Royal Buffet
31 Golf Ctr, Hoffman Estates, IL, 60169
Royal Buffet Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Hoffman Estates for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Hoffman Estates for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Hoffman Estates for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
31 Golf Ctr
Hoffman Estates, IL, 60169 - Phone (847) 885-0688
- Website https://www.royalbuffetil.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 3:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Candy S.
I went there on a holiday weekend, worse time to be there. the crab legs station was over crowed. Great selection,but food quality was terrible and staffs is not very unattentive and rude...!!! I will never eat here again or recommend this place to anyone.... !! Don't waste your $$$....!!!
(1)Christine K.
They have a wide variety of food for the whole family if you do not mind paying about $25/person. They have many different types of sushi rolls but their variety of dim sum is not very good. They have the typical Asian chicken and beef dishes and a variety of fruit and dessert (including cotton candy). The entire place is very clean and they have decent service.
(3)Lisa C.
I am still in a food coma from coming here a few weeks ago. Go for lunch and go HAM...or sushi...or frog legs...or hibachi...or cotton candy...or....
(4)Jessica D.
Very pretty building and a huge variety, but a lot of their food was salty. I literally felt sick from the salt during the drive back home. But for the amount of food and crabs I ate, it was at least worth the $30 I spent.
(3)Tracy L.
found out about this place this year, and now we go here ALL.THE.TIME. 1. filipino parents LOVE buffets. 2. filipnos love crab legs hence, this has become the newest place for celebrations. walnut shrimp is always my fave, they have a mongolian bbq, sushi (meh. a tad better than todai and i couldn't care less about todai), dumplings (MM SHRIMP DUMPLING!!), and your typical entrees. BONUS FOR THE KIDS: COTTON CANDY for dessert! also, ice cream and cheesecake! tons and tons and tons of seating area, come on bring your fam!
(3)John M.
It is what it is. Its a 25 dollar sushi buffet. Not only sushi but crab legs etc. Good food by buffet standards. Just be careful where you choose to sit. Strange people about.
(4)Bob M.
It is an OK buffet. Not the best, not the worst. I feel like there is nothing in this buffet that sets it apart from the others. Pricing is a bit on the high-side. On weekends, they charge aroung $22, and on weekdays, $11. Higher than other buffets I've been to. However, the food compensates for the high price. The food is better than the other buffets, and better prepared as well. Above all, there is a bigger selection of food compared to other buffets. This place opened up a few months ago, and the inside is very clean and organized. Now, it's not upscale, but it's pretty darn close. The staff is all of Asian descent, and they do not know alot of English. I didn't understand anything they said! So to recap: Food and cleanliness: Good Staff and pricing: Bad Appearence: A Clean?: A Food: B Staff: B Pricing: C Overall grade: B+
(3)Mike L.
It's good. Even though I go often to these kinds of buffets with my friends (cheaper ones) I'm not a big fan of an Asian food, that's why I'd say it's pricey, but if that's your thing I'm sure you'll like it, the selection is huge, the biggest I've seen. My total with tip, tax and tea was like $40, I think... (maybe I tipped too much :)
(4)Zhong Y.
Ridiculous Las Vegas style buffet, as we might say in Chinese "wei gou wei zhu" feeding pigs and dogs. Encyclopedic choice matched only by its mediocrity and sheer scale. Think of it as Taste of Chicago sized Asian buffet in both scale and quality. Great for very hungry groups with low expectations and few to no moral, social or dietary restrictions.
(2)Jeff W.
It's hard to believe I'm giving a buffet 4 stars but in comparison to other buffets, this is bar none, the best. I have been to my fair share of buffets... mostly as a poor college student back in the day usually hungover and looking more for quantity over quality. Who am I kidding, I still do that... Royal buffet is the mecca of buffets. Not quite your Vegas/Casino style buffet, but the fact that it is the size of a shopping mall and seats 600+ people, it has the grandeur and variety of something you'd find in a casino. Not to mention, the Asian population that you would find at a casino as well. When coming here, know what to expect... -Lines. It's a buffet. Deal with it. These usually form because people are waiting for the specialty items like crabs legs and lobsters. The crab legs are very good and worth the wait. Especially when fresh. Not overly salty and meaty. -Line Cutting- The majority of the patrons are Asian. My mother being a prime example, Asians are rude and typically don't understand/care for lines. She'll see a new batch of crab legs and walk to the front and grab 2 plate fulls. It's just how it is. Last time I was there, I got fed up and said something to the small Asian lady cutting me after I'd been waiting. I politely said 'I believe there's a line waiting' and she promptly played the 'I don't speak English' card. Wait what? Weren't you just speaking to your daughter?? She filled 2 plates and left me waiting again. Well played lady, well played. The sushi is surprisingly good and solid variety. About 20+ rolls that are refilled quickly. Unlike most buffets that try to fill you up w rice, this place has sashimi and tobiko which is surprising and a nice touch. The dim sum is pretty good as well. Most of it is bought from a vendor, but when you are going through mass quantity, they don't have the time to make it in house. Not too many buffets have dim sum, including pork belly, tripe, chicken feet, baos, etc, so bonus points. Hot foods are pretty much your typical Asian dishes but their fish plates are very good. Whole steamed fish? Delicious. Dessert station is plentiful. I opt for the ice cream (green tea, red bean, and moosetrack are my favorites) and fruit but they have store bought pastries and custards and cotton candy if you prefer. Again, not home made but it's a buffet so it's all about efficiency. You can complain about the service but what more do you need other than for them to clear your plates and refill your drinks a few times? Grab your own napkins on your way up to the food! You'll probably just leave 10% since it's a buffett anyway. I won't lie, it's somewhat of a zoo when you come here but let's admit it, you come here knowing it's a buffett. I'm convinced that this is why America is so fat... but I'm not complaining when I revisit the buffet lines for the 6th or 7th time. For $20something, it's the best buffet in town. Food for thought: People in 3rd world countries would kill to spend one day in this establishment or to even have the table scraps/leftovers being thrown away. I love America.
(4)Scott B.
Is this is 5-star restaurant? No. Is this is 5-start BUFFET? Yes! It's. Really. Just. That. Simple. Go there and be blown away by both the quality and selection. It's that combination that makes it a 5-star in my book.
(5)Bgs B.
As a restaurant, this place would only get 3 or 4 stars from me. However, as a buffet, this is possibly the best buffet I've been to. The selection of food (especially seafood) is incredible. The sushi is freshly made in front of you and if trying weird new foods is your thing, this place is for you. The place also looks very clean and has a top notch decor. I generally do not like buffets, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one (it even had escargot). Most people who give this place low ratings say that the food is not the best. However, if you compare the food from this place, to any other buffets, I don't think there is a better one in Chicago area. If there is, let me know.
(5)Katy P.
I've been here 3 times so far - Very clean and spacious, from seating to serving stations to bathrooms. My b/f and I have always been seated right away since we visited during the weekday each time. The stations are sectioned into different cuisines - you have the more "Americanized" selections with the type of food you'd find at Panda Express (but better), Mongolian stir fry, sushi/sashimi, exotics (clams, snail, frog legs, etc.) fish, and fresh fruits. Great variety if you're feeling adventurous, or if you'd prefer to stick with what you know you like. The only time I really enjoyed the sushi was the second visit, which was right after they opened for lunch and everything was still very fresh and plentiful to choose from. For the price ($11.50 weekday lunch special) the selection is great and everything is good quality. Always a fan of the different shrimp dishes... and the desserts!! Above average for a buffet. Oh, and they have a cotton candy machine. How awesome is that?!
(4)Dan D.
First thing you'll notice when you walk into this place is how big it is. There were 4 (?) dining areas that I counted, and the doesn't include the hibachi area or private room. I've been to a lot of Asian buffets, and this is by far favorite. The variety, quantity, and quality of the food is top notch (in comparison to other buffets). Positives: - I focused on the sushi, sashimi, and oysters. Overall they were good and fresh (for a buffet). I tried some other items, fried rice, pot stickers, chicken wings, steak all of which were above average. -Dessert was nice. Real ice cream, fruit, cakes, and of course, cotton candy. There is chocolate fountain that was not turned on, though. Negatives: - We had a party of about 16 people. For some reason we were placed in the private room that we also had to share with another large party. This room is basically a long narrow hallway. Because of the layout of the room, it gets really loud, and difficult to move around. They couldn't even fit all of us in the room, so some of our party had to sit at the hibachi station. With a place this big, I don't understand why they couldn't sit us in one of the dining areas. - In a place this big, there were only 2 televisions, both in the bar area. They had the Golf Channel and HGTV on, but for some reason, they couldn't get ESPN or Comcast Sportsnet for the Bulls or Knicks game. The bar area is pretty nice. It looks like a nice area to come and hangout it. Unfortunately, it's pretty uninviting. Not only with the TV's, but also with the bartender. He seems angry, like he didn't want to be there. Overall, my family like going to buffets, and this one tops all the ones that I've been to so far. There were a few stations that I didn't try, and I look forward to coming back.
(4)Norah R.
So I've heard mix reviews on this place. But the most common is: its always packed and lots of Asians eat there. That alone if good enough for me! Anything time I go to a place where lots of the ethnic's people are there eating the food, it always turns out to be good. So I took my chances, and was very pleased. This place has so much food I didn't even get to try it all. Me, my bf, and best friend stopped in for lunch while in the area and were amazed at how big this place is! They have tons of sushi rolls that normally I would never take a chance on, but were so fresh I had to dig in. So many varieties or sushi alone I didn't get to try all of them. I will go back any day of the week someone wants to go with me. I'm happy its a 25 min drive from me otherwise I may not be able to fit in my clothes any more! Would love to be able to have room to try more of the foods! P.s. They have a chocolate fountain and fresh cotton candy!
(5)Bob P.
Incredible selection Not the best on any one option, but so many choices and nice variety.
(3)Joe H.
Was tipped off to this place by a couple of coworkers. We went there for lunch on a Friday and I was very pleasantly surprised overall! FOOD: - amazing variety ("Flat-Top" stir fry station; sushi and other fresh fish; chinese food basics; big dessert area; even a very "cultural" offering [stuff you might only find in places like China-town]) - everything tasted fresh PRICE: - $11 for the buffet seemed a little steep, but the quality of and various food offerings make it worth it AMBIANCE: - everything seemed very clean, even the bathrooms - Asian pop music was a little odd at times, but not that intrusive - nice open eating areas, high ceilings SERVICE: - I found the servers were pretty attentive
(4)Jesus A.
No stars if I could just from Chicago to this place what a waste of time.... And the customer service is garbage.
(1)Cindy F.
My family went there once on Easter Sunday this year and will probably never go back again. There are many choices, but none of the dishes is delicious and tastes authentic. Sushi is not like sushi, dim sum is not like dim sum, ... . I still miss Todai which is much better than this place. And this place is even more expensive than Todai.
(2)Courtney W.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! For $21 on a Saturday night I ate 2 lb. of snow crab and two plates full of sushi. The pot stickers were also pretty tasty and the seafood was amazing in general. I will be back even though I was not previously a fan of Asian buffets. The selection is insane and even if you don't like seafood there will be something for you. The Mongolian station was also pretty impressive. Everything was extremely fresh and the staff made sure that everything was replenished in a timely manner. I am so glad that I stumbled upon this place!
(5)Joshua C.
The name is fitting because I definitely ate like a king. Yes, the price is pretty high at $19.99 a person, but the sheer variety, quality and quantity of food puts this place at the tops of many of the buffets that I have been to. The favorite of the night for me were the crab legs. A lot of buffets in Chicagoland offer endless crab legs, but they are absolutely whack. You can't even snap the crab legs because they've been sitting in boiling water for so long, and the crab meat is stringy. At Royal Buffet, the crab legs snapped and out came beautifully meaty crab meat. Dip a little butter on it, and you're golden. I would've paid the price of admission just for the crab legs. There are so very many other foods, I can't list them all. I'll mention the things that I feel have most "value" for your money, or "bang for your buck" as they say. I've already mentioned the crab legs, which you ought not be modest with; take as many as you can! There is also the sushi that is available, which was not bad at all! They even had sashimi (just the raw fish, not in a roll), which was of pretty good quality: tuna and salmon, as well as a few others. The rolls were pretty good as well: spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, American dream, Rainbow, to name a few. Seafood delight was another great dish! They don't skimp on the shrimp, and the sauce was perfect. Load up on the shrimp and put it over a small bed of rice, and you got yourself some tastiness. It seems that there's a running theme for seafood in my list of good things. Their Teriyaki steak and chicken were so-so, not very juicy or moist. However, the "Royal Steak," which is basically like ribs, was very good. Next time I go, I will have to try the Hibachi grill. I wasn't even able to try it because I was having so much fun eating all the "value" items, haha. But next time, surely I will go. If you want to dine like a king, Royal Buffet is where it's at.
(5)Marlo P.
Um, I REALLY liked this place. I used to go to the one in Woodridge and this one is definitely a lot nicer and cleaner (and more expensive). They keep it very clean. Service is okay but I've experienced a hell of a lot worse at other Asian buffets. I went on a Wednesday night which was probably smart on my part just because they were loaded with good food. Crab legs galore. I ate a lot of crab legs that night. They weren't salty and they were meaty and just right. They had raw oysters and clams which I thought it was okay but way better than Today that's for sure. Variety is crazy here and they have hibachi grills in the back. The sushi was ehhh, okay. I can't say they were the best sushi in the world and I'd definitely not come here just for the sushi. They did have dim sum there that included chicken feet and shumai which I thought was pretty awesome. I've needed a dim sum fix for quite awhile too. The decor is quite fancy. A little TOO fancy for a Chinese buffet. I'd definitely go back again. It beats going all the way to Woodridge to eat.
(4)Sun C.
Reasonable price and the food isn't bad. The variety is good and the sushi isn't half bad. The decor is nice as well. One of the better buffet places ive been to. Wish they had it closer to the city tho.
(3)Keith R.
Came here again last night. Plates were cleaned off the table much more frequently this time, and water was replenished! All in all, a better experience this time around, BUT(yeah I hate to through the but in)something funny with the drawn butter happened. So I got a crack at a fresh tray of crab legs, but the butter was all gone. So I asked someone behind the counter if they could make ge some more butter. What did he do? He looked at the butter silo(I don't know what to call it, but that's what it looks like), looked at me and kind of grunted an affirmative sounding mm-hmm at me. Then he stood there with his hands on his hips and just stared at me. I wasn't sure what he was waiting for, or what I did wrong, so I just skulked away like I should have left or something. Then I came back and there still wasn't any butter. So I asked one of the ladies behind the counter if they could help me out. Still, the language barrier was there, but she knew what I was getting at. She hooked me up with a bowl of butter. One of my friends tried to get two separate ice cream flavors in two separate bowls, but the ice cream lady kept getting giving him 2 flavors 1 bowl. It's just sort of funny, no harm, no foul. 1 more star earned I guess. Oh, and there was more sushi this time around!
(3)Ashley P.
Very good selection. Chinese, Japanese, and fresh seafood. It's kind of crowded and when you go at night its very expensive (think about 22 per person) but it has a very excellent selection. Just make sure you are hungry. Also I don't know if you have to be more assertive about your drink choices, but I ordered water when I was seated was there for 2 hours and never got a refill.
(3)Skyler J.
It's been awhile. The place is nice and clean, but It's a cover up. The quality of the food went down in the past few months and the products aren't as fresh and It's kinda warm, but cold. They also added MSG I'm sure to improve the taste because It's a cheap food now. It used to be $20 now It's $23. Hmm. It's not the same!
(1)Jay T.
This is the favorite place for me and my friends. Dinner is pretty expensive, $25; however, food quality is the reason I give it a 5-star. They even have lobster on Wednesday, whole-boiled or cooked with ginger, depending on the day. Every dish here is excellent. Unlike other places, the empty trays are refilled immediately. The menu I really love about this place are: - Lobster on Wednesday night: long wait, yes there is a long line inside the restaurant just to pick up one, can you believe that? But it is so good; - Boiled snow crab leg: fresh, not salty; - Whole-boiled crab; - Korean-BB steak: yummy, so so goood; - Snail; - Hot crawfish: not very spicy or tasty though; - Claim; - Frog leg; - Fresh sashimi. This place is pretty crowded. It seems that everyone likes to throw their birthday here. They'll come and sing at your table if it is your birthday, but you won'get any discount. Try it and I'm sure you will love the quality of the food here.
(5)S H.
Came here with my husband on a Wednesday night. We were excited seeing that there was a sign for lobster night! The place looked kind of nice...reminded us of todai in Woodfield Mall. They had various Chinese food, sushi, dim sum, a stir fry bar, which was closed even though there was still 2 hours left before closing, and a few selection of desserts. Though there was a wide selection of food that was SUPPOSED to be offered, we were quite disappointed. First, the sushi station did not have much. At least half of the plates were empty and would not get refilled. The sushi that was there did not taste fresh but tasted old. The Chinese food was very very greasy. We had no idea what any of the dim sum was because there weren't any labels nor a person to help us out. To top it off, the lobster was deep fried in some sort of greasy oily batter. You can tell that the lobster wasn't fresh, and barely had any meat inside. The best item in the restaurant was their cotton candy and green tea ice cream. It's kind of sad if those were the two best tasting items at a seafood buffet. Overall, our experience was terrible! We will never be coming back here. We would rather save ten bucks and got old country buffet.
(1)Gary M.
The selection is huge. Will take more than two visits to try everything
(4)Tony M.
I like the ambiance, the large space, and the big variety. Wednesday they have lobster and crab legs and the prices are appropriate for what you get. I will be back!
(4)Jason U.
Tons of food. Prepared to be overwhelmed. Surprisingly the dessert selection was weak.
(4)J W.
Sorry, but we'll never come back. It was expensive. So that set our expectations higher. I didn't like being jammed into closely spaced tables. Also, it was a mistake to go during dinner time on a Saturday. You have to work your way through waves of people to get across to the buffets. Of the foods I expected to be hot, many were just luke warm In general, I like buffets, but not this one.
(1)Jin C.
This place is awesome. Good for small groups or big parties. It has a full bar and a great buffet variety. Good food, good price, good service.
(5)Scottie P.
The most amazing buffet I have ever been too. The place looks really nice. Everything you can eat! Especially the crabs! If you are hungry and wanting to eat, this place is well worth the price you pay for!!!
(5)Mandrake C.
Went back to the Royal Buffet to pay $25/plate for lobster night. That lobster you get is cold and rubbery. I was with 4 people and 3 of us agreed that the lobster was not worth it. The crab legs were good when hot. The problem and the reason for this update is went up for more food at this all you can eat buffet and one of the servers behind the counter took my plate away from me! Seriously? Never happened in my life! I was holding two plates and was told I was only allowed one and they snatched it from my hands! I couldn't believe it!
(1)Steven L.
I went for dinner All you can eat raw oysters and clam! Steamed crab legs (cold or warm), steamed clams (jumbo!), decent sushi. Sushi isn't as amazing as a true sushi restaurant but was the best I've ever had at a chinese buffet-stye restaurant. They also have a carving station. There is a guy frying up steaks near the carving station. They put it on a tray when they are ready but they go fast. Not sure what cut but they were extremely tender (cooked medium doneness). The steaks were not seasoned, they just put A1 sauce on top but were still tasty. I stopped by the 2nd weekend they've been open. Stuff still gets mis-labeled but just ask someone next to you what stuff is if you don't know. The majority of people that eat here are Chinese and know what everything is anyways. Waiters are around but you have to flag them down, the place is pretty busy. I am okay snagging my own napkins, forks, etc. anyways. Decor is nice, bathrooms are very clean. Lines move quick and they re-stock quickly (even oysters and crab legs). Sushi is a bit slow but there was always something I wanted when I went back up. For those of you who are on a paleo diet, you will love this place. They have alot of Chinese offal delicacies - steamed chicken feet, tripe, stomach and more. For those of you who want to destroy your health, they have a dessert area with a cotton candy machine, cheese cake, and quality Asian ice cream (red bean, green tea flavors and more). Fresh kiwi, strawberries and lychee fruit are also available. I could barely move by the time I was done. Will be back in a few months!
(4)Lisa C.
Made the hike here with the family for Friday lunch. Smelled chinese food cooking before we actually saw the restaurant. The decor is indeed royal and not what I expected of a buffet. Large selection of food to choose from and the quality of food is pretty good for a buffet. There were a variety of seafood, meat dishes, dim sum, rather large selection sushi bar and dessert section. BTW, the only thing that stood out at the dessert section was the purple colored red bean icecream. It was delish. Since we came for lunch, we didn't get crab legs or lobster but we were perfectly ok with it since it was only roughly a little bit over $11 a person. The only gripe I do have is that drinks are not included. you will be charged. Overall, decent food. Maybe I'll be back for lunch if I am in the neighborhood and I am famished.
(3)THQ R.
Great price! Well seasoned food! You're sure to find something you'll enjoy!
(4)Ashley B.
Definitely worth the drive. Will be going back. I enjoyed everything I ate.
(5)Sandy S.
This place was okay. It is very large and has a huge selection of sushi and seafood. There is a surprisingly small number of dessert choices. Good things we had : egg rolls, pot stickers, crab legs. The roast duck tasted awful, the steak was fatty and chewy. My husband and I both thought it was pricey compared to another buffet we go to in Streamwood -Hibachi grill & Supreme Buffet.
(3)Kat W.
Good food. Good prices. The sushi is yummy! But, be careful! Some of the signs are poorly placed, so you might end up with something spicy when you didn't want to!!
(4)Katrina M.
This place is huge! Never before have I been to a buffet with glass doors and a humongous water fountain in it either. You can def tell they are aiming for an upscale atmosphere without the upscale prices. Staff is genuinely friendly and helpful. There are plenty of food choices, and unique ones such as frog legs or pork intestines. However, the sushi bar and hibachi (stir fry) section were the best spots to hit due to it's extensive selection. There was a wide variety of sushi and it all seemed fresh. If I go back, I would totally go just for the sushi. lol
(4)Maria V.
Used to like this place but last Mother's Day had dinner here with family and it was the worst dining experience ever. The owners of this place are just plain greedy, they kept allowing people in even if they could no longer keep up. They ran out of plates, the lines were not only long but at times 3 -4 people deep. So after waiting in line the food would run out and it would take a while for them to bring out a new batch if they did. Plates when they showed up were wet, garbage all over the floor, we were seated near a "dish washing" area and that was particularly gross and filthy. On top of this they gave customers a 2-hour limit, thus the word I used GREEDY, they just wanted your business despite knowing they could not deliver the service. I felt bad for the waitstaff they just couldn't keep up. We're lucky none of us got sick after that . I guess I won't be coming back
(1)Mike D.
Came here for lunch on a Tuesday. This place has real Asian food and not just your standards. I had pigs feet and pork belly at the buffet. The only thing I didn't like was the sushi bar. It could be that it was a lunch service though. I will come back again for the dinner service cause they have crab legs. And try the cotton candy! Also the decor of the restaurant is amazing, very clean and classy.
(4)John P.
Great food and high volume. Waiters don't all speak English but that was not a big deal.
(4)Issac T.
If you like seafood this is the place to go especially on the weekends with crab legs and lobsters and even abalone. overall well worth the price
(5)Jordan H.
2nd time here alot of improvement, just make sure u are here early or they run out of food and bring out diff stuff not as good as the earlier ones.
(4)Stella L.
We dined as a family of 4 - 2 adults, 1 12-year-old (charged as an adult), and a 4year-old. The selection was huge, however no many worth raved about. Guess that's common for a buffet place. & definitely not a royal buffet place as the name would imply. Food offering was generally not tasty, some quite plain - maybe for healthy reasons? Won't return...
(2)Maria P.
As interesting as this restaurant seems to people it was the worst seafood experience I've had. We went early in the day and there were hardly any people there. The host sat us in the far back of the restuarant by the kitchen. We were so excited to be there. What a great looking place and there was just so much food everywhere. After walking through and picking up some "great looking" food, I was smelling something rotten on my plate! I cut into what must have been some fish (not recognizable) and it smelled so bad that I wanted to vomit!! Called over the waiter and he said that there was nothing wrong with the food. REALLY!!! It STUNK!!! You know the smell of bad fish when you smell it and there is not going back!!!! The hostess came over and said that that is how the food is suppose to smell and that Asian's like this. REALLY!!!!???? Spoiled rotten fish!!! I don't think so!!! By the time I went to show her where I got the food from they had removed what I had picked up and replaced it with something totally different. What a slick move by the staff. I didn't even get a picture of it in time. If that wasn't all, the crab legs that everyone has been bragging about where horrible!!! Boilded and tastless! They were for sure leftover from the day before because that is exactly what they tasted like. Ok, so some sushi? This should be better no? NO!!!! Some sliver of fish on rice. You would need to eat at least 10 pieces to get one good piece of fish here!!! Of course the wait staff insisted that this is how sushi is made. Really???? Don't waste your hard earned money on some really bad seafood in an over the top decorated restaurant. And, even though I'm not Asian, I've had plenty to know better food and anywhere else is MUCH better than this hyped up over
(1)Danny C.
There is a lot of food here but it is mostly mediocre. They have a large selection of sushi but there really wasn't any that stood out. The dim sum wasn't that great either. There is a lot of seafood though. The desserts are good though and there is a large selection of fruits. I think lunch is the better deal because you pay more for dinner even though there is lobster. There are a lot of people there for lunch too. Overall, I think everything was ok.
(3)Darren F.
came here few days after it opened and my first impression when i walked in the doors was "damn" ... it looked like a high end hotel and even their restroom is very nice!. this place is huge and looks very modern... i am kinda disappointed on their sushi tho.. the quality was just not there and taste average...i thought they would of paid more attention to the quality of the sushi since its called "royal hibachi sushi seafood buffet"... but o well.. the other food was pretty good and fresh.. they have a big selection of food to choose from.. they have a lot of seafood and they even have dim sum! the crab legs was disappointing too.. the shell was soggy and it wasn't fresh at all!... non the less i would come back and give this buffet another try..
(4)Jodel A.
Lunch time ooh wow great bargain.
(5)Utellme D.
OMG!!! There are sooooo many --- tooooo many foods. How much can a person eat for one meal? I like to try them all, at least majority of it, but too full and not even get to try most of what they offered. There are tooooo much!!! $20.99 is seem reasonable from what you see but how much can you enjoy it. How long will you eat? This place is mixed Chinese and Japanese. Think about Japanese Buffet Todai for $14.99 and Chinese Buffet for $6.99. This place offers the combined price $20.99. You will be surprised wtih a huge place and lot of foods. But can you taste them all? You pay for the whole price that you wouldn't have room to enjoy. Everything looks so good and seems delicious.... big crab legs, oysters, sushi, dim-sum, etc. I love them. what about those fishes, shrimps, salmon teriyaki. I just looked at it....tooooo full....and not even go beyond to chinese section. I skipped them all, no dessert either. I don't really suggest this place for dining at all. If I want a buffet next time, I would pick one either Chinese or Japanese and go there and not to pay higher price for what they have just for me to look at. For the restaurant setup, this place is not well designed for buffet concept. There are a lot of waste space from the front entrance to dinning areas. Couple teppan tables with no purpose for serving teppan yaki. Bar corners with few tables surrounding. Who will sit at the bar in the buffet restaurant? Not a good interior design!!! Unless it means to be something else but turn out to be a buffet.
(3)Picky C.
What can be said to everything that is already said? When it comes to buffets, it's a matter of personal taste and an understanding that mass quantities of food creates a dip in quality at some moments. It's a fine balance to maintain but I applaud Royal Buffet's efforts. Here are some things at Royal Buffet that have consistently been good and you really should try: + Hot clam soup with Chinese Okra and ginger (deceptively simple soup with complex and rich flavors) + Pick and choose what you like from the Chinese dim sum dishes. I like the hot off-the-pan scallion cakes, salted pork and 1,000 year egg congee/juk, the freshly made shrimp rice dough rolls, and the crunchy, fluffy, lightly sweet golden dough nuggets. The braised and roasted pork is not bad either. + Fresh clams from the sushi bar +Selection of fish roes to sprinkle onto other dishes (I recommend sprinkling the black fish roe onto the congee for a crunch and a briney kick) +Black bean mini razor clams +Fresh variety of stir-fried greens +Deep fried fresh prawns +Steamed jumbo prawns +Black pepper chicken +Stir fried vermicelli +Cucumber sushi roll (plead with the sushi makers to not just prep the cucumber skin, but to actually make a roll for you), they are light, crunchy and refreshing. This would take me forever to make at home. +Green tea ice cream +Fresh lychees +Fun fluff, cotton candy brings a smile everytime I have to make it to the stir-fry area, but one of the cooks knows what he is doing. Cook the meats first and then stir in the veggies. They always have straw mushrooms as an ingredient and that is golden in my book. - Ahem...above the sushi rolls, they have written descriptions...one of them had "Lobster Cum"... uhm, might want to fix that... ugh...
(3)Cody L.
So one of my first posts... I had gone there a few months ago and the lobster was disappointing... My mom said the sushi is like not wrapped good. Others are good.
(3)Esther K.
decided to go here for lunch and heard good reviews about this place. i don't know why i listen to these people... if i could give this place 0 stars... i would. i tried many different types of food they provided here. i tried the seafood, sushi, noodles, soups, desserts, etc... about 97% of the things i tasted really made me want to call in a health inspector... they just opened the doors and the all meats are all COLD. i was shocked. serving meat like that can make people sick. the sushi was made poorly, but was the only food i found edible here. some of the seafood tasted VERY questionable. definitely... not fresh. even the cut fruits were poorly picked. there is a VERY strange taste to many of the things that i tried. they have so much food to offer, but NONE are good. i ate with chopsticks for most of my meals. when i was about to grab a spoon... i disgusted by what i saw... it was covered with dried food and had pieces of paper stuck to it... never coming back. a place like this doesn't deserve any business for what they offer to their customers.
(1)Jack L.
What a place!! I like buffet restaurants as they are usually big and so you can be seated right away and then eat right away as well. So this place has a great lobby and entry way with fungshui accented decors. It has ibachi tables too. The service was immediate and the food selections were plentiful. It has everything from Mongolian grills to Chinese dim sum to Korean kalbi to american dessert. Just awesome and the price is better than Todai by 5 bucks, but more expense than your run-of-the-mill Chinese buffet by nearly double. A great place for good Asian food and lots of it!!
(4)Linda P.
I had better sushi at a grocery store! Walked in and thought wow this place might be as good as some of the reviews. Made a be line to the sushi and could tell it was not up to my standards, and after tasting it I knew it was bad! A few of the other dishes were SO salty I drank more water in the hour I was there than I have in 4 days! I do have to say the grill station was very good, but as I was finishing up my lunch my stomach was doing the unhappy dance, by the time we left and got 2 blocks down the road I was not feeling well. So sorry, Royal Buffet, I will NOT be heading back there any time soon. PS. It's 7:50pm and I still don't feel well!
(1)James O.
Excellent!!!!!!!!!
(5)A C.
I'm impressed by the layout of the place. But for me, I like to eat my food without having to wait in lines for upwards of 10 minutes. Plus, it's very crowded inside. Can't even talk without being disrupted by the person sitting inches away from you.
(1)Oscar C.
This place gets 5 stars on the buffet scale. Don't expect to be wow'd by the service or the food by any means. But compared to most buffets, it's one of the best. Where else can you get UNLIMITED crab legs and sashimi for 20 bucks? I feel disgustingly full each time i leave this place. Yet I keep coming back.
(5)Ray M.
This place has Vegas style buffet!
(4)Tina A.
I went here based on a recommendation from my dearest mother. We went on a Sunday and needless to say the place was slammed. We only ended up waiting about 10 minutes to be seated and then realized they were taking us ( a party of 4 ) to be seated in the bar area. When the server saw that we looked a little confused he asked if we would prefer a table. When we were taken to " our table" it was full of dirty dishes and not cleaned we were instructed to just go to the buffet and the table would be cleaned by the time we got back, so without taking off our coats we headed off to the buffet lines. I of course headed straight for the sushi line and snagged up a number of different types of mystery sushi. The table was in fact cleaned in time for our return and we all quickly adjusted and began eating. I was very unimpressed with the sushi. I wasn't expecting grade "A" by any means but I couldn't even bring myself to finish even half of my plate. I went back for round two and decided on the sesame chicken, spicy fish, lo mein noodles. Everything was ok nothing to rave about. I honestly would compare the quality of the food to Panda Express. The spicy fish was deep fried and was so greasy I took one bite and was pretty grossed out. By the time I was finished and got to the desert table every single tray was gone except the ice cream. I would have to say my experience was below average and will not be going there again.
(2)Gina S.
Went there this weekend, I have to admit they have GREAT variety and an impressive sauteed station where they cook the food in front of you. The quantity and variety are the only reason I give this restaurant a 2 star. The quality of their food is horrendous, most of their Chinese dishes taste like the chefs just boil food with water and soy sauce. They use cheap rice to make sushi, and their white rice is dried from being in the rice cooker for too long. They should definitely improve the quality of their food if they want my business.
(2)Ganesh S.
not worth the travel or money. poor presentation. sushi was sub par. if you are allergic to seafood not worth it at all
(1)Peter A.
I went here yesterday 1-11-12 for the all you can eat lobster & tried a little bit of everything else also & all I can say is DISGUSTING & WAAAY OVER PRICED !!!
(1)Paul J.
I have visited this one from the day 1 when it was opened. So far it is good to me. My family all love it. We go there bi-weekly. The seafood is really good.
(5)Joe R.
Very different from other buffets, I've never been to one quite like this. The food selection is largely seafood based, but the selection is just massive. Generally the food is very fresh, and the service has always been great. Most surprising is the cleanliness, which is something I've never experienced in a buffet before. All the items on our table, the table itself, and the chairs were clean. Even the soy sauce bottle was spotless, which is usually one of the stickier items at Asian buffets. I'm amazed to have finally found a buffet with high quality food, an excellent selection, and a clean, comfortable environment.
(5)Irene F.
Been there a few times. The place definitely has varieties, but I won't recommend it for anything else. The quality of the food is a typical buffet, but that is to be expected so no complains there. Today's visit was particularly disappointing for other reasons: (1) super cold: the restaurant is not properly headed, half the people dine with their scarf and jacket on (2) the kitchen stuff has no clue of what's being served and when. i.e. You ask for soy drink and they tell you it will come, after 30 min they say it may be coming, after another 20 min they say "sorry it won't be available today" (3) waitress does not collect empty plates in time, had to ask three times for her to clear the table. All in all for a $10 lunch, I say it's still worth the try especially with kids. Otherwise, stay away from the place!
(1)James C.
Saying that this place is a low rated Asian buffet is a redundant statement. I guess I'm not surprised by the quality of this place considering it's only $20 bucks to experience all of the culinary treats of Asia although I have to say it's pretty heavy on the Chinese cuisine... but then how can you blame them, it's Chinese owned after all. Anyway, getting straight to the point... this place might seem great but the back kitchen needs to shape up a bit. Actually, no... I don't really care. I'm probably not coming back here so who the hell cares. If you're starving and want a ton of Asian food including medium grade snow crab legs and sushi and maki rolls... then go ahead and check it out. Otherwise, I'd stay away. I would pay a little more and go some place better or pay less and just go to panda express. Their negligence for proper hygiene and food preparation should probably get most of the kitchen staff fired (read below the line for my personal experience), but they're not going to because that would mean they would have to hire someone else and train them... which costs money. The recession has seemed to impact even the buffets for the royals. Don't be fooled by this place... just go get some good food down the street at any other place on golf. --------------------------------------------------Â------- 1) I saw tongs marinating in the snow crabs. It was in there pretty deep in there... and who knows how long it's been there and who touched it. The temperature it was in was perfect for any kind of bacteria to start multiplying. I alerted the person that was at the station and he responded with a "Oh" and took the tongs and started just moving the snow crabs around with them. Seriously? 2) It was around 8:30pm and most of the expensive fish were all gone. I asked for a couple of tuna sushi pieces and a guy told one of the sushi chefs the order. He was talking in Chinese and it seemed like he didn't want to... but he did it any way because... it's his job. duh. I have no idea how long he's been sitting around since the sushi station seemed to have shut down but he opened up the tray of sushi and took two pieces of tuna out. The other guy that told him the order immediately reminded him to use plastic gloves and it was like the chef was like "oh yeah!" so then he puts on his plastic gloves and starts making them. I told them I didn't want the ones the just made because you just touched the tuna pieces with your bare hands. After a couple tries to make him understand English, he realized what I was talking about and he threw away the pieces and made 2 new ones... but with an annoyed look on his face. The funniest thing was that one of the managers were right there, literally standing right next to me trying to figure out what I wanted... but he had no idea what just happened because he didn't appear to speak a lick of English. 3) While all this was going on in #2, some kitchen guy was twirling around a metal spatula. He was obviously bored so he decided to practice his skill of hopefully becoming the next guy to work at the tepan station. He eventually dropped it on the floor and quickly picked it up and made sure no one saw. Obviously it made a loud noise seeing that it's made of metal... the manager yelled at him and told him to put it in the dirty dishes pile. At least they got that part right. 4) 9:30 came around and the place got really cold. They have shut down the heat. To save money. Even though there were people still eating. Nuff said. There were more little things I noticed but I'm sure if you go there early enough when it's chaotic, you probably wouldn't noticed it. Am I being a little too uptight about this place? Am I expecting too much? Yes. Do I think other restaurants are like this? Yes. But don't do it in front of the person you're serving it to... that's just being retarded. It's almost like they hired a bunch of retards to run this place. I'm sorry for using the word retards, but I have a feeling mentally retarded (and this is a politically correct medical term) people would be more attentive. Most of the staff just don't care what's going on. I just think they should take the word "royal" out of the name. Call it.... "middle class" buffet. That name describes this place more accurately.
(1)Xxxman B.
The worst food ever the smell that came from the food I cut into was rotten rotten rotten the manager told me that was a oriental lol ha-ha me no speakie englis never in my life have I ever smelt anything so rotten /the seafood was boiled way too long & the shrimp felt like moosh what a waste of money............
(1)Steve I.
We went here for the crab legs and lobster buffet on Wednesday. Crab legs for the most part were decent size and grade. The lobster was not good as it was previously frozen and boiled in some kind of oily, buttery stuff. There has to be well over 150 items to choose from. There is a small salad bar, a decent offering of traditional dim sum items, sushi, and various other rolls. There is also a section of traditional Chinese food staples and Korean food too. The sushi was fairly tasty as was the kimchi and the crab legs too. The dumplings I had were missing something. It wasn't quite what you get in the better places in Chinatown. There is also a hibachi station which I did not try as I had already eaten so much. For dessert, they have fruit, puddings, small cheesecakes, ice cream, and some pastry. I opted for some rice pudding (so-so) and green tea ice cream (delish). All in all, not bad for the price and if you get out that way a pretty enjoyable experience. Avoid the lobster and you will enjoy yourself a whole lot more.
(3)Noy F.
A group of us went for lunch on a Friday. There was plenty of parking and we didn't have to wait for a table. We were seated in the back section away from the main dining room and away from all the people; so it was nice. We were able to hear everyone at the table and have a good time. The service was friendly and there was so much food. It was impossible to try it all. There was a Mongolian stir fry station, dim sum, sushi, salad, traditional Chinese dishes, seafood, and a desert station which included fruits, 5 different types of ice cream and cotton candy. We were all disappointed that they did not have crab legs on the lunch menu. We all felt it was really good food for an Asian buffet, but it needed just a bit more flavor. The ice cream didn't taste like ice cream, but we enjoyed the cotton candy. My friend couldn't get enough of the macaroons. We left happy and had a good time and will come back again when we're ready for another buffet - so not any time soon. It's a fun place to take a group, and it's a great price for all that food; but won't be on my list of regular places for meals.
(3)Ruth P.
They were very busy yet friendly...I give the, credit for dealing with the crowds of people everyday. The food was decent for the price.
(4)patti s.
If you're feeling like going to a las vegas buffet, then this is for you...but I would rather have quality sushi from wasabi in hoffman estates than the low quality stuff here. We went on a sat. and also noted the price is higher but not told...did not like that the plates were low--right under the buffet...saw little kids playing around them and touching...some were even dirty and saw a guy replace his...not feeling real good about that. if you like cheap food and a lot of it then this is for you...
(1)Klevis s.
The place is really nice and clean. The food is fine but the main issue is the service and they way they organized it. I went there Saturday for lunch and when I was done I found out that the prices were not as they were advertised. They have different pricing for weekends. When I forthe bill I asked the waiter to speak to a manger because I thought it wasn't nice that we weren't told about the price change. When the manager cane that was horrible. The manager was really rude and unprofessional. He was talking to us really loud and he was standing really close to us by showing that he was the manager. He was treating us like stupid and ignorants. I told him that this is not nice and he said he doesn't care and I told him that that was really bad because they were about to lose a customer and his answer was "I don't really care. That's your choice". I was really disappointed because that's a new business and it's next by where I live but based on the service I won't ever even consider going there. I don't recommend this place to anybody.
(1)Esther C.
First of all I have to say I went here at noontime during a weekday when it wasn't crowded and my meal was free because others paid for us. Two things that can make any meal good. The best buffet I've ever been to was in Virginia but this is probably the best one in Chicago for me. It's clean, wide selection and had good service. The stir fry station seemed to have a paucity of fresh ingredients however, but I'm not such a wok fan. Sushi selection was decent and better than some all-you-can-eat sushi places like sushi para 2 in the city by far. Pricing is not modest but I think it's definetly worth it for lunch if you eat sushi and some of their more pricier items. They actually have dim sum items too, it seemed legit although I wasn't courageous enough to sample all of it. Not the most kid-friendly selection but for the few kids in our party it didn't seem like a problem. Would probably hesitate on coming here on my own again only cause of the price, maybe for lunch.
(4)Kevin S.
This place hasn't changed for the past couple years. The food is decent for the price of the buffet. The crab legs are great, make sure to get to the station before the line forms and grab 2 plates full. The fish and sushi tastes fishy (stay away). The dimsum is ok and the chinese food in the corner is great. Don't get the rock crab that's been steamed in leaves, it has a weird taste.
(3)Sung K.
For the price that we paid, it was worth it. It's a buffet so it's not mind blowing but it was one of the better buffets. Lot of variety of choices in Asian cuisine. Had ice cream too which was a plus. Crabs and lobster as well. Line is super long for it but if you go at the right time it isn't too bad
(4)Mitch F.
If you're gonna charge $29 for the buffet on lobster night. At the very least make sure people are not waiting around the corner as if though they were in a Russian bread line, for you to cook the lobster.
(2)Lily Z.
Whenever I get a craving for unlimited crab legs, I either go to Ginza or Royal Buffet. Sundays are super busy. We went around 5PM. Bad idea. The lines for crab legs were long, but at the same time, there was plenty of freshly cooked food being brought out. They have unlimited lobster on Wednesdays and Fridays? Also, their bathroom was absolutely freezing. It felt like I stepped outside without my coat. Don't get their green tea ice cream. Not that great. But they do have a crepe station. In the grand scheme of all things, this place isn't too bad for a buffet restaurant. You have a stir fry section, sushi, seafood, dessert with a cotton candy, crepe, ice cream and chocolate fountain. Pretty darn awesome. Just don't expect Michelin star food.
(3)Teressa D.
We were looking for an asian buffet in an area of the Northwest suburbs where there are very few buffets to choose from. Found Royal Buffet here, on Yelp. It's where I find all my newest favorite restaurants. I will say that I was concerned that this visit was not gonna live up to the $30/person price tag. Well, for those people who come to a buffet to eat all you can, you will definitely get your money's worth. For those of us who are just there to enjoy a variety of good foods, it's a little pricey. All that being said, the food was UH-mazing. The selection of sashimi and sushi was some of the freshest and most varied I have ever had. On the night that we visited there were at least 5 sushi chefs behind the counter, all feverishly working to keep up with the Saturday night crowd. We did not take advantage of the mongolian grill. If I had to say that any area of the restaurant was lacking, it would have been that area because of the few choices available. The regular buffet offered dozens of Chinese, Korean and Japanese favorites. One of the highlights for members of our party were the three different offerings of teriyaki dishes, including chicken, beef and salmon. The crab/cream cheese rangoon were exceptional. The sesame chicken? Loved! Spring rolls and dumplings? Delish! The green beans? Succulent. There was not one dish that appeared to have been sitting for too long, not to mention the fact that I saw very few empty serving dishes. The line for the 1/2 lobster was probably 20 minutes long so none of our party had lobster. And the dessert section was so wonderful. Tey actually offered Moose Tracks ice cream! And yummy pecan pie and mini-creme brule's. Even cotton candy! YUM-MEEE! We will definitely be back.
(5)Simon Z.
Royal Buffet is seriously one of the best value buffets that I've ever been to. The prices are really good and the variety is amazing. I came for the first time for the lunch deal and was not disappointed. The thing that I really like about Royal Buffet is that I know in the future that I can come here and can always find something that I like. I don't even need to know what I'm craving that day but will always find it once I'm inside and am customizing my own plates. When I'm looking for more savory hot foods, I'll go for the Mongolian barbecue (I recommend the garlic sauce), and depending on how light or heavy I want it, I'll choose my meats/veggies accordingly. On the opposite end, if I'm looking for a lighter, less oily meal, I head towards the sushi and sashimi bar, where there's tons of variety in what kinds of sushi are available (fair warning: the sushimi selection was not nearly as big). Then there's a whole selection of hot Chinese food and dim sum that sates my appetite for anything in between. The buffet is no Michelin star (who goes to a buffet expecting that anyway?) but if you're looking for a great meal and a customizable experience, I'd say this is really the best bang for your buck.
(5)Lefai K.
I hate buffets. I hate buffets because of the quality of food. But this place isn't too bad. The variety of food here is really good. And the amount of asians that patron here, is a great indication that the value is good too. They have a decent sushi selection, a hibachi grill, tons of chinese food, cotton candy, chocolate fountain, and ice cream.
(4)Mike M.
I've been to a lot of Chinese buffets in my day and they just don't seem to make em like they used to. I'm used to your local Chinese buffet having a few decent items and basically just being a place to stuff your face and get full on average Americanized Chinese food. You'd have your sweet n sour chicken, general tso's, beef with broccoli, crab rangoon, and if you're lucky they'd have a soft serve machine for dessert. That's about it. I guess times are a changin'. Royal buffet is a Chinese buffet on steroids. They literally have everything you could think of, providing more variety than you'd ever need. Let's start off with just the general hot food section. They have your typical Chinese chicken/beef/shrimp dishes. Throw in a couple American dishes like french fries and chicken fingers for the kids and you're already satisfied right? This section alone could've already beat any of the Chinese buffets from my childhood. But nope, they didn't stop here...they're just getting started. Moving on, they have a separate line for seafood. This is where it gets chaotic. Just a massive line of people, each leaving gigantic piles of crab legs on their plates. It seems like they never run out either. It's a little bit more organized now, with much less people cutting than in the past. I guess this is the star of the show, the real reason most people come here and are willing to pay such a high price for a buffet. After that, there was a sushi station. It seemed to have a lot more variety than most offerings I've seen at other buffets. I don't really eat sushi, so I can't comment on the quality. Next to that is the dim sum section. This is where we really stray from the typical Americanized food I'm used to at Chinese buffets. I can't really say I'm a connoisseur on authentic Chinese food, so I haven't even heard of a lot of these items. I'll admit they were a little intimidating and I didn't really try most of them, so I just stuck to the shumai, buns, and chive pancakes. I enjoyed the food I did try from this section though. On the end is the stir fry station. This is really the highlight of the place for me. I've been to really good Mongolian stir fry places that had a sorry excuse for a buffet, and I've been to Chinese buffets that had pretty terrible quality hibachi grills / stir fry stations. Royal buffet kind of has the best of both worlds. What I typically look for with stir fry is a good variety of sauces that you can mix yourself, decent quality meat, and being able to choose your own noodles and load up as much of it as you want on your plate. Royal has all of these, and actually does make a really good plate of stir fry in my opinion. With the closure of Mongolian Stir fry in Schaumburg (I'm still sad about this one), Genghis Grill in Wheaton, and Mongolian Chinese Buffet in Buffalo Grove, this is literally the only place left that I know of where you can get decent stir fry. Finally, they have a pretty good dessert selection here. There are trays of various pastries and mini slices of cakes and pies. In addition to those, they have a few varieties of hand scooped ice cream you can choose from. These last few items are where they just get flat out ridiculous. There is a station where you can get fresh made crepes and customize what they're filled with. Then they also have freshly spun cotton candy, which is a huge hit with the kids. Finally they have a freakin' chocolate fountain! Who does that? They have various fruits and other items on skewers that you can pass through the gloriously flowing chocolate. In terms of dining area, the actual space of the restaurant is gigantic. They have like 3 or 4 separate dining rooms. I'm not sure what the capacity is, but they easily reach it at busy times, especially on holidays like Mother's day. It's just a sea of Asian people flooding the restaurant. Overall, Royal buffet is kind of like a Vegas style Chinese buffet. It seems to be the king of the mega Asian buffets in the Chicago burbs, outlasting both Todai and Nagoya. I usually don't come here often because I'm not a huge seafood fan and I don't really take advantage of most of the items that make this place unique from other generic Chinese buffets. I'd say it's a good place to celebrate a special occasion, but given the higher price tag, I probably wouldn't come here regularly.
(4)Tina L.
For an Asian buffet place, this is one of the legit places to go for sushi, crab legs, and seafood. I particularly like the Mongolian noodle station -- you can choose your type(s) of meat, veggies, and type of noodle....pick out your sauces and take it over to the guy going around the giant round flat griddle. Because of the intense heat of the griddle, the food is cooked in a matter of minutes! The result is a steaming hot plate of your favorite ingredients + noodles to enjoy back at your table. For dinner, you can get in a very long line for lobster tail and crab legs. If there are a lot of people, they are known to limit the amount you get. For instance, there was this time where they only allowed for half a lobster tail and one set of crab legs. All the other times, tho, they let you have a whole set for both. I guess it just depends on the timing that you're there.
(4)Esther L.
My mom loves this buffet because of their seafood. They do have a wide selection of sushi rolls and sashimi that they put out sparingly and in small amounts, which isn't always fresh. They have a lot of hot food too, including dim sum, make-it-yourself habachi grill, and typical Chinese and American foods. I like the cooked fish dishes and the moose track ice cream. They have a good desert selection that includes cotton candy, chocolate fondue, various ice creams, crepes, and your usual buffet deserts. We usually go for lunch since it is cheaper, but we recently went for the first time for dinner and I didn't see much of a difference. The only items that I noticed on the dinner buffet that weren't available for lunch were salty crab legs (you know the long red ones you need to crack), more sashimi that wasn't fresh, and raw oysters that I did particularly enjoy. There weren't as much cooked fish for dinner, but I am not sure if it was just because they were out. So I don't think that the dinner was worth paying more for. All in all, this is still the best Chinese buffet in the area, especially for sushi since Todai closed in Woodfield Mall. Some seating at the bar and raised platform areas are not accessible, but everything else is manageable. Some tables and booths are hard to get to, but they have been good about finding a table that will work with my wheelchair. I haven't had a negative experience with the staff yet. They have a wheelchair accessible stall with grab bars that is usually clean in the women's restroom, so I assume that there is an accessible stall in the men's as well. There are quite a few accessible parking spaces, but they are often occupied. We still manage to get an accessible parking space. There are two sets of doors to get in and no automatic door opener.
(4)Kathy S.
Came here today with a friend and can't say it was bad but can't say it was amazing either . This is place is pretty average . The sushi bar is small but it's not bad . They have tons of options the food seems very oily.
(2)Eugene W.
This place sets my standard for buffets (specifically Asian buffets). They have almost everything I could hope for, from a Mongolian BBQ line to a great dim sum selection to sushi to seafood and more. The variety of food that they provide is stellar! Their sushi is good (as far as buffets go), they have lots of fried seafood and meat, and you probably won't be able to get through everything before you get full. They have a great dessert selection, with tiramisu, flan, cake, a chocolate fondue fountain, and ice cream that includes green tea and red bean flavors. Besides the food, the service is good. The place is always crowded, so you may want to get there a little earlier. This is my favorite buffet in Chicagoland!!
(5)Liza M.
The food is great and there are plenty of dimsum, seafood and dessert to try. But some servers and waiters are rude and frowning. Who would want that kind of service?
(3)Christina B.
Next time someone suggests we come here, I will politely say, "No thank you". After reading all of these wonderful reviews, I just can't get over how not amazing this place was. I was super excited at first, you all had me completely fooled. I even broke my "Never again will I eat at a buffet" vow that I made at the Epic Buffet at the Hollywood Casino. So, incredibly, disappointed. At $25.00 a person, the food was so not worth the price. I'm pretty sure I ate about $25 dollars worth of food, but the food was not good. I stuck with mainly sushi; the selection was pretty impressive when I walked up, however, when I went to go eat it, the rolls fell apart, they were luke warm, and flavorless. The crab rangoon was the worst I've ever had. It tasted like straight mayo inside of a crunchy shell. The only two things that I could really stomach were the miso soup and the lomein. I really should have done the create your own Mongolian bowl, because at least then you would see the chefs making it in front of you. The service was mediocre at best, I picked up multiple plates that were still crusted with food on them. We had to ask for new forks and spoons twice because they were crusted with food, and the waiter was slow to pick up our plates. I really wish we had been here during the lunch time price Monday through Friday which is only $12 because I nearly cried when I saw the bill. It literally took me all night to digest and have an appetite for more food. The food didn't sit well at all. So, I'm back to my vow...I will never go to another buffet again.
(2)Andrea K.
My favorite thing here is the Sushi. Yeah it is pricey. But there are some wicked treats on this buffet. Some of the food is more like something Andrew Zimmerman would eat on his show (cuttlefish and jellyfish , anyone). I'm adventurous so I will try anything once. the seafood is fresh. The raw oysters were wonderful as were the shrimp. I would call this a lucky find in the buffet world, and most of the time I hate buffets.
(5)Chandrea O.
Can never go wrong with a buffet with Seafood and sushi selections. You get your money's worth for how much you eat, because of course it's pricy in just regular dining experience. Also, they keep everything fresh as possible, so that your cooked foods stay hot and fresh. Definitely a lot to choose from.
(5)Dipak S.
My brother in law suggested this place for its seafood selection. Royal buffet gets its five stars just for the options - raw, baked, steamed, fried; beef, chicken, pork, oysters, fish - You name it they have it. I havent seen a spread so vast and most importantly the quality was . My top pics are - lobster (everyone in my group loved it), fried fish with the house sauce, chicken wings, steamed oyster. Our server definitely needs some training. We found it hard to communicate anything - from getting the menu to clearing the plates. I wish they had something in vegetarian. Definitely ensure you have enough space in your tummy before you venture into this seafood fantasy land.
(5)Emily T.
Seafood is good. I love lobsters, crab legs, whole crabs, oysters, crawfish, etc. Waiting time is too long though.
(4)Lizzy C.
Royal Buffet is seriously one of the best value buffets that I've ever been to. The prices are really good and the variety is amazing. I came for the first time for the lunch deal and was not disappointed. Great seafood.
(5)Robert L.
Terrible service at the Crab leg section today... very disappointed... nearly 30 minute wait for crab legs... twice. When I approached the person in charge she got mad and said to me "Did you only come for crab legs!!" $65 to be treated like I was annoying her and to wait in line... not good!!
(1)Victoria B.
Best seafood buffet in the burbs!!! Big, nice obeisance, clean, and really yummy. I was there over the wkd for my dads bday the service was attentive and vast selections!! My only problem were the prices over the wkd were a bit pricey at $26 per Adult and my daughter 11 yrs old was charged an adult price!! Drinks are extra charge. They've got a Mongolian BBQ, dimsum, sushi, hot app/entrees, and desert stations. Definitely worth the drive every now and then.
(4)Amy H.
I went with a co-worker once and we got the Lunch price, which was about $12 per person. The variety is phenomenal. They had Japanese food, Korean, and Chinese food. Their sushi is decent and for $12, you cannot beat that. They also have a hibachi, so you can select your ingredients and they will throw it on the grill for you. Their dessert selection is not your typical buffet selection. It is also huge. The one thing I did not like were their oysters. They were really tough. It's a buffet in the middle of the Midwest, I couldn't really expect much with that, but hey! I thought I would give it a try. Because I had such a good experience there, I took my parents and my brother. We came at noon on a weekend, so the price wasn't $12 anymore. It was about $25 per person. In my opinion, it was still worth the money because of the selection. We came hungry and in our eating pants (sweatpants) and we maxed out.
(5)Eleni P.
I'm a big seafood lover. I went to this place on a Wednesday, and it exceeded my expectations. We got there when lobster night opened so there was little to no line for the lobster/crab. My friend and I got up and got crab legs and lobster another 3 times and they give big portions. They also offer other yummy sea food like oysters and squid. IT WAS REALLY YUMMY!
(5)Natalie S.
Bad. Just... bad. We came in because our usual go-to Chinese buffet Flaming Grill was closed (whyyyy?!). We thought, "eh, one buffet is as good as the next, right?". No. The food sucked. It just did. The hibachi grill was the only thing that wasn't awful and that's because I picked the ingredients myself and watched the dude cook it. Everything else was dried out and had been sitting under warmers for too long. You don't expect awesome service at Chinese buffets but this was crazy bad. This guy kept coming by with a broom to sweep under us while we we're eating. I get my kids can be messy but they weren't let's-make-a-scene-sweeping-every-5-minutes kinda messy. Plus we had to throw ourselves into the aisle for more water. Totally not worth the $13.99 we paid and I have many regrets about going in before reading reviews on Yelp
(2)Drew S.
I wanted to go to the bathroom and puke so I could eat some more. Very pleasant experience and I will come back again. People that don't enjoy it here must not like food.
(5)Aina L.
This place actually is much better than I thought it would be. My husband loves Chinese buffet but Royal Buffet offers more than just Chinese food. They have an array of Chinese, Japanese, and even a Mongolian Stir Fry where you pick your own ingredients and they stir fry them for you. The menu is not at all boring or redundant and on certain days they have lobster and crab day. To top it all off, the food actually taste delicious. What else can you ask for? We're coming back for sure!
(5)Huong T.
Lobster night is good if you get the right chef! We were lucky! Not bad for 25 bucks per person
(4)Kimmy N.
I don't do well with buffets. Don't care for them much but when you have 30+ people in town it's hard to find a place to dine with big space. I've been here twice, both times weren't bad at all. Because we have so many people in our party we are always in a private room. Which is very far from the buffet. Therefore whenever we get our hot food from the buffet...with the 2 minute walk back to our table. The food gets cold easily. Other than that it's an ok place. Service isn't awesome but I guess it's hard when you're taking care of 30+ people.
(4)Chet M.
Same old "Asian eat till you puke" buffet with all the usual suspects - * Pushy Filipino lady poking you in the back with plate in lobster line * Greedy Tawanese hipsters that take all the scallops * Stingy Cantonese lobster nazi lady making sure you get only 1 lobster * Vietnamese couple with head down eating for 1 hour nonstop * Old thin Korean ladies that eat like linebackers * Fat Samoan dude there just to take the house down * South pacific villagers who can give competitive eaters a run * No Japanese to be found because they are above it all * Gwhy lohs that eat just fried rice, wings, hot sour soup & w/big grin on face Me? The critical Chinese jerk that busts on everything but happily eats it all up!!!
(4)Phyllis S.
This guy at work was telling me a wondrous tale of an Asian buffet fantasy-land full of sushi, awesome seafood, dim sum, mongolian teppan yaki and yakitori so what could I do but go check it out? We arrived at about 12:30 pm on Saturday. The place was full, with no line to get in, but people seemed polite and I didn't notice any cutting in line or rudeness. The seafood did not disappoint. I started with a whole dungeness crab which I'd never had before. It was toasty warm, despite the fact that it was from a buffet. My first act was to accidentally explode a crab claw all over myself and the table, but after that things went better. There were several types of broiled fish, steamed clams, oysters and scallops cooked in shell. I was particularly fond of the steamed scallops dressed with sesame oil, soy sauce and scallions. There were lobsters, snow crab legs, steamed crayfish and battered crab legs (in shell) and many kinds of shrimp. The snow crab legs were nicely steamed. There was also a fresh raw shellfish bar, but given the review of Spaghetti O and my own disinclination toward raw oysters, I decided to skip the raw shellfish offerings. Since I was mostly here to try abalone for the first time, I didn't eat much of the other Chinese food. However, I did try the roast duck (excellent), beef spare ribs, steamed green beans and of course the tender abalone, which was perfectly cooked with bamboo shoots and shitake mushrooms. YUM! There were so many other dishes I wanted to try, but just didn't have the tummy space, yanno? (I noticed there were several types of unusual food like a variety of chicken feet and some pig trotters, but those aren't really my thing, so I left them to the folks who are into them.) Then I went on to the sushi offerings. The selection was pretty impressive. As others have noted, since it is sitting out on a buffet platter, it can be a bit dry, but I was happy with the tako, mackerel, red snapper, unagi, spicy crab and wasabi fish roe sushi. They also had little portion cups of flying fish roe, tako su and spicy whole baby octopi, among other items. There were whole bottles of the appropriate toppings if you wanted to add more spicy mayo to your sushi rolls, etc. After that I had some lovely dim sum. There was lotus rice, bean paste dumplings steamed in bamboo leaves, pork buns, coconut buns, shrimp dumplings, shrimp fun rolls and many types of shumai. There was also a lovely desert-like gelatinous dumpling filled with coconut paste that I really liked. Finally I finished up with desert, some lovely bananas and wafers dipped into the chocolate fondue fountain, over some green tea ice cream. I'd call the quality of the ice cream middle of the road, but I enjoyed it. Sadly I just didn't have room for the desert crepes or cotton candy! I also regret missing out on trying the Mongolian grill, but as it was I was about as full as I could comfortably enjoy. Everything I tried was well-flavored and good quality, considering it was on buffet tables. The staff was helpful, being sure to hand me a crab-cracker for my seafood, without me even asking! We will definitely be back for more!
(4)Ifeyemi O.
Not worth the price!!! The restaurant looks nice and there seem to be a lot of choices but nothing was spectacular. For $70 my husband and I would have had a more satisfying meal at Cheesecake Factory ( that's what my husband wanted but I wanted to try this Buffett) and better service in a more pleasant environment. Never going back
(1)Christine L.
Weekday lunch is $11.99, which is ridiculously cheap given the variety of food they offer at this place. There was a Mongolian grill that we didn't even touch because we just didn't have the room in our stomach. There is also sushi rolls and nigiri and sashimi, but these were just okay - heavy on the rice, thin on the fish. There was also conch, raw top neck clams, steamed shrimp, and steamed mussels. Much of this tasted frozen and then defrosted, so not particularly fresh. The best part is actually the Chinese food they serve. The fried squid was delicious when they brought it out piping hot. The braised pork feet was tasty though I would've liked it just a bit spicy, but I can see how most people would prefer it not. There were steamed buns, and glutinous rice with mushrooms and meat steamed in lotus leaves, and fried frog legs. There was steamed fish and fried smelt. There were pig ears braised and then tossed in some oil - standard but delicious Chinese fare. The dessert bar also offers a selection of ice cream including red beam and green tea, which were a perfect mild sweetness, but there were also fried bananas, a chocolate fountain and tiramisu, pumpkin pie, etc. There was also a chef making fresh crepes with your filling of choice. For those who prefer fruit to finish their meals, there were lychees and pineapples among others. Another reviewer compared this place to a Vegas buffet, which I don't agree. Vegas buffets these days are really high end and fancy, but Royal buffet is a very decent buffet given the price.
(4)Stefanie B.
I'm a buffet girl...I LOVE THEM! When royal Buffet first opened I was the first to try and fall in love! They had everything you could think of dim sum, crab legs, lobster, sushi, sashimi, Teppanyaki, create your own station, all the way to cotton candy! (Which I'm not a fan of btw but still cool for kids). It was my buffet dream come true... But as of late the quality has been declining and the food is not so good anymore. It really is disappointing the last time I went on a lobster night the seafood and lobster was so tasteless it made me sad... Get it back together Royal Buffet!!
(3)Laura S.
Since I've moved to Schaumburg I have yet to find a buffet restaurant of any type that doesn't make me horribly sick. Fortunately, Royal Buffet gave me minimal problems and therefore I would give it another shot. The quality of the food is only slightly better than most buffets. However, the enormous variety of dishes to pick from make up for that. Worst: BBQ pork/duck(?) meat. Best: more fresh sushi than you can shake a red herring at. There is no relaxing while you eat though because they charge according to how long you stay and it gets pretty ridiculously priced pretty fast. The dining area was REALLY crowded and children were crashing all about the place.
(3)T D.
For an Asian buffet, this place was pretty decent. My bf and I went on a Wednesday (lobster night) and it was delicious! You can get in line and get the WHOLE lobster one at a time. (Beware the line MAY take awhile... We waited for 20 mins!!) Snow crab legs were also amazing!!! They have a variety selections of sushi, dim sum, hot food, and your typical desserts and fruits. I definitely recommend this place for lobster night!!
(4)Jody R.
Sometimes the lobster is good, but when it's really busy they tend not to clean it as well. I also think they purposely space out the time between servings of lobster to discourage people from coming up too many times. However, that aside the food is amazing, with a Mongolian barbecue, full line of sushi, all the different Chinese food you could ever eat, and amazing dessert buffet. The pink lemonade is also very yummy.
(4)Tara M.
An interesting place. The restaurant itself is huge, with a ton of seating. I went for a weekday lunch and it was a great deal at 12.99 (plus tax, tip, and beverage). I had great service when I went. Many interesting, authentic items on the buffet. The sushi was ok, but not amazing (but what can you expect for these prices, come on). I didn't try much of the seafood as I am picky about where I eat seafood, but the rest of the items were good.
(4)Jorge M.
So my BF and his friends they were asking so many times to go to this buffet because they have on Wednesday a seafood special. I'm not a big fan of seafood and it was kinda far from so from my house in Chicago so it wasn't a big deal. I decided to take them their and try it this buffet and it was good. Like I mentioned before I'm not a fan of seafood so I tried other stuff but the whole rest were eating non stop lobster and crab legs. If you are a big fan of seafood this is the best place to go for the price, only $25.00 and you can eat not just regular buffet food but a whole lobster, I don't think their is not other rest in the area or in Chicago with that cheap price for seafood. If you don't leave in the Hoffman state area and wanna to explorer other place to go beside the city I guess this buffet its a good one.
(4)Vince D.
Great crab legs and a lot of great options. Price is reasonable. Enjoy the great food.
(5)Rita H.
Seafood is the best here !!! The only bad side is the management is a little u organized - too noisy with kids running around and touch the food. The food is fresh and hot and delicious !!
(5)Sam H.
All I can say is I haven't made it out of the restaurant yet and I'm in the bathroom already!!! All the food is cold and either flavorless or poorly flavored.... It seems there are top shelf ingredient then there are low grade ingredients.... Them there are garbage ingredients!! I think that's what the problem is here. They spent all the money on rebuilding the old Harlem Furniture now they feed the patrons sub par food to recoup the expense. Well this one is going in the do not eat list for sure!!! I expected a little more for $23 a person....:( Well it's been about 30 min since I've left and I'm in the bathroom again!!! This place sucks
(1)Amanda Y.
This buffet has many options to choose from. The food is pretty good. It is about $25 for an adult without drinks included. It does get busy but the wait is never long at all.
(4)John Q.
Royal Buffet, whats to say I been here on numerous occasions because my family out of town enjoys eating here. I been to a lot of buffets throughout my life and I'd have to say Royal Buffet is definitely one of the top notch Asian buffets in the area. Ranging from Chinese food, sushi, hibachi, dim sum, and desserts this place has a lot of variety. My family has been here so many times that they usually get the same things mainly the seafood. Heck we even bring our own fish sauce as a dip for the seafood. Although they have a large variety of foods I'll cover a few that are pretty good. The Oysters are big and and have nice bright colors to them. I like Oysters with the lemon and cocktail sauce. Typically oysters from different regions have distinct tastes without any type of sauce added to it. I'm not sure where they get their oysters, but if you eat it without any sauce it is tasteless. On certain nights they offer lobster. I would have to say the lobster is either hit or miss from a experience perspective. If you go during a holiday expect the lines to be long for the lobster, like amusement park lines. I believe that they steam their lobsters and they are decent sized. If you get lucky, there might be some roe in your lobster! On other nights they have snow crab legs which are steamed as well. Snow crab legs are pretty good. I usually get some sushi/sashimi and get like 1 piece of a variety of rolls/fish. I like tasting them each time and it's usually a miss for me. I don't know why I keep torturing myself with it, but once in awhile I get a roll that is good. Sashimi pieces are really fishy and sometimes icy since it has not thawed out all the way. Their Dim Sum is not that good even though I think this is mainly a Chinese buffet. The flavors are kind of bland and does not compare to what you can get in Chinatown at all. Royal Buffet is kind of tough to rate so I'll give it a in between rating. Out of the large amount of Chinese buffets that I have been too, this one probably deserve a 4 stars. However if I had to judge overall on all the food that I've tried over the years at Royal the food at best is 3 stars. If your here only to eat Crab legs and lobster then this place is definitely worth it. The novelty of this place has wore off on me, but if you never been here it'll probably amaze you the first time. Tips for this place: 1) Their dessert has a nice variety and I like getting the crepes. Whats nice is that you can get a scoop of ice cream in your crepe if you ask! 2) Don't go here on a holiday, unless you like to wait in lines. 3) If you don't plan on eating lobster don't go here on lobster night, you will be charged more.
(3)Edward R.
I've heard a variety of complaints. Sometimes certain trays of food get cold. This place faces the same up-hill battle every buffet faces-now couple that with the enormous size-and couple that up with the wide variety of choices. I have never seen this place "cheap out" on quality. It is a world class seafood restaurant. The dessert section is the envy of the world. I think it is very classy that I can get dim sum steamer baskets in one section, 6 kinds of fish & shellfish in another, and then interesting & unusual sashimi choices in another. All in one stop!! (oh, i forgot to mention all the other items I had to pass up on my way to my favorites. I can only eat for one!) I feel like I am actually in Asia for the hour or so that I am there. THANK YOU!
(5)Sandra G.
Always happy and satisfy . Lots of food ...good food. Service is fast & friendly. Highly recommended
(5)Somchai S.
The aura of this place has dissipated and I am over the hype that it once deserve to have. I went here on a Wednesday night for a pre-Father's Day dinner. It was lobster night for $26.99 a person. The line was the lobster and crab leg was ridiculous. You had to wait 15-20 minutes just for that item. Half the people in my party of 6 didnt even bother waiting because it moved at a snails pace. The food here has definitely stayed stale, no new menu items, no changes. For $20 it was a value, not due to the wait and the price change, it isnt what it used to be. I came for crab legs, but they only give you one leg at a time. I am completely over this place and the hype that it once had. I told my family to not invite me if they decide to eat here again.
(2)Expected C.
What can I say about this store? It's not terrible, but it's not amazing. There's a decent variety of food. There are the classic Chinese foods, desserts, and hibachi. A few good perks about the place is that the interior design is very........up-scale(?) Not really, but kind of? Lol. Basically the inside looks nice, but it would have looked better if they didn't block off the walk way to the fountain in the front. There is more dim sum than the usual, but not all of them are yummy. The sushi was okay....I guess I don't really expect much from buffet sushi. There were some new dishes I haven't seen before, but overall, this wouldn't be a place I would go back to. It's too far from where I live and the food there wasn't anything that I couldn't get at other Chinese restaurants or buffets.
(3)Steve D.
Came here on Sunday evening after my wife's work mate recommended this place as the best Asian buffet. I will put out this disclaimer first: I am not a fan of Chinese buffets. They are usually a bunch of mediocre, greasy, food and a lot of it is scarey. I also am not crazy about buffets in general because I wind up eating too much and then afterwards I just want to find a place to lay down. This place was packed at 6:00 and we had to wait about 10-15 minutes with a whole bunch of others to be seated at a table. I will say that this place probably has the most variety of different Asian foods. Sushi, Mongolian grill, Dim Sum, Korean, etc., etc. I tried various sushi selections. They were OK, not anything to write home about but still OK. I also tried various other items (Dim Sum, Wings, Terryaki, etc.) none of it blew my socks off, some was better than others. What I did not like about this place was the crush of people jostling you when you are trying to look and decide what to eat. One other thing. This place is not cheap. It is about $25 a person. I can't say I would return or necessarily recommend unless you're into these type of places. I'm not. I was torn between 2 or 3 stars and went with 3 because of the sushi guys and the selection of sushi but the crush of people almost made me go with 2. I don't like to feel I'm pressured while trying to have a meal. I'm sure others would like it more than me though. Cheers to all
(3)Dan B.
Some time ago, I visited a different place called Royal Buffet and found it to be terrible. Almost everything at the other Royal Buffet was mislabeled, lots of strange items were in the buffet and you had no idea what you were eating except that all of it tasted bad. Needless to say when a few people suggested I try this Royal Buffet, merely sharing the same name of the restaurant had me a bit apprehensive. One day when I was in the area I stopped in for lunch and I found it to be far far better than the 75th Street Royal Buffet. The hibachi/hot wok was well stocked with different types of meat, veggies and noodles, you could pick different sauces to add. The buffet items seemed to be properly labeled so I knew what I was eating, it was far far better, it was far cleaner. It was also far more expensive at around 30.00 with a soda pop. In doing a little further reading up on this place I discovered that lobsters were available on Fridays and Wednesdays and one Friday a friend and I decided to give it a try. Once we arrived it was packed and there was a very long line queued up. I expected it was for the lobsters and got in line once I grabbed a plate. Within about 5 minutes a one clawed lobster and some crab legs were on my plate from the line and I was ready to head back to my table and dig in. We'll start with the lobster, this lobster was well cooked, not overcooked and not undercooked. The meat had just the right juicy consistency and the proper utensils were handed out for de-shelling this behemoth from the sea. Once I finished the lobster I went on the to crab egs, these were excellent quality, were cooked well enough to be easy to snap open and get the meat out of. I liked the crab legs even more than the lobster. For my second plate I headed over to the hot wok, I got a steak, some imitation crab, shrimp, a little beef, and noodles then picked out some sauces. This also was delicious and was as good or better than the seafood. On this visit I didn't sample any of the precooked buffet food. Overall I'd say in terms of sheer food quality this is the best Chinese Buffet around, but not necessarily the best value at around 30.00 a person. I'd highly recommend it on a Wednesday or Friday when they have the lobster, if it's not a Wednesday or Friday then I'd probably recommend passing. The food here is excellent but know what to expect, especially with regards to the bill before visiting. Five stars for this place, it's a world of difference from the other Royal Buffet and I plan to visit again in the future.
(5)Nancy C.
This place really can't be beat as far as buffet places go. Sashimi, sushi, dim sum, pork belly buns, chocolate fountain, soy milk and Asian fried dough alongside your standard Chinese buffet fare. Lunch on a non-holiday week day is by far the best deal at $12.50/per person. You can stuff yourself silly. The price doubles for weekend lunch and dinner, which is not really worth it in my opinion. But I have yet to find a buffet that can rival this one, so for the every once in a blue moon I feel for Chinese buffet, I will most certainly come here.
(4)Rosanna L.
Crab legs! Lobster! Sushi! AYCE! Yum. Yum. YUM! This place is huge! There's doors to backrooms and backrooms into backrooms, yep that's how big this place is. We came here on a Wednesday evening with a party of 30+ and they easily accommodated us. Like any other buffet you usually figure out where your table is and head on over to all the deliciousness. There was always a crab/lobster line the whole night, but it moved steadily. The seafood was fresh and juicy. Their variety of hot food is vast! So much to choose from that sometimes I find myself with 2 plates in my hands (don't judge). Most of it is seafood, but they do have some meat/beef options. Their sushi is actually pretty good for a buffet, which is saying something, since my favorite spots are usually those on the spots fresh made sushi not no container from Jewel or Dominick's, yuck. The service was eh, usually you'll have to wave someone down for more water or napkins, etc. But we really enjoyed the food and we'll be back! Lobster: yelp.com/biz_photos/roya…
(4)Jay W.
Lunch is still good, but dinner has definitely gone downhill. Last couple dinners we had there were disappointing thanks to so-so crab legs. Since we only go there once in a while for dinner we decided to try a lobster night. We've had good luck a few times with their lobsters. Are they juicy Maine fresh? No, but they were good enough OK and I can eat two of them and get my $$ worth. So we stopped by on a lobster night last week, only to find ourselves queued in a long line waiting for them to bring out lobsters and crab legs. After 10 minutes of looking and feeling like a fool for paying over $30 each (with tax) to stand there watching little old Asian ladies behind the counters happily ignore the swelling line, I decided we had enough. We collected our stuff and headed for the door without paying a nickel since we ate nothing. I mentioned the issue to the hosts and manager as we left. The response was basically, that's how it is. They made excuses about having other stuff to cook and not having enough cooking space. I don't buy any of it. I think they're finally doing what all the other Asian buffets do on "premium" nights: throttle and stall. Ginza is also very famous for the same cheat-the-patron trick. It's a popular tactic. They'd have to go through way too many lobsters and crab legs if they just kept bringing it out as needed. So, they bring out a fixed amount every X minutes. Whoever gets it gets it. Those who don't have to spend their time either waiting or getting full on other less expensive items. Either way, the restaurant wins. They charge a premium price but easily control how much of the "premium" items are served. Unethical, yes. But a very common buffet strategy. We won't go back for dinner. They raised prices across the board, and for $70 my wife and I can eat two great meals and have great service at a steak house. Lunch is $14 now, OK deal only if you like the sushi. Still they've crossed a big line with the last 10%+ price hike, now we think twice every time even for lunch.
(2)Nicole S.
I seems like a lot of Asian buffet restaurants leave a lot to be desired. NOT ROYAL BUFFET! I dined here with my family during lunch ($12.99/person) and none of us left disappointed. They have so many different options ranging from Mongolian grill, Chinese, to surprisingly good sushi with the employees making new rolls right there! There were some things that were a little dry or didn't taste fantastic, but the wide array of different options and the number of things that did taste delicious easily cancel that out. I can't imagine they have a much bigger selection for dinner and it is much more expensive. Go for lunch! It's not busy and the selection is still great!
(4)Sara D.
Rien de special. I used to frequent this place often, but as the adage goes what goes up must come down. This place doesn't fall too short once praised for it's amazing food now .. More or less their plethoric selection. Quality is almost as good as garbage. The sushi looked rubbery as if if had been sitting out, went for seafood night. Our lobsters were cold. Spent most of our time there waiting in line for the lobsters. Only bonus is I took a sprite to go for my long awaited trip back home from that wretched buffet.
(3)Chrystarie H.
Pretty cool place. Love the portion sizes. So much selection. The lines were pure chaos. So many people and their families. The seafood was so awesome. The garlic shrimp, lobster, crab, crawfish and spicy chicken were winners in my book ^_^ I encourage fellow yelpper to check it out. You're bound to find something you like
(4)Isabel K.
best for the value - will return to this place
(4)Tom T.
I took my family to RB a couple months ago for a birthday. We arrived early around 4pm and got a nice big table for us. Lines were non-existent. Yay! Food choices are mind boggline! Get in line for the crab legs and lobster early. The only thing I'd stay away from is maybe the sushi. They don't look very fresh. But my son loved the tuna nigiri. By 5:30pm, the place was packed and lines were long long long! The early birds get the worm. =) I'd rate the food quality as a 3, but +1-star just for the large variety of food choices.
(4)Rose P.
Great variety of food. Sushi here are better than buffets' average. Seafood here are great!
(4)Pha Nhia Y.
After months of planning, I finally treated my family and some friends to a grand feast. Before coming to this, I hear wonderful stories of delicious food. We arrived early Friday evening, just so we beat the dinner rush. We got sat right away, which was a plus. Now the food, It was a great selection of seafood and variety of different kinds of fried and stir fried dishes. But the line for the their famous lobster and crab legs where ridiculous. I just wanted crab legs but i had to wait 40 minutes. I guess its my fault for staying in line for such a long time that the rest of my party was already on their second to third plate. The food was just like any other buffet nothing to special for the amount of money they charge per person. I have had better and at a way lower price.
(2)Ceca T.
Great food,great service...One of my friends changed his mind about eating chinese , and they gave us our money back,without a problem... We will be coming back again
(5)Diana D.
I loved that it was a big varity of food that was constantly fresh coming out. Went on Wednesday (lobster tail day) and it was actually really good and the crab legs were also. I didn't give this a five star because I wasn't a huge fan of the sushi area because that part wasn't so fresh(but thats probably because people don't go to a buffet for sushi majority of the time so no one is really eating it right away). Can't forget we had a party of 50 for two birthdays and we even got to bring in our own cake.
(4)Mike R.
This is literally a buffet for royalty. Well, not really, but you kind of feel like that the first time you go there. The selection and size is just insane. It's something that you kind of have to see to really understand. I wouldn't call it "gourmet" but it's WAAAAY above any standard buffet food quality that I've ever experienced.
(5)Derek L.
I come here for lunch with my coworkers. As far as food selection and value, this place has every other buffet beat not only in Chacagoland but Seattle, San Jose, Portland, Charlotte..etc. Lunch is $11.95. The selection of food is awesome. They have tons of varieties of sushi, rolls, sashimi, salads, fruits, dimsum, chinese dishes, soups, desserts, noodle soup, and roast pork. Sushi quality is very very decent for a buffet. This place is so big and crowded during lunch hour. Service is excellent and polite.
(5)Julie Y.
I've actually been here a couple of times in the past couple years and always enjoy a the different options they have. It's not the best but it's always pretty fresh and good. The sushi and American Chinese options are good!
(4)Ms W.
First of all I told myself not to eat buffet anymore cuz they usually are bland, but I heard many reviews that Royal buffet is great so I thought I would give it a try. We went in for lunch. The place was packed with pp so we had to wait 30 min for a table. The food wasn't what I had expected! It was bland n just soso. The sushi wasn't the best either. The ice crm bar was awful. You have to ask for ice crm which I hate. The only good thing about this place is a large variety of food but the quality isn't that great! I won't go back.
(3)Ellena I.
Royal buffet is my favorite restaurant in Schaumburg. The food is fresh and delicious. My favorite- crab legs and lobster! Sometimes it's overcrowded so it's to loud but overall very good restaurant.
(4)Karl K.
The food here is good the crab is so sweet ,but they are getting smarter to save money they run out of lobster every 5 min. And then it takes 15 min to get more which stops the line for crab and lobster . Not good when you pay enough money to enjoy the food you want ,if they were smart they would seperate the two lines to keep the crab going but again that would cost them so much money ,if they keep this up I will never come again .When your there and it is slow complain to manager
(2)Lionel H.
the sushi bar was good other than that everything was just gross....my girlfriend and I lost our appetite after one plate. The meat all tasted like it was past its due date, the dishes were unhygienic and chipped. I wanted to serve myself miso soup but all the dishes had remnants of food stuck on there and i'm surprised nobody complained they all kept eating and ignored it. Not worth the 56 bucks we spent (fuck leaving tip the servers were rude) I felt panda express would've whipped out something more fresher than this bullshit. The spot looks like it was a club before in the past since it's very spacious, i'm not sure since i just moved in the area. I highly suggest you take your appetite elsewhere and that extra money in your pocket this place deserves to get shut down by the health dept.
(1)Joseph L.
As far as suburbs go, this is my favorite Chinese food restaurant. Come here for lunch for your first time, the price is the cheapest. Dinner is more expensive. Almost all the food tastes fresh and the staff is very helpful. I have heard rumors that a corrupt Chinese official owns the place, and that is why it stays open at such a high quality. I can't really say for sure. I highly recommend this for people who love buffets or Chinese food.
(5)Bryan B.
Food was good and fresh only for the popular items was long lines to get food. Service was also good cleaned tables and refilled drinks without having to ask was nice. Would recommend to others just watch Times when you go.
(4)Jaci Y.
Tonight Royal Buffet was just okay. The sushi I had got better at the end of our meal. When they first open for dinner at like 5:00 the I grabbed some fresh sushi and sat down to eat it. The " red snapper' was not good It was chewy and hard to break down the tissue of the fish. I couldn't eat it. It was not pleasurable. I liked their crab legs that was easy to eat and very tasty. I enjoyed their stir-fry beef dishes and string beans. I love their dessert soups. I pretty stuffed after about three plates of food. I won't be going back there anytime soon I had my fill of Royal Buffet for a LONG time.
(3)Sarah R.
Very impressed with this buffet. Very big selection of sushi which is the reason I went there in the first place. Prices are fair for their selection and quality of food. They are always preparing fresh food as they are so busy so have to keep preparing and providing it fresh. Have gone about 4 times and will continue to go back.
(4)Candice G.
I crabbed my pants! Wednesdays are All You Can Eat lobster and crab legs for $24.95... which is really only glamorous in theory. Okay, maybe 'glamorous' isn't exactly the right word, but I think for those of us who grew up in the lower-middle-class bracket, the idea of AYCE lobster is the pinnacle of luxury. Until you realize that there's a lot more to lobster than just the tail... and it ain't pretty. Furry legs, bead-y eyes and I got the good fortune of getting an extra juicy one that apparently was pregnant. Nurst. So basically, my enjoying this lobster night meant that I also contributed the abortion of several baby lobster. So, now I have to live with that on my conscience, and after seeing all the goopy cooze that came out of it's lower abdomen, I probably won't be dining on lobster again... but on the other hand, a lot of good dialogue came out of the experience. "You have to suck the head." "We've got a squirter here." "Wait - so you're saying this one was pregnant, and those are the eggs all slopping out all over the plate? Well, that's a sh*tty mother's day." "I think there's crab in my pants." Luckily, the crab legs were just that - no brains, no green poop, no preemies. Just legs. And let me tell you, the crab legs were such a relief after attempting to eat the much harder to dissect lobster, that I think I ate 8 pounds of crabbie meat. They don't have tiny forks and you don't get a knife either so the dissection is trickier than you'd think. Luckily a member of our party brought a pair of medical scissors to cut through the shells, so we were able to maneuver around the exoskeletons a bit swifter than those without power tools. You don't get wet wipes and the napkins that you do get are basically single-ply pieces of toilet paper so they basically disintegrate in your hands as you kill a lot of trees trying to keep your hands clean. I felt kind of bad so I started to wipe my hands on my pants figuring I could wash them, but didn't take very long before they were all crabbed up and I had to switch back to the nappies. The other dishes on the buffet weren't going to blow your mind with flavor, but nothing was awful and for $24.95 I left feeling like I'd certainly got the better of the deal between the fresh spun cotton candy, sushi, sashimi, Mongolian BBQ, oysters, clams, duck, dim sum, T-bone steaks, and various flavors of ice cream including green tea, red bean, coffee and moose tracks. I would totally come back with my family for an old-fashioned binge-eating on a budget bonanza.
(4)Rachel M.
Quite expensive for a buffet but the quality is really good. They only have one place to get the most popular dishes (crab, lobster, etc) so the line for those wrapped all the way around the restaurant - 50 or more people deep - we didn't get to try those because of this and I feel that the price was too high for not having access to those items.
(4)Kathy T.
When it comes to Asian buffets I do not bother reading white people reviews. Who comes to seafood buffet expecting pizza and finger foods? Honestly, this is one of the best Asian buffet I've ever had! The place is clean, the service is a little slow. But there is a large variety of food!
(5)Sam S.
One of my favorite seafood restaurant in Schaumburg area there's a full sushi bar there's a lot of different food and enjoy
(5)Veronica P.
I love there food and personally I do not think the price is unreasonable for the quality the provide, except on lobster night :/ they could set up a system to where people who don't want lobster don't need to pay the extra couple of dollars and give tickets to those who do. Just a tip :) other than that the bussers are usually very friendly and the food is always good! You should definitely consider going here. The only one issue I had here was when me and a friend (who frequents this place) was asked to leave 30 minutes before closing. I was fine with it however that wasn't so for my friend. The waiter also looked stoned and smelled of bud and while I don't care about that my friend took offense to that. On another visit one busser did get on my nerves but why should I let them ruin my night? Even if service wasn't peachy the food is excellent and nonetheless I still recommend Royal.
(4)Nicki P.
This place is super weird, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's like a China buffet but real Chinese food. by real I mean I saw 1000 year old eggs, real! (Pretty sure they weren't that old). :) so you have your run of the mill beef and pea pods, orange chicken, etc., but you also have a sushi bar, made to order grill (Mongolian bbq style), actual Asian dishes that I had never seen before, and if I weren't so stuffed from everything else and saving a bit of room for the dessert buffet, yeah I said it, dessert buffet i would have tried more. The only reason this place doesn't get 4 stars is because it is a buffet after all, the restaurant has a cafeteria style seating and sometimes the drink order took awhile to make it to us. That being said if this place we're closer to to the city it would be pretty dangerous to my waistline!
(3)Bernice R.
Skip the weekend wait! Even though it's a ginormous place, seriously, the wait can be a killer. I recommend going during lunch on a weekday ($10!!!) But buffet-er beware: eating so much food might make it hard to go back to work and be productive. Believe me, I totally wanted a nap afterwards. :P Lunch selections are pretty much the same as dinner, minus lobster and crabs from what I recall. So, what I'm basically saying, it's awesome... sushi, fish, meat, hibachi, dim sum, soup, desserts and so much more. Totes worth the $10 lunch and $30 dinner. p.s. Like I said, it gets crazy busy during the weekends. However, I've been to Royal on Lobster Night Friday. If you wait go around 8pm, the crowds die down, and you don't have to wait FOREVER for your shell fish. Just saying. p.p.s. My friends and I have just stayed there for a couple hours just chatting and eating. They never rush us and kept cleaning our tables. Nice!
(5)Daniel Y.
Royal is an Asian buffet with an assortment of foods all in one place. Everything from hibachi, sushi, Chinese dim sum, Americanized Chinese food, crab legs, and dessert like red bean ice cream, cotton candy, and more. There is so much variety here that you'd be hard pressed not to find something you like. If you don't, then you must be the grinch. All this for $21.99 on regular nights is a treat. Get here on a week night to avoid the crazy crowds and lines on the weekends. You'll have a much better experience and service.
(4)Will T.
Had my only meal of Sunday here yesterday. Selection is good when you just walk in. Unfortunately I've been curled up in the fetal position since about 5 yesterday due to a horrible case of food poisoning with my only brakes to get up and throw up. Drove 50 minutes for this. Pretty sure it was the seafood soup that did me in.
(1)Julia K.
My family's favorite place. For dinner menu, they have crabs and lobster. I went there yesterday and there is a long line waiting for the crab and lobster. They have decent varieties of sushi and food. I always go to the dessert section after and they have cotton candy machines, crepes, and a chocolate fountain. The other food is okay, mostly fried food. They have decent amount of dimsum and my favorite coconut soup. The service is good. They come to check up on you, refill drinks and water, the check. We come here often. The hosts are bitter, they have a face that says i hate my job, if you meet a bad one or if you go when its busy. But even still, you should be nice to the customers but I came for the food not the service so 4 stars.
(4)Frank B.
Best buffett in in Chicago Land by far. Nothing close to this. We come here all the time we are ready for a big seafood meal. Highly recommended.
(4)Suby B.
Crazy amazing food, a bit toooooo pricy. Drinks additional, tips additional. Servers are okay, food preparers Annoying and disrespectful at one visit...
(5)Grace F.
Looking for a wide variety of Asian cuisine? There's dim sum, sushi, mongolian, and every possible way to cook seafood here. If you're an avid seafood fan, you'll know that seafood can be very precarious to cook. That being said, this place receives 3 stars because when the food was good, it was pretty delicious. However, the quality is not consistent. Food that should be kept warm was cold and food temperature was not consistent. Not a good thing if you're serving seafood cooked and raw. Bussers were slow with drink refills and bussing off empty plates. I went for lunch and still got very full. The steamed crab legs were very good. The boiled whole crabs came out dry and too salty. I'd go again because I love Asian food and seafood, but I'll just avoid the cold dishes.
(3)Alex C.
We came here with about 30 people on a Saturday during lunch. It was a surprise birthday party. After a couple of hours, the waiter brought the bill, and I paid it with an $80+ tip. The dining area we were in was only about 1/3 full, so we thought it was ok to stay and chat some more. That was a miscalculation on my part, the waiter told us that we have overstayed the "two hour limit". He was not going to kick us out, but he was not going to serve us anymore. He also added that we should think of leaving soon. Bottom line...food is good, service is bad.
(2)Kevin B.
I went there Wednesday for the dinner ,the crab not fresh at all. And I wait long for lobsters, I got nothing cost me almost 70 dollars
(1)Michelle D.
Went there for the second time. This time it was utter chaos, people cutting in lines and pushing you out of the way. No refills on beverages and most of the food in the buffet was empty or near empty. The kicker: tipping $12 to have the waiter tell me that we only left him .30!! He had the audacity to tell me he didn't receive a tip!! I left him another $10 because he would let us leave, he stopped us! Learn how to count! Are you happy!? You got a $22 tip, a$$hole. Will not be back. I feel ripped off!!
(1)Sonia B.
Royal Buffet is a nice change from the usual buffets in the suburbs. I came here Friday night for my birthday dinner with my family. Royal Buffet offers unlimited lobster and crab legs on Wednesdays and Friday for $26.99. What a deal! The lobsters were extremely messy, especially when you have zero de-shelling experience, but I have to say it was a little fun (don't sue me PETA). The crab legs were very meaty and had great flavor. Unfortunately, the lobsters and crab legs took up most of my time, energy, and most of all appetite, so I didn't have a chance to try a lot of their other dishes including the hibachi station. However, I did have some room for the dessert station--YUM. I can't wait to come back!
(4)Chan S.
Wide selection of various different foods & a amazing experience! If u love trying new things you should definetly come here on a Wednesday or Friday (all u can eat lobster, sushi & crab legs) & come at the beginning of dinner, which is about 5-5:30 for a better dining experience. It's a beautiful buffet you have to see to believe. The dessert crepes are great (I eat them plain w/ a side of red bean ice cream)! The sushi great. Haven't tried the hibachi yet but I'm sure it's great as well! They even have a dim-sum bar! Def worth checking out if your feeling adventurous!
(4)Robert G.
In terms of sheer scale, the Royal Buffet is much closer to Las Vegas than Old Country Buffet. The buffet offers a huge selection of food, including a whole section of the buffet set aside for the "Mongolian BBQ" concept (which I still haven't tried.) There's a large sushi section that looks good and tastes good, and from the looks of things the sushi is regularly made fresh. The middle section is a whole lot of steamed authentic Chinese food, some of which is labeled only with Chinese characters, and all of it not corresponding with the associated labels. The next aisle has the frog legs and chicken on skewers. The last aisle, which I've actually spent the least time is, has the more traditional Chinese-American food, as well as some traditional fried stuff. Oh, and the cotton candy machine. And random ice creams. And lychees, shelled and unshelled. Why both? Because they could. About the only thing they don't do here is bubble tea, though I was able to get a lychee smoothie. The best thing about this place is that the food is quite good, especially for a buffet. It makes a great replacement for the defunct Todai.
(4)Tony M.
Long wait time for a couple crab legs and a lobster that was tough and chewy, sure I can eat some crab legs that's why I came but don't be stingy with them after I waited in line for 15-20 minutes. The rest of the selections are not the best I've had but mediocre at best. Won't be back, I would rather go to Rivers Casino for a real crab extravaganza! The clientele and atmosphere are way better.
(2)Keith T.
So so buffet...if you really want some better and crashed buffet, go to Ginza in Niles. Both place are similar, but their food are so much fresher and their sushi have salmons too. Also, for the seafood food part, Ginza has have lobster and it way better since its cutted in half and steam it the Chinese way vs Royal they just boiled the whole thing.
(3)Diana L.
So apparently lobster is only served on Wednesday and Fridays, so I was mildly disappointed since my family and I went on a Sunday. But for a buffet, it's actually really nice! Clean, nicely decorated, and with a large variety of food. The lines are kind of hectic, but for the most part, it's quite organized with minimal cutting (the plague of any buffet). I'm not sure which direction the line went, but I got my food, and I'm happy. I like their sushi because it's freshly made and you can see them cooking/rolling in plain view. The teppanyaki cooks don't speak much English, so I gave them my steak, sauce, and noodles and hoped for the best. I requested medium rare and it came out medium/well-done. Regardless, it tasted pretty good and I had other food like salmon and dim sum to fill me up. And obviously I ate my fill of crab legs! Note: Don't be that jerk who has their family cut and take all the crab legs. This one woman took six plates, grabbed her two unfortunate sons to help her, and took the majority of crab legs. This caused the line to crowd around her and yell at her while the attendant said she couldn't take that much for herself. The dessert bar is awesome though. Besides the typical cake, ice cream, and fruit, they have a giant chocolate fondue fountain and I like how there was an attendant there to constantly wipe it down. Also, they have Chinese desserts like egg tarts. And more surprisingly, they have little creme brulees! They're really sweet and the sugar is nice and crunchy. There is waiter service to take away your plates, but if the place is super busy, they might not be around to constantly check on you and refill your water. I'm a bit annoyed by that, but our waiter did take away our plates frequently. Something interested I noticed was there was live traditional Chinese music playing. It came from a banquet room. I'm not sure what that was about, but it sounded really cool.
(4)Cherry L.
I went here a couple of times. I believe they also own the one in Downers Grove location which I been to multiple times. This place is bigger though but I feel there is little selection. I dislike how you have to wait and ask for ice cream because unlike other places there's no ice cream machine. There's a couple of flavors though which is the good part. The sushi selection is a good rage. They also serve King crab legs which there is always a long line all the time! Plus, be careful when you are walking with you plate of food BC these people walk around in there like your invisible and will bump you! Also, be careful when you pay because they do include tip in with the payment most of the time so don't go leaving tip on the table BC that's extra tip money for them too.
(4)Chris P.
Genuinely a solid buffet as far as privately owned buffets go. I like the sanitation lights over the dishes...nice touch...not sure if they do anything, but its cool. Crab legs were some of the best buffet legs I've ever had. Hot, not salty, fresh, and easy to eat. I didnt get sick from eating here either!
(4)Tam D.
Always a nice selection of food here. Not to loud which is nice. Like to come here often with the family.
(4)Karen C.
Lobster night was delicious. You do have to wait in line for it and you only get 1 lobster and 1 crab leg bunch at a time per person. It satisfied my seafood cravings tho! Yummy sashimi too!
(4)Johnson V.
The food and service is okay. I went there in the middle of the week for dinner. Of course going to a buffet I already know what to expect as much others have already expressed. Such as cold food, food not holding their proper temperatures or not having consistency in quality, flavor, and taste. But after all it is a buffet and you should not expect everything to be perfect. There are hundreds of dishes available and I expect it is a challenge for the establishment to have everything perfected. Not every dish is going to be consumed fast enough to get a fresh batch out. My night started out with the waiter getting us drinks quickly. I started out with some sushi as an appetizer. Being a long time sushi eating fiend I looked carefully and chose some of the best tasting rolls. I was not disappointed, I later moved to a few pieces of sashimi. Usually tuna is only good depending on the source. The tuna here was terrible, the slices were not cut properly leaving tendons making it very difficult to chew. I would recommend passing up the tuna sashimi as it was very bland. The saba (aka mackerel) is decent, I did not like the red snapper. There was another white fish to the far right but I couldn't identify what it was but it was tasteless but still way better than the tuna. The best by far is the salmon, I have had salmon at a lot of different places and they are the only fish that stays pretty consistent in flavor as the fat just provides so much flavors of goodness. If you go to any place that serves sashimi and you're not sure if the tuna or other sashimi is good it's pretty safe to bet that the salmon would be at least good. I was about to skip out on the lobster and crab legs but my brother-in-law convinced me to get some. But I only did so when the line died down enough for me to walk up and get some. The crab legs are good, the lobster I can tell has been sitting for a while in a tank somewhere as when you crack the claws there's almost no meat in them as it's pretty much an empty shell. It's best to skip trying to break the claw open and just go straight for the tail. The server lady gave my brother-in-law a dirty look as he went back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. Overall the lobster and crab legs were okay but I've had better. When it comes to food I'm a pretty picky eater but the buffet has enough choices to choose from that will satisfy my appetite. I didn't have enough stomach room to try out everything but my only complaint is the price per a person. It makes you want to eat nothing but crab legs and lobster to get your money's worth out of going there. So I have mixed feelings about returning there. For the price per a person I could've just ate at a nice sushi restaurant and still be full. But if you want variety it's a bit difficult to beat a buffet. I would still rather go to this place than Hometown Buffet any day of the week. My only regret is that I didn't have the stomach to try out all the Chinese food and the Mongolian BBQ.
(3)Ryan B.
WOW, this place is awesome! Best buffet i have ever been to. Such a huge selection of food, and great price.
(5)Thuy N.
It's your typical buffet setting but the selection of food is what keeps our family coming back. There are so many aisles of food and hibachi grill. The seafood and sushi selection are fresh. There's also a decent sized dim sum selection. They have a chocolate fountain and many bakery and fruit desserts. The mango smoothie is amazing!
(4)Spaghetti O.
Look up Vibrio parahaemolyticus, because that's what I got as a result of indulging on all-you-can-eat raw seafood. Why did I think this was a good idea at a buffet? I was blinded by all the sashimi, freshly (?) shucked oysters and the like. Here is what I will give them props for: 1) the staff dealing with hoards of people pushing their way around, cleaning up after kids (and adults) acting like animals and general public rudeness and 2) a large variety of items, and interesting ones at that. What I am warning you all of: the seafood does not taste that fresh, and we even joked in the moment, "hope I don't get sick" after tasting some foul fish (pretty sure it was the oysters.) I thought with the high turnover, though, the fish was surely fresh, right? Ummm, well, a couple nights later, projectile vomiting and diarrhea followed (who knew that V. parahaemolyticus hung around that long to incubate?) Luckily, it all only lasted 2 days. If you do visit Royal Buffet, you have been warned. Stick with cooked items, and avoid the pain. I will surely be going elsewhere.
(2)Shuwen Y.
I like this place A LOT! Lunch buffet is only $14 and a lot of good stuff here. Shrimp, sashimi, fish,sushi,,,But it's too far away from Chicago downtown , otherwise I will be here more often.
(5)Nancy H.
Chinese food heaven! Dimsum! Seafood! And more typical Chinese entrees. So much variety here which is the reason for the 4th star, but food quality is just 3 stars. They also offer sushi and make your own stir fry, but the sushi was just ok (Ginza Buffet in Niles is better), and nobody seemed to be working the grills in the stir fry section on the weeknight we were there.
(4)Jeff C.
This Chinese buffet goes further in quality and options than other chinese buffets. If you are a seafood lover definitely worth it in quality and quantity. lobster and crab lovers, you have to go early, right when the open 5:30pm, better on wednesday than fridays. I ate 7-8 lobster tails and it was orgasmic.
(4)Aimi W.
11dollars for seafood buffet? Amazing! They have a huge variety offered during lunch from sushi (and a few sashimi) to dimsum (try the shrimp eggplant) and stir-fry. My favorite was the deep fried fish in sweet and sour sauce. So crispy! I wouldnt mind paying just to eat that fish. They also have ice cream (just okay), fresh to order crepes,cotton candy, chocolate fondue, and variety of mini cakes and desserts. For a seafood buffet that is fairly inexpensive, this place is really worth it!
(4)Matt D.
Love this place. All you can eat for $13. Sushi is pretty fresh and delicious. Some of the other stuff they have there is disgusting but overall a good deal.
(4)快速殺手
Great food. Fresh and you can see how some dishes are made. Sushi is just unbelievably good. Fresh tuna, mussels, tofu, makes me think that they really care about their guests. There's also a Mongolian grill and they will prepare for you anything you find in their restaurant.
(4)Steve M.
Lobster piñatas for everyone and who ordered the poo poo platter? We came here on a Wednesday where they had all you can eat lobster and crab legs. How can you go wrong with that deal? I repeat, all you can eat lobster and crab legs. One issue was that you had to wait in line which didn't take too long but by the time I got back, the others at our table had already finished their plates but they didn't get the lobster or crab legs. The other issue was it's a whole freaken lobster and when you finally muscle the tail off of it there is a whole lot of extra stuff that comes out of it. It was like opening up a piñata, except instead of getting candy you get lobster eggs and lobster poop (score). Even though you had to work at it the lobster and crab legs were pretty good. Who knew that you needed to work so hard for your meal? Maybe it's just me but I like my food to come to me prepared and ready to be eaten. I had also grabbed some cocktail shrimp prior to grabbing the lobster and crab legs. The shrimp was still in its shell with their little legs still attached. Not as difficult as the shell removal of the others but the shrimp was good as well. They do have an ice cream bar and a cotton candy machine for after your meal. I don't think that we will make a special trip back, but it was definitely worth giving them a try. The highlight of the night was getting to meet Candice for the first time.
(3)Allison A.
Sushi- very good and looked fresh. Mongolian grill- delicious. After the crab legs this was my favorite thing. I was able to make my own bowl with ingredients that I knew were gf. Chinese food- I didn't try anything because I made the assumption that it all had soy sauce in it. Soy sauce usually has wheat in it. Wheat = upset gluten tummy for this girl. Crab legs- awesome! Lobster- okay... Not worth the 20 minute wait in line. Green tea ice cream- delicious as well. Just a warning to any gf people out there. This was not very gf friendly, which is why I basically stuck to the crab legs. I asked some service people what was gf or if they had gf soy sauce and they literally had no idea what it even meant. I still think I got my 26 dollars worth in crab legs and lobster though!
(4)Aimee S.
We have been coming here for at lease weekly for the past year or two. We enjoyed the crab legs and some of the other dishes. Our concern is that the desert bar does not appeared to have as wide of a selections as it had in the past. As a loyal customers we would like to see more of a variety return.
(3)L S.
To Royal Buffet Management: On lobster nights, why do you bring out lobsters in small batches and make people stand in line for so long to get a lobster? Is it to discourage your customers from getting lobsters? This practice is very degrading. I also had an unfortunate experience when the "lobster lady" literally tossed a piece of claw to my plate like you would to a begging dog, while frowning horribly and looking away. Your prices are not exactly cheap and your customers deserve better treatment.
(3)Aimee M.
It's hard to make a plan of attack at a buffet, especially on AYCE Lobster and Crab Leg night. But here are my thoughts. Lobster. SKIP IT. It was the worst lobster I have ever had. This is not good quality lobster. How can you tell? The meat is mushy, not succulent and firm. That means it was either frozen or not fresh or not fresh when they froze it. No amount of drawn butter could save it. Crab Legs. Make room for them. They were excellent quality and cooked well. Nice sized legs, not skimpy skinny at all. Sushi. Take a pass. Unless you like mediocre sushi. The rice is not well made and everything just tasted the same. Ewwww. Authentic Chinese Items. Like duck and mantou, shumai and other dumplings Szechaun green beans, salt and pepper shrimp, etc. These were good. Not as good as what I've had at my favorite places in Chinatown or my favorite Chinese duck place. But still good. Dessert. Mostly worth it. The melons were fresh. The small cakes were good. And how can you go wrong with ice cream or the cotton candy? The Lychee fruit was disappointing though, half of the ones I got were bad. There's a stir fry hibachi dealie where you choose fresh ingredients and have them make the stir fry for you. I didn't check that out but the steak someone at our table had looked pretty good. Service. Friendly, had to flag them down a couple of times for drink refills and the check, but they were very prompt with requests. So all in all, My review stays right in the middle. It is a great place for big groups too. Kudos to Osi V for getting reservations for the 10 of us at her UYE.
(3)Arun A.
Have lunch there today ,nothing special . Not busy and food sit down there for while dry and tasteless not worth .never back
(2)Lorenza D.
I came here with my family for my cousin's birthday. Such a fancy atmosphere. The chandeliers and fountains were gorgeous, the spread was beautiful and the food was absolutely fantastic! So many different types of food to choose from and well organized. They had mongolian grill, sushi, dimsum, tons of seafood, fried food and lots of desserts to choose from! Even had a crepe station and a chocolate fountain! I usually feel sick after buffets like these but I left feeling more than satisfied. The line for the all you can eat crab andn lobster was crazy long but very worth it. I recommend coming around 4 or 5 before dinner rush and going straight for the lobster. I would've given this a five star but the lobster was a little over cooked. But other than that, it was a great dining experience!
(4)Nancy P.
I am not a fan, at all. Food is consistently not at a proper temperature, even under heating lamps, false labels describing the food items, and overall poor service. I have a problem eating food that's been sitting out for I don't know how long, with improper food temps. Yuck.
(1)Linda K.
Arrived here at 8:55pm. The host advised us the kitchen closes at 9pm and no other fresh food will be coming out from the kitchen. She let us look around and we saw that there were still a lot of food out so we were fine with it. Also noticed only about 2-3 other tables left still eating. We grabbed a plate and started the buffet. We didnt even get through our first plate before the staff started eating what was left over and also clearing out and cleaning. The restaurant sign indicated they close at 930p. The staff started eating the leftover food at about 905, 910pm. By the time my fiancé and I went for a second plate, everything was already cleared out! Including the dessert table. We were definitely upset to pay $25 /pp to get one lousy plate of food . This is supposed to be a buffet until they close at 930pm . I don't think its appropriate for staff to start eating and clearing out everything when there are still customers. We requested a discount and the cashier(Nina?) gave us a very small discount(tax money?) If we knew they were going to start cleaning up around 9pm and not 930pm..we definitely wouldve just gone elsewhere and gotten more food at a non-buffet restaurant paying less. Nina said they usually start closing up earlier since it was a slow night. Thats fantastic..why didnt you tell us that before we sat down? The host said the kitchen closes at 9pm, not the restaurant. We were livid. We used to come here a lot with a large group of people but after this poor customer service... ::curse word::
(1)Noomi J.
So I've tried this place 3 times so far. The first time had pretty good lobster. But the 2nd time was subpar where the lobsters our table had weren't fully cooked. The 3rd time was for lunch at ~$13, wasn't a fan. I'm a lobster fan, and this is the first buffet that I've been to that offers all-you-can-eat lobster. While this place does not measure up in terms of quality to the Vegas casino buffets, the price at around $24 is frikken cheap for lobster. Crab legs were good, not too salty or pale. Better than the weakling crab legs offered at Shaw's Crab House's brunch buffet which cost us like $48/person. Subpar crab legs at Queen Victoria Casino's Indulge buffet and Crazy II Buffet. Pass on the sushi. Other stuff was meh. I liked the sesame donut balls. The dessert bar wasn't as good as Todai's, but it was a nice touch to have someone serving the ice cream. I hate having to excavate rock-hard ice cream tubs at buffets (looking at you, Round Lake's Hibachi Grill Buffet). I tried the green tea ice cream, and it was okay. The only reason why I'd come here again is for the lobster, and then the crab.
(3)Odranre B.
alot of food...always jammed pack inside...big parking lot, but hard to find parking on the weekend...the staff could be friendlier and more attentive, but it's a zoo inside so don't expect a great service...just keep in mind that you are coming here to eat food at quantity not quality, because these are the low end food products.
(2)Van C.
I've been here twice and both times were great. The first time I went was during the summer and then recently. The quality of the food matches the price. 25 bucks per person is fair. If this place were to charge 13-15 bucks, the quality would mimic the other redundant buffets. I don't even know where to begin. Overall, this place is a must if you haven't gone here.
(4)Bob R.
So this was my fourth visit to Royal Buffet (only two reviews). I'm afraid the newness is starting to wear off a little. The service is still great - the servers are always there to refill your beverage or take your plates, but something is different. The food seems to have gone downhill a little. Last night, they offered snow crab legs again, and had a carving station for roast beef. I didn't go for either of them this time around. First I hit the sushi bar. They serve by the piece rather than the roll and there are lots of choices. So, I probably had a dozen or so pieces and they were good. In the same serving area, they offer sashimi and raw shellfish. Last night there were raw oysters and raw clams. I grabbed two oysters but passed on the clams. After allowing the first one to slide down my throat, I thought better of eating the second one. Round one, done. Round two was Teriyaki salmon, hot fish, cooked mussels, "fired cracker" squid, hunan squid, steamed flounder and a few other small items. The salmon was overcooked and dry. The hot fish (not sure what kind of fish it was) was very bony and tasteless. The flounder was moist, but did not taste so fresh. And, after eating the "fired cracker" squid and noticing it was not spicy as I expected, I realized they must have misspelled fried as fired. So much for the fish. Next was dim sum. I had a steamed bun, some pork and shrimp rolls and two pork buns. I passed on the chicken feet, although they had quite a variety. I also had some steamed peas and steamed spinach. I was surprised to have not seen any Chinese green beans. The vegetables were very good. The pork bun was fantastic. The rest was okay at best. One more time - I had to have another pork bun - pork belly and scallions on a steamed rice bun with plum sauce. Wow. I tried some rice noodles and stopped after one small bite. Lastly, I had some fresh fruit which was very good. Perhaps I hit about 1/5 of the items they have, maybe a little less. But, I''m a small person and I was gorged. So, my last two reviews rated this place 5 stars. Not this time. Not sure if this was just an off night, or if something has changed. I think I'll give this place a rest for a while and try it again one more time in a few months before I give up.
(3)George H.
I went here for lunch and with tax and tip, I spent $15 - but if I had gone to a sushi restaurant I would have paid a lot a lot more for what I ate. The sushi was very good quality and was fresh - they were constantly replenishing everything. I also had a lot of their fresh fried oysters which were AMAZING! You can definitely tell that they were fresh and not frozen. They also had a large selection of Chinese food and a Mongolian grill but I ate more than my fill of sushi. I will be back!!
(4)Selena Y.
One of my favorite restaurant! Lots of choices.
(5)Brett E.
One of my new favorite places! Royal buffet has everything, literally. Food from all corners of Asia fills this massive establishment. You will NEVER go hungry here. Crabs legs, sushi, Mongolian BBQ, some questionable "delicacies," all amazing and worth a try.
(5)Jimmy J.
Great buffet! Lunch price is absolutely incredible. Lots of selection and inside looks nice too.
(5)Paul L.
First impression was like wowwww this is like the Vegas buffets :D Price for lunch is def. worth it. There was hibachi grill where you pick your stuff and they cook it for you, they had sushi/sashimi, dim sum, fried things, ice cream, fruits, etc. The only issue is the quality of the food. There just seems to be too many variety of dishes with maybe 1% of it being actually decently cooked. The rest seemed sloppily put together, reheated from frozen, etc. Dim sum was below par. Cooked clams were overly salted and nothing savory to write about. Green tea ice cream didn't taste like green tea ice cream. Red bean ice cream didn't taste like red bean. Lychees were defrosted from freezer but still good to eat just not as visually appealing. The cotton candy was frozen too which I've never seen before and surprisingly it still retained the cottony texture and taste just like the fresh fluff :) I did not try the dinner but if the quality/effort is the same as lunch with only the addition of crabs/lobster then it may not be worth it at $25. Overall this is an amazing buffet for the variety of food offered and worth it for the lunch price for a quick eat. I would not go here though if you are looking for upscale buffets like in Las Vegas.
(4)Wilson H.
Best Buffet out there. Sushi selection is amazing, there is also sashimi which is a rare sight for a buffet. lots of selection with crab legs and lobster for only ~$25.00? The only down side to this is the long waits.
(5)Jenny H.
My survival instincts kicked in that night: dodging through hungry migratory crowds, shoving grandmas/grandpas, elbowing kids in the face, shifting from line to line, making babies cry. I'm not ashamed to admit that I broke buffet etiquette and maybe a few other social norms. Chinese New Year on a Saturday night was a big free-for-all and this girl had to look out for numero uno. Luckily we had early reservations at 430pm for our group, but once 6 o'clock came around, it was a complete mad house. Royal Buffet stepped it up for the masses: stone crabs, asian periwinkles, well stocked sushi rolls, large cuts of fresh papayas and other tropical fruit, a crepe station, and... a chocolate fountain. After surviving one of their busiest saturdays of the year, I am happy to report that my night of gluttonous indulgences left me in the biggest and happiest food comas to date. I may have to spend the next month working off everything I consumed. Thus ends my season of holiday decadence: Xing Nian Kuai Le, Gong Hay Fat Choy!
(4)Faith O.
Where should I start? It's pretty amazing, and I've never been to a place that serves whole lobsters (only on Wed) with reasonable prices too! Of course it's quantity over quality, but at $26.99 per person this place is pretty reasonable with a hibachi grill, lots of different sushi, raw oysters, banchan, a dim sum station (haw gow, siu mai, pig's feet, chicken feet, tendon, buns, etc.), lots of hot foods (duck, chicken, fish, crab, steamed oyster, etc.) and an elaborate dessert station, I just wish I can go there again.
(4)Rex C.
This is probably the best buffet in the area with lobster night, crab legs, seafood, Chinese, Korean, steak, mongolian, and sushi. The sushi is not high quality and they are very very small, the sushi rice they use is not high quality and I've had better sushi at other buffets such as Ginza and Ichiban. I would go to Royal for the seafood, meat, and Chinese food only. They have a good selection of foods like crabs, fish, shellfish, crawfish, frog legs, steaks, chicken, duck, and a variety do shrimp. There is a lot of food to select from. As far as the atmosphere, each time we went it was very crowded and you see the greed and ugliness in people acting like scavengers or hoarders having a free for all/melee with all the food. We were in line for the lobster for about 20 minutes when the lady in front of us who was a good 300lbs asked for 2 plates of lobster and crab legs. The server refused saying one plate per person. The lady got obscene and angry where they probably should of escorted her out, but she said the 2nd plate was for a friend and said she was waiting in line for an hour (not true). The server gave in and gave her 2 plates because she was causing a really big scene. This lady sat by us and she was eating alone so she lied to get the extra plate. There were also instances with people waiting in line and letting their family and friends cut in when they got near the front of the line. Others would get mad and yell, but the cutters would just ignore and get their food. They really should have an employee being security to monitor the line and kick out unruly customers. We also noticed a lot of greedy people who had multiple plates with mountains of shrimp or crawfish, hoarding like they hadn't eaten in days. You know you can go up as much as you want and don't need to have three platefuls of food in your hands in one trip? Besides being around scavengers and hoarders, the food and the service is really good. I guess having lobster, crab legs and such great food, it can bring out the ugliness in people.
(4)Misty S.
Dinner buffet for $21 (add $1.49 for soda) - Highlights include snow crab legs, deep fried crab legs, dungeness crabs, sashimi, sushi and cotton candy!! Keep in mind the dinner price is applied all day Saturday and Sunday. I came for dinner early Sunday evening and the place was pretty filled up already, but there was no wait. They have TONS of seating inside, room after room, but I hear they get pretty packed. The hostess led me to a table and a waitress came to take my drink order. I was excited to see what the buffet had to offer. I didn't know where to start! There were tons of sushi and specialty roll options, fish eggs, Mongolian grill that will stir fry a dish for you, dim sum, 4 different kinds of soup, vegetables, and other Asian dishes. They also offered melons, pineapple, kiwi, lychee, cakes, pudding, ice cream and pink cotton candy for dessert. The cotton candy is made fresh and is pretty fluffy. The red bean ice cream was grey and didn't taste like much. I thought the sushi was good for a buffet and not too stuff with rice. The crab legs were pretty tasty and well worth the price of admission. Compared to Nagoya, I think this place offer more variety. Beware, the sushi chef has super sonic hearing! I was trying to ask my friend, who has eaten there before, questions and the sushi chef kept answering them. I kept lowing my voice until it's a whisper "psst...hey, where is the soy sauce? is it at the table?" And before my friend could answer, the sushi chef chimed in "YES! It's at the table." How did he hear that?!
(4)Melanie T.
Royal Buffet...BFF for life! My husband and I come here at least once a week. With that being said, can we get some kind of loyalty card that allows for some kind of discount?! :) Between me and the hubby we can go through 4-6 plates of crab legs. We do make room for sushi, shrimp, dim sum, fried foods, rice, Mongolian stir fry AND desserts but we mainly come for the crab legs. Crab legs are only served during dinner and all day on Sundays. Shout out to Jack! We love sitting in his section. Best server there! He's on point with clearing off our table, bringing us "crackers" (to crack our crabs), more napkins and refilling our waters. We almost never have to ask him for anything, he just knows...he's that good. Everyone needs to try to this place at least once! If you're not a buffet person or a crab person...don't bother. You'll probably cry cause you didn't get your money's worth.
(4)Tuttysan S.
Overwhelming variety, excellent ambiance, great food! We came here on Sunday and the seafood buffet was amazing! So much variety of raw and cooked seafood, Chinese dishes including dimsum, sushi and dessert menu - it was overwhelming! Worth the drive north. We will be back.
(5)Norman R.
Plenty of foods ... Long wait for Lobster .... Need to re evaluate the lobster service ... They are wasting time.. Average time for customer to stay and eat is about 1.5 hours and majority of that time is waiting to get one lobster ... If they can make each customer stay and eat for one hour and they can make more money by making the table available for other customer waiting outside.
(3)Rod D.
If you've ever been to a Chinese Buffet restaurant, this is similar. The food here is just a tad bit better than most buffets. Most of the time, people come into Chinese buffets knowing what to expect. At Royal Buffet, I think those expectations are exceeded. Not only do they have Chinese food but they also cater well to Korean, Japanese (fresh sushi made everyday) and Mongolian BBQ. Their dessert menu is also pretty well stacked along with their new chocolate fountain. They also have several ice cream flavors to go along with your meal. Would definitely go back! Maybe try their Teppanyaki tables next time!
(4)M H.
Went here when it originally opened-- it was enormous and a little daunting... Just visited today with my wife and 3 kids--- dirty dishes- filthy bathroom-- the place was a mess-- felt dirty after leaving the place. The food was ok. The cliental was also of a more "pig out" mentality and not one where cleanliness mattered. Disappointing that the owner and managers are so sloppy with the upkeep. Seen this same effect at other mega chinese "buffet" places. I will never be returning.... hire some good janitors and fire the floor managers.yuk
(1)Chloe H.
I have been here twice. The first time I went with my boyfriend out of curiosity. After eating there, I said, "Well cross that off the bucket list...I'm never going here again". Then 6 months later, my coworkers arranged a group lunch here. So I bit my tongue and went. There is nothing BAD about this buffet; it's just so excessive and a place that you ought to try just once. This is the motherlode of buffets and the epitome of American binges. The quality is good; of the things I have been able to try, all were tasty: the sushi, the crab legs, the teriyaki chicken, and the various appetizers. Unless you have the stomach the size of a Hummer's gas tank, it is impossible to try everything. There are foods for everyone to enjoy: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and American are the fare I noticed. I completely ignored the salad bar and desserts the first time I went; the second time, I was lucky to pack in some lychee. Also, on my second visit there was a chocolate fondue fountain added. There is a hibachi grill section, and that was where our party of 12 was seated. I thought it was inconvenient because when we wanted to talk to each other, half of us were separated by the two center grills so we had to either yell across or get up and walk around to talk. There were plenty of tables for large groups in another section, so I have no idea why they placed us by the grills since we were eating the buffet. Actually, I don't really understand why anyone would eat at the grills; I'm pretty sure it costs the same, if not more, to do this than to just grab grilled meats from the buffet. Tucked away inside the hibachi grill section is also a bar with a TV to watch a game if you really wanted to. I don't see the point of the bar either. As much as the food was good, the overall experience felt like a satire of decadence. Luxury foods like crab legs and sushi are things that ought to be savored, not piled onto plates. But that's just an opinion of mine....
(3)Rob W.
When one goes to these Chinese buffets, they must understand that these places are to Chinese food what Old Country Buffets are to American food. That said, all in all, this place did pretty well. Huge variety. However, on the downside the two entrees I got (Sesame Chicken and Mongolian Beef) were both kind of cold. The Mongolian Beef had some huge swaths of beef in it - not that great for a place where knives aren't real plentiful. Sushi was OK - I picked up most of what was left of the Tekka Maki on my first trip to the buffet and when I left the restaurant, it had yet to be replenished. There was a lady walking past the desserts and eating them as she walked by - kind of a violation of health guidelines - but NOT the fault of the restaurant! I'd return for lunch - don't think I'd care to pay for the dinner version though.
(4)Dan K.
My wife isn't the biggest seafood fan, but she will come with me when I have a hankering for sushi. So, FYI there is no American cuisine. Usually buffets have some pizza, or spaghetti, maybe some mashed potatoes, and some mac and cheese, but not Royal Buffet. It's ok, but just so you know, so you're not spending $20+ for 3 dishes and cotton candy. I guess I should have done my due diligence and read some Yelp reviews lol. Regardless, the food is pretty good, and since it's pretty busy, the food comes out pretty often. Sometimes you have to wait for a refill of a dish, but it's fairly quick. It's not the best food in the world, but are you expecting that from a buffet? I'm not. I'm expecting pretty good food and a large variety of it. And in that, Royal Buffet does not disappoint. Cotton candy is cool.
(4)Matt S.
Sound the food alarm! Lots of goodies here ranging from Chinese to Japanese cuisine. Variety includes (but certainly not limited to) chicken wings, teriyaki salmon, veggies, steamed buns, animal feet, sushi rolls, crab legs, and salad bar. Feel like dessert? Choose between ice cream, fruit cake, bread, cotton candy, and MORE. A small bar serves up beer, wine, and liquor. Why not get a 40 oz Sapporo to help quench your thirst? There is even an area like Flat Top Grill where you choose your ingredients and have a cook whip up your creation! Food quality is pretty good. Overall, Royal Buffet is pretty clean besides the sopping wet bathroom counters. Staff does just fine and there are tons of tables. The mural and pond display in the front is awesome. I would recommend Royal if you feel like eating a ton of Asian food.
(4)Jennifer C.
Very disappointing. I went last night with my hubby and my daughter and was definitely not impressed. The buffet was $22.95 because it had lobster. I'm not sure if it's always that price or always has lobster or what. When we first walked in everything looked pretty good, however, once we went around and started to try the food the disappointment started. Virtually all of the hot food we tried was cold. The sushi I tried wasn't very good. The Mongolian grill part was crazy because I got a very small amount of food with shrimp and my husband got a large amount of food with chicken and beef, but when the food was ready both plates had the same Amount because they put all the proteins on my plate for some reason. In regards to the seafood, the only thing I really tried were the shrimp (with heads on-- eek!!) and they were a really weird almost soggy texture. In summary, I will definitely not be going back and I feel like I didn't get a very good value for my money. If you like trying really unusual things, however, this may be the place for you the buffet included chicken feet, tripe, and snails.
(2)Michael S.
Came on Mother's Day which was a mistake... Very busy and lots of craziness. Really, really good buffet though... Dim sum, the flaptop grill, awesome seafood, fresh soymilk, cotton candy, etc... This place has so much good stuff that other places just doesn't have. Prices are decent as well. What made this experience enjoyable was mostly our server who busted her butt serving the mass of people. Could of been a turnoff from trying this place again, but actually looking forward to coming back sometime in the future!
(4)Luckee L.
I visited this buffet on a Wed., not long after it starting serving dinner. At that time the lines were not very long. It is very clean, and there are many choices. I did try the lobster and crab legs, which I thought were ok. I know that they steam them, but I just thought they seemed watery and not sweet at all. There is a beautiful section of sushi, and I liked the many choices of shellfish. The clams and mussels were very good. I did think it was rather expensive for a Chinese Buffet.
(3)Yu H.
I don't know why people like to rag on buffets. You should know this isn't Vegas. When you go to a buffet you should expect to get a good selection of food of varying quality. DONT expect that your favorite kung pao chicken is going to be cooked the way you like it at your favorite chinese restaurant where they make it to order just for you. That's not what you pay for when you go to a buffet. You pay for variety and quantity. You're gonna stuff your gullet with 20+ different things and should be happy for the opportunity. In terms of variety this place is the best so far. I've never seen so many choices in one place, Every time I go I can only fit in a little more than half the choices. There are things here you just can't find in the suburbs like razor clams, whelk, crawfish, frogs legs and ABALONE!! Abalone is super hard to find and costs like 80 bucks a plate at a sit in chinese restaurant or you can come here and eat piles of it for a measly 25! As for the quality, there are hits and misses I would say 95% of the things are made well. Some plates get a little stale after a while but most thing's stay fresh due to the volume. They also have a chocolate fountain and a cotton candy machine which I found to be a very nice touch. I didn't go on a lobster night because I think lobster is over rated but if thats your thing, you can go and gorge yourself on whole lobsters and crabs for cheap. If variety is the spice of life than coming here would make your life a whole hell of a lot spicier. In terms of quality, choice, and price. This place exceeds all expectations. I cannot fault it at all. Don't come here expecting to find everything made perfectly the way you want it, come expecting to try a lot of different foods all made pretty well. This isn't a sit in restaurant, its a buffet and its damn good.
(5)Dalton D.
Oysters are pretty fresh and taste good. Sashimi is cut so thick and not a very good condition... Sushi is ok not so tasteful
(4)Khris L.
I've tried this place twice and both times were good. The first time was for dinner, and I stuffed my face with all the yummy foods. The second time was for lunch and left super full and satisfied. Food is good, service is decent, and the prices are reasonable.
(4)Angela L.
This place is fantastic for me!
(5)Tom K.
It's all you can eat lobster, but expect to wait literally an hour to get it in line. They only have 1 person handing it out so it is almost pointless
(1)Nicholas P.
I took my family twice. It was ok. It's over priced for the quality. The hibachi grill is lacking quality meats, the sushi was under par and the rest was just ok. It's to crowded and noisy. I don't recommend this place. Is you want hibachi go to a hibachi place. If you want sushi go to a sushi place. This isn't a place where you go for quality food. Only positive was they have uncommonly found Asian food. If you want try new stuff. But again. To $$$ for what your getting.
(2)David E.
I'm sitting here, as I type, waiting for the long line to die down so I can actually get a lobster, on LOBSTER NIGHT. The trouble is they keeping on running out and the line expands until the new pot of lobsters is ready. This is bullsh#t!
(2)Kat A.
For only about $11 for lunch, this place can't be beat. Better than any other Chinese buffet I've been to because they have real Chinese food and not just the Americanized stuff. They have a decent sushi selection...not the best but what can you expect at a $11 buffet? I've never tried their Mongolian stir fry, but it always looks good when my friends get it. They have dim sum selections, a good selection of meats, seafood, vegetables, and desserts. Hidden behind the desserts is a cotton candy machine. So if you have little kids, you should ask one of the employees behind the counter to make some cotton candy for you.
(4)Insun M.
I went for lunch ($12.99) during their grand opening week. Maybe thats why I was disappointed. Pros: - Dim sum! - Bite size sushi - Clean Cons: - Almost everything they had was running out or completely out - All the food labels were incorrect (bbq beef sign was above the steamed fish) - No ice cream - Hostess was so excited to clearly state that they use high quality ingredients....this is a buffet...yea right. Don't lie to customers. The food that was actually there was pretty good. They just really need to get on top of refilling the platters. NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
(3)Winnie Z.
The best buffet Ever !! Soo many choice the Mongolian is veryyyy good
(5)Anne W.
Simply put.. this place values quantity over quality. Yes.. if you are looking for seafood.. this place does have it. You can choose between raw and cooked: crab legs, oysters, clams, abalone, shrimp, and/or crawfish. You can also choose dimsum, veggies, Mongolian bbq, sushi, soups, cotton candy, and/or ice cream (exotic Asian flavors like taro)... BUT it should be noted that none of the food actually tastes that good. The place does look nice.. and the service (to clear your plates) is pretty good... But when I go to a restaurant... I go because I want to eat food that tastes good and get my money's worth. So yes, I got my money's worth with all the seafood I downed.. but the food is really meh. Even steamed oysters with black bean sauce was not that good. I was sad. I would be hesitant to go again.. from reading the reviews, seems like there are many places that are similar to this.
(2)Joiera C.
Great value and good food Always come here when I'm back in Chicago have so much variety chinese, vietnamese, japanese, name it they have it. They even have cotton candy for kids, fresh fruit etc. Its' like eating buffet in Vegas, in Chicago.
(4)Yang Y.
Royal provides plenty of food. But how much can you eat, even it's a buffet? It's creating the image that the price is reasonable. And food is just ok. Just try some other cheaper buffet, where you can also fill your stomach to its 150% capacity.
(3)Philip T.
Lots of selection with a variety of seafood. You really have to pace yourself if you want to try everything. They even had a cotton candy machine!
(5)Dariush K.
You get what you pay for.... The seafood wasn't very appetizing, everything seemed O.K. Nothing was great and nothing would drive me to come back to this place either, the sushi was surprisingly decent, but how hard is it to mess up a maki roll? My wife and I stayed for about 25 minutes before cutting our losses and leaving.
(2)Ji K.
Honestly, I feel very torn as I write this review. My husband and I came here for the sole reason to stuff our faces with crab legs, but we were also extremely excited about the large variety of food we heard would be available. Upon arrival, we immediately acquired two large and tall plates of crab legs. We were pleasantly surprised by the size and quality of them-- each leg had so much sweet, succulent meat that we were nearly full by the end of it. These definitely satisfied our craving. We went on to try the other dishes but were disappointed by one after the other. Sad sushi, sad dim sum, sad meat and ribs, sad fried squid, sad desserts. Most dishes were either strongly covered with strange or synthetic-tasting flavors or bland with lack of any seasoning. Honestly, our favorite things besides the crab legs were the fried chicken, the fresh lychee, and the coffee ice cream. That's just four things (total) out of nearly 100 different things. So, to sum it all up . . . if you come with the intention of maxing out on crab legs, the $22 dollar cost per person is very well worth it. If you come to eat everything else, I would suggest going to a different buffet with better tasting food. My husband and I will probably come back again, but only when we get an all-you-can-eat crab leg craving. For that reason alone, it really is a great deal. It's just sad that everything else doesn't live up to the look and hype of the place.
(3)Brock L.
I feel like the quality of this place has dropped significantly. Or Perhaps the joy I derive from eating here diminishes each time. All I know is I use to love coming here, but on my last 3 visits, its only been okay at best.
(3)Tony A.
Excellent! Excellent!!! For Everyone!!!!
(5)Sam G.
This was the best place to eat for a buffet. They have everything & I mean everything...you'll get your moneys worth here.
(5)Edwin M.
Probably the best Chinese buffet I have been to in my life. They have every seafood a human can eat. A lot of sushi selection. The place is nice and services is great.
(5)Boris S.
I was their with friends and family. We got reservation, but when we come in time of reservation people stay everywhere and waiting so long, about 1 hour, after that we got separate tables. Food was good but lines to have food soo big. I am will not going to this place next time
(3)April P.
Gross doesn't even begin to describe the food here. When we first came in the month that it opened, the food was fresh, the quality was superb, and the staff were very hospitable. I guess that's the case when new businesses need to lay their foundation. But newflash, Royal Buffet...your competitor Todai closed. I'm sure that your opening did come into play for their diminished business, but let that be news to you that the same could happen to you. Me and the BF were doing some power shopping and worked up an appetite. We came here in their final hour, (not final 10 minutes) and everything was picked over and nothing replenished. So I walked over to the sushi area and saw one of the sous chefs standing around. He wasn't even in a chef uniform any longer, and was about to the step in the back. From the looks of things, he seemed to be washing something. He asked if I needed something, and I stated some nigiri would be great. So he saunters over to the fridge WITHOUT WASHING HIS HANDS, and bare handedly picks up some raw salmon and starts slicing it. I was mortified. I ran to my table so fast and reported this to the BF and said "I'm DONE!" Total eating time...20 minutes So we went up to pay, and I spoke to the manager who had SAT US DOWN just 20 minutes prior to. I told her of their need to sanitize and educate their staff before someone goes home with food poisoning and comes back with a law suit. She apologized profusely, and wouldn't ya know it, knocks 20% off our bill. Wow, a whole 20%. What a great gesture for her saving us from getting sick... (sarcasm, folks). I'd normally argue this, but I'm more content in knowing that readers will see what a rip off this place is and how a visit from the Health Department is long overdue. Sadly, restaurants at this poor quality give small mom and pop restaurants a bad name, especially with consumers who new to Japanese cuisine, and are already weary of raw seafood.
(1)D G.
killer buffet!!! Go on your bday and the staff will sing to you while striking a gong. Can't beat it
(5)Frank C.
Went there on Wednesday...I love the place. They had lobsters...but the crab legs taste better. The lobster was not exceptional at all. The line though is too long just to get the crab legs and lobster. Saw two people fighting over the line. Not good :( Our waitress was sooo nice. She's friendly to kids too. The place is clean, including the restroom.
(4)Kevin C.
I do not understand the people complaining about this restaurant.I went here with on a saturday night with my parents. With a little background we have been looking for a good seafood buffet for a very long time and Royal Buffet provided that for us. The fountains and painting at the entrance was spectacular. The variety of food for the price was amazing. The seafood was exceptionally fresh except the squid in the mongolian food section. The salt and pepper frog legs were mediocre but that was to be expected. There were at least five different types of clams throughout our visit and we were just as astonished with each one. The sushi was acceptable as this was a CHINESE buffet place. The hot and sour soup was terrible but that again was to be expected as we have incredibly high standards for the particular soup. But with those standards, the seafood soup was surprisingly astonishing. Overall the visit went very well as we had very low expectations and came out very satisfied. Did not get try the ice cream as the line for it was curiously long.
(4)Mimi K.
Being from the east coast, we have not been able to find good eateries around this area. We liked the Royal Buffet in Downers Grove, so when we heard they were opening in Hoffman Estates, we were excited. There is a nice banquet room that you can use for events, and we went in before they even opened to book a party. They have a screen if you want to do a slide show, or have karaoke and I think you can fit upto 150 comfortably. I'm sure they can and do squeeze more in there. The deco is nice enough for a wedding reception. For us, they brought out our own trays of appetizers so that guests did not have to leave the room as soon as they arrived. They also have a smaller party room where you could do a smaller(50 people, I think they said) party, or office function. The room is long and narrow so there's not much room to move around or mingle. We also went when it first opened and have been going back every so often, as often as once a month sometimes. Taste has gotten better since opening. The manager was also good about following couple tips we gave them about couple foods and we were glad that they heard us out. GRILL - they're learning. I'll give them another year or so. Food just doesn't get cooked evenly. I don't put garlic in anymore since it never gets cooked right. (This is where we really miss the east coast.) SUSHI - you're not gonna get very fresh when you're this far inland, so keep that in mind. But for those who were used to Todai, there could be more variety. Royal does have variety, but the ingredients are all same. I just wish that they could be more considerate in the way they serve their food. When they bring new food out and mix in the old food, they handle it with a serving spoon from another food, often mixing the food. Also if you're there when they are busy, it's fine that old food is mixed in with the new, but if they're not so busy, watch out. How long has it been sitting there? Even when they serve ice cream, (it's not self serve), they don't rinse the scooper so you get whatever flavor is on there with the flavor you request. We usually go for lunch these days since it's cheaper. The food is about the same, minus the seafood like lobster. They also have takeout...
(4)Josh M.
Not that this place is horrible but there are certainly better buffets. The whole spread is very seafood and fish centric. While there is a very good variety it seems to be on the more authentic side. So if your the General Tso's and fried rice type you will find it here but not the same sauce change the protein like many of the buffets. The sushi was decent but once again nothing special. They also had a mongolian bbq flat top but I didn't try it. The fish was a little strong smelling but that is nothing new considering it is a buffet. I would try some of the other places before you stop here.
(2)linda j.
This place is not for people looking for high grade food. The food is mediocre at the best. Everyone are at a fever pitch acting like the place will run out of food! They pile crab legs high, and blue crab like they have not eaten for weeks. The a/c was not working, but no one seemed to care. People were crazy for this place. The cost was almost $100. For 3 of us for a buffet. NOT worth it! Pass.
(1)Renee B.
My daughter and I had lunch there yesterday as a recommendation from her friend. They do have a vast selection of foods from Sushi (mainly maki rolls), Mongolian Stir Fry, Dim Sum, and a lot more. The place was generally clean. Since it's a buffet some of the items were over cooked - the salt and pepper calamari was rubbery, desserts were bland, but generally the rest of the items I sampled were tasty. It was decent food for a reasonable price.
(3)Brad E.
This is unlike any buffet I have every been to. I have never been to a super buffet in Vegas, but I would imagine that this place would give Vegas a run for its money. You walk in and there is Mongolian BBQ, where you select your ingredients, and sauce and the chef stir fries it for you. They have every protein you could think of, shrimp, scallops, chicken, beef, etc. You walk a few more steps and you hit the sushi bar. There are literally 8 sushi chefs making rolls, non-stop. There were literally 30 sushi rolls, as well as, tako su, seaweed salad, traditional sushi and extra roe. The simple fresh salmon sushi was really good and it tasted very fresh. Take a couple of more steps and you hit the dim sum line, where there are at least 20 dim sum stations. The dim sum dishes keep warm in bamboo steamer trays. Take a couple more steps and you hit the Chinese section, with standards, like sesame chicken, lo mein, as well as, about 20 more Chinese dishes. I enjoyed the sushi, scallop pancakes, siaomai (filled with mung bean paste), sesame balls, centurion eggs, red bead ice cream, and saging (caramelized bananas). If you took one teaspoon of each dish, you could not finish it all. The dining room is huge and the food just keeps coming and coming and I absolutely loved every dish that I tried. The only thing, is that it is really too much food and many people leave feeling sick, I know I did. Pace yourself, people, and admit defeat when you walk through the door. The food will win...All that delicious, delicious food! How was the price? Really expensive! Expensive and overpriced are two very different things and I think that this place was definitely NOT overpriced. If you have a birthday, they will play the gong for you and bring out a little cake. The gong is very special.
(5)Monica O.
Well the stars explain it !
(5)Bridget M.
Womp womp. What a disappointment! There IS a huge selection, but nothing really stood out. I was so excited to see sushi and all the salt n pepper dishes and alas, nothing was good?!!?!? I will have to try the grill station next time - ya know, if there's a next time. I just can't justify spending that much for luke warm food, tasteless ice cream, and lackluster everything.
(2)Eric Y.
This place is pretty ridiculous. It's the largest buffet I've seen outside of Las Vegas and it's all seafood and Asian (mostly Chinese) food. We went on a Friday night when they have crab legs and lobster. The lines are pretty long and the lobster line is especially long but it moves pretty quickly. When you get to the lobster, you just hold out your plate and they dump a whole boiled lobster on your plate. On the night we went, I saw lobsters that were around 1 lb. to ones that must have been at least twice that. It's insane. Plus, there are all you can eat crab legs that are pretty tasty. You have to eat these crustaceans by hand without any tools - native style! That means ripping the animals apart and cracking shells with your teeth. The only sauce that comes with them is melted butter so if you want something else you'll have to be creative (i.e. go to the Mongolian BBQ section where there are a lot of different sauces) or bring your own. The lobster I got was probably a 2 lb. behemoth and was good but wow ... it was a lot of lobster. There's an incredible selection of other seafood, raw and cooked, some of which was good but most was just meh. The sushi/sashimi looked dubious and tasted the same. Steamed clams, mussels, conch, oysters, shirmp and fish were all uniformly bland. The "abalone" was probably an impostor. Deep fried items were better - the chicken wings and frog legs were tasty. Dim sum items were also uniformly mediocre except for the chive cake, a chewy circular flat bun containing delicious bits of chives - yum. There were a few really disgusting items - baked cheese scallops and shrimp - WTF is in there? Some of the hard core Chinese stuff wasn't bad - the pigs knuckles and chicken feet, for example. The vegetable selection was ... ok, who cares. I saw some veggies. The dessert section is ok if you like ice cream. Everything else is pretty lackluster but who has room for this if you've eaten 5 lbs of lobster and crab legs? The place is huge and the crowd is ... enthusiastic. A fight almost broke out in the lobster line because of accusations of line-cutting. Really???
(3)David L.
My visit to Royal Buffet was a bit disappointing. I expected more from the sashimi area but they were thinly sliced and in small portions. The meat/steak was dry and overcooked. I will recommend the Mongolian self-serving grill; great choices of vegetable, meat/seafood, and sauce. Adult price of $21 is a reasonable price but for children $1.75 X their age is ridiculous. I have a 10 year old that doesn't eat that much, and I have to pay 17.50? C'mon. Make no whatsoever sense.
(2)Jin Joo L.
It looked like a great place to go for big parties or receptions even. Not sure if you have to reserve for teppanyaki tables or if they take reservations at all. The entry way was very visually appealing and nice but they really could have used the space better, maybe with more seating for people waiting or more dining tables? There are about what looked like four or five dining rooms including bar seating near the teppan tables. The different types of food are broken down into different sections.. There's Mongolian Stir-fry, where you can put all the ingredients you like and get it stir-fried, just like at Stir Crazy or Big Bowl. There is sushi, including sashimi, nigiri, rolls, I actually loved the fact they even offered bluefin tuna sashimi!!!! It wasn't bad at all. Note soy sauce is at the table. There's a section with a bunch of stuff that looked like it was for the teppan grills. Not too sure. There was a Chinese dim sum section with lots of buns, and those yummy rice and pork things rolled in leaves, even had great congee and soups. There was a mixed section of meats like terriyaki chicken, beef and broccoli, kalbi, salmon terriyaki, beef terriyaki, etc... etc.. etc... The seafood section had crablegs for Saturday LUNCH! Lots of fresh and cooked shrimps, fish, and I forget. There's a miscellaneous section with more appetizer-like foods such as Chinese broccoli, fried green beans, mushrooms and beef, bbq pork ribs, fried chicken, and some other things I don't remember. There is fried rice, different noodles, I don't recall seeing white rice for some reason, probably because I don't eat it. Desserts... wow they have COTTON CANDY! YUMMY Ice Cream!!! (Vanilla, GT, Red Bean, Moose Tracts, and a couple more flavors). Some assortment of small cakes, banana cream pie, tapioca pudding is also available. It is a bit pricey so it's a great place for splurges or occasional or celebrating events but probably too rich (price and food-wise) for weekly dining.
(4)Jenny L.
Just got back from there like half hour ago (its a 2 hr drive) and I gotta say, the drive wasn't all that worth it, family only went there cuz my mom found this in the Chicago Chinese news paper, she told us we should go and try it out, I admit the look in the paper was delicious looking and that the entry level was decent, I mean $22 for an all you can eat SEAFOOD buffet? Yeah. Appearance: I walk in and it looks like a high class Casino restaurant, (minus those little kids that run around and ruining ppls photos...) my family and I were seated immediately upon walk-in, we were seated at a table and through observing, all servers were wearing clean pressed uniforms (even a name tag!). Every table around us were seated and piled high with finished plates, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I went to the wash room to wash my hands and as I walked in I noticed the picture in front was a ..prostitute? Well at least in the women's wash room there was.. FOOD Create your own stir-fry - this looks almost like my own restaurant, they probably got it from us...as do many other 'mongolian' places. Ahem, well I went to see and oh hahah..that area was empty, Sushi - Completely ransacked! Hard to find a decent quality looking piece to choose from, they were not only tiny but they were the ones to be emptied out quickly. I tasted a few, they were about ok quality, not too good and not bad either, there wasn't much rice, the fish was bland-ish, rolls are ok, raw oyster was good - it went down my throat easily after a dunk in my wasabi soy sauce combo, other than that I didn't really get much since there were many empty sections. Honestly, I think Todai was a little bit better in taste. Chinese food - its a chinese run restaurant so chinese food would be the main point of this stuff, and it was GOOD! Pigs knuckles , frog legs are so-so tasted like chicken..pure white meat chicken, Walnut shrimp was delicious , the Jasmine rice was delicious , lo mein was good, dim dum was ok, I only liked the coconut dumpling - not able to translate to English, but it was a dumpling that looks yellow filled with custard and with coconut shavings on outside - yummy, the American-Chinese food are substandard - not all that good (crab Rangoon was crap). Soup - looks pretty popular every time I walked past but I didn't really like what I saw seeing as I'm not a soup person... Desserts - Standard, but cotton candy wasn't, that blew me away, my brother certainly enjoyed that part. I although do loved the Green tea Ice Cream, its not made like others that are just overly sweet, this is just absolutely fine. Like very fine, green tea and ice cream mixed isnt all that sweet which I loved and there was a strong green tea flavor (). OVERALL - Royal Buffet even though you are recently opened i applaud the fact that you are able to handle a 600 capacity dining banquet area. I cannot blame you guys for being stingy with the sashimi and sushi because they are pricey by itself and I know a lot of people eat a lot of that stuff. I can't really say that anything really stood out that I liked in particular (dessert don't count), so thats all I can say. Um....really I cannot understand the hords of people that come here..is it the word 'ROYAL' that caught the attention? ROYAL means rich right, so it must be great quality. I mean yeah I'm asian too, and I know we all search for awesome asian buffet to be repeat customers for but I'm not coming back, and its easy since I'm from Wisconsin anyway. But I'll still recommend you guys to some people that I know of : open-minded, enjoys new tastes, and can afford it. Appearance 5/5 Food 3.5/5 Chance of visit 3/5 Overall 4/5
(3)April M.
Most of the reviews seem to be from opening weekend, which I know they were slammed with people and probably lacking staff. Even though there was a big "NOW HIRING" sign on the front door I didn't see any of the service issues people have mentioned. Our waitress was very good with refills and anything we requested today. The food was good, yes like others commented some things did run out sadly yet we got there at 5:30pm on a Sunday. Although once things did run out I could see the kitchen scrambling to replenish the supply. Sushi was good, not outstanding yet it was good for buffet sushi. I was happy to see a good supply of wasabi and other hot sauces! I tried a lot of things I've never tried before so that was good. Crab rangoon was a bit too sweet for my tastes sadly since I usually love it at other places. Yet overall everything was tasty and I didn't find anything in particular to complain about. Sadly I didn't have enough room to try the grill, maybe next time! This place is priced lower than Todai's dinner so I'd say for dinner come here instead. Just be sure to arrive pre dinner rush, as we were walking out around 6:30-7pm there were 30 people waiting to be seated. When we arrived we only had a few minute wait. Also I enjoyed this buffet way better than Todai, so I'll be back for sure.
(4)Arlene G.
came here again with more family and it was DELICIOUS! i dont know how people dont like this place cuz its such a great variety of asian foods thats really tasty! the price may seem a lot but its really not for all the seafood u get. i wont even go 2 any other buffets besides this one!
(5)Martin P.
We came for an early Father's Day meal last week. When I was checking out the reviews on Yelp, I saw a lot of seafood and I became concerned. Royal was a choice of my mom and her friend, and my dad and I aren't big seafood eaters. I also saw the price was higher than that of other buffets. Well, I came away satisfied. There was a ton of seafood for the folks who wanted it, but there was also plenty of vegetables, beef, chicken, and assorted sides. There is sushi, a stir fry station, different noodle dishes, and soups. There is something like four aisles of buffet counters. Just take your time and check out all the different pans, and find something you like. For dessert, they have fresh fruit (including kiwi and lychee), ice cream, cakes, and cotton candy. The service was courteous and attentive. The restaurant is a large space, with tables near the food plus some more tables in rooms off to the side. I also saw some tables with a flat top grill where it looks like they might be able to cook meals right at your table. I also spotted a bar off to the side. Most of the food I had was tasty and I left with a full belly. For four people, the bill came out to just over $100. I'd say it was worthwhile. There was a large variety of foods and it tasted good.
(4)Shakeel K.
Just returning from lunch with a big group. Since this place gets busy you can count on the food not sitting out for too long. Also they were making earnest attempts in replacing food as the trays emptied out. The ambiance far exceeded that of a typical asian buffet. I hope they can maintain the great experience we all had today.
(5)Megan O.
This review is for the BUFFET, not the HIBACHI. Eh, I was debating on giving my review of this place. I mean, it's a B-U-F-F-E-T. People who come here should not be surprised by the amount of food and how quickly and non-healthy conscious it is over there. I've been here twice already and it's the same thing.The food is your typical Chinese buffet nothing that stands out, but nothing TOO terrible (at least from what I got). Most entrees have names on it, MOST. The fried rice is nice because it isn't the soy-sauce-drenched rice and has egg shreds and peas. A little salt on it and that could be the only entree I eat from there (wow and I spent at least $20 to eat there). The service is on point, really friendly, and quick to get tables turned fast. The place is pretty nice, it's HUGE inside.
(3)Ron C.
For the price, and variety/quantity of food, the Bomb!
(5)Mariam K.
Buffets are definitely not my thing. I feel like they always just have a bunch of average stuff... I'd rather get one good quality thing as opposed to a bunch of average/below average things. Royal had a huge variety of food... but the quality just wasn't there, there was nothing there that stuck out from the rest and there was nothing good enough for seconds. I guess for the price it's worth it (I remember it being cheap). There were people all over the place, people just cutting everyone in line and pushing and shoving... not organized at all. A couple of the people I went with loved it, maybe If I loved all kinds of seafood and authentic asian food, my rating would've been different. I personally would never go back.
(2)Dex Y.
Don't understand why an Asian buffet needs that kind of fancy decor. Half of the dishes bad; half of them just OK. Sushi section was definitely not impressive at all. Seafood section had several options, but their taste.. meh Price-wise, you get around $30 total (including tax & beverages). Acceptable but not competitive, either. Wait time was about 10 min - good for a Saturday night when this place was packed. Waiters/waitresses were generally attentive. If you're spoiled by the food in the city of Chicago already, you'd get disappointed.
(3)Ed D.
Good food but way too busy for me. This is the biggest buffet I have been to outside of Las Vegas but the food area was too small for the amount of people. They had a wide variety of food and most of it was tasty including the sushi and made to order wok but people were rude cutting in front of you to get food but I blame the owners for not having enough stations to properly satisfy the customers without long wait times. The price at around $23 dinner was good for the amount of food that was available and the decor was very nice for a buffet. Overall good but I probably won't be in any rush to go back...it was just too much of a madhouse for the family.
(3)Andy C.
Went there for lunch. Price decent $11.00/person. The Goods - Big variety of sushi rolls and other dishes. Sushi rolls were fresh. Big building, a lot of seats. The Bads - We were told that they did not give refills on drinks (Diet Pepsis) at the beginning of lunch. Then were told that they give free refills by the time we were almost finished. Ask two different waitstaff and get two different answers. What the h-e-l-l?! If you want some sashimi/nigiri, you have to get there when the doors open. We told the receptionist one senior and one regular adult. Got the bill at the end and was charged for two regulars. Same thing in all buffets... people cutting in front of you and being impolite. I think they use quite a bit of MSG in their foods because on the way home, I was really thirsty and had to buy bottled water at a gas station. First and the last time going there.
(3)Cindi H.
First impression of the place help set the tone for the rest of my experience there: I was impressed! From the huge floor-to-ceiling glass doors, to the huge fountain in the waiting area/foyer, to the huge restaurant, to the food, I loved it! There's quite a selection on the sushi which is different for a buffet. Usually, you would get very generic combinations. But I was pleasantly surprised to see combos like asparagus and cream cheese with the sushi with a fried outer edge and dragon roll. I was really pleased to see raw oysters AND clams.. I had never tried raw clams before.. and it turns out a love them more than raw oysters! The best part was of course, I could eat however many of them that I wanted!!! The variety of hot food is surprising too.. I saw a lot of childhood delicacies like beef stomach, chicken feet, pig feet and the like there.. (although to be fair, as a child, I didn't know that what I was eating were such grotesque parts of an animal! lol) The crab legs there are very meaty and fresh, there are a variety of soups to choose from (all very good, except that the miso soup doesn't have seaweed in it =\) For dessert, there's an assortment of fruit, cakes (not together thank goodness haha), cotton candy, and a chocolate fountain! (the latter two I did not get to try since we came a little before an hour before closing so by the time we got to dessert it was nearly closing time) But to make up for us coming in at a time like that, the restaurant gave us 10% off our visit.. which I thought was definitely not necessary but very kind of them! I cannot wait until the next time I get to partake in this amazing feast! Next time, I will try their Mai Tai and let you know how it was! (As it seems that any Asian restaurant I've been to cannot make a decent cocktail except for pina colada... but then again, anyone with the mix, rum, and a blender can make that themselves, right?) Anyway, it's only $20 for dinner, I think it's an amazing deal for everything that they offer!!
(5)Megan M.
i hate hate HATE buffets. it just doesn't seem possible for the average person to be able to eat $20+ worth of mass-produced food. fill me up on the dollar menu, and i'm good to go. y'know? anywho, for those who dig the buffet scene, i'd say this is probably one of the better options. beautiful place, solid service, huge variety - dim sum, sushi, stiry fry, typical general tso's, mongolian beef, salt & pepper ____, etc, and of course the potato wedges. only one of the many dim sum options stood out to me - some shrimp and chive thing. delish. sushi was lackluster, obviously all of the deep fried rolls were awesome, but those dont count. sushi guys should be sweating back there with all the work they're doing. even so, it's tough for them to keep up with the masses of people that swarm by and clear every single serving plate. must be because the joint can fit like 350+ people. variety of desserts, including leche flan, store bought cream puffs, green tea ice cream, and cotton candy...? way to make yourself stand out, royal buffet! still not my favorite place, but when the family wants a buffet, i'd definitely prefer royal over any other. ps, the spoons are heavy and will tip over soup bowls. careful.
(3)Delilia H.
Best Buffet ever! So many choices sometime you don't know where to start!
(5)Phil S.
It's a buffet. You shouldn't really expect really good food from a buffet. With that in mind I went here for lunch and was impressed by the sheer size of the place. Meal price reflects the overly fancy front entrance area and square footage of the place. The food tasted on average for an Asian style buffet and variety is the name of their game. Everything from your typical Chinese fare to sushi/sashimi and Mongolian grill. Even their ice cream selection is large. Lots of food and clean environment. I'm not a big fan of buffets so I probably won't return unless someone insists on paying the tab. It's nice to have this type of place close to home so I hope they do well enough to support the ridiculous tax bill they're going to have to pay to the man.
(3)Sharon P.
Between my boyfriend and I, we tried a little of everything, and nothing really was that great. I'm a huge sushi fan, and was very excited to be able to try several different pieces the staff prepared, but was very unsatisfied with each one. Plus, I felt more like I was eating at a mall cafeteria then a restaurant, felt very crowded and close to other customers.
(2)Daniel W.
Wow! This place is too authentic for my tastes. Pig ears and chicken feet along with bits and pieces of aquatic creatures I couldn't identify. I'm thinking I should have left without eating... No way am I ever eating there again.
(1)Judy T.
Great variety! Flavor was good, not great! Some dishes were too salty. But, will def return because I am from Milwaukee and we don't have a huge variety! Price is right! Just disappointed because I waited an hour for duck and never got any! Over all, great variety! Def be back!
(4)Sandra Y.
I'm not a fan of asian buffets. They usually aren't that great, but I went to Royal Buffet last night with my family, maybe 15 people? This was my first time going even though I live 5 minutes away from it. We were seated in the hibachi area since they didn't have any tables to seat us. Quality of food was average. Some things good, some things not-so-good. Some things salty, some things not enough salt. The seafood didn't seem so fresh to me. Other people at my table agreed. I actually waited in the longgg line and got the lobster. Aside from thinking that they should hand out the lobster in a less busy/crowded spot, it was a huge disappointment. It was not fresh and way too salty. Things I liked: Our waiter was nice. Pretty spacious in the seating areas. Raw clams were good. I didn't even know you could eat that raw. I really liked the frog legs. Water was refilled really fast. I was surprised they had razor clams there (my favorite!), although the flavor was eh. The fried shrimp on a skewer was good also. I heard the kalbi was good. There is a huge selection of food from sushi to whole crabs to dim sum to make your own stir fry to soups to dessert. You will leave very full. Things I didn't like: I didn't bother trying the sushi, it just didn't look appetizing. I saw the sashimi, very small pieces. Again, I didn't bother. Everything seemed like it was previously frozen. Even the raw oysters were half frozen. Lobster was a disappointment. Some items were cold, when they should have been hot. Dim sum was flavorless. Over all I thought it was a nice experience. I had a good time with good company. Plus, it's such a popular place that you're bound to see people you know. I sure did :) If you go, try the cotton candy. I wasn't going to try it, but I finally gave in & was pleasantly surprised :)
(3)Annie R.
This buffet has nicer decor and has larger, more comfortable, seating areas than most other Asian buffets in the Chicagoland area. The food choices are aplenty, and although nothing superior, it all tastes okay. There is a large variety and availability of Seafood options, but crazy long lines (I was here on a Sunday night). Overall, I do find this buffet a good value for the quantity of choices and quality of food.
(3)Lauren R.
There was barely any food left when I got there. Also nothing is labeled, I had no idea what I was putting on my plate. The servers were attentive and took my plates quick. Also the red bean ice cream was a hit so ask for that as they don't have on the menu. Just wasn't immpressed, I think they got to work out some quirks for sure.
(2)Livia T.
I made the mistake of going into the ladies room first to wash my hands and OMG it smelled sooooooo BAD! I couldn't make out what the smell was. it like a combination of air freshener, stinky baby diapers filled w poop n old trash. The weird part was the restroom was super clean. Anyways, onto the food. They have a good selection of food but its made it small portions and there's a long line so my advice is forget the line. Go straight to what you want, the wait is shorter. Overall I won't go back to this place just happen to drive by.
(3)Clint M.
Great quality food for an Asian buffet. The following statement is dependent on allergies, but, I can guarantee you that you will not need a diaper for the car ride home.
(4)Rush L.
I went on the day when they served lobster. And you gotta wait in line for that. Many people want more than one lobster, leaving others waiting in line longer. I sorta blame them but sorta don't. Some of the dim sum are good for a buffet. Pork dumpling isn't good but buffet wise, it's decent. They have the mini shrimp dumplings, it was good but it gets hard fast since not many people go for it. Chicken feet is good and the shrimp Rice noodle rolls (cheung fan) is great, that goes quickly . Overall, the buffet is good and big. I didn't like how pop isn't included and you pay later which I hate for a buffet. I didn't eat much of the other stuff due to the dim sum, lobster, and crab legs. I'd come here again though.
(3)NomNomNom H.
So many different choices! I can't decide what to eat first. I had heard so much great things about this place and I was not disappointed. We got there around 5 o'clock and there were only a few early birds there. The line for the fried lobster and crabs were short and moved fast. I think this was the hightlight of the meal. What surprised me the most was that this wasn't no wimpy lobster/crabs. They were like HUGE! and the sauce that it was cooked in was delish. I tried a bit of everything and everything was great. Some of the less popular items were a bit cold, but I guess that is expected if you have to complete with giant lobsters and crabs. I thought the dim sum and sushi items were varied and unusual with items like beef stomache and chicken feet. You rarely find such items at buffets. The desserts were delightful as well with the red bean ice cream being my favorite. One complaint that I have is the placement of the plates. Why is it so close to the ground? When it's really busy, the plates were low and I didn't think it was such a great idea to have it at feet level with everyone walking around and kicking up dust and such. I would definitely go back again but take my parents. They would go crazy.
(4)Rick R.
Pretty decent food but it's just way too much gluttony for my taste. Certainly much better than the Todai buffet nearby.
(3)Cookie k.
LOVE THIS PLACE! heard about this place thru family. my family LOVES seafood so they are always on a search for a better place than that recent ones they go to. the first time i went here, it was New Years Day and it was so busy and crowded with people. we got seated in 15 mins at a bar. not the greatest of seats but it was okay. our waiter sat us down and we never saw her face again until we had to pay. instead the guy behind the bar helped us, he said she was VERY BUSY. went there the second time a week later we got seated at a booth. it was such a more pleasant experience. our waiter checked up on us frequently and was very nice. the food was still EXCELLENT. i still havent had a chance to eat everything either. why only 4 stars?! THEY NEED MORE CHOICES OF DESSERTS!!!! ill be back tho!
(4)Irene Z.
First visit over Thanksgiving weekend (cuz we were already tired of turkey leftovers). There were 8 of us in our party and we were excited to try it since we've been to the one in Woodridge a few times. Plus, we'd seen the "Buffet...coming soon" sign occupying the windows of what used to be the Harlem Furniture space here for the past year, and we couldn't wait to see what kind of buffet would pop up here. We came for lunch on Sunday and the place was definitely busy, but our waitstaff was excellent. Plates were cleared off and drinks refilled quickly. We had 4 kids (under the age of 8) with us, and they were great about refilling the kids' milk and juice (and not charging us when one of them wanted milk after she finished her juice). The cotton candy was, of course, a major hit with them. Selection of food is the usual fare you would get at the typical Asian buffet. We came for a late lunch and everything that I tried was fresh and tasty. I agree it's a little pricey here. We are regulars at Crazy II Buffet in Elk Grove and will probably continue to go there cuz it's a little cheaper for the same kind of food, but we'll still probably come back to Royal Buffet every so often. Oh, and we were in a room toward the back next to a semi-private party. It was also the same room as the unisex restroom (there are the larger restrooms in the front of the restaurant...and then this one random unisex bathroom in the back). I thought it was funny - this one random bathroom, but it ended up being pretty handy, especially with 8 kids on our party. I would probably ask to sit in that room again the next time we're there with the kids!
(3)Mary M.
This is one of the best Asian Buffet ever! Worth the $22 for dinner. Way better than Todai Buffet which already closed down. I don't see why there are so many negative complains about the food being cold, food doesn't taste good. I mean that is such a lie.. I went there on Friday for dinner. Man before they open, there's already a HUGE line wait to be seated! Foods always hot and never empty. && best they served ABALONE!! You will NEVER find another buffet that served abalone except Royal Buffet! Its a pretty expensive seafood and not many of us can afford to eat that. Congee, Soymilk and Sweet Soup at a buffet??!?? I NEVER seen one with that! Blown my mine! Only dislike is there ice cream. Not many to choose from and can't serve for ourselves. WILL DEFIANTLY GO BACK !!! TOP 1 BUFFET ON MY LIST! WORtH DRIVING AN 1 HOUR TO GO EAT THERE!
(5)Love B.
On Mother's Day, there were too many people waiting a long line. There were not enough dry clean dishes but wet ones with food leftovers. The price was increased too.
(3)Real D.
While the food doesn't blow you away, if I have to do the buffet thing, I can come back here. Parking's good. Plentiful and pleasant staff. Clean establishment. My dining companions said it best,"If it's an Asian food mill, so? Let's see how they keep it up." Enjoyed all the mussel dishes and the sushi was not bad. Fish dishes, impressive (whole fried fish...respect). Overall a good experience and judging by the amount of older Asians that bombed the place during lunch, well it would deserve all 5 stars.
(3)June P.
Within the Asian community, there's been a lot of buzz about Royal Buffet coming to Schaumburg. My husband and I waited a few weeks for the craziness to die down and we visited on a Monday night. Our experience was truly lackluster, though they can truly boast about their variety and spacious location. When you first walk in, you'll be impressed with the decor, number of tables, and variety (including stir fry, dim sum, hot food, sushi, dessert). But maybe this is where they were flawed in their decision-making. Someone mentioned that they value quantity over quality, and I would have to agree. There are a few hot food choices, typical Chinese buffet items, that are decent, but the sushi, though there was a vast variety, was a real disappointment. The options were appealing, but because of dry and hard sushi rice (ill-prepared and sitting out) and an overabundance during slow periods, it was lukewarm and unbearable. The dessert options appear to be your standard Costco quality varieties with good ice cream (taro and green tea are tasty) and cotton candy that doesn't really require any skill on their part. For the price and the hype, I was excited to try Royal Buffet, but even after trying it a second time on a busier night, I can say that I won't be there again. If you want a good Asian buffet with sushi, I would say Todai is still your best shot.
(2)Merlyn L.
First time I went to this restaurant, I gave a 3-star. 2nd time ............................................... a 2-star. 3rd time (on May 4) .............................. a 1-star. 1-star because I won't say none of the food taste good although majority are not that good and definitely not worth paying for the price. Sigh.... I am sure that I'm fully convinced not to go there anymore.
(1)Michael C.
The clean environment and luxurious surroundings such as an entrance fountain covers up for the quality of the food. I started off with a crab rangoon and thought to myself either this was frozen entirely too long or I was eating plastic. The raw tuna, salmon and other fish was either too bland or too salty, again making me think how long this stuff was frozen. I attended on a Friday night, so I would think the freshest food would be out. The dessert looked even worse, I felt bad for kids eating the pink Cotton Candy. The staff was nonexistent, I felt like I was in a chow line. So many people were clawing at grabbing food, that the staff constantly fell behind to replenish the raw fish. The salmon sashimi was cut thin. I could go on and on. The cost was $20. I would be embarrassed bringing people there. The best part about paying the money was I get to avoid that place in the near future. If you're in Schaumburg/Hoffman, for an additional $10, you might as well go to the Todai Sushi place at the Woodfield mall. I think Todai prepares food better with better service.
(1)George V.
The food selection was better than the places I've gone to in Dallas and they really put in effort to look good- had to be one of the best decorated buffets I've gone to. The sushi was fantastic and the trays were pretty quickly replenished. Our co-workers suggested the place and we went there for lunch. I'd go back for dinner next time I'm in town.
(5)Chris L.
I'm not a seafood eater, but this place had more than enough variety to keep me happy. Plus: MUCH better than the Royal Buffet @ 75th/Lemont! Good service, food is edible, didn't get sick afterwards, sanitary in most locations, price average for asian buffet Minus: Pepsi products, unsanitary chocolate fountain, flatgrill burned my veggies From the food and dining point of view, not bad at all. There were plenty of hot and good dishes to select from, including sushi, dim sum, and dessert. From the eating experience point of view, there's always people who don't wash their hands, leave the tongs in the food, or cross-contaminate. Combine that with the ones who feel the need to sneeze all over their hands or kids who think everything is for dipping and it's easy to get sick or lose your appetite.
(4)Faisal F.
After a friend raving about this for the longest time my spouse and I decided to try it out last night. We went around 8:45, the place was pretty empty. Most of the buffet was pretty empty especially the sushi bar, however we were able to try the rolls that were still there, horrible! The food had no taste except salt overload! We decided to just stick with crab legs, they were cold and salty! The food was mostly soggy and extremely greasy. The place had a weird Clorox bleach smell, overall horrible experience, food, and service. If want quantity over quality this is a good option!
(1)Pierre D.
If you dislike Chinese buffets with Crab ragoons, sweet sour pork, and more fried items you ought not try Royal, however for everyone else you are going to like it. The selection is wide! They have a Mongolian grille with fresh seafood, poultry, and red meats. A good vegetable selection accompanies this as well as eggs and a standard selection of sauces. Next, Sushi is bite size which I really enjoyed as I could try so much and not feel too terrible if something didn't work out and had to waste it. Everything I had was again fresh and mounds of wasabi and ginger is sitting patiently waiting to accompany the sushi spread. As for the Dim Sum it's again fresh and a great variety. Dim Sum is basically bite sized Chinese dishes. This is rare to find at your greasy deep friend buffet but plentiful at Royal. While the labels are sometimes not the best, with so much variety I think this is just a trade off you have to live with. Most of the stuff you can figure out. They even have sea cucumbers! Lastly dessert, they have an employee scooping a variety of ice creams! Good way to end the experience! I'd also like to note that this place is huge and you don't feel cramped in any way! Not to mention they keep it very clean!
(5)Amy X.
I like this buffet place. They are pretty clean. Nice atmosphere. So this would be the perfect place for a huge gathering or dinner. I went on a weekend, so it was VERY crowded. It was at least an half hour wait. The waiter we had was very nice. Didn't wait too long for our drinks to come. I have been to many buffet restaurants. This is one of the nicer ones. They have a bigger variety of food. Dim sum, sushi, ice cream, cotton candy machine, fresh fruits, and so on. It tends to be over-crowded. So things might be a bit messy sometimes. There might be a line for food sometimes. They close pretty early too. But quality wise, I think it's a fair deal.
(4)Ivan W.
This is really a 3.5 star rating. The buffet was quite amazing. Even with the added hype from my friend and her mom, I was still pretty impressed. Ambience: Good. You're not really eating in some palace, but the decor is simple and clean. Service: Again good. The waitresses here are usually prompt with clearing tables and refilling drinks. Food: Great selection. Not just repeated entrees that typical asian buffets serve (i.e. beef and broccoli, chicken and broccoli, shrimp and chicken in brown sauce ... with broccoli). This one has all sorts of dim sum, huge plates of teriyaki salmon and chicken, crawfish, and they even had those whole fried fish topped with sweet and sour sauce - typically only found in sit-down restaurants. Also excellent sushi bar, with lots of variety and high quality sashimi cuts - again not typical for a buffet. Great ice cream selection as well. Price: It's $23 for dinner with unlimited crab. Even if I liked crab, I would still think that the price is too high since I'll probably get tired of the other stuff eventually. (Although I haven't lived in the chicago suburbs in a long time so I don't know what the regular prices are.) However, even with my seemingly average rating, I would definitely recommend trying this place. Your first experience will be great. (But the next one may just be ok.) Also come for lunch if you can since it's $12 with everything that dinner has to offer except unlimited crab, but lunch can be inconvenient.
(3)Jenny V.
worth it for the crab legs and the sushi (even though i dont know if i like sushi yet) it can get really crowded but i like going here to celebrate brithdays
(4)Ella B.
Drive however far you need to because this place is amazing and well worth the trip! Come starving because they have everything your "inner fat child" could ever desire. Korean, Chinese, Japanese, American, sushi, stir fry, seafood, you name it! Out of all of the sushi buffets in the Chicago and DC area that I have been to, Royal is by far the best. I just wish it was closer to Chicago. The sushi is the best part of the buffet. I'm a huge sushi buff, so I always binge on the sushi. There's an excellent variety of sushi rolls, and they are really good with restocking rolls on the buffet table. I'm always in sushi heaven! Make sure to save room for dessert. They have a huge selection of desserts and different ice cream flavors. It's hard to choose with so many tempting options! :)
(5)Mia L.
Loved this buffet because of the seafood and sushi. Large selection of food. Staff was friendly. It gets pretty busy there so consider your timing. Oh they have cotton candy! :)
(4)Beng E.
Came here with the family for lunch. The selection was great. The stir-fry I got from the Mongolian station turned out tasty. Selection of sushi looked good, I couldn't eat them though cuz I'm currently pregnant. I had teriyaki and stuffed mussels from the regular buffet line, both were good. The beef teriyaki was tender. The fried banana, chicken wings, and crab rangoon were also good. Dessert selection was very good, I had a small piece of mocha cake and green tea ice cream. They also had coffee ice cream available. Will definitely come back here again.
(4)Pari P.
Awhile back, I visited their other location where we had to wait in line for an hour and a half since there was a line out the door. I was excited to hear that Royal Buffet was opening another location in Schaumburg. Since the place is large with such an extensive variety, a lot of the food sat there. Since we came on a night that wasn't busy, many of the dishes tasted like it had been out there for several hours. It sounds ironic but I would recommend coming when it's busy so that new food comes out more frequently. Sadly, the sushi was disappointing since the rice wasn't really sushi rice. Real sushi rice contains rice vinegar and some sugar but I couldn't taste either of these ingredients. It literally tasted like regular white rice straight from the rice cooker. The sashimi selection was limited to only tuna, salmon, and yellowtail. Some of the pieces were poorly cut and contained stringy chewy pieces. The crab legs, on the other hand, were much better. The legs themselves were thick and well seasoned. For $21 a person, the price is a little steep in comparison to other buffets that are within driving distance. I wouldn't recommend this place if you are coming here for sushi but definitely come for the crab legs, Mongolian stir fry, and Asian food. For sushi, I would recommend other sushi buffets where the quality is better and costs less.
(3)Erick P.
Wow I went here for lunch and it reminded me of the OLD todai when they first opened. They have everything from Chinese dim sum to sushi to korean bbq. I mean for $12.95 or $11.95 your def getting your money's worth. The general food quality is very decent for buffet standard. I would def be going back and this time I wiil max out even more !!
(5)Derek C.
I had never heard of this place before I had walked in there, but wow did this place look awesome! It reminded me of a mall in Asia somewhere with all the decor and bright colors. It was very clean and modern looking. The place was huge! They have hibachi, sushi, dim sum, hot japanese and chinese items (even steamed crab legs!), a mongolian grill (where you can put together your own stir fry), and dessert which included cotton candy! Well, that's where the magic ended... upon closer inspection of the food, it was typical buffet food. One comment my bro-in-law made was they needed to work on keeping the food hot. some things were hot and others weren't. the sushi was lackluster at best, with the rice being hard meaning that it had been sitting out for a while. the dim sum was the same way actually, the dumplings were dried out and hard. I had asked for hoisin sauce from the waiter, but he had no idea what hoisin sauce was... what kind of Asian restaurant are you??? they did have plenty of A1 and Worcestershire sauce tho... after my first couple of plates, I walked around for a while trying to figure out what to eat next, but nothing really looked too appetizing. I left full, but was also hoping I wasn't going to be sick later. I'll give it to them for having a ton of variety, but beyond that, the food was mediocre at best, and at ~$20pp, I was expecting a lot more.
(2)Susie C.
There was so much hype on Yelp about this place that I decided to take my parents, sister, and fiance there for a Christmas dinner. We went on a Sunday evening around 7pm and omg was it busy. I was surprised that there were a lot of people waiting to be seated at this day of the week. This buffet is ginormous. When you first walk in, you'll arrive at a big foyer with this big pond with a statue in the middle. Very beautiful place. It took about 25 minutes before we were given a table. Inside the buffet was really nice. They have a second restaurant in Downers Grove and I can say that this place is 3-4x bigger than the one in Downers Grove. It is way nicer, too. They have about 20 trays of different sushi to try. They are smaller than your usual sushi pieces though. I would say that the sushi here taste better than Todai. Although my fiance speculates that some of the tuna chunks are actually tuna with fillings. It just doesn't seem like it is the whole tuna pieces in there. There's also a section where they have slices of different fish. Instead of leaving it out for everyone to get you'll have to ask one of the sushi guys behind the counter to get it. This is one way to control the amount of slices people normally get. Royal also has dim sum which was okay. Surprised to see dim sum at a buffet. My parents pretty much had lots of crab. They were so happy that they barely left the table. They are big crab fans, and they said the crabs were so fresh and big. There's also your normal Chinese buffet dishes that you see. I didn't have any of those. There's a stir fry section where it's similar to Flat Top (you grab your types of meats and veggies and put it in a bowl then select the sauce you want then bring it to the guys by the grill to stir fry it). My sister thought hers was okay but I think it was good. Maybe she just need to select a better sauce. There werent much fruits variations..we only saw honeydew, pineapple, lychee, and cantalope.Maybe it wasnt in season but none of the fruits' flavors stood out. They also have a cotton candy machine! First time I've seen cotton candy at a Chinese buffet. It didn't taste good but what an experience. They also charge for drinks... and you'll have to order it through the waitress instead of getting it yourself from a fountain machine. When we got our tab, they handed out Chinese style calendars for 2012. There were 5 of us and they only gave us 2...and I guess they are for my parents. Still, I'm 26 yrs old and I don't live with them. I still should be treated like an adult and not a kid. Anyway it was a nice experience. My parents loved it but for me I thought it was ok. The food wasn't super..just your normal buffet food.
(3)Chris M.
Showed up on a weekend with a party of 7, waited 30-45 minutes for a table. Being a very busy buffet, it was really crowded and hard to make my way around. But that's not the reason for the 2 star review. I'm not someone who just wants to pig out and gorge myself, so maybe buffets in general are not for me. But the quality of the food, while passable, was not enough to justify spending the kind of money per person that we did. I regularly get far better food for much less money at other restaurants in the area. Everything I ate was fine, nothing was bad, but there was nothing that would draw me back to pay that kind of price for dinner again. The unlimited crab legs were certainly a popular item as person after person walked by with plate-fulls, and I'll agree that if you're in the mood for crab legs, this is a good way to satisfy your craving. But anything else is just your usual buffet/cafeteria-qualify asian food. I'd eat there again if someone else was paying, but I'd never suggest it.
(2)Giuseppe D.
I'm a huge sushi fanatic and when my friend invited me to this buffet I was kind of torn. Torn because I love sushi but I despise buffets. I think of it as an insult to good food to be making big portions of food and letting sit out to spoil by the time I get there. But, thankfully, Royal's food quality was not compromised for being a buffet. They have every aspect of japanese, sushi, seafood, etc. that you could imagine, and everything is good too! Needless to say I was surprised. The sushi was fresh, they had upwards of 12 chefs at a time JUST for the sushi. They were switching plates every other minute. They had crab legs, shrimp, dim sum, rice, everything. Another cool thing is they had a section where you choose all of the ingredients you want, and a chef would make you Mongolian stir fry right there for you. It turned out amazing. There's way too many food options to go through and describe each one, but they truly cover all japanese seafood/sushi aspects in one MASSIVE buffet. Not to mention the price was a steal. We went for lunch and it was only $21 each. Considering I had about 6 plates of sushi and stir fry, I'd say I came out on top.
(4)Michelle T.
After reading about it..well i went to check it out for myself.... When i first walked in it looked good... but when i started to try the food.. ohhh gush... even the sushi was not good.. and the food that was supposed to be hot was cold.. so not kept at the right temperature.. some of the food also looked a little bit too exotic and not very pleasant to the eyes i shall say. First and last time at this place i can tell you that!!!
(1)evan c.
Pretty good, You get a pretty good dinner here for $20. The selections changed through the night and they actually brought roasted NY strip loin out and served big slices. They were doing Peking Duck in little pancakes and had a really interesting selection in the cold food area, chilled pig ear salad, chilled tripe salad..very good.
(4)Frank A.
Came here with a large group on a Saturday night. Good: - Unlimited crab. - Lots of variety. More than most Asian buffets. - Staff is generally good at making sure food is available. Meh: - Many items including dim sum was pretty bland or seemed to miss something. - Buffet area can just be too chaotic and people can just be plain rude. Buffets have variety and you'll find something good. It's ok, but I'd rather just get a better prepared dish elsewhere. It's really just my own preference that I tend to shy away from buffets...
(3)Ryan M.
They just started regulating on the crab legs.
(4)S K.
I've been to the restaurant 9 times. FOOD / BUFFET Out of this world selection - doesn't get better than this for a buffet. SERVERS Disappointing, slow, non-attentive. You have to wave them down and continue to ask for refills on drinks and good luck trying to find a crab cracker. BATHROOMS Nightmare - filthy all the times I've been there. TEMPERATURE Yes, I get they cook right there! :-) However, they need not to be so stingy with the air-condition and keep us cool, it becomes too stuffy.
(1)William B.
So, This is the second review in a row that I'm reviewing more for the experience than the merits of the food. I went for lunch, and just had the buffet, so can't comment on the hibachi. I'm certainly not a Chinese buffet connoisseur. It's probably been several years since i last set foot in one. Royal buffet is like a Chinese buffet on steroids. There is a Mongolian grill, a massive sushi selection, dim sum, fresh seafood, the typical Chinese food menu items, and many other items that i didn't even see, as I didn't get all the way around the buffet. That huge! Probably not as quality & fresh as a sit-down, order from a menu place, but I was pleasantly surprised. The turnover on the food was quick enough that everything was very hot (for the hot dishes) and freshly served (for the sushi). If i was hankering for a Chinese buffet, i imagine Royal Buffet ruined it for me on trying any other.
(4)Suvondal E.
I have to say that I was impressed with this place. There is a huge selection of food to choose from. The sushi selection is incredible. Everything was fresh and even the servers kept my table clean. Not only is the food good but you have to try the green tea ice cream...delicious! I will go back soon.
(4)Andrew C.
There are too many things to say about thia restaurant, so I'll keep this short. So many options for sushi, raw seafood, and other hot dishes. They even have a chocolate fountain (which wasn't on for us today, sadly) and a cotton candy machine. Also, the birthday celebrations were interesting with a small drum and a cymbal. Great food, great decorations, and tons of options. Awesome!
(5)Rania A.
All I can say is that if you love buffet, COME TO THIS PLACE!!!I promise you! You wouldn't be disappointed! I brought many friends and family to this place, and everybody fell in love with this place and they can't wait to come back! I will tell you my stepdad cannot eat seafood but still love this place! and one of my friend who is a VERY picky eater like this place!!! because this place doesn't discriminate with food!! You will find almost everything here :P The difference/Unique with this place is that they have CRAB LEGS ALL DAY LONG and a huge selection of food! From stir fry that is cook for however you want, cotton candy, different kind of seafood, noodles, sushi, pastry, icecream and more! It's like a huge market of cooked and raw(fish) food!!! Also, I saw that there's a place where they seat you where theres a chef in your table...I guess you can have someone cook for you too..i haven't tried it yet i think its different from the buffet tho?
(5)Mike B.
I'll say that this has to have a pretty darn good selection of food. The seafood was not bad, but I'd prefer to see more of sauce on the side for a lot of the dishes there. crab is a good deal as it is not salty like some other buffet establishments in that west side area. Wait staff was fine, and attentive. Bathroom for me in the mens room was not bad at all versus what I just read in recent posts. I'd say I would go again with others who want to try buffet for the first time. Still exploring though so more to come on the yelp site.
(3)Gary C.
Cotton candy sweet as gold. Let me see that Royal Buffet!!!!!!!! Wait. Is that right? In summation (yes, I'm starting with the end), it really is just a buffet. But hey, it's better than your average buffet. A lot of friends were talking about RB and I didn't buy in. But my pops and I were out of ideas for our Sunday lunch and I just threw this one out there. He bit, and kept biting forkful after forkful of food. The guy is 5'4", barely 120 lbs. But the man can put down some plates with the best of em. His showing at RB proved that to me. Food-wise, RB is all over the place, but it does focus on Asian cuisine...all of Asia. Sushi, Korean cold plates, seafood galore, dim sum, (semi)traditional hot plates, and...garlic bread. Compared to other buffets in the Chicagoland area, it's pretty good. But I mean, it's far as crap for city folk. I'm not sure if I'd frequent it, but if it was close, sure. What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks. The space is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge. Decor reminds me of one those Facebook restaurant games. Restaurant City, anyone? But what seals the deal is, as childish as it sounds, the cotton candy. Ya diiiiiiiiigggggg??!
(4)Eric D.
Chinese food paradise. Full lobsters. Crab legs. Fresh sushi. Delicious desserts. The hibachi is always fired up. If you're into buffet style. This is definitely your kinda place. Dinner was around 22 bucks. Lunch was much cheaper. The price is right for what you get.
(4)Landy L.
Wow This place is a gold mine!!! Came here for dinner when visiting my bf's family in Chicago. Absolutely delicious, with friendly and warm atmosphere plus reasonable price. They should open one in NYC, it will be packed all the time. Such a wonderful experience definitely will go back next time when I'm in town.
(5)Demetrio P.
Been pleasantly surprised by Royal Buffet. I was very skeptical at first, had many Chinese Buffets, but this one had a little more. They have from various types of cooked fish, meats, clams, fresh oysters, crab legs (during dinner hours only I believe), sushi, dim sum, a cook-to-order stir fry station...and not to mention they have a desert section that includes ice cream, fresh lychees, and cotton candy. If ever in the vicinity, I would definitely give Royal Buffet a try. In summary, good variety of food, OK service, OK prices (lunch is half price).
(3)Ms Y.
Venue: Impressive layout (for a buffet) Food: Decent, wouldn't say that I have any cravings to go back Service: NEEDS MAJOR IMPROVEMENT. ***Don't bother trying to book a private party.*** Management is completely unorganized, forgetful, and unresponsive. Was one of the first to request dates for an event more than twice (in person & in writing---in 2 different agenda notebooks), aside from over the phone, and yet they still went ahead and booked over our date, which was completely ridiculous. Who knows what would've happened the day of our event...
(1)Audrey A.
Came here last Tuesday to celebrate my mom's birthday. We arrived around 3:45 PM only to be shoo'd away because they were closed. Dinner starts at 5 PM so we waited until they opened again. The decor is very nice. The foyer had nice marble floors and a fairly large fountain area with fish swimming about. The actual buffet area is much more modern looking than any other Chinese buffets I've ever been to... and I've been to a lot of Chinese Buffets in my lifetime. There are tons of seating. It's an ideal place to have a large group/party. Our waitress brought us to a table all the way in the back which was a tad inconvenient because it was a bit of a walk to the buffet area #lazyproblems. I didn't quite understand why we were sent there because we were the 3rd or 4th group to be seated and there was plenty of open seating near the buffet. Since we arrived the moment they hit the gong (literally), the food was fresh and plentiful. There's a vast array of food including seafood, meat, veggies, soup, etc. It's everything I've seen at a Chinese buffet and more. It's not like it's top notch quality or dishes I have dreams about... it's a buffet, what do you expect. But it is a notch above all the other dingy buffets I've been to. They have a dimsum area and I was a happy duck to see that. Their fresh soymilk is delicious too. Their sushi is okay. Nothing spectacular but at least they are fairly fresh. They have more seafood than they do meat, so if you're not a seafood person you're out of luck. I didn't get a chance to try their meats because I filled up on seafood, but they have pork bellies, chicken feet, pig intestines, kalbi, etc. They all looked good to me. I had a good experience there. The service was good too, so I'm not sure if it's because we came when it wasn't too terribly busy or what, but none of the things mentioned in the negative reviews happened to us.
(4)Stevie V.
This place has an unbelievable variety for the price. Between making your own stir fry, sushi, seafood and meat selection I say it's worth every penny, but expect to pay more than your average buffet. Ice cream is very good too which I found isn't standard for buffets. Lastly, there was only one time that I received so so service but we did have a large group. Other than that from greeting all the way through we were treated like kings.
(4)Reva P.
The food is good, but the price for dinner is too over priced. For 21 dollars its not worth it. Save your money for something else. But, I did enjoy the octopus Salad n cotton candy.
(2)Rowena A.
Overall a nice experience for an asian buffet. Large space! Pretty clean. Separate spaces for party room and hibachi grill tables. Go straight for the seafood, the other stuff isn't really worth chewing. Some of the steamed items were tasty: pork belly, pigs ears, whole steamed flounder, crab legs. Salt and pepper frog legs, what? Not bad. Most of the sushi/maki rolls were passable. I only liked 2 of the rolls. Not into anything with imitation crab or cream cheese. Dessert was decent: several mini cake varieties, 6 different ice creams, custard tart, fresh fruit, gelatinized leche flan, and fried banana (such a simple thing, but I'm a sucker for it). Great value for the quality of food. Time will tell if they keep it up.
(4)Dylan T.
I went for lunch for the very first time. Lots of variety and price per head was 12.78 incl tax. Food aint taste bad buy they arent good either. This is a place to go if u r looking to pig out on seafood but not a place for fried rice, dimsum, dumplings, sushi, etc.
(3)Joyce A.
I went for the lunch buffet and arrived at 11:30 when they open on a Thursday. 1. I normally am not a fan of buffets and try to avoid them at all costs. 2. see number 1 3. I don't eat sushi That being said, this place totally was an eating experience - and in a good way. I looked over some of the other comments and none of the negative stuff happened to me! Not being familiar with this place at all- I just went to the first station which has chefs grilling whatever you give them to grill. Hey! I recognize beef, shrimp and squid when I see it! And it really looks and smells fresh, too. And, I like mushrooms, brocolli and garlic (and the garlic sauce)....so I get to the station and there are like 7 other people there - and everyone is pretty friendly - so I get to chat with a stranger while my meal is prepared. Let me tell you- this is a fun experience! After I finish my lunch (room left for dessert...)- I head to the dessert area - the way far away wall from where the entrance is...and I pass the sushi...and come upon the hot - already cooked food- it looks like an entire Japanese/Chinese menu- so many items...but all I have left for is dessert. Let me tell you- the flan was pretty good, I loved the moosetracks ice cream and these little balls covered in sesame seeds were incredible. And, the fruit was very fresh and tasty, too. I didn't encounter any rude folks- most people I saw had smiles and nodded or spoke to me, nobody pushed me or cut to the head of the line- I guess I went on a great day- I will give the dinner buffet a try and let you know- my advice is to deffinitly go for the lunch buffet- $11.49 it is a steal! I experienced quality food, lots of friendly people enjoying the place, helpful servers - not the usual buffet at all!!!
(5)Michelle F.
I always forget how much I dislike buffets until I'm at one. I was there for lunch on a Sunday, and it was really crowded. Since this was the first time I had ever been to Royal Buffet, we weren't exactly sure how it worked. We were seated at a booth near the back of the restaurant, and our host just left us there without any explanation of whether we were supposed to wait for a waitress or just go up to the buffet. We waited around for five minutes or so, and while we saw other waitresses circulating around the area, no one came by our table. So we decided to just get up and hit the buffet, and as we're walking up, a waitress stops us and is like, "You order drinks?" So we go sit back down, and I'm like, "Yeah, we've never been here before, and nobody said what to do." Then she just giggled, which was pretty annoying. Anyway, besides the service being pretty crappy (I hate it when they have servers at buffets since you're supposed to tip them even though you get all of your own food), I wasn't that impressed with the spread. Yeah, there was sushi and Chinese Food and stir fry, but I didn't think any of it tasted particularly good; it was all OK but nothing to write home about. The sushi, which I was most excited about, wasn't that good. I just didn't think the food was good enough to be worth the $22.50 per person. I think the only way that price is worth it is if you're really into crab legs. Then it might be worth it. I felt like I spent the same amount of money that I would have at any other Asian restaurant, and the food wasn't as fresh. I just didn't have a good experience here. The service was poor, the food wasn't that good and the price was too high for what you were getting.
(2)Ricky B.
As far as Asian buffets go this is really as good as it gets. Huge variety and the quality of food is as good as can be expected from a buffet. Your Choices Include: 1) Chinese Food (All your standard fare) 2) Dim Sum (steamed buns and chicken feet included) 3) Japanese (Miso Soup, Tempura, Chicken Teriyaki, seaweed salad, edamame) 3) Sushi (A wide variety, not as good as a proper sushi restaurant but better than usual buffet sushi) 4) Sea Food (Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, crawdads, Snow Crab[Snow crab is only for dinner]) 5) Mongolian BBQ (Tons of Meats and Veggies to choose from and cooked in front of you as you wait) 6) Small Selection of American food (Fried Chicken and French Fries) 7) Fruit (Melon, Berries, Pineapple, ect. when I was there it was all a little under ripe) 8) Tons of Desserts! (All types of bars, Ice cream[the good stuff not just soft serve], cotton candy, and tons more) I would recommend going for lunch, there will not be any crab but pretty much everything else will be available for a significant discount. Enjoy, and go early it gets crazy busy.
(5)Amy P.
So much selection- all so fresh. Delicious sushi.
(4)Deyu Z.
I have been to the place twice with friends. The selection is good. You have sushi, sea food , dim sum, hot dish, salad , desert stations. However the quality and the cooking is below average. Lots of food are not kept warm enough, which is a general issue with buffet. Out of all the stations, I would rate dim sum and dessert the best. The sushi and sea food the last. To me it is not worth the money for the quality of the food especially if you come with a large group. Best for individuals trying to pig out.
(3)Tony M.
The best Asian Buffet in the suburbs of Chicago! You have the best quality food and variety for a great low price! There is sushi, chinese food, dim sum, mongolian habachi. I go there often!
(5)Emily G.
Big selection of sushi, sashimi, soup,fish, and vegetables everything fresh and some are tasty. The lobster was not good at all. We did not like an attitude of lady who served lobster and crabs legs. This time it was very unwelcome experience .
(2)Jennifer L.
Royal Buffet is absolutely amazing! If you like seafood, you definitely need to check out this place. It is totally worth every penny and however far you need to travel to get here. When I think buffet, I think of crappy food and a dumpy looking decor. Royal Buffet proves all that wrong. First of all, the place is just beautiful and decorated really nicely. And, it's huge and seats a lot of people. But, wow, the food really won me over. The crab legs were delicious and sweet and melted in my mouth when they were dipped in the butter sauce. The sushi was great - fresh, perfectly sized for a buffet setting and there were many different combinations available. The raw selection of clams, mussels and oysters was great. Also, the hot food offering was good and they even had a Mongolian BBQ area for those who want cooked food. My only issue is with the woman serving ice cream. Please take the stick out of your rear and be nicer! There's no need to be rude and try to rush everyone along! I made the mistake of trying to help a little girl order her ice cream instead of ordering mine. Nevertheless, about 100 misunderstandings took place and I left with one little girl mad at me, one ice cream server lady annoyed with me and no moose tracks ice cream, which was what I had come up there for. Eh, I didn't need the ice cream anyway, but nonetheless. But yeah, GO GO GO. This seafood buffet will put any others you know of to shame - trust me. It put Hibachi Grill (Wheeling) and Toadi (now out of business) to shame for me.
(4)Tasty X.
This place is big. Big, big! And when it is busy it is crazy here. I have been to countless Chinese buffets and the food and variety you get here is unrivalled. But it's expensive and let me explain why I can only give this place 2 stars... 2 nights a week they have lobster and crab legs. They charge you even more those days. All you can eat lobster!? Sounds like a great deal! Ummm but there's a catch. When we went, the line for this lobster was easily a 30 to 40 minute wait. This same line is also blocking many parts of the buffet itself. Getting around the buffet then means navigating through this line of grumpy people. Opting not to wait in this line, we still get charged more even though we did not eat lobster. Arguing did no good and we left paying 70 something dollars for 2 people. For what we ate, the price was not justified. When we bring our 2 year old, picky eater extraordinaire, there really isn't much. Many Chinese buffets have 2 or 3 things (pizza, mac n cheese, etc) to cater to the little kids. But not here.
(2)Gaby C.
The best buffet in chicago. The place is clean. The food is great. Never had a bad experience. Discovered this place earlier this year and have been back at least once a month. Its not in the area but very worth the ride!! Tons of sushi and lots of great food. Off we go...Crab Legs away!!!
(5)Danny M.
I came here with a party of 3 to meet up with some friends who already got a table for us. When i walked in, I told the host we already had a table waiting and she said, "you have to wait". I looked around and there was no line and then i decided to just walk in because we can see you party. The host stopped us and then we kindly explained we had a party here already before she finally understands. The food is decent for a buffet, but we found hair on our food. This is our second time here and both times we find stuff in our food. Also, it is really hard to find a clean dry plate. I question about how sanitary this place really is. We decided to let our server know, but they didn't do anything about it as well. For about $30 after tip and tax, I much rather go to another buffet.
(1)Oleksandra O.
I like this restaurant very much for our family outings. There are many options food-wise, so my kids enjoy it as well. It's interesting that although it is Asian, you hear a lot of Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish speech.
(4)Paul S.
They charge for pepsi, total for lunch with tip = $17.96. Btw, it's worth it! Several items mislabeled, very annoying. a bad sign of not caring and then food probably is slipping also.
(4)Lisa B.
Extremely impressive selection. Way better than Todai. Fresh oysters, clams, conch, sashimi, & sushi. Delicious duck, dim sum, steak, dungeness & snow crab, crawfish, hibachi, bbq, Chinese classic dishes... the list goes on and there is no way you can eat everything during one visit. Great value. Can't wait to go back.
(5)martha c.
Wow what a variety of food and sea food I really loved it!
(5)Alan F.
A huge seafood-oriented Asian buffet, featuring whole lobster on Wednesday and Friday evenings. Large sushi and sashimi selection, crab legs, numerous mostly-Chinese entrees and sides, and a build-your-own Mongolian stir-fry station with a wide selection of ingredients. Everything we tried was well-executed. Slightly awkward buffet traffic flow, with the long lobster line partially blocking access to some of the serving tables. Attentive staff kept the beverage refills coming, and took away used plates promptly. Nice dessert selection; kids (and adults with a morbidly sweet tooth) will enjoy the pink cotton candy. At $24.95 per adult, an okay but not spectacular value. Shared shopping center parking lot. This being Hoffman Estates, apparently no practical public transit options.
(3)Yu Z.
its a great buffet restaurant. huge amount of food.loved it.
(4)Linda L.
Friday Lobster dinner night! We got here exactly when they opened for dinner. Sat down and got in line for the lobster. WOW! I got an entire lobster and two giant crab legs! Steamy, Full of meat and delicious! After filling up on lobster and crab, I headed over to the fresh oysters. WOW! It was super fresh and tasty! The rest of the food was decent with stir fry. Sushi was fresh as well. But you top everything off with chocolate fondue and we have a winner!!!! For a tasty lobster buffet at $24.99, hell ya they deserve 5 stars!
(5)Peter N.
I mean the food - it's pretty much the same old royal we know and love/hate on 75th street. I seriously doubt anyone will go there for the teppanyaki grill (nor will they have a chef to use it) but that is a LOT of seating area to be filled. You definitely won't be waiting for an hour for a table like at the place on 75th. Bonus points for the sushi station actually serving raw fish (what a novel concept!) and they also had seared bluefin tuna and caviar on the side. woohoo!
(5)Jon F.
So many crabbies are about to enter your face as soon as you enter this funderful place. The operation itself is HUGE. The place just keeps going and going while you are walking to your seating area. This is great, it helps shake things up when you go up for plate #7. Affordable for what you are getting and pretty cool setup. On to food... lets start with the important stuff: Crab. You may have to wait for crab, but it will be fresh and good. I don't think the butter is real butter, but it is still good. Semi-annoying that you may have people who want to get around you to get food, but it is the best way to keep freshy fresh crab right out of the pot near the kitchen. The sushi is pretty good. Some of the cuts are a bit thin, but you can take as much as you'd like so that isn't an issue. This also allows you to get more fish to tongue contact. There was a period of 2-3 trips up to the shashimi bar where they did not have salmon or one of the other fish I was looking for, but they have plenty of chefs and it was a busy Sunday. Some of the deep fried rolls were pretty good, but they mostly stick to the usual staples. The salmon was good quality and had great flavor. The blue fin was pretty good as well. Along the same lines the raw sea food was good and was not stale. I would not question eating it unless it was much less busy. I didn't get to much of the regular food. It all looked really good, but when I walked around to get some I didn't really see much I had a real hankering for. The walnut shrimp was a very sweet sauce and had great flavor and texture. I didn't even make it to the Mongolian BBQ section. It looked like a good, fresh setup and some of there ingredients looked fantastic. The mushroom looked especially great! As usual the Moose Tracks ice cream in the giant tub is better (more toppings I'd guess) than what you get at the store. I was not a fan of the coffee flavored ice cream, but the mint flavor was good. You may have to wait in a line and you won't be serving yourself ice cream - but with kids these day (I'm rolling my eyes too) it is probably better this way. Cotton candy lovers / purists be made aware - the cotton candy that was there the day I went had a bubble game flavor. It was funny to see a couple of kids running to their table with 3 cotton candy sticks like they had just robbed a Pokemon store (or whatever they are into these days). If you must, dip an eclair in your melted ice cream. It is OK - there are other fatter looking people than you.
(4)Eugene W.
Went for lunch. Great selection and everything looked and tasted fresh, but price is steep. My bill was $13 for weekday lunch Pretty steep for buffet quality food, otherwise worth the visit.
(4)Nate C.
i live in champaign where there are only a couple of chinese buffet and i have to say that i am impressed with royal buffet. whenever in chicago, i dont mind going out of the way to royal buffet. i love fish so i find lunch perfect with alot of fish menu. dim sum is somewhat on the salty side. sushi is better than other chinese buffet in terms of selection and presentation. the best treat for me is the green tea ice cream :)
(4)Ryne D.
Is this a restaurant or a banquet hall? Well, my dad said the place used to be a furniture store, so I guess that explains this being one of the largest restaurants I've ever seen. Inside, you'll find a big ol' mismash of Chinese restaurant goodness: - Mongolian grill station Actually turned out better than I thought it'd be. Good amount of flavor, though the veggies didn't look that fresh. - Raw seafood bar I found the oysters pretty gross, but the clams were ok. - Sushi bar The sushi was miniature sized, but that pretty much works out nicely in the long run since you don't want to fill up on rice. - Dim sum Really disappointing. I was looking forward to downing a dozen shumai but it just didn't taste good. - Barbecue grill The shrimp and chicken skewers were pretty tasty, but for some reason they didn't come out until we were almost done with lunch. - General hot Chinese food A decent selection, including walnut shrimp (but without walnuts) and various salt and pepper items, including salt and pepper frog legs (which could've used more seasoning). - Crab legs Duh, the star of the show. My dad initially got a bad batch, but the ones I got were pretty good. Unlike other buffets I've been to, the tray of legs was never empty. They also had whole dungeness crabs which had pretty meaty claws. - Dessert station Cotton candy? Definitely something I'd never seen. The ice cream was generally flavorless. Protip: Drinks cost a buck and a half extra. Guess I've been spoiled by other China buffets. So yeah, overall it's ok. Kind of a high price because of the large variety, but unfortunately that doesn't translate to high quality. Nothing there was a huge hit, but at least my family left full.
(3)Samantha V.
FIFTY BUCKS?! For two adults with soda? No thanks. Lots of selection, some really strange options like snail and lychee fruit and other nameless oddities, tons of seafood, but a little picked over and the taste was on the anticlimactic side, mediocre. Very crowded. Won't be revisiting.
(1)Jared P.
This place has absolutely everything all in a buffet. Sushi? Yep. Crab legs? Yep. Ice cream? Yep. Chicken feet? Yep, they got it. If you can't find something that you'll eat, then you are one picky person. As for the quality of the food, it's slightly above the quality of a normal buffet. It's not something that you would sit down and pay a lot for a plate, but you're eating plates with an -s, not a plate. So, loosen that belt and get your fat man on! Oh, forgot one thing. It's not exactly cheap. But, if you can't afford this much food for $20-30 bucks/person, then go to McDonald's. Enjoy!
(5)Edward M.
As a quick summary, definitely not worth the money for dinner. For lunch probably. The food is pretty decent food but I would rather go to an actual restaurant and spend the same money on better food and service. This place has no service and unless you are eating only the most expensive stuff, you won't get your money's worth really. But overall the food is pretty good, and way more choices than other places. I hear there is one of these in Darrien or something and it is far cheaper for both lunch and dinner and similar amount of food but the place is dirtier since it's older. Note: They charged us 10% service charge (tip?) even though the service wasn't that great. We had 7 people and I don't remember seeing a sign about being charged anywhere. Total of about 28 per person and only 4 of us got drinks. I think we would have been over 30 with the rest of the drinks or if we had given them more than the 10% of tip. Stir Fry - Good choices overall, i love that you can choose to put as much sauce and garlic as you want. The shrimp was pretty good, and things seem fresh which is nice. Sushi - A wide spread for sure. I love that they serve fried versions which I have never seen more than 1 roll of in a buffet, this place had like 5-8 of them. There is pretty good variety, including fried shrimp inside the sushi and such. It wasn't the greatest taste because it was too firm, but it was good variety. Dim Sum - A lotta really odd things here that I would not normally have at dim sum but they did have rice crepes (only shrimp that i saw) and shrimp dumplings which i have never seen at a buffet. Definitely more variety than another other buffet. Chinese Food - Do not go during the dinner rush. We showed up at 5:30 and the line for chinese food was ridiculous. I didn't get to this until like 8, after we had already eaten and were just conversing for a while. The line is probably about a 5-10 minute wait. I think that is ridiculous to pay this much money and have to wait in line to get food I paid for. Much rather have it served to me at a real restaurant. The food wasn't too bad when I did get to it. The chinese broccoli was good, I had quite a few stalks of it. There is a section of fried rice and fried noodles that seems to be more open and I had some, it wasn't good really. If you want fried noodles, go for the stir fry. The fried rice is not good at all. Fried food - In front of the chinese food is the fried food, so hence this was part of the huge line and the wait was ridiculous. I had some at the end and honestly, not worth it. What a waste. Dessert - They have an assortment of factory made pastries and fresh fruit including lychee. The highlight is the ice cream - smoothness hey have red bean, green tea, and moose tracks as special ice cream, i liked the vanilla as well. . The other highlight is the cotton candy which is fresh spun. Service - uh they took our drink orders at one point and then really never came back to refill it except when we had to stop them and ask. They took our plates away a few times. Other than that, basically didn't interact with us nor do much after the beginning as the plates started piling up. Mob - I saw a mob of people around 6 or 6:30 at the front door. I mean a MOB waiting to get in. I'd suggest going after 8, easier to get a table and there are less people in line, short enough that it was like other buffets. Parking - be prepared to park far away from the front door. The lot is huge though.
(3)Mike N.
Long lobster lines but worth the wait. Sushi got worst but the maki is still awesome.
(4)Lauren P.
Can I get an ALLELUIA?! Huge buffet! Just a handful of the family came for my aunt's bday(25 of us) lol. Anyway we made a reservation and had a huuuuge table in the private area. Where to start because there's just so much food and it's not just quantity...were talking QUALITY ladies and gents! I'll start my way from the left and go all the way to dessert... ...DRUMROLL... 1. Mongolian - aka hibachi - you have your choice of meat (beef, chicken, steak, tilapia) ...then add the veggies and your mixture of sauces.... Give it all to the grill master and voilà - hibachi at it's freshest! 2. Oysters galore- sashimi - nigiri. - sushi! And quality sushi also! 3. Next there are some appetizers commonly found at Japanese restaurants like edamame seaweed salad squid salad etc etc... 4. Then are some random grilled skewers of shrimp beef kale... Short ribs... 5. Dimsum what?! Shumai - buns - the shrimp in the big noodle! (my fave) 6. This whole section of different types of fish salmon white fish... And mussels... And CRAB LEGS! Grab them when they put it in the tray nice and hot! And ask for vinegar and garlic haha Filipino style! ;) 7. I really like their walnut shrimp not too sweet just right.... 8. Then the finger foods like chicken wings fries fried shrimp etc... 9. Dessert time! - my fave part of dessert has to be the red bean sesame ball! Always hot and ready! Paired with some sweet plaintains and their red bean ice cream which tastes like taro ice cream my yelpsters! This place is definitely worth the money! And number one in my buffet book! Come hungry! :) Sidenote: they just need to turn their heat on in the private room cuz it was a bit nippy.... But otherwise service was excellent! Go now!
(4)Brian K.
I TRIED - Make Your Own Stir Fry (5/10) - Sushi (4/10) - Chinese Food (5/10) - Soups (2/10) OMG! Either Hoffman Estates' land value is diminishing like crazy or somebody is one rich mutha! Ok, come on, this is a Chinese Buffet, there's no need for a gargantuan foyer with a gargantuan fountain! That's just showing off! And are you kidding me?! You can take both of the other local Hibachi Buffets in the area (Crazy Buffet and Hibachi Supreme) and throw them in a corner of this place! I've been here a lot, because this is close to work, and yes, I eat monstrously for lunch -- stressful job needs very comfortable food! This place is monstrous! You could probably host 2 weddings here and a normal restaurant dinner crowd! BUT...you'd be surprised how well they fill up during dinner! It's insane! MAKE YOUR OWN STIR FRY This is the best of the 3 buffets I mentioned before. They have about double the ingredients than the competition, and they have minced garlic! AND they offer around 6 sauces to mix in your stir fry...that's about 6 more than the competition! The taste is fine, the service is fast enough. Quick Tip: If you're going to eat a bunch, make your stir fry first, then go buffeting around and then come back here when you're done. You double fist plates back to the table and can relax! Really not much more to say here, since, after all, YOU are responsible for your own stir fry. SUSHI One thing that I must commend Royal for, is that their rolls aren't chock full of rice like the other two (or chock full of cream cheese like Crazy Buffet). Even better, they have sashimi and caviar! Pretty damn high class...if only it was high class sashimi or high class caviar. I really am very proud of Royal that they're not trying to rip you off with the rice, that's a very noble thing, and I'm being serious! I'd rate their sushi definitely better than their competition, but just below, if not barely on par with, Todai....and come on, Todai isn't very hard to meet. CHINESE FOOD Unlike the other places, this place has Chinese food, and it also has CHINESE food! They have your run of the mill General Tso's Chicken, and Kung Pao, and all that normal stuff you see everywhere, but they also have Dim Sum, dumplings, frog legs, and some slightly weird things like that. Their Dim Sum bar is pretty popular. I honestly am usually too full to even reach this area, but from what I've had, it's not that great. The American Chinese stuff is very standard quality, their dumplings are halfway decent, but don't expect to get blown away by anything. SOUPS By far the WORST of its competition. Soup drew the short stick when it came to effort. I think they have around 3 soups. One is Miso, and it tastes worse than Instant Miso. Then the others float around. I had a Seafood Soup that tasted like water -- like not even salty water....just water! They had Hot & Sour soup that was just ok, an Egg Drop that was unappetizing, and some other thing that was reddish orange, and just plain 'ol didn't taste good. Soup bar is not worth trying! ROYAL DECREE Royal Buffet can be summed up in the phrase: "Jack of all trades, King of none." Well, actually, more like a Jack at best, and somewhere around a 7 Of Clubs of most trades. There really isn't anything here that tastes all that great. I appreciate their not being stingy on sushi, but that's about all I can say. I think if you summed up the scores, out of the 3 local Hibachi buffets, I guess I would choose Royal, but if you were to include just regular Chinese Buffets, I'd go to Super China Buffet. At least they have tasty American-Chinese food and the general consensus is a good one. I don't understand the crowds. Sure Asians will go to Asian buffets like this all the time, but...I don't know, I really can't explain it. Royal Buffet to me is kind of like Medieval Times. HOW IS THAT PLACE STILL IN BUSINESS?!?! The only explanation is that there are enough people out there in the world whose interests are piqued by knights, horses, untensiless food, and coke that have never gone. So I guess the buzz for Royal is big enough that there are enough people out there in the world whose interests are piqued too. I don't get it. Instead of going to any of the 3 Hibachi Buffets, I would rather go to Todai for sushi, Super China Buffet for Chinese Food, and Flat Top for Mongolian Grill.
(2)Simon K.
If you have friends who are picky about what they eat or friends who can't decide what kind of cuisine they want, this is probably the place to go. They have a stir-fry booth, sushi, Japanese food, hibachi grilled food, dim sum, Korean food, American food and other things you wouldn't even imagine in a buffet (a cotton candy machine?!?!). Also, I have never seen so many people at one restaurant. Ever. The inside of this place can probably seat over 300 people. So your party size should never be a factor. The one flaw is that because of the wide selection of food, nothing is spectacularly delicious. Most of the stuff is average, a few things are above average, and some things are horrendous. Surprisingly though, there really aren't any unbearable lines for there being so many people in the restaurant at once. And the price is quite reasonable for the selection you get. My challenge to you is to try one of EVERYTHING in the restaurant. That would be quite an impressive feat and would most likely take more than one visit, no matter how small of a portion size you take. Recommendation: Teriyaki Salmon, Sashimi, Crab Legs, COTTON CANDY!
(3)Kristen L.
If you're looking for a place with a wide selection of food, then Royal Buffet is the place to go. If you're looking for a place that's moderately priced, then Royal Buffet is NOT the place. It is a tad bit expensive, but they do have a lot of different food to choose from. BUT, just because there's a lot of food, doesn't necessarily mean that it's all good. A lot of the meat is very chewy, over cooked and dry. The dim-sum is anything but; it doesn't taste anything like dim-sum...more like something that came from straight from the freezer to the microwave. The sushi/sashimi/maki roll spread is decent, but the fish itself isn't the highest quality. The dessert section isn't very large, but they do make their own cotton candy! Always a fun, sweet treat no matter what age you are! The best thing about Royal Buffet is the crab legs. Be prepared to wait in line for these babies because people pile PLATES of crab legs! The seating area itself is insanely large and there are a lot of people milling about. On weekends, I'd suggest going a little early to avoid waiting. Overall, not the best buffet I've had, but had a great (and filling!) dinner with the family.
(3)Christiaan N.
Get here early!
(5)Arthur K.
Went back for lunch with some friends and started to notice some issues. The main problem was cleanliness. We had to ask for a new set of utensils twice to find a clean set and several of dishes had dried food on them. I know this is a big place with a large turn over but if this is what we saw I worry about what we did not see in the food prep area. I like this places and the food so I hope they get there act together.
(2)Gerry T.
This place gets 4 stars for the variety alone. There's just sooooo much to choose from. They offer sashimi so that you don't load up too much on carbs. We enjoyed the walnut shrimp (walnuts were missing though), seaweed salad, Chinese style ribs, masago (fish eggs), scallops on the shell! (Nice size too), fried bananas (just like banana que in the Philippines), there's just too much to list. The service was attentive and the place was relatively clean for a buffet. Parking can get tough with TJ Maxx next door.
(4)Glen M.
Went for dinner on a Sunday. With two kids and two adults the total was about 70 bucks. With that being said you get a ton of whatever you want. Sushi, shrimp, tons of fish, meats, soups, even frog legs and they have a chocolate fountain. It's worth trying especially if u like buffets
(4)Howard L.
It's an OK buffet. Lunch is now $11.49 pp. The main distinction for this place is it's massively huge menu selection. The quality of it all is pretty average though for an Asian buffet.
(3)Amy K.
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes. So many sushi/sashimi choices. So many dim sum choices. So many other hot items. So many ice creams. So many desserts. Lunch is SUPER cheap. I'm glad I don't live near here or I might need to get a lap band.
(5)Lulu R.
I am VERY impressed with This Royal. Much like serveral others, my family and I used to go to the one in Woodridge. This buffet tramples the old one. Its a bit more expensive but the food quality is nothing to be reconed with. As we walked in there was abeautiful fountain in the lobby and then a host/hostess station through another set of double doors. The hostess station has nice leather couched for the minimal wait. As we walked through this place I realized why they made an expansion because this place is HUUUUGE. I think they have about 3-4 rooms. They have a hibachi grill stations in one room (kinda like a restaurant within a restaurant). You can tell a this place is good because there was a wait and all the patrons looked very intently into thier yummy eats. We were seated and our waiter brought out the drinks. Notable things about Royals food selection: sushi station with sushi chefs making it before your eyes, dim sum station, crab legs, 4 diff kinds of soup, raw oysters, cooked oysters, honey walnut shrimp, calamari, ribs, wings, greens, salad, fruits, ice cream, and COTTON CANDY. Yes... COTTON CANDY!! all of the food we ate was fresh and tasty. Very suprised by this. It was a great time had by all because they pleased everyone's pallate. I really hope this place does not lose the quality of thier food as well as thier superior service because it tends to happen.
(4)Stephanie H.
With weekday lunches at $11.49 per person, it's a great deal! It includes Mongolian BBQ, sushi/sashimi, dim sum, fruit, ice cream...everything you'd expect at an Asian buffet. I believe for anything fancier like crab legs, you'd have to go during one of their more expensive dinners. It's also really spacious, and I believe there's a huge room in the back that you could probably rent out for banquets or private parties. I didn't have a chance to try the Mongolian BBQ, but the sashimi was fresh and delicious! I also liked their soups and the teriyaki squid. I was surprised that they had lychee in their fruit selection, and they have a nice selection of ice cream as well (I personally love green tea ice cream myself; my brother tried their red bean ice cream). They also have a cotton candy machine...which I thought tasted like bubble gum flavored. We went around 2pm on a weekday, which might have been too late since their lunch ends at 3pm I think. They had stopped putting out fresh foods, and the ladies in front of us had to talk to someone who worked there to get the sushi chefs to give us any sashimi. I suppose it makes sense, but I'd advise going closer to noon or 1pm if you want to make sure you're getting a good selection of everything.
(4)Stephanie G.
Ehhhh....crab legs were good....I don't see myself returning however. Everything else was ranged from so so to just plain bad. They did have a huge sushi selection, but none of it any good so they didn't win points there. The place is huge, and has better ambiance than most buffets and it seemed clean enough. It just didn't have enough going for it that I could see myself returning. I just wasn't impressed with anything.
(3)Nelson M.
Restaurant Review Ugh vomiting! I always fall to the seafood AYCE. Our family finally decided to come to the Schaumburg location for the seafood dinner extravaganza which was 22.49. Not bad considering what Todai use to cost. So this palce truly does live up to the name of a Royal Seafood buffet unlike other asian buffet with imitation crab meat and overcooked salmon. There selection of seafood is unrivaled and likely my downfall as well. There are clams, larger clams, mussles, oysters, fried oyster, sushi, sashimi, crab, and even lobster on certain nights along with lots of asian food items such as dim sum mongolian wok, stir fry etc. A couple of observation, the line for crab legs is out of control. It wraps around half the buffet and you spend 30 minutes alone waiting for crab legs. They should assign someone to pass out the crab legs i.e. limit 2 each trip instead of people of letting people pile on the whole thing before walking away. Next the sushi is poorly made falling apart as you pick it up. Furthermore the sashimi is gingerly given out in a slow manner from "FROZEN packets" mind you. I had no idea sashimi came in small plastic pouches. Ugh. There is also your obligatory chinese dessert section with green tea ice cream which is a +. My adventure did not stop here as I attempted to drive back to home to Chicago and started having hot flashes and indigestion. Before I could get back into my condo I asked my wife for a grocery bag as I proceeded to vomit a entire bagof brackish black fluid. Low grade fever and the runs dictated the rest of the night. Lesson learned: seafood buffet are dangerous as you are bound to run the risk of food borne illness. If you are willing to take the risk this would be the place to go for variety.... Pro- One of the largest seafood buffet. Okay price for what you get. Con- High risk for seafood/food poisoning Hidden deal- Lobster night Wed/Friday night. Only a 1.50 more than normal dinner price
(1)Joan K.
It's ok if you want to eat by yourself. My second time here. Wanted to see if things improved sine I went originally when the restaurant first opened. Nope! The waits for food is ridiculous. How do other buffets handle refilling food items? This place needs to take some instructions. Plus there are many workers behind the scenes. If you have all these folks running around on a not so busy Thursday dinner time, I'd hate to see it on a weekend. Waiting for crab legs is nuts. But my friend and I were told that's what you have to do to get any. So whatever food you have waiting at the table gets ice cold. Or one waits, while the other eats. I know there are folks who gourge themselves on crab legs, like they never had them before but perhaps you serve portion to a table if they request them at the beginning of the meal. Eliminate the lines. Please. It's crazy. Sushi was good, but again, the more popular ones are replenished about every ten minutes and they disappear immediately. I noticed staff making sushi for a patron and handing them a prepared plate right to their Asian pals. To me, they acted as if the didn't understand me when I asked for a particular type. I wouldn't go back..I didn't enjoy my meal with my friend, who I seldom was able to talk to cuz we had to wait in lines. Crazy. For 25.00 a pop, it's not worth it.
(1)Phill C.
If your typical Las Vegas buffet and your neighborhood Super China buffet had a baby, this would be it. This place is huge and very nicely decorated, with a massive selection of food. They have a hibachi grill, sushi, dim sum, hot food selection, crab legs, ice cream, and even a cotton candy machine. I was hoping this place would be great, but was very disappointed. I ended up going here twice, once for dinner with friends and again for lunch with some coworkers... and I regret having gone both times. Just felt like I ate a whole bunch of nothing, as nothing was really that good. Even the ice cream wasn't that great. which oddly tasted watered down. I guess if you just want to eat a whole bunch of crab legs, the dinner price isn't too bad. But overall, the food wasn't that great.
(2)Kat L.
Oh, royal buffet. I hate to say it, but I have mixed emotions!!! The selection is extremely plentiful. Here's my highlights. -dim sum, sushi, raw bar, hibachi station, and chinese food. I'm a dim sum junkie, so I was pleasantly surprised! Down side? No hoisin sauce for their dumplings. That's a huge miss. It's like missing ketchup for your fries!! Now all they need is some thai food, some wide rice noodles, and we're all set. -rice cooker on board. Whaaaa?!?! just like home away from home -raw oysters. Let me say that again. Raw. Oysters. So cool that they've got 'em, although I'm sad there was a fishy aftertaste. Good amount of meat though! -Crab legs!!. these have been disappearing from so many buffets, and I'm really happy to say that these are not ridiculously salty. Good amount of meat, and melted butter readily on board-- i'm just so sad to say that I've been developing an indigestion intolerance to these babies. *sniff* So here's some other things. I love that they've got an enormous assortment. You could really eat a meal alone on each of their stations. There's a huge hibachi assortment of ingredients, plentiful sushi (both nigiri pieces, rolls, and *gasp* a whole vat of spicy mayo!! gobble gobble), dim sum, and other standard chinese foods. The reason I gave 3 stars is because there food is just... not quite as FLAVORFUL. Looks great, and there's so much, but.... doesn't stand out. The fried items are reminiscent of all items having been thrown in the same frier with the same oil. Some items like the walnut shrimp are a little stale, having lost its crunchy texture, and clearly had been sitting out for some time. Another miss: very sad dessert bar. Not very many chocolate items. Some fruit. One jello. The flan ran out and was never replaced. The entire dessert bar, overall, was just not that appetizing or exciting. They offer a lot of different ice creams, like red bean, green tea, and an ube/taro-like ice cream. But it's more ice than cream. And not quite on point with flavor. One cool thing? their own homespun cotton candy. While childish, my sister insisted. Surprisingly, it did taste pretty good. (Although I had to put it down after a while. My neurotic boyfriend has been veering me away from food with food dyes). Overall, I think this place is definitely an upper scale buffet, and more pleasant to take friends and family. It's so much more cleaner and classier than your typical Chinese buffet. Their service is also pretty decent, considering how busy they can get. But still, for all the bells and whistles, the flavor must be there. And that's why I can only give 3.
(3)Andrew G.
The problem with a majority of buffets is that in trying to serve everything under the sun, and do it well, they end up serving up an overall mediocre experience. Unfortunately, no place does this fault become more noticeable than the Royal Buffet. Situated in a strip mall, adjacent to several other restaurants of varying flavors in the area, Royal Buffet easily stands out among all of them due to it's unavoidably gargantuan size. Walking in, you'll be quickly bombarded by loud noise on par with family reunions. But, thankfully, Royal has the space to accommodate such large gatherings. For those who have never tried Asian cuisine, there is a vast array of flavors that can be sampled. Take each menu from every single smaller restaurant serving food in a similar vein, cram it together, and it's here. While it may not be as well done as those other places is downright debatable, but my answer is a stark, resounding "yes." The inherent problem appears to be Royal Buffet trying to perform the very function it was designed for as an amalgamation of food for a flat, if not overpriced, rate. While the sheer amount of consumables is voluminous, it falls significantly under the bar for what anyone should be shelling out for the price of admission. After all, a wide selection means nothing if it all ends up being little more than a shadow of what any other restaurant could singularly offer far better for the same price. Mediocre food aside, the ambient noise is loud making conversation hardly tenable at the very least. Children screaming and families jockeying to talk over each other will quickly slaughter any intimate conversations. But who cares, right? You're at a buffet to stuff your face, not taste your food or enjoy the company of companions. Sarcasm aside, this was a noticeable issue and continued to make the trip feel like a chore. A trip to the washroom was the knockout punch for Royal as far as I was concerned, basically making it so I could never visit again. I can understand some uncleanliness and it being purely circumstantial. But this was like an explosion of filth had occurred, making any stay lengthier than a few moments an act of heroism. That being said, your mileage may vary in regards to Royal Buffet. But living locally, there are just far too many alternative Asian options for this place to be visited with any degree of regularity, if ever again. I may have to go to the trouble of ordering and picking little more than a handful of things off the menu, but I have a feeling it will all be much better than what I got at Royal.
(2)Yvonne Y.
Really awesome Chinese food for a buffet. i'm guessing they'll raise their prices soon based on the current demand. Lunch items that are worth your calories: Chinese food section: Frog legs (they serve them various styles depending on the day), fried calamari, whichever Chinese greens, butter shrimp Sushi: any sashimi that looks fresh Dim sum: beef stomach, shrimp or chive/shrimp dumpling Dessert: red bean or green tea ice cream, coconut tapioca (not served everyday, next to the soup) They charge for tea. Very friendly service for a buffet restaurant. For lunch, if you show up after noon, you may have to wait.
(5)Sherwin C.
This is a very interesting restaurant that is so big it's almost like cramming Todai and Crazy Buffet into a single concept. The only buffet that I can think of that's of a similar size is Buffet City in Oak Lawn. The decorations are very nice and the selection is huge with a grill, sushi, Chinese food, Dim Sum, typical buffet items, seafood, desserts, ice cream, cotton candy machine, and more. If you're comparing this to Todai, I think it's a better choice since there's a lot more room to walk around, dinner price is better (about $20), drink prices are better (about $2), and the hot food is nicer. To match the nice decor, we experienced excellent service with a waiter that was very attentive and knowledgeable about the food. The only real drawbacks are that this place can get very busy, even early (like before 6 p.m.), getting good seafood items (like abalone with mushrooms, fried whole fish, crab legs, etc.) can be quite competitive, and depending on what time of day you go the food can sometimes be cold. I think that the food temperature is what accounts for the high level of variance in experiences between the diners. When the food is nice and hot, the food is actually quite comparable to the best Chinese restaurants in the area. In fact, I feel it is a bit less salty and can be better in texture than them. However, like with a lot of Chinese food, when it is cold it can feel oily and the flavor does not come out as well. So really you have to decide between a more relaxed meal with colder food or possibly having to wait for a seat but delicious food. Personally, I'd rather wait and be competitive for food so that I can get the best possible taste out of it. Plan accordingly for the experience you prefer. As for the food, it would take a long time to really describe everything so here are some highlights (these aren't the only good items, just I don't have the capacity to try every item they offer): Pot stickers - nice and juicy inside with a crisp skin, great when they come out fresh. Shrimp skewer - the vegetables are plump and juicy although the shrimp could use a little more seasoning. Rainbow roll - Fresh and light, great for starting the meal. Halibut fillet - A little under-seasoned I think but a surprising item on their menu. Philadelphia roll, dragon roll, shrimp tempura roll - very similar to other local Japanese restaurants. Not among the best but a solid choice, a bit above average for buffet maki. Mongolian beef - The beef is very nice and tender. Hot tea - Tastes like Lipton Mandarin Orange Green Tea, quite nice if you've never tried it before. Thai style fried whole fish - I think it was red snapper or rainbow trout, either way it was delicious and a very surprising choice for a buffet that wasn't that expensive. Mayonnaise shrimp - Nice light and crisp when it comes out fresh. Fried chicken - a bit better than the normal fried chicken you get from most Chinese buffets. The batter was nice and crunchy. Beef tripe - Not as flavorful or salty as you expect from dim sum restaurants but still pretty good. Pork spareribs - On par with most dim sum restaurants. Roast duck - Good for a buffet, not as nice as the fresh ones you get from Chinatown but it's hard to get this item out in the suburbs. Cantonese seafood soup - Could have used more seafood but a solid choice with pretty good flavor. Sing gua (Chinese okra) & clam soup - You don't see this too often and the version the buffet does is actually pretty good. It would be excellent if they would add a bit of ginger to it to complement the flavor of the broth. Scallion pancake - Nice and crispy when it's fresh. One of my favorite items. Chive dumping - As good as most Chinatown restaurants when it's fresh. It is not too salty but have a good strong flavor of chives. Fish ball on a stick - too bad I didn't see them serve octopus balls but these are pretty addictive as well. Red bean ice cream - Delicious. Cotton candy - Spun fresh. If you haven't tried cotton candy hot out of the spinner, you are missing out on a delicious experience (well, I guess as gourmet as cheaper candy can get). Cold jellyfish - about as good as other Chinese restaurants make it. Abalone and sea cucumber with mushrooms - Not sure if these are all real ingredients but the taste was pretty good. Surprising it's even offered considered how expensive these ingredients are. MORE ITEMS: yelp.com/user_details_li… At this point I was stuffed beyond belief and I wasn't even close to trying a fraction of their items. They have an impressive selection of dim sum and sushi items I still want to try but it make take several more trips to sample them all. Throughout the night it did seem that items than ran out were being replaced with new items so that every time I took a trip to the buffet I'd run across new things. This buffet is truly amazing in scale and scope.
(5)Brianna L.
I don't even like buffets and I absolutely love this place! 2 of my friends and myself found ourselves here for lunch yesterday and we were so glad we did! We left stuffed, but the food was just so good! They have a mongolian bbq section (passed), sushi (freshly rolled constantly) was really good (pink lady was my favorite), dim sum (we were scared we've never had it), salads, korean bbq ribs (melt off the bone delish), soups, lo mein noodles, fresh fruit, COTTON CANDY!!!! UMM they just had sooo much! It was all so good. I don't think there was really anything that none of us didn't like. We each had 3 plates...omg too much food for real! We're already planning our next trip here lol maybe for dinner next time tho :)
(5)Angela H.
We were here with a party of 17 and arrived ar 8:30 pm. They immediately told us "we close at 9:30!!!". So giddy up!!! Lots o' sushi, sashimi, oysters, mussels, clams, king crab legs, dungeness crabs, fish, and other seafoods. If you don't eat seafood, this place is not the best place for you. Also a dim sum section and a bbq grill area as well. On this day however, oysters were not their best. They were on the cusp of being rank. So we tossed 'em. If we ate anymore and we were certain we'd end up in the bathroom for hours. Dessert was meh. Cotton candy was a hit with the little ones. Ice cream is not self serve, you have to ask the lady behind the counter for a scoop of your desired flavor. I've had better buffets, but this was alright for a group of 17 late at night.
(3)Sarah S.
I was very excited to try this buffet because I knew it was going to be huge being inside an old furniture store.Sadly, Royal Buffet is not good at all. I was expecting it to be super busy when we went because of the reviews, but that was not the case. We were one of the first tables in for a weekday lunch, yet they seated us far, far away in a separate section. I understand how seating works as far as server's sections but move the sections close together when the place is sparse! We had to walk so far to get to the buffet. I was very excited when I walked in with my lunch crew because there is a HUGE selection of food! Sadly, nothing was good. Some items were okay like the dim sum and the a few of the Chinese dishes like Pepper Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken. They have a huge selection of rolls and sushi but they aren't fresh at all and the ingredients are not good quality either. I tried a ton of different items and there was not one item that was good. The Jin deiu (sesame balls) had red bean paste inside that did not taste like red bean paste at all! It was so gross I spit it out. I was looking forward to dessert because I thought there was no way that would be gross, too. The dessert selection was small compared to the buffet, but I got excited when I saw purple ice cream!!! It has to be Ube (Purple Yam) ice cream! And...it was....but it was so gross. :( I was so sad sad because Ube ice cream is my latest obsession. The ONLY good thing of my entire meal was cotton candy which comes from a cotton candy machine. Service was just fine for us most of the time aside from some check paying issues. The girl waiting on us was friendly, but it seemed the serves were standing around aimlessly most of the time. If you want a ton of mediocre food, this is the place for you. If quality reigns over quantity for you, do not go here. Please understand the food is not good at all! Food is a total failure here. If you want a really good Asian buffet in the area, go to Crazy II Buffet!!!
(2)David W.
This place took us by complete surprise. My family recently came across this place close to home. We knew from the name that it was associated with the Royal buffet a bit more down south, so we were expecting a similar run of the mill Chinese buffet experience, but boy were we wrong. As we walked in the door, the visual effect was just out of this world, sorta felt like i was walking into an upscale casino buffet. The lighting, the ambiance, marble floor, and everything was big, including an enormous front lobby that has nothing but a huge water fountain that's the size of a small swimming pool. The buffet included a make it yourself Mongolian stirfry station, sashimi bar, oyster bar, sushi station, salad bar, hot food area, dim sum bar, and dessert station. Some of the food there is quite typical of an Asian buffet, but they also included specialty items that really hit home for me. 1) boiled snow crab legs - the crab legs here are not steamed, so it loses a bit of the freshness, but still in fairly high quality. With replenishment coming in every 5-10 mins, I ate til i puked (puking out of pure joy not food poisoning). 2) pig feet and chicken feet - what can i say about these? The pig feet are like how mama used to make em, plus not that many places have them around the Chicago area, so that makes em a winner. Chicken feet are quite nice too, on par with many dimsum places in Chinatown. 3) soups - they had this one clam soup with ginger and luffa (yes, the same plant that they make loofahs out of). It's bliss in a bowl. It takes me back to family dinners at my grandparents' house, the taste is spot on. If you think chicken noodle soup does good for you when you're sick, try this soup next time when you catch a bug. 4) frog legs - deep fried frog legs, fresh frog legs! The meat is tender, not over done, no fishy smell, and lightly seasoned, delicious. 5) beef rib and strip steak - good old fashion chunks of meat. All of it perfectly cooked, not tough, fall off the bone, and the seasoning was once again, spot on. 6) cotton candy - although i didn't have some, but come on, when was the last time you saw a restaurant serving cotton candy? It seemed to have kept children of all ages really happy (ages 2 to 80). There were many other things I didn't get to try due to the large selection, for everything else that I've tried, it ranged from average to awesome. I even went against my Asian buffet belief and had a bit of the fried rice and it was outstanding. The quality of the sushi bar could be better, but it was quite acceptable. Last thing is the service, it was perhaps the best service I've had at any buffet place. Water and hot tea replenished before you can finish, empty plates gone everytime before you get back to the table, and the waitress seems to appear anytime you need something and never a word when you are busy devouring food ,like a genie! Try the items mentioned above next time you go, they might take a bit getting used to, but I can guarantee that they are done to the exact specification and very well prepared! If you dont like them, there are literally hundreds of other items to fall back on. And last word of advice, tip your wait staff! They deserve it.
(5)April M.
Most of the reviews seem to be from opening weekend, which I know they were slammed with people and probably lacking staff. Even though there was a big "NOW HIRING" sign on the front door I didn't see any of the service issues people have mentioned. Our waitress was very good with refills and anything we requested today. The food was good, yes like others commented some things did run out sadly yet we got there at 5:30pm on a Sunday. Although once things did run out I could see the kitchen scrambling to replenish the supply. Sushi was good, not outstanding yet it was good for buffet sushi. I was happy to see a good supply of wasabi and other hot sauces! I tried a lot of things I've never tried before so that was good. Crab rangoon was a bit too sweet for my tastes sadly since I usually love it at other places. Yet overall everything was tasty and I didn't find anything in particular to complain about. Sadly I didn't have enough room to try the grill, maybe next time! This place is priced lower than Todai's dinner so I'd say for dinner come here instead. Just be sure to arrive pre dinner rush, as we were walking out around 6:30-7pm there were 30 people waiting to be seated. When we arrived we only had a few minute wait. Also I enjoyed this buffet way better than Todai, so I'll be back for sure.
(4)Arlene G.
came here again with more family and it was DELICIOUS! i dont know how people dont like this place cuz its such a great variety of asian foods thats really tasty! the price may seem a lot but its really not for all the seafood u get. i wont even go 2 any other buffets besides this one!
(5)Teressa D.
We were looking for an asian buffet in an area of the Northwest suburbs where there are very few buffets to choose from. Found Royal Buffet here, on Yelp. It's where I find all my newest favorite restaurants. I will say that I was concerned that this visit was not gonna live up to the $30/person price tag. Well, for those people who come to a buffet to eat all you can, you will definitely get your money's worth. For those of us who are just there to enjoy a variety of good foods, it's a little pricey. All that being said, the food was UH-mazing. The selection of sashimi and sushi was some of the freshest and most varied I have ever had. On the night that we visited there were at least 5 sushi chefs behind the counter, all feverishly working to keep up with the Saturday night crowd. We did not take advantage of the mongolian grill. If I had to say that any area of the restaurant was lacking, it would have been that area because of the few choices available. The regular buffet offered dozens of Chinese, Korean and Japanese favorites. One of the highlights for members of our party were the three different offerings of teriyaki dishes, including chicken, beef and salmon. The crab/cream cheese rangoon were exceptional. The sesame chicken? Loved! Spring rolls and dumplings? Delish! The green beans? Succulent. There was not one dish that appeared to have been sitting for too long, not to mention the fact that I saw very few empty serving dishes. The line for the 1/2 lobster was probably 20 minutes long so none of our party had lobster. And the dessert section was so wonderful. Tey actually offered Moose Tracks ice cream! And yummy pecan pie and mini-creme brule's. Even cotton candy! YUM-MEEE! We will definitely be back.
(5)Simon Z.
Royal Buffet is seriously one of the best value buffets that I've ever been to. The prices are really good and the variety is amazing. I came for the first time for the lunch deal and was not disappointed. The thing that I really like about Royal Buffet is that I know in the future that I can come here and can always find something that I like. I don't even need to know what I'm craving that day but will always find it once I'm inside and am customizing my own plates. When I'm looking for more savory hot foods, I'll go for the Mongolian barbecue (I recommend the garlic sauce), and depending on how light or heavy I want it, I'll choose my meats/veggies accordingly. On the opposite end, if I'm looking for a lighter, less oily meal, I head towards the sushi and sashimi bar, where there's tons of variety in what kinds of sushi are available (fair warning: the sushimi selection was not nearly as big). Then there's a whole selection of hot Chinese food and dim sum that sates my appetite for anything in between. The buffet is no Michelin star (who goes to a buffet expecting that anyway?) but if you're looking for a great meal and a customizable experience, I'd say this is really the best bang for your buck.
(5)Lefai K.
I hate buffets. I hate buffets because of the quality of food. But this place isn't too bad. The variety of food here is really good. And the amount of asians that patron here, is a great indication that the value is good too. They have a decent sushi selection, a hibachi grill, tons of chinese food, cotton candy, chocolate fountain, and ice cream.
(4)Kevin S.
This place hasn't changed for the past couple years. The food is decent for the price of the buffet. The crab legs are great, make sure to get to the station before the line forms and grab 2 plates full. The fish and sushi tastes fishy (stay away). The dimsum is ok and the chinese food in the corner is great. Don't get the rock crab that's been steamed in leaves, it has a weird taste.
(3)Sung K.
For the price that we paid, it was worth it. It's a buffet so it's not mind blowing but it was one of the better buffets. Lot of variety of choices in Asian cuisine. Had ice cream too which was a plus. Crabs and lobster as well. Line is super long for it but if you go at the right time it isn't too bad
(4)Mike M.
I've been to a lot of Chinese buffets in my day and they just don't seem to make em like they used to. I'm used to your local Chinese buffet having a few decent items and basically just being a place to stuff your face and get full on average Americanized Chinese food. You'd have your sweet n sour chicken, general tso's, beef with broccoli, crab rangoon, and if you're lucky they'd have a soft serve machine for dessert. That's about it. I guess times are a changin'. Royal buffet is a Chinese buffet on steroids. They literally have everything you could think of, providing more variety than you'd ever need. Let's start off with just the general hot food section. They have your typical Chinese chicken/beef/shrimp dishes. Throw in a couple American dishes like french fries and chicken fingers for the kids and you're already satisfied right? This section alone could've already beat any of the Chinese buffets from my childhood. But nope, they didn't stop here...they're just getting started. Moving on, they have a separate line for seafood. This is where it gets chaotic. Just a massive line of people, each leaving gigantic piles of crab legs on their plates. It seems like they never run out either. It's a little bit more organized now, with much less people cutting than in the past. I guess this is the star of the show, the real reason most people come here and are willing to pay such a high price for a buffet. After that, there was a sushi station. It seemed to have a lot more variety than most offerings I've seen at other buffets. I don't really eat sushi, so I can't comment on the quality. Next to that is the dim sum section. This is where we really stray from the typical Americanized food I'm used to at Chinese buffets. I can't really say I'm a connoisseur on authentic Chinese food, so I haven't even heard of a lot of these items. I'll admit they were a little intimidating and I didn't really try most of them, so I just stuck to the shumai, buns, and chive pancakes. I enjoyed the food I did try from this section though. On the end is the stir fry station. This is really the highlight of the place for me. I've been to really good Mongolian stir fry places that had a sorry excuse for a buffet, and I've been to Chinese buffets that had pretty terrible quality hibachi grills / stir fry stations. Royal buffet kind of has the best of both worlds. What I typically look for with stir fry is a good variety of sauces that you can mix yourself, decent quality meat, and being able to choose your own noodles and load up as much of it as you want on your plate. Royal has all of these, and actually does make a really good plate of stir fry in my opinion. With the closure of Mongolian Stir fry in Schaumburg (I'm still sad about this one), Genghis Grill in Wheaton, and Mongolian Chinese Buffet in Buffalo Grove, this is literally the only place left that I know of where you can get decent stir fry. Finally, they have a pretty good dessert selection here. There are trays of various pastries and mini slices of cakes and pies. In addition to those, they have a few varieties of hand scooped ice cream you can choose from. These last few items are where they just get flat out ridiculous. There is a station where you can get fresh made crepes and customize what they're filled with. Then they also have freshly spun cotton candy, which is a huge hit with the kids. Finally they have a freakin' chocolate fountain! Who does that? They have various fruits and other items on skewers that you can pass through the gloriously flowing chocolate. In terms of dining area, the actual space of the restaurant is gigantic. They have like 3 or 4 separate dining rooms. I'm not sure what the capacity is, but they easily reach it at busy times, especially on holidays like Mother's day. It's just a sea of Asian people flooding the restaurant. Overall, Royal buffet is kind of like a Vegas style Chinese buffet. It seems to be the king of the mega Asian buffets in the Chicago burbs, outlasting both Todai and Nagoya. I usually don't come here often because I'm not a huge seafood fan and I don't really take advantage of most of the items that make this place unique from other generic Chinese buffets. I'd say it's a good place to celebrate a special occasion, but given the higher price tag, I probably wouldn't come here regularly.
(4)Tina L.
For an Asian buffet place, this is one of the legit places to go for sushi, crab legs, and seafood. I particularly like the Mongolian noodle station -- you can choose your type(s) of meat, veggies, and type of noodle....pick out your sauces and take it over to the guy going around the giant round flat griddle. Because of the intense heat of the griddle, the food is cooked in a matter of minutes! The result is a steaming hot plate of your favorite ingredients + noodles to enjoy back at your table. For dinner, you can get in a very long line for lobster tail and crab legs. If there are a lot of people, they are known to limit the amount you get. For instance, there was this time where they only allowed for half a lobster tail and one set of crab legs. All the other times, tho, they let you have a whole set for both. I guess it just depends on the timing that you're there.
(4)Jody R.
Sometimes the lobster is good, but when it's really busy they tend not to clean it as well. I also think they purposely space out the time between servings of lobster to discourage people from coming up too many times. However, that aside the food is amazing, with a Mongolian barbecue, full line of sushi, all the different Chinese food you could ever eat, and amazing dessert buffet. The pink lemonade is also very yummy.
(4)Tara M.
An interesting place. The restaurant itself is huge, with a ton of seating. I went for a weekday lunch and it was a great deal at 12.99 (plus tax, tip, and beverage). I had great service when I went. Many interesting, authentic items on the buffet. The sushi was ok, but not amazing (but what can you expect for these prices, come on). I didn't try much of the seafood as I am picky about where I eat seafood, but the rest of the items were good.
(4)Esther L.
My mom loves this buffet because of their seafood. They do have a wide selection of sushi rolls and sashimi that they put out sparingly and in small amounts, which isn't always fresh. They have a lot of hot food too, including dim sum, make-it-yourself habachi grill, and typical Chinese and American foods. I like the cooked fish dishes and the moose track ice cream. They have a good desert selection that includes cotton candy, chocolate fondue, various ice creams, crepes, and your usual buffet deserts. We usually go for lunch since it is cheaper, but we recently went for the first time for dinner and I didn't see much of a difference. The only items that I noticed on the dinner buffet that weren't available for lunch were salty crab legs (you know the long red ones you need to crack), more sashimi that wasn't fresh, and raw oysters that I did particularly enjoy. There weren't as much cooked fish for dinner, but I am not sure if it was just because they were out. So I don't think that the dinner was worth paying more for. All in all, this is still the best Chinese buffet in the area, especially for sushi since Todai closed in Woodfield Mall. Some seating at the bar and raised platform areas are not accessible, but everything else is manageable. Some tables and booths are hard to get to, but they have been good about finding a table that will work with my wheelchair. I haven't had a negative experience with the staff yet. They have a wheelchair accessible stall with grab bars that is usually clean in the women's restroom, so I assume that there is an accessible stall in the men's as well. There are quite a few accessible parking spaces, but they are often occupied. We still manage to get an accessible parking space. There are two sets of doors to get in and no automatic door opener.
(4)Kathy S.
Came here today with a friend and can't say it was bad but can't say it was amazing either . This is place is pretty average . The sushi bar is small but it's not bad . They have tons of options the food seems very oily.
(2)Eugene W.
This place sets my standard for buffets (specifically Asian buffets). They have almost everything I could hope for, from a Mongolian BBQ line to a great dim sum selection to sushi to seafood and more. The variety of food that they provide is stellar! Their sushi is good (as far as buffets go), they have lots of fried seafood and meat, and you probably won't be able to get through everything before you get full. They have a great dessert selection, with tiramisu, flan, cake, a chocolate fondue fountain, and ice cream that includes green tea and red bean flavors. Besides the food, the service is good. The place is always crowded, so you may want to get there a little earlier. This is my favorite buffet in Chicagoland!!
(5)Liza M.
The food is great and there are plenty of dimsum, seafood and dessert to try. But some servers and waiters are rude and frowning. Who would want that kind of service?
(3)Christina B.
Next time someone suggests we come here, I will politely say, "No thank you". After reading all of these wonderful reviews, I just can't get over how not amazing this place was. I was super excited at first, you all had me completely fooled. I even broke my "Never again will I eat at a buffet" vow that I made at the Epic Buffet at the Hollywood Casino. So, incredibly, disappointed. At $25.00 a person, the food was so not worth the price. I'm pretty sure I ate about $25 dollars worth of food, but the food was not good. I stuck with mainly sushi; the selection was pretty impressive when I walked up, however, when I went to go eat it, the rolls fell apart, they were luke warm, and flavorless. The crab rangoon was the worst I've ever had. It tasted like straight mayo inside of a crunchy shell. The only two things that I could really stomach were the miso soup and the lomein. I really should have done the create your own Mongolian bowl, because at least then you would see the chefs making it in front of you. The service was mediocre at best, I picked up multiple plates that were still crusted with food on them. We had to ask for new forks and spoons twice because they were crusted with food, and the waiter was slow to pick up our plates. I really wish we had been here during the lunch time price Monday through Friday which is only $12 because I nearly cried when I saw the bill. It literally took me all night to digest and have an appetite for more food. The food didn't sit well at all. So, I'm back to my vow...I will never go to another buffet again.
(2)Andrea K.
My favorite thing here is the Sushi. Yeah it is pricey. But there are some wicked treats on this buffet. Some of the food is more like something Andrew Zimmerman would eat on his show (cuttlefish and jellyfish , anyone). I'm adventurous so I will try anything once. the seafood is fresh. The raw oysters were wonderful as were the shrimp. I would call this a lucky find in the buffet world, and most of the time I hate buffets.
(5)Chandrea O.
Can never go wrong with a buffet with Seafood and sushi selections. You get your money's worth for how much you eat, because of course it's pricy in just regular dining experience. Also, they keep everything fresh as possible, so that your cooked foods stay hot and fresh. Definitely a lot to choose from.
(5)Mitch F.
If you're gonna charge $29 for the buffet on lobster night. At the very least make sure people are not waiting around the corner as if though they were in a Russian bread line, for you to cook the lobster.
(2)Lily Z.
Whenever I get a craving for unlimited crab legs, I either go to Ginza or Royal Buffet. Sundays are super busy. We went around 5PM. Bad idea. The lines for crab legs were long, but at the same time, there was plenty of freshly cooked food being brought out. They have unlimited lobster on Wednesdays and Fridays? Also, their bathroom was absolutely freezing. It felt like I stepped outside without my coat. Don't get their green tea ice cream. Not that great. But they do have a crepe station. In the grand scheme of all things, this place isn't too bad for a buffet restaurant. You have a stir fry section, sushi, seafood, dessert with a cotton candy, crepe, ice cream and chocolate fountain. Pretty darn awesome. Just don't expect Michelin star food.
(3)Dipak S.
My brother in law suggested this place for its seafood selection. Royal buffet gets its five stars just for the options - raw, baked, steamed, fried; beef, chicken, pork, oysters, fish - You name it they have it. I havent seen a spread so vast and most importantly the quality was . My top pics are - lobster (everyone in my group loved it), fried fish with the house sauce, chicken wings, steamed oyster. Our server definitely needs some training. We found it hard to communicate anything - from getting the menu to clearing the plates. I wish they had something in vegetarian. Definitely ensure you have enough space in your tummy before you venture into this seafood fantasy land.
(5)Emily T.
Seafood is good. I love lobsters, crab legs, whole crabs, oysters, crawfish, etc. Waiting time is too long though.
(4)Lizzy C.
Royal Buffet is seriously one of the best value buffets that I've ever been to. The prices are really good and the variety is amazing. I came for the first time for the lunch deal and was not disappointed. Great seafood.
(5)Robert L.
Terrible service at the Crab leg section today... very disappointed... nearly 30 minute wait for crab legs... twice. When I approached the person in charge she got mad and said to me "Did you only come for crab legs!!" $65 to be treated like I was annoying her and to wait in line... not good!!
(1)Victoria B.
Best seafood buffet in the burbs!!! Big, nice obeisance, clean, and really yummy. I was there over the wkd for my dads bday the service was attentive and vast selections!! My only problem were the prices over the wkd were a bit pricey at $26 per Adult and my daughter 11 yrs old was charged an adult price!! Drinks are extra charge. They've got a Mongolian BBQ, dimsum, sushi, hot app/entrees, and desert stations. Definitely worth the drive every now and then.
(4)Amy H.
I went with a co-worker once and we got the Lunch price, which was about $12 per person. The variety is phenomenal. They had Japanese food, Korean, and Chinese food. Their sushi is decent and for $12, you cannot beat that. They also have a hibachi, so you can select your ingredients and they will throw it on the grill for you. Their dessert selection is not your typical buffet selection. It is also huge. The one thing I did not like were their oysters. They were really tough. It's a buffet in the middle of the Midwest, I couldn't really expect much with that, but hey! I thought I would give it a try. Because I had such a good experience there, I took my parents and my brother. We came at noon on a weekend, so the price wasn't $12 anymore. It was about $25 per person. In my opinion, it was still worth the money because of the selection. We came hungry and in our eating pants (sweatpants) and we maxed out.
(5)Eleni P.
I'm a big seafood lover. I went to this place on a Wednesday, and it exceeded my expectations. We got there when lobster night opened so there was little to no line for the lobster/crab. My friend and I got up and got crab legs and lobster another 3 times and they give big portions. They also offer other yummy sea food like oysters and squid. IT WAS REALLY YUMMY!
(5)Natalie S.
Bad. Just... bad. We came in because our usual go-to Chinese buffet Flaming Grill was closed (whyyyy?!). We thought, "eh, one buffet is as good as the next, right?". No. The food sucked. It just did. The hibachi grill was the only thing that wasn't awful and that's because I picked the ingredients myself and watched the dude cook it. Everything else was dried out and had been sitting under warmers for too long. You don't expect awesome service at Chinese buffets but this was crazy bad. This guy kept coming by with a broom to sweep under us while we we're eating. I get my kids can be messy but they weren't let's-make-a-scene-sweeping-every-5-minutes kinda messy. Plus we had to throw ourselves into the aisle for more water. Totally not worth the $13.99 we paid and I have many regrets about going in before reading reviews on Yelp
(2)Drew S.
I wanted to go to the bathroom and puke so I could eat some more. Very pleasant experience and I will come back again. People that don't enjoy it here must not like food.
(5)Aina L.
This place actually is much better than I thought it would be. My husband loves Chinese buffet but Royal Buffet offers more than just Chinese food. They have an array of Chinese, Japanese, and even a Mongolian Stir Fry where you pick your own ingredients and they stir fry them for you. The menu is not at all boring or redundant and on certain days they have lobster and crab day. To top it all off, the food actually taste delicious. What else can you ask for? We're coming back for sure!
(5)Huong T.
Lobster night is good if you get the right chef! We were lucky! Not bad for 25 bucks per person
(4)Kimmy N.
I don't do well with buffets. Don't care for them much but when you have 30+ people in town it's hard to find a place to dine with big space. I've been here twice, both times weren't bad at all. Because we have so many people in our party we are always in a private room. Which is very far from the buffet. Therefore whenever we get our hot food from the buffet...with the 2 minute walk back to our table. The food gets cold easily. Other than that it's an ok place. Service isn't awesome but I guess it's hard when you're taking care of 30+ people.
(4)Chet M.
Same old "Asian eat till you puke" buffet with all the usual suspects - * Pushy Filipino lady poking you in the back with plate in lobster line * Greedy Tawanese hipsters that take all the scallops * Stingy Cantonese lobster nazi lady making sure you get only 1 lobster * Vietnamese couple with head down eating for 1 hour nonstop * Old thin Korean ladies that eat like linebackers * Fat Samoan dude there just to take the house down * South pacific villagers who can give competitive eaters a run * No Japanese to be found because they are above it all * Gwhy lohs that eat just fried rice, wings, hot sour soup & w/big grin on face Me? The critical Chinese jerk that busts on everything but happily eats it all up!!!
(4)Phyllis S.
This guy at work was telling me a wondrous tale of an Asian buffet fantasy-land full of sushi, awesome seafood, dim sum, mongolian teppan yaki and yakitori so what could I do but go check it out? We arrived at about 12:30 pm on Saturday. The place was full, with no line to get in, but people seemed polite and I didn't notice any cutting in line or rudeness. The seafood did not disappoint. I started with a whole dungeness crab which I'd never had before. It was toasty warm, despite the fact that it was from a buffet. My first act was to accidentally explode a crab claw all over myself and the table, but after that things went better. There were several types of broiled fish, steamed clams, oysters and scallops cooked in shell. I was particularly fond of the steamed scallops dressed with sesame oil, soy sauce and scallions. There were lobsters, snow crab legs, steamed crayfish and battered crab legs (in shell) and many kinds of shrimp. The snow crab legs were nicely steamed. There was also a fresh raw shellfish bar, but given the review of Spaghetti O and my own disinclination toward raw oysters, I decided to skip the raw shellfish offerings. Since I was mostly here to try abalone for the first time, I didn't eat much of the other Chinese food. However, I did try the roast duck (excellent), beef spare ribs, steamed green beans and of course the tender abalone, which was perfectly cooked with bamboo shoots and shitake mushrooms. YUM! There were so many other dishes I wanted to try, but just didn't have the tummy space, yanno? (I noticed there were several types of unusual food like a variety of chicken feet and some pig trotters, but those aren't really my thing, so I left them to the folks who are into them.) Then I went on to the sushi offerings. The selection was pretty impressive. As others have noted, since it is sitting out on a buffet platter, it can be a bit dry, but I was happy with the tako, mackerel, red snapper, unagi, spicy crab and wasabi fish roe sushi. They also had little portion cups of flying fish roe, tako su and spicy whole baby octopi, among other items. There were whole bottles of the appropriate toppings if you wanted to add more spicy mayo to your sushi rolls, etc. After that I had some lovely dim sum. There was lotus rice, bean paste dumplings steamed in bamboo leaves, pork buns, coconut buns, shrimp dumplings, shrimp fun rolls and many types of shumai. There was also a lovely desert-like gelatinous dumpling filled with coconut paste that I really liked. Finally I finished up with desert, some lovely bananas and wafers dipped into the chocolate fondue fountain, over some green tea ice cream. I'd call the quality of the ice cream middle of the road, but I enjoyed it. Sadly I just didn't have room for the desert crepes or cotton candy! I also regret missing out on trying the Mongolian grill, but as it was I was about as full as I could comfortably enjoy. Everything I tried was well-flavored and good quality, considering it was on buffet tables. The staff was helpful, being sure to hand me a crab-cracker for my seafood, without me even asking! We will definitely be back for more!
(4)Ifeyemi O.
Not worth the price!!! The restaurant looks nice and there seem to be a lot of choices but nothing was spectacular. For $70 my husband and I would have had a more satisfying meal at Cheesecake Factory ( that's what my husband wanted but I wanted to try this Buffett) and better service in a more pleasant environment. Never going back
(1)Christine L.
Weekday lunch is $11.99, which is ridiculously cheap given the variety of food they offer at this place. There was a Mongolian grill that we didn't even touch because we just didn't have the room in our stomach. There is also sushi rolls and nigiri and sashimi, but these were just okay - heavy on the rice, thin on the fish. There was also conch, raw top neck clams, steamed shrimp, and steamed mussels. Much of this tasted frozen and then defrosted, so not particularly fresh. The best part is actually the Chinese food they serve. The fried squid was delicious when they brought it out piping hot. The braised pork feet was tasty though I would've liked it just a bit spicy, but I can see how most people would prefer it not. There were steamed buns, and glutinous rice with mushrooms and meat steamed in lotus leaves, and fried frog legs. There was steamed fish and fried smelt. There were pig ears braised and then tossed in some oil - standard but delicious Chinese fare. The dessert bar also offers a selection of ice cream including red beam and green tea, which were a perfect mild sweetness, but there were also fried bananas, a chocolate fountain and tiramisu, pumpkin pie, etc. There was also a chef making fresh crepes with your filling of choice. For those who prefer fruit to finish their meals, there were lychees and pineapples among others. Another reviewer compared this place to a Vegas buffet, which I don't agree. Vegas buffets these days are really high end and fancy, but Royal buffet is a very decent buffet given the price.
(4)Stefanie B.
I'm a buffet girl...I LOVE THEM! When royal Buffet first opened I was the first to try and fall in love! They had everything you could think of dim sum, crab legs, lobster, sushi, sashimi, Teppanyaki, create your own station, all the way to cotton candy! (Which I'm not a fan of btw but still cool for kids). It was my buffet dream come true... But as of late the quality has been declining and the food is not so good anymore. It really is disappointing the last time I went on a lobster night the seafood and lobster was so tasteless it made me sad... Get it back together Royal Buffet!!
(3)Laura S.
Since I've moved to Schaumburg I have yet to find a buffet restaurant of any type that doesn't make me horribly sick. Fortunately, Royal Buffet gave me minimal problems and therefore I would give it another shot. The quality of the food is only slightly better than most buffets. However, the enormous variety of dishes to pick from make up for that. Worst: BBQ pork/duck(?) meat. Best: more fresh sushi than you can shake a red herring at. There is no relaxing while you eat though because they charge according to how long you stay and it gets pretty ridiculously priced pretty fast. The dining area was REALLY crowded and children were crashing all about the place.
(3)T D.
For an Asian buffet, this place was pretty decent. My bf and I went on a Wednesday (lobster night) and it was delicious! You can get in line and get the WHOLE lobster one at a time. (Beware the line MAY take awhile... We waited for 20 mins!!) Snow crab legs were also amazing!!! They have a variety selections of sushi, dim sum, hot food, and your typical desserts and fruits. I definitely recommend this place for lobster night!!
(4)Jorge M.
So my BF and his friends they were asking so many times to go to this buffet because they have on Wednesday a seafood special. I'm not a big fan of seafood and it was kinda far from so from my house in Chicago so it wasn't a big deal. I decided to take them their and try it this buffet and it was good. Like I mentioned before I'm not a fan of seafood so I tried other stuff but the whole rest were eating non stop lobster and crab legs. If you are a big fan of seafood this is the best place to go for the price, only $25.00 and you can eat not just regular buffet food but a whole lobster, I don't think their is not other rest in the area or in Chicago with that cheap price for seafood. If you don't leave in the Hoffman state area and wanna to explorer other place to go beside the city I guess this buffet its a good one.
(4)Vince D.
Great crab legs and a lot of great options. Price is reasonable. Enjoy the great food.
(5)John Q.
Royal Buffet, whats to say I been here on numerous occasions because my family out of town enjoys eating here. I been to a lot of buffets throughout my life and I'd have to say Royal Buffet is definitely one of the top notch Asian buffets in the area. Ranging from Chinese food, sushi, hibachi, dim sum, and desserts this place has a lot of variety. My family has been here so many times that they usually get the same things mainly the seafood. Heck we even bring our own fish sauce as a dip for the seafood. Although they have a large variety of foods I'll cover a few that are pretty good. The Oysters are big and and have nice bright colors to them. I like Oysters with the lemon and cocktail sauce. Typically oysters from different regions have distinct tastes without any type of sauce added to it. I'm not sure where they get their oysters, but if you eat it without any sauce it is tasteless. On certain nights they offer lobster. I would have to say the lobster is either hit or miss from a experience perspective. If you go during a holiday expect the lines to be long for the lobster, like amusement park lines. I believe that they steam their lobsters and they are decent sized. If you get lucky, there might be some roe in your lobster! On other nights they have snow crab legs which are steamed as well. Snow crab legs are pretty good. I usually get some sushi/sashimi and get like 1 piece of a variety of rolls/fish. I like tasting them each time and it's usually a miss for me. I don't know why I keep torturing myself with it, but once in awhile I get a roll that is good. Sashimi pieces are really fishy and sometimes icy since it has not thawed out all the way. Their Dim Sum is not that good even though I think this is mainly a Chinese buffet. The flavors are kind of bland and does not compare to what you can get in Chinatown at all. Royal Buffet is kind of tough to rate so I'll give it a in between rating. Out of the large amount of Chinese buffets that I have been too, this one probably deserve a 4 stars. However if I had to judge overall on all the food that I've tried over the years at Royal the food at best is 3 stars. If your here only to eat Crab legs and lobster then this place is definitely worth it. The novelty of this place has wore off on me, but if you never been here it'll probably amaze you the first time. Tips for this place: 1) Their dessert has a nice variety and I like getting the crepes. Whats nice is that you can get a scoop of ice cream in your crepe if you ask! 2) Don't go here on a holiday, unless you like to wait in lines. 3) If you don't plan on eating lobster don't go here on lobster night, you will be charged more.
(3)Edward R.
I've heard a variety of complaints. Sometimes certain trays of food get cold. This place faces the same up-hill battle every buffet faces-now couple that with the enormous size-and couple that up with the wide variety of choices. I have never seen this place "cheap out" on quality. It is a world class seafood restaurant. The dessert section is the envy of the world. I think it is very classy that I can get dim sum steamer baskets in one section, 6 kinds of fish & shellfish in another, and then interesting & unusual sashimi choices in another. All in one stop!! (oh, i forgot to mention all the other items I had to pass up on my way to my favorites. I can only eat for one!) I feel like I am actually in Asia for the hour or so that I am there. THANK YOU!
(5)Sandra G.
Always happy and satisfy . Lots of food ...good food. Service is fast & friendly. Highly recommended
(5)Somchai S.
The aura of this place has dissipated and I am over the hype that it once deserve to have. I went here on a Wednesday night for a pre-Father's Day dinner. It was lobster night for $26.99 a person. The line was the lobster and crab leg was ridiculous. You had to wait 15-20 minutes just for that item. Half the people in my party of 6 didnt even bother waiting because it moved at a snails pace. The food here has definitely stayed stale, no new menu items, no changes. For $20 it was a value, not due to the wait and the price change, it isnt what it used to be. I came for crab legs, but they only give you one leg at a time. I am completely over this place and the hype that it once had. I told my family to not invite me if they decide to eat here again.
(2)Expected C.
What can I say about this store? It's not terrible, but it's not amazing. There's a decent variety of food. There are the classic Chinese foods, desserts, and hibachi. A few good perks about the place is that the interior design is very........up-scale(?) Not really, but kind of? Lol. Basically the inside looks nice, but it would have looked better if they didn't block off the walk way to the fountain in the front. There is more dim sum than the usual, but not all of them are yummy. The sushi was okay....I guess I don't really expect much from buffet sushi. There were some new dishes I haven't seen before, but overall, this wouldn't be a place I would go back to. It's too far from where I live and the food there wasn't anything that I couldn't get at other Chinese restaurants or buffets.
(3)Chrystarie H.
Pretty cool place. Love the portion sizes. So much selection. The lines were pure chaos. So many people and their families. The seafood was so awesome. The garlic shrimp, lobster, crab, crawfish and spicy chicken were winners in my book ^_^ I encourage fellow yelpper to check it out. You're bound to find something you like
(4)Isabel K.
best for the value - will return to this place
(4)Dan B.
Some time ago, I visited a different place called Royal Buffet and found it to be terrible. Almost everything at the other Royal Buffet was mislabeled, lots of strange items were in the buffet and you had no idea what you were eating except that all of it tasted bad. Needless to say when a few people suggested I try this Royal Buffet, merely sharing the same name of the restaurant had me a bit apprehensive. One day when I was in the area I stopped in for lunch and I found it to be far far better than the 75th Street Royal Buffet. The hibachi/hot wok was well stocked with different types of meat, veggies and noodles, you could pick different sauces to add. The buffet items seemed to be properly labeled so I knew what I was eating, it was far far better, it was far cleaner. It was also far more expensive at around 30.00 with a soda pop. In doing a little further reading up on this place I discovered that lobsters were available on Fridays and Wednesdays and one Friday a friend and I decided to give it a try. Once we arrived it was packed and there was a very long line queued up. I expected it was for the lobsters and got in line once I grabbed a plate. Within about 5 minutes a one clawed lobster and some crab legs were on my plate from the line and I was ready to head back to my table and dig in. We'll start with the lobster, this lobster was well cooked, not overcooked and not undercooked. The meat had just the right juicy consistency and the proper utensils were handed out for de-shelling this behemoth from the sea. Once I finished the lobster I went on the to crab egs, these were excellent quality, were cooked well enough to be easy to snap open and get the meat out of. I liked the crab legs even more than the lobster. For my second plate I headed over to the hot wok, I got a steak, some imitation crab, shrimp, a little beef, and noodles then picked out some sauces. This also was delicious and was as good or better than the seafood. On this visit I didn't sample any of the precooked buffet food. Overall I'd say in terms of sheer food quality this is the best Chinese Buffet around, but not necessarily the best value at around 30.00 a person. I'd highly recommend it on a Wednesday or Friday when they have the lobster, if it's not a Wednesday or Friday then I'd probably recommend passing. The food here is excellent but know what to expect, especially with regards to the bill before visiting. Five stars for this place, it's a world of difference from the other Royal Buffet and I plan to visit again in the future.
(5)Nancy C.
This place really can't be beat as far as buffet places go. Sashimi, sushi, dim sum, pork belly buns, chocolate fountain, soy milk and Asian fried dough alongside your standard Chinese buffet fare. Lunch on a non-holiday week day is by far the best deal at $12.50/per person. You can stuff yourself silly. The price doubles for weekend lunch and dinner, which is not really worth it in my opinion. But I have yet to find a buffet that can rival this one, so for the every once in a blue moon I feel for Chinese buffet, I will most certainly come here.
(4)Steve D.
Came here on Sunday evening after my wife's work mate recommended this place as the best Asian buffet. I will put out this disclaimer first: I am not a fan of Chinese buffets. They are usually a bunch of mediocre, greasy, food and a lot of it is scarey. I also am not crazy about buffets in general because I wind up eating too much and then afterwards I just want to find a place to lay down. This place was packed at 6:00 and we had to wait about 10-15 minutes with a whole bunch of others to be seated at a table. I will say that this place probably has the most variety of different Asian foods. Sushi, Mongolian grill, Dim Sum, Korean, etc., etc. I tried various sushi selections. They were OK, not anything to write home about but still OK. I also tried various other items (Dim Sum, Wings, Terryaki, etc.) none of it blew my socks off, some was better than others. What I did not like about this place was the crush of people jostling you when you are trying to look and decide what to eat. One other thing. This place is not cheap. It is about $25 a person. I can't say I would return or necessarily recommend unless you're into these type of places. I'm not. I was torn between 2 or 3 stars and went with 3 because of the sushi guys and the selection of sushi but the crush of people almost made me go with 2. I don't like to feel I'm pressured while trying to have a meal. I'm sure others would like it more than me though. Cheers to all
(3)Rosanna L.
Crab legs! Lobster! Sushi! AYCE! Yum. Yum. YUM! This place is huge! There's doors to backrooms and backrooms into backrooms, yep that's how big this place is. We came here on a Wednesday evening with a party of 30+ and they easily accommodated us. Like any other buffet you usually figure out where your table is and head on over to all the deliciousness. There was always a crab/lobster line the whole night, but it moved steadily. The seafood was fresh and juicy. Their variety of hot food is vast! So much to choose from that sometimes I find myself with 2 plates in my hands (don't judge). Most of it is seafood, but they do have some meat/beef options. Their sushi is actually pretty good for a buffet, which is saying something, since my favorite spots are usually those on the spots fresh made sushi not no container from Jewel or Dominick's, yuck. The service was eh, usually you'll have to wave someone down for more water or napkins, etc. But we really enjoyed the food and we'll be back! Lobster: yelp.com/biz_photos/roya…
(4)Jay W.
Lunch is still good, but dinner has definitely gone downhill. Last couple dinners we had there were disappointing thanks to so-so crab legs. Since we only go there once in a while for dinner we decided to try a lobster night. We've had good luck a few times with their lobsters. Are they juicy Maine fresh? No, but they were good enough OK and I can eat two of them and get my $$ worth. So we stopped by on a lobster night last week, only to find ourselves queued in a long line waiting for them to bring out lobsters and crab legs. After 10 minutes of looking and feeling like a fool for paying over $30 each (with tax) to stand there watching little old Asian ladies behind the counters happily ignore the swelling line, I decided we had enough. We collected our stuff and headed for the door without paying a nickel since we ate nothing. I mentioned the issue to the hosts and manager as we left. The response was basically, that's how it is. They made excuses about having other stuff to cook and not having enough cooking space. I don't buy any of it. I think they're finally doing what all the other Asian buffets do on "premium" nights: throttle and stall. Ginza is also very famous for the same cheat-the-patron trick. It's a popular tactic. They'd have to go through way too many lobsters and crab legs if they just kept bringing it out as needed. So, they bring out a fixed amount every X minutes. Whoever gets it gets it. Those who don't have to spend their time either waiting or getting full on other less expensive items. Either way, the restaurant wins. They charge a premium price but easily control how much of the "premium" items are served. Unethical, yes. But a very common buffet strategy. We won't go back for dinner. They raised prices across the board, and for $70 my wife and I can eat two great meals and have great service at a steak house. Lunch is $14 now, OK deal only if you like the sushi. Still they've crossed a big line with the last 10%+ price hike, now we think twice every time even for lunch.
(2)Nicole S.
I seems like a lot of Asian buffet restaurants leave a lot to be desired. NOT ROYAL BUFFET! I dined here with my family during lunch ($12.99/person) and none of us left disappointed. They have so many different options ranging from Mongolian grill, Chinese, to surprisingly good sushi with the employees making new rolls right there! There were some things that were a little dry or didn't taste fantastic, but the wide array of different options and the number of things that did taste delicious easily cancel that out. I can't imagine they have a much bigger selection for dinner and it is much more expensive. Go for lunch! It's not busy and the selection is still great!
(4)Sara D.
Rien de special. I used to frequent this place often, but as the adage goes what goes up must come down. This place doesn't fall too short once praised for it's amazing food now .. More or less their plethoric selection. Quality is almost as good as garbage. The sushi looked rubbery as if if had been sitting out, went for seafood night. Our lobsters were cold. Spent most of our time there waiting in line for the lobsters. Only bonus is I took a sprite to go for my long awaited trip back home from that wretched buffet.
(3)Tom T.
I took my family to RB a couple months ago for a birthday. We arrived early around 4pm and got a nice big table for us. Lines were non-existent. Yay! Food choices are mind boggline! Get in line for the crab legs and lobster early. The only thing I'd stay away from is maybe the sushi. They don't look very fresh. But my son loved the tuna nigiri. By 5:30pm, the place was packed and lines were long long long! The early birds get the worm. =) I'd rate the food quality as a 3, but +1-star just for the large variety of food choices.
(4)Rose P.
Great variety of food. Sushi here are better than buffets' average. Seafood here are great!
(4)Pha Nhia Y.
After months of planning, I finally treated my family and some friends to a grand feast. Before coming to this, I hear wonderful stories of delicious food. We arrived early Friday evening, just so we beat the dinner rush. We got sat right away, which was a plus. Now the food, It was a great selection of seafood and variety of different kinds of fried and stir fried dishes. But the line for the their famous lobster and crab legs where ridiculous. I just wanted crab legs but i had to wait 40 minutes. I guess its my fault for staying in line for such a long time that the rest of my party was already on their second to third plate. The food was just like any other buffet nothing to special for the amount of money they charge per person. I have had better and at a way lower price.
(2)Rita H.
Seafood is the best here !!! The only bad side is the management is a little u organized - too noisy with kids running around and touch the food. The food is fresh and hot and delicious !!
(5)Sam H.
All I can say is I haven't made it out of the restaurant yet and I'm in the bathroom already!!! All the food is cold and either flavorless or poorly flavored.... It seems there are top shelf ingredient then there are low grade ingredients.... Them there are garbage ingredients!! I think that's what the problem is here. They spent all the money on rebuilding the old Harlem Furniture now they feed the patrons sub par food to recoup the expense. Well this one is going in the do not eat list for sure!!! I expected a little more for $23 a person....:( Well it's been about 30 min since I've left and I'm in the bathroom again!!! This place sucks
(1)Amanda Y.
This buffet has many options to choose from. The food is pretty good. It is about $25 for an adult without drinks included. It does get busy but the wait is never long at all.
(4)Ceca T.
Great food,great service...One of my friends changed his mind about eating chinese , and they gave us our money back,without a problem... We will be coming back again
(5)Diana D.
I loved that it was a big varity of food that was constantly fresh coming out. Went on Wednesday (lobster tail day) and it was actually really good and the crab legs were also. I didn't give this a five star because I wasn't a huge fan of the sushi area because that part wasn't so fresh(but thats probably because people don't go to a buffet for sushi majority of the time so no one is really eating it right away). Can't forget we had a party of 50 for two birthdays and we even got to bring in our own cake.
(4)Mike R.
This is literally a buffet for royalty. Well, not really, but you kind of feel like that the first time you go there. The selection and size is just insane. It's something that you kind of have to see to really understand. I wouldn't call it "gourmet" but it's WAAAAY above any standard buffet food quality that I've ever experienced.
(5)Derek L.
I come here for lunch with my coworkers. As far as food selection and value, this place has every other buffet beat not only in Chacagoland but Seattle, San Jose, Portland, Charlotte..etc. Lunch is $11.95. The selection of food is awesome. They have tons of varieties of sushi, rolls, sashimi, salads, fruits, dimsum, chinese dishes, soups, desserts, noodle soup, and roast pork. Sushi quality is very very decent for a buffet. This place is so big and crowded during lunch hour. Service is excellent and polite.
(5)Julie Y.
I've actually been here a couple of times in the past couple years and always enjoy a the different options they have. It's not the best but it's always pretty fresh and good. The sushi and American Chinese options are good!
(4)Ms W.
First of all I told myself not to eat buffet anymore cuz they usually are bland, but I heard many reviews that Royal buffet is great so I thought I would give it a try. We went in for lunch. The place was packed with pp so we had to wait 30 min for a table. The food wasn't what I had expected! It was bland n just soso. The sushi wasn't the best either. The ice crm bar was awful. You have to ask for ice crm which I hate. The only good thing about this place is a large variety of food but the quality isn't that great! I won't go back.
(3)Lionel H.
the sushi bar was good other than that everything was just gross....my girlfriend and I lost our appetite after one plate. The meat all tasted like it was past its due date, the dishes were unhygienic and chipped. I wanted to serve myself miso soup but all the dishes had remnants of food stuck on there and i'm surprised nobody complained they all kept eating and ignored it. Not worth the 56 bucks we spent (fuck leaving tip the servers were rude) I felt panda express would've whipped out something more fresher than this bullshit. The spot looks like it was a club before in the past since it's very spacious, i'm not sure since i just moved in the area. I highly suggest you take your appetite elsewhere and that extra money in your pocket this place deserves to get shut down by the health dept.
(1)Jaci Y.
Tonight Royal Buffet was just okay. The sushi I had got better at the end of our meal. When they first open for dinner at like 5:00 the I grabbed some fresh sushi and sat down to eat it. The " red snapper' was not good It was chewy and hard to break down the tissue of the fish. I couldn't eat it. It was not pleasurable. I liked their crab legs that was easy to eat and very tasty. I enjoyed their stir-fry beef dishes and string beans. I love their dessert soups. I pretty stuffed after about three plates of food. I won't be going back there anytime soon I had my fill of Royal Buffet for a LONG time.
(3)Sarah R.
Very impressed with this buffet. Very big selection of sushi which is the reason I went there in the first place. Prices are fair for their selection and quality of food. They are always preparing fresh food as they are so busy so have to keep preparing and providing it fresh. Have gone about 4 times and will continue to go back.
(4)Will T.
Had my only meal of Sunday here yesterday. Selection is good when you just walk in. Unfortunately I've been curled up in the fetal position since about 5 yesterday due to a horrible case of food poisoning with my only brakes to get up and throw up. Drove 50 minutes for this. Pretty sure it was the seafood soup that did me in.
(1)Julia K.
My family's favorite place. For dinner menu, they have crabs and lobster. I went there yesterday and there is a long line waiting for the crab and lobster. They have decent varieties of sushi and food. I always go to the dessert section after and they have cotton candy machines, crepes, and a chocolate fountain. The other food is okay, mostly fried food. They have decent amount of dimsum and my favorite coconut soup. The service is good. They come to check up on you, refill drinks and water, the check. We come here often. The hosts are bitter, they have a face that says i hate my job, if you meet a bad one or if you go when its busy. But even still, you should be nice to the customers but I came for the food not the service so 4 stars.
(4)Frank B.
Best buffett in in Chicago Land by far. Nothing close to this. We come here all the time we are ready for a big seafood meal. Highly recommended.
(4)Suby B.
Crazy amazing food, a bit toooooo pricy. Drinks additional, tips additional. Servers are okay, food preparers Annoying and disrespectful at one visit...
(5)Grace F.
Looking for a wide variety of Asian cuisine? There's dim sum, sushi, mongolian, and every possible way to cook seafood here. If you're an avid seafood fan, you'll know that seafood can be very precarious to cook. That being said, this place receives 3 stars because when the food was good, it was pretty delicious. However, the quality is not consistent. Food that should be kept warm was cold and food temperature was not consistent. Not a good thing if you're serving seafood cooked and raw. Bussers were slow with drink refills and bussing off empty plates. I went for lunch and still got very full. The steamed crab legs were very good. The boiled whole crabs came out dry and too salty. I'd go again because I love Asian food and seafood, but I'll just avoid the cold dishes.
(3)Alex C.
We came here with about 30 people on a Saturday during lunch. It was a surprise birthday party. After a couple of hours, the waiter brought the bill, and I paid it with an $80+ tip. The dining area we were in was only about 1/3 full, so we thought it was ok to stay and chat some more. That was a miscalculation on my part, the waiter told us that we have overstayed the "two hour limit". He was not going to kick us out, but he was not going to serve us anymore. He also added that we should think of leaving soon. Bottom line...food is good, service is bad.
(2)Kevin B.
I went there Wednesday for the dinner ,the crab not fresh at all. And I wait long for lobsters, I got nothing cost me almost 70 dollars
(1)Michelle D.
Went there for the second time. This time it was utter chaos, people cutting in lines and pushing you out of the way. No refills on beverages and most of the food in the buffet was empty or near empty. The kicker: tipping $12 to have the waiter tell me that we only left him .30!! He had the audacity to tell me he didn't receive a tip!! I left him another $10 because he would let us leave, he stopped us! Learn how to count! Are you happy!? You got a $22 tip, a$$hole. Will not be back. I feel ripped off!!
(1)Sonia B.
Royal Buffet is a nice change from the usual buffets in the suburbs. I came here Friday night for my birthday dinner with my family. Royal Buffet offers unlimited lobster and crab legs on Wednesdays and Friday for $26.99. What a deal! The lobsters were extremely messy, especially when you have zero de-shelling experience, but I have to say it was a little fun (don't sue me PETA). The crab legs were very meaty and had great flavor. Unfortunately, the lobsters and crab legs took up most of my time, energy, and most of all appetite, so I didn't have a chance to try a lot of their other dishes including the hibachi station. However, I did have some room for the dessert station--YUM. I can't wait to come back!
(4)Chan S.
Wide selection of various different foods & a amazing experience! If u love trying new things you should definetly come here on a Wednesday or Friday (all u can eat lobster, sushi & crab legs) & come at the beginning of dinner, which is about 5-5:30 for a better dining experience. It's a beautiful buffet you have to see to believe. The dessert crepes are great (I eat them plain w/ a side of red bean ice cream)! The sushi great. Haven't tried the hibachi yet but I'm sure it's great as well! They even have a dim-sum bar! Def worth checking out if your feeling adventurous!
(4)Robert G.
In terms of sheer scale, the Royal Buffet is much closer to Las Vegas than Old Country Buffet. The buffet offers a huge selection of food, including a whole section of the buffet set aside for the "Mongolian BBQ" concept (which I still haven't tried.) There's a large sushi section that looks good and tastes good, and from the looks of things the sushi is regularly made fresh. The middle section is a whole lot of steamed authentic Chinese food, some of which is labeled only with Chinese characters, and all of it not corresponding with the associated labels. The next aisle has the frog legs and chicken on skewers. The last aisle, which I've actually spent the least time is, has the more traditional Chinese-American food, as well as some traditional fried stuff. Oh, and the cotton candy machine. And random ice creams. And lychees, shelled and unshelled. Why both? Because they could. About the only thing they don't do here is bubble tea, though I was able to get a lychee smoothie. The best thing about this place is that the food is quite good, especially for a buffet. It makes a great replacement for the defunct Todai.
(4)Tony M.
Long wait time for a couple crab legs and a lobster that was tough and chewy, sure I can eat some crab legs that's why I came but don't be stingy with them after I waited in line for 15-20 minutes. The rest of the selections are not the best I've had but mediocre at best. Won't be back, I would rather go to Rivers Casino for a real crab extravaganza! The clientele and atmosphere are way better.
(2)Keith T.
So so buffet...if you really want some better and crashed buffet, go to Ginza in Niles. Both place are similar, but their food are so much fresher and their sushi have salmons too. Also, for the seafood food part, Ginza has have lobster and it way better since its cutted in half and steam it the Chinese way vs Royal they just boiled the whole thing.
(3)Joseph L.
As far as suburbs go, this is my favorite Chinese food restaurant. Come here for lunch for your first time, the price is the cheapest. Dinner is more expensive. Almost all the food tastes fresh and the staff is very helpful. I have heard rumors that a corrupt Chinese official owns the place, and that is why it stays open at such a high quality. I can't really say for sure. I highly recommend this for people who love buffets or Chinese food.
(5)Diana L.
So apparently lobster is only served on Wednesday and Fridays, so I was mildly disappointed since my family and I went on a Sunday. But for a buffet, it's actually really nice! Clean, nicely decorated, and with a large variety of food. The lines are kind of hectic, but for the most part, it's quite organized with minimal cutting (the plague of any buffet). I'm not sure which direction the line went, but I got my food, and I'm happy. I like their sushi because it's freshly made and you can see them cooking/rolling in plain view. The teppanyaki cooks don't speak much English, so I gave them my steak, sauce, and noodles and hoped for the best. I requested medium rare and it came out medium/well-done. Regardless, it tasted pretty good and I had other food like salmon and dim sum to fill me up. And obviously I ate my fill of crab legs! Note: Don't be that jerk who has their family cut and take all the crab legs. This one woman took six plates, grabbed her two unfortunate sons to help her, and took the majority of crab legs. This caused the line to crowd around her and yell at her while the attendant said she couldn't take that much for herself. The dessert bar is awesome though. Besides the typical cake, ice cream, and fruit, they have a giant chocolate fondue fountain and I like how there was an attendant there to constantly wipe it down. Also, they have Chinese desserts like egg tarts. And more surprisingly, they have little creme brulees! They're really sweet and the sugar is nice and crunchy. There is waiter service to take away your plates, but if the place is super busy, they might not be around to constantly check on you and refill your water. I'm a bit annoyed by that, but our waiter did take away our plates frequently. Something interested I noticed was there was live traditional Chinese music playing. It came from a banquet room. I'm not sure what that was about, but it sounded really cool.
(4)Cherry L.
I went here a couple of times. I believe they also own the one in Downers Grove location which I been to multiple times. This place is bigger though but I feel there is little selection. I dislike how you have to wait and ask for ice cream because unlike other places there's no ice cream machine. There's a couple of flavors though which is the good part. The sushi selection is a good rage. They also serve King crab legs which there is always a long line all the time! Plus, be careful when you are walking with you plate of food BC these people walk around in there like your invisible and will bump you! Also, be careful when you pay because they do include tip in with the payment most of the time so don't go leaving tip on the table BC that's extra tip money for them too.
(4)Chris P.
Genuinely a solid buffet as far as privately owned buffets go. I like the sanitation lights over the dishes...nice touch...not sure if they do anything, but its cool. Crab legs were some of the best buffet legs I've ever had. Hot, not salty, fresh, and easy to eat. I didnt get sick from eating here either!
(4)Tam D.
Always a nice selection of food here. Not to loud which is nice. Like to come here often with the family.
(4)Karen C.
Lobster night was delicious. You do have to wait in line for it and you only get 1 lobster and 1 crab leg bunch at a time per person. It satisfied my seafood cravings tho! Yummy sashimi too!
(4)Johnson V.
The food and service is okay. I went there in the middle of the week for dinner. Of course going to a buffet I already know what to expect as much others have already expressed. Such as cold food, food not holding their proper temperatures or not having consistency in quality, flavor, and taste. But after all it is a buffet and you should not expect everything to be perfect. There are hundreds of dishes available and I expect it is a challenge for the establishment to have everything perfected. Not every dish is going to be consumed fast enough to get a fresh batch out. My night started out with the waiter getting us drinks quickly. I started out with some sushi as an appetizer. Being a long time sushi eating fiend I looked carefully and chose some of the best tasting rolls. I was not disappointed, I later moved to a few pieces of sashimi. Usually tuna is only good depending on the source. The tuna here was terrible, the slices were not cut properly leaving tendons making it very difficult to chew. I would recommend passing up the tuna sashimi as it was very bland. The saba (aka mackerel) is decent, I did not like the red snapper. There was another white fish to the far right but I couldn't identify what it was but it was tasteless but still way better than the tuna. The best by far is the salmon, I have had salmon at a lot of different places and they are the only fish that stays pretty consistent in flavor as the fat just provides so much flavors of goodness. If you go to any place that serves sashimi and you're not sure if the tuna or other sashimi is good it's pretty safe to bet that the salmon would be at least good. I was about to skip out on the lobster and crab legs but my brother-in-law convinced me to get some. But I only did so when the line died down enough for me to walk up and get some. The crab legs are good, the lobster I can tell has been sitting for a while in a tank somewhere as when you crack the claws there's almost no meat in them as it's pretty much an empty shell. It's best to skip trying to break the claw open and just go straight for the tail. The server lady gave my brother-in-law a dirty look as he went back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. Overall the lobster and crab legs were okay but I've had better. When it comes to food I'm a pretty picky eater but the buffet has enough choices to choose from that will satisfy my appetite. I didn't have enough stomach room to try out everything but my only complaint is the price per a person. It makes you want to eat nothing but crab legs and lobster to get your money's worth out of going there. So I have mixed feelings about returning there. For the price per a person I could've just ate at a nice sushi restaurant and still be full. But if you want variety it's a bit difficult to beat a buffet. I would still rather go to this place than Hometown Buffet any day of the week. My only regret is that I didn't have the stomach to try out all the Chinese food and the Mongolian BBQ.
(3)Ryan B.
WOW, this place is awesome! Best buffet i have ever been to. Such a huge selection of food, and great price.
(5)Thuy N.
It's your typical buffet setting but the selection of food is what keeps our family coming back. There are so many aisles of food and hibachi grill. The seafood and sushi selection are fresh. There's also a decent sized dim sum selection. They have a chocolate fountain and many bakery and fruit desserts. The mango smoothie is amazing!
(4)Spaghetti O.
Look up Vibrio parahaemolyticus, because that's what I got as a result of indulging on all-you-can-eat raw seafood. Why did I think this was a good idea at a buffet? I was blinded by all the sashimi, freshly (?) shucked oysters and the like. Here is what I will give them props for: 1) the staff dealing with hoards of people pushing their way around, cleaning up after kids (and adults) acting like animals and general public rudeness and 2) a large variety of items, and interesting ones at that. What I am warning you all of: the seafood does not taste that fresh, and we even joked in the moment, "hope I don't get sick" after tasting some foul fish (pretty sure it was the oysters.) I thought with the high turnover, though, the fish was surely fresh, right? Ummm, well, a couple nights later, projectile vomiting and diarrhea followed (who knew that V. parahaemolyticus hung around that long to incubate?) Luckily, it all only lasted 2 days. If you do visit Royal Buffet, you have been warned. Stick with cooked items, and avoid the pain. I will surely be going elsewhere.
(2)Shuwen Y.
I like this place A LOT! Lunch buffet is only $14 and a lot of good stuff here. Shrimp, sashimi, fish,sushi,,,But it's too far away from Chicago downtown , otherwise I will be here more often.
(5)Nancy H.
Chinese food heaven! Dimsum! Seafood! And more typical Chinese entrees. So much variety here which is the reason for the 4th star, but food quality is just 3 stars. They also offer sushi and make your own stir fry, but the sushi was just ok (Ginza Buffet in Niles is better), and nobody seemed to be working the grills in the stir fry section on the weeknight we were there.
(4)Jeff C.
This Chinese buffet goes further in quality and options than other chinese buffets. If you are a seafood lover definitely worth it in quality and quantity. lobster and crab lovers, you have to go early, right when the open 5:30pm, better on wednesday than fridays. I ate 7-8 lobster tails and it was orgasmic.
(4)Aimi W.
11dollars for seafood buffet? Amazing! They have a huge variety offered during lunch from sushi (and a few sashimi) to dimsum (try the shrimp eggplant) and stir-fry. My favorite was the deep fried fish in sweet and sour sauce. So crispy! I wouldnt mind paying just to eat that fish. They also have ice cream (just okay), fresh to order crepes,cotton candy, chocolate fondue, and variety of mini cakes and desserts. For a seafood buffet that is fairly inexpensive, this place is really worth it!
(4)Matt D.
Love this place. All you can eat for $13. Sushi is pretty fresh and delicious. Some of the other stuff they have there is disgusting but overall a good deal.
(4)快速殺手
Great food. Fresh and you can see how some dishes are made. Sushi is just unbelievably good. Fresh tuna, mussels, tofu, makes me think that they really care about their guests. There's also a Mongolian grill and they will prepare for you anything you find in their restaurant.
(4)Steve M.
Lobster piñatas for everyone and who ordered the poo poo platter? We came here on a Wednesday where they had all you can eat lobster and crab legs. How can you go wrong with that deal? I repeat, all you can eat lobster and crab legs. One issue was that you had to wait in line which didn't take too long but by the time I got back, the others at our table had already finished their plates but they didn't get the lobster or crab legs. The other issue was it's a whole freaken lobster and when you finally muscle the tail off of it there is a whole lot of extra stuff that comes out of it. It was like opening up a piñata, except instead of getting candy you get lobster eggs and lobster poop (score). Even though you had to work at it the lobster and crab legs were pretty good. Who knew that you needed to work so hard for your meal? Maybe it's just me but I like my food to come to me prepared and ready to be eaten. I had also grabbed some cocktail shrimp prior to grabbing the lobster and crab legs. The shrimp was still in its shell with their little legs still attached. Not as difficult as the shell removal of the others but the shrimp was good as well. They do have an ice cream bar and a cotton candy machine for after your meal. I don't think that we will make a special trip back, but it was definitely worth giving them a try. The highlight of the night was getting to meet Candice for the first time.
(3)Allison A.
Sushi- very good and looked fresh. Mongolian grill- delicious. After the crab legs this was my favorite thing. I was able to make my own bowl with ingredients that I knew were gf. Chinese food- I didn't try anything because I made the assumption that it all had soy sauce in it. Soy sauce usually has wheat in it. Wheat = upset gluten tummy for this girl. Crab legs- awesome! Lobster- okay... Not worth the 20 minute wait in line. Green tea ice cream- delicious as well. Just a warning to any gf people out there. This was not very gf friendly, which is why I basically stuck to the crab legs. I asked some service people what was gf or if they had gf soy sauce and they literally had no idea what it even meant. I still think I got my 26 dollars worth in crab legs and lobster though!
(4)Bryan B.
Food was good and fresh only for the popular items was long lines to get food. Service was also good cleaned tables and refilled drinks without having to ask was nice. Would recommend to others just watch Times when you go.
(4)Jimmy J.
Great buffet! Lunch price is absolutely incredible. Lots of selection and inside looks nice too.
(5)Faith O.
Where should I start? It's pretty amazing, and I've never been to a place that serves whole lobsters (only on Wed) with reasonable prices too! Of course it's quantity over quality, but at $26.99 per person this place is pretty reasonable with a hibachi grill, lots of different sushi, raw oysters, banchan, a dim sum station (haw gow, siu mai, pig's feet, chicken feet, tendon, buns, etc.), lots of hot foods (duck, chicken, fish, crab, steamed oyster, etc.) and an elaborate dessert station, I just wish I can go there again.
(4)Aimee M.
It's hard to make a plan of attack at a buffet, especially on AYCE Lobster and Crab Leg night. But here are my thoughts. Lobster. SKIP IT. It was the worst lobster I have ever had. This is not good quality lobster. How can you tell? The meat is mushy, not succulent and firm. That means it was either frozen or not fresh or not fresh when they froze it. No amount of drawn butter could save it. Crab Legs. Make room for them. They were excellent quality and cooked well. Nice sized legs, not skimpy skinny at all. Sushi. Take a pass. Unless you like mediocre sushi. The rice is not well made and everything just tasted the same. Ewwww. Authentic Chinese Items. Like duck and mantou, shumai and other dumplings Szechaun green beans, salt and pepper shrimp, etc. These were good. Not as good as what I've had at my favorite places in Chinatown or my favorite Chinese duck place. But still good. Dessert. Mostly worth it. The melons were fresh. The small cakes were good. And how can you go wrong with ice cream or the cotton candy? The Lychee fruit was disappointing though, half of the ones I got were bad. There's a stir fry hibachi dealie where you choose fresh ingredients and have them make the stir fry for you. I didn't check that out but the steak someone at our table had looked pretty good. Service. Friendly, had to flag them down a couple of times for drink refills and the check, but they were very prompt with requests. So all in all, My review stays right in the middle. It is a great place for big groups too. Kudos to Osi V for getting reservations for the 10 of us at her UYE.
(3)Arun A.
Have lunch there today ,nothing special . Not busy and food sit down there for while dry and tasteless not worth .never back
(2)Lorenza D.
I came here with my family for my cousin's birthday. Such a fancy atmosphere. The chandeliers and fountains were gorgeous, the spread was beautiful and the food was absolutely fantastic! So many different types of food to choose from and well organized. They had mongolian grill, sushi, dimsum, tons of seafood, fried food and lots of desserts to choose from! Even had a crepe station and a chocolate fountain! I usually feel sick after buffets like these but I left feeling more than satisfied. The line for the all you can eat crab andn lobster was crazy long but very worth it. I recommend coming around 4 or 5 before dinner rush and going straight for the lobster. I would've given this a five star but the lobster was a little over cooked. But other than that, it was a great dining experience!
(4)Nancy P.
I am not a fan, at all. Food is consistently not at a proper temperature, even under heating lamps, false labels describing the food items, and overall poor service. I have a problem eating food that's been sitting out for I don't know how long, with improper food temps. Yuck.
(1)Linda K.
Arrived here at 8:55pm. The host advised us the kitchen closes at 9pm and no other fresh food will be coming out from the kitchen. She let us look around and we saw that there were still a lot of food out so we were fine with it. Also noticed only about 2-3 other tables left still eating. We grabbed a plate and started the buffet. We didnt even get through our first plate before the staff started eating what was left over and also clearing out and cleaning. The restaurant sign indicated they close at 930p. The staff started eating the leftover food at about 905, 910pm. By the time my fiancé and I went for a second plate, everything was already cleared out! Including the dessert table. We were definitely upset to pay $25 /pp to get one lousy plate of food . This is supposed to be a buffet until they close at 930pm . I don't think its appropriate for staff to start eating and clearing out everything when there are still customers. We requested a discount and the cashier(Nina?) gave us a very small discount(tax money?) If we knew they were going to start cleaning up around 9pm and not 930pm..we definitely wouldve just gone elsewhere and gotten more food at a non-buffet restaurant paying less. Nina said they usually start closing up earlier since it was a slow night. Thats fantastic..why didnt you tell us that before we sat down? The host said the kitchen closes at 9pm, not the restaurant. We were livid. We used to come here a lot with a large group of people but after this poor customer service... ::curse word::
(1)Noomi J.
So I've tried this place 3 times so far. The first time had pretty good lobster. But the 2nd time was subpar where the lobsters our table had weren't fully cooked. The 3rd time was for lunch at ~$13, wasn't a fan. I'm a lobster fan, and this is the first buffet that I've been to that offers all-you-can-eat lobster. While this place does not measure up in terms of quality to the Vegas casino buffets, the price at around $24 is frikken cheap for lobster. Crab legs were good, not too salty or pale. Better than the weakling crab legs offered at Shaw's Crab House's brunch buffet which cost us like $48/person. Subpar crab legs at Queen Victoria Casino's Indulge buffet and Crazy II Buffet. Pass on the sushi. Other stuff was meh. I liked the sesame donut balls. The dessert bar wasn't as good as Todai's, but it was a nice touch to have someone serving the ice cream. I hate having to excavate rock-hard ice cream tubs at buffets (looking at you, Round Lake's Hibachi Grill Buffet). I tried the green tea ice cream, and it was okay. The only reason why I'd come here again is for the lobster, and then the crab.
(3)Odranre B.
alot of food...always jammed pack inside...big parking lot, but hard to find parking on the weekend...the staff could be friendlier and more attentive, but it's a zoo inside so don't expect a great service...just keep in mind that you are coming here to eat food at quantity not quality, because these are the low end food products.
(2)Van C.
I've been here twice and both times were great. The first time I went was during the summer and then recently. The quality of the food matches the price. 25 bucks per person is fair. If this place were to charge 13-15 bucks, the quality would mimic the other redundant buffets. I don't even know where to begin. Overall, this place is a must if you haven't gone here.
(4)Bob R.
So this was my fourth visit to Royal Buffet (only two reviews). I'm afraid the newness is starting to wear off a little. The service is still great - the servers are always there to refill your beverage or take your plates, but something is different. The food seems to have gone downhill a little. Last night, they offered snow crab legs again, and had a carving station for roast beef. I didn't go for either of them this time around. First I hit the sushi bar. They serve by the piece rather than the roll and there are lots of choices. So, I probably had a dozen or so pieces and they were good. In the same serving area, they offer sashimi and raw shellfish. Last night there were raw oysters and raw clams. I grabbed two oysters but passed on the clams. After allowing the first one to slide down my throat, I thought better of eating the second one. Round one, done. Round two was Teriyaki salmon, hot fish, cooked mussels, "fired cracker" squid, hunan squid, steamed flounder and a few other small items. The salmon was overcooked and dry. The hot fish (not sure what kind of fish it was) was very bony and tasteless. The flounder was moist, but did not taste so fresh. And, after eating the "fired cracker" squid and noticing it was not spicy as I expected, I realized they must have misspelled fried as fired. So much for the fish. Next was dim sum. I had a steamed bun, some pork and shrimp rolls and two pork buns. I passed on the chicken feet, although they had quite a variety. I also had some steamed peas and steamed spinach. I was surprised to have not seen any Chinese green beans. The vegetables were very good. The pork bun was fantastic. The rest was okay at best. One more time - I had to have another pork bun - pork belly and scallions on a steamed rice bun with plum sauce. Wow. I tried some rice noodles and stopped after one small bite. Lastly, I had some fresh fruit which was very good. Perhaps I hit about 1/5 of the items they have, maybe a little less. But, I''m a small person and I was gorged. So, my last two reviews rated this place 5 stars. Not this time. Not sure if this was just an off night, or if something has changed. I think I'll give this place a rest for a while and try it again one more time in a few months before I give up.
(3)George H.
I went here for lunch and with tax and tip, I spent $15 - but if I had gone to a sushi restaurant I would have paid a lot a lot more for what I ate. The sushi was very good quality and was fresh - they were constantly replenishing everything. I also had a lot of their fresh fried oysters which were AMAZING! You can definitely tell that they were fresh and not frozen. They also had a large selection of Chinese food and a Mongolian grill but I ate more than my fill of sushi. I will be back!!
(4)Selena Y.
One of my favorite restaurant! Lots of choices.
(5)Brett E.
One of my new favorite places! Royal buffet has everything, literally. Food from all corners of Asia fills this massive establishment. You will NEVER go hungry here. Crabs legs, sushi, Mongolian BBQ, some questionable "delicacies," all amazing and worth a try.
(5)Candice G.
I crabbed my pants! Wednesdays are All You Can Eat lobster and crab legs for $24.95... which is really only glamorous in theory. Okay, maybe 'glamorous' isn't exactly the right word, but I think for those of us who grew up in the lower-middle-class bracket, the idea of AYCE lobster is the pinnacle of luxury. Until you realize that there's a lot more to lobster than just the tail... and it ain't pretty. Furry legs, bead-y eyes and I got the good fortune of getting an extra juicy one that apparently was pregnant. Nurst. So basically, my enjoying this lobster night meant that I also contributed the abortion of several baby lobster. So, now I have to live with that on my conscience, and after seeing all the goopy cooze that came out of it's lower abdomen, I probably won't be dining on lobster again... but on the other hand, a lot of good dialogue came out of the experience. "You have to suck the head." "We've got a squirter here." "Wait - so you're saying this one was pregnant, and those are the eggs all slopping out all over the plate? Well, that's a sh*tty mother's day." "I think there's crab in my pants." Luckily, the crab legs were just that - no brains, no green poop, no preemies. Just legs. And let me tell you, the crab legs were such a relief after attempting to eat the much harder to dissect lobster, that I think I ate 8 pounds of crabbie meat. They don't have tiny forks and you don't get a knife either so the dissection is trickier than you'd think. Luckily a member of our party brought a pair of medical scissors to cut through the shells, so we were able to maneuver around the exoskeletons a bit swifter than those without power tools. You don't get wet wipes and the napkins that you do get are basically single-ply pieces of toilet paper so they basically disintegrate in your hands as you kill a lot of trees trying to keep your hands clean. I felt kind of bad so I started to wipe my hands on my pants figuring I could wash them, but didn't take very long before they were all crabbed up and I had to switch back to the nappies. The other dishes on the buffet weren't going to blow your mind with flavor, but nothing was awful and for $24.95 I left feeling like I'd certainly got the better of the deal between the fresh spun cotton candy, sushi, sashimi, Mongolian BBQ, oysters, clams, duck, dim sum, T-bone steaks, and various flavors of ice cream including green tea, red bean, coffee and moose tracks. I would totally come back with my family for an old-fashioned binge-eating on a budget bonanza.
(4)Rachel M.
Quite expensive for a buffet but the quality is really good. They only have one place to get the most popular dishes (crab, lobster, etc) so the line for those wrapped all the way around the restaurant - 50 or more people deep - we didn't get to try those because of this and I feel that the price was too high for not having access to those items.
(4)Kathy T.
When it comes to Asian buffets I do not bother reading white people reviews. Who comes to seafood buffet expecting pizza and finger foods? Honestly, this is one of the best Asian buffet I've ever had! The place is clean, the service is a little slow. But there is a large variety of food!
(5)Sam S.
One of my favorite seafood restaurant in Schaumburg area there's a full sushi bar there's a lot of different food and enjoy
(5)Veronica P.
I love there food and personally I do not think the price is unreasonable for the quality the provide, except on lobster night :/ they could set up a system to where people who don't want lobster don't need to pay the extra couple of dollars and give tickets to those who do. Just a tip :) other than that the bussers are usually very friendly and the food is always good! You should definitely consider going here. The only one issue I had here was when me and a friend (who frequents this place) was asked to leave 30 minutes before closing. I was fine with it however that wasn't so for my friend. The waiter also looked stoned and smelled of bud and while I don't care about that my friend took offense to that. On another visit one busser did get on my nerves but why should I let them ruin my night? Even if service wasn't peachy the food is excellent and nonetheless I still recommend Royal.
(4)Nicki P.
This place is super weird, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's like a China buffet but real Chinese food. by real I mean I saw 1000 year old eggs, real! (Pretty sure they weren't that old). :) so you have your run of the mill beef and pea pods, orange chicken, etc., but you also have a sushi bar, made to order grill (Mongolian bbq style), actual Asian dishes that I had never seen before, and if I weren't so stuffed from everything else and saving a bit of room for the dessert buffet, yeah I said it, dessert buffet i would have tried more. The only reason this place doesn't get 4 stars is because it is a buffet after all, the restaurant has a cafeteria style seating and sometimes the drink order took awhile to make it to us. That being said if this place we're closer to to the city it would be pretty dangerous to my waistline!
(3)Bernice R.
Skip the weekend wait! Even though it's a ginormous place, seriously, the wait can be a killer. I recommend going during lunch on a weekday ($10!!!) But buffet-er beware: eating so much food might make it hard to go back to work and be productive. Believe me, I totally wanted a nap afterwards. :P Lunch selections are pretty much the same as dinner, minus lobster and crabs from what I recall. So, what I'm basically saying, it's awesome... sushi, fish, meat, hibachi, dim sum, soup, desserts and so much more. Totes worth the $10 lunch and $30 dinner. p.s. Like I said, it gets crazy busy during the weekends. However, I've been to Royal on Lobster Night Friday. If you wait go around 8pm, the crowds die down, and you don't have to wait FOREVER for your shell fish. Just saying. p.p.s. My friends and I have just stayed there for a couple hours just chatting and eating. They never rush us and kept cleaning our tables. Nice!
(5)Daniel Y.
Royal is an Asian buffet with an assortment of foods all in one place. Everything from hibachi, sushi, Chinese dim sum, Americanized Chinese food, crab legs, and dessert like red bean ice cream, cotton candy, and more. There is so much variety here that you'd be hard pressed not to find something you like. If you don't, then you must be the grinch. All this for $21.99 on regular nights is a treat. Get here on a week night to avoid the crazy crowds and lines on the weekends. You'll have a much better experience and service.
(4)Paul L.
First impression was like wowwww this is like the Vegas buffets :D Price for lunch is def. worth it. There was hibachi grill where you pick your stuff and they cook it for you, they had sushi/sashimi, dim sum, fried things, ice cream, fruits, etc. The only issue is the quality of the food. There just seems to be too many variety of dishes with maybe 1% of it being actually decently cooked. The rest seemed sloppily put together, reheated from frozen, etc. Dim sum was below par. Cooked clams were overly salted and nothing savory to write about. Green tea ice cream didn't taste like green tea ice cream. Red bean ice cream didn't taste like red bean. Lychees were defrosted from freezer but still good to eat just not as visually appealing. The cotton candy was frozen too which I've never seen before and surprisingly it still retained the cottony texture and taste just like the fresh fluff :) I did not try the dinner but if the quality/effort is the same as lunch with only the addition of crabs/lobster then it may not be worth it at $25. Overall this is an amazing buffet for the variety of food offered and worth it for the lunch price for a quick eat. I would not go here though if you are looking for upscale buffets like in Las Vegas.
(4)Wilson H.
Best Buffet out there. Sushi selection is amazing, there is also sashimi which is a rare sight for a buffet. lots of selection with crab legs and lobster for only ~$25.00? The only down side to this is the long waits.
(5)Jenny H.
My survival instincts kicked in that night: dodging through hungry migratory crowds, shoving grandmas/grandpas, elbowing kids in the face, shifting from line to line, making babies cry. I'm not ashamed to admit that I broke buffet etiquette and maybe a few other social norms. Chinese New Year on a Saturday night was a big free-for-all and this girl had to look out for numero uno. Luckily we had early reservations at 430pm for our group, but once 6 o'clock came around, it was a complete mad house. Royal Buffet stepped it up for the masses: stone crabs, asian periwinkles, well stocked sushi rolls, large cuts of fresh papayas and other tropical fruit, a crepe station, and... a chocolate fountain. After surviving one of their busiest saturdays of the year, I am happy to report that my night of gluttonous indulgences left me in the biggest and happiest food comas to date. I may have to spend the next month working off everything I consumed. Thus ends my season of holiday decadence: Xing Nian Kuai Le, Gong Hay Fat Choy!
(4)Aimee S.
We have been coming here for at lease weekly for the past year or two. We enjoyed the crab legs and some of the other dishes. Our concern is that the desert bar does not appeared to have as wide of a selections as it had in the past. As a loyal customers we would like to see more of a variety return.
(3)L S.
To Royal Buffet Management: On lobster nights, why do you bring out lobsters in small batches and make people stand in line for so long to get a lobster? Is it to discourage your customers from getting lobsters? This practice is very degrading. I also had an unfortunate experience when the "lobster lady" literally tossed a piece of claw to my plate like you would to a begging dog, while frowning horribly and looking away. Your prices are not exactly cheap and your customers deserve better treatment.
(3)Rex C.
This is probably the best buffet in the area with lobster night, crab legs, seafood, Chinese, Korean, steak, mongolian, and sushi. The sushi is not high quality and they are very very small, the sushi rice they use is not high quality and I've had better sushi at other buffets such as Ginza and Ichiban. I would go to Royal for the seafood, meat, and Chinese food only. They have a good selection of foods like crabs, fish, shellfish, crawfish, frog legs, steaks, chicken, duck, and a variety do shrimp. There is a lot of food to select from. As far as the atmosphere, each time we went it was very crowded and you see the greed and ugliness in people acting like scavengers or hoarders having a free for all/melee with all the food. We were in line for the lobster for about 20 minutes when the lady in front of us who was a good 300lbs asked for 2 plates of lobster and crab legs. The server refused saying one plate per person. The lady got obscene and angry where they probably should of escorted her out, but she said the 2nd plate was for a friend and said she was waiting in line for an hour (not true). The server gave in and gave her 2 plates because she was causing a really big scene. This lady sat by us and she was eating alone so she lied to get the extra plate. There were also instances with people waiting in line and letting their family and friends cut in when they got near the front of the line. Others would get mad and yell, but the cutters would just ignore and get their food. They really should have an employee being security to monitor the line and kick out unruly customers. We also noticed a lot of greedy people who had multiple plates with mountains of shrimp or crawfish, hoarding like they hadn't eaten in days. You know you can go up as much as you want and don't need to have three platefuls of food in your hands in one trip? Besides being around scavengers and hoarders, the food and the service is really good. I guess having lobster, crab legs and such great food, it can bring out the ugliness in people.
(4)Misty S.
Dinner buffet for $21 (add $1.49 for soda) - Highlights include snow crab legs, deep fried crab legs, dungeness crabs, sashimi, sushi and cotton candy!! Keep in mind the dinner price is applied all day Saturday and Sunday. I came for dinner early Sunday evening and the place was pretty filled up already, but there was no wait. They have TONS of seating inside, room after room, but I hear they get pretty packed. The hostess led me to a table and a waitress came to take my drink order. I was excited to see what the buffet had to offer. I didn't know where to start! There were tons of sushi and specialty roll options, fish eggs, Mongolian grill that will stir fry a dish for you, dim sum, 4 different kinds of soup, vegetables, and other Asian dishes. They also offered melons, pineapple, kiwi, lychee, cakes, pudding, ice cream and pink cotton candy for dessert. The cotton candy is made fresh and is pretty fluffy. The red bean ice cream was grey and didn't taste like much. I thought the sushi was good for a buffet and not too stuff with rice. The crab legs were pretty tasty and well worth the price of admission. Compared to Nagoya, I think this place offer more variety. Beware, the sushi chef has super sonic hearing! I was trying to ask my friend, who has eaten there before, questions and the sushi chef kept answering them. I kept lowing my voice until it's a whisper "psst...hey, where is the soy sauce? is it at the table?" And before my friend could answer, the sushi chef chimed in "YES! It's at the table." How did he hear that?!
(4)Melanie T.
Royal Buffet...BFF for life! My husband and I come here at least once a week. With that being said, can we get some kind of loyalty card that allows for some kind of discount?! :) Between me and the hubby we can go through 4-6 plates of crab legs. We do make room for sushi, shrimp, dim sum, fried foods, rice, Mongolian stir fry AND desserts but we mainly come for the crab legs. Crab legs are only served during dinner and all day on Sundays. Shout out to Jack! We love sitting in his section. Best server there! He's on point with clearing off our table, bringing us "crackers" (to crack our crabs), more napkins and refilling our waters. We almost never have to ask him for anything, he just knows...he's that good. Everyone needs to try to this place at least once! If you're not a buffet person or a crab person...don't bother. You'll probably cry cause you didn't get your money's worth.
(4)Tuttysan S.
Overwhelming variety, excellent ambiance, great food! We came here on Sunday and the seafood buffet was amazing! So much variety of raw and cooked seafood, Chinese dishes including dimsum, sushi and dessert menu - it was overwhelming! Worth the drive north. We will be back.
(5)Norman R.
Plenty of foods ... Long wait for Lobster .... Need to re evaluate the lobster service ... They are wasting time.. Average time for customer to stay and eat is about 1.5 hours and majority of that time is waiting to get one lobster ... If they can make each customer stay and eat for one hour and they can make more money by making the table available for other customer waiting outside.
(3)Rod D.
If you've ever been to a Chinese Buffet restaurant, this is similar. The food here is just a tad bit better than most buffets. Most of the time, people come into Chinese buffets knowing what to expect. At Royal Buffet, I think those expectations are exceeded. Not only do they have Chinese food but they also cater well to Korean, Japanese (fresh sushi made everyday) and Mongolian BBQ. Their dessert menu is also pretty well stacked along with their new chocolate fountain. They also have several ice cream flavors to go along with your meal. Would definitely go back! Maybe try their Teppanyaki tables next time!
(4)M H.
Went here when it originally opened-- it was enormous and a little daunting... Just visited today with my wife and 3 kids--- dirty dishes- filthy bathroom-- the place was a mess-- felt dirty after leaving the place. The food was ok. The cliental was also of a more "pig out" mentality and not one where cleanliness mattered. Disappointing that the owner and managers are so sloppy with the upkeep. Seen this same effect at other mega chinese "buffet" places. I will never be returning.... hire some good janitors and fire the floor managers.yuk
(1)Chloe H.
I have been here twice. The first time I went with my boyfriend out of curiosity. After eating there, I said, "Well cross that off the bucket list...I'm never going here again". Then 6 months later, my coworkers arranged a group lunch here. So I bit my tongue and went. There is nothing BAD about this buffet; it's just so excessive and a place that you ought to try just once. This is the motherlode of buffets and the epitome of American binges. The quality is good; of the things I have been able to try, all were tasty: the sushi, the crab legs, the teriyaki chicken, and the various appetizers. Unless you have the stomach the size of a Hummer's gas tank, it is impossible to try everything. There are foods for everyone to enjoy: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and American are the fare I noticed. I completely ignored the salad bar and desserts the first time I went; the second time, I was lucky to pack in some lychee. Also, on my second visit there was a chocolate fondue fountain added. There is a hibachi grill section, and that was where our party of 12 was seated. I thought it was inconvenient because when we wanted to talk to each other, half of us were separated by the two center grills so we had to either yell across or get up and walk around to talk. There were plenty of tables for large groups in another section, so I have no idea why they placed us by the grills since we were eating the buffet. Actually, I don't really understand why anyone would eat at the grills; I'm pretty sure it costs the same, if not more, to do this than to just grab grilled meats from the buffet. Tucked away inside the hibachi grill section is also a bar with a TV to watch a game if you really wanted to. I don't see the point of the bar either. As much as the food was good, the overall experience felt like a satire of decadence. Luxury foods like crab legs and sushi are things that ought to be savored, not piled onto plates. But that's just an opinion of mine....
(3)Rob W.
When one goes to these Chinese buffets, they must understand that these places are to Chinese food what Old Country Buffets are to American food. That said, all in all, this place did pretty well. Huge variety. However, on the downside the two entrees I got (Sesame Chicken and Mongolian Beef) were both kind of cold. The Mongolian Beef had some huge swaths of beef in it - not that great for a place where knives aren't real plentiful. Sushi was OK - I picked up most of what was left of the Tekka Maki on my first trip to the buffet and when I left the restaurant, it had yet to be replenished. There was a lady walking past the desserts and eating them as she walked by - kind of a violation of health guidelines - but NOT the fault of the restaurant! I'd return for lunch - don't think I'd care to pay for the dinner version though.
(4)Dan K.
My wife isn't the biggest seafood fan, but she will come with me when I have a hankering for sushi. So, FYI there is no American cuisine. Usually buffets have some pizza, or spaghetti, maybe some mashed potatoes, and some mac and cheese, but not Royal Buffet. It's ok, but just so you know, so you're not spending $20+ for 3 dishes and cotton candy. I guess I should have done my due diligence and read some Yelp reviews lol. Regardless, the food is pretty good, and since it's pretty busy, the food comes out pretty often. Sometimes you have to wait for a refill of a dish, but it's fairly quick. It's not the best food in the world, but are you expecting that from a buffet? I'm not. I'm expecting pretty good food and a large variety of it. And in that, Royal Buffet does not disappoint. Cotton candy is cool.
(4)Matt S.
Sound the food alarm! Lots of goodies here ranging from Chinese to Japanese cuisine. Variety includes (but certainly not limited to) chicken wings, teriyaki salmon, veggies, steamed buns, animal feet, sushi rolls, crab legs, and salad bar. Feel like dessert? Choose between ice cream, fruit cake, bread, cotton candy, and MORE. A small bar serves up beer, wine, and liquor. Why not get a 40 oz Sapporo to help quench your thirst? There is even an area like Flat Top Grill where you choose your ingredients and have a cook whip up your creation! Food quality is pretty good. Overall, Royal Buffet is pretty clean besides the sopping wet bathroom counters. Staff does just fine and there are tons of tables. The mural and pond display in the front is awesome. I would recommend Royal if you feel like eating a ton of Asian food.
(4)Jennifer C.
Very disappointing. I went last night with my hubby and my daughter and was definitely not impressed. The buffet was $22.95 because it had lobster. I'm not sure if it's always that price or always has lobster or what. When we first walked in everything looked pretty good, however, once we went around and started to try the food the disappointment started. Virtually all of the hot food we tried was cold. The sushi I tried wasn't very good. The Mongolian grill part was crazy because I got a very small amount of food with shrimp and my husband got a large amount of food with chicken and beef, but when the food was ready both plates had the same Amount because they put all the proteins on my plate for some reason. In regards to the seafood, the only thing I really tried were the shrimp (with heads on-- eek!!) and they were a really weird almost soggy texture. In summary, I will definitely not be going back and I feel like I didn't get a very good value for my money. If you like trying really unusual things, however, this may be the place for you the buffet included chicken feet, tripe, and snails.
(2)Michael S.
Came on Mother's Day which was a mistake... Very busy and lots of craziness. Really, really good buffet though... Dim sum, the flaptop grill, awesome seafood, fresh soymilk, cotton candy, etc... This place has so much good stuff that other places just doesn't have. Prices are decent as well. What made this experience enjoyable was mostly our server who busted her butt serving the mass of people. Could of been a turnoff from trying this place again, but actually looking forward to coming back sometime in the future!
(4)Luckee L.
I visited this buffet on a Wed., not long after it starting serving dinner. At that time the lines were not very long. It is very clean, and there are many choices. I did try the lobster and crab legs, which I thought were ok. I know that they steam them, but I just thought they seemed watery and not sweet at all. There is a beautiful section of sushi, and I liked the many choices of shellfish. The clams and mussels were very good. I did think it was rather expensive for a Chinese Buffet.
(3)Yu H.
I don't know why people like to rag on buffets. You should know this isn't Vegas. When you go to a buffet you should expect to get a good selection of food of varying quality. DONT expect that your favorite kung pao chicken is going to be cooked the way you like it at your favorite chinese restaurant where they make it to order just for you. That's not what you pay for when you go to a buffet. You pay for variety and quantity. You're gonna stuff your gullet with 20+ different things and should be happy for the opportunity. In terms of variety this place is the best so far. I've never seen so many choices in one place, Every time I go I can only fit in a little more than half the choices. There are things here you just can't find in the suburbs like razor clams, whelk, crawfish, frogs legs and ABALONE!! Abalone is super hard to find and costs like 80 bucks a plate at a sit in chinese restaurant or you can come here and eat piles of it for a measly 25! As for the quality, there are hits and misses I would say 95% of the things are made well. Some plates get a little stale after a while but most thing's stay fresh due to the volume. They also have a chocolate fountain and a cotton candy machine which I found to be a very nice touch. I didn't go on a lobster night because I think lobster is over rated but if thats your thing, you can go and gorge yourself on whole lobsters and crabs for cheap. If variety is the spice of life than coming here would make your life a whole hell of a lot spicier. In terms of quality, choice, and price. This place exceeds all expectations. I cannot fault it at all. Don't come here expecting to find everything made perfectly the way you want it, come expecting to try a lot of different foods all made pretty well. This isn't a sit in restaurant, its a buffet and its damn good.
(5)Dalton D.
Oysters are pretty fresh and taste good. Sashimi is cut so thick and not a very good condition... Sushi is ok not so tasteful
(4)Khris L.
I've tried this place twice and both times were good. The first time was for dinner, and I stuffed my face with all the yummy foods. The second time was for lunch and left super full and satisfied. Food is good, service is decent, and the prices are reasonable.
(4)Angela L.
This place is fantastic for me!
(5)Tom K.
It's all you can eat lobster, but expect to wait literally an hour to get it in line. They only have 1 person handing it out so it is almost pointless
(1)Nicholas P.
I took my family twice. It was ok. It's over priced for the quality. The hibachi grill is lacking quality meats, the sushi was under par and the rest was just ok. It's to crowded and noisy. I don't recommend this place. Is you want hibachi go to a hibachi place. If you want sushi go to a sushi place. This isn't a place where you go for quality food. Only positive was they have uncommonly found Asian food. If you want try new stuff. But again. To $$$ for what your getting.
(2)Jennifer L.
Royal Buffet is absolutely amazing! If you like seafood, you definitely need to check out this place. It is totally worth every penny and however far you need to travel to get here. When I think buffet, I think of crappy food and a dumpy looking decor. Royal Buffet proves all that wrong. First of all, the place is just beautiful and decorated really nicely. And, it's huge and seats a lot of people. But, wow, the food really won me over. The crab legs were delicious and sweet and melted in my mouth when they were dipped in the butter sauce. The sushi was great - fresh, perfectly sized for a buffet setting and there were many different combinations available. The raw selection of clams, mussels and oysters was great. Also, the hot food offering was good and they even had a Mongolian BBQ area for those who want cooked food. My only issue is with the woman serving ice cream. Please take the stick out of your rear and be nicer! There's no need to be rude and try to rush everyone along! I made the mistake of trying to help a little girl order her ice cream instead of ordering mine. Nevertheless, about 100 misunderstandings took place and I left with one little girl mad at me, one ice cream server lady annoyed with me and no moose tracks ice cream, which was what I had come up there for. Eh, I didn't need the ice cream anyway, but nonetheless. But yeah, GO GO GO. This seafood buffet will put any others you know of to shame - trust me. It put Hibachi Grill (Wheeling) and Toadi (now out of business) to shame for me.
(4)Tasty X.
This place is big. Big, big! And when it is busy it is crazy here. I have been to countless Chinese buffets and the food and variety you get here is unrivalled. But it's expensive and let me explain why I can only give this place 2 stars... 2 nights a week they have lobster and crab legs. They charge you even more those days. All you can eat lobster!? Sounds like a great deal! Ummm but there's a catch. When we went, the line for this lobster was easily a 30 to 40 minute wait. This same line is also blocking many parts of the buffet itself. Getting around the buffet then means navigating through this line of grumpy people. Opting not to wait in this line, we still get charged more even though we did not eat lobster. Arguing did no good and we left paying 70 something dollars for 2 people. For what we ate, the price was not justified. When we bring our 2 year old, picky eater extraordinaire, there really isn't much. Many Chinese buffets have 2 or 3 things (pizza, mac n cheese, etc) to cater to the little kids. But not here.
(2)Gaby C.
The best buffet in chicago. The place is clean. The food is great. Never had a bad experience. Discovered this place earlier this year and have been back at least once a month. Its not in the area but very worth the ride!! Tons of sushi and lots of great food. Off we go...Crab Legs away!!!
(5)Danny M.
I came here with a party of 3 to meet up with some friends who already got a table for us. When i walked in, I told the host we already had a table waiting and she said, "you have to wait". I looked around and there was no line and then i decided to just walk in because we can see you party. The host stopped us and then we kindly explained we had a party here already before she finally understands. The food is decent for a buffet, but we found hair on our food. This is our second time here and both times we find stuff in our food. Also, it is really hard to find a clean dry plate. I question about how sanitary this place really is. We decided to let our server know, but they didn't do anything about it as well. For about $30 after tip and tax, I much rather go to another buffet.
(1)Oleksandra O.
I like this restaurant very much for our family outings. There are many options food-wise, so my kids enjoy it as well. It's interesting that although it is Asian, you hear a lot of Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish speech.
(4)Paul S.
They charge for pepsi, total for lunch with tip = $17.96. Btw, it's worth it! Several items mislabeled, very annoying. a bad sign of not caring and then food probably is slipping also.
(4)Lisa B.
Extremely impressive selection. Way better than Todai. Fresh oysters, clams, conch, sashimi, & sushi. Delicious duck, dim sum, steak, dungeness & snow crab, crawfish, hibachi, bbq, Chinese classic dishes... the list goes on and there is no way you can eat everything during one visit. Great value. Can't wait to go back.
(5)martha c.
Wow what a variety of food and sea food I really loved it!
(5)Alan F.
A huge seafood-oriented Asian buffet, featuring whole lobster on Wednesday and Friday evenings. Large sushi and sashimi selection, crab legs, numerous mostly-Chinese entrees and sides, and a build-your-own Mongolian stir-fry station with a wide selection of ingredients. Everything we tried was well-executed. Slightly awkward buffet traffic flow, with the long lobster line partially blocking access to some of the serving tables. Attentive staff kept the beverage refills coming, and took away used plates promptly. Nice dessert selection; kids (and adults with a morbidly sweet tooth) will enjoy the pink cotton candy. At $24.95 per adult, an okay but not spectacular value. Shared shopping center parking lot. This being Hoffman Estates, apparently no practical public transit options.
(3)Yu Z.
its a great buffet restaurant. huge amount of food.loved it.
(4)Linda L.
Friday Lobster dinner night! We got here exactly when they opened for dinner. Sat down and got in line for the lobster. WOW! I got an entire lobster and two giant crab legs! Steamy, Full of meat and delicious! After filling up on lobster and crab, I headed over to the fresh oysters. WOW! It was super fresh and tasty! The rest of the food was decent with stir fry. Sushi was fresh as well. But you top everything off with chocolate fondue and we have a winner!!!! For a tasty lobster buffet at $24.99, hell ya they deserve 5 stars!
(5)Peter N.
I mean the food - it's pretty much the same old royal we know and love/hate on 75th street. I seriously doubt anyone will go there for the teppanyaki grill (nor will they have a chef to use it) but that is a LOT of seating area to be filled. You definitely won't be waiting for an hour for a table like at the place on 75th. Bonus points for the sushi station actually serving raw fish (what a novel concept!) and they also had seared bluefin tuna and caviar on the side. woohoo!
(5)Jon F.
So many crabbies are about to enter your face as soon as you enter this funderful place. The operation itself is HUGE. The place just keeps going and going while you are walking to your seating area. This is great, it helps shake things up when you go up for plate #7. Affordable for what you are getting and pretty cool setup. On to food... lets start with the important stuff: Crab. You may have to wait for crab, but it will be fresh and good. I don't think the butter is real butter, but it is still good. Semi-annoying that you may have people who want to get around you to get food, but it is the best way to keep freshy fresh crab right out of the pot near the kitchen. The sushi is pretty good. Some of the cuts are a bit thin, but you can take as much as you'd like so that isn't an issue. This also allows you to get more fish to tongue contact. There was a period of 2-3 trips up to the shashimi bar where they did not have salmon or one of the other fish I was looking for, but they have plenty of chefs and it was a busy Sunday. Some of the deep fried rolls were pretty good, but they mostly stick to the usual staples. The salmon was good quality and had great flavor. The blue fin was pretty good as well. Along the same lines the raw sea food was good and was not stale. I would not question eating it unless it was much less busy. I didn't get to much of the regular food. It all looked really good, but when I walked around to get some I didn't really see much I had a real hankering for. The walnut shrimp was a very sweet sauce and had great flavor and texture. I didn't even make it to the Mongolian BBQ section. It looked like a good, fresh setup and some of there ingredients looked fantastic. The mushroom looked especially great! As usual the Moose Tracks ice cream in the giant tub is better (more toppings I'd guess) than what you get at the store. I was not a fan of the coffee flavored ice cream, but the mint flavor was good. You may have to wait in a line and you won't be serving yourself ice cream - but with kids these day (I'm rolling my eyes too) it is probably better this way. Cotton candy lovers / purists be made aware - the cotton candy that was there the day I went had a bubble game flavor. It was funny to see a couple of kids running to their table with 3 cotton candy sticks like they had just robbed a Pokemon store (or whatever they are into these days). If you must, dip an eclair in your melted ice cream. It is OK - there are other fatter looking people than you.
(4)Eugene W.
Went for lunch. Great selection and everything looked and tasted fresh, but price is steep. My bill was $13 for weekday lunch Pretty steep for buffet quality food, otherwise worth the visit.
(4)Nate C.
i live in champaign where there are only a couple of chinese buffet and i have to say that i am impressed with royal buffet. whenever in chicago, i dont mind going out of the way to royal buffet. i love fish so i find lunch perfect with alot of fish menu. dim sum is somewhat on the salty side. sushi is better than other chinese buffet in terms of selection and presentation. the best treat for me is the green tea ice cream :)
(4)Ryne D.
Is this a restaurant or a banquet hall? Well, my dad said the place used to be a furniture store, so I guess that explains this being one of the largest restaurants I've ever seen. Inside, you'll find a big ol' mismash of Chinese restaurant goodness: - Mongolian grill station Actually turned out better than I thought it'd be. Good amount of flavor, though the veggies didn't look that fresh. - Raw seafood bar I found the oysters pretty gross, but the clams were ok. - Sushi bar The sushi was miniature sized, but that pretty much works out nicely in the long run since you don't want to fill up on rice. - Dim sum Really disappointing. I was looking forward to downing a dozen shumai but it just didn't taste good. - Barbecue grill The shrimp and chicken skewers were pretty tasty, but for some reason they didn't come out until we were almost done with lunch. - General hot Chinese food A decent selection, including walnut shrimp (but without walnuts) and various salt and pepper items, including salt and pepper frog legs (which could've used more seasoning). - Crab legs Duh, the star of the show. My dad initially got a bad batch, but the ones I got were pretty good. Unlike other buffets I've been to, the tray of legs was never empty. They also had whole dungeness crabs which had pretty meaty claws. - Dessert station Cotton candy? Definitely something I'd never seen. The ice cream was generally flavorless. Protip: Drinks cost a buck and a half extra. Guess I've been spoiled by other China buffets. So yeah, overall it's ok. Kind of a high price because of the large variety, but unfortunately that doesn't translate to high quality. Nothing there was a huge hit, but at least my family left full.
(3)Samantha V.
FIFTY BUCKS?! For two adults with soda? No thanks. Lots of selection, some really strange options like snail and lychee fruit and other nameless oddities, tons of seafood, but a little picked over and the taste was on the anticlimactic side, mediocre. Very crowded. Won't be revisiting.
(1)Jared P.
This place has absolutely everything all in a buffet. Sushi? Yep. Crab legs? Yep. Ice cream? Yep. Chicken feet? Yep, they got it. If you can't find something that you'll eat, then you are one picky person. As for the quality of the food, it's slightly above the quality of a normal buffet. It's not something that you would sit down and pay a lot for a plate, but you're eating plates with an -s, not a plate. So, loosen that belt and get your fat man on! Oh, forgot one thing. It's not exactly cheap. But, if you can't afford this much food for $20-30 bucks/person, then go to McDonald's. Enjoy!
(5)Edward M.
As a quick summary, definitely not worth the money for dinner. For lunch probably. The food is pretty decent food but I would rather go to an actual restaurant and spend the same money on better food and service. This place has no service and unless you are eating only the most expensive stuff, you won't get your money's worth really. But overall the food is pretty good, and way more choices than other places. I hear there is one of these in Darrien or something and it is far cheaper for both lunch and dinner and similar amount of food but the place is dirtier since it's older. Note: They charged us 10% service charge (tip?) even though the service wasn't that great. We had 7 people and I don't remember seeing a sign about being charged anywhere. Total of about 28 per person and only 4 of us got drinks. I think we would have been over 30 with the rest of the drinks or if we had given them more than the 10% of tip. Stir Fry - Good choices overall, i love that you can choose to put as much sauce and garlic as you want. The shrimp was pretty good, and things seem fresh which is nice. Sushi - A wide spread for sure. I love that they serve fried versions which I have never seen more than 1 roll of in a buffet, this place had like 5-8 of them. There is pretty good variety, including fried shrimp inside the sushi and such. It wasn't the greatest taste because it was too firm, but it was good variety. Dim Sum - A lotta really odd things here that I would not normally have at dim sum but they did have rice crepes (only shrimp that i saw) and shrimp dumplings which i have never seen at a buffet. Definitely more variety than another other buffet. Chinese Food - Do not go during the dinner rush. We showed up at 5:30 and the line for chinese food was ridiculous. I didn't get to this until like 8, after we had already eaten and were just conversing for a while. The line is probably about a 5-10 minute wait. I think that is ridiculous to pay this much money and have to wait in line to get food I paid for. Much rather have it served to me at a real restaurant. The food wasn't too bad when I did get to it. The chinese broccoli was good, I had quite a few stalks of it. There is a section of fried rice and fried noodles that seems to be more open and I had some, it wasn't good really. If you want fried noodles, go for the stir fry. The fried rice is not good at all. Fried food - In front of the chinese food is the fried food, so hence this was part of the huge line and the wait was ridiculous. I had some at the end and honestly, not worth it. What a waste. Dessert - They have an assortment of factory made pastries and fresh fruit including lychee. The highlight is the ice cream - smoothness hey have red bean, green tea, and moose tracks as special ice cream, i liked the vanilla as well. . The other highlight is the cotton candy which is fresh spun. Service - uh they took our drink orders at one point and then really never came back to refill it except when we had to stop them and ask. They took our plates away a few times. Other than that, basically didn't interact with us nor do much after the beginning as the plates started piling up. Mob - I saw a mob of people around 6 or 6:30 at the front door. I mean a MOB waiting to get in. I'd suggest going after 8, easier to get a table and there are less people in line, short enough that it was like other buffets. Parking - be prepared to park far away from the front door. The lot is huge though.
(3)Mike N.
Long lobster lines but worth the wait. Sushi got worst but the maki is still awesome.
(4)Lauren P.
Can I get an ALLELUIA?! Huge buffet! Just a handful of the family came for my aunt's bday(25 of us) lol. Anyway we made a reservation and had a huuuuge table in the private area. Where to start because there's just so much food and it's not just quantity...were talking QUALITY ladies and gents! I'll start my way from the left and go all the way to dessert... ...DRUMROLL... 1. Mongolian - aka hibachi - you have your choice of meat (beef, chicken, steak, tilapia) ...then add the veggies and your mixture of sauces.... Give it all to the grill master and voilà - hibachi at it's freshest! 2. Oysters galore- sashimi - nigiri. - sushi! And quality sushi also! 3. Next there are some appetizers commonly found at Japanese restaurants like edamame seaweed salad squid salad etc etc... 4. Then are some random grilled skewers of shrimp beef kale... Short ribs... 5. Dimsum what?! Shumai - buns - the shrimp in the big noodle! (my fave) 6. This whole section of different types of fish salmon white fish... And mussels... And CRAB LEGS! Grab them when they put it in the tray nice and hot! And ask for vinegar and garlic haha Filipino style! ;) 7. I really like their walnut shrimp not too sweet just right.... 8. Then the finger foods like chicken wings fries fried shrimp etc... 9. Dessert time! - my fave part of dessert has to be the red bean sesame ball! Always hot and ready! Paired with some sweet plaintains and their red bean ice cream which tastes like taro ice cream my yelpsters! This place is definitely worth the money! And number one in my buffet book! Come hungry! :) Sidenote: they just need to turn their heat on in the private room cuz it was a bit nippy.... But otherwise service was excellent! Go now!
(4)Brian K.
I TRIED - Make Your Own Stir Fry (5/10) - Sushi (4/10) - Chinese Food (5/10) - Soups (2/10) OMG! Either Hoffman Estates' land value is diminishing like crazy or somebody is one rich mutha! Ok, come on, this is a Chinese Buffet, there's no need for a gargantuan foyer with a gargantuan fountain! That's just showing off! And are you kidding me?! You can take both of the other local Hibachi Buffets in the area (Crazy Buffet and Hibachi Supreme) and throw them in a corner of this place! I've been here a lot, because this is close to work, and yes, I eat monstrously for lunch -- stressful job needs very comfortable food! This place is monstrous! You could probably host 2 weddings here and a normal restaurant dinner crowd! BUT...you'd be surprised how well they fill up during dinner! It's insane! MAKE YOUR OWN STIR FRY This is the best of the 3 buffets I mentioned before. They have about double the ingredients than the competition, and they have minced garlic! AND they offer around 6 sauces to mix in your stir fry...that's about 6 more than the competition! The taste is fine, the service is fast enough. Quick Tip: If you're going to eat a bunch, make your stir fry first, then go buffeting around and then come back here when you're done. You double fist plates back to the table and can relax! Really not much more to say here, since, after all, YOU are responsible for your own stir fry. SUSHI One thing that I must commend Royal for, is that their rolls aren't chock full of rice like the other two (or chock full of cream cheese like Crazy Buffet). Even better, they have sashimi and caviar! Pretty damn high class...if only it was high class sashimi or high class caviar. I really am very proud of Royal that they're not trying to rip you off with the rice, that's a very noble thing, and I'm being serious! I'd rate their sushi definitely better than their competition, but just below, if not barely on par with, Todai....and come on, Todai isn't very hard to meet. CHINESE FOOD Unlike the other places, this place has Chinese food, and it also has CHINESE food! They have your run of the mill General Tso's Chicken, and Kung Pao, and all that normal stuff you see everywhere, but they also have Dim Sum, dumplings, frog legs, and some slightly weird things like that. Their Dim Sum bar is pretty popular. I honestly am usually too full to even reach this area, but from what I've had, it's not that great. The American Chinese stuff is very standard quality, their dumplings are halfway decent, but don't expect to get blown away by anything. SOUPS By far the WORST of its competition. Soup drew the short stick when it came to effort. I think they have around 3 soups. One is Miso, and it tastes worse than Instant Miso. Then the others float around. I had a Seafood Soup that tasted like water -- like not even salty water....just water! They had Hot & Sour soup that was just ok, an Egg Drop that was unappetizing, and some other thing that was reddish orange, and just plain 'ol didn't taste good. Soup bar is not worth trying! ROYAL DECREE Royal Buffet can be summed up in the phrase: "Jack of all trades, King of none." Well, actually, more like a Jack at best, and somewhere around a 7 Of Clubs of most trades. There really isn't anything here that tastes all that great. I appreciate their not being stingy on sushi, but that's about all I can say. I think if you summed up the scores, out of the 3 local Hibachi buffets, I guess I would choose Royal, but if you were to include just regular Chinese Buffets, I'd go to Super China Buffet. At least they have tasty American-Chinese food and the general consensus is a good one. I don't understand the crowds. Sure Asians will go to Asian buffets like this all the time, but...I don't know, I really can't explain it. Royal Buffet to me is kind of like Medieval Times. HOW IS THAT PLACE STILL IN BUSINESS?!?! The only explanation is that there are enough people out there in the world whose interests are piqued by knights, horses, untensiless food, and coke that have never gone. So I guess the buzz for Royal is big enough that there are enough people out there in the world whose interests are piqued too. I don't get it. Instead of going to any of the 3 Hibachi Buffets, I would rather go to Todai for sushi, Super China Buffet for Chinese Food, and Flat Top for Mongolian Grill.
(2)Simon K.
If you have friends who are picky about what they eat or friends who can't decide what kind of cuisine they want, this is probably the place to go. They have a stir-fry booth, sushi, Japanese food, hibachi grilled food, dim sum, Korean food, American food and other things you wouldn't even imagine in a buffet (a cotton candy machine?!?!). Also, I have never seen so many people at one restaurant. Ever. The inside of this place can probably seat over 300 people. So your party size should never be a factor. The one flaw is that because of the wide selection of food, nothing is spectacularly delicious. Most of the stuff is average, a few things are above average, and some things are horrendous. Surprisingly though, there really aren't any unbearable lines for there being so many people in the restaurant at once. And the price is quite reasonable for the selection you get. My challenge to you is to try one of EVERYTHING in the restaurant. That would be quite an impressive feat and would most likely take more than one visit, no matter how small of a portion size you take. Recommendation: Teriyaki Salmon, Sashimi, Crab Legs, COTTON CANDY!
(3)Ellena I.
Royal buffet is my favorite restaurant in Schaumburg. The food is fresh and delicious. My favorite- crab legs and lobster! Sometimes it's overcrowded so it's to loud but overall very good restaurant.
(4)Karl K.
The food here is good the crab is so sweet ,but they are getting smarter to save money they run out of lobster every 5 min. And then it takes 15 min to get more which stops the line for crab and lobster . Not good when you pay enough money to enjoy the food you want ,if they were smart they would seperate the two lines to keep the crab going but again that would cost them so much money ,if they keep this up I will never come again .When your there and it is slow complain to manager
(2)Kristen L.
If you're looking for a place with a wide selection of food, then Royal Buffet is the place to go. If you're looking for a place that's moderately priced, then Royal Buffet is NOT the place. It is a tad bit expensive, but they do have a lot of different food to choose from. BUT, just because there's a lot of food, doesn't necessarily mean that it's all good. A lot of the meat is very chewy, over cooked and dry. The dim-sum is anything but; it doesn't taste anything like dim-sum...more like something that came from straight from the freezer to the microwave. The sushi/sashimi/maki roll spread is decent, but the fish itself isn't the highest quality. The dessert section isn't very large, but they do make their own cotton candy! Always a fun, sweet treat no matter what age you are! The best thing about Royal Buffet is the crab legs. Be prepared to wait in line for these babies because people pile PLATES of crab legs! The seating area itself is insanely large and there are a lot of people milling about. On weekends, I'd suggest going a little early to avoid waiting. Overall, not the best buffet I've had, but had a great (and filling!) dinner with the family.
(3)Christiaan N.
Get here early!
(5)Arthur K.
Went back for lunch with some friends and started to notice some issues. The main problem was cleanliness. We had to ask for a new set of utensils twice to find a clean set and several of dishes had dried food on them. I know this is a big place with a large turn over but if this is what we saw I worry about what we did not see in the food prep area. I like this places and the food so I hope they get there act together.
(2)Gerry T.
This place gets 4 stars for the variety alone. There's just sooooo much to choose from. They offer sashimi so that you don't load up too much on carbs. We enjoyed the walnut shrimp (walnuts were missing though), seaweed salad, Chinese style ribs, masago (fish eggs), scallops on the shell! (Nice size too), fried bananas (just like banana que in the Philippines), there's just too much to list. The service was attentive and the place was relatively clean for a buffet. Parking can get tough with TJ Maxx next door.
(4)Glen M.
Went for dinner on a Sunday. With two kids and two adults the total was about 70 bucks. With that being said you get a ton of whatever you want. Sushi, shrimp, tons of fish, meats, soups, even frog legs and they have a chocolate fountain. It's worth trying especially if u like buffets
(4)Howard L.
It's an OK buffet. Lunch is now $11.49 pp. The main distinction for this place is it's massively huge menu selection. The quality of it all is pretty average though for an Asian buffet.
(3)Amy K.
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes. So many sushi/sashimi choices. So many dim sum choices. So many other hot items. So many ice creams. So many desserts. Lunch is SUPER cheap. I'm glad I don't live near here or I might need to get a lap band.
(5)Lulu R.
I am VERY impressed with This Royal. Much like serveral others, my family and I used to go to the one in Woodridge. This buffet tramples the old one. Its a bit more expensive but the food quality is nothing to be reconed with. As we walked in there was abeautiful fountain in the lobby and then a host/hostess station through another set of double doors. The hostess station has nice leather couched for the minimal wait. As we walked through this place I realized why they made an expansion because this place is HUUUUGE. I think they have about 3-4 rooms. They have a hibachi grill stations in one room (kinda like a restaurant within a restaurant). You can tell a this place is good because there was a wait and all the patrons looked very intently into thier yummy eats. We were seated and our waiter brought out the drinks. Notable things about Royals food selection: sushi station with sushi chefs making it before your eyes, dim sum station, crab legs, 4 diff kinds of soup, raw oysters, cooked oysters, honey walnut shrimp, calamari, ribs, wings, greens, salad, fruits, ice cream, and COTTON CANDY. Yes... COTTON CANDY!! all of the food we ate was fresh and tasty. Very suprised by this. It was a great time had by all because they pleased everyone's pallate. I really hope this place does not lose the quality of thier food as well as thier superior service because it tends to happen.
(4)Stephanie H.
With weekday lunches at $11.49 per person, it's a great deal! It includes Mongolian BBQ, sushi/sashimi, dim sum, fruit, ice cream...everything you'd expect at an Asian buffet. I believe for anything fancier like crab legs, you'd have to go during one of their more expensive dinners. It's also really spacious, and I believe there's a huge room in the back that you could probably rent out for banquets or private parties. I didn't have a chance to try the Mongolian BBQ, but the sashimi was fresh and delicious! I also liked their soups and the teriyaki squid. I was surprised that they had lychee in their fruit selection, and they have a nice selection of ice cream as well (I personally love green tea ice cream myself; my brother tried their red bean ice cream). They also have a cotton candy machine...which I thought tasted like bubble gum flavored. We went around 2pm on a weekday, which might have been too late since their lunch ends at 3pm I think. They had stopped putting out fresh foods, and the ladies in front of us had to talk to someone who worked there to get the sushi chefs to give us any sashimi. I suppose it makes sense, but I'd advise going closer to noon or 1pm if you want to make sure you're getting a good selection of everything.
(4)Stephanie G.
Ehhhh....crab legs were good....I don't see myself returning however. Everything else was ranged from so so to just plain bad. They did have a huge sushi selection, but none of it any good so they didn't win points there. The place is huge, and has better ambiance than most buffets and it seemed clean enough. It just didn't have enough going for it that I could see myself returning. I just wasn't impressed with anything.
(3)Nelson M.
Restaurant Review Ugh vomiting! I always fall to the seafood AYCE. Our family finally decided to come to the Schaumburg location for the seafood dinner extravaganza which was 22.49. Not bad considering what Todai use to cost. So this palce truly does live up to the name of a Royal Seafood buffet unlike other asian buffet with imitation crab meat and overcooked salmon. There selection of seafood is unrivaled and likely my downfall as well. There are clams, larger clams, mussles, oysters, fried oyster, sushi, sashimi, crab, and even lobster on certain nights along with lots of asian food items such as dim sum mongolian wok, stir fry etc. A couple of observation, the line for crab legs is out of control. It wraps around half the buffet and you spend 30 minutes alone waiting for crab legs. They should assign someone to pass out the crab legs i.e. limit 2 each trip instead of people of letting people pile on the whole thing before walking away. Next the sushi is poorly made falling apart as you pick it up. Furthermore the sashimi is gingerly given out in a slow manner from "FROZEN packets" mind you. I had no idea sashimi came in small plastic pouches. Ugh. There is also your obligatory chinese dessert section with green tea ice cream which is a +. My adventure did not stop here as I attempted to drive back to home to Chicago and started having hot flashes and indigestion. Before I could get back into my condo I asked my wife for a grocery bag as I proceeded to vomit a entire bagof brackish black fluid. Low grade fever and the runs dictated the rest of the night. Lesson learned: seafood buffet are dangerous as you are bound to run the risk of food borne illness. If you are willing to take the risk this would be the place to go for variety.... Pro- One of the largest seafood buffet. Okay price for what you get. Con- High risk for seafood/food poisoning Hidden deal- Lobster night Wed/Friday night. Only a 1.50 more than normal dinner price
(1)Joan K.
It's ok if you want to eat by yourself. My second time here. Wanted to see if things improved sine I went originally when the restaurant first opened. Nope! The waits for food is ridiculous. How do other buffets handle refilling food items? This place needs to take some instructions. Plus there are many workers behind the scenes. If you have all these folks running around on a not so busy Thursday dinner time, I'd hate to see it on a weekend. Waiting for crab legs is nuts. But my friend and I were told that's what you have to do to get any. So whatever food you have waiting at the table gets ice cold. Or one waits, while the other eats. I know there are folks who gourge themselves on crab legs, like they never had them before but perhaps you serve portion to a table if they request them at the beginning of the meal. Eliminate the lines. Please. It's crazy. Sushi was good, but again, the more popular ones are replenished about every ten minutes and they disappear immediately. I noticed staff making sushi for a patron and handing them a prepared plate right to their Asian pals. To me, they acted as if the didn't understand me when I asked for a particular type. I wouldn't go back..I didn't enjoy my meal with my friend, who I seldom was able to talk to cuz we had to wait in lines. Crazy. For 25.00 a pop, it's not worth it.
(1)Phill C.
If your typical Las Vegas buffet and your neighborhood Super China buffet had a baby, this would be it. This place is huge and very nicely decorated, with a massive selection of food. They have a hibachi grill, sushi, dim sum, hot food selection, crab legs, ice cream, and even a cotton candy machine. I was hoping this place would be great, but was very disappointed. I ended up going here twice, once for dinner with friends and again for lunch with some coworkers... and I regret having gone both times. Just felt like I ate a whole bunch of nothing, as nothing was really that good. Even the ice cream wasn't that great. which oddly tasted watered down. I guess if you just want to eat a whole bunch of crab legs, the dinner price isn't too bad. But overall, the food wasn't that great.
(2)Kat L.
Oh, royal buffet. I hate to say it, but I have mixed emotions!!! The selection is extremely plentiful. Here's my highlights. -dim sum, sushi, raw bar, hibachi station, and chinese food. I'm a dim sum junkie, so I was pleasantly surprised! Down side? No hoisin sauce for their dumplings. That's a huge miss. It's like missing ketchup for your fries!! Now all they need is some thai food, some wide rice noodles, and we're all set. -rice cooker on board. Whaaaa?!?! just like home away from home -raw oysters. Let me say that again. Raw. Oysters. So cool that they've got 'em, although I'm sad there was a fishy aftertaste. Good amount of meat though! -Crab legs!!. these have been disappearing from so many buffets, and I'm really happy to say that these are not ridiculously salty. Good amount of meat, and melted butter readily on board-- i'm just so sad to say that I've been developing an indigestion intolerance to these babies. *sniff* So here's some other things. I love that they've got an enormous assortment. You could really eat a meal alone on each of their stations. There's a huge hibachi assortment of ingredients, plentiful sushi (both nigiri pieces, rolls, and *gasp* a whole vat of spicy mayo!! gobble gobble), dim sum, and other standard chinese foods. The reason I gave 3 stars is because there food is just... not quite as FLAVORFUL. Looks great, and there's so much, but.... doesn't stand out. The fried items are reminiscent of all items having been thrown in the same frier with the same oil. Some items like the walnut shrimp are a little stale, having lost its crunchy texture, and clearly had been sitting out for some time. Another miss: very sad dessert bar. Not very many chocolate items. Some fruit. One jello. The flan ran out and was never replaced. The entire dessert bar, overall, was just not that appetizing or exciting. They offer a lot of different ice creams, like red bean, green tea, and an ube/taro-like ice cream. But it's more ice than cream. And not quite on point with flavor. One cool thing? their own homespun cotton candy. While childish, my sister insisted. Surprisingly, it did taste pretty good. (Although I had to put it down after a while. My neurotic boyfriend has been veering me away from food with food dyes). Overall, I think this place is definitely an upper scale buffet, and more pleasant to take friends and family. It's so much more cleaner and classier than your typical Chinese buffet. Their service is also pretty decent, considering how busy they can get. But still, for all the bells and whistles, the flavor must be there. And that's why I can only give 3.
(3)Andrew G.
The problem with a majority of buffets is that in trying to serve everything under the sun, and do it well, they end up serving up an overall mediocre experience. Unfortunately, no place does this fault become more noticeable than the Royal Buffet. Situated in a strip mall, adjacent to several other restaurants of varying flavors in the area, Royal Buffet easily stands out among all of them due to it's unavoidably gargantuan size. Walking in, you'll be quickly bombarded by loud noise on par with family reunions. But, thankfully, Royal has the space to accommodate such large gatherings. For those who have never tried Asian cuisine, there is a vast array of flavors that can be sampled. Take each menu from every single smaller restaurant serving food in a similar vein, cram it together, and it's here. While it may not be as well done as those other places is downright debatable, but my answer is a stark, resounding "yes." The inherent problem appears to be Royal Buffet trying to perform the very function it was designed for as an amalgamation of food for a flat, if not overpriced, rate. While the sheer amount of consumables is voluminous, it falls significantly under the bar for what anyone should be shelling out for the price of admission. After all, a wide selection means nothing if it all ends up being little more than a shadow of what any other restaurant could singularly offer far better for the same price. Mediocre food aside, the ambient noise is loud making conversation hardly tenable at the very least. Children screaming and families jockeying to talk over each other will quickly slaughter any intimate conversations. But who cares, right? You're at a buffet to stuff your face, not taste your food or enjoy the company of companions. Sarcasm aside, this was a noticeable issue and continued to make the trip feel like a chore. A trip to the washroom was the knockout punch for Royal as far as I was concerned, basically making it so I could never visit again. I can understand some uncleanliness and it being purely circumstantial. But this was like an explosion of filth had occurred, making any stay lengthier than a few moments an act of heroism. That being said, your mileage may vary in regards to Royal Buffet. But living locally, there are just far too many alternative Asian options for this place to be visited with any degree of regularity, if ever again. I may have to go to the trouble of ordering and picking little more than a handful of things off the menu, but I have a feeling it will all be much better than what I got at Royal.
(2)Yvonne Y.
Really awesome Chinese food for a buffet. i'm guessing they'll raise their prices soon based on the current demand. Lunch items that are worth your calories: Chinese food section: Frog legs (they serve them various styles depending on the day), fried calamari, whichever Chinese greens, butter shrimp Sushi: any sashimi that looks fresh Dim sum: beef stomach, shrimp or chive/shrimp dumpling Dessert: red bean or green tea ice cream, coconut tapioca (not served everyday, next to the soup) They charge for tea. Very friendly service for a buffet restaurant. For lunch, if you show up after noon, you may have to wait.
(5)Sherwin C.
This is a very interesting restaurant that is so big it's almost like cramming Todai and Crazy Buffet into a single concept. The only buffet that I can think of that's of a similar size is Buffet City in Oak Lawn. The decorations are very nice and the selection is huge with a grill, sushi, Chinese food, Dim Sum, typical buffet items, seafood, desserts, ice cream, cotton candy machine, and more. If you're comparing this to Todai, I think it's a better choice since there's a lot more room to walk around, dinner price is better (about $20), drink prices are better (about $2), and the hot food is nicer. To match the nice decor, we experienced excellent service with a waiter that was very attentive and knowledgeable about the food. The only real drawbacks are that this place can get very busy, even early (like before 6 p.m.), getting good seafood items (like abalone with mushrooms, fried whole fish, crab legs, etc.) can be quite competitive, and depending on what time of day you go the food can sometimes be cold. I think that the food temperature is what accounts for the high level of variance in experiences between the diners. When the food is nice and hot, the food is actually quite comparable to the best Chinese restaurants in the area. In fact, I feel it is a bit less salty and can be better in texture than them. However, like with a lot of Chinese food, when it is cold it can feel oily and the flavor does not come out as well. So really you have to decide between a more relaxed meal with colder food or possibly having to wait for a seat but delicious food. Personally, I'd rather wait and be competitive for food so that I can get the best possible taste out of it. Plan accordingly for the experience you prefer. As for the food, it would take a long time to really describe everything so here are some highlights (these aren't the only good items, just I don't have the capacity to try every item they offer): Pot stickers - nice and juicy inside with a crisp skin, great when they come out fresh. Shrimp skewer - the vegetables are plump and juicy although the shrimp could use a little more seasoning. Rainbow roll - Fresh and light, great for starting the meal. Halibut fillet - A little under-seasoned I think but a surprising item on their menu. Philadelphia roll, dragon roll, shrimp tempura roll - very similar to other local Japanese restaurants. Not among the best but a solid choice, a bit above average for buffet maki. Mongolian beef - The beef is very nice and tender. Hot tea - Tastes like Lipton Mandarin Orange Green Tea, quite nice if you've never tried it before. Thai style fried whole fish - I think it was red snapper or rainbow trout, either way it was delicious and a very surprising choice for a buffet that wasn't that expensive. Mayonnaise shrimp - Nice light and crisp when it comes out fresh. Fried chicken - a bit better than the normal fried chicken you get from most Chinese buffets. The batter was nice and crunchy. Beef tripe - Not as flavorful or salty as you expect from dim sum restaurants but still pretty good. Pork spareribs - On par with most dim sum restaurants. Roast duck - Good for a buffet, not as nice as the fresh ones you get from Chinatown but it's hard to get this item out in the suburbs. Cantonese seafood soup - Could have used more seafood but a solid choice with pretty good flavor. Sing gua (Chinese okra) & clam soup - You don't see this too often and the version the buffet does is actually pretty good. It would be excellent if they would add a bit of ginger to it to complement the flavor of the broth. Scallion pancake - Nice and crispy when it's fresh. One of my favorite items. Chive dumping - As good as most Chinatown restaurants when it's fresh. It is not too salty but have a good strong flavor of chives. Fish ball on a stick - too bad I didn't see them serve octopus balls but these are pretty addictive as well. Red bean ice cream - Delicious. Cotton candy - Spun fresh. If you haven't tried cotton candy hot out of the spinner, you are missing out on a delicious experience (well, I guess as gourmet as cheaper candy can get). Cold jellyfish - about as good as other Chinese restaurants make it. Abalone and sea cucumber with mushrooms - Not sure if these are all real ingredients but the taste was pretty good. Surprising it's even offered considered how expensive these ingredients are. MORE ITEMS: yelp.com/user_details_li… At this point I was stuffed beyond belief and I wasn't even close to trying a fraction of their items. They have an impressive selection of dim sum and sushi items I still want to try but it make take several more trips to sample them all. Throughout the night it did seem that items than ran out were being replaced with new items so that every time I took a trip to the buffet I'd run across new things. This buffet is truly amazing in scale and scope.
(5)Brianna L.
I don't even like buffets and I absolutely love this place! 2 of my friends and myself found ourselves here for lunch yesterday and we were so glad we did! We left stuffed, but the food was just so good! They have a mongolian bbq section (passed), sushi (freshly rolled constantly) was really good (pink lady was my favorite), dim sum (we were scared we've never had it), salads, korean bbq ribs (melt off the bone delish), soups, lo mein noodles, fresh fruit, COTTON CANDY!!!! UMM they just had sooo much! It was all so good. I don't think there was really anything that none of us didn't like. We each had 3 plates...omg too much food for real! We're already planning our next trip here lol maybe for dinner next time tho :)
(5)Angela H.
We were here with a party of 17 and arrived ar 8:30 pm. They immediately told us "we close at 9:30!!!". So giddy up!!! Lots o' sushi, sashimi, oysters, mussels, clams, king crab legs, dungeness crabs, fish, and other seafoods. If you don't eat seafood, this place is not the best place for you. Also a dim sum section and a bbq grill area as well. On this day however, oysters were not their best. They were on the cusp of being rank. So we tossed 'em. If we ate anymore and we were certain we'd end up in the bathroom for hours. Dessert was meh. Cotton candy was a hit with the little ones. Ice cream is not self serve, you have to ask the lady behind the counter for a scoop of your desired flavor. I've had better buffets, but this was alright for a group of 17 late at night.
(3)Sarah S.
I was very excited to try this buffet because I knew it was going to be huge being inside an old furniture store.Sadly, Royal Buffet is not good at all. I was expecting it to be super busy when we went because of the reviews, but that was not the case. We were one of the first tables in for a weekday lunch, yet they seated us far, far away in a separate section. I understand how seating works as far as server's sections but move the sections close together when the place is sparse! We had to walk so far to get to the buffet. I was very excited when I walked in with my lunch crew because there is a HUGE selection of food! Sadly, nothing was good. Some items were okay like the dim sum and the a few of the Chinese dishes like Pepper Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken. They have a huge selection of rolls and sushi but they aren't fresh at all and the ingredients are not good quality either. I tried a ton of different items and there was not one item that was good. The Jin deiu (sesame balls) had red bean paste inside that did not taste like red bean paste at all! It was so gross I spit it out. I was looking forward to dessert because I thought there was no way that would be gross, too. The dessert selection was small compared to the buffet, but I got excited when I saw purple ice cream!!! It has to be Ube (Purple Yam) ice cream! And...it was....but it was so gross. :( I was so sad sad because Ube ice cream is my latest obsession. The ONLY good thing of my entire meal was cotton candy which comes from a cotton candy machine. Service was just fine for us most of the time aside from some check paying issues. The girl waiting on us was friendly, but it seemed the serves were standing around aimlessly most of the time. If you want a ton of mediocre food, this is the place for you. If quality reigns over quantity for you, do not go here. Please understand the food is not good at all! Food is a total failure here. If you want a really good Asian buffet in the area, go to Crazy II Buffet!!!
(2)David E.
I'm sitting here, as I type, waiting for the long line to die down so I can actually get a lobster, on LOBSTER NIGHT. The trouble is they keeping on running out and the line expands until the new pot of lobsters is ready. This is bullsh#t!
(2)Kat A.
For only about $11 for lunch, this place can't be beat. Better than any other Chinese buffet I've been to because they have real Chinese food and not just the Americanized stuff. They have a decent sushi selection...not the best but what can you expect at a $11 buffet? I've never tried their Mongolian stir fry, but it always looks good when my friends get it. They have dim sum selections, a good selection of meats, seafood, vegetables, and desserts. Hidden behind the desserts is a cotton candy machine. So if you have little kids, you should ask one of the employees behind the counter to make some cotton candy for you.
(4)Insun M.
I went for lunch ($12.99) during their grand opening week. Maybe thats why I was disappointed. Pros: - Dim sum! - Bite size sushi - Clean Cons: - Almost everything they had was running out or completely out - All the food labels were incorrect (bbq beef sign was above the steamed fish) - No ice cream - Hostess was so excited to clearly state that they use high quality ingredients....this is a buffet...yea right. Don't lie to customers. The food that was actually there was pretty good. They just really need to get on top of refilling the platters. NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
(3)Winnie Z.
The best buffet Ever !! Soo many choice the Mongolian is veryyyy good
(5)Anne W.
Simply put.. this place values quantity over quality. Yes.. if you are looking for seafood.. this place does have it. You can choose between raw and cooked: crab legs, oysters, clams, abalone, shrimp, and/or crawfish. You can also choose dimsum, veggies, Mongolian bbq, sushi, soups, cotton candy, and/or ice cream (exotic Asian flavors like taro)... BUT it should be noted that none of the food actually tastes that good. The place does look nice.. and the service (to clear your plates) is pretty good... But when I go to a restaurant... I go because I want to eat food that tastes good and get my money's worth. So yes, I got my money's worth with all the seafood I downed.. but the food is really meh. Even steamed oysters with black bean sauce was not that good. I was sad. I would be hesitant to go again.. from reading the reviews, seems like there are many places that are similar to this.
(2)Joiera C.
Great value and good food Always come here when I'm back in Chicago have so much variety chinese, vietnamese, japanese, name it they have it. They even have cotton candy for kids, fresh fruit etc. Its' like eating buffet in Vegas, in Chicago.
(4)Yang Y.
Royal provides plenty of food. But how much can you eat, even it's a buffet? It's creating the image that the price is reasonable. And food is just ok. Just try some other cheaper buffet, where you can also fill your stomach to its 150% capacity.
(3)Philip T.
Lots of selection with a variety of seafood. You really have to pace yourself if you want to try everything. They even had a cotton candy machine!
(5)Dariush K.
You get what you pay for.... The seafood wasn't very appetizing, everything seemed O.K. Nothing was great and nothing would drive me to come back to this place either, the sushi was surprisingly decent, but how hard is it to mess up a maki roll? My wife and I stayed for about 25 minutes before cutting our losses and leaving.
(2)Ji K.
Honestly, I feel very torn as I write this review. My husband and I came here for the sole reason to stuff our faces with crab legs, but we were also extremely excited about the large variety of food we heard would be available. Upon arrival, we immediately acquired two large and tall plates of crab legs. We were pleasantly surprised by the size and quality of them-- each leg had so much sweet, succulent meat that we were nearly full by the end of it. These definitely satisfied our craving. We went on to try the other dishes but were disappointed by one after the other. Sad sushi, sad dim sum, sad meat and ribs, sad fried squid, sad desserts. Most dishes were either strongly covered with strange or synthetic-tasting flavors or bland with lack of any seasoning. Honestly, our favorite things besides the crab legs were the fried chicken, the fresh lychee, and the coffee ice cream. That's just four things (total) out of nearly 100 different things. So, to sum it all up . . . if you come with the intention of maxing out on crab legs, the $22 dollar cost per person is very well worth it. If you come to eat everything else, I would suggest going to a different buffet with better tasting food. My husband and I will probably come back again, but only when we get an all-you-can-eat crab leg craving. For that reason alone, it really is a great deal. It's just sad that everything else doesn't live up to the look and hype of the place.
(3)evan c.
Pretty good, You get a pretty good dinner here for $20. The selections changed through the night and they actually brought roasted NY strip loin out and served big slices. They were doing Peking Duck in little pancakes and had a really interesting selection in the cold food area, chilled pig ear salad, chilled tripe salad..very good.
(4)Frank A.
Came here with a large group on a Saturday night. Good: - Unlimited crab. - Lots of variety. More than most Asian buffets. - Staff is generally good at making sure food is available. Meh: - Many items including dim sum was pretty bland or seemed to miss something. - Buffet area can just be too chaotic and people can just be plain rude. Buffets have variety and you'll find something good. It's ok, but I'd rather just get a better prepared dish elsewhere. It's really just my own preference that I tend to shy away from buffets...
(3)Ryan M.
They just started regulating on the crab legs.
(4)Amy P.
So much selection- all so fresh. Delicious sushi.
(4)April P.
Gross doesn't even begin to describe the food here. When we first came in the month that it opened, the food was fresh, the quality was superb, and the staff were very hospitable. I guess that's the case when new businesses need to lay their foundation. But newflash, Royal Buffet...your competitor Todai closed. I'm sure that your opening did come into play for their diminished business, but let that be news to you that the same could happen to you. Me and the BF were doing some power shopping and worked up an appetite. We came here in their final hour, (not final 10 minutes) and everything was picked over and nothing replenished. So I walked over to the sushi area and saw one of the sous chefs standing around. He wasn't even in a chef uniform any longer, and was about to the step in the back. From the looks of things, he seemed to be washing something. He asked if I needed something, and I stated some nigiri would be great. So he saunters over to the fridge WITHOUT WASHING HIS HANDS, and bare handedly picks up some raw salmon and starts slicing it. I was mortified. I ran to my table so fast and reported this to the BF and said "I'm DONE!" Total eating time...20 minutes So we went up to pay, and I spoke to the manager who had SAT US DOWN just 20 minutes prior to. I told her of their need to sanitize and educate their staff before someone goes home with food poisoning and comes back with a law suit. She apologized profusely, and wouldn't ya know it, knocks 20% off our bill. Wow, a whole 20%. What a great gesture for her saving us from getting sick... (sarcasm, folks). I'd normally argue this, but I'm more content in knowing that readers will see what a rip off this place is and how a visit from the Health Department is long overdue. Sadly, restaurants at this poor quality give small mom and pop restaurants a bad name, especially with consumers who new to Japanese cuisine, and are already weary of raw seafood.
(1)S K.
I've been to the restaurant 9 times. FOOD / BUFFET Out of this world selection - doesn't get better than this for a buffet. SERVERS Disappointing, slow, non-attentive. You have to wave them down and continue to ask for refills on drinks and good luck trying to find a crab cracker. BATHROOMS Nightmare - filthy all the times I've been there. TEMPERATURE Yes, I get they cook right there! :-) However, they need not to be so stingy with the air-condition and keep us cool, it becomes too stuffy.
(1)William B.
So, This is the second review in a row that I'm reviewing more for the experience than the merits of the food. I went for lunch, and just had the buffet, so can't comment on the hibachi. I'm certainly not a Chinese buffet connoisseur. It's probably been several years since i last set foot in one. Royal buffet is like a Chinese buffet on steroids. There is a Mongolian grill, a massive sushi selection, dim sum, fresh seafood, the typical Chinese food menu items, and many other items that i didn't even see, as I didn't get all the way around the buffet. That huge! Probably not as quality & fresh as a sit-down, order from a menu place, but I was pleasantly surprised. The turnover on the food was quick enough that everything was very hot (for the hot dishes) and freshly served (for the sushi). If i was hankering for a Chinese buffet, i imagine Royal Buffet ruined it for me on trying any other.
(4)Mimi K.
Being from the east coast, we have not been able to find good eateries around this area. We liked the Royal Buffet in Downers Grove, so when we heard they were opening in Hoffman Estates, we were excited. There is a nice banquet room that you can use for events, and we went in before they even opened to book a party. They have a screen if you want to do a slide show, or have karaoke and I think you can fit upto 150 comfortably. I'm sure they can and do squeeze more in there. The deco is nice enough for a wedding reception. For us, they brought out our own trays of appetizers so that guests did not have to leave the room as soon as they arrived. They also have a smaller party room where you could do a smaller(50 people, I think they said) party, or office function. The room is long and narrow so there's not much room to move around or mingle. We also went when it first opened and have been going back every so often, as often as once a month sometimes. Taste has gotten better since opening. The manager was also good about following couple tips we gave them about couple foods and we were glad that they heard us out. GRILL - they're learning. I'll give them another year or so. Food just doesn't get cooked evenly. I don't put garlic in anymore since it never gets cooked right. (This is where we really miss the east coast.) SUSHI - you're not gonna get very fresh when you're this far inland, so keep that in mind. But for those who were used to Todai, there could be more variety. Royal does have variety, but the ingredients are all same. I just wish that they could be more considerate in the way they serve their food. When they bring new food out and mix in the old food, they handle it with a serving spoon from another food, often mixing the food. Also if you're there when they are busy, it's fine that old food is mixed in with the new, but if they're not so busy, watch out. How long has it been sitting there? Even when they serve ice cream, (it's not self serve), they don't rinse the scooper so you get whatever flavor is on there with the flavor you request. We usually go for lunch these days since it's cheaper. The food is about the same, minus the seafood like lobster. They also have takeout...
(4)Josh M.
Not that this place is horrible but there are certainly better buffets. The whole spread is very seafood and fish centric. While there is a very good variety it seems to be on the more authentic side. So if your the General Tso's and fried rice type you will find it here but not the same sauce change the protein like many of the buffets. The sushi was decent but once again nothing special. They also had a mongolian bbq flat top but I didn't try it. The fish was a little strong smelling but that is nothing new considering it is a buffet. I would try some of the other places before you stop here.
(2)Suvondal E.
I have to say that I was impressed with this place. There is a huge selection of food to choose from. The sushi selection is incredible. Everything was fresh and even the servers kept my table clean. Not only is the food good but you have to try the green tea ice cream...delicious! I will go back soon.
(4)Chris L.
I'm not a seafood eater, but this place had more than enough variety to keep me happy. Plus: MUCH better than the Royal Buffet @ 75th/Lemont! Good service, food is edible, didn't get sick afterwards, sanitary in most locations, price average for asian buffet Minus: Pepsi products, unsanitary chocolate fountain, flatgrill burned my veggies From the food and dining point of view, not bad at all. There were plenty of hot and good dishes to select from, including sushi, dim sum, and dessert. From the eating experience point of view, there's always people who don't wash their hands, leave the tongs in the food, or cross-contaminate. Combine that with the ones who feel the need to sneeze all over their hands or kids who think everything is for dipping and it's easy to get sick or lose your appetite.
(4)Faisal F.
After a friend raving about this for the longest time my spouse and I decided to try it out last night. We went around 8:45, the place was pretty empty. Most of the buffet was pretty empty especially the sushi bar, however we were able to try the rolls that were still there, horrible! The food had no taste except salt overload! We decided to just stick with crab legs, they were cold and salty! The food was mostly soggy and extremely greasy. The place had a weird Clorox bleach smell, overall horrible experience, food, and service. If want quantity over quality this is a good option!
(1)Pierre D.
If you dislike Chinese buffets with Crab ragoons, sweet sour pork, and more fried items you ought not try Royal, however for everyone else you are going to like it. The selection is wide! They have a Mongolian grille with fresh seafood, poultry, and red meats. A good vegetable selection accompanies this as well as eggs and a standard selection of sauces. Next, Sushi is bite size which I really enjoyed as I could try so much and not feel too terrible if something didn't work out and had to waste it. Everything I had was again fresh and mounds of wasabi and ginger is sitting patiently waiting to accompany the sushi spread. As for the Dim Sum it's again fresh and a great variety. Dim Sum is basically bite sized Chinese dishes. This is rare to find at your greasy deep friend buffet but plentiful at Royal. While the labels are sometimes not the best, with so much variety I think this is just a trade off you have to live with. Most of the stuff you can figure out. They even have sea cucumbers! Lastly dessert, they have an employee scooping a variety of ice creams! Good way to end the experience! I'd also like to note that this place is huge and you don't feel cramped in any way! Not to mention they keep it very clean!
(5)Michelle T.
After reading about it..well i went to check it out for myself.... When i first walked in it looked good... but when i started to try the food.. ohhh gush... even the sushi was not good.. and the food that was supposed to be hot was cold.. so not kept at the right temperature.. some of the food also looked a little bit too exotic and not very pleasant to the eyes i shall say. First and last time at this place i can tell you that!!!
(1)Andrew C.
There are too many things to say about thia restaurant, so I'll keep this short. So many options for sushi, raw seafood, and other hot dishes. They even have a chocolate fountain (which wasn't on for us today, sadly) and a cotton candy machine. Also, the birthday celebrations were interesting with a small drum and a cymbal. Great food, great decorations, and tons of options. Awesome!
(5)Rania A.
All I can say is that if you love buffet, COME TO THIS PLACE!!!I promise you! You wouldn't be disappointed! I brought many friends and family to this place, and everybody fell in love with this place and they can't wait to come back! I will tell you my stepdad cannot eat seafood but still love this place! and one of my friend who is a VERY picky eater like this place!!! because this place doesn't discriminate with food!! You will find almost everything here :P The difference/Unique with this place is that they have CRAB LEGS ALL DAY LONG and a huge selection of food! From stir fry that is cook for however you want, cotton candy, different kind of seafood, noodles, sushi, pastry, icecream and more! It's like a huge market of cooked and raw(fish) food!!! Also, I saw that there's a place where they seat you where theres a chef in your table...I guess you can have someone cook for you too..i haven't tried it yet i think its different from the buffet tho?
(5)Gary C.
Cotton candy sweet as gold. Let me see that Royal Buffet!!!!!!!! Wait. Is that right? In summation (yes, I'm starting with the end), it really is just a buffet. But hey, it's better than your average buffet. A lot of friends were talking about RB and I didn't buy in. But my pops and I were out of ideas for our Sunday lunch and I just threw this one out there. He bit, and kept biting forkful after forkful of food. The guy is 5'4", barely 120 lbs. But the man can put down some plates with the best of em. His showing at RB proved that to me. Food-wise, RB is all over the place, but it does focus on Asian cuisine...all of Asia. Sushi, Korean cold plates, seafood galore, dim sum, (semi)traditional hot plates, and...garlic bread. Compared to other buffets in the Chicagoland area, it's pretty good. But I mean, it's far as crap for city folk. I'm not sure if I'd frequent it, but if it was close, sure. What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks. The space is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge. Decor reminds me of one those Facebook restaurant games. Restaurant City, anyone? But what seals the deal is, as childish as it sounds, the cotton candy. Ya diiiiiiiiigggggg??!
(4)Eric D.
Chinese food paradise. Full lobsters. Crab legs. Fresh sushi. Delicious desserts. The hibachi is always fired up. If you're into buffet style. This is definitely your kinda place. Dinner was around 22 bucks. Lunch was much cheaper. The price is right for what you get.
(4)Landy L.
Wow This place is a gold mine!!! Came here for dinner when visiting my bf's family in Chicago. Absolutely delicious, with friendly and warm atmosphere plus reasonable price. They should open one in NYC, it will be packed all the time. Such a wonderful experience definitely will go back next time when I'm in town.
(5)Audrey A.
Came here last Tuesday to celebrate my mom's birthday. We arrived around 3:45 PM only to be shoo'd away because they were closed. Dinner starts at 5 PM so we waited until they opened again. The decor is very nice. The foyer had nice marble floors and a fairly large fountain area with fish swimming about. The actual buffet area is much more modern looking than any other Chinese buffets I've ever been to... and I've been to a lot of Chinese Buffets in my lifetime. There are tons of seating. It's an ideal place to have a large group/party. Our waitress brought us to a table all the way in the back which was a tad inconvenient because it was a bit of a walk to the buffet area #lazyproblems. I didn't quite understand why we were sent there because we were the 3rd or 4th group to be seated and there was plenty of open seating near the buffet. Since we arrived the moment they hit the gong (literally), the food was fresh and plentiful. There's a vast array of food including seafood, meat, veggies, soup, etc. It's everything I've seen at a Chinese buffet and more. It's not like it's top notch quality or dishes I have dreams about... it's a buffet, what do you expect. But it is a notch above all the other dingy buffets I've been to. They have a dimsum area and I was a happy duck to see that. Their fresh soymilk is delicious too. Their sushi is okay. Nothing spectacular but at least they are fairly fresh. They have more seafood than they do meat, so if you're not a seafood person you're out of luck. I didn't get a chance to try their meats because I filled up on seafood, but they have pork bellies, chicken feet, pig intestines, kalbi, etc. They all looked good to me. I had a good experience there. The service was good too, so I'm not sure if it's because we came when it wasn't too terribly busy or what, but none of the things mentioned in the negative reviews happened to us.
(4)Demetrio P.
Been pleasantly surprised by Royal Buffet. I was very skeptical at first, had many Chinese Buffets, but this one had a little more. They have from various types of cooked fish, meats, clams, fresh oysters, crab legs (during dinner hours only I believe), sushi, dim sum, a cook-to-order stir fry station...and not to mention they have a desert section that includes ice cream, fresh lychees, and cotton candy. If ever in the vicinity, I would definitely give Royal Buffet a try. In summary, good variety of food, OK service, OK prices (lunch is half price).
(3)Ricky B.
As far as Asian buffets go this is really as good as it gets. Huge variety and the quality of food is as good as can be expected from a buffet. Your Choices Include: 1) Chinese Food (All your standard fare) 2) Dim Sum (steamed buns and chicken feet included) 3) Japanese (Miso Soup, Tempura, Chicken Teriyaki, seaweed salad, edamame) 3) Sushi (A wide variety, not as good as a proper sushi restaurant but better than usual buffet sushi) 4) Sea Food (Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, crawdads, Snow Crab[Snow crab is only for dinner]) 5) Mongolian BBQ (Tons of Meats and Veggies to choose from and cooked in front of you as you wait) 6) Small Selection of American food (Fried Chicken and French Fries) 7) Fruit (Melon, Berries, Pineapple, ect. when I was there it was all a little under ripe) 8) Tons of Desserts! (All types of bars, Ice cream[the good stuff not just soft serve], cotton candy, and tons more) I would recommend going for lunch, there will not be any crab but pretty much everything else will be available for a significant discount. Enjoy, and go early it gets crazy busy.
(5)Jeff W.
It's hard to believe I'm giving a buffet 4 stars but in comparison to other buffets, this is bar none, the best. I have been to my fair share of buffets... mostly as a poor college student back in the day usually hungover and looking more for quantity over quality. Who am I kidding, I still do that... Royal buffet is the mecca of buffets. Not quite your Vegas/Casino style buffet, but the fact that it is the size of a shopping mall and seats 600+ people, it has the grandeur and variety of something you'd find in a casino. Not to mention, the Asian population that you would find at a casino as well. When coming here, know what to expect... -Lines. It's a buffet. Deal with it. These usually form because people are waiting for the specialty items like crabs legs and lobsters. The crab legs are very good and worth the wait. Especially when fresh. Not overly salty and meaty. -Line Cutting- The majority of the patrons are Asian. My mother being a prime example, Asians are rude and typically don't understand/care for lines. She'll see a new batch of crab legs and walk to the front and grab 2 plate fulls. It's just how it is. Last time I was there, I got fed up and said something to the small Asian lady cutting me after I'd been waiting. I politely said 'I believe there's a line waiting' and she promptly played the 'I don't speak English' card. Wait what? Weren't you just speaking to your daughter?? She filled 2 plates and left me waiting again. Well played lady, well played. The sushi is surprisingly good and solid variety. About 20+ rolls that are refilled quickly. Unlike most buffets that try to fill you up w rice, this place has sashimi and tobiko which is surprising and a nice touch. The dim sum is pretty good as well. Most of it is bought from a vendor, but when you are going through mass quantity, they don't have the time to make it in house. Not too many buffets have dim sum, including pork belly, tripe, chicken feet, baos, etc, so bonus points. Hot foods are pretty much your typical Asian dishes but their fish plates are very good. Whole steamed fish? Delicious. Dessert station is plentiful. I opt for the ice cream (green tea, red bean, and moosetrack are my favorites) and fruit but they have store bought pastries and custards and cotton candy if you prefer. Again, not home made but it's a buffet so it's all about efficiency. You can complain about the service but what more do you need other than for them to clear your plates and refill your drinks a few times? Grab your own napkins on your way up to the food! You'll probably just leave 10% since it's a buffett anyway. I won't lie, it's somewhat of a zoo when you come here but let's admit it, you come here knowing it's a buffett. I'm convinced that this is why America is so fat... but I'm not complaining when I revisit the buffet lines for the 6th or 7th time. For $20something, it's the best buffet in town. Food for thought: People in 3rd world countries would kill to spend one day in this establishment or to even have the table scraps/leftovers being thrown away. I love America.
(4)Scott B.
Is this is 5-star restaurant? No. Is this is 5-start BUFFET? Yes! It's. Really. Just. That. Simple. Go there and be blown away by both the quality and selection. It's that combination that makes it a 5-star in my book.
(5)Bgs B.
As a restaurant, this place would only get 3 or 4 stars from me. However, as a buffet, this is possibly the best buffet I've been to. The selection of food (especially seafood) is incredible. The sushi is freshly made in front of you and if trying weird new foods is your thing, this place is for you. The place also looks very clean and has a top notch decor. I generally do not like buffets, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one (it even had escargot). Most people who give this place low ratings say that the food is not the best. However, if you compare the food from this place, to any other buffets, I don't think there is a better one in Chicago area. If there is, let me know.
(5)Katy P.
I've been here 3 times so far - Very clean and spacious, from seating to serving stations to bathrooms. My b/f and I have always been seated right away since we visited during the weekday each time. The stations are sectioned into different cuisines - you have the more "Americanized" selections with the type of food you'd find at Panda Express (but better), Mongolian stir fry, sushi/sashimi, exotics (clams, snail, frog legs, etc.) fish, and fresh fruits. Great variety if you're feeling adventurous, or if you'd prefer to stick with what you know you like. The only time I really enjoyed the sushi was the second visit, which was right after they opened for lunch and everything was still very fresh and plentiful to choose from. For the price ($11.50 weekday lunch special) the selection is great and everything is good quality. Always a fan of the different shrimp dishes... and the desserts!! Above average for a buffet. Oh, and they have a cotton candy machine. How awesome is that?!
(4)Dan D.
First thing you'll notice when you walk into this place is how big it is. There were 4 (?) dining areas that I counted, and the doesn't include the hibachi area or private room. I've been to a lot of Asian buffets, and this is by far favorite. The variety, quantity, and quality of the food is top notch (in comparison to other buffets). Positives: - I focused on the sushi, sashimi, and oysters. Overall they were good and fresh (for a buffet). I tried some other items, fried rice, pot stickers, chicken wings, steak all of which were above average. -Dessert was nice. Real ice cream, fruit, cakes, and of course, cotton candy. There is chocolate fountain that was not turned on, though. Negatives: - We had a party of about 16 people. For some reason we were placed in the private room that we also had to share with another large party. This room is basically a long narrow hallway. Because of the layout of the room, it gets really loud, and difficult to move around. They couldn't even fit all of us in the room, so some of our party had to sit at the hibachi station. With a place this big, I don't understand why they couldn't sit us in one of the dining areas. - In a place this big, there were only 2 televisions, both in the bar area. They had the Golf Channel and HGTV on, but for some reason, they couldn't get ESPN or Comcast Sportsnet for the Bulls or Knicks game. The bar area is pretty nice. It looks like a nice area to come and hangout it. Unfortunately, it's pretty uninviting. Not only with the TV's, but also with the bartender. He seems angry, like he didn't want to be there. Overall, my family like going to buffets, and this one tops all the ones that I've been to so far. There were a few stations that I didn't try, and I look forward to coming back.
(4)Norah R.
So I've heard mix reviews on this place. But the most common is: its always packed and lots of Asians eat there. That alone if good enough for me! Anything time I go to a place where lots of the ethnic's people are there eating the food, it always turns out to be good. So I took my chances, and was very pleased. This place has so much food I didn't even get to try it all. Me, my bf, and best friend stopped in for lunch while in the area and were amazed at how big this place is! They have tons of sushi rolls that normally I would never take a chance on, but were so fresh I had to dig in. So many varieties or sushi alone I didn't get to try all of them. I will go back any day of the week someone wants to go with me. I'm happy its a 25 min drive from me otherwise I may not be able to fit in my clothes any more! Would love to be able to have room to try more of the foods! P.s. They have a chocolate fountain and fresh cotton candy!
(5)Bob P.
Incredible selection Not the best on any one option, but so many choices and nice variety.
(3)Joe H.
Was tipped off to this place by a couple of coworkers. We went there for lunch on a Friday and I was very pleasantly surprised overall! FOOD: - amazing variety ("Flat-Top" stir fry station; sushi and other fresh fish; chinese food basics; big dessert area; even a very "cultural" offering [stuff you might only find in places like China-town]) - everything tasted fresh PRICE: - $11 for the buffet seemed a little steep, but the quality of and various food offerings make it worth it AMBIANCE: - everything seemed very clean, even the bathrooms - Asian pop music was a little odd at times, but not that intrusive - nice open eating areas, high ceilings SERVICE: - I found the servers were pretty attentive
(4)Jesus A.
No stars if I could just from Chicago to this place what a waste of time.... And the customer service is garbage.
(1)Cindy F.
My family went there once on Easter Sunday this year and will probably never go back again. There are many choices, but none of the dishes is delicious and tastes authentic. Sushi is not like sushi, dim sum is not like dim sum, ... . I still miss Todai which is much better than this place. And this place is even more expensive than Todai.
(2)Courtney W.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! For $21 on a Saturday night I ate 2 lb. of snow crab and two plates full of sushi. The pot stickers were also pretty tasty and the seafood was amazing in general. I will be back even though I was not previously a fan of Asian buffets. The selection is insane and even if you don't like seafood there will be something for you. The Mongolian station was also pretty impressive. Everything was extremely fresh and the staff made sure that everything was replenished in a timely manner. I am so glad that I stumbled upon this place!
(5)Dylan T.
I went for lunch for the very first time. Lots of variety and price per head was 12.78 incl tax. Food aint taste bad buy they arent good either. This is a place to go if u r looking to pig out on seafood but not a place for fried rice, dimsum, dumplings, sushi, etc.
(3)Joyce A.
I went for the lunch buffet and arrived at 11:30 when they open on a Thursday. 1. I normally am not a fan of buffets and try to avoid them at all costs. 2. see number 1 3. I don't eat sushi That being said, this place totally was an eating experience - and in a good way. I looked over some of the other comments and none of the negative stuff happened to me! Not being familiar with this place at all- I just went to the first station which has chefs grilling whatever you give them to grill. Hey! I recognize beef, shrimp and squid when I see it! And it really looks and smells fresh, too. And, I like mushrooms, brocolli and garlic (and the garlic sauce)....so I get to the station and there are like 7 other people there - and everyone is pretty friendly - so I get to chat with a stranger while my meal is prepared. Let me tell you- this is a fun experience! After I finish my lunch (room left for dessert...)- I head to the dessert area - the way far away wall from where the entrance is...and I pass the sushi...and come upon the hot - already cooked food- it looks like an entire Japanese/Chinese menu- so many items...but all I have left for is dessert. Let me tell you- the flan was pretty good, I loved the moosetracks ice cream and these little balls covered in sesame seeds were incredible. And, the fruit was very fresh and tasty, too. I didn't encounter any rude folks- most people I saw had smiles and nodded or spoke to me, nobody pushed me or cut to the head of the line- I guess I went on a great day- I will give the dinner buffet a try and let you know- my advice is to deffinitly go for the lunch buffet- $11.49 it is a steal! I experienced quality food, lots of friendly people enjoying the place, helpful servers - not the usual buffet at all!!!
(5)Michelle F.
I always forget how much I dislike buffets until I'm at one. I was there for lunch on a Sunday, and it was really crowded. Since this was the first time I had ever been to Royal Buffet, we weren't exactly sure how it worked. We were seated at a booth near the back of the restaurant, and our host just left us there without any explanation of whether we were supposed to wait for a waitress or just go up to the buffet. We waited around for five minutes or so, and while we saw other waitresses circulating around the area, no one came by our table. So we decided to just get up and hit the buffet, and as we're walking up, a waitress stops us and is like, "You order drinks?" So we go sit back down, and I'm like, "Yeah, we've never been here before, and nobody said what to do." Then she just giggled, which was pretty annoying. Anyway, besides the service being pretty crappy (I hate it when they have servers at buffets since you're supposed to tip them even though you get all of your own food), I wasn't that impressed with the spread. Yeah, there was sushi and Chinese Food and stir fry, but I didn't think any of it tasted particularly good; it was all OK but nothing to write home about. The sushi, which I was most excited about, wasn't that good. I just didn't think the food was good enough to be worth the $22.50 per person. I think the only way that price is worth it is if you're really into crab legs. Then it might be worth it. I felt like I spent the same amount of money that I would have at any other Asian restaurant, and the food wasn't as fresh. I just didn't have a good experience here. The service was poor, the food wasn't that good and the price was too high for what you were getting.
(2)Deyu Z.
I have been to the place twice with friends. The selection is good. You have sushi, sea food , dim sum, hot dish, salad , desert stations. However the quality and the cooking is below average. Lots of food are not kept warm enough, which is a general issue with buffet. Out of all the stations, I would rate dim sum and dessert the best. The sushi and sea food the last. To me it is not worth the money for the quality of the food especially if you come with a large group. Best for individuals trying to pig out.
(3)Tony M.
The best Asian Buffet in the suburbs of Chicago! You have the best quality food and variety for a great low price! There is sushi, chinese food, dim sum, mongolian habachi. I go there often!
(5)Emily G.
Big selection of sushi, sashimi, soup,fish, and vegetables everything fresh and some are tasty. The lobster was not good at all. We did not like an attitude of lady who served lobster and crabs legs. This time it was very unwelcome experience .
(2)Brad E.
This is unlike any buffet I have every been to. I have never been to a super buffet in Vegas, but I would imagine that this place would give Vegas a run for its money. You walk in and there is Mongolian BBQ, where you select your ingredients, and sauce and the chef stir fries it for you. They have every protein you could think of, shrimp, scallops, chicken, beef, etc. You walk a few more steps and you hit the sushi bar. There are literally 8 sushi chefs making rolls, non-stop. There were literally 30 sushi rolls, as well as, tako su, seaweed salad, traditional sushi and extra roe. The simple fresh salmon sushi was really good and it tasted very fresh. Take a couple of more steps and you hit the dim sum line, where there are at least 20 dim sum stations. The dim sum dishes keep warm in bamboo steamer trays. Take a couple more steps and you hit the Chinese section, with standards, like sesame chicken, lo mein, as well as, about 20 more Chinese dishes. I enjoyed the sushi, scallop pancakes, siaomai (filled with mung bean paste), sesame balls, centurion eggs, red bead ice cream, and saging (caramelized bananas). If you took one teaspoon of each dish, you could not finish it all. The dining room is huge and the food just keeps coming and coming and I absolutely loved every dish that I tried. The only thing, is that it is really too much food and many people leave feeling sick, I know I did. Pace yourself, people, and admit defeat when you walk through the door. The food will win...All that delicious, delicious food! How was the price? Really expensive! Expensive and overpriced are two very different things and I think that this place was definitely NOT overpriced. If you have a birthday, they will play the gong for you and bring out a little cake. The gong is very special.
(5)Monica O.
Well the stars explain it !
(5)Bridget M.
Womp womp. What a disappointment! There IS a huge selection, but nothing really stood out. I was so excited to see sushi and all the salt n pepper dishes and alas, nothing was good?!!?!? I will have to try the grill station next time - ya know, if there's a next time. I just can't justify spending that much for luke warm food, tasteless ice cream, and lackluster everything.
(2)David W.
This place took us by complete surprise. My family recently came across this place close to home. We knew from the name that it was associated with the Royal buffet a bit more down south, so we were expecting a similar run of the mill Chinese buffet experience, but boy were we wrong. As we walked in the door, the visual effect was just out of this world, sorta felt like i was walking into an upscale casino buffet. The lighting, the ambiance, marble floor, and everything was big, including an enormous front lobby that has nothing but a huge water fountain that's the size of a small swimming pool. The buffet included a make it yourself Mongolian stirfry station, sashimi bar, oyster bar, sushi station, salad bar, hot food area, dim sum bar, and dessert station. Some of the food there is quite typical of an Asian buffet, but they also included specialty items that really hit home for me. 1) boiled snow crab legs - the crab legs here are not steamed, so it loses a bit of the freshness, but still in fairly high quality. With replenishment coming in every 5-10 mins, I ate til i puked (puking out of pure joy not food poisoning). 2) pig feet and chicken feet - what can i say about these? The pig feet are like how mama used to make em, plus not that many places have them around the Chicago area, so that makes em a winner. Chicken feet are quite nice too, on par with many dimsum places in Chinatown. 3) soups - they had this one clam soup with ginger and luffa (yes, the same plant that they make loofahs out of). It's bliss in a bowl. It takes me back to family dinners at my grandparents' house, the taste is spot on. If you think chicken noodle soup does good for you when you're sick, try this soup next time when you catch a bug. 4) frog legs - deep fried frog legs, fresh frog legs! The meat is tender, not over done, no fishy smell, and lightly seasoned, delicious. 5) beef rib and strip steak - good old fashion chunks of meat. All of it perfectly cooked, not tough, fall off the bone, and the seasoning was once again, spot on. 6) cotton candy - although i didn't have some, but come on, when was the last time you saw a restaurant serving cotton candy? It seemed to have kept children of all ages really happy (ages 2 to 80). There were many other things I didn't get to try due to the large selection, for everything else that I've tried, it ranged from average to awesome. I even went against my Asian buffet belief and had a bit of the fried rice and it was outstanding. The quality of the sushi bar could be better, but it was quite acceptable. Last thing is the service, it was perhaps the best service I've had at any buffet place. Water and hot tea replenished before you can finish, empty plates gone everytime before you get back to the table, and the waitress seems to appear anytime you need something and never a word when you are busy devouring food ,like a genie! Try the items mentioned above next time you go, they might take a bit getting used to, but I can guarantee that they are done to the exact specification and very well prepared! If you dont like them, there are literally hundreds of other items to fall back on. And last word of advice, tip your wait staff! They deserve it.
(5)Eric Y.
This place is pretty ridiculous. It's the largest buffet I've seen outside of Las Vegas and it's all seafood and Asian (mostly Chinese) food. We went on a Friday night when they have crab legs and lobster. The lines are pretty long and the lobster line is especially long but it moves pretty quickly. When you get to the lobster, you just hold out your plate and they dump a whole boiled lobster on your plate. On the night we went, I saw lobsters that were around 1 lb. to ones that must have been at least twice that. It's insane. Plus, there are all you can eat crab legs that are pretty tasty. You have to eat these crustaceans by hand without any tools - native style! That means ripping the animals apart and cracking shells with your teeth. The only sauce that comes with them is melted butter so if you want something else you'll have to be creative (i.e. go to the Mongolian BBQ section where there are a lot of different sauces) or bring your own. The lobster I got was probably a 2 lb. behemoth and was good but wow ... it was a lot of lobster. There's an incredible selection of other seafood, raw and cooked, some of which was good but most was just meh. The sushi/sashimi looked dubious and tasted the same. Steamed clams, mussels, conch, oysters, shirmp and fish were all uniformly bland. The "abalone" was probably an impostor. Deep fried items were better - the chicken wings and frog legs were tasty. Dim sum items were also uniformly mediocre except for the chive cake, a chewy circular flat bun containing delicious bits of chives - yum. There were a few really disgusting items - baked cheese scallops and shrimp - WTF is in there? Some of the hard core Chinese stuff wasn't bad - the pigs knuckles and chicken feet, for example. The vegetable selection was ... ok, who cares. I saw some veggies. The dessert section is ok if you like ice cream. Everything else is pretty lackluster but who has room for this if you've eaten 5 lbs of lobster and crab legs? The place is huge and the crowd is ... enthusiastic. A fight almost broke out in the lobster line because of accusations of line-cutting. Really???
(3)David L.
My visit to Royal Buffet was a bit disappointing. I expected more from the sashimi area but they were thinly sliced and in small portions. The meat/steak was dry and overcooked. I will recommend the Mongolian self-serving grill; great choices of vegetable, meat/seafood, and sauce. Adult price of $21 is a reasonable price but for children $1.75 X their age is ridiculous. I have a 10 year old that doesn't eat that much, and I have to pay 17.50? C'mon. Make no whatsoever sense.
(2)Dex Y.
Don't understand why an Asian buffet needs that kind of fancy decor. Half of the dishes bad; half of them just OK. Sushi section was definitely not impressive at all. Seafood section had several options, but their taste.. meh Price-wise, you get around $30 total (including tax & beverages). Acceptable but not competitive, either. Wait time was about 10 min - good for a Saturday night when this place was packed. Waiters/waitresses were generally attentive. If you're spoiled by the food in the city of Chicago already, you'd get disappointed.
(3)Jin Joo L.
It looked like a great place to go for big parties or receptions even. Not sure if you have to reserve for teppanyaki tables or if they take reservations at all. The entry way was very visually appealing and nice but they really could have used the space better, maybe with more seating for people waiting or more dining tables? There are about what looked like four or five dining rooms including bar seating near the teppan tables. The different types of food are broken down into different sections.. There's Mongolian Stir-fry, where you can put all the ingredients you like and get it stir-fried, just like at Stir Crazy or Big Bowl. There is sushi, including sashimi, nigiri, rolls, I actually loved the fact they even offered bluefin tuna sashimi!!!! It wasn't bad at all. Note soy sauce is at the table. There's a section with a bunch of stuff that looked like it was for the teppan grills. Not too sure. There was a Chinese dim sum section with lots of buns, and those yummy rice and pork things rolled in leaves, even had great congee and soups. There was a mixed section of meats like terriyaki chicken, beef and broccoli, kalbi, salmon terriyaki, beef terriyaki, etc... etc.. etc... The seafood section had crablegs for Saturday LUNCH! Lots of fresh and cooked shrimps, fish, and I forget. There's a miscellaneous section with more appetizer-like foods such as Chinese broccoli, fried green beans, mushrooms and beef, bbq pork ribs, fried chicken, and some other things I don't remember. There is fried rice, different noodles, I don't recall seeing white rice for some reason, probably because I don't eat it. Desserts... wow they have COTTON CANDY! YUMMY Ice Cream!!! (Vanilla, GT, Red Bean, Moose Tracts, and a couple more flavors). Some assortment of small cakes, banana cream pie, tapioca pudding is also available. It is a bit pricey so it's a great place for splurges or occasional or celebrating events but probably too rich (price and food-wise) for weekly dining.
(4)Ed D.
Good food but way too busy for me. This is the biggest buffet I have been to outside of Las Vegas but the food area was too small for the amount of people. They had a wide variety of food and most of it was tasty including the sushi and made to order wok but people were rude cutting in front of you to get food but I blame the owners for not having enough stations to properly satisfy the customers without long wait times. The price at around $23 dinner was good for the amount of food that was available and the decor was very nice for a buffet. Overall good but I probably won't be in any rush to go back...it was just too much of a madhouse for the family.
(3)Amy X.
I like this buffet place. They are pretty clean. Nice atmosphere. So this would be the perfect place for a huge gathering or dinner. I went on a weekend, so it was VERY crowded. It was at least an half hour wait. The waiter we had was very nice. Didn't wait too long for our drinks to come. I have been to many buffet restaurants. This is one of the nicer ones. They have a bigger variety of food. Dim sum, sushi, ice cream, cotton candy machine, fresh fruits, and so on. It tends to be over-crowded. So things might be a bit messy sometimes. There might be a line for food sometimes. They close pretty early too. But quality wise, I think it's a fair deal.
(4)Jenny L.
Just got back from there like half hour ago (its a 2 hr drive) and I gotta say, the drive wasn't all that worth it, family only went there cuz my mom found this in the Chicago Chinese news paper, she told us we should go and try it out, I admit the look in the paper was delicious looking and that the entry level was decent, I mean $22 for an all you can eat SEAFOOD buffet? Yeah. Appearance: I walk in and it looks like a high class Casino restaurant, (minus those little kids that run around and ruining ppls photos...) my family and I were seated immediately upon walk-in, we were seated at a table and through observing, all servers were wearing clean pressed uniforms (even a name tag!). Every table around us were seated and piled high with finished plates, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I went to the wash room to wash my hands and as I walked in I noticed the picture in front was a ..prostitute? Well at least in the women's wash room there was.. FOOD Create your own stir-fry - this looks almost like my own restaurant, they probably got it from us...as do many other 'mongolian' places. Ahem, well I went to see and oh hahah..that area was empty, Sushi - Completely ransacked! Hard to find a decent quality looking piece to choose from, they were not only tiny but they were the ones to be emptied out quickly. I tasted a few, they were about ok quality, not too good and not bad either, there wasn't much rice, the fish was bland-ish, rolls are ok, raw oyster was good - it went down my throat easily after a dunk in my wasabi soy sauce combo, other than that I didn't really get much since there were many empty sections. Honestly, I think Todai was a little bit better in taste. Chinese food - its a chinese run restaurant so chinese food would be the main point of this stuff, and it was GOOD! Pigs knuckles , frog legs are so-so tasted like chicken..pure white meat chicken, Walnut shrimp was delicious , the Jasmine rice was delicious , lo mein was good, dim dum was ok, I only liked the coconut dumpling - not able to translate to English, but it was a dumpling that looks yellow filled with custard and with coconut shavings on outside - yummy, the American-Chinese food are substandard - not all that good (crab Rangoon was crap). Soup - looks pretty popular every time I walked past but I didn't really like what I saw seeing as I'm not a soup person... Desserts - Standard, but cotton candy wasn't, that blew me away, my brother certainly enjoyed that part. I although do loved the Green tea Ice Cream, its not made like others that are just overly sweet, this is just absolutely fine. Like very fine, green tea and ice cream mixed isnt all that sweet which I loved and there was a strong green tea flavor (). OVERALL - Royal Buffet even though you are recently opened i applaud the fact that you are able to handle a 600 capacity dining banquet area. I cannot blame you guys for being stingy with the sashimi and sushi because they are pricey by itself and I know a lot of people eat a lot of that stuff. I can't really say that anything really stood out that I liked in particular (dessert don't count), so thats all I can say. Um....really I cannot understand the hords of people that come here..is it the word 'ROYAL' that caught the attention? ROYAL means rich right, so it must be great quality. I mean yeah I'm asian too, and I know we all search for awesome asian buffet to be repeat customers for but I'm not coming back, and its easy since I'm from Wisconsin anyway. But I'll still recommend you guys to some people that I know of : open-minded, enjoys new tastes, and can afford it. Appearance 5/5 Food 3.5/5 Chance of visit 3/5 Overall 4/5
(3)Martin P.
We came for an early Father's Day meal last week. When I was checking out the reviews on Yelp, I saw a lot of seafood and I became concerned. Royal was a choice of my mom and her friend, and my dad and I aren't big seafood eaters. I also saw the price was higher than that of other buffets. Well, I came away satisfied. There was a ton of seafood for the folks who wanted it, but there was also plenty of vegetables, beef, chicken, and assorted sides. There is sushi, a stir fry station, different noodle dishes, and soups. There is something like four aisles of buffet counters. Just take your time and check out all the different pans, and find something you like. For dessert, they have fresh fruit (including kiwi and lychee), ice cream, cakes, and cotton candy. The service was courteous and attentive. The restaurant is a large space, with tables near the food plus some more tables in rooms off to the side. I also saw some tables with a flat top grill where it looks like they might be able to cook meals right at your table. I also spotted a bar off to the side. Most of the food I had was tasty and I left with a full belly. For four people, the bill came out to just over $100. I'd say it was worthwhile. There was a large variety of foods and it tasted good.
(4)Shakeel K.
Just returning from lunch with a big group. Since this place gets busy you can count on the food not sitting out for too long. Also they were making earnest attempts in replacing food as the trays emptied out. The ambiance far exceeded that of a typical asian buffet. I hope they can maintain the great experience we all had today.
(5)Megan O.
This review is for the BUFFET, not the HIBACHI. Eh, I was debating on giving my review of this place. I mean, it's a B-U-F-F-E-T. People who come here should not be surprised by the amount of food and how quickly and non-healthy conscious it is over there. I've been here twice already and it's the same thing.The food is your typical Chinese buffet nothing that stands out, but nothing TOO terrible (at least from what I got). Most entrees have names on it, MOST. The fried rice is nice because it isn't the soy-sauce-drenched rice and has egg shreds and peas. A little salt on it and that could be the only entree I eat from there (wow and I spent at least $20 to eat there). The service is on point, really friendly, and quick to get tables turned fast. The place is pretty nice, it's HUGE inside.
(3)Ron C.
For the price, and variety/quantity of food, the Bomb!
(5)Mariam K.
Buffets are definitely not my thing. I feel like they always just have a bunch of average stuff... I'd rather get one good quality thing as opposed to a bunch of average/below average things. Royal had a huge variety of food... but the quality just wasn't there, there was nothing there that stuck out from the rest and there was nothing good enough for seconds. I guess for the price it's worth it (I remember it being cheap). There were people all over the place, people just cutting everyone in line and pushing and shoving... not organized at all. A couple of the people I went with loved it, maybe If I loved all kinds of seafood and authentic asian food, my rating would've been different. I personally would never go back.
(2)Ivan W.
This is really a 3.5 star rating. The buffet was quite amazing. Even with the added hype from my friend and her mom, I was still pretty impressed. Ambience: Good. You're not really eating in some palace, but the decor is simple and clean. Service: Again good. The waitresses here are usually prompt with clearing tables and refilling drinks. Food: Great selection. Not just repeated entrees that typical asian buffets serve (i.e. beef and broccoli, chicken and broccoli, shrimp and chicken in brown sauce ... with broccoli). This one has all sorts of dim sum, huge plates of teriyaki salmon and chicken, crawfish, and they even had those whole fried fish topped with sweet and sour sauce - typically only found in sit-down restaurants. Also excellent sushi bar, with lots of variety and high quality sashimi cuts - again not typical for a buffet. Great ice cream selection as well. Price: It's $23 for dinner with unlimited crab. Even if I liked crab, I would still think that the price is too high since I'll probably get tired of the other stuff eventually. (Although I haven't lived in the chicago suburbs in a long time so I don't know what the regular prices are.) However, even with my seemingly average rating, I would definitely recommend trying this place. Your first experience will be great. (But the next one may just be ok.) Also come for lunch if you can since it's $12 with everything that dinner has to offer except unlimited crab, but lunch can be inconvenient.
(3)Jenny V.
worth it for the crab legs and the sushi (even though i dont know if i like sushi yet) it can get really crowded but i like going here to celebrate brithdays
(4)Ella B.
Drive however far you need to because this place is amazing and well worth the trip! Come starving because they have everything your "inner fat child" could ever desire. Korean, Chinese, Japanese, American, sushi, stir fry, seafood, you name it! Out of all of the sushi buffets in the Chicago and DC area that I have been to, Royal is by far the best. I just wish it was closer to Chicago. The sushi is the best part of the buffet. I'm a huge sushi buff, so I always binge on the sushi. There's an excellent variety of sushi rolls, and they are really good with restocking rolls on the buffet table. I'm always in sushi heaven! Make sure to save room for dessert. They have a huge selection of desserts and different ice cream flavors. It's hard to choose with so many tempting options! :)
(5)Brock L.
I feel like the quality of this place has dropped significantly. Or Perhaps the joy I derive from eating here diminishes each time. All I know is I use to love coming here, but on my last 3 visits, its only been okay at best.
(3)Tony A.
Excellent! Excellent!!! For Everyone!!!!
(5)Sam G.
This was the best place to eat for a buffet. They have everything & I mean everything...you'll get your moneys worth here.
(5)Edwin M.
Probably the best Chinese buffet I have been to in my life. They have every seafood a human can eat. A lot of sushi selection. The place is nice and services is great.
(5)Pari P.
Awhile back, I visited their other location where we had to wait in line for an hour and a half since there was a line out the door. I was excited to hear that Royal Buffet was opening another location in Schaumburg. Since the place is large with such an extensive variety, a lot of the food sat there. Since we came on a night that wasn't busy, many of the dishes tasted like it had been out there for several hours. It sounds ironic but I would recommend coming when it's busy so that new food comes out more frequently. Sadly, the sushi was disappointing since the rice wasn't really sushi rice. Real sushi rice contains rice vinegar and some sugar but I couldn't taste either of these ingredients. It literally tasted like regular white rice straight from the rice cooker. The sashimi selection was limited to only tuna, salmon, and yellowtail. Some of the pieces were poorly cut and contained stringy chewy pieces. The crab legs, on the other hand, were much better. The legs themselves were thick and well seasoned. For $21 a person, the price is a little steep in comparison to other buffets that are within driving distance. I wouldn't recommend this place if you are coming here for sushi but definitely come for the crab legs, Mongolian stir fry, and Asian food. For sushi, I would recommend other sushi buffets where the quality is better and costs less.
(3)Erick P.
Wow I went here for lunch and it reminded me of the OLD todai when they first opened. They have everything from Chinese dim sum to sushi to korean bbq. I mean for $12.95 or $11.95 your def getting your money's worth. The general food quality is very decent for buffet standard. I would def be going back and this time I wiil max out even more !!
(5)Derek C.
I had never heard of this place before I had walked in there, but wow did this place look awesome! It reminded me of a mall in Asia somewhere with all the decor and bright colors. It was very clean and modern looking. The place was huge! They have hibachi, sushi, dim sum, hot japanese and chinese items (even steamed crab legs!), a mongolian grill (where you can put together your own stir fry), and dessert which included cotton candy! Well, that's where the magic ended... upon closer inspection of the food, it was typical buffet food. One comment my bro-in-law made was they needed to work on keeping the food hot. some things were hot and others weren't. the sushi was lackluster at best, with the rice being hard meaning that it had been sitting out for a while. the dim sum was the same way actually, the dumplings were dried out and hard. I had asked for hoisin sauce from the waiter, but he had no idea what hoisin sauce was... what kind of Asian restaurant are you??? they did have plenty of A1 and Worcestershire sauce tho... after my first couple of plates, I walked around for a while trying to figure out what to eat next, but nothing really looked too appetizing. I left full, but was also hoping I wasn't going to be sick later. I'll give it to them for having a ton of variety, but beyond that, the food was mediocre at best, and at ~$20pp, I was expecting a lot more.
(2)Susie C.
There was so much hype on Yelp about this place that I decided to take my parents, sister, and fiance there for a Christmas dinner. We went on a Sunday evening around 7pm and omg was it busy. I was surprised that there were a lot of people waiting to be seated at this day of the week. This buffet is ginormous. When you first walk in, you'll arrive at a big foyer with this big pond with a statue in the middle. Very beautiful place. It took about 25 minutes before we were given a table. Inside the buffet was really nice. They have a second restaurant in Downers Grove and I can say that this place is 3-4x bigger than the one in Downers Grove. It is way nicer, too. They have about 20 trays of different sushi to try. They are smaller than your usual sushi pieces though. I would say that the sushi here taste better than Todai. Although my fiance speculates that some of the tuna chunks are actually tuna with fillings. It just doesn't seem like it is the whole tuna pieces in there. There's also a section where they have slices of different fish. Instead of leaving it out for everyone to get you'll have to ask one of the sushi guys behind the counter to get it. This is one way to control the amount of slices people normally get. Royal also has dim sum which was okay. Surprised to see dim sum at a buffet. My parents pretty much had lots of crab. They were so happy that they barely left the table. They are big crab fans, and they said the crabs were so fresh and big. There's also your normal Chinese buffet dishes that you see. I didn't have any of those. There's a stir fry section where it's similar to Flat Top (you grab your types of meats and veggies and put it in a bowl then select the sauce you want then bring it to the guys by the grill to stir fry it). My sister thought hers was okay but I think it was good. Maybe she just need to select a better sauce. There werent much fruits variations..we only saw honeydew, pineapple, lychee, and cantalope.Maybe it wasnt in season but none of the fruits' flavors stood out. They also have a cotton candy machine! First time I've seen cotton candy at a Chinese buffet. It didn't taste good but what an experience. They also charge for drinks... and you'll have to order it through the waitress instead of getting it yourself from a fountain machine. When we got our tab, they handed out Chinese style calendars for 2012. There were 5 of us and they only gave us 2...and I guess they are for my parents. Still, I'm 26 yrs old and I don't live with them. I still should be treated like an adult and not a kid. Anyway it was a nice experience. My parents loved it but for me I thought it was ok. The food wasn't super..just your normal buffet food.
(3)Chris M.
Showed up on a weekend with a party of 7, waited 30-45 minutes for a table. Being a very busy buffet, it was really crowded and hard to make my way around. But that's not the reason for the 2 star review. I'm not someone who just wants to pig out and gorge myself, so maybe buffets in general are not for me. But the quality of the food, while passable, was not enough to justify spending the kind of money per person that we did. I regularly get far better food for much less money at other restaurants in the area. Everything I ate was fine, nothing was bad, but there was nothing that would draw me back to pay that kind of price for dinner again. The unlimited crab legs were certainly a popular item as person after person walked by with plate-fulls, and I'll agree that if you're in the mood for crab legs, this is a good way to satisfy your craving. But anything else is just your usual buffet/cafeteria-qualify asian food. I'd eat there again if someone else was paying, but I'd never suggest it.
(2)Giuseppe D.
I'm a huge sushi fanatic and when my friend invited me to this buffet I was kind of torn. Torn because I love sushi but I despise buffets. I think of it as an insult to good food to be making big portions of food and letting sit out to spoil by the time I get there. But, thankfully, Royal's food quality was not compromised for being a buffet. They have every aspect of japanese, sushi, seafood, etc. that you could imagine, and everything is good too! Needless to say I was surprised. The sushi was fresh, they had upwards of 12 chefs at a time JUST for the sushi. They were switching plates every other minute. They had crab legs, shrimp, dim sum, rice, everything. Another cool thing is they had a section where you choose all of the ingredients you want, and a chef would make you Mongolian stir fry right there for you. It turned out amazing. There's way too many food options to go through and describe each one, but they truly cover all japanese seafood/sushi aspects in one MASSIVE buffet. Not to mention the price was a steal. We went for lunch and it was only $21 each. Considering I had about 6 plates of sushi and stir fry, I'd say I came out on top.
(4)Ms Y.
Venue: Impressive layout (for a buffet) Food: Decent, wouldn't say that I have any cravings to go back Service: NEEDS MAJOR IMPROVEMENT. ***Don't bother trying to book a private party.*** Management is completely unorganized, forgetful, and unresponsive. Was one of the first to request dates for an event more than twice (in person & in writing---in 2 different agenda notebooks), aside from over the phone, and yet they still went ahead and booked over our date, which was completely ridiculous. Who knows what would've happened the day of our event...
(1)Rush L.
I went on the day when they served lobster. And you gotta wait in line for that. Many people want more than one lobster, leaving others waiting in line longer. I sorta blame them but sorta don't. Some of the dim sum are good for a buffet. Pork dumpling isn't good but buffet wise, it's decent. They have the mini shrimp dumplings, it was good but it gets hard fast since not many people go for it. Chicken feet is good and the shrimp Rice noodle rolls (cheung fan) is great, that goes quickly . Overall, the buffet is good and big. I didn't like how pop isn't included and you pay later which I hate for a buffet. I didn't eat much of the other stuff due to the dim sum, lobster, and crab legs. I'd come here again though.
(3)Boris S.
I was their with friends and family. We got reservation, but when we come in time of reservation people stay everywhere and waiting so long, about 1 hour, after that we got separate tables. Food was good but lines to have food soo big. I am will not going to this place next time
(3)D G.
killer buffet!!! Go on your bday and the staff will sing to you while striking a gong. Can't beat it
(5)Frank C.
Went there on Wednesday...I love the place. They had lobsters...but the crab legs taste better. The lobster was not exceptional at all. The line though is too long just to get the crab legs and lobster. Saw two people fighting over the line. Not good :( Our waitress was sooo nice. She's friendly to kids too. The place is clean, including the restroom.
(4)NomNomNom H.
So many different choices! I can't decide what to eat first. I had heard so much great things about this place and I was not disappointed. We got there around 5 o'clock and there were only a few early birds there. The line for the fried lobster and crabs were short and moved fast. I think this was the hightlight of the meal. What surprised me the most was that this wasn't no wimpy lobster/crabs. They were like HUGE! and the sauce that it was cooked in was delish. I tried a bit of everything and everything was great. Some of the less popular items were a bit cold, but I guess that is expected if you have to complete with giant lobsters and crabs. I thought the dim sum and sushi items were varied and unusual with items like beef stomache and chicken feet. You rarely find such items at buffets. The desserts were delightful as well with the red bean ice cream being my favorite. One complaint that I have is the placement of the plates. Why is it so close to the ground? When it's really busy, the plates were low and I didn't think it was such a great idea to have it at feet level with everyone walking around and kicking up dust and such. I would definitely go back again but take my parents. They would go crazy.
(4)Rick R.
Pretty decent food but it's just way too much gluttony for my taste. Certainly much better than the Todai buffet nearby.
(3)Cookie k.
LOVE THIS PLACE! heard about this place thru family. my family LOVES seafood so they are always on a search for a better place than that recent ones they go to. the first time i went here, it was New Years Day and it was so busy and crowded with people. we got seated in 15 mins at a bar. not the greatest of seats but it was okay. our waiter sat us down and we never saw her face again until we had to pay. instead the guy behind the bar helped us, he said she was VERY BUSY. went there the second time a week later we got seated at a booth. it was such a more pleasant experience. our waiter checked up on us frequently and was very nice. the food was still EXCELLENT. i still havent had a chance to eat everything either. why only 4 stars?! THEY NEED MORE CHOICES OF DESSERTS!!!! ill be back tho!
(4)Sharon P.
Between my boyfriend and I, we tried a little of everything, and nothing really was that great. I'm a huge sushi fan, and was very excited to be able to try several different pieces the staff prepared, but was very unsatisfied with each one. Plus, I felt more like I was eating at a mall cafeteria then a restaurant, felt very crowded and close to other customers.
(2)Daniel W.
Wow! This place is too authentic for my tastes. Pig ears and chicken feet along with bits and pieces of aquatic creatures I couldn't identify. I'm thinking I should have left without eating... No way am I ever eating there again.
(1)Judy T.
Great variety! Flavor was good, not great! Some dishes were too salty. But, will def return because I am from Milwaukee and we don't have a huge variety! Price is right! Just disappointed because I waited an hour for duck and never got any! Over all, great variety! Def be back!
(4)Irene Z.
First visit over Thanksgiving weekend (cuz we were already tired of turkey leftovers). There were 8 of us in our party and we were excited to try it since we've been to the one in Woodridge a few times. Plus, we'd seen the "Buffet...coming soon" sign occupying the windows of what used to be the Harlem Furniture space here for the past year, and we couldn't wait to see what kind of buffet would pop up here. We came for lunch on Sunday and the place was definitely busy, but our waitstaff was excellent. Plates were cleared off and drinks refilled quickly. We had 4 kids (under the age of 8) with us, and they were great about refilling the kids' milk and juice (and not charging us when one of them wanted milk after she finished her juice). The cotton candy was, of course, a major hit with them. Selection of food is the usual fare you would get at the typical Asian buffet. We came for a late lunch and everything that I tried was fresh and tasty. I agree it's a little pricey here. We are regulars at Crazy II Buffet in Elk Grove and will probably continue to go there cuz it's a little cheaper for the same kind of food, but we'll still probably come back to Royal Buffet every so often. Oh, and we were in a room toward the back next to a semi-private party. It was also the same room as the unisex restroom (there are the larger restrooms in the front of the restaurant...and then this one random unisex bathroom in the back). I thought it was funny - this one random bathroom, but it ended up being pretty handy, especially with 8 kids on our party. I would probably ask to sit in that room again the next time we're there with the kids!
(3)Mary M.
This is one of the best Asian Buffet ever! Worth the $22 for dinner. Way better than Todai Buffet which already closed down. I don't see why there are so many negative complains about the food being cold, food doesn't taste good. I mean that is such a lie.. I went there on Friday for dinner. Man before they open, there's already a HUGE line wait to be seated! Foods always hot and never empty. && best they served ABALONE!! You will NEVER find another buffet that served abalone except Royal Buffet! Its a pretty expensive seafood and not many of us can afford to eat that. Congee, Soymilk and Sweet Soup at a buffet??!?? I NEVER seen one with that! Blown my mine! Only dislike is there ice cream. Not many to choose from and can't serve for ourselves. WILL DEFIANTLY GO BACK !!! TOP 1 BUFFET ON MY LIST! WORtH DRIVING AN 1 HOUR TO GO EAT THERE!
(5)Love B.
On Mother's Day, there were too many people waiting a long line. There were not enough dry clean dishes but wet ones with food leftovers. The price was increased too.
(3)Real D.
While the food doesn't blow you away, if I have to do the buffet thing, I can come back here. Parking's good. Plentiful and pleasant staff. Clean establishment. My dining companions said it best,"If it's an Asian food mill, so? Let's see how they keep it up." Enjoyed all the mussel dishes and the sushi was not bad. Fish dishes, impressive (whole fried fish...respect). Overall a good experience and judging by the amount of older Asians that bombed the place during lunch, well it would deserve all 5 stars.
(3)June P.
Within the Asian community, there's been a lot of buzz about Royal Buffet coming to Schaumburg. My husband and I waited a few weeks for the craziness to die down and we visited on a Monday night. Our experience was truly lackluster, though they can truly boast about their variety and spacious location. When you first walk in, you'll be impressed with the decor, number of tables, and variety (including stir fry, dim sum, hot food, sushi, dessert). But maybe this is where they were flawed in their decision-making. Someone mentioned that they value quantity over quality, and I would have to agree. There are a few hot food choices, typical Chinese buffet items, that are decent, but the sushi, though there was a vast variety, was a real disappointment. The options were appealing, but because of dry and hard sushi rice (ill-prepared and sitting out) and an overabundance during slow periods, it was lukewarm and unbearable. The dessert options appear to be your standard Costco quality varieties with good ice cream (taro and green tea are tasty) and cotton candy that doesn't really require any skill on their part. For the price and the hype, I was excited to try Royal Buffet, but even after trying it a second time on a busier night, I can say that I won't be there again. If you want a good Asian buffet with sushi, I would say Todai is still your best shot.
(2)Merlyn L.
First time I went to this restaurant, I gave a 3-star. 2nd time ............................................... a 2-star. 3rd time (on May 4) .............................. a 1-star. 1-star because I won't say none of the food taste good although majority are not that good and definitely not worth paying for the price. Sigh.... I am sure that I'm fully convinced not to go there anymore.
(1)Michael C.
The clean environment and luxurious surroundings such as an entrance fountain covers up for the quality of the food. I started off with a crab rangoon and thought to myself either this was frozen entirely too long or I was eating plastic. The raw tuna, salmon and other fish was either too bland or too salty, again making me think how long this stuff was frozen. I attended on a Friday night, so I would think the freshest food would be out. The dessert looked even worse, I felt bad for kids eating the pink Cotton Candy. The staff was nonexistent, I felt like I was in a chow line. So many people were clawing at grabbing food, that the staff constantly fell behind to replenish the raw fish. The salmon sashimi was cut thin. I could go on and on. The cost was $20. I would be embarrassed bringing people there. The best part about paying the money was I get to avoid that place in the near future. If you're in Schaumburg/Hoffman, for an additional $10, you might as well go to the Todai Sushi place at the Woodfield mall. I think Todai prepares food better with better service.
(1)George V.
The food selection was better than the places I've gone to in Dallas and they really put in effort to look good- had to be one of the best decorated buffets I've gone to. The sushi was fantastic and the trays were pretty quickly replenished. Our co-workers suggested the place and we went there for lunch. I'd go back for dinner next time I'm in town.
(5)Kevin C.
I do not understand the people complaining about this restaurant.I went here with on a saturday night with my parents. With a little background we have been looking for a good seafood buffet for a very long time and Royal Buffet provided that for us. The fountains and painting at the entrance was spectacular. The variety of food for the price was amazing. The seafood was exceptionally fresh except the squid in the mongolian food section. The salt and pepper frog legs were mediocre but that was to be expected. There were at least five different types of clams throughout our visit and we were just as astonished with each one. The sushi was acceptable as this was a CHINESE buffet place. The hot and sour soup was terrible but that again was to be expected as we have incredibly high standards for the particular soup. But with those standards, the seafood soup was surprisingly astonishing. Overall the visit went very well as we had very low expectations and came out very satisfied. Did not get try the ice cream as the line for it was curiously long.
(4)Joshua C.
The name is fitting because I definitely ate like a king. Yes, the price is pretty high at $19.99 a person, but the sheer variety, quality and quantity of food puts this place at the tops of many of the buffets that I have been to. The favorite of the night for me were the crab legs. A lot of buffets in Chicagoland offer endless crab legs, but they are absolutely whack. You can't even snap the crab legs because they've been sitting in boiling water for so long, and the crab meat is stringy. At Royal Buffet, the crab legs snapped and out came beautifully meaty crab meat. Dip a little butter on it, and you're golden. I would've paid the price of admission just for the crab legs. There are so very many other foods, I can't list them all. I'll mention the things that I feel have most "value" for your money, or "bang for your buck" as they say. I've already mentioned the crab legs, which you ought not be modest with; take as many as you can! There is also the sushi that is available, which was not bad at all! They even had sashimi (just the raw fish, not in a roll), which was of pretty good quality: tuna and salmon, as well as a few others. The rolls were pretty good as well: spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, American dream, Rainbow, to name a few. Seafood delight was another great dish! They don't skimp on the shrimp, and the sauce was perfect. Load up on the shrimp and put it over a small bed of rice, and you got yourself some tastiness. It seems that there's a running theme for seafood in my list of good things. Their Teriyaki steak and chicken were so-so, not very juicy or moist. However, the "Royal Steak," which is basically like ribs, was very good. Next time I go, I will have to try the Hibachi grill. I wasn't even able to try it because I was having so much fun eating all the "value" items, haha. But next time, surely I will go. If you want to dine like a king, Royal Buffet is where it's at.
(5)Marlo P.
Um, I REALLY liked this place. I used to go to the one in Woodridge and this one is definitely a lot nicer and cleaner (and more expensive). They keep it very clean. Service is okay but I've experienced a hell of a lot worse at other Asian buffets. I went on a Wednesday night which was probably smart on my part just because they were loaded with good food. Crab legs galore. I ate a lot of crab legs that night. They weren't salty and they were meaty and just right. They had raw oysters and clams which I thought it was okay but way better than Today that's for sure. Variety is crazy here and they have hibachi grills in the back. The sushi was ehhh, okay. I can't say they were the best sushi in the world and I'd definitely not come here just for the sushi. They did have dim sum there that included chicken feet and shumai which I thought was pretty awesome. I've needed a dim sum fix for quite awhile too. The decor is quite fancy. A little TOO fancy for a Chinese buffet. I'd definitely go back again. It beats going all the way to Woodridge to eat.
(4)Sun C.
Reasonable price and the food isn't bad. The variety is good and the sushi isn't half bad. The decor is nice as well. One of the better buffet places ive been to. Wish they had it closer to the city tho.
(3)Stevie V.
This place has an unbelievable variety for the price. Between making your own stir fry, sushi, seafood and meat selection I say it's worth every penny, but expect to pay more than your average buffet. Ice cream is very good too which I found isn't standard for buffets. Lastly, there was only one time that I received so so service but we did have a large group. Other than that from greeting all the way through we were treated like kings.
(4)Reva P.
The food is good, but the price for dinner is too over priced. For 21 dollars its not worth it. Save your money for something else. But, I did enjoy the octopus Salad n cotton candy.
(2)Rowena A.
Overall a nice experience for an asian buffet. Large space! Pretty clean. Separate spaces for party room and hibachi grill tables. Go straight for the seafood, the other stuff isn't really worth chewing. Some of the steamed items were tasty: pork belly, pigs ears, whole steamed flounder, crab legs. Salt and pepper frog legs, what? Not bad. Most of the sushi/maki rolls were passable. I only liked 2 of the rolls. Not into anything with imitation crab or cream cheese. Dessert was decent: several mini cake varieties, 6 different ice creams, custard tart, fresh fruit, gelatinized leche flan, and fried banana (such a simple thing, but I'm a sucker for it). Great value for the quality of food. Time will tell if they keep it up.
(4)Lisa C.
I am still in a food coma from coming here a few weeks ago. Go for lunch and go HAM...or sushi...or frog legs...or hibachi...or cotton candy...or....
(4)Jessica D.
Very pretty building and a huge variety, but a lot of their food was salty. I literally felt sick from the salt during the drive back home. But for the amount of food and crabs I ate, it was at least worth the $30 I spent.
(3)John M.
It is what it is. Its a 25 dollar sushi buffet. Not only sushi but crab legs etc. Good food by buffet standards. Just be careful where you choose to sit. Strange people about.
(4)Bob M.
It is an OK buffet. Not the best, not the worst. I feel like there is nothing in this buffet that sets it apart from the others. Pricing is a bit on the high-side. On weekends, they charge aroung $22, and on weekdays, $11. Higher than other buffets I've been to. However, the food compensates for the high price. The food is better than the other buffets, and better prepared as well. Above all, there is a bigger selection of food compared to other buffets. This place opened up a few months ago, and the inside is very clean and organized. Now, it's not upscale, but it's pretty darn close. The staff is all of Asian descent, and they do not know alot of English. I didn't understand anything they said! So to recap: Food and cleanliness: Good Staff and pricing: Bad Appearence: A Clean?: A Food: B Staff: B Pricing: C Overall grade: B+
(3)Keith R.
Came here again last night. Plates were cleaned off the table much more frequently this time, and water was replenished! All in all, a better experience this time around, BUT(yeah I hate to through the but in)something funny with the drawn butter happened. So I got a crack at a fresh tray of crab legs, but the butter was all gone. So I asked someone behind the counter if they could make ge some more butter. What did he do? He looked at the butter silo(I don't know what to call it, but that's what it looks like), looked at me and kind of grunted an affirmative sounding mm-hmm at me. Then he stood there with his hands on his hips and just stared at me. I wasn't sure what he was waiting for, or what I did wrong, so I just skulked away like I should have left or something. Then I came back and there still wasn't any butter. So I asked one of the ladies behind the counter if they could help me out. Still, the language barrier was there, but she knew what I was getting at. She hooked me up with a bowl of butter. One of my friends tried to get two separate ice cream flavors in two separate bowls, but the ice cream lady kept getting giving him 2 flavors 1 bowl. It's just sort of funny, no harm, no foul. 1 more star earned I guess. Oh, and there was more sushi this time around!
(3)Ashley P.
Very good selection. Chinese, Japanese, and fresh seafood. It's kind of crowded and when you go at night its very expensive (think about 22 per person) but it has a very excellent selection. Just make sure you are hungry. Also I don't know if you have to be more assertive about your drink choices, but I ordered water when I was seated was there for 2 hours and never got a refill.
(3)Skyler J.
It's been awhile. The place is nice and clean, but It's a cover up. The quality of the food went down in the past few months and the products aren't as fresh and It's kinda warm, but cold. They also added MSG I'm sure to improve the taste because It's a cheap food now. It used to be $20 now It's $23. Hmm. It's not the same!
(1)Jay T.
This is the favorite place for me and my friends. Dinner is pretty expensive, $25; however, food quality is the reason I give it a 5-star. They even have lobster on Wednesday, whole-boiled or cooked with ginger, depending on the day. Every dish here is excellent. Unlike other places, the empty trays are refilled immediately. The menu I really love about this place are: - Lobster on Wednesday night: long wait, yes there is a long line inside the restaurant just to pick up one, can you believe that? But it is so good; - Boiled snow crab leg: fresh, not salty; - Whole-boiled crab; - Korean-BB steak: yummy, so so goood; - Snail; - Hot crawfish: not very spicy or tasty though; - Claim; - Frog leg; - Fresh sashimi. This place is pretty crowded. It seems that everyone likes to throw their birthday here. They'll come and sing at your table if it is your birthday, but you won'get any discount. Try it and I'm sure you will love the quality of the food here.
(5)Renee B.
My daughter and I had lunch there yesterday as a recommendation from her friend. They do have a vast selection of foods from Sushi (mainly maki rolls), Mongolian Stir Fry, Dim Sum, and a lot more. The place was generally clean. Since it's a buffet some of the items were over cooked - the salt and pepper calamari was rubbery, desserts were bland, but generally the rest of the items I sampled were tasty. It was decent food for a reasonable price.
(3)Mike L.
It's good. Even though I go often to these kinds of buffets with my friends (cheaper ones) I'm not a big fan of an Asian food, that's why I'd say it's pricey, but if that's your thing I'm sure you'll like it, the selection is huge, the biggest I've seen. My total with tip, tax and tea was like $40, I think... (maybe I tipped too much :)
(4)Zhong Y.
Ridiculous Las Vegas style buffet, as we might say in Chinese "wei gou wei zhu" feeding pigs and dogs. Encyclopedic choice matched only by its mediocrity and sheer scale. Think of it as Taste of Chicago sized Asian buffet in both scale and quality. Great for very hungry groups with low expectations and few to no moral, social or dietary restrictions.
(2)Tracy L.
found out about this place this year, and now we go here ALL.THE.TIME. 1. filipino parents LOVE buffets. 2. filipnos love crab legs hence, this has become the newest place for celebrations. walnut shrimp is always my fave, they have a mongolian bbq, sushi (meh. a tad better than todai and i couldn't care less about todai), dumplings (MM SHRIMP DUMPLING!!), and your typical entrees. BONUS FOR THE KIDS: COTTON CANDY for dessert! also, ice cream and cheesecake! tons and tons and tons of seating area, come on bring your fam!
(3)Andy C.
Went there for lunch. Price decent $11.00/person. The Goods - Big variety of sushi rolls and other dishes. Sushi rolls were fresh. Big building, a lot of seats. The Bads - We were told that they did not give refills on drinks (Diet Pepsis) at the beginning of lunch. Then were told that they give free refills by the time we were almost finished. Ask two different waitstaff and get two different answers. What the h-e-l-l?! If you want some sashimi/nigiri, you have to get there when the doors open. We told the receptionist one senior and one regular adult. Got the bill at the end and was charged for two regulars. Same thing in all buffets... people cutting in front of you and being impolite. I think they use quite a bit of MSG in their foods because on the way home, I was really thirsty and had to buy bottled water at a gas station. First and the last time going there.
(3)Cindi H.
First impression of the place help set the tone for the rest of my experience there: I was impressed! From the huge floor-to-ceiling glass doors, to the huge fountain in the waiting area/foyer, to the huge restaurant, to the food, I loved it! There's quite a selection on the sushi which is different for a buffet. Usually, you would get very generic combinations. But I was pleasantly surprised to see combos like asparagus and cream cheese with the sushi with a fried outer edge and dragon roll. I was really pleased to see raw oysters AND clams.. I had never tried raw clams before.. and it turns out a love them more than raw oysters! The best part was of course, I could eat however many of them that I wanted!!! The variety of hot food is surprising too.. I saw a lot of childhood delicacies like beef stomach, chicken feet, pig feet and the like there.. (although to be fair, as a child, I didn't know that what I was eating were such grotesque parts of an animal! lol) The crab legs there are very meaty and fresh, there are a variety of soups to choose from (all very good, except that the miso soup doesn't have seaweed in it =\) For dessert, there's an assortment of fruit, cakes (not together thank goodness haha), cotton candy, and a chocolate fountain! (the latter two I did not get to try since we came a little before an hour before closing so by the time we got to dessert it was nearly closing time) But to make up for us coming in at a time like that, the restaurant gave us 10% off our visit.. which I thought was definitely not necessary but very kind of them! I cannot wait until the next time I get to partake in this amazing feast! Next time, I will try their Mai Tai and let you know how it was! (As it seems that any Asian restaurant I've been to cannot make a decent cocktail except for pina colada... but then again, anyone with the mix, rum, and a blender can make that themselves, right?) Anyway, it's only $20 for dinner, I think it's an amazing deal for everything that they offer!!
(5)Megan M.
i hate hate HATE buffets. it just doesn't seem possible for the average person to be able to eat $20+ worth of mass-produced food. fill me up on the dollar menu, and i'm good to go. y'know? anywho, for those who dig the buffet scene, i'd say this is probably one of the better options. beautiful place, solid service, huge variety - dim sum, sushi, stiry fry, typical general tso's, mongolian beef, salt & pepper ____, etc, and of course the potato wedges. only one of the many dim sum options stood out to me - some shrimp and chive thing. delish. sushi was lackluster, obviously all of the deep fried rolls were awesome, but those dont count. sushi guys should be sweating back there with all the work they're doing. even so, it's tough for them to keep up with the masses of people that swarm by and clear every single serving plate. must be because the joint can fit like 350+ people. variety of desserts, including leche flan, store bought cream puffs, green tea ice cream, and cotton candy...? way to make yourself stand out, royal buffet! still not my favorite place, but when the family wants a buffet, i'd definitely prefer royal over any other. ps, the spoons are heavy and will tip over soup bowls. careful.
(3)Delilia H.
Best Buffet ever! So many choices sometime you don't know where to start!
(5)Phil S.
It's a buffet. You shouldn't really expect really good food from a buffet. With that in mind I went here for lunch and was impressed by the sheer size of the place. Meal price reflects the overly fancy front entrance area and square footage of the place. The food tasted on average for an Asian style buffet and variety is the name of their game. Everything from your typical Chinese fare to sushi/sashimi and Mongolian grill. Even their ice cream selection is large. Lots of food and clean environment. I'm not a big fan of buffets so I probably won't return unless someone insists on paying the tab. It's nice to have this type of place close to home so I hope they do well enough to support the ridiculous tax bill they're going to have to pay to the man.
(3)linda j.
This place is not for people looking for high grade food. The food is mediocre at the best. Everyone are at a fever pitch acting like the place will run out of food! They pile crab legs high, and blue crab like they have not eaten for weeks. The a/c was not working, but no one seemed to care. People were crazy for this place. The cost was almost $100. For 3 of us for a buffet. NOT worth it! Pass.
(1)Mike B.
I'll say that this has to have a pretty darn good selection of food. The seafood was not bad, but I'd prefer to see more of sauce on the side for a lot of the dishes there. crab is a good deal as it is not salty like some other buffet establishments in that west side area. Wait staff was fine, and attentive. Bathroom for me in the mens room was not bad at all versus what I just read in recent posts. I'd say I would go again with others who want to try buffet for the first time. Still exploring though so more to come on the yelp site.
(3)Jodel A.
Lunch time ooh wow great bargain.
(5)Sandra Y.
I'm not a fan of asian buffets. They usually aren't that great, but I went to Royal Buffet last night with my family, maybe 15 people? This was my first time going even though I live 5 minutes away from it. We were seated in the hibachi area since they didn't have any tables to seat us. Quality of food was average. Some things good, some things not-so-good. Some things salty, some things not enough salt. The seafood didn't seem so fresh to me. Other people at my table agreed. I actually waited in the longgg line and got the lobster. Aside from thinking that they should hand out the lobster in a less busy/crowded spot, it was a huge disappointment. It was not fresh and way too salty. Things I liked: Our waiter was nice. Pretty spacious in the seating areas. Raw clams were good. I didn't even know you could eat that raw. I really liked the frog legs. Water was refilled really fast. I was surprised they had razor clams there (my favorite!), although the flavor was eh. The fried shrimp on a skewer was good also. I heard the kalbi was good. There is a huge selection of food from sushi to whole crabs to dim sum to make your own stir fry to soups to dessert. You will leave very full. Things I didn't like: I didn't bother trying the sushi, it just didn't look appetizing. I saw the sashimi, very small pieces. Again, I didn't bother. Everything seemed like it was previously frozen. Even the raw oysters were half frozen. Lobster was a disappointment. Some items were cold, when they should have been hot. Dim sum was flavorless. Over all I thought it was a nice experience. I had a good time with good company. Plus, it's such a popular place that you're bound to see people you know. I sure did :) If you go, try the cotton candy. I wasn't going to try it, but I finally gave in & was pleasantly surprised :)
(3)Annie R.
This buffet has nicer decor and has larger, more comfortable, seating areas than most other Asian buffets in the Chicagoland area. The food choices are aplenty, and although nothing superior, it all tastes okay. There is a large variety and availability of Seafood options, but crazy long lines (I was here on a Sunday night). Overall, I do find this buffet a good value for the quantity of choices and quality of food.
(3)Lauren R.
There was barely any food left when I got there. Also nothing is labeled, I had no idea what I was putting on my plate. The servers were attentive and took my plates quick. Also the red bean ice cream was a hit so ask for that as they don't have on the menu. Just wasn't immpressed, I think they got to work out some quirks for sure.
(2)Livia T.
I made the mistake of going into the ladies room first to wash my hands and OMG it smelled sooooooo BAD! I couldn't make out what the smell was. it like a combination of air freshener, stinky baby diapers filled w poop n old trash. The weird part was the restroom was super clean. Anyways, onto the food. They have a good selection of food but its made it small portions and there's a long line so my advice is forget the line. Go straight to what you want, the wait is shorter. Overall I won't go back to this place just happen to drive by.
(3)Clint M.
Great quality food for an Asian buffet. The following statement is dependent on allergies, but, I can guarantee you that you will not need a diaper for the car ride home.
(4)Candy S.
I went there on a holiday weekend, worse time to be there. the crab legs station was over crowed. Great selection,but food quality was terrible and staffs is not very unattentive and rude...!!! I will never eat here again or recommend this place to anyone.... !! Don't waste your $$$....!!!
(1)Christine K.
They have a wide variety of food for the whole family if you do not mind paying about $25/person. They have many different types of sushi rolls but their variety of dim sum is not very good. They have the typical Asian chicken and beef dishes and a variety of fruit and dessert (including cotton candy). The entire place is very clean and they have decent service.
(3)Mia L.
Loved this buffet because of the seafood and sushi. Large selection of food. Staff was friendly. It gets pretty busy there so consider your timing. Oh they have cotton candy! :)
(4)S H.
Came here with my husband on a Wednesday night. We were excited seeing that there was a sign for lobster night! The place looked kind of nice...reminded us of todai in Woodfield Mall. They had various Chinese food, sushi, dim sum, a stir fry bar, which was closed even though there was still 2 hours left before closing, and a few selection of desserts. Though there was a wide selection of food that was SUPPOSED to be offered, we were quite disappointed. First, the sushi station did not have much. At least half of the plates were empty and would not get refilled. The sushi that was there did not taste fresh but tasted old. The Chinese food was very very greasy. We had no idea what any of the dim sum was because there weren't any labels nor a person to help us out. To top it off, the lobster was deep fried in some sort of greasy oily batter. You can tell that the lobster wasn't fresh, and barely had any meat inside. The best item in the restaurant was their cotton candy and green tea ice cream. It's kind of sad if those were the two best tasting items at a seafood buffet. Overall, our experience was terrible! We will never be coming back here. We would rather save ten bucks and got old country buffet.
(1)Gary M.
The selection is huge. Will take more than two visits to try everything
(4)Tony M.
I like the ambiance, the large space, and the big variety. Wednesday they have lobster and crab legs and the prices are appropriate for what you get. I will be back!
(4)Jason U.
Tons of food. Prepared to be overwhelmed. Surprisingly the dessert selection was weak.
(4)J W.
Sorry, but we'll never come back. It was expensive. So that set our expectations higher. I didn't like being jammed into closely spaced tables. Also, it was a mistake to go during dinner time on a Saturday. You have to work your way through waves of people to get across to the buffets. Of the foods I expected to be hot, many were just luke warm In general, I like buffets, but not this one.
(1)Jin C.
This place is awesome. Good for small groups or big parties. It has a full bar and a great buffet variety. Good food, good price, good service.
(5)Scottie P.
The most amazing buffet I have ever been too. The place looks really nice. Everything you can eat! Especially the crabs! If you are hungry and wanting to eat, this place is well worth the price you pay for!!!
(5)Mandrake C.
Went back to the Royal Buffet to pay $25/plate for lobster night. That lobster you get is cold and rubbery. I was with 4 people and 3 of us agreed that the lobster was not worth it. The crab legs were good when hot. The problem and the reason for this update is went up for more food at this all you can eat buffet and one of the servers behind the counter took my plate away from me! Seriously? Never happened in my life! I was holding two plates and was told I was only allowed one and they snatched it from my hands! I couldn't believe it!
(1)Steven L.
I went for dinner All you can eat raw oysters and clam! Steamed crab legs (cold or warm), steamed clams (jumbo!), decent sushi. Sushi isn't as amazing as a true sushi restaurant but was the best I've ever had at a chinese buffet-stye restaurant. They also have a carving station. There is a guy frying up steaks near the carving station. They put it on a tray when they are ready but they go fast. Not sure what cut but they were extremely tender (cooked medium doneness). The steaks were not seasoned, they just put A1 sauce on top but were still tasty. I stopped by the 2nd weekend they've been open. Stuff still gets mis-labeled but just ask someone next to you what stuff is if you don't know. The majority of people that eat here are Chinese and know what everything is anyways. Waiters are around but you have to flag them down, the place is pretty busy. I am okay snagging my own napkins, forks, etc. anyways. Decor is nice, bathrooms are very clean. Lines move quick and they re-stock quickly (even oysters and crab legs). Sushi is a bit slow but there was always something I wanted when I went back up. For those of you who are on a paleo diet, you will love this place. They have alot of Chinese offal delicacies - steamed chicken feet, tripe, stomach and more. For those of you who want to destroy your health, they have a dessert area with a cotton candy machine, cheese cake, and quality Asian ice cream (red bean, green tea flavors and more). Fresh kiwi, strawberries and lychee fruit are also available. I could barely move by the time I was done. Will be back in a few months!
(4)Lisa C.
Made the hike here with the family for Friday lunch. Smelled chinese food cooking before we actually saw the restaurant. The decor is indeed royal and not what I expected of a buffet. Large selection of food to choose from and the quality of food is pretty good for a buffet. There were a variety of seafood, meat dishes, dim sum, rather large selection sushi bar and dessert section. BTW, the only thing that stood out at the dessert section was the purple colored red bean icecream. It was delish. Since we came for lunch, we didn't get crab legs or lobster but we were perfectly ok with it since it was only roughly a little bit over $11 a person. The only gripe I do have is that drinks are not included. you will be charged. Overall, decent food. Maybe I'll be back for lunch if I am in the neighborhood and I am famished.
(3)THQ R.
Great price! Well seasoned food! You're sure to find something you'll enjoy!
(4)Ashley B.
Definitely worth the drive. Will be going back. I enjoyed everything I ate.
(5)Sandy S.
This place was okay. It is very large and has a huge selection of sushi and seafood. There is a surprisingly small number of dessert choices. Good things we had : egg rolls, pot stickers, crab legs. The roast duck tasted awful, the steak was fatty and chewy. My husband and I both thought it was pricey compared to another buffet we go to in Streamwood -Hibachi grill & Supreme Buffet.
(3)Beng E.
Came here with the family for lunch. The selection was great. The stir-fry I got from the Mongolian station turned out tasty. Selection of sushi looked good, I couldn't eat them though cuz I'm currently pregnant. I had teriyaki and stuffed mussels from the regular buffet line, both were good. The beef teriyaki was tender. The fried banana, chicken wings, and crab rangoon were also good. Dessert selection was very good, I had a small piece of mocha cake and green tea ice cream. They also had coffee ice cream available. Will definitely come back here again.
(4)Kat W.
Good food. Good prices. The sushi is yummy! But, be careful! Some of the signs are poorly placed, so you might end up with something spicy when you didn't want to!!
(4)Katrina M.
This place is huge! Never before have I been to a buffet with glass doors and a humongous water fountain in it either. You can def tell they are aiming for an upscale atmosphere without the upscale prices. Staff is genuinely friendly and helpful. There are plenty of food choices, and unique ones such as frog legs or pork intestines. However, the sushi bar and hibachi (stir fry) section were the best spots to hit due to it's extensive selection. There was a wide variety of sushi and it all seemed fresh. If I go back, I would totally go just for the sushi. lol
(4)Maria V.
Used to like this place but last Mother's Day had dinner here with family and it was the worst dining experience ever. The owners of this place are just plain greedy, they kept allowing people in even if they could no longer keep up. They ran out of plates, the lines were not only long but at times 3 -4 people deep. So after waiting in line the food would run out and it would take a while for them to bring out a new batch if they did. Plates when they showed up were wet, garbage all over the floor, we were seated near a "dish washing" area and that was particularly gross and filthy. On top of this they gave customers a 2-hour limit, thus the word I used GREEDY, they just wanted your business despite knowing they could not deliver the service. I felt bad for the waitstaff they just couldn't keep up. We're lucky none of us got sick after that . I guess I won't be coming back
(1)Mike D.
Came here for lunch on a Tuesday. This place has real Asian food and not just your standards. I had pigs feet and pork belly at the buffet. The only thing I didn't like was the sushi bar. It could be that it was a lunch service though. I will come back again for the dinner service cause they have crab legs. And try the cotton candy! Also the decor of the restaurant is amazing, very clean and classy.
(4)Maria P.
As interesting as this restaurant seems to people it was the worst seafood experience I've had. We went early in the day and there were hardly any people there. The host sat us in the far back of the restuarant by the kitchen. We were so excited to be there. What a great looking place and there was just so much food everywhere. After walking through and picking up some "great looking" food, I was smelling something rotten on my plate! I cut into what must have been some fish (not recognizable) and it smelled so bad that I wanted to vomit!! Called over the waiter and he said that there was nothing wrong with the food. REALLY!!! It STUNK!!! You know the smell of bad fish when you smell it and there is not going back!!!! The hostess came over and said that that is how the food is suppose to smell and that Asian's like this. REALLY!!!!???? Spoiled rotten fish!!! I don't think so!!! By the time I went to show her where I got the food from they had removed what I had picked up and replaced it with something totally different. What a slick move by the staff. I didn't even get a picture of it in time. If that wasn't all, the crab legs that everyone has been bragging about where horrible!!! Boilded and tastless! They were for sure leftover from the day before because that is exactly what they tasted like. Ok, so some sushi? This should be better no? NO!!!! Some sliver of fish on rice. You would need to eat at least 10 pieces to get one good piece of fish here!!! Of course the wait staff insisted that this is how sushi is made. Really???? Don't waste your hard earned money on some really bad seafood in an over the top decorated restaurant. And, even though I'm not Asian, I've had plenty to know better food and anywhere else is MUCH better than this hyped up over
(1)Danny C.
There is a lot of food here but it is mostly mediocre. They have a large selection of sushi but there really wasn't any that stood out. The dim sum wasn't that great either. There is a lot of seafood though. The desserts are good though and there is a large selection of fruits. I think lunch is the better deal because you pay more for dinner even though there is lobster. There are a lot of people there for lunch too. Overall, I think everything was ok.
(3)Darren F.
came here few days after it opened and my first impression when i walked in the doors was "damn" ... it looked like a high end hotel and even their restroom is very nice!. this place is huge and looks very modern... i am kinda disappointed on their sushi tho.. the quality was just not there and taste average...i thought they would of paid more attention to the quality of the sushi since its called "royal hibachi sushi seafood buffet"... but o well.. the other food was pretty good and fresh.. they have a big selection of food to choose from.. they have a lot of seafood and they even have dim sum! the crab legs was disappointing too.. the shell was soggy and it wasn't fresh at all!... non the less i would come back and give this buffet another try..
(4)Utellme D.
OMG!!! There are sooooo many --- tooooo many foods. How much can a person eat for one meal? I like to try them all, at least majority of it, but too full and not even get to try most of what they offered. There are tooooo much!!! $20.99 is seem reasonable from what you see but how much can you enjoy it. How long will you eat? This place is mixed Chinese and Japanese. Think about Japanese Buffet Todai for $14.99 and Chinese Buffet for $6.99. This place offers the combined price $20.99. You will be surprised wtih a huge place and lot of foods. But can you taste them all? You pay for the whole price that you wouldn't have room to enjoy. Everything looks so good and seems delicious.... big crab legs, oysters, sushi, dim-sum, etc. I love them. what about those fishes, shrimps, salmon teriyaki. I just looked at it....tooooo full....and not even go beyond to chinese section. I skipped them all, no dessert either. I don't really suggest this place for dining at all. If I want a buffet next time, I would pick one either Chinese or Japanese and go there and not to pay higher price for what they have just for me to look at. For the restaurant setup, this place is not well designed for buffet concept. There are a lot of waste space from the front entrance to dinning areas. Couple teppan tables with no purpose for serving teppan yaki. Bar corners with few tables surrounding. Who will sit at the bar in the buffet restaurant? Not a good interior design!!! Unless it means to be something else but turn out to be a buffet.
(3)Picky C.
What can be said to everything that is already said? When it comes to buffets, it's a matter of personal taste and an understanding that mass quantities of food creates a dip in quality at some moments. It's a fine balance to maintain but I applaud Royal Buffet's efforts. Here are some things at Royal Buffet that have consistently been good and you really should try: + Hot clam soup with Chinese Okra and ginger (deceptively simple soup with complex and rich flavors) + Pick and choose what you like from the Chinese dim sum dishes. I like the hot off-the-pan scallion cakes, salted pork and 1,000 year egg congee/juk, the freshly made shrimp rice dough rolls, and the crunchy, fluffy, lightly sweet golden dough nuggets. The braised and roasted pork is not bad either. + Fresh clams from the sushi bar +Selection of fish roes to sprinkle onto other dishes (I recommend sprinkling the black fish roe onto the congee for a crunch and a briney kick) +Black bean mini razor clams +Fresh variety of stir-fried greens +Deep fried fresh prawns +Steamed jumbo prawns +Black pepper chicken +Stir fried vermicelli +Cucumber sushi roll (plead with the sushi makers to not just prep the cucumber skin, but to actually make a roll for you), they are light, crunchy and refreshing. This would take me forever to make at home. +Green tea ice cream +Fresh lychees +Fun fluff, cotton candy brings a smile everytime I have to make it to the stir-fry area, but one of the cooks knows what he is doing. Cook the meats first and then stir in the veggies. They always have straw mushrooms as an ingredient and that is golden in my book. - Ahem...above the sushi rolls, they have written descriptions...one of them had "Lobster Cum"... uhm, might want to fix that... ugh...
(3)Cody L.
So one of my first posts... I had gone there a few months ago and the lobster was disappointing... My mom said the sushi is like not wrapped good. Others are good.
(3)Esther K.
decided to go here for lunch and heard good reviews about this place. i don't know why i listen to these people... if i could give this place 0 stars... i would. i tried many different types of food they provided here. i tried the seafood, sushi, noodles, soups, desserts, etc... about 97% of the things i tasted really made me want to call in a health inspector... they just opened the doors and the all meats are all COLD. i was shocked. serving meat like that can make people sick. the sushi was made poorly, but was the only food i found edible here. some of the seafood tasted VERY questionable. definitely... not fresh. even the cut fruits were poorly picked. there is a VERY strange taste to many of the things that i tried. they have so much food to offer, but NONE are good. i ate with chopsticks for most of my meals. when i was about to grab a spoon... i disgusted by what i saw... it was covered with dried food and had pieces of paper stuck to it... never coming back. a place like this doesn't deserve any business for what they offer to their customers.
(1)Jack L.
What a place!! I like buffet restaurants as they are usually big and so you can be seated right away and then eat right away as well. So this place has a great lobby and entry way with fungshui accented decors. It has ibachi tables too. The service was immediate and the food selections were plentiful. It has everything from Mongolian grills to Chinese dim sum to Korean kalbi to american dessert. Just awesome and the price is better than Todai by 5 bucks, but more expense than your run-of-the-mill Chinese buffet by nearly double. A great place for good Asian food and lots of it!!
(4)Linda P.
I had better sushi at a grocery store! Walked in and thought wow this place might be as good as some of the reviews. Made a be line to the sushi and could tell it was not up to my standards, and after tasting it I knew it was bad! A few of the other dishes were SO salty I drank more water in the hour I was there than I have in 4 days! I do have to say the grill station was very good, but as I was finishing up my lunch my stomach was doing the unhappy dance, by the time we left and got 2 blocks down the road I was not feeling well. So sorry, Royal Buffet, I will NOT be heading back there any time soon. PS. It's 7:50pm and I still don't feel well!
(1)James O.
Excellent!!!!!!!!!
(5)A C.
I'm impressed by the layout of the place. But for me, I like to eat my food without having to wait in lines for upwards of 10 minutes. Plus, it's very crowded inside. Can't even talk without being disrupted by the person sitting inches away from you.
(1)Oscar C.
This place gets 5 stars on the buffet scale. Don't expect to be wow'd by the service or the food by any means. But compared to most buffets, it's one of the best. Where else can you get UNLIMITED crab legs and sashimi for 20 bucks? I feel disgustingly full each time i leave this place. Yet I keep coming back.
(5)Ray M.
This place has Vegas style buffet!
(4)John P.
Great food and high volume. Waiters don't all speak English but that was not a big deal.
(4)Issac T.
If you like seafood this is the place to go especially on the weekends with crab legs and lobsters and even abalone. overall well worth the price
(5)Jordan H.
2nd time here alot of improvement, just make sure u are here early or they run out of food and bring out diff stuff not as good as the earlier ones.
(4)Stella L.
We dined as a family of 4 - 2 adults, 1 12-year-old (charged as an adult), and a 4year-old. The selection was huge, however no many worth raved about. Guess that's common for a buffet place. & definitely not a royal buffet place as the name would imply. Food offering was generally not tasty, some quite plain - maybe for healthy reasons? Won't return...
(2)Tina A.
I went here based on a recommendation from my dearest mother. We went on a Sunday and needless to say the place was slammed. We only ended up waiting about 10 minutes to be seated and then realized they were taking us ( a party of 4 ) to be seated in the bar area. When the server saw that we looked a little confused he asked if we would prefer a table. When we were taken to " our table" it was full of dirty dishes and not cleaned we were instructed to just go to the buffet and the table would be cleaned by the time we got back, so without taking off our coats we headed off to the buffet lines. I of course headed straight for the sushi line and snagged up a number of different types of mystery sushi. The table was in fact cleaned in time for our return and we all quickly adjusted and began eating. I was very unimpressed with the sushi. I wasn't expecting grade "A" by any means but I couldn't even bring myself to finish even half of my plate. I went back for round two and decided on the sesame chicken, spicy fish, lo mein noodles. Everything was ok nothing to rave about. I honestly would compare the quality of the food to Panda Express. The spicy fish was deep fried and was so greasy I took one bite and was pretty grossed out. By the time I was finished and got to the desert table every single tray was gone except the ice cream. I would have to say my experience was below average and will not be going there again.
(2)Gina S.
Went there this weekend, I have to admit they have GREAT variety and an impressive sauteed station where they cook the food in front of you. The quantity and variety are the only reason I give this restaurant a 2 star. The quality of their food is horrendous, most of their Chinese dishes taste like the chefs just boil food with water and soy sauce. They use cheap rice to make sushi, and their white rice is dried from being in the rice cooker for too long. They should definitely improve the quality of their food if they want my business.
(2)Ganesh S.
not worth the travel or money. poor presentation. sushi was sub par. if you are allergic to seafood not worth it at all
(1)Peter A.
I went here yesterday 1-11-12 for the all you can eat lobster & tried a little bit of everything else also & all I can say is DISGUSTING & WAAAY OVER PRICED !!!
(1)Paul J.
I have visited this one from the day 1 when it was opened. So far it is good to me. My family all love it. We go there bi-weekly. The seafood is really good.
(5)Irene F.
Been there a few times. The place definitely has varieties, but I won't recommend it for anything else. The quality of the food is a typical buffet, but that is to be expected so no complains there. Today's visit was particularly disappointing for other reasons: (1) super cold: the restaurant is not properly headed, half the people dine with their scarf and jacket on (2) the kitchen stuff has no clue of what's being served and when. i.e. You ask for soy drink and they tell you it will come, after 30 min they say it may be coming, after another 20 min they say "sorry it won't be available today" (3) waitress does not collect empty plates in time, had to ask three times for her to clear the table. All in all for a $10 lunch, I say it's still worth the try especially with kids. Otherwise, stay away from the place!
(1)James C.
Saying that this place is a low rated Asian buffet is a redundant statement. I guess I'm not surprised by the quality of this place considering it's only $20 bucks to experience all of the culinary treats of Asia although I have to say it's pretty heavy on the Chinese cuisine... but then how can you blame them, it's Chinese owned after all. Anyway, getting straight to the point... this place might seem great but the back kitchen needs to shape up a bit. Actually, no... I don't really care. I'm probably not coming back here so who the hell cares. If you're starving and want a ton of Asian food including medium grade snow crab legs and sushi and maki rolls... then go ahead and check it out. Otherwise, I'd stay away. I would pay a little more and go some place better or pay less and just go to panda express. Their negligence for proper hygiene and food preparation should probably get most of the kitchen staff fired (read below the line for my personal experience), but they're not going to because that would mean they would have to hire someone else and train them... which costs money. The recession has seemed to impact even the buffets for the royals. Don't be fooled by this place... just go get some good food down the street at any other place on golf. --------------------------------------------------Â------- 1) I saw tongs marinating in the snow crabs. It was in there pretty deep in there... and who knows how long it's been there and who touched it. The temperature it was in was perfect for any kind of bacteria to start multiplying. I alerted the person that was at the station and he responded with a "Oh" and took the tongs and started just moving the snow crabs around with them. Seriously? 2) It was around 8:30pm and most of the expensive fish were all gone. I asked for a couple of tuna sushi pieces and a guy told one of the sushi chefs the order. He was talking in Chinese and it seemed like he didn't want to... but he did it any way because... it's his job. duh. I have no idea how long he's been sitting around since the sushi station seemed to have shut down but he opened up the tray of sushi and took two pieces of tuna out. The other guy that told him the order immediately reminded him to use plastic gloves and it was like the chef was like "oh yeah!" so then he puts on his plastic gloves and starts making them. I told them I didn't want the ones the just made because you just touched the tuna pieces with your bare hands. After a couple tries to make him understand English, he realized what I was talking about and he threw away the pieces and made 2 new ones... but with an annoyed look on his face. The funniest thing was that one of the managers were right there, literally standing right next to me trying to figure out what I wanted... but he had no idea what just happened because he didn't appear to speak a lick of English. 3) While all this was going on in #2, some kitchen guy was twirling around a metal spatula. He was obviously bored so he decided to practice his skill of hopefully becoming the next guy to work at the tepan station. He eventually dropped it on the floor and quickly picked it up and made sure no one saw. Obviously it made a loud noise seeing that it's made of metal... the manager yelled at him and told him to put it in the dirty dishes pile. At least they got that part right. 4) 9:30 came around and the place got really cold. They have shut down the heat. To save money. Even though there were people still eating. Nuff said. There were more little things I noticed but I'm sure if you go there early enough when it's chaotic, you probably wouldn't noticed it. Am I being a little too uptight about this place? Am I expecting too much? Yes. Do I think other restaurants are like this? Yes. But don't do it in front of the person you're serving it to... that's just being retarded. It's almost like they hired a bunch of retards to run this place. I'm sorry for using the word retards, but I have a feeling mentally retarded (and this is a politically correct medical term) people would be more attentive. Most of the staff just don't care what's going on. I just think they should take the word "royal" out of the name. Call it.... "middle class" buffet. That name describes this place more accurately.
(1)Xxxman B.
The worst food ever the smell that came from the food I cut into was rotten rotten rotten the manager told me that was a oriental lol ha-ha me no speakie englis never in my life have I ever smelt anything so rotten /the seafood was boiled way too long & the shrimp felt like moosh what a waste of money............
(1)Steve I.
We went here for the crab legs and lobster buffet on Wednesday. Crab legs for the most part were decent size and grade. The lobster was not good as it was previously frozen and boiled in some kind of oily, buttery stuff. There has to be well over 150 items to choose from. There is a small salad bar, a decent offering of traditional dim sum items, sushi, and various other rolls. There is also a section of traditional Chinese food staples and Korean food too. The sushi was fairly tasty as was the kimchi and the crab legs too. The dumplings I had were missing something. It wasn't quite what you get in the better places in Chinatown. There is also a hibachi station which I did not try as I had already eaten so much. For dessert, they have fruit, puddings, small cheesecakes, ice cream, and some pastry. I opted for some rice pudding (so-so) and green tea ice cream (delish). All in all, not bad for the price and if you get out that way a pretty enjoyable experience. Avoid the lobster and you will enjoy yourself a whole lot more.
(3)Noy F.
A group of us went for lunch on a Friday. There was plenty of parking and we didn't have to wait for a table. We were seated in the back section away from the main dining room and away from all the people; so it was nice. We were able to hear everyone at the table and have a good time. The service was friendly and there was so much food. It was impossible to try it all. There was a Mongolian stir fry station, dim sum, sushi, salad, traditional Chinese dishes, seafood, and a desert station which included fruits, 5 different types of ice cream and cotton candy. We were all disappointed that they did not have crab legs on the lunch menu. We all felt it was really good food for an Asian buffet, but it needed just a bit more flavor. The ice cream didn't taste like ice cream, but we enjoyed the cotton candy. My friend couldn't get enough of the macaroons. We left happy and had a good time and will come back again when we're ready for another buffet - so not any time soon. It's a fun place to take a group, and it's a great price for all that food; but won't be on my list of regular places for meals.
(3)Joe R.
Very different from other buffets, I've never been to one quite like this. The food selection is largely seafood based, but the selection is just massive. Generally the food is very fresh, and the service has always been great. Most surprising is the cleanliness, which is something I've never experienced in a buffet before. All the items on our table, the table itself, and the chairs were clean. Even the soy sauce bottle was spotless, which is usually one of the stickier items at Asian buffets. I'm amazed to have finally found a buffet with high quality food, an excellent selection, and a clean, comfortable environment.
(5)Ruth P.
They were very busy yet friendly...I give the, credit for dealing with the crowds of people everyday. The food was decent for the price.
(4)patti s.
If you're feeling like going to a las vegas buffet, then this is for you...but I would rather have quality sushi from wasabi in hoffman estates than the low quality stuff here. We went on a sat. and also noted the price is higher but not told...did not like that the plates were low--right under the buffet...saw little kids playing around them and touching...some were even dirty and saw a guy replace his...not feeling real good about that. if you like cheap food and a lot of it then this is for you...
(1)Klevis s.
The place is really nice and clean. The food is fine but the main issue is the service and they way they organized it. I went there Saturday for lunch and when I was done I found out that the prices were not as they were advertised. They have different pricing for weekends. When I forthe bill I asked the waiter to speak to a manger because I thought it wasn't nice that we weren't told about the price change. When the manager cane that was horrible. The manager was really rude and unprofessional. He was talking to us really loud and he was standing really close to us by showing that he was the manager. He was treating us like stupid and ignorants. I told him that this is not nice and he said he doesn't care and I told him that that was really bad because they were about to lose a customer and his answer was "I don't really care. That's your choice". I was really disappointed because that's a new business and it's next by where I live but based on the service I won't ever even consider going there. I don't recommend this place to anybody.
(1)Esther C.
First of all I have to say I went here at noontime during a weekday when it wasn't crowded and my meal was free because others paid for us. Two things that can make any meal good. The best buffet I've ever been to was in Virginia but this is probably the best one in Chicago for me. It's clean, wide selection and had good service. The stir fry station seemed to have a paucity of fresh ingredients however, but I'm not such a wok fan. Sushi selection was decent and better than some all-you-can-eat sushi places like sushi para 2 in the city by far. Pricing is not modest but I think it's definetly worth it for lunch if you eat sushi and some of their more pricier items. They actually have dim sum items too, it seemed legit although I wasn't courageous enough to sample all of it. Not the most kid-friendly selection but for the few kids in our party it didn't seem like a problem. Would probably hesitate on coming here on my own again only cause of the price, maybe for lunch.
(4)