Benihana Opens Its First Fast Casual Restaurant in Brickell

You no longer need a fancy reason to go to Benihana. For those who have dreamt of their favorite Benihana morsels minus all the sit-down showmanship, it's now a reality in Miami.

The Japanese teppanyaki and sushi chain, which operates more than 100 restaurants, has opened its very first fast-casual restaurant in Brickell. Benihana RA Sushi Brickell is located next to Red Bar at 54 SW Tenth St. and is managed by Erick Passo, who also operates Black Market Miami and Ben’s Pizza locally.

"What makes Benihana Brickell so unique is that you no longer need to have a big occasion or something to celebrate to get the 'Yum Yum' sauce or the chicken fried rice that you've been craving,'” he says in a statement provided to New Times. “By extracting all of the best parts of the Benihana culinary experience and delivering it in a scaled-down yet still elevated way, we've created an everyday dining destination that still feels like you're treating yourself to something special while being on the go.”

Whereas the typical Benihana experience involves diners gathered around a large, flat iron grill with steaming vegetables and periodically flying ingredients, this spot is tucked into an intimate, 1,260-square-foot space with a handful of tables. Rather than an expertly trained teppanyaki chef whipping together items at your table, they are behind the counter.
The menu mirrors the in-restaurant experience, with favorites including the likes of edamame ($7), a spicy tuna sushi burrito ($17), the Hibachi chicken bowl ($15), a spicy tuna poke bowl that’s layered in avocado and cucumber ($18), and hibachi entrees — spanning colossal shrimp to a New York steak/chicken combo — in the $18-$36 range. And, yes, you can order 16-ounce containers of its famous Benihana garlic, Yum Yum, and ginger sauces for $8.

"Guests at Benihana RA Sushi Brickell will enjoy the same time-honored traditions that Benihana and RA Sushi guests have come to love for 60 years,” Tom Baldwin, CEO and president of Benihana, says in a statement. “This new partnership aligns with our continued focus on a robust development pipeline."

Beyond in-person visits, the restaurant will offer delivery via benihana.com and popular apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Beyond its opening phase, the restaurant plans to extend its daily hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. to satisfy late-night cravings.

Benihana RA Sushi Brickell. 54 SW Tenth St., Miami; 786-773-5120; benihana.com. Daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.