Noowww I remember why I should avoid ethnic chain restaurants... too late though. Went to celebrate my stepson's 21st birthday - I love him dearly, so why would this have occurred to me? The food was really good, I guess, the first time we went. Second time not as good. This time, aweless. Concur with Laily B and Kameelah R... either we had the same chef or it's time for an improved employee incentive program. We seemed to have substantial difficulty communicating with the waitress, who's thoughts were clearly somewhere else. The food seemed rather disgruntled as well, in general - we were a large group so we had just about everything yet nothing really stood out and shouted "I'm really tasty". Not bad, mind you, but zero wow factor. A dysthymic experience overall. Eeyore would have felt right at home, but in retrospect I would have considered inviting my psychiatrist.
(2)
Melissa T.
Excellent service and food. Love coming here for lunch
(5)
Suparna G.
I really couldn't believe the bad reviews below. The food here is amazing, and the atmosphere is really fun, with the chef cooking in front of you. I sometimes crave the shrimp and meat here; I usually get some kind of steak & seafood combo. The chicken fried rice is also delicious. The price is good for such high quality food. This is also great for group dinners since the tables are large. Everything I've had here has been delicious--of all the good restaurants on Miracle Mile, I found this one to be the best.
(4)
Monica U.
Was very disappointed with my Beni Hana experience. Went on a Tuesday night and there was a 30-45 minute wait. They asked us to sit at the bar, which we did. A while later when we check on our table, they tell us they had already called our name! Hello, you told us to sit at the bar, why didn't you check for us there?? When we were finally seated, we had to wait another 20-30 minutes before the chef finally showed up. But we got our hopes up, because the chef had the wrong table. Five minutes later, the correct chef comes along. Overall, the food is good -- but there are better restaurants out there for Teppanyaki style.
(2)
Christy P.
Ummm...seriously?!?! I read most bad reviews but there were the occasional good ones and a few said that it was better than Samurai. I decided to give it a try. I've been to Samurai a few times & it was delicious & since they are owned by the same company you'd think it was similar. Uuuuhhhh...NO! I work in the Gables & there isn't really any GOOD Asian places (Canton Canton is disgusting, Lotus Garden & Bangkok Bangkok are alright, & I've yet to try Red Koi). I decided to go simple & order the Hibachi Chicken Rice, which had to be a side dish since they don't have it as a meal like Samurai. What an IMMENSE disappointment!! There was absolutely NO, zero, nada, zip flavor! BLAND BLAND BLAND! If it weren't for the slivers of onion or the little packets of soy sauce in my to go bag (they gave me about 20 of them for a little side of rice which at first I thought was wasteful, now I know it's because they are trying to give me some flavor even if it is salt). The one star is for the nice guy who answered the phone & took my to go order otherwise the stars in my review would be just as existent as the flavor in there food; nonexistent lol. So in conclusion, it may not have been bad & made me gag while eating it, it was just downright flavorless. They really should consider getting the shrimp sauce that Samurai has, it would mask the crappy food. Now I have to give Red Koi a try. If they fail me all hope is lost for Asian cuisine in the Gables.
(1)
Angela D.
I've only been here for lunch with my co-workers. We always had a great chef and the food has always been great. During Lunch time its always pretty empty but the food does not suffer. Lunch menu is not expensive and the food is yummy.
(4)
Remy L.
Great food and great show. The food always comes tasty and fresh. A little bit pricey in my opinion.
(4)
luis s.
My first time at Benihana was unfortunately a bad one! I had always wanted to go, but somehow never got to it. Finally on Saturday I made it. The place was pretty full (good sign) we sit at bar order a drink and wait for our table. Honestly Benihana is way too over rated! My number one dislike is smelling like food, god thats so annoying for me. We sat at a table with a family with a few kids, and alas we finally ordered. Maybeif our chef was a little more colorful the experience I had would be somewhat more enjoyable. Bottom line Benihana is canton food cooked in front of you. If I would have known I would have ordered Chang's right next to my house had it delivered all for 1/10 of the cost, with more food quantity might I add! I understand going with a big group and after countless saki bombs I'm sure its a great place, but then again so it Taco Bell at 5am.
(1)
Kat B.
GREAT HAPPY HOUR! The sushi is VERY, VERY YUM, and we always have the same bartender, Greg, and he's just a swell guy. Happy hour is half off drinks (I think) and sushi too. You have to sit at the bar to get the deal but I think it's worth it.
(5)
Elizabeth M.
Mediocrity at its best. Its good but nothing GREAT about it.
(2)
Marc M.
Forgettable at best. 1. Our waitress took forever to take our drink orders and then even longer to bring them 2. Our waitress forgot to bring the rice that comes with the dishes and, even when we told her, took her another 10 minutes, so by the time we got the rice, we were almost done with the meal 3. AFTER we finished with our meal, the cook put some kind of fried onions in our plate... why? Who knows? 4. About the experience; the cook was well meaning, but absolutely no showmanship; lacked energy overall and no sense of timing on the food. 5. The quality of the food was uneven; my Tuna steak was good; my wife's "Filet Mignon" was tough and chewy. The so-called vegetables were a laugh; the shrimp appetizer were 3 lonely shrimp thrown into a bowl. We went there because we had a gift certificate, but we hadn't stepped on a Benihana in about 15 years. It will be another 15 before I do it again
(2)
Erika S.
How yummy is the food here? I cant even tell you how happy my tummy was when we left. I came with a girl friend of mine for some dinner on a Wed night. The place was pretty empty but the service was slow. It took us about 20 minutes to get one of the chefs over to our hibachi. I was not happy about that because I was starved. The shows the chefs used to put on used to be inviting and more crowd pleasing I believe. This was lackluster to say the least, the chef didn't know English not because he was Japanese but because he was Peruvian. Hey, I get it we cant get our authentic experience all the time but I was a bit disappointed. He greeted us when he arrived at the table and went to give me a ketchup bottle, when I went to grab it some black thing came out of it. I think that was meant to be funny but it just left me confused. The food, was incredible.. I mean YUMMY. I was beyond happy and the price was good. We had the chicken and steak for 2 for $45.00 with our soups and salads. The salad needed more dressing and since the server wasn't attentive I knew that wasn't going to happen. Either way I ate it since I was starving. The experience was alright, not what it used to be and not better than Samurai but.. my food was delicious.
(3)
Ivonne D.
We went to tonight with a party of 6, We were going to the Samurai but they did not take reservations, so we decided on this place. Well I was a little concern because of the ratings. I must say I was quite surprised. We arrived at 7PM and we were seated right away. The service was outstanding the place was clean and our chef name Luis was outstanding. The food was well seasoned and was quite good. And the fact that they validated our parking made it well worth the night. Thanks for the great service!
(5)
Laily B.
My first-ever experience in a Benihana was at the one on the 79th St. Cswy about a year ago. I remember the food had been great, very well prepared and seasoned. I also enjoyed the show that the chef put on. I went to the one on Miracle Mile this time hoping to have a great meal as well, and I can honestly say, I will not be going back. The chef was not even mildly entertaining. I had the Teriyaki Beef, which was supposed to be thinly sliced but it was not. He just cut it into chunks and it wasn't anywhere near having a teriyaki flavor to it. The onion soup looked like a bowl of dirty water with one or two flecks of dried onion. The salad consisted of one iceberg lettuce leaf cut in squares, 2 cherry tomatoes, and 3 strands of red cabbage. I know they did not even drain the lettuce, cause the salad was sitting in a huge puddle of water, perhaps some of it was also from the watery dressing. No flavor whatsoever. The chicken fried rice had absolutely no seasoning. Also, this chef used HUGE amounts of their "famous garlic butter" on everything he cooked. Everything was very greasy, and worst of all, it had no flavor. I saw him put salt on everything, yet the food was more bland than hospital food. The vegetable portion (mushrooms and zucchini) was also very small. You'd think for 30 bucks you could get more than 2 mushroom caps. Not to mention the meat! It was like two one-inch-wide- strips of sirloin, tough, with no flavor despite their "pungent teriyaki sauce". The service was okay, nothing to rave about, nothing to complain about either. But the food, man, it was awful!! The ONLY positive thing I found was that the food was served piping hot, which is something you don't always get when eating out. So there's their ONE star.
(1)
Joseph Q.
Great food, always fun. Good idea to call ahead and get a reservation as this place is always popular.
(5)
Kameelah R.
I am very disappointed with this location. Our Habachi Chef seemed bored and disinterested. He wasn't very entertaining either. I know he was new but dang. The food was OK but I've had better at different locations. The couple that ate with us was nice though. I had the Seafood Diablo, not spicy like the menu says it is. The Deny roll and the Benihana roll were pretty good. I don't think I will visit this location again but I will try the one on the 79th street causeway before I give up on Florida Locations.
(2)
Ivy O.
The food was excellent, the chef had definitely put his time in making the food and he also had sense of humor. T
(3)
Camille L.
I usually go to Benihana once in a while, mainly because I just simply LOVE their food. I've been like 4 or 5 times to this specific location and though I have no complains AT ALL in regards to their food, I have to say that what kills this place sometimes is the waiting time. They're located in the heart on miracle mile so they get really busy, specially on the weekends. If you go during the week, you'll probably get your table faster. I always do reservations in advance just in case, and even with that way, they still can make you wait a while. Besides that, great food and service! I kind of go classic in here, so I usually get the steak and chicken combination, and definitely, ALWAYS change the steamed white rice for their Hibachi Chicken Rice (I can get white rice at home!); you have to pay a little extra for the change but believe me, IT'S WORTH IT! Also, I recently discovered that they do happy hours during weekdays from 5 to 8:30pm, and when I say happy hours, I really mean HAPPY HOURS! They have a selection of beers at $3 and cocktails at $4 & $5. Oh! And half price sushi! My favorite cocktail, the Mai-Tai...It's simply sweet and delicious! At the end, I really like this place, and since I discovered their happy hours, I'll probably keep on going during the week so I can happily wait at the bar while they prep my table! =)
(4)
Elynn G.
I have been dying to write a review on this establishment for my experience there was absolutely attrocious and I want to save others from having to experience it. I went maybe 6 months back. Our server was complaining from the moment we placed our order about her exhaustion and teeny bopper angst. When we ordered a cold sake we were told and I quote " Really? Are you sure? Because that would mean I would have to go all the way downstairs". I kindly expressed that I was posisitve. We did not get the sake until half an hour later! The only reason I gave a second star was due to our chef. He was funny and kind but nothing extraordinary. I have been to the causeway Benihana and I have to say they are fabulous with their showmanship by comparison. The poor service continued throughout the evening right down to her handing over the check after we had asked for it a million times. Avoid this place at all costs!
(2)
Brianne B.
Great food, great service! I eat here about once a week because of their happy hour (Mon-Thurs 4:30-7:30 in the sushi lounge). The tuna sashimi with spicy sauce is so good! The service is always good, I have eaten a pretty good-sized dinner at the sushi lounge in under 45 min.
(4)
Liz T.
so now there's a benihana on miracle mile in the gables. i went when it first opened. huge line! uber long wait! in my opinion...nothing special. just another benihana. it's split into 2 sections. and there was no wait for the non-hibachi section, but my friends insisted to sit at the hibachi section. it was all adults, and the hibachi chef cooked our food and left. i went a second time and again we tried the hibachi table. this time we had a table of scream kids (oh joy). but i figured, "hey, at least we'll get a show!" well, i was wrong. no steaming volcano of onion, no flipping shrimp into his hat, no fancy knife dances. no nothing. skip the gables one, head to the one on 79th... at least there's a view.
(2)
Nancy A.
While I usually find ridiculous and pretty tourist trap the whole tapanjaki situation, I do love their lunch specials. They are a good portion and their prices are reasonable. You can order them to go or sit by the regular chairs. If you sit by the "show" tables, the prices go up about 20%; not worth it if you are on your lunch break as I usually am. Ask for the steak medium, they usually bring it medium well. The service s pretty good and there is always space.
(4)
Nancy O.
I have come to this location about a total of three times in all the time it's actually existing in Coral Gables. The reason being is I only come with people who have not experienced habachi and this location is the only one that always has an open reservation when I'm looking for one. You're seated fairly quickly. The menu can be confusing for a new-comer when it comes to the rice part. I personally know that you have the option of white rice or fried rice and the fried rice is an extra charge. Sometimes and by sometimes I been this time, The waitress won't explain that and may say "white rice okay?" Make sure to speak up. You can get caught up in the moment and just agree to everything... yes. yes. yes. Then you get stuck with white rice and wonder why you didn't get fried rice like the rest of the table. Make sure to read the menu throughly. There are a vast amounts of options that are customizable similar to the rice. For example, the chicken can be teriyaki, spicy, lemon or plain. I picked the spicy option because after all I am the "habanero hog." Of course, like every time I visit. I took the majority of my food home as Benihana serves up huge portions. Not only that, but watching the chef make the food and slowly placing each item (appetizer, veggies, meat..etc,.) one by one makes you pick at your food. By the time it's all on your plate and you can actually start you've already filled yourself up! Or ate with your eyes! It's okay to deny the chef from placing items on your plate. You don't like onions? say so. Well, of course use "no thanks." Don't feel obligated to have the chef place something on your plate you don't like. Do taste the sauces that were first placed on the pentagon shaped dished. They are absolutely delicious, dip all your food items in it. savor away! If you're into cocktails I would recommend the colada. it's their rendition of a Miami Vice (half strawberry, half piña colada). I believe it's a different mix, however, it tastes like a miami vice to me. It's about $9. That's one thing come with some money to spend as a trip here for a family of 3 can easily cost you about $150.00 with drinks and tips and such. Average pricing, considering the hibachi experience. If it's someone's birthday, make sure to tell the waitress or host. They automatically bring an ice ice cream scoop with a candle... and along comes to the staff to sing happy birthday in two languages. Have fun!
(3)
Judith G.
The atmosphere, location, and food were amazing. My boyfriend had a grape cocktail and it was phenomenal. The cook was very entertaining and we made a reservation, which they honored. The only thing was we waited a while before our chef actually got there. In fact, there was another table who came after ours but were served first. We did complain and the manager gave us a 25% off of our food. We had a great time and that discount wasn't too shabby!
(4)
Thien H.
Benihana was an excellent lunch deal for two when we used the $30 birthday coupon. Two rolls, a ceviche app, and the lunch shrimp yakisoba was about $20 after tip. The sushi rolls were fine, nothing amazing. I would not recommend the sashimi ceviche ($10.50) it had really tough white fish. I could only eat the shrimp.
(3)
mark r.
My son's birthday celebration was here this evening. After dinner we waited one half hour for his birthday cake, our other desert orders, etc.; however the restaurant was "backed up real bad", according to the waiter who had disappeared for the 30 minutes. So we asked for our check when he finally remembered that we existed. Our check was wrong as other diners at our table had 2 food items of ours on their check. After getting change for a large bill to rectify the incorrect billing at the table, I told the manager of our issues around my sons "birthday event", when walking the check to her so we could end the misery. She offered to take my sons photo as we were exiting....really? My son said he hoped this was not an omen of his upcoming new year. You're on your own here, plan on 3 to 3 1/2 hours if you can afford the time and don't mind the long stretches of service. Oh yes, the men's room was disgusting for the faint of heart.
(1)
Christine B.
Recently went here for my husbands birthday. I made sure to mention it was his birthday. I usually don't write reviews, I just never go there again. Let's just say the ONLY reason I'm giving 2 stars is because the food was good. The service was awful and I'm pretty understanding when a place is full and they are short staffed. In my case the table I was sharing with other parties got very attentive service. Besides the fact that my husband and I were the first to arrive with our reservation and the first to order, we didn't get our sushi roll until everyone else was practically done with there soup and salad. None of our dishes soup, salad, appetizer plates were picked up so we had to eat by moving them around by our elbows. The chef had to ask the waiter (who I mostly blame for all of this, seeing as everyone else at the table were well taken care of) twice for my husbands food, since it was missing from the cart. Everyone else were practically done with their meal when the chef had to go to the kitchen HIMSELF and get the tuna steak. They sang happy birthday to someone in the other party, and not my husband. Even the people in the other party noticed this terrible service to us and asked if he wanted their ice cream. I didn't want to make a scene on my husbands birthday so I let the whole thing go, but I've NEVER experienced such awful service anywhere before. Needless to say the waiter did not get a good tip.
(2)
Adrienne C.
Next birthday, one year ..younger. Same waiter as last year who forgot everything.(see original review) With a year's experience, he's much improved and still friendly and personable Sat at the sushi bar. Talked to Flavio, the sushi chef. Very nice man. This year, I had the filet mignon/mushroom/ veggie tepanyaki dinner. Most tender, cooked just right and most yummy. Petty decent place..no surprises.. friendly..good lunch specials still. Must try happy hour
(4)
Megan G.
What a bad experience! Walked in, they sat us with this group of high school students, the waitress didn't really discuss what the fried rice was vs. the regular/white one. It gets better, the waitress took away my salad and chopsticks (she brought me a new one after I complained). It gets even better... I ordered the "Teriyaki Chicken"... I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS! It was under cooked, it felt like a bad rubber in my mouth... Asked the chef to cook it again... He did it, didn't solve the problem! The chicken was BAD period. Walking out of the restaurant as I write this and definitely not coming back to this one!
(1)
Hortensia A.
One of my favorite places to eat and be merry. If you're looking for a fun and delicious night this is a good start for the evening. Being a long time regular means I've ordered plenty of their items. If you enjoy beef carpaccio, order the beef sashimi. It's thinly cut semi raw pieces of beef with green onion and soy sauce that's to die for! Also, if you are to do sushi here, traditional is better than the rolls. Stick to clean basics and you'll find them most fresh. As far as hibachi goes, they have a selection of chicken, beef, seafood and fish ( the calamari is my fav). Some of these meals come with ice cream dessert but all include white rice, soup, salad and green tea. The chicken fried rice is additional but definitely worth it. If you intend on sharing, order a second rice as it's only one cup. Now, the reason this place has 4 stars and not 5: 1. The wait time can be a bit long and the tables are shared. So if you're looking for romance, forego this place and head over to a more intimate setting. 2. If you choose to eat here, but rather not smell of food, ask to be seated at a table by the sushi bar, it's away from the cooktops and a bit more solitaire, but you won't have much privacy because it's by the crammed bar. This place is fun, delicious and family friendly. Not a pickup spot and definitely non portentous. No wonder I love it! Enjoy! For a more romantic view, check out the location on Miami beach! It's stunning! Free valet too!
(4)
Sabryna L.
Bennihana has good food, but if you compare it to Samurai the portions are alot smaller. I reccommend the filet mignon! They don't give you as much meat like Samurai, maybe like 10 of those small chopped pieces. I am a small person, and I was still super hungry after I finished my meal! I did go while they were serving lunch, which I believe is smaller than the dinner portion. The people that work there are nice, but the service isn't the best. I saw my waiter about 2 times, and I was dying of dehydration. It took a while to wait for the check, even though there was no other customers were in sight. If you are busy and don't have alot of time for lunch, you can ask to have the private seating which means you are at a regular booth where they are cooking it in the kitchen. I did this and in total I was there for about 35 minutes. P.S., parking around here is difficult!
(3)
Ismiray G.
Great food! Great sushi! Great place to hang out with friends or to go on a date or family. Ambiance is always good. What more can you ask for :)
(5)
PrincessMisty M.
I can't say 'excellent' as I often do in my reviews, but I've been a few times recently to this location with friends and we have had a good time, it was never crowded and our service was quick and our server sweet.
(4)
Ravi S.
I like this place for hibachi. Good staff and food. This place is not for people who wants to have quick meal. Average time is 1.30 hrs because of their long process of cooking and usually you share table with others that make it worse. But everything pays off when you get the food in hibachi style. Would definitely recommend to try.
(4)
Sadia Munawar C.
great placeeee!!!!
(5)
Keith P.
At Benihana's Chef's Dinner Table, what you pay for is the performance, not the quality and delivery of the food. I came here last night to use my free $30 birthday gift certificate for signing up on their Chef's Table e-mail list, and I was quickly sat down at a table on the back next to two guests. If you don't like sitting strangers, this isn't the restaurant for you because they sit all guests family style. However, if you are the type of person who makes friends wherever you go, this restaurant can be the ideal place for you. After sitting down, I ordered a $33 samurai treat (not sure if that is the exact name) which came with filet mignon and shrimp. The chef who came to cook our meal in front of us was very entertaining and cooked our meal with a lot of pizzazz. However, I could not help but notice that when he cooked the shrimp, he gave me five pieces and gave the lady five pieces. Her beau did not want any, so the chef gave her his share and all the other pieces which was about half with what he started. The food distribution was really off, and I was extremely irritated. You could also tell by the chef's face that he made a mistake. I would also like to point out the filet mignon was delicious. However, if I had to rate the overall quality of food, I would be better off going to any another Japanese steak place which would honestly cost less for the same amount of food. Watching them cook the food, one notices that the taste of the majority of your meal relies heavily on butter which is smothered on everything. For a restaurant that tries to promote an upscale atmosphere, I would like to see more technique, more ingredients, more something. Since I am Asian, I tend to be very critical about different Asian restaurants, and if I had to rank Benihana, it would be at the bottom of my list. I would recommend people to only come here for lunch because you can get a good meal for less than $10 or if you have a good coupon. It is a good place for a first date, but if you know and have experienced Asian food, this place is less than stellar once you cancel out the food preparation performance factor.
(2)
Mary e.
Lunch on a weekday. Spatula action was meh, but the food was really good. I got the steak and calamari duet which comes with fried rice and veggies. The calamari was excellent. The steak ok, and the rest was good. You also get a salad or soup and I went with the salad: nice and fresh and the ginger dressing was perfect. Our chef, Jose, was apparently a beginner but he did a fine job cooking our meal, making sure he cooked our food to our liking. The service is very good, servers always at the ready to grab whatever you need. I recommend it.
(4)
Lynnell J.
I enjoyed myself but the service was kinda poor. The waiter moved as if I was rushing him. The chef was ok but no flair! But the food was deelish!
(3)
Yari C.
Best lunch special in my opinion, can't go wrong. Only negative is that the service can be either really great or real horrible.
(4)
R S.
I use to be a regular at the North Bay Village location untill their renovation. I love this particular location because of the sushi chefs, Flavio and Cesar. Jorge is amazing! Always sit at the sushi bar. Best of all I get my favorite the Moon Roll!!
(5)
Kristine A.
We had a time where we would come here every week because something about the food being cooked in front of you feels like you have fresh food. However I started to see dirty forks on more than one occasion. But I would just ask for a new one. No problem. In general very good service, delicious food. And then it happened. We eat there, and suddenly he next day my husband has the worst fever and stomach ache ever. I took him into the emergency room because it was just horrific. Doctors say that it was salmonella from uncooked chicken the day before. Our meal at Benihana was the only time he had chicken within the last few days. Needless to say I won't be going back. Serving raw food is the worst thing a restaurant can do. I never complained at them because I didn't save my reciept. And if you have no proof it's better not to say anything. But I will never go back here
BAM!!! love this place. You can't miss. Went there with the family to spend a $175 dolla giftcard I had since last year. We had the Filet Mignon and Chicken combo. It was good and flavorful. Our chef was not the best at entertaining, however his cooking skill were legit. There are no more of these places with asians cooking, that sorta makes it "funner" and authentic. We had some cocktails and some sushi. bill came in at $192.00 plus tax. Not inexpensive to say the least but worth the time spent with the Family. Keep it up Benihana!!!
(4)
Connie K.
of course everyone comes here for birthdays!! I came here during my birthday month. sign up to get $30 off your meal as long as someone else in your group orders any teppan entree. the portions here aren't as crazy big as it is at other hibachi places but that's not necessarily a bad thing. our chef was ok, spoke a little English and mostly talked to other Spanish speakers at our table. we ordered the filet and colossal shrimp and a tofu entree. the sauces aren't great, should be better. rice was a little hard. small portion of filet but they did give a lot of tofu. I added a star for the price, we paid $30 for two entrees with my birthday coupon. based on the food alone, two stars.
(3)
Claudia A.
We just finished leaving this place. We got there at 8 and they sat us at 9:15 (when the one person that was missing got there). Then they actually helped us out after three complains. The food was mediocre and the smoke of the other station was blowing so hard that one of the people from our party had blood shot eyes. I honestly will never consider this place a good place to eat. Come on, 3 hours of wait for not so good food and a server who is overworked not my kinda of style.
(1)
Hernani A.
It's been a while since we don't come to this restaurant... The idea is pretty cool and the service is great but you can't help leaving smelling like fried rice . And unfortunately the food is ok but not the best quality... For the prices they should have some organic meat.... Show are nice and is a good place for groups but not the best to have a private conversation as you seat with other people and is so noisy all the time...
(3)
Alexander M.
My my how this place has changed! Ell not this place in particular but the business as a whole. They have really revamped the entire menu and what use to be is no longer. That didn't stop me from having an amazing dining experience though! I stayed at a Hyatt that was within walking distance to this place and it definitely was worth the walk! We were a party of three and was seated right away! So already that had earned points in my book for the no waiting :-) our chef was the coolest and sometimes with these hibachi places it's a hit or miss hen it comes to the chef either you will get a very basic experience one that just cooks with no tricks or you get the one who is all about giving you the ULTIMATELY hibachi experience! So we got the ultimate! My food was so delicious and the tricks were awesome! I would definitely recommend Nd return of the opportunity presented itself again!
(4)
Ivette R.
Wow this Miracle Mile Benihana is way better than the Benihana in Miramar.I went to Benihana with my husband and my son and loved it we loved the show where the cooks cook our food right in front of us because there's a grill right in front of us at our table.We all ordered the Miso soup and it was the bomb,We also ordered White Rice with Scrambled Eggs in it and that was really fucking good,Then we ordered the Medium Well Steak and that was the most important part of the restaurant the steak.Because the steak is perfection and is waiting for someone craving for it and with the Perspective.
(5)
Edski R.
Nice spot for a friday with the family.Grabbing the chefs special and a couple of trios.
(3)
Alfredo B.
Excellent restaurant with a great staff. When we first entered we were told it would be a twenty minute wait, so we decided to sit at the bar and order some drinks. Our bartender, Alex, was just frigging awesome. One of the greatest bartenders I have encountered in my time as a drinker. He was extremely polite and knowledgeable about all the different sake types. He made us a custom drink and we all loved it. He even made some great recommendations on what to order from the menu. The twenty minutes flew by and we all had some great laughs. Once we sat at our table we were greeted by our hostess. She was extremely polite as well and patient with us while we looked over the menu. Throughout the meal she checked us and made sure we had everything we needed. She even brought some extra sauces for my friend that enjoys dipping sauces. The chef (Jose) was great, everything was cooked exactly to order. He was funny and even melted some garlic butter for my friend to use a dipping sauce. I have no complaints about any of the staff members at this restaurant. The food was excellent, it was a delight to the senses. The restaurant is a family joint, so be prepared to deal with parties of small children some times, nothing crazy though. Unless you have a big party, you will have to share a table with other people, at first this bothered me, but we actually ended up socializing with the family next to us and had some good laughs. It was an excellent evening. I will be a returning customer and check out the lunch specials!
(5)
Esteban S.
Out of all the incredible sushi establishments in miami fl, I have to say that Benihana is the Rolls Royce if you know what I mean. The sushi is phenomenal and their live cooks are amazing. I come to the sushi bar for the most part and keep coming back because the service provided by the sushi chefs and the waiting staff are of elite category, I mean it's incredible you feel like you are part of the family. Love this place! I highly recommend it.
(5)
Kerry O.
Great place for birthdays, special events, or dates. The food is all very good and leaves you so full! The chefs cooking show keeps you entertained while waiting for the food. They do tricks while preparing it and the cooks are usually pretty funny. It is a bit pricey so I usually only go for special occasions but If you sign up for their club for free online you get a free meal with purchase of another meal for your birthday month!
(3)
Damian A.
Great Happy Hour menue, $3 sake with multiple sushi roles on the menu. Highly recommend going 4-7 and taking advantage of their happy hour. The hibachi is also fun, especially in big groups and I can't get enough of the fried rice and red sauce.
(5)
Deborah M.
Went on Saturday for my son's 18th birthday. He wanted to try hibachi cooking for the first time. So I picked the most well known resturant for his experience. Glad i did. We went for lunch so we were seated right away. Our waitress was sweet and on point. Chef was Julio, he was good, could've done some more tricks. I haven't been to one of these types of resturant in a long time, so it was fun watching other chefs and people enjoying themselves. There were alot of kids. Everyone having a good time. Food was okay Fried rice, chicken, shrimp, sauteed vegies. The menu doesn't change. Lets face it, you go for the experience, not the food. Overall good Birthday lunch.
(4)
Sarah G.
We went on Friday night for my son's birthday. What a disappointment. Our waiter did just what he had to do and not a bit more. We had to flag him down several times to get his attention and even then he was not paying much attention to us. This would have been understandable had the restaurant been busy BUT it was practically empty as we had come at 6 PM. My son picked the restaurant because he loves the show. The chef that came out was young and although he tried he was not as entertaining as some of the chefs can be. Finally the food is not exciting at all BUT could be good if prepared well. Unfortunately the vegetables and chicken were overcooked and lacking basic flavor. My husband had sushi and he enjoyed that. Our final bill was 140.00 for 4 people without alcohol. With so many choices ( especially in downtown coral gables) in the future we are going to choose somewhere else. It really was disappointing.
(2)
Lindsey E.
If you love Yum Yum/Shrimp Sauce, etc. DO NOT COME HERE! They don't have it! Every hibachi place across the U.S. that I've ever been to has had it. So sad. Ruined my lunch.
(2)
Tom A.
Charlie is a master chef with lots of tricks, his food was cooked to perfection. Roland hired a great chef, what a great experience at this location.
(5)
Naty K.
This location is okay, but I won't go out of my way to visit it. I don't care for circling around Miracle Mile for 10-15 minutes to find a parking spot and to then feed a meter with change. I guess that if this is the closest location to you, you have no choice, or if you live within the area, you might get away with walking there. The last time I went, they had such a long wait (and this was at around 10 p.m.), that I ended up just choosing to eat at a regular booth, no teppanyaki, which is the whole appeal of the place anyway. I have never encountered these long waits at this location before, only at Samurai, and on occasion, at the North Bay Village Benihana location. If that is your only option, I suggest skipping the place altogether. I don't recommend the booth option, because the food will come out all dry and cold, as if it's been sitting in the kitchen until the waiter got around to bringing it to your table, and even then, it was probably just reheated. The service can be hit or miss, and this last time, it was more along the lines of a "miss." I was actually quite disappointed, but because the prior experiences at the teppanyaki were pleasant, I decided to take that into account when writing my review. I much prefer the larger North Bay Village location though, with its great waterfront views. It seems more lively, and since it's valet, I don't have to waste my time with heavy coins in my pocket or circling around like a vulture for a parking spot.
(3)
Yvelin R.
Decided to come for lunch because I was in the area and my sis likes this place. I only tried the hibachi side before and it's been years since that visit. Service was good, especially considering only one server for several tables. I had half of the crunchy roll with a side of spicy mayo. I like that they half rolls for actually half the price. Their spicy mayo is def spicy, at least more spicy than other restaurants. I also ordered their lunch combo specials. Chicken, fried rice, zucchini/onions and a soup. Loved the lunch prices but I didn't enjoy the rice as much, or the dipping sauces. All in all I'd def return, as long as it's a lunch special because dinner prices are way higher and I prefer the fried rice from other places.
(4)
Debra F.
We were very disappointed in this location. They were very busy I must start by saying that . Over an hour wait. Let me start with the staff is friendly. The dinning area was such a mess!! Food all over the floor! I was shocked! Our Menus full of greasy finger prints. Did not feel like I wanted to even touch it let alone order. We did order a bottle of wine only to receive wine glasses fresh out of being washed and dripping in water. Our chef looked s overworked. He yawned thru the whole cooking process and was so messy. Granted we were not seated till 8:45 after walking in at 7:00. So reservations , even though we had only 4 people are needed . Disappointed as we were at this location , we will try other locations .
(3)
Tony R.
We were in a group of six for Father's Day dinner and I must admit it was my first time at this location. Our chef was entertaining polite and prepared the food beautifully. The service was on point and everyone had a great time. The bartenders had some unique creations that were delicious. I highly recommend and would definitely go back
(5)
Carolina G.
I absolutely love this location. I used to work 2 min away years ago and came for lunch here religiously. Since then I moved away and don't dine at this location frequently. However the sushi chef Flavio still remembers me as I do him. Since I usually attend during my work lunch I order the express lunch menu, which consists of a soup or salad as an appetizer then rice veggies and your main entree. I always go with steak. My sister went with shrimp and my other friend went with chicken so you can say we ordered them all. Our waitress was friendly and present. We were in and out within an hour and about 15 min which took us to park. The food is always amazing and the service was great. I definitely recommend this location for a casual lunch with friends or colleagues.
(5)
Alex C.
I have been a million times to this place over the years and never cared too much for it. Now that we have to worry about allergies in my family I went there and was very positively impressed. The staff checked and double checked to make sure that there was no allergens in the food. If you have allergies I would recommend this place. The food tastes fine. The setting ok. The big downer is that even with the big hoods, the fumes still waft through the restaurant. I left there with a greasy itchy face. You do have to wait for the good do bring patience. The portion are also not big enough and I am real skinny. I am sure most people would not get enough from a main and appetizer.
(4)
Vanessa A.
Terruble! Never has enough staff and the wait is always over an hour long!!!! I hate this place and would never recommend it. The quality if food sucks and it's not like before! Very bland
(1)
El K.
This place Is a true gem for someone celebrating a special event with a small group of people. The vibe is superb and the food doesn't disappoint. Our chef was incredibly entertaining and seemed to be really enjoying himself as much as us. The restaurant is clean and inviting. The staff was friendly, took our order within minutes and swift in bringing what was ordered. The sushi appetizers were prepared and delivered to perfection. The hibachi show is worth the visit. The food is fresh, made to order and abundant. I highly recommend this restaurant. The only drawback is the challenge in finding a parking space.
(5)
Lourdes W.
Just face it, Benihana is delicious. My S/O and I were coming here so often, the chefs thought we didn't have a kitchen! It's perfect for a group dinner because of the interaction with the chefs. Their entertaining ways of cooking fried rice in the shape of a heart and making it beat for you never gets old. If you're just a couple for dinner, give it a try and you never know who you might end up sitting next to. Dinners come with soup or salad, fried rice, your meal and tea. A plus, is that you can always tell the chef to cook your steak or lobster with garlic butter. mmm. You can also order sushi a la carte. The crunchy shrimp roll is my favorite here. If you don't want to leave Benihana smelling like you're the one who cooked, you can always sit on the side by the sushi bar. This is a go-to lunch spot for me. The service is just as fast and maybe even better. Prices are better too for lunch. Their lunch specials which includes soup or salad, fried rice and beef or chicken is about 15 bucks. This Benihana location is clean. It has two stories. I've only been to the second floor to use the bathroom. And, there's a little bar and lobby area in case you have to wait for a table. Reservations are recommended for dinner. If you're in the mood for some fried rice, hands down, the best in town.
(4)
Eli C.
I went for my birthday and they're so bored with their jobs. The chefs aren't all happy. It was okay. Food just is loaded with salt. Not worth 150 bucks.
(2)
Jennifer R.
This is my favorite restaurant but ill try not to be biased. Its typical Japanese steakhouse food in America. If you've never been here you really need to go! The food is amazing, the staff is friendly and they sing Happy Birthday in Japanese at almost every table! Ive never seen so many people with a common birthday in one place! ;D
(5)
Glenda A.
The service was not good. We sat for about 10 minutes without even getting any water. But it seems to be the MO of Benihana. The waiter was nice but sooooo slow. The food was ok. The best things we had were the fried rice and the veggies. I have definitely had better.
(2)
Paul C.
I beg my family and friends not to go here. The service is terrible and the food is excessive and mediocre. Of course, they charge you food the excessive amounts of food and continue to upsell you throughout the night. To be fair, some Benihana restaurants have decent service but the Gables location has a cast of characters from a horror movie. The other reviews talk about a show. There maybe one chef that is good, the others look like they are about to take the knife and just slit their wrists. As I say to fan and friends, there are so many good restaurants in the Gables - why are we going to Benihana? The answer is always the same. My kid likes it! Need I say more.
(1)
Alexa B.
This location is excellent. Service was outstanding, we never went thirsty or had to waive our waitress over for anything because she was very attentive. I can't remember her name but she was an older woman with tattoos. The food is excellent, one of the best filet mignons I've had in a long time. I will be back for sure. Its worth braving the coral gables traffic.
(5)
Lia P.
This was probably one of my least favorite hibachi experiences ever! And yes, because my husband loves hibachi I've been forced to have quite a few. I always dread the excessive amounts of food but I do have a soft spot for the cheesy performances and sugary cocktails. Well at Benihana everything is reversed. Small portions and no cheesiness! Wtf? I made reservations for Saturday night and was promptly sat, so that's good. Our waitress was friendly but poorly trained. Many times she would hand me something to give to my husband or I'd have to hand her something. That shouldn't be the case. We started with the blue punchbowl for two which was delightfully sugary and sweet with probably little to no alcohol- this is to be expected at hibachi places, we knew what we were getting into. I ordered the tofu with spicy sauce and cilantro and my husband ordered the steak and chicken combo. He upgraded to fried rice (for $3 are you serious) and I stuck with the steamed rice. But wait, I've NEVER been to a hibachi place that doesn't automatically give you fried rice. Also these dishes don't come with noodles. Unless they were supposed to and he forgot but I'm sure someone at the table would've noticed. No noodles?! So the hibachi guy was just terrible. He didn't have any charm, didn't make any jokes. When he did talk you couldn't really hear him. His one trick was making the rice into a heart and making it beat. Wow. He treated my tofu with no respect. He threw some sauce on it and some cilantro still on the stems (I love cilantro but on the stem?) I'm not sure he realized that you can actually do a good job with tofu at a hibachi place. It was just warmed up. He also cooked it first before everyone else's food so it was on my plate until I got my veggies- after he cooked the steak and chicken and shrimp. Oh yeah, just because I ordered tofu doesn't mean I don't want shrimp. I'm not a vegetarian I just like tofu. He assumed I didn't want shrimp so I had to let him know I wanted the shrimp and he looked confused. Is it that odd? My husband liked his steak and chicken well enough. The things that normally come with these meals- soup and salad were pretty good. We were both sad that there were no flames at all during the performance. And the food was so mediocre and skimpy. Next time we want hibachi we will NOT be returning here.
(2)
Erik H.
Slow, slow, slow - empty tables all around and the chef still took 40 minutes to show up. The waiters seemed to be on their first day on the job. I will never understand why their prices double and triple after 3 pm, when they start calling the same food "dinner". We were craving the fried rice and that is the only reason we stayed.
(2)
Jorge S.
Well I have been to both Benihana in Orlando Florida and the one in Key West numerous time first time in this one and I have to say , this one does not compare in any way you should think it's coral gables they have to have the best service in town far from it server didn't care to come and bring drinks on time cook had no enthusiasm pretty much a zombie and the food no flavor what so ever would it hurt to add garlic butter to the food or and the shrimp did any body tell him that if you cool shrimp longer than 2 min they get rubbery come on guys get with the picture need to go to the other restaurants either up north or down south and have those cooks train you , they are wonderful in those resturant I don't think I would come back to this one even tho I live really close but the experience at the other where phenomenal compared to this one
(1)
Debra L.
Horrible. Considering they are related to Samurai they absolutely suck. Sauces not the same, chef was eh, quality of food was poor. If I could give negative stars I would. I now understand why they take reservations. They hope on people wanting samurai without the wait. The wait is worth it over this place.
(1)
Andres R.
I really like Benihanas, in this one the chef was excellent, very enthusiastic and very dedicated, but they took a lot of time starting to prepare the food. We've had better overall experiences in the one at North Miami. If you haven't tried a Benihana, do it right now, food is excelllent, you should order only one entree per couple because portions are big, and if you do so it's not going to be expensive, i would dare to say that it's a great value if you order only one entree per couple. Recommended!
(4)
Lisa J.
We generally like hibachi restaurants but this was the absolute worst. We were met with total indifference when we arrive. The manage and hostess kept playing with the front desk computer while we stood around for at least ten minutes. When we were seated, we had to wait more than ten minutes for three more people to show up to fill the table. We then waited 40 minutes for the chef to appear. He took his time and extra food was distributed to others at the table. The portions were small and not filling. Over two hours for a lousy and skimpy meal. Never again.
(1)
Mark F.
Have dined at a few Benihana restaurants and this one was as good or better. Quality of food was superb and the staff was very attentive and courteous.
(5)
Juan S.
OK place. Good for kids and families. The open table tepenyaki tables are the draw here...it's always fun to watch your food being prepared in front of you. Food and service were just OK though. Definitely overpriced and not sure I'd return.
(3)
Gennieve I.
I was very happy with my experience at this restaurant. We went on a Tuesday night so it wasn't crowded. We had an attentive waitress and the maitre d' also came to check up on our party on one occasion. I got a generous $30 gift certificate for joining the Birthday Club, and it is not necessary to buy a dinner to get yours free. They also took and printed a picture of our party, which we thought they'd try to sell to us, but it turns out that it was part of our gift simply for coming to celebrate a birthday. The one thing I would change is probably the drink prices. They were on the pricey side and not strong at all. Still, I feel bad complaining about that detail, since my dinner was free.
(4)
Maria B.
Having visited Samurai on many an occasion, I thought Benihana would be the next best hibachi place to try. I ordered their lemon chicken (on the hibachi), while my S.O ordered the fillet mignon. Several steps up from Samurai, this place is absolutely delicious. Their sauces are much better by taste and quality and they have my favorite: green tea ice-cream! I will be coming back but next time I will try the North Beach location-- this particular location is out-of-date in terms of decor while I was expecting something a bit more modern. Could use a renovation, but don't let that stop you from visiting! I would say it is the most affordable and family-friendly spot in Miracle Mile.
(4)
Lourdes G.
My son loves the experience n the food. A mom will do anything for her boy! The Sumo roll is my favorite.
(5)
G G.
First, let me say, I have always been a big fan of Benihana. But after this visit, I don't think I will return. After, messing up our reservation, we were seated about 15 minutes later than expected. Not too bad, considering the restaurant was packed. Drinks were ordered and served. One of my big surprises, is they did not have menus available to order. Come on now, you should have more than enough at any given time. But they did eventually find some without too much of a wait. Now the disappointing part, as everyone knows, part of going to Benihana's is the chef show as he cooks. In truth, I have seen backyard grillers put on a better show. He used the same lame trick of flicking the shrimp tails on to his hat. One of the "tricks" they chefs perform is to make a heart and make it "beat". This chef was asked to make a fish or something else by the birthday girl. But, no, he could not or would not do it. Other chefs previously had created dogs, and other animals upon request. Maybe this guy did not have that kind of talent. Now as a foodie, I appreciate good food. I know how things should be cooked, although I am not a chef. Imagine my disappointment when this "chef" so over cooked my shrimp and scallop as they were almost crispy. Shrimp only take a few minutes to cook and scallops cook very quickly and should be served seared, but rare or medium rare. Nothing like having good seafood cooked to a fine tough rubber texture that was as I said almost crisp it was so over cooked. One of our party asked for his steak cooked medium rare, I watched as it went from a perfectly cooked medium rare to a very well done for no reason I could see. It was obvious to me, an non professional when it was done. After this very poor display, I don't think I will return to this Benihana. I will try one of the others in the area as I do love them for the most part.
(2)
Cristy M.
Went to dinner here tonight to celebrate my mom's birthday (Good Tip: If you sign up for their email club they will send you a $30 dining certificate to use in the month of your birthday). Got to this restaurant at about 8 pm and in all honestly the worst part of the night was that we had to wait an hour for our table, luckily happy hour was in effect (Mon-Thurs 4-8:30p) and we were able to take advantage of 1/2 price sushi appetizers and discounted alcohol, which helped time pass by quickly. They now have a 2 for $39 meal which includes, shrimp, soup, salad, mushrooms, filet mignon, and chicken more than you can ask for. You can opt to add fried rice to your meal for $3. I must say that everything hear was fresh and really tasty. It was a bit salty but all in all I will return, especially in my b-day month.
(4)
Tania G.
benihana's is more about the experience and not so much about the food. your food is made to order and prepared right in front of you. some chefs are more entertaining than others. food is decent- not packed with flavor and nothing special, to be honest, but its fresh. fyi: chef specials are probably your best bet when deciding what to order. and your meals come with a soup and a salad.
(3)
Rachel P.
For all that I have heard about this place, I expected it to be way over the top, nope, it was way under the bottom. The only props I will give to this place is the bartender...great drinks and nice guy. I have had much better food at other Japanese restaurants @Florida... Nothing seemed to have much of a taste..lack of seasoning perhaps? Didn't really put on a show either..boring.... oh well, expensive food that didn't taste too good= won't be back.
(2)
Jose G.
Kids love it.. what can I say other than you cant go wrong but its pricey for a chain.
(4)
Jacqueline R.
Disclaimer!!! I have been here many times and the service is great to awful at the hibachi table but the food is always good. They have monthly specials for two that are very good but do not include the fried rice that you must pay extra and trust me its worth it. You can check on the Benihana website for more information. the review is mostly for Monday thru Thursday HAPPY HOUR. YOU can sit at the tables by the bar and get everything about 50% office and great prices on drinks. My staple is one glass of their house chardonnay great at $4 and a margarita for $4 also great. The Las Vegas Roll under $4 usually $9. The caterpillar roll, the yellow tail with jalapeño, the hand rolls, the dumplings, i don't like the poppers personally. The crowd is hit or miss and they have a new bartender which makes way better drinks. For the price you can't beat it!
(4)
Amanda P.
I mean who doesnt like a show while they eat. But the food isnt anything out of this world, its okay. Its not bad but its nothing very special at all. Hibachi is cool and all but im just not crazy about it because of the fact that the food is served little by little. You get your rice and then you have to wait for the meat or chicken or whatever it is you ordered. And if your my poor mother-in-law who ordered salmon you get served last after he cooks the food for 7 other people. which sucks if your starving. So she started nibbling on her rice and before she knew it her rice was gone and she still had no fish. And if you wait to get your meat then your rice gets cold. Its just all over the place. I personally had the Yakisoba noodles that lacked in flavor. they were dry and barely had sauce. I love saucy food so this type of dinning is just not for me. I rather sit and not watch my food cook and get better quality. But thats just me. If you want the show then go for the show. Our waitress was alright, she had a bit of a stank face but then again i dont know how long her shift had been at that point in the night. She brought everything we asked for and she was patient at least. She just needed to smile.
(3)
Juan V.
The service was terrible our waitress kept forgetting our drink order.The waitress also forgot the food that we ordered so the chef had the wrong meats to cook. Other than that the food was fresh and the overall experience was ok.
(3)
Lynn P.
A bit pricey but a great Japanese restaurant and watching them make your food right in front of you is amazing!!!
(4)
Melanie A.
I love Benihana but this location is NOT the best. The one on 79th street is much better and worth the drive. This location does not maintain the consistency of the food at the other locations. Definitely go to the location on 79th street and make a reservation!
(3)
Andres S.
I will start off by saying that Benihana is certainly NOT what it used to be 15 or 20 years ago. Globalization has really hurt this franchise and you can clearly see how. Not only are the chefs from anywhere BUT Japan, but they just don't put the show that they used to, where they played with knifes and there was just more flair in it. With that said, I will also say this: LUNCH SPECIALS. If you work around the area, and are on a budget, this is a solid option. You can order the Chicken & Shrimp lunch special for less than $15 (drinks not included), and get a soup or salad, with your dish accompanied by fried rice. Can't go wrong with that. Oh and be ready to leave smelling like Chicken Teriyaki, the odor just sticks to your clothes.
(3)
Jessica B.
Horrible service, good food. Waited an hour and half to get table after they said 30 minutes. Really, reputation has gone down the drain.
(2)
Rene D.
very amazing restaurant i definitely recommend the hibachi steak
(5)
Matthew G.
This place is delicious! The food is great, but the service is a little slow. Other than that, if you want delicious hibachi and sushi on the mile, look no further!
(4)
Pete O.
This place is the best Benihana in South Florida. Unfortunately the Benihana by my house is not as good as this place. I love the location here and how I can just walk by stores in the great weather we have in Florida. The food was delicious and our cook was great, our waiter could have been a bit more attentitive but on this wonderful night it wasn't going to get to me. Our chef was funny, interactive and put on a wonderful show. My meal was excellent and I can't wait to return here. TFY. Also bring change $ 00.25 for 12minutes or valet. However, my meter was up when i got back to my car and there was no ticket thank you local law enforcement.
(5)
Sabrina Anna C.
I could have sworn that I wrote a review on this place when I first opened my Yelp Account, but alas, I was wrong... I thoroughly enjoy Benihana's experience and always have. I used to prefer the 79th St. Causeway location, but at the time that I went again (for Xmas), they were sitll closed for renovations. But again, Benihana is a great experience no matter where you're at... I had a nice experience here, although I will say its a very small Benihana's. I'm used to more space in between the tables, etc... I kept accidentally bumping into the chef at the table next to us, because he was directly behind me, and my ex kept hitting one of their guests... Never a good look. Service here was slow for drinks, which I never like. Don't they realize if they keep 'em coming, I'll keep drinkin 'em!?! Well, I only had 2 drinks the whold night and not by choice... My ratings is based on the service and location. The food was excellent, as it always is at Benihana. We had an excellent and authentic chef who had the most amazing personality. The whole table was laughing all night, and since it was just the 2 of us, we knew no one else at our table. But I love that. I can make friends with a chair! LOL... Back to our chef, he was great! He did all the fun tricks you expect from Benihana's... The Volcano Onion, flipping the food all around and up and down, etc...! He put on a SHOW!!! I would definitely tell anyone to go to the one on 79th Street, because there you have ambiance and a view. :)
(3)
Christopher S.
This place just out right Sad. I learned back in school that you can refuse to hire someone if they don't meet the operational needs of a restaurant, the guy who owns/runs this place mustn't either care or know about this. -First of all, I go to a hibachi style grill to enjoy Asian cuisine; the food was ok, but let me ask you, are you going to Cuban styled restaurant to enjoy Chinese food? NO! I was very sad to see that there were no employees of Asian decent here. It adds to the experience and more importantly adds some credibility when you have people indigenous same region that the food comes from. I'd feel the same way if I went out for some hyderabadi biryani, I wouldn't want an American dude making it... unless he knew what he was doing... which provides me a segway to my next point... -No Show! You go to a hibachi grill for a show.... Anyone can learn tricks if you practice them enough, but I watched and not a single freekin griller could toss their egg in their hat or even make a onion volcano, it was sad... I've actually dropped this from 2 to 1 star while writing my review and I am cutting it short since simply put, they didn't put enough time into the running of their place, why should I give them a full review?
(1)
Rick M.
I grew up making the long commute to the 79th Street Causeway Benihana -- and always enjoyed it -- so I was glad to see one open closer to home four years ago. I have gone four times since then -- eaten only twice -- and I think that's all I need to make this my first 1-star review on Yelp. When craving teppanyaki I find myself driving to Samurai (owned by Benihana -- but they serve the creamy white sauce that Benihana does not) in The Falls or Umami in Doral. The best of the four outings was my second time there, and it was the best because I can't remember anything about the experience. It was that non-descript. The first time I went we were waiting for half an hour despite the half-empty restaurant. I get the curse of trying to seat people in parties of 8, but since no one was coming -- and they weren't seating us -- we bolted. Unlike the 79th Causeway, Miracle Mile has plenty of great options mere paces away. The third time I went was classic. I went with my son. The chef forgot to cook my son's meal. Once everybody's served up he begins scouring the grill where I ask him about my son's chicken. He gave me the deer in the headlights look for a bit, realized his mistake, and had them bring out a double portion that he cooked up quickly in a very awkward scene. The fourth time was today. Walk in a little after 1pm. Maybe a third of the tables are occupied. There's a regular table available in the non-hibachi section, but I'll go to Matsuri if I want good sit-down Japanese. I'm there for the chef. She tells me that they're all booked up for the day. All day? Really? Maybe that's the new tactic to get folks in off-hours to go for the regular tables instead of trying to pair them up in eights, but who needs that? The food quality at Benihana, Samurai, and Umami is about the same (good, but not great). Go to Umami if you want great service, a place that honors lunch special prices on weekend lunches, and chefs that are so artful that they're probably drumstick-twirling drummers in metal bands. Go to Samurai if you want the heart-clogging creamy white sauce that's so good that more than half of the people at your table will join you in asking for "double white" and lather half of it over their fried rice. If you have to go to Benihana, avoid this particular location -- unless you have a sense of humor and just happen to conveniently be in a party of eight.
(1)
Valerie G.
Came here with a coupon I received through an email. The staff was friendly but the sushi was not at all fresh - no way I would have paid full price for the sushi that was served, I truly expected so much more from Benihana! You know it's bad when my favorite part of the meal was the edamame :(
(2)
kristel m.
Wow. That was really bad. Upon entering we are asked if we would like to be seated at the show tables or private seating. Being that my husband and I rarely get to go on dates we opted for the private seating. Private? We were seated directly next to the bar where we got to hear Josh the bartender go on and on about how much better they are then Samurai (unprofessional in my book) to some customers who were waiting to be seated at the big tables. As an "Appetizer" (they do not offer appetizers, they offer sides) we ordered a tempura Philly Roll. It was okay I've had better and the eel sauce wasn't as sweet as I like but it was okay. About 20 minutes later The waiter came and took our order. My husband went for the Hibachi Steak and I for the chicken. The waiter asked if we would like steamed or fried rice. We both went for the fried. (Insert annoying horn sound for a wrong answer on a tv show here) We just unknowingly jacked up our bill because apparently fried rice no longer comes with the hIbachi meal and of course our waiter did not tell us. (now i wonder what they use during the show to take up the time that they would use to demonstrate how they make the fried rice?) Anyhow.... we wait about 10 minutes to get our bowls of broth... another 10 later we receive our salad... then i get to hear Josh talking to the next group of unsuspecting poor souls, about BT's and the strippers who go eat there... and then a whopping 30 minutes later we receive our meal. Now this is where i get mad, because its just an insult to the culinary world. WHAT a disappointment! Good grief! The Mongolian Beef I made at home last night was 5 star cuisine compared to this! I had 3 pieces of dry shrimp, (how can you dry out shrimp for petes sake!) more veggies then i cared for, and the cardboard dry pieces of chicken. YES chicken breast can tend to be on the dry side I am aware of this, but this chicken took it to a whole new level. It had no flavor! So I went for the sauce for an S.O.S... the usual saving grace came up short and just was not enough to save my meal. The sauce i usually use to slather my rice and chicken in was left in its dish. At no point in time did anyone ask us how our meal was, and I assume its because they got tired of hearing the complaints. All the employees seemed too concerned in their personal stuff to even wish us a good evening on the way out the door. The ridiculously expensive less then stellar food, and the aloof staff have definitely black listed this restaurant for us. The fried rice was good, and so was my Haiku Colada. Thanks for the heads up josh, next time I'll remember to go to Samurai :)
(2)
Erik-Lizzie D.
Kids can make or break any visit to Benihana. Assuming you have a decent group of people you will have a good time. The chef (99% of the time not from Japan) always puts on a show and can make you smile; especially if you interact with them. We usually have the filet mignon with lobster tail and fried rice. I don't like ordering sushi here. Quality is not that good and they always bring it to the table at an awkard moment. Hot Saki is a must with dinner.
(3)
Liliana E.
Wait time for the shared tables is sometimes pretty ridiculous since they want every seat on the table filled. They will take parties that arrived later first if they can fill the table.
(3)
cristina f.
ONLY GO HERE FOR HAPPY HOUR! Their happy hour is one of the best happy hours I've found in Miami. The sushi and beer are super cheap! Even though the plates aren't exceptional and you can definitely find better sushi bars, you can't beat the happy hour prices. I came here on St. Patrick's day looking to get away from the John Martin's crowd and expensive prices. A group of my friends decided that we should go to Benihana since it probably wouldn't be packed. They could only sit us in their sushi section and we cam during happy hour coincidentally. It was amazing. A group of 10 of us spent only $100 and we each had 2 beers and 2 plates of sushi. Unbeatable!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Melanie E.
Noowww I remember why I should avoid ethnic chain restaurants... too late though. Went to celebrate my stepson's 21st birthday - I love him dearly, so why would this have occurred to me? The food was really good, I guess, the first time we went. Second time not as good. This time, aweless. Concur with Laily B and Kameelah R... either we had the same chef or it's time for an improved employee incentive program. We seemed to have substantial difficulty communicating with the waitress, who's thoughts were clearly somewhere else. The food seemed rather disgruntled as well, in general - we were a large group so we had just about everything yet nothing really stood out and shouted "I'm really tasty". Not bad, mind you, but zero wow factor. A dysthymic experience overall. Eeyore would have felt right at home, but in retrospect I would have considered inviting my psychiatrist.
(2)Melissa T.
Excellent service and food. Love coming here for lunch
(5)Suparna G.
I really couldn't believe the bad reviews below. The food here is amazing, and the atmosphere is really fun, with the chef cooking in front of you. I sometimes crave the shrimp and meat here; I usually get some kind of steak & seafood combo. The chicken fried rice is also delicious. The price is good for such high quality food. This is also great for group dinners since the tables are large. Everything I've had here has been delicious--of all the good restaurants on Miracle Mile, I found this one to be the best.
(4)Monica U.
Was very disappointed with my Beni Hana experience. Went on a Tuesday night and there was a 30-45 minute wait. They asked us to sit at the bar, which we did. A while later when we check on our table, they tell us they had already called our name! Hello, you told us to sit at the bar, why didn't you check for us there?? When we were finally seated, we had to wait another 20-30 minutes before the chef finally showed up. But we got our hopes up, because the chef had the wrong table. Five minutes later, the correct chef comes along. Overall, the food is good -- but there are better restaurants out there for Teppanyaki style.
(2)Christy P.
Ummm...seriously?!?! I read most bad reviews but there were the occasional good ones and a few said that it was better than Samurai. I decided to give it a try. I've been to Samurai a few times & it was delicious & since they are owned by the same company you'd think it was similar. Uuuuhhhh...NO! I work in the Gables & there isn't really any GOOD Asian places (Canton Canton is disgusting, Lotus Garden & Bangkok Bangkok are alright, & I've yet to try Red Koi). I decided to go simple & order the Hibachi Chicken Rice, which had to be a side dish since they don't have it as a meal like Samurai. What an IMMENSE disappointment!! There was absolutely NO, zero, nada, zip flavor! BLAND BLAND BLAND! If it weren't for the slivers of onion or the little packets of soy sauce in my to go bag (they gave me about 20 of them for a little side of rice which at first I thought was wasteful, now I know it's because they are trying to give me some flavor even if it is salt). The one star is for the nice guy who answered the phone & took my to go order otherwise the stars in my review would be just as existent as the flavor in there food; nonexistent lol. So in conclusion, it may not have been bad & made me gag while eating it, it was just downright flavorless. They really should consider getting the shrimp sauce that Samurai has, it would mask the crappy food. Now I have to give Red Koi a try. If they fail me all hope is lost for Asian cuisine in the Gables.
(1)Angela D.
I've only been here for lunch with my co-workers. We always had a great chef and the food has always been great. During Lunch time its always pretty empty but the food does not suffer. Lunch menu is not expensive and the food is yummy.
(4)Remy L.
Great food and great show. The food always comes tasty and fresh. A little bit pricey in my opinion.
(4)luis s.
My first time at Benihana was unfortunately a bad one! I had always wanted to go, but somehow never got to it. Finally on Saturday I made it. The place was pretty full (good sign) we sit at bar order a drink and wait for our table. Honestly Benihana is way too over rated! My number one dislike is smelling like food, god thats so annoying for me. We sat at a table with a family with a few kids, and alas we finally ordered. Maybeif our chef was a little more colorful the experience I had would be somewhat more enjoyable. Bottom line Benihana is canton food cooked in front of you. If I would have known I would have ordered Chang's right next to my house had it delivered all for 1/10 of the cost, with more food quantity might I add! I understand going with a big group and after countless saki bombs I'm sure its a great place, but then again so it Taco Bell at 5am.
(1)Kat B.
GREAT HAPPY HOUR! The sushi is VERY, VERY YUM, and we always have the same bartender, Greg, and he's just a swell guy. Happy hour is half off drinks (I think) and sushi too. You have to sit at the bar to get the deal but I think it's worth it.
(5)Elizabeth M.
Mediocrity at its best. Its good but nothing GREAT about it.
(2)Marc M.
Forgettable at best. 1. Our waitress took forever to take our drink orders and then even longer to bring them 2. Our waitress forgot to bring the rice that comes with the dishes and, even when we told her, took her another 10 minutes, so by the time we got the rice, we were almost done with the meal 3. AFTER we finished with our meal, the cook put some kind of fried onions in our plate... why? Who knows? 4. About the experience; the cook was well meaning, but absolutely no showmanship; lacked energy overall and no sense of timing on the food. 5. The quality of the food was uneven; my Tuna steak was good; my wife's "Filet Mignon" was tough and chewy. The so-called vegetables were a laugh; the shrimp appetizer were 3 lonely shrimp thrown into a bowl. We went there because we had a gift certificate, but we hadn't stepped on a Benihana in about 15 years. It will be another 15 before I do it again
(2)Erika S.
How yummy is the food here? I cant even tell you how happy my tummy was when we left. I came with a girl friend of mine for some dinner on a Wed night. The place was pretty empty but the service was slow. It took us about 20 minutes to get one of the chefs over to our hibachi. I was not happy about that because I was starved. The shows the chefs used to put on used to be inviting and more crowd pleasing I believe. This was lackluster to say the least, the chef didn't know English not because he was Japanese but because he was Peruvian. Hey, I get it we cant get our authentic experience all the time but I was a bit disappointed. He greeted us when he arrived at the table and went to give me a ketchup bottle, when I went to grab it some black thing came out of it. I think that was meant to be funny but it just left me confused. The food, was incredible.. I mean YUMMY. I was beyond happy and the price was good. We had the chicken and steak for 2 for $45.00 with our soups and salads. The salad needed more dressing and since the server wasn't attentive I knew that wasn't going to happen. Either way I ate it since I was starving. The experience was alright, not what it used to be and not better than Samurai but.. my food was delicious.
(3)Ivonne D.
We went to tonight with a party of 6, We were going to the Samurai but they did not take reservations, so we decided on this place. Well I was a little concern because of the ratings. I must say I was quite surprised. We arrived at 7PM and we were seated right away. The service was outstanding the place was clean and our chef name Luis was outstanding. The food was well seasoned and was quite good. And the fact that they validated our parking made it well worth the night. Thanks for the great service!
(5)Laily B.
My first-ever experience in a Benihana was at the one on the 79th St. Cswy about a year ago. I remember the food had been great, very well prepared and seasoned. I also enjoyed the show that the chef put on. I went to the one on Miracle Mile this time hoping to have a great meal as well, and I can honestly say, I will not be going back. The chef was not even mildly entertaining. I had the Teriyaki Beef, which was supposed to be thinly sliced but it was not. He just cut it into chunks and it wasn't anywhere near having a teriyaki flavor to it. The onion soup looked like a bowl of dirty water with one or two flecks of dried onion. The salad consisted of one iceberg lettuce leaf cut in squares, 2 cherry tomatoes, and 3 strands of red cabbage. I know they did not even drain the lettuce, cause the salad was sitting in a huge puddle of water, perhaps some of it was also from the watery dressing. No flavor whatsoever. The chicken fried rice had absolutely no seasoning. Also, this chef used HUGE amounts of their "famous garlic butter" on everything he cooked. Everything was very greasy, and worst of all, it had no flavor. I saw him put salt on everything, yet the food was more bland than hospital food. The vegetable portion (mushrooms and zucchini) was also very small. You'd think for 30 bucks you could get more than 2 mushroom caps. Not to mention the meat! It was like two one-inch-wide- strips of sirloin, tough, with no flavor despite their "pungent teriyaki sauce". The service was okay, nothing to rave about, nothing to complain about either. But the food, man, it was awful!! The ONLY positive thing I found was that the food was served piping hot, which is something you don't always get when eating out. So there's their ONE star.
(1)Joseph Q.
Great food, always fun. Good idea to call ahead and get a reservation as this place is always popular.
(5)Kameelah R.
I am very disappointed with this location. Our Habachi Chef seemed bored and disinterested. He wasn't very entertaining either. I know he was new but dang. The food was OK but I've had better at different locations. The couple that ate with us was nice though. I had the Seafood Diablo, not spicy like the menu says it is. The Deny roll and the Benihana roll were pretty good. I don't think I will visit this location again but I will try the one on the 79th street causeway before I give up on Florida Locations.
(2)Ivy O.
The food was excellent, the chef had definitely put his time in making the food and he also had sense of humor. T
(3)Camille L.
I usually go to Benihana once in a while, mainly because I just simply LOVE their food. I've been like 4 or 5 times to this specific location and though I have no complains AT ALL in regards to their food, I have to say that what kills this place sometimes is the waiting time. They're located in the heart on miracle mile so they get really busy, specially on the weekends. If you go during the week, you'll probably get your table faster. I always do reservations in advance just in case, and even with that way, they still can make you wait a while. Besides that, great food and service! I kind of go classic in here, so I usually get the steak and chicken combination, and definitely, ALWAYS change the steamed white rice for their Hibachi Chicken Rice (I can get white rice at home!); you have to pay a little extra for the change but believe me, IT'S WORTH IT! Also, I recently discovered that they do happy hours during weekdays from 5 to 8:30pm, and when I say happy hours, I really mean HAPPY HOURS! They have a selection of beers at $3 and cocktails at $4 & $5. Oh! And half price sushi! My favorite cocktail, the Mai-Tai...It's simply sweet and delicious! At the end, I really like this place, and since I discovered their happy hours, I'll probably keep on going during the week so I can happily wait at the bar while they prep my table! =)
(4)Elynn G.
I have been dying to write a review on this establishment for my experience there was absolutely attrocious and I want to save others from having to experience it. I went maybe 6 months back. Our server was complaining from the moment we placed our order about her exhaustion and teeny bopper angst. When we ordered a cold sake we were told and I quote " Really? Are you sure? Because that would mean I would have to go all the way downstairs". I kindly expressed that I was posisitve. We did not get the sake until half an hour later! The only reason I gave a second star was due to our chef. He was funny and kind but nothing extraordinary. I have been to the causeway Benihana and I have to say they are fabulous with their showmanship by comparison. The poor service continued throughout the evening right down to her handing over the check after we had asked for it a million times. Avoid this place at all costs!
(2)Brianne B.
Great food, great service! I eat here about once a week because of their happy hour (Mon-Thurs 4:30-7:30 in the sushi lounge). The tuna sashimi with spicy sauce is so good! The service is always good, I have eaten a pretty good-sized dinner at the sushi lounge in under 45 min.
(4)Liz T.
so now there's a benihana on miracle mile in the gables. i went when it first opened. huge line! uber long wait! in my opinion...nothing special. just another benihana. it's split into 2 sections. and there was no wait for the non-hibachi section, but my friends insisted to sit at the hibachi section. it was all adults, and the hibachi chef cooked our food and left. i went a second time and again we tried the hibachi table. this time we had a table of scream kids (oh joy). but i figured, "hey, at least we'll get a show!" well, i was wrong. no steaming volcano of onion, no flipping shrimp into his hat, no fancy knife dances. no nothing. skip the gables one, head to the one on 79th... at least there's a view.
(2)Nancy A.
While I usually find ridiculous and pretty tourist trap the whole tapanjaki situation, I do love their lunch specials. They are a good portion and their prices are reasonable. You can order them to go or sit by the regular chairs. If you sit by the "show" tables, the prices go up about 20%; not worth it if you are on your lunch break as I usually am. Ask for the steak medium, they usually bring it medium well. The service s pretty good and there is always space.
(4)Nancy O.
I have come to this location about a total of three times in all the time it's actually existing in Coral Gables. The reason being is I only come with people who have not experienced habachi and this location is the only one that always has an open reservation when I'm looking for one. You're seated fairly quickly. The menu can be confusing for a new-comer when it comes to the rice part. I personally know that you have the option of white rice or fried rice and the fried rice is an extra charge. Sometimes and by sometimes I been this time, The waitress won't explain that and may say "white rice okay?" Make sure to speak up. You can get caught up in the moment and just agree to everything... yes. yes. yes. Then you get stuck with white rice and wonder why you didn't get fried rice like the rest of the table. Make sure to read the menu throughly. There are a vast amounts of options that are customizable similar to the rice. For example, the chicken can be teriyaki, spicy, lemon or plain. I picked the spicy option because after all I am the "habanero hog." Of course, like every time I visit. I took the majority of my food home as Benihana serves up huge portions. Not only that, but watching the chef make the food and slowly placing each item (appetizer, veggies, meat..etc,.) one by one makes you pick at your food. By the time it's all on your plate and you can actually start you've already filled yourself up! Or ate with your eyes! It's okay to deny the chef from placing items on your plate. You don't like onions? say so. Well, of course use "no thanks." Don't feel obligated to have the chef place something on your plate you don't like. Do taste the sauces that were first placed on the pentagon shaped dished. They are absolutely delicious, dip all your food items in it. savor away! If you're into cocktails I would recommend the colada. it's their rendition of a Miami Vice (half strawberry, half piña colada). I believe it's a different mix, however, it tastes like a miami vice to me. It's about $9. That's one thing come with some money to spend as a trip here for a family of 3 can easily cost you about $150.00 with drinks and tips and such. Average pricing, considering the hibachi experience. If it's someone's birthday, make sure to tell the waitress or host. They automatically bring an ice ice cream scoop with a candle... and along comes to the staff to sing happy birthday in two languages. Have fun!
(3)Judith G.
The atmosphere, location, and food were amazing. My boyfriend had a grape cocktail and it was phenomenal. The cook was very entertaining and we made a reservation, which they honored. The only thing was we waited a while before our chef actually got there. In fact, there was another table who came after ours but were served first. We did complain and the manager gave us a 25% off of our food. We had a great time and that discount wasn't too shabby!
(4)Thien H.
Benihana was an excellent lunch deal for two when we used the $30 birthday coupon. Two rolls, a ceviche app, and the lunch shrimp yakisoba was about $20 after tip. The sushi rolls were fine, nothing amazing. I would not recommend the sashimi ceviche ($10.50) it had really tough white fish. I could only eat the shrimp.
(3)mark r.
My son's birthday celebration was here this evening. After dinner we waited one half hour for his birthday cake, our other desert orders, etc.; however the restaurant was "backed up real bad", according to the waiter who had disappeared for the 30 minutes. So we asked for our check when he finally remembered that we existed. Our check was wrong as other diners at our table had 2 food items of ours on their check. After getting change for a large bill to rectify the incorrect billing at the table, I told the manager of our issues around my sons "birthday event", when walking the check to her so we could end the misery. She offered to take my sons photo as we were exiting....really? My son said he hoped this was not an omen of his upcoming new year. You're on your own here, plan on 3 to 3 1/2 hours if you can afford the time and don't mind the long stretches of service. Oh yes, the men's room was disgusting for the faint of heart.
(1)Christine B.
Recently went here for my husbands birthday. I made sure to mention it was his birthday. I usually don't write reviews, I just never go there again. Let's just say the ONLY reason I'm giving 2 stars is because the food was good. The service was awful and I'm pretty understanding when a place is full and they are short staffed. In my case the table I was sharing with other parties got very attentive service. Besides the fact that my husband and I were the first to arrive with our reservation and the first to order, we didn't get our sushi roll until everyone else was practically done with there soup and salad. None of our dishes soup, salad, appetizer plates were picked up so we had to eat by moving them around by our elbows. The chef had to ask the waiter (who I mostly blame for all of this, seeing as everyone else at the table were well taken care of) twice for my husbands food, since it was missing from the cart. Everyone else were practically done with their meal when the chef had to go to the kitchen HIMSELF and get the tuna steak. They sang happy birthday to someone in the other party, and not my husband. Even the people in the other party noticed this terrible service to us and asked if he wanted their ice cream. I didn't want to make a scene on my husbands birthday so I let the whole thing go, but I've NEVER experienced such awful service anywhere before. Needless to say the waiter did not get a good tip.
(2)Adrienne C.
Next birthday, one year ..younger. Same waiter as last year who forgot everything.(see original review) With a year's experience, he's much improved and still friendly and personable Sat at the sushi bar. Talked to Flavio, the sushi chef. Very nice man. This year, I had the filet mignon/mushroom/ veggie tepanyaki dinner. Most tender, cooked just right and most yummy. Petty decent place..no surprises.. friendly..good lunch specials still. Must try happy hour
(4)Megan G.
What a bad experience! Walked in, they sat us with this group of high school students, the waitress didn't really discuss what the fried rice was vs. the regular/white one. It gets better, the waitress took away my salad and chopsticks (she brought me a new one after I complained). It gets even better... I ordered the "Teriyaki Chicken"... I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS! It was under cooked, it felt like a bad rubber in my mouth... Asked the chef to cook it again... He did it, didn't solve the problem! The chicken was BAD period. Walking out of the restaurant as I write this and definitely not coming back to this one!
(1)Hortensia A.
One of my favorite places to eat and be merry. If you're looking for a fun and delicious night this is a good start for the evening. Being a long time regular means I've ordered plenty of their items. If you enjoy beef carpaccio, order the beef sashimi. It's thinly cut semi raw pieces of beef with green onion and soy sauce that's to die for! Also, if you are to do sushi here, traditional is better than the rolls. Stick to clean basics and you'll find them most fresh. As far as hibachi goes, they have a selection of chicken, beef, seafood and fish ( the calamari is my fav). Some of these meals come with ice cream dessert but all include white rice, soup, salad and green tea. The chicken fried rice is additional but definitely worth it. If you intend on sharing, order a second rice as it's only one cup. Now, the reason this place has 4 stars and not 5: 1. The wait time can be a bit long and the tables are shared. So if you're looking for romance, forego this place and head over to a more intimate setting. 2. If you choose to eat here, but rather not smell of food, ask to be seated at a table by the sushi bar, it's away from the cooktops and a bit more solitaire, but you won't have much privacy because it's by the crammed bar. This place is fun, delicious and family friendly. Not a pickup spot and definitely non portentous. No wonder I love it! Enjoy! For a more romantic view, check out the location on Miami beach! It's stunning! Free valet too!
(4)Sabryna L.
Bennihana has good food, but if you compare it to Samurai the portions are alot smaller. I reccommend the filet mignon! They don't give you as much meat like Samurai, maybe like 10 of those small chopped pieces. I am a small person, and I was still super hungry after I finished my meal! I did go while they were serving lunch, which I believe is smaller than the dinner portion. The people that work there are nice, but the service isn't the best. I saw my waiter about 2 times, and I was dying of dehydration. It took a while to wait for the check, even though there was no other customers were in sight. If you are busy and don't have alot of time for lunch, you can ask to have the private seating which means you are at a regular booth where they are cooking it in the kitchen. I did this and in total I was there for about 35 minutes. P.S., parking around here is difficult!
(3)Ismiray G.
Great food! Great sushi! Great place to hang out with friends or to go on a date or family. Ambiance is always good. What more can you ask for :)
(5)PrincessMisty M.
I can't say 'excellent' as I often do in my reviews, but I've been a few times recently to this location with friends and we have had a good time, it was never crowded and our service was quick and our server sweet.
(4)Ravi S.
I like this place for hibachi. Good staff and food. This place is not for people who wants to have quick meal. Average time is 1.30 hrs because of their long process of cooking and usually you share table with others that make it worse. But everything pays off when you get the food in hibachi style. Would definitely recommend to try.
(4)Sadia Munawar C.
great placeeee!!!!
(5)Keith P.
At Benihana's Chef's Dinner Table, what you pay for is the performance, not the quality and delivery of the food. I came here last night to use my free $30 birthday gift certificate for signing up on their Chef's Table e-mail list, and I was quickly sat down at a table on the back next to two guests. If you don't like sitting strangers, this isn't the restaurant for you because they sit all guests family style. However, if you are the type of person who makes friends wherever you go, this restaurant can be the ideal place for you. After sitting down, I ordered a $33 samurai treat (not sure if that is the exact name) which came with filet mignon and shrimp. The chef who came to cook our meal in front of us was very entertaining and cooked our meal with a lot of pizzazz. However, I could not help but notice that when he cooked the shrimp, he gave me five pieces and gave the lady five pieces. Her beau did not want any, so the chef gave her his share and all the other pieces which was about half with what he started. The food distribution was really off, and I was extremely irritated. You could also tell by the chef's face that he made a mistake. I would also like to point out the filet mignon was delicious. However, if I had to rate the overall quality of food, I would be better off going to any another Japanese steak place which would honestly cost less for the same amount of food. Watching them cook the food, one notices that the taste of the majority of your meal relies heavily on butter which is smothered on everything. For a restaurant that tries to promote an upscale atmosphere, I would like to see more technique, more ingredients, more something. Since I am Asian, I tend to be very critical about different Asian restaurants, and if I had to rank Benihana, it would be at the bottom of my list. I would recommend people to only come here for lunch because you can get a good meal for less than $10 or if you have a good coupon. It is a good place for a first date, but if you know and have experienced Asian food, this place is less than stellar once you cancel out the food preparation performance factor.
(2)Mary e.
Lunch on a weekday. Spatula action was meh, but the food was really good. I got the steak and calamari duet which comes with fried rice and veggies. The calamari was excellent. The steak ok, and the rest was good. You also get a salad or soup and I went with the salad: nice and fresh and the ginger dressing was perfect. Our chef, Jose, was apparently a beginner but he did a fine job cooking our meal, making sure he cooked our food to our liking. The service is very good, servers always at the ready to grab whatever you need. I recommend it.
(4)Lynnell J.
I enjoyed myself but the service was kinda poor. The waiter moved as if I was rushing him. The chef was ok but no flair! But the food was deelish!
(3)Yari C.
Best lunch special in my opinion, can't go wrong. Only negative is that the service can be either really great or real horrible.
(4)R S.
I use to be a regular at the North Bay Village location untill their renovation. I love this particular location because of the sushi chefs, Flavio and Cesar. Jorge is amazing! Always sit at the sushi bar. Best of all I get my favorite the Moon Roll!!
(5)Kristine A.
We had a time where we would come here every week because something about the food being cooked in front of you feels like you have fresh food. However I started to see dirty forks on more than one occasion. But I would just ask for a new one. No problem. In general very good service, delicious food. And then it happened. We eat there, and suddenly he next day my husband has the worst fever and stomach ache ever. I took him into the emergency room because it was just horrific. Doctors say that it was salmonella from uncooked chicken the day before. Our meal at Benihana was the only time he had chicken within the last few days. Needless to say I won't be going back. Serving raw food is the worst thing a restaurant can do. I never complained at them because I didn't save my reciept. And if you have no proof it's better not to say anything. But I will never go back here
(1)Lazaro R.
It had been a while since I have had hibachi, specifically that amazing pink sauce that each of them are known for. We arrived around 9pm on a Friday and wait time wasnt too bad. While we waited we ordered a couple of drinks from the bar (Red wine sangria) which were actually really good! Rocky's choice (steak and chicken) was what we decided to order as our entrée. Not too shabby however I was disappointed on their amazing "sauce" comparing it with other hibachi restaurant. It tasted good but we have had better. The chef kept us entertained the whole time as our food was being prepared, we sat next to friendly local guest, and we had great time.
(4)Alex V.
BAM!!! love this place. You can't miss. Went there with the family to spend a $175 dolla giftcard I had since last year. We had the Filet Mignon and Chicken combo. It was good and flavorful. Our chef was not the best at entertaining, however his cooking skill were legit. There are no more of these places with asians cooking, that sorta makes it "funner" and authentic. We had some cocktails and some sushi. bill came in at $192.00 plus tax. Not inexpensive to say the least but worth the time spent with the Family. Keep it up Benihana!!!
(4)Connie K.
of course everyone comes here for birthdays!! I came here during my birthday month. sign up to get $30 off your meal as long as someone else in your group orders any teppan entree. the portions here aren't as crazy big as it is at other hibachi places but that's not necessarily a bad thing. our chef was ok, spoke a little English and mostly talked to other Spanish speakers at our table. we ordered the filet and colossal shrimp and a tofu entree. the sauces aren't great, should be better. rice was a little hard. small portion of filet but they did give a lot of tofu. I added a star for the price, we paid $30 for two entrees with my birthday coupon. based on the food alone, two stars.
(3)Claudia A.
We just finished leaving this place. We got there at 8 and they sat us at 9:15 (when the one person that was missing got there). Then they actually helped us out after three complains. The food was mediocre and the smoke of the other station was blowing so hard that one of the people from our party had blood shot eyes. I honestly will never consider this place a good place to eat. Come on, 3 hours of wait for not so good food and a server who is overworked not my kinda of style.
(1)Hernani A.
It's been a while since we don't come to this restaurant... The idea is pretty cool and the service is great but you can't help leaving smelling like fried rice . And unfortunately the food is ok but not the best quality... For the prices they should have some organic meat.... Show are nice and is a good place for groups but not the best to have a private conversation as you seat with other people and is so noisy all the time...
(3)Alexander M.
My my how this place has changed! Ell not this place in particular but the business as a whole. They have really revamped the entire menu and what use to be is no longer. That didn't stop me from having an amazing dining experience though! I stayed at a Hyatt that was within walking distance to this place and it definitely was worth the walk! We were a party of three and was seated right away! So already that had earned points in my book for the no waiting :-) our chef was the coolest and sometimes with these hibachi places it's a hit or miss hen it comes to the chef either you will get a very basic experience one that just cooks with no tricks or you get the one who is all about giving you the ULTIMATELY hibachi experience! So we got the ultimate! My food was so delicious and the tricks were awesome! I would definitely recommend Nd return of the opportunity presented itself again!
(4)Ivette R.
Wow this Miracle Mile Benihana is way better than the Benihana in Miramar.I went to Benihana with my husband and my son and loved it we loved the show where the cooks cook our food right in front of us because there's a grill right in front of us at our table.We all ordered the Miso soup and it was the bomb,We also ordered White Rice with Scrambled Eggs in it and that was really fucking good,Then we ordered the Medium Well Steak and that was the most important part of the restaurant the steak.Because the steak is perfection and is waiting for someone craving for it and with the Perspective.
(5)Edski R.
Nice spot for a friday with the family.Grabbing the chefs special and a couple of trios.
(3)Alfredo B.
Excellent restaurant with a great staff. When we first entered we were told it would be a twenty minute wait, so we decided to sit at the bar and order some drinks. Our bartender, Alex, was just frigging awesome. One of the greatest bartenders I have encountered in my time as a drinker. He was extremely polite and knowledgeable about all the different sake types. He made us a custom drink and we all loved it. He even made some great recommendations on what to order from the menu. The twenty minutes flew by and we all had some great laughs. Once we sat at our table we were greeted by our hostess. She was extremely polite as well and patient with us while we looked over the menu. Throughout the meal she checked us and made sure we had everything we needed. She even brought some extra sauces for my friend that enjoys dipping sauces. The chef (Jose) was great, everything was cooked exactly to order. He was funny and even melted some garlic butter for my friend to use a dipping sauce. I have no complaints about any of the staff members at this restaurant. The food was excellent, it was a delight to the senses. The restaurant is a family joint, so be prepared to deal with parties of small children some times, nothing crazy though. Unless you have a big party, you will have to share a table with other people, at first this bothered me, but we actually ended up socializing with the family next to us and had some good laughs. It was an excellent evening. I will be a returning customer and check out the lunch specials!
(5)Esteban S.
Out of all the incredible sushi establishments in miami fl, I have to say that Benihana is the Rolls Royce if you know what I mean. The sushi is phenomenal and their live cooks are amazing. I come to the sushi bar for the most part and keep coming back because the service provided by the sushi chefs and the waiting staff are of elite category, I mean it's incredible you feel like you are part of the family. Love this place! I highly recommend it.
(5)Kerry O.
Great place for birthdays, special events, or dates. The food is all very good and leaves you so full! The chefs cooking show keeps you entertained while waiting for the food. They do tricks while preparing it and the cooks are usually pretty funny. It is a bit pricey so I usually only go for special occasions but If you sign up for their club for free online you get a free meal with purchase of another meal for your birthday month!
(3)Damian A.
Great Happy Hour menue, $3 sake with multiple sushi roles on the menu. Highly recommend going 4-7 and taking advantage of their happy hour. The hibachi is also fun, especially in big groups and I can't get enough of the fried rice and red sauce.
(5)Deborah M.
Went on Saturday for my son's 18th birthday. He wanted to try hibachi cooking for the first time. So I picked the most well known resturant for his experience. Glad i did. We went for lunch so we were seated right away. Our waitress was sweet and on point. Chef was Julio, he was good, could've done some more tricks. I haven't been to one of these types of resturant in a long time, so it was fun watching other chefs and people enjoying themselves. There were alot of kids. Everyone having a good time. Food was okay Fried rice, chicken, shrimp, sauteed vegies. The menu doesn't change. Lets face it, you go for the experience, not the food. Overall good Birthday lunch.
(4)Sarah G.
We went on Friday night for my son's birthday. What a disappointment. Our waiter did just what he had to do and not a bit more. We had to flag him down several times to get his attention and even then he was not paying much attention to us. This would have been understandable had the restaurant been busy BUT it was practically empty as we had come at 6 PM. My son picked the restaurant because he loves the show. The chef that came out was young and although he tried he was not as entertaining as some of the chefs can be. Finally the food is not exciting at all BUT could be good if prepared well. Unfortunately the vegetables and chicken were overcooked and lacking basic flavor. My husband had sushi and he enjoyed that. Our final bill was 140.00 for 4 people without alcohol. With so many choices ( especially in downtown coral gables) in the future we are going to choose somewhere else. It really was disappointing.
(2)Lindsey E.
If you love Yum Yum/Shrimp Sauce, etc. DO NOT COME HERE! They don't have it! Every hibachi place across the U.S. that I've ever been to has had it. So sad. Ruined my lunch.
(2)Tom A.
Charlie is a master chef with lots of tricks, his food was cooked to perfection. Roland hired a great chef, what a great experience at this location.
(5)Naty K.
This location is okay, but I won't go out of my way to visit it. I don't care for circling around Miracle Mile for 10-15 minutes to find a parking spot and to then feed a meter with change. I guess that if this is the closest location to you, you have no choice, or if you live within the area, you might get away with walking there. The last time I went, they had such a long wait (and this was at around 10 p.m.), that I ended up just choosing to eat at a regular booth, no teppanyaki, which is the whole appeal of the place anyway. I have never encountered these long waits at this location before, only at Samurai, and on occasion, at the North Bay Village Benihana location. If that is your only option, I suggest skipping the place altogether. I don't recommend the booth option, because the food will come out all dry and cold, as if it's been sitting in the kitchen until the waiter got around to bringing it to your table, and even then, it was probably just reheated. The service can be hit or miss, and this last time, it was more along the lines of a "miss." I was actually quite disappointed, but because the prior experiences at the teppanyaki were pleasant, I decided to take that into account when writing my review. I much prefer the larger North Bay Village location though, with its great waterfront views. It seems more lively, and since it's valet, I don't have to waste my time with heavy coins in my pocket or circling around like a vulture for a parking spot.
(3)Yvelin R.
Decided to come for lunch because I was in the area and my sis likes this place. I only tried the hibachi side before and it's been years since that visit. Service was good, especially considering only one server for several tables. I had half of the crunchy roll with a side of spicy mayo. I like that they half rolls for actually half the price. Their spicy mayo is def spicy, at least more spicy than other restaurants. I also ordered their lunch combo specials. Chicken, fried rice, zucchini/onions and a soup. Loved the lunch prices but I didn't enjoy the rice as much, or the dipping sauces. All in all I'd def return, as long as it's a lunch special because dinner prices are way higher and I prefer the fried rice from other places.
(4)Debra F.
We were very disappointed in this location. They were very busy I must start by saying that . Over an hour wait. Let me start with the staff is friendly. The dinning area was such a mess!! Food all over the floor! I was shocked! Our Menus full of greasy finger prints. Did not feel like I wanted to even touch it let alone order. We did order a bottle of wine only to receive wine glasses fresh out of being washed and dripping in water. Our chef looked s overworked. He yawned thru the whole cooking process and was so messy. Granted we were not seated till 8:45 after walking in at 7:00. So reservations , even though we had only 4 people are needed . Disappointed as we were at this location , we will try other locations .
(3)Tony R.
We were in a group of six for Father's Day dinner and I must admit it was my first time at this location. Our chef was entertaining polite and prepared the food beautifully. The service was on point and everyone had a great time. The bartenders had some unique creations that were delicious. I highly recommend and would definitely go back
(5)Carolina G.
I absolutely love this location. I used to work 2 min away years ago and came for lunch here religiously. Since then I moved away and don't dine at this location frequently. However the sushi chef Flavio still remembers me as I do him. Since I usually attend during my work lunch I order the express lunch menu, which consists of a soup or salad as an appetizer then rice veggies and your main entree. I always go with steak. My sister went with shrimp and my other friend went with chicken so you can say we ordered them all. Our waitress was friendly and present. We were in and out within an hour and about 15 min which took us to park. The food is always amazing and the service was great. I definitely recommend this location for a casual lunch with friends or colleagues.
(5)Alex C.
I have been a million times to this place over the years and never cared too much for it. Now that we have to worry about allergies in my family I went there and was very positively impressed. The staff checked and double checked to make sure that there was no allergens in the food. If you have allergies I would recommend this place. The food tastes fine. The setting ok. The big downer is that even with the big hoods, the fumes still waft through the restaurant. I left there with a greasy itchy face. You do have to wait for the good do bring patience. The portion are also not big enough and I am real skinny. I am sure most people would not get enough from a main and appetizer.
(4)Vanessa A.
Terruble! Never has enough staff and the wait is always over an hour long!!!! I hate this place and would never recommend it. The quality if food sucks and it's not like before! Very bland
(1)El K.
This place Is a true gem for someone celebrating a special event with a small group of people. The vibe is superb and the food doesn't disappoint. Our chef was incredibly entertaining and seemed to be really enjoying himself as much as us. The restaurant is clean and inviting. The staff was friendly, took our order within minutes and swift in bringing what was ordered. The sushi appetizers were prepared and delivered to perfection. The hibachi show is worth the visit. The food is fresh, made to order and abundant. I highly recommend this restaurant. The only drawback is the challenge in finding a parking space.
(5)Lourdes W.
Just face it, Benihana is delicious. My S/O and I were coming here so often, the chefs thought we didn't have a kitchen! It's perfect for a group dinner because of the interaction with the chefs. Their entertaining ways of cooking fried rice in the shape of a heart and making it beat for you never gets old. If you're just a couple for dinner, give it a try and you never know who you might end up sitting next to. Dinners come with soup or salad, fried rice, your meal and tea. A plus, is that you can always tell the chef to cook your steak or lobster with garlic butter. mmm. You can also order sushi a la carte. The crunchy shrimp roll is my favorite here. If you don't want to leave Benihana smelling like you're the one who cooked, you can always sit on the side by the sushi bar. This is a go-to lunch spot for me. The service is just as fast and maybe even better. Prices are better too for lunch. Their lunch specials which includes soup or salad, fried rice and beef or chicken is about 15 bucks. This Benihana location is clean. It has two stories. I've only been to the second floor to use the bathroom. And, there's a little bar and lobby area in case you have to wait for a table. Reservations are recommended for dinner. If you're in the mood for some fried rice, hands down, the best in town.
(4)Eli C.
I went for my birthday and they're so bored with their jobs. The chefs aren't all happy. It was okay. Food just is loaded with salt. Not worth 150 bucks.
(2)Jennifer R.
This is my favorite restaurant but ill try not to be biased. Its typical Japanese steakhouse food in America. If you've never been here you really need to go! The food is amazing, the staff is friendly and they sing Happy Birthday in Japanese at almost every table! Ive never seen so many people with a common birthday in one place! ;D
(5)Glenda A.
The service was not good. We sat for about 10 minutes without even getting any water. But it seems to be the MO of Benihana. The waiter was nice but sooooo slow. The food was ok. The best things we had were the fried rice and the veggies. I have definitely had better.
(2)Paul C.
I beg my family and friends not to go here. The service is terrible and the food is excessive and mediocre. Of course, they charge you food the excessive amounts of food and continue to upsell you throughout the night. To be fair, some Benihana restaurants have decent service but the Gables location has a cast of characters from a horror movie. The other reviews talk about a show. There maybe one chef that is good, the others look like they are about to take the knife and just slit their wrists. As I say to fan and friends, there are so many good restaurants in the Gables - why are we going to Benihana? The answer is always the same. My kid likes it! Need I say more.
(1)Alexa B.
This location is excellent. Service was outstanding, we never went thirsty or had to waive our waitress over for anything because she was very attentive. I can't remember her name but she was an older woman with tattoos. The food is excellent, one of the best filet mignons I've had in a long time. I will be back for sure. Its worth braving the coral gables traffic.
(5)Lia P.
This was probably one of my least favorite hibachi experiences ever! And yes, because my husband loves hibachi I've been forced to have quite a few. I always dread the excessive amounts of food but I do have a soft spot for the cheesy performances and sugary cocktails. Well at Benihana everything is reversed. Small portions and no cheesiness! Wtf? I made reservations for Saturday night and was promptly sat, so that's good. Our waitress was friendly but poorly trained. Many times she would hand me something to give to my husband or I'd have to hand her something. That shouldn't be the case. We started with the blue punchbowl for two which was delightfully sugary and sweet with probably little to no alcohol- this is to be expected at hibachi places, we knew what we were getting into. I ordered the tofu with spicy sauce and cilantro and my husband ordered the steak and chicken combo. He upgraded to fried rice (for $3 are you serious) and I stuck with the steamed rice. But wait, I've NEVER been to a hibachi place that doesn't automatically give you fried rice. Also these dishes don't come with noodles. Unless they were supposed to and he forgot but I'm sure someone at the table would've noticed. No noodles?! So the hibachi guy was just terrible. He didn't have any charm, didn't make any jokes. When he did talk you couldn't really hear him. His one trick was making the rice into a heart and making it beat. Wow. He treated my tofu with no respect. He threw some sauce on it and some cilantro still on the stems (I love cilantro but on the stem?) I'm not sure he realized that you can actually do a good job with tofu at a hibachi place. It was just warmed up. He also cooked it first before everyone else's food so it was on my plate until I got my veggies- after he cooked the steak and chicken and shrimp. Oh yeah, just because I ordered tofu doesn't mean I don't want shrimp. I'm not a vegetarian I just like tofu. He assumed I didn't want shrimp so I had to let him know I wanted the shrimp and he looked confused. Is it that odd? My husband liked his steak and chicken well enough. The things that normally come with these meals- soup and salad were pretty good. We were both sad that there were no flames at all during the performance. And the food was so mediocre and skimpy. Next time we want hibachi we will NOT be returning here.
(2)Erik H.
Slow, slow, slow - empty tables all around and the chef still took 40 minutes to show up. The waiters seemed to be on their first day on the job. I will never understand why their prices double and triple after 3 pm, when they start calling the same food "dinner". We were craving the fried rice and that is the only reason we stayed.
(2)Jorge S.
Well I have been to both Benihana in Orlando Florida and the one in Key West numerous time first time in this one and I have to say , this one does not compare in any way you should think it's coral gables they have to have the best service in town far from it server didn't care to come and bring drinks on time cook had no enthusiasm pretty much a zombie and the food no flavor what so ever would it hurt to add garlic butter to the food or and the shrimp did any body tell him that if you cool shrimp longer than 2 min they get rubbery come on guys get with the picture need to go to the other restaurants either up north or down south and have those cooks train you , they are wonderful in those resturant I don't think I would come back to this one even tho I live really close but the experience at the other where phenomenal compared to this one
(1)Debra L.
Horrible. Considering they are related to Samurai they absolutely suck. Sauces not the same, chef was eh, quality of food was poor. If I could give negative stars I would. I now understand why they take reservations. They hope on people wanting samurai without the wait. The wait is worth it over this place.
(1)Andres R.
I really like Benihanas, in this one the chef was excellent, very enthusiastic and very dedicated, but they took a lot of time starting to prepare the food. We've had better overall experiences in the one at North Miami. If you haven't tried a Benihana, do it right now, food is excelllent, you should order only one entree per couple because portions are big, and if you do so it's not going to be expensive, i would dare to say that it's a great value if you order only one entree per couple. Recommended!
(4)Lisa J.
We generally like hibachi restaurants but this was the absolute worst. We were met with total indifference when we arrive. The manage and hostess kept playing with the front desk computer while we stood around for at least ten minutes. When we were seated, we had to wait more than ten minutes for three more people to show up to fill the table. We then waited 40 minutes for the chef to appear. He took his time and extra food was distributed to others at the table. The portions were small and not filling. Over two hours for a lousy and skimpy meal. Never again.
(1)Mark F.
Have dined at a few Benihana restaurants and this one was as good or better. Quality of food was superb and the staff was very attentive and courteous.
(5)Juan S.
OK place. Good for kids and families. The open table tepenyaki tables are the draw here...it's always fun to watch your food being prepared in front of you. Food and service were just OK though. Definitely overpriced and not sure I'd return.
(3)Gennieve I.
I was very happy with my experience at this restaurant. We went on a Tuesday night so it wasn't crowded. We had an attentive waitress and the maitre d' also came to check up on our party on one occasion. I got a generous $30 gift certificate for joining the Birthday Club, and it is not necessary to buy a dinner to get yours free. They also took and printed a picture of our party, which we thought they'd try to sell to us, but it turns out that it was part of our gift simply for coming to celebrate a birthday. The one thing I would change is probably the drink prices. They were on the pricey side and not strong at all. Still, I feel bad complaining about that detail, since my dinner was free.
(4)Maria B.
Having visited Samurai on many an occasion, I thought Benihana would be the next best hibachi place to try. I ordered their lemon chicken (on the hibachi), while my S.O ordered the fillet mignon. Several steps up from Samurai, this place is absolutely delicious. Their sauces are much better by taste and quality and they have my favorite: green tea ice-cream! I will be coming back but next time I will try the North Beach location-- this particular location is out-of-date in terms of decor while I was expecting something a bit more modern. Could use a renovation, but don't let that stop you from visiting! I would say it is the most affordable and family-friendly spot in Miracle Mile.
(4)Lourdes G.
My son loves the experience n the food. A mom will do anything for her boy! The Sumo roll is my favorite.
(5)G G.
First, let me say, I have always been a big fan of Benihana. But after this visit, I don't think I will return. After, messing up our reservation, we were seated about 15 minutes later than expected. Not too bad, considering the restaurant was packed. Drinks were ordered and served. One of my big surprises, is they did not have menus available to order. Come on now, you should have more than enough at any given time. But they did eventually find some without too much of a wait. Now the disappointing part, as everyone knows, part of going to Benihana's is the chef show as he cooks. In truth, I have seen backyard grillers put on a better show. He used the same lame trick of flicking the shrimp tails on to his hat. One of the "tricks" they chefs perform is to make a heart and make it "beat". This chef was asked to make a fish or something else by the birthday girl. But, no, he could not or would not do it. Other chefs previously had created dogs, and other animals upon request. Maybe this guy did not have that kind of talent. Now as a foodie, I appreciate good food. I know how things should be cooked, although I am not a chef. Imagine my disappointment when this "chef" so over cooked my shrimp and scallop as they were almost crispy. Shrimp only take a few minutes to cook and scallops cook very quickly and should be served seared, but rare or medium rare. Nothing like having good seafood cooked to a fine tough rubber texture that was as I said almost crisp it was so over cooked. One of our party asked for his steak cooked medium rare, I watched as it went from a perfectly cooked medium rare to a very well done for no reason I could see. It was obvious to me, an non professional when it was done. After this very poor display, I don't think I will return to this Benihana. I will try one of the others in the area as I do love them for the most part.
(2)Cristy M.
Went to dinner here tonight to celebrate my mom's birthday (Good Tip: If you sign up for their email club they will send you a $30 dining certificate to use in the month of your birthday). Got to this restaurant at about 8 pm and in all honestly the worst part of the night was that we had to wait an hour for our table, luckily happy hour was in effect (Mon-Thurs 4-8:30p) and we were able to take advantage of 1/2 price sushi appetizers and discounted alcohol, which helped time pass by quickly. They now have a 2 for $39 meal which includes, shrimp, soup, salad, mushrooms, filet mignon, and chicken more than you can ask for. You can opt to add fried rice to your meal for $3. I must say that everything hear was fresh and really tasty. It was a bit salty but all in all I will return, especially in my b-day month.
(4)Tania G.
benihana's is more about the experience and not so much about the food. your food is made to order and prepared right in front of you. some chefs are more entertaining than others. food is decent- not packed with flavor and nothing special, to be honest, but its fresh. fyi: chef specials are probably your best bet when deciding what to order. and your meals come with a soup and a salad.
(3)Rachel P.
For all that I have heard about this place, I expected it to be way over the top, nope, it was way under the bottom. The only props I will give to this place is the bartender...great drinks and nice guy. I have had much better food at other Japanese restaurants @Florida... Nothing seemed to have much of a taste..lack of seasoning perhaps? Didn't really put on a show either..boring.... oh well, expensive food that didn't taste too good= won't be back.
(2)Jose G.
Kids love it.. what can I say other than you cant go wrong but its pricey for a chain.
(4)Jacqueline R.
Disclaimer!!! I have been here many times and the service is great to awful at the hibachi table but the food is always good. They have monthly specials for two that are very good but do not include the fried rice that you must pay extra and trust me its worth it. You can check on the Benihana website for more information. the review is mostly for Monday thru Thursday HAPPY HOUR. YOU can sit at the tables by the bar and get everything about 50% office and great prices on drinks. My staple is one glass of their house chardonnay great at $4 and a margarita for $4 also great. The Las Vegas Roll under $4 usually $9. The caterpillar roll, the yellow tail with jalapeño, the hand rolls, the dumplings, i don't like the poppers personally. The crowd is hit or miss and they have a new bartender which makes way better drinks. For the price you can't beat it!
(4)Amanda P.
I mean who doesnt like a show while they eat. But the food isnt anything out of this world, its okay. Its not bad but its nothing very special at all. Hibachi is cool and all but im just not crazy about it because of the fact that the food is served little by little. You get your rice and then you have to wait for the meat or chicken or whatever it is you ordered. And if your my poor mother-in-law who ordered salmon you get served last after he cooks the food for 7 other people. which sucks if your starving. So she started nibbling on her rice and before she knew it her rice was gone and she still had no fish. And if you wait to get your meat then your rice gets cold. Its just all over the place. I personally had the Yakisoba noodles that lacked in flavor. they were dry and barely had sauce. I love saucy food so this type of dinning is just not for me. I rather sit and not watch my food cook and get better quality. But thats just me. If you want the show then go for the show. Our waitress was alright, she had a bit of a stank face but then again i dont know how long her shift had been at that point in the night. She brought everything we asked for and she was patient at least. She just needed to smile.
(3)Juan V.
The service was terrible our waitress kept forgetting our drink order.The waitress also forgot the food that we ordered so the chef had the wrong meats to cook. Other than that the food was fresh and the overall experience was ok.
(3)Lynn P.
A bit pricey but a great Japanese restaurant and watching them make your food right in front of you is amazing!!!
(4)Melanie A.
I love Benihana but this location is NOT the best. The one on 79th street is much better and worth the drive. This location does not maintain the consistency of the food at the other locations. Definitely go to the location on 79th street and make a reservation!
(3)Andres S.
I will start off by saying that Benihana is certainly NOT what it used to be 15 or 20 years ago. Globalization has really hurt this franchise and you can clearly see how. Not only are the chefs from anywhere BUT Japan, but they just don't put the show that they used to, where they played with knifes and there was just more flair in it. With that said, I will also say this: LUNCH SPECIALS. If you work around the area, and are on a budget, this is a solid option. You can order the Chicken & Shrimp lunch special for less than $15 (drinks not included), and get a soup or salad, with your dish accompanied by fried rice. Can't go wrong with that. Oh and be ready to leave smelling like Chicken Teriyaki, the odor just sticks to your clothes.
(3)Jessica B.
Horrible service, good food. Waited an hour and half to get table after they said 30 minutes. Really, reputation has gone down the drain.
(2)Rene D.
very amazing restaurant i definitely recommend the hibachi steak
(5)Matthew G.
This place is delicious! The food is great, but the service is a little slow. Other than that, if you want delicious hibachi and sushi on the mile, look no further!
(4)Pete O.
This place is the best Benihana in South Florida. Unfortunately the Benihana by my house is not as good as this place. I love the location here and how I can just walk by stores in the great weather we have in Florida. The food was delicious and our cook was great, our waiter could have been a bit more attentitive but on this wonderful night it wasn't going to get to me. Our chef was funny, interactive and put on a wonderful show. My meal was excellent and I can't wait to return here. TFY. Also bring change $ 00.25 for 12minutes or valet. However, my meter was up when i got back to my car and there was no ticket thank you local law enforcement.
(5)Sabrina Anna C.
I could have sworn that I wrote a review on this place when I first opened my Yelp Account, but alas, I was wrong... I thoroughly enjoy Benihana's experience and always have. I used to prefer the 79th St. Causeway location, but at the time that I went again (for Xmas), they were sitll closed for renovations. But again, Benihana is a great experience no matter where you're at... I had a nice experience here, although I will say its a very small Benihana's. I'm used to more space in between the tables, etc... I kept accidentally bumping into the chef at the table next to us, because he was directly behind me, and my ex kept hitting one of their guests... Never a good look. Service here was slow for drinks, which I never like. Don't they realize if they keep 'em coming, I'll keep drinkin 'em!?! Well, I only had 2 drinks the whold night and not by choice... My ratings is based on the service and location. The food was excellent, as it always is at Benihana. We had an excellent and authentic chef who had the most amazing personality. The whole table was laughing all night, and since it was just the 2 of us, we knew no one else at our table. But I love that. I can make friends with a chair! LOL... Back to our chef, he was great! He did all the fun tricks you expect from Benihana's... The Volcano Onion, flipping the food all around and up and down, etc...! He put on a SHOW!!! I would definitely tell anyone to go to the one on 79th Street, because there you have ambiance and a view. :)
(3)Christopher S.
This place just out right Sad. I learned back in school that you can refuse to hire someone if they don't meet the operational needs of a restaurant, the guy who owns/runs this place mustn't either care or know about this. -First of all, I go to a hibachi style grill to enjoy Asian cuisine; the food was ok, but let me ask you, are you going to Cuban styled restaurant to enjoy Chinese food? NO! I was very sad to see that there were no employees of Asian decent here. It adds to the experience and more importantly adds some credibility when you have people indigenous same region that the food comes from. I'd feel the same way if I went out for some hyderabadi biryani, I wouldn't want an American dude making it... unless he knew what he was doing... which provides me a segway to my next point... -No Show! You go to a hibachi grill for a show.... Anyone can learn tricks if you practice them enough, but I watched and not a single freekin griller could toss their egg in their hat or even make a onion volcano, it was sad... I've actually dropped this from 2 to 1 star while writing my review and I am cutting it short since simply put, they didn't put enough time into the running of their place, why should I give them a full review?
(1)Rick M.
I grew up making the long commute to the 79th Street Causeway Benihana -- and always enjoyed it -- so I was glad to see one open closer to home four years ago. I have gone four times since then -- eaten only twice -- and I think that's all I need to make this my first 1-star review on Yelp. When craving teppanyaki I find myself driving to Samurai (owned by Benihana -- but they serve the creamy white sauce that Benihana does not) in The Falls or Umami in Doral. The best of the four outings was my second time there, and it was the best because I can't remember anything about the experience. It was that non-descript. The first time I went we were waiting for half an hour despite the half-empty restaurant. I get the curse of trying to seat people in parties of 8, but since no one was coming -- and they weren't seating us -- we bolted. Unlike the 79th Causeway, Miracle Mile has plenty of great options mere paces away. The third time I went was classic. I went with my son. The chef forgot to cook my son's meal. Once everybody's served up he begins scouring the grill where I ask him about my son's chicken. He gave me the deer in the headlights look for a bit, realized his mistake, and had them bring out a double portion that he cooked up quickly in a very awkward scene. The fourth time was today. Walk in a little after 1pm. Maybe a third of the tables are occupied. There's a regular table available in the non-hibachi section, but I'll go to Matsuri if I want good sit-down Japanese. I'm there for the chef. She tells me that they're all booked up for the day. All day? Really? Maybe that's the new tactic to get folks in off-hours to go for the regular tables instead of trying to pair them up in eights, but who needs that? The food quality at Benihana, Samurai, and Umami is about the same (good, but not great). Go to Umami if you want great service, a place that honors lunch special prices on weekend lunches, and chefs that are so artful that they're probably drumstick-twirling drummers in metal bands. Go to Samurai if you want the heart-clogging creamy white sauce that's so good that more than half of the people at your table will join you in asking for "double white" and lather half of it over their fried rice. If you have to go to Benihana, avoid this particular location -- unless you have a sense of humor and just happen to conveniently be in a party of eight.
(1)Valerie G.
Came here with a coupon I received through an email. The staff was friendly but the sushi was not at all fresh - no way I would have paid full price for the sushi that was served, I truly expected so much more from Benihana! You know it's bad when my favorite part of the meal was the edamame :(
(2)kristel m.
Wow. That was really bad. Upon entering we are asked if we would like to be seated at the show tables or private seating. Being that my husband and I rarely get to go on dates we opted for the private seating. Private? We were seated directly next to the bar where we got to hear Josh the bartender go on and on about how much better they are then Samurai (unprofessional in my book) to some customers who were waiting to be seated at the big tables. As an "Appetizer" (they do not offer appetizers, they offer sides) we ordered a tempura Philly Roll. It was okay I've had better and the eel sauce wasn't as sweet as I like but it was okay. About 20 minutes later The waiter came and took our order. My husband went for the Hibachi Steak and I for the chicken. The waiter asked if we would like steamed or fried rice. We both went for the fried. (Insert annoying horn sound for a wrong answer on a tv show here) We just unknowingly jacked up our bill because apparently fried rice no longer comes with the hIbachi meal and of course our waiter did not tell us. (now i wonder what they use during the show to take up the time that they would use to demonstrate how they make the fried rice?) Anyhow.... we wait about 10 minutes to get our bowls of broth... another 10 later we receive our salad... then i get to hear Josh talking to the next group of unsuspecting poor souls, about BT's and the strippers who go eat there... and then a whopping 30 minutes later we receive our meal. Now this is where i get mad, because its just an insult to the culinary world. WHAT a disappointment! Good grief! The Mongolian Beef I made at home last night was 5 star cuisine compared to this! I had 3 pieces of dry shrimp, (how can you dry out shrimp for petes sake!) more veggies then i cared for, and the cardboard dry pieces of chicken. YES chicken breast can tend to be on the dry side I am aware of this, but this chicken took it to a whole new level. It had no flavor! So I went for the sauce for an S.O.S... the usual saving grace came up short and just was not enough to save my meal. The sauce i usually use to slather my rice and chicken in was left in its dish. At no point in time did anyone ask us how our meal was, and I assume its because they got tired of hearing the complaints. All the employees seemed too concerned in their personal stuff to even wish us a good evening on the way out the door. The ridiculously expensive less then stellar food, and the aloof staff have definitely black listed this restaurant for us. The fried rice was good, and so was my Haiku Colada. Thanks for the heads up josh, next time I'll remember to go to Samurai :)
(2)Erik-Lizzie D.
Kids can make or break any visit to Benihana. Assuming you have a decent group of people you will have a good time. The chef (99% of the time not from Japan) always puts on a show and can make you smile; especially if you interact with them. We usually have the filet mignon with lobster tail and fried rice. I don't like ordering sushi here. Quality is not that good and they always bring it to the table at an awkard moment. Hot Saki is a must with dinner.
(3)Liliana E.
Wait time for the shared tables is sometimes pretty ridiculous since they want every seat on the table filled. They will take parties that arrived later first if they can fill the table.
(3)cristina f.
ONLY GO HERE FOR HAPPY HOUR! Their happy hour is one of the best happy hours I've found in Miami. The sushi and beer are super cheap! Even though the plates aren't exceptional and you can definitely find better sushi bars, you can't beat the happy hour prices. I came here on St. Patrick's day looking to get away from the John Martin's crowd and expensive prices. A group of my friends decided that we should go to Benihana since it probably wouldn't be packed. They could only sit us in their sushi section and we cam during happy hour coincidentally. It was amazing. A group of 10 of us spent only $100 and we each had 2 beers and 2 plates of sushi. Unbeatable!
(4)