Came here to watch the Dodger game at the bar and it was a great experience. The bartender Alonzo was very attentive. The manager Alexus made sure to check on my group and assist us with anything we needed. Highly recommend dining here.

Last time I came here and left a review for Matthew on Yelp and sung his praises. Since then I had been on hiatus, but coming again to Benihana a year later to my delight I saw Matthew again at the bar/lounge area and he helped us once more. Matthew is a genuine soul that really does care about delivering excellent customer service with humor and a smile. I really appreciate his efforts along with Jose and Alonzo in making Benihana a special place to eat. In the past I knew Benihana as a place with theatrical dinner, but now I’ll always remember it as Matthew and Company at the bar. Thanks for all that you do!

I had an amazing experience just stopping in after work for happy hour. Maribel was absolutely wonderful at the bar and made sure I was well taken care of. Brian was attentive and kind as well as the manager on duty Jacob. Great team at the Torrance location! 😊

Had a great time eating here with my family. Prices per person varied between $20-$55 (The lobster tail was pricy but very delicious). Everything was yummy and the sauces were very appreciated. Chef Chan took great care of us and put on a good show.

Truly a dinner and a show. And if you're a fan of butter, this is the place for you. They're willing to push the boundaries to add butter to everything to make it delicious. Staff was fantastic as well and were generous with giving us extras.

Gabby was excellent! I’ve eaten here over 20 times and she was top 3 servers, especially for it to be a crowded day after Christmas. She was on it, plus the food was A1 as always. Ty Gabrielle!

Our server Nicholas was such a delight! He was attentive and so very kind, even with all the chaos of the restaurant on a Saturday night. We would definitely come back and request him as our server. He made our experience better because before we got seated we had to wait an hour even though we had reservations at 7 pm so we were upset to have to wait till 8 pm to get seated. The reservation system needs to be better here. However Nicholas was the bright spot with our table for the night and we appreciated his happy vibes!

We came here for 2 Birthday celebrations and Earl was great in the celebration with his funniness and magic! It was a fun night and it was all thanks to Earl!!🥳⭐️🤩✨💫👏🙌🏻🎉🤩🌟⭐️

C3lebrating my hubby's bday. Chris our cook was excellent. Daniel our server was amazing as well. Overall a great experience. This is the Benihana my hubby and I had our first date back in the 90's. So nice to be back.

This by far my best experience. Our waitress Jeanine went over and beyond she checked on us periodically. Our chef Earl made our food with passion. Just the best overall best experience.

Joslyn with her beautiful smile greeted us at the front. Two other employees were there just as enthusiastic welcoming us in. The atmosphere was full of chatter. Our meal was delicious! LEIA and I were there celebrating her excellent grades! Her suggestion. LEIA enjoyed her meal so much she suggested we bring her Papa for dinner. Thanks for a joyful time. See you soon!!

12-03-25 We're glad to come back to this Benihana restaurant in Torrance. We had stopped coming here a while back because the service was bad. We always had to look for our server to get refills on our drinks or to add appetizers to our dinner. My family and I decided to come here for dinner tonight to celebrate two birthdays. Our chef Andre was great, he was funny and very skilled with his cooking tools giving us a great cooking show. Our server Silva was awesome! She was very nice and polite. Silva was on top of everything, we never had to ask her for refills on our drinks and she was constantly checking on our table to make sure we didn't need anything. Thank you Silva and Andre for making our dinning experience at the Torrance Benihana fun.

Our servers Frankie and Jessie took care of all the little details. It was the first time for our grandchildren to see the chef prepare all the foods. They had a blast! We made reservations early in the day and got seated right away! 20 out of 5 stars! Loved my sake flight too! God bless all the staff!

Great food as always, entertaining chief with props and did magic! Price is what you'd expect, but interesting new thing, they try to sell you upgraded beef and garlic butter... A little infomercial before you order. Funny but seems unnecessary when you know it's already going to cost more than most restaurants.

I love the atmosphere and how friendly the staff are. They go out their way to make you feel comfortable and leaving happy. The food is amazing and cooked to perfection. The chefs make sure you are happy with the way your meal is prepared. I love it here and will keep coming back

It has been a while since I visited here. It's better to make a reservation for this place. Very professional staff and the servers and cooks are all amazing. The food was cooked right in front of me. It was hot, fresh, and excellent. I recommend the trio that includes soup, salad, steamed or fried rice, trio being chicken, filet mignon and shrimp, and dessert😍

+4

We came for my husbands birthday and it was so much fun! Earl was our cook and he was just so great! He made our night great! Definitely recommend this place and Earl!!!

Wow, this Benihana has made some great changes to improve customer service and overall dining experience. We haven’t been here in over a year because the service was slow and the wait time for a chef was almost unbearable. However, tonight was a different experience. The servers were quick and plentiful, the chef arrived at our table quickly, the atmosphere was positive. You can see the servers and staff communicating. They were working together as a team. We celebrated my daughter’s 16th birthday! Thank you!!!

Our host greeted us with a smile and the service team was amazing. Earl, our chef topped off the evening with a mouthwatering and delicious feast of seafood steak and chicken. The chicken fried rice is a must-add to your meal!

Johnvel was absolutely outstanding! From the moment we sat down, his energy lit up the entire experience. Not only was he incredibly attentive and professional, but his charisma and sense of humor made the night unforgettable. He masterfully balanced entertaining the table while keeping everything running smoothly — drinks were always full, courses were timed perfectly, and he made everyone at the table feel genuinely welcomed. The way he personalized the experience for each guest made it clear that he genuinely cares about his craft. It’s rare to find someone who combines top-tier service with such a warm, engaging personality. If you're dining at Benihana in Torrance, ask for Johnvel — he truly elevates the entire evening.

Great customer service , Great Team Denise & Juan are great people who have great customer service and great cook . Them two make a great team I feel like they need a raise . Food made out of love , customer services is fantastic. I love this new power lunch should keep it .

Great time! Christopher, our server, was attentive and efficient. He did a great job making sure the orders were accurate and the guests' needs were met. Chef Ale did a great job! Very personable and nice knife skills. An enjoyable time all around

Thursday night is a busy night. Even though it was really loud inside and we had to wait for a bit we had an amazing knife-throwing experience! Food tasted great! Chef Saul put on a great show and Johnny looked after us really well. Recommended and will go again.

Greatest staff and food in the So. Bay! Jason, Jacob and staff all treat me like family and I truly enjoy coming here as a regular for over 35 yrs! Keep up the good work, guys!

My lunch duet with scallops and chicken was absolutely delicious, perfectly paired with hibachi fried rice and shrimp tempura. I had an amazing time—both my waiter and chef were excellent and did a fantastic job. I highly recommend asking for Anthony as your waiter and Andre as your chef!

Super fun and the food quality was top notch. Chris was super helpful. Earl was so funny we laughed the whole time. Earl killed the filet. Best seasoned filet I’ve had in a while.

We visited this location today, traveled from Houston, to celebrate my Mom's Birthday!!! Awesome service!!! The Chef Juan was so much fun!!! Food was a delicious as back home in Houston. Thank you for an awesome experience!!!

Hands down the best Benihana! Our cook Joseph was amazing—fun, talented, and engaging. Our server Kenneth was attentive and friendly, which made the whole experience even better. We’ll definitely be back!

Awesome food awesome service awesome experience. My only complaint is that they get a bit crowded but a restaurant like this is bound to draw a lot of people

This visit was by far the best visit I’ve had in a very long time. For awhile the service was so bad that we started going to another location but last night we had amazing service. Silvia was our waitress and she was so amazing!! She was very nice, helpful and always attentive to us and we didn’t have to ask for refills the entire night, which is something we’ve had to do serval times in past visits with other waiters/waitresses. We told Silvia how much we loved and appreciated her service because we unfortunately weren’t used to it at this location. Andre was our chef and he was also amazing and very funny and entertaining to watch and was very engaging. Silvia and Andre deserve all the praise. Overall this visit and experience was a 11/10 and we will definitely be coming back to this location after this visit.

Alonzo was truly exceptional from the moment we were seated to the very end of our meal. He didn’t just “serve” our table: he elevated the entire experience. His energy was engaging and infectious, and he struck the perfect balance between being entertaining and highly professional. At a hibachi restaurant, the experience is everything, and Alonzo delivered on every level. The food was absolutely packed with flavor and cooked to perfection, but what stood out just as much was the care and attention he put into every detail. He was attentive without being intrusive, made sure every guest felt included, and anticipated our needs before we even had to ask. Drinks were refilled seamlessly, special requests were handled effortlessly, and the pacing of the meal never skipped a beat. What truly sets Alonzo apart is his ability to create an atmosphere. He read the table perfectly, kept the energy lively, and made the experience feel personalized rather than routine. You can tell he takes pride in his work and genuinely cares about delivering a memorable dining experience. That kind of consistency, charisma, and attention to detail goes far beyond basic service expectations. Without hesitation, he is the best server I have ever had at a hibachi restaurant, and one of the best dining experiences I’ve had anywhere. Alonzo represents the very best of what hospitality should look like, and he absolutely deserves recognition for going above and beyond.

Juan our chef was incredibly nice very professional and very kind. He introduced vegetables to my youngest daughter and for our surprise she loves it! We can’t wait to go again! Also all the staff and managers were very kind and helpful

Our cook and server made our experience exceptional! The kids had a great time interacting with them! They made our food to our liking as wel. I definitely would come back

E. Eddington

We had an absolutely stellar experience at this Benihana. I had never been before, and it was explained to me as something similar to HuHot.... it was nothing like HuHot. It was so much better. They cook your food right infront of you, and the chef (we had a wonderful chef) will do tricks or fun stuff with your food. It was so much fun to watch, and even better to eat! The food was top notch, and perfectly cooked and seasoned. The waiter was very friendly, and always there if we needed anything. The place was exceptionally clean, and the vibe was very nice. Loved the experience, loved the people, and we loved the food. They were very good with my gluten free friend, and did very good at keeping his food clean and safe for him to eat! Bathrooms were clean, there was plenty of parking, and there was a wonderful staff! We had the lunch menue which was at a pretty good price ~ $20 per person. 10/10 I will definitely be coming by again, 100% give it a try, especially for special events or birthdays

+1

Shirley Nichols

FRANKIE - was definitely a very patient and very kind host and server that took care of my party full of 11yr olds! He was very accommodating! DARREN and SAUL were hilarious and energetic! Definitely will be back!

Fernando H.

Christopher our server was great, kept our drinks filled and was very friendly. Our chef was funny and food was tasty. Our only issue was with the female bartender, we sat there a few minutes before our table was ready and never took our order and she finally acknowledged us but said she was too busy making drinks. We never ordered drinks. Lol

Cosita Linda

I had an amazing time, the service was outstanding the food was delicious.

+12

Ranesha Scarbrough

My family and I had the pleasure of having Brian ( in the bar/lounge area ) as our server on Friday evening. His service was over and beyond, exceptionally great. He welcomed us with kindness and reassured that we were extremely comfortable through the entire night, even for our 2 yr old. He answered every question without hesitation regarding the $39 Taste of Benihana experience. And I must say, it was quite an AMAZING experience. 10/10, Highly Recommend.

Joseph Adame

I had a great dinner at Benihana! The atmosphere was fun and lively and the service really stood out. Our bartender, Alonso, was awesome super friendly attentive and made great drinks. He really added to the experience and made us feel welcome. The manager Alexus, also came by to check on us and made sure everything was perfect, which I really appreciated. Great food great people can’t wait to come back!

Evan Hammons

Food was really great and absolutely delicious. the service was perfect, our chef was absolutely phenomenal and put on a great performance, he was incredibly interactive and nice. The atmosphere was pretty good too.

Nancy Cabrel

We had an amazing time at Benihana! Frankie our server was hilarious, and so accommodating! Our chef Eric gave us an outstanding show and delicious eats! Definitely coming back with the whole family again! The whole staff was wonderful and the kids had a blast and loved when they came out to sing happy birthday! Thank you!

Isabel Villareal

It was our first time dining at Benihanas. We had the best experience! Chef Joey was skilled on the grill and very entertaining. The food was perfection and the show was wonderful. I would 100% come back and recommend this place to my family and friends. If you are in the Torrance area, I hope Chef Joey handles your service.

Shayesteh Fadaee

Amazing experience at Benihana! The food was incredibly fresh and full of flavor, and the service was perfect—friendly, fast, and attentive. The chef’s performance was fun to watch and made the meal even more special. Great atmosphere and a perfect spot for any occasion. Highly recommend.

Kool Kens

We went for my Mom and I’s birthday and Im happy to say we had an amazing time! Ximena gave us great service and made the occasion a very special one! Chef Juan was awesome too, and we enjoyed seeing all the cool tricks he did while preparing our food, and he was also great! 10/10, would absolutely come here again!

Ambiance and service was great for a birthday celebration! Thank you Frankie for the amazing hospitality! We will definitely return when we're back in town.

Ambiance and service was great for a birthday celebration! Thank you Frankie for the amazing hospitality! We will definitely return when we're back in town.

We had a fabulous birthday dinner tonight and Alonso made it the night. I grew up going to Benihana and loved the theatrics and the food. We loved sharing this experience with our children. We …

We had a fabulous birthday dinner tonight and Alonso made it the night. I grew up going to Benihana and loved the theatrics and the food. We loved sharing this experience with our children. We al…

ambiance and service was great for a birthday celebration! Thank you Frankie for the amazing hospitality! We will definitely return when we're back in town.

Ambiance and service was great for a birthday celebration! Thank you Frankie for the amazing hospitality! We will definitely return when we're back in town.

The food was amazing! service was great! Ahout out to Chris and Victor for great customer service and great food. Pre Valentines celeb plus dine LA 2026. It was a last minute decision. We were go…

Except for the very long wait time to get seated and the assigned server for our Teppan grill being newly trained and slightly clumsy. We had a great time and the Chef "Saul" was excellent, funny and very professional!

The food and service was amazing. The wait was a bit ridiculous. We were sat at a table with 2 other families. We all had a 3pm reservation and all arrived 10 to 15 minutes prior and didn't get seated until almost 4:30pm. We started eating about an hour after that. The chef and our waiter were super nice but the wait really unexpected especially as we had reservations. One of the other members at the table was gluten and dairy free so it was nice to see them accommodate that guest. Again overall it was great food but we were all incredibly grumpy by the time we sat down due to the wait.

Peter Babida

Haven't been here in decades! To be honest I had low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised! The food was tasty but a bit over salted. The "show" was good, our chef was funny, his showmanship could use a bit more showmanship. Service was a slow, we had reservations for 6:15 but we didn't get seated until 7. A good time overall

I was extremely dissatisfied with my recent visit. I was given a birthday gift card to use towards my meal which was not working with the PO system. Matt (bartender) was providing exceptional servi…

The bad: June 10, 2025.  My neice set reservations for 1:15 PM. I arrived at 1:00PM.  I'm still  sitting in the car and it's 2:00 pM.  There isn't any seating inside or outside for waiting guests. …

Great experience for the family! Our cook put on an amazing show and was very entertaining for the kids. The food was great and overly abundant! I don’t know I saw anyone not leaving with a to g…

I have been here several times in the past but this last visit was so disappointing. We literally had to wait for an hour because no cook was free to start the live cooking. Not a word of apology…

We enjoyed it. They are not doing the appetizer flinging or the sake from the bottle, I guess due to Covid. Drink service was a little slow, seems like the server had a lot of tables. Fried ric…

Understaffed and take on way too many reservations. We were there from 6pm-9pm. Spent most of the time waiting. 35 minutes for seats, 20 minutes for drinks, another 20 minutes for checks. while the staff is friendly service would go a long way if they had food runners or waiter assistances .

I sat at the bar for the happy hour menu at around 3:30pm. I was looking for a quick lunch and economical lunch. I ordered the spicy salmon roll, the crispy rice with yellowtail, and the pork gyoza. I was brought a salmon avocado roll and crispy rice with spicy tuna. It wasn’t very busy so I’m not sure why 2/3 items were incorrect. I let it go because I was in a rush, but realized that by accepting the salmon avocado roll I ended up paying more than anticipated because I had wanted the $6 spicy salmon and ended up with a $9 item instead. The food was fine and the service was fast, but my order was incorrect, and in the end, more expensive.

overpriced. there are other places that do the same thing as this place and have better food for lower prices. it's the most popular chain but that's where all the advantages end. go find another hibachi place to eat at instead of eating at this chain. food wasn't nasty but i would never recommend benihana.

My first time here. I had no idea if your group is small, that you share the table with another group. Strange, but ok especially with germs and stuff. The cook and his humor was great but the food was mediocre. You can get a great fried rice for less at a local Chinese food restaurant. Will I go back? No. It's not worth the cost.

I would rate our waiter Evan 5 stars, I have never seen someone push so hard and work so diligently to make sure everyone is happy. He definitely deserves a raise and did a phenomenal job. Was definitely the man of the hour!! Our chef was decent. But the reason I am only giving them three stars is that the woman’s bathroom was horrendous. They are extremely short staffed and need more people so if you are looking for a new job…. Maybe

I remember the waiting more than the food. It was over a year ago now. I went alone to Benihana. It is not a place made for a man alone. It is made for birthdays and applause. For bright drinks and children who are told when to laugh. I went anyway. They told me forty-five minutes. It was not forty-five minutes. An hour passed. Then another. There was talk among the people waiting. A chef had called out sick. There were supposed to be several, each with his own grill and his own crowd to entertain. Now there was only one man in a tall white hat moving between too many tables. He was already behind before he began. I could have left. I did not. There is something in a man that refuses to surrender time once he has invested it. It is foolish. It feels like discipline. When they called my name, I followed a server to a table of strangers. A boy in a baseball cap with his parents. Two women who had the look of having argued in the car. A man with his phone in his hand as if it were a small shield. No one greeted me. We had all been waiting too long. They said it had been nearly three hours for them. The boy said he was starving. He said it twice. Hunger makes people dramatic. The grill in front of us was clean and empty. It looked like a stage before the actor enters. When the chef came, he was sweating. Not only from the heat. From the work of trying to make something festive out of disappointment. “Sorry for the wait,” he said. He meant it. He began the show. The knives rang against the steel. He stacked onion rings and lit them. The flame rose up in a neat tower and flickered blue and orange. No one clapped. The boy looked at his phone. The women spoke to each other in low tones. The man filmed the onion for a second and then stopped, as if it had failed him. I watched his hands. They were steady. Good hands. He cut the chicken clean and turned the steak with care. He had done this a thousand times for tables that cheered. Tonight he performed for silence. The rice sizzled. The meat smoked. It smelled good. Fire and flesh rarely lie. But the food arrived too late to save the mood. The women ate without speaking. The boy shoveled rice into his mouth like it was work. The man put down his phone and chewed in quiet resentment. I tasted my steak. It was cooked well. The chef had not failed. The room had failed him. I felt something like shame for the table. It is hard to perform joy for people who have decided to be wronged. Waiting had stripped them of curiosity. Even the children did not care about fire. When he finished, the chef bowed slightly. “Thank you,” he said. It sounded like relief. One by one they left. No one lingered. The tip was calculated. The chairs scraped back. The night swallowed them. I stayed a moment. The chef wiped the grill. He looked tired in the way a man looks when his effort has not been met. I nodded at him. He nodded back. There was no need for words. He had done his work well under poor conditions. That is all a man can do. Outside, the air was clean and cold. I had waited nearly three hours for a meal I ate in fifteen minutes. There is something about endurance that reveals the shape of a place. It was not the steak I remembered. It was the way the room turned on itself. The way hunger makes children indifferent to spectacle. The way a man can do his best work and still be met with silence. I walked home alone, thinking that fire is not enough to move people when they are tired. And that sometimes a man in a tall white hat fights a quiet, losing battle with nothing but good hands and a hot grill.

We were promptly seated at 6:30, the chef did not arrive to cook our meals unit 8:09. After the chef was done with our table we realized my mom did not get her meal, so the chef started her cooking her meals unit at around 9:00. Our Chef was great and entertaining. Other than the extremely long wait and forgetting my mom’s meal it was good. The Australian waygu was great, a lot better than the American waygu. I do not recommend the American waygu.

In a word, disappointed. We had a noon reservation for the teppan table. Arrive about 5-minutes early then waiting until 20 minutes after our reservation to be seated. Then waited again. It took one hour from the time of our reservation to place our order. If you haven't been to this location, almost all of the tables are bunched together, creating a very warm, humid environment. Honestly, knowing people will be warn, cold water should be waiting for you when you sit. They make you wait for your full table to arrive before seating but, on the day we were there, there were 10 of us at one table, then 10 minutes later, they sat a single couple at the table directly across from us. 10 vs 2? Doesn't make sense to me. Your experience will depend on your waiter, chef and tablemates. We had very friendly and talkative tablemates so that was great. But our server was rushed and, as mentioned, took an hour to just place our order. Our total time there was over two hours! For lunch! Hope you don't have to get back to the office. The food was okay, freshly cooked but the portions have become very small for the price. We really used to enjoy going here but we both decided that this was our last trip. Hope your experience will be better than ours and...enjoy!

The seating situation was a disaster! We had a confirmed 6.30 reservation and we arrived on time. We were not seated until 7.30 pm. We got all different excuses for the long wait including “Open Table overbooked” “there was a big group “ and “two of the chefs didn’t show up”. This was totally unacceptable. Once we were seated, the waitress attending to our table was very nice and tried her best to pacify us and getting our soups, salads and drinks and appetizers. She kept apologizing and assuring us that the chef will be there soon. It was an hour before the chef came to our table to fix our dinner. By the time we finished, it was a 3 and a half hour dinner ordeal! What a disaster! This is the last time we are going to Benihana in Torrance! Just totally unacceptable and not a single apology or word from anyone in the management while we were at the table. Our Chef Jake was great and tried to make things lighter after knowing how upset we were. Thank you Jake!

Madhav Bewoor

Good food,great vibe with the chefs being friendly and putting on a show. Wagyu beef course is what I would recommend. However despite booking a table had to wait 35+ mins. for a table and then another 20+ minutes for the chef to arrive. Overbooked and understaffed.

I went to Benihana's for a birthday dinner and it was just OK. In my opinion I mean you're more paying for the ambience and the experience. The food was OK a bit salty for my liking but a fun place…

number you call is not torrance but the corporate office. The dingbat girl had no idea what i was talking about when i asked if Torrance still had their sushi bar open. Know what the heck you are …

Went to celebrate my wife's birthday with my family. The food was a little above average but the service was very good. On top of the $51.88 tip I was hit with a 18% service charge ($48.19). If the…

Went to celebrate my wife's birthday with my family. The food was a little above average but the service was very good. On top of the $51.88 tip I was hit with a 18% service charge ($48.19). If t…

Reservation for 8 PM. Got seated 8:20 PM. Chef didn’t show up until 10:30 PM. Left the restaurant at 11:15 PM. That’s more than 3 hours for the meal. The restaurant is very overbooked, accepting reservation capacity they can’t handle. Until they address it I’ll subtract two stars from an otherwise 4 star restaurant.

1.5 hour wait with reservation Super dirty floors. The management has replied to my messages which is good! I will say the food was great as usual and this is the only location around so it is understandable that they are overwhelmed.

Went here for stepson’s last day before starting school. We had a reservation for 6:30pm my husband made earlier in the day. We arrived and waited seated at a table. We sat down at 7:06pm. The waiter came and took the order as it was 4 more ppl at the table with us. He brought out our drinks and soup and salad about 30 min later. The cook didn’t come out until 8:00 and his performance was horrible. He splash rice all over the table, dropped his cooking utensils several times while he was trying to perform. He finally gave us the rice and about 45 min later he finally got the rest of food out. Don’t get me wrong, he was a nice guy but needs more practice. I will never go back again for my food to be cold once it’s all done. We got all our food and left

Stopped by Benihana and put our name on the list, and we're waiting for about 30 minutes. The restaurant was not busy but we waited just because we had heard that it was good. We saw the 2.9 star reviews, and now I know why. The sushi chef we observed was picking his teeth with a toothpick, and the restaurant did not appear to be clean. We decided after viewing these things to take our name off the list and head to greener pastures. Maybe we just showed up on a bad day. Nonetheless, we won't be back to this location and will try the one in Newport Beach.

+2

We chose to sit in the bar area for dinner and have the $39 special. Unfortunately, our waiter was the eldest of all the waiters and extremely slow. I didn't feel confident about the way in which our order was taken but long story short, he fumbled. It was just the two of us and the appetizers were incorrect, our main dishes were served separately and we received extra shrimp instead of extra vegetables as requested. Overall, the experience could have been better if the dishes hadn't been served cold. The restaurant was not up to par on cleanliness and what looked to be senior staff stayed in a huddle. Overall, it could have been better as stated upon our exit.

Armed security at the door/inside- what am I in the hood? Paying $200 prices for hoodlike treatment! No Manager in sight. Bar area was a mess, nobody busting tables, understaffed, waitress/waiters complaining. I hadn’t been there in about 2 years/ horrible place now- too bad- been going there since 1989! Food/drinks still good- but not worth the environment- going back to my Encino location which is 4 stars!

Waited almost an hour and a half for a hibachi puppet to come and spank his spatula on the griddle. Service wasn’t worth the two hour experience and with the amount of butter they drowned my meal in it only took 20 minutes until the diarrhea started. The more I go hibachi restaurants the more I hate them. This was no exception, they set the bar pretty high for disappointment.

We arrived just before 8:00 pm, we sat for a Chef at 9:30 pm. Our Chef did not arrive at the table until 11:00 pm. The service was mediocre and the manager was not very friendly. The craziest part is the food was still delicious. Smh.

Had reservations for my daughters birthday, still had to wait an hour an a half. No manager anywhere. Finally got to a table and waitress asked if there was any special reason we were there. Again, told them it was for our daughters birthday. Another 40 minute wait, then the chef shows up, his name was Earl and he was the only good part of our visit. Waitress shows up to collect payment, again asking her are they going to come back to sing happy birthday to my daughter, she nods and collects payment, then never comes back. Daughters bummed. 3 hours wasted for overpriced mediocre food. $75 for choice skirt steak and tiny lobster. Way understaffed, and horrible management. Totally avoidable with better leadership. Won't be back.

This review is for the TAKE-OUT. We have eaten there many times and have had wonderful experiences. However, we had a very large take out order and were so disappointed. We ordered around 10 steak dishes rare and all of them came back well done and in strangely shaped bits and pieces. I realize take out can't compare to food cooked at the table but this fell so short that we would never consider take out from them again. The price is the same as eating in and we did leave a large tip assuming that the same chefs would have to cook for this take out order.

Emily Lopez

Allison has absolutely zero customer service experience! I had a To-go order and she forgot my drink I had to drive all the way back! I had to pay for sauce while she gave the girl behind me free sauces and only got a small bit of fries after paying $7, I asked her if this was t and she said “yea that what we serve”…

As a long time lover here, it pains me to say how disappointed I am in Benihana. I received a gift card as a birthday present a year back and wanted to use my gift card to place an online order. I wa…

As a long time lover here, it pains me to say how disappointed I am in Benihana. I received a gift card as a birthday present a year back and wanted to use my gift card to place an online order. I …

As a long time lover here, it pains me to say how disappointed I am in Benihana. I received a gift card as a birthday present a year back and wanted to use my gift card to place an online order. …

Don't count on a reservation! We booked 2 for dinner, but when we arrived they told us it'd be another 45 minute wait and that the other 50 or so people standing in the lobby, doorway, and out front …

Don't count on a reservation! We booked 2 for dinner, but when we arrived they told us it'd be another 45 minute wait and that the other 50 or so people standing in the lobby, doorway, and out fron…

Don't count on a reservation! We booked 2 for dinner, but when we arrived they told us it'd be another 45 minute wait and that the other 50 or so people standing in the lobby, doorway, and out fron…

Slow service -- took us 45 minutes to get food after being seated AND I left my leftovers for 3-5 minutes to use the restroom to have them thrown away. I only ate may a third of my $55 seafood meal…

Slow service -- took us 45 minutes to get food after being seated AND I left my leftovers for 3-5 minutes to use the restroom to have them thrown away. I only ate may a third of my $55 seafood meal…

Can't even rate the food because we didn't get to eat. We showed up at our reservation time after an hour long drive, three small kids in tow, just to be told there's an hour-long wait, even with…

We had a reservation set for 7 of us days ago, show up today and was told we need to wait an hour to an hour and a half.. for what exactly? Going to overbook your reservations and have people just …

Can't even rate the food because we didn't get to eat. We showed up at our reservation time after an hour long drive, three small kids in tow, just to be told there's an hour-long wait, even with a…

We had a reservation set for 7 of us days ago, show up today and was told we need to wait an hour to an hour and a half.. for what exactly? Going to overbook your reservations and have people jus…

When we arrived at 9pm we sat at the bar to wait for our table The bar was not clean with the remains of many cocktails glued in the corners When entering the dining area we noticed that the red c…

This was the worst experience I've ever had here first of all it was my birthday and we had someone at my table not with our party that was gluten free and a vegetarian so the chef let us all know th…

This was the worst experience I've ever had here first of all it was my birthday and we had someone at my table not with our party that was gluten free and a vegetarian so the chef let us all k…

This was the worst experience I've ever had here first of all it was my birthday and we had someone at my table not with our party that was gluten free and a vegetarian so the chef let us all know …

Absolutely unprofessional and unacceptable. A 7pm reservation was made by the kids for father's day. When we arrived they said there was a one and a half to two hour wait, no apology or sympathy. J…

Absolutely unprofessional and unacceptable. A 7pm reservation was made by the kids for father's day. When we arrived they said there was a one and a half to two hour wait, no apology or sympathy. J…

I was looking forward to celebrating a special occasion at Benihana Torrance, but the way they handled our reservation was completely unacceptable. I had a reservation for a party of seven at 6:…

This restaurant is nothing like it used to be. We went several times per year for family birthdays. It was my wife's birthday this week and I made reservations far in advance of her birthday. We …

Very disappointing experience at Benihana due to extremely poor service. We waited over 30 minutes without being acknowledged when we arrived. We eventually went to the bar, waited again, and ordered a bottle of wine around $60, only to be told it wasn’t available. The waitress recommended a “similar” bottle but never mentioned the price. We later found out it was over $100—and it wasn’t even good. She opened the bottle but forgot to bring the glasses and did not serve the wine at all—we had to pour it ourselves. When she came back, she simply said, “Oh.” We spent over $400, and the experience was absolutely not worth it. I would not recommend this location and would not return.

I was the there with my family, celebrating my husband’s birthday. Our reservation was for 6:30pm. By 8pm, our chef still had not made it to our table to begin cooking. We watched as other parties, that sat down after us, were serviced. We had a toddler with us and could not wait any longer. We ended up leaving, with no food, after being there for an hour and a half. My husband spoke with a manager on the way out who said we’d get a call from the GM to reconcile the situation. I have not heard from anyone yet. Horrible experience, birthday plans ruined.

Terrible Experience – Completely Disregarded My Food Allergies This was by far one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. I informed the staff ahead of time about my food allergies — specifically, rice and mushrooms. Despite this, I was told by the manager that "people with allergies get their food prepared last." While the rest of my table enjoyed their meals, packed up their leftovers, and were ready to leave, I was still waiting for my food — nearly three hours later. It was completely unacceptable. Being treated as if my allergy was an inconvenience rather than a serious health matter was beyond disappointing. The lack of care, urgency, and professionalism was appalling. I left feeling disrespected, hungry, and frustrated. I would strongly caution anyone with food allergies against dining here. Clearly, guest safety and customer service are not a priority.

+2

Avoid getting take out on Friday nights. They often run very far behind. I showed up 5 minutes after my order was supposed to be ready, they told me it was going to be another 30 minutes. 15 minutes later they still hadn't started my order. I got a refund. At that point it was an hour an 15 minutes from the time I place my order.

First time ever at a Benihana. Went on a Thursday and it was packed. Waiting for about an hour to get our drinks then a chef and when chef arrived the stove wasn’t even on. So we had to wait another 20min to heat up. Some proteins were missing. So we as a group had to shout for people to bring us the missing food, bowls, and for the the stove to turn on. Never saw the iconic volcano. Glad we had good spirited people on the table that made light of “experice”. We had to ask for some type of discount and they took 20$ off our bill so that was nice.

No point of making rsvp If your still waiting 2 hrs yes 2 damn hours!!! Service extremely unethical! Rude not professional at all. I would suggest new staff along with new MANAGER.! HOST RUDE. Walk in didn't get acknowledged HOST walked away after 20min i told them I had rsvp was told i was going to be seated with in 25 min Why ?? I don't know, I waited for a cheif for 1 hour in a half!!!! The cooking area wasn't even clean prior to me sitting. so upset and unfortunate this had to happen . In a celebration of a birthday!!! Please save your time commenting back with your " I'm sorry for your experience" don't need that fake apology 🤨😒 have a good day will never come back here i was the last customer to leave that's how long and ridiculous the wait was. Insane to bad i can't leave 0 stars

Waited 10-15 minutes just to check in for my to-go order because no one was at the desk to check me in. The to-go area was overrun with people waiting on their food and the entire area is absolutely filthy. The rug is so soiled you can’t tell what the original color was. The walls are covered dust so thick you can wipe your fingers through it. The door frames have so much dust it’s hanging off the edges like furniture. The canned lights are all covered in dust. The fire alarms? You guessed it, more dust. The air intake is no longer white. The blue curtain between the desk and kitchen, is dark grey with blue trim just at the top because it’s so covered in grease and dust. And the walls and ceiling between the kitchen and desk are covered in grease so thick there are streaks of it running down the walls. This is by far the most disgusting waiting area I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. Some of the people waiting reported that they’d been waiting for more than an hour. The manager wouldn’t come out and even address the throng of unpleased people. So, I called their call center to file a complaint.

This was one of the most unpleasant dare I say worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. Let me start of by saying that there are some good things but I must be honest and I will not EVER be coming back to any this or any Benihana again, and you should avoid this location 100%. From the moment we arrived it was already bad. There was No parking at all. The on site security was nice enough to give us his parking. The parking lot location is poorly lit and the restrooms are tagged up and in need of a paint job. This makes the restaurant look rundown and not pleasing for a place you want to sit down and enjoy a meal. We had made reservations for 7pm. So we arrived at 6:45 to check in and be on time. We did not get seated until 7:20pm. At about 8:11pm I spoke to one of the floor managers. I informed her that we had been waiting for over 1hr and no service or chef had come to us. Her response was “I’m so sorry, I will check to see if there is a chef available” our food did not begin to get cooked until 8:37pm. Now in full transparency, this is the holidays. It’s December 21, 2024. I can understand the holiday rush and it being Saturday night. Still a certain standard of expectation is present when you come to any restaurant. You expect to be seated and served in a reasonable respectful time frame. We and the two other couples that sat with us did not receive that at all. I don’t agree that despite this horrible service (not including out chef because he was a stand up guy). I had to shell out over $200 for two adults and two kids meals. Side note kids Chicken Tenders are $23.00, yep! Money aside, this was still a horrible experience. In summary, I don’t want a reimbursement I don’t want gift card. As I will highly recommend PF Changs or even In-n-Out, instead of this place. Take your hard earned money and go somewhere where you can enjoy a better meal.

Had a 5:30 Reservation seated by 5:40,that was about the only thing that went right.We didn't see our server till 6:18 and he showed up wit a attitude,then he brought a 2 year old a glass cup for his lemonade,We finally get a chef who starts cooking the fried rice and vegetables, after that he starts the main food,we still had no soup no salad .or sauces for our meats and vegetables.Then they bring the soup and salad at the same time.Rigjt before he finishes the main course he gives us our sauces,after all that he cooks the Shrimp appetizer .Then he went to leave and 2 people at the table never got their white rice which they brought after we were finished .We wait for a check for about 20 min we try to stop our server and he just says he's busy,Again not till the Mgr came did they even offer ice cream and they also knew it was my wife's birthday, but no mention of it.Then to top it off your Mgr stood o er the table as we were paying bill and acted like the whole table was trying to get a free meal and wouldn't even acknowledge us .I let him know how how the whole table felt and he wouldn't even respond and tries to give me a free appetizer. 30 years of going there and I have never seen so much disrespect from any employee and management. This was 3 separate groups at the table and everyone left completely dissatisfied.

I’ve been coming to this location for close to 30 years. The last time we went, we waited over half an hour after being seated at the table for a chef. We had hoped it was an understaffing issue, and tried it again last night. We made a reservation for 7:15 PM and arrived on time with our entire party. Upon arrival, we were told it would be at minimum an additional hour wait. We waited 45 minutes before checking in with the host again, and was told that they were still making their way through 6:45 and 7 PM reservations (mind you this is close to 8 PM now) and that it would still likely be an additional 50 minutes. Most restaurants now will stop taking reservations if they are not able to accommodate the number of patrons that are inquiring. Not sure if this is due to understaffing, poor planning, or all of the above, but we will likely not return.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. If you get Maribel as a server, just get up and go home. She's been my server at least 5 times in the past year and each time she is miserable and rude. Even as we were leaving I overheard her being extremely rude to another couple. No one is forcing you to work there. She's been working there for 10+ YEARS and has gotten much worse with time. Go waste $100+ elsewhere.

Hands down the worst benihanas I ever been to. Do not come here, you been warned. I should had known when a restaurant has armed security at the door. Sheesh!! All these good reviews are probably from people that is their 1st benihanas visit.

I want both customers and corporate to look at this photo and recognize what’s really happening: an exhausted employee who was too overwhelmed to even take a proper break. The staff did their absolute best to run this establishment while clearly being severely understaffed. Despite an absurdly high volume of customers, they maintained professionalism and a positive attitude. The issues seen in the comments are not due to poor service, everything is the direct result of relying on a skeleton crew. There are simply not enough employees to meet the demand of this restaurant. This is disappointing and reflects poorly on corporate leadership for sacrificing employee well-being instead of staffing appropriately. These workers show up under intense stress because they have bills to pay and no real choice. They deserve better.

Don’t come here if you don’t want to waste your time. I ordered at 5:30 and was told it’d be ready at 6:16. Total was $146. My mom paid and got a receipt, but the food still wasn’t ready. Later they said the payment was “declined” even though they gave her a receipt and never told her that it was declined, they told me it was declined until I showed up to pick up my food that was just sitting there for a long time. They made me wait 40 minutes for the manager, had a horrible attitude, and the food was already cold. I was there for over 3 hours and they even tried to make me pay twice. After insisting , I finally got a refund. I didn’t leave until 8:45. Horrible service. How would they give me refund it the transaction was “declined “? Never ordering at this restaurant ever again, they literally tried to steal money from me.

The worse dining experience I ever had I’m not sure what was the issue off top the manager was a-little rude then the server was a bit racist and the reason I say this is because I watched him serve all the other tables but mines he gave them water napkins forks sauce but not our table then all our food came out cold as ice and I counted I had 7 small pieces of stake and I’m not over exaggerating I thought they gave me a kids size portion then I realized everyone at my table had a small amount of food it got to a point where my sister had to get the manager and his response was “i don’t know what to do” mind you it was my sisters birthday we call and made reservations for this I came all the way from Palmdale to Torrance they knew it was her birthday and they didn’t acknowledge it at all they sang to other tables but not ours I just really wish I knew why? Why us?

We had reservations at 8pm it is 10:06 and we still haven’t ate anything. I understand being busy but 2 hrs is unacceptable what’s the point of a reservation! Quick update also it’s 11:00 pm boy my rice started eating and found a hair in it!!AMAZING!!! I’ve been here before and it’s never been this bad so I guess everybody has a bad day so I’ll just chalk it up to that

I took my family here to celebrate my kids’ good grades and made a reservation for 7:15 PM. We actually arrived early at 6:50 PM, but unfortunately we weren’t seated until 9:18 PM — over two hours after our reservation time. I kept wanting to leave, but my kids love this place so much that they really wanted to stay. Once we were finally seated, our waitress was very nice and understanding, which I appreciated. However, instead of bringing new cups for refills, she would take our used cups to the back and refill them. On top of that, some of the dishes brought to our table were dirty and had to be replaced. We then waited nearly another two hours for the chef to come to our table. He didn’t arrive until 10:44 PM, forgot some items in the back, and didn’t actually start cooking until around 11:00 PM. After the food was finally prepared, the chef left, and about 10–15 minutes later staff began bringing to-go containers to the table, which made us feel rushed because the restaurant was closing. Overall, this was one of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. It was disappointing, especially since we were there to celebrate something special for my kids. Unfortunately, we won’t be returning to this location again.

Henrik Helgesen

After arriving at 6:30 for our reservation, we were told they were running 30 - 45 minutes behind. - Not a great start for our celebration with friends. One hour and 15 minutes later we were finally seated. 15 - 20 minutes went by before a server took over orders - She admitted that it was a bad day but also indicated that this was not uncommon. Basically, the reservation is a waitlist and not a reservation. Slowly, we were served our soup and salad - and then a wait. After 30 minutes the server offered us complimentary appetizers, which we realized was the "We need to buy even more time". At 9 PM - before the appetizers was served, we finally had enough and left - hungry. Management is utter incompetent.

Z

What a disappointment this location is but mostly their management. 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼 I made a reservation weeks in advance, to celebrate my sons bday, It was 12 of us. Our reservation was at 9:15pm of course everyone’s on time. First of all the man at the front (looked like the manager) had such bad energy, his whole face and body language says he hates his job. Zero welcoming, zero engagement, just said we were waiting for people to leave to get our tables. Finally we sit down and the waitress comes to tell us, “just so you know you have to wait for a cook to become available, it’s going to be about an hour.” I said, what!? We have a reservation, she said she has no idea why the restaurant does that she was frustrated herself! And says, to be honest with you , there’s like 7 tables ahead of you! I go over to talk to the table next to us because I can tell there frustrated, and they tell me they’ve been waiting for a cook for almost 2 hrs. It was so disappointing! I had to make the decision to leave with all my guest. By this time it’s 10:30pm We were left trying to figure out where to go. What upset me the most again was the man at the front. I spoke to him and his whole attitude was pretty much, “that’s what it is and there’s nothing we can do about it!” Type of attitude. What restaurant demands to make a reservation for a party of my size just to make us wait allegedly an hr, but in reality they weren’t even honest because people were waiting for over 2hrs!? I will NEVER go here again. I hope they go out of business this year. The staff sucks and look miserable, they’re overworking 3-4 cooks. Like how in the world could they give you a good experience when they’re slaving them!? Why is this place even open!? Never again! Don’t recommend.

Melissa Mahboobian Mamola

Can't even rate the food because we didn't get to eat. We showed up at our reservation time after an hour long drive, three small kids in tow, just to be told there's an hour-long wait, even with a reservation! The entire entrance to the restaurant was packed like sardines with people, you could barely move. The hostess was very flippant when engaging with us, stating that the reservations were out of their hands. Understandable, I guess…? but something needs to be done about this. There is no reason you should be providing reservations that you cannot accommodate. Extremely disappointing experience, we will definitely not be back, though the kids were so excited to try Benihana for the first time. Do better!

Mahsa Pakravan

We made a reservation from a while before and drove for an hour to come to the restaurant! When we showed up they told us that we needed to wait over an hour to get our table. When asked what is the point of reservation the manager told me it was to get us to the restaurant. Then the lady suggested we go across the street to the mall and shop until our table is ready. The front office was not very helpful at all. Would never come back!!

Eileen

I came here for the birthday 12/18/2025. We showed up around 3pm. The host had the worst service: no smile, no greeting, poor personality. That was already a bad first impression. I asked for a table with a show and was seated with a family of 5 that basically took up the entire area. I get it, it’s first come first serve but they were inconsiderate of myself and my guest. I asked the host if I could wait for the next show and she said well that’s all we have and it will be like that every time. I was baffled. The restaurant was dirty with boxes lying around as if they were not organized. I was willing to wait if she offered me a different table. I will never come back here again. 0/10. Save your money, go somewhere else!

Nunie Baby

Managements lack of customer service is astonishing. They play in your face with the to go orders, prices, and portion sizes. I wouldn’t come here if you don’t plan to dine in. It’s definitely not worth it. I ordered steak fried rice for two. They gave me two containers of rice with 2 small cut pieces of steak on top. I waited over 30+ minutes to receive my food for it to be poorly made. Waited another 10 for a manager to show up. Older white guy blonde hair. His lack of empathy or customer service completely turned me off. What should’ve happened is, my order should’ve been remade. With the correct amount of protein, CHOPPED and fried throughout the rice and a simple apology. I got a refund for my entire order instead. Which is fine I’d rather keep my money if this is how they handle their customers