Benihana - Carlsbad, CA

Review summary

1. M

   Marina

   VIP

   Las Vegas

   8 reviews

   2.0

   8 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   Please don’t come here on Christmas, reservation was at 5 and didn’t get seated until 6:30, pretty much torture when you show up to your reservation hungry and don’t get seated for over an hour. Food was good but was HANGRY by the time it was time to eat lol also paid for 6 course meal but didn’t have ice cream which was the last course, sad
   

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2. T

   Thomas

   VIP

   San Diego

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Got there at 8:20pm for my 8:30pm reservation only to be notified that they were still seating 7:00pm reservations. Benihanas sucks.
   

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3. I

   Irene

   San Diego

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   We booked at 730 and did not get seated until 900pm
   

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4. C

   Chris

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Total s—t show! Open table reservation for 7:15 and not seated until 9:27. Did not start eating until 10:09. The exhibition ended at 10:38. They close at 11:00. After the exhibition was done, the push was on to get us and another table who just started eating their entrees to get the hell out. We were the last two tables served while the other tables were able to enjoy their Xmas eve time together. There is no excuse for diners having to wait over an hour or more for a table that had a reservation. The lobby was packed with no where to sit. Felt bad for the employees who had to take a lot of abuse for the mismanagement of this establishment. Not what we were expecting our Xmas eve after Mass to turn out!
   

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5. J

   Jennifer

   VIP

   San Diego

   5 reviews

   2.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   We love Benihana and the food and chefs are superb. However, we were seated at 8:30pm, one hour and 45 min after our 6:45pm reservation time on Christmas Eve with very little communication about why. Just seemed understaffed and overbooked. I know it is holiday time and can get busy, but I think they could do a better job anticipating the rush and preparing for it. Or at least don’t tell us they are 30-45 min behind when it was 3 times that long! We had children and grandparents with us that were getting pretty tired and crabby.
   

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6. S

   Shelley

   San Diego

   4 reviews

   1.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 1

   Had 6:15 resi didn’t sit till 7:30 staff was nice but resi software seemed to allow way too many people
   

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7. B

   Brian

   VIP

   San Diego

   41 reviews

   1.0

   41 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   Never going back. The whole experience was terrible. Went for my birthday and Christmas Eve. The three hostesses which I talked to separately were not well trained. We had a 6:00 reservation. We were 5 minutes early. After waiting 10 mins, I spoke to one of the hostesses. She said it would be another 25 mins after the 1st hostess told us 15, and there was only 1 group before us. So we waited and watched them take four different groups to tables. I talked to a hostess walking by and asked what I went back up because she didn't return and she was washing menus. When she saw me, she left, and they said it would be another 30 minutes. It took a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes. If they had been honest at the beginning, we would have left for another restaurant. But I think they are trained that way. When we were leaving, we saw two groups of our friends waiting. They said they had been waiting for 90 minutes with no table in sight. They also would have left if the hostesses and manager were honest. The service at the table was no better, from ordering to the plates, cups, soup, and bowls staying on the table until we left. No one was happy at the table. Food was over-salted. The best part was the hilarious chef talking about his life in Mexico. The group we were seated with was all very nice. They gave off great vibes. Another note: they wouldn't let me use my birthday voucher even though it plainly says you can't use it on 4 or 5 holidays. Christmas Eve was not on the list. It is a good thing I brought it because after having the waitress ask the manager twice, and both times, he said we could not use it even though they said I could when I called. I got up and had to speak with him, showing him that it should be good, then right in front of the waitress she said that she was confused and of course, we can use it, he said he told her that Christmas I couldn't use it, I said why would he say that when we were eating there tonight.
   

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8. J

   Jon

   San Diego

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Daniel our chef was amazing. The food was great, the show was fun, and my son’s bday was made very special by the staff. Thank you.
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded 1 day ago

   Thanks for the feedback, Jon! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing experience at Benihana - Carlsbad, CA. It's great to know that our food, show, and staff made your son's bday very special. We strive to provide a memorable experience for all our guests and your kind words truly mean a lot to us. We look forward to serving you again soon!
   

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9. T

   Tanya

   San Diego

   22 reviews

   5.0

   22 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Stopped in on our way home from Knotts! Our waitress was great! Chef was great! Food was great as usual!
   

   Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Dear Tanya, thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed great service and delicious food at our restaurant. We'll be sure to pass along your compliments to our chef.
   

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10. H

    H David

    VIP

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4

    The Benihana team was really trying but understaffed which resulted in slower service than usual, still a very tasty meal. 
    

    Benihana - Carlsbad, CAResponded 3 days ago

    Hey David, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at Benihana - Carlsbad. We're glad to hear that you found our meal tasty and our team efforts to be commendable. We apologize for the longer wait time than usual due to our staffing situation. We're committed to providing a better experience and your feedback is invaluable to us. We hope to welcome you back soon for an even better experience. Best, The Management Team
    

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