Benihana - San Francisco, CA

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   San Francisco1 review

   1.0

   Dined today

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

   Waited for 45 minutes after our reservation time and then took an hour and 15 minutes to get the chef to our table. The only thing they did was give us a free appetizer card to use at our next visit. Unacceptable and poor experience.
   

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2. C

   Celine

   Phoenix2 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   The restaurant is freezing cold and the server has not a single smile for you. Took a good 10 minutes to get a reserved table when the restaurant was pretty empty. Food did not taste much. Dissapointing expencive dinner.
   

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3. G

   Gil VIP

   San Francisco5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

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

   Our server, Anton, was great! He was super attentive and timely. It was the best service ever received at any Benihana location. We were seated at our reservation time. The food portion was generous. The chef was entertaining and cooked the food well yet efficiently.
   

   Benihana - San Francisco, CAResponded 3 days ago

   Hey Gil, Thanks for the amazing review! We're thrilled to hear that you had the best service at our Benihana - San Francisco, CA location. It's great to know that you enjoyed our generous portions and our chef's entertainment. We strive to provide prompt and attentive service, and we're glad we hit the mark for you. We look forward to your next visit. Best, The Management Team
   

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 4, 2025

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

   We had a wonderful time the food was very delicious and everyone was so nice
   

   Benihana - San Francisco, CAResponded on March 5, 2025

   Dear Guest! Thanks for the feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful time at Benihana - San Francisco, CA and enjoyed our delicious food. We always aim to provide friendly, attentive service and it's great to know we hit the mark during your visit. We appreciate your kind words and look forward to serving you again soon.
   

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5. V

   Vikas VIP

   Las Vegas1 review

   1.0

   Dined on March 2, 2025

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

   Wait time 1 hr even though we had reservation No good
   

   Benihana - San Francisco, CAResponded on March 3, 2025

   Hey Vikas, We're really sorry to hear about your recent experience at Benihana - San Francisco, CA. It's disappointing to know that you had to wait for such a long time, despite having a reservation. We strive to provide efficient service to all our guests, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Your feedback is important to us, and we will definitely take your comments into consideration as we continually work to improve our service. We hope you will give us another chance to serve you better in the future. Best Regards, The Management Team
   

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6. F

   Frank

   San Francisco1 review

   4.0

   Dined on March 2, 2025

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

   we waited an hour and a half past our reservation time. The lobby was packed with people and the people working there had no idea how long we would wait. It was ridiculous how long we had to wait after our reservation time. Other people just left because the wait was so long.
   

   Benihana - San Francisco, CAResponded on March 4, 2025

   Thanks for the review, Frank. We're sorry to hear about the long wait you experienced. It's not typical of our guests' experience and we apologize for the inconvenience. We also regret any misunderstanding about your reservation time. We value your feedback and will use it to improve our service. We hope to serve you better in the future. Best, Benihana - San Francisco, CA Management Team
   

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7. S

   Sandra

   San Francisco8 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on March 2, 2025

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

   We made reservation on Open Table, arrived on time to a CROWDED wait area, then waited- standing for AN HOUR AND A HALF. Had 3 teenagers with us for my daughter’s birthday and I had a broken foot (otherwise we would have left). Host area is a joke. No one is brave enough to face all the frustrated people so they keep disappearing, and when they did appear, gave everyone the same line: “you have one table ahead of you.” They are completely overbooked, corporate restaurant not caring about a quality experience. I think I saw just four hibachi chefs for the whole room (20 tables?) There is a lot of time spent trying to sell you drinks (which we were not there for) by very nice servers, constantly apologizing. Frazzled Manager also politely apologized saying Open Table system overbooks them. Not sure if they take direct reservations? Chef was understated but funny and slow-pace focused - but steak and chicken were sadly overcooked this visit. Shrimp and scallops were great. Very difficult for a chef to balance all that timing, I get it, but was not successful this visit. Salad was way overdressed, soup fine, chicken fried rice was good - not as good as last visit. Seating extremely cramped. My teenagers have liked coming here, so it gets requested for birthdays, but there are too many great, unique (and not chain) restaurants in S.F. at same price, better quality, less crowded, more personalized service, better ambiance, more comfortable…for me to consider coming back here again. Time to put my foot down. Ouch.
   

   Benihana - San Francisco, CAResponded on March 5, 2025

   Thanks for the feedback, Sandra. We're sorry to hear about your experience at Benihana - San Francisco, CA. We apologize for the long wait and crowded seating. We're glad you enjoyed our food, especially the shrimp and scallops. Your feedback about the service and the quality of food is noted and will be shared with our team. We understand your concerns about finding a quality experience at a unique and comfortable restaurant. We value your input and hope to have the chance to serve you better in the future.
   

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8. L

   Lauren VIP

   Richmond7 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on March 1, 2025

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

   We waited well over 30 minutes - we had a reservation - and couldn’t wait anymore given a concert we had that night. It was a terrible experience
   

   Benihana - San Francisco, CAResponded on March 2, 2025

   Thanks for the review, Lauren. We're really sorry to hear about your experience at Benihana - San Francisco, CA. It's always our goal to provide excellent service and it's clear we missed the mark during your visit. We understand how frustrating it can be to wait, especially when you have a reservation. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future. The Management Team
   

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco2 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on March 1, 2025

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

   Seated an hour late. No clear communication on timing to be seated upon check in and follow up. Not served any food until 1.5 hours from reservation. Chefs were not warm nor entertaining.
   

   Benihana - San Francisco, CAResponded on March 2, 2025

   Dear Guest! Thanks for visiting us at Benihana - San Francisco, CA. We're sorry to hear about your experience. We understand the frustration of waiting and not being greeted promptly. We apologize for any confusion about the timing of your seating and the delay in serving you. We also regret that our food didn't meet your expectations. Your feedback is important to us and we will work on improving these areas. We hope you'll give us another chance to provide a better dining experience. Best regards, The Management Team
   

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10. A

    Angel

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 24, 2025

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

    We celebrated my girlfriends birthday , the whole experience was great. We enjoyed the appetizers, the soup , the drinks , the food and the customer service. Overall, the experience was amazing. We look forward to visiting soon.
    

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    Benihana - San Francisco, CAResponded on February 25, 2025

    Hey Angel, we're thrilled to hear that you had a great birthday celebration at Benihana - San Francisco, CA! It's wonderful to know that you enjoyed our appetizers, soup, drinks, food, and the service. We always strive to make special occasions even more memorable. We're looking forward to welcoming you back soon for another amazing experience. Thank you for choosing us for your celebration!
    

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