Benihana

Yay! Yet another Benihana location I can eat at. They seem to have recently created a "gluten sensitive" menu, and they will prepare your food separately either in the back or at the table. I opted to have my food prepped in the back to avoid the delay at the table (since they would cook all gluten free food first) and it was delicious. Definitely recommend!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They were very careful! Cooked my food first so there was no cross contamination! Did not get sick. I did over eat though! Yum!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contamination?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for kids
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good with other allergies
• Offers outdoor seating

We have never gone to the main hall where the chefs put on the show. We usually go to the cafe/sushi bar area. Their hibachi grill options can be made gluten free, which is great for an Asian restaurant. Just be sure to inform the wait staff. I get the side salad with vinegar & oil, and the fried rice done with GF soy sauce. It may take a little longer because they clean the grill.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Hibachi style Japanese cuisine: absolutely delicious. Waitress immediately asked if there were any allergies: informed of celiac and she made sure I wasn’t given to soup or the dressing on the salad. Hibachi chef made sure to set my portions off the to side (since they cook the entire table on one flattop) and add GF soy sauce to all my meals. It does pose the risk of cross contamination as they use same utensils and flattop as the other meals (I did not have a reaction). Overall highly recommend

They have a special gluten sensitive menu including hibachi items. The chef was very careful to prepare my meal before the other hibachi items to limit cross contamination. The gluten free menu even includes alternatives for the gluten containing soup and salad dressing. Unfortunately the waitress took no care to deliver the items on the menu. First she delivered the salad with gluten containing salad dressing and when asked she said she could check with the kitchen if I wanted. I said yes and she proceeded to deliver the soup which I had to return. Ultimately if you’re willing to be vigilant about what they serve you might be okay if you’re not celiac.

Celiac friendly?

No

These staff was great. The chef cooked my food first with gf sauce. What a great experience

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They claimed my meal was gluten free but I ended up sick which was sad considering we were here for the parks.

Absolutely amazing!!! Gluten free menu and well educated servers

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Used gluten free soy sauce but cooked after regular sit sauce was used. Not celiac friendly

I ate at the Chinese restaurant which is part of Benehana. The menu is chinese foods and shushi. The hostess was very helpful and knowledgeable. She said it’s probably not celiac safe because theres not a separate prep/cook area but they can clean the cooking surface and prepare it gluten free. My waiter did not seem to understand english well but did well taking my order. I had a vegetable and chicken stir fry (made without sauce) and the waiter brought out a bottle of gluten free soy sauce. It was very good and very reasonably priced compared to Benihana.

I’m giving this place four stars because although they were knowledgeable about the gluten issue, they started cooking and were about to put regular soy sauce after I explained I had an allergy, and nodded to me saying “are you okay with this” and I said no, so they ended up using gluten free soy sauce for everyone (even for people not in our party). Everything was going alright until they put noodles on the grill... I’m not absolutely sure if the noodles are gf but I don’t think they are. Luckily my food did not touch where the noodles were (I kept a close eye to make sure) otherwise I would have been very sick. The salad that comes with the meal also has dressing that has gluten in it, so they brought vinegar out instead. The soup is not gf. Food wasn’t that tasty... but it is filling. They do have many options for gf people.

Update 1/2019: Unfortunately though my first visit was good, tonight was extremely disappointing. Our waitress Samantha was lovely and brought out soup without breaded onions, salad with no dressing, and was super friendly and understanding. However chef Manny was a complete idiot with gluten allergy handling. I asked if he could cook my food first and he said he’d do it last... questionable, but I was optimistic. He started off ok, cooking the fried rice for everyone and taking mine out in a separate bowl before adding the soy sauce. He served everyone else, then wiped down the grill and utensils... just with a wet towel. He dumped out my rice and cooked it on the unclean grill then gave to me. At this point I knew I couldn’t eat the food without getting sick so went to the hostess and asked for a separate meal from the back kitchen. She apologized and said she’d let management know. I returned to the table where Manny had given me shrimp cooked right next to wheat noodles using the same utensils, without cleaning the grill at all. He proceeded to do the same for veggies & scallops, using the same utensils as for noodles and regular soy sauce. At that point my partner and I were laughing about how clueless he was, but knowing I’d get separate food soon I just held my breath. He went to the kitchen to grab something and I guess must have been told about the issue as he proceeded to discard my steak. My safely cooked food took nearly 30min to come out from the back kitchen and was delicious, but unfortunately Manny’s lack of training reflects very poorly on this location in their training on allergen handling. Hostess and management seemed to know that gluten free food needed to be cooked first, but obviously that standard was not enforced with actual cooking staff. If you have a gluten allergy or celiac, I’d recommend either paying attention very closely to grill cooking, or eating in the dining room to order food directly from the kitchen. Disappointing.

I've previously done gluten free at Benihana in Miami Beach after some work with their manager but this experience was so incredibly simple! I have celiac and always love finding places I can still enjoy food. I put in our reservation that I needed a gluten free meal and confirmed with the hostess how it would work. She said they take care of letting everyone know - chef, waiter, manager - and they will handle it and either can cook my food before everyone else or on a separate grill. Our chef used gluten free soy sauce and regular butter for my bf & I and he was so nice and funny about it, and already knew about cross contamination, using different utensils, and everything I would do at home. My bf (not gluten free) had my soup since the onions are breaded and I had salad with oil & vinegar. Delicious all around and we're so happy to be able to continue eating here for birthdays and special occasions. Gluten free at Benihana IS possible!! Huge shoutout to chef Indito - he was AMAZING and so interactive during the dinner - & server Segi.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Food was excellent, and not overpriced for the amount of food you get. I had the Benihana Trio, which was great because it had a little bit of everything. The food is prepared right in front of you and is very entertaining. Where else are you going to see an onion volcano? The staff was excellent and extremely knowledgeable, and knew about my allergy from the moment we sat down. Would definitely recommend for a nice entertaining dinner.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

We were told today that their new gluten free menus had arrived this week and they will be rolling out the new menu shortly. Today we ordered the filet mignon and chicken fried rice. Both were delicious. Our chef, Heath, was knowledgeable about gluten. He cleaned the grill again before starting and cooked the gluten free food first, so as to avoid any potential cross contamination. Excellent meal and excellent service.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

It was good with gluten free soya sauce until they cook pasta on the same area and put regular soya sauce.. fried rice gluten free was amazing but be really careful

Celiac friendly?

No

Not impressed they kept coming out and asking me if the mustard, ginger were gluten free And then they came out and said nothing is gluten free.. The knowledge of what gluten is not there

You can get surprisingly great gluten-free care here. Grill is wiped in front of you, they use safe soy sauce/oils, and they make your food before everyone else's so you're guaranteed clean utensils. The teriyaki chicken is phenomenal.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Wonderful experience - the best time we've had at Benihana after years of birthday dinners here. I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and have to eat gluten free and was nervous about making it work. After some time the manager came over and set us up for the chef to cook our meals after the others safely so I could enjoy my meal without having a reaction. SO appreciated this help, and major kudos to Jason and the manager on duty on September 19 2017. We live in CA otherwise we would definitely be back and request Jason!! If you come here just be sure to speak to a manager first so they understand your meal needs to be prepared separately.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

This place has GF soy sauce and they can make GF fried rice. It was good but three out of four of us got sick. The three of us ate the chicken so I’m not sure if we had food poisoning or it wasn’t fully GF.

Amazing hibachi food! Could not say enough good things about them! We went for my best friends birthday and I was the only Celiac in the party so of course had to ask my usual hundred questions about how my food would be prepared etc. I was told they have gluten free soy sauce (which was amazing) and that if my “allergy” was severe that they would make my food in a separate area in the kitchen, instead of on the hibachi grill with everyone else’s, which I was completely fine with. I ordered he hibachi steak with chicken fried rice. The guy then came over to start making everyone’s food and told me he would make mine as well which made me nervous and I mentioned about cooking it separate in the kitchen, and he told me not to worry. I was definitely worried and watching his every move. However, he was extremely knowledgeable. He made my rice and steak first and then made everyone else’s rice and meat. They use a garlic butter in their rice that has soy sauce so it is not gluten free! He just put regular butter in my rice and of course the gluten free soy sauce. They were great and I felt very comfortable after I saw how knowledgeable they were.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I called ahead and talked to staff and still ended up almost nothing to eat. It was a real bummer.

Celiac friendly?

No

The staff was very nice and understanding but offering is very limited

Very GF aware. In order to be safe all your food must be cooked in the back. DO NOT EAT OFF THE SHOW GRILL or you'll be sorry. If you specifically order GLUTEN FREE your food will be made safely in the kitchen. Done this several times with zero issue.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

the kitchen was very accommodating and cooked all my food seperate

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very careful! Made my food at the table with everyone else but on the side. Cleaned his utensils every time and was so nice about it. Wonderful customer service!! Thank you!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Was here for a friend's bday and the food was great and completely gf. The meat is not seasoned except for salt and pepper so just make sure they cook all of your food first on the clean grill before anything else. I ate chicken, steak, white rice, zucchini, and onion. It tasted great but the only downside of going to a restaurant like this is that you eat before everyone else has gotten their food or you eat cold food.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The manager was AMAZING!!! They made sure everything was celiac friendly!!! Omg ate a whole meal with out being sick. I can't believe it!! I have Dairy intolerance, diabetic, and gastroparesis. I walked away feeling great and full. Amazing!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Not a lot of choices but great food! The chefs know exactly what to do at habachi tables, and the food is phenomenal! Celiac friendly!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I don't trust the place as far as knowledge goes about the gf options. I got sick after eating the soup which I was told was ok. Later on I find out they use breaded fried onion rings in their soup which u don't recognize in there as the breeding falls off w cooking

Celiac friendly?

No

The food is great but since going gluten free I wouldn't feel safe eating here. I called and spoke to a manager and he said there wasn't really anything that would be safe to eat.

Celiac friendly?

No

I don't often review restaurants but because this is more of a social place that us G-free people dont have a choice to dine or not dine I would give some feedback. They were great at accommodating so that I could be a part of it all. It is true that their sauces, dressings and soup are all out; however our awesome waitress and chef went out of their way to help me out. Brought out oil and vinegar for the salad. My meal was prepared first to keep from cross contamination and was able to have fried rice. Didn't miss any of the sauces. Drinks were great and could even enjoy some desert. Just be nice and be clear about your allergy and they will take care of you.

So disappointed. They used to be accommodating and helpful. Not anymore. Soup is made with bouillon cubes now instead of broth so no longer safe. Wheat based soy sauce in the salad dressing. It would be so easy to just use 100% soy sauce instead of yhe inferior wheat "soy" sauce.

Awful! Cross contamination everywhere!! My son was so sick within an hour of eating here. Staff really needs to be educated.

Celiac friendly?

No

The best experience ever! The manager Han took good care of us. Gave us our own table so that there would be no cross contamination. Food was fantastic. I highly recommend. Just let them know if you have celiac and they will accommodate you.

Japanese/American hibachi steak house where they cook your meal right in front of you. They have Kikkoman gluten-free soy sauce on request and they cooked everyone on the table's meal with it so low chance of cross contamination. You have to skip the soup and salad dressing if you're gluten free which is a shame, but it's still worth it for the hibachi show and great meats and veg. A pricy restaurant, great for a treat or birthday.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Good Chicken Fried Rice and great food.

After asking numerous questions and indicating the seriousness of my need for gf, I was told anything on the menu could be modified to be gf. I ordered sushi roll that I had ordered and safely eaten from many other restaurants. I was then told I couldn't have that bc the cream cheese want gf. In 8 yrs of eating gf, I have never encountered cream cheese that contained gluten but our server insisted repeatedly the cream cheese was not gf so I ordered something different - spicy hibachi chicken which I was assured would be gf. The dish was served, I took 3 bites and our server and another server came over and told me there was a "little" problem. I said "Please tell me this does not have gluten in it?" "No, no, it's gluten free but the chili sauce is not gluten free so you mustn't eat that. You need something different." Long story short, they took the dish away, served me plain chicken and vegetables and gf chicken fried rice. At 4 a.m. I woke up with terrible stomach pain, a horrible headache and other gluten induced symptoms I won't share here. To make matters worse, the rest of my family's meals were served one plate at a time with a lengthy interval between their meat entrees and their rice which they would have preferred to eat at the same time. Everyone pretty much ate separately and their entrees were cold before their rice ever arrived. At the end of the night, my meal was discounted from the bill and we still spent $100 for a very bad experience. Entree portions are also quite small. I would not recommend eating here.

Celiac friendly?

No

Awesome food. Can make your food in the back in a dedicated Wok. Or if your whole table agrees to GF soy sauce (which they have on hand) you can have the whole meal made right there in front of you. They also know which dipping sauces are safe (orange one with garlic in it) and that the salad dressing has soy sauce, so so you have to do oil & vinegar instead.

No gf menu but they have gluten free soy sauce. They will also cook your food first before cooking other items containing gluten. Soup: ask for no carmelized onions. Salad: ask for no dressing and instead they will bring you olive oil and vinegar. Don't try the two sauces that come with the entrees. The appetizer shrimp is ok to eat. Fried rice is on. The chicken and beef and ahi tuna...almost all the entrees minus the noodles are ok. Sake is ok to drink but not the beers.

I got so sick here. Did everything right I thought. not sure what happened. it was more than cross contamination.

I was really excited to come here and have some gf sushi. Ordering was next to impossible! I just tried to ask what I could order and I kept being told to avoid sauce, fried food, this, that and everything else. I asked for a gf recommendation and I got some hemming and hawing and more encouragement to avoid certain things. When I asked about specific items I kept being told they wouldn't work. Finally I just went with something unappealing because I figured with only chicken and lemon it would be safe. staff does seem knowledgable about contamination, but it would be nice if it was easier to order. extremely frustrating experiance.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very willing to make adjustments for someone who can't eat gluten, but cross-contamination is likely as everything is cooked on the same grill.

Things to watch out for: breaded onions in the soup, soy sauce in the fried rice, other sauces, as well as the salad dressing (ask for oil/vinegar). Make sure to let your chef know you're gluten-free.

Celiac friendly?

No

Our server was unhelpful about gf recommendations, but we had the manager come over and he gave me the rundown on what was safe. My meal was prepared on a separate grill in the back using gf soy sauce. The dipping sauces all have gluten, as does the onion soup (can be prepared w/o the glutenous fried onions).

They cook your food separately in the back. the manager understands gluten free and will come out and discuss the food options prior to serving. high success rate eating here and i am celiac.

Was able to eat a gluten free meal, but it was flavorless. If we had not been vigilant, there would have been cross contamination. Highly disappointing.

Celiac friendly?

No

Food was good. They were informed about allergies. Delicious.

Service was awful. Took forever to get served.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I have gotten sick EVERY time I have ate there no matter how many times I tell them that I'm gluten free or how much they seem to care. 3 strikes and they are out. I've even skipped birthday parties and other big events because I will never ever step foot in one again. Just thinking about this place makes me feel sick.

Notify the staff you have to be gluten free they really go above and beyond to make sure you are gluten free the whole time. delicious options and gf soy sauce too!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very informed and cooked my meal first with gluten free soy sauce. Wonderful!

staff understands gf needs!

I had a surprisingly good experience here. They immediately knew that I could not have salad dressing and they had gluten-free tamari that the hibachi chef used for everybody's meal, so as to not cross contaminate my food.