Beni's has been great for years until my last experience. Service was ridiculously horrible! First off, valet lot was full so we had to meter park. Second, we waited 20 minutes to even put in our drink order at the table. Third, we waited over an hour and half for chef to come over. (missed his introduction since I had to put more money in the meter). Fourth, the chef had zero personality and didn't do any tricks. Fifth, he got everyone's order mixed up. And lastly, it took over 10 minutes to get our check after asking for it. Sorry beni ft. Laud, wont be coming back.
Review Source:I've been for dinner many times before and always had an excellent experience! maybe my first mistake was having a reservation at 9pm ( which according to the hostess was actually 9:30). We were sat at our table at 9:45.Our server was prompt in taking our order, but took 30 minutes to return with soup. The chef (Rosendo) didn't arrive until 10:45! After everything was said and done, we didn't leave until midnight!!!! I've never had such a horrible service. I love Benihana, I can truly say it is my fav spot to eat, but after this experience, I seriously have to rethink it....
Review Source:Went to a Dolphins/Patriots game met a friend here the night before the game for a catch up dinner. I had been to a few other hibachi's in Tampa and had a good time. This one fit the bill definetely. It had a great atmosphere right off the river and and very clean inside with nice furniture. The restaurant ambiance was definetely comfortable and pleasant. Parking may be a concern...Valet parking is set up in the restaurant lot so if you dont want valet will have to park and cross a busy street. the real issue with that is they did not have have the credit card parking meter machine the machine only took coins.....and i didnt have any. Nevertheless, bottom line is i make this trip to Lauderdale annually I will be back definetely worth it.
Review Source:To butter or not to butter? Â This is the question. Â I had eaten at Benihana once before although it was many years ago. Â One of my friend's decided to have her birthday dinner at this location so my wife and I agreed to attend. Â Even though we had a reservation, we still had to wait until everyone was present and even then, it was approximately fifteen minutes until they were able to seat us. Â The table was kind of squishy and someone even made a comment that he wishes we had a different table. Â My wife and I ordered the filet mignon and chicken breast for two and it comes with soup, salad, vegetables and steamed rice. Â Everyone else at the table upgraded to the fried rice; however, I saw no point in doing this since i had eaten fried rice for the past two days and was ll fried-riceed-out. Â The chef barely spoke English and he didn't really put on that great of a show. Â He did as little as possible to make it seem like a show but it wasn't great and I was actually kind of bored with him. Â He also drenched everything but the steak in loads of butter. Â Why so much butter? Â Did someone conduct a study concluding that butter makes Japanese food tastier? Â For someone that cannot eat butter, I was very disappointed. Â I was only able to eat the steak which wasn't even that good. Â What happened to our rice? Â Just because everyone else ordered fried rice means that we get no rice? Â What kind of service is that? Â I was already somewhat disgusted with the chef and since he probably wouldn't understand what I was saying anyway, I chose not to complain and just let it go. Â I also don't understand why he had to put butter on the vegetables, but then again, butter makes everything taste better, right? Â Does this indicate that their food is bland and they need to add butter for flavor? Â Overall, I was very disappointed with this experience and I probably wouldn't go back.
Review Source:I can't believe I haven't been to this restaurant before. What's wrong with me?! Really! My best friend made reservations here for a celebration last night which was a great idea! ( I highly reccommend you make reservations... the wait is ridiculous). There were three of us, and we were all pleased with the food, drinks and location. It was pretty crowded last night, but that is to be expected because this is the celebration spot! There were many birthdays in the house last night.
For drinks: I started off with an Exotic Mojito. Boy those are ridiculous! One of the best mojitos I have ever tasted. Hands down. Trust me when I say i've had close to every mojito on the planet. The Coconut Mojito is delicious as well.
For food: I had the rainbow roll to start. The sushi was very fresh and on point! My entree was the salmon cooked medium with an avocado sauce. Mmm! The juicy thickness was perfect and the avocado sauce complimented the salmon very well. That came with a side of asparagus, mushrooms, noodles, and the fried rice I chose ($3 extra for fried rice).
As far as the show, I prefer Japan Inn. The cook was a bit more entertaining and friendly than this restaurant. The only reason this restaurant did not receive 5 stars was because of the valet. Yes, it was complimentary. That's probably why the valet workers were so damn RUDE. Sadly, they did not deserve the $6 tip we left them. My friend kindly asked the valet if he would be able to drive his car himself out of the lot and the valet angrily said "No! We have insurance!" he had this mean look on his face and he didn't even look up at my friend when he spoke to him. Still, we handed him the tip, he snatched it and shoved it in the tip slot. I have valet service at my job and not even in the most stressful busiest times will they give you an attitude like that. For such a nice restaurant I would expect friendlier service. That was unacceptable. Although I am not happy about this, the mojitos and that salmon are just too hard to stay away from. Yes! I am a fan :) just not of your valet. See you soon Benihana!
Went for happy hour and they had some good deals. Â Stayed for diner and was not too impressed. Â
The service was good. Â We did have fun and had a semi good view. Â We got the chefs special ( Fillet Mignon and Chicken) Â Also had the fried rice. Â $48.00 Â Plus $3.50 upgrade for rice. Â After drinks bill was 90.00 plus tip. Â My steak was bland and chicken was just OK. Â This is not a meal I am going to remember. Â
The free valet parking was a plus. Â It started to pour when we were inside and went to get our car and they walked us to our door with an umbrella.
As a Benihana fan I may be biased, but it still was a great experience. This location was BUSY! I was in the area pre cruise and had a birthday coupon to use, so we decided to make reservations to go while we were around. The staff were all polite, there was complimentary valet and our chef was quite entertaining. I've been there enough to see the bells and whistles, but there were a few chefs around us who were doing amazing work with the tools/cutlery. Benihana's is far more entertaining than Ron's (if you're familiar) and their Hibachi Chicken Rice--amazing!! It's one of the main reasons I like them over other hibachi restaurants. They also use a garlic butter that is super addicting and makes everything sooo good. Our waitress left a little to be desired--knocking this rating down. She didn't clean our empty glasses, making the table a mess, wasn't as enthusiastic about her job, and took forever with requests (it was busy...but not so busy I have to eat with tons of dirty dishes around). Outside of her lack of enthusiasm, it was a great night!
Review Source:This was one of the worst Japanese Steakhouse experiences I have ever had. The show was non-existent, we were squeezed into a corner table with NO room to eat, the food was so full of salt we couldn't even eat it, and the chef didn't even cook all of the veggies for us. My husband ordered a dish with sweet potatoes, and they were raw, gross. The waiter was rude to my kids. They charged all of us extra for fried rice; the waiter told us upfront that only mine was extra.
If you want to eat enough salt for an entire month in one meal, you will love this place.
Underwhelming..
Came during lunch with coworkers and there was some confusion initially because we didn't have a reservation. So be sure to call in advance. They were able to finally accommodate us at one of their hibachi tables even though they were low on chefs, so that was kind. We got a decent view of the water from our table, but nothing spectacular.
I had the shrimp hibachi plate. Was just ok. Seasoned little, so it was quite bland. The ginger sauce that they offer is a good way to add flavor without intense sodium like the soy sauce. Our chef was very efficient which was nice, but he didn't interact with our group at all.
Ok experience overall...Complimentary valet is a plus!
Oh benihana how i love you. My yearly floridian stop. From the fresh food and the amusement, everything is great each time. Â The sushi is great (only downside is you wont see the chef in action). All the meals ive tried from the tuna steak to the rice and noodles are excellent. Â Going for the lunch special is recommended
Review Source:You pretty much can not go wrong with Benihana! Food and entertainment all in one!
Visited on a Saturday night and boy was it busy! Make a reservation if you can, you'll be very glad you did!
Complimentary valet parking! Waterside dining.. that's the best part about this location!
Our chef was both entertaining and efficient at preparing our meals! Chef Specialties: The filet mignon and chicken special for 2 is good for the price. Chef's specialties change monthly so check out the site before hand.
It's a totally entertaining experience as well as a brilliant introduction to Japanese "teppanyak" cuisine; a term given to a stylish form of cooking on a large hot iron griddle (a "teppan").
I've been to several Benihana restaurants and this one is by and far away the best I've come across. Every table chef appears to be most accomplished in the culinary art as well as a superb, entertaining performer.
On Fridays and weekends, on season, this place gets packed so parking is generally by valet only and the wait times can be considerable.
Love benihana. Â It has become one of my favorite places to go for a nicer meal. Â I recommend foregoing the regular rice and get the fried rice. Â I find that I actually crave the fried rice from there when I have not been there in a while. Â I also recommend getting teriyaki sauce on the chicken (if you get a meal with chicken) because it makes it extra yummy.
Review Source:Benihana is one of my favorite places and I have been to this location several times. The staff and chefs are friendly and the service is excellent.
The drinks are very good. The berry smoothie is the best I've ever had. The mojitos, mai tais, and Tokyo tea are great alcoholic choices.
My favorite meal is the lobster, although the steak, seafood diablo noodles, and tuna/salmon are superb as well. Make sure to get the fried rice. The ginger and mustard sauces are incredible, so don't be afraid to use them.
This is the kind of place you go to and will always have the best meal. Tell them if you are celebrating a special occasion and they will make it extra special.
My second time ever at a Benihana.
This one has complimentary vallet service. We had to wait almost an hour for a table at the bar since we had no reservations on a Sunday night.
Specialty mojitos pretty tasty for $8.5
Unlike others the food wasn't covered in soy sauce or butter. Pretty good food with a bit of entertainment and meeting our tablemates.
If you like soy sauce, you will LOVE this place. Cuz that's pretty much what everything tastes like. That and butter.
Pretty decent food with entertainment. Especially if you sit near the window overlooking the water, it's like a zoo. I got the calamari steak and scallop. It was pretty good but due to the similarity in texture, next time I will probably go for scallop and some sort of land animal.
Again the food was good but the only down side is that everything tastes the same.
Benihana is a Japanese Steakhouse. If you have never been there it is a great first time experience. It's also a lot of fun to go with someone who has never been, especially a child. Michelle took me and Robby (with Cecily and Dahlia) there for Father's Day. I've been several times and have always had a good time.
Michelle made reservations at the Commercial Blvd and Intercoastal location. We arrived on time and had to wait about fifteen minutes before we were seated. They seat you in sets of eight, surrounding a very large grill called a teppanyaki table. We were five and we joined a lovely couple and had an empty seat which made it extremely comfortable.
We ordered drinks and I tried the plum wine which was simply delicious: sweet and smooth. We each got a shrimp appetizer with dipping sauce followed by Japanese onion soup. It was very bland tasting and I really didn't care for it. Next they brought the salads which had a little more flavor.
While we were being served the soup and salad the chef was preparing our meal starting with the rice. He made a giant heart shaped pile of rice and slid the spatula under the center of the heart and moved it up and down simulating the heart beating.
He next started making the entrees and vegetables. Everyone had either shrimp, chicken, steak or a combination. We were treated to an Onion Volcano, too!
We had a great Father's Day at Benihana and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an unique eating experience. But, before you go, get to their website and register because they will send you a $30.00 gift certificate to use during the month of your birthday and be sure to tell your friends that you saw it here.
I was Hosting for my best friend's surprise birthday dinner and didnt know that it was her favorite dining also...
The foods was amazing! there is nothing i can describle but the best! the chef cooked really Good and this Chef did gave out of his little comedy performance.. we did laughed and he made us feel really home at his table!
I suggest you to check this place out.. ti is perfect for family, or friends or special occassions with more guests...
we stayed up there till the restaurant closed that time...
I will come back to this place again :)
BeniHana delivers a little more than you're actually paying for, and this is the reason they deserve 4 stars. Â For starters, where else can you go for happy hour and get 3 full size appetizers and a beer for less than $20? Â Yes, you've read correctly, 3 full size portioned appetizers! Â the only thing that's less here is the price!! Â Any appetizer while you're at the bar for 50% off Monday thru Thursday happyhour from 5pm till 8pm. Â I had the Shrimp Crunchy Roll, a California roll, and the shirmp tempura of the day. Â I didn't realize it was going to be so much food, so by the time we sat down for the hibachi, we could only order 1 hibachi entree and a salad. Â Not only was the food absolutely delicious (thank you butter!), but it was more than enough to serve 1 and take some to go.
As for the drinks, the menu seemed really intriguing, but it was just one of those days where nothing was going to feel better than a nice cold japanese beer. Â Kirin light it was since they don't carry Saporro. Â
Anyway, it's nice to know I can have a decent happy hour with high grade quality sushi just blocks away from home. Â Great work Beni.
I was thoroughly impressed with the ambiance of the restaurant and the performance of the chef. We had a large party of 8 people and we had to wait until everyone was there to be seated, understandable, but long wait.
When we were finally seated, it was by the window and it was such a great view of the sea. Our chef was very handsome and not to mention comical. We did a great performance.
The food was exceptional. I enjoyed everything I ordered and the prices was reasonable. My meal was about 30. Not bad considering it included tea, soup and a small appetizer.
The only negative about this place is the parking. The restaurant is located on the by the sea and in a small lot. We circled around the area for sometime to find parking that was not too far. I would recommend Valet.
I would definitely go back and recommend this location.
I've been to this location a few times and the food is consistently good. If you are particular about how your food is cooked, I highly recommend trying this place since the cook is right there.
I went for the Sunday lunch special with my husband and was surprised at the price. With 2 lunches, tea, dessert, and 20% tip, our total was $40.
The only downside is that if you don't go as a group, you may end up with strangers at your table to fill the space. Sometimes this is good if seated with like people, but not great if seated with old stuffy people!
My recommendation is go here in a group.
This Benihana location has been a special place for me since I was a kid.
A couple of years ago they decided to renovate the place. Gone are the dim-lit but atmospheric days, and in are the bright, cheerful and colorful decor. It took some getting used to, but now I like it. It gives a happy feeling.
One change I did not like was that the tables were made a little smaller. 8 people can be a tight fit. But anymore than that is a problem.
Unlike other Benihana locations, the restaurant is located on the intracoastal. Big windows throughout the restaurant give you a great view of the water and passing yachts and boats. No matter where you're seated you'll be able to look out while you dine. It is especially nice during the evening. If the mood strikes, you can take a walk along a path around the outside of the restaurant and take in the air and view of the water. You can even arrive by boat and dock at the restaurant.
Of note: several times while eating at Benihana I've looked at the windows and had the pleasure of seeing iguanas sunning themselves or chewing on the vegetation. I don't mind it, but I'm sure some people do. This is due to South Florida's iguana population explosion.
On to the FOOD:
Benihana has a large menu ranging from sushi to chicken, steak, shrimp, and lobster. I can speak for the chicken, steak, and shrimp. You can order all these individually if you choose. Individually they range in the $15 area for dinner.
Most people go for a combo such as chicken and steak (Rocky's Choice), or steak and shrimp (Splash n' Meadow) or chicken and shrimp (Rainbow Delight). These will run you about $25 per combo.
With each combo meal you get your food in this order: 1) Japanese onion soup, 2) ginger salad, 3) shrimp appetizer, 4) steamed rice (unless you upgrade to chicken fried rice for $3), 5) main meal (as it is ready and chef serves it to you) 6) dessert, and 7) hot green tea.
1) The Japanese onion soup is a great way to start the meal. It's is hot, has a great taste, and prepares your appetite for the rest of the course that is about to come.
2) The salad is excellent as well. I've tried many Japanese restaurants and none of them make ginger dressing the way Benihana does. The ginger dressing is the key to this salad and puts an interesting and delicious flavor in your mouth. Salad mainly consists of lettuce, carrots shavings, a couple of small tomatoes, something else, and the dressing. I love it.
3) Around this time your chef arrives, introduces himself (I've never seen a female Benihana chef), and begins making the shrimp appetizer that comes with your meal. 2 dipping sauces are provided: a) ginger sauce, and b) mustard sauce. I much prefer the ginger sauce and usually ask for 2 saucers of that. The shrimp is very fresh, there is no fishy taste or smell to the shrimp. It is cut and cooked with precision right in front of you.
4) Â Dinner comes with a bowl of steamed rice. For an additional $3 the chef will prepare for you a bowl of chicken fried rice and many guests take that option.
5) Aside from being funny, doing limited tricks (probably due to Benihana's high liability), and making mushrooms and vegetables to serve with your meal, the chef thoroughly cooks the chicken and shrimp, and asks how you like your steak. The chicken is fresh, tastes good, but is plain. You'll likely want to use your dipping sauces. The steak has its inherent flavor, but the dipping sauces complement it as well.
6) For dessert you can have a scoop of vanilla, chocolate or sherbert ice cream.
7) Hot green tea is provided and you're done.
Every day of the week including weekends, they have lunch specials where you can get combo meals for only $14.25 about $10 less than during dinner. Like dinner, the meals come with Japanese onion soup, house salad with ginger dressing, vegetable fried rice (instead of steamed), and your meal. Makes for a good lunch. This combo lunch special is also available Monday-Thursday from 5-6pm which they called Twilight Tastings Menu.
A unbeatable special going on this year (2009) I believe to the end of the year, in honor of their 45th Anniversary is the Benihana 2 for $45 special. With this special you and your date each get servings of chicken AND steak AND shrimp (in addition to your shrimp appetizer) along with all the other dinner amenities. It's a phenomenal deal.
If it's your birthday, anniversary, or graduation, Benihana will put a lit candle on your desert, sing a song for you, take a picture of your party, print it out for you and put it in its own Benihana frame to take home at no additional charge. If it's not any of those events, and you still want the picture & frame, it's a $3 additional charge. Note: They never check if its really your birthday.
By the way, the restaurant is valet parking only. There is no charge for the service, but when you pick up the car you should tip your valet.
All in all, Benihana makes for a fun, delicious, and filling evening.
As a fan of Japanese food, the first thing I notice when going in a restaurant is how populated it is with Japanese customers. Believe me, it is an excellent thermometer for the quality of the food.
Benihana is famous for their teppanyaki cooking...actually it's more of a performance. I must admit I'm not the kind of person that's impressed by acrobatics with food...but that's me after all, seems like everyone else there thought it was fantastic. There's a lot of cheering and clapping when the cooks demonstrate all their technique in cleaning shrimp, etc, which is all done right in front of you. I will not get into the details because Aria's review has plenty of good information and I'll just be redundant.
I ordered a tuna teppan entree that was pretty good. But believe it or not, the best thing i ate that night was the sushi, although I bet very very few people go there for it.
Service was very lame. So lame that I think it was bad luck (it can't be that bad all the time). The waiter kept forgetting our drinks and seemed to be MIA most of the time.
Although this might read as a terrible review, I have to say the place was packed, with a lot of people waiting outside the restaurant to be seated....oh, and by the way...not a single Japanese
My first night back in town for the holiday season and my old high school friends know to quickly drag me away from my family or someone will be killed. Sure it was tacky, but it was fun, they even had some new tricks.
Food:
If you've ever been to a Benihana before, you know what this is and I should hardly need to explain. If you haven't, here goes: imagine a griddle, and double it in size. Now, that hot plate you have in your mind, put 8 seats around it, and you're sitting at a Benihana hibachi table. Although you can get sushi, you're here to get a teppanyaki chef  to cook and grill some food right in front of you. For your entertainment.
You can get some chicken, steak, scallops or shrimp, or any combination thereof, made before your eyes, and like any grilled food, it's good. All teppanyaki entrees are served with a meat sauce and a seafood sauce in separate dishes at the beginning of the meal, but I find both are fine for both types of proteins. Before your chef arrives, you'll have a soup and salad, but minus points for changing the ginger dressing on my lettuce since the last time I was there (granted that was over a year ago, but still).
As I mentioned, the meat is always good, served just the way you want it, and when served with your choice of chicken fried rice or white rice, you fill up quickly. I didn't finish, and neither did a lot of the people I went with (except the boys who devour any and everything). Food-wise, I'd give it a 3. It's all good and more than edible, but it doesn't surprise. It's predicable, even the sushi appetizers you can get is simply par. Service was lacking, which would be around a 2. Bonus points for the chef doing some new tricks on the hibachi I hadn't seen before, but again another minus for serving me green tea one cup at a time and not refilling it. And where I'd say 2.5 overall because it is still a franchise, a bump to 3 stars for Rocky Aoki, founder of the Benihana chain and my father's old ballooning partner.
Venue:
Since the last time I had partaken in a Benihana restaurant, the decor has changed. They've gone back to smaller tables that sit only 8, and toned down the Japanese influence. There's a lot of light wood and stone, and while the roof still has the trademark blue tiles in pagoda fashion, inside feels remarkably less Asian than it used to. Now there is even a bar and a sushi lounge for those not wanting the whole experience.
Capacity at this restaurant must be in the 200s, as there were about 15 hibachi tables plus tables in the lounge area. Not a bad corporate party venue, because let's face it, what business man doesn't love beef? It's an personable place, and pretty casual nowadays, but still on the expensive side. We went the day before Christmas Eve and it was still packed, so make a reservation before you go.
And while I'm a supporter of Rocky's dream, I still will recommend to anyone Japanese Village Steakhouse over Benihana. Not a chain, more classy and bigger tables for more people. The hibachi's the same over on Las Olas, without the tackiness or less than good service.
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