Hannah H.

About a 2-2.5: Royal Buffet is chain of buffets in the IL area and has been around for a good number of years. The place itself is large and offers the typical buffet options, such as Americanized Chinese fare (sweet & sour pork, pepper steak, dim sum, hot & sour soup, etc.), American fare (pizza, fried chicken, and french fries), maki bar with California rolls and makis, a stir-fry/Mongolian BBQ where you can come up with your combination of meats and veggies, and seafood (crab legs, mussels, and cooked shrimp). While the crab legs were hardly filled T___T, I was a fan of their oversized fresh mussels, the spicy tuna rolls, and the fresh crispy almond cookies for dessert. The other dessert options, such as the banana pudding, had browned banana slices, and the mini cakes were more on the stale end. The staff were quick in taking away the finished plates, and it's a good thing that they had a self-serve pop section, so you don't have to constantly wave down your server for refills. There is a large lot to park your vehicle. +mussels +spicy tuna rolls +almond cookies +efficient staff
(3)
James C.

This Chinese buffet isn't that bad, its hard to find good to decent Chinese buffets out in the suburbs. For the price its pretty decent. you can get some freshly cooked chicken, steak and they have a Mongolian grill. Their sushi is decent, sometimes it sits there though. Most of their food is pretty good, not to salty not to oily. Most of the food was warm to hot. They have plenty of fruit to choose from. The food is flavorful for a Chinese restaurant. They have a variety of ice cream, which is always a good thing. My little niece loves their small coy pond up in front. The appearance inside could use some work. Some of their tables are greasy, same goes with the floors. Their roof can use some work. I went their once while it was raining and one there was water leaking from the roof. The staff seems very helpful, you're able to find the utensils easily. Sometimes the plates will sit for a little bit before they come around to take them. Overall this place is decent. Not a place I would go to all the time. The price is okay, pretty standard. The food is decent, better than most other Chinese buffets. The service is good, the appearance of the place could use some work. Somewhat worth the price you pay.
(2)
Thomas L.

This place has really gone downhill the past few years. We first went here about 6-7 years ago and it was always crowded and food quality was good. We still go occasionally but the food is not as good and the crowds have disappeared. Not many asians go there, which is a bad sign!
(2)
Minh-An C.

Around $15/person for dinner buffet. Quality of the food is okay..the seafood wasn't that fresh and we kept having to throw out a lot of raw clams and raw fish because it looked old. A lot of the seasoning and flavoring of these food are either too salty or too bland..making you not want to eat anymore. The sauteed clams weren't too bad, but it isn't the best sauteed clams I've ever had, either.. The only things I enjoyed were the king crab legs and the crawfish. The crab legs aren't out on display for you to grab, you have to stand near the kitchen door and wait for the chef to bring it out to you, and they're very fresh and steaming hot since it just came out of the kitchen. This also limits you on how many crab legs you can eat..but the quality is great. The crawfishes were big ones and they're pretty fresh and seasoned well. I enjoyed it thoroughly. If I ever go back, I think I would just stick to my crawfish and crab legs and maybe some fish. Other than that, everything else here is mediocre or of less quality.
(3)
Cindy B.

For $30 for 2, we got all cold food. Except what was supposed to be cold, was warm. Save your money and buy a good steak somewhere else.
(1)
House O.

FOOD POISONING !!!!I ate there yesterday and ONLY HAD SUSHI and got food poisoning , felt sick last night/fever / vomiting all night- AND NON STOP stomach pains. Missed work and been in bed all day, my stomach can't seem to hold even water without throwing it up. horrible staff ! Dirty tables and food is horrible (that's why I only chose to eat sushi) as a sushi lover I eat sushi at least twice a week me NEVER gotten sick before. NEVER COMING BACK NOR RECOMMEND IT.
(1)
Zack B.

By far the worst food i have ever had. It was almost comical how disgusting the food was. The bathrooms were disgusting. If you like the show fear factor you will like this place.
(1)
Preet K.

I went to this place about 8 months ago food was still reasonable but this time I regret aa I went to get my food. This place has gone down south hill and I am rating it with my two visits... Never going there again.
(1)
ray b.

This place is simply disgusting! The food is bad the bathrooms were so gross I didn't even want to wash my hands. I had to leave to use the bathroom. I can't believe the city hasn't shut this dump down.
(2)
Grace L.

If you really want a big buffet with seafood and everything, this is the place to go. They had lobster and king crab legs and all kinds of seafood and Asian dishes. I didn't try everything because there's a huge variety... The place can take hundreds of people..
(3)
Curt M.

Yah. I was excited to go here after all of the reviews that I read. After going there and eating a bit of everything I cannot say I was impressed. Only redeeming item I ate was the salt and pepper shrimp. After eating and grabbing an ice cream cone to go I was excited to find a two inch piece of glass inside the scoop of ice cream. So it's safe to say I won't be returning here ever again. Should have gone to White Castle.
(1)
Judith B.

Never again. It was so dirty. Not enough staff to keep up with the table turnover. I can only imagine the kitchen. Sushi was old fish tasting. Cheesecake was still frozen. Raw bar was next to jello and other desserts, Can't that be a contamination issue? Hot food was dried out in some cases b or just off tasting. The only thing I liked was the pot stickers, and they were blah. Only one soup, hot and sour. Bathroom was horrific. Very dimly lit and still looked super dirty. Is so busy, most likely they're making money, why are they being so cheap? Hire more staff, get better quality food. So disappointed. Never coming again.
(1)
Jay W.

AWFUL. GOOD LORD CLOSE THIS PLACE! END ITS MISERY! OR AT LEAST LET ME GIVE IT NEGATIVE STARS LIKE IT DESERVES. We go to the "other" Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates and like it quite a bit for Asian buffet, esp. sushi, so when we were in the SW burbs on business we thought this would be similar. After seeig the dumpy location and the run down strip mall I would have left but my wife was hungry, so we dared. After all, if you look online they appear to be collectively owned... The name is the same, beyond that they share nothing in common! Hoffman Estate I rate a solid B+, this place is F-. What does the F stand for? How 'bout holy F*** this place sucks, how's that for an F? This is one of the worst Asian buffets I've ever been through. This could be on one of those Asian buffet disaster websites. The place is FILTHY DIRTY, the bathrooms are disgusting, the floor is nasty, they have bags over the kitchen windows. They have "crab legs" in the academic sense, rubbery, bland, frozen and re-frozen from where who knows. They have some grumpy little lady in back like a drug dealer, you have to know the secret - grab a plate and hand it to her and she reappears a minute later with a few of the limp, wet things. Not worth it for FREE I tell you. All the food was bad, the sushi variety was nonexistent (few varieties, NOTHING with salmon, tuna, or any fish to speak of) and 1/2 the plates were empty at all times. The best food was the cheese pizza, which I defaulted to after finding everything else sucked. Floor was wet with water, everything was grungy and grimy. I can't believe the health dept lets them stay open! At the other Royal Buffet, there are throngs of Asian people eating there all day. Not to be prejudiced because I'm not, but a great way to gauge if a place has authentic cuisine is to see if it draws the ethnic crowd. THis place was filled with Hispanics, which is fine but it tells you they are NOT drawing Asians. Asians know better. They even have MEXICAN CHILI SAUCE on the table, that's the target audience. DO YOURSELF A HUGE FAVOR AND GO T MCDONALDS IT IS 10X BETTER! I say that and I wopn't/don't eat McDonalds. Hell you'd be better off digging out that 1/2 an old sandwich from under the pickup seat and eating that. Less likely to get ill. Sorry I hate to bash a business but they have no business serving that slop in that squalid dump. SHUT IT DOWN!
(1)
Nery V.

The table is sticky. The washroom is very dirty. My shoes sticks on the floor. Food has no taste. I won't go back.
(1)
Michelle P.

This review is LONG overdue. You want a delicious seafood buffet or any Asian buffet.. this is the place to be!!!Everything is so fresh and a huge array of foods. The price is great for what they offer. This place gets busy, busy on the weekends. They have desserts: ice cream, fruits, cookies etc. They have a stir fry station, sushi station and dim sum items and soups and talking about it all is making me drool! My father and I enjoy the buffet on the weekends when I come down to visit and I just wish they had one out here in Denver.
(4)
P L.

What used to be one of the better Chinese buffets in the area is no longer worth going to. The food isn't fresh and dried out. Sushi isn't fresh. As is typical of these type of buffets throughout the area, sushi person is VERY VERY slow to make new sushi and rolls once the plates empty or doesn't at all. I understand minimizing food costs but making only ONE new roll during the entire time I'm eating there when all the plates were empty or had a couple pieces? Come on now. The other hot foods wasn't much better. Mostly tasteless and dried from sitting too long. Skimping on food won't make a successful restaurant. I doubt this place will last under current ownership. I see the same fate for this place as all the other Chinese buffets that have closed down over the past year. Owner. Are you reading these reviews?
(1)
Bob H.

Nasty place! The food is terrible. I get sick after eating here! I don't see why people are crazy about this place! Cleanliness is very important specially in the restaurant/food business. They should work on that.
(1)
Mike A.

It's not bad. We come here a couple times a month. They have what seems like a wide selection of items. Chinese food, especially "bizarre" foods like chicken feet, etc, so I am happy with the usual Sweet and Sour, Fried Rice, and the Hibatchi grill so you have control what goes into it. Its more expensive than other china buffet places, but it does have a wider selection. They definitely need to spend more time on cleaning and repairing their bathrooms. The men's room is GROSS.
(3)
Jie S.

Visiting Royal buffet is our annual event. It is located on 75th and Lemont which is nice location for a few close families getting together without suffering the time between ordering food and eating food while young kids get restless. The quality of food deteriorate over years. We paid our annual due about a week ago and thought this should be our last time. It is always crowded. I didn't like the sticky table and sticky floor. It is kind of dark and foggy inside. Tables are too close to each other. It is quite a maneuver to get to the last chair next to the wall when you sit in a 16 people big table. Crab legs were never there. You have to wait there for a while then the waitress provide some with a very serious face. My favorite lamb soup became saltier and saltier. I was not impressed with sushi neither. They do have pops included in the price but I could get much better dinner with $15 per person.
(2)
Ariadne A.

The food was cold and terrible. And the bathrooms were filthy. The fried rice looked more like Mexican rice.
(1)
Claw A.

The array of seafood was the best I'd seen in the Chicagoland area. I loaded up on octopus and fish. The green beans were also good too. The sushi bar was fairly tasty and everything was fresh.
(4)
Tiff T.

Lots of food choices, convenient location and parking, but quality of food was alright and not as authentic.. U will know why when you see the chefs. No one was there to greet us until I had to track down one of the waitress in order to get the hostess.
(3)
Suzy D.

My husband and I came here with family. We did not choose this restaurant but it is a favorite of some of our family members. The offerings were lack luster and the quality was inferior. I love squid and I saw that they had grilled squid so I was excited to try it. However, it was too tough to even eat. I do not think that I will ever return.
(2)
Amy T.

Their collection of dessert and food is never a disappointment. They carry an awesome amount of fruits and vegetables. I would find leafy greens here and not at any other Chinese buffets. I love coming here.
(5)
Danny M.

Back in the days, this was one of my favorite buffets. I haven't been here much at all recently due to the addition of their other location in Hoffman Estates that is much better and bigger. If you haven't been there, definitely look it up and give it a try! The variety there puts this place to shame. Anyway, I came back here a few weeks back with my friend and everything was just okay. The sushi selection is a bit disappointing. They have an okay variety of stuff to choose from, but after my first plate, I didn't find anything else to get. The dinner price is $15, so for what you pay, this is not bad.
(3)
Bennie R.

definitely not coming back. This one does not live to the standard than its Hoffmann estates counterpart. Even if it is half the price of Hoffman estates for dinner, I don't even think it's worth that. The food was good but service was very poor, the floor was sticky, the dishes were dirty and employees weren't attentive.
(1)
April M.

The food was under cooked and cold. The kinda of food that has to be fully cooked and it will cause sickness. The food that should be cold was really warm and the pastries obviously been sitting out and changed color. Last of all the most the food had a sticky layer of oil. Like car oil feeling. When we said something they told us we didn't know what we were talking about. We eat exodic foods like this stuff all the time. Nothing was cooked right at ALL! This place is absoluty repulsive.
(1)
Jessica M.

$15/person is not a bad choice as long as you don't mind the sticky floor, tables, and chairs. In addition to the usual rows of food under the heat lamps, Royal Buffet also has the sushi, stir-fried, and barbecue stations. There is a huge selection of seafood, anything from lobsters, oysters, and clams to steamed fish and crab legs. Be ware of the long line for lobsters. For that price and large variety, you can eat till you drop.
(3)
Dan B.

Royal Buffet is a very large and fairly expensive to enter buffet located near the intersection of 75th and Lemont in Woodridge. My friend who is a big time buffet fan spotted it and demanded that we stop in. After the initial sticker shock of 15.00 a person for dinner I was pleased to discover that there was a wide variety of different foods. One of the first things I noticed is that many of the dishes available on the buffet were mislabeled. Things that were clearly fish were marked as chicken, food with tentacles labeled as beef. It became very difficult to determine what exactly you were taking back to your table. I picked up a number of mystery meat items along with things that appeared to be marked correctly. I'd comment on the mystery meat items, but rather than working with a description of what these things simply looked like, I'll cover what I know. We'll start with some traditional Chinese food items. First off the "Crab" Rangoon. I use the term crab in quotes because while there might have been a spec of crab meat, this thing was almost entirely fried cream cheese. Next off was the General Chicken, not General Tso, or General Toa, it was simply listed as "General Chicken" and general is right. It was quite flavorless and bland. I got some crab legs that had practically no meat on the inside even after breaking them apart, I did this several times each time finding them to be a nearly empty husk. This aggravation extended to almost everything that I ate. In reading through a few other reviews of this place I discovered that certain days of the week lobster is served in a line off to the side. I was both not aware of this, and didn't notice a line or anyone eating lobster during my visit. It sounds like this might be the only redeeming thing about this place and I can't comment on this as far as my experience went. Overall, based on what was available when I went, for 15.00 a person I was very disappointed with Royal Buffet. The place itself wasn't particularly clean, some of the items in the buffet were not hot, mislabeled and did not appear to be fresh. I can't imagine any Royalty would actually eat here, of Royal themed restaurants you're far better off at Burger King or Dairy Queen. One star for Royal Buffet, expensive, bland and loaded with mislabeled or unlabeled mystery meat items that may require DNA test or expert in zoology to determine the species of what you're eating.
(1)
Bee B.

I don't know if you should consider this place a buffet since they try to "hide" the crab legs in the kitchen and won't bring them out for you unless you ask the woman who refilling the food trays..so you'll see her every like 5 minutes. The first time I asked, she went in and got a plate for me, the second time she said "15 minutes" then saw her give a plate to someone else in 5 minutes. What kind of buffet does that..so cheap. Also, there wasnt many options for sushi. I just ate cold shrimp to try and get my money's worth.
(1)
Darren F.

before the new royal buffet by Hoffman Estates was open.. this was my favorite buffet to go to.. i come here a few times a year and every time the food was consistent.. the food here is not bad for a buffet and of course it got its ups and downs on their food.. the service is OK.. the place is semi clean.. and on weekends it can get pretty busy and very loud... oh and sometimes there would be lobster there too! overall its a decent buffet to go to if you are around the area.. you wont be disappointed..
(3)
James M.

I cannot believe the positive reviews of this place dated 2014. This place has gone downhill over the last 2 years. I remember when this was the place to go when they opened up over 10 years ago but I think new management has taken over. The people who work there now do not understand or speak English or they are simply rude and just do not want to answer your questions. The floors, tables and dishes are dirty. One worker dropped a serving tong and simply picked it up and put it back into the food tray!!! Don't go into the washrooms, it is a nightmare in there. The food is terrible. Most of it is overcooked and flavorless. They destroyed a classic chinese dish of roast duck by mixing it with broccoli. No wonder i do not see any Asian customers there. Stay away from this place if you want good tasting and clean Asian food. I hope I do not get sick from my last meal there tonight.
(1)
Mary M.

I came here on a Monday with my mom and brother. We paid for dinner and the total for 3 adults added up to around $45.00. That's $15.00 per person. I still remember back then they used to charge $11.00 per person! But now it's $15.00 for nothing much to eat? I rather go to the one on Hoffman Estate for $21.00 with seafood. So that day we were doing some shopping around the area and decided to stop here to eat, my mom loves their cappuccino. However, the machine was out of cappuccino. So my mom asked the waiter to refill the machine and he told my mom that it's out of order today. Uh oh, so my mom went to ask the manager about the cappuccino machine and the manager refilled it up for my mom... SO, WHY DID THE WAITER SAY ITS OUT OF ORDER?! -__- Some bad service there. Anyways, to the food.. Nothing interesting at all. I tried their crab legs and they are very salty. If you want crab legs, you have to ask one of the kitchen employees to bring them out for you. I would skip the sushi part. Their salted pepper shrimp are pretty good. I like their eggplants and crab ragoon. They have many variety of ice cream which I love. Other than that, there's nothing really special about this buffet at all. Just like other typical buffet. Will I return again? Not sure.
(2)
Michelle I.

Eh was ok!? I've had much, much better! I think this ends our experimental lunches at the Chinese buffets! Sure it was cheap- $29 for 3 lunch buffets which included a soft drink. I'm not a seafood person and this buffet was loaded with seafood! Besides the seafood there wasn't much else! A few appetizer type things. They had great ice cream which was advertised as Breyers so of course that was good! As we looked around the room was filled with Asian people which I guess is good that they'd eat their own food!? Next time my friend is doing Italian!
(3)
Andy M.

One of the largest and best offerings of a Chinese buffet I have seen anywhere in a long time. i went there,sat down, and stuffed my face with some tremendous Chinese food. I had enough shrimp and lobster to satisfy me for a long time. It was delicious and I highly recomend this place for those out there that really enjoy Asian buffets. Weekends are more expensive and crowded though.
(4)
Nelson M.

Restaurant Review 14.75 seafood buffet! We may have a winner here. My opinion about royal buffet has been mixed in the past. There is quite a selection of seafood and non-seafood chinese food however my last memory of this place was crazy kids running around, super sticky floor, and a upset stomach so I was surprised after a 2 year hiatus I was back and I enjoyed every minute of my dinner. Here is a play by play snap shot: Black bean and fried clams- fresh and delicious, 2 portions was not enough Fried smelt- a weird yellow coating, but otherwise nice and crunchy Black bean and flounder- fresh, clean white fish seasoned perfectly Shrimp w/ veggies- they must have used corn starch because the shrimps were huge and super crispy. Good though! Grilled 1/2 lobster- for the dinner buffet you get a pass that you take to the grill. There is a wait so get in line early, but the lobster was a good 1 lb type lobster with meat in the tail. No claw though. It has a nice cheese/mayo topping. The table next to us was nice enough and gave us a pass for an additional 4 Stir fried green beans- nice and crispy, wish they would cut the ends off though Honey glazed shrimp w/o walnuts- nice and crispy, large Conch- ehhh I'll pass next time. Shell fish w/o the shell that was extra crunchy lacking flavor Fried shrimp- large, crunchy, good BBQ Duck- delicious, you can pick which pieces you want. i would recommend the drumstick and breast meat Seafood soup- not quite sure what they put in it, but it reminds me of egg drop with random bits of seafood. Add some red vinegar for more flavor Oysters- people were snagging these like gold. Next time I will have to pass. Meat is runny and slimy. Might not be fresh Crab head stuffed w/ bread dressing- all the crab head goodness is long gone replaced with some hybrid stuffing. Fried chicken- good, classic chinese dish Sweet and sour chicken/pork- overglazed and over fried Stir fried crab- 100% dead with mushy meat, i would pass Shrimp on skewer- perfect, hot off the grill Minute steak- cooked to order by the grill, perfect Dessert selection- small petite four (prepackage but okay), butterfly cookie Capuccino machine- super ghetto with a button tapped up, but it actually taste good with the sweets Soft serve- you can't go wrong. I avoid the tubs of ice cream even though they have green tea and taro. Too many hands dipping into that mess Other foods that I skipped include a whole slew of chinese hot foods (egg rolls, crab rangoon, etc) There is also a sushi station with below par sushi. Lots of sushi with small amounts of fish. Stir fry station also is a plus, you can pick your own stir fry dish. The restaurant is now less busy and cleaner which is a huge plus. Come early to avoid the line. Pro- great selection of seafood, not expensive, something for everyone, free 1/2 lobster off the grill w/ your meal Con- sushi is below par, can get dirty when busy, desserts could stand some work Hidden deal- Local mailer for coupon savings.
(4)
Joedel G.

This place used to be great the first couple of years when it opened. Now it's just a piece of garbage. They offer steamed lobster which is included in the buffet but you have to wait in line, I think they serve it every 30 minutes and it's not fresh. The quality of sushi have gone down from moderate quality to low. Although they have a lot of selections but nothing really stood out that you will crave for. If you wanna hear more bad ones... DONT COME HERE ON THE WEEKENDS, it's horrible, very crowded. The washwoom is NASTY. I give 2 two stars at least because of the affordability. I wont come back anymore. Just add a couple of bucks and rather go to NAGOYA in Naperville.
(2)
Edward B.

One of my sons is a big fan of Great China Buffet in North Riverside. My other son and I hate the place. I promised the fan that we'd go there for dinner, but luckily remembered the yelp reviews I saw for Royal Buffet. It took some work, but we convinced him to try it. BTW, I think this is actually in Downers Grove. It was a Saturday night, so we were surprised by how busy the place was at 7:30pm and had to wait about 10-15 minutes for a table. One good sign? The place was packed with Asian people - a sure sign that we'd made the right choice. I'll definitely be back, but will choose a less busy time for certain! My son really enjoyed the crab that he got. The line for the premium seafood is kind of crazy and makes the place even more crowded and a bit difficult to maneuver around....again, going at a less busy time will hopefully make that less of a let down. A couple of other things we got (small fried crabs and lobster) were a disappointment - not very good. Also, shell crackers are available, but you have to ask one of the servers for one (or get one from the box at one of their stations. Took us too long to figure that out. The food on the buffet was overall very good, putting other Chinese buffets to shame. There were lots of authentic items such as chicken feet and pig stomach stew. The sushi was just OK and a nice surprise (my second son loves sushi). Interestingly enough, the bathroom was a mess....why does that seem to be a universal thing at Chinese buffet places???? Whatever - I didn't go there for the bathroom, so not a concern for me.
(4)
Jim L.

A generous 2 star. Hot food items were cold/tepid. Soup was hot. Food was just eh food. Bathroom was dirty.... urine on the floor $12 on a sat night..... could have done better with the money Won't be back. Broken machines/out of order in customer areas.... just useless clutter. Staff did keep the buffet restocked but couldnt understand the cold food.
(2)
Matt W.

Most authentic Chinese buffett i have been to in Chicagoland. My favorite is their stir fry line. Why? For protein lovers like me, you can stock up on chicken, shrimp, sausage, veggies and let them throw it on the flattop. If i lived near here, i would come here to eat every time I got done with a work out. Super packed with families on the weekend so make sure you aren't spilling food on little kids running around you near the buffett.
(4)
Jin C.

Great variety of food. Good for large or small groups. I would certainly return.
(5)
Sheila C.

Adore this place! Their chilled shrimp are wonderful. I could eat my price of admission on that one item. They also have sushi and "stir fry while you watch" if you are into those items. This is a nice place to take a group because their is something for everyone to eat. Typical "buffet" mass produced but all decent to eat. Complete with desserts and AYCE soft serve ice cream. Nice!
(4)
Amanda R.

Just no. Completely overpriced ($15/person) which you pre-pay before you even see the buffet. I should have asked to take a look at the offerings first. Lesson learned. Completely mediocre. I realize that my tastes tend towards more "Americanized" Chinese food, but this is not worth $15. The stir fry line seemed to have a decent selection. That's the only nice thing I'll say. No sweet and sour. No crab rangoon. No sesame seed chicken. Just skip this one.
(1)
Karin K.

We were supposed to meet at Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates last night - but due to unforeseen difficulties - we ended up in Woodridge instead. I don't know why I didn't Yelp first - but that's my lesson learned. It's about a third of the size of the other one and definitely less than a third in quality. So - because it was so late, I ate a bit first - then stopped to take a look around. I'm not going to write up paragraphs to describe it all but Ouch! Like others have mentioned - filthy bottles, shakers, floor, etc - filthy. Slow service. On a Friday night - I wasn't even sure if anyone was working the stir fry. I instantly got an upset stomach and went to use the rest room. I can't even describe how bad it was - had I gone in here first, I would not have touched a bit of food. I would have rather gone to a gas station. Last two notes - unlike like Hoffman Estates - there is no alcohol here and two, they still have up their Christmas decorations. So gross - NEVER ever going back.
(1)
Peter T.

Food was not warm. Ice cream had freezer burn. Food was bland. The $15 cost is too high for the quality of food.
(1)
B. D.

UPDATE: As of June 2012, the bathroom situation has been improved but it is clear the building they are in has some issues with the plumbing in the bathroom. Aside from that issue, you cannot beat the price for the variety as I stated in my previous review.
(4)
Sean B.

I've noticed that most of the people who don't like this place are missing the point about it -- I dare you to find a bigger Chinese buffet with more selection, and a Mongolian grill, and sushi, and serve your own-drinks for the price. I've been to at least 50 Chinese buffets and this one has the most consistently FRESH food -- and possibly because of their immensely high turn-over (it is usually packed this place, and the lady who was mentioning the Asian moms was possibly onto something). The seafood is good, the spicy chicken is good, they have nice stuffed shrimp and much more. I usually stock up on eating for days here. The think I like the most about it though is that as you get closer to the back, the buffets get more and more authentic. So if you are a guy like me who hadn't ever had nose or feet or strange octopus dishes before, this is an excellent place to sample them without laying out for an entree. The staff has always been helpful to me at pointing out their favorites among the more exotic dishes. I recommend you ask a staff member to point out a few favorites, they really know what they are talking about. I've never liked the New China Buffet across the street. This place seems to be getting ratings slammed by some New China bias enthusiasts so bear that in mind as you read through these reviews that this place might be experiencing ratings sabotage.
(5)
Min Joon D.

THIS BUFFET IS NOTHING BUT A PIECE OF SH*T!! We went to this buffet when dinner just started. They had a great selection of food, but the food tasted old and disgusting. How can you possibly mess up fried rice??? Also, the restaurant owners are extremely stingy when it comes to crab legs. They didn't bring it out on the buffet tables, but you had to ask for them. It's fine if I have to ask for them, but when I am given a dirty look by chinese people when I do ask....hell to the f*cking NO! The price is extremely high for what you get....low quality food made by stingy chinese people who dont understand the term ALL YOU CAN F*CKING EAT and BUFFET! never coming back again.
(1)
Janet W.

I usually consider myself very respectful of other people's opinions. But uh, anyone who doesn't give this place at least 4 stars... I am judging. You must not appreciate Chinese food at all. Okay, fine. Maybe your rating system is very different than mine or you're a vegetarian. IMO, best Chinese buffet in IL. I heard they just opened another Royal Buffet in Schaumburg that's supposedly better but I haven't been there yet. They offer a lot of authentic varieties, which means heavy seafood and odd animal parts: frog legs, chicken feet, pork ears, ox tail, dungeon crab, river clams, oysters. My highlights are the stir-fried lobster and fresh lychee/longan. They don't have lobster every night and weekend so call ahead and ask (this is how serious I am about my lobster). You do have to wait in line for the lobster to come out but if you're in line when they start serving it, you'll always get a piece. If you time it right, you don't have to be in line for long. Their Americanized Chinese food are okay... walnut shrimp was as far away as I got from authentic food and I loved it. You can pass on the sushi and their attempt at Korean food. Really though, if you haven't been to Royal Buffet yet, this is all you need to know: $15 = lobster buffet (just make sure to check that they're serving it that night or Sunday)
(5)
Linda M.

Alright people, it's a buffet. So really what do you expect? Is it good quality food, No. Is it a lot of really half way decent food, Yes. I went here for lunch. The price was right for the amount of food that was offered. I'm not a seafood person, so can't comment on that. I did have the standard Chinese food, it was good. Lot's of veggie dishes. I love mushrooms and they had lots of dishes with them. The Hot and Sour soup was good. I didn't try the stir Fry Station. Mainly b/c during the time I was there I didn't see anyone go up to use it. Some of the food items did not seem hot enough (Temperature wise) . Many of the items were not labeled. Same went for the Sushi, you had no clue what you were eating till you took a bite. The ice cream was good. Soft Serve and Scoop Ice Cream. If you're really hungry this is the place to go.
(3)
Daniel Y.

Royal Buffet is a royal treat for your stomach! You know this place isn't all that bad when asians are the vast majority of the customers here. It has to be that it's just the right mix of taste, offerings, and value for your dollar. $10 for an all you can eat asian buffet that offers sushi, chinese, stir-fry (create your own), a wide range of desserts (some more exotic fruits such as dragon eye), and much more. Definitely family friendly and has room for larger groups of people. I highly suggest eating dinner here on a weekday except for Friday, which is the busiest, if you want to avoid the typical mad rush of people.
(4)
Matthew M.

hm. it was aight it was aight. :3 There wasn't anything bad about it except the food was quite hard and salty :O pee wee ! Their sushi was aight it was aight! :3 service was pretty aight it was aight! They didn't mind if we had left over food on the plate so it was aight it was aight! Price is also aight it was aight! LMFAO :3
(3)
S I.

Really hate to slam on a place but I feel it's warranted. Drove 45 mins to get there from the north burbs. Got there around 8pm. We sit down and there are a decent amount of people 40-45. They have sushi, mongolian style bbq station, grill/pick your own meats, regular buffet, dessert stations. The Chinese food is ok. Some of the food was left out for an extended period of time and just looked stale and nasty (calamari, fried crab) some of it was ok. Nothing was awesome though. I had a gripe about the sushi. I know buffet sushi is usually on the lower end but this stuff looked just plain nasty. Ask anyone I know and I am one of the least picky eaters but this stuff looked god awful. Just dried out and nasty tasting. The kicker is they just put this stuff out. As for the dungeness crab and snow crab legs that was a disaster as well. There was a lady giving out snow crab legs they brought it out only once when i was there for hr and half. She only gave me one piece :( There was an angry black man that took offense to this and started getting loud and angry saying he's not coming to this mutha**cka ever again etc etc. I actually felt sorry for him cuz he really seemed to want it bad hehe. I wasn't that mad but still a little peeved. The dungeness crab was awful as well. I broke it open and it literally smelled like garbage and sewer. I let my friend who is from Seattle and knows his seafood smell it and he told me it was rancid and I shouldn't risk eating it so I tossed it what a waste. Only reason I gave it two stars was the ice cream. It was ridiculously good. Soft and creamy goodness. Being the fatty that I am I ate 5 scoops. :P As for the cleanliness of the facilities it was just plain nasty. The floors were sticky like a movie theater floor and the bathroom was nasty and dirty as well. Also not enough employees tending to the food. I would never go back here again.
(2)
Kathleen A.

Let me preface this review by saying I am not big on buffets AT ALL. However it is my family's yearly Christmas tradition to come here for lunch after church. Apparently us and 200 of our closest asian friends decided to do the same as well. The place was packed to the gills and it was hard enough just snagging a table. Because it was Christmas they were doing a special serving Lobster and Crab Legs. Let me tell you, it got UGLY in there. People were yelling and elbowing their way to the front to try to get a piece of seafood. I have never seen such animosity at a Chinese buffet, but I guess there's a first for everything. Besides that, this is an amazing place to eat. Come hungry, and pace yourself! They have a make your own stir fry bar, fresh sushi and tons upon tons of different Chinese food offerings. They even offer such american delights like french fries and chicken nuggets, which is kind of bizarre. I haven't had a bad thing here and I look forward to coming here every Christmas.
(5)
Cathaleya C.

Comfort food at its best for some Asians...
(5)
Sherry Y.

Food is awesome - this coming from a 2nd generation Chinese immigrant. Fresh, legit sushi, replenished in minutes, Szechuan style bbq, stir-fried vegges - so authentic given its position as a buffet! People literally line up for the seafood and other delciousness here. Recommend for everyone who has tastebuds and enjoys quick, real Chinese food buffet-style in a casual environment.
(5)
Jenni Q.

I am forced to come here every time there is a birthday, graduation or other family occassion where we have more more than 10 people. Pros: - Huge selection of food including seafood, sushi and a make your own noodle dish section - Cheap prices - Good service by the wait staff Cons: - Billions of kids running around unsupervised - Super crowded on weekends - Wait time to get a table is ridiculous - All food is mediocre at best - Long lines for the "premium items" (lobster, crab, etc.) - Everything is sticky, sticky, sticky Honestly, I want to scream and then take a nice long hot shower after I leave this place. Everytime I turn around I'm bumping into a little kid and I hate having to maneuver through the people waiting in line. I haven't found one thing that I actually liked and the thought of reaching into those scoop-it-yourself ice cream buckets makes me shudder. Oh yes, I'll be back again but defnitely against my will. Save your money and head to chinatown where you can get a family dinner for 10 at around the same price but you won't go insane from all this craziness.
(2)
Jennifer T.

Been here many times. Will give them credit for variety. Cleanliness isn't up to par so 3 instead of 4 stars. Food quality is what to be expected at buffets- decent but not mind blowing. Oh and if you go, expect to have your clothes to smell once you come home so I wouldn't ever where anything that's too nice to dinner here.
(3)
Tony H.

This place is awesome. Fresh food bc it's always replenished, no worries about yesterdays leftovers. Scooped ice cream as well as soft serve, lychees, logans, papaya and they don't skimp on the shrimp!!! Its not just plentiful but the dishes all have their individual flavors. Some buffets have food that all taste like they came out of the same pot, not here. There's a reason there's always a line to get a table. The buffet has the largest selection of seafood for any buffet i have ever been at. Its seven bars of food, including: sushi, Mongolian stir fry, open pit BBQ, ice cream. Yes a buffet is typically less than $10 but thy don't contain authentic sushi, lobster, crawfish, salmon, tilapia, Mongolian stir fry or an open pit BBQ all in one spot. When you go there be on the lookout for the kid who got put on lobster line duty by the rest of the family. This place is great. Hit up the crawfish, duck and if you're daring the frog legs and chicken feet
(5)
April P.

$14.99 per person for a buffet WITH SEAFOOD? Where Vegas??? NO, DOWNERS GROVE!!!! Yes, it says on Yelp this is located in Woodridge, but on their menus at the restaurant, it says they are in Downers Grove. I'll go with that! Upsides: the LOBSTER THE GRILLS - 2 types, one Mongolian for mixed stir fry, and the gas grill, where you can choose fresh seafood and meats, including steak, to be done right in front of you the crab legs the seafood Downsides: Mediocre, greasy Chinese food Sushi that tastes like it had been out for awhile Bathrooms aren't up to par Dinner mate made a comment, that had it not been for the grilled food, the place was the pits. Stay at home and grill your own food!
(2)
steph n.

Have you heard of a place that serves lobster in the buffet for only 12 dollars? I haven't....until now. Royal buffet is the mother of all Chinese buffets. This place has a made-to-order stir fry section, a sushi section, 2 entire lanes for seafood, 1 lane for an array of desserts, and 2 other lanes for authentic Cantonese dishes such as pig feet, dim sum, honey walnut shrimp, steamed flounder in soy sauce, and many more. During weekend dinners the line for the lobster can wrap all the way around the buffet place. However, don't expect the lobster to be the live ones. You obviously get what you pay for, and this definitely tastes like frozen lobster. Sometimes, I wait in the long lobster line only to have it run out just by the time it's my turn. Then I start getting mad and my stomach awaits in agony for another 15 minutes until they bring out the next batch of stir-fried lobsters. I love the fact that you can make your own stir fry at this place. If I want a stir fry with just 10 pieces of giant scallops, then I can make it with 10 giant pieces of scallops and add as much garlic as I want, enough to kill a vampire. They are definitely not stingy about their ingredients. I prefer the make-your- own-stir fry section because obviously the food is freshly cooked there versus the buffet food, however this place has a fast turnover of food because there is a constant supply of customers...especially on Saturday nights.
(4)
Art C.

Katrina. Haiti. Royal Buffet. I won't pretend to know what its like to be in a crisis situation, but Royal Buffet was as close you're going to get to one within the Chicagoland area. The moment you walk in, you are herded like cattle into a line to wait for a table (they call your number). My family and I waited about 40mins until we were seated. Then came the chaos. As if the line to get seated wasn't enough for you, there is another line for whole lobsters and crabs. A batch of these high ticket items will come out once every 10 mins, so the demand is high (as well as the tension). Even the slightest movement indicating you cutting into that line will result in at a minimum angry stares, and in some cases verbal abuse. To those folks, I PROMISE you, you will get your precious lobsters, calm down the f down, I was just trying to get the bathrooms :) Speaking of the bathrooms.. I frequent many Chinese restaurants in the city, so I give them certain liberties about bathroom cleanliness that I don't normally give other restaurants. This place didn't disappoint -- there was probably a half inch of urine soaking the floor.\ The food itself was mediocre. No lack of variety (they had everything from sushi, stir fry, frog legs, etc) but nothing I had stood out as great food. The crab legs I had were still frozen inside, and the lobster had this smokey taste to them I couldn't quite identify. After all this, why three stars? Well, outside the disgusting bathrooms, none of my gripes were really the fault of management. For $13, they still provide great value in the food they put out, and can't help if others see that value which makes it unbearably cramped. To Royal Buffet's credit, they actually manage the restless masses fairly well. Their numbering system avoids people pushing to the front of the seating line. The food gets replenished even before they run out of it. I wouldn't be opposed to coming here again, but perhaps during lunch or some time off hours.
(3)
Suz C.

Having Asian parents who are fanatical about Chinese buffets, I've been to many many many Chinese/Asian buffets. I have mixed feelings about this buffet. I know I will back to Royal Buffet again at the behest of my pushy parents who are in love with Royal Buffet, but I personally am unsure whether I would go on my own. First, I think it is interesting that Royal Buffet is in a strip mall (not much of a shocker) across the street from another mega-Chinese buffet, New China Buffet. The Yelp ratings currently peg New China as being slightly ahead of Royal in terms of stars, so I am sure my parents will want to try New China next time. Second, if you're looking for variety, there's plenty of it here. They have a stir-fry area, sushi area, seafood entrees, traditional Chinese dishes, and even an "American" buffet with pizza, french fries, etc. The food is good (for buffet food) and because of the crowds, the food turns over pretty quickly, so it tastes fresh. The line for the lobster is ridiculously long, but don't be deterred. My crazy mom got in that line and was back with her lobster in about 11 minutes. One word of caution, if you even stray towards the lobster area, you get a lot of angry stares and people ready to wring your neck, thinking you are going to cut in line. One woman did not realize the line was for lobster and was nearly lynched for foraying close to that area. Third, there is no real waiter service here. The attendants will bus tables after you're gone, and they're slow to pick up your old dishes while you're still there. You get your own drink, they don't get refills for you. OK, fine. But then, are you supposed to tip when they don't even really serve you anything? I went ahead and left a couple of bucks just to be nice, but no one else seemed to be leaving tips. Fourth, depending on when you go, it can get really rowdy in there. You might have a long wait. They have a number system, but I believe they take reservations so sometimes people can get ahead of you. We didn't have a wait at all, but then again we were there on Sunday afternoon at 3pm. So, in conclusion, pretty decent Chinese buffet fare (different standard than traditional Chinese restaurant fare), a LOT of people to maneuver around (but food turnover is pretty good and they're quick to fill empty dishes), easy parking, and a reasonable price (under $15 a head, I believe). A lot of my Asian friend's parents (notice, I said PARENTS) claim this is the BEST Chinese buffet in the Chicagoland area. Word of advice - do not come dressed in your Sunday best. If you don't want your shoes sticking to the floor or your nicest pants smeared with Kung Pao sauce that a previous customer left on the chair you just sat in....wear some VERY casual clothes.
(3)
Jon G.

Hey gang, it has been awhile since I have posted any reviews. That is how I do it sometimes. I go awhile and then post 12 in a day. Anywhosel, I went here today. The food is ok for the price. And sometimes I get sick. But it is usually because I eat to much. Stay away from most of the shrimp dishes. The shrimp are not deveined. The items here are standard fare. I had lamp soup today which was very good. The broth was great with nice veggies and meaty, fatty pieces of lamb. Now for the sushi. Sushi will almost never be great unless it is at a sushi buffet. That being said, if you do offer it, at least make a half-as*ed attempt at it. I typed half-as*ed because I am not sure if you can use the word a*s on Yelp. If you can, Candace, let me know. Anyway, the attempt at sushi here is more like a 1/16th-as*ed attempt. Imitation crab in everything and they just switch up the sauce. I know this is common knowledge, but if you offer sushi at this type of buffet at least try. Anyway, if you want to eat a lot for cheap and don't mind a belly ache sometimes, this is the place.
(3)
Alex M.

This place used to be quite good but has gone down in quality over the years. Watch out for the sushi because sometimes the meat is rotten. The frozen crab legs aren't fully thawed either which is frustrating. I come here often with family but we found much better buffets in Naperville that surpasses the quality of royal in every way.
(2)
Josh F.

I have seen this place for months and was not sure how it would be but one day I gave it a try and I am a fan! Very good buffet and I have gone back several times. The cool thing is the large selection of food as well as the sushi. Very good choice!
(4)
Rexcrisanto D.

As much as I avoid buffets, I've been coming here about once a year for the last four years or so because of invitations to celebrate birthday occasions of friends and relatives. The cooked food is "slightly" above average compared to many other buffets in the Chicagoland area. I avoid the sushi because of questionable preparation practices that I have observed in the past. Today, was an exception because I tried a piece of my brother-in-law's maki. The rice was not good at all. It wasn't even short grain sushi rice. The service is okay at times when they don't whisk your plate from your table while it's still three quarters full and your back is turned or you've stepped away to use the bathroom. However, today was terrible because the waitress had the audacity to ask my mother-in-law (whose birthday we were celebrating) and others at our table if we were going to leave her a tip. We took the high road and tipped her anyway, but told one of the staff to tell her it is impolite to ask for tips. Overall though, the price is reasonable, it's cleaner than most buffets and most of the cooked food is acceptable (nothing really stand out though).
(3)
Bob M.

I'll make this short and sweet for you guys who are lazy and don't want to read a whole lot in order to get the main idea. The good: LOTS of Chinese food choices, drinks, deserts **The bad: VERY dirty, filthy, sticky floors, dirty chairs and tables.** The food is good. Not the best, but good. There are LOTS of food choices available, ranging from Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and American. When I was there, the staff probably added new food every 15 minute intervals. Sometimes a popular food choice like the crabs and lobsters go fast, and the staff don't replace them for a while. There's icecream and soda- with unlimited refills of course. Also, the food might not be the best at times, especially when it's busy and the staff have to rush in order to prepare them faster for the large crowds. What offsets the great food is the cleanliness of the buffet. It is HORRIBLE! I might as well eat in the bathroom instead! The chairs are sticky and smelly, the tables are sticky as well with grease and cleaning chemical residues. The floors are stained with spills, foods, and God-knows-what. After leaving, my clothes smell like the buffet itself. The staff is another thing I want to point out in this review. The entire staff was of full asian-decent. They didn't speak English very well, so sometimes I had trouble understanding them. They didn't know what "Thank you" means when they took away my finished-plates. Here is Royal Buffet's overall grade: Food: B+ Cleanliness: D+ Appearance: C Staff: B+ Overall Experience: B-
(3)
S M.

I've noticed a common theme, which is that Asian moms like this buffet. (I should know, my mom claims to have eaten here around 10x.) So for the good things: pretty good selection of food and a good representation of seafood dishes. For the number of items they offer, I did not find anything so objectionable that I spat it out. They even offer "lobster" -- yes, not lobster, but "lobster." Now for the bad: the wait (WAYYYY too long and like a mosh pit) and dining conditions (just way too chaotic and sloppy-seeming -- it made me not dare look in the restroom). I had a nice lukewarm "iced" tea to wash down my meal as the ice machine was not keeping pace with iced beverage demands. I also noticed that they generously seasoned many of their dishes with oil -- lots and lots of oil. I could almost feel my arteries narrowing after eating here. The food was OK, but given the distance (~30-40 min from the NW 'burbs), cost (a bit pricier than other Chinese buffets), and the very annoying wait (I do not like getting jostled and prodded on the backside as I wait to get seated), I give it a 2.
(2)
Terrence C.

dizzzaammmmnnnn son! this place is awesome! I'm not a buffet guy. When I hear buffet I think of fried food, baking under a heat lamp for hours. Not the case here. Gourmet food. Huge selection of sea food. and not like fried cod. Lobster, clams, crab legs, sushi and more. I was pretty blown away. Tip: Get there early. The line for a seat was nuts. The price is great too. THink it was like 15 bucks per person. The bad. Popular items generate a crowd/line. People can be rude, so adapt quickly and take what you want because you will wait forever if you don't. This place is kinda far for city people, but sets a high bar for buffet eating.
(4)
Jeff L.

Don't come here on a Saturday night unless you're masochistic. The line to get a table gets extremely long, even before 6PM, and the seating process can be described only as epic incompetence. The clueless hostess was seating by arrival order without considering party size, so small groups, like my party of two, had to wait behind groups of six or eight or more, despite numerous open 2-seat and even 4-seat tables ( I counted seven open tables at one point, several unoccupied for 15+ minutes.) On slower days, thankfully you seat yourself. Food-wise, other reviewers have it pretty much covered. There's good variety, but the food is just mediocre. Many dishes tend to be greasy, the sushi isn't very good, and the lobster, despite requiring a 10 minute wait, is usually pretty bland. Overall, it's a fairly typical Chinese buffet, with an emphasis on quantity over quality. If you have a hankering for Chinese food, you'll probably find something here to hit the spot, even if what you get isn't all that great. Just stay away on Saturday.
(2)
Christine D.

You know for a chinese resturant for under 10.00 this is one of the best ones I have been too. I do not live in Bolingbrook but I came all the way here to eat because my brother said it was good. It has a lot of variety in foods I like! The food is hot and they rotate it a lot (because a lot of people come which is good too). I like the ice cream a lot! For a Chinese Buffet this is pretty good....WAY better than Jumbo
(4)
Jiah C.

Ok, I have to agree with Sean B. on this one.. some of you people do need to realize and be aware that you are stepping into an American Chinese Buffet. I'm pretty sure the general standards are well known. Like Sean mentioned, the food selection and variety, not to mention quality.. really, for a massive buffet, is awesome. They have so much seafood there, its ridiculous. Salt and Pepper crab (YUM), crawfish, clams, sushi (which really isn't bad.. simple Todai quality on an average day, I'd even go as far to say) which also gets better everytime I go there, the little crab cakes in the blue crab shell (AMAZING, I could eat these nonstop), and sometimes they have fresh oysters... and etc. For what you pay, the quantity, variety of selection, and quality for the mass (and even if it were standard) is excellent. The gripes that you run into at this buffet are issues you will see all over the board in other buffets everywhere. For an establishment that is so large, I think they do a pretty damn good job bussing tables and seating the massive lines of people, for the amount of staff they have.
(4)
Rebecca L.

The local royal buffet here is not bad, it's also not excellent. That being said, there are not many great buffet joints in the area so this place is pretty good comparatively. It's alright chinese food for the price. Sushi there is nothing to write home about but it's edible. There is a wide selection food. The place could be cleaner I guess too.
(3)
Jason C.

Ok, I've been here a few times since it's my mom's favorite chinese buffet. She will drive 40 minutes just to get to this place. I don't see what the big deal is. They have a good variety of seafood, mediocre sushi and a sub-par unauthentic Mongolian grill area. It smells too. There's a sign in the front that says this place has won an award for being a top 100 Chinese buffet. Last time I checked, that was an oxymoron. The New China Buffet across the street is much better. I know. It's that bad.
(2)
Jenni E.

I have wanted to try this place for awhile because it is very close to me and everytime I drive by it there are tons of people going in and out of it. The great things about this buffet is that it is stocked with tons of great and unique food. On weekends they have lobster, which has people lining out the door of this place; prepare for a crowd. They also have crawfish, oysters, clams, sushi, sea bass, tons of Chinese dishes, dim sum, etc. to name a few. Now, I will say that many of the dishes are what I would call "buffet quality", meaning that you aren't going to find what you would get if you went into a restaurant and ordered the lobster, or the ribs, or whatever. The clams were small, the ribs were fatty and the lobster had very little meat on it. BUT for a buffet the quality was good, and for $13.00 you really can't beat it. There are a couple of frustrating things about this place however. For starters the amount of people that are at this place is unreal. I went on a Saturday night around 8 PM, so maybe that is their busiest time; I hope so. I waited about 15 minutes for a table and then was seated at the furthest table from the actual buffet. The tables are on top of each other, so to walk to and from the buffet you feel like you are in a mosh pit trying to make your way through. When you make you way to the buffet you will find tons of people all clamoring to get to the table that has the lobster. There is a person who stands guard of the lobster making sure that only 1 is taken per person, which is needed since if you try and get any of the other high-ticket items: clams, oysters, crawfish, etc. you will inevitably have the guy in front of you that will pile as much of that one item on his plate as physically possible. There are lots of these guys (and gals) here. There are also lots of people that cut in line, shove you to get where they are going, and let their kids run around like it is a playground instead of a restaurant. I will say that I was surprised at how quickly the food is replenished. With the amount of people there, the food seems to need to be constantly refilled - which is a good thing for those of you who don't eat at buffets because you are afraid of food sitting out for hours. Overall the food was good and it was a good deal, but you will fight for your food.
(3)
Dana M.

I've never been a fan of Chinese buffets since I don't want to over eat but when my mom suggested this place on her day off, I didn't argue with her. It is a 40 minute drive from the North suburbs so I thought, "this better be worth it"... and it wasn't. If you want to be around animals, this is the place to be. Just being Chinese, I've been to my fair share of buffets in my lifetime; this place is the worse. The floor is sticky and there's food all over; when I got home, I had dim sum stuck to the bottom of my shoe. Yeah, I saved it so I can eat it later! There are lines for the crab and lobster... and other seafood I'm sure; I'm glad someone had to keep everyone sane by distributing the food. I never waited in line. You wait in line to get seated and then you wait in line to get your food. Some people were standing in line for their lobster with their plate and fork in hand munching away on their own food. At one point, the restaurant ran out of plates and bowls. For a good 10 minutes, people were going insane using ice cream bowls or soda glasses to contain their food. That was hilarious. I didn't know what to eat and the only thing I thought was decent were the sushi rolls which I later discovered was a mistake. I had a stomach ache the next morning; my brother had one while at the restaurant. We were the only ones that ate sushi.. If you do decide to come here, make sure you take napkins with you to the buffet line so you can wipe off the wet plates and cups you'll be using. A 40 minute drive is not worth your time unless you want to see how inhumane people can get. It's pretty sad. You're better off eating at a real Chinese restaurant.
(1)
Zach D.

People are missing the point. This place is great. No waiters or waitresses so everything is included in the 15 bucks. They do have lobster and you have to wait in line for it but it is whole lobster. I think the lobsters are too small for other restaurants or deformed or something. I mean you cant buy a lobster tail for 15 so its still good. Theres tons of seafood dishes and since theres always like 100 people in there its all fresh. The shrimp and chicken dishes you can tell are different because the meat is so much bigger. Easily the best China Buffet ive been too. Sushi is probably 2/5. The Mongolian Wok is really good too. Fresh food and plenty of it. Easily, EASILY worth 15 bucks total (with drink and tax)
(4)
yoyo t.

First off, I am not here to review their service, or how clean the restaurant is, my stars are purely given base on the food they provide. Price is descent, for less than 15 bones on Sat and Sunday (though you may need to stay in line for 5 or so minutes) you get to have unlimited lobster and king crab legs. If you don't like lobsters, it is still an awesome place for Chinese buffet. The food is fresh, with at least over 50 kinds of dishes, from American Chinese to Traditional Chinese, e.g., seafood: fried shrimp, fish, fries, chicken, calamari, stir fried shrimp, cocktail shrimp, stir fried crabs, stir fried tofu, steamed fish, several dim sums, Mongolian barbecue, sour and spicy soup, and an island dedicated to dessert! What more can you ask for a 15 dollar buffet? If you love Oriental food, I would definitely recommend you to try this place.
(5)
Wesley R.

I don't frequent buffets as much as I used to in my younger years. It was a badge of honor to be able to stack my plate up with food, and gradually create a stack of empty plates in my wake. Now I'd be lucky to make it through 3 plates of normal proportions. Expect all of the usual standbys of the chinese buffet. Soups, salads, deserts, soft serve ice cream, familiar chinese food, american alternatives, and even mass production sushi. They did have a stir-fry station, which isn't labeled well enough to prevent people from handing over bowls with hot sauce or rice in them. The food is fried on a giant circle slab, using two large chopsticks. If you have food allergies, I would avoid using the station as all, since you will potentially pick up remnants of previous culinary concoctions (more a fault of the design of the grill than anything else). A decent selection if you are close by, but I wouldn't recommend traveling a far distance, as you will have something similar nearby.
(3)
Marlo P.

The first time I ever came to this place was on an Easter Sunday.. BIGGEST MISTAKE! However, my family had reservations because we were having a party of 30 people. I think I pissed off about 30 people who were waiting in line that day because I pushed and shoved my way to the front to say, "Hey, I'm here for the party." But people in line were mean and angry. Who cares. I had reservations anyway. So they took us into the back room and they split our tables so far apart from each other it was ridiculous. Our family couldn't even sit in the same area and our reservations were set two months ago! Not only that, they didn't save us 30 seats. They saved us 25 and gave us some random table in the back of the restaurant. UGH! Never going to make reservations at this place. EVER. Any who, to the most important part, the food. The food was just like any other Chinese buffet. Nothing really special about anything there. They do serve lobster and crab legs but you have to wait in a ridiculous line while someone serves it on people's plate like some cafeteria. I was happy enough to get one lobster and one order of crab legs. The lobster was covered in sauce and corn starch and was over cooked. It didn't even taste like lobster anymore. It tasted like rubber bland nothingness and so did the crab legs. The stir fry and sushi was cool but I was more grossed out at raw things being let out in the open with that many people walking around grabbing whatever they felt like, like they were some hungry wolves. Food was constantly dropped on the floor, the plates were all wet and you had to wipe them yourself, the coke machine ran out of ice, and the ice cream looks like it had been thawed and frozen five times before it was put out there. This place is not worth my trip. I know they say "hey we have lobster!" but it's not even that great. I've had better crab legs and the same food choices at other buffets in the northwest suburbs with sushi, dim sum, and a stir fry section that I pay the same price. My family only reserved this place because a friend said this place was really good and it was all of our first times coming here and we all agreed that we're never coming here again.
(2)
Rachelle G.

My family is a fan, mainly because of the abundance of seafood they offer. Frankly, I think it's waste of time and money. Lacking in flavor, I leave feeling like I've swallowed massive quantities of grease. This is the perfect example of quantity is not always better, at least in my opinion. Certain items (mostly the seafood) are only refilled every so often. So much so that you will literally see people hovering and waiting for that one item because once it comes out, it's gone in a matter of 5 minutes, if it even lasts that long. You're better off going to Chinatown, ordering a family style dinner and paying the same price. At least you'll get food that is tasty and you leave feeling satisfied. I do have to say that the staff here is friendly and do a good job of clearing your table.
(2)
Vinny The Vacuum S.

The most expansive buffet I have been to in the Chicago area.They easily have over 100 items to choose from: standard Chinese buffet food, American buffet food, sushi bar, Mongolian BBQ area, Grill-to-order area and seafood area that offers lobsters. Very impressive on the quantity. The Quality, however, needs improvement. While nothing I had was bad, it wasn't memorable either. I guess I shouldn't expect memorable food in a Chinese buffet offering such a selection so I digress. Bottom line, it's worth the $13 to get in but go hungry and get there EARLY bc the place fills up fast and wait times are long. We will be back.
(4)
Stevie V.

Second time back here and this place is still great. Variety here is great but I especially like the made to order stir fry. There is also sushi, not great but decent for Chinese buffet. Only part that bothered me was the bathroom, it was disgusting and cost a star.
(4)
will r.

best Chinese Buffet I have ever eaten. a friend brought me here and they had to roll me out of there! The best selection and quality ever. the mongolian grill and hibachi grills were they icing on the cake. dont pass this place up! it's fabulous!
(5)
Yuan Z.

Great bang for the buck! for $15/person you get lobsters shrimp oysters sushi crabs NY steak etc. along with a korean bbq stand. anything else need to be said?
(5)
Grace C.

Nice. Reason I give it 3 stars is because every food I ate was either dry, not warm enough, and not enough seasoning. Aside from that nice clean buffet. Reasonable price with a variety of choice. This buffet is good if you are a seafood lover.
(3)
Ben W.

I think they have the best / biggest buffet in Chicago land, Buffet City on Cicero and 81st / 79th St are pretty good too! Seafood there is just amazing. They also have food that probably only Chinese would like, such as pig foot, cod beef, chive cake (Jiu Cai pan cake) The down side is it is almost always packed, and they don't take reservations. So don't go if don't have enough time or if you don't have much patience. You have to fight your way to the crab legs or other goodies and there are always a few selfish bad apples who would take all good seafood away.
(4)
Emily C.

I despise buffets, homage to American gluttony at best. My parents are buffet junkies, and my husband loves them because he can get almost all of his daily 5000 calories in one meal - they even have my 5 year old son hooked (I weep). I actually like this buffet because they have a full sushi bar with veggie sushi, including Stuffed Tofu (I don't eat it but they have it) and seaweed salad. They have a delicious diakon and carrot salad, a few veggie dishes and a mongolian BBQ stocked with meats and veg. Blue Cow Ice Cream bar is my hubby's favorite. I like the fresh lychees.
(5)
Ian Y.

I went there for dinner during a cold and snowy night and it's still full of guests. It has "mongolian" stir-fry, sushi bar and plenty of food. I didn't try the mongolian stir-fry as I'm not a fan of it; the sushi bar only offers few choices, but the rest are pretty good, and they have more fruites to choose from. I went to New China Buffet for lunch previously (pretty close to Royal) and I think their sushi bar's slightly better although they don't have "mongolian" stir-fry which I don't miss. They also serve smoothies which is a good soda alternative. I think both are good in terms of cheap Chinese buffet with that offers vareity, but I personally prefer New China Buffet.
(4)
r j.

The food here is good. Lots of selection to choose from. They even have lobster and crab legs. However these items require you to stand in line and wait for them to come out of the kitchen. For a Chinese buffet this place is worth it. The food is replenished quite often as well. It does not sit out as in other buffet places. Give the place a shot.
(3)
E L.

An abundance of choices places this place on the suburban feeding map. This is widely considered a buffeteer's paradise. The primary attraction is the lobster and also the sole explanation that draws unbridled display of gluttony. I am not sure if the lobster is worth the wait as there is a lot other appealing dishes to choose from. What's good: steamed fish, stewed lamb, frogs legs, pork belly, pigs feet are some of the classic chinese dishes you'd not find elsewhere. What to avoid: those things they call sushi. Unless you want to risk contracting hepatitis A and experience a slow excruciating death, stay away. Simple rule in life: look at the guy who is preparing these sushi in the eyes and ask yourself if you'd trust his personal hygiene. You get the point. The other thing to avoid is the crawfish and grilled seafood that they cook from your pick. My friends and I have had experienced the consequence of food poisioning on a couple occasions. Go ahead and try if you want to test your body's tolerance for mercury. Otherwise, this place offers great variety for the money. The downside if you have to dine with the trough mentality of the unwashed masses. Unortunately, that's the complimentary side show that's part of the experience.
(3)
roberto a.

The nice thing about ethnic buffets is that it allows you to try as many things as possible at a decent price, that you may normally not be able to get at any one place at a given time. When done right, I am a big fan of these places. Royal Buffet is no exception and right now it is my Asian buffet of choice. For starters it offers a nice variety of Asian selection ranging from the safe to the more adventurous selection of seafood and spiced up meats. Nothing is too adventurous though, so don't be afraid to try everything. Word of advice- You know something is good that night when some 8 year old girl or 80 year old man cuts in front of you, picks up the tongs, and loads up their plate, and leaves you with an empty tray before you can even say 'excuse me.' Just go with the flow and watch what people are going for during your visit. A full service sushi bar is available, that although I haven't tried, my friends have vouched for based on the fact that they keep on going back for more. My Asian friends do vouch on the food quality (hey, they introduced me to this place and if you go at the right time, non-Asians are the definite minority in this place, always a good sign), and for the non-adventurous or finicky kids, they do have a small selection of American food available. This place does get crowded during dinner time, so do expect a wait, especially on weekends. On the plus side, you know the food on the serving lines will be on the fresher and hotter. Pros: Wide food selection, nice mix of quality and quantity, without initimidating the uninitiated, ample seating, Cons: Can get crowded, some selections stale or not available during slower times. To sum it up: You can come back for seconds, no need to be greedy.
(5)
paul l.

We dined at Royal several dozen times ever since their grand opening back in 2006 or so. Royal was struggling to survive during the first year, but turned the corner two years later and became the premier China buffet hotspot for the Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese... so on. I heard some people drive 30 miles to visit Royal... I would not have that kind of craving... We stopped going to Royal for dinner as the $13 price tag is not as attractive as the $9.95, and 3,000+ calorie intake is really taking its toll on my body, making me dizzy & totally non-functioning afterward. I now goto Royal for lunch whenever I get to work-from-home say half dozen times a year. $8.50 including tax is hard to beatl. Some of my all time favorites items @ Royal are - clam/luffa soup - stir-fried white mushrooms - green onion pancake - steamed flounder - chilean sea bass - egg tart & creme puff desserts - grilled squid - deep fried then stir fried green beans - steamed crawfish in beer/dry sherry - deep fried sweet rice ball coated with sesame seeds - longan, lychee fruits and mango slices (when in season) Yes, in total agreement with other reviewers: clean-up the washrooms every hour and change out the serving spoons often. If I have an advice for Royal mgmt folks, is to re-invent itself to make it a bit more upscale to compete against the new rival Nagoya, rather than upsetting loyal patrons with lobster promo.
(3)
Jim E.

I went on a Saturday afternoon and was able to be seated immediately. Wow the selection of food and sushi was amazing, everything from lobster to squid and oysters. In addition to all the different seafood items they had all the Chinese classics and some American fare for the kids. The food was all fresh and hot due to the large volume of people and the turn over. My wife wasn't as impressed because the place isn't the cleanest, the walls and the floors are stained with items spilled from previous customers. The hot food tables and plates and silverware all were very clean and we had no problems getting the old plates cleaned from our table. The entire meal for two was only $29.00, what a deal.
(4)
Jocelyn M.

y do i torture myself? i dont think i will ever be able to eat here again. everytime i leave i smell like royal buffet for like 2 days after. it makes me sick after i eat there and its not even good.
(2)
Jeanne L.

My Chinese/ Taiwanese family loves this place so that should say something about the food and the price. Service is terrible but we bear through it; if you expect service to be bad than it's not a big deal. A bit oily, but the selection is very big and this is quite possibly the only non-Americanized Chinese buffet within driving distances of an hour. Yeah they have fries and chicken nuggets but that's just for picky kids so just avoid that stuff.
(4)
Cezar C.

Where should I begin, oh I know...they seated 5 fat guys in a tiny booth with an extra chair on the side like we had a toddler with us. Seriously...I don't like touching knees with my friends, doesn't matter how long I've known them. The selection was very big which I liked. I started off with a plate of what I called "The great collaboration of fried artery cloggers." I basically picked everything I could see that was deep fried. Egg roll...check, crab rangoon...check, sweet and sour chicken...check, fried fish and shrimp...check, check. The second and third plate consisted of a spoonful of each entree, pretty much standard fair greasy Chinese food. I was going to rate this place a 2 but the lobster, fresh stir fry, and sushi selection were bonuses that deserve higher. Also any Chinese buffet that has roasted duck get's kudos in my book. Although i rated it a 3 I would definitely not travel out of my way to go here again, I'd have to be already in the area since I live in the city.
(3)
Jazz V.

Royal Buffet is less a restaurant than it is a feasting ground, yet it remains a popular spot for Filipino families in the western burbs. On special occasions I often give my parents the option of places to dine, and they almost always choose Royal Buffet. They have even declined an offer to try one of the Brazilian steakhouses downtown in favor of Royal Buffet. In terms of value and selection, this place cannot be beat. However, the quality of the food in terms of taste and consistency can be downright horrid. The fried rice and noodles are often greasy and flavorless. The short ribs and steaks are more fat than meat. The fruits are never in season and the seafood are clearly restaurant rejects. Every time I have gone, it seems like I had to wait around 45 minutes to an hour for a seat, then I have to throw elbows up on the food lines or else I'd get run over by grandma making a bee-line for the crabs. Oh, and the restroom? Downright scary. There are some redeeming qualities about the buffet. I do enjoy the sushi selection, and I love how I can have unlimited tofu pocket sushi topped with seaweed salad! I also like getting the battered fried shrimp in the creamy white sauce (coconut shrimp? honey shrimp? can't remember the name) which is typically located all the way in the back row. However, I must warn you that the back row usually has some pretty funky items, like fried frog legs or curried octopus. While I can be a food snob, I rarely turn down an invitation to come here. But then again, I'm usually not the one paying. Oh, one more thing. Avoid coming for lunch on Sundays because that's when church lets out.
(2)
Joshua A.

I had 12 different species of food- need I say more....the place is a little tight and crowded
(4)
A C.

best chinese buffet ever! they have a wide selection of cooked foods, sushi, seafood, and a section where it's cooked-to-order (think flat-top grill style). I am a big fan of chinese food without the MSG. this place really rocks!
(5)
calvin y.

went there after a couple months and people are still animals near the premium seafood area. also, im pretty sure theres some health code violation regarding wet cups stacked on top of each other. also found bits of wet rice in the cups. i usually wash out the cups with hot water, in the tea/coffee area, and swirl it around before i put my soda in it. yeah, that's still pretty gross but i'm thirsty.
(3)
Linda C.

I was told that this Chinese American buffet was suppose to be better than the ones closer to the city. I was not wowed but was surprised by the amount of people that were here on Monday night. There was a great variety of food. Their sushi was very comparable to something one would get from Dominick's but I guess it's nice that it was an option. I did like the coconut shrimp. It was weird to find that the huge ball of shrimp was comprised of smaller shrimp. Their pink lemonade was also way too sweet. I had to keep diluting it with ice and eventually added water. I was hoping to have lobster but it's only served on the weekend. They did have some snow crab but it looked old. These best part of the meal was the flan and the mint chocolate chip ice cream. Overall I would not drive 30 minutes to eat at an average Chinese American buffet.
(3)
Leon Y.

I rarely rate a restaurant solely based on services. But this one I do. The service is just horrible. It is messy everywhere, the food counter, sushi station, beverage counter. The floor is dirty, littered with with food, napkins. The most outrage thing to me is that they push the waste cart in the dining area collecting plates and dump leftover food next to you while you are eating. Just imagine having your meal next to a dump. They kept doing it even after I complained to the manager. I completely lost my apatite.
(1)
David S.

As much as I love Chinese food, strip mall Chinese buffets kind of freak me out... so I wasn't particularly enthused at the prospect of eating at Royal Buffet for lunch today. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I feared at first. They have pretty typical Chinese buffet food, a very big selection. The food was not the best, but it was respectable for the most part. The all-you-can-eat deal costs about $12, which in my opinion is a bit expensive, but when it's paid for by my work I don't really care! I certainly wouldn't choose to go there on my own, but I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it either.
(2)
Daniel Y.

Royal Buffet is a royal treat for your stomach! You know this place isn't all that bad when asians are the vast majority of the customers here. It has to be that it's just the right mix of taste, offerings, and value for your dollar. $10 for an all you can eat asian buffet that offers sushi, chinese, stir-fry (create your own), a wide range of desserts (some more exotic fruits such as dragon eye), and much more. Definitely family friendly and has room for larger groups of people. I highly suggest eating dinner here on a weekday except for Friday, which is the busiest, if you want to avoid the typical mad rush of people.
(4)
Jon G.

Hey gang, it has been awhile since I have posted any reviews. That is how I do it sometimes. I go awhile and then post 12 in a day. Anywhosel, I went here today. The food is ok for the price. And sometimes I get sick. But it is usually because I eat to much. Stay away from most of the shrimp dishes. The shrimp are not deveined. The items here are standard fare. I had lamp soup today which was very good. The broth was great with nice veggies and meaty, fatty pieces of lamb. Now for the sushi. Sushi will almost never be great unless it is at a sushi buffet. That being said, if you do offer it, at least make a half-as*ed attempt at it. I typed half-as*ed because I am not sure if you can use the word a*s on Yelp. If you can, Candace, let me know. Anyway, the attempt at sushi here is more like a 1/16th-as*ed attempt. Imitation crab in everything and they just switch up the sauce. I know this is common knowledge, but if you offer sushi at this type of buffet at least try. Anyway, if you want to eat a lot for cheap and don't mind a belly ache sometimes, this is the place.
(3)
Alex M.

This place used to be quite good but has gone down in quality over the years. Watch out for the sushi because sometimes the meat is rotten. The frozen crab legs aren't fully thawed either which is frustrating. I come here often with family but we found much better buffets in Naperville that surpasses the quality of royal in every way.
(2)
Josh F.

I have seen this place for months and was not sure how it would be but one day I gave it a try and I am a fan! Very good buffet and I have gone back several times. The cool thing is the large selection of food as well as the sushi. Very good choice!
(4)
Rexcrisanto D.

As much as I avoid buffets, I've been coming here about once a year for the last four years or so because of invitations to celebrate birthday occasions of friends and relatives. The cooked food is "slightly" above average compared to many other buffets in the Chicagoland area. I avoid the sushi because of questionable preparation practices that I have observed in the past. Today, was an exception because I tried a piece of my brother-in-law's maki. The rice was not good at all. It wasn't even short grain sushi rice. The service is okay at times when they don't whisk your plate from your table while it's still three quarters full and your back is turned or you've stepped away to use the bathroom. However, today was terrible because the waitress had the audacity to ask my mother-in-law (whose birthday we were celebrating) and others at our table if we were going to leave her a tip. We took the high road and tipped her anyway, but told one of the staff to tell her it is impolite to ask for tips. Overall though, the price is reasonable, it's cleaner than most buffets and most of the cooked food is acceptable (nothing really stand out though).
(3)
Bob M.

I'll make this short and sweet for you guys who are lazy and don't want to read a whole lot in order to get the main idea. The good: LOTS of Chinese food choices, drinks, deserts **The bad: VERY dirty, filthy, sticky floors, dirty chairs and tables.** The food is good. Not the best, but good. There are LOTS of food choices available, ranging from Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and American. When I was there, the staff probably added new food every 15 minute intervals. Sometimes a popular food choice like the crabs and lobsters go fast, and the staff don't replace them for a while. There's icecream and soda- with unlimited refills of course. Also, the food might not be the best at times, especially when it's busy and the staff have to rush in order to prepare them faster for the large crowds. What offsets the great food is the cleanliness of the buffet. It is HORRIBLE! I might as well eat in the bathroom instead! The chairs are sticky and smelly, the tables are sticky as well with grease and cleaning chemical residues. The floors are stained with spills, foods, and God-knows-what. After leaving, my clothes smell like the buffet itself. The staff is another thing I want to point out in this review. The entire staff was of full asian-decent. They didn't speak English very well, so sometimes I had trouble understanding them. They didn't know what "Thank you" means when they took away my finished-plates. Here is Royal Buffet's overall grade: Food: B+ Cleanliness: D+ Appearance: C Staff: B+ Overall Experience: B-
(3)
S M.

I've noticed a common theme, which is that Asian moms like this buffet. (I should know, my mom claims to have eaten here around 10x.) So for the good things: pretty good selection of food and a good representation of seafood dishes. For the number of items they offer, I did not find anything so objectionable that I spat it out. They even offer "lobster" -- yes, not lobster, but "lobster." Now for the bad: the wait (WAYYYY too long and like a mosh pit) and dining conditions (just way too chaotic and sloppy-seeming -- it made me not dare look in the restroom). I had a nice lukewarm "iced" tea to wash down my meal as the ice machine was not keeping pace with iced beverage demands. I also noticed that they generously seasoned many of their dishes with oil -- lots and lots of oil. I could almost feel my arteries narrowing after eating here. The food was OK, but given the distance (~30-40 min from the NW 'burbs), cost (a bit pricier than other Chinese buffets), and the very annoying wait (I do not like getting jostled and prodded on the backside as I wait to get seated), I give it a 2.
(2)
Terrence C.

dizzzaammmmnnnn son! this place is awesome! I'm not a buffet guy. When I hear buffet I think of fried food, baking under a heat lamp for hours. Not the case here. Gourmet food. Huge selection of sea food. and not like fried cod. Lobster, clams, crab legs, sushi and more. I was pretty blown away. Tip: Get there early. The line for a seat was nuts. The price is great too. THink it was like 15 bucks per person. The bad. Popular items generate a crowd/line. People can be rude, so adapt quickly and take what you want because you will wait forever if you don't. This place is kinda far for city people, but sets a high bar for buffet eating.
(4)
Jeff L.

Don't come here on a Saturday night unless you're masochistic. The line to get a table gets extremely long, even before 6PM, and the seating process can be described only as epic incompetence. The clueless hostess was seating by arrival order without considering party size, so small groups, like my party of two, had to wait behind groups of six or eight or more, despite numerous open 2-seat and even 4-seat tables ( I counted seven open tables at one point, several unoccupied for 15+ minutes.) On slower days, thankfully you seat yourself. Food-wise, other reviewers have it pretty much covered. There's good variety, but the food is just mediocre. Many dishes tend to be greasy, the sushi isn't very good, and the lobster, despite requiring a 10 minute wait, is usually pretty bland. Overall, it's a fairly typical Chinese buffet, with an emphasis on quantity over quality. If you have a hankering for Chinese food, you'll probably find something here to hit the spot, even if what you get isn't all that great. Just stay away on Saturday.
(2)
Christine D.

You know for a chinese resturant for under 10.00 this is one of the best ones I have been too. I do not live in Bolingbrook but I came all the way here to eat because my brother said it was good. It has a lot of variety in foods I like! The food is hot and they rotate it a lot (because a lot of people come which is good too). I like the ice cream a lot! For a Chinese Buffet this is pretty good....WAY better than Jumbo
(4)
Jiah C.

Ok, I have to agree with Sean B. on this one.. some of you people do need to realize and be aware that you are stepping into an American Chinese Buffet. I'm pretty sure the general standards are well known. Like Sean mentioned, the food selection and variety, not to mention quality.. really, for a massive buffet, is awesome. They have so much seafood there, its ridiculous. Salt and Pepper crab (YUM), crawfish, clams, sushi (which really isn't bad.. simple Todai quality on an average day, I'd even go as far to say) which also gets better everytime I go there, the little crab cakes in the blue crab shell (AMAZING, I could eat these nonstop), and sometimes they have fresh oysters... and etc. For what you pay, the quantity, variety of selection, and quality for the mass (and even if it were standard) is excellent. The gripes that you run into at this buffet are issues you will see all over the board in other buffets everywhere. For an establishment that is so large, I think they do a pretty damn good job bussing tables and seating the massive lines of people, for the amount of staff they have.
(4)
Rebecca L.

The local royal buffet here is not bad, it's also not excellent. That being said, there are not many great buffet joints in the area so this place is pretty good comparatively. It's alright chinese food for the price. Sushi there is nothing to write home about but it's edible. There is a wide selection food. The place could be cleaner I guess too.
(3)
Jason C.

Ok, I've been here a few times since it's my mom's favorite chinese buffet. She will drive 40 minutes just to get to this place. I don't see what the big deal is. They have a good variety of seafood, mediocre sushi and a sub-par unauthentic Mongolian grill area. It smells too. There's a sign in the front that says this place has won an award for being a top 100 Chinese buffet. Last time I checked, that was an oxymoron. The New China Buffet across the street is much better. I know. It's that bad.
(2)
Jenni E.

I have wanted to try this place for awhile because it is very close to me and everytime I drive by it there are tons of people going in and out of it. The great things about this buffet is that it is stocked with tons of great and unique food. On weekends they have lobster, which has people lining out the door of this place; prepare for a crowd. They also have crawfish, oysters, clams, sushi, sea bass, tons of Chinese dishes, dim sum, etc. to name a few. Now, I will say that many of the dishes are what I would call "buffet quality", meaning that you aren't going to find what you would get if you went into a restaurant and ordered the lobster, or the ribs, or whatever. The clams were small, the ribs were fatty and the lobster had very little meat on it. BUT for a buffet the quality was good, and for $13.00 you really can't beat it. There are a couple of frustrating things about this place however. For starters the amount of people that are at this place is unreal. I went on a Saturday night around 8 PM, so maybe that is their busiest time; I hope so. I waited about 15 minutes for a table and then was seated at the furthest table from the actual buffet. The tables are on top of each other, so to walk to and from the buffet you feel like you are in a mosh pit trying to make your way through. When you make you way to the buffet you will find tons of people all clamoring to get to the table that has the lobster. There is a person who stands guard of the lobster making sure that only 1 is taken per person, which is needed since if you try and get any of the other high-ticket items: clams, oysters, crawfish, etc. you will inevitably have the guy in front of you that will pile as much of that one item on his plate as physically possible. There are lots of these guys (and gals) here. There are also lots of people that cut in line, shove you to get where they are going, and let their kids run around like it is a playground instead of a restaurant. I will say that I was surprised at how quickly the food is replenished. With the amount of people there, the food seems to need to be constantly refilled - which is a good thing for those of you who don't eat at buffets because you are afraid of food sitting out for hours. Overall the food was good and it was a good deal, but you will fight for your food.
(3)
r j.

The food here is good. Lots of selection to choose from. They even have lobster and crab legs. However these items require you to stand in line and wait for them to come out of the kitchen. For a Chinese buffet this place is worth it. The food is replenished quite often as well. It does not sit out as in other buffet places. Give the place a shot.
(3)
Dana M.

I've never been a fan of Chinese buffets since I don't want to over eat but when my mom suggested this place on her day off, I didn't argue with her. It is a 40 minute drive from the North suburbs so I thought, "this better be worth it"... and it wasn't. If you want to be around animals, this is the place to be. Just being Chinese, I've been to my fair share of buffets in my lifetime; this place is the worse. The floor is sticky and there's food all over; when I got home, I had dim sum stuck to the bottom of my shoe. Yeah, I saved it so I can eat it later! There are lines for the crab and lobster... and other seafood I'm sure; I'm glad someone had to keep everyone sane by distributing the food. I never waited in line. You wait in line to get seated and then you wait in line to get your food. Some people were standing in line for their lobster with their plate and fork in hand munching away on their own food. At one point, the restaurant ran out of plates and bowls. For a good 10 minutes, people were going insane using ice cream bowls or soda glasses to contain their food. That was hilarious. I didn't know what to eat and the only thing I thought was decent were the sushi rolls which I later discovered was a mistake. I had a stomach ache the next morning; my brother had one while at the restaurant. We were the only ones that ate sushi.. If you do decide to come here, make sure you take napkins with you to the buffet line so you can wipe off the wet plates and cups you'll be using. A 40 minute drive is not worth your time unless you want to see how inhumane people can get. It's pretty sad. You're better off eating at a real Chinese restaurant.
(1)
Zach D.

People are missing the point. This place is great. No waiters or waitresses so everything is included in the 15 bucks. They do have lobster and you have to wait in line for it but it is whole lobster. I think the lobsters are too small for other restaurants or deformed or something. I mean you cant buy a lobster tail for 15 so its still good. Theres tons of seafood dishes and since theres always like 100 people in there its all fresh. The shrimp and chicken dishes you can tell are different because the meat is so much bigger. Easily the best China Buffet ive been too. Sushi is probably 2/5. The Mongolian Wok is really good too. Fresh food and plenty of it. Easily, EASILY worth 15 bucks total (with drink and tax)
(4)
yoyo t.

First off, I am not here to review their service, or how clean the restaurant is, my stars are purely given base on the food they provide. Price is descent, for less than 15 bones on Sat and Sunday (though you may need to stay in line for 5 or so minutes) you get to have unlimited lobster and king crab legs. If you don't like lobsters, it is still an awesome place for Chinese buffet. The food is fresh, with at least over 50 kinds of dishes, from American Chinese to Traditional Chinese, e.g., seafood: fried shrimp, fish, fries, chicken, calamari, stir fried shrimp, cocktail shrimp, stir fried crabs, stir fried tofu, steamed fish, several dim sums, Mongolian barbecue, sour and spicy soup, and an island dedicated to dessert! What more can you ask for a 15 dollar buffet? If you love Oriental food, I would definitely recommend you to try this place.
(5)
Wesley R.

I don't frequent buffets as much as I used to in my younger years. It was a badge of honor to be able to stack my plate up with food, and gradually create a stack of empty plates in my wake. Now I'd be lucky to make it through 3 plates of normal proportions. Expect all of the usual standbys of the chinese buffet. Soups, salads, deserts, soft serve ice cream, familiar chinese food, american alternatives, and even mass production sushi. They did have a stir-fry station, which isn't labeled well enough to prevent people from handing over bowls with hot sauce or rice in them. The food is fried on a giant circle slab, using two large chopsticks. If you have food allergies, I would avoid using the station as all, since you will potentially pick up remnants of previous culinary concoctions (more a fault of the design of the grill than anything else). A decent selection if you are close by, but I wouldn't recommend traveling a far distance, as you will have something similar nearby.
(3)
Marlo P.

The first time I ever came to this place was on an Easter Sunday.. BIGGEST MISTAKE! However, my family had reservations because we were having a party of 30 people. I think I pissed off about 30 people who were waiting in line that day because I pushed and shoved my way to the front to say, "Hey, I'm here for the party." But people in line were mean and angry. Who cares. I had reservations anyway. So they took us into the back room and they split our tables so far apart from each other it was ridiculous. Our family couldn't even sit in the same area and our reservations were set two months ago! Not only that, they didn't save us 30 seats. They saved us 25 and gave us some random table in the back of the restaurant. UGH! Never going to make reservations at this place. EVER. Any who, to the most important part, the food. The food was just like any other Chinese buffet. Nothing really special about anything there. They do serve lobster and crab legs but you have to wait in a ridiculous line while someone serves it on people's plate like some cafeteria. I was happy enough to get one lobster and one order of crab legs. The lobster was covered in sauce and corn starch and was over cooked. It didn't even taste like lobster anymore. It tasted like rubber bland nothingness and so did the crab legs. The stir fry and sushi was cool but I was more grossed out at raw things being let out in the open with that many people walking around grabbing whatever they felt like, like they were some hungry wolves. Food was constantly dropped on the floor, the plates were all wet and you had to wipe them yourself, the coke machine ran out of ice, and the ice cream looks like it had been thawed and frozen five times before it was put out there. This place is not worth my trip. I know they say "hey we have lobster!" but it's not even that great. I've had better crab legs and the same food choices at other buffets in the northwest suburbs with sushi, dim sum, and a stir fry section that I pay the same price. My family only reserved this place because a friend said this place was really good and it was all of our first times coming here and we all agreed that we're never coming here again.
(2)
Rachelle G.

My family is a fan, mainly because of the abundance of seafood they offer. Frankly, I think it's waste of time and money. Lacking in flavor, I leave feeling like I've swallowed massive quantities of grease. This is the perfect example of quantity is not always better, at least in my opinion. Certain items (mostly the seafood) are only refilled every so often. So much so that you will literally see people hovering and waiting for that one item because once it comes out, it's gone in a matter of 5 minutes, if it even lasts that long. You're better off going to Chinatown, ordering a family style dinner and paying the same price. At least you'll get food that is tasty and you leave feeling satisfied. I do have to say that the staff here is friendly and do a good job of clearing your table.
(2)
Vinny The Vacuum S.

The most expansive buffet I have been to in the Chicago area.They easily have over 100 items to choose from: standard Chinese buffet food, American buffet food, sushi bar, Mongolian BBQ area, Grill-to-order area and seafood area that offers lobsters. Very impressive on the quantity. The Quality, however, needs improvement. While nothing I had was bad, it wasn't memorable either. I guess I shouldn't expect memorable food in a Chinese buffet offering such a selection so I digress. Bottom line, it's worth the $13 to get in but go hungry and get there EARLY bc the place fills up fast and wait times are long. We will be back.
(4)
Stevie V.

Second time back here and this place is still great. Variety here is great but I especially like the made to order stir fry. There is also sushi, not great but decent for Chinese buffet. Only part that bothered me was the bathroom, it was disgusting and cost a star.
(4)
will r.

best Chinese Buffet I have ever eaten. a friend brought me here and they had to roll me out of there! The best selection and quality ever. the mongolian grill and hibachi grills were they icing on the cake. dont pass this place up! it's fabulous!
(5)
Yuan Z.

Great bang for the buck! for $15/person you get lobsters shrimp oysters sushi crabs NY steak etc. along with a korean bbq stand. anything else need to be said?
(5)
Grace C.

Nice. Reason I give it 3 stars is because every food I ate was either dry, not warm enough, and not enough seasoning. Aside from that nice clean buffet. Reasonable price with a variety of choice. This buffet is good if you are a seafood lover.
(3)
Ben W.

I think they have the best / biggest buffet in Chicago land, Buffet City on Cicero and 81st / 79th St are pretty good too! Seafood there is just amazing. They also have food that probably only Chinese would like, such as pig foot, cod beef, chive cake (Jiu Cai pan cake) The down side is it is almost always packed, and they don't take reservations. So don't go if don't have enough time or if you don't have much patience. You have to fight your way to the crab legs or other goodies and there are always a few selfish bad apples who would take all good seafood away.
(4)
E L.

An abundance of choices places this place on the suburban feeding map. This is widely considered a buffeteer's paradise. The primary attraction is the lobster and also the sole explanation that draws unbridled display of gluttony. I am not sure if the lobster is worth the wait as there is a lot other appealing dishes to choose from. What's good: steamed fish, stewed lamb, frogs legs, pork belly, pigs feet are some of the classic chinese dishes you'd not find elsewhere. What to avoid: those things they call sushi. Unless you want to risk contracting hepatitis A and experience a slow excruciating death, stay away. Simple rule in life: look at the guy who is preparing these sushi in the eyes and ask yourself if you'd trust his personal hygiene. You get the point. The other thing to avoid is the crawfish and grilled seafood that they cook from your pick. My friends and I have had experienced the consequence of food poisioning on a couple occasions. Go ahead and try if you want to test your body's tolerance for mercury. Otherwise, this place offers great variety for the money. The downside if you have to dine with the trough mentality of the unwashed masses. Unortunately, that's the complimentary side show that's part of the experience.
(3)
roberto a.

The nice thing about ethnic buffets is that it allows you to try as many things as possible at a decent price, that you may normally not be able to get at any one place at a given time. When done right, I am a big fan of these places. Royal Buffet is no exception and right now it is my Asian buffet of choice. For starters it offers a nice variety of Asian selection ranging from the safe to the more adventurous selection of seafood and spiced up meats. Nothing is too adventurous though, so don't be afraid to try everything. Word of advice- You know something is good that night when some 8 year old girl or 80 year old man cuts in front of you, picks up the tongs, and loads up their plate, and leaves you with an empty tray before you can even say 'excuse me.' Just go with the flow and watch what people are going for during your visit. A full service sushi bar is available, that although I haven't tried, my friends have vouched for based on the fact that they keep on going back for more. My Asian friends do vouch on the food quality (hey, they introduced me to this place and if you go at the right time, non-Asians are the definite minority in this place, always a good sign), and for the non-adventurous or finicky kids, they do have a small selection of American food available. This place does get crowded during dinner time, so do expect a wait, especially on weekends. On the plus side, you know the food on the serving lines will be on the fresher and hotter. Pros: Wide food selection, nice mix of quality and quantity, without initimidating the uninitiated, ample seating, Cons: Can get crowded, some selections stale or not available during slower times. To sum it up: You can come back for seconds, no need to be greedy.
(5)
Ian Y.

I went there for dinner during a cold and snowy night and it's still full of guests. It has "mongolian" stir-fry, sushi bar and plenty of food. I didn't try the mongolian stir-fry as I'm not a fan of it; the sushi bar only offers few choices, but the rest are pretty good, and they have more fruites to choose from. I went to New China Buffet for lunch previously (pretty close to Royal) and I think their sushi bar's slightly better although they don't have "mongolian" stir-fry which I don't miss. They also serve smoothies which is a good soda alternative. I think both are good in terms of cheap Chinese buffet with that offers vareity, but I personally prefer New China Buffet.
(4)
paul l.

We dined at Royal several dozen times ever since their grand opening back in 2006 or so. Royal was struggling to survive during the first year, but turned the corner two years later and became the premier China buffet hotspot for the Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese... so on. I heard some people drive 30 miles to visit Royal... I would not have that kind of craving... We stopped going to Royal for dinner as the $13 price tag is not as attractive as the $9.95, and 3,000+ calorie intake is really taking its toll on my body, making me dizzy & totally non-functioning afterward. I now goto Royal for lunch whenever I get to work-from-home say half dozen times a year. $8.50 including tax is hard to beatl. Some of my all time favorites items @ Royal are - clam/luffa soup - stir-fried white mushrooms - green onion pancake - steamed flounder - chilean sea bass - egg tart & creme puff desserts - grilled squid - deep fried then stir fried green beans - steamed crawfish in beer/dry sherry - deep fried sweet rice ball coated with sesame seeds - longan, lychee fruits and mango slices (when in season) Yes, in total agreement with other reviewers: clean-up the washrooms every hour and change out the serving spoons often. If I have an advice for Royal mgmt folks, is to re-invent itself to make it a bit more upscale to compete against the new rival Nagoya, rather than upsetting loyal patrons with lobster promo.
(3)
Jim E.

I went on a Saturday afternoon and was able to be seated immediately. Wow the selection of food and sushi was amazing, everything from lobster to squid and oysters. In addition to all the different seafood items they had all the Chinese classics and some American fare for the kids. The food was all fresh and hot due to the large volume of people and the turn over. My wife wasn't as impressed because the place isn't the cleanest, the walls and the floors are stained with items spilled from previous customers. The hot food tables and plates and silverware all were very clean and we had no problems getting the old plates cleaned from our table. The entire meal for two was only $29.00, what a deal.
(4)
Jocelyn M.

y do i torture myself? i dont think i will ever be able to eat here again. everytime i leave i smell like royal buffet for like 2 days after. it makes me sick after i eat there and its not even good.
(2)
Jeanne L.

My Chinese/ Taiwanese family loves this place so that should say something about the food and the price. Service is terrible but we bear through it; if you expect service to be bad than it's not a big deal. A bit oily, but the selection is very big and this is quite possibly the only non-Americanized Chinese buffet within driving distances of an hour. Yeah they have fries and chicken nuggets but that's just for picky kids so just avoid that stuff.
(4)
Cezar C.

Where should I begin, oh I know...they seated 5 fat guys in a tiny booth with an extra chair on the side like we had a toddler with us. Seriously...I don't like touching knees with my friends, doesn't matter how long I've known them. The selection was very big which I liked. I started off with a plate of what I called "The great collaboration of fried artery cloggers." I basically picked everything I could see that was deep fried. Egg roll...check, crab rangoon...check, sweet and sour chicken...check, fried fish and shrimp...check, check. The second and third plate consisted of a spoonful of each entree, pretty much standard fair greasy Chinese food. I was going to rate this place a 2 but the lobster, fresh stir fry, and sushi selection were bonuses that deserve higher. Also any Chinese buffet that has roasted duck get's kudos in my book. Although i rated it a 3 I would definitely not travel out of my way to go here again, I'd have to be already in the area since I live in the city.
(3)
Jazz V.

Royal Buffet is less a restaurant than it is a feasting ground, yet it remains a popular spot for Filipino families in the western burbs. On special occasions I often give my parents the option of places to dine, and they almost always choose Royal Buffet. They have even declined an offer to try one of the Brazilian steakhouses downtown in favor of Royal Buffet. In terms of value and selection, this place cannot be beat. However, the quality of the food in terms of taste and consistency can be downright horrid. The fried rice and noodles are often greasy and flavorless. The short ribs and steaks are more fat than meat. The fruits are never in season and the seafood are clearly restaurant rejects. Every time I have gone, it seems like I had to wait around 45 minutes to an hour for a seat, then I have to throw elbows up on the food lines or else I'd get run over by grandma making a bee-line for the crabs. Oh, and the restroom? Downright scary. There are some redeeming qualities about the buffet. I do enjoy the sushi selection, and I love how I can have unlimited tofu pocket sushi topped with seaweed salad! I also like getting the battered fried shrimp in the creamy white sauce (coconut shrimp? honey shrimp? can't remember the name) which is typically located all the way in the back row. However, I must warn you that the back row usually has some pretty funky items, like fried frog legs or curried octopus. While I can be a food snob, I rarely turn down an invitation to come here. But then again, I'm usually not the one paying. Oh, one more thing. Avoid coming for lunch on Sundays because that's when church lets out.
(2)
Joshua A.

I had 12 different species of food- need I say more....the place is a little tight and crowded
(4)
A C.

best chinese buffet ever! they have a wide selection of cooked foods, sushi, seafood, and a section where it's cooked-to-order (think flat-top grill style). I am a big fan of chinese food without the MSG. this place really rocks!
(5)
calvin y.

went there after a couple months and people are still animals near the premium seafood area. also, im pretty sure theres some health code violation regarding wet cups stacked on top of each other. also found bits of wet rice in the cups. i usually wash out the cups with hot water, in the tea/coffee area, and swirl it around before i put my soda in it. yeah, that's still pretty gross but i'm thirsty.
(3)
Linda C.

I was told that this Chinese American buffet was suppose to be better than the ones closer to the city. I was not wowed but was surprised by the amount of people that were here on Monday night. There was a great variety of food. Their sushi was very comparable to something one would get from Dominick's but I guess it's nice that it was an option. I did like the coconut shrimp. It was weird to find that the huge ball of shrimp was comprised of smaller shrimp. Their pink lemonade was also way too sweet. I had to keep diluting it with ice and eventually added water. I was hoping to have lobster but it's only served on the weekend. They did have some snow crab but it looked old. These best part of the meal was the flan and the mint chocolate chip ice cream. Overall I would not drive 30 minutes to eat at an average Chinese American buffet.
(3)
David S.

As much as I love Chinese food, strip mall Chinese buffets kind of freak me out... so I wasn't particularly enthused at the prospect of eating at Royal Buffet for lunch today. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I feared at first. They have pretty typical Chinese buffet food, a very big selection. The food was not the best, but it was respectable for the most part. The all-you-can-eat deal costs about $12, which in my opinion is a bit expensive, but when it's paid for by my work I don't really care! I certainly wouldn't choose to go there on my own, but I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it either.
(2)
Leon Y.

I rarely rate a restaurant solely based on services. But this one I do. The service is just horrible. It is messy everywhere, the food counter, sushi station, beverage counter. The floor is dirty, littered with with food, napkins. The most outrage thing to me is that they push the waste cart in the dining area collecting plates and dump leftover food next to you while you are eating. Just imagine having your meal next to a dump. They kept doing it even after I complained to the manager. I completely lost my apatite.
(1)
ray b.

This place is simply disgusting! The food is bad the bathrooms were so gross I didn't even want to wash my hands. I had to leave to use the bathroom. I can't believe the city hasn't shut this dump down.
(2)
Grace L.

If you really want a big buffet with seafood and everything, this is the place to go. They had lobster and king crab legs and all kinds of seafood and Asian dishes. I didn't try everything because there's a huge variety... The place can take hundreds of people..
(3)
Curt M.

Yah. I was excited to go here after all of the reviews that I read. After going there and eating a bit of everything I cannot say I was impressed. Only redeeming item I ate was the salt and pepper shrimp. After eating and grabbing an ice cream cone to go I was excited to find a two inch piece of glass inside the scoop of ice cream. So it's safe to say I won't be returning here ever again. Should have gone to White Castle.
(1)
Hannah H.

About a 2-2.5: Royal Buffet is chain of buffets in the IL area and has been around for a good number of years. The place itself is large and offers the typical buffet options, such as Americanized Chinese fare (sweet & sour pork, pepper steak, dim sum, hot & sour soup, etc.), American fare (pizza, fried chicken, and french fries), maki bar with California rolls and makis, a stir-fry/Mongolian BBQ where you can come up with your combination of meats and veggies, and seafood (crab legs, mussels, and cooked shrimp). While the crab legs were hardly filled T___T, I was a fan of their oversized fresh mussels, the spicy tuna rolls, and the fresh crispy almond cookies for dessert. The other dessert options, such as the banana pudding, had browned banana slices, and the mini cakes were more on the stale end. The staff were quick in taking away the finished plates, and it's a good thing that they had a self-serve pop section, so you don't have to constantly wave down your server for refills. There is a large lot to park your vehicle. +mussels +spicy tuna rolls +almond cookies +efficient staff
(3)
James C.

This Chinese buffet isn't that bad, its hard to find good to decent Chinese buffets out in the suburbs. For the price its pretty decent. you can get some freshly cooked chicken, steak and they have a Mongolian grill. Their sushi is decent, sometimes it sits there though. Most of their food is pretty good, not to salty not to oily. Most of the food was warm to hot. They have plenty of fruit to choose from. The food is flavorful for a Chinese restaurant. They have a variety of ice cream, which is always a good thing. My little niece loves their small coy pond up in front. The appearance inside could use some work. Some of their tables are greasy, same goes with the floors. Their roof can use some work. I went their once while it was raining and one there was water leaking from the roof. The staff seems very helpful, you're able to find the utensils easily. Sometimes the plates will sit for a little bit before they come around to take them. Overall this place is decent. Not a place I would go to all the time. The price is okay, pretty standard. The food is decent, better than most other Chinese buffets. The service is good, the appearance of the place could use some work. Somewhat worth the price you pay.
(2)
Minh-An C.

Around $15/person for dinner buffet. Quality of the food is okay..the seafood wasn't that fresh and we kept having to throw out a lot of raw clams and raw fish because it looked old. A lot of the seasoning and flavoring of these food are either too salty or too bland..making you not want to eat anymore. The sauteed clams weren't too bad, but it isn't the best sauteed clams I've ever had, either.. The only things I enjoyed were the king crab legs and the crawfish. The crab legs aren't out on display for you to grab, you have to stand near the kitchen door and wait for the chef to bring it out to you, and they're very fresh and steaming hot since it just came out of the kitchen. This also limits you on how many crab legs you can eat..but the quality is great. The crawfishes were big ones and they're pretty fresh and seasoned well. I enjoyed it thoroughly. If I ever go back, I think I would just stick to my crawfish and crab legs and maybe some fish. Other than that, everything else here is mediocre or of less quality.
(3)
Cindy B.

For $30 for 2, we got all cold food. Except what was supposed to be cold, was warm. Save your money and buy a good steak somewhere else.
(1)
House O.

FOOD POISONING !!!!I ate there yesterday and ONLY HAD SUSHI and got food poisoning , felt sick last night/fever / vomiting all night- AND NON STOP stomach pains. Missed work and been in bed all day, my stomach can't seem to hold even water without throwing it up. horrible staff ! Dirty tables and food is horrible (that's why I only chose to eat sushi) as a sushi lover I eat sushi at least twice a week me NEVER gotten sick before. NEVER COMING BACK NOR RECOMMEND IT.
(1)
Zack B.

By far the worst food i have ever had. It was almost comical how disgusting the food was. The bathrooms were disgusting. If you like the show fear factor you will like this place.
(1)
Preet K.

I went to this place about 8 months ago food was still reasonable but this time I regret aa I went to get my food. This place has gone down south hill and I am rating it with my two visits... Never going there again.
(1)
Thomas L.

This place has really gone downhill the past few years. We first went here about 6-7 years ago and it was always crowded and food quality was good. We still go occasionally but the food is not as good and the crowds have disappeared. Not many asians go there, which is a bad sign!
(2)
Judith B.

Never again. It was so dirty. Not enough staff to keep up with the table turnover. I can only imagine the kitchen. Sushi was old fish tasting. Cheesecake was still frozen. Raw bar was next to jello and other desserts, Can't that be a contamination issue? Hot food was dried out in some cases b or just off tasting. The only thing I liked was the pot stickers, and they were blah. Only one soup, hot and sour. Bathroom was horrific. Very dimly lit and still looked super dirty. Is so busy, most likely they're making money, why are they being so cheap? Hire more staff, get better quality food. So disappointed. Never coming again.
(1)
Jay W.

AWFUL. GOOD LORD CLOSE THIS PLACE! END ITS MISERY! OR AT LEAST LET ME GIVE IT NEGATIVE STARS LIKE IT DESERVES. We go to the "other" Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates and like it quite a bit for Asian buffet, esp. sushi, so when we were in the SW burbs on business we thought this would be similar. After seeig the dumpy location and the run down strip mall I would have left but my wife was hungry, so we dared. After all, if you look online they appear to be collectively owned... The name is the same, beyond that they share nothing in common! Hoffman Estate I rate a solid B+, this place is F-. What does the F stand for? How 'bout holy F*** this place sucks, how's that for an F? This is one of the worst Asian buffets I've ever been through. This could be on one of those Asian buffet disaster websites. The place is FILTHY DIRTY, the bathrooms are disgusting, the floor is nasty, they have bags over the kitchen windows. They have "crab legs" in the academic sense, rubbery, bland, frozen and re-frozen from where who knows. They have some grumpy little lady in back like a drug dealer, you have to know the secret - grab a plate and hand it to her and she reappears a minute later with a few of the limp, wet things. Not worth it for FREE I tell you. All the food was bad, the sushi variety was nonexistent (few varieties, NOTHING with salmon, tuna, or any fish to speak of) and 1/2 the plates were empty at all times. The best food was the cheese pizza, which I defaulted to after finding everything else sucked. Floor was wet with water, everything was grungy and grimy. I can't believe the health dept lets them stay open! At the other Royal Buffet, there are throngs of Asian people eating there all day. Not to be prejudiced because I'm not, but a great way to gauge if a place has authentic cuisine is to see if it draws the ethnic crowd. THis place was filled with Hispanics, which is fine but it tells you they are NOT drawing Asians. Asians know better. They even have MEXICAN CHILI SAUCE on the table, that's the target audience. DO YOURSELF A HUGE FAVOR AND GO T MCDONALDS IT IS 10X BETTER! I say that and I wopn't/don't eat McDonalds. Hell you'd be better off digging out that 1/2 an old sandwich from under the pickup seat and eating that. Less likely to get ill. Sorry I hate to bash a business but they have no business serving that slop in that squalid dump. SHUT IT DOWN!
(1)
Nery V.

The table is sticky. The washroom is very dirty. My shoes sticks on the floor. Food has no taste. I won't go back.
(1)
Michelle P.

This review is LONG overdue. You want a delicious seafood buffet or any Asian buffet.. this is the place to be!!!Everything is so fresh and a huge array of foods. The price is great for what they offer. This place gets busy, busy on the weekends. They have desserts: ice cream, fruits, cookies etc. They have a stir fry station, sushi station and dim sum items and soups and talking about it all is making me drool! My father and I enjoy the buffet on the weekends when I come down to visit and I just wish they had one out here in Denver.
(4)
P L.

What used to be one of the better Chinese buffets in the area is no longer worth going to. The food isn't fresh and dried out. Sushi isn't fresh. As is typical of these type of buffets throughout the area, sushi person is VERY VERY slow to make new sushi and rolls once the plates empty or doesn't at all. I understand minimizing food costs but making only ONE new roll during the entire time I'm eating there when all the plates were empty or had a couple pieces? Come on now. The other hot foods wasn't much better. Mostly tasteless and dried from sitting too long. Skimping on food won't make a successful restaurant. I doubt this place will last under current ownership. I see the same fate for this place as all the other Chinese buffets that have closed down over the past year. Owner. Are you reading these reviews?
(1)
Bob H.

Nasty place! The food is terrible. I get sick after eating here! I don't see why people are crazy about this place! Cleanliness is very important specially in the restaurant/food business. They should work on that.
(1)
Mike A.

It's not bad. We come here a couple times a month. They have what seems like a wide selection of items. Chinese food, especially "bizarre" foods like chicken feet, etc, so I am happy with the usual Sweet and Sour, Fried Rice, and the Hibatchi grill so you have control what goes into it. Its more expensive than other china buffet places, but it does have a wider selection. They definitely need to spend more time on cleaning and repairing their bathrooms. The men's room is GROSS.
(3)
Jie S.

Visiting Royal buffet is our annual event. It is located on 75th and Lemont which is nice location for a few close families getting together without suffering the time between ordering food and eating food while young kids get restless. The quality of food deteriorate over years. We paid our annual due about a week ago and thought this should be our last time. It is always crowded. I didn't like the sticky table and sticky floor. It is kind of dark and foggy inside. Tables are too close to each other. It is quite a maneuver to get to the last chair next to the wall when you sit in a 16 people big table. Crab legs were never there. You have to wait there for a while then the waitress provide some with a very serious face. My favorite lamb soup became saltier and saltier. I was not impressed with sushi neither. They do have pops included in the price but I could get much better dinner with $15 per person.
(2)
Ariadne A.

The food was cold and terrible. And the bathrooms were filthy. The fried rice looked more like Mexican rice.
(1)
Claw A.

The array of seafood was the best I'd seen in the Chicagoland area. I loaded up on octopus and fish. The green beans were also good too. The sushi bar was fairly tasty and everything was fresh.
(4)
Tiff T.

Lots of food choices, convenient location and parking, but quality of food was alright and not as authentic.. U will know why when you see the chefs. No one was there to greet us until I had to track down one of the waitress in order to get the hostess.
(3)
Suzy D.

My husband and I came here with family. We did not choose this restaurant but it is a favorite of some of our family members. The offerings were lack luster and the quality was inferior. I love squid and I saw that they had grilled squid so I was excited to try it. However, it was too tough to even eat. I do not think that I will ever return.
(2)
Amy T.

Their collection of dessert and food is never a disappointment. They carry an awesome amount of fruits and vegetables. I would find leafy greens here and not at any other Chinese buffets. I love coming here.
(5)
Danny M.

Back in the days, this was one of my favorite buffets. I haven't been here much at all recently due to the addition of their other location in Hoffman Estates that is much better and bigger. If you haven't been there, definitely look it up and give it a try! The variety there puts this place to shame. Anyway, I came back here a few weeks back with my friend and everything was just okay. The sushi selection is a bit disappointing. They have an okay variety of stuff to choose from, but after my first plate, I didn't find anything else to get. The dinner price is $15, so for what you pay, this is not bad.
(3)
Bennie R.

definitely not coming back. This one does not live to the standard than its Hoffmann estates counterpart. Even if it is half the price of Hoffman estates for dinner, I don't even think it's worth that. The food was good but service was very poor, the floor was sticky, the dishes were dirty and employees weren't attentive.
(1)
April M.

The food was under cooked and cold. The kinda of food that has to be fully cooked and it will cause sickness. The food that should be cold was really warm and the pastries obviously been sitting out and changed color. Last of all the most the food had a sticky layer of oil. Like car oil feeling. When we said something they told us we didn't know what we were talking about. We eat exodic foods like this stuff all the time. Nothing was cooked right at ALL! This place is absoluty repulsive.
(1)
Jessica M.

$15/person is not a bad choice as long as you don't mind the sticky floor, tables, and chairs. In addition to the usual rows of food under the heat lamps, Royal Buffet also has the sushi, stir-fried, and barbecue stations. There is a huge selection of seafood, anything from lobsters, oysters, and clams to steamed fish and crab legs. Be ware of the long line for lobsters. For that price and large variety, you can eat till you drop.
(3)
Dan B.

Royal Buffet is a very large and fairly expensive to enter buffet located near the intersection of 75th and Lemont in Woodridge. My friend who is a big time buffet fan spotted it and demanded that we stop in. After the initial sticker shock of 15.00 a person for dinner I was pleased to discover that there was a wide variety of different foods. One of the first things I noticed is that many of the dishes available on the buffet were mislabeled. Things that were clearly fish were marked as chicken, food with tentacles labeled as beef. It became very difficult to determine what exactly you were taking back to your table. I picked up a number of mystery meat items along with things that appeared to be marked correctly. I'd comment on the mystery meat items, but rather than working with a description of what these things simply looked like, I'll cover what I know. We'll start with some traditional Chinese food items. First off the "Crab" Rangoon. I use the term crab in quotes because while there might have been a spec of crab meat, this thing was almost entirely fried cream cheese. Next off was the General Chicken, not General Tso, or General Toa, it was simply listed as "General Chicken" and general is right. It was quite flavorless and bland. I got some crab legs that had practically no meat on the inside even after breaking them apart, I did this several times each time finding them to be a nearly empty husk. This aggravation extended to almost everything that I ate. In reading through a few other reviews of this place I discovered that certain days of the week lobster is served in a line off to the side. I was both not aware of this, and didn't notice a line or anyone eating lobster during my visit. It sounds like this might be the only redeeming thing about this place and I can't comment on this as far as my experience went. Overall, based on what was available when I went, for 15.00 a person I was very disappointed with Royal Buffet. The place itself wasn't particularly clean, some of the items in the buffet were not hot, mislabeled and did not appear to be fresh. I can't imagine any Royalty would actually eat here, of Royal themed restaurants you're far better off at Burger King or Dairy Queen. One star for Royal Buffet, expensive, bland and loaded with mislabeled or unlabeled mystery meat items that may require DNA test or expert in zoology to determine the species of what you're eating.
(1)
Bee B.

I don't know if you should consider this place a buffet since they try to "hide" the crab legs in the kitchen and won't bring them out for you unless you ask the woman who refilling the food trays..so you'll see her every like 5 minutes. The first time I asked, she went in and got a plate for me, the second time she said "15 minutes" then saw her give a plate to someone else in 5 minutes. What kind of buffet does that..so cheap. Also, there wasnt many options for sushi. I just ate cold shrimp to try and get my money's worth.
(1)
Joedel G.

This place used to be great the first couple of years when it opened. Now it's just a piece of garbage. They offer steamed lobster which is included in the buffet but you have to wait in line, I think they serve it every 30 minutes and it's not fresh. The quality of sushi have gone down from moderate quality to low. Although they have a lot of selections but nothing really stood out that you will crave for. If you wanna hear more bad ones... DONT COME HERE ON THE WEEKENDS, it's horrible, very crowded. The washwoom is NASTY. I give 2 two stars at least because of the affordability. I wont come back anymore. Just add a couple of bucks and rather go to NAGOYA in Naperville.
(2)
James M.

I cannot believe the positive reviews of this place dated 2014. This place has gone downhill over the last 2 years. I remember when this was the place to go when they opened up over 10 years ago but I think new management has taken over. The people who work there now do not understand or speak English or they are simply rude and just do not want to answer your questions. The floors, tables and dishes are dirty. One worker dropped a serving tong and simply picked it up and put it back into the food tray!!! Don't go into the washrooms, it is a nightmare in there. The food is terrible. Most of it is overcooked and flavorless. They destroyed a classic chinese dish of roast duck by mixing it with broccoli. No wonder i do not see any Asian customers there. Stay away from this place if you want good tasting and clean Asian food. I hope I do not get sick from my last meal there tonight.
(1)
Mary M.

I came here on a Monday with my mom and brother. We paid for dinner and the total for 3 adults added up to around $45.00. That's $15.00 per person. I still remember back then they used to charge $11.00 per person! But now it's $15.00 for nothing much to eat? I rather go to the one on Hoffman Estate for $21.00 with seafood. So that day we were doing some shopping around the area and decided to stop here to eat, my mom loves their cappuccino. However, the machine was out of cappuccino. So my mom asked the waiter to refill the machine and he told my mom that it's out of order today. Uh oh, so my mom went to ask the manager about the cappuccino machine and the manager refilled it up for my mom... SO, WHY DID THE WAITER SAY ITS OUT OF ORDER?! -__- Some bad service there. Anyways, to the food.. Nothing interesting at all. I tried their crab legs and they are very salty. If you want crab legs, you have to ask one of the kitchen employees to bring them out for you. I would skip the sushi part. Their salted pepper shrimp are pretty good. I like their eggplants and crab ragoon. They have many variety of ice cream which I love. Other than that, there's nothing really special about this buffet at all. Just like other typical buffet. Will I return again? Not sure.
(2)
Michelle I.

Eh was ok!? I've had much, much better! I think this ends our experimental lunches at the Chinese buffets! Sure it was cheap- $29 for 3 lunch buffets which included a soft drink. I'm not a seafood person and this buffet was loaded with seafood! Besides the seafood there wasn't much else! A few appetizer type things. They had great ice cream which was advertised as Breyers so of course that was good! As we looked around the room was filled with Asian people which I guess is good that they'd eat their own food!? Next time my friend is doing Italian!
(3)
Darren F.

before the new royal buffet by Hoffman Estates was open.. this was my favorite buffet to go to.. i come here a few times a year and every time the food was consistent.. the food here is not bad for a buffet and of course it got its ups and downs on their food.. the service is OK.. the place is semi clean.. and on weekends it can get pretty busy and very loud... oh and sometimes there would be lobster there too! overall its a decent buffet to go to if you are around the area.. you wont be disappointed..
(3)
Nelson M.

Restaurant Review 14.75 seafood buffet! We may have a winner here. My opinion about royal buffet has been mixed in the past. There is quite a selection of seafood and non-seafood chinese food however my last memory of this place was crazy kids running around, super sticky floor, and a upset stomach so I was surprised after a 2 year hiatus I was back and I enjoyed every minute of my dinner. Here is a play by play snap shot: Black bean and fried clams- fresh and delicious, 2 portions was not enough Fried smelt- a weird yellow coating, but otherwise nice and crunchy Black bean and flounder- fresh, clean white fish seasoned perfectly Shrimp w/ veggies- they must have used corn starch because the shrimps were huge and super crispy. Good though! Grilled 1/2 lobster- for the dinner buffet you get a pass that you take to the grill. There is a wait so get in line early, but the lobster was a good 1 lb type lobster with meat in the tail. No claw though. It has a nice cheese/mayo topping. The table next to us was nice enough and gave us a pass for an additional 4 Stir fried green beans- nice and crispy, wish they would cut the ends off though Honey glazed shrimp w/o walnuts- nice and crispy, large Conch- ehhh I'll pass next time. Shell fish w/o the shell that was extra crunchy lacking flavor Fried shrimp- large, crunchy, good BBQ Duck- delicious, you can pick which pieces you want. i would recommend the drumstick and breast meat Seafood soup- not quite sure what they put in it, but it reminds me of egg drop with random bits of seafood. Add some red vinegar for more flavor Oysters- people were snagging these like gold. Next time I will have to pass. Meat is runny and slimy. Might not be fresh Crab head stuffed w/ bread dressing- all the crab head goodness is long gone replaced with some hybrid stuffing. Fried chicken- good, classic chinese dish Sweet and sour chicken/pork- overglazed and over fried Stir fried crab- 100% dead with mushy meat, i would pass Shrimp on skewer- perfect, hot off the grill Minute steak- cooked to order by the grill, perfect Dessert selection- small petite four (prepackage but okay), butterfly cookie Capuccino machine- super ghetto with a button tapped up, but it actually taste good with the sweets Soft serve- you can't go wrong. I avoid the tubs of ice cream even though they have green tea and taro. Too many hands dipping into that mess Other foods that I skipped include a whole slew of chinese hot foods (egg rolls, crab rangoon, etc) There is also a sushi station with below par sushi. Lots of sushi with small amounts of fish. Stir fry station also is a plus, you can pick your own stir fry dish. The restaurant is now less busy and cleaner which is a huge plus. Come early to avoid the line. Pro- great selection of seafood, not expensive, something for everyone, free 1/2 lobster off the grill w/ your meal Con- sushi is below par, can get dirty when busy, desserts could stand some work Hidden deal- Local mailer for coupon savings.
(4)
Emily C.

I despise buffets, homage to American gluttony at best. My parents are buffet junkies, and my husband loves them because he can get almost all of his daily 5000 calories in one meal - they even have my 5 year old son hooked (I weep). I actually like this buffet because they have a full sushi bar with veggie sushi, including Stuffed Tofu (I don't eat it but they have it) and seaweed salad. They have a delicious diakon and carrot salad, a few veggie dishes and a mongolian BBQ stocked with meats and veg. Blue Cow Ice Cream bar is my hubby's favorite. I like the fresh lychees.
(5)
Edward B.

One of my sons is a big fan of Great China Buffet in North Riverside. My other son and I hate the place. I promised the fan that we'd go there for dinner, but luckily remembered the yelp reviews I saw for Royal Buffet. It took some work, but we convinced him to try it. BTW, I think this is actually in Downers Grove. It was a Saturday night, so we were surprised by how busy the place was at 7:30pm and had to wait about 10-15 minutes for a table. One good sign? The place was packed with Asian people - a sure sign that we'd made the right choice. I'll definitely be back, but will choose a less busy time for certain! My son really enjoyed the crab that he got. The line for the premium seafood is kind of crazy and makes the place even more crowded and a bit difficult to maneuver around....again, going at a less busy time will hopefully make that less of a let down. A couple of other things we got (small fried crabs and lobster) were a disappointment - not very good. Also, shell crackers are available, but you have to ask one of the servers for one (or get one from the box at one of their stations. Took us too long to figure that out. The food on the buffet was overall very good, putting other Chinese buffets to shame. There were lots of authentic items such as chicken feet and pig stomach stew. The sushi was just OK and a nice surprise (my second son loves sushi). Interestingly enough, the bathroom was a mess....why does that seem to be a universal thing at Chinese buffet places???? Whatever - I didn't go there for the bathroom, so not a concern for me.
(4)
Jim L.

A generous 2 star. Hot food items were cold/tepid. Soup was hot. Food was just eh food. Bathroom was dirty.... urine on the floor $12 on a sat night..... could have done better with the money Won't be back. Broken machines/out of order in customer areas.... just useless clutter. Staff did keep the buffet restocked but couldnt understand the cold food.
(2)
Matt W.

Most authentic Chinese buffett i have been to in Chicagoland. My favorite is their stir fry line. Why? For protein lovers like me, you can stock up on chicken, shrimp, sausage, veggies and let them throw it on the flattop. If i lived near here, i would come here to eat every time I got done with a work out. Super packed with families on the weekend so make sure you aren't spilling food on little kids running around you near the buffett.
(4)
Jin C.

Great variety of food. Good for large or small groups. I would certainly return.
(5)
Sheila C.

Adore this place! Their chilled shrimp are wonderful. I could eat my price of admission on that one item. They also have sushi and "stir fry while you watch" if you are into those items. This is a nice place to take a group because their is something for everyone to eat. Typical "buffet" mass produced but all decent to eat. Complete with desserts and AYCE soft serve ice cream. Nice!
(4)
Amanda R.

Just no. Completely overpriced ($15/person) which you pre-pay before you even see the buffet. I should have asked to take a look at the offerings first. Lesson learned. Completely mediocre. I realize that my tastes tend towards more "Americanized" Chinese food, but this is not worth $15. The stir fry line seemed to have a decent selection. That's the only nice thing I'll say. No sweet and sour. No crab rangoon. No sesame seed chicken. Just skip this one.
(1)
Karin K.

We were supposed to meet at Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates last night - but due to unforeseen difficulties - we ended up in Woodridge instead. I don't know why I didn't Yelp first - but that's my lesson learned. It's about a third of the size of the other one and definitely less than a third in quality. So - because it was so late, I ate a bit first - then stopped to take a look around. I'm not going to write up paragraphs to describe it all but Ouch! Like others have mentioned - filthy bottles, shakers, floor, etc - filthy. Slow service. On a Friday night - I wasn't even sure if anyone was working the stir fry. I instantly got an upset stomach and went to use the rest room. I can't even describe how bad it was - had I gone in here first, I would not have touched a bit of food. I would have rather gone to a gas station. Last two notes - unlike like Hoffman Estates - there is no alcohol here and two, they still have up their Christmas decorations. So gross - NEVER ever going back.
(1)
Peter T.

Food was not warm. Ice cream had freezer burn. Food was bland. The $15 cost is too high for the quality of food.
(1)
B. D.

UPDATE: As of June 2012, the bathroom situation has been improved but it is clear the building they are in has some issues with the plumbing in the bathroom. Aside from that issue, you cannot beat the price for the variety as I stated in my previous review.
(4)
Sean B.

I've noticed that most of the people who don't like this place are missing the point about it -- I dare you to find a bigger Chinese buffet with more selection, and a Mongolian grill, and sushi, and serve your own-drinks for the price. I've been to at least 50 Chinese buffets and this one has the most consistently FRESH food -- and possibly because of their immensely high turn-over (it is usually packed this place, and the lady who was mentioning the Asian moms was possibly onto something). The seafood is good, the spicy chicken is good, they have nice stuffed shrimp and much more. I usually stock up on eating for days here. The think I like the most about it though is that as you get closer to the back, the buffets get more and more authentic. So if you are a guy like me who hadn't ever had nose or feet or strange octopus dishes before, this is an excellent place to sample them without laying out for an entree. The staff has always been helpful to me at pointing out their favorites among the more exotic dishes. I recommend you ask a staff member to point out a few favorites, they really know what they are talking about. I've never liked the New China Buffet across the street. This place seems to be getting ratings slammed by some New China bias enthusiasts so bear that in mind as you read through these reviews that this place might be experiencing ratings sabotage.
(5)
Min Joon D.

THIS BUFFET IS NOTHING BUT A PIECE OF SH*T!! We went to this buffet when dinner just started. They had a great selection of food, but the food tasted old and disgusting. How can you possibly mess up fried rice??? Also, the restaurant owners are extremely stingy when it comes to crab legs. They didn't bring it out on the buffet tables, but you had to ask for them. It's fine if I have to ask for them, but when I am given a dirty look by chinese people when I do ask....hell to the f*cking NO! The price is extremely high for what you get....low quality food made by stingy chinese people who dont understand the term ALL YOU CAN F*CKING EAT and BUFFET! never coming back again.
(1)
Janet W.

I usually consider myself very respectful of other people's opinions. But uh, anyone who doesn't give this place at least 4 stars... I am judging. You must not appreciate Chinese food at all. Okay, fine. Maybe your rating system is very different than mine or you're a vegetarian. IMO, best Chinese buffet in IL. I heard they just opened another Royal Buffet in Schaumburg that's supposedly better but I haven't been there yet. They offer a lot of authentic varieties, which means heavy seafood and odd animal parts: frog legs, chicken feet, pork ears, ox tail, dungeon crab, river clams, oysters. My highlights are the stir-fried lobster and fresh lychee/longan. They don't have lobster every night and weekend so call ahead and ask (this is how serious I am about my lobster). You do have to wait in line for the lobster to come out but if you're in line when they start serving it, you'll always get a piece. If you time it right, you don't have to be in line for long. Their Americanized Chinese food are okay... walnut shrimp was as far away as I got from authentic food and I loved it. You can pass on the sushi and their attempt at Korean food. Really though, if you haven't been to Royal Buffet yet, this is all you need to know: $15 = lobster buffet (just make sure to check that they're serving it that night or Sunday)
(5)
Linda M.

Alright people, it's a buffet. So really what do you expect? Is it good quality food, No. Is it a lot of really half way decent food, Yes. I went here for lunch. The price was right for the amount of food that was offered. I'm not a seafood person, so can't comment on that. I did have the standard Chinese food, it was good. Lot's of veggie dishes. I love mushrooms and they had lots of dishes with them. The Hot and Sour soup was good. I didn't try the stir Fry Station. Mainly b/c during the time I was there I didn't see anyone go up to use it. Some of the food items did not seem hot enough (Temperature wise) . Many of the items were not labeled. Same went for the Sushi, you had no clue what you were eating till you took a bite. The ice cream was good. Soft Serve and Scoop Ice Cream. If you're really hungry this is the place to go.
(3)
Matthew M.

hm. it was aight it was aight. :3 There wasn't anything bad about it except the food was quite hard and salty :O pee wee ! Their sushi was aight it was aight! :3 service was pretty aight it was aight! They didn't mind if we had left over food on the plate so it was aight it was aight! Price is also aight it was aight! LMFAO :3
(3)
Andy M.

One of the largest and best offerings of a Chinese buffet I have seen anywhere in a long time. i went there,sat down, and stuffed my face with some tremendous Chinese food. I had enough shrimp and lobster to satisfy me for a long time. It was delicious and I highly recomend this place for those out there that really enjoy Asian buffets. Weekends are more expensive and crowded though.
(4)
S I.

Really hate to slam on a place but I feel it's warranted. Drove 45 mins to get there from the north burbs. Got there around 8pm. We sit down and there are a decent amount of people 40-45. They have sushi, mongolian style bbq station, grill/pick your own meats, regular buffet, dessert stations. The Chinese food is ok. Some of the food was left out for an extended period of time and just looked stale and nasty (calamari, fried crab) some of it was ok. Nothing was awesome though. I had a gripe about the sushi. I know buffet sushi is usually on the lower end but this stuff looked just plain nasty. Ask anyone I know and I am one of the least picky eaters but this stuff looked god awful. Just dried out and nasty tasting. The kicker is they just put this stuff out. As for the dungeness crab and snow crab legs that was a disaster as well. There was a lady giving out snow crab legs they brought it out only once when i was there for hr and half. She only gave me one piece :( There was an angry black man that took offense to this and started getting loud and angry saying he's not coming to this mutha**cka ever again etc etc. I actually felt sorry for him cuz he really seemed to want it bad hehe. I wasn't that mad but still a little peeved. The dungeness crab was awful as well. I broke it open and it literally smelled like garbage and sewer. I let my friend who is from Seattle and knows his seafood smell it and he told me it was rancid and I shouldn't risk eating it so I tossed it what a waste. Only reason I gave it two stars was the ice cream. It was ridiculously good. Soft and creamy goodness. Being the fatty that I am I ate 5 scoops. :P As for the cleanliness of the facilities it was just plain nasty. The floors were sticky like a movie theater floor and the bathroom was nasty and dirty as well. Also not enough employees tending to the food. I would never go back here again.
(2)
Kathleen A.

Let me preface this review by saying I am not big on buffets AT ALL. However it is my family's yearly Christmas tradition to come here for lunch after church. Apparently us and 200 of our closest asian friends decided to do the same as well. The place was packed to the gills and it was hard enough just snagging a table. Because it was Christmas they were doing a special serving Lobster and Crab Legs. Let me tell you, it got UGLY in there. People were yelling and elbowing their way to the front to try to get a piece of seafood. I have never seen such animosity at a Chinese buffet, but I guess there's a first for everything. Besides that, this is an amazing place to eat. Come hungry, and pace yourself! They have a make your own stir fry bar, fresh sushi and tons upon tons of different Chinese food offerings. They even offer such american delights like french fries and chicken nuggets, which is kind of bizarre. I haven't had a bad thing here and I look forward to coming here every Christmas.
(5)
Cathaleya C.

Comfort food at its best for some Asians...
(5)
Sherry Y.

Food is awesome - this coming from a 2nd generation Chinese immigrant. Fresh, legit sushi, replenished in minutes, Szechuan style bbq, stir-fried vegges - so authentic given its position as a buffet! People literally line up for the seafood and other delciousness here. Recommend for everyone who has tastebuds and enjoys quick, real Chinese food buffet-style in a casual environment.
(5)
Jenni Q.

I am forced to come here every time there is a birthday, graduation or other family occassion where we have more more than 10 people. Pros: - Huge selection of food including seafood, sushi and a make your own noodle dish section - Cheap prices - Good service by the wait staff Cons: - Billions of kids running around unsupervised - Super crowded on weekends - Wait time to get a table is ridiculous - All food is mediocre at best - Long lines for the "premium items" (lobster, crab, etc.) - Everything is sticky, sticky, sticky Honestly, I want to scream and then take a nice long hot shower after I leave this place. Everytime I turn around I'm bumping into a little kid and I hate having to maneuver through the people waiting in line. I haven't found one thing that I actually liked and the thought of reaching into those scoop-it-yourself ice cream buckets makes me shudder. Oh yes, I'll be back again but defnitely against my will. Save your money and head to chinatown where you can get a family dinner for 10 at around the same price but you won't go insane from all this craziness.
(2)
Jennifer T.

Been here many times. Will give them credit for variety. Cleanliness isn't up to par so 3 instead of 4 stars. Food quality is what to be expected at buffets- decent but not mind blowing. Oh and if you go, expect to have your clothes to smell once you come home so I wouldn't ever where anything that's too nice to dinner here.
(3)
Tony H.

This place is awesome. Fresh food bc it's always replenished, no worries about yesterdays leftovers. Scooped ice cream as well as soft serve, lychees, logans, papaya and they don't skimp on the shrimp!!! Its not just plentiful but the dishes all have their individual flavors. Some buffets have food that all taste like they came out of the same pot, not here. There's a reason there's always a line to get a table. The buffet has the largest selection of seafood for any buffet i have ever been at. Its seven bars of food, including: sushi, Mongolian stir fry, open pit BBQ, ice cream. Yes a buffet is typically less than $10 but thy don't contain authentic sushi, lobster, crawfish, salmon, tilapia, Mongolian stir fry or an open pit BBQ all in one spot. When you go there be on the lookout for the kid who got put on lobster line duty by the rest of the family. This place is great. Hit up the crawfish, duck and if you're daring the frog legs and chicken feet
(5)
April P.

$14.99 per person for a buffet WITH SEAFOOD? Where Vegas??? NO, DOWNERS GROVE!!!! Yes, it says on Yelp this is located in Woodridge, but on their menus at the restaurant, it says they are in Downers Grove. I'll go with that! Upsides: the LOBSTER THE GRILLS - 2 types, one Mongolian for mixed stir fry, and the gas grill, where you can choose fresh seafood and meats, including steak, to be done right in front of you the crab legs the seafood Downsides: Mediocre, greasy Chinese food Sushi that tastes like it had been out for awhile Bathrooms aren't up to par Dinner mate made a comment, that had it not been for the grilled food, the place was the pits. Stay at home and grill your own food!
(2)
steph n.

Have you heard of a place that serves lobster in the buffet for only 12 dollars? I haven't....until now. Royal buffet is the mother of all Chinese buffets. This place has a made-to-order stir fry section, a sushi section, 2 entire lanes for seafood, 1 lane for an array of desserts, and 2 other lanes for authentic Cantonese dishes such as pig feet, dim sum, honey walnut shrimp, steamed flounder in soy sauce, and many more. During weekend dinners the line for the lobster can wrap all the way around the buffet place. However, don't expect the lobster to be the live ones. You obviously get what you pay for, and this definitely tastes like frozen lobster. Sometimes, I wait in the long lobster line only to have it run out just by the time it's my turn. Then I start getting mad and my stomach awaits in agony for another 15 minutes until they bring out the next batch of stir-fried lobsters. I love the fact that you can make your own stir fry at this place. If I want a stir fry with just 10 pieces of giant scallops, then I can make it with 10 giant pieces of scallops and add as much garlic as I want, enough to kill a vampire. They are definitely not stingy about their ingredients. I prefer the make-your- own-stir fry section because obviously the food is freshly cooked there versus the buffet food, however this place has a fast turnover of food because there is a constant supply of customers...especially on Saturday nights.
(4)
Art C.

Katrina. Haiti. Royal Buffet. I won't pretend to know what its like to be in a crisis situation, but Royal Buffet was as close you're going to get to one within the Chicagoland area. The moment you walk in, you are herded like cattle into a line to wait for a table (they call your number). My family and I waited about 40mins until we were seated. Then came the chaos. As if the line to get seated wasn't enough for you, there is another line for whole lobsters and crabs. A batch of these high ticket items will come out once every 10 mins, so the demand is high (as well as the tension). Even the slightest movement indicating you cutting into that line will result in at a minimum angry stares, and in some cases verbal abuse. To those folks, I PROMISE you, you will get your precious lobsters, calm down the f down, I was just trying to get the bathrooms :) Speaking of the bathrooms.. I frequent many Chinese restaurants in the city, so I give them certain liberties about bathroom cleanliness that I don't normally give other restaurants. This place didn't disappoint -- there was probably a half inch of urine soaking the floor.\ The food itself was mediocre. No lack of variety (they had everything from sushi, stir fry, frog legs, etc) but nothing I had stood out as great food. The crab legs I had were still frozen inside, and the lobster had this smokey taste to them I couldn't quite identify. After all this, why three stars? Well, outside the disgusting bathrooms, none of my gripes were really the fault of management. For $13, they still provide great value in the food they put out, and can't help if others see that value which makes it unbearably cramped. To Royal Buffet's credit, they actually manage the restless masses fairly well. Their numbering system avoids people pushing to the front of the seating line. The food gets replenished even before they run out of it. I wouldn't be opposed to coming here again, but perhaps during lunch or some time off hours.
(3)
Suz C.

Having Asian parents who are fanatical about Chinese buffets, I've been to many many many Chinese/Asian buffets. I have mixed feelings about this buffet. I know I will back to Royal Buffet again at the behest of my pushy parents who are in love with Royal Buffet, but I personally am unsure whether I would go on my own. First, I think it is interesting that Royal Buffet is in a strip mall (not much of a shocker) across the street from another mega-Chinese buffet, New China Buffet. The Yelp ratings currently peg New China as being slightly ahead of Royal in terms of stars, so I am sure my parents will want to try New China next time. Second, if you're looking for variety, there's plenty of it here. They have a stir-fry area, sushi area, seafood entrees, traditional Chinese dishes, and even an "American" buffet with pizza, french fries, etc. The food is good (for buffet food) and because of the crowds, the food turns over pretty quickly, so it tastes fresh. The line for the lobster is ridiculously long, but don't be deterred. My crazy mom got in that line and was back with her lobster in about 11 minutes. One word of caution, if you even stray towards the lobster area, you get a lot of angry stares and people ready to wring your neck, thinking you are going to cut in line. One woman did not realize the line was for lobster and was nearly lynched for foraying close to that area. Third, there is no real waiter service here. The attendants will bus tables after you're gone, and they're slow to pick up your old dishes while you're still there. You get your own drink, they don't get refills for you. OK, fine. But then, are you supposed to tip when they don't even really serve you anything? I went ahead and left a couple of bucks just to be nice, but no one else seemed to be leaving tips. Fourth, depending on when you go, it can get really rowdy in there. You might have a long wait. They have a number system, but I believe they take reservations so sometimes people can get ahead of you. We didn't have a wait at all, but then again we were there on Sunday afternoon at 3pm. So, in conclusion, pretty decent Chinese buffet fare (different standard than traditional Chinese restaurant fare), a LOT of people to maneuver around (but food turnover is pretty good and they're quick to fill empty dishes), easy parking, and a reasonable price (under $15 a head, I believe). A lot of my Asian friend's parents (notice, I said PARENTS) claim this is the BEST Chinese buffet in the Chicagoland area. Word of advice - do not come dressed in your Sunday best. If you don't want your shoes sticking to the floor or your nicest pants smeared with Kung Pao sauce that a previous customer left on the chair you just sat in....wear some VERY casual clothes.
(3)

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Address : 1400 75th St
Woodridge, IL, 60517
Phone (630) 322-8883
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
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 : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes

Claim Restaurant

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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Royal Buffet

1400 75th St, Woodridge, IL, 60517

Royal Buffet Menu

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