Jumbo Buffet

The place was clean. Pepsi products no diet Coke. Food temperatures were off. The stuff that was supposed to be hot was barely warm and the cold stuff was just about room temperature doubt if we go back.

EDIT 6/25/2025: I kind of like this place again. The Mongolian grill is still gone, which I'm bummed about because there still really is no Mongolian grill option within 200 miles of this part of San Luis and Santa Barbara counties. However, I think they got rid of some of the food choices that were purely Mexican and didn't really belong. The Indian chicken is still the best item and absolutely to die for. I also really love the rice noodles. I always go for lunch because the price is a lot better. Unfortunately, unlike other buffets I've had in other states for lunch, they really don't offer much in the way of protein but chicken. They have like chocolate clams, and beef and broccoli, but the rest of it's like orange chicken, general tso chicken, sweet and sour chicken, mushrooms and chicken, chicken on a stick, etc. All chicken. The beef in the beef and broccoli is really terrible. But I still really like that they have vegetables with fried tofu. That one's always a winner for me. The potstickers are usually yummy. I even managed to snag some yellow watermelon one day, and that was on my bucket list to try. Thought I would have to buckle down and check a bunch of markets for that, not for it to just fall in my lap in a mediocre Chinese buffet. It was surprisingly really sweet and good. They probably bring out all the shrimp and better tasting beef and pork for dinner. Hopefully. But if you like vegetables, rice noodles, some really delicious chicken options, and tofu, you can't go wrong for the lunch price of $20. Especially if you eat a whole lot. Not a lot of good deals in California anymore, especially for Chinese food where I can spend upwards of $60 on just myself. Solid 3 stars. OLD EDIT 4/27/2023: This place is terrible now. The Mongolian grill is gone. The food is now very noticeably lukewarm to cold even at 5 PM. Way too many random food choices, a lot of it Mexican. Even if it's a very Hispanic area of Santa Maria, dunno why they wanna go to an Asian buffet for Mexican food. No potstickers this day, which I consider a staple. Only thing I LOVED was the Indian chicken. Phenomenal with a sweet curry flavor. Managed to get some hot even though they buried the fresh stuff under the old stuff. Service HAS improved. They DO notice you now, take your plates, and refill your drinks. You prolly don't wanna come here though. Original 12/1/2017 review: I was scared to try this place after reading all the negative reviews, but this was the only place I could find within 150 miles that has a Mongolian grill. I was pleasantly surprised. All the staff were nice, the potstickers were fresh and edible, (if they're hard as a rock, that's usually a sign of overall food neglect) and there was a great selection! My Mongolian grill plate was delicious and I'm posting a pic of it. People who are saying the food is bland must not have a lot of tastebuds. It tasted really good like any other Chinese buffet I've come to know. I didn't have a single experience or bite of food I thought was gross. Some food was lukewarm and almost cold, but nothing I wouldn't expect from a buffet at 2 p.m. when I ate. Definitely going to be returning for more. If you're easy or moderate to please, I say ignore the bad reviews and give the place a chance! I'm glad I did.

Cynthia Morris

My husband and I visit plenty of buffets because we have 4 kids. We are visiting family in Santa Maria, and this is the only buffet in the area from Lompoc to Santa Maria. I would not come back here, though. The service was friendly. The food was just barely edible. I admit I tried a variety of things, just one of two bites of the things I normally like, hoping each bite would be better, but it wasn't. I had 4 pieces of the sushi, 1 of each kind, and I didn't get more. I had 2 baked muscles, I like baked muscles, and I didn't get more. The best thing I ate was a corn on the cob. It was like $130 for a family of 6. Ages 2-16 for the kids and 2 adults. There was no clear pricing listed anywhere they just charged. Also a 3% fee for paying by card. Like I said, I would not come back here. The desserts looked good, but I was already off out by the food. I was just ready to leave.

Rollie Empizo

Cane here after a hike and was a bit hungry. The food looked go so we decided to stay. I was a bit disappointed with the food that was offered. The food tasted ok, it seemed as if it was under the heat lamp too long. I did like the noodles and clams, though.

Doug Underwood

The place was clean. Pepsi products no diet Coke. Food temperatures were off. The stuff that was supposed to be hot was barely warm and the cold stuff was just about room temperature doubt if we go back.

Zachary Way

EDIT 6/25/2025: I kind of like this place again. The Mongolian grill is still gone, which I'm bummed about because there still really is no Mongolian grill option within 200 miles of this part of San Luis and Santa Barbara counties. However, I think they got rid of some of the food choices that were purely Mexican and didn't really belong. The Indian chicken is still the best item and absolutely to die for. I also really love the rice noodles. I always go for lunch because the price is a lot better. Unfortunately, unlike other buffets I've had in other states for lunch, they really don't offer much in the way of protein but chicken. They have like chocolate clams, and beef and broccoli, but the rest of it's like orange chicken, general tso chicken, sweet and sour chicken, mushrooms and chicken, chicken on a stick, etc. All chicken. The beef in the beef and broccoli is really terrible. But I still really like that they have vegetables with fried tofu. That one's always a winner for me. The potstickers are usually yummy. I even managed to snag some yellow watermelon one day, and that was on my bucket list to try. Thought I would have to buckle down and check a bunch of markets for that, not for it to just fall in my lap in a mediocre Chinese buffet. It was surprisingly really sweet and good. They probably bring out all the shrimp and better tasting beef and pork for dinner. Hopefully. But if you like vegetables, rice noodles, some really delicious chicken options, and tofu, you can't go wrong for the lunch price of $20. Especially if you eat a whole lot. Not a lot of good deals in California anymore, especially for Chinese food where I can spend upwards of $60 on just myself. Solid 3 stars. OLD EDIT 4/27/2023: This place is terrible now. The Mongolian grill is gone. The food is now very noticeably lukewarm to cold even at 5 PM. Way too many random food choices, a lot of it Mexican. Even if it's a very Hispanic area of Santa Maria, dunno why they wanna go to an Asian buffet for Mexican food. No potstickers this day, which I consider a staple. Only thing I LOVED was the Indian chicken. Phenomenal with a sweet curry flavor. Managed to get some hot even though they buried the fresh stuff under the old stuff. Service HAS improved. They DO notice you now, take your plates, and refill your drinks. You prolly don't wanna come here though. Original 12/1/2017 review: I was scared to try this place after reading all the negative reviews, but this was the only place I could find within 150 miles that has a Mongolian grill. I was pleasantly surprised. All the staff were nice, the potstickers were fresh and edible, (if they're hard as a rock, that's usually a sign of overall food neglect) and there was a great selection! My Mongolian grill plate was delicious and I'm posting a pic of it. People who are saying the food is bland must not have a lot of tastebuds. It tasted really good like any other Chinese buffet I've come to know. I didn't have a single experience or bite of food I thought was gross. Some food was lukewarm and almost cold, but nothing I wouldn't expect from a buffet at 2 p.m. when I ate. Definitely going to be returning for more. If you're easy or moderate to please, I say ignore the bad reviews and give the place a chance! I'm glad I did.

Hah this place really depends on the days and the food they serve on those specific days, but if you happen to go on a good day…..their octopus, clams, crab, chow mein, and buns are really good. One thing that is definitely a NO is their sushi. I LOVE sushi so this hits heavy when I say….DONT TOUCH THE SUSHI!! Their servers sometimes lag on the drinks and you have to ask them when they pass by or something. Also language barrier gets tough.

Liana Alejandre

Hah this place really depends on the days and the food they serve on those specific days, but if you happen to go on a good day…..their octopus, clams, crab, chow mein, and buns are really good. One thing that is definitely a NO is their sushi. I LOVE sushi so this hits heavy when I say….DONT TOUCH THE SUSHI!! Their servers sometimes lag on the drinks and you have to ask them when they pass by or something. Also language barrier gets tough.

Quality of the food is not the best. I would not go back. The atmosphere is family friendly and can accommodate larger parties. Service was okay.

Paula

Quality of the food is not the best. I would not go back. The atmosphere is family friendly and can accommodate larger parties. Service was okay.

This place doesn’t even deserve a 1 star, I ate their salmon it was jelly and smelled really bad, and still tried to tell me it was fresh. The food taste weird and too fishy the food sits out too long and is NOT FRESH AT ALL. A lot of the seafood was super dry and mushy too. Stay safe ya’ll.

everything was ICE COLD and tasted really bad. we even drove 30 mins from pismo for the buffet cus there are none near us. it was $26 per person for ice cold and bad tasting food. every bite was spit back out… left hungry and have to make dinner. everyone we encountered was pleasant though so i still left a tip but asked for a refund for the buffet. :(

Okay to start off the food tasted like it was dry and under a heat lamp. some of the things werent even replaced. Staff seem rude when i was being sitting with my family, but didnt say anything cause people have tough days, when i took a plate to go i have found hair in my noodles and the wings tasted like they been there all dat. And i spat the rest out, in the past i have found dead bugs around the table. and don’t appreciate the little kid in the back ignoring or looking at people weird . The jelly and fruit was the only things that’s really tasted okay. i hope i can at least get a refund for my meal.

The food is super trash and super cold do not come here please and they charge 30$ per person

Food options are Terrible, dessert options are awful and taste plain and weird, price isn't bad but not worth your money for low quality trash food, anything is better even taco bell haha.

Kiara Pooler

This place doesn’t even deserve a 1 star, I ate their salmon it was jelly and smelled really bad, and still tried to tell me it was fresh. The food taste weird and too fishy the food sits out too long and is NOT FRESH AT ALL. A lot of the seafood was super dry and mushy too. Stay safe ya’ll.

aj grace

everything was ICE COLD and tasted really bad. we even drove 30 mins from pismo for the buffet cus there are none near us. it was $26 per person for ice cold and bad tasting food. every bite was spit back out… left hungry and have to make dinner. everyone we encountered was pleasant though so i still left a tip but asked for a refund for the buffet. :(

Faygo

Okay to start off the food tasted like it was dry and under a heat lamp. some of the things werent even replaced. Staff seem rude when i was being sitting with my family, but didnt say anything cause people have tough days, when i took a plate to go i have found hair in my noodles and the wings tasted like they been there all dat. And i spat the rest out, in the past i have found dead bugs around the table. and don’t appreciate the little kid in the back ignoring or looking at people weird . The jelly and fruit was the only things that’s really tasted okay. i hope i can at least get a refund for my meal.

Junior Perez

The food is super trash and super cold do not come here please and they charge 30$ per person

Manuel Haro Rico

Food options are Terrible, dessert options are awful and taste plain and weird, price isn't bad but not worth your money for low quality trash food, anything is better even taco bell haha.

The price was outrageous, the Mac and cheese was watery, and the desserts were stale! I’m fairly certain that the sushi is a health risk too. If you wanna eat bad food, get your money stolen, AND possibly get sick, then come on down! The only the that I liked was a cool little coy pond inside.

This place is absolutely not worth the $25 (plus tax) per person. Food is okay tasting at best. Food is cold and the dessert table is dollar store cakes/cookies quality. Staff is absent so getting refills on drinks or help is not possible. They have a sit-in, 2 hour max per person/group policy. When someone is asked for help, its difficult to speak to them or understand due to language barrier. Amex is not accepted here. Hopefully others will have a much better experience than we did.

Your food quality is bad. You have reduced protein and added more vegetables. You have removed fried shrimp which most of people like. I understand that everything cost more this day. But for you to raise the price and low food quality is bad business. I came with two kids which 2 and 4 years olds which they don't even eat and three adults cost us over 80 dollars. Please ask for their age. I also run a restaurant business I know how it works. I would never give feedback but I just want to owner to know. Thanks

The restaurant is very nice and impeccably clean, including the restrooms. The service staff is courteous and quick to refill empty glasses and clear away empty plates. However, the food is terrible. The mushroom chicken Had a lot of mushrooms, but I was unable to find any chicken. The same with the roast duck. Lots of vegetables, but no meat. I was able to find a few pieces of beef in the beef broccoli. The orange chicken was dry and too spicy. The sweet and sour chicken had almost no chicken but lots of dough. Ovetall, very dry and tasteless. Sauce was separate. The food does not warrant the price tag. The name of the restaurant does not imply that it is a Chinese restaurant, which is a good thing, because it is not.

Most of the food was Cold or luke warm at best! When I told a staff member, she said I will tell them to turn the heat back on. What?!? Why was the heat turned off? After that several employees kept looking over at me and seemed to be annoyed. I went back through food line and this time I could see steam rising from the buffet line but it wasn't heating the cold food very fast. I went back multiple times taking a small spoonful of dishes I was hoping would be hot but to no avail, at least not the whole time we were there. I ate very little for their $28 price. And most of the food either had no label or was mislabeled. I couldn't figure out what alot of the dishes were or what was in them so I asked an employee and she didn't come over, she just tried to guess from where she was at behind the counter. I served myself something that she said was teriyaki chicken but when I took a bite, it was spicy! Definitely NOT teriyaki AND it wasn't hot either. Every time I asked her what a food dish was she seemed annoyed. If they had labels AND properly labeled items, I wouldn't have to ask! The food wasn't that good either, but let's face it, food that is supposed to be hot, doesn't taste good cold or lukewarm!! Save your money and go ANYWHERE else!!!

FBI Noreallythefbi

The price was outrageous, the Mac and cheese was watery, and the desserts were stale! I’m fairly certain that the sushi is a health risk too. If you wanna eat bad food, get your money stolen, AND possibly get sick, then come on down! The only the that I liked was a cool little coy pond inside.

Alex Chavez

This place is absolutely not worth the $25 (plus tax) per person. Food is okay tasting at best. Food is cold and the dessert table is dollar store cakes/cookies quality. Staff is absent so getting refills on drinks or help is not possible. They have a sit-in, 2 hour max per person/group policy. When someone is asked for help, its difficult to speak to them or understand due to language barrier. Amex is not accepted here. Hopefully others will have a much better experience than we did.

Kandid Pagdee

Your food quality is bad. You have reduced protein and added more vegetables. You have removed fried shrimp which most of people like. I understand that everything cost more this day. But for you to raise the price and low food quality is bad business. I came with two kids which 2 and 4 years olds which they don't even eat and three adults cost us over 80 dollars. Please ask for their age. I also run a restaurant business I know how it works. I would never give feedback but I just want to owner to know. Thanks

Joe Simonson

The restaurant is very nice and impeccably clean, including the restrooms. The service staff is courteous and quick to refill empty glasses and clear away empty plates. However, the food is terrible. The mushroom chicken Had a lot of mushrooms, but I was unable to find any chicken. The same with the roast duck. Lots of vegetables, but no meat. I was able to find a few pieces of beef in the beef broccoli. The orange chicken was dry and too spicy. The sweet and sour chicken had almost no chicken but lots of dough. Ovetall, very dry and tasteless. Sauce was separate. The food does not warrant the price tag. The name of the restaurant does not imply that it is a Chinese restaurant, which is a good thing, because it is not.

Nick Culver

I do not recommend this place. It is definitely not worth $24 for dinner. Maybe $14, tops. I tried taking a look at the food before getting a table, but I was rushed into paying first, which should have been a red flag. There’s also a sign insisting you tip, but why would people tip before eating or getting quality service? The food just really wasn’t good, seemed low quality, and was not very hot. For $24, there should be higher quality food and a hibachi station. No peel & eat shrimp or crab rangoons?!? No egg rolls??! They use a good chunk of their buffet space for American and Mexican foods, which doesn’t appeal to me. As far as atmosphere goes, it’s virtually non-existent. I love Chinese buffets and have been to a lot of bad ones, but this place wins last prize for me. On a positive note, the service was decent, I appreciate how the baked salmon was presented, and love that they don’t allow customers to scoop their own ice cream. The roast duck had potential and I wish I could have had some when it was fresh.