02/16/09

Time changes

by TheTruthOne

This year will my 25th annual birthday. I have seen a lot of changes through 25 years. I liked the old chefs back in 1980s because they were real Asians who cooked. Now, I notice there are variety of cookers but their skills are pretty steady as they are being trained. The foods are still great through 25 years. Refilling drinks service is still slow that never changed, lol. That place is like my 2nd home and I walked and used the pitcher to refill the tea. (Don't try it if the employees don't know you). Benihana is the best birthday place to celebrate, in my opinion.

• Pros: Environment
• Cons: slow service to refill drinks

Knife-wielding chefs put on a show at this communal Japanese grill.

by Contributor

In Short
Benihana started out as a tiny four-table restaurant in New York City's theater district before becoming an international chain. Diners sit around large tables where chefs ostentatiously chop, slice, stir-fry and grill. Entree options are simple--shrimp, chicken, steak and scallops--and preparation is uniform. Every entree comes with a similar stock of sides: rice, onion soup, shrimp appetizer, iceberg lettuce drizzled with dressing, sauteed vegetables and green tea.

11/21/06

Cooking and a Show!

by citychic77

I've been to this restaurant twice. No reservations particulary needed and there's prompt seating. You sit at a large table and in front of you sits this large cooking area. Almost immediately, a large family sits WITH you and for a moment, with my first visit to Benihanas, I was terribly confused and had difficulty grasping the thought of sharing the table with strangers, but I now go with the flow. You recieve onion soup, shrimp and your choice of either fried rice or steam rice automatically. All very tasty. Expect to be drooling while you recieve a Cooking Show! My boyfriend really preferred a Japanese Chef seeing how the restaurant is Japanese. They need to change up the show a tad. Add some new creativity! That would be my only actual complaint. You automatically get a choice of dessert as well. Orange Sorbet or Strawberry Icecream. You don't leave the restaurant rolling over stuffed, but you don't leave hungry. Plate prices range $15-$40. If the shows were a good variety, I'd visit ALOT more.

• Pros: Experience, a Show, and Non-stop arrival of food
• Cons: promptness on drinks preferred

09/12/06

Great for Lunch!

by ebonygirl

This place is great for lunch. The price you pay matches the value of the food. The waitresses are ok, we've had some bad ones. But if you have time to wait, ask for Luis as your chef! He was fun and very entertaining! Dinner can be a nightmare, it gets very crowded.

• Pros: Good food, great chefs
• Cons: waitstaff

07/15/06

below average

by carolww

We went there on a tuesday night, it was slow the food took so long. The sushi is average. I taste better and fresher sushi. The servers are rude and the service is slow. People go there just for the sake of the brand name and the cooking show ...other than that...not worth going or spending a dime on it!

09/18/04

Friday Night at Benihana

by chlintexas

Great place to eat with a table full of riends and family, or a dinner for two. The wait staff need to refill glasses more often, but that is the onlu complaints. If you come at peak time, you should make reservations. I place you need to eat at ever 3-4 months.

• Pros: Good prices on Sushi, Fast seating

07/07/04

Not so hot

by jj25

I expected much more after hearing and reading reviews. I made reservations weeks in advance and still was not seated for half an hour. The hibachi chef was one of the most unentertaining I have ever seen. The hibachi scallops tasted horrible for the price I paid for them.

• Pros: Atmosphere
• Cons: , Poor entertainment

10/21/03

ok

by khietnhan

the meals could feed two not so hungry people.

fun for birthdays.

• Pros: non conversative wait

10/08/03

overated

by scotterb

Have been there twice, both times I felt the waitstaff was on the impersonel side and the food portions were small and overpriced. The table show? it's obvious that they only put the experienced chefs and eger to please waitstaff on the more "lucretive" tables (buisness dinners ect) while the rest of us kind of get the stepchild treatment. I understand that they cater to the high end business crowd and thats fine,but they shouldn't make it so obvious.

• Pros: valet parking
• Cons: poor service, pricy

01/04/03

Best Chicken Fried Rice

by boooooo222

Benihana's has the best chicked fried rice i have ever had!!!

• Pros: great food
• Cons: expensive