Benihana

We order delivery from this location about once a week. I always get their gf chicken fried rice and haven’t been glutened, the gf sashimi, rolls and miso are okay but not great (too much seasoning ironically on the rolls, and the sashimi is thin and tiny, the miso is very bland and tastes like grocery store kind from powder). The fried rice doesn’t disappoint and at $6.70/ea for a big portion I sometimes buy extras and put them in the fridge for lunches.

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

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

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

— Excellent

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

Most of menu is actually GF. If others at the table are eating GF, they will prepare GF first. Also have GF soy sauce.

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

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent

The restaurant said they understood what Celiac was, and at the beginning they were great. The Server catered towards my needs well. The soup and salad both had gluten, so for the hibachi dinner he let me sub Edamame instead (and it was a lot!). The sashimi always great too. I asked that they cook the food in the back and they didn’t. The cleaned the cooktop off really well (which I’m new so I’m not sure how safe that is) and cooked almost all of my food first. The chicken fried rice and the scallops in front of me using gluten free soy sauce. It was after this things got a bit bad. He cooked the rice and main dish for everyone else (for Hibachi) then when he cooked the veggies and shrimp (even though he sorta cleaned off the stovetop, he tried to put the soy sauce free veggies on my plate (I said no) and he put the shrimp on my plate with the regular soy sauce on it. Thankfully I was full at that point but made me really uncomfortable. I’m new to Celiac but I know that’s bad. So experience was so/so.

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

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

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

— Excellent

Something must have changed here recently, because I informed the host that I had celiac, and he had all of my food prepared in a separate gluten free kitchen. All of my food arrived at once, while my partner was having hers cooked on the griddle with the rest of the group. I felt very comfortable, and the host even walked over a few times to ensure everything went smooth. I have celiac and had no symptoms the evening or day after. I'd for sure eat here again.

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Offers online ordering
• Reservations recommended

NOT celiac safe!! Willing to make the food gluten free and use gluten free soy sauce but everything is cooked on the same stove and they use the same spatula for everything. Definitely got at least cross contaminated because i have major brain fog now, no stomach pain yet thank goodness. Would be great for someone who’s just gluten free but if you have an allergy i would avoid it.

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

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

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

— Below Average

The waitress really knew her stuff when it came to things I could and couldn’t have. I felt safe with consuming food here. The chef did my rice first before everyone else’s. They are very accommodating when you let them know you are gluten free. They do have a gluten free menu!

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

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent