Benihana - Cincinnati, OH

Review summary

1. B

   Barbara

   VIP

   Western NC

   5 reviews

   2.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Possibly an off night but we waited a full 90 minutes after being seated for our chef to arrive. We had a 5 o’clock reservation and also waited to be seated. The food was ok but my son found a hair in his meal which killed his appetite and honestly by then I was just ready to go home. We were not offered anything for the excessive wait, not even a drink, which I found disappointing. For the price of this meal, definitely not a great experience.
   

   Is this helpful?

2. A

   Alexis

   Cincinnati

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Our reservation was for 7pm, we weren’t sat for well over an hour despite despite checking and informing them three times of our update party size. We also had to ask multiple times for dishes that were part of our order. I was so disappointed but thankfully had good company and still had a great time, even if everything was SEVERELY delayed
   

   Benihana - Cincinnati, OHResponded today

   Thanks for visiting us, Alexis. We're truly sorry to hear about your experience at Benihana - Cincinnati, OH. It's always our goal to provide prompt service and delicious food, and we regret that we didn't meet those standards during your visit. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we're glad you had a good time with your company. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again and provide a better experience.
   

   Is this helpful?

3. KW

   KristenW

   Cincinnati

   2 reviews

   1.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   We made reservations for the lounge. We were told by hostess to go on into the lounge . All the tables were taken by people waiting for a Hibachi table . We ended up leaving after about 10 minutes . A little disappointed that we were able to make a reservation and there not be a table available. Why can I book a table in lounge if tables are saved for that purpose and instead used as a waiting room ?
   

   Benihana - Cincinnati, OHResponded today

   Thanks for the feedback, Kristen! We're sorry to hear about your experience at Benihana - Cincinnati, OH. It's unfortunate that you had to wait to be seated despite having a reservation. We understand your frustration and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We'll certainly take your comments into consideration as we strive to improve our reservation system. We hope you'll give us another chance to serve you better in the future. Best, The Management Team
   

   Is this helpful?

4. K

   Kathleen

   VIP

   San Francisco

   18 reviews

   2.0

   18 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   The food was very good. The atmosphere is lacking. The presence of a security guard at the host stand was unsettling. The restaurant is cold when you walk in and they are using space heaters.
   

   Is this helpful?

5. L

   Linda

   VIP

   Cincinnati

   200 reviews

   4.0

   200 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   We had a great waiter and chef. The food was as I have enjoyed in the past. Pleasant fellow diners. We had 4;45 reservations and were quickly seated with our table mates. By the time we left, every table in our room was filled and one refilled. It's wonderful to see restaurants doing so well. And read this as a tip--make reservations :)
   

   Benihana - Cincinnati, OHResponded today

   Hey Linda, Thanks for dining at Benihana - Cincinnati, OH and taking the time to leave a review. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your food and found our service satisfactory. We're also glad that you appreciated our effort to accommodate your large party. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and we hope to see you again soon! Best, The Management Team
   

   Is this helpful?

6. M

   MS STEPHANIE

   Grand Rapids

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   The ventilation over our table was insufficient so all the smoke from the grill was blowing directly into our faces. The grill was far too hot so the chef overcooked (burned) our food because it was cooking too fast on the outside but not the middle. It definitely could have been better.
   

   Benihana - Cincinnati, OHResponded today

   Hi MS Stephanie, Thank you for your feedback. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed our food, but we're sorry to hear about the issues with the ventilation and the temperature on the grill. We take all feedback seriously and will work on these areas for improvement. We hope you'll give us another chance to serve you better. Best, The Management Team at Benihana - Cincinnati, OH
   

   Is this helpful?

7. J

   Jennifer

   Cincinnati

   6 reviews

   4.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   The food is so delicious. I do feel like it is expensive but ok to splurge on food occasionally.
   

   Benihana - Cincinnati, OHResponded 1 day ago

   Hey Jennifer, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our food and found it to be delicious. We understand that some people find our prices to be a bit high, but we're glad to know that you find it worth it for the quality we provide. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to serving you again soon. Best regards, The Management Team at Benihana - Cincinnati, OH
   

   Is this helpful?

8. R

   Rose

   Cincinnati

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   The chef was absolutely amazing. And the food was so delicious. It was a fun experience and I can't wait to do it again.
   

   Benihana - Cincinnati, OHResponded today

   Thanks for the review, Rose! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing experience at Benihana - Cincinnati, OH. It's wonderful to know that you enjoyed the food and found our service to be top-notch. We always strive to provide a fun and memorable dining experience for our guests, and your feedback lets us know we're on the right track. We can't wait to welcome you back for another memorable experience!
   

   Is this helpful?

9. J

   Joshua

   Cincinnati

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

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

   Made reservations for 9 didn’t eat until 11:30 very long wait not impressed at all.
   

   Benihana - Cincinnati, OHResponded 1 day ago

   Hi Joshua, We're truly sorry to hear about your recent experience at Benihana - Cincinnati, OH. We understand that waiting can be frustrating and we apologize for the long wait you experienced. We always strive to provide efficient service and it's clear we missed the mark during your visit. Your feedback is valuable and will be used to improve our service. We hope you'll give us another chance to provide you with a better dining experience in the future. Best regards, The Management Team
   

   Is this helpful?

10. N

    Nia

    Cleveland

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

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

    I am writing to formally express my extreme disappointment and concern regarding my experience at your Benihana Cincinnati restaurant on February 14th, 2025. What started as a frustrating delay turned into a serious health risk due to negligence in handling food allergies, followed by poor service, misleading promotional offers, and blatant disregard from management. First, despite having a 9:00 PM reservation, my party was not seated until 10:00 PM. While waiting, we were left in an uncomfortably cold lobby, which was especially difficult for me as someone with anemia. Once seated, service remained abysmal—it was 10:37 PM before we even received our drinks, soup, or salad. When the soup finally arrived, it was excessively greasy and unappetizing. However, the most alarming issue was the complete disregard for my severe shellfish allergy. I explicitly informed the chef about my allergy, yet he proceeded to cook shrimp first on the shared grill. When I asked if my chicken would be prepared separately in the back, he said no and attempted to “clean” the utensils with just water before using them to cook my food. This is blatant cross-contamination and could have resulted in a life-threatening allergic reaction. It is shocking and unacceptable that a well-known restaurant chain like Benihana does not properly train its staff on food allergy protocols. To make matters worse, when I finally received my meal, the portion size was unreasonably small for a $40 entrée. Additionally, my party was given $10 promotional cards that were valid immediately, yet when we attempted to use them, we were told we could not. This is misleading and unacceptable. When we asked to speak with a manager to voice our concerns, she initially came over only to hand us the promotional cards. However, when we later requested to speak with her about our experience, she looked directly at us and walked away without addressing our concerns.
    

    Benihana - Cincinnati, OHResponded today

    Dear Nia, We sincerely apologize for the unacceptable experience you had at our Cincinnati location. The issues you described, especially regarding food allergies, service delays, and miscommunication, are deeply concerning. Guest safety and satisfaction are our top priorities, and we take your feedback very seriously. We will be addressing these matters internally to ensure our team is properly trained and that such incidents do not happen again. We truly regret that your concerns were not properly acknowledged at the time, and we would appreciate the opportunity to make things right. Please reach out to us at [contact information] so we can further discuss your experience. Best regards,
    

    Is this helpful?