I admit, I went to this place as a joke when I was on vacation. I was totally shocked that it ended up being a sort of wonderful and delicious experience. We walked in without a reservation and were seated immediately. The chef was fantastic, engaging, and fun. The food was actually delicious and the service was A+. I'd go back in a heartbeat if I find myself in Anchorage again. Note: I've been to other Benihana locations and this is the only one that isn't a total epic failure.
(4)
Jamie A.
My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's Day. Super cool place! The chefs have great sense of humors and they totally make the experience. The general manager that day was walking around and made it her personal goal to greet customers and give them a kiss (the chocolate kind). We sat at the bar to wait for our reservation and shared a fish bowl. Super amazing delicious drink. It was a lot of fun...not very private unless the whole table is reserved for your group of friends but I still enjoyed the people we sat around/next to. The tricks the chefs perform are really awesome and they give you such HUGE portions of food. One of the girls at our table had a gluten allergy and they were able to accommodate her as well as everyone else. I don't eat red meat, so I was a little disappointed there weren't many options but all in all its a great restraint. Also if you register for the chefs special on their website you'll get a 30.00 coupon for your birthday month. Pretty neat :)
(5)
Irish C.
Came here today , there's some things a liked about the restaurant , It wasn't very crowded and the waitresses was very nice . Although the food was good I think it could be better . I tries their hibachi chicken with shrimp , grilled with butter and vegetables . The salad wasn't very tasty to me but their soup was pretty amazing . And for the dessert it's very typical . Just ice cream with different flavors . It was a nice experience and I'll go back sure, but I think ima explore a little bit more of anchorage to see what others has to offer .
(3)
Desiree M.
Oh Benihana how you have just gone downhill in the past five years. You use to be my most favorite place to come to for drinks, sushi, appetizers just at the sushi bar and with your awesome chefs. However, this is NOT the case anymore, what happened to you? The chefs use to be fun and entertaining, instead I get an old guy who doesn't talk or smile and just cooks food, nothing fun about him, I might as well have fallen asleep! I gave you a second shot in the past month and although the guy was way more entertaining (he even made an I heart U out of the rice and a smiley face) the food just was okay, nothing exciting, your yellow sauce has even changed. All this place has done is gone up in price. You make me angry with your "All you can eat sushi" from your menu but there are so many stipulations and they change to whatever is convenient for you to NOT offer it. Ie..."oh that is only M-W from 3-5 or one time it is only on Tues and Thurs from 4-530" MAKE UP YOUR MIND! or just don't offer it all. I'm not sure what you did with Mr. OH but he was by far the best sushi chef on the planet! Please go back to how you were around 2010 timeframe, you will have much more business!
(2)
Brandy K.
If you've never been to Benihana's the show is fun, but once you've seen it a couple of times it sort of loses its thrill. The food is just okay. It's good but nothing really amazing, there are certainly a lot better places you could go eat for the money, but again you're not paying for the food anyway you're paying for the cooking entertainment. If you just want to have a little fun with dinner it's a cool place to check out. It is expensive though. For three of us tonight it cost about $145 with the tip and that's with no alcoholic beverages. If you're really looking for good food for your money then I would go somewhere else.
(3)
Luke S.
I feel like some of the bad reviews on here must be from fake trolls? I have been here maybe 10 times in the last 3 years and have had nothing but positive experiences every time. The staff goes out of their way to be attentive and accomadating. They are extremely polite and professional as well as expedient. And the food has always been fresh, delicious and uniquely prepared every time I've been there. Idk maybe some of the fellow Yelpers had a bad cook? Hopefully they resolved that because I just went there today and had an amazing chef. You could tell he knew what he was doing! He flipped and threw things all over the grill and did not make a single mistake! He was the best I've seen! My wife and I were very entertained! And also very happy with our delicious food! I had the Ocean dish and she had the Teriyaki dish. Both were amazing. We also came to this location on Christmas Day, as all other restaurants were closed, and had a great experience that time as well! Benihanas is a bit pricey but worth it if you enjoy seafood prepared in a whimsical and enjoyable fashion. Definitely give it a try! I look forward to my next outing there.
(5)
Kent H.
I met up with 10 friends who were celebrating a birthday party. I hadn't been here in over 3 years, and the decor has not changed much. I was a little surprised at the wear and tear that was obvious, but that's not what I came here for. We were seated at one of the tables with the teppanyaki-style cooktop. I was surprised at how efficient the service was! It was no small feat to keep 11 orders organized, and clearing empty dish ware in such a cramped space. Good thing we were friends and enjoyed the cozy confines. The food was artfully prepared with all the drama and flair that comes with the territory. I had the shrimp, scallop, and calamari entree and I just loved it. Maybe it was the sake bombs that we had really good fun with! Almost like a Chuck E. Cheese for grownups! Tip: While waiting in the lounge, I noticed an "Endless Sushi" dinner on the lounge menu. Available only in the lounge Sunday-Thursday. This all you can eat sushi seemed to be a good bargain at $31. I'll definitely be back to try that.
(4)
Anna J.
My husband and I came here for our 8th year anniversary and really enjoyed it! The food was amazing and we loved the entertainment. Our waitress was friendly and our chief very funny. After our meal the waitress took our picture and gave us a printout for celebrating our anniversary there. I gave four stars because I would have to agree with some of the other posters about the time it took to be seated. We arrived promptly for our 6pm reservation and waited at least 15 minutes to be seated. Over all we enjoyed the food and the experience.
(4)
Joy G.
Great experience, good food, good service. Overall, I'd say that Benihana appears to be very adept and delivering a consistent product. I wouldn't hesitate to return again in the future. It seems Benihana is the place to go for special occasions, at almost every table there were birthdays, anniversaries and in our case, engagements, being celebrated. That makes the whole shared seating thing even more fun because it's not JUST about the food, but a celebration of life. What a fun concept for a restaurant to capitalize on! I loved the commerative photo. In an age of digital photography, it was nice to leave with a tangible image in my hand. Very cool. All our food was perfectly prepared. The steak was butter tender. The food was very good, but didn't knock my socks off. Solid 4 1/2 star meal. We'll be back for anniversaries, I think. Good times!
(4)
Brian H.
The bartender went out of her way to get my meal discounted for a portion of it that I did not like because I had asked for no mushrooms and there were mushrooms on it. I was going to pay for it anyway and she got that taken off my bill and I appreciated it. The manager came over and apologize and invited me to come back.
(3)
Demetrius H.
Came in on Mother's day at 2:45 and its 4:45 what did they had to do that takes 2 damn hours to even start cooking our food..drive to Seward to catch some damn shrimp this is not good service at all
(1)
Cori C.
Whoever came up with this is brilliant. It's classic American food prepared simply, with just enough carrot ginger dressing and soy sauce to feel exotic, mixed with some magic tricks and fake accents. The food was good, because butter and carrot ginger and soy sauce make everything delicious. The seafood was fresh. Everyone was super into it, which made it even more stupidly fun.
(4)
Nasha W.
I've been to several Benihana locations in major cities and have had pretty good experiences. I must say I was deeply annoyed during this particular visit. I don't know if it was the circumstances of the table we sat in but I definitely did not have a 5 star experience. I ordered habachi shrimp dinner which is suppose to include a shrimp appetizer, vegetables, steamed rice, and shrimp ofcourse. To begin with, we were a part of a large group of about 150 people. Our table was just packed and they pretty much squeezed 10 of us in one table. My husband and myself looked like T-rex's trying to eat because we had no elbow space. Although I liked that it was not chaotic to be seated, we found ourselves waiting a good while to eat due to the lack of chefs. How can you not have enough chefs? You're a well known establishment? I don't mean to be harsh but if they knew such a large party was attending this dinner then why not plan accordingly? Our chef arrived and admitted to not even knowing what was going on this evening. Communication is the key. On that note, I felt like our waitress and chef were not on the same page and had very poor communication. I saw the waitress get frustrated with the chef and I felt she was talking down to her half the time. So back to dinner, apparently one person at our table was allergic to seafood, and you can probably see where this is going. So because this one person was allergic to seafood all of us that ordered seafood items for habachi (most of the table) had to wait for the chef to cook it last! The chef began cooking some vegetables. You'd think it'd be like broccoli, some zucchini, and things of that nature but no, it was just straight zucchini and onions. I still sat there expecting more since usually vegetables imply a nice little variety. The tricks were not impressive. Our chef must have been trying to do the little volcano trick...Um, I don't know what that trick was but they turn off the table lights and point a laser at it? We did not see what was maybe suppose to be a smoking volcano or something? It was very confusing to say the least. Anyhow so the chef continues to cook and I finally get my steamed rice. The cook proceeded to cook EVERYTHING ELSE before all our seafood so I pretty much had cold vegetables and cold rice while waiting on this shrimp of mine, and keep in mind there was suppose to be a "shrimp appetizer" too. I gave up on trying to wait for everything so I ended up eating my vegetables and rice. My shrimp was finally cooked and served and seconds later, my shrimp appetizer. It was basically just seemed like an extra bit of shrimp on top of my already shrimp habachi......the irony. Overall, dinner was just painful. I am thinking about trying this place out again in hopes of a better experience. At least we got free ice cream. Will update this review and hopefully with something better to say.
(3)
Deanna J.
Great entertainment (they cook your food right there on the table) and friendly staff. Food is very tasty and flavorful, and a little spendy but totally worth it! Try the habachi steak or chicken and the lobster tails if you're a meat lover, or yakisoba noodles if you prefer a vegetarian meal. They also have green tea ice cream that is very yummy if you're feeling exotic.
(5)
Kate P.
Haven't had a bad experience there but it is a chain.
(3)
Brennen L.
This was my first time coming to Benihana and I must say it's probably my last time. I came here for my little sisters birthday and I wanted the little lady to have fun. Though we made reservations, it took a while to get seated. It was busy so I can understand. We get seated finally and we share the table with another family which is also no big deal. What started off bad was our chef. When you think of Benihana, you think of all the fancy tricks the chefs do in the commercials but our lady chef couldn't land a single trick. Everyone was cringing the whole time and her tools/food was flying everywhere. I know its very difficult to do anything they do and I know the tricks isn't all that matters but it was embarrassing for everyone and it was borderline dangerous the way things flung at people. Something everyone should know is that you shouldn't come starving to Benihana because even cooking fried rice takes about an hour to get to you. Yes they bring soup and the chef will cook up some little appetizers but we were almost at Benihana for a serious total of 2 hours. We all got our full meal about an hour and a half into it. I don't know if thats a standard or our chef was just considerably slow but nonetheless, thats excruciatingly slow. Once we finally got all of our food, it was alright. Even with everyone starving to get food you'd think we'd scarf it down and think it was delicious but the salt content was overpowering the whole meal and it was lack luster all the way through. Again, it could be that our chef was the least experienced there or she was having a bad day but it's what we got. Our chef was a sweet older lady and I applaud her for smiling all the way through. We all played along and actually tried to stay positive for her rather than for us. I want to try this again but even if all the tricks land and we all have a blast, theres still paying way too much and waiting way too long for mediocre food. You pay for tricks, not for food.
(1)
Erica C.
I was never really a fan of Benihana, but for some reason, ever since I moved to Alaska it has slowly started to grow on me. My first experience at this location was wonderful. We came here celebrating my birthday and another birthday. I love how they send you a $30 gift certificate for your birthday if you sign up for the chef's table. This was the second year that i've received it. It basically covers one hibachi meal (depending what you order of course). For the surf and turf type of meals you're probably gonna end up putting a few more bucks towards it out of pocket. It's a very fun dining environment. The chefs are usually pretty entertaining. The food is pretty delicious as well. I always get a steak and either shrimp or lobster. Never any complaints on my food. I loveee the dipping sauces especially the garlicky one for meats. I think prices are pretty reasonable for what you get. Soup and salad is included with many of the entrees and they always give you shrimp off the grill as an appetizer to start, with some grilled veggies as well. If price is an issue for you, come during the weekdays for their lunch specials. You get the exact same meals for almost 1/2 the price you pay during dinner. I also love that they take your photo and print it out for you, for birthdays. Its a very nice touch and something to help you remember to always celebrate at Benihana's during your birthday month. So everyone, be sure to go onto their website and sign up for the chef's table. A $30 certificate will be emailed to you at the beginning of your birthday month and you get to use it anytime during the month of your birthday, for dinner only--except Fridays and weekends. What a great deal! :)
(4)
Becca C.
Ok, so half the fun of it is the chef. Mine was an interesting as a rubbery piece of overcooked pork. The food was really good, I had steak and shrimp; the mojito was very tasty, and we had a couple sushi rolls for appetizers that were good. If it weren't a Japanese steakhouse, I would've given an extra star, but the chef was so lifeless it took the fun out of it, not to mention made it awkward. Their parking lot is always very full because it's the closest free lot near downtown, kind of an annoyance.
(2)
Noelle S.
Always have a great time when we come here. The bar service every visit seems to be really slow. Waited about 15 minutes to have our drink order taken. The server seemed overwhelmed and appeared to be the only one on the floor. He finally came by and asked if we were dining in the bar we said "no just wanted to drinks" so he asked one of the bartenders to take our order. She was friendly and got our drinks quickly after that. Once inside we had great service. The server was friendly the chef was FANTASTIC!!! A great show and he was joking with us the entire time. The food was great. The only disappointment was they were out of Tuna it was earlier in the evening to be out of it. Opted for the Filet Minion another excellent option. It was cooked to perfection. This is definitely the place to go if it's your birthday as every table was celebrating a birthday the entire restaurant seemed to really be enjoying themselves. We always have a group photo taken of us while we are there. My parents now have a wall of Benihana with all the special occasions. Each year their are always extra people in the photos as word gets out how much fun we had. They put a code on the bottom of the photo so anyone can access and print extra copies. I would recommended this place if your looking for a different kind of restaurant experience. It is a bit noisy with everyone having a good time but always fun.
(4)
Adam J.
First the waitress that barely spoke English and couldn't understand that I wanted a N.A. beer almost served me an alcoholic beer... Then we had to take off early so I asked specifically to pay for only my 3 rolls and ice tea, I was charged for the entire tables bill and the manager said he took care of it. Now I still see the full tables pending charge on my account and nothing for the actual charge that I was responsible for. When I called back he said it would be back on there in 3 days. So I am without that money for 3 days. He was a complete jerk about it as well and offered nothing for the inconvenience. I am putting an email to corporate. I will never step foot in that place again and for how horrible the service and mistakes were I would ask everybody to steer clear of that place. They are incompetent and a holes.
(1)
Steve K.
Amazing food. In the lower 48 this is the place to go for birthdays since it's so expensive. Yet here it's the same price as lower 48 only no happy hour. Definitely worth the visit. By far the best and cheapest sushi in town. If you haven't been here yet, then you are crazy.
(5)
Hana S.
I ordered hibachi tuna steak and asked for it a little bit more than just seared but the chef forgot about it and over cooked it, then she poured this sauce all over my fried rice. To top it all off, a couple was put at our table who were wasted, granted it's 4th of July but I don't know how they even allowed them in the restaurant. The couple was all over each other and the wife ended up puking and leaving and the guy preached America, God, and war to us the entire time, really management should set an alcohol limit since we're STUCK at the same table as people we don't know or may not want to eat with....
(2)
Chelsea W.
My husband and I went here for a date night. I made a reservation for 7:00pm and was on time. The hostess told us there wasn't a table ready and that we could wait in the bar until there was one. We waited about 15 minutes before we were actually seated, and then another 30 or so minutes before they even started preparing our food. Waitresses were polite and helpful, but slow with drinks. The cook who came to our table was also polite, and knowledgeable about what he was doing and talked as he cooked. We got the chicken and steak for two special, it came with vegetables, white rice, soup and salad. Overall the food was good, but not special to me. I have been to better places, but I think this is as good as it gets in the state of Alaska for hibachi.
(3)
Patrick K.
So we had our reservation at 7. We ordered some "hot tempura" apps. 30 minutes later we had our app delivered, cold. They said they took it off the bill, but they kept the shrimp tempura on the bill even though they said they would take it off. The table across from us was sat later than us and was served earlier. Like 20 min. After some time the table across from us had there table go out so they couldn't cook food! We got our food and it was great after every thing. We ordered a bottle of wine and they brought us the wrong wine :( The cook was awesome. Only it took 45 min to get our cook to our table. The manager came over and said."sorry the ticket didn't print" however they didn't compensate us in any manner because they messed up. Good food Horrible service. Take care of your people. This is our first visit. Most likely out last.
(2)
Gino H.
I have eaten at the location in Houston Texas before. The experience here was no comparison. Our waitress was fantastic but she could not make up for our poor cook. The cook could not juggle or flip anything so there was a constant banging on the cooktop. *She had to crack 3 eggs to get one without shells for the rice. *She had to keep recutting several shrimp to remove the tails and at least 2 pieces of shell were in me bowl. *My steak, that I paid premium for, ended up going to another person and I could not make her understand I received that persons filet instead. That was money lost that came out of the tip. *my wife did not get her lobster until the very end. The cook announced we had an extra lobster and tried to share it with everyone. My wife ended up with less than a whole lobster tail that was very overcooked. *All steaks were cooked medium rare, even though two of the four were to be medium. She had no idea who told her what type of steak. The cook behind ours kept being bumped into by our cook and he was not pleased. The finale was when she tried to flip her spatula and nailed a wineglass on our table. We found out after the meal the cook had been working less than 2 weeks. I would not recommend this location.
(1)
Larry B.
This location sucks! Horrible service. We waited over 35 mins to get our wine and then they brought the wrong one! Forgot my Dads beer. Complained to the Mgr who said he would take care of it. His taking care of it was to give everyone a free scoop of ice cream. BS!!! Food was good though.
(1)
Lard Belly E.
I have to give this place 5 stars based on overall experience. I came with 7 friends for a birthday dinner. We all were seated at one table and were greeted promptly by our server. We perused the menu and all ordered drinks from wine, beer, martinis, to plum liqueur. There are many dinner options that range in price from $23-$39. We ordered bottles of wine from cabernet to plum. The cook was funny and affable. He threw knives and food around and tried to tell jokes in his broken language. I ordered the Benihana Trio that came with filet, chicken, and shrimp. Others ordered the filet with scallops, teriyaki steak, etc... The combinations are endless, and the food perfectly cooked. The prefood was good too. Miso soup, salad, a couple of other things. We all had a really great time, and were surprised that every table had a birthday. Everyone and their grandmother comes here for their birthday apparently. There is a lit candle in a buddha statue that you blow out, a picture is taken, and a sundae presented with a lot of singing and tambourines clanging. One cute little birthday boy went around with all the servers to sing to other birthayers. He was so cute! This was the full Benihana experience and it was great.
A fun place to go for a special occasion. The food is pretty good, the show put on at the table by the chefs is pretty good, the service otherwise is pretty good. There was nothing to detract from the experience, so the sum is slightly greater than the parts.
(4)
Jennifer C.
My husband took me out for my birthday and we got stuck with a family of 6. I wish the table was a bigger because it would have been nice to have a some privacy or at least a little farther away from the big person next to me (I felt like I was sitting in an airplane!!) Overall, its a great experience. The waitress was prompt and refilled our drinks without being asked. Although, you do have to ask for a glass of water because they won't give it (probably because the lack of table space). I would definitely go again because its fun watching the chef cook in front of you. Oh, did I mention they totally put you on blast if its your birthday? Yeah...shaking a loud tambourine, singing "happy birthday" in English AND Japanese, and making you blow out a candle that they use over and over for other celebrants
(4)
David W.
The best sushi I have ever had at a Benihana anywhere, and very friendly service. Also, I got some great advice on spots to visit while in Alaska. Worth the stop for lunch, and I'll be back next time I am in Anchorage if I can!
Horrible! Food was abysmal. Service was worse. Chicken tasted like a rubber. Fried rice tasted like motor oil. Waitress even said after we mentioned the food wasn't very good that they has been getting a lot of complaints.
(1)
Carla M.
Love Benihana especially during lunch. It's more affordable. I get the shrimp hibachi and that is tasty. Also enjoy eating the crunch roll sushi. Don't forget to sign up & join the chef's table on their website to receive a $30 birthday certificate during your birthday month!
(5)
Lewis O.
We did not sit at a teppan table, so we missed the show. Rating the place just as a restaurant, I consider it fair at best. The Surf and Meadow offered good seafood -- mostly grilled scallops -- but the beef portion (the meadow) was so-so. Leftovers the next day were better than in the restaurant. There are far better Japanese restaurants in Anchorage. Especially given the high prices at Benihana. If you want the showy preparation and are willing to pay for it, you might find it worthwhile. I didn't. Not recommended.
(2)
Nicole D.
My mother insisted on treating my family to Benihana on Christmas Eve this last year. I felt so bad for everyone that worked there. Our cook seemed kind of sad, and it showed in his performance, he dropped an egg on the edge of the hot plate and some of it landed on my husband's stuff, he had to get a new place setting. We found out he was just about to get off work, and go home to his two sons. I had just gotten off work myself, and I felt really bad that I was making someone else cook. The food was ok though, just, way way too expensive.
(3)
Toonces The Driving Cat K.
Meets expectations.
(4)
John P.
Yep! We got one! Right here in Anchorage! And it is good! I went to my 1st Benihana in San Francisco. I was so impressed. Cooking right there at the table, the food was hot, fresh and perfectly seasoned. I knew when I left the Bay Area, this would be one of the places I missed. And I did. But low and behold, I opened the paper one day to read they were opening shop right here in Anchorage! Yea baby!!! I was one of the first in-line when the doors opened to see if it would be the same. IT IS!! Good Food, Good Service, excellent entertainment and a good meal. As with everything in Alaska, the prices differ, (and it is a few pennies more!), but who cares? The combination dishes change from time to time, so recommending a certain dish is tough for me. BUT, what I do recommend is stick with the "House Specials" on the menu, for your combination dinners. These specials are reasonably priced, and well portioned. One of my favorites up here is the Seafood Combo. It can sting your pocket, but your tummy will jump for joy! You will need reservations. Lunch meals are Monday-Friday only! Worth a visit!
Waii H.
Bad customer service, food was okay
(1)Casey D.
I admit, I went to this place as a joke when I was on vacation. I was totally shocked that it ended up being a sort of wonderful and delicious experience. We walked in without a reservation and were seated immediately. The chef was fantastic, engaging, and fun. The food was actually delicious and the service was A+. I'd go back in a heartbeat if I find myself in Anchorage again. Note: I've been to other Benihana locations and this is the only one that isn't a total epic failure.
(4)Jamie A.
My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's Day. Super cool place! The chefs have great sense of humors and they totally make the experience. The general manager that day was walking around and made it her personal goal to greet customers and give them a kiss (the chocolate kind). We sat at the bar to wait for our reservation and shared a fish bowl. Super amazing delicious drink. It was a lot of fun...not very private unless the whole table is reserved for your group of friends but I still enjoyed the people we sat around/next to. The tricks the chefs perform are really awesome and they give you such HUGE portions of food. One of the girls at our table had a gluten allergy and they were able to accommodate her as well as everyone else. I don't eat red meat, so I was a little disappointed there weren't many options but all in all its a great restraint. Also if you register for the chefs special on their website you'll get a 30.00 coupon for your birthday month. Pretty neat :)
(5)Irish C.
Came here today , there's some things a liked about the restaurant , It wasn't very crowded and the waitresses was very nice . Although the food was good I think it could be better . I tries their hibachi chicken with shrimp , grilled with butter and vegetables . The salad wasn't very tasty to me but their soup was pretty amazing . And for the dessert it's very typical . Just ice cream with different flavors . It was a nice experience and I'll go back sure, but I think ima explore a little bit more of anchorage to see what others has to offer .
(3)Desiree M.
Oh Benihana how you have just gone downhill in the past five years. You use to be my most favorite place to come to for drinks, sushi, appetizers just at the sushi bar and with your awesome chefs. However, this is NOT the case anymore, what happened to you? The chefs use to be fun and entertaining, instead I get an old guy who doesn't talk or smile and just cooks food, nothing fun about him, I might as well have fallen asleep! I gave you a second shot in the past month and although the guy was way more entertaining (he even made an I heart U out of the rice and a smiley face) the food just was okay, nothing exciting, your yellow sauce has even changed. All this place has done is gone up in price. You make me angry with your "All you can eat sushi" from your menu but there are so many stipulations and they change to whatever is convenient for you to NOT offer it. Ie..."oh that is only M-W from 3-5 or one time it is only on Tues and Thurs from 4-530" MAKE UP YOUR MIND! or just don't offer it all. I'm not sure what you did with Mr. OH but he was by far the best sushi chef on the planet! Please go back to how you were around 2010 timeframe, you will have much more business!
(2)Brandy K.
If you've never been to Benihana's the show is fun, but once you've seen it a couple of times it sort of loses its thrill. The food is just okay. It's good but nothing really amazing, there are certainly a lot better places you could go eat for the money, but again you're not paying for the food anyway you're paying for the cooking entertainment. If you just want to have a little fun with dinner it's a cool place to check out. It is expensive though. For three of us tonight it cost about $145 with the tip and that's with no alcoholic beverages. If you're really looking for good food for your money then I would go somewhere else.
(3)Luke S.
I feel like some of the bad reviews on here must be from fake trolls? I have been here maybe 10 times in the last 3 years and have had nothing but positive experiences every time. The staff goes out of their way to be attentive and accomadating. They are extremely polite and professional as well as expedient. And the food has always been fresh, delicious and uniquely prepared every time I've been there. Idk maybe some of the fellow Yelpers had a bad cook? Hopefully they resolved that because I just went there today and had an amazing chef. You could tell he knew what he was doing! He flipped and threw things all over the grill and did not make a single mistake! He was the best I've seen! My wife and I were very entertained! And also very happy with our delicious food! I had the Ocean dish and she had the Teriyaki dish. Both were amazing. We also came to this location on Christmas Day, as all other restaurants were closed, and had a great experience that time as well! Benihanas is a bit pricey but worth it if you enjoy seafood prepared in a whimsical and enjoyable fashion. Definitely give it a try! I look forward to my next outing there.
(5)Kent H.
I met up with 10 friends who were celebrating a birthday party. I hadn't been here in over 3 years, and the decor has not changed much. I was a little surprised at the wear and tear that was obvious, but that's not what I came here for. We were seated at one of the tables with the teppanyaki-style cooktop. I was surprised at how efficient the service was! It was no small feat to keep 11 orders organized, and clearing empty dish ware in such a cramped space. Good thing we were friends and enjoyed the cozy confines. The food was artfully prepared with all the drama and flair that comes with the territory. I had the shrimp, scallop, and calamari entree and I just loved it. Maybe it was the sake bombs that we had really good fun with! Almost like a Chuck E. Cheese for grownups! Tip: While waiting in the lounge, I noticed an "Endless Sushi" dinner on the lounge menu. Available only in the lounge Sunday-Thursday. This all you can eat sushi seemed to be a good bargain at $31. I'll definitely be back to try that.
(4)Anna J.
My husband and I came here for our 8th year anniversary and really enjoyed it! The food was amazing and we loved the entertainment. Our waitress was friendly and our chief very funny. After our meal the waitress took our picture and gave us a printout for celebrating our anniversary there. I gave four stars because I would have to agree with some of the other posters about the time it took to be seated. We arrived promptly for our 6pm reservation and waited at least 15 minutes to be seated. Over all we enjoyed the food and the experience.
(4)Joy G.
Great experience, good food, good service. Overall, I'd say that Benihana appears to be very adept and delivering a consistent product. I wouldn't hesitate to return again in the future. It seems Benihana is the place to go for special occasions, at almost every table there were birthdays, anniversaries and in our case, engagements, being celebrated. That makes the whole shared seating thing even more fun because it's not JUST about the food, but a celebration of life. What a fun concept for a restaurant to capitalize on! I loved the commerative photo. In an age of digital photography, it was nice to leave with a tangible image in my hand. Very cool. All our food was perfectly prepared. The steak was butter tender. The food was very good, but didn't knock my socks off. Solid 4 1/2 star meal. We'll be back for anniversaries, I think. Good times!
(4)Brian H.
The bartender went out of her way to get my meal discounted for a portion of it that I did not like because I had asked for no mushrooms and there were mushrooms on it. I was going to pay for it anyway and she got that taken off my bill and I appreciated it. The manager came over and apologize and invited me to come back.
(3)Demetrius H.
Came in on Mother's day at 2:45 and its 4:45 what did they had to do that takes 2 damn hours to even start cooking our food..drive to Seward to catch some damn shrimp this is not good service at all
(1)Cori C.
Whoever came up with this is brilliant. It's classic American food prepared simply, with just enough carrot ginger dressing and soy sauce to feel exotic, mixed with some magic tricks and fake accents. The food was good, because butter and carrot ginger and soy sauce make everything delicious. The seafood was fresh. Everyone was super into it, which made it even more stupidly fun.
(4)Nasha W.
I've been to several Benihana locations in major cities and have had pretty good experiences. I must say I was deeply annoyed during this particular visit. I don't know if it was the circumstances of the table we sat in but I definitely did not have a 5 star experience. I ordered habachi shrimp dinner which is suppose to include a shrimp appetizer, vegetables, steamed rice, and shrimp ofcourse. To begin with, we were a part of a large group of about 150 people. Our table was just packed and they pretty much squeezed 10 of us in one table. My husband and myself looked like T-rex's trying to eat because we had no elbow space. Although I liked that it was not chaotic to be seated, we found ourselves waiting a good while to eat due to the lack of chefs. How can you not have enough chefs? You're a well known establishment? I don't mean to be harsh but if they knew such a large party was attending this dinner then why not plan accordingly? Our chef arrived and admitted to not even knowing what was going on this evening. Communication is the key. On that note, I felt like our waitress and chef were not on the same page and had very poor communication. I saw the waitress get frustrated with the chef and I felt she was talking down to her half the time. So back to dinner, apparently one person at our table was allergic to seafood, and you can probably see where this is going. So because this one person was allergic to seafood all of us that ordered seafood items for habachi (most of the table) had to wait for the chef to cook it last! The chef began cooking some vegetables. You'd think it'd be like broccoli, some zucchini, and things of that nature but no, it was just straight zucchini and onions. I still sat there expecting more since usually vegetables imply a nice little variety. The tricks were not impressive. Our chef must have been trying to do the little volcano trick...Um, I don't know what that trick was but they turn off the table lights and point a laser at it? We did not see what was maybe suppose to be a smoking volcano or something? It was very confusing to say the least. Anyhow so the chef continues to cook and I finally get my steamed rice. The cook proceeded to cook EVERYTHING ELSE before all our seafood so I pretty much had cold vegetables and cold rice while waiting on this shrimp of mine, and keep in mind there was suppose to be a "shrimp appetizer" too. I gave up on trying to wait for everything so I ended up eating my vegetables and rice. My shrimp was finally cooked and served and seconds later, my shrimp appetizer. It was basically just seemed like an extra bit of shrimp on top of my already shrimp habachi......the irony. Overall, dinner was just painful. I am thinking about trying this place out again in hopes of a better experience. At least we got free ice cream. Will update this review and hopefully with something better to say.
(3)Deanna J.
Great entertainment (they cook your food right there on the table) and friendly staff. Food is very tasty and flavorful, and a little spendy but totally worth it! Try the habachi steak or chicken and the lobster tails if you're a meat lover, or yakisoba noodles if you prefer a vegetarian meal. They also have green tea ice cream that is very yummy if you're feeling exotic.
(5)Kate P.
Haven't had a bad experience there but it is a chain.
(3)Brennen L.
This was my first time coming to Benihana and I must say it's probably my last time. I came here for my little sisters birthday and I wanted the little lady to have fun. Though we made reservations, it took a while to get seated. It was busy so I can understand. We get seated finally and we share the table with another family which is also no big deal. What started off bad was our chef. When you think of Benihana, you think of all the fancy tricks the chefs do in the commercials but our lady chef couldn't land a single trick. Everyone was cringing the whole time and her tools/food was flying everywhere. I know its very difficult to do anything they do and I know the tricks isn't all that matters but it was embarrassing for everyone and it was borderline dangerous the way things flung at people. Something everyone should know is that you shouldn't come starving to Benihana because even cooking fried rice takes about an hour to get to you. Yes they bring soup and the chef will cook up some little appetizers but we were almost at Benihana for a serious total of 2 hours. We all got our full meal about an hour and a half into it. I don't know if thats a standard or our chef was just considerably slow but nonetheless, thats excruciatingly slow. Once we finally got all of our food, it was alright. Even with everyone starving to get food you'd think we'd scarf it down and think it was delicious but the salt content was overpowering the whole meal and it was lack luster all the way through. Again, it could be that our chef was the least experienced there or she was having a bad day but it's what we got. Our chef was a sweet older lady and I applaud her for smiling all the way through. We all played along and actually tried to stay positive for her rather than for us. I want to try this again but even if all the tricks land and we all have a blast, theres still paying way too much and waiting way too long for mediocre food. You pay for tricks, not for food.
(1)Erica C.
I was never really a fan of Benihana, but for some reason, ever since I moved to Alaska it has slowly started to grow on me. My first experience at this location was wonderful. We came here celebrating my birthday and another birthday. I love how they send you a $30 gift certificate for your birthday if you sign up for the chef's table. This was the second year that i've received it. It basically covers one hibachi meal (depending what you order of course). For the surf and turf type of meals you're probably gonna end up putting a few more bucks towards it out of pocket. It's a very fun dining environment. The chefs are usually pretty entertaining. The food is pretty delicious as well. I always get a steak and either shrimp or lobster. Never any complaints on my food. I loveee the dipping sauces especially the garlicky one for meats. I think prices are pretty reasonable for what you get. Soup and salad is included with many of the entrees and they always give you shrimp off the grill as an appetizer to start, with some grilled veggies as well. If price is an issue for you, come during the weekdays for their lunch specials. You get the exact same meals for almost 1/2 the price you pay during dinner. I also love that they take your photo and print it out for you, for birthdays. Its a very nice touch and something to help you remember to always celebrate at Benihana's during your birthday month. So everyone, be sure to go onto their website and sign up for the chef's table. A $30 certificate will be emailed to you at the beginning of your birthday month and you get to use it anytime during the month of your birthday, for dinner only--except Fridays and weekends. What a great deal! :)
(4)Becca C.
Ok, so half the fun of it is the chef. Mine was an interesting as a rubbery piece of overcooked pork. The food was really good, I had steak and shrimp; the mojito was very tasty, and we had a couple sushi rolls for appetizers that were good. If it weren't a Japanese steakhouse, I would've given an extra star, but the chef was so lifeless it took the fun out of it, not to mention made it awkward. Their parking lot is always very full because it's the closest free lot near downtown, kind of an annoyance.
(2)Noelle S.
Always have a great time when we come here. The bar service every visit seems to be really slow. Waited about 15 minutes to have our drink order taken. The server seemed overwhelmed and appeared to be the only one on the floor. He finally came by and asked if we were dining in the bar we said "no just wanted to drinks" so he asked one of the bartenders to take our order. She was friendly and got our drinks quickly after that. Once inside we had great service. The server was friendly the chef was FANTASTIC!!! A great show and he was joking with us the entire time. The food was great. The only disappointment was they were out of Tuna it was earlier in the evening to be out of it. Opted for the Filet Minion another excellent option. It was cooked to perfection. This is definitely the place to go if it's your birthday as every table was celebrating a birthday the entire restaurant seemed to really be enjoying themselves. We always have a group photo taken of us while we are there. My parents now have a wall of Benihana with all the special occasions. Each year their are always extra people in the photos as word gets out how much fun we had. They put a code on the bottom of the photo so anyone can access and print extra copies. I would recommended this place if your looking for a different kind of restaurant experience. It is a bit noisy with everyone having a good time but always fun.
(4)Adam J.
First the waitress that barely spoke English and couldn't understand that I wanted a N.A. beer almost served me an alcoholic beer... Then we had to take off early so I asked specifically to pay for only my 3 rolls and ice tea, I was charged for the entire tables bill and the manager said he took care of it. Now I still see the full tables pending charge on my account and nothing for the actual charge that I was responsible for. When I called back he said it would be back on there in 3 days. So I am without that money for 3 days. He was a complete jerk about it as well and offered nothing for the inconvenience. I am putting an email to corporate. I will never step foot in that place again and for how horrible the service and mistakes were I would ask everybody to steer clear of that place. They are incompetent and a holes.
(1)Steve K.
Amazing food. In the lower 48 this is the place to go for birthdays since it's so expensive. Yet here it's the same price as lower 48 only no happy hour. Definitely worth the visit. By far the best and cheapest sushi in town. If you haven't been here yet, then you are crazy.
(5)Hana S.
I ordered hibachi tuna steak and asked for it a little bit more than just seared but the chef forgot about it and over cooked it, then she poured this sauce all over my fried rice. To top it all off, a couple was put at our table who were wasted, granted it's 4th of July but I don't know how they even allowed them in the restaurant. The couple was all over each other and the wife ended up puking and leaving and the guy preached America, God, and war to us the entire time, really management should set an alcohol limit since we're STUCK at the same table as people we don't know or may not want to eat with....
(2)Chelsea W.
My husband and I went here for a date night. I made a reservation for 7:00pm and was on time. The hostess told us there wasn't a table ready and that we could wait in the bar until there was one. We waited about 15 minutes before we were actually seated, and then another 30 or so minutes before they even started preparing our food. Waitresses were polite and helpful, but slow with drinks. The cook who came to our table was also polite, and knowledgeable about what he was doing and talked as he cooked. We got the chicken and steak for two special, it came with vegetables, white rice, soup and salad. Overall the food was good, but not special to me. I have been to better places, but I think this is as good as it gets in the state of Alaska for hibachi.
(3)Patrick K.
So we had our reservation at 7. We ordered some "hot tempura" apps. 30 minutes later we had our app delivered, cold. They said they took it off the bill, but they kept the shrimp tempura on the bill even though they said they would take it off. The table across from us was sat later than us and was served earlier. Like 20 min. After some time the table across from us had there table go out so they couldn't cook food! We got our food and it was great after every thing. We ordered a bottle of wine and they brought us the wrong wine :( The cook was awesome. Only it took 45 min to get our cook to our table. The manager came over and said."sorry the ticket didn't print" however they didn't compensate us in any manner because they messed up. Good food Horrible service. Take care of your people. This is our first visit. Most likely out last.
(2)Gino H.
I have eaten at the location in Houston Texas before. The experience here was no comparison. Our waitress was fantastic but she could not make up for our poor cook. The cook could not juggle or flip anything so there was a constant banging on the cooktop. *She had to crack 3 eggs to get one without shells for the rice. *She had to keep recutting several shrimp to remove the tails and at least 2 pieces of shell were in me bowl. *My steak, that I paid premium for, ended up going to another person and I could not make her understand I received that persons filet instead. That was money lost that came out of the tip. *my wife did not get her lobster until the very end. The cook announced we had an extra lobster and tried to share it with everyone. My wife ended up with less than a whole lobster tail that was very overcooked. *All steaks were cooked medium rare, even though two of the four were to be medium. She had no idea who told her what type of steak. The cook behind ours kept being bumped into by our cook and he was not pleased. The finale was when she tried to flip her spatula and nailed a wineglass on our table. We found out after the meal the cook had been working less than 2 weeks. I would not recommend this location.
(1)Larry B.
This location sucks! Horrible service. We waited over 35 mins to get our wine and then they brought the wrong one! Forgot my Dads beer. Complained to the Mgr who said he would take care of it. His taking care of it was to give everyone a free scoop of ice cream. BS!!! Food was good though.
(1)Lard Belly E.
I have to give this place 5 stars based on overall experience. I came with 7 friends for a birthday dinner. We all were seated at one table and were greeted promptly by our server. We perused the menu and all ordered drinks from wine, beer, martinis, to plum liqueur. There are many dinner options that range in price from $23-$39. We ordered bottles of wine from cabernet to plum. The cook was funny and affable. He threw knives and food around and tried to tell jokes in his broken language. I ordered the Benihana Trio that came with filet, chicken, and shrimp. Others ordered the filet with scallops, teriyaki steak, etc... The combinations are endless, and the food perfectly cooked. The prefood was good too. Miso soup, salad, a couple of other things. We all had a really great time, and were surprised that every table had a birthday. Everyone and their grandmother comes here for their birthday apparently. There is a lit candle in a buddha statue that you blow out, a picture is taken, and a sundae presented with a lot of singing and tambourines clanging. One cute little birthday boy went around with all the servers to sing to other birthayers. He was so cute! This was the full Benihana experience and it was great.
(5)Kristy T.
This place is so awesome my fiancé and I ate there last night. They were so nice and made sure we celebrated the right way! Jeffiery the chef was super entertaining and so sweet! We then made our way to the bar and laritza the bartender was amazing she set up some awesome saki bombs and made us delicious drinks! The general manager also took an extra picture of us, she was great too! This is definitely the place to go if you want the best service and best atmosphere ! Thanks guys! :)
(5)Stuart G.
A fun place to go for a special occasion. The food is pretty good, the show put on at the table by the chefs is pretty good, the service otherwise is pretty good. There was nothing to detract from the experience, so the sum is slightly greater than the parts.
(4)Jennifer C.
My husband took me out for my birthday and we got stuck with a family of 6. I wish the table was a bigger because it would have been nice to have a some privacy or at least a little farther away from the big person next to me (I felt like I was sitting in an airplane!!) Overall, its a great experience. The waitress was prompt and refilled our drinks without being asked. Although, you do have to ask for a glass of water because they won't give it (probably because the lack of table space). I would definitely go again because its fun watching the chef cook in front of you. Oh, did I mention they totally put you on blast if its your birthday? Yeah...shaking a loud tambourine, singing "happy birthday" in English AND Japanese, and making you blow out a candle that they use over and over for other celebrants
(4)David W.
The best sushi I have ever had at a Benihana anywhere, and very friendly service. Also, I got some great advice on spots to visit while in Alaska. Worth the stop for lunch, and I'll be back next time I am in Anchorage if I can!
(4)Christian N.
Crazy fork and knife play anyone? I consider myself the connoisseur of the 'Hana. I've probably been to more Benihanas than Rocky (the founder) himself. I have spent nearly every birthday at there since I was 5...and I'm damn near middle-aged. I've been to Benny's all over the 'lower 48', Hawaii, Alaska (clearly), and the Nation's Capital. As you well know, there's a system to any franchise. And Anchorage doesn't stray from the formula. Chopped veggies, salad, onion soup, shrimp appetizer, onion volcano, fried rice, your entrée of choice, and some green tea ice cream. The flip of a shrimp tail into your drink or the chef's toque. What could be better? I'll tell you what I love about my absolutely favorite restaurant. Dinner and a show. You get to enjoy a dinner that's far too large but always tasty and you get to marvel at the skills of the chefs. Instead of sitting with your dinner companion making idle chat waiting for a plate that appears - as if by magic - from the kitchen, you know exactly what goes into your meal. That's very comforting. Here are some tips to a great dinner at the Hana. 1. Make reservations in advance to ensure your time. You can wait forever if you don't. 2. Bring a full table (party of 8) and make sure everyone's on time. They won't seat you until you are all there and it's a lot more fun when you own the table. 3. Pick the right chef. If you've been there a couple of times there's one chef that stands out. Request him by name when you reserve. 4. Don't eat lunch (if you are there for dinner). Don't eat breakfast if you are going there for lunch. 5. For the best deal - go for lunch. Same food, shorter lines, lower prices. And now back to Anchorage. The hours change for the summer so make sure you know before you go. Making reservations isn't as important during the week but the weekend is nuts. Lock it down. Many tables aren't full so you might have a little extra room. As far as Chef's go I recommend two: Dannyboy and Shin. They have varied routines but 'mad skills' nonetheless. I've never seen knives sharpened as well as they have there. And they aren't the expensive Kobayashi ones you expect, but they aren't Ginsu either. Hopefully, both Danny and Shin will read this review and teach me how to sharpen a knife! Final word. The Benihana is a different dining experience than anywhere else (except the knock-off Kobe). Embrace the variety and go.
(5)Matt L.
Horrible! Food was abysmal. Service was worse. Chicken tasted like a rubber. Fried rice tasted like motor oil. Waitress even said after we mentioned the food wasn't very good that they has been getting a lot of complaints.
(1)Carla M.
Love Benihana especially during lunch. It's more affordable. I get the shrimp hibachi and that is tasty. Also enjoy eating the crunch roll sushi. Don't forget to sign up & join the chef's table on their website to receive a $30 birthday certificate during your birthday month!
(5)Lewis O.
We did not sit at a teppan table, so we missed the show. Rating the place just as a restaurant, I consider it fair at best. The Surf and Meadow offered good seafood -- mostly grilled scallops -- but the beef portion (the meadow) was so-so. Leftovers the next day were better than in the restaurant. There are far better Japanese restaurants in Anchorage. Especially given the high prices at Benihana. If you want the showy preparation and are willing to pay for it, you might find it worthwhile. I didn't. Not recommended.
(2)Nicole D.
My mother insisted on treating my family to Benihana on Christmas Eve this last year. I felt so bad for everyone that worked there. Our cook seemed kind of sad, and it showed in his performance, he dropped an egg on the edge of the hot plate and some of it landed on my husband's stuff, he had to get a new place setting. We found out he was just about to get off work, and go home to his two sons. I had just gotten off work myself, and I felt really bad that I was making someone else cook. The food was ok though, just, way way too expensive.
(3)Toonces The Driving Cat K.
Meets expectations.
(4)John P.
Yep! We got one! Right here in Anchorage! And it is good! I went to my 1st Benihana in San Francisco. I was so impressed. Cooking right there at the table, the food was hot, fresh and perfectly seasoned. I knew when I left the Bay Area, this would be one of the places I missed. And I did. But low and behold, I opened the paper one day to read they were opening shop right here in Anchorage! Yea baby!!! I was one of the first in-line when the doors opened to see if it would be the same. IT IS!! Good Food, Good Service, excellent entertainment and a good meal. As with everything in Alaska, the prices differ, (and it is a few pennies more!), but who cares? The combination dishes change from time to time, so recommending a certain dish is tough for me. BUT, what I do recommend is stick with the "House Specials" on the menu, for your combination dinners. These specials are reasonably priced, and well portioned. One of my favorites up here is the Seafood Combo. It can sting your pocket, but your tummy will jump for joy! You will need reservations. Lunch meals are Monday-Friday only! Worth a visit!
(4)