Benihana - Burlingame, CA

Benihana - Burlingame, CA reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. M

   Mama2seis

   San Francisco7 reviews

   1.0

   Dined today

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

   Had a reservation at 8pm and was not seated until 9pm and finally ate around 9:45pm. when we would ask front desk how much longer they had no idea. One of the front staff even sat a bunch of his friends before us and they got there way after us. Not very fair considering we had 2 younger children with us. Our waiter was great and so was the chef once we were seated. The seats we sat in though were wobbly and falling apart.
   

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2. M

   Marisol VIP

   San Francisco5 reviews

   2.0

   Dined today

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

   While I understand that some wait time is expected at Benihana, even with a reservation, the lack of transparency is frustrating. If the restaurant clearly stated that a reservation only adds your name to a list without guaranteeing seating within the hour, guests could make more informed decisions. This approach often leads to disappointment and frustration, especially during special celebrations. As a well-established American staple, Benihana knows it will attract large crowds. Rather than taking advantage of this, the restaurant should respect guests’ time by setting realistic expectations. I witnessed multiple birthdays and celebrations dampened by this lack of clarity, which could have been avoided with better communication.
   

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3. C

   Cynthia

   San Francisco2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined today

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

   We had reservations, waited 15 minutes for valet before we turned around and parked ourselves. Waited 45 minutes from reservation time until we were seated. Food was great as usual, but wait time was excessive.
   

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4. B

   Brad

   Seattle1 review

   1.0

   Dined today

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

   Booked a 6:30pm date night reservation for 2 well in advance & arrived promptly. We proceeded to wait for upwards of 1.5 hours before being seated at a table. We talked to the hosts on numerous occasions inquiring about when we would be seated & were given the run around every time. They were very adamant about how it was first come first serve, however, we witnessed multiple parties arrive after us & be seated before us. Unfortunately we weren’t the only couple who experienced the same lack of interest, it was clear that the larger the party the higher the priority. After 3 or 4 trips to the front desk, I eventually explained to them that reservations were available at the time I booked them, otherwise we wouldn’t have been there to begin with. They resulted to showing us the seating chart was full & saying they were running behind and grossly overbooked. At no point did they seem to care nor offer any consultation/discount for the inconvenience. It’s blatantly clear that management has dropped the ball & doesn’t value the customer. Sadly our experience was that exponential wait times are normal & that if you decide to leave due time becoming impatient they don’t care because someone else is in line behind you willing to take your spot. Our experience was ridiculous, it was 3 hours from the moment we walked in to the moment we walked out. We received our food & no later than the chef leaving the grill they began bussing the table expecting us to hurry & leave. I’ve been to Benihana’s on multiple occasions & multiple locations. Reservations have always been notoriously behind schedule but this was by far the worst experience of them all. Zero effort & no hospitality. The experience is truly underrated for the treatment you receive. We will not be going back. I would leave 0 starts for management & the front desk if I could. Don’t waste your time or your money.
   

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5. J

   Jordan VIP

   Los Angeles3 reviews

   2.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Over booked reservations for third time in past few months and waited over an hour to be seated when showing up on time for a reservation and with those crowds were understaffed to provide quality service, Food and experience still good, but not the best overall experience.
   

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6. S

   Stella

   San Francisco2 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   It was the worst experience. We went there with a reservation and arrived on time just to be told we had to wait and they didn’t know for how long; and the host was very rude. The person who stood next to me told me they also had a reservation and had been waiting half an hour. We should have listened to the other bad reviews and not bothered. We decided to cut out waste-of-time and left. Btw, I told the host that it was a birthday celebration, which was the truth, but she couldn’t care less.
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco1 review

   1.0

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   Didn’t even get sat because they claimed a chef called out sick. Had a reservation and everything. Won’t return here. Better options around.
   

   Benihana - Burlingame, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Dear Guest! Thanks for the feedback. We're truly sorry to hear about your recent experience at Benihana - Burlingame, CA. It's disappointing to know that we weren't able to meet your expectations, especially given your reservation. We take your comments seriously and will use this as an opportunity to improve our service. We hope you'll reconsider and give us another chance to provide the quality dining experience we're known for. Best regards, The Management Team
   

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8. KA

   KristinA VIP

   San Francisco5 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   We waited for two hours despite having a reservation. Our server, Derek, was great but he could not make up for the extreme delay we experienced in our meal. Then the chef we had was subpar. Our order was not made correctly and it was overcooked. Tricks were not done well. No concessions were made for the excessive wait. We almost left without eating. This is a shame because we’ve been coming to this Benihana to celebrate for years and we were celebrating a birthday. We’ll have to rethink this for our next celebratory dinner.
   

   Benihana - Burlingame, CAResponded 2 days ago

   Hello Kristin, We're truly sorry to hear about your recent experience at Benihana - Burlingame, CA. It's clear that we didn't meet your expectations, especially on such a special occasion. We appreciate your feedback regarding the wait and the food, as it helps us to improve. We also regret to hear about the issues with the chef and the order preparation. We understand how frustrating this must have been and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. We're glad to hear that you've been a regular customer and we hope you'll consider giving us another chance to make your next visit a memorable one for all parties involved. Best, The Management Team
   

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9. JD

   JanetD

   San Francisco2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 7 days ago

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

   My only knock would be that we had to wait a long time even though we had reservations. But, while we waited, they brought around snacks and some delicious punch. So all good!
   

   Benihana - Burlingame, CAResponded 5 days ago

   Dear Janet, Thank you for your patience and for sharing your experience! We’re glad to hear that, despite the wait, you enjoyed the snacks and punch while waiting. We truly appreciate your understanding and hope to serve you again soon with an even smoother experience. Looking forward to your next visit!
   

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10. M

    Marco

    San Francisco1 review

    3.0

    Dined 7 days ago

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

    You all should stop having walk ins on busy nights and weekends. I had reservations on Saturday night at 7 pm and had to wait 45 minutes before seated. That’s unacceptable!😡😡
    

    Benihana - Burlingame, CAResponded 6 days ago

    Dear Marco, We’re truly sorry for the frustrating experience you had, especially with a reservation in place. Waiting 45 minutes is unacceptable, and we appreciate you sharing your feedback. Your suggestion about limiting walk-ins on busy nights is valuable, and we’ll review our policies to improve the reservation experience. We strive to provide timely and exceptional service, and we regret that we fell short during your visit. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we hope to have the opportunity to make it right in the future.
    

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