Went on a Saturday afternoon around 1:30. The place was pretty much packed...that's always a good sign when it's your first time trying someplace...especially a buffet. Very large selection...everything was well-stocked and steaming hot. My personal favorites were the chicken on a stick, crab rangoon and the sushi (yes! I ate sushi at a buffet and lived to tell about it!) But seriously...the sushi was well wrapped, fresh and cold. $6.99 for the lunch buffet...lots of choices...friendly service. We'll be back!
(4)
D W.
Really wanted to enjoy this place, sadly, almost hated it. The buffet was sparse, uninspiring and a "typical" buffet, so we ordered off the menu. It appears that this is the go to place for folkes that LOVE a return to buffet style "suppa" that's cheap. There was a real diversity in people eating here, which is great sometimes and at other times, speaks to the food quality. We left really unfulfilled with our food and service.
(2)
Hannah K.
Good food! Ate the unlimited hot pot, it was a bit spicy and I wished there was more veggies but overall a good meal! Would deff come back!
(4)
Sean B.
Solid buffet. Wanted something fast for kids, and this exceeded expectations. Hibachi grill decent, although no sauce-options like a Mongolian BBQ, but it's not supposed to to have that. Sushi rolls were good, lots of veggies, avocado, and a little fish but great compared to most grocery store options (which was our 2 option for the evening). I did like that the manager was closely monitoring the buffet and as favorites got low, he had staff on top of it. Things I always get and rate on Asian Buffets: Green Beans, Chicken Wings, Roasted/Smoked Chicken, General Tso's Chicken, Crab Rangoons, Sweet 'n Sour soup (just needed a bit more pepper, found on our table). All hit mark except Crab Rangoons which I like with more filling and a bit browner. What will have me go back is their Hot Pot ~$21 pp. Kinda tough to enjoy with our 4 kids under 10 yrs old and their needs of multiple trips to buffet and bathroom. But noticing others around us looked delicious with lots of condiments and really authentically tasty in appearance. They don't serve alcohol, so go to eat & enjoy a friendly conversation.
(4)
David S.
I went with their Chinese hot pot buffet and it was delicious. Ample amounts of meat and veggies. Very spot on and courteous service. Will definitely come back
(4)
Chris Z.
I came with my parents an opted for the buffet. The food was just OK... I guess it was a good value thought... I paid for all three of us and the bill was ~$21. There were others eating nearby that ordered off the menu... I think that is the way to go when you are here.
(2)
Michelle B.
The "secret menu" is delicious! But you MUST LOVE spicy food. The lamb is melting in your mouth. The pork hock is five spice flavored, very tender and moist. Did not try the buffet. Looked plentiful and interesting i.e. frog legs, crawfish, etc. There is sushi also. The place has an outdated decor but it was packed on a Friday night. It smelled heavenly and the staff is very helpful explaining the more authentic dishes.
(5)
Pras L.
Joy Luck Chinese Restaurant and Buffet doesn't need a review from this Asian Lady, it's good, plain and simple. Order from their Chinese menu and experience Szechuan at its finest, here in the Mid West. Actually, I prefer their food off the menu verses the buffet, and they offer a hot pot that is always a favorite here. So if you're adventurous and looking for a more "authentic" experience Joy Luck is a must do!
(3)
Nay M.
Best deal in St. Louis, 2 lunch buffets for under $20. Everything is fresh and the staff is the best. They also offer fresh rolled sushi on the buffet for no extra charge.
(5)
David W.
Ok. Please. If you have ever heard of Chinese Hot Pot and never tried it, this is definitely the place to go in St Louis to try it. I've been here twice now, in the past 2 weeks since discovering it, because I just haven't had Hot Pot in so long; it brought back a past craving. Hot pot is basically hot tasty soup constantly boiling where you cook meats, seafood, veggies, whatever you want in here. They have 3 meats, Beef, Lamb, Pork, a variety of seafood (squid, shrimp), vegatables, tofu etc. You can ask them for whatever and they will give it to you; we asked for egg and chicken as well. The Hot Pot itself has multiple flavors, but I definitely recommend the dual chicken soup, one side spicy, one side not spicy. It is all you can eat, you also get the buffet in the middle of the restaurant, as well as unlimited refills on any meat or seafood or whatever you want to cook. The service was good, all the waitresses were fun and friendly. We came as a group of 12 and ate for 2 hours and devoured the food, while making consistently asking for refills and making jokes with the servers. It was excellent. The meats and seafood were as fresh as you can get here in St Louis. So Definitely, I would recommend the hot pot buffet of Joy Luck. The normal buffet is very average, not very good food. Prices are 20 dollars per person for the Hot Pot, minimum 2 people. Make sure you ask for the hot pot buffet when you come here if that's what you want. It doesn't have the real crazy authentic Chinese stuff like Pork Blood but it definitely is worth the try.
(5)
Hoogaelric T.
The regular buffet is just awful. Food from the menu (including hot pot) is awesome. Buffet: not edible. The buffet food tastes like last night leftover and the sushi was stale. I was told before going that all they are capable of cooking is greasy chicken dishes. It's true, and cannot be more accurate. One bite of their Mongolian beef I couldn't help but spit it out. If order from the menu, you can have Chinese food that you will never experience anywhere else in St. Louis. Superb. I see both authentic and adventuresome Chinese cuisines. Impressive food quality, generous portion and reasonable price. I will not eat the buffet but will continue offering my business until I exhaust their menu items.
(3)
Dorothy C.
I have been going to Joy Luck every since it opened. The staff is very friendly. Their food is good, and the do refresh often.
(4)
EmmaMiya P.
This is seriously my FAVORITE buffet! I got delivery today because it's my lazy Sunday and I didn't feel like getting out. Their honey chicken is awesome! Their crab Rangoon has great flavor; however.... They need to quit skimping on the amount of cream cheese they put in the wontons. I let them know... Because there really was hardly anything in them! But great quality chicken and amazing food!
(5)
Cay W.
Been going here since i was a kid shits fire
(5)
Carrie C.
Seriously good food here folks. Off the menu that is. Buffet was meh. Menu item however. Yowzah. Watch your knees however as they have these little hot plate thingies in the middle of some tables for cooking right there at the table. Cool idea but it does inhibit the available space for your kneecaps. Good stuff though!!
(4)
Brendan D.
Finally ordered off the menu, usually we do the buffet. The food was beyond amazing; the service was lacking. We got the sweet and sour fried flounder, bok choy and chendu spicy pork hock. The flounder takes extra time to cook but was worth the wait. It's three whole fish in some of the best sweet and sour sauce I have ever had. The spicy pork hock, is chopped pork hock with a bunch of dried peppers and spices. It isn't overwhelmingly hot but very flavorful, there was one spice (like a bitter lemon flavor) that just didn't work for me but I still devoured it. We also got an order of boiled bok choy that was good. Our waiter wasn't very attentive and we had to find him to ask for a refill on our drinks while waiting for the flounder to come out.
(4)
Anastasiia T.
Tasty buffet-food for a good price +they have separate menu with a lot of different restaurant dishes for extra charge.
(5)
Jessica M.
I've been to Joy Luck several times because I have a group of friends that love ordering off their "secret menu." The "secret menu" is all authentic Chinese food, but they are best known for their hot pots. It's all really good, but everyone tends to order really spicy dishes and I don't have the best spicy food tolerance. They also have your tradition American Chinese food buffet. It's decent and about $10/person. Joy Luck recently reopened after a much needed remodel. The interior of the restaurant is now very nice but still has a slight 80's feel. Several of the tables have built-in heat pads that are nice if you order a hot pot!
(3)
Reanna P.
Wow! I came here several times when I first moved to this area and the food was good then. It's been a while since I've been here but I'm so glad I stopped by! The interior has been beautifully renovated. The food is even better than before and the price is still great! I will be eating here again! Update: watch your knees when getting into the new booths. Those hotplate tables hurt!
(5)
Mike K.
Very decent and tasty buffet selections. Lots of them. It's a deal for $9.99 at dinner time.
(4)
Nick L.
I ordered for pick-up. They said it would be 10 minutes but it ended up being over 30. The General Tso's chicken combo was too sweet with no other flavor except breadinf and chicken. It wasn't even spicey - at all. There was more breading than chicken and the chicken was so chewy, I couldn't finish it. The garlic shrimp I ordered (which costs as much as the lunch combo but is about a third of the size) was more flavorful but not especially good and not good enough to make up for the inedible chicken. The only good part was the egg roll, which seemed to be homemade. Unfortunately it was sat on top of my chicken so it was soggy by the time I got back to my workplace 5 minutes later. I'd like to say this place is your average Chinese, but it's not even average. There are better and cheaper places.
(2)
Godwin C.
It's not often you find a buffet try to do so many things for so many people, much less do it well. Typically, Chinese buffets are simple: Americanized Chinese food, a sushi station, maybe a hibachi grill, some generic desserts, and voila! Start making money. Every once in awhile you get places that want to be fancier, offering crab legs and some authentic Chinese items. Then you have Joy Luck: simple buffet to rake in some base profits, a full non-buffet Americanized Chinese menu for eat-in, takeout, or delivery, and FULL SERVICE HOT POT + MASSIVE SZECHUAN CHINESE MENU. Color me impressed. THE GOOD HOT POT: For those who don't know, Hot Pot is basically what the Melting Pot copies when you go there and eat non-dessert items. Boiling pot of stock, a selection of pre-cooked meats and vegetables, and off you go. Seems simple, seems sorta "what's the point" to some, but it's so fun! If the stock is done right, which is definitely the case here with their spicy stock, you get some really enriching flavors to pair with the food you cook. Speaking of the food, there are lots of options: beef, lamb, pork, shrimp, squid, tripe, tofu, enoki mushrooms, glass noodles, an assortment of vegetables and other stuff that I can't think of at the moment. Additionally, the dipping-sauce station: 20 different sauces to choose from for you to mix and match at your leisure. Finally, if you're eating with others and are a little concerned about the spice, they provide half-and-half pots with regular stock as well. Overall a great setup. Extra plus: The buffet is included in the hot pot price, just in case you want to gorge on some of that food too. SZECHUAN MENU: Have you had Szechuan cuisine before? No? Well be prepared to have your mouth on fire. If you like spicy food, this is the place for you. There are a lot of really good authentic Chinese restaurants on Olive, but none to my knowledge serve this wide variety of Szechuan-style food. It's even more impressive considering it's being cooked in the same kitchen where all the buffet food is coming from. If you want a taste of authentic China, ask for this menu next time. All you have to do is check the back of the restaurant and see large groups of Chinese people ordering off that menu to know it's legit. THE BAD HOT POT TABLES: Great food, good service, sore knees. Let me explain: a lot of the Hot Pot Accessible tables are based out of the booths, as the burners are directly connected from the floor to the tables. The shell around the burners take up a lot of space below the table, so it's a little uncomfortable if you happen to get one of the booths that sit tighter together. You have to squeeze your legs in. Too often have I banged my knee or had to sit at an awkward angle. Fortunately the food is worth it. If you want more space, request another table. They have plenty others scattered throughout the restaurant with a little more leg room. I wish they had invested in smaller burners that take up less space, but then again those cost a lot more money. Oh well. PURGATORY BUFFET: Should you go strictly for the buffet? Well if you're hankering to stuff your face until you can't move, buffet-style, you really don't have any other options in St. Louis. Honestly, Joy Luck's buffet is pretty bare-bones simple, but it will suffice as it's a good price point/cheap way to get full on decent food. OVERALL Joy Luck is so much more than a buffet. Of course, I know their bread and butter is the buffet as this is the most profitable part of their business and gets the most foot traffic. I just hope that people read and like the reviews discussing the more authentic side of their food. It's delicious-ness that deserves to be recognized and tried out by those adventurous (or nostalgic) enough to give it a shot. You won't be disappointed!
(4)
Daniel L.
This is probably the best Chinese restaurant in St. Louis. Don't get too excited: it's definitely not the best Chinese restaurant that I've been to, but hey, it's Missouri. It gets five stars for besting its modest competition, although in other cities I would probably go for 4 stars. I've never tried the buffet, but if you want to stuff your gullet it looks pretty good for that. The real gems are on the menu. They have an excellent selection of authentic Sichuan dishes generously seasoned with Sichuan pepper. If you've never experienced this, it partially numbs your mouth while infusing a unique flavor rather than making it feel hot. It's a whole dimension of culinary experience that you can't get at the vast majority of Chinese restaurants in the US (or anywhere else for that matter). The cold Sichuan noodles are an excellent example of this style. They recently added hotplates to a lot of their booth tables for hot pot dishes. It's also one of the only Chinese restaurants in the area that has hot pot that I'm aware of (big heated bowls of delicious hearty soup that you share with a group). Some foolish white people complained in previous reviews that this made their fat, buffet thickened legs uncomfortable because it takes up space under the table. Boo hoo: if you knew what it was for you wouldn't be complaining, and you would probably have skinnier legs too. I encourage you to try this place out and explore some things on the menu that you haven't tried before. Joy Luck has plenty of delicious dishes that you can't get for miles, but you have to be adventurous enough to say no to the buffet and give them a try.
(5)
Dean H.
I don't know why others have rated this place so high... Maybe they don't really know what food is suppose to taste like? The food at the buffet was old... it was mostly cold, stale, and bland. The crabmeat was artificial as well. On top of this, they really charged too much for a buffet.
(1)
Joseph W.
I have been to this buffet twice (once for lunch and once for dinner), and I must confess I thoroughly enjoyed it both times. The Chinese entrees were fresh and solid and the Hot and Sour soup is a favorite. The Mongolian Bbq portion of the restaurant is a nice option but I consider it "good but not great". Overall this restaurant has a great selection of food and the prices make it a very strong value for your dollar. Highly recommended and very little in terms of direct competitors in central St Louis.
(5)
Robert L.
The restaurant was a little difficult to locate; however, the food was excellent and was worth the effort to locate the restaurant. The restaurant was busy but was seated quickly. The food was freshly made, hot, and very tasty. The wait staff was courteous and was constantly trying to make my dining experience a great one. This is definitely a repeat visit restaurant for me.
(4)
Peter P.
Best hot pot in stl but I don't know what to compare it to... But it's really good for about 23 dollars. All you can eat yummy
(4)
Phil E.
My favorite for a well priced buffet and the menu items when wanting authentic. Recently remodeled Oct 2014. Now with hot pot burners at each table though it does eat up leg room in the booths. Taller/ bigger people should ask for a table. 2015. Finally ordered off the Sichuan menu and it was incredible. Loving heat in food (I love ghost pepper sauce) I ordered the Crispy chicken which is similar to what's on the buffet but in appearance only. The to order dish is much spicier with more red peppers than I have ever seen in a dish; the peppercorns left my tongue tingling which was a first time unique experience. The portion was more than enough to take half home to eat later, and believe me I can eat a LOT.
(5)
Mel A.
I have actually never eaten inside but have had some carry out/delivery food from here. First off, they usually deliver on-time and I think most of their foods are reasonably priced and taste pretty good. I've tried some other Chinese restaurants in the area but this has got to me my favorite. I absolutely love their beef fried rice. It is so flavorful and they give you a lot for the price! Recently, I tried their shrimp with lobster sauce and thought it tasted pretty good. I have also had their chicken chop suey and that also tasted pretty good. Even though I can't speak for the actual quality of their buffet service and food, I have to say that I definitely recommend their menu items. They give you more than enough food if you get the full order. I would say 2 people could get full off of an order. It is definitely a place to try out!
(4)
Jason N.
Went there yesterday for lunch after reading some of the reviews here. I love a good Chinese buffet and they had a nice selection of what you would expect to find with wider selection of sushi than I usually see. I'll definitely return. Cons- Most of the tables have built in hotplates and apparently to make that happen the base of the tables is very (very) wide, providing little leg room. I'm about 6' and it wasn't comfortable. I was seated at a booth so I couldn't push the seat back, might be better at a free standing table. Oddly enough they don't serve coffee. I mean, who doesn't serve coffee?
(4)
Mary M.
HOT POT!!! Mind Blown! Great interactive fun date!
(5)
Jason J.
Just stop by today and they still have not finished up the remodeling. The sign says November 18 but I talked to the manager there to make sure the date. It looks like to me the date to open the restaurant is still pending in the air. It is getting cold now and I really miss my hotpot. I am dying for hotpot now and my Sichuan beef. Gosh can they just open the restaurant.
(5)
Heather C.
I'll be honest - I've never *actually* been here...so I can't comment on the ambiance or anything. However, I have had their delivery and it's by far the best Chinese food delivery I've ever had, which is more than I would like to admit. I haven't tried anything I didn't like.
(5)
Allen L.
My wife and I have been looking for a *REAL* hot pot restaurant since she came back from China two years ago. This was the place!!! The buffet was what you would expect from a typical Chinese place. It was only slightly above average. That was just fine with me, I still had a full place of buffet wonderfulness. The highlight is the hot pot portion of the meal. Think of it like Chinese fondue without cheese. It's an oil/broth based liquid over a butane cooking top. We ordered half spicy/half non-spicy broth. It comes with four plates of raw meat and veggies to dip and cook in the perfectly seasoned boiling broth. They even have tripe...for those of you who can stomach eating an animals stomach lining. Haha! The staff was friendly and quick. My drink was never empty for over a minute. I was impressed by the whole ordeal. I will be back again. I am glad I only work a mile from here.
(5)
Andrew N.
This place was decent. Like the other reviews say, they have a ton of chicken dishes, but not any pork options and only a couple beef options. Having said that, the sesame chicken was very good. The pan fried shrimp and vegetable lo mein were also very good. The crab rangoon and egg rolls were sub par, but the fried wantons were delicious. The service was pretty good even on a busy night. The buffet is pretty inexpensive (~$9.50 for dinner). Basically, the conclusion is that for the price, it's pretty good. Pros: cheap, pretty good variety, good sesame chicken Cons: nothing spectacular, food is a little hit and miss
(3)
Paul L.
We liked the remodeling at Joy Luck. Prompt service with good selection and tastes. Steam pots look like the way to go next time.
(4)
Jason C.
Decent Schezuan food if you order from the menu. Not too bad for St. Louis. Somewhat reasonably priced. I did not try the buffet so I could not comment. The main dishes are adequately sized.
(4)
Thomas W.
Ask for the secret menu, you won't be disappointed! Their buffet isn't bad either but if you're looking for authentic Chinese Sichuan then you know what to do.
(5)
John S.
I read multiple yelp reviews before trying this place. After reading so many great reviews I expected a great meal. We also ordered from their super special secret menu that is supposed to be fantastic. With all of that being said, The Joy Luck Buffet was one of the foulest meals I've ever eaten. I can't figure out how so many people have reviewed this place so high. I'll never go back. Ever.
(1)
Qinyi S.
Me and my husband like Joy Luck. Great price for the stuffs they offered. They have more different dishes than other China buffet. I was craving the cold seaweed dish when I was pregnant and they are the only one restaurant (as far as I know) have it the way I wanted and it was good.
(5)
Joe G.
Ate here today and this place has done a complete 180 since I was last here last and gave it a one star rating. Completely remodeled. Secret menu, and the buffet was excellent, well maintained and properly heated and cooled. I will come back.
(4)
Anthony K.
This isn't the best Chinese restaurant, but it is certainly not the worst. Love the remodel and the new design of the tables. They even have the stir fry included in the buffet! I like the environment and the employees are very nice. Sometimes the buffet is GREAT, sometimes it's not so great. Lunch prices are amazing! 14$ for two.
(4)
Paul N.
Not a bad Chinese buffet. I go e when I am close. Pleasant staff, clean enough, sushi is decent. They do a decent lunch business but have plenty if seating .
(4)
Ashley L.
I went here Christmas Eve and the place was packed. That's okay. We ordered Carry-out will boxes to take food off the line. That was okay, too. The following is the reason why I'll never be back: I'm dead sure that carry-out and sit down pay the same price. I paid $21.00 for my husband and myself for pretty mediocre sized boxes and a small container for soup, I'm digressing, bare with me. About 5 minutes into looking about they brought out the ribs which on previous occasions my husband and I were able to take with no problems. Well, that day, apparently, they were off limits. There was no signage that said this so I was shocked when I was being scolded by a little Asian woman that everything was fine to take EXCEPT the ribs. Excuse me? With my petty little box versus the hounds in the restaurant that can gobble up all the ribs as much as they please for the same price I'm more than put off. To add insult to injury, she started talking to my husband in her native language on an assumption because he looked Asian he could relay it to me better. To her dismay, my husband is Korean and could not understand her one bit. I managed to get 3 rib bones before I was stopped which by the way took up most of my box leaving room for barely anything else. My husband was piling on the seafood because I can't eat shrimp or mussels (he rarely eats seafood because he is afraid of a contact allergy from a kiss--oversharing is nice) so the option to share his food was definitely out whilst my box apparently brought shame and dishonor to my family and thus was not allowed to take one of the few things I could eat there. If ritual honor suicide was an option to appease this woman I gladly would have committed it to avoid that situation. Or maybe if a sign was posted that the ribs are not for carry-out that could have stopped that from happening, too *hint* They weren't even that good is the saddest part.
(3)
Danielle L.
We always get delivery at home and work from Joy Luck. They have great typical dishes but the wonderful secret is their HUGE menu which includes hot pot. The buffet is meh but the menu items and hot pot make this place wonderful!
(5)
Melanie H.
Take out dinner on a Tuesday night. Restaurant was very full but my food was ready on time. Fried Potstickers were good with a nice balance of meat and vegetable but could have been browned more. Crab Rangoon was very good with a good amount of nicely balanced filling. Mongolian Beef was a huge disappointment. I was not happy when I opened the box to a sea of chunky cut white onions. I have never seen white onions in Mongolian Beef- only green onions. By the time I dug out the meat and couple of green onions I had 2 cups of white onions. The sauce and seasoning was also bland. I had dined at Joy Luck before and the dishes I ordered were good so this was hugely disappointing.
(3)
Amy J.
Food was ok; selection was ok. they kept everything fresh and full on the buffet, which was great. However, the service was terrible--they checked on our drinks only once, and never took any dirty dishes off our table. Also, something my husband ate was off-- he spent the evening/night paying for it. :/
(1)
Thomas P.
This is my favorite buffet in saint louis. The food is great. The lunch buffet special compares to none at a slim 7$. My favorite is their cooked green beans. I could eat a pound of those things. And the staff is friendly too! I highly recommend the Joy Luck buffet.
(5)
Wisdom L.
The cheapest buffet we've ever had. We read these positive reviews so we went there for lunch. The customer photos posted about this place are dishes from the menu. The buffet is disappointing. All they are capable of is cooking chicken: orange chicken, sesame chicken, fried chicken, sweet chicken, ginger chicken... Only one beef and one shrimp dish, to tell you that the red-meat and seafood categories are not empty. Nothing else, Literally. They even fail to offer fruits except those canned fruits - foul processed fruit without any healthy vitamins floating in aspartame water. (we saw some grapes) There is a sushi bar where people make something that barely called sushi. Rice rolls with some cucumbers/seaweed is what it is. Great services? Well, they led us to a table and then left. After we almost finished one plate of all kinds of greasy chicken, they realized something and came to ask us something to drink. The price is reasonable. This is the reason for two stars.
(2)
Katherine B.
Seriously, $7 lunch and $9 dinner. 2 people ate, with tip, for less than 20, and we were full for the rest of the day (and night). I especially liked the Honey chicken, egg rolls and the General tso's. The rangoon was nice too, not dried out like you might expect, and the fried rice was good- and it had pork in it. And I topped it off with almond cookies. And of the course, the bf lets me in on the secret that they have real authentic stuff - and according to fellow yelpers, I need to make a special trip back for that. Will do!
Jason and I came here for lunch today. After seeing some reviews and passing it so many times, I thought it was time to give it a shot. We got there around 1pm and it was fairly busy. Immediately we gave our server our drink order and headed straight for the buffet. I opted for the hibachi and sushi bar. Jason got some sushi as well. All was fresh and very good tasting. The hibachi meal I got was extremely tasty too. I feel the teriyaki sauce he had used to cook with my food was a bit bland, but this wasn't something that couldn't be resolved without adding some low sodium soy sauce or duck sauce to it. Service was really nice and kept up with our drinks and plate removal. My only complaint there is he gave us our bill before we even got our first plate of food to the table. I guess you could look at this as a positive point of view though-- you don't have to worry about waiting on them bringing the bill to you last minute if you are in a rush. I'd say this the prices are very affordable for lunch. We paid $6.49 each plus $1.50 for bottomless soda. I'll definitely be back!
(5)
Yiqing H.
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Saint Louis! Great food and customer service, they love feedback. As a Chinese, the real Sichuan dishes are great, as they are the real taste of Sichuan food. Every time I've got a visiting fellow, I always take them to Joy Luck. Hotpot is also one of my favorite. I love this place, and I highly recommend you all to try at Joy luck.
(5)
Connor R.
Simply the best Chinese buffet I've found in St. Louis. That does not mean authentic Chinese cuisine, just good american favorites, though they do have some more adventurous offerings if you ask for a menu. Lunch is cheap, the food is actually the right temperature, and the quality is consistent. Avoid the sushi, but other than that I've never had anything bad.
(4)
Carrie O.
Their buffet is only so-so. I've had worse but I've certainly had better. The problem was the service - I was there for an hour and from the time I was seated until I went up front to pay my bill, I never saw a waiter or a waitress. The gentleman who "seated" me (and by "seated", I mean he waved his hand toward an empty table) and brought my drink never once smiled or said welcome. No one came to clear plates, check to see if all was OK, or offer a refill on soda or water. It's not like it was terribly busy, either - I'd say it was only about a third full. There are plenty of other places with better food that at least *pretend* they're happy to see me and my money, so next time I go out to eat, me and my money will go somewhere where we'll at least get a smile.
(2)
Don F.
Egg foo young on a buffet was the bomb. Everything on the buffett was very fresh. They kept it filled. Iwas very good. One of these days I will try the genuine Chinese menu, but not next time because I am having the hot pot! A table next to me ordered it and it looked delicious.
(4)
Joshua H.
I live and work in Maplewood so Joy Luck is very convenient for my family and I. There really is two Joy Luck restaurants the first is the average buffet and the second is the secret authentic cuisine. We normally eat at the buffet. For around $30.00 for a family of five it is exactly what you would expect. The buffet is dominated by Chicken for lunch and becomes more varied at dinner featuring frog legs, ribs, and many seafood dishes. Sometimes the service is slow especially with drink refills. The buffet is always hot and fresh. Do eat the spring rolls skip the sesame chicken. Bottom line expect to get what you pay for, this is not P.F. Changs!
(4)
Claudia S.
Wonderful place & food- been going for years but just went by for lunch yesterday and it is closed! What happened? Where did you go? Are you coming back? The doors were open, there was a commercial dumpster out front, kitchen equipment out the side door, the dry-erase price board and other lobby stuff outside the doors. Phone number gave a busy signal. I soooo hope this place just moved or is coming back! After I posted this I saw Phil's post below. Thanks, Phil! Glad they are just remodeling.
The crab Rangoon is terrible. Maybe a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture, with no sign of crab. The general Tsos chicken is alright. The chicken was over breaded and it didn't have the spicy kick I'm used to. The hunan chicken was sub par. The chicken was dry and the sauce was pretty bland. The delivery was service was the highlight of the experience.
(2)
Crystal W.
We ate here because it got such good reviews. We got there right when it opened so the food was as fresh as it gets. It was not great, nothing wowed us at all. It had an average selection of food but if you are a foodie then this is not the place for you. The place was cold which made our food cold as well. Perhaps if you order food fresh it would be a different experience because there is apparently a secret menu that offers more authentic choices.
(3)
Hao X.
Honestly, I don't like this place for buffet. It's not great and icky and bleh. It shouldn't do buffet at all, in my opinion. Then again, there are people who like the all you can eat, standard, americanized Chinese option... so if that's what you want, have fun! You'll enjoy it. However, this place is one of the best places to go for REAL SOLID SICHUAN STYLE Chinese food. They use a great blend of sichuan peppercorn and oily chili peppers that make my mouth completely numb but happy. Ideally, you would go with some chinese people to this place. I highly recommend the fu qi fei pian (spicy cow tripe? not sure what it's called in english). It's my favorite. One of my best friends really likes the pickled veggie and fish soup. We also get some sort of spicy beef or fish that "boiled" but it's really cooled in really spicy liquid (shui zhu niu or shui zhu yu ). There's some chendu style meat that's really good and something with cumin in it too. I can't remember which one is lamb and which one is ribs... but they're both AMAZING. so... yeah... if you like REALLY REALLY REALLY SPICY AND DELICIOUS food, you can't go wrong ordering from this place. :)
(5)
Tracey W.
Yelp needs to keep me around, if only because I provide a much lacking white-trash perspective on dining in St. Louis. While the rest of the reviewers of Joy Luck Buffet recoiled in horror at the buffet here and ordered off the "real" menu, I literally clapped my hands like a 3-year-old when I saw the buffet. Thank God I was there with kindred spirits who shared my enthusiasm for deep-fried "Chinese" food. The nice thing is that they had something for everyone. Whether you just want some sweet and sour pork, or you prefer to order something you can't pronounce, they probably have it here. The service was the best part!!!! SUPER attentive staff who seemed genuinely appreciative of our business. Per usual, I don't approve of the name of this business. But I'm finding more and more that the cheesier the business name, the better the actual business. Good food. Good people.
(4)
James H.
Cheap but filthy. Been here a few times. Prices are reasonable, under $10. But it's always dirty. They don't bus their tables. Filthy tables everywhere.
(3)
Chris B.
It's not much to look at on the outside or inside and the location isn't all that great, but the food was very good. There was a wide variety of dishes on the buffet, fresh sushi, and a Mongolian grill all included in the cost of the buffet. (the buffet and a drink was about $9 for lunch) The wait staff was always quick to take away dishes and keep your drink filled. When I first went in, I was a little leery because there weren't many people there, but then the place filled up quick. They also have a pretty good sized menu if buffets aren't for you.
(4)
Kat V.
Hot pot. Hot fantastic. Serious foodgasms. Got the half bland half spicy. The spicy was a bit tooo spicy for my mom's taste. The dipping sauces were a little bit different than what I had before possibly due to regional differences. Brings back memories of grad. school. Ate hot pot on cold nights with a bunch of buddies. Long & sometimes intellectual conversations peppered with humor ensued. Will sooo come back & bring some buddies who have never had such delicious enjoyment on their palates. Awesome staff & great ambience. Loved the bathroom (women's bathroom that is).
(4)
Kent C.
Buffet: Pretty wide assortment of food. It's a pretty good value. Food is pretty decent for a buffet but my ultimate favorite would have to be the fried chicken wings. It's pretty difficult to find Chinese fried chicken wings in St. Louis for some reason, but they have'm and they're pretty good. Last Sunday when I came here for lunch I ate two plates of them. Disgusting I know, but oh well that's me. So you may wonder what does the Buffet INCLUDE!? 1. Variety of food in hot trays, other random things such as cocktail shrimp. 2. Sushi bar 3. Stir-fry station 4. Real ice cream - not that soft serve stuff you usually find. My favs from the buffet smorgasbord: 1. Fried chicken wings 2. Chicken skewers 3. Mussels All-you-can-eat hot pot: They pretty much have everything you would want and need. I forget the price cause I haven't been in a while, I think it's around $18 now. I don't think they have watercress though, what a pity... :"( Regular menu: The regular menu here is actually pretty good and authentic. Can get a lot of you favorite Chinese dishes here. I think my only gripe with this place is that they definitely use a good amount of MSG.
(4)
Danielle M.
Officially the new "go-to" spot for Chinese - especially since they are open on Sundays - the ultimate lazy, I just bought groceries but don't want to cook, last day of the weekend, best day for Chinese food day. They are cheap, quick, and have some of the better Americanized "Chinese" food I've had in a while. Maybe on another Sunday I'll check out the buffet and the other menu - provided of course, I'm not still in my PJs and have brushed my hair.
(4)
Jeffrey F.
Skip the buffet, ask for a menu! New and improved menus now featuring English! Sort of. Fans of the 'Engrish so Funny' meme website will understand. They have a very solid selection of Sichuan style dishes. Very spicy if you aren't familiar with it. The Chengdu Beef was very tasty. While very spicy, it had a delicious flavor that wasn't overwhelmed by the all the peppers. My mouth was a bit numb. But it was not unpleasant. If things get a little too real, you'll also have a huge bowl of rice with your dish. It will help with the heat a bit. Don't worry about running out either, its a much larger bowl of rice than you will need for your entree. I really want to come back sometime with a group and try the hotpot. Unfortunately my usual partner in crime has no desire to try it. So I'll have to put a crew together and go without him. If the buffet is more your speed. They do that pretty solid too. We have done that option many times, as I was afraid to try the menu before they added English. I speak no Cantonese, and don't think I know anyone who does. So that option was kind of closed to me before. Just know that the menu items are far superior than anything you're going to find on the buffet.
(4)
Paul C.
Cheap but bland. Everything tastes the same and all chicken dishes - one beef dish and no pork. Better to find a place where you order off the menu for better quality and taste.
(1)
Kelly B.
Great buffet and service, with reasonable prices. Good family place, clean, friendly, pleasant atmosphere and really tasty food!
(4)
James P.
I've been to Joy Luck many, many times with my girlfriend. She's Chinese and has assured me that this is one of the few places in St. Louis where really good szechuan food is to be found. I've never written a review because the best food was to be found on a menu written only in Chinese. There was an English menu but it wasn't even remotely the same. This has now changed and ignorant westerners are able to order the good stuff. First things first, yes there's a buffet and it looks thoroughly average. I've never once been tempted by it. If you, like me, aren't asian, the wait staff will probably assume that's what you want. Just ask for the menu. A few words about the menu-- First, unlike some places that put a little chili pepper next to menu items that are, at most, only mildly spicy, Joy Luck's little pepper means that the dish is likely swimming in chili peppers. Personally, I'm obsessed with a fish soup they do with various pickles. I'm also a big fan of their eggplant. If you, like me, enjoy eating innards, the beef and tripe appetizer (again, swimming in chilis) is great. They also do a hot pot here that's pretty great. You get a big pot of two kinds of broth that is cooking away on a little burner. You dip into this various meats, veggies, and seafood, cooking it all to your liking as you go. Loads of fun! My advice is to go in and just order things even if you don't know what they are. Explore a little! Eat something about which you feel uncertain! It's one of life's great pleasures. ....or...I guess you could go with the buffet. PS: some reviewers have mentioned that this place looks dingy. It did, but recent renovations have improved things.
(4)
Jessica L.
I grew up eating hot pots and when someone asked me for a hot pot meal, I was totally up for it! Decor: Ample seating around the restaurant. It's pretty big. In the center, towards the back a bit is the buffet area with nice large pans of steaming food. Service: We spoke Mandarin to the waiters and we didn't have a problem. It did take them a while when we ordered tea or something, but it was fine. Don't expect A+ service. Food: While the Chinese buffet is nothing to rave bout (it's not my thing, but I know some people looovee it), I do have to say they have quite a selection. Meats, vegetables, fried wontons, etc. They have a killer ice cream selection though- an entire cart full where you can choose and pick what you want. Okay, the cream of the crop is the hot pot. While it was not the best one I've had (in terms of size and freshness and quality of ingredients), it was decent. For about $20 for AYCE, I think it's quite a deal. We stuffed our heads silly at this meal, so my stomach definitely felt the aftereffects. Hah, I didn't get hungry for like the rest of the day! Overall: As the selection for hot pot is slim in STL, I think this place is alright to do it at.
(3)
Janika H.
the food was decent, average amount of choices. sushi though from a buffet was edible sliced pretty decent and looked fresh. Regular choices nothing to over the top. would i come back yes but only to do with my kids, no date night or just something for me and an adult to do absolutely not. P.S. horrible bath rooms. I did not order from the menu so i can only go on the buffet.
(3)
Gina S.
The reviews of this place are pretty mixed, so I went in with low expectations for the dinner buffet. It was pretty busy but getting a table is no problem...the place is larger than I thought. After experiencing the buffet first hand, I would equate it to an Old Country Buffet or the like...only Chinese; food made in mass quantities but not made very well. The buffet has a huge variety of dishes. The temperature of dishes is all over the place, some things were cold, some were warm. I tried nearly a bite of everything I typically like. I started with the sushi. Which was a huge disappointment, it was NOT fresh at all. I couldn't even finish the whole piece of each roll I tried. It had a bad fishy taste, as apposed to the fresh fish taste. My hubby mentioned they had frog legs, so what the heck lets try one of those too, it looked like chicken. It should didn't taste like chicken tho. It had a real funk in the flavor, I nearly gaged. Not to my liking at all, I'll stick with chicken. The egg rolls and wantons were less than par. The pot sticker I tried to cut with my fork spewed oil at me like a cherry tomato, I didn't attempt to eat it after that less than appetizing display. The only memorable dishes that I actually thought, "hmm, not bad", were the black pepper chicken, chili chicken and hot and sour soup. My only constructive criticism is, I wish the chicken were in larger chunks. It was mostly breading and sauce. It could have been so much better if the chicken was cut in larger pieces the flavors were good. The hot and sour soup was one of the better soups, nice and peppery with a kick of chili. The desserts tasted stale or very dry. I think the place was so busy because where can you +1 eat all you want for less than $20?
(2)
Tommy H.
This review is for their menu orders, not buffet. Joy Luck has got a great selection of traditional Chinese food. This place has always been know for Szechuan cuisine. And they definitely do their dishes right. Chengdu spicy beef was awesome. The spiciness is toned down a bit but can surely be changed upon request. I will definitely revisit.
(4)
Leslie S.
OK, I'm upgrading from 1 to 2 stars since they re-vamped their buffet. Atmosphere - 4 stars (the place was re-modeled, better lighting, looks nice, buffet and furniture look newer) Food - 2 stars (they make a point of stirring the food and bring out fresh refills of their dishes, but it still doesn't taste better than what I've had at other Chinese restaurants - buffet or not) Service - 3 stars (everyone was very nice there and seemed pretty hard at work) Value - 2 stars (charges the same as what other buffets do and while they are clean and keep things fresher, the taste of the food still doesn't earn this price)
(2)
Russ B.
I'm always nervous about going to buffets anyways because I don't like the thought of so many people's paws near the food I'm going to eat. however, I'm even more nervous when there is not a single patron's car in the lot! Who knows how long the food has been sitting out! Place was reasonably priced $9 for dinner. Food was ok but, well let me rephrase it was acceptable given that I was famished. Nearly all the chicken dishes were fried/deep fried and if you had told me they just went and picked up some popcorn chicken nuggets somewhere and added it to some sauce I totally would have believed you. Not much variety here either, maybe only 5 entree options. Overall - if you go to a Chinese restaurant that is run by mostly Mexicans and a couple fobs then be prepared to use some pepto as a chaser
(2)
Harmony R.
Went there last night with my fiance and 4 year old son. We were seated quickly, the waiter offered us a menu, but we opted for the buffet. I was in the mood for something quick and easy and really wanted to try their sushi. So the bad stuff first: The wait staff wasn't as attentive to us as they were to others. We are an interracial couple and we are both modified though so we are use to the stares. We had a kid sitting next to us who was constantly staring lol. We had to pretty much run down two different servers to get a refill on tea. And that's the end of the bad stuff :) The GOOD stuff: The buffet was actually pretty good. It's Americanized Chinese food, but it was done right. The food was constantly changed out and fresh, there was a fairly large variety of meats and sides and everything was really good. They had the typical style buffet, full salad bar, a good selection of deserts. I will warn, most of everything was fried. They had roasted chicken, some steamed seafood, baked seafood and that was it. There were a variety of different sides to compliment the dishes. The fried rice was good, not great, but it wasn't bad. I did enjoy their hot and sour soup, it was delicious. The sushi selections were few and varied from eel to basic California rolls. They only had a few out at a time and the sushi chef offered to make me something. The quality was good, rice was cooked properly, cut into proper sizes and not falling apart and/or dry like other buffet styled sushi. Random decoration thoughts: It was functional, but don't expect elegance, it was a very laid back place. The bathrooms were kept clean and well stocked. Dishes were clean, food areas kept clean and floors clean. Nothing sticky and no smushed food around the buffet floors. Overall I enjoyed it, when I don't have my son we'll be going back to try the things on the menu.
(4)
Emily M.
Pretty much the best Chinese buffet place in town!!! Always is clean, servers are friendly, and the food tastes amazing! Centrally located so that no matter where we are in STL we can swing by for a great meal.
(5)
Craig B.
Hands down Joy Luck my favorite Chinese buffet in St. Louis. The buffet offers every appetizer known to man, tons of dishes, and even sushi. I learned yesterday that the warm donut like dessert is heavenly when combined with the chocolate pudding. Think of it like a stuffed beignet. The buffet is very affordable coming in at $7.04 (no beverage ordered).
(5)
Vik S.
Came back here on a Sunday evening to try some more stuff. The experience was mixed. Once again, kicked off with the Calamari in Ginger Juice for an app ($6). Once again, it was fantastic. I took the advice of Zach X. and tried the Shredded Pork w/ Garlic Sauce ($9). It was pretty damn good, with flavors that reminded me of hot and sour soup. It was a bit too saturated in sauce, however. Great portion and plenty to take home. Now the not-so-good. We wanted a vegetable dish so we went for the "Chinese Vegetable Surprise" or something like that ($8). It was a gamble that did not pay off. It was basically a ton of bok choy leaves with pieces of tomato and eggplant, drowned in some sort of brown sauce. Unfortunately the sauce was kind of slimy. I couldn't imagine actually eating a piece of the slimy bok choy. I did pick off some of the pieces of eggplant which were also slimy, but pretty tasty. But overall I really can't see anyone enjoying this dish. Our service, while friendly, was not very attentive. We had to flag the waitress down a couple times. They seemed understaffed. I won't dock any stars because I still think Joy Luck is a gem. But I will be a bit more cautious next time.
(4)
Victoria W.
This place is sort of a hidden treasure, the food variety is AMAZING. We decided to try the buffet and hot pot, which is about $20 per person. The buffet selection was already so varied that by the time we got our hot pot, we were already kind of full. Nonetheless, a good amount of meat, fish and veggies were brought out for us to dip in our hot pot. On my way walking to the buffet station, I also see a family dining eating food ordered off the menu, I do have to say their food looked amazing and very authentic. When I say authentic I don't mean spring rolls and beef fried with broccoli, I mean brothy Asian food that is light, and very fresh and flavorful, reminds me of passion-infused cooking in China. The price is a bit steep, and the noise level was a bit high, and the place was kinda not very attractive from the outside, I wish they can figure out a way to integrate the hot pot in with the buffet for a lesser price, for that reason, 4 stars.
(4)
Jessica R.
Price is great. Buffet food selection is good. Food quality, is ok to fair. It use to be kinda dark and dingy, but since they remodeled, it has been better.
(3)
Victoria H.
Buffet is soso - like any other american chinese buffet. I give hotpot 4 stars. Only reason my family comes to eat here is for that. The spicy is spiced with sichuan peppercorns, which numbs your tongue after a while. The mild is good too. We get half and half. The meats are always fresh. The mabo tofu is also the best we had in this area.
(4)
Bash A.
As many of the posters have suggested, skip the buffet and ask for "the special menu" or the "authentic menu" they will bring you a very big menu of ACTUAL chinese food. I got the Chengdu Spicy Beef and the Wontons in Chili Sauce and couldn't have been happier. You will notice a lot of Chinese people eating here, they are ordering from a totally different menu than the one you will be presented with if you are a Western looking person. Ask for the menu of real Chinese food and they will happily bring it to you and ask where you heard about it. This is seriously good stuff. Don't be afraid, it's good.
(5)
Alan L.
$19 for hot pot, which includes the buffet (so you can grab a couple pieces of sushi or crab rangoons or whatever) seems like a pretty good deal to me! They have both spicy and non-spicy soups, and you can make it half-and-half too which is really important if you have people in your group that doesn't eat spicy. To start, they give you a plate of beef, a plate of chicken, and a plate of pork. They also give you a plate of vegetables--pretty standard stuff: cabbage, enokitake mushrooms, cellophane noodles, etc. I *think* it's unlimited plates of food. I'm not sure on this one because the initial amount of food we got so much that had trouble finishing. We ended up asking for more cabbage and mushrooms and that was free so I would assume more plates of meat would be free as well.
(4)
Victor C.
Don't listen to the people who have rated this restaurant anything under 4 stars. It is either: 1. They eat the buffet here (which really sucks, but cheap) 2.They don't really enjoy AUTHENTIC Chinese food and order off the Americanized menu The REAL gem for this restaurant is indeed it's menu that is in all Chinese. not one English letter is on it. If you still don't know yet, but Joy Luck specializes in Sichuan Food (or as you white people like to call it, Szechuan). This type of Chinese food is extremely spicy and will likely leave your tongue numb for at least an hour after your meal if you order off the Chinese menu. Perhaps their best dish is their Chengdu Fried Chicken w/ Pepper (I don't know the English name, just describing what's in it) It is very spicy and if you enjoy eating spicy foods then this is a must try. Their beef w/ pepper (once again the English name is unknown to me since I order it in Mandarin) and Kung Pao chicken are to die for. The Kung Pao Chicken is possibly the most authentic Kung Pao chicken you can get in the Midwest and possibly this side of the Mississippi. IT IS THAT GOOD!!! I highly recommend going with someone who can read and speak Mandarin when going to this restaurant because if you order off the "white" menu then you will get very mediocre Chinese food.
(5)
K W.
They have a lot of varieties on the bar, even sushi. The food taste good but it was luke warm . The sushi was tasty but the desserts were blah tasting. I rate it a 2 because the food was cold and when we got there the bar was empty and the food that was out was cold. They later brought more food out but I expect the bar at a buffet to always stay filled with warm food. It was not crowded that day either
(2)
Zach X.
As far as I know, this is the only place around St. Louis where one can find authentic-ish sichuan food (from the in-restaurant menu, not from the buffet or the takeout menu), and it's good but not great. What I've tried (I may be a little off on some names of dishes because I'm going off memory): Water-boiled beef: name is innocuous, dish is not. Slices of beef in a spicy broth with hot peppers and sichuan peppercorns. Tasty. I believe they have a fish dish that basically just substitutes fish pieces in the same broth. Twice-cooked pork: really good flavors in this dish (it's a sichuan standard - pork belly boiled then sliced and stir fried with leeks or some similar vegetable in chili bean paste). The amount of fat involved with pork belly (both in the pieces and what accumulates in the sauce from stir-frying) might be off-putting for some. I wish the pieces of pork belly were a little crispier. Lamb with cumin: very very tasty, with more central asian flavors than typical chinese. Here the lamb is in little hunks, whereas generally this dish is made with really thin slices (which I prefer). Dry-fried chicken: another sichuan standard - little pieces of chicken on the bone that are stir fried until crispy, with sichuan peppercorns. Somehow they achieve this without drying out the chicken - not real sure how that works. In any case it's highly recommended; some may have problems with the little bones though. This restaurant seems to have a habit of throwing hunks of bell peppers into dishes where it's really not necessary, and they do that here. Shredded pork with garlic: usually this dish is translated as fish-flavor pork or strange flavor pork; this is REALLY good version of that dish. Little slices of pork and various vegetables stir-fried with a very unique spicy-sour sauce that they get just right. Country-style tofu: hunks of deep-fried tofu in a pretty flavorful broth. Ok, but not particularly memorable. Various dishes involving greens stir fried with garlic: good, and an excellent companion to other spicy, meat-heavy dishes.
(4)
Laila C.
pretty much one of the few deliciously authentic Chinese restaurants in STL. Whenever I visit my parents, Joy Luck is definitely one of the stops. I pretty much always order the same things, but it's always satisfying and served in large enough quantities for leftover lunch the next day. Order off the menu, ask the owners and staff what they'd recommend. If you love spicy food, you'll be in luck. I'm so shocked that a city as big as STL has so few good Chinese places. As long as my parents live in this city, I'll always come to Joy Luck when I visit them.
(5)
Arkiemah S.
My husband and I hated this place. Maybe we went on the wrong day or wrong time (we went Tuesday at 2:44pm). There wasn't that much to choose from, and the items they did have were way too sugary. The waitress never came to check on us to see if we needed anything. Some good points are that the hostess was very polite, and my husband liked the bathroom....he liked it so much that he wants redo our bathroom. smh. Anyway I was very disappointed with this place. Will not be returning back.
(1)
R G.
Great sushi selection, but they need to clean the place up.
(2)
Chrissie C.
Went here for dinner with friends - honestly I did not have high expectations. I have been to many buffets before in my day with family, and you are always asking questions "how long has this been here?", "is that chicken or pork?" Well not here!! The food was great! Good selection and A+ quality in ingredients. But what will make me come back is the SUSHI BUFFET! That's right - for $8.99 all you can eat Sushi and Chinese buffet! Now the sushi is not the best in Saint Louis, but I mean all you can eat for 8.99 - why not try it!!! They are constantly putting out new rolls and new styles. Note: They have no beer or alcohol - felt odd asking and finding out they have none. So I am saving you the embarrassment ;)
(5)
Victor V.
Just got back from dinner buffet ($8.99 before tax and senior discount), free standing building, not a strip mall location. Service was prompt: as soon as I finished a plate, it was gone. The decor was comfortable and seating was very open with booths around an open center table area but like many Chinese buffets it's a destination for a meal with a friend, not for an intimate date to impress. Lots of variety throughout including on the sushi side; plenty of chicken and shrimp dishes, including whole shrimp and carve-it-yourself roast beef. You couldn't try everything in one meal. Had 2 moderate plates. Kept asking myself, "Do I really have room for anything more?" Decided I did and had a half cup of egg flower soup to which I added white rice and veggies. No one's going home hungry here! I'm a truck driver so parking is important to me. I was lucky enough to leave my trailer at Sam's Club and bobtail over. Still, the parking lot had filled enough when I finished eating that although I had straddled two sets of parking spaces, it was a little tight on leaving and I had to be careful of the parked cars around me. Four stars with better parking, but more than ample for your little 4-wheelers. Very solid 3 stars to 3-1/2.
(3)
Koneiie Z.
This place is great, but you won't tell from the outside. $7 for lunch, $9 for dinner, what a cheap price relative to other buffet restaurants. They also have many other choices such as walnut shrimp, sushi, crab, kongbao chicken, fried rice, steam rice, and more more than you can think. They also have desert and fruit! You also can order from the menu individually for those spicy foods, they are delicious too!
(4)
Iffat B.
I love this buffet!! I've been there several times and their food is so good. I especially love their coconut shrimp. That stuff is amazing! They have a good selection of meats including chicken, beef, and shrimp dishes AND it's reasonably priced. What more can you ask for from a buffet??
(4)
Jeff W.
I used to go to Joy Luck on a regular basis and always found it to be ok. I recently stopped in in mid-Feb 2012 and was surprised to see the place had been renovated and is now much nicer than before. They also seem to have gone an "all you can eat buffet" all the time establishment. I can tell you the food is what you would expect from a Chinese buffet with all of the regular menu items available but I was a little shocked (and happy) to find they installed a sushi bar as part of the buffet options. If you like Chinese buffets you will probably like this one and the price is very cheap. I cannot complain about Joy Luck as it is what I expected and have come to know: Chinese food on the cheap.
(3)
Yan Z.
My family has been coming here weekly for nearly six years, so I'll leave it to the child psychologists amongst you to analyze the impact of Joy Luck on the development of my teenage identity or whatever. Like Fight Club, the first rule of Joy Luck Buffet is that you don't talk about the buffet. Get the fuqi feipian to start (morsels of tripe and marbly beef slices soaked in chili oil topped with tingly spices); order the ma po tofu, cumin-braised lamb, garlic eggplant, or one of the spicier chicken dishes so that the complimentary pot of rice on your table knows the meaning of its life; and round it off with a bowl of delicious, hearty fish soup with vermicelli. Ignore the fortune cookie if you'd like. It's already a miracle of luck that Sichuan food like this exists in the Midwest.
(5)
Tim L.
At my work every day is a different take out day, and today's was Joy Luck. I ordered the curry chiken since I have been in a curry kick for the past few weeks. Good price, great portions and tasty. No idea what the Chinese relationship is to curry but the dish was simple and worth ordering. I say try it out. My cube smelled great all week, despite what my co-workers said.
(4)
Mark P.
This is an update to my previous review. New owner, new paint, new buffet, and much better. It's still not the best buffet in St. Louis (that belongs to Emperor's Palace in Chesterfield), but it's much better (jumping from 2 stars to 3 stars. Hope they maintain the better quality. But my Chinese friends tell me the menu food (as opposed to the buffet food) is excellent.
(3)
Jerome H.
I'm grading this solely on the buffet, as that's what's they've called the restaurant. I would have absolutely loved to have tried the real Chinese food that apparently exists here, but unfortunately they've decided to name their place a buffet and motion people who come in straight to their troughs of nearly-inedible food. Why do they do this? I don't know, but it doesn't speak well of their business. What speaks worse of their business is the food on the actual buffet. Blech and forgettable, like the Chinese food you'd get out of a freezer case. I think I found seafood that was crunchy when it should not have been. Otherwise, completely forgettable food and nothing giving me any reason to go back. The wait staff was also servile to a fault.
(2)
George N.
Ah what it felt like to be young, 19, and completely broke again. That's the feeling I got when I sat down to eat at Joy Luck buffet. Your standard regurgitated Chinese American buffet fare. But for a $6.50 lunch buffet special it's actually worth the money. I found this place to be pretty descent. And it's the only other buffer I know of that isn't First Wok buffet in Crestwood. If you are in the mood to just pig out on some Chinese buffet, come here. It does the job, that's for sure. It's off Manchester Road.
(3)
Ce Y.
The four stars are NOT for their buffet!!!! Sorry but I wouldn't touch that buffet line with a ten foot pole knowing their chefs are capable of soooo much more. We came with friends who were familiar with their "other" menu, the one that is written in only chinese!! We ordered some really authentic Sichuan cuisine, this stuff is better than what we had in San Francisco. For starters we had a a spicy appetizer made of thin slices of tripe?? (not sure what it was, but it was good) and marinated beef coated with a super hot chili oil and garlic sauce. Then we had a sour fish soup which as funny as it sounds has a good balance of flavors and because of the sour veggies there was no fishyness at all to the soup. Next we had a spicy beef dish, which had a nice sauce but the beef was a little over marinated and some of the beef flavor was missing. The veggies dish was average and boring, I will spare you the details. The spicy popcorn chicken (not its real name, my interpretation only) was awesome. Nicely marinated chicken pieces fried to perfection with a spicy coating and served along side a bunch of hot red chili peppers for an extra special presentation.
(4)
Karen B.
My daughter spent last summer in Beijing and when she was visting over Christmas she mentioned she'd been craving "Hot Pot." Hot Pot? I hadn't heard of that before, but knew after she described it that I had to have some too. After searching on the internet, I decided to try Joy Luck Buffet. I met two friends and we shared a pot, half spicy, half no; as well as a little bit of everything you can cook in the hot pot: thinly sliced lamb, pork and beef, fish balls, shrimp, squid, an assortment of vegetables and some garlic oil, peanut sauce and fresh cilantro to add to the flavors already in the broth. The meat was fresh and tender. The lamb was particularly good. The flavor and texture suited the hot pot very well. The fish balls and squid were good, of course. But the shrimp was fabulous: sweet, tender and succulent. When ordering the Hot Pot, one can also dine at the buffet which includes a large variety of Chinese dishes as well as a sushi buffet. However we were so enamored of our hot pot meal we never made it to the buffet. I found the table to be uncomfortably crowded, and the service not very attentive, which is reflected in the rating I gave. The decor was somewhat dingy as well. And since I can't really rate the buffet due to not tasting a thing (other than an almond cookie), my review is incomplete. But I say give it a try. I'm a new fan of Hot Pot and look forward to another hot pot meal.
(3)
Jen J.
If you are looking for a nice comprehensive Chinese buffet, I would recommend Emperor's Palace in Chesterfield Valley over Joy Luck. If you are looking for a cheap Chinese buffet, then this place is decent enough. But really, the attraction here is the Chinese menu, not the buffet. As a Chinese person who has eaten at all the Chinese restaurants in town, I recommend this place over all else. As far as I know it is the only place that offers Chinese style hotpot, which is similar to Fondue at places like the Melting Pot but with a bigger variety of ingredients and unlimited amount of vegetables and meat. The pot itself is placed on a gas burner and divided into "spicy" and "nonspicy" sections which will already have pre-made soup base inside when the pot is placed on your table. The waiter will initially bring you dishes of lamb, pork, beef, mushrooms, tofu, glass noodles, shrimp, squid, imitation crab, cabbage, two types of sauces (some sort of sesame sauce and garlic oil which is pungent and gives you horrible breath for days after-wards - I swear. I can't get it out of my system after 10+ times of teeth brushing) and a bowl of cilantro. Once your pot is boiling you can drop whatever you want from the plates into it and wait a few minutes for them to get fully cooked before you fish them out with these special spoon made of wires. When you run out of soup or any of the ingredients, you could request more. It is delicious (esp on winter nights) and $17 dollars per person after tax. Other than hot pot, their regular items off the Chinese menu are also delicious. They are known for their spicy flavors, which is a signature of Sezchuan dishes (These are fairly authentic Sezchuan cuisines, not your takeout places bearing Sezchuan in its names) Highly recommended for asians looking for authentic Chinese dining and for non-asians who are feeling adventurous :P
(5)
Jonathan K.
The buffet here is terrible. We came starving and looking for something to satisfy our Chinese craving, and this definitely was not it. Most of the dishes were just bad. They had a decent amount of things to choose from, but I had a hard time finding anything that actually tasted good. The chicken wings and small donuts were the best things, even though both were only decent at best. I'd head somewhere else for Chinese.
(1)
K S.
If you ask for food from the traditional menu it is awesome and spicy. Ghizu chicken, Chendu lamb and braised eggplant are our favorites. Regular menu and the buffet are good for what they are, but if you're looking for a foodie experience ask for the traditional menu. Unfortunately some dishes are a little oily so that's where the 4 stars come in instead of 5.
(4)
Freida C.
I have been ordering from Joy Luck Buffet for about 7 or 8 years now. The kicker is: I have never been to the buffet. I always order via delivery (I live in the Clayton/U City area). The delivery is free, and they offer pretty awesome coupons (e.g. free order of crab rangoon or egg roll with an order of $15 or more).. AWESOME! The portions are generous, the price is CHEAP, and the quality of the food is undoubtedly one of the tastiest in the STL area as far as Chinese goes - I am not joking. I couldn't believe it the first time I tried their food. I have heard from others that the buffet is not as good compared to what you get straight off the menu... I am of Asian decent (not Chinese though), so I have the "Asian Taste Buds" - and tend to get picky with some items at a Chinese place (even though I am not a picky eater in general). I even asked a Chinese co-worker of mine recently that if he had to pick some Chinese restaurants in STL that were his faves, what would they be... He named 3 (based on taste alone). He said: 1. Joy Luck Buffet (again the "straight off the menu" items, not the buffet) 2. LuLu Seafood Restaurant 3. Wei Hong (Grand) Amazing, eh? I was both shocked (and not so shocked) when he picked my beloved Joy Luck as his first choice... Here is an example of stuff I have delivered to my house from Joy Luck (I'll take an example of my order from JUST TONIGHT for me and a friend) *Hot and Sour Soup for 1 (VERY spicy and huge portion) *Egg drop soup for 1 (again, huge) ----soups come with a big bag of crunchy noodles---- *vegetable lo mein (comes in 1 size - but it's a lot in there) (By the way, Joy Luck's Lo Mein is the best I have had in the STL area. I cant speak for what is served in the buffet, but get it delivered! You won't regret it...) OK, back to the order... In addition to above, *large shrimp fried rice (wow, VERY delicious) *steamed pot stickers (the sauce with this is soooo good. i actually pour a little bit over my noodle and rice) Pot stickers also come fried, but I recommend the steamed. Because this order was over $15, I asked for the free crab rangoon (it's a coupon they have on the front of their take out menu). 6 crab rangoons come in an order... Again, the delivery is free. The grand total of the order (with tax) was *drum roll please* $18.75. That's right. $18.75 There are LOTS of leftovers, and the leftovers continue to taste good! If you saw how much food this was, you would think it was an error. It never is. It is ALWAYS this cheap.... and ALWAYS good.... Please try this place. It's a hidden treasure to mid-county residents as far as delivery goes... You CANNOT beat it.......
(5)
B N.
So everyone says the authentic food is spicy. I ordered the mapo tofu and although it was delicious I didn't break a sweat or get that zingy-numbing feeling at all. But I am a fiend for spicy so maybe my tastebuds have a high tolerance for heat. I'll definitely come back though and try the intestines and the hotpot.
(4)
Nowell G.
If you visit this place, be sure to order off of the menu. The buffet offered is run-of-the-mill American Chinese fare, complete with a salad/dessert bar, and some very decent egg drop soup. The menu, however, is delightful. I've ordered from this place many times (delivery) and love their fried rice, which is a world apart from the brown fried rice offered in most St. Louis Chinese restaurants. You can actually taste the ingredients, instead of soy sauce. A funny story: I visited Joy Luck with a friend, and sampled the buffet. While we were picking away through our beef and broccoli, we noticed people filing into one of the back rooms, behind a curtain. One of the servers asked a patron if he was Chinese and he said he was "half." The server opened the curtain and allowed the young man in, where I spied a large round table, with a lazy susan in the middle of the table, complete with a communal hot pot that was being enjoyed by all. I immediately looked at my plate, filled with crab Rangoon, rice, and sweet and sour chicken and wished I was Chinese. I asked the server if that was something that people did all the time, and he said mostly Chinese people ask for that, and that particular group was a private party. That's something to consider if I ever decide to bring a large group into Joy Luck.
(4)
Jason H.
This buffet isn't great it is just the standard cheap chineese buffet. There are pleanty of better ones. I would suggest finding one of those. They also do takeout meals, they are also very cheap but not very high quality.
(3)
Amy X.
don't eat anything from the buffet. even if you're from Kansas, think chow mein is "real" chinese food, and/or still tell chuck norris jokes, don't eat the buffet. instead, ask for the chinese menu. get the fuqi feipian, dandan noodles, "water-cooked" fish/pork/beef, the kidney with garlic. the mapo tofu is good but comes with an inch layer of hot oil on the top, so naturally, order it whenever you get a chance. if you can't read chinese, look for the closest table with chinese people around you and ask for what they are eating. or, close your eyes, point to something on the all-chinese menu, and inhale when it comes. next time, remember the approximate proximity of the item on the menu so you can order it again (don't worry, that's what i do too).
(5)
Steve M.
I was looking for a chinese buffet to cure this jones I have had for some good cheap chinese food, after my visit to joy luck I'm still looking. Lets start with what was wrong, the place was pretty damn dirty. Now I have been to plenty of hole in the wall chinese joints and while this was not the worst, it was pretty bad. If you are going to be dirty, you better have some damn tasty food to make me forgot that you don't know about things like sanitizer, towels and the back and forth motion that accompanies them. That brings me to the food. I got there right after they opened thinking maybe this would get me some hot and fresh food.. not so much. The food was cold but honestly that was the least of the offenses. I started with the Mongolian pork and while the overall taste was ok the pork was very very chewy, and it wasn't just one or two pieces, it was all of it. Next was some dish with diced chicken, at least I think it was diced chicken because it was undefinable and not like any chicken I had ever had before. All of the pieces where of different size, shape and texture, many where fatty, gristly, and just not edible. It was as if they took the bits they couldn't use for anything else and used that for this dish and about 3 others. The beef and broccoli was pretty tasteless but the beef was at least not chewy and the broccoli was probably the best thing on the buffet which isn't saying much. I tried small bites of various other dishes along with an egg roll and all of them where pretty bad. By this time, I was feeling really weird and thought, "if I don't sick from this, it will be a miracle", so I cut my losses and got the fuck out. Others have stated that the food off the menu is good, I won't be finding out anytime soon but if you do try your luck, stay away from the buffet.
(1)
Liz S.
I ate here for the first time about 2 years ago and had a very bad experience. Gave it a second try recently and it is fantastic. My new go to place for Chinese carry out.
(4)
Jennifer B.
Want a variety of Chinese food that is all you can eat and is reasonably priced? What's that, you say you want it to taste great as well? Well then, you're looking for the Joy Luck Buffet! It just doesn't get any better! The service is home style and fast. You'll be brought right to your table immediately upon entering and your drink will be waiting for you before you can even return to your seat after visiting the buffet. You're choices range from General Tso's Chicken all the way down to fruit slices. Don't forget to try the sesame balls, they're delicious! Once you finish your plate, just set it to the side of the table and go for more food. Usually the used plate will be gone by the time you return. Don't want buffet food? That's fine, just ask for their menu! They have plenty of entrees to choose from as well.
(4)
David O.
We tried the buffet a couple days ago (on a Sunday), the seafood egg rolls were fresh and tasty but everything else was awful. They offer a huge variety of options, there was enough food out to feed a 100 people but probably were only going to feed 20. And that, I think is the problem, nothing seemed fresh, everything seem like it had been sitting around for hours if not days. Even the ice cream was not right... my two year old took one bite and said ewww!
(1)
Margo S.
I LOVE this place. The buffet is just a typical Chinese buffet. My kids like it -- mixture of chinese food and some american, with lots of dessert choices. The dumplings and fried chicken are standouts. But the reason to go is for the menu food, which doesn't overlap with the buffet at all. Ask for the Chinese menu in English, unless you read Chinese. I've lived all over the country and eaten at tons of places that foodies swear by, in NYC, DC, LA, and other places. This is better than nearly all of those. My absolute favorite is the fish fillet with pickled red pepper, which is very spicy and flavorful (garlic, ginger, pickled pepper). But there are other outstanding choices, too: the ones I order often are chengdu lamb, mah poh tofu, szechuan dumplings. The bok choy with garlic is excellent, too. But I could list six other items, just as well. Everything on the menu is great. If you don't like spicy food, be careful to stay away from the starred items. And I have to admit, the bathroom is kind of grungy. Lots of folks love the hot pot here; if you go, you'll see many Chinese families eating that, communally. I like it, but like the other stuff from the menu better.
(5)
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Address :8030 Manchester Rd
Saint Louis, MO, 63144
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
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.
Emily Z.
Went on a Saturday afternoon around 1:30. The place was pretty much packed...that's always a good sign when it's your first time trying someplace...especially a buffet. Very large selection...everything was well-stocked and steaming hot. My personal favorites were the chicken on a stick, crab rangoon and the sushi (yes! I ate sushi at a buffet and lived to tell about it!) But seriously...the sushi was well wrapped, fresh and cold. $6.99 for the lunch buffet...lots of choices...friendly service. We'll be back!
(4)D W.
Really wanted to enjoy this place, sadly, almost hated it. The buffet was sparse, uninspiring and a "typical" buffet, so we ordered off the menu. It appears that this is the go to place for folkes that LOVE a return to buffet style "suppa" that's cheap. There was a real diversity in people eating here, which is great sometimes and at other times, speaks to the food quality. We left really unfulfilled with our food and service.
(2)Hannah K.
Good food! Ate the unlimited hot pot, it was a bit spicy and I wished there was more veggies but overall a good meal! Would deff come back!
(4)Sean B.
Solid buffet. Wanted something fast for kids, and this exceeded expectations. Hibachi grill decent, although no sauce-options like a Mongolian BBQ, but it's not supposed to to have that. Sushi rolls were good, lots of veggies, avocado, and a little fish but great compared to most grocery store options (which was our 2 option for the evening). I did like that the manager was closely monitoring the buffet and as favorites got low, he had staff on top of it. Things I always get and rate on Asian Buffets: Green Beans, Chicken Wings, Roasted/Smoked Chicken, General Tso's Chicken, Crab Rangoons, Sweet 'n Sour soup (just needed a bit more pepper, found on our table). All hit mark except Crab Rangoons which I like with more filling and a bit browner. What will have me go back is their Hot Pot ~$21 pp. Kinda tough to enjoy with our 4 kids under 10 yrs old and their needs of multiple trips to buffet and bathroom. But noticing others around us looked delicious with lots of condiments and really authentically tasty in appearance. They don't serve alcohol, so go to eat & enjoy a friendly conversation.
(4)David S.
I went with their Chinese hot pot buffet and it was delicious. Ample amounts of meat and veggies. Very spot on and courteous service. Will definitely come back
(4)Chris Z.
I came with my parents an opted for the buffet. The food was just OK... I guess it was a good value thought... I paid for all three of us and the bill was ~$21. There were others eating nearby that ordered off the menu... I think that is the way to go when you are here.
(2)Michelle B.
The "secret menu" is delicious! But you MUST LOVE spicy food. The lamb is melting in your mouth. The pork hock is five spice flavored, very tender and moist. Did not try the buffet. Looked plentiful and interesting i.e. frog legs, crawfish, etc. There is sushi also. The place has an outdated decor but it was packed on a Friday night. It smelled heavenly and the staff is very helpful explaining the more authentic dishes.
(5)Pras L.
Joy Luck Chinese Restaurant and Buffet doesn't need a review from this Asian Lady, it's good, plain and simple. Order from their Chinese menu and experience Szechuan at its finest, here in the Mid West. Actually, I prefer their food off the menu verses the buffet, and they offer a hot pot that is always a favorite here. So if you're adventurous and looking for a more "authentic" experience Joy Luck is a must do!
(3)Nay M.
Best deal in St. Louis, 2 lunch buffets for under $20. Everything is fresh and the staff is the best. They also offer fresh rolled sushi on the buffet for no extra charge.
(5)David W.
Ok. Please. If you have ever heard of Chinese Hot Pot and never tried it, this is definitely the place to go in St Louis to try it. I've been here twice now, in the past 2 weeks since discovering it, because I just haven't had Hot Pot in so long; it brought back a past craving. Hot pot is basically hot tasty soup constantly boiling where you cook meats, seafood, veggies, whatever you want in here. They have 3 meats, Beef, Lamb, Pork, a variety of seafood (squid, shrimp), vegatables, tofu etc. You can ask them for whatever and they will give it to you; we asked for egg and chicken as well. The Hot Pot itself has multiple flavors, but I definitely recommend the dual chicken soup, one side spicy, one side not spicy. It is all you can eat, you also get the buffet in the middle of the restaurant, as well as unlimited refills on any meat or seafood or whatever you want to cook. The service was good, all the waitresses were fun and friendly. We came as a group of 12 and ate for 2 hours and devoured the food, while making consistently asking for refills and making jokes with the servers. It was excellent. The meats and seafood were as fresh as you can get here in St Louis. So Definitely, I would recommend the hot pot buffet of Joy Luck. The normal buffet is very average, not very good food. Prices are 20 dollars per person for the Hot Pot, minimum 2 people. Make sure you ask for the hot pot buffet when you come here if that's what you want. It doesn't have the real crazy authentic Chinese stuff like Pork Blood but it definitely is worth the try.
(5)Hoogaelric T.
The regular buffet is just awful. Food from the menu (including hot pot) is awesome. Buffet: not edible. The buffet food tastes like last night leftover and the sushi was stale. I was told before going that all they are capable of cooking is greasy chicken dishes. It's true, and cannot be more accurate. One bite of their Mongolian beef I couldn't help but spit it out. If order from the menu, you can have Chinese food that you will never experience anywhere else in St. Louis. Superb. I see both authentic and adventuresome Chinese cuisines. Impressive food quality, generous portion and reasonable price. I will not eat the buffet but will continue offering my business until I exhaust their menu items.
(3)Dorothy C.
I have been going to Joy Luck every since it opened. The staff is very friendly. Their food is good, and the do refresh often.
(4)EmmaMiya P.
This is seriously my FAVORITE buffet! I got delivery today because it's my lazy Sunday and I didn't feel like getting out. Their honey chicken is awesome! Their crab Rangoon has great flavor; however.... They need to quit skimping on the amount of cream cheese they put in the wontons. I let them know... Because there really was hardly anything in them! But great quality chicken and amazing food!
(5)Cay W.
Been going here since i was a kid shits fire
(5)Carrie C.
Seriously good food here folks. Off the menu that is. Buffet was meh. Menu item however. Yowzah. Watch your knees however as they have these little hot plate thingies in the middle of some tables for cooking right there at the table. Cool idea but it does inhibit the available space for your kneecaps. Good stuff though!!
(4)Brendan D.
Finally ordered off the menu, usually we do the buffet. The food was beyond amazing; the service was lacking. We got the sweet and sour fried flounder, bok choy and chendu spicy pork hock. The flounder takes extra time to cook but was worth the wait. It's three whole fish in some of the best sweet and sour sauce I have ever had. The spicy pork hock, is chopped pork hock with a bunch of dried peppers and spices. It isn't overwhelmingly hot but very flavorful, there was one spice (like a bitter lemon flavor) that just didn't work for me but I still devoured it. We also got an order of boiled bok choy that was good. Our waiter wasn't very attentive and we had to find him to ask for a refill on our drinks while waiting for the flounder to come out.
(4)Anastasiia T.
Tasty buffet-food for a good price +they have separate menu with a lot of different restaurant dishes for extra charge.
(5)Jessica M.
I've been to Joy Luck several times because I have a group of friends that love ordering off their "secret menu." The "secret menu" is all authentic Chinese food, but they are best known for their hot pots. It's all really good, but everyone tends to order really spicy dishes and I don't have the best spicy food tolerance. They also have your tradition American Chinese food buffet. It's decent and about $10/person. Joy Luck recently reopened after a much needed remodel. The interior of the restaurant is now very nice but still has a slight 80's feel. Several of the tables have built-in heat pads that are nice if you order a hot pot!
(3)Reanna P.
Wow! I came here several times when I first moved to this area and the food was good then. It's been a while since I've been here but I'm so glad I stopped by! The interior has been beautifully renovated. The food is even better than before and the price is still great! I will be eating here again! Update: watch your knees when getting into the new booths. Those hotplate tables hurt!
(5)Mike K.
Very decent and tasty buffet selections. Lots of them. It's a deal for $9.99 at dinner time.
(4)Nick L.
I ordered for pick-up. They said it would be 10 minutes but it ended up being over 30. The General Tso's chicken combo was too sweet with no other flavor except breadinf and chicken. It wasn't even spicey - at all. There was more breading than chicken and the chicken was so chewy, I couldn't finish it. The garlic shrimp I ordered (which costs as much as the lunch combo but is about a third of the size) was more flavorful but not especially good and not good enough to make up for the inedible chicken. The only good part was the egg roll, which seemed to be homemade. Unfortunately it was sat on top of my chicken so it was soggy by the time I got back to my workplace 5 minutes later. I'd like to say this place is your average Chinese, but it's not even average. There are better and cheaper places.
(2)Godwin C.
It's not often you find a buffet try to do so many things for so many people, much less do it well. Typically, Chinese buffets are simple: Americanized Chinese food, a sushi station, maybe a hibachi grill, some generic desserts, and voila! Start making money. Every once in awhile you get places that want to be fancier, offering crab legs and some authentic Chinese items. Then you have Joy Luck: simple buffet to rake in some base profits, a full non-buffet Americanized Chinese menu for eat-in, takeout, or delivery, and FULL SERVICE HOT POT + MASSIVE SZECHUAN CHINESE MENU. Color me impressed. THE GOOD HOT POT: For those who don't know, Hot Pot is basically what the Melting Pot copies when you go there and eat non-dessert items. Boiling pot of stock, a selection of pre-cooked meats and vegetables, and off you go. Seems simple, seems sorta "what's the point" to some, but it's so fun! If the stock is done right, which is definitely the case here with their spicy stock, you get some really enriching flavors to pair with the food you cook. Speaking of the food, there are lots of options: beef, lamb, pork, shrimp, squid, tripe, tofu, enoki mushrooms, glass noodles, an assortment of vegetables and other stuff that I can't think of at the moment. Additionally, the dipping-sauce station: 20 different sauces to choose from for you to mix and match at your leisure. Finally, if you're eating with others and are a little concerned about the spice, they provide half-and-half pots with regular stock as well. Overall a great setup. Extra plus: The buffet is included in the hot pot price, just in case you want to gorge on some of that food too. SZECHUAN MENU: Have you had Szechuan cuisine before? No? Well be prepared to have your mouth on fire. If you like spicy food, this is the place for you. There are a lot of really good authentic Chinese restaurants on Olive, but none to my knowledge serve this wide variety of Szechuan-style food. It's even more impressive considering it's being cooked in the same kitchen where all the buffet food is coming from. If you want a taste of authentic China, ask for this menu next time. All you have to do is check the back of the restaurant and see large groups of Chinese people ordering off that menu to know it's legit. THE BAD HOT POT TABLES: Great food, good service, sore knees. Let me explain: a lot of the Hot Pot Accessible tables are based out of the booths, as the burners are directly connected from the floor to the tables. The shell around the burners take up a lot of space below the table, so it's a little uncomfortable if you happen to get one of the booths that sit tighter together. You have to squeeze your legs in. Too often have I banged my knee or had to sit at an awkward angle. Fortunately the food is worth it. If you want more space, request another table. They have plenty others scattered throughout the restaurant with a little more leg room. I wish they had invested in smaller burners that take up less space, but then again those cost a lot more money. Oh well. PURGATORY BUFFET: Should you go strictly for the buffet? Well if you're hankering to stuff your face until you can't move, buffet-style, you really don't have any other options in St. Louis. Honestly, Joy Luck's buffet is pretty bare-bones simple, but it will suffice as it's a good price point/cheap way to get full on decent food. OVERALL Joy Luck is so much more than a buffet. Of course, I know their bread and butter is the buffet as this is the most profitable part of their business and gets the most foot traffic. I just hope that people read and like the reviews discussing the more authentic side of their food. It's delicious-ness that deserves to be recognized and tried out by those adventurous (or nostalgic) enough to give it a shot. You won't be disappointed!
(4)Daniel L.
This is probably the best Chinese restaurant in St. Louis. Don't get too excited: it's definitely not the best Chinese restaurant that I've been to, but hey, it's Missouri. It gets five stars for besting its modest competition, although in other cities I would probably go for 4 stars. I've never tried the buffet, but if you want to stuff your gullet it looks pretty good for that. The real gems are on the menu. They have an excellent selection of authentic Sichuan dishes generously seasoned with Sichuan pepper. If you've never experienced this, it partially numbs your mouth while infusing a unique flavor rather than making it feel hot. It's a whole dimension of culinary experience that you can't get at the vast majority of Chinese restaurants in the US (or anywhere else for that matter). The cold Sichuan noodles are an excellent example of this style. They recently added hotplates to a lot of their booth tables for hot pot dishes. It's also one of the only Chinese restaurants in the area that has hot pot that I'm aware of (big heated bowls of delicious hearty soup that you share with a group). Some foolish white people complained in previous reviews that this made their fat, buffet thickened legs uncomfortable because it takes up space under the table. Boo hoo: if you knew what it was for you wouldn't be complaining, and you would probably have skinnier legs too. I encourage you to try this place out and explore some things on the menu that you haven't tried before. Joy Luck has plenty of delicious dishes that you can't get for miles, but you have to be adventurous enough to say no to the buffet and give them a try.
(5)Dean H.
I don't know why others have rated this place so high... Maybe they don't really know what food is suppose to taste like? The food at the buffet was old... it was mostly cold, stale, and bland. The crabmeat was artificial as well. On top of this, they really charged too much for a buffet.
(1)Joseph W.
I have been to this buffet twice (once for lunch and once for dinner), and I must confess I thoroughly enjoyed it both times. The Chinese entrees were fresh and solid and the Hot and Sour soup is a favorite. The Mongolian Bbq portion of the restaurant is a nice option but I consider it "good but not great". Overall this restaurant has a great selection of food and the prices make it a very strong value for your dollar. Highly recommended and very little in terms of direct competitors in central St Louis.
(5)Robert L.
The restaurant was a little difficult to locate; however, the food was excellent and was worth the effort to locate the restaurant. The restaurant was busy but was seated quickly. The food was freshly made, hot, and very tasty. The wait staff was courteous and was constantly trying to make my dining experience a great one. This is definitely a repeat visit restaurant for me.
(4)Peter P.
Best hot pot in stl but I don't know what to compare it to... But it's really good for about 23 dollars. All you can eat yummy
(4)Phil E.
My favorite for a well priced buffet and the menu items when wanting authentic. Recently remodeled Oct 2014. Now with hot pot burners at each table though it does eat up leg room in the booths. Taller/ bigger people should ask for a table. 2015. Finally ordered off the Sichuan menu and it was incredible. Loving heat in food (I love ghost pepper sauce) I ordered the Crispy chicken which is similar to what's on the buffet but in appearance only. The to order dish is much spicier with more red peppers than I have ever seen in a dish; the peppercorns left my tongue tingling which was a first time unique experience. The portion was more than enough to take half home to eat later, and believe me I can eat a LOT.
(5)Mel A.
I have actually never eaten inside but have had some carry out/delivery food from here. First off, they usually deliver on-time and I think most of their foods are reasonably priced and taste pretty good. I've tried some other Chinese restaurants in the area but this has got to me my favorite. I absolutely love their beef fried rice. It is so flavorful and they give you a lot for the price! Recently, I tried their shrimp with lobster sauce and thought it tasted pretty good. I have also had their chicken chop suey and that also tasted pretty good. Even though I can't speak for the actual quality of their buffet service and food, I have to say that I definitely recommend their menu items. They give you more than enough food if you get the full order. I would say 2 people could get full off of an order. It is definitely a place to try out!
(4)Jason N.
Went there yesterday for lunch after reading some of the reviews here. I love a good Chinese buffet and they had a nice selection of what you would expect to find with wider selection of sushi than I usually see. I'll definitely return. Cons- Most of the tables have built in hotplates and apparently to make that happen the base of the tables is very (very) wide, providing little leg room. I'm about 6' and it wasn't comfortable. I was seated at a booth so I couldn't push the seat back, might be better at a free standing table. Oddly enough they don't serve coffee. I mean, who doesn't serve coffee?
(4)Mary M.
HOT POT!!! Mind Blown! Great interactive fun date!
(5)Jason J.
Just stop by today and they still have not finished up the remodeling. The sign says November 18 but I talked to the manager there to make sure the date. It looks like to me the date to open the restaurant is still pending in the air. It is getting cold now and I really miss my hotpot. I am dying for hotpot now and my Sichuan beef. Gosh can they just open the restaurant.
(5)Heather C.
I'll be honest - I've never *actually* been here...so I can't comment on the ambiance or anything. However, I have had their delivery and it's by far the best Chinese food delivery I've ever had, which is more than I would like to admit. I haven't tried anything I didn't like.
(5)Allen L.
My wife and I have been looking for a *REAL* hot pot restaurant since she came back from China two years ago. This was the place!!! The buffet was what you would expect from a typical Chinese place. It was only slightly above average. That was just fine with me, I still had a full place of buffet wonderfulness. The highlight is the hot pot portion of the meal. Think of it like Chinese fondue without cheese. It's an oil/broth based liquid over a butane cooking top. We ordered half spicy/half non-spicy broth. It comes with four plates of raw meat and veggies to dip and cook in the perfectly seasoned boiling broth. They even have tripe...for those of you who can stomach eating an animals stomach lining. Haha! The staff was friendly and quick. My drink was never empty for over a minute. I was impressed by the whole ordeal. I will be back again. I am glad I only work a mile from here.
(5)Andrew N.
This place was decent. Like the other reviews say, they have a ton of chicken dishes, but not any pork options and only a couple beef options. Having said that, the sesame chicken was very good. The pan fried shrimp and vegetable lo mein were also very good. The crab rangoon and egg rolls were sub par, but the fried wantons were delicious. The service was pretty good even on a busy night. The buffet is pretty inexpensive (~$9.50 for dinner). Basically, the conclusion is that for the price, it's pretty good. Pros: cheap, pretty good variety, good sesame chicken Cons: nothing spectacular, food is a little hit and miss
(3)Paul L.
We liked the remodeling at Joy Luck. Prompt service with good selection and tastes. Steam pots look like the way to go next time.
(4)Jason C.
Decent Schezuan food if you order from the menu. Not too bad for St. Louis. Somewhat reasonably priced. I did not try the buffet so I could not comment. The main dishes are adequately sized.
(4)Thomas W.
Ask for the secret menu, you won't be disappointed! Their buffet isn't bad either but if you're looking for authentic Chinese Sichuan then you know what to do.
(5)John S.
I read multiple yelp reviews before trying this place. After reading so many great reviews I expected a great meal. We also ordered from their super special secret menu that is supposed to be fantastic. With all of that being said, The Joy Luck Buffet was one of the foulest meals I've ever eaten. I can't figure out how so many people have reviewed this place so high. I'll never go back. Ever.
(1)Qinyi S.
Me and my husband like Joy Luck. Great price for the stuffs they offered. They have more different dishes than other China buffet. I was craving the cold seaweed dish when I was pregnant and they are the only one restaurant (as far as I know) have it the way I wanted and it was good.
(5)Joe G.
Ate here today and this place has done a complete 180 since I was last here last and gave it a one star rating. Completely remodeled. Secret menu, and the buffet was excellent, well maintained and properly heated and cooled. I will come back.
(4)Anthony K.
This isn't the best Chinese restaurant, but it is certainly not the worst. Love the remodel and the new design of the tables. They even have the stir fry included in the buffet! I like the environment and the employees are very nice. Sometimes the buffet is GREAT, sometimes it's not so great. Lunch prices are amazing! 14$ for two.
(4)Paul N.
Not a bad Chinese buffet. I go e when I am close. Pleasant staff, clean enough, sushi is decent. They do a decent lunch business but have plenty if seating .
(4)Ashley L.
I went here Christmas Eve and the place was packed. That's okay. We ordered Carry-out will boxes to take food off the line. That was okay, too. The following is the reason why I'll never be back: I'm dead sure that carry-out and sit down pay the same price. I paid $21.00 for my husband and myself for pretty mediocre sized boxes and a small container for soup, I'm digressing, bare with me. About 5 minutes into looking about they brought out the ribs which on previous occasions my husband and I were able to take with no problems. Well, that day, apparently, they were off limits. There was no signage that said this so I was shocked when I was being scolded by a little Asian woman that everything was fine to take EXCEPT the ribs. Excuse me? With my petty little box versus the hounds in the restaurant that can gobble up all the ribs as much as they please for the same price I'm more than put off. To add insult to injury, she started talking to my husband in her native language on an assumption because he looked Asian he could relay it to me better. To her dismay, my husband is Korean and could not understand her one bit. I managed to get 3 rib bones before I was stopped which by the way took up most of my box leaving room for barely anything else. My husband was piling on the seafood because I can't eat shrimp or mussels (he rarely eats seafood because he is afraid of a contact allergy from a kiss--oversharing is nice) so the option to share his food was definitely out whilst my box apparently brought shame and dishonor to my family and thus was not allowed to take one of the few things I could eat there. If ritual honor suicide was an option to appease this woman I gladly would have committed it to avoid that situation. Or maybe if a sign was posted that the ribs are not for carry-out that could have stopped that from happening, too *hint* They weren't even that good is the saddest part.
(3)Danielle L.
We always get delivery at home and work from Joy Luck. They have great typical dishes but the wonderful secret is their HUGE menu which includes hot pot. The buffet is meh but the menu items and hot pot make this place wonderful!
(5)Melanie H.
Take out dinner on a Tuesday night. Restaurant was very full but my food was ready on time. Fried Potstickers were good with a nice balance of meat and vegetable but could have been browned more. Crab Rangoon was very good with a good amount of nicely balanced filling. Mongolian Beef was a huge disappointment. I was not happy when I opened the box to a sea of chunky cut white onions. I have never seen white onions in Mongolian Beef- only green onions. By the time I dug out the meat and couple of green onions I had 2 cups of white onions. The sauce and seasoning was also bland. I had dined at Joy Luck before and the dishes I ordered were good so this was hugely disappointing.
(3)Amy J.
Food was ok; selection was ok. they kept everything fresh and full on the buffet, which was great. However, the service was terrible--they checked on our drinks only once, and never took any dirty dishes off our table. Also, something my husband ate was off-- he spent the evening/night paying for it. :/
(1)Thomas P.
This is my favorite buffet in saint louis. The food is great. The lunch buffet special compares to none at a slim 7$. My favorite is their cooked green beans. I could eat a pound of those things. And the staff is friendly too! I highly recommend the Joy Luck buffet.
(5)Wisdom L.
The cheapest buffet we've ever had. We read these positive reviews so we went there for lunch. The customer photos posted about this place are dishes from the menu. The buffet is disappointing. All they are capable of is cooking chicken: orange chicken, sesame chicken, fried chicken, sweet chicken, ginger chicken... Only one beef and one shrimp dish, to tell you that the red-meat and seafood categories are not empty. Nothing else, Literally. They even fail to offer fruits except those canned fruits - foul processed fruit without any healthy vitamins floating in aspartame water. (we saw some grapes) There is a sushi bar where people make something that barely called sushi. Rice rolls with some cucumbers/seaweed is what it is. Great services? Well, they led us to a table and then left. After we almost finished one plate of all kinds of greasy chicken, they realized something and came to ask us something to drink. The price is reasonable. This is the reason for two stars.
(2)Katherine B.
Seriously, $7 lunch and $9 dinner. 2 people ate, with tip, for less than 20, and we were full for the rest of the day (and night). I especially liked the Honey chicken, egg rolls and the General tso's. The rangoon was nice too, not dried out like you might expect, and the fried rice was good- and it had pork in it. And I topped it off with almond cookies. And of the course, the bf lets me in on the secret that they have real authentic stuff - and according to fellow yelpers, I need to make a special trip back for that. Will do!
(3)Tony T.
My wife and I went there for first time after renovation. We used to go once a month so we were very excited about the "new look" after waiting almost 2 months. As always we ordered the Hot Pot and it was great! The new tables offer a finger touch control to the heat, compared to the old style stove (we have 1 for our home), which was very nice! The dishes were of excellent quality and other than the new décor, it was just as it was before but with a touch of modernization. If you are wanting real Sichuan Hot Pot, this IS the place to go. Mouth watering thinking of next time we go :) Well done Joy Luck!!
(5)Mary Kate M.
Jason and I came here for lunch today. After seeing some reviews and passing it so many times, I thought it was time to give it a shot. We got there around 1pm and it was fairly busy. Immediately we gave our server our drink order and headed straight for the buffet. I opted for the hibachi and sushi bar. Jason got some sushi as well. All was fresh and very good tasting. The hibachi meal I got was extremely tasty too. I feel the teriyaki sauce he had used to cook with my food was a bit bland, but this wasn't something that couldn't be resolved without adding some low sodium soy sauce or duck sauce to it. Service was really nice and kept up with our drinks and plate removal. My only complaint there is he gave us our bill before we even got our first plate of food to the table. I guess you could look at this as a positive point of view though-- you don't have to worry about waiting on them bringing the bill to you last minute if you are in a rush. I'd say this the prices are very affordable for lunch. We paid $6.49 each plus $1.50 for bottomless soda. I'll definitely be back!
(5)Yiqing H.
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Saint Louis! Great food and customer service, they love feedback. As a Chinese, the real Sichuan dishes are great, as they are the real taste of Sichuan food. Every time I've got a visiting fellow, I always take them to Joy Luck. Hotpot is also one of my favorite. I love this place, and I highly recommend you all to try at Joy luck.
(5)Connor R.
Simply the best Chinese buffet I've found in St. Louis. That does not mean authentic Chinese cuisine, just good american favorites, though they do have some more adventurous offerings if you ask for a menu. Lunch is cheap, the food is actually the right temperature, and the quality is consistent. Avoid the sushi, but other than that I've never had anything bad.
(4)Carrie O.
Their buffet is only so-so. I've had worse but I've certainly had better. The problem was the service - I was there for an hour and from the time I was seated until I went up front to pay my bill, I never saw a waiter or a waitress. The gentleman who "seated" me (and by "seated", I mean he waved his hand toward an empty table) and brought my drink never once smiled or said welcome. No one came to clear plates, check to see if all was OK, or offer a refill on soda or water. It's not like it was terribly busy, either - I'd say it was only about a third full. There are plenty of other places with better food that at least *pretend* they're happy to see me and my money, so next time I go out to eat, me and my money will go somewhere where we'll at least get a smile.
(2)Don F.
Egg foo young on a buffet was the bomb. Everything on the buffett was very fresh. They kept it filled. Iwas very good. One of these days I will try the genuine Chinese menu, but not next time because I am having the hot pot! A table next to me ordered it and it looked delicious.
(4)Joshua H.
I live and work in Maplewood so Joy Luck is very convenient for my family and I. There really is two Joy Luck restaurants the first is the average buffet and the second is the secret authentic cuisine. We normally eat at the buffet. For around $30.00 for a family of five it is exactly what you would expect. The buffet is dominated by Chicken for lunch and becomes more varied at dinner featuring frog legs, ribs, and many seafood dishes. Sometimes the service is slow especially with drink refills. The buffet is always hot and fresh. Do eat the spring rolls skip the sesame chicken. Bottom line expect to get what you pay for, this is not P.F. Changs!
(4)Claudia S.
Wonderful place & food- been going for years but just went by for lunch yesterday and it is closed! What happened? Where did you go? Are you coming back? The doors were open, there was a commercial dumpster out front, kitchen equipment out the side door, the dry-erase price board and other lobby stuff outside the doors. Phone number gave a busy signal. I soooo hope this place just moved or is coming back! After I posted this I saw Phil's post below. Thanks, Phil! Glad they are just remodeling.
(4)Dieter K.
Joy Luck has authentic Sichuan food, and it's not on the buffet. Dry-sautéed Eggplant (see pic): it's amazing. Rich, mild, sweet and sour sauce with pieces of chewy eggplant that have the mouth feel of steak fries (large french fries). The sauce is to die for. If only I could order other menu items with the same sauce. Peppercorn Fish Soup: spicy with a great, garlicky broth. You'll need to remove the red and green chilis before eating it unless you can handle the heat. Chengdu Spicy Beef (see pic): very hot, of course. Need to remove chilis before eating. Not as varied in flavor as eggplant dish above so it was not my favorite. Overly salty and oily. Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce (see pic): could have been very good but was too salty. Lamb with Cumin (see pic): very mild and good. Not exciting but definitely tasted different (central Asian flavors). I'll try other dishes next time. Hoping to find something I like as much as the dry-sautéed eggplant and fish soup. One last comment, it looks like they've stopped using those beautiful, large, rough, handmade ceramic bowls for serving. I hope someone at the restaurant sees my comment and puts them back in rotation! :(
(4)Kelley S.
The crab Rangoon is terrible. Maybe a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture, with no sign of crab. The general Tsos chicken is alright. The chicken was over breaded and it didn't have the spicy kick I'm used to. The hunan chicken was sub par. The chicken was dry and the sauce was pretty bland. The delivery was service was the highlight of the experience.
(2)Crystal W.
We ate here because it got such good reviews. We got there right when it opened so the food was as fresh as it gets. It was not great, nothing wowed us at all. It had an average selection of food but if you are a foodie then this is not the place for you. The place was cold which made our food cold as well. Perhaps if you order food fresh it would be a different experience because there is apparently a secret menu that offers more authentic choices.
(3)Hao X.
Honestly, I don't like this place for buffet. It's not great and icky and bleh. It shouldn't do buffet at all, in my opinion. Then again, there are people who like the all you can eat, standard, americanized Chinese option... so if that's what you want, have fun! You'll enjoy it. However, this place is one of the best places to go for REAL SOLID SICHUAN STYLE Chinese food. They use a great blend of sichuan peppercorn and oily chili peppers that make my mouth completely numb but happy. Ideally, you would go with some chinese people to this place. I highly recommend the fu qi fei pian (spicy cow tripe? not sure what it's called in english). It's my favorite. One of my best friends really likes the pickled veggie and fish soup. We also get some sort of spicy beef or fish that "boiled" but it's really cooled in really spicy liquid (shui zhu niu or shui zhu yu ). There's some chendu style meat that's really good and something with cumin in it too. I can't remember which one is lamb and which one is ribs... but they're both AMAZING. so... yeah... if you like REALLY REALLY REALLY SPICY AND DELICIOUS food, you can't go wrong ordering from this place. :)
(5)Tracey W.
Yelp needs to keep me around, if only because I provide a much lacking white-trash perspective on dining in St. Louis. While the rest of the reviewers of Joy Luck Buffet recoiled in horror at the buffet here and ordered off the "real" menu, I literally clapped my hands like a 3-year-old when I saw the buffet. Thank God I was there with kindred spirits who shared my enthusiasm for deep-fried "Chinese" food. The nice thing is that they had something for everyone. Whether you just want some sweet and sour pork, or you prefer to order something you can't pronounce, they probably have it here. The service was the best part!!!! SUPER attentive staff who seemed genuinely appreciative of our business. Per usual, I don't approve of the name of this business. But I'm finding more and more that the cheesier the business name, the better the actual business. Good food. Good people.
(4)James H.
Cheap but filthy. Been here a few times. Prices are reasonable, under $10. But it's always dirty. They don't bus their tables. Filthy tables everywhere.
(3)Chris B.
It's not much to look at on the outside or inside and the location isn't all that great, but the food was very good. There was a wide variety of dishes on the buffet, fresh sushi, and a Mongolian grill all included in the cost of the buffet. (the buffet and a drink was about $9 for lunch) The wait staff was always quick to take away dishes and keep your drink filled. When I first went in, I was a little leery because there weren't many people there, but then the place filled up quick. They also have a pretty good sized menu if buffets aren't for you.
(4)Kat V.
Hot pot. Hot fantastic. Serious foodgasms. Got the half bland half spicy. The spicy was a bit tooo spicy for my mom's taste. The dipping sauces were a little bit different than what I had before possibly due to regional differences. Brings back memories of grad. school. Ate hot pot on cold nights with a bunch of buddies. Long & sometimes intellectual conversations peppered with humor ensued. Will sooo come back & bring some buddies who have never had such delicious enjoyment on their palates. Awesome staff & great ambience. Loved the bathroom (women's bathroom that is).
(4)Kent C.
Buffet: Pretty wide assortment of food. It's a pretty good value. Food is pretty decent for a buffet but my ultimate favorite would have to be the fried chicken wings. It's pretty difficult to find Chinese fried chicken wings in St. Louis for some reason, but they have'm and they're pretty good. Last Sunday when I came here for lunch I ate two plates of them. Disgusting I know, but oh well that's me. So you may wonder what does the Buffet INCLUDE!? 1. Variety of food in hot trays, other random things such as cocktail shrimp. 2. Sushi bar 3. Stir-fry station 4. Real ice cream - not that soft serve stuff you usually find. My favs from the buffet smorgasbord: 1. Fried chicken wings 2. Chicken skewers 3. Mussels All-you-can-eat hot pot: They pretty much have everything you would want and need. I forget the price cause I haven't been in a while, I think it's around $18 now. I don't think they have watercress though, what a pity... :"( Regular menu: The regular menu here is actually pretty good and authentic. Can get a lot of you favorite Chinese dishes here. I think my only gripe with this place is that they definitely use a good amount of MSG.
(4)Danielle M.
Officially the new "go-to" spot for Chinese - especially since they are open on Sundays - the ultimate lazy, I just bought groceries but don't want to cook, last day of the weekend, best day for Chinese food day. They are cheap, quick, and have some of the better Americanized "Chinese" food I've had in a while. Maybe on another Sunday I'll check out the buffet and the other menu - provided of course, I'm not still in my PJs and have brushed my hair.
(4)Jeffrey F.
Skip the buffet, ask for a menu! New and improved menus now featuring English! Sort of. Fans of the 'Engrish so Funny' meme website will understand. They have a very solid selection of Sichuan style dishes. Very spicy if you aren't familiar with it. The Chengdu Beef was very tasty. While very spicy, it had a delicious flavor that wasn't overwhelmed by the all the peppers. My mouth was a bit numb. But it was not unpleasant. If things get a little too real, you'll also have a huge bowl of rice with your dish. It will help with the heat a bit. Don't worry about running out either, its a much larger bowl of rice than you will need for your entree. I really want to come back sometime with a group and try the hotpot. Unfortunately my usual partner in crime has no desire to try it. So I'll have to put a crew together and go without him. If the buffet is more your speed. They do that pretty solid too. We have done that option many times, as I was afraid to try the menu before they added English. I speak no Cantonese, and don't think I know anyone who does. So that option was kind of closed to me before. Just know that the menu items are far superior than anything you're going to find on the buffet.
(4)Paul C.
Cheap but bland. Everything tastes the same and all chicken dishes - one beef dish and no pork. Better to find a place where you order off the menu for better quality and taste.
(1)Kelly B.
Great buffet and service, with reasonable prices. Good family place, clean, friendly, pleasant atmosphere and really tasty food!
(4)James P.
I've been to Joy Luck many, many times with my girlfriend. She's Chinese and has assured me that this is one of the few places in St. Louis where really good szechuan food is to be found. I've never written a review because the best food was to be found on a menu written only in Chinese. There was an English menu but it wasn't even remotely the same. This has now changed and ignorant westerners are able to order the good stuff. First things first, yes there's a buffet and it looks thoroughly average. I've never once been tempted by it. If you, like me, aren't asian, the wait staff will probably assume that's what you want. Just ask for the menu. A few words about the menu-- First, unlike some places that put a little chili pepper next to menu items that are, at most, only mildly spicy, Joy Luck's little pepper means that the dish is likely swimming in chili peppers. Personally, I'm obsessed with a fish soup they do with various pickles. I'm also a big fan of their eggplant. If you, like me, enjoy eating innards, the beef and tripe appetizer (again, swimming in chilis) is great. They also do a hot pot here that's pretty great. You get a big pot of two kinds of broth that is cooking away on a little burner. You dip into this various meats, veggies, and seafood, cooking it all to your liking as you go. Loads of fun! My advice is to go in and just order things even if you don't know what they are. Explore a little! Eat something about which you feel uncertain! It's one of life's great pleasures. ....or...I guess you could go with the buffet. PS: some reviewers have mentioned that this place looks dingy. It did, but recent renovations have improved things.
(4)Jessica L.
I grew up eating hot pots and when someone asked me for a hot pot meal, I was totally up for it! Decor: Ample seating around the restaurant. It's pretty big. In the center, towards the back a bit is the buffet area with nice large pans of steaming food. Service: We spoke Mandarin to the waiters and we didn't have a problem. It did take them a while when we ordered tea or something, but it was fine. Don't expect A+ service. Food: While the Chinese buffet is nothing to rave bout (it's not my thing, but I know some people looovee it), I do have to say they have quite a selection. Meats, vegetables, fried wontons, etc. They have a killer ice cream selection though- an entire cart full where you can choose and pick what you want. Okay, the cream of the crop is the hot pot. While it was not the best one I've had (in terms of size and freshness and quality of ingredients), it was decent. For about $20 for AYCE, I think it's quite a deal. We stuffed our heads silly at this meal, so my stomach definitely felt the aftereffects. Hah, I didn't get hungry for like the rest of the day! Overall: As the selection for hot pot is slim in STL, I think this place is alright to do it at.
(3)Janika H.
the food was decent, average amount of choices. sushi though from a buffet was edible sliced pretty decent and looked fresh. Regular choices nothing to over the top. would i come back yes but only to do with my kids, no date night or just something for me and an adult to do absolutely not. P.S. horrible bath rooms. I did not order from the menu so i can only go on the buffet.
(3)Gina S.
The reviews of this place are pretty mixed, so I went in with low expectations for the dinner buffet. It was pretty busy but getting a table is no problem...the place is larger than I thought. After experiencing the buffet first hand, I would equate it to an Old Country Buffet or the like...only Chinese; food made in mass quantities but not made very well. The buffet has a huge variety of dishes. The temperature of dishes is all over the place, some things were cold, some were warm. I tried nearly a bite of everything I typically like. I started with the sushi. Which was a huge disappointment, it was NOT fresh at all. I couldn't even finish the whole piece of each roll I tried. It had a bad fishy taste, as apposed to the fresh fish taste. My hubby mentioned they had frog legs, so what the heck lets try one of those too, it looked like chicken. It should didn't taste like chicken tho. It had a real funk in the flavor, I nearly gaged. Not to my liking at all, I'll stick with chicken. The egg rolls and wantons were less than par. The pot sticker I tried to cut with my fork spewed oil at me like a cherry tomato, I didn't attempt to eat it after that less than appetizing display. The only memorable dishes that I actually thought, "hmm, not bad", were the black pepper chicken, chili chicken and hot and sour soup. My only constructive criticism is, I wish the chicken were in larger chunks. It was mostly breading and sauce. It could have been so much better if the chicken was cut in larger pieces the flavors were good. The hot and sour soup was one of the better soups, nice and peppery with a kick of chili. The desserts tasted stale or very dry. I think the place was so busy because where can you +1 eat all you want for less than $20?
(2)Tommy H.
This review is for their menu orders, not buffet. Joy Luck has got a great selection of traditional Chinese food. This place has always been know for Szechuan cuisine. And they definitely do their dishes right. Chengdu spicy beef was awesome. The spiciness is toned down a bit but can surely be changed upon request. I will definitely revisit.
(4)Leslie S.
OK, I'm upgrading from 1 to 2 stars since they re-vamped their buffet. Atmosphere - 4 stars (the place was re-modeled, better lighting, looks nice, buffet and furniture look newer) Food - 2 stars (they make a point of stirring the food and bring out fresh refills of their dishes, but it still doesn't taste better than what I've had at other Chinese restaurants - buffet or not) Service - 3 stars (everyone was very nice there and seemed pretty hard at work) Value - 2 stars (charges the same as what other buffets do and while they are clean and keep things fresher, the taste of the food still doesn't earn this price)
(2)Russ B.
I'm always nervous about going to buffets anyways because I don't like the thought of so many people's paws near the food I'm going to eat. however, I'm even more nervous when there is not a single patron's car in the lot! Who knows how long the food has been sitting out! Place was reasonably priced $9 for dinner. Food was ok but, well let me rephrase it was acceptable given that I was famished. Nearly all the chicken dishes were fried/deep fried and if you had told me they just went and picked up some popcorn chicken nuggets somewhere and added it to some sauce I totally would have believed you. Not much variety here either, maybe only 5 entree options. Overall - if you go to a Chinese restaurant that is run by mostly Mexicans and a couple fobs then be prepared to use some pepto as a chaser
(2)Harmony R.
Went there last night with my fiance and 4 year old son. We were seated quickly, the waiter offered us a menu, but we opted for the buffet. I was in the mood for something quick and easy and really wanted to try their sushi. So the bad stuff first: The wait staff wasn't as attentive to us as they were to others. We are an interracial couple and we are both modified though so we are use to the stares. We had a kid sitting next to us who was constantly staring lol. We had to pretty much run down two different servers to get a refill on tea. And that's the end of the bad stuff :) The GOOD stuff: The buffet was actually pretty good. It's Americanized Chinese food, but it was done right. The food was constantly changed out and fresh, there was a fairly large variety of meats and sides and everything was really good. They had the typical style buffet, full salad bar, a good selection of deserts. I will warn, most of everything was fried. They had roasted chicken, some steamed seafood, baked seafood and that was it. There were a variety of different sides to compliment the dishes. The fried rice was good, not great, but it wasn't bad. I did enjoy their hot and sour soup, it was delicious. The sushi selections were few and varied from eel to basic California rolls. They only had a few out at a time and the sushi chef offered to make me something. The quality was good, rice was cooked properly, cut into proper sizes and not falling apart and/or dry like other buffet styled sushi. Random decoration thoughts: It was functional, but don't expect elegance, it was a very laid back place. The bathrooms were kept clean and well stocked. Dishes were clean, food areas kept clean and floors clean. Nothing sticky and no smushed food around the buffet floors. Overall I enjoyed it, when I don't have my son we'll be going back to try the things on the menu.
(4)Emily M.
Pretty much the best Chinese buffet place in town!!! Always is clean, servers are friendly, and the food tastes amazing! Centrally located so that no matter where we are in STL we can swing by for a great meal.
(5)Craig B.
Hands down Joy Luck my favorite Chinese buffet in St. Louis. The buffet offers every appetizer known to man, tons of dishes, and even sushi. I learned yesterday that the warm donut like dessert is heavenly when combined with the chocolate pudding. Think of it like a stuffed beignet. The buffet is very affordable coming in at $7.04 (no beverage ordered).
(5)Vik S.
Came back here on a Sunday evening to try some more stuff. The experience was mixed. Once again, kicked off with the Calamari in Ginger Juice for an app ($6). Once again, it was fantastic. I took the advice of Zach X. and tried the Shredded Pork w/ Garlic Sauce ($9). It was pretty damn good, with flavors that reminded me of hot and sour soup. It was a bit too saturated in sauce, however. Great portion and plenty to take home. Now the not-so-good. We wanted a vegetable dish so we went for the "Chinese Vegetable Surprise" or something like that ($8). It was a gamble that did not pay off. It was basically a ton of bok choy leaves with pieces of tomato and eggplant, drowned in some sort of brown sauce. Unfortunately the sauce was kind of slimy. I couldn't imagine actually eating a piece of the slimy bok choy. I did pick off some of the pieces of eggplant which were also slimy, but pretty tasty. But overall I really can't see anyone enjoying this dish. Our service, while friendly, was not very attentive. We had to flag the waitress down a couple times. They seemed understaffed. I won't dock any stars because I still think Joy Luck is a gem. But I will be a bit more cautious next time.
(4)Victoria W.
This place is sort of a hidden treasure, the food variety is AMAZING. We decided to try the buffet and hot pot, which is about $20 per person. The buffet selection was already so varied that by the time we got our hot pot, we were already kind of full. Nonetheless, a good amount of meat, fish and veggies were brought out for us to dip in our hot pot. On my way walking to the buffet station, I also see a family dining eating food ordered off the menu, I do have to say their food looked amazing and very authentic. When I say authentic I don't mean spring rolls and beef fried with broccoli, I mean brothy Asian food that is light, and very fresh and flavorful, reminds me of passion-infused cooking in China. The price is a bit steep, and the noise level was a bit high, and the place was kinda not very attractive from the outside, I wish they can figure out a way to integrate the hot pot in with the buffet for a lesser price, for that reason, 4 stars.
(4)Jessica R.
Price is great. Buffet food selection is good. Food quality, is ok to fair. It use to be kinda dark and dingy, but since they remodeled, it has been better.
(3)Victoria H.
Buffet is soso - like any other american chinese buffet. I give hotpot 4 stars. Only reason my family comes to eat here is for that. The spicy is spiced with sichuan peppercorns, which numbs your tongue after a while. The mild is good too. We get half and half. The meats are always fresh. The mabo tofu is also the best we had in this area.
(4)Bash A.
As many of the posters have suggested, skip the buffet and ask for "the special menu" or the "authentic menu" they will bring you a very big menu of ACTUAL chinese food. I got the Chengdu Spicy Beef and the Wontons in Chili Sauce and couldn't have been happier. You will notice a lot of Chinese people eating here, they are ordering from a totally different menu than the one you will be presented with if you are a Western looking person. Ask for the menu of real Chinese food and they will happily bring it to you and ask where you heard about it. This is seriously good stuff. Don't be afraid, it's good.
(5)Alan L.
$19 for hot pot, which includes the buffet (so you can grab a couple pieces of sushi or crab rangoons or whatever) seems like a pretty good deal to me! They have both spicy and non-spicy soups, and you can make it half-and-half too which is really important if you have people in your group that doesn't eat spicy. To start, they give you a plate of beef, a plate of chicken, and a plate of pork. They also give you a plate of vegetables--pretty standard stuff: cabbage, enokitake mushrooms, cellophane noodles, etc. I *think* it's unlimited plates of food. I'm not sure on this one because the initial amount of food we got so much that had trouble finishing. We ended up asking for more cabbage and mushrooms and that was free so I would assume more plates of meat would be free as well.
(4)Victor C.
Don't listen to the people who have rated this restaurant anything under 4 stars. It is either: 1. They eat the buffet here (which really sucks, but cheap) 2.They don't really enjoy AUTHENTIC Chinese food and order off the Americanized menu The REAL gem for this restaurant is indeed it's menu that is in all Chinese. not one English letter is on it. If you still don't know yet, but Joy Luck specializes in Sichuan Food (or as you white people like to call it, Szechuan). This type of Chinese food is extremely spicy and will likely leave your tongue numb for at least an hour after your meal if you order off the Chinese menu. Perhaps their best dish is their Chengdu Fried Chicken w/ Pepper (I don't know the English name, just describing what's in it) It is very spicy and if you enjoy eating spicy foods then this is a must try. Their beef w/ pepper (once again the English name is unknown to me since I order it in Mandarin) and Kung Pao chicken are to die for. The Kung Pao Chicken is possibly the most authentic Kung Pao chicken you can get in the Midwest and possibly this side of the Mississippi. IT IS THAT GOOD!!! I highly recommend going with someone who can read and speak Mandarin when going to this restaurant because if you order off the "white" menu then you will get very mediocre Chinese food.
(5)K W.
They have a lot of varieties on the bar, even sushi. The food taste good but it was luke warm . The sushi was tasty but the desserts were blah tasting. I rate it a 2 because the food was cold and when we got there the bar was empty and the food that was out was cold. They later brought more food out but I expect the bar at a buffet to always stay filled with warm food. It was not crowded that day either
(2)Zach X.
As far as I know, this is the only place around St. Louis where one can find authentic-ish sichuan food (from the in-restaurant menu, not from the buffet or the takeout menu), and it's good but not great. What I've tried (I may be a little off on some names of dishes because I'm going off memory): Water-boiled beef: name is innocuous, dish is not. Slices of beef in a spicy broth with hot peppers and sichuan peppercorns. Tasty. I believe they have a fish dish that basically just substitutes fish pieces in the same broth. Twice-cooked pork: really good flavors in this dish (it's a sichuan standard - pork belly boiled then sliced and stir fried with leeks or some similar vegetable in chili bean paste). The amount of fat involved with pork belly (both in the pieces and what accumulates in the sauce from stir-frying) might be off-putting for some. I wish the pieces of pork belly were a little crispier. Lamb with cumin: very very tasty, with more central asian flavors than typical chinese. Here the lamb is in little hunks, whereas generally this dish is made with really thin slices (which I prefer). Dry-fried chicken: another sichuan standard - little pieces of chicken on the bone that are stir fried until crispy, with sichuan peppercorns. Somehow they achieve this without drying out the chicken - not real sure how that works. In any case it's highly recommended; some may have problems with the little bones though. This restaurant seems to have a habit of throwing hunks of bell peppers into dishes where it's really not necessary, and they do that here. Shredded pork with garlic: usually this dish is translated as fish-flavor pork or strange flavor pork; this is REALLY good version of that dish. Little slices of pork and various vegetables stir-fried with a very unique spicy-sour sauce that they get just right. Country-style tofu: hunks of deep-fried tofu in a pretty flavorful broth. Ok, but not particularly memorable. Various dishes involving greens stir fried with garlic: good, and an excellent companion to other spicy, meat-heavy dishes.
(4)Laila C.
pretty much one of the few deliciously authentic Chinese restaurants in STL. Whenever I visit my parents, Joy Luck is definitely one of the stops. I pretty much always order the same things, but it's always satisfying and served in large enough quantities for leftover lunch the next day. Order off the menu, ask the owners and staff what they'd recommend. If you love spicy food, you'll be in luck. I'm so shocked that a city as big as STL has so few good Chinese places. As long as my parents live in this city, I'll always come to Joy Luck when I visit them.
(5)Arkiemah S.
My husband and I hated this place. Maybe we went on the wrong day or wrong time (we went Tuesday at 2:44pm). There wasn't that much to choose from, and the items they did have were way too sugary. The waitress never came to check on us to see if we needed anything. Some good points are that the hostess was very polite, and my husband liked the bathroom....he liked it so much that he wants redo our bathroom. smh. Anyway I was very disappointed with this place. Will not be returning back.
(1)R G.
Great sushi selection, but they need to clean the place up.
(2)Chrissie C.
Went here for dinner with friends - honestly I did not have high expectations. I have been to many buffets before in my day with family, and you are always asking questions "how long has this been here?", "is that chicken or pork?" Well not here!! The food was great! Good selection and A+ quality in ingredients. But what will make me come back is the SUSHI BUFFET! That's right - for $8.99 all you can eat Sushi and Chinese buffet! Now the sushi is not the best in Saint Louis, but I mean all you can eat for 8.99 - why not try it!!! They are constantly putting out new rolls and new styles. Note: They have no beer or alcohol - felt odd asking and finding out they have none. So I am saving you the embarrassment ;)
(5)Victor V.
Just got back from dinner buffet ($8.99 before tax and senior discount), free standing building, not a strip mall location. Service was prompt: as soon as I finished a plate, it was gone. The decor was comfortable and seating was very open with booths around an open center table area but like many Chinese buffets it's a destination for a meal with a friend, not for an intimate date to impress. Lots of variety throughout including on the sushi side; plenty of chicken and shrimp dishes, including whole shrimp and carve-it-yourself roast beef. You couldn't try everything in one meal. Had 2 moderate plates. Kept asking myself, "Do I really have room for anything more?" Decided I did and had a half cup of egg flower soup to which I added white rice and veggies. No one's going home hungry here! I'm a truck driver so parking is important to me. I was lucky enough to leave my trailer at Sam's Club and bobtail over. Still, the parking lot had filled enough when I finished eating that although I had straddled two sets of parking spaces, it was a little tight on leaving and I had to be careful of the parked cars around me. Four stars with better parking, but more than ample for your little 4-wheelers. Very solid 3 stars to 3-1/2.
(3)Koneiie Z.
This place is great, but you won't tell from the outside. $7 for lunch, $9 for dinner, what a cheap price relative to other buffet restaurants. They also have many other choices such as walnut shrimp, sushi, crab, kongbao chicken, fried rice, steam rice, and more more than you can think. They also have desert and fruit! You also can order from the menu individually for those spicy foods, they are delicious too!
(4)Iffat B.
I love this buffet!! I've been there several times and their food is so good. I especially love their coconut shrimp. That stuff is amazing! They have a good selection of meats including chicken, beef, and shrimp dishes AND it's reasonably priced. What more can you ask for from a buffet??
(4)Jeff W.
I used to go to Joy Luck on a regular basis and always found it to be ok. I recently stopped in in mid-Feb 2012 and was surprised to see the place had been renovated and is now much nicer than before. They also seem to have gone an "all you can eat buffet" all the time establishment. I can tell you the food is what you would expect from a Chinese buffet with all of the regular menu items available but I was a little shocked (and happy) to find they installed a sushi bar as part of the buffet options. If you like Chinese buffets you will probably like this one and the price is very cheap. I cannot complain about Joy Luck as it is what I expected and have come to know: Chinese food on the cheap.
(3)Yan Z.
My family has been coming here weekly for nearly six years, so I'll leave it to the child psychologists amongst you to analyze the impact of Joy Luck on the development of my teenage identity or whatever. Like Fight Club, the first rule of Joy Luck Buffet is that you don't talk about the buffet. Get the fuqi feipian to start (morsels of tripe and marbly beef slices soaked in chili oil topped with tingly spices); order the ma po tofu, cumin-braised lamb, garlic eggplant, or one of the spicier chicken dishes so that the complimentary pot of rice on your table knows the meaning of its life; and round it off with a bowl of delicious, hearty fish soup with vermicelli. Ignore the fortune cookie if you'd like. It's already a miracle of luck that Sichuan food like this exists in the Midwest.
(5)Tim L.
At my work every day is a different take out day, and today's was Joy Luck. I ordered the curry chiken since I have been in a curry kick for the past few weeks. Good price, great portions and tasty. No idea what the Chinese relationship is to curry but the dish was simple and worth ordering. I say try it out. My cube smelled great all week, despite what my co-workers said.
(4)Mark P.
This is an update to my previous review. New owner, new paint, new buffet, and much better. It's still not the best buffet in St. Louis (that belongs to Emperor's Palace in Chesterfield), but it's much better (jumping from 2 stars to 3 stars. Hope they maintain the better quality. But my Chinese friends tell me the menu food (as opposed to the buffet food) is excellent.
(3)Jerome H.
I'm grading this solely on the buffet, as that's what's they've called the restaurant. I would have absolutely loved to have tried the real Chinese food that apparently exists here, but unfortunately they've decided to name their place a buffet and motion people who come in straight to their troughs of nearly-inedible food. Why do they do this? I don't know, but it doesn't speak well of their business. What speaks worse of their business is the food on the actual buffet. Blech and forgettable, like the Chinese food you'd get out of a freezer case. I think I found seafood that was crunchy when it should not have been. Otherwise, completely forgettable food and nothing giving me any reason to go back. The wait staff was also servile to a fault.
(2)George N.
Ah what it felt like to be young, 19, and completely broke again. That's the feeling I got when I sat down to eat at Joy Luck buffet. Your standard regurgitated Chinese American buffet fare. But for a $6.50 lunch buffet special it's actually worth the money. I found this place to be pretty descent. And it's the only other buffer I know of that isn't First Wok buffet in Crestwood. If you are in the mood to just pig out on some Chinese buffet, come here. It does the job, that's for sure. It's off Manchester Road.
(3)Ce Y.
The four stars are NOT for their buffet!!!! Sorry but I wouldn't touch that buffet line with a ten foot pole knowing their chefs are capable of soooo much more. We came with friends who were familiar with their "other" menu, the one that is written in only chinese!! We ordered some really authentic Sichuan cuisine, this stuff is better than what we had in San Francisco. For starters we had a a spicy appetizer made of thin slices of tripe?? (not sure what it was, but it was good) and marinated beef coated with a super hot chili oil and garlic sauce. Then we had a sour fish soup which as funny as it sounds has a good balance of flavors and because of the sour veggies there was no fishyness at all to the soup. Next we had a spicy beef dish, which had a nice sauce but the beef was a little over marinated and some of the beef flavor was missing. The veggies dish was average and boring, I will spare you the details. The spicy popcorn chicken (not its real name, my interpretation only) was awesome. Nicely marinated chicken pieces fried to perfection with a spicy coating and served along side a bunch of hot red chili peppers for an extra special presentation.
(4)Karen B.
My daughter spent last summer in Beijing and when she was visting over Christmas she mentioned she'd been craving "Hot Pot." Hot Pot? I hadn't heard of that before, but knew after she described it that I had to have some too. After searching on the internet, I decided to try Joy Luck Buffet. I met two friends and we shared a pot, half spicy, half no; as well as a little bit of everything you can cook in the hot pot: thinly sliced lamb, pork and beef, fish balls, shrimp, squid, an assortment of vegetables and some garlic oil, peanut sauce and fresh cilantro to add to the flavors already in the broth. The meat was fresh and tender. The lamb was particularly good. The flavor and texture suited the hot pot very well. The fish balls and squid were good, of course. But the shrimp was fabulous: sweet, tender and succulent. When ordering the Hot Pot, one can also dine at the buffet which includes a large variety of Chinese dishes as well as a sushi buffet. However we were so enamored of our hot pot meal we never made it to the buffet. I found the table to be uncomfortably crowded, and the service not very attentive, which is reflected in the rating I gave. The decor was somewhat dingy as well. And since I can't really rate the buffet due to not tasting a thing (other than an almond cookie), my review is incomplete. But I say give it a try. I'm a new fan of Hot Pot and look forward to another hot pot meal.
(3)Jen J.
If you are looking for a nice comprehensive Chinese buffet, I would recommend Emperor's Palace in Chesterfield Valley over Joy Luck. If you are looking for a cheap Chinese buffet, then this place is decent enough. But really, the attraction here is the Chinese menu, not the buffet. As a Chinese person who has eaten at all the Chinese restaurants in town, I recommend this place over all else. As far as I know it is the only place that offers Chinese style hotpot, which is similar to Fondue at places like the Melting Pot but with a bigger variety of ingredients and unlimited amount of vegetables and meat. The pot itself is placed on a gas burner and divided into "spicy" and "nonspicy" sections which will already have pre-made soup base inside when the pot is placed on your table. The waiter will initially bring you dishes of lamb, pork, beef, mushrooms, tofu, glass noodles, shrimp, squid, imitation crab, cabbage, two types of sauces (some sort of sesame sauce and garlic oil which is pungent and gives you horrible breath for days after-wards - I swear. I can't get it out of my system after 10+ times of teeth brushing) and a bowl of cilantro. Once your pot is boiling you can drop whatever you want from the plates into it and wait a few minutes for them to get fully cooked before you fish them out with these special spoon made of wires. When you run out of soup or any of the ingredients, you could request more. It is delicious (esp on winter nights) and $17 dollars per person after tax. Other than hot pot, their regular items off the Chinese menu are also delicious. They are known for their spicy flavors, which is a signature of Sezchuan dishes (These are fairly authentic Sezchuan cuisines, not your takeout places bearing Sezchuan in its names) Highly recommended for asians looking for authentic Chinese dining and for non-asians who are feeling adventurous :P
(5)Jonathan K.
The buffet here is terrible. We came starving and looking for something to satisfy our Chinese craving, and this definitely was not it. Most of the dishes were just bad. They had a decent amount of things to choose from, but I had a hard time finding anything that actually tasted good. The chicken wings and small donuts were the best things, even though both were only decent at best. I'd head somewhere else for Chinese.
(1)K S.
If you ask for food from the traditional menu it is awesome and spicy. Ghizu chicken, Chendu lamb and braised eggplant are our favorites. Regular menu and the buffet are good for what they are, but if you're looking for a foodie experience ask for the traditional menu. Unfortunately some dishes are a little oily so that's where the 4 stars come in instead of 5.
(4)Freida C.
I have been ordering from Joy Luck Buffet for about 7 or 8 years now. The kicker is: I have never been to the buffet. I always order via delivery (I live in the Clayton/U City area). The delivery is free, and they offer pretty awesome coupons (e.g. free order of crab rangoon or egg roll with an order of $15 or more).. AWESOME! The portions are generous, the price is CHEAP, and the quality of the food is undoubtedly one of the tastiest in the STL area as far as Chinese goes - I am not joking. I couldn't believe it the first time I tried their food. I have heard from others that the buffet is not as good compared to what you get straight off the menu... I am of Asian decent (not Chinese though), so I have the "Asian Taste Buds" - and tend to get picky with some items at a Chinese place (even though I am not a picky eater in general). I even asked a Chinese co-worker of mine recently that if he had to pick some Chinese restaurants in STL that were his faves, what would they be... He named 3 (based on taste alone). He said: 1. Joy Luck Buffet (again the "straight off the menu" items, not the buffet) 2. LuLu Seafood Restaurant 3. Wei Hong (Grand) Amazing, eh? I was both shocked (and not so shocked) when he picked my beloved Joy Luck as his first choice... Here is an example of stuff I have delivered to my house from Joy Luck (I'll take an example of my order from JUST TONIGHT for me and a friend) *Hot and Sour Soup for 1 (VERY spicy and huge portion) *Egg drop soup for 1 (again, huge) ----soups come with a big bag of crunchy noodles---- *vegetable lo mein (comes in 1 size - but it's a lot in there) (By the way, Joy Luck's Lo Mein is the best I have had in the STL area. I cant speak for what is served in the buffet, but get it delivered! You won't regret it...) OK, back to the order... In addition to above, *large shrimp fried rice (wow, VERY delicious) *steamed pot stickers (the sauce with this is soooo good. i actually pour a little bit over my noodle and rice) Pot stickers also come fried, but I recommend the steamed. Because this order was over $15, I asked for the free crab rangoon (it's a coupon they have on the front of their take out menu). 6 crab rangoons come in an order... Again, the delivery is free. The grand total of the order (with tax) was *drum roll please* $18.75. That's right. $18.75 There are LOTS of leftovers, and the leftovers continue to taste good! If you saw how much food this was, you would think it was an error. It never is. It is ALWAYS this cheap.... and ALWAYS good.... Please try this place. It's a hidden treasure to mid-county residents as far as delivery goes... You CANNOT beat it.......
(5)B N.
So everyone says the authentic food is spicy. I ordered the mapo tofu and although it was delicious I didn't break a sweat or get that zingy-numbing feeling at all. But I am a fiend for spicy so maybe my tastebuds have a high tolerance for heat. I'll definitely come back though and try the intestines and the hotpot.
(4)Nowell G.
If you visit this place, be sure to order off of the menu. The buffet offered is run-of-the-mill American Chinese fare, complete with a salad/dessert bar, and some very decent egg drop soup. The menu, however, is delightful. I've ordered from this place many times (delivery) and love their fried rice, which is a world apart from the brown fried rice offered in most St. Louis Chinese restaurants. You can actually taste the ingredients, instead of soy sauce. A funny story: I visited Joy Luck with a friend, and sampled the buffet. While we were picking away through our beef and broccoli, we noticed people filing into one of the back rooms, behind a curtain. One of the servers asked a patron if he was Chinese and he said he was "half." The server opened the curtain and allowed the young man in, where I spied a large round table, with a lazy susan in the middle of the table, complete with a communal hot pot that was being enjoyed by all. I immediately looked at my plate, filled with crab Rangoon, rice, and sweet and sour chicken and wished I was Chinese. I asked the server if that was something that people did all the time, and he said mostly Chinese people ask for that, and that particular group was a private party. That's something to consider if I ever decide to bring a large group into Joy Luck.
(4)Jason H.
This buffet isn't great it is just the standard cheap chineese buffet. There are pleanty of better ones. I would suggest finding one of those. They also do takeout meals, they are also very cheap but not very high quality.
(3)Amy X.
don't eat anything from the buffet. even if you're from Kansas, think chow mein is "real" chinese food, and/or still tell chuck norris jokes, don't eat the buffet. instead, ask for the chinese menu. get the fuqi feipian, dandan noodles, "water-cooked" fish/pork/beef, the kidney with garlic. the mapo tofu is good but comes with an inch layer of hot oil on the top, so naturally, order it whenever you get a chance. if you can't read chinese, look for the closest table with chinese people around you and ask for what they are eating. or, close your eyes, point to something on the all-chinese menu, and inhale when it comes. next time, remember the approximate proximity of the item on the menu so you can order it again (don't worry, that's what i do too).
(5)Steve M.
I was looking for a chinese buffet to cure this jones I have had for some good cheap chinese food, after my visit to joy luck I'm still looking. Lets start with what was wrong, the place was pretty damn dirty. Now I have been to plenty of hole in the wall chinese joints and while this was not the worst, it was pretty bad. If you are going to be dirty, you better have some damn tasty food to make me forgot that you don't know about things like sanitizer, towels and the back and forth motion that accompanies them. That brings me to the food. I got there right after they opened thinking maybe this would get me some hot and fresh food.. not so much. The food was cold but honestly that was the least of the offenses. I started with the Mongolian pork and while the overall taste was ok the pork was very very chewy, and it wasn't just one or two pieces, it was all of it. Next was some dish with diced chicken, at least I think it was diced chicken because it was undefinable and not like any chicken I had ever had before. All of the pieces where of different size, shape and texture, many where fatty, gristly, and just not edible. It was as if they took the bits they couldn't use for anything else and used that for this dish and about 3 others. The beef and broccoli was pretty tasteless but the beef was at least not chewy and the broccoli was probably the best thing on the buffet which isn't saying much. I tried small bites of various other dishes along with an egg roll and all of them where pretty bad. By this time, I was feeling really weird and thought, "if I don't sick from this, it will be a miracle", so I cut my losses and got the fuck out. Others have stated that the food off the menu is good, I won't be finding out anytime soon but if you do try your luck, stay away from the buffet.
(1)Liz S.
I ate here for the first time about 2 years ago and had a very bad experience. Gave it a second try recently and it is fantastic. My new go to place for Chinese carry out.
(4)Jennifer B.
Want a variety of Chinese food that is all you can eat and is reasonably priced? What's that, you say you want it to taste great as well? Well then, you're looking for the Joy Luck Buffet! It just doesn't get any better! The service is home style and fast. You'll be brought right to your table immediately upon entering and your drink will be waiting for you before you can even return to your seat after visiting the buffet. You're choices range from General Tso's Chicken all the way down to fruit slices. Don't forget to try the sesame balls, they're delicious! Once you finish your plate, just set it to the side of the table and go for more food. Usually the used plate will be gone by the time you return. Don't want buffet food? That's fine, just ask for their menu! They have plenty of entrees to choose from as well.
(4)David O.
We tried the buffet a couple days ago (on a Sunday), the seafood egg rolls were fresh and tasty but everything else was awful. They offer a huge variety of options, there was enough food out to feed a 100 people but probably were only going to feed 20. And that, I think is the problem, nothing seemed fresh, everything seem like it had been sitting around for hours if not days. Even the ice cream was not right... my two year old took one bite and said ewww!
(1)Margo S.
I LOVE this place. The buffet is just a typical Chinese buffet. My kids like it -- mixture of chinese food and some american, with lots of dessert choices. The dumplings and fried chicken are standouts. But the reason to go is for the menu food, which doesn't overlap with the buffet at all. Ask for the Chinese menu in English, unless you read Chinese. I've lived all over the country and eaten at tons of places that foodies swear by, in NYC, DC, LA, and other places. This is better than nearly all of those. My absolute favorite is the fish fillet with pickled red pepper, which is very spicy and flavorful (garlic, ginger, pickled pepper). But there are other outstanding choices, too: the ones I order often are chengdu lamb, mah poh tofu, szechuan dumplings. The bok choy with garlic is excellent, too. But I could list six other items, just as well. Everything on the menu is great. If you don't like spicy food, be careful to stay away from the starred items. And I have to admit, the bathroom is kind of grungy. Lots of folks love the hot pot here; if you go, you'll see many Chinese families eating that, communally. I like it, but like the other stuff from the menu better.
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