20250327 our first time at this Benihana location. Turns out it was their 2nd day open. We scored seats at the bar and got offered their Happy Hour specials. Alex took excellent care of us, in addition to the bar’s tag team system. Josh, the restaurant manager, checked in with and greeted us. Very friendly and attentive staff. Bustling restaurant, so it was really too loud. We barely could hear one another. Lol Seems this location will do very well. 👍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had an amazing time at the brand-new Beni Hana in San Mateo! Our server, Mouhammad, and our cook, Josue, were both fantastic—friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience so much fun. The food was delicious, and the service was top-notch. Highly recommend this location!

Bill Lai

Brought my family to have boxing day lunch and this location did not disappoint. We made reservation and got sitted quickly upon arrival, and despite we are only getting the discounted lunch specials, we still got to see our chef showcased his skill while cooking our entree. Also, at the end of our meal, we got treated with a family photo. Would be back again!

Nika Manabat

We came for lunch on a weekday after school. Our server John and our chef Armando made the birthday celebration for our 8 year old EXTRA special. Thank you both for giving the kids a great time!!! Attentive service is rare these days so when we receive it, we are grateful! Thank you again! We will be back soon!

Gabriel Rodriguez

Sherash offered impeccable service at our power hour lunchtime, Friday afternoon. The photo you see was a completed service after only 27 minutes from him taking our order. Our chef Brian came from the other Benihana locations (we recognized him from our past trips) and cooked up our food to perfection. I would highly recommend for a lunch break!

Erika Ramirez

Staff is super friendly and food was amazing as always. We got their Wagyu Beef Special and it was the perfect amount of food + super tasty! They never disappoint 🔥 I have been to a few Benihana locations around the Bay Area and have always had such great experience. So glad they opened up a new location in the San Mateo Bridgepoint Shopping Center!

Ben Ho

Same classic show, but this time we tried the fancy wagyu cuts and were genuinely surprised how great they were. Competitive with fancy steak houses and Omakase joints. Quite impressive for such a venerable chain.

Nikita

This was my first time in Benihana and i am glad we made the reservations beforehand. This place was jam packed and people were waiting for their turn to be seated. May be because it was a weekend, but still making reservations is highly recommended. Food was great, servers were nice and Chef was great. It was an entertaining experience. Not much vegetarian options on the menu, but as a vegetarian myself, i enjoyed my 5 course meal.

Eva O

We had such a great experience at Benihana in Foster City! Our server, Martin, was absolutely amazing—he went above and beyond to make sure our food came out timely and was so friendly and personable throughout the night. The food was really tasty, and the $39 Taste of Benihana deal was a great value—salad, soup, appetizer, entrée, and dessert all included! Just a heads up: to do the Taste of Benihana or Happy Hour deals, you have to sit in the bar area. So make sure to come early to grab a seat—by 6pm, the place was PACKED! Totally worth it though. We’ll definitely be back!

Javier DelaGrande

Had our family of five, four adults and one child. The dinner was fantastic! Delicious food, Chef Danny did a great job. We always have a difficult order, no garlic on two of our dinners and he nailed it perfectly. Kayla our server was attentive and friendly. Highly recommend! Will be coming back for sure

Michele Phaler

We had CHEF DAVID for our Mothers Day lunch/dinner. The food was top notch , the atmosphere was amazing. David not only cooked the meals to perfection but he was so ENTERTAINING and ENTHUSIASTIC! We all had a wonderful time. Made memories and went home stuffed like a duck!

TeenaSanFran SanFran

20250327 our first time at this Benihana location. Turns out it was their 2nd day open. We scored seats at the bar and got offered their Happy Hour specials. Alex took excellent care of us, in addition to the bar’s tag team system. Josh, the restaurant manager, checked in with and greeted us. Very friendly and attentive staff. Bustling restaurant, so it was really too loud. We barely could hear one another. Lol Seems this location will do very well. 👍

Dmitriy Turbo

Outstanding atmosphere paired with exceptional cuisine. Our server Max was spot-on with recommendations and incredibly attentive throughout the evening. Easily one of our best dining experiences

Kyle Travis

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had an amazing time at the brand-new Beni Hana in San Mateo! Our server, Mouhammad, and our cook, Josue, were both fantastic—friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience so much fun. The food was delicious, and the service was top-notch. Highly recommend this location!

Justina Victoriano

Wonderful experience celebrating a family birthday at the new location. Very clean and beautiful inside. Excellent service from Tony! He was so attentive and accommodating, we were all so grateful.

We had such a wonderful time at this hibachi restaurant! The food was delicious especially the Japanese Wagyu and the atmosphere was so much fun. Our server, Mahir, made the whole experience even better — he was incredibly friendly, attentive, and made us feel so welcome. We left feeling really happy and taken care of. Thank you, Mahir, for such great service — we’ll definitely be back!

Had a fantastic time at Benihana during my recent visit! The chefs were incredibly skilled — it was impressive to watch them prepare everything right in front of us with such precision and flair. The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, and cooked perfectly. What truly made the experience memorable was our server, Sabin. He was professional, kind, and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed.

Mouhammad was very attentive and helpful. Made sure to come by often to check in. Danny was great and made sure to keep the vibe up. Answered all our questions too.

So excited to have Benihana closer to home.. Roger is doing a great job managing the restaurant. Our server was Azad was extremely friendly and attentive. Our chef was Dixon and he was a great chef! Made it super fun for our kids! We came for Easter and they had an Easter bunny 🐰 so fun!

Muhammad was a great server, very polite and professional. We been served by him couple times and always is an outstanding service.

Armando did a great Job with are food he was entertaining and attentive are Food was delicious I would say my best experience we have had at Benihanas in a long time we will definitely come back to this location and recommend our friends.

My husband and I sat at the bar, our experience was awesome! Jackie was our server, she was very attentive. She did a great job explaining the menu and options. She also is very friendly, as were the other people behind the bar. There happy hour looks amazing, I will be back! Thank you Ana

I was so excited to try this new restaurant location, and it did not disappoint! We were pleasantly surprised by the welcoming atmosphere and attentive service. Our server, Tony, was excellent, and Chef Dixon prepared a fantastic meal. I’m already looking forward to our next visit!

Another great lunch at the NEW Bridgepointe Benihana! We chose to sit at the Bar this visit and we were not disappointed! Our master mixologist, RYAN, started us off with some delightful cocktails. He proceeded to take our order and within minutes, we were enjoying our soup and salad. The bar manager, JOSH, stopped by to check in on us, and spent some time telling us about the opening of the new location. He was professional, and yet very personable with a great sense of humor! RYAN made sure our glasses were never empty and served entrées which were fantastic - hot & fresh! We will definitely be back for the great service, a staff that makes you feel apart of the community and the delicious meal!

A wonderful experience to enjoy with the family, delicious food and an excellent demonstration by the chef. We will definitely be back!

Had a great time at Benihana! Chef Adan was amazing — fun, talented, and made the whole meal a show. Our waiter Sabin was super friendly and attentive. The manager even stopped by to check on us, which was a nice touch. Great service all around!

My family and I have been waiting for the new Benihana location in San Mateo to open. Last night, on only their 5th day after their opening, we had a delightful experience. Our server was great! She was friendly and made good recommendations as she explained the menu. She asked whether we have any food allergies (we do) and noted it on our order. Chef Sergio also did a fantastic job. My children really enjoyed his cooking and the whole experience with him. Being a newly open restaurant with I think a mostly new crew, there are some kinks left to be smoothed out. Apparently we were short-changed a bit on shrimps and Chef Sergio asked the kitchen for three more shrimps so we all get the correct amount. I don't think I would notice the shortfall though. There is always a bit of waiting to get seated even with reservations (true at all Benihana locations we ever visited), and this is no different (~20 minutes on a week night). We were offered some hors d'oeuvres while we wait, which was nice. YMMV.

Jacky was absolutely great! Answered all our questions and was really polite. We didn’t even notice her shoes until someone mentioned it

Mahir was the best server today!! He was so attentive. Spoke a couple of Spanish words he knew to my mom and grandma. I appreciated how attentive he was my drink was never empty!

I had a wonderful experience at Benihana, thanks to our amazing server! He was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. His warm attitude and great service truly added to the fun and delicious dining experience! His name was Mahir :)) AWESOME SERVER!

Armando our chef was great, everything was prepared perfectly. Our server Major was very attentive. Thank you

Armando was an excellent and engaging chef! Shae was an attentive and friendly server. We will be back!

Everything was great! Joanna, Roger and Dixon were so nice and the service was exceptional! The food was delicious! We had a blast!

Our chef Armando did a spectacular job and both entertainment and food prep. Will certainly be going here again in the future with family and friends.

Vlad was our server, he constantly was a great energy and kept spirits up before our chef showed up. Shout out to Vlad for being a genuine and wonderful soul while providing excellent service in helping us clean our tables and checking on if we needed anything.

Armando was a great chef and very entertaining while he did it!!! Cooked our food to perfection and even accommodated my request for no pepper. Will definitely go back!

Tonight was a blast! Special thanks to Chef Brian for making my nephews' 1st time to Benihana a memorable one.

Great lunch experience. Staff were very friendly and our server was excellent - courteous, attentive and engaging. He took the time to go through the menu with us since it has been some time since we’ve been to a Benihana. Chef Marco was delightful and entertaining. We enjoyed our lunch sets. Nice new restaurant with very clean bathrooms.

This review is LONG LONG overdue. I just decided to write this now because I thought I had previously, but I guess I never did. Anyway, long time back I took my girlfriend here for a little date night, everything was great from the food to the service to the atmosphere. At the end when it was time to pay our bill, I realized I left my fricken wallet at home (all the way back in Atherton) - I was freaking out but whoever the manager was, was SO KIND and accommodating. He trusted me to come back the next day with my wallet to pay the bill, (which I did of course) - I was just randomly thinking about that moment and needed to come write a good review for this location. Thank you for your trust and understanding.

Great experience at Benihana. Our waiter, Sajin, was very attentive and got us everything we needed. Would definitely come again and want Sajin as our waiter!

Kayla was such an amazing hostess at our table for NYE…although it was very busy and there were many other tables to wait, she made sure our table was satisfied and had everything they needed. The great service from Kayla made our dinner very enjoyable!

Went for a birthday party of 8 had a great time everything was except the cook was a little not experienced enough but got the job done..

Chef Armando was great! Excellent cooking and dancing skills. We had such a great experience! Made us laugh the whole time

Great food, service, and experience for an event or birthday.

The place is lovely, not only the food was amazing and delicious, but the workers were so kind. The food tasted excellent and my steak was soooo good. Our worker, Armando, was so lovely and had such great energy too, constantly matching our vibe

Glad to have Vlad as our server. Vlad has a great vibe about him and we were more than happy to experience Benihana’s for the first time with him.

The manager Lucio was so nice!! He was very attentive and made sure we had a pleasant evening.

I had an excellent experience with Mohammed! From start to finish, he was professional, attentive, and genuinely committed to providing great service. He took the time to understand what I needed, communicated clearly throughout, and went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect.

After having a terrible experience, I want to say Thank You to Grace for making it right! The food was amazing, the service top tier, and a huge difference from my initial experience.

Love this San Mateo location. Just needs better lighting for grill ( table by front window )

Been a Benihana Customer ever since! Glad they open one here in San Mateo.

The place was amazing and the energy was high!!! It is a very entertaining location and very family friendly!!! Special shout out to the chef Armando! He was very nice and enthusiastic!!! Definitely recommend coming here and requesting him!!!

Do I smell a comeback?! I’m honestly so happy Benihana is making a return. Out of all the Bay Area locations, this one is hands-down my favorite. Shelly, Jaqueline, and Brian — you were all amazing! Cupertino and Burlingame… you might want to take a few notes. 😉🔥

Armando is the man. Great hibachi chef good professionalism, fun, and exciting. Would come again

We visited Benihana to celebrate my daughter’s birthday with another family! We had a 6:30 p.m. reservation on a weekday, and although the restaurant was already quite full and lively, we were seated right away with no wait. Our chef, Brian, was fantastic! Not only was the food delicious and served at a perfect pace, but his cooking performance was fun and entertaining for both kids and adults. The restaurant is very kid-friendly and a great spot for families. We all had a wonderful time, and I’d definitely love to come back again!

He was really good 👍 he was very funny for his audience. The food was delicious. Thanks Armando - from your biggest 8year old fan

Tony took such great care for my bday celebration. He added special touches and was so informative and gave me a birthday to remember!!! We will be back again and request Tony to be our server for sure!! -Heidi

Ryan took really good care of us, very attentive and friendly. Made the experience extra fun for my little one. Lucio was also very attentive and checked on us a couple of times. Both made sure we were having a good experience and had what we needed. Sergio was our chef and he was very good. The music and ambiance was nice, great to see a Benihana open up a this new location. Overall I highly recommend this spot! Family friendly.

Our server Mouhammad was phenomenal went above and beyond for everyone at the table. Our chef was amazing and the food was delicious!

Had an amazing time and birthday dinner at the Benihana, San Mateo. Our server Vlad and our chef Brian are both phenomenal! Thanks for an amazing time!

Benihana Bridgepointe San Mateo was an amazing experience for my son’s bday. Our server Mouhammad was so courteous and efficient and he took care of every detail to make my son feel special. The service was fast and the ambiance was awesome. Our chef Josue was very skilled and we are truly happy we chose Benihana to celebrate the special day.

Kayla was such an amazing hostess for our table. Although it was a very busy time and there were many tables to be waited on, she made sure our table had everything we needed. Thank you so much Kayla, you’re very hardworking!! The drinks did take a long time so I would recommend walking to the bar and getting them there.

Huge shoutout to Chef Brian and our waiter Mohammad! They truly made our lunch unforgettable. The food was incredible, the show was amazing, and their personalities made the whole experience feel special. This is hands down one of our best Benihana visits ever. Thank you both!

Had an amazing time at Benihana with my wife! We sat at the bar and Parker was our server he was absolutely incredible. Super friendly, attentive, and always made sure we had everything we needed. His energy and hospitality really made the night special for us. Great service, great atmosphere. We’ll definitely be back huge thanks to Parker for making it such a great experience!

This was our second time dining at Beniha, and both visits have been absolutely wonderful! 😎 We came for the Thanksgiving🦃 dinner and had such a great time! Our server was kind, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. The chef prepared each dish beautifully, and the fried rice was my favorite. So yummy! Overall an excellent experience. We were truly happy to spend our Thanksgiving here. Thank you to the whole team for the amazing work!

Benihana is always an amazing experience, with delicious food and a great atmosphere!

We had such a great experience! The food was delicious, and it was fascinating to watch Chef Si Thu cook right in front of us. Everything was fresh and perfectly done. What really made the evening memorable was the service. Maks took amazing care of us, he was attentive, quick, and genuinely thoughtful. We never had to ask for anything because he noticed every detail and made sure we felt comfortable the entire time. Our glasses were always full, and everything ran so smoothly. The restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere, lively yet comfortable, and you can tell the team truly cares about what they do. Everything from start to finish was excellent. We’ll definitely be back.

Had our family of five, four adults and one child. The dinner was fantastic! Delicious food, Chef Danny did a great job. We always have a difficult order, no garlic on two of our dinners and he nailed it perfectly. Kayla our server was attentive and friendly. Highly recommend! Will be coming back for sure

Outstanding atmosphere paired with exceptional cuisine. Our server Max was spot-on with recommendations and incredibly attentive throughout the evening. Easily one of our best dining experiences

The food was absolutely delicious, and the staff, especially the manager, went above and beyond to ensure we left Benihana happy and feeling that every penny was well spent. Though there were many people waiting in line, the seating process was quick and efficient. We really enjoyed the lively atmosphere, and the chef and our server was amazing!

+1

enjoyed a birthday celebration last night. though we had to wait 40 minutes past our scheduled reservation, we were very pleased with the service (mahalo Mouhammad and Jerswyn - excellent job) and chef David cooked our food to perfection while entertaining us the way only Benihana chefs do! aloha

We visited Benihana San Mateo today to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and it was an amazing experience. Sajin gave us outstanding hospitality and service from start to finish. He patiently explained the entire menu, helped us choose the best options, and made sure we were comfortable the whole time. He took great care of us and really made the celebration special. Excellent service and great vibes — highly recommend!

Wonderful experience celebrating a family birthday at the new location. Very clean and beautiful inside. Excellent service from Tony! He was so attentive and accommodating, we were all so grateful.

Brian the chef was cheery, great entertainer and prepared delicious food ! Mouhammad was very nice, attentive, extended extra special care as boxing the steam rice, took care and attention to extra request and details , very pleasant and respectful! Appreciate both ! made the Birthday celebration SPECIAL , beautiful singing 🎶 Thank you Very Much !!!!!

We had an amazing experience at Benihana! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was fun, and everything was prepared perfectly. Our server, Mouhammad, was outstanding — extremely kind, professional, attentive, and welcoming. He truly went above and beyond and made our experience even better. It was my birthday and also my first time ever visiting Benihana, and I was genuinely impressed. I had a great time and felt very well taken care of. Highly recommend this location, and especially Mouhammad. We will definitely be coming back!

Food was amazing, our chef was Dixon and he was very entertaining and made our food very flavorful. Mouhammad was our server, he was very attentive and didn’t miss a thing we asked for and needed. He always came back to ask if we needed anything else, he made sure our drinks were full and side sauces were full. Very polite and kind and I hope he gets to take care of us again!

Good time at Benihana. My aunt comes at least monthly. We used to go to the Burlingame location, but now we have a closer location here in San Mateo. Today was our first time visiting this location. We had a good time. We were seated quickly because we have during lunch time. Our server Tony was swift and helped us take our order. Our chef, Elijah, came not much after. He had silly fun vibes. It was a pleasure to have him entertain and cook for us. He was very attentive to our preferences in our meals. After our meal, Tony and the manager Lucio came out to personally sing happy birthday to my mom. Overall another great experience in Benihana and this is the location we will start coming to from now on.

Celebrating a birthday on the evening of December 8 and we had the BEST time. Our server Mouhammad was absolutely fantastic. Attentive and kind, we really felt taken care of. Brian was a fantastic chef too. We loved the show and all the laughs. The host was also fantastic. What a great team! We will be back, thank you!

Had a great experience at Benihana. The food is really good, the people are friendly and attentive, and the teppanyaki cooking is both entertaining and impressive. The chefs clearly take pride in their craft, which makes the whole meal fun and memorable. Highly recommend the filet mignon it’s tender, flavorful, and cooked beautifully. One quick tip: double check your plate when it comes out, since the New York steak and filet mignon can look similar and occasionally get mixed up. Overall, a great spot for a solid meal, good energy, and an enjoyable dining experience.

I had a wonderful experience at Benihana. The chefs cooked the food right in front of us, and it was not only delicious but also very entertaining. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. Our server, Mohamad, was outstanding—very friendly, attentive, and professional. He made sure we were comfortable the entire time and that everything was exactly how we wanted it. His service truly made the experience even better.

Elie Abi-Nader

Had a great experience at Benihana. The food is really good, the people are friendly and attentive, and the teppanyaki cooking is both entertaining and impressive. The chefs clearly take pride in their craft, which makes the whole meal fun and memorable. Highly recommend the filet mignon it’s tender, flavorful, and cooked beautifully. One quick tip: double check your plate when it comes out, since the New York steak and filet mignon can look similar and occasionally get mixed up. Overall, a great spot for a solid meal, good energy, and an enjoyable dining experience.

THE LAND

I had a wonderful experience at Benihana. The chefs cooked the food right in front of us, and it was not only delicious but also very entertaining. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. Our server, Mohamad, was outstanding—very friendly, attentive, and professional. He made sure we were comfortable the entire time and that everything was exactly how we wanted it. His service truly made the experience even better.

Teresa Perry

Celebrating a birthday on the evening of December 8 and we had the BEST time. Our server Mouhammad was absolutely fantastic. Attentive and kind, we really felt taken care of. Brian was a fantastic chef too. We loved the show and all the laughs. The host was also fantastic. What a great team! We will be back, thank you!

Jean Liu

This was our second time dining at Beniha, and both visits have been absolutely wonderful! 😎 We came for the Thanksgiving🦃 dinner and had such a great time! Our server was kind, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. The chef prepared each dish beautifully, and the fried rice was my favorite. So yummy! Overall an excellent experience. We were truly happy to spend our Thanksgiving here. Thank you to the whole team for the amazing work!

Just tried the new Benihana at Bridgepointe Center in San Mateo for a celebratory work lunch. Our group was 8 so we had our own hibachi grill to ourselves. Love how they converted the old Red Robin restaurant to a Benihana. The interior was red and black with huge stainless steel vents over the grills. The place felt clean, fresh and new. Our server was engaging and attentive and our chef was very diligent in accommodating our food restrictions. Two of us were gluten-free plus I was allergic to seafood. Normally Benihana chefs just keep the meats and seafood separate on the grill but he cooked everything first before the seafood. He even showed us the gluten-free soy sauce bottle. Well-done, chef! Come for lunch; it's much more affordable than dinner and not crowded so you receive excellent service. Lunch Duet is the way to go: you get get a choice of 2 proteins, veggies, soup and rice for just under $30. The portion is just right. Tip: start eating your food once it's plated so it's hot. We were all being polite by waiting for everyone's food to cook, so needless to say some of our food was lukewarm. Otherwise, great fun! Will come again.

G G

Just tried the new Benihana at Bridgepointe Center in San Mateo for a celebratory work lunch. Our group was 8 so we had our own hibachi grill to ourselves. Love how they converted the old Red Robin restaurant to a Benihana. The interior was red and black with huge stainless steel vents over the grills. The place felt clean, fresh and new. Our server was engaging and attentive and our chef was very diligent in accommodating our food restrictions. Two of us were gluten-free plus I was allergic to seafood. Normally Benihana chefs just keep the meats and seafood separate on the grill but he cooked everything first before the seafood. He even showed us the gluten-free soy sauce bottle. Well-done, chef! Come for lunch; it's much more affordable than dinner and not crowded so you receive excellent service. Lunch Duet is the way to go: you get get a choice of 2 proteins, veggies, soup and rice for just under $30. The portion is just right. Tip: start eating your food once it's plated so it's hot. We were all being polite by waiting for everyone's food to cook, so needless to say some of our food was lukewarm. Otherwise, great fun! Will come again.

Denielle Arensen

My husband and I had a nice lunch at this new Benihana restaurant. We had eaten at several other ones and were very excited when they opened this new one. I was extremely happy to not have to wait the typical 45 minutes we usually have to wait even with a reservation. We had an early reservation (11:30) though. However when we left (12:50) there were swarms of people waiting. Dixon was our chef and he did good. He opened with the standard fork and spatula toss and dropped them a few times (as well as the shrimp tail toss) however he was trying his best and was pleasant. He cooked our food the way we asked and that was more important. Azad was our server and he was excellent. He was very polite and attentive to our every need. I especially enjoyed Roger who stopped by to see how our experience was. It was a nice touch and showed the management cared.

The only reason I didn’t give this place 5 stars was because of the wait time. I am not a fan of waiting and even with a reservation, still had to wait about 30 minutes to be seated. Apart from that, the food is your usual delicious Benihana food and the service here is wonderful! Our chef was fun and did a great job. Tony is one of the best waiters. He’s so attentive, fun and just made the whole experience even better. If you do end up going, be prepared to wait but don’t forget to ask for Tony! You won’t regret it :)

We had a great time with our server Azad and our chef David! The food was delicious and the experience is worth the price for a special evening! Meat quality and quantity was perfect, but drink service was not quite 5 stars.

I’ve been going to Benihana restaurant(s) for over 40 years. I most often frequent the Cupertino and the Burlingame locations. This is the first time we visit the San Mateo location. I will preface this review by saying that the servers & restaurant staff were accommodating & lovely. However, I honestly contemplated removing an additional star because of the terrible experience we had with the poor ventilation. We sat in the room at the back of the restaurant (almost like a private room which we were excited about). Little did we know & Unlike every other Benihana I’ve ever visited, in this particular room they had no fans overhead. The smoke from the food was literally choking us. Everybody in our party was coughing and could barely breathe at certain points during the cooking. Honestly, I am shocked that this restaurant is allowed to operate in that room with so little ventilation!! It is a health hazard. Also, I’d like to mention that the floors are slippery, so please be careful!

Beautiful interior, excellent service, fresh delicious teppanyaki 5 course meal. Delicious mixed drinks. Our server Jamilette was very nice and attentive.

Decided to try out the new Benihana rather than going to the other one just to see how it compared. The food was great, our chef Hein was awesome, very friendly, more than happy to accommodate special requests, and did a lot of tricks to put on an entertaining show for us. Only issue was that it was impossible to hear anything since we were placed in an isolated echo chamber in a separate room away from the main dining room. To top it off, the only other table in that room had 6 children screaming and smacking each other in the open with rolled up chefs hats while the parents drank themselves to sleep. Miserable experience for us, but those parents seemed to be having a very nice dream giggling while passed out. Overall going back to the old Benihana at Burlingame since this sucked. If I wanted to spend 2 hours listening to children screaming I'd go have a picnic at a park or something, not go to a restaurant.

Overall good but not great. Dining room is very crowded and could use better ventilation. Food was good - just what you expect.

My husband and I had a nice lunch at this new Benihana restaurant. We had eaten at several other ones and were very excited when they opened this new one. I was extremely happy to not have to wait the typical 45 minutes we usually have to wait even with a reservation. We had an early reservation (11:30) though. However when we left (12:50) there were swarms of people waiting. Dixon was our chef and he did good. He opened with the standard fork and spatula toss and dropped them a few times (as well as the shrimp tail toss) however he was trying his best and was pleasant. He cooked our food the way we asked and that was more important. Azad was our server and he was excellent. He was very polite and attentive to our every need. I especially enjoyed Roger who stopped by to see how our experience was. It was a nice touch and showed the management cared.

Music was much too loud, but turned down after request. "New" menu felt like fewer options. Mostly 5 and 6 course meals at the grill tables that seat 8-9 reasonably comfortably, but sushi and other appetizers available too. Chicken Fried Rice portions seemed skimpier than previous visits at other locations and rather pricey. Need to practice more on the entertainment aspect. Sang Happy Birthday with complimentary ice cream for BD person. Provided printed group photo. They have a nice Friends With Benefits rewards program. Sign up well ahead of your dinner day and bring your smartphone. Variety of bar drinks.

I rarely give a perfect score, but I would like to give this location a 4.8 stars. The letdown was the soup, it was a bit salty for my taste. All of our orders were cooked cooler than perfect temperatures. I highly recommend that you eat them as soon as it gets to your plate. Our chef was entertaining, participated, and performed better with our robustious encouragements. Our server was accommodating and joined us in our festivities. I've been to most of the Benihanas in the Bay area, this location has easy access, plenty of parking, and friendlier staffs.

Narc Peralta

I rarely give a perfect score, but I would like to give this location a 4.8 stars. The letdown was the soup, it was a bit salty for my taste. All of our orders were cooked cooler than perfect temperatures. I highly recommend that you eat them as soon as it gets to your plate. Our chef was entertaining, participated, and performed better with our robustious encouragements. Our server was accommodating and joined us in our festivities. I've been to most of the Benihanas in the Bay area, this location has easy access, plenty of parking, and friendlier staffs.

Benihana is a place you go where you pay for both food and the cooking show happening in front of you. I got the hibachi chicken, and it was just okay 👍 The steak wagyu was yummy 😋

Food is always great here. BUT the service for curbside pick up sucks I always have to call them to bring me my curbside order out otherwise they will not bring it out to you! To top it off you put cutlery in the order and there's never any in the bag so you end up having to go inside anyways! They dont care weather your handicap or not apparently its sad! Curbside pick up needs to be better!

The service and chef were great, but the food..... I'm not sure how this is considered hibachi. It literally had no flavor at all. They charge to add teriyaki sauce to the meat (crazy) so I assume it's like that with everything else maybe. They also serve steamed rice instead of fried rice (weird) and it cost me $8 for a bowl of flavorless fried rice. The veggies came out individually and again, flavorless. Who wants to eat mushrooms and onions plain and by themselves? I have been to many other hibachi restaurants and this is not only the worst, but the most expensive, so it's double disappointing. The portion size was also so small that we finished all of our food. That never happens for me. I'm sure this is just how they do things and if you're used to it, that's cool. This review is for those others who are accustomed to a certain type of hibachi and have an expectation of flavor.

We decided to visit this new location as we are regular patrons of the Burlingame location. Upon arrival, we found the establishment to be spacious with several vacant tables. The service was adequate, although the prices have increased without the weekend duet deals. Unfortunately, our experience was marred by a drinking glass that had lipstick stains. Overall, the food and service were satisfactory. However, we will not be coming or visiting on weekends in the future

They don’t have tables for those that don’t want to see the show. Instead, they have two grills where the chef will still cook in front of you but no show and you have 90 minutes to finish your meal, thus it’s called “power lunch.” Menu is limited to just steak and shrimp and the shrimp you get isn’t even jumbo rather it’s the small kine they give as appetizers. Our food was a bit on the salty side and the chicken fried rice was premade with too much black pepper. The fried rice should be made on the grill as well! Service was lacking big time! Server didn’t bother to check up on us and even forgot to replace the dirty plate when requested.

Good food, but so small servings. Took long for an appetizer. The server is very helpful on giving the price on the orders. I don’t know if he thinks I can’t afford it. I don’t see anyone helping with orders from the bar lounge. A few customers have to walk up to the bar and asked to be served. The food takes awhile to get minimum of 30-45 minutes to get a simple fried rice.

Too many people they take reservations, but allow all the walk-ins they want so when you get there, you have to wait 45 minutes to an hour To be seated at your table, our reservation was at 7:30. We didn’t end up leaving until around 10:40 Food service is very slow not really enjoyable what’s the point of having a reservation if you can’t be seated when you get there at Your reserved time

I am rooting for this San Mateo location to be successful. Unfortunately, our 730 dinner reservations were running an hour late. The hosts were overwhelmed with frustrated diners. Shrimp was undercooked and chef realized the grill wasn’t heating properly. Chef moved to another grill and we lost the traditional chef show experience. Hope things get better here.

I was excited to try this new spot, having enjoyed teppanyaki before at an all-inclusive resort. We had a 7:15 reservation but didn't get seated until 7:55. The place was packed, and the wait was way longer than expected. Once seated, it felt pretty crowded; our table had nine people squeezed together. We ordered the specialty beef and seafood combinations (which were 6-course meals) for the adults and kids combination, but it was surprising that fried rice would cost extra. We didn't finish until almost 10 pm. The teppanyaki show was decent, but it was hard to hear the chef's jokes over the noise. There were fewer performance highlights than the all-inclusive resort we tried before. Overall, the experience wasn't great. We spent nearly three hours and over $200 for what I'd call okay food. I'd probably choose a different restaurant next time.

An extremely bad experience - This review is for the cupertino location. It was our first time trying the restaurant and we made a reservation for 7:15. We arrived on time and were told that the table is ready shortly. Of course. That's not true and by the time we waited for 40 minutes, we were told that the next table is us and of course that was not true again... We lost patience and left... Also it was like multiple groups of people waiting in the tiny lounge area and a lot of people were coughing...What's the point of having a reservation system when you still have to go wait and get lied at the face... Extremely horrible management, a shame to this brand!

Waited 20+ more min to get seated than my reserve time. And then when seated, waited another 25min for the food to even get started.

Never go to Benihana first of all it takes 40 minutes for the chef to finally arrive. The staff are extremely busy and never come to your table to help you second everything here is ridiculously expensive it’s they also didn’t have like the only reason to come here and the person next to us had a dirty cup that was handed to them for their beer. It was just unclean and disgusting and their ventilator didn’t work so there was smoke blowing in my face for the full 20 minutes where they were doing the cooking and my eyes started tearing up and it was horrible. Our chef was also a lunatic and we couldn’t understand what the waiter was saying at all and the waiter also kept asking us if we wanted rice or extra sauce which cost extra but we were not told that overall I would highly not recommend coming here unless you’re ready to get scammed and smoked out. They also sat us at a place that the ventilator didnt work. The cherry on top is the lemonade tastes like watered down minute maid. for the love of god dont go here pls

We have been going to Benihanas and later Aokis all over since the 1980s. It used to be good. Its way too expensive now for the quality of meats and portions they provide. The meats are very thin and the portions are small. I dont mind paying $$$$$ but it has to be worth it. Get some high quality meats.