Benihana — Restaurant in Irving

The manager David Carson I think is his bane, older Caucasian Man kind of older man was so ride to us. Initially made a reservation for 15 people then called the morning of to change it to 18 people and the manager Kayla said it was okay. When we got there we ended up having 19 there with another 4 on the way. I communicated that to Kayla & she said okay no problem when they come they may can’t order for their food to be cooked at the table & would have to be cooked in the back. I said okay no problem. When we sat at the table we had a total of 18 people as the other 4 were still about 10/15 minutes away. This manager came out SCREAMING at us saying the number of people could not sit there and something about the chairs. I told him Sir we didn’t move any chairs your staff set the tables up. 10 at one table & 10 at the other one. This man is screaming & and I said sir count the people we are under the 20 what’s your issue? Mind you we don’t even have drinks and no waitress has come over and he is screaming at us. I asked him who is he talking to and told him to lower his voice. He kept rambling on even talking about how I changed the number on the reservation and I said so what that’s more money for yall isn’t it? We are not being unruly or anything. What is your issue? This dude is screaming saying no more than 20 can be here. I say it’s 18so what’s your issue? This man kept harassing us to the extent I stood up & said who you want us to leave? You’re not going to serve us? Then he says no and another parent took over speaking with him basically telling him to move in. It was crazy. Then after all of this, some manager there. Which Kayla was gone for the day and the other Caucasian manager who looked similar to David but was taller and slimmer was very nice. We had a solution already. When the other guest came me and my other half were going to the bar to allow seating for the guest. It was my son’s 13th birthday party and one party had a flat on the way & someone else was went to the wrong location. Had they been there they would have sat the people over the initial 20 at another hibachi table. Totally understandable as we had adults that were cool with allowing the kids to sit together. This dude Dave or David Carson I think it is RUINED our dinner and adjusted our mood for no reason. You don’t come out screaming even if you have a policy or whatever it’s cool but you communicate with respect and don’t holler at anyone. To make it worst, he placed a note on my file to not ever accept a reservation from me again? Why Sir? What’s your reasoning? Because I didn’t allow you to talk crazy to me and my guest? That will NEVER be okay! So don’t think it ever will be. And you are not stopping NOTHING! I didn’t violate anything or do anything wrong. That note wasn’t supposed to be for public notice but someone messed up and I got the note that someone added to my file. How disgusting and unprofessional to do that. I called and spoke with Kayla and she said she doesn’t know who did it and I asked her did she do it and she said no she only placed the note about the 18% Gratuity. Whoever did it I was right there and you could have easily spoken to me versus Adding a nasty note to my profile. You didn’t think I would see it but it made its way to me. We spent $2000 with them that night for my son’s birthday dinner and you thank me by saying don’t ever accept a reservation from me? Why? Doesn’t matter. Our waitress was amazing. They didn’t even have a second waitress assigned to us and our initial reservation was for 15 so either way that was at least 2 tables. The bar tender had to come from behind the bar to service us and it took forever to get food and drinks. But yet it’s more people coming in that don’t have reservations that you are sitting. So what’s your issue with the additional people? Bad service. Bad manager. It’s sad he...

It was my birthday yesterday, 10/13/2021, and my boyfriend decided he wanted to surprise me with dinner at the benihana. We had a reservation for 7p.m, got there at 7p.m, but couldn't get a parking space till 7.15p.m, I kept worrying that our reservations would be cancelled but when we went in the hostess was gracious and told us there were quite a large number of guests that day, and so we would have to wait for about 5mins before we were called. We didn't wait long, and in we went. We were seated with 6 other people, our drink order was taken and brought, and the chef came along and the show started. It was beautiful to watch, he made us laugh, interacted with the clients, made smiley faces with food...Gerardo(spelling might be wrong), was quite engaging. It really was going well, the other guests at the table were friendly and so we were all in high spirits till I started to eat...and found hair strands in my food. I was a bit put off, but like I said I was having a good time up till then so I didn't make a show of it, just stood up quietly so as not to get attention so I could ask that plate of rice to be removed and another one brought. I met a staff who I told what had transpired, and he said he would be with me shortly, he noted the table number, table 15, and I went back to my seat. There I waited for 7mins, and no one approached. Eventually I found another hostess/waitress and told her my dilemma, she claimed not to understand, so I picked up the plate and showed her the hair, and she said to me ok, and kept looking at me. Then she said, oh its hair, lol. At this time I had become sad..I'm quite emotional, and the fact that it was my birthday and no one had even thought to apologise at this time made me teary, so I quietly asked if I could get another plate of rice, she said yes. Now the chef was still going about his business as he should, and he had my meal order prepared, spicy hibachi chicken, but I didn't have a plate, he was nice enough to go get me another plate, unfortunately, I didnt have a fork, I had to wait for about 8mins before the waitress came back with a plate of rice and asked if the manager had come to see me, I said no. Then I asked for a fork, and she went and promptly got it. At this time, my appetite was gone, and I just wanted to go home. Overall, benihana would be a really nice place to stop by, the experience can be beautiful, especially when you have great people at your table and a great chef like we did. But I ask that they be more careful in the kitchen. And yes, I finally got an apology, from the waitress, though I dont know if she was apologising for the hair in my food, or the fact that the manager...

I am furious and deeply hurt by the experience we had today. I brought my daughter here to celebrate her 9th birthday, full of excitement and expecting a fun, memorable hibachi experience. Instead, what we got was a complete disaster that ruined what should have been a special day for her.

First, the service was awful from the start. We were handed only a dinner menu even though we came during lunch. When we asked for the lunch menu, the server acted like it was an inconvenience to even go get one. He couldn’t explain anything and made it clear he didn’t care about helping us.

Then came the so-called “chef.” He was boring, unenthusiastic, and completely uninterested in providing any kind of experience. My daughter even said, “He only made small fires.” There was no energy, no jokes, no effort—nothing. To top it off, the food was horrible. The shrimp was left on the grill so long it was hard and rubbery. Everyone at our table left their plates full because it was just that bad.

But the most infuriating and heartbreaking part came with the birthday celebration—or should I say, the complete lack of one. I made it very clear that we were there to celebrate my daughter’s 9th birthday. She wore a “Birthday Girl” pin and a crown, and we reminded them multiple times. Despite this, they ignored her entirely.

We watched two other kids—both white—get the full birthday treatment. They got songs, cake, and ice cream, all with smiles and enthusiasm from the staff. Meanwhile, my little girl, the only Black child in the room, got nothing.

When we brought it up, the server gave pathetic excuses like, “Oh, I didn’t see her crown or pin.” That’s a lie—they were in plain sight, and we told them it was her birthday! And after celebrating yet another white child, they came back to us and said, “Oh, we’re out of ice cream.” How convenient.

Do you have any idea how it feels to sit there and console a heartbroken 9-year-old who was so excited to be celebrated, only to be completely ignored? Do you know how it feels to watch her eyes fill with tears as she sees other kids being treated with care while she gets nothing?

This wasn’t just bad service—this felt personal. It felt like my daughter didn’t matter to them. It felt like we didn’t matter to them. I am beyond angry, disgusted, and hurt by this experience. This was supposed to be her special day, and instead, it became a painful, humiliating moment we will...