Benihana — Restaurant in Temecula

I visited Benihana on Tuesday, March 12th around 8 pm with a party of three. I walked in and saw people waiting and an empty hostess stand. It became clear that the groups were waiting so I knew there was a hostess. There was no one in sight. I waited five minutes and tried to locate someone, the person at the bar was busy serving another couple. There was a window that had staff working behind it that another customer was talking to them through. I walked into the actual restaurant looking for anyone that could help. I saw a young woman with an iPad standing in the middle. I asked her whether there was a hostess and she said “Yes, you’ll need to wait” I then discovered that SHE was the hostess and at exactly 10 minutes from the time I entered the restaurant I was assisted with putting my name down. We were shown to a table and waited, and waited some more, after about another 10 minutes a waitress came and apologized for the wait and let us know that she was not informed that we had been seated. She took our drink orders, then came back to take our actual orders. My party had sushi appetizers and it took a normal amount of time for those out and thank the universe that they did. From the time we sat down, it took almost 45 minutes to an hour for the “chef” to come to our table and begin cooking. He immediately let us know that this was only a second time doing the cooking and asked for our patience. I was fine with that until when he did his first “trick” and a spatula came flying my way. I moved my chair back a bit as did my sister. He began with the shrimp and it was undercooked. He served it to members of my table. He then began the chicken and again it was undercooked I advised my son not to eat his. The fried rice was cooked okay and two members of my party got theirs with a protein. I was that it was over-peppered. I had lobster and it was fine just a little overcooked. Then came the steak, mine was supposed to be medium rare and I took about 3 bites and stopped eating it was tough and wildly over-peppered. In between these courses, me and my sisters called the waitress over and told her something was not ok. She offered to have me speak to the manager which I did, I explained about the undercooked food and the over-peppering. He, apologized, and offered to have my food recooked in the back but by then it was 10 pm and I was over the ENTIRE ordeal. None of us received the green tea and by the time the waitress asked if we wanted our ice cream it was 10:25 and I was ready for the check and to get out of there. We left after 10:30 pm. It should not take 2.5 hours to have a meal and the cost of the meal is not cheap. While the waitress was fine, the overall feeling of a seamless experience, great food, and a good environment was simply not there at this restaurant. Processes, communication, and training need to be addressed. I know it is a fairly new restaurant but if you are open for business, it is a paying customer’s right to have high expectations for great food...

As a lifelong fan of Benihana since the Rocky Aoki days, I'm thrilled to share my experience at their brand new location in Temecula, California. Located in the former "Souplantation" building near the bustling Promenade Mall, Benihana Temecula is a gem that shines bright in the culinary landscape of our town.

From the moment we stepped in, the familiar Benihana charm and familiar aromas enveloped us. The décor, an elegant blend of modernity and tradition, set the perfect stage for a memorable dining experience. But what truly made our visit special was the exceptional customer service. The staff greeted us with warm smiles and attentive service, making our rather long wait seem short and making us feel valued and welcomed.

The lounge reminded me a bit of the Newport Beach location, although there is no separate bar and separate sushi bar at this one. It is a great place to sit and enjoy an appetizer or cocktail if there is a long wait. I think they made great use of the original architecture and space with minimal changes to the structure of the interior.

The highlight of our visit, however (besides the delicious food), was the teppanyaki performance. For the first time at any Benihana, we had the pleasure of being served by a female chef! Her skillful maneuvers and humorous touches were nothing short of spectacular, adding a refreshing touch to the Benihana tradition. Celebrating my birthday with her at the helm of the hibachi grill made the occasion even more memorable.

It's wonderful to see Benihana embracing diversity and breaking the norms with a female hibachi chef. Our dishes were tastier than I remember!

The new Benihana in Temecula is such a great addition to our town. It retains the classic Benihana excellence while adding its unique flair. If you're a long-time fan like me or new to the Benihana experience, this location is a must-visit. It's more than just a meal; it's a celebration of culture, skill, exceptional hospitality, and family-style dining. Expect a long wait unless you make reservations!

Visited: November...

We went for dinner with a 5pm reservation, upon arrival at 445pm, we checked in with the hostess and to say the least “the nightmare began.” The hostess we checked in with was irritated about something, the waiting area was empty, our party of 10 was the only one there. The waiting area began to fill up, at 5:20pm a party of 8 that came in after us was sat first, I approached the hostess and she stated we will be sat next, I asked for a time frame and she was irritated, I found a manager and explained the waiting situation, he reviewed our check in time and he did confirm that we should have been sat first. We were by the grill by 530pm. By the time a waitress came, took our drink orders and brought them to us it was 545-550pm, to which at that time we placed our order. Between 615-630 our Edamame appetizer and soup came out warm/cold, half of our party were kids so it was a perfect temperature for them, but for the adults, it was sent back to be warmed, the salad came out after we asked for it. And then our waters were refilled for the first time. At around 650-7pm the chef finally arrived for the hibachi grill “show.” The disappointment grew, his demeanor was of someone who didn't want to be there, he didn't even play with the kids, no egg show, no train show fir the kids. Nothing. At the end when he was cleaning the grill my son asked for the train he put a three onion ring tower together and did it real quick. Show was over and we were done with eating by 720pm. We waited for drink refills that never came, had to ask for the tablespoon of ice cream that came with the meal, no hot tea after until we requested. The group in front of us called the manager over for their own complaints, and then I called them over, i had him check the time it was 7:46pm. I requested for a discount, our $560.00 bill got a $70.00 discount. By the time we left Benihana Temecula it was 805pm! Our $500 dinner took over three hours and it was less than mediocre! If I could leave zero...