use to be so much bigger. We had to ask for refills which was a pain. Not sure if we will be back.
(3)
Gin G.
Walking distance from my parents house so we go cuz it's close n kids like the show. Nothing really memorable except that the sushi was not great. It's expensive for what you get but like I said its close n kids like the show.
(3)
Noor H.
First time at Benihana! The food was delicious and very filling but some things were very off which is why I took two stars away. 1) The salad tasted very VERY cold. Absurdly cold. It was weird. 2) The service was incredibly slow and I came with co-workers on our lunch hour and we ran way over! Will come back again, but definitely not on my lunch hour if it's going to be this slow!!
(3)
A S.
This was probably one of the worst hibachi experiences I've had. The service wasn't that great, the chef wasn't friendly/talkative. There wasn't even a big flame or any exciting show like the other hibachi places I've been to had. The fire alarm went off during dinner, during which no one knew what was going on when we asked. The portions were a lot smaller than other places as well. I definitely wont be returning to this location. The manager was nice to give us a discount once we complained. That is the only reason for my 2 stars. The price you pay for these meals, I was expecting more.
(2)
Alan B.
I like Benihana in wheeling...we have been coming here for years! The food is tasty and it's a fun experience. I'm not the biggest fan of the sushi however since its very simple I certainly wouldn't come here for the sushi alone. My kids are entertained every time, this recent visit Jose was our hibachi chef who did a great job with the chocho train and shrimp tail flipping into his hat. We came here on a Saturday evening and the place was completely packed, we did receive excellent service from our waitress even though she was running around. Entries are reasonably price but they get you on the drinks and fried rice with the house sake costing $9 and fried rice between $3-$7...overall we've always had good experiences at this location. youtube.com/watch?v=y8kl…
(4)
Amy H.
I do not want to go here again. I was very excited because I've never been here before and a lot of my friends like the hibachi style. When my friend asked me if I wanted to go with him, I immediately was excited. My friend picked me up and drove me here for the lunch special, where the sushi was half price. We were the only one in the restaurant, so service was fast. I ordered two rolls and afterwards, I had the runs. It was pretty bad because I felt really sweaty and my stomach was hurting. I think the sushi was way pass their expiration date.
(1)
D J.
Would have been 4 stars, but when I went to the bathroom, the waiter didn't pack up half of my delicious steak entree I splurged on. I don't know if they were trying to rush our large party out. We were celebrating a birthday. I wasn't finished in the first place. That would have been ok, but to open up my leftover box at home and to have some of the best cuts of meat I paid for thrown out on me... :( Also, there was a big piece of eggshell I bit down on in my fried rice. This is the Wheeling location btw. Pros: The show was great, food was tasty.
(2)
Howard L.
A nice place and the steak quality was exceptionally good here compared with other teppanyaki grills. We had it as part of a filet mignon/chicken combo dinner. The seating is not great though with a 2 x 4 x 2 seating arrangement, and if you are in the 4-pack, it's a bit tight and not as comfortable as being at the end. The showmanship of the chef we had was in the ordinary category, as it seems in most of these places these days. Otherwise, a nice teppanyaki meal can be had here.
(4)
Betty W.
Love there food sushi is the best here for a great price and so fresh. There ginger dressing is so yummy I always buy some to go you must try lobster yummy yum
(5)
Jerry W.
Food: 85. Value: 90. Service: 70. Atmosphere: 60. Had Sushi at the bar. Food was good, and a surprise in being so. Restaurant lacks an inviting atmosphere and should be cleaner. Bartender was nice & attentive, but must have been new, as he did not know the menu at all. Happy Hour menu in the bar offers great value for what would have been an overpriced check. Restaurant is vastly overpriced.
(3)
Natalie F.
great lunch specials!
(4)
Diana L.
I've been coming to Benihana since I was a child, so I'm pretty familiar with the cooking shows. I think they get a bit old after a few years, but the younger children in my family always love it! Otherwise, if you've never seen one, check it out! I personally enjoy the onion volcano very much (wish I had a picture!). If I had to rate Benihana based off the entertainment value, it'd get four stars because everything is really fun to watch and the food tastes great except the fried rice, which gets very oily. Besides that, now I make it a habit to go here when I come back from college and the service is very nice at the sushi bar area. The decor of the place is well-done and I like sitting down for dinner and appreciating the scrolls, plates, and architecture; the bar has a very relaxing and clean ambiance. They have a happy hour(s) from 5-8 pm where they have a 50% off menu for a variety of popular appetizers, rolls, and drinks if you sit and eat. My family loves to come here because for a low price, we get freshly made sushi in a lovely environment. The servers are quick to refill water, funny (my server loved to joke with my parents), and we got our sushi quickly. Also, some reviewer mentioned asking to buy one of the plates because they're so pretty - my parents feel the same way too. In the past, I remembered if you order a drink and request it in one of the special Benihana tiki mugs (choice of geisha, buddha, or samurai), they let you take it home for an extra price to buy the cup. Favorite roll to order: Gotham roll! It looks as cool as it tastes - spicy mayo mixed with shredded salmon on a fried roll decorated with a crunchy lotus root slice. Favorite appetizer: Tempura! There is light, golden breading covering three pieces of freshly fried shrimp and four pieces of crisp vegetables. In second place are the gyoza: succulent beef in a gently pan-fried wrapper. Favorite dessert: Banana tempura! Ask politely to switch the vanilla ice cream to green tea and it's delicious! Favorite drink: Herb tea! Served piping hot and great to sip especially in the winter because it warms you up for the inside. I'm not sure how to describe its taste, but its a nice balance of bittersweet and my parents love to drink it. For a cold drink, try the sweet and tangy strawberry passion delight smoothie! For children, I recommend letting them try Ramune, a cool looking Japanese soda, where they have to "pop" a marble ball in the bottle to carbonate the soda (it looks cooler than how I describe it). Note: I don't make reservations because I'm not there for a show, but if you do want to see the cooking show, I'd suggest calling for a reservation. Also, if you eat at the bar, don't forget to tip the sushi chefs! My family always does that and now they know us by face (or maybe because we eat there a lot). They're very nice to talk to when not busy making sushi and offer interesting tidbits of sushi making advice.
(5)
Cris G.
Went for a birthday dinner for my son.. You can smell the food as soon as you walk inside. . Ambience is okay not as impressive as ron of japan , I think they need to renovate the place a bit it really looks old .. Food is good and presentation was fun ..
(4)
O.M. R.
My experience was awesome! The cook was very skilled (George). also i watched other cooks.. Weren't that good as George. I had the scallops, were cooked perfect! Also i had The miso soup, because i didn't want the onion soup... Nooo problem. They were nice ab it. I will definitely come back here. Loved every second of it!
(5)
Patty C.
Nice lunch specials.
(3)
Amy S.
This is my family's second favorite spot! We always get the hibachi because we like seeing the chef cook in front of us. The tricks don't really get old for us because we somehow always make a joke out of it. But the chefs are really nice and it's a lot of fun when they are really interactive with the guests. We only have 5 people in my family, and the table seats 8, so we usually have a couple sit with us. Most of the time, we all talk and get along, so it's sort of a cool community type of setting. Dinner is about $30/person, but you get soup, salad, an appetizer, entree, and green tea ice cream and tea! It's a good deal if you ask me, especially because the food is so delicious. However, if you ever get the option, you should come for lunch because it's almost as much food, but for only $10-$13. They don't do as many tricks during lunch, because the performance is part of the cost for the meal. My favorite is the butter shrimp and the filet mignon. My mom usually gets the chicken and she really likes it. They give you two to three different types of sauces with the dish - garlic, ginger, and there's a new wasabi sauce. They also offer teriyaki to those who want it. I love trying the different vegetables and proteins with the different sauces. All in all, it's just a fun and slightly out of the ordinary type of restaurant.
(5)
Jim D.
I used to go to Benihana a lot, not so much recently. My wife and I had family in from out of town and we went to lunch in Lombard on July 6th with our niece and in Wheeling with our nephew on July 7th. I have to say that the Behihana experience is not what it used to be. The main reason for going is the chef's show. The chefs that we had were lame to say the least. And they did not do half the things they used to. They don't light the oil anymore, they barely flip anything around. This would be ok if the food was good, it would make up for it. The food was so bland. It was tasteless food and they really skimp. The fried rice barely filled the bowl, the amount of vegetables was less than it used to be. I am disappointed and I was disappointed for the kids that had never been there before. It did not live up to how much I hyped it before we got there. We switched locations after the first day hoping maybe a different location would be better. It wasn't. I'll look for other local places that provide a better show and better food in the future. Probably Kampai or Tsukasa.
(2)
Jack L.
I've been to many different Benihana restaurants and this one was by far the worst. I'm originally from N.Y.and was in the region for business, already had a horrible experience at another hibachi place here in Illinois and thought a place I was familiar with would be better, I was wrong. First the waitress was rushing me to order my meal, never even asked how I wanted my steak, then I got the fried rice my favorite rice in the world, it was undercooked and tasted like fish. I'm a shellfish eater so I don't mind a slightly fishy taste but this was disgusting. I usually eat 2 orders of the rice, this time I could even eat one. Horrible experience.
(2)
Magdaline V.
The food was fresh tasting and well prepared. The entrees came with a complimentary shrimp appetizer which was a plus. Service was great, too. It's the best of the area Japanese restaurants.
(5)
J S.
This is our first time at Benihana. We usually go to Tsukasa. I took my 2 years old daughter here for lunch for her birthday. The food is good and for the lunch item you get a lot of food for the money you pay for. The only problem is the tepanyaki chefs looks so bored and unenthusiastic about cooking. The cook never talked to the customers (except to the Hispanic people on our right). Unlike Tsukasa or other Tepanyaki places we've been, This Benihana lacked the show and excitement that they show on their commercials. The chef only did the smoking onion that's supposed to be a volcano and that was it. The atmosphere felt like you sit and watch me cook your food. Don't talk to me kind of attitude from the chef :( They didn't even ask if we're celebrating anything...just sit n watch me contaminate your food. Oh by the way, we ordered chicken habachi, steak habachi, and lunch boat steak...no seafood. But the chef decided to give us shrimp and placed it on any of the 3 plates he saw without asking. Ah, I'm mildly allergic to shrimp that's why all 3 of us didn't order seafood :( my husband had to switch food /plate with me. FYI, don't assume all your customers eat seafood and shellfish just because you serve sushi. I would have made a big deal n called the manager but it's my daughter's birthday n didn't want to ruin her fun. This never happened with the other tepanyaki restaurants we've been to. Also, Benihana is known for good food and good tepanyaki show. I watched at the chef we had and looked around at the other Chefs on other tepanyaki grills around us too and every chef was looking like zombies. Was it to early in the morning for them? They all look like they could use a cup of coffee. Maybe I'll try a different Benihana location or just go to a different tepanyaki restaurants :( Sad this location was close to our house too.
(2)
Gerry X.
Lunch with coworkers and will review afterwards. Now for the review.....awesome. Our cook was pretty quick and efficient with our meals...and the fact he was being social as he was doing all this was pretty cool..confident of his skills, which assured me good eats. I ate at a place similar to this in North Carolina and it really reminded me of that as it was as pleasurable. Cool utensils (which I asked to buy a plate and they said...no.) Plentiful parkling and easy to find off the main drag of Milwaukee. The sake was smooth and went down as such.
(5)
Leocris L.
what?! hibachi chain? me thinks not. there are much better hibachi and sushi spots than this. though i was thankful and appreciative to be taken here for my birthday, et al, it wouldn't be my first, nor second choice, or even top 5 places for japanese food. though they are extremely friendly and it's nice to look at inside, i don't think it warrants the extra star rating knowing food is not on the same level as other japanese establishments.
(2)
C S.
I always bring my house guests here when they come visit us from other state. Always a hit! the food are great and me and my husband love the onion volcano smoky show ;)
(5)
Dee W.
Great experience and great service - our chef was fantastic and very entertaining. Expect to spend $20+ per person here but it's very much worth it from the soup to the salad and the fried rice and the entrees - we did family style and everyone got to sample a lit bit of everything - the filet mignon is awesome and cooked just perfect!
(5)
Ellie S.
Cheers to Benihana for saving the day! For the first time ever we were unable to cook on Christmas day so we had to eat out. The restaurant that was supposed to be open had a fire and was closed. We ended up driving down Milwaukee Avenue in hopes of finding an open restaurant and out popped Benihana. I have been to several Japanese steakhouses but it was our first time there. Go figure. As we strolled in a group had just called to cancel so we had no wait. Awesome! We had a nice chef who worked the table and kept us entertained. The other family at our table had some kind of Christmas fiasco too and was out to eat for the first time on Christmas day. It was quite entertaining for all. Now the food I would say is good but, I have had better and will likely stick with my "go to" Japanese Steak House. The decor was wonderful and the restaurant was very clean. Also, the person getting the drinks was completely "on". We did not wait for anything. I would definitely return if in the Wheeling area to dine. I will also keep it in mind if our Christmas requires eating out again. To be honest we had so much fun at the movies and Benihana and not having to do anything I can't help but wonder if we should do Christmas like this every year. Of course when we came home we watched "A Christmas Story."
(4)
Maria R.
Service from waitress was good but our chef didn't do anything special. It's not the show or experience I am used to and was very disappointed. The food was also pretty bland. I was also sad to only receive zucchini and onions as my veggies...what happened to the broccoli and carrots?
(2)
Samantha L.
Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me four times, shame on me even more. I have been to this location four times, and every single time that I go I regret it. Just because it might be convenient, does not mean at all that you should go. The food is just fine, standard fare. I mean, it's a mainstream chain - they have to uphold their standards, which I appreciate. The major downfall for this place is everyone that works here that we've encountered. Basically, ALL of the waitresses in the Sushi Bar area. They are either rude, or hover in an awful way, and leaving this location always comes as a relief. The last time that my fiance and I went was for my birthday. If you sign up for their e-mail club, you get a $30 Gift Certificate to spend here. Great! Except last year they told me that I could only get one thing with it. And since I wanted sushi, that was awful. And this year, they changed their policy back to the year before, where you can get $30 of whatever you'd like. You just can't share it with ANYONE ELSE. How do they guarantee this? They have the bartender, in the next room, the two sushi chefs, the two waitresses and the hostess watch you WHILE you eat to make sure that you don't share. I mean, if you WANT to have SIX people watch you eat for an HOUR, make sure you come here!
(1)
Alex R.
Made a reservation but still had to wait. Last time I checked when you make a reservation, you shouldn't have to wait. Guess times have changed.
(1)
Jessie L.
Benihana is always fun for any occasion! This location seems a little newer and features a bright sushi bar right off the main entrance, then followed by the usual warm dimly lit hibachi table rooms where they cook right in front of you. The food is above and beyond delicious as always, and the drinks tasty. They took extra precautions with my gluten allergy, and though they do not feature a gluten free menu they were quick to offer what accommodations they could make. I love that they take a picture of your party, and then give you a copy along with a code where you can go online and download extra copies of your group photo. It's just a really nice, extra little personal touch that adds to the experience. The only drawback would be the noise level which makes it difficult for you to have a conversation with your entire party.
(4)
Linda G.
I have been to three Benihana locations (FL, AZ and IL).The sushi and service in Illinois was far superior. The sushi chef has the right blend of ingredients and sauce. From the time I ordered to the time the sushi to when it was served, was less than 10 minutes. They do things right here in my opinion.
(5)
Jenny F.
Sign up for their email list, get a $30 gift certificate for your birthday (can't use it towards all you can eat sushi though), and go. Seriously. You even get a complimentary photo taken (they print it for you and you can download copies online!) as well as ice cream for dessert if it's a birthday celebration. We were taken care of SO well by our waitress. She told my mom what to get in order to best use her $30, and threw in free edamame as well. I got the sushi buffet, and our waitress told us that she would turn a blind eye if my mom wanted to share my rolls, or if I couldn't finish all the pieces I ordered. (policy is you have to pay extra if you don't finish eating, and you can't share with other ppl at your table) She also would see what I ordered, then recommended other rolls she thought I would like. They don't have a whole lot of variety, but you can get nigiri, hand rolls, or maki, and the fish is very fresh. They have one roll that's baked that was AMAZING. She also asked us if we'd like to try Benihana's signature homemade soup--GET IT. Skip the traditional miso. They boil chicken, add vegetables, let it boil...it's so good. It's a traditional, light, Asian-momma-made soup. That too, she gave to us for free. Their sushi buffet is more expensive than other places you'll find in the city though ($27). But for a good sushi buffet in the burbs, it's a good place to go. They treat you like guests that have come into their house :)
(5)
Karen G.
"Meh" was exactly what I was thinking when I went here. Wasn't too exciting, and was rather expensive. Fried rice is good.
(2)
Tom A.
Classic Benihana. Great atmosphere, good food, and entertaining. Food is a little pricey but it is worth it. Who doesn't have fun at one of these places?
(5)
Laura R.
My family usually goes here for special occasions because it's relatively expensive for a "family" meal. The chefs are really cute and the food is GREAT. I usually get their scallops and filet mignon, and they are both SO good. If you have dessert, try the Banana Tempura. Another customer recommended it to us and we were a little hesitant, but it's incredible!
(5)
Steve B.
First and foremost, let me say the food was totally fine and our chef did a great job. Unfortunately, there were some other major issues here that stood out. First thing I did when I sat down was unwrapped my chopsticks and noticed a LOT of mold covering the chopsticks. Ok, no problem right? Well my mom, my brother and my girlfriend had the same issue. So we called over someone who swapped them out for us. Every pair we got after this was covered in mold. By the 4th pair, we called over the "manager" who told us this was not their fault and the fault of the supplier. Understandably so, however you should probably stop bringing them to us and throw out the whole batch! I looked around the restaurant and half the patrons were using these disgusting chopsticks yet management did nothing to stop this. I thought this was absolutely repulsive. In order to apologize this, the manager brought us a plate of tempura which definitely was not enough to make up for this occurrence in my opinion. Also, in the 90 minutes we were there, my water was NEVER refilled nor did our waiter even visit us once after taking our order. The next time we saw him was when we got our check. I walked over to where the water was and refilled my water and my families water multiple times. I have been going to this Benihana location for at least ten years but their absolute dismissal of something that I thought to be absolutely disgusting really ticked me off. I'll be taking my business to Tsukasa unless I am contacted on here and this awful dining experience is made up for.
(1)
Satyen P.
I took my wife there. our eexperience was really good. we ordered sushi, Hibachi chicken and steak. our chef was friendly and funny. service was really good. and food was one of the best I had in a long time. highly recommend this place for friendly staff and amazing food.
(4)
Tricia D.
Here, you have the option of sitting at the grill or in the other section for sushi. If you dine on the grill side, you'll be seated at communal tables and get to watch everyone's food be prepared. Our dragon roll took a while to come out (did they have to run to the coast and catch some eel?). The teriyaki steak was delicious and came with white rice, a salad with ginger dressing, and mushroom onion miso soup. Expect to leave here satiated and smelling like hibachi food.
(4)
Steven M.
We come here 1-2 times a week for Happy Hour. Their Happy Hour hours are unbeatable. The menu for Happy Hour is very extensive and they have great items on there for half price. We usually get a plate of Tuna and Salmon Nigiri to start with, add some hand rolls, and then follow with some rolls. The rolls we like the most there are: Shrimp Crunchy Roll, Las Vegas Roll, Crispy Spicy Tuna Roll, and Gotham Roll. While the rolls here are good, this would definitely not be our first choice for full-price sushi. For us, Benihana is for Happy Hour only. For full-price sushi, we prefer Tsukasa, in Vernon Hills, or Blufish in Glenview.
(4)
Samantha L.
I've been to many different Japanese restaurants like this and really love this style of dinner! Drinks, sushi, entertainment, hibachi, dessert... full package for dinner! This was our first time at Benihana and we came In a group of 5. Service was great from the staff and the cook was very polite as well. My food tastes amazing, however my husbands steak was a bit overlooked. We kinda felt as though the cook was getting the meals mixed up. My husband wanted more rate, and another couple (we didn't know) wanted more well, and they got opposite. Additionally, the cook didn't do too much of a show while cooking. We've seen much better at Tsukasa and other places. Lastly, although I don't completely mind, our group noticed the portion sizes are much smaller versus similar restaurants. Most are used to taking home a decent portion of there meals, however found these portions to be much smaller and finished there. So, although it was very good, we wouldn't state it is the BEST.
(3)
Christina L.
Ok, let's be real. It's a Benihana which means you're not going for the food, you're going for the show! I'm pretty much doomed to go to teppenyaki restaurants for the rest of my life because the bf happens to looooove them! Here are just some tips I accumulated through my Benihana experience. 1. Opt for fried rice. It's the best part! 2. There's a chance you may not get the master chef (we got the newb!) Feel free to look around and find him!! Get your money's worth! If you're lucky, you'll be able to see the egg roll and the heart burn! 3. Don't get chicken. One more time? DON'T GET CHICKEN - 9/10 times it's overcooked, dry and overseasoned! 4. Do get the shrimp. I know, I know you get shrimp for the appetizers already right?? But the main course shrimp are jumbo and so much better! 5. Sign up your e-mail addresses at the end... $30 off on your birthday! 6. Skip on sushi. Got the spicy tuna for the hell of it and I wish I hadn't =/ That's it!! I think as long as you go in knowing that you're paying for the experience, not specifically the food, you can end up having a pretty good time. Just be careful that your sig other doesn't get too excited... otherwise I guess I'll see you around for a lifetime of teppenyaki...!!
(3)
Saravanakumar G.
We went here with great expectations to be entertained by the chef. It was little disappointing when it comes to the service and the chef's tricks. I guess the waitress and chef were unhappy about something that day. But the food was awesome! Everything we ordered was very good.
(3)
Haylee V.
DO NOT GO HERE! This place is so disrespectful when it comes to customer service. Not only did our chef rush the meal, but the food was awful! And i am not the kind of person who is okay with complaining, i feel horrible complaining. BUT, i am not going to pay 30$ for a meal that i didn't even eat. The manager tonight (March 28th, 2013, at closing time) was extremely rude and arguing with me about how the food could not possibly taste bad and the waiter made me feel so uncomfortable and was also extremely rude when I apologized and told him that my food wasn't good. When the other waiters were standing there staring me down about it, our waiter went over to them and complained about me! And not only did i have to send my check back twice because the manager didn't take off my meal, but he only ended up taking 12$ off instead of offering to take the meal off. I have only complained once before at a different restaurant and the waiter was so nice about it but not here! Im sorry but this place is awful, rude, and horrible. Their manager was rude and disrespectful, our waiter was rude and made me feel so uncomfortable, and the food was so rushed and prepared horribly. Hopefully the restaurant will contact me about this through yelp and try to keep my business because me and my boyfriend would go here somewhat often, but if they don't, I will not update this post and keep the 1 star. If you want to go somewhere with amazing Japanese Steakhouse food and lovely service, go to RokBonki down the street (off of arlington heights rd and dundee). I have been going there since I was a child and it's still ceases to amaze me.
(1)
Meg P.
Great lunch place. Don't understand why it's labeled $$$ as it's def more affordable. Can get a boatload of food for $9-$10 at lunch! Yum!
(4)
Rob W.
OK, it's been awhile since I've done the hibachi thing here, but from my recollections it was alright. The little show, volcano onions are nice, but the food isn't all that memorable. But in recent times, I've spent my time at Benihana's sushi bar in the front of the restaurant, which is pretty good. I especially enjoy the "all you can eat" sushi special during the weekdays for about $30. It's not really "all you can eat" - you are limited to four rounds of ordering a specific number of items - plus two rounds of appetizers. However, I have a decent appetite and can pack it away at times and have yet to finish a full four round order. And had I ordered off the menu the food would have run me about $65. So it is a good deal. And their sushi is pretty good too. So, this is another generous four star rating that is really 3.5 - but given the deal, I've given Benihana the "Beni-fit" of the doubt!
(4)
Rei M.
First off, the food is decent. I got the Hibachi Scallops. This meals comes with a shrimp appetizer (it's really not an appetizer, it's just butchered half piece of shrimp splattered on your plate), Benihana Onion soup, salad, steamed rice (I opted for the fried rice) and then green tea which comes at the end of your meal. When we first came into the restaurant we let them know our party was here all except one, but we knew what the person wanted so we could order for them. Instead of seating us they insisted that they were to busy to seat us, even though we had reservations. I would understand of we didn't know what our other member of our group wanted to order, but we did. We waited around a little until we asked again if we could be seated. They kind of just shrugged us off and gave us a snippy "fine". A woman guided us to our seats, the place was EMPTY. There was absolutely no reason they couldn't seat us. We sat down and waited for someone to take our drink orders. The other person in our party came WAY before they came to take our order. There was four of us, three of us ordered alcoholic beverages. Two of which were the same order; pina colada. The waiter didnt seem to understand English very well at all. He couldn't communicate the menu very well. We had ordered our foods and were asking for fried rice instead of white rice. We expected an extra charge (but when we got the bill we were shocked by the fact that it was $3.50 EXTRA for veggie fried rice, considering an average meal there is over $24 it seemed like way to much) we asks if they make the friend rice of the grill in front of us and our server had NO clue what we were talking about what so ever. All he seemed to know how to say was "yes, yes". Our orders were taken and everyone got their drinks except for myself, a piña colada. I had to ask twice for my drink and I didn't receive my drink until waiting at the table for 20 minutes. Our chef was very nice, but seemed really nervous and uncoordinated. He was trying to do this trick with some shrimp tails and he was just flinging them on the floor, he commented to a waiter that he needed to stop watching him because it made him nervous; that's strange. What also was strange was that one of his fellow chefs kept coming to the table to have just person conversations which took away the flair of his cooking. He didnt do any tricks that see were seeing at the other tables. We were pretty let down. Lastly, our waters were never replenished. We were at the table for almost two hours and we only had ONE glass of water. Our waiter was absolutely oblivious, we were having to stack our dishes next to us because no one was clearing them. By the end of my whole meal I still had my EMPTY salad bowl, soup bowl, and bone dry water cup. Let's just say my experience here was not the greatest. And I would NOT recommend Benihana to anyone I'm afraid. For the money I paid here, it was not worth the bad experience. If I wanted a better place with MUCH friendlier service i would go to Kegon. I'm sorry to say that I will not be visiting Benihana again.
(1)
Lauren L.
Extremely bad customer service on the phone. I called to make a take out order and was put on hold three times. Waited five minutes each time I was put on hold. Finally after the third time being put on hold I asked to speak to the manager and she was extremely rude to me and didn't understand why I was so frustrated being put on hold so many times.
(1)
Yvonne Y.
I'm giving them 5 star for their service. My family's been coming here for years for sushi and the entire crew (waitress, hostess, manager, sushi chefs) deliver excellent service. I feel very welcome going there for lunch and dinner with or without kids. Foodwise, it's Benihana so you know what you're getting. Especially if you work around this area, come here for their lunch specials which are very consistent and you get wonderful service. Are there better sushi out there? Of course and Benihana isn't trying to be the first class sushi restaurant. What they do provide is a welcoming environment that families AND business people enjoy with consistent quality food. My 5-star review pertains to their service. Recently, I had an incident where the service was sub-par. The manager immediately took action and corrected the situation. I absolutely look forward to returning there with my family.
(5)
Annie C.
This was one of my favorite places I was excited as soon as we booked our flight. I am sad to say the changes they have made are not for the better. The sauces have changed the ginger sauce was one of my favorites it was completly over powered with lemon, in the salad it was ok. Our wait staff never came to the table once after our initial service so our guests and us sat without drinks most of our meals. They used to bring green tea at the end I requested one which took a half hour - when the chef went to cook our steaks the mushrooms were at a point of no return - due to the language barrier it took a couple minutes for him to understand fresh mushrooms are not black and prune looking _ the only reason a 2 is because our friends food was cooked perfection and our company was long missed. Not sure we will go back on the hunt for our new fav when we come to town.
(2)
Chris B.
The server was bad, not terrible but bad. The food was so rich and full of bitter that it made my girlfriend and I sick later. I am all about butter and fried foods; however, when you are charging the prices Benihana does I expect some culinary skills with the food preparations. Go to Tsukasa in Vernon Hills, much more consistent with the quality of food and service is always pleasant.
(2)
Jorge B.
This restaurant takes too much time on making the food and drinks. While the hibachi show is good it took 25 min for the chef to show up. Pricey for the food. You can get the same quality for 60% of the price at other local hibachi joints.
(1)
Heather M.
At the Wheeling location they have $2 sushi rolls from 12-2pm on Saturdays and Sundays - so good and the price is right!
(5)
Tony C.
everytime you eat at Benihanas you're supporting Devon Edwenna Aoki's acting career. THINK ABOUT THAT.
(1)
Roy A.
Food is decent enough and the lunch specials aren't too costly which dinner at times can be. The entertainment is exciting for some I guess. I really like the dressing in the salad for some reason that you get with the lunch special and I generally think of salad as I think of dog poop. Overall, not too bad to kill some time from a slow day at work.
(3)
Mary D.
Our friends came to visit us from Florida, and were looking forward to going to their favorite restaurant. When they lived in Wheeling they frequented this establishments numerous times a week. They requested a return trip on their visit with us.the four of us went for dinner and were completely disappointed in the experience. It has changed, and not for the better. Our server came to our table to take our Initial order, and never returned to the table to check on us or to see if we needed drink refills, not even once. needless to say, we ate our dinners without any beverages. The ginger sauce way over powered by lemon, loosing its ginger taste. My husband was very happy with his salmon, my steak was cooked correctly, but the fat was not trimmed off the meat. We were not offered green tea at the end of our meal; our guests had to specifically ask for it, and even then it took over a half hour for her to get the tea. When we told the manager about our dissatisfaction, he offered each of us a free drink, but by that time our meals were over and we just wanted to leave. Our waitress/server tried to put the blame of her negligence on other staff members. Very disappointing experience.
(2)
Amanda B.
I'm a sucker for Asian food; it's my favorite. I was thrilled to hear I'd be joining my friend here for her 16th birthday dinner with her family. Loved the food, loved the entertainment. So what if my chef wasn't Asian? The chefs cook in front of you and give you a little show while doing it. It is a big expensive, though. I got the hibachi chicken. Very tasty! Lots of food, too - rice, veggies, shrimp appetizer, onion soup, salad. Service was great and very attentive. It was my friend's birthday and they sang to her and she got a small dish of ice cream and a photograph taken and framed. Cute!
(5)
Mac P.
Creative and great tasting sushi & rolls at great prices if you go during the Bonzai hour (mond-thursday 5-8pm at the bar). I especially recommend the "las vagas rolls" and "spicy crispy tuna rolls" but then again, the others are great too. Staff is nice and efficient, place is quiet If this were closer to me I think it would be my evening cafeteria. Finally a sushi place where a guy can eat without leaving hungry or having to drop a minimum of $30
(5)
Joshua N.
The showboatin' chefs are nice and they entertain you for a few minutes, but it is just to distract you from the fact that most of the food they were is completely bland. We shared the shrimp and chicken for two deal, $35. Comes with some onion soup, which is totally void of flavor, rice, a small iceberg lettuce salad, and some really sad ice cream that would not feel out of place at a low budget child's birthday party. In fact, if you are at Benihana, you probably are at a child's birthday party, since that seems to be their main clientele. We were surrounded by them. Very few people looked happy, aside from one of the little birthday boys who was elated having been served ice cream in a Buddha statue with a candle on top. Most other people were sitting with listless expressions. Best thing - The shrimp. You can't go wrong with grilled shrimp. They just always taste great and kudos to Benihana for not screwing them up by doing anything other than cleaning them up. Worst - The chicken breast that they serve looks like it was taken from the world heavy-weight chicken champion of the world. Gigantic and obviously pumped full of steroids. Chicken breast is already pretty flavorless, but when you use one that came from a chicken that probably never was able to walk because his body was genetically altered to produce breasts this large you are not going to be left with any flavor at all. It was absolutely bland and barely edible. They need to either go with chicken thighs or switch it up to free range to get some flavor. I didn't expect authentic, but I had hoped for tasty. I got neither. The closest thing to an Asian flavor profile was the soy sauce that they mixed in with the fried rice. Very poor experience.
(2)
Ermelinda C.
We went here with a larger group last Sunday. It was an OK experience but nothing memorable. The hostess was rude to my friend who had a stroller (the place was almost empty), but the wait staff and the Sheff were quite nice and friendly. The food was good to, the usual Benihana style.
(3)
yefim k.
Don't go to Benihana. They forgot everything we ordered and we spent an hour staring at some cold fried onions on our plate. We were waiting for them to add things like fried rice to the plate but it never happened. The appetizers (shrimp) was thrown on the grill only after our medium-rare steaks were already well done. Then, cause he still had to serve the appetizer first, we ate burnt, sliced up steak. The onions just sat there, and were joined, after the meal was basically over, by some squash he just left on the grill and I guess forgot about. Everytime we asked where stuff was he gave us attitude or lied to us. Then he got the manager to ask us if everything was alright, we said it wasn't, and she smiled and said Thank you for choosing Benihana. Stupid cook lied to us about which steak was which, he knew he was lying, we could see the damn thing and he looked like a guilty dog. Idiot. Then he lied to us and said he put the order for our rice into the kitchen. Again we were sitting right there and no he didn't. Stupid idiot. We came as a party of four and we all ordered the same thing and they messed up everything stupid benihana stupid. Then a manager came up to us, flanked by three large germans with crossed arms, and straight up commanded us to wait for the stupid stupid fried rice twenty minutes after we finished the ice cream while we were begging for the stupid check already. We didn't stupid benihana.
(1)
Scott C.
We went to Benihana for lunch to try out their sushi bar. The sushi bar is located at the front of the restaurant before you go past the hostess to the larger hibachi style tables and cooking areas. The actual sushi bar is nice - spacious and comfortable. The sushi itself leaves something to be desired here. Perhaps this should have been obvious as the specialty at Benihana is not sushi, but we gave them a shot. The rolls were OK at best. Even a simple roll like a spicy tuna roll did not have much flavor - nothing distinguishable between the fish, sauce or rice. It was average at best and left us wanting something more flavorful. The sushi itself was better. The cuts of fish were fresh and well proportioned. The rice was OK - maybe it was a bad day. They do offer some affordable lunch combinations for $12 - combinations of rolls and sushi which was a nice touch. Unfortunately, it did not come with miso soup or a small salad - that was extra. The other downside is the quality of the sushi itself. I'd avoid the sushi here and stick with the hibachi grill items... if you want sushi there are plenty of other places in the north suburbs that are better.
(2)
Irene Z.
It had been a while since I'd last been to Benihana and it's usually dinner time when I do go. We went this week during lunch to celebrate a co-worker's birthday. The lunch specials are a great deal, perfect portions for a filling lunch. The best deal has to be the lunch boats...sashimi, cali rolls, tempura, miso soup, rice plus hibachi! it's even to keep you full through dinner! I had the hibachi chicken (what I usually get) and it was good like it always is. Two of my co-workers had the salmon lunch boat, which made me regret going with my usual, though it probably would have been too much food for me for lunch. Everyone was happy with their meals. Maybe it's because we were there during lunch and they're trying to be considerate of people's time during their lunch hour, but the show wasn't as entertaining as I remember it to be. Our chef did the onion volcano trick and while he was nice, he pretty much cooked our food and then left. The rest of the service was good. Our sever was attentive and friendly. They also sang Happy Birthday to our co-worker and presented her with a buddha candle to make a wish on, and an ice cream sundae. They also took our picture and framed it so she would have something to take home to remember her special day. All in all, a good time and we'll definitely be coming back for lunch again.
(3)
Jen W.
Few years ago had a rat fall into my food Didnt have Yelp then
(1)
Katey S.
I could eat only the orangey-sweetish sauce that comes with the Hibachi meal and die happy. I'm not a fan of any place that seats you next to strangers - have I mentioned lately that I hate people? - but I do enjoy the food at Benihanas. Lunch on a workday was not overly crowded - we were seated immediately - and while we were served quickly, we weren't rushed.
(4)
Danielle S.
I went here and ate both the sushi and hibachi. Overall, it was pricey for the quality of food. The sushi fell apart when you picked it up. The hibachi presentation was nice, but there was nothing special about it. Same thing with the atmosphere. We also had to sit with people we didn't know, which was ok, but there were plenty of spots open to seat us elsewhere. The service was good, but overall I don't think we will go here again. There are better Japanese restaurants around town.
(2)
David G.
This place brings back memories of being a kid, coming to Benihana and being fascinated by the Japanese chef, the way he flipped the knives around, played the salt and pepper shakers like maracas, and caught severed shrimp tails in his hat. When i got older, however, I realized that these entertaining chefs are reserved for little kids and couples. The rest of us get the boring chefs. I don't think I applauded once since I turned 18. The food is decent. I never go for dinner because it gets expensive, but there are some really good lunch specials, averaging about $12. I come here with my work buddies every once in a while. Still a little more expensive than getting the sandwich in the work cafeteria, but it's still cheap compared to a lot of lunch places I've been taken to. The service is good and courteous. The most severe issue I ever had was when I asked for white rice instead of fried rice, and they still gave me fried rice. It was easily fixed. Don't let anyone call it Benihana's.
(4)
A H.
What can I say, I write about food.
(5)
Tammy Q.
One word to describe the experience. Eh. I only decided to come here for my dad's birthday; to give him an experience that he hasn't encountered before. The awe lasted for a good 5 mins, my parents thought it was kinda cheesy. Food was okay - of course, I've had better Japanese food elsewhere. This would be a great place to bring out of towners to so that they can experience the teppanyaki.
(2)
William T.
There is nothing terribly special about Benihana, but I will say it is hard to beat their lunch boat special. Actually, there lunch menu in general is pretty good price wise. If you want a top notch dinner hibachi experience, I would suggest heading north to Vernon Hills. For sushi, you don't have to travel quite as far in that direction.
(3)
Matthew A.
This place gets lamer everytime I go here. The first time I went here it was like a "Where have you been all my life..." moment. It was FUN, taste GOOD. However time after time of seeing the chefs do the same tricks, the same banging the utensils on the cooking mat, the same nasty horseradish salad, I ask myself why do I come here and spend $70 bucks for my girlfriend and I... If it's your first time coming here by all means check it out, it's awesome. Or if you are taking somebody for their first time....it's fun. Not so fun if you go there often.
(3)
Anthony P.
One of our standard business lunch spots. I order the combination that includes 4 piece sushi and 2 rolls. For sushi, I usually get salmon, tuna and shrimp. For rolls, I will always get the eel roll and alternate between the spicy tuna roll and philly roll. Check my uploaded pic of the lunch comb
(4)
Britt C.
I do wish I could give three and a half stars, because I thought it was a little too pricey. But, they get bumped up because the food was really delicious, and we all had a great time. Went here for my birthday, as this is the only time I can get my family to try something besides Italian or Mexican, and had a really fun time, especially watching my 3-year-old niece wonder why the hell some guy was doing all that crazy stuff with the food. Our whole group ordered a variety of seafood, red meat, and poultry, and we were all very pleased with the quality of the food. The onion soup and fried rice that came with the meals was really fresh and delicious, but I was not impressed by the over-chilled iceberg lettuce salad. Come on, $25 for an entree, and I get iceberg/shredded carrot mix? Anyways, it was fun, a good place for a group on a special occasion. I do like the interaction with the chef, and ours was pretty friendly. But, I gotta say I usually like to be able to converse with my family and friends when I go out to dinner, and it was nearly impossible to do this.
(4)
Tricia Mia P.
I LOVE Benihana. It's one of the best Teppanyaki place around. This particular location has awesome service! I love the appetizer and they have some great steaks! My favorite is Teriyaki Steak. I also love the grill shrimp. I have never tried their sushi so cannot comment on that. This place is great for celebrating birthdays, if you sign up for email list, they always sent you coupons and for your birthday you get $30! Awesome!
(5)
Rob S.
we only ever go to this particular Benihana once a year...it's our "new years eve" tradition. the staff is very polite, and this one has far fewer annoying patrons than the Schaumburg location. This was the first year (07) that i felt like they were skimping on the amount of pre-meal food (the shrimp, onions, zucchini). i hope it is not a sign of things to come. I wish they came around more often to offer more beer, too. they could have made more money and i could have been that much tipsier.
(4)
David W.
The wife and I lived in the burbs for 5 years before moving into the city. Sometimes, the wife gets a craving for places we use to frequent. The wife and I love the entertainment value, the cheesy, but entertaining chefs, sometimes watching the other folks at your table alone is worth the price of dinner. I love Tepanyaki... brings memories of my high school years, going with my friends, ordering 4 to 5 extra orders of fried rice per person with our steak, chicken and shrimp combos, then dousing the whole thing with the creamy sauce. The quality of food at this Benihana vs. other tepanyaki places is above average. The dining room is huge and airy, which helps dissipate the smoke from the cooking grills, though you still come out smelling like the food. I love everything there, from the light broth in the beginning, ginger dressing in the salad, to the sauces that comes with entree to dip your food. Love the chopped up food, less hassle for me.
(3)
Carolyn M.
People make fun of me when they ask me what my favorite restaurant is and I say Benihana IN WHEELING, but it's true! I am not a fan of any other benihana. They have this creamy sauce that you can only get at this location that is out of this world yummy. They send us birthday gift certificates for $30 which is amazing, or they run monthly specials like 2 for $45 chicken and filet dinners. You will always wind up spending over $100 for 2 people though. The food is delicious and I always leave there waddling because the amount of food they give you is just ridiculous! The only reason I am going to cut off a star is because sadly the service has fallen short lately, I've gone here like 6 times this past year and everytime I wait a little longer for my drink to be refilled. then there is one other problem lately, I don't speak spanish but the past two times we have gone we have sat with spanish speaking families and happened to have chefs that spoke spanish..... So this turned into the whole show spoken in spanish!!!! I mean come on thats really not fair at all I am paying the same as them I would like to know whats going on as well! Bottom line go there check it out but dont plan to be too active afterwards because you probably will just want to crash on the couch and digest!
(4)
Kathleen C.
Nothing cooler than suburban ironic kitsch. Our chef wasn't asian, but he made up for his ethnicity with fine skills. Almost fine enough to distract us from noticing that the meals are actually pretty damn bland. Still a fun night out though.
(3)
Beth H.
Went to Benihana in Wheeling last week for my birthday. Got a great sushi lunch, but the service was pretty awful. The hostess was too busy socializing to even greet us, let alone seat us, and the server came across rude. I think she realized she was being crappy towards us, because she suddenly shifted in her mood. The eel roll was really good, and the sushi was very fresh.
(3)
AJ H.
We went here because my boyfriend signed up online to get a $30 certificate to use during the month of his birthday. I had the vegetarian garden delight that consisted of soup (note: the soup served with it is not vegetarian), salad, tofu, grilled and steamed vegetables, and rice. Everything was fine, but nothing special, and the array of vegetables included a lot of squash, which seemed to be an odd choice. My boyfriend had a combination platter of chicken, steak, and shrimp which he said was pretty bland without any of the sauces. I had to drench my veggies in the ginger sauce to get flavor. Our chef wasn't very interactive with us, but he was fine. I had two mixed drinks, neither of which had very much alcohol in them. The dinner seemed overpriced for the quality of food we received (even with the $30 certificate), and service wasn't too attentive--dishes not cleared quickly, drinks/water not refilled without asking. There were a lot of birthdays being celebrated with the servers and chefs half-heartedly singing to everybody. If you are interested in this type of meal, I would recommend Rokbonki in Arlington Heights over Benihana.
(2)
Picky C.
The *BIG* secret.... You have to check out their lunchtime menu guys and gals. The sushi is top notch fresh and cut right. The quality and amount of food offered on the Lunch Boat special is enough to last two meals. Most lunchtime specials are $8-$10 and include really good green tea. The food is authentic and the place does not smell like teppenyaki (during lunchtime) and neither will you when you walk out. I go for the Golden Bell lunch set or the nabeyaki udon (really, really top quality in taste, noodle texture, presentation, amount and price) lunch set. It also comes with fresh sashimi, an ice cream/red bean dessert and a side dish. You really can't go wrong. Lunch dates and client dates are always impressed and surprised they get this authentic meal during lunchtime. Not every Benihana offers what the Schaumburg location offers. Might be because a lot of Japanese nationals and executives dine here during lunch. Trust me, this is not your average sushi joint on the corner. I might regret posting this if the place gets way too crowded for lunch, but really, it is a gem of a find if you need a quiet place to get away for some really good grub for a great price. 5 stars service 5 stars food 5 stars price 4 stars ambiance
(5)
bas s.
I love this palce but last time i went there services was bad but like i wrote before i love this place and i will go again
(4)
Dana M.
I don't really like teppanyaki... I think it's so overrated. I've seen the "show" many times before and it's all the same. So, when I dined here the other night, my friend and I just sat at the sushi bar.. it was called the bar but we were seated at a table and we were the only ones in that part of the restaurant. No wait what-so-ever. Everything was average and I have nothing great to say about the rolls. We ordered a few special maki rolls: the dragon, salmon, and the crispy shrimp. Everything on the menu had crab meat in it so I found that boring. Service was fast and wasn't too expensive... $20 each and that included tax and tip.
(3)
Rachel C.
Maybe I'm a snob, but I think this is one of the worst chain restaurants ever. Maybe it's because there are so many other BETTER options out there for the same type of food and price, but much better quality. I got suckered here once after work with some co-workers. I found most of the food to be overcooked. The chef sucked. It was empty.. on a Saturday night. Hmmm.. something wrong with that picture. I'd recommend Tsukasa of Tokyo in Vernon Hills, or Ron of Japan in Northbrook, or even Kampai in Des Plaines. Much better food, better staff, and authentic cooks.
(1)
Scott D.
Always an experience when going there. I always enjoy taking someone there for the first time. I am amazed by the techniques of the chefs. Most people don't understand that the extra cost is attributed to the show that you get with your meal. The down side is that you can be seated with strangers that can either make or break the fun of it all at your table. One needs to be relaxed and have fun when dining here. I do recommend children to be brought here and can not imagine why someone would, but they do. The food has always been good and the drinks, once you get your wait staff a custom, come fast and furious, which just makes the outing all that more enjoyable.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : 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 : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Anna E.
Ever since they closed the one in downtown Chicago, my friends started coming out here for what they call a "quarterly meeting". Luckily, I had the pleasure of being invited along when I used to live here, so now whenever I get stuck in the burbs for work, we arrange a meeting! The service is always great, even if all of the tricks are predictable. I almost always get the steak and shrimp, with the chicken fried rice. Everything tastes so good (probably all the salt and fat) that I end up stuffing myself until it hurts. The dipping sauces they provide are also really good. My special advice...don't go anywhere after. You will smell like a hot garlic meat grill. Not so cute.
(4)Patch L.
The sushi is very fresh here! If you come after 530pm they have 1/2 price specials! We usually order the seaweed salad, rainbow roll, dragon roll, & crunchy shrimp roll. All are great! The service is friendly and quick! This place has become one of our favorite & regular place for sushi!
(5)jt s.
Service with a scowl. This place has gone way downhill. I honestly have been sitting in a half empty place. Been sitting for a half hour with zero service. The chef I am watching looks like he is having the worst day of his life. I recommend you give it a miss
(2)Anum A.
Benihana is a very enjoyable restaraunt. The food is cooked right in front of your eyes. The chef cooks very fast and it amazing how he twirls his spoons and gets the fire going. This restaraunt is costly ,however, it is worth it.
(5)Melissa G.
Very positive Benihana experience. I've been to Benihana years ago and I've also been to some other Habachi places like Ichiban and Tsukasa. My boyfriend had never been to Benihana so this was my birthday dinner treat for him. Although I made a reservation for 8:00pm, we arrived a little sooner than anticipated and they were happy to seat us a couple minutes early. We didn't wait long for our server to take our drink orders. I had the Haiku Colada; it was amazing! Bursting with not too sweet yet fruity flavor! Soon after our drinks came and he happily took our orders. He spoke Spanish to the people next to us and he spoke clear English to us - very considerate. Seating wasn't crowded. There was one other party at our table but they were seated all the way on the other side. For a Tuesday night, there was a good amount of people. The only thing is that it looked a little tight where the cooks were standing because there was a point where they bumped into each other. My boyfriend and I ordered off of the speciality menu which came with a 6 course meal, and his brother ordered off of the steak & chicken side which consisted of a 5 course meal. Right away we were given the Benihana onion soup. The soup tasted a little bland, but it wasn't too bad and it wasn't oily - just not very flavorful. The Benihana salad came out almost right after. The greens tasted like they came right out of store bought bags, but I really wasn't expecting much out of it. After that, our chef finally came out and made us the Hibachi shrimp appetizer and the Hibachi vegetables. The shrimp was really good, but our chef didn't do the shrimp train. The vegetables were literally just an eggplant and some onions, but both were very tasty. He made the onion volcano and proceed to turn it into a train. He continued to cook our Hibachi chicken rice and made that into a heart! The hibachi chicken rice was delicious - it wasn't dry at all like the other reviews mentioned. Our chef then asked how we wanted our steaks cooked and we let him know. I had the Samurai Treat which consisted of the filet mignon and the colossal shrimp w/ lemon and butter. I had my filet mignon cooked medium rare, and he cooked it to perfection. It was beautifully tender and very flavorful; It was cooked alongside mushrooms. The colossal shrimp was also very tasty. A little too much lemon for my liking, but otherwise it was delightful. I was very happy with the meal I had chosen. We said no to the hot green tea, but we did get the ice cream at the end. I could tell our chef was newer because he didn't do a lot of the tricks and messed up more than a couple times, but honestly, it was fine. He seemed a little shy. Since it was for my boyfriend's birthday, they sang him a song and gave him ice cream. It was really funny because they started singing it in Japanese and the hostess came out of nowhere and started singing with them. The check was finally handed to us, and it was a little more than I expected it to be. The entire experience was great! We had a really fun time and I don't regret taking my boyfriend here! Everyone was very polite and our main entrées were delicious! We're even talking about coming back for their happy hour sushi! We were looking forward to this evening all day and we were not let down! Thanks Steve Aoki's dad :)
(4)Eric T.
Good as always but this time for us the service was subpar. We were celebrating a birthday and tried using our $30 "gift" (which we presented at the beginning) but was denied right away because it is only good Monday thru Thursday. This was fine because it did say this on the email. However the server was just not nice...:( it was obvious we were celebrating a birthday (showed him the birthday email, told him, and had several gifts around the table) but did they sing for us? Nope. No singing and no picture :( not even a candle. Just a big fat check at the end. Yeah we could have complained, and put up a fuss etc like most people would but that's just not us. It really was no big deal but to me it kind of was as I'm thinking about it now. So it all comes down to customer service, they could be a little nicer and caring and at least make it look like they enjoy their job. Oh well I better stop before I say too much which I probably already did. Btw...the Lombard location is much friendlier and they have accepted our $30 birthday gift on a Friday and Saturday before. Anyways, we will be back and their food is always excellent and nothing still beats their fried rice. I was just a little disappointed this time with the service. Can't be always perfect, right?
(3)Jess H.
Was here for lunch. Nice experience. Have not had Japanese cusine since I was little and this was a nice time as not many was in the place around 130 in the afternoon. Chef was doing a nice job cooking. Waiter kept refilling my pop without prompt which I loved. Food was not salty or overseasoned. Was just right. Meat was tender and juicy
(5)Delia S.
Came here with my husband for a lunch date. Was surprised that it's not what I remember ... The man who cooked our food didn't do many tricks while cooking. The portions use to be so much bigger. We had to ask for refills which was a pain. Not sure if we will be back.
(3)Gin G.
Walking distance from my parents house so we go cuz it's close n kids like the show. Nothing really memorable except that the sushi was not great. It's expensive for what you get but like I said its close n kids like the show.
(3)Noor H.
First time at Benihana! The food was delicious and very filling but some things were very off which is why I took two stars away. 1) The salad tasted very VERY cold. Absurdly cold. It was weird. 2) The service was incredibly slow and I came with co-workers on our lunch hour and we ran way over! Will come back again, but definitely not on my lunch hour if it's going to be this slow!!
(3)A S.
This was probably one of the worst hibachi experiences I've had. The service wasn't that great, the chef wasn't friendly/talkative. There wasn't even a big flame or any exciting show like the other hibachi places I've been to had. The fire alarm went off during dinner, during which no one knew what was going on when we asked. The portions were a lot smaller than other places as well. I definitely wont be returning to this location. The manager was nice to give us a discount once we complained. That is the only reason for my 2 stars. The price you pay for these meals, I was expecting more.
(2)Alan B.
I like Benihana in wheeling...we have been coming here for years! The food is tasty and it's a fun experience. I'm not the biggest fan of the sushi however since its very simple I certainly wouldn't come here for the sushi alone. My kids are entertained every time, this recent visit Jose was our hibachi chef who did a great job with the chocho train and shrimp tail flipping into his hat. We came here on a Saturday evening and the place was completely packed, we did receive excellent service from our waitress even though she was running around. Entries are reasonably price but they get you on the drinks and fried rice with the house sake costing $9 and fried rice between $3-$7...overall we've always had good experiences at this location. youtube.com/watch?v=y8kl…
(4)Amy H.
I do not want to go here again. I was very excited because I've never been here before and a lot of my friends like the hibachi style. When my friend asked me if I wanted to go with him, I immediately was excited. My friend picked me up and drove me here for the lunch special, where the sushi was half price. We were the only one in the restaurant, so service was fast. I ordered two rolls and afterwards, I had the runs. It was pretty bad because I felt really sweaty and my stomach was hurting. I think the sushi was way pass their expiration date.
(1)D J.
Would have been 4 stars, but when I went to the bathroom, the waiter didn't pack up half of my delicious steak entree I splurged on. I don't know if they were trying to rush our large party out. We were celebrating a birthday. I wasn't finished in the first place. That would have been ok, but to open up my leftover box at home and to have some of the best cuts of meat I paid for thrown out on me... :( Also, there was a big piece of eggshell I bit down on in my fried rice. This is the Wheeling location btw. Pros: The show was great, food was tasty.
(2)Howard L.
A nice place and the steak quality was exceptionally good here compared with other teppanyaki grills. We had it as part of a filet mignon/chicken combo dinner. The seating is not great though with a 2 x 4 x 2 seating arrangement, and if you are in the 4-pack, it's a bit tight and not as comfortable as being at the end. The showmanship of the chef we had was in the ordinary category, as it seems in most of these places these days. Otherwise, a nice teppanyaki meal can be had here.
(4)Betty W.
Love there food sushi is the best here for a great price and so fresh. There ginger dressing is so yummy I always buy some to go you must try lobster yummy yum
(5)Jerry W.
Food: 85. Value: 90. Service: 70. Atmosphere: 60. Had Sushi at the bar. Food was good, and a surprise in being so. Restaurant lacks an inviting atmosphere and should be cleaner. Bartender was nice & attentive, but must have been new, as he did not know the menu at all. Happy Hour menu in the bar offers great value for what would have been an overpriced check. Restaurant is vastly overpriced.
(3)Natalie F.
great lunch specials!
(4)Diana L.
I've been coming to Benihana since I was a child, so I'm pretty familiar with the cooking shows. I think they get a bit old after a few years, but the younger children in my family always love it! Otherwise, if you've never seen one, check it out! I personally enjoy the onion volcano very much (wish I had a picture!). If I had to rate Benihana based off the entertainment value, it'd get four stars because everything is really fun to watch and the food tastes great except the fried rice, which gets very oily. Besides that, now I make it a habit to go here when I come back from college and the service is very nice at the sushi bar area. The decor of the place is well-done and I like sitting down for dinner and appreciating the scrolls, plates, and architecture; the bar has a very relaxing and clean ambiance. They have a happy hour(s) from 5-8 pm where they have a 50% off menu for a variety of popular appetizers, rolls, and drinks if you sit and eat. My family loves to come here because for a low price, we get freshly made sushi in a lovely environment. The servers are quick to refill water, funny (my server loved to joke with my parents), and we got our sushi quickly. Also, some reviewer mentioned asking to buy one of the plates because they're so pretty - my parents feel the same way too. In the past, I remembered if you order a drink and request it in one of the special Benihana tiki mugs (choice of geisha, buddha, or samurai), they let you take it home for an extra price to buy the cup. Favorite roll to order: Gotham roll! It looks as cool as it tastes - spicy mayo mixed with shredded salmon on a fried roll decorated with a crunchy lotus root slice. Favorite appetizer: Tempura! There is light, golden breading covering three pieces of freshly fried shrimp and four pieces of crisp vegetables. In second place are the gyoza: succulent beef in a gently pan-fried wrapper. Favorite dessert: Banana tempura! Ask politely to switch the vanilla ice cream to green tea and it's delicious! Favorite drink: Herb tea! Served piping hot and great to sip especially in the winter because it warms you up for the inside. I'm not sure how to describe its taste, but its a nice balance of bittersweet and my parents love to drink it. For a cold drink, try the sweet and tangy strawberry passion delight smoothie! For children, I recommend letting them try Ramune, a cool looking Japanese soda, where they have to "pop" a marble ball in the bottle to carbonate the soda (it looks cooler than how I describe it). Note: I don't make reservations because I'm not there for a show, but if you do want to see the cooking show, I'd suggest calling for a reservation. Also, if you eat at the bar, don't forget to tip the sushi chefs! My family always does that and now they know us by face (or maybe because we eat there a lot). They're very nice to talk to when not busy making sushi and offer interesting tidbits of sushi making advice.
(5)Cris G.
Went for a birthday dinner for my son.. You can smell the food as soon as you walk inside. . Ambience is okay not as impressive as ron of japan , I think they need to renovate the place a bit it really looks old .. Food is good and presentation was fun ..
(4)O.M. R.
My experience was awesome! The cook was very skilled (George). also i watched other cooks.. Weren't that good as George. I had the scallops, were cooked perfect! Also i had The miso soup, because i didn't want the onion soup... Nooo problem. They were nice ab it. I will definitely come back here. Loved every second of it!
(5)Patty C.
Nice lunch specials.
(3)Amy S.
This is my family's second favorite spot! We always get the hibachi because we like seeing the chef cook in front of us. The tricks don't really get old for us because we somehow always make a joke out of it. But the chefs are really nice and it's a lot of fun when they are really interactive with the guests. We only have 5 people in my family, and the table seats 8, so we usually have a couple sit with us. Most of the time, we all talk and get along, so it's sort of a cool community type of setting. Dinner is about $30/person, but you get soup, salad, an appetizer, entree, and green tea ice cream and tea! It's a good deal if you ask me, especially because the food is so delicious. However, if you ever get the option, you should come for lunch because it's almost as much food, but for only $10-$13. They don't do as many tricks during lunch, because the performance is part of the cost for the meal. My favorite is the butter shrimp and the filet mignon. My mom usually gets the chicken and she really likes it. They give you two to three different types of sauces with the dish - garlic, ginger, and there's a new wasabi sauce. They also offer teriyaki to those who want it. I love trying the different vegetables and proteins with the different sauces. All in all, it's just a fun and slightly out of the ordinary type of restaurant.
(5)Jim D.
I used to go to Benihana a lot, not so much recently. My wife and I had family in from out of town and we went to lunch in Lombard on July 6th with our niece and in Wheeling with our nephew on July 7th. I have to say that the Behihana experience is not what it used to be. The main reason for going is the chef's show. The chefs that we had were lame to say the least. And they did not do half the things they used to. They don't light the oil anymore, they barely flip anything around. This would be ok if the food was good, it would make up for it. The food was so bland. It was tasteless food and they really skimp. The fried rice barely filled the bowl, the amount of vegetables was less than it used to be. I am disappointed and I was disappointed for the kids that had never been there before. It did not live up to how much I hyped it before we got there. We switched locations after the first day hoping maybe a different location would be better. It wasn't. I'll look for other local places that provide a better show and better food in the future. Probably Kampai or Tsukasa.
(2)Jack L.
I've been to many different Benihana restaurants and this one was by far the worst. I'm originally from N.Y.and was in the region for business, already had a horrible experience at another hibachi place here in Illinois and thought a place I was familiar with would be better, I was wrong. First the waitress was rushing me to order my meal, never even asked how I wanted my steak, then I got the fried rice my favorite rice in the world, it was undercooked and tasted like fish. I'm a shellfish eater so I don't mind a slightly fishy taste but this was disgusting. I usually eat 2 orders of the rice, this time I could even eat one. Horrible experience.
(2)Magdaline V.
The food was fresh tasting and well prepared. The entrees came with a complimentary shrimp appetizer which was a plus. Service was great, too. It's the best of the area Japanese restaurants.
(5)J S.
This is our first time at Benihana. We usually go to Tsukasa. I took my 2 years old daughter here for lunch for her birthday. The food is good and for the lunch item you get a lot of food for the money you pay for. The only problem is the tepanyaki chefs looks so bored and unenthusiastic about cooking. The cook never talked to the customers (except to the Hispanic people on our right). Unlike Tsukasa or other Tepanyaki places we've been, This Benihana lacked the show and excitement that they show on their commercials. The chef only did the smoking onion that's supposed to be a volcano and that was it. The atmosphere felt like you sit and watch me cook your food. Don't talk to me kind of attitude from the chef :( They didn't even ask if we're celebrating anything...just sit n watch me contaminate your food. Oh by the way, we ordered chicken habachi, steak habachi, and lunch boat steak...no seafood. But the chef decided to give us shrimp and placed it on any of the 3 plates he saw without asking. Ah, I'm mildly allergic to shrimp that's why all 3 of us didn't order seafood :( my husband had to switch food /plate with me. FYI, don't assume all your customers eat seafood and shellfish just because you serve sushi. I would have made a big deal n called the manager but it's my daughter's birthday n didn't want to ruin her fun. This never happened with the other tepanyaki restaurants we've been to. Also, Benihana is known for good food and good tepanyaki show. I watched at the chef we had and looked around at the other Chefs on other tepanyaki grills around us too and every chef was looking like zombies. Was it to early in the morning for them? They all look like they could use a cup of coffee. Maybe I'll try a different Benihana location or just go to a different tepanyaki restaurants :( Sad this location was close to our house too.
(2)Gerry X.
Lunch with coworkers and will review afterwards. Now for the review.....awesome. Our cook was pretty quick and efficient with our meals...and the fact he was being social as he was doing all this was pretty cool..confident of his skills, which assured me good eats. I ate at a place similar to this in North Carolina and it really reminded me of that as it was as pleasurable. Cool utensils (which I asked to buy a plate and they said...no.) Plentiful parkling and easy to find off the main drag of Milwaukee. The sake was smooth and went down as such.
(5)Leocris L.
what?! hibachi chain? me thinks not. there are much better hibachi and sushi spots than this. though i was thankful and appreciative to be taken here for my birthday, et al, it wouldn't be my first, nor second choice, or even top 5 places for japanese food. though they are extremely friendly and it's nice to look at inside, i don't think it warrants the extra star rating knowing food is not on the same level as other japanese establishments.
(2)C S.
I always bring my house guests here when they come visit us from other state. Always a hit! the food are great and me and my husband love the onion volcano smoky show ;)
(5)Dee W.
Great experience and great service - our chef was fantastic and very entertaining. Expect to spend $20+ per person here but it's very much worth it from the soup to the salad and the fried rice and the entrees - we did family style and everyone got to sample a lit bit of everything - the filet mignon is awesome and cooked just perfect!
(5)Ellie S.
Cheers to Benihana for saving the day! For the first time ever we were unable to cook on Christmas day so we had to eat out. The restaurant that was supposed to be open had a fire and was closed. We ended up driving down Milwaukee Avenue in hopes of finding an open restaurant and out popped Benihana. I have been to several Japanese steakhouses but it was our first time there. Go figure. As we strolled in a group had just called to cancel so we had no wait. Awesome! We had a nice chef who worked the table and kept us entertained. The other family at our table had some kind of Christmas fiasco too and was out to eat for the first time on Christmas day. It was quite entertaining for all. Now the food I would say is good but, I have had better and will likely stick with my "go to" Japanese Steak House. The decor was wonderful and the restaurant was very clean. Also, the person getting the drinks was completely "on". We did not wait for anything. I would definitely return if in the Wheeling area to dine. I will also keep it in mind if our Christmas requires eating out again. To be honest we had so much fun at the movies and Benihana and not having to do anything I can't help but wonder if we should do Christmas like this every year. Of course when we came home we watched "A Christmas Story."
(4)Maria R.
Service from waitress was good but our chef didn't do anything special. It's not the show or experience I am used to and was very disappointed. The food was also pretty bland. I was also sad to only receive zucchini and onions as my veggies...what happened to the broccoli and carrots?
(2)Samantha L.
Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me four times, shame on me even more. I have been to this location four times, and every single time that I go I regret it. Just because it might be convenient, does not mean at all that you should go. The food is just fine, standard fare. I mean, it's a mainstream chain - they have to uphold their standards, which I appreciate. The major downfall for this place is everyone that works here that we've encountered. Basically, ALL of the waitresses in the Sushi Bar area. They are either rude, or hover in an awful way, and leaving this location always comes as a relief. The last time that my fiance and I went was for my birthday. If you sign up for their e-mail club, you get a $30 Gift Certificate to spend here. Great! Except last year they told me that I could only get one thing with it. And since I wanted sushi, that was awful. And this year, they changed their policy back to the year before, where you can get $30 of whatever you'd like. You just can't share it with ANYONE ELSE. How do they guarantee this? They have the bartender, in the next room, the two sushi chefs, the two waitresses and the hostess watch you WHILE you eat to make sure that you don't share. I mean, if you WANT to have SIX people watch you eat for an HOUR, make sure you come here!
(1)Alex R.
Made a reservation but still had to wait. Last time I checked when you make a reservation, you shouldn't have to wait. Guess times have changed.
(1)Jessie L.
Benihana is always fun for any occasion! This location seems a little newer and features a bright sushi bar right off the main entrance, then followed by the usual warm dimly lit hibachi table rooms where they cook right in front of you. The food is above and beyond delicious as always, and the drinks tasty. They took extra precautions with my gluten allergy, and though they do not feature a gluten free menu they were quick to offer what accommodations they could make. I love that they take a picture of your party, and then give you a copy along with a code where you can go online and download extra copies of your group photo. It's just a really nice, extra little personal touch that adds to the experience. The only drawback would be the noise level which makes it difficult for you to have a conversation with your entire party.
(4)Linda G.
I have been to three Benihana locations (FL, AZ and IL).The sushi and service in Illinois was far superior. The sushi chef has the right blend of ingredients and sauce. From the time I ordered to the time the sushi to when it was served, was less than 10 minutes. They do things right here in my opinion.
(5)Jenny F.
Sign up for their email list, get a $30 gift certificate for your birthday (can't use it towards all you can eat sushi though), and go. Seriously. You even get a complimentary photo taken (they print it for you and you can download copies online!) as well as ice cream for dessert if it's a birthday celebration. We were taken care of SO well by our waitress. She told my mom what to get in order to best use her $30, and threw in free edamame as well. I got the sushi buffet, and our waitress told us that she would turn a blind eye if my mom wanted to share my rolls, or if I couldn't finish all the pieces I ordered. (policy is you have to pay extra if you don't finish eating, and you can't share with other ppl at your table) She also would see what I ordered, then recommended other rolls she thought I would like. They don't have a whole lot of variety, but you can get nigiri, hand rolls, or maki, and the fish is very fresh. They have one roll that's baked that was AMAZING. She also asked us if we'd like to try Benihana's signature homemade soup--GET IT. Skip the traditional miso. They boil chicken, add vegetables, let it boil...it's so good. It's a traditional, light, Asian-momma-made soup. That too, she gave to us for free. Their sushi buffet is more expensive than other places you'll find in the city though ($27). But for a good sushi buffet in the burbs, it's a good place to go. They treat you like guests that have come into their house :)
(5)Karen G.
"Meh" was exactly what I was thinking when I went here. Wasn't too exciting, and was rather expensive. Fried rice is good.
(2)Tom A.
Classic Benihana. Great atmosphere, good food, and entertaining. Food is a little pricey but it is worth it. Who doesn't have fun at one of these places?
(5)Laura R.
My family usually goes here for special occasions because it's relatively expensive for a "family" meal. The chefs are really cute and the food is GREAT. I usually get their scallops and filet mignon, and they are both SO good. If you have dessert, try the Banana Tempura. Another customer recommended it to us and we were a little hesitant, but it's incredible!
(5)Steve B.
First and foremost, let me say the food was totally fine and our chef did a great job. Unfortunately, there were some other major issues here that stood out. First thing I did when I sat down was unwrapped my chopsticks and noticed a LOT of mold covering the chopsticks. Ok, no problem right? Well my mom, my brother and my girlfriend had the same issue. So we called over someone who swapped them out for us. Every pair we got after this was covered in mold. By the 4th pair, we called over the "manager" who told us this was not their fault and the fault of the supplier. Understandably so, however you should probably stop bringing them to us and throw out the whole batch! I looked around the restaurant and half the patrons were using these disgusting chopsticks yet management did nothing to stop this. I thought this was absolutely repulsive. In order to apologize this, the manager brought us a plate of tempura which definitely was not enough to make up for this occurrence in my opinion. Also, in the 90 minutes we were there, my water was NEVER refilled nor did our waiter even visit us once after taking our order. The next time we saw him was when we got our check. I walked over to where the water was and refilled my water and my families water multiple times. I have been going to this Benihana location for at least ten years but their absolute dismissal of something that I thought to be absolutely disgusting really ticked me off. I'll be taking my business to Tsukasa unless I am contacted on here and this awful dining experience is made up for.
(1)Satyen P.
I took my wife there. our eexperience was really good. we ordered sushi, Hibachi chicken and steak. our chef was friendly and funny. service was really good. and food was one of the best I had in a long time. highly recommend this place for friendly staff and amazing food.
(4)Tricia D.
Here, you have the option of sitting at the grill or in the other section for sushi. If you dine on the grill side, you'll be seated at communal tables and get to watch everyone's food be prepared. Our dragon roll took a while to come out (did they have to run to the coast and catch some eel?). The teriyaki steak was delicious and came with white rice, a salad with ginger dressing, and mushroom onion miso soup. Expect to leave here satiated and smelling like hibachi food.
(4)Steven M.
We come here 1-2 times a week for Happy Hour. Their Happy Hour hours are unbeatable. The menu for Happy Hour is very extensive and they have great items on there for half price. We usually get a plate of Tuna and Salmon Nigiri to start with, add some hand rolls, and then follow with some rolls. The rolls we like the most there are: Shrimp Crunchy Roll, Las Vegas Roll, Crispy Spicy Tuna Roll, and Gotham Roll. While the rolls here are good, this would definitely not be our first choice for full-price sushi. For us, Benihana is for Happy Hour only. For full-price sushi, we prefer Tsukasa, in Vernon Hills, or Blufish in Glenview.
(4)Samantha L.
I've been to many different Japanese restaurants like this and really love this style of dinner! Drinks, sushi, entertainment, hibachi, dessert... full package for dinner! This was our first time at Benihana and we came In a group of 5. Service was great from the staff and the cook was very polite as well. My food tastes amazing, however my husbands steak was a bit overlooked. We kinda felt as though the cook was getting the meals mixed up. My husband wanted more rate, and another couple (we didn't know) wanted more well, and they got opposite. Additionally, the cook didn't do too much of a show while cooking. We've seen much better at Tsukasa and other places. Lastly, although I don't completely mind, our group noticed the portion sizes are much smaller versus similar restaurants. Most are used to taking home a decent portion of there meals, however found these portions to be much smaller and finished there. So, although it was very good, we wouldn't state it is the BEST.
(3)Christina L.
Ok, let's be real. It's a Benihana which means you're not going for the food, you're going for the show! I'm pretty much doomed to go to teppenyaki restaurants for the rest of my life because the bf happens to looooove them! Here are just some tips I accumulated through my Benihana experience. 1. Opt for fried rice. It's the best part! 2. There's a chance you may not get the master chef (we got the newb!) Feel free to look around and find him!! Get your money's worth! If you're lucky, you'll be able to see the egg roll and the heart burn! 3. Don't get chicken. One more time? DON'T GET CHICKEN - 9/10 times it's overcooked, dry and overseasoned! 4. Do get the shrimp. I know, I know you get shrimp for the appetizers already right?? But the main course shrimp are jumbo and so much better! 5. Sign up your e-mail addresses at the end... $30 off on your birthday! 6. Skip on sushi. Got the spicy tuna for the hell of it and I wish I hadn't =/ That's it!! I think as long as you go in knowing that you're paying for the experience, not specifically the food, you can end up having a pretty good time. Just be careful that your sig other doesn't get too excited... otherwise I guess I'll see you around for a lifetime of teppenyaki...!!
(3)Saravanakumar G.
We went here with great expectations to be entertained by the chef. It was little disappointing when it comes to the service and the chef's tricks. I guess the waitress and chef were unhappy about something that day. But the food was awesome! Everything we ordered was very good.
(3)Haylee V.
DO NOT GO HERE! This place is so disrespectful when it comes to customer service. Not only did our chef rush the meal, but the food was awful! And i am not the kind of person who is okay with complaining, i feel horrible complaining. BUT, i am not going to pay 30$ for a meal that i didn't even eat. The manager tonight (March 28th, 2013, at closing time) was extremely rude and arguing with me about how the food could not possibly taste bad and the waiter made me feel so uncomfortable and was also extremely rude when I apologized and told him that my food wasn't good. When the other waiters were standing there staring me down about it, our waiter went over to them and complained about me! And not only did i have to send my check back twice because the manager didn't take off my meal, but he only ended up taking 12$ off instead of offering to take the meal off. I have only complained once before at a different restaurant and the waiter was so nice about it but not here! Im sorry but this place is awful, rude, and horrible. Their manager was rude and disrespectful, our waiter was rude and made me feel so uncomfortable, and the food was so rushed and prepared horribly. Hopefully the restaurant will contact me about this through yelp and try to keep my business because me and my boyfriend would go here somewhat often, but if they don't, I will not update this post and keep the 1 star. If you want to go somewhere with amazing Japanese Steakhouse food and lovely service, go to RokBonki down the street (off of arlington heights rd and dundee). I have been going there since I was a child and it's still ceases to amaze me.
(1)Meg P.
Great lunch place. Don't understand why it's labeled $$$ as it's def more affordable. Can get a boatload of food for $9-$10 at lunch! Yum!
(4)Rob W.
OK, it's been awhile since I've done the hibachi thing here, but from my recollections it was alright. The little show, volcano onions are nice, but the food isn't all that memorable. But in recent times, I've spent my time at Benihana's sushi bar in the front of the restaurant, which is pretty good. I especially enjoy the "all you can eat" sushi special during the weekdays for about $30. It's not really "all you can eat" - you are limited to four rounds of ordering a specific number of items - plus two rounds of appetizers. However, I have a decent appetite and can pack it away at times and have yet to finish a full four round order. And had I ordered off the menu the food would have run me about $65. So it is a good deal. And their sushi is pretty good too. So, this is another generous four star rating that is really 3.5 - but given the deal, I've given Benihana the "Beni-fit" of the doubt!
(4)Rei M.
First off, the food is decent. I got the Hibachi Scallops. This meals comes with a shrimp appetizer (it's really not an appetizer, it's just butchered half piece of shrimp splattered on your plate), Benihana Onion soup, salad, steamed rice (I opted for the fried rice) and then green tea which comes at the end of your meal. When we first came into the restaurant we let them know our party was here all except one, but we knew what the person wanted so we could order for them. Instead of seating us they insisted that they were to busy to seat us, even though we had reservations. I would understand of we didn't know what our other member of our group wanted to order, but we did. We waited around a little until we asked again if we could be seated. They kind of just shrugged us off and gave us a snippy "fine". A woman guided us to our seats, the place was EMPTY. There was absolutely no reason they couldn't seat us. We sat down and waited for someone to take our drink orders. The other person in our party came WAY before they came to take our order. There was four of us, three of us ordered alcoholic beverages. Two of which were the same order; pina colada. The waiter didnt seem to understand English very well at all. He couldn't communicate the menu very well. We had ordered our foods and were asking for fried rice instead of white rice. We expected an extra charge (but when we got the bill we were shocked by the fact that it was $3.50 EXTRA for veggie fried rice, considering an average meal there is over $24 it seemed like way to much) we asks if they make the friend rice of the grill in front of us and our server had NO clue what we were talking about what so ever. All he seemed to know how to say was "yes, yes". Our orders were taken and everyone got their drinks except for myself, a piña colada. I had to ask twice for my drink and I didn't receive my drink until waiting at the table for 20 minutes. Our chef was very nice, but seemed really nervous and uncoordinated. He was trying to do this trick with some shrimp tails and he was just flinging them on the floor, he commented to a waiter that he needed to stop watching him because it made him nervous; that's strange. What also was strange was that one of his fellow chefs kept coming to the table to have just person conversations which took away the flair of his cooking. He didnt do any tricks that see were seeing at the other tables. We were pretty let down. Lastly, our waters were never replenished. We were at the table for almost two hours and we only had ONE glass of water. Our waiter was absolutely oblivious, we were having to stack our dishes next to us because no one was clearing them. By the end of my whole meal I still had my EMPTY salad bowl, soup bowl, and bone dry water cup. Let's just say my experience here was not the greatest. And I would NOT recommend Benihana to anyone I'm afraid. For the money I paid here, it was not worth the bad experience. If I wanted a better place with MUCH friendlier service i would go to Kegon. I'm sorry to say that I will not be visiting Benihana again.
(1)Lauren L.
Extremely bad customer service on the phone. I called to make a take out order and was put on hold three times. Waited five minutes each time I was put on hold. Finally after the third time being put on hold I asked to speak to the manager and she was extremely rude to me and didn't understand why I was so frustrated being put on hold so many times.
(1)Yvonne Y.
I'm giving them 5 star for their service. My family's been coming here for years for sushi and the entire crew (waitress, hostess, manager, sushi chefs) deliver excellent service. I feel very welcome going there for lunch and dinner with or without kids. Foodwise, it's Benihana so you know what you're getting. Especially if you work around this area, come here for their lunch specials which are very consistent and you get wonderful service. Are there better sushi out there? Of course and Benihana isn't trying to be the first class sushi restaurant. What they do provide is a welcoming environment that families AND business people enjoy with consistent quality food. My 5-star review pertains to their service. Recently, I had an incident where the service was sub-par. The manager immediately took action and corrected the situation. I absolutely look forward to returning there with my family.
(5)Annie C.
This was one of my favorite places I was excited as soon as we booked our flight. I am sad to say the changes they have made are not for the better. The sauces have changed the ginger sauce was one of my favorites it was completly over powered with lemon, in the salad it was ok. Our wait staff never came to the table once after our initial service so our guests and us sat without drinks most of our meals. They used to bring green tea at the end I requested one which took a half hour - when the chef went to cook our steaks the mushrooms were at a point of no return - due to the language barrier it took a couple minutes for him to understand fresh mushrooms are not black and prune looking _ the only reason a 2 is because our friends food was cooked perfection and our company was long missed. Not sure we will go back on the hunt for our new fav when we come to town.
(2)Chris B.
The server was bad, not terrible but bad. The food was so rich and full of bitter that it made my girlfriend and I sick later. I am all about butter and fried foods; however, when you are charging the prices Benihana does I expect some culinary skills with the food preparations. Go to Tsukasa in Vernon Hills, much more consistent with the quality of food and service is always pleasant.
(2)Jorge B.
This restaurant takes too much time on making the food and drinks. While the hibachi show is good it took 25 min for the chef to show up. Pricey for the food. You can get the same quality for 60% of the price at other local hibachi joints.
(1)Heather M.
At the Wheeling location they have $2 sushi rolls from 12-2pm on Saturdays and Sundays - so good and the price is right!
(5)Tony C.
everytime you eat at Benihanas you're supporting Devon Edwenna Aoki's acting career. THINK ABOUT THAT.
(1)Roy A.
Food is decent enough and the lunch specials aren't too costly which dinner at times can be. The entertainment is exciting for some I guess. I really like the dressing in the salad for some reason that you get with the lunch special and I generally think of salad as I think of dog poop. Overall, not too bad to kill some time from a slow day at work.
(3)Mary D.
Our friends came to visit us from Florida, and were looking forward to going to their favorite restaurant. When they lived in Wheeling they frequented this establishments numerous times a week. They requested a return trip on their visit with us.the four of us went for dinner and were completely disappointed in the experience. It has changed, and not for the better. Our server came to our table to take our Initial order, and never returned to the table to check on us or to see if we needed drink refills, not even once. needless to say, we ate our dinners without any beverages. The ginger sauce way over powered by lemon, loosing its ginger taste. My husband was very happy with his salmon, my steak was cooked correctly, but the fat was not trimmed off the meat. We were not offered green tea at the end of our meal; our guests had to specifically ask for it, and even then it took over a half hour for her to get the tea. When we told the manager about our dissatisfaction, he offered each of us a free drink, but by that time our meals were over and we just wanted to leave. Our waitress/server tried to put the blame of her negligence on other staff members. Very disappointing experience.
(2)Amanda B.
I'm a sucker for Asian food; it's my favorite. I was thrilled to hear I'd be joining my friend here for her 16th birthday dinner with her family. Loved the food, loved the entertainment. So what if my chef wasn't Asian? The chefs cook in front of you and give you a little show while doing it. It is a big expensive, though. I got the hibachi chicken. Very tasty! Lots of food, too - rice, veggies, shrimp appetizer, onion soup, salad. Service was great and very attentive. It was my friend's birthday and they sang to her and she got a small dish of ice cream and a photograph taken and framed. Cute!
(5)Mac P.
Creative and great tasting sushi & rolls at great prices if you go during the Bonzai hour (mond-thursday 5-8pm at the bar). I especially recommend the "las vagas rolls" and "spicy crispy tuna rolls" but then again, the others are great too. Staff is nice and efficient, place is quiet If this were closer to me I think it would be my evening cafeteria. Finally a sushi place where a guy can eat without leaving hungry or having to drop a minimum of $30
(5)Joshua N.
The showboatin' chefs are nice and they entertain you for a few minutes, but it is just to distract you from the fact that most of the food they were is completely bland. We shared the shrimp and chicken for two deal, $35. Comes with some onion soup, which is totally void of flavor, rice, a small iceberg lettuce salad, and some really sad ice cream that would not feel out of place at a low budget child's birthday party. In fact, if you are at Benihana, you probably are at a child's birthday party, since that seems to be their main clientele. We were surrounded by them. Very few people looked happy, aside from one of the little birthday boys who was elated having been served ice cream in a Buddha statue with a candle on top. Most other people were sitting with listless expressions. Best thing - The shrimp. You can't go wrong with grilled shrimp. They just always taste great and kudos to Benihana for not screwing them up by doing anything other than cleaning them up. Worst - The chicken breast that they serve looks like it was taken from the world heavy-weight chicken champion of the world. Gigantic and obviously pumped full of steroids. Chicken breast is already pretty flavorless, but when you use one that came from a chicken that probably never was able to walk because his body was genetically altered to produce breasts this large you are not going to be left with any flavor at all. It was absolutely bland and barely edible. They need to either go with chicken thighs or switch it up to free range to get some flavor. I didn't expect authentic, but I had hoped for tasty. I got neither. The closest thing to an Asian flavor profile was the soy sauce that they mixed in with the fried rice. Very poor experience.
(2)Ermelinda C.
We went here with a larger group last Sunday. It was an OK experience but nothing memorable. The hostess was rude to my friend who had a stroller (the place was almost empty), but the wait staff and the Sheff were quite nice and friendly. The food was good to, the usual Benihana style.
(3)yefim k.
Don't go to Benihana. They forgot everything we ordered and we spent an hour staring at some cold fried onions on our plate. We were waiting for them to add things like fried rice to the plate but it never happened. The appetizers (shrimp) was thrown on the grill only after our medium-rare steaks were already well done. Then, cause he still had to serve the appetizer first, we ate burnt, sliced up steak. The onions just sat there, and were joined, after the meal was basically over, by some squash he just left on the grill and I guess forgot about. Everytime we asked where stuff was he gave us attitude or lied to us. Then he got the manager to ask us if everything was alright, we said it wasn't, and she smiled and said Thank you for choosing Benihana. Stupid cook lied to us about which steak was which, he knew he was lying, we could see the damn thing and he looked like a guilty dog. Idiot. Then he lied to us and said he put the order for our rice into the kitchen. Again we were sitting right there and no he didn't. Stupid idiot. We came as a party of four and we all ordered the same thing and they messed up everything stupid benihana stupid. Then a manager came up to us, flanked by three large germans with crossed arms, and straight up commanded us to wait for the stupid stupid fried rice twenty minutes after we finished the ice cream while we were begging for the stupid check already. We didn't stupid benihana.
(1)Scott C.
We went to Benihana for lunch to try out their sushi bar. The sushi bar is located at the front of the restaurant before you go past the hostess to the larger hibachi style tables and cooking areas. The actual sushi bar is nice - spacious and comfortable. The sushi itself leaves something to be desired here. Perhaps this should have been obvious as the specialty at Benihana is not sushi, but we gave them a shot. The rolls were OK at best. Even a simple roll like a spicy tuna roll did not have much flavor - nothing distinguishable between the fish, sauce or rice. It was average at best and left us wanting something more flavorful. The sushi itself was better. The cuts of fish were fresh and well proportioned. The rice was OK - maybe it was a bad day. They do offer some affordable lunch combinations for $12 - combinations of rolls and sushi which was a nice touch. Unfortunately, it did not come with miso soup or a small salad - that was extra. The other downside is the quality of the sushi itself. I'd avoid the sushi here and stick with the hibachi grill items... if you want sushi there are plenty of other places in the north suburbs that are better.
(2)Irene Z.
It had been a while since I'd last been to Benihana and it's usually dinner time when I do go. We went this week during lunch to celebrate a co-worker's birthday. The lunch specials are a great deal, perfect portions for a filling lunch. The best deal has to be the lunch boats...sashimi, cali rolls, tempura, miso soup, rice plus hibachi! it's even to keep you full through dinner! I had the hibachi chicken (what I usually get) and it was good like it always is. Two of my co-workers had the salmon lunch boat, which made me regret going with my usual, though it probably would have been too much food for me for lunch. Everyone was happy with their meals. Maybe it's because we were there during lunch and they're trying to be considerate of people's time during their lunch hour, but the show wasn't as entertaining as I remember it to be. Our chef did the onion volcano trick and while he was nice, he pretty much cooked our food and then left. The rest of the service was good. Our sever was attentive and friendly. They also sang Happy Birthday to our co-worker and presented her with a buddha candle to make a wish on, and an ice cream sundae. They also took our picture and framed it so she would have something to take home to remember her special day. All in all, a good time and we'll definitely be coming back for lunch again.
(3)Jen W.
Few years ago had a rat fall into my food Didnt have Yelp then
(1)Katey S.
I could eat only the orangey-sweetish sauce that comes with the Hibachi meal and die happy. I'm not a fan of any place that seats you next to strangers - have I mentioned lately that I hate people? - but I do enjoy the food at Benihanas. Lunch on a workday was not overly crowded - we were seated immediately - and while we were served quickly, we weren't rushed.
(4)Danielle S.
I went here and ate both the sushi and hibachi. Overall, it was pricey for the quality of food. The sushi fell apart when you picked it up. The hibachi presentation was nice, but there was nothing special about it. Same thing with the atmosphere. We also had to sit with people we didn't know, which was ok, but there were plenty of spots open to seat us elsewhere. The service was good, but overall I don't think we will go here again. There are better Japanese restaurants around town.
(2)David G.
This place brings back memories of being a kid, coming to Benihana and being fascinated by the Japanese chef, the way he flipped the knives around, played the salt and pepper shakers like maracas, and caught severed shrimp tails in his hat. When i got older, however, I realized that these entertaining chefs are reserved for little kids and couples. The rest of us get the boring chefs. I don't think I applauded once since I turned 18. The food is decent. I never go for dinner because it gets expensive, but there are some really good lunch specials, averaging about $12. I come here with my work buddies every once in a while. Still a little more expensive than getting the sandwich in the work cafeteria, but it's still cheap compared to a lot of lunch places I've been taken to. The service is good and courteous. The most severe issue I ever had was when I asked for white rice instead of fried rice, and they still gave me fried rice. It was easily fixed. Don't let anyone call it Benihana's.
(4)A H.
What can I say, I write about food.
(5)Tammy Q.
One word to describe the experience. Eh. I only decided to come here for my dad's birthday; to give him an experience that he hasn't encountered before. The awe lasted for a good 5 mins, my parents thought it was kinda cheesy. Food was okay - of course, I've had better Japanese food elsewhere. This would be a great place to bring out of towners to so that they can experience the teppanyaki.
(2)William T.
There is nothing terribly special about Benihana, but I will say it is hard to beat their lunch boat special. Actually, there lunch menu in general is pretty good price wise. If you want a top notch dinner hibachi experience, I would suggest heading north to Vernon Hills. For sushi, you don't have to travel quite as far in that direction.
(3)Matthew A.
This place gets lamer everytime I go here. The first time I went here it was like a "Where have you been all my life..." moment. It was FUN, taste GOOD. However time after time of seeing the chefs do the same tricks, the same banging the utensils on the cooking mat, the same nasty horseradish salad, I ask myself why do I come here and spend $70 bucks for my girlfriend and I... If it's your first time coming here by all means check it out, it's awesome. Or if you are taking somebody for their first time....it's fun. Not so fun if you go there often.
(3)Anthony P.
One of our standard business lunch spots. I order the combination that includes 4 piece sushi and 2 rolls. For sushi, I usually get salmon, tuna and shrimp. For rolls, I will always get the eel roll and alternate between the spicy tuna roll and philly roll. Check my uploaded pic of the lunch comb
(4)Britt C.
I do wish I could give three and a half stars, because I thought it was a little too pricey. But, they get bumped up because the food was really delicious, and we all had a great time. Went here for my birthday, as this is the only time I can get my family to try something besides Italian or Mexican, and had a really fun time, especially watching my 3-year-old niece wonder why the hell some guy was doing all that crazy stuff with the food. Our whole group ordered a variety of seafood, red meat, and poultry, and we were all very pleased with the quality of the food. The onion soup and fried rice that came with the meals was really fresh and delicious, but I was not impressed by the over-chilled iceberg lettuce salad. Come on, $25 for an entree, and I get iceberg/shredded carrot mix? Anyways, it was fun, a good place for a group on a special occasion. I do like the interaction with the chef, and ours was pretty friendly. But, I gotta say I usually like to be able to converse with my family and friends when I go out to dinner, and it was nearly impossible to do this.
(4)Tricia Mia P.
I LOVE Benihana. It's one of the best Teppanyaki place around. This particular location has awesome service! I love the appetizer and they have some great steaks! My favorite is Teriyaki Steak. I also love the grill shrimp. I have never tried their sushi so cannot comment on that. This place is great for celebrating birthdays, if you sign up for email list, they always sent you coupons and for your birthday you get $30! Awesome!
(5)Rob S.
we only ever go to this particular Benihana once a year...it's our "new years eve" tradition. the staff is very polite, and this one has far fewer annoying patrons than the Schaumburg location. This was the first year (07) that i felt like they were skimping on the amount of pre-meal food (the shrimp, onions, zucchini). i hope it is not a sign of things to come. I wish they came around more often to offer more beer, too. they could have made more money and i could have been that much tipsier.
(4)David W.
The wife and I lived in the burbs for 5 years before moving into the city. Sometimes, the wife gets a craving for places we use to frequent. The wife and I love the entertainment value, the cheesy, but entertaining chefs, sometimes watching the other folks at your table alone is worth the price of dinner. I love Tepanyaki... brings memories of my high school years, going with my friends, ordering 4 to 5 extra orders of fried rice per person with our steak, chicken and shrimp combos, then dousing the whole thing with the creamy sauce. The quality of food at this Benihana vs. other tepanyaki places is above average. The dining room is huge and airy, which helps dissipate the smoke from the cooking grills, though you still come out smelling like the food. I love everything there, from the light broth in the beginning, ginger dressing in the salad, to the sauces that comes with entree to dip your food. Love the chopped up food, less hassle for me.
(3)Carolyn M.
People make fun of me when they ask me what my favorite restaurant is and I say Benihana IN WHEELING, but it's true! I am not a fan of any other benihana. They have this creamy sauce that you can only get at this location that is out of this world yummy. They send us birthday gift certificates for $30 which is amazing, or they run monthly specials like 2 for $45 chicken and filet dinners. You will always wind up spending over $100 for 2 people though. The food is delicious and I always leave there waddling because the amount of food they give you is just ridiculous! The only reason I am going to cut off a star is because sadly the service has fallen short lately, I've gone here like 6 times this past year and everytime I wait a little longer for my drink to be refilled. then there is one other problem lately, I don't speak spanish but the past two times we have gone we have sat with spanish speaking families and happened to have chefs that spoke spanish..... So this turned into the whole show spoken in spanish!!!! I mean come on thats really not fair at all I am paying the same as them I would like to know whats going on as well! Bottom line go there check it out but dont plan to be too active afterwards because you probably will just want to crash on the couch and digest!
(4)Kathleen C.
Nothing cooler than suburban ironic kitsch. Our chef wasn't asian, but he made up for his ethnicity with fine skills. Almost fine enough to distract us from noticing that the meals are actually pretty damn bland. Still a fun night out though.
(3)Beth H.
Went to Benihana in Wheeling last week for my birthday. Got a great sushi lunch, but the service was pretty awful. The hostess was too busy socializing to even greet us, let alone seat us, and the server came across rude. I think she realized she was being crappy towards us, because she suddenly shifted in her mood. The eel roll was really good, and the sushi was very fresh.
(3)AJ H.
We went here because my boyfriend signed up online to get a $30 certificate to use during the month of his birthday. I had the vegetarian garden delight that consisted of soup (note: the soup served with it is not vegetarian), salad, tofu, grilled and steamed vegetables, and rice. Everything was fine, but nothing special, and the array of vegetables included a lot of squash, which seemed to be an odd choice. My boyfriend had a combination platter of chicken, steak, and shrimp which he said was pretty bland without any of the sauces. I had to drench my veggies in the ginger sauce to get flavor. Our chef wasn't very interactive with us, but he was fine. I had two mixed drinks, neither of which had very much alcohol in them. The dinner seemed overpriced for the quality of food we received (even with the $30 certificate), and service wasn't too attentive--dishes not cleared quickly, drinks/water not refilled without asking. There were a lot of birthdays being celebrated with the servers and chefs half-heartedly singing to everybody. If you are interested in this type of meal, I would recommend Rokbonki in Arlington Heights over Benihana.
(2)Picky C.
The *BIG* secret.... You have to check out their lunchtime menu guys and gals. The sushi is top notch fresh and cut right. The quality and amount of food offered on the Lunch Boat special is enough to last two meals. Most lunchtime specials are $8-$10 and include really good green tea. The food is authentic and the place does not smell like teppenyaki (during lunchtime) and neither will you when you walk out. I go for the Golden Bell lunch set or the nabeyaki udon (really, really top quality in taste, noodle texture, presentation, amount and price) lunch set. It also comes with fresh sashimi, an ice cream/red bean dessert and a side dish. You really can't go wrong. Lunch dates and client dates are always impressed and surprised they get this authentic meal during lunchtime. Not every Benihana offers what the Schaumburg location offers. Might be because a lot of Japanese nationals and executives dine here during lunch. Trust me, this is not your average sushi joint on the corner. I might regret posting this if the place gets way too crowded for lunch, but really, it is a gem of a find if you need a quiet place to get away for some really good grub for a great price. 5 stars service 5 stars food 5 stars price 4 stars ambiance
(5)bas s.
I love this palce but last time i went there services was bad but like i wrote before i love this place and i will go again
(4)Dana M.
I don't really like teppanyaki... I think it's so overrated. I've seen the "show" many times before and it's all the same. So, when I dined here the other night, my friend and I just sat at the sushi bar.. it was called the bar but we were seated at a table and we were the only ones in that part of the restaurant. No wait what-so-ever. Everything was average and I have nothing great to say about the rolls. We ordered a few special maki rolls: the dragon, salmon, and the crispy shrimp. Everything on the menu had crab meat in it so I found that boring. Service was fast and wasn't too expensive... $20 each and that included tax and tip.
(3)Rachel C.
Maybe I'm a snob, but I think this is one of the worst chain restaurants ever. Maybe it's because there are so many other BETTER options out there for the same type of food and price, but much better quality. I got suckered here once after work with some co-workers. I found most of the food to be overcooked. The chef sucked. It was empty.. on a Saturday night. Hmmm.. something wrong with that picture. I'd recommend Tsukasa of Tokyo in Vernon Hills, or Ron of Japan in Northbrook, or even Kampai in Des Plaines. Much better food, better staff, and authentic cooks.
(1)Scott D.
Always an experience when going there. I always enjoy taking someone there for the first time. I am amazed by the techniques of the chefs. Most people don't understand that the extra cost is attributed to the show that you get with your meal. The down side is that you can be seated with strangers that can either make or break the fun of it all at your table. One needs to be relaxed and have fun when dining here. I do recommend children to be brought here and can not imagine why someone would, but they do. The food has always been good and the drinks, once you get your wait staff a custom, come fast and furious, which just makes the outing all that more enjoyable.
(5)