3 /5 Justin Klosky: I’ve been coming to Benihana since I was a kid, and it’s always held a special place for me, especially for birthdays and classic hibachi nights. Unfortunately, the Santa Monica location seems to be struggling.
I want to be very clear: the management, hosts, servers, and chefs are all kind, professional, and doing their best. The issue doesn’t feel like effort or attitude, it feels like understaffing. The restaurant doesn’t seem equipped with enough staff to handle the volume of reservations and demand, which impacts the overall experience.
Benihana will always be one of my favorite restaurants, but this particular location appears to be having a hard time keeping up. I truly hope the company invests more support here, because the people working are great and deserve it.



