Carlos M.

I went to this place when it opened and it was okay. I went back a few weeks ago and the food looked horrible. There are less people that go there now, and when you walk in you can smell how old the food is. Definitely would not recommend this place to anyone.
(1)
Heather V.

I really tried to like this place but it was just horrible. The avocado on the sushi had turned brown from sitting out too long, the desserts tasted stale and for a Friday at 7 pm it was empty. Definitely won't be returning!
(1)
Liz L.

The only good thing here is the grill itself. But still not worth it to pay just for that. The rest of the food/buffet is yikes. I went here on a Thursday 2pm. The food looked old. Like it was from days ago. Food is cold. Also is dirty. This is my third time coming here, and I won't be coming back. I really was trying to give it s chance, but obviously they don't seem too care. If food looks obviously old:nasty why can't they just put a fresh tray. Also plates are kind off dirty.
(1)
Edward L.

I have been around the Asian buffet race more often than I'd like to admit, yet, here I am, admitting it to the internet world. Ichiban Buffet is conveniently located around the corner from the XSport I frequent. Nothing rewards a hard, sweaty workout quite like an all-you-can-eat Asian buffet. The buffet is located in what used to be an Old Country Buffet -- and the bones of the chain still show. Thanks to the use of halogen lights above the warming islands, the entire restaurant has a very cold, hospital-like feel. A hospital with a create your own stir fry station. The food selection is surprisingly robust. There are quite a few non-Americanized Asian options including whole crabs, pig's feet, dim sum, crayfish, and a heaping selection of sushi coupled with a few of your mall's favorites (Chicken with broccoli, fried rice, hot and sour soup). The chef's behind the sushi counter were furiously rolling new rolls, so though the actual quality of the fish might be iffy, at least you know the rolls weren't sitting out for hours under the aforementioned halogen lights. You also have an odd selection of 'comfort food' that most likely the suppliers of Old Country Buffet continued to deliver after that restaurant shuttered. Mac and Cheese, mashed potatoes, ribs, U-slice-it-beef, etc. The food was all fine, Asian buffets rarely transcend a description other that "fine", On a Sunday afternoon, the price was 12 dollars per adult (the price for children varied by age) not including a beverage. The clientele was very mixed, though the demographic skewed pretty high towards the older, Asian, post-Church crowd. It was pleasantly busy meaning the food turned over pretty quickly with frequent fresh replenishments. It also passed a crucial test, the post-gorging health test. Several hours, and days, later, I felt ok, not a rumbly stomach in sight.
(3)
Daniel S.

Ive eaten here a few times. Today is my last time. I was eating a teriyaki chicken and noticed something that looked like a bug baked in the fat portion of the chicken. This wasnt a small bug, it was about an inch long, and another inch if you add the antennas. I called the waitress over to look at it. She immediately called over her supervisor, which happens to be the person working at the cashier location. When she saw the "baked in bug", her first response was to tell me that they received the chicken that way and they simply season and cook it. She was somewhat apologetic, and offered a new plate. That was it. So the bottom line her response to the "baked in bug" 1) Blame it on someone else (supplier of the chicken) 2) Offer me a new plate..which I could of gotten myself since its a buffet 3) No attempt to clear off the remaining chicken at the buffet in case the other chicken is tainted.
(1)
Andrea Nagle R.

Not impressed. Food so so. Would not return. They do have a wide selection of food though.
(1)
Andrew L.

Food was really salty and over sauced Fish and pepper shrimp was decent Don't go on a weekend The host was super rude while our server was nice
(2)
Shannon D.

Came in for lunch on a Saturday. Was not expecting much but was BLOWN AWAY. Best stir fry I've had. All the meet at grade A quality you could ask for all the vegetables you could want as many times as you want. Steam table food was good could have been hotter. But pleasantly surprised. I will be coming back!
(4)
Tenzin C.

We knew how great this restaurant is right the moment we stepped in. How come I never heard of this place before? Maybe I need to socialize more. Cheap price, varieties of food, great customer service! I loved it!! For less than $10? Damn it's a lot of good food!! I strongly recommended everyone to go there! You won't be disappointed.
(4)
Rich C.

My wife got food poisoning this past Saturday from eating here. Mistakes happen and Im sure its not the norm, but this is unacceptable. To qualify this, this was the only meal (dinner) she had since her morning coffee. Thank God it lasted just that night only. Be careful with buffets in general.
(1)
Chris L.

Ok first off they get 1 star for being nice and cleaning tables right away.. thats the only good thing I can say about this place.. now... the bad part.. dishes and silverware are filthy..silverware is covered with white streaks from not being cleaned properly and when I went to grab a plate there was some sticky sauce still on the bottom of the plate..yuck.. but after sitting down and eating the food it wasnt too bad until I found a long curly black piece of hair in the lo mein.... I was so disgusted with this place I lost my appetite and left right away. I would of took a picture and posted it but as soon as I saw the hair I did not think to take a picture. It was not a piece of hair that could fall into the platter from customers it was soaked in oil and well mixed in the noodles. I will never come back here again and if you do go Good Luck....
(1)
Van O.

I am not one for buffet but I like this place it has something for everyone. I would like to see different sushi but its fresh. The snow crab is the whole crab I could not do it lol. They are not big on sweets just the basics but I am awalys too full to car. Its alwasy clean food is hot. I would say just give it a chance.
(4)
Dean K.

We went here as the reviews were quite good for a new restaurant. It is typically farther than we would go and I really do not like Chinese Buffet's to start with but my family enjoys hibachi. Let's start with the positive. Selection - Overall, there was a pretty good selection. A lot of the items are not what you would typically find on a Chinese buffet. There is more fish and less of the other items. Sushi - Very nice selection. And it tasted cold, fresh and pretty good. Prime Rib - As others said, this was one of the highlights What we did not like. The food overall did not come close to the other reviews. It honestly is pretty bad. The egg roll did have a nice fry to it but it was dripping in grease and the contents were mostly an egg roll wrapper. I cannot think of any dish that stood out except for the prime rib. I did not try the hibachi but my wife who usually enjoys it, left a whole plate as inedible. I am not sure if it was the sauce or not. I tried a piece of something that was supposed to be beef but it did not taste like it. I am sure it was the sauce but it just was not good. Service was good. Fairly fast refills and the plates were taken away on a regular basis. We have been to several of these buffets. This is on the low end in terms of taste
(2)
Maritza S.

Im a huge fan of ethnic food and I can't believe I actually miss old Country Buffet that used to be at this location. $16 dinner buffet &,drink for awful food. My guest eats everything and anything and he stopped at his 2nd plate due to how gross stuff is. horrible cuts of meat. I went for the create your stir fry that they cook, decent taste yet thin beef was so chewy & tough...I had better beef in Cambodia and they are a 3rd world country. Only good thing was the ice cream but had an unattended child nearly break my fingers as he slammed the sliding door as I was serving myself.
(1)
Louna L.

I hate this place!!! You know what Ichiban? If u r reading this, you need to get ur employees' and their attitudes checked because they are just plain rude!!! (With the exception for the servers and the hibachi grill dudes, they're nice!). The new sushi dude w/ the funny head and the food cart lady that looks like hellga they are just so nasty and arrogant (im rlly pee'd off) I have never came across so much discrimination than what i have gotten from the people of my similar/same nationality. :( I understand the struggle...we all have battles in our lives, but please!!! Don't pass it on to people who just wanna eat buffet.
(1)
Sludge R.

We arrived for lunch with six adults and seven children. The food quality was good. The food selection was good. I would come back for sure. One star taken away for two things; the waitstaff was competent, but never smiled even once during our visit. And I mean all waitstaff, all the time. Until we gave a tip. And you must pay extra for soft drinks.
(4)
Joani O.

My husband and I saw an ad for all you can eat stone crab, lobster, and oysters here, and being seafood lovers, we decided to give it a try...even though we're not crazy about buffets. This place is like a huge cafeteria, and I likened it to an Oriental Old Country Buffet. They had the stone crab, but the lobster tray was empty and we didn't see any oysters. They do have a decent selection of seafood, including both peel & eat shrimp and fried shrimp, in addition to a good variety of Chinese appetizers and entrees. (My daughter loved most of the Chinese dishes!) Good fried rice, noodles, pepper steak, teriyaki chicken and sesame chicken. They also have the standard American fare to appeal to kids (mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, french fries, corn) and A LOT of choices. Unfortunately much of it is either dried out from the heat lamps or picked over by people. They also have a huge sushi bar, yet it looked like the rolls had been sitting there for a while, and we really prefer freshly made. The prime rib WAS delicious, and our favorite aspect was the hibachi...good ingredients and you can't go wrong having your meal made to order. The dessert selection was decent and we loved the multiple flavors of ice cream. After very mixed reviews we decided that we probably wouldn't be back, yet with the huge selection and great price, we did get our money's worth, and we definitely didn't leave hungry.
(3)
Bob K.

Like most others I was not impressed. Food was so so. dim sum looked like it was out for hours. chicken dishes where visibly dried out. I Would not return here
(2)
Nichole T.

If you have sushi taste and fish stick money, this is your place. We got there right when it opened on a Sunday and they were just putting out at least 20 plates of freshly made sushi. The quality was actually pretty good and for 12 dollars was truly a bargain. My husband, non seafood eater, had a slim selection to choose from and would not go back willingly. And I felt guilty feeding my children the soft crusted pizza and the oil soaked crab Rangoons. Bottom line, if you're craving sushi or some average seafood with only a little money, they got u covered!
(3)
Khris L.

I decided to try this place out on a Sunday evening with a bunch of friends. The line was long but it moved fairly briskly. It was around 12 dollars for dinner and a couple dollars more for a drink. The place was busy but we were able to get a table for 6 without waiting too long. When I went up to the food, I was fortunate enough to see one of the workers put down a new pan of lobster. I was able to grab a few lobster pieces before I realized there was a swarm of people crowding around me. They grabbed tongs off the other pans and started grabbing at the lobster. Once I saw them trying to grab at the lobsters, I threw as many as I could onto my plate. Greedy? Yes. Tasty? Even more so. Haha, anyways...The food quality and taste hovered around average to above average considering the price. The prime rib was decent, the crawfish had a nice kick to them, the raw oysters didn't smell fishy, the clams were a bit chewy but good enough, etc... The service was up to par with the food. Nothing special..It took a while to get more water or drinks, but wasn't long enough to make me complain. The finished plates of food were taken off the table at a reasonable rate. The cleanliness of the place was average also. There were times that I saw dried pieces of food stuck on the bottom of some plates, but I just put those back and grabbed another plate. No problem for me. All in all, I would go back here because of the value they offer. The prices are reasonable for what they offer. Try this place out and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
(4)
Randy A.

I went there and I was surprised on the price it was to just get in. Just for 2 adults with drinks. my total was $30.55 for the all you can eat special. Although the price was a bit surprising pricey, you do have to be escorted to seats and asked for drinks instead of picking your own like Old Country Buffet. Even though the rules on how a original buffet runs, it is a pretty decent place to eat. There were alot of variety of foods to chose from , from fish to salad , to soups and meat. One amazing wow factor was they have a Hibachi Grill with any choice of meat vegetables and noodles with many different sauces. The only thing I find sorta dangerous is the meat next to the hibachi grill is all raw and can be easily mistaken for food with kids if not supervised with an adult. Another wow factor is sushi . The desserts are pretty good but not very many choices . Yes they got ice cream and a lot of flavors to chose from sorta like a Ice cream shop. The atmosphere is relaxing u will find many Asians eating and working there and relaxing indie music playing in the background and the noise is not so loud like you would think. Overall its not like a regular buffet . But for the price it definitely delivers .
(4)
Optima P.

As first timers here we were so disgusted by the smell as we entered. We should've turned around then! But Noooooo! I wanted to give them a chance. Silly me! Not only is the aroma of this establishment disgusting but so is the cold food! I think an inspector needs to do a surprise visit here. I better not get sick! But if I do it's my fault we shouldn't have came in..... :-(
(1)
Queen W.

I'm happy for having a birthday party in there.good service,good foodï¼Œthe surprise is the waitress make a small birthday cake with a birthday song.so happy.
(5)
Matt S.

Food selection is decent. Mainly Asian food to choose from but there are other options. Some items include the sushi bar, lo mein & rice, beef & chicken with vegetables, a few soups, and various seafood. Sushi options are not labeled for some reason. There's even a build your own bowl section like Flat Top Grill. Basically, you gather whatever ingredients you want and a chef will cook up the creation for you. Alternative options include salad bar, pizza, soul food (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, etc) and dessert. Food quality is OK. I enjoyed my meal but it wasn't anything special. It reminds me of cafeteria food pretty much. Might not be a bad place for lunch since it's cheaper at that time. Busier times like Sundays get a price hike and the quality just doesn't match that price. The buffet and a drink will set you back ~$15. Ichiban isn't horrible but I'm not impressed enough to come back.
(2)
Doug B.

My experience here was probably biased by all the other positive reviews. I was just expecting something nicer than I experienced. The place looks nicer than the Old Country Buffet it replaced, but the redecorations eliminated much of the independence of the consumer. You can no longer even see what drinks are offered, let alone serve yourself. More importantly, to me, you can't find utensils anywhere. They bring you some, but not a knife. I had to wander around searching, finally having to ask someone who did not speak English. When I finally got one, it was clearly dirty. I asked for another. She kept looking, but they were all dirty... The food itself was mildly ok, though the hibachi and prime rib others mentioned were underwhelming. The guy at the hibachi wasn't helpful, and the choices were minimal. The prime rib is at the mercy of all the diners who hacked at it before you. Not bad, but ugly. And again, you need a knife... The ice cream was ok, though unlabeled. The toppings looked ok, but did not taste very fresh. And not to beat a dead horse, but again, finding fresh utensils for dessert was a challenge. I don't need to go back....
(2)
Anastasia M.

Not bad at all. Of course ,since this is a buffet food might me not that fresh but it is still worth it to go there. I went there for lunch and paid around 9$. Not bad at all. On the weekends you gonna be paying a bit more, around 12$ . The variety of food is pretty wide. You can have different types of seafood, meet(polish lovers),noodles, rice veggies, fruits and pastries. My favorite part was grill. You can choose different types of raw food and ask to grill it. This is very similar to "Flat Top Grill". But here you are paying trice less! So if you live or work in that neighborhood , go and check this place out
(4)
Stan B.

The girl friend and I ate there last night and both of us were sick most of the night, it looked like most of the food had been sitting out for hours the meat was dry. The soda was flat. With all of the people in there I am surprised how bad the food really was.
(1)
Leslie S.

I should have kknown better than to try a place that has all you can eat lobster for a cheap price. Yep, there was lobster, cut into strange skinny pieces with black and green dirt around very little lobster- looked like the garbage and something surely to make you sick. Then there were Korean spare ribs- they were about 1/8" thick and had a teeny tiny amount of chewy gristle around the small oval bones. The fried shrimp were 99% breading with a mushy interior of what was supposedly shrimp. The prime rib was OK but cold. Chicken and brocolli swims in a layer of fat and corn starch. Nothing was even close to hot. Lots of greasy fried food, big grotesque and unappetising fish. The jello wasn't bad if you want to feast on red jello the consistency of a rubber ball. Drinks are extra. Coffee has non dairy creamer- yum. Lots of people eating the cheapest most unappetising food I have seen in a long timel. Go to McDonalds- a better value and much tastier. Go here if you are in the mood to vomit.
(1)
Michele D.

This buffet was awesome! It's in the former Old Country Buffet, but they have redone it in there so it looks really nice. I think it's the best buffet in the area. They not only have the usual (like broccoli chicken (which was excellent), and pepper steak (also great), and yummy egg rolls (not the typical buffet ones), but they also have good, fresh sushi, hibachi (which I didn't try this time, but I will next time because it looked good), lots of different seafood dishes, ham, delicious sausage (who knew?) and yummy chocolate cake for dessert. The salad bar was nice and fresh with a lot of options as well. There are so many things to try here. I know I'm not covering them all. I highly recommend Ichiban, though. It's fabulous!
(5)
Ross K.

I have been to many Asian buffets and this is the best one ever. It is new, clean and bountiful. The best thing is the quality of meats and flavors of the many dishes. It has 9 or more sushi rolls, stir fry make your own noodle station (you pick they cook), 4 different types of soups, American fare and a self serve ice cream bar. Next time I am going with my wife because of the quality and salads. You can't go wrong with this place.
(5)
Carlynn U.

I am a buffet junkie - I love picking out my food and have no problem with the supposed "hygiene" of buffet places. This place was not very good. I don't eat meat so I was left to choose from a few items that didn't taste very good. The mixed vegetables were terrible! I almost got sick. Some of the other foods were good, though, like the donuts and the rice. There was a ton of sushi, but I don't really like sushi. This is a Pepsi restaurant so I wasn't too happy about that. I like Diet Coke, personally, and can be snobby about Pepsi. Overall, the service was good -- very nice and welcoming.
(3)
Carrie E.

Nice! Lots of options and plenty in the trays! Not one of those places where there is a partial pan with burnt junk! LOVE the Hibachi make your own part!
(4)
Katrina M.

They need to step up on the cleanliness of their plates and utensils. I wish they had a soda fountain too. Yet, food selection is great. They offer crabs and lobster on the weekend; such a bargain for the $12 weekend price. They even have sushi, a hibachi section and vietnamese pho section. They also have meats like steak, ribs, even fried frog legs! Top it all off with a treat dipped in the chocolate fondue fountain :]
(4)
Peter A.

Full Lunch Buffet for $9, with a drink $11. Dirt cheap. Food is quite good and a large variety. All of the crab meat is imitation, which is to be expected. Sushi is surprisingly good. Dim sum available. Dessert buffet had cheesecake and hard ice cream. Nothing really blows your socks off, although I really liked the fried shrimp. They seemed to rotate the food frequently. Atmosphere is a little chilly, and unexciting. The employees were friendly and helpful. Would go back for lunch again.
(4)
V G.

I wish I could give it 2.5 stars. Came here for dinner recently, and I felt like a lot of the food would have been better had it not been sitting out for so long. I would potentially go again, but for an early lunch to get everything fresh out of the frier. I will also say that the salad bar looked really fresh and had a good variety of fruits and vegetables. The sushi rolls were not bad, and the hibachi grill option was great. Variety-wise, the buffet was disappointing.
(2)
June P.

I've been to this buffet a few times now and have been to a few different buffets in the suburbs as of late because my in-laws like them. The first few visits to Ichiban weren't bad. The selection was wide, including Chinese fare and a variety of sushi, and even pho in addition to your standard American buffet favorites. I was willing to go because the variety at least meant I could likely find a few things I would like. Today was the last time I will ever visit this restaurant. We arrived with two sets of grandparents and my brother in addition to my husband, myself, and my toddler son. That's seven grown adults and 1 toddler in a high chair. Not only did they try to sit us in the most crowded quarter if the dining room floor, they tried to force us to sit at a 6-top table. When I asked to be moved because we had seven adults and a high chair, they tried to move us to another 6-top in a less crowded area. The waiter also annoyedly motioned with his silverware, saying "Go! Go!" You would have thought that I asked him to give me his last cookie. What's worse is that the restaurant as a whole was only about a third full. There were three other tables set for 8 to 10 people that were empty. After that fiasco, I discovered that some of the sushi was inedible (it tasted like your clothes smell after a day fishing, aka NOT GOOD), most of the food was stale and dry, and the other wait staff continued to give us the side glare as we ate. It MIGHT be worth giving the place another shot if the food was good and it was one person who provided bad service. But I learned quickly today that they staff here not only try to make life most convenient for themselves, regardless of whether you have senior citizens and children with you, and they're out to steal the little money you paid for a mediocre meal. I hope I don't have food poisoning because my mood and appetite are already spoiled.
(1)
monica l.

We decided to try out the new Chinese Buffet in the area because of the decent reviews on Yelp. I don't expect much from a Chinese Buffet and most are typically 3 stars unless you're up to Royal Buffet standards. The only good thing that I can say about this restaurant is that it was close to my house. There was no variety in food and you had to wait for the food to be replaced. Most of the serving dishes were empty. The Prime Rib that everyone raved about was a mass of fatty, mushy meat. The all-you-can eat lobster was little pieces that was covered in a messy sticky sauce. It's was too messy and then the lobster meat was mushy...gross! Also, it seemed as though there was not enough attendants working because the floors were filthy. I was so glad that my daughter did not have to go to the washroom because I couldn't even imagine how that would be. For what was offered, , I would say go to Flaming Hibachi on Golf or the Hibachi Grill on Oakton and Busse. They definitely have a better selection of food .
(1)
Peter H.

I am not coming back as I prefer Senoya although Ichiban is cheaper. I came for Saturday lunch. BBQ ribs and Steamed mussels were worthy and I regret eating other stuff. Salmon Ngiri was better than the white fish Ngiri but still disappointing: too much rice, and it did not taste like sushi rice. Pho was almost average. Beef Hibachi was not the best beef. Breaded shrimp had sooo much breading. Cajun fries were fine. +1 for having real ice cream instead of soft serve. They had this one, sad piano song on repeat the whole time. It reminded me of the old Hulk tv show where he walks away alone as the ending credits roll.
(2)
Suzanne K.

I went here with my husband for dinner. It left so much to be desired. The womans washroom had paper towels everywhere & the garbage cans were full. They obviously hadn't been cleaned in a while. I thought a lot of the food was dried out as though it had been there since lunch. Everything I had was fairly tasteless. I am not a big salt person, but this food had either no salt, pepper or other spices to bring out the flavor. I don't think this place is very good unless you TOTALLY want seafood, so it HAS to be fresh or smell bad. I also thought the front end of the restaurant could use a little attention as well. Counters wiped. Low containers of ice cream that had gone gooey should have been removed. Water that ice cream scoops were in needed changing. Employees ( females for busing tables ) standing around just talking rather than wiping & checking food tables or even doing a good job at the tables with customers. The whole experience was VERY lacking.
(1)
A C.

Meh. I think the food was just okay. The chapchae was good, egg rolls good, everything else was so-so.
(3)
Evan L.

quality has deteriorated the other reviewers are right
(3)

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Address : 8780 W Dempster St
Niles, IL, 60714
Phone (847) 390-9888
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Opening Hours

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Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

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Ichiban Buffet

8780 W Dempster St, Niles, IL, 60714

Ichiban Buffet Menu

Carlos M.

Heather V.

Liz L.

Edward L.

Daniel S.

Andrea Nagle R.

Andrew L.

Shannon D.

Tenzin C.

Rich C.

Chris L.

Van O.

Dean K.

Maritza S.

Louna L.

Sludge R.

Joani O.

Bob K.

Nichole T.

Khris L.

Randy A.

Optima P.

Queen W.

Matt S.

Doug B.

Anastasia M.

Stan B.

Leslie S.

Michele D.

Ross K.

Carlynn U.

Carrie E.

Katrina M.

Peter A.

V G.

June P.

monica l.

Peter H.

Suzanne K.

A C.

Evan L.

Opening Hours

Specialities

Ichiban Buffet

WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES

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