Benihana Menu Prices: What Dinner and a Show Typically Costs

Benihana menu prices reflect the fact that you are paying for dinner and a show in one visit. Guests sit around a flat top teppanyaki grill while a chef chops, flips and flames steak, chicken and seafood inches away, turning a meal into theater. That live cooking, plus full table service in a sit down dining room, puts Benihana menu prices a clear step above quick service chains. This guide from The Menu Vault walks through Benihana menu prices across all fourteen categories so you know what a night out usually costs before you book a table.

Expect Benihana menu prices to run higher than a casual restaurant but lower than a fine dining steakhouse. Teppanyaki entrees make up the core of Benihana menu prices, and most dinner entrees land in the upper double digits in many markets. Lunch is the friendliest entry point in the Benihana menu prices lineup, with smaller midday sets that cost noticeably less than dinner. Drinks, sushi and desserts add to the check, so the total for two with cocktails can climb well past the entree prices alone. Every range below is typical for many markets, since Benihana menu prices shift by city, with big metro locations usually charging more than suburban ones.

For the full chain overview, including the dining experience and ordering tips, see our Benihana hub. If you want to time your visit for deals, check our Benihana happy hour guide. To compare with other sit down chains, browse our menu prices collection. Bookmark this page before your next celebration dinner so the numbers are handy when you need them.

Benihana Menu Prices Overview

The best way to read Benihana menu prices is to think in tiers. Lunch sets are the value tier of Benihana menu prices, typically running $15 to $25 in many markets for teppanyaki lunch plates, bento boxes and smaller entrees. Dinner teppanyaki entrees are the middle and upper tier of Benihana menu prices: chicken and vegetable based dinners often start in the mid $20s, while steak, shrimp and combination dinners usually run $30 to $55 in many markets. Premium surf and turf combinations can push Benihana menu prices past $60 for a single entree in some cities.

Several things drive where Benihana menu prices land on any given night. Protein choice matters most: chicken is the gentlest on the wallet, steak and shrimp sit in the middle, and lobster or filet combinations top the range. Location matters too, since Benihana menu prices in New York or Los Angeles run higher than in smaller markets. Daypart matters as well: lunch pricing is deliberately lower to fill midday seats, while weekend dinners command full price. Party size can change the math, since sharing a few appetizers and sides across the table lowers the per person cost of Benihana menu prices without losing the experience.

One more thing to know about Benihana menu prices: teppanyaki dinners are served as complete meals. Most dinner entrees come with soup, salad, shrimp appetizer, vegetables and rice, which softens the sticker price once you realize how much food is included. When you compare Benihana menu prices to ordering a steak, sides and appetizers separately at a steakhouse, the bundled format often looks reasonable. Keep that bundle in mind as you read the category breakdowns below.

Limited time dishes and seasonal specials can nudge Benihana menu prices up or down through the year. Holiday periods sometimes bring fixed price celebration menus that bundle the show with extras like champagne or dessert, and these packages can be a better deal than ordering the same items separately. Conversely, prices tend to be stickiest on Friday and Saturday nights, when demand is highest and the dining room fills with birthday parties. If your schedule is flexible, a Tuesday or Wednesday dinner often means the same food and the same performance with easier seating and occasionally gentler specials. Watching the calendar this way is one of the simplest tricks for keeping a Benihana night out affordable.

Every Benihana Menu Category, Explained

Benihana organizes its menu into fourteen categories, and Benihana menu prices vary quite a bit between them. Here is what each category covers and what it typically costs, with links to our deeper category guides.

Lunch

Benihana lunch is the smartest way to experience the grill on a budget, and it anchors the low end of Benihana menu prices. Midday teppanyaki sets, lunch bento boxes and smaller portion entrees deliver the chef performance in a shorter format. Lunch typically runs $15 to $25 in many markets. If Benihana menu prices at dinner feel steep, lunch gives you the same theater for roughly half the cost.

Steak and Chicken Entrees

Steak and chicken teppanyaki entrees are the signature of Benihana menu prices: hibachi steak, chicken and combination platters cooked tableside with mushrooms, zucchini, onions and fried rice. These are the dinners most first timers order, and they define the middle of Benihana menu prices. Expect $28 to $50 in many markets depending on the cut and combination. The chicken teriyaki style dinner is usually the gentlest entry in this group, while the hibachi steak commands the top. Combination plates that pair steak with chicken give you both proteins for less than ordering two separate dinners, which makes them a popular pick for couples who want to taste across the grill.

Seafood Entrees

Seafood entrees bring shrimp, scallops, salmon and lobster to the teppanyaki grill, and they sit at the upper end of Benihana menu prices. The classic hibachi shrimp dinner is the value pick here, while lobster tail dinners top the category. Seafood entrees typically run $28 to $58 in many markets. Shrimp is the crowd favorite for good reason: it cooks fast on the grill, the portion is generous, and it costs noticeably less than the lobster or scallop plates. If you love seafood but want to keep the check reasonable, shrimp with a side of extra vegetables is a filling combination that stays well under the category ceiling.

Specialties Entrees

Specialty entrees are the premium tier of Benihana menu prices: chef built combinations like steak with shrimp, chicken with lobster and other surf and turf plates. These are celebration dinners, priced accordingly. Expect $35 to $65 in many markets.

Noodles and Tofu Entrees

Noodle and tofu entrees cover yakisoba, udon dishes and tofu steak for guests who want something beyond the standard grill proteins. This is one of the gentler corners of Benihana menu prices. Dishes typically run $18 to $30 in many markets.

Salads and Vegetable Entrees

Salads and vegetable entrees include Japanese style salads, grilled vegetable platters and lighter green focused meals. They work as lighter dinners or as add ons for the table. Prices typically run $10 to $22 in many markets, making this one of the lowest sections of Benihana menu prices.

Sashimi and Sushi

Sashimi and sushi come from the sushi bar rather than the grill: nigiri, sashimi plates and simple maki for raw fish fans. This part of Benihana menu prices varies with the fish, from simple tuna nigiri to premium platters. Expect $8 to $28 in many markets depending on cut and count. Ordering a few pieces of nigiri as a starter while the grill heats up is a classic move, and it lets sushi lovers in the group get their fix without committing to a full sushi dinner on top of teppanyaki.

Specialty Sushi Rolls

Specialty sushi rolls are creative multi ingredient rolls with signature sauces, tempura crunch and bold presentations. They are priced like upscale sushi bar rolls within Benihana menu prices. Rolls typically run $12 to $20 in many markets.

Sides

Sides round out the meal: extra hibachi fried rice, grilled mushrooms, additional shrimp appetizers, steamed rice and more. Since teppanyaki dinners already include rice and vegetables, order sides only if your table is extra hungry. Sides typically run $4 to $12 in many markets, the lowest rung of Benihana menu prices.

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic beverages span sake, Japanese beer, wine and signature cocktails served at the bar and tableside. Drinks are where Benihana menu prices can surprise you, since cocktails add up fast. Expect $8 to $16 in many markets per drink. Sake is the thematic pick and often the best value pour, while the tropical signature cocktails tend to sit at the top of the range. If the table wants to toast without doubling the bill, one round of beer or wine with dinner keeps things festive and predictable.

Drinks

Non alcoholic drinks include soft drinks, iced tea, lemonade and Japanese style refreshments. This is the cheapest way to drink with dinner in the Benihana menu prices lineup. Expect $3 to $6 in many markets.

Lounge Specials

Lounge specials are bar area small plates and drink deals, ideal for a lighter night out without committing to a full teppanyaki dinner. This is the insider way to beat Benihana menu prices while still soaking up the atmosphere. Small plates typically run $6 to $14 in many markets. Availability varies by location and time, so it is worth calling ahead or checking with the host stand if the lounge menu is the main reason for your visit.

Desserts

Desserts close the meal with green tea ice cream, tempura cheesecake, mochi and seasonal sweets. A sweet finish adds a modest bump to Benihana menu prices. Desserts typically run $6 to $10 in many markets.

Take Home

Take home options cover sauces, dressings and gift items like the famous ginger and yum yum style sauces fans try to recreate at home. These make fun souvenirs and typically run $5 to $12 in many markets.

Best Value Picks at Benihana

The best values in Benihana menu prices cluster around lunch and the lounge. A lunch teppanyaki set gives you the full chef show, soup, salad and rice for roughly the cost of a casual dinner elsewhere, and it is the single best answer to high Benihana menu prices. If lunch does not fit your schedule, the lounge specials menu offers small plates and drink deals in the bar area that undercut dining room Benihana menu prices by a wide margin.

At dinner, chicken teppanyaki is the value protein: it comes with the same full spread of soup, salad, shrimp appetizer, vegetables and rice as the steak dinners, but sits at the lower end of Benihana menu prices. Sharing works well too. A table of four can split two appetizers and an extra side of fried rice, trimming the per person total without anyone feeling shorted. And since dinners are already bundled, resist the urge to over order: the included courses are generous, and extra sides often go unfinished.

Groups should ask about sharing platters and family style options, which some locations offer for larger parties. Splitting a combination dinner between two lighter eaters, then adding an extra soup and salad, can feed two people well for less than two full entrees. It is not advertised loudly, but servers are used to the request and will tell you honestly whether the portions work for sharing. This is the kind of practical question that regulars ask without hesitation, and it can save a group of six a meaningful amount over everyone ordering individually.

Joining the email list and watching for birthday offers is another quiet way to soften Benihana menu prices. The chain runs periodic promotions and a birthday club that can take a meaningful bite out of a celebration dinner. Check our Benihana happy hour guide for timed deals, and browse happy hours at other chains if you are comparing nights out.

Planning Your Benihana Visit Around the Prices

A little planning goes a long way toward a Benihana visit that feels worth every dollar. Start by picking your daypart deliberately: lunch for the lowest prices, weeknights for a calmer room, weekends for the full celebration energy. Then decide on drinks before you sit down, since the bar tab is the part of the bill with the most upward drift. One cocktail with dinner and water after is a perfectly respectable plan that keeps the total predictable.

When you order, remember that the teppanyaki dinner is already a multi course meal. The soup, salad, shrimp appetizer, vegetables and rice that come with your entree add up to a lot of food, so an extra appetizer for the table is usually plenty. If someone in your party is a light eater, the lunch sized portions or a noodle entree can round out the table without a second full dinner price. Servers see these combinations every day and can steer you toward the right mix if you ask what is filling without being excessive.

Finally, treat the category guides linked above as your pre visit homework. Knowing the typical ranges before you arrive means no sticker shock at the table and no rushed decisions when the server is waiting. The Menu Vault built these guides so you can walk in confident, order what you actually want, and enjoy the show instead of doing math under the table.

How Benihana Prices Compare

Against other Japanese restaurants, Benihana menu prices sit in the mid to upper middle. A neighborhood sushi spot or ramen shop will feed you for less, but neither includes a live cooking performance. Against teppanyaki competitors, Benihana menu prices are broadly in line: the experience is the product, and every teppanyaki chain prices the theater into the entree. Shogun and Kobe style independents often land in a similar band for comparable dinners.

Against American casual dining, Benihana menu prices run higher than a Chili’s or Applebee’s dinner but the format is different enough that the comparison is mostly academic. Nobody chooses between a teppanyaki grill and a burger based on price alone. Against steakhouses, Benihana menu prices look moderate: a bundled teppanyaki dinner with soup, salad, appetizer, vegetables and rice often costs less than a steakhouse entree once you add sides there. For a special night out, Benihana menu prices deliver strong entertainment value per dollar, which is why the chain thrives on birthdays and celebrations. See how other chains stack up in our menu prices collection.

Benihana Menu Prices FAQs

How much does dinner at Benihana usually cost per person?

Benihana menu prices for dinner typically put a full teppanyaki dinner in the $30 to $55 range per person before drinks, tax and tip in many markets. Lunch runs $15 to $25. A couple having cocktails and dessert should budget more, since drinks are the fastest way Benihana menu prices climb.

What is included with a teppanyaki dinner?

Most teppanyaki dinners bundle soup, salad, a shrimp appetizer, hibachi vegetables and steamed or fried rice with the protein. That bundle is why Benihana menu prices feel more reasonable than they first look: you are getting a multi course meal, not just a plate of meat.

Is lunch really cheaper at Benihana?

Yes. Lunch is the clear value window in Benihana menu prices, with midday sets typically $15 to $25 versus $30 plus at dinner. Portions are smaller but the grill show is the same, which makes lunch the best first visit if Benihana menu prices at dinner give you pause.

Do Benihana menu prices vary by location?

They do. Benihana menu prices shift by city and market, with locations in expensive metros charging more than suburban restaurants. The ranges in this guide are typical for many markets, so treat your local menu as the final word.

Are drinks expensive at Benihana?

Relative to the food, yes. Cocktails, sake and wine typically run $8 to $16 each in many markets, so two rounds can add $30 or more to the check. If you are watching Benihana menu prices, the lounge specials or a single drink with dinner keeps the total in check.

Does Benihana have a secret menu?

Benihana does not publish a secret menu, but regulars share ordering tricks like sauce combinations and off menu requests in our Benihana hub. For chains with full secret menus, browse our secret menus collection.

How much should I tip at Benihana?

Standard restaurant tipping applies: 18 to 20 percent on the pre tax total is the norm in most markets. Remember that the check includes the full multi course dinner, so the tip will be higher in dollars than at a casual spot even at the same percentage. For large parties, check whether gratuity is added automatically, since many locations include it for groups of six or more.

Can I eat at Benihana without the teppanyaki show?

Yes. The sushi bar and lounge areas let you enjoy Benihana without a grill table, and the lounge specials menu is built exactly for that. It is the lowest cost way to experience the restaurant, and a good option if someone in your party prefers a quieter meal while everyone else does the full teppanyaki dinner.

Keep Exploring

Benihana menu prices make the most sense once you see the full picture: lunch for value, teppanyaki dinners for the show, and the lounge for a lighter night. Dive into any category guide above for deeper detail, visit our Benihana hub for ordering tricks and the full experience guide, or return to The Menu Vault homepage to explore every restaurant we cover. However you plan it, knowing the typical ranges before you arrive turns the evening into pure enjoyment: the flames, the flying shrimp, and not a single surprise when the check lands.