Updated February 2023! Benihana is the only major restaurant chain in the U.S. where your meal comes with a knife show. Teppanyaki chefs toss and flip both food and utensils as they prepare your meal in front of you on a searing hot hibachi grill. How they find so many chefs with that level of coordination is beyond me. In addition to grilled food, they offer a whole menu of sushi, sashimi, and appetizers. Our guide below includes all of the dairy-free menu and custom order options at Benihana, plus notes for vegan guests, too!
Benihana Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Custom Order & Vegan Options
On the surface, the menu at Benihana looks almost entirely dairy-free. But they do have a few big dairy surprises. Below is our guide to ordering without dairy, created with the guidance of Benihana. Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks. Please note that this guide is for the U.S. locations. Options may vary in other countries.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: Benihana offers a gluten-free soy sauce and a very full gluten-free menu. The sashimi, hibachi, and salad options below can be ordered without gluten. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Appetizers
- Chili Ponzu Yellowtail
- Crispy Rice – Spicy Tuna, Spicy Yellowtail, or Spicy Salmon (see Heads Up below)
- Edamame – Regular or Spicy
- Pan Fried Gyoza Dumplings – Pork or Spicy Chicken (see Heads Up below)
- Sashimi Sampler
- Seared Tuna
- Shrimp Sauté (see Heads Up below)
- Soft Shell Crab
- Sushi Sampler
- Tempura – Shrimp, Chicken, or Vegetable
- Tuna Poke – Classic or Spicy
Heads Up! Some locations have Chicken Wings, which are made with garlic butter. We have been told all other appetizers are dairy-free, but they do use garlic butter for sautéing, so make sure any pan-fried, grilled, or stir-fried items that you order are cooked without butter. Also, their fried items might be cooked in a shared fryer with some fried sushi rolls containing cream cheese.
Sides
- Benihana Onion Soup
- Benihana Salad
- Miso Soup
- Rice – Brown or White
- Seaweed Salad
Dairy-Free Dressings: House Ginger Dressing, Wasabi Dressing, Balsamic Vinegar & Oil
Heads Up! Their “fried rice” like the Hibachi Chicken Rice and Spicy Chicken Rice are cooked with garlic butter. You can request no butter to make them dairy-free.
Sashimi / Nigiri
- Albacore Tuna
- Eel
- Egg
- Kani / Krab (see Heads Up below)
- Octopus
- Salmon Roe
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Smoked Salmon
- Snapper
- Tuna
- Yellowtail
Heads Up! Double check that the “krab” sourced at your Benihana is dairy-free. Imitation crab often contains milk an other top allergens.
Sushi Rolls
- Alaskan Roll (contains krab)
- California Roll (contains krab)
- Cucumber Roll
- Dragon Roll (contains krab)
- Eel Roll
- Lobster Roll (contains krab)
- Rainbow Roll (contains krab)
- Salmon Roll
- Salmon Avocado Roll
- Shrimp Crunchy Roll (contains krab)
- Shrimp Lovers Roll (contains krab)
- Shrimp Tempura Roll (contains krab)
- Spicy Salmon Roll
- Spicy Tuna Roll
- Spider Roll (contains krab)
- Sumo Roll (Baked) (contains krab)
- Tuna Roll
- Vegetable Roll
- Yellowtail Roll
Heads Up! We were told by corporate that all sushi ingredients are dairy-free, except the cream cheese. But double check that the “krab” sourced at your Benihana is dairy-free. Imitation crab often contains milk an other top allergens.
Teppanyaki / Hibachi Menu
Custom Order: Benihana uses a garlic butter blend to cook the fried rice, vegetables, noodles, and teppan specialties (steak, chicken, and seafood dishes). However, dairy-free guests can request their meals be prepared without any garlic butter. According to a Benihana representative, this is the only dairy ingredient used to make their grilled entrees, and their sauces are all made without dairy. If you are concerned about cross-contamination (since garlic butter is used on their grills), alert the server and chef to ensure your meal is prepared accordingly.
Other Lunch Entrees
- Imperial Salad – Chicken, Salmon, or Ahi Tuna
Heads Up! See the Teppanyaki / Hibachi instructions and notes above for ordering other lunch entrees. The Bento Box can be ordered without dairy, but verify no butter in preparation and that the krab in the California Roll is dairy free.
Sauces
- Benihana Hot Sauce
- Benihana Original Garlic Sauce
- Benihana Original Yum Yum Sauce
- Diablo Sauce
- Eel Sauce
- Ginger Sauce
- Mustard Sauce
- Spicy Mayo
- Spicy Teriyaki Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
Heads Up! We have been told by Benihana staff that “all sauces” are dairy-free by ingredients, but we are waiting for verification on the sauces specifically. Verify at your location before ordering.
Desserts
Heads Up! Sorry, their green tea ice cream and other desserts contain dairy!
Benihana Vegan Menu Guide
Vegan Appetizers & Sides
- Edamame – Regular or Spicy
- Rice – Brown or White
- Seaweed Salad
Vegan Salad
- Benihana Salad
- Imperial Salad (no meat or seafood)
- Balsamic Vinegar & Oil
- House Ginger Dressing
- Wasabi Dressing
Vegan Sushi & Other Entrees
- Cucumber Roll
- Vegetable Roll
- Tofu Steak Entrée (prepared without butter)
Vegan Sauces
- Benihana Hot Sauce
- Eel Sauce
- Ginger Sauce
- Mustard Sauce
- Spicy Teriyaki Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
Heads Up! Other noodle, rice, and vegetable entrees can be prepared vegan on request. Be sure to verify the sauces at your location to ensure they are strictly vegan, if desired.
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
Where to Find Benihana
There are over 100 Benihana restaurants around the world, but the majority are located in the U.S. See their website below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.benihana.com
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
1 Comment
My family took me out to Benihana for my birthday last year. Besides having a rather bland (and cold) meal I was able to have a dairy-free safe meal. I explained my allergy to the waitress and again to the chef. The chef prepared my meal before anyone else at the table so it wouldn’t be contaminated by the butter they use in many of their dishes. Because so many of their dishes use butter the food I had was sort of lackluster – and cold since it was cooked first. Overall it was a fun experience.