Benihana - Broomfield

I approached the manager and discreetly asked her to remind the chef to wash his hands since I was looking forward to ordering seafood; she agreed. However, after nearly an hour without any follow-up from her, we decided it was best to skip the sushi altogether. Later that night, about halfway through my meal—a mere snack—the manager finally approached me to ask if we were still interested in sushi; I replied with a firm "no, thank you!" Let me clarify that we’re not picky eaters, but the portion sizes were alarmingly small. While at the bar, a friend shared a story about a Hispanic chef from their previous visit to Benihana, highlighting how much they enjoyed his cooking and jokes, particularly since he was the only Hispanic chef in the restaurant. Once seated, I pointed out various cooks to my friend, trying to identify if one of them was the chef from their last visit, only to be shocked to find that every chef in the kitchen that night was Hispanic! What happened to authenticity? Our chef was clearly inexperienced and nervous, often dropping items as he tried to prepare our meal. Personally, I didn’t mind too much, but I felt bad for him since the food was quite disappointing. The overall experience was frustrating, and I ended up spending a lot of money on meals that barely filled my plate—over $25 per meal for tiny portions! Our cook left food sitting on the plate to get cold; for example, my wife wanted to wait for her chicken before starting her rice and ended up waiting ten minutes, only to find out the chef had forgotten to put it on the grill. Throughout the night, we were served scraps and side dishes—nothing resembling a full meal—while our chef seemed more eager to clock out than to cook for us. To everyone considering Benihana, I strongly recommend Daruma in Jacksonville, Florida. Trust me, it's half the price and double the quality when it comes to food. Daruma is a genuine Japanese steakhouse, while Benihana feels more like a “Chuck E. Cheese” in comparison. They offer authentic food, a great atmosphere, and the management and staff genuinely care about the quality of their offerings.