By Amara Okafor · Head of Editorial, Tip a Chef
Reviewed · Covers chef tipping etiquette
Quick answer
How much do you tip at Benihana?
Tip 18–20% at Benihana, calculated on the full pre-discount total. Because your meal includes a tableside hibachi chef performing for the group, tip toward the higher end. If you used a birthday coupon or promotion, tip on what the bill would have been before the discount, not the reduced amount.
18–20%
of the pre-discount total
Benihana is a hibachi experience, so the same logic applies: the chef cooks and performs at your table, and 18–20% is appropriate. Many regulars tip 20% as standard given the show.
One Benihana-specific point: if you used a birthday reward, coupon, or promotion, calculate the tip on the original full price, not the discounted total. The chef did the same work regardless of your coupon.
If you want the chef specifically to benefit rather than the tip pool, a cash tip handed directly to them is the surest way.
Common questions
Do you tip on the Benihana birthday coupon?
Yes. Tip on what the meal would have cost before the discount, since the chef and server did the full job regardless of your coupon.
Do you tip the Benihana chef and server separately?
You can. Many guests leave a standard tip for the server and hand the hibachi chef a separate cash tip for the performance.
Tip your chef directly
Skip the cash and the tip pool. Scan a chef's Tip a Chef code and your gratuity goes straight to the person who cooked, who keeps 95%.