My husband and I have enjoy coming her a few times in the past. However, during our last visit, my husband was nearly finished with his first plate when my daughter noticed a bug in his food. Some sort of locust or grass hopper. I didn't get to take a good pic before the waitress took his plate away. We were refunded, and the waitress and manager were very apologetic. We understand that these things can happen, we just don't understand how such a big bug was missed while preparing the food. read more

Blue Pearl Buffet - Huge bug in my husband's food. - Buffets Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

My husband and I, was out of State and looking for a place to eat, we saw the restaurant, and decided to go in, Wow, the place was so crowded , The hostess, Diane, was very nice and cordial. The amount of food was unbelievable, the sea food was excellent, shrimps, 4 different types, crab legs and baked fish, 5 different kind of fish. A variety of food, from all countries, clean and good service, if you're ever in Virginia stop by, you won't be disappointed. My husband and I drove 70 miles to eat there again, last week. The price is very reasonable. read more

I do not know what the deal is with these female Chinese servers at the buffets (read up on my previous experiences), but here goes nothing for Blue Pearl. Let me commence by saying that the food was mediocre (they have egg foo young, which is my favorite so I'll give them some credit) and that the service was garbage. My girlfriend and I's server came to us only once to fill water and to give us the fortune cookies at the end. The whole time she was going around to the other tables with a cheerful, kind attitude and gave us stoic expressions. It was clear from the beginning that she wanted us to hurry up and leave backed by whatever vendetta she had for us. I don't know the case for others, but if you are a young Asian American professional, do not expect any worthy service at this place. Sometimes, Asian immigrants have it out for us more than racists do. read more

This use to be a great spot. But now has sunk to the cheapest in quality and highest in price. The first thing you notice on entry is the smell. Old fish and soured cloth smell. The furniture is ragged and the staff is inattentive and tired. They need just to let the thing die and start over. read more

Good job to you guys . Food is freshly cooked, mask sign all over the place, even animal figure are wearing mask Area is clean, social distance sign . Good job blue pearl read more

The quality of taste is not good. Either items sat out way too long or were overcooked. So not recommended.

I don't like rate or post review. But this time must have Been here for crawfish. After couple plates there was out. Waited abit new tray coming. Very SALTY How come steamed/boiled crawfish SALTY? The problem is their chef. He/she tired to make that order. Then made it salty. Servers tired take away shell plates then talk to chef "can u make it extra salty? Those monsters still eating" (my prediction) ------ Tried other stuff 1/ Veggies section look nice. But no one visit that lol (how come eat buffet with only veggies) 2/ Chinese section: really bad those look like old days before and reheated 3/ dessert: look ok. $15/person + tip not worth. Lets treat yourself some chef's special from another restaurant. read more

I actually had hoped for this restaurant to be a decent Chinese buffet but was I wrong about that. I never want to come here again. Service: The waiters/chefs never really interacted but I mean it didn't bother us so that was fine Food: The food was horrible. I can't say that in a nicer way because this was my experience. You could tell the food had been sitting in the open for a pretty long Time. The macaroni tastes soo bad because of the cheese which is literally water. And the deserts were so dry ( including the brownie ). They had a mysterious pink pudding thing and it tasted like MEDICINE. I'm not saying they had added medicine in but medicine is one thing I dread and tasting it a desert isn't what I look up to. The only desert I kept coming back for was the sugar donuts. That was the only desert that was delicious. The dining area/interior : the interior was very out of wack. They had lanterns hanging up which is a fire hazard, flashing rainbow lights, china pots, and arches with ribbons on them. They also had a LEAK in one of there pipes. The floor was pretty clean though and they did have entertainment ( a tv ). They do need to renovate the place a little bit and change the overall interior. read more

This place smelled like piss and the food was terrible, only good thing was the waitress constantly checking on us and the ice cream, which isn't soft serve, it's a scoop and serve. read more

I had not been here in almost one year and to be honest the place looks dirty and sketchy. I was about to put food in my mouth when a strand of hair popped up In the middle of my plate. I would suggest that everyone including the waiters to wear hair nets to prevent this from happening. The waiters are very rude just staring at your plate to see if you are finished, this happened as I was considering to get up from my table to get a new plate of food after the hair finding. I remember this buffet used to have an excellent reputation for being one of the best ones in the area. Unfortunately this has changed. Please make the place look cleaner and turn on the air conditioner to make people feel more comforting. read more

Most terrible and dirty Chinese buffet I have ever been. I think it is the worst buffet in this area. They charge $10 for lunch and the items are very limited. Smell bad inside and foods are cold and not fresh. Do not be SURPRISED if you get glass or plastic in your food because I just found it. read more

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The food was mostly cold. The variety was greatly lacking. If I go to a buffet I expect hot food. My husband said the best thing he had was the roll. A piece of bread. No thanks read more

WARNING! No way they are not paying the food InSpector under the table. I would rather eat dog food than eat at this establishment again. Keep in mind I have had bad food before and this is only my second yelp review ever. I find it very disrespectful that they would serve this filth to people and myself. read more

Blue Pearl Buffet - Only 2 things I felt safe eating after my first attempt. A scoop of rice and ice cream - Buffets Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

This restaurant was not up to standards. Their food area always smells foul and is dirty. Their meats aren't fresh. Also, they're always out of ice cream tubs. The sushi is okay but the preparation is always very sketchy. read more

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I would come here on a busy day or later at night. The food is inconsistent late afternoon, some sections may be cold as others can be warm or hot. I have no idea why they don't just keep it heated. I would recommend coming here for dinner or weekends, the food is changed more often, more choices and food is heated more evening from my experience read more

Blue Pearl Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

Very nice restaurant, come several times, I feel very fresh and delicious food, especially seafood, it is highly recommended to meet good friends to party. read more

Unfortunately, this place was not a hit for me. My family and I stopped in for lunch and the bar is very limited with selections. The best part of the establishment is the Mongolian bar. They also had Vietnamese soup which wasn't too bad either. It's a big restaurant and I'm very surprised that they don't have a bigger section to be honest. There isn't really much else to say. Personally, I will no longer visit this location but you should try it out, you may like it :) read more

Pretty decent Chinese buffet. They had a great spread and everything was good and fresh.

I hate it. I hate the crowded ambiance. I hate the noise and the bratty kids. And, I hate the pedestrian food produced for the masses. In the grand scheme of dining, the Blue Pearl Buffet is an awful restaurant for discerning foodies. But give credit where credit is due because, in the genre of Mega Buffet franchises, the Blue Pearl is quite respectable (as compared to franchises like Todai). Contrary to Cindy Y., I still posit that Blue Pearl is not on par with Korean buffets like Heebeen (see http://www.yelp.com/biz/heebeen-restaurant-alexandria) or Il Mee (see http://www.yelp.com/biz/il-mee-buffet-restaurant-annandale). The decor reminds me of a rustic, country steakhouse with its lumber beams, A-frame support, oak finishing, and stone hearth centerpiece. Depending on how you count, the buffet sports 127 items (139, if you include the 12 salad dressings) with wide-ranging dishes that include Chinese-American cuisine, Japanese sushi, Vietnamese noodles, seafood, barbecue, and chicken nuggets. There are even managers that bellow orders over a microphone like a ring-side announcer. Some of the dishes are notably better than others. The raw beef pho, for instance, is bland with tough strips of beef (although you could correct the soup with proper amounts of Hoisin sauce and Sriracha). But the Hong Kong-styled beef soup with vermicelli noodles is satisfactorily flavorful with tender chunks of beef. Some of the grilled dishes, like the curry beef stick, is overcooked but the BBQ spare ribs is meaty, sweet, and savory. The price point is very attractive. Lunch runs at $8.45 for adults ($3.95 to $5.95 for children) and Dinner is $12.95 ($5.25 to $7.75 for children). A a small bowl of pho at the cheapest pho noodle restaurants would cost $5.50 and the bill for an assortment of Sunday dim sum could easily total $15 per person. Price-per-pound, the Blue Pearl is a superior value compared against other low-to-mediocre Chinese restaurants. It's no wonder this is a such a popular restaurant. So many Asian families and large gathering come here because children eat very cheap. My advice - come early. In order to maximize your dining experience, skip the cheap fillers (items like stir-fried rice that easily make you feel full). The sushi is an unexpected filler but it's densely packed with low-grade rice and very little protein. Forget American foods like onion rings, french fries, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes, these are for the children. Forget about the salad bar, there are other restaurants for eating raw vegetables. Instead, head straight for the seafood line. You're looking for dishes with a high turnover rate because these will always be fresher. Go for the broiled crawfish (whole) and crab legs. And try, if you will, the fried frog legs (yes, they taste like fried chicken and better than most). [Original Visit: March 15, 2009] Blue Pearl Buffet Includes: - 3 soups - 11 salad items and 12 dressings - 7 cold items - 12 dim sum - 11 sushi - 26 Chinese dishes - 10 seafood dishes (including clams, mussels, whole shrimp) - 9 American dishes (including mash potatoes, onion rings, and garlic bread) - 7 Barbeque dishes (including sausage, spare ribs) - 5 Vietnamese noodles bowls - 5 Hong Kong Stle Noodles - 21 desserts (including red bean soup, frozen yogurt, and fruit) Best Fortune Cookie Message: What is the speed of dark? read more

Blue Pearl Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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If I could rate this buffet lower, I would. Everything here is horrendous! The food was greasy, extremely salty, stale- overall, inedible. Also, there was a lack of variety in the food. Let's talk about some of the choices that the buffet offers. First of all, I always try the general tso's at buffets because that's my favorite dish at chinese restaurants. The general tso's here didn't taste like chicken at all. It was more like a huge blob of weirdly textured dough smothered in mysterious, alcoholic smelling sauce (if this even makes sense). Next, the sushi was very dry and stale, probably because the rice wasn't fresh. At this point, I thought I'd stay away from the stuff that the buffet actually "cooked" and move onto the fruits/desserts. The cantaloupe was a bit slimy and smelled weird. The oranges were so dry and old. How do you mess up fruits?? Anyways, I tried the tofu dessert with the sugar sauce next. It was straight up rotten as in it went bad and they served it. The tofu had a sour taste that was unbearable and smelled moldy. I realized that I should stop eating because I might get food poisoning if I continued. I'm never coming back here- 0/10 would not recommend. read more

I don't usually dine at a buffet restaurant, but there are acception to my rules at times. Blue Pearl Buffet is currently one of the better asian buffet in the Fairfax county, VA, area which I do know of. It's a korean owned buffet restaurants. It has typical asian meals that you would find in a general Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese & Korean restaurants. Lol, they even have fried chicken wings for that specific group of ethnicity. All together. there are 5 different sections of different types of food to entertain pretty much all types of food lovers. Diners be warned, if you are those types who like to try out new places but not too friendly with all the grease and fat on your plate then you should skip this establishment. For lunch, you only need to pay between $13-$18 while diner could ring up from $18-$24 per person. The food is ok, not that good, while the service is next to terrible. Besides greeting us to our table, we hardly got another word from the employees. Although the place does get a good crowd during weekend lunch. You should call in to make a reservation like 30 minutes before you head over to the place if you are the impatient type of diners. read more

This place looks a bit run down on the outside, but the inside is actually a bit of a surprise. I think it may have been a steakhouse before, but at least it looks clean. The food wasn't as nice. They do have your standard Chinese buffet fare, some desserts, etc. There was sushi, but being honest, there's no way I was going anywhere near it. It was clear that it was made by untrained hands, and it had sat out for so long that it was dried out. There wasn't any ice below it, the sushi was just sat onto a plate in a window. Pass! Something I really enjoyed seeing was pho! You can walk up towards the hibachi area, and they will make you a fresh bowl of Pho. It was delicious! I also was not eating any hibachi meal at Blue Pearl. The raw beef was out and uncovered for so long that it was dried and leathery. It did not look sanitary or appetizing in the least. Overall, I enjoyed the small selection of seafood (fish, crawfish, fried crab halves, large clams) and chicken dishes. They had a jalapeño pepper chicken that was delicious! It wasn't very spicy aside from the actual peppers. It was the best thing that I found there, and I had more than one serving of it. Yummy! General Tso's chicken was on the buffet as well, and was average but not bad. In all honestly, it wasn't a terrible place to eat, but the food was mediocre and the price ($13.95) was too high for such a small and average buffet, even if it does include your drink. I wouldn't come back. It would have earned three stars if it weren't for the restrooms - which were in HORRID shape. I am not sure when it was last cleaned; there was paper and dirty toilet bowls everywhere! Only two stalls worked. It was just filthy and I felt as though I needed to wash my hands again after I left. read more

Hate killing a place, but if it deserves it ... it deserves it. Worst Chinese food buffet I have ever been to ... I know, its a buffet, but still, I've been to some decent ones. I never, ever judge a restaurant by its cover, but the outside of this place is just disgusting ... the parkign was brutal, the trash was super smelley ... again, I've eaten places that looked condemed and it was some of the best food I have ever eaten ... I won't go into too much detail but inside the place, the beef and broccolli was horrible, no flavor, the fried rice was just steamed rice mixed with soy sauce for coloring, the dumplings were marinating in oil. read more

Yuck! The seafood tasted soooo bad. Nothing was fresh and everything had a bad smell (I tried the clams, crabs, crawfish, shrimp) Stay away from the seafood. Not worth it.... read more

Problems with this place: 1) They do not have crab rangoons. They don't even have "cream cheese wontons". I need to eat a few of these to be satisfied with a chinese buffet experience. 2) The seafood, which every single person in the packed restaurant is devouring at an unbelievable speed, tastes horrible. I have no idea how so many folks put blind faith in not getting sick from this stuff. 3) Everything else is made unbelievably cheaply - the egg and spring rolls are just pure cabbage, every chicken dish is extra gross and mushy, the sushi rice is beyond dry. I only expect a 3-star experience when I go to a Chinese buffet, but the lack of rangoons and downright terrifying seafood bump this one down to a 2. There's no way to eat 12.95 of food without feeling sick first. No chance I'll be back. read more

Typical Asian-American Chinese buffet that is just ok. Came here on a weekend and the food selection is mediocre. I'd say the best item in my option there is the steamed whole fish, which gets devoured within minutes of being set down. They have a sushi area that's just different variations of California rolls. There's also a Mongolian grill which some people seemed to enjoy. It's $15 a person, so you get what you pay for. read more

I'm no buffet expert and I certainly never eat my money's worth, but I usually rate a buffet based on the variety, and of course, taste. First of all, this place MUST be good because it's so packed with people and is huuuuge. Well, I give it a "meh" rating. I don't eat meat, so that limited my selection but even trying to chow down the seafood wasn't all that awesome. Fair, just not the best ever. Service is really great, and as packed as it is, you're still seated within 10 minutes. Just mind all the line cutters and people who can't seem to figure out what direction they want to go in (myself included). I guess for $12.95 per person (dinner, adult) you can't complain too much. read more

The service was great and friendly! The food was mediocre; although, the duck noodle soup was actually yummy! Everything else wasn't worth it. read more

Ok so most people don't like chinese buffets but I don't know why I love them so much. The food's usually not great but I love the fact that I can pay about $10 and get all you can eat blue crabs! So there that's the real reason why I go. For the blue crabs. I prefer Peter Pan Buffet in Fairfax Circle over Blue Pearl but Blue Pearl is closer to where I live so it's decent. Parking usually sucks going there, it's usually musty in the place and there's always a ton of kids running around the place. So I suggest if you go, bring your patience with you. you won't get stellar service, and it'll be very loud. read more

Wow, how can a place be this bad and stay open? Solidly wretched food backed up by indifferent service - not a winning combination. Perhaps - and only perhaps - if one could suppress the cleanliness warning lights in your head and try the seafood, it might be worth it. I couldn't, and everything else was GROSS - tasteless, insipidly sauced, and the worst meat I have ever put in my mouth. I felt bad when I had to interrupt my server's discussion with the cashier to ask for some more iced tea. What was I thinking? read more

I used to go here a lot, but the buffet's quality has been going downhill lately. Food weren't fresh and they substitute many "quality" dishes by cheap and bad stuffs. I would say it's not good for my wallet anymore since I could pay $8-12 for one great dish other than for various kinds of badly cooked stuffs. read more

Let's be frank.... The health department needs to be more thorough. For one the temperature is obviously not what it is supposed to be. Literally you walk around for one minute and your food is cold when you go take your seat. Then let's talk about the food, if your a seafood fan maybe your in luck. Unfortunately if your cant stand the seafood smell which could knock you out as you enter. Your food choices are plentiful BUT your food tastes terrible. Think of heating up expired boxes of items stamped with "fit for human consumption." I'm sure it may appear to taste good because your starving. Looking objectively I would be so scared to realize what I sampled (most of my food went back on the plates). Thankfully I didn't pay for this or I'd have asked for my money back. It was miserable, food was horrible, bathrooms were disgusting. The ice cream scoop was in a bowl of water which appeared to have a dusty mold layer. For the risk of cross contamination I choose not to try my hand at that food poisoning piñata. If you've ever watched the buffet scene from National Lampoons Vegas Vacation. I felt like I was re-living that moment in real life. If you enjoy gelatinous chicken and food poisoning... Please tempt your fate. read more

The Blue Pearl Buffet is a Chinese buffet. The standards of the buffet are always lower than what you can expect from a normal restaurant. However, the standards here are lower than an average buffet. So the positives. The employees are nice and friendly. Drinks are full all the time, and responsive, majority of the time. Also there is a large selection of food to try and consume. That is what a buffet is about. Selection. However, there are a bunch of negatives that stand out. The parking lot is weird. It encircles the building and is quite limited. A huge pain if it is busy. Once entering, the area is pretty dirty overall. It tries really hard to be clean and festive, but just fails at that. Vandalism is everywhere, and on the tables, wall, etc. The tables wable and it seems like there is no attempt to fix it. The place is also very noisy. Just in case if you plan on having a quiet time ever in a buffet. Here is the real bad part. The food is not always hot. Or fresh. Or presents any kind of quality. But there is a bunch of different choices. Overall I would have to give this place two stars. One for effort and one for having friendly employees who try to bring this Chinese buffet all together. I cannot recommend a place where the point of the place is to have a variety of food that is not cold. read more

There was a big banner hanging outside the restaurant that said they have over 150 food options and drinks to choose from. The first thing we do is pay for our buffet ($27 for 2 adults). We got seated at a corner booth which seemed great at first glance. But once I sat down, my legs kept getting scratched by the cut up leather seat (very annoying). It was soo irritating, that I had to place about 3 napkins b/n my legs and the seat to avoid getting scratched. Then the server (who was very nice) asked what we would like to drink. I had asked for juice for my daughter, and the server mentioned they don't carry juice. And after the server said that, I couldn't help but think about that BIG banner outside their restuarant that says they have ove "150 food items and drinks to choose from". Apparently "juice" isn't in the "150 items" they bragged about;lol! In regards to the food, meh. The good part about this place is the area where you get to pick you choice of meat and they cook it what ever way you desire. Other than that section of this buffet, I wouldn't recommend anything else. As a matter of fact, don't eat at this buffett unless you want 24hrs of stomach issues or if you have no other options in this area of town. I give this place 2 stars for the friendly and fast service. read more

I have to agree with many of the others... And that is part of the problem! There are a whole bunch of negative reviews and it doesn't appear that the Blue Pearl management/owner even cares... There are ZERO improvements! So, where do I start?!? I guess I will start (and finish) with this: The food was cold, over cooked, very dry and was not even worth eating! My friend and I both had to hurry home (if you catch my drift), and 12 hours later, I am still sick to my stomach! I will never return and would give this place zero stars, if I could! My Mom always taught me - if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all! So I feel bad saying this, but I would never RECOMMEND BLUE PEARL! read more

Dont go there unless you are desperate for low quality, non fresh, unsavory food.... This is ridiculous. The food is either mushy or dry, the manager is retarded and asks every table whether they paid or not several times, the waitress pay noattention to mannerisms...taking plates over people's heads...I'm never going back, hope you won't too. It may have been acceptable service and food in the past, but its nothing like it used to be. Not recommended. read more

I took the kids because they love Chinese buffets. I think they're traumatized now. The food lacked flavor and the sushi was dried out...as if it had been either sitting out all day or placed in the frig with no covering. We won't be back read more

I ate at this restaurant many times when I lived in the area. The quality of the food is average. The buffet features over 150 Chinese and American foods, including chicken, duck, pork, noodles, sushi, salad, fruit, and dessert. Waitresses brought out drink refills often. Price is inexpensive. read more

Receptionist was friendly Senior discount Very affordable Food was really bad Variety is meh Tables are dark because lighting sucks And "sushi" is a freakin disaster read more

Wish I could leave zero stars. Do not go to this place. The people that run it are thieves and liars. I have been here many times and almost always get the same thing but noticed the price varies wildly depending on who checks me out. One day I went in and decided to look at the menu price and what exactly they typed in when I was checking out. I watched the woman that works there type in 3 dollars more per pound than was on the menu. I asked her why she did that and she looked shocked that I had noticed then thought for a second and actually told me that the buffet menu pricing was only for if u get rice and noddles. I haven't been back since. U shouldn't either unless u want to get robbed. read more