Was referred to this buffet by a friend at work. My husband took me here for my birthday. From the time we arrived until the time we left, we felt like royalty. The hospitality at the Hilton, well-ran valet and staff made our experience primo. The staff is very nice. The operation is well ran and organized. They have a beautiful bar with high ceilings and awesome bartenders. Our bartender had a wonderful yet professional attitude and she CAN MAKE the BEST Old Fashioned. Honestly, it was the best I've had. It can get rather warm in the main atrium but be prepared and dress light. My suggestion is to grab your King Crab legs when you grab a lobster. It'll be steaming hot and fresh. I loved the raw oysters and cocktail shrimp along with their little bottles of Tabasco and drawn butter. Less waste. The seafood buffet is only available on Saturdays so my suggestion is to make reservations because it's going to be busy from the time they open until the time they close. The best part of the sushi bar is getting the hand made rolls. I wasn't a fan of the prepared sushi rolls. Neither of us were. There was so many other dishes of seafood if you preferred, too. I ate so much shrimp, scallops, oysters, crab legs, lobster and Prime Rib that I couldn't really enjoy their in-house ice cream. I was stuffed so I had a crepe with strawberries, bananas and whipped creme. Oh no,I just realized I missed my favorite dessert, the Creme Brulee! That's okay because you're able to take a Thai Milk Tea with boba home, so I did! I was there for my birthday so they brought me a little tiramisu inspired cake, a candle and they will sing "Happy Birthday" to you! The extremely wonderful staff and the wicked Baysil Hayden Old Fashioned will keep us coming back. Hospitality is here! #mortimerthebear #rilakkuma #cafesierra #ayce #seafood #buffet read more

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I came here for a Sunday brunch. I recommend checking it out. The food was fresh and there was so much variety. They had steak, sushi, lamb, prime rib, Chinese food and etc. The service I would give a 5/5. They were very attentive and quick. The ambiance was nice and cozy. I would recommend coming here for a brunch or dinner. read more

Cafe Sierra - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

I was almost for sure the previous visit was prob gonna be the last visit for me. Then the bogo deal came thru my email. I didn't know until it passed by birthday. I decided to call to see if the restaurant would honor it. but there was no answer. Tried to call during actual AYCe hours. Still unable to get an answer. Operator suggested to leave a voice message for Miguel, the MANAGer. So I did =] After a few days, I received a call from Miguel. He was kind and friendly over the phone. He said he will honor it. He even helped me with the reservation. That call brightened my day. Finally Sat! Checked in and had to wait a bit before getting seated. I was happy that we got seated near the main seafood section. I wasn't expecting a lot, but I was hoping to be able to enjoy some of the seafoods this time. Huge improvement on the seafoods!! The whole steamed lobsters were not overcooked. It was yummy with the butter and lemon. The snow crab legs were in good size. Wasn't that salty. Was good with or without butter. King crab legs were ok. It was thin than the ones previously. However, it was edible this time. It wasn't super salty. Some were just pretty dry and the meats weren't as tasty as the king crab legs I normally eat from other places. The sashimi was fresh. For ayce, the quality was great. All the other items were good as well. Foods were no longer as salty as before. I felt like their chef was messing with the foods or something back then. Maybe new chefs? I hope things will stay consistent or improve even more in the future. The Thai tea without boba was good. It was way better than what I had in the morning. The tea was strong. I had 2 cups hehhe Service was good. They came by a few times and made sure things were going smoothly. The desserts were not the greatest. They need a new baker or get their cakes else where. I didn't see any baked lobsters. I really enjoyed the baked lobsters back in the days. Looking forward to return with the family. Thank you, Miguel!! Reg price for dinner was $139, but they had a promotion going on for $109 pp. With the bogo deal, our total came out to $166.15 instead of $275.15. They now have a facility charge and a no tipping policy. I prefer this over the standard with Cafe Sierra. I am ok with tipping, however, I have had servers that circled the percentage of tips they wanted and expected that amount to be given. The lady servers who did this were not present during the visit. Great! Sierra doesn't need these greedy servers. read more

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Parking will be validated, just ask your waitress. We came here for a late mother's day brunch. Some food is hit or miss I enjoyed the clam chowder, french toast, lobster mac and cheese, korean short ribs, prime rib and the split lobster with mushroom sauce type of season on it, bone marrow with some bread. sweets table, some type of oatmeal granola type of pudding was good, they have a crepe station. The staff was really good about cleaning up our plates and refilling our drinks. read more

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For a LONG time, I've been meaning to go to Cafe Sierra for quite some time now. I finally decided to go when they were running the end of summer special of the Saturday AYCE lobster buffet dinner for around $109 ($30 off). I was so excited to finally go. However, my first lobster was such a bad start to the dinner. It was either overcooked or a bad lobster. It tasted funky and the innards, including the lobster tail, tasted off. The subsequent lobsters redeemed the AYCE lobster deal, but my palate was already off from that first one. How disappointing...the other buffet items were decent. The spread of raw and cold seafood items were decent. I expected fresher seafood but then again, SoCal isn't close to the Atlantic Ocean where seafood seems to be much better. I had a little bit of most of the buffet spread, but it didn't hit as hard as it should. They have a few types of steaks including Korean style LA Galbi. However, they need to work on different cooking temps as most were or close to well done. I like my steaks medium rare to medium but none of them were at that level. I skipped the prime rib given the disappointment from the other steaks, and I was quite full at this point. I finished it off with the spread of desserts. Honestly, the overall dessert spread was probably the closest complete area to be quite fair in value and taste. For a cost of $100+, I expected way better quality overall and in certain dishes at this AYCE dinner buffet. Each lobster should also be better inspected given it ruined the first impression and my dinner overall. But then again, I've been to one of my favorite seafood places AYCE or other...The Nordic in Charlestown, RI. Many seafood and lobster AYCE expectations have been highly escalated due to them. read more

Been wanting to go to this place for about a year noww when u finally did it was Not worth the hype oyster was old tasted mushy looks nothing like the pic and video they showed on there IG I was so disappointed.could have went somewhere else then dropping 400 at this place . read more

First time dining here plus 5 family members, dinner reservations at 7pm and was seated right away. Wide selections of food but wasn't impressed with seafoods options for the roughly $150 per head buffet price. however, we've enjoyed the desserts section. Parking is convenient since it's situated in hilton hotel, make sure to validate your parking ticket. It's a nice fancy buffet but will hesitate to comeback to give way to other buffet options with reasonable prince range. read more

Cafe Sierra - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

Got to cross this gem off my list! The quality and variety of seafood alone was worth the trip but there were plenty of meats, savory dishes and desserts that made this a memorable visit. The place has an open air sort of vibe since it's inside of a hotel and the service staff was very attentive. Definitely a bit pricey but the quality of grub keeps it justified read more

Cafe Sierra - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

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First time at this buffet for their weekend brunch ($100) and it did not disappoint! Unlimited mimosas, orange juice and all the snow crab legs + dungeoness crabs was well worth the drive from OC! The scallops and oysters were also very fresh and the baked lobster was delicious. Service was impeccable and very attentive. They kept pouring the champagne and even had my napkin all folded every time I left the table to get more food. Loved the attentive service! The overall buffet was well spaced out and the selections were better than Vegas buffets. They even bring out a small cake and sing happy birthday if you mention this during your reservation online. I barely had room for dessert but managed to get couple bites of the fondue, small desserts and the ice cream. I know they serve king crab for dinner, but honestly, the brunch is well worth what you pay and you will leave feeling very happy and full. Come here for brunch especially if you love crabs! Parking is less than $20 with validation. 10/10 recommend! read more

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If you love king crab, this place is dangerous... in the best possible way. Seafood paradise. If you know you know. The king crab legs keep coming, served up hot and somehow they're handing out lobster like it's no big deal. Between the crab, lobster, and endless seafood offerings, it's easy to lose all self-control. The staff was fantastic, friendly, attentive, and impressively efficient despite the crowds. Everything stayed stocked and the experience never felt chaotic. The dining room has a no frills, fun, cruise ship buffet vibe. Grab a plate, explore the stations, and enjoy some top-tier people-watching. You'll see all kinds of characters here, but they're united by one common mission: seafood. Come hungry. Wear stretchy pants. Pace yourself. If king crab and lobster are your thing, Cafe Sierra is absolutely worth the trip. read more

Best seafood buffet I've EVER had IN MY LIFE !! Unlimited steak, lobster, crab legs, shrimp and more. Full dessert bar, ice cream, crepe station, bottomless mimosas for brunch. You can't lose here. They even have LIVE music!! The servers made me feel like royalty. Amazing service. Expect to spend $100+ for this experience. read more

Cafe Sierra - EVERYTHING AND MORE ! - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

So, Cafe Sierra is in the Hilton hotel, super close to Universal Studios. The amount of food and selection is great; there's a ton of seafood, buffet-style. We came for the Sunday brunch rush. The lamb was cooked perfectly, and sushi was my fave! Everything else was overcooked, from the steak to the lobsters. With buffet-style, it's just hard for them to control the temperature and how long the food sits on the serving tray. Overall, the service and wait staff were great; the food was 3/5, and the service was a solid 4/5! It's worth giving them a try if you're in the mood for some all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, or in the Area. read more

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My parents were visiting Los Angeles from the boondocks of the northeast, so it was time to celebrate with some all you can eat seafood, steak, and everything else under the sun. Located inside of a hotel I don't even remember the name of, this all you can eat experience known as Cafe Sierra is a celebration of food and is definitely going to leave a memoriable experience. We arrived for our noon reservation and got seated right away, close to the action, the plates, and the delicious food. Now, this is an all you can eat style plate and it's about $150 per person, so the easiest way to talk about the food is just to go over what I ate and thought, so let's get into it. Crab Legs- Two separate stations absolutely packed with meaty crab legs. I ate a lot of these guys and they tasted fantastic. Shrimp- The shrimp here were absolutely massive and delicious, a must try. Stuffed Lobster Tails- This thing had so much flavour to it that I've been thinking about it every day for the past week, my only regret is only eating one of these tails. Sushi- I only grabbed a single sushi roll, but what I did eat was solid and tasted pretty good, pretty sure it was salmon. Macaroni & Cheese- I'm a sucker for some good Mac & cheese and this stuff tasted really really good, comparable to steakhouse quality. Pepperoni Pizza- Honestly, I needed to try this and although it was still buffet pizza, it was very good buffet pizza. NY Strip- Although cooked a little more than I would like, this steak had so much flavour I didn't care. Absolutely delicious. Pork Bao- Probably the second best pork bao I've had and that's saying something. Great flavour. Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich- Two large fresh chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream inside? I have found god. This thing was absolutely delicious in every way. Overall, this place gets a pretty perfect score across the board. The food here was absolutely amazing and I definitely ate more than I talked about, I just can't remember because I transformed into a bulldozer eating my way through. If you feel like splurging and eating like an animal, Cafe Sierra is the perfect place to do that. read more

Cafe Sierra - This was plate one of many. - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

The food was very elegant. The variety was one of the best I have ever seen. The restaurant was top tier. How server Jovita was very attentive and pleasant. The lady at the Desert Station was outstanding, she was very friendly and helpful. Can't wait for go back. By the Way if you enjoy seafood this restaurant is a dream come true!! read more

Came here Saturday brunch. Not even busy even though it was raining, sat down right away. The new lower price plus unlimited mimosas and drinks... man that already had me smiling. Started off with the snow crab clusters ... big, fatty, sweet... real deal. Dungeness crab too, same vibe... juicy, fresh, not that "buffet sitting out" taste. Honestly every dish tasted made fresh, not like typical buffet food at all. So much variety I wish my stomach had extra storage space. Only thing I didn't like was the hot lobster with mushroom sauce -- a little tough, flavor kinda funky. But everything else? Awesome. Addictive. Worth every dollar. I walked out full, happy, little tipsy from the mimosas... read more

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We made 1pm reservations on Father's Day and yet we had to wait FORTY FIVE minutes for our table. No apologies, no explanations. The seafood was ok. The crab legs were hard to crack because they may have been frozen. The lobster was a bit dry. The food sections were sloppy and messy and not restocked. A couple dishes were mislabeled. The hot food items and the Japanese section was decent. The servers often forgot our drinks or took a really long time to get them to us. Overall: messy and a bit chaotic. read more

Went for lunch. The food was alight. Some of the crab legs were very salty so be cautious. They did provide scissors and crab opening tools which I appreciated! BTW don't even touch the cold lobster claws, they tasted gross as heck. Prime rib lacked flavor along with most of the other options. The food here is actually limited for the hype it has. They put the tables super close to everyone and it's so difficult for people to walk around. The male staff servicing the food made us very uncomfortable. They wouldn't greet us but just stare at the girls with skirts. Then they would impatiently tap their tongs like we were in their way. Management really needs to work on staff training. Btw tips are included with the meal already, so no need to provide additional tips. Even though the server refilling our drinks is super kind, she won't get a portion of additional tips you leave. It all goes to management so they can profit read more

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All I have heard were great things about this buffet but needless to say, it was just mediocre at best. I believe they were remodeling? So the seating was kind of just random, very close to one another, and out in the open. I don't want to say it's a part of the hotel lobby but it pretty much was. You can see everyone dining where you check into the hotel. Kind of awkward. Service was ok, nothing special. I get it, maybe they were short staffed for what the crowd was but I wouldn't even really say there was a crowd to begin with? I couldn't get a specific drink bc they didn't have a "soda gun" and the drink only comes out of a gun I guess lol. But the food itself - I would only say it's "worth it" if you're only there specifically for the lobster and crab legs, and only those 2. Worth it is kind of a reach too because $140 per person? I'm better off just buying a whole lobster to myself for way cheaper - and I'm not one to cheap out on food either. Everything else that was included in the buffet was mediocre. The prime rib was dry, the mac n cheese was salty, the mashed potatoes were decent, my toddler ate it so that's good! Galbi was better too. But $700 for 4 adults? Don't let them fool you and double check- they already include tip in the total on the receipt that they give you. My bf went to go pay and before he got to look at the receipt, he asked if tip was included (we had 4 adults and 3 toddlers so sometimes it is included bc of the toddlers, sometimes it isn't) well they said it wasn't and when my bf showed them the receipt where tip already was included, they said "oh well that is tip for the staff" ok???? So tip WAS included then. Idk I didn't like that. Kind of shady if you ask me. Honestly over all - I would only come if I was specifically going to eat only lobster and only crab legs and that I had a huge craving I couldn't cure. Other than that, save your $140, go to Vegas, go to Bacchanal at the Cesar's Palace, and enjoy their lobster and crab legs and their AMAZING 100000 other choices of food. You won't regret. We most likely won't be returning due to the price and what the food actually entails. read more

Variety of food is outstanding. Prepared well Very fresh. Only come here for special occasions Fairly expensive. read more

Honestly for my first time being and first time trying Alaskan king crab. I'd say this place is great. I think every food option is pretty solid for a buffet. My favorite is the king crab and the scallops plus the oysters. The cold seafood was not fishy at all. For the price we paid I'm glad majority of the food was delicious. The prime rib was honestly the best of it all! For the price of 139$ pp I think it was pretty worth it to have unlimited filet mignon, prime rib, seafood and Alaskan king crab. read more

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Café Sierra - Hilton Universal City Rating: 2 out of 5 stars (5 stars for food, 0 stars for communication and transparency) Dining out is about more than food--it's service and transparency too. At Café Sierra, my party of four had one of the best buffets I've ever seen paired with one of the worst communication experiences. The Good: The buffet itself is Vegas-worthy. Hot and cold crab legs, lobster served two ways, filet mignon, prime rib carved to order, plus a dessert spread with pastries, cakes, mousses, and even made-to-order ice cream and Thai tea with boba. At $89, it would have been on par with Bacchanal Buffet in Las Vegas, which runs around $91.99 per adult (Fri-Sun dinner). The Bad: That's not what we paid. Two of us called ahead and heard $39. Her accent aluded to this. At check-in, the hostess Anna sounded like she said $89. We agreed--only to get hit with a bill of nearly $800 for four people. The true price? About $180 each, plus drinks and a "facility use" fee. Four Coke Zeros included, nothing fancy. Final Verdict: Food = 5 stars. Price transparency = 0. No signage, no clear explanation, and a shocking bill. If you go, confirm the cost before sitting down. Otherwise, expect regret to be the last course. read more

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My apologies for this review, but Cafe Sierra, is not the same ANYMORE! The quality of food is zero grade, for the price, even lowering it, is still not adaptable! What happened to the Live Music????/ That is the reason we come, and I'm sure many patrons as well; nevertheless, it is a very sad sight now. The service has plummeted, too. This place used to be so lively with the music, and now it's nothing but a giant overpriced cafeteria. I don't know who runs this place and or makes the deciding factors here, but not good at decision-making, probably the owners!! The 15 facility fee still affects the clients; this IS ROBBERY! We talked about coming for Easter back in Feb., but we are almost sure there will be NO live music, and the food is probably the same old same ol'! Not worth it! It's too bad, and I hope this place doesn't keep TITANIC-ing Down, but from the looks of it, even a renovation wont keep it from being buoyant. read more

Saturday Dinner Review: Tips for newbies: check in at the restaurant desk. They check you in on their computer system, then write your name & # of people on the ticket, they also wrote birthday on the tab because it's my son's birthday. We checked in 15 minutes before. They start calling groups at 5pm. We sat around 5:05pm and headed for the seafood section to the left. I'll only review what I ate.....so I stuck with crab legs (moist, slightly salty but just dip in butter or squeeze more lemon), lobster claws (perfect), BONE MARROW (DELISHHHHHHH!!!), whole lobsters (perfect), king crab legs (super salty), sushi (same as other restaurants), chocolate fondue (good), dessert mousse cups (coffee chocolate, strawberry mango, matcha green tea- these were all good and perfectly balanced), Dubai chocolate and other toppings in a cup (ask for vanilla ice cream cream with it because it's too sweet alone), churro filled with a cream was chewy (didn't have its original crunchy on the outside but it was still good, I'll add vanilla ice cream if I ever go back). Service: for the first 15 minutes we had Edwin? Eduardo?..an older gentleman who was Filipino. He was attentive... wish we had him the entire time but his coworker said "this is my table." That was that. In the 1hr and 43 minutes we were there, she checked on us 1x (meaning if we needed anything). She would do a drive-by to grab plates, we would try to squeeze in a "can we have an extra lobster claws cracker?" But other than that no- smile, no- hello, no- can I refill your drinks. We had to ask the bus-boy for things. We even flagged down the manager for the check and we walked to the front of the restaurant again for our check. We waited for a few minutes and our waitress didn't even know we all left the table, so the manager finally saw our server and pointed to us. Anyways food was good and customer service was not up to par for a buffet that cost more than Vegas. And FYI- they do charge a 15% establishment fee (this is not gratuity). BUT also, this is NO-tipping establishment. Totally up to you if you want to give anything. It says so on the receipt. My husband closed the tab, if it was me then I wouldn't have tipped her and would have given it to the busboy instead. I normally don't do reviews unless necessary to save people from paying $149. For those who LOVE lobsters... it's $109 until August 1st when booked online! Oh ALSO... two people got sung Happy Birthday, but my son did not... it clearly said "BDAY" on our tab. So clearly it was our waitress'... read more

It's been a while since I updated my review. There have been changes since my last review. Gone are the all you can drink alcoholic drinks. They have added lobster claws for brunch slots. Prices run about $95/$145 or so for brunch/dinner respectively. The difference now, however, is that they are now a no-tipping establishment. This is weird since my whole life, I have always tipped at this place. So take it as a savings in price if you like. The brunch and dinner experience is the same, except that dinner adds lobster and king crab to the buffet items. I still come here quite regularly. I still believe it's the best (or maybe the only) place to get a quality seafood buffet in Los Angeles. Of course, this also comes with a price. read more

Not the cheap the prices have increased thru the years. Service is excellent. Parking sucks because you have to pay. Nice hotel ambiance. Endless seafood read more

I don't like buffets but when I heard that this place had lobster and king crab legs, I had to check it out. Unfortunately, the lobster was overcooked so it was tough & hard to eat. It wasn't worth trying another one so our party went for king crab which was good. All the other stations had a variety of seafood that was tasty and another station for prime rib and various meats. The dessert section was a let down except for the creme brulee. They had another dessert station for boba drinks, ice cream, and crepes but I decided to skip it because there was a line. Our waiter James was great and the staff was fast at clearing our table promptly. We arrived at 5pm and there was a lot of people already waiting to check in. We had reservations and was seated quickly. The overall experience was fun to try, but I wouldn't come again because the lobster was bad and I don't like buffets as a general rule. read more

Cafe Sierra - Round I - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

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Came here because my fiance had insisted on coming for his birthday after seeing some social media posts about this place. Unfortunately he was quite disappointed. This place is filthy; no one cleans the floors, and half of the bowls left out for you to take for the soup station were dirty. There were a lot of kids screaming and running around. The sashimi tasted frozen and not fresh. AYCE lobster sounds good until you eat one and realize that many of the seafood items are overcooked. I appreciated our server and the other staff at the restaurant, but THEY DO NOT GET TO KEEP TIPS! The restaurant puts an automatic 15% service charge, and they claim it's to ensure their employees receive a livable wage, but with the prices they charge here, we KNOW the servers would be making more money if they were actually able to get tipped! Overall, we would not come back. read more

I'm really torn on how I'm feeling about this cafe. The cafe is located inside of the Hilton Los Angeles/ universal city hotel and across the hall from a bar. I am a guest at the hotel so the obvious choice is to get breakfast right downstairs. I was surprised with how fast I was seated and the waiter approached me. The food was decent and for breakfast it's mostly buffet style with some a la carte options. I got up to grab some food from the buffet, wanted to only do the continental buffet (starting at $26). The only options for the continental are some fruits and pastries, bagels, and cereal. As the line progressed I noticed some scrambled eggs and sausages. Pretty simple and basic food for a breakfast. Turns out that these are not included in the continental breakfast but are considered a "premium" item. Needles to say I was very angry. The total for 1 person came out to just under $50. Good thing they have a no tipping policy. The signage needs to be fixed as eggs and sausages are so so sooo basic and not a premium item in literally any world. read more

Cafe Sierra - Pepperoni pizza - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

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I actually received a gift reservation for brunch... and I have to say this place does not disappoint at all. I honestly didn't know what to expect but from everything I read online it looked pretty good so we got there. The hostess was really nice and took us to our seat and our server was super cool end down to earth, something I always appreciate.. The place itself is very cool and mellow, even though it's a big place most people were pretty cool calm, respectful to each other not all crazy and loud, which was nice for a place this size . Now for the food, they had a whole bunch of goodies ... all kinds of different food , a full meat selection, prime rib, lamb chops, just all of the above .... They also have sushi , Chinese food. Ice cream., different pastries., chocolate dipped strawberries. We got half a dozen of oysters and just a little bit of everything. OK, I'm not gonna lie. I got a whole bunch of everything. I got the crab legs. I got the lobster claw shrimps yeah I kind of went a little crazy. It was just a great selection of everything.. And since it was brunch, the champagne is included, and of course you can get a mimosa if you like. All in all they get five stars for me . Just a great place for brunch. I heard their dinner is even better, so we're planning to go back for that and I can honestly say this is one of those spots you need to check out. it's not like super fancy, but it's pretty cool and especially for what you're paying. They do offer a nice assortment/variety of different types of food. Oh, and definitely,,, (sidenote) ,,,,, Don't forget to tip the waiters and the waitresses... they're really on top of it. And like I said earlier, and I always say. Go check it out for yourself. read more

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Tonight was not my first visit to Cafe sierra. The hotel is renovating. Space looks old, worn, and uninviting. The sat us at a table too close to others and our conversation was drowned out by our neighbors. Eduardo our server was not up to par. He asked for our drink order and when I asked for two from the bar he said only soft drinks and coffee/tea was included. And he never came back. The food was just okay, not the delicious flavors, presentation or quality of past visits. Reminded me of the buffets on a budget cruise. I will not be dining there again read more

I'll start with the Cons first: Reserved on OpenTable, I knew about the $25 per person cancellation fee so no surprise. I actually had to try & cancel but was literally 20 minutes late through the email & OpenTable does not it give you an internet option to cancel after the 48hrs. It says, "For any changes or cancellations please CALL" But good luck with that for no one actually answers the phone, this is done on purposes in my opinion. I tried calling at least 40 times from Thursday to late Friday! Just remember when they say you can cancel up to 48hrs they do not mean 48hrs & 1 second later. That choice to do an online cancellation WILL close at 48hrs even. Self parking is weird too. Not the parking part but leaving it's sort of a pain. They give you the typical ticket but they also give you a complimentary QR Code that pays for the parking which is great! But the reader sucks & you got a bunch of people lining up behind you. It worked but there needs to be a better system. I suggest paying a little more & just valeting. Pro's: We ended saying screw it let's go! Pro's the traffic that Saturday was ridiculously crazy more than usual through Downtown LA but we got there 20 minutes late & feared the worst. But they honored our reservation. Let me say the service was IMPECCABLE, our server was on it every step of the way, very kind, friendly & funny! The food was kind of what I expected, more like a Bacchanal at Caesars in Vegas. & it some ways even better. I felt the quality & food prep & cooking was totally worth it, except for the crab legs. A little too salty like they cooked it too long in salt!!! Everything else was excellent. Probably one of the best lamb chops I've had from a buffet or anywhere else. The lobster was also excellent & I can see that the lobster was the main call not the crab legs judging by other tables plates. It was well worth it. Would I drive in that LA traffic again from South OC anytime soon? NO! But maybe next year! LOL! read more

OMG. Where do I start?! Beware of the pricing. On their website, it said if you make reservations of 4 or more during dinner on Fri & Sat in November, the price would be $20 less per person. Website says $139 per person for Fri & Sat dinner. I made reservations through Open Table as there's where the link on their webpage sends you to. As soon as I got there, I asked the hostess about the $20 off special to which she said yes & quickly scribbled that in the clipboard with our order tab on it. When we were getting our check at the end of the meal, I asked if the $20 discount was made, our server said it was but took away the check before I could confirm the price they charged us. Very sketchy & felt like bait & switch. EXACTLY as what other people have written in their reviews. They ended up charging me $139 each for 4. Didn't honor the advertised special!! So, BEWARE & CHECK THE RECEIPT!! THEY DID NOT GIVE ME AN ITEMIZED RECEIPT. Pavel was the prime rib chef. He was nice & let us know what dishes & desserts were good. We took his recommendation & got the items which were better than the other entree selections. Tony was our server & cracked some jokes, helped clear away our plates as soon as we were ready to get up for the next round of food. All of the staff there were friendly and helpful so tjat made the experience pleasant. We were all excited about the Lobster & Alaskan King Crab. Geez. Lobster - overcooked, rubbery & seemed like they were frozen then warmed up. Alaskan King Crab - I don't know how it's possible but the shell was so soft & weird that you couldn't crack it with the crab cracking tool. The shell would bend & give, didn't crack!! We were given 1 scissors so we all took turns cutting open our crab legs. Again, no flavor, slightly rubbery. Terrible. I think these were also cooked, frozen then re-cooked. Oyster Rockfeller - I was afraid to try the raw oysters as they looked "tired" & not fresh. Oyster Rockfeller is cooked with a creamy sauce, topped with bread crumbs and broiled. I ate one & much to my surprise, it was half raw!!! I was disgusted and worried I'd get sick. I should've known they were undercooked because there were no browning of the bread crumbs and their serving trays didn't feel warm enough to keep items at a safe temperature. Crepes - the last working the crepe/dessert station was very nice & helpful. I didn't get her name but she's great! She made me a crepe with chocolate spread, whipped cream & berries on top. So so good! We also had her make us a Boba tea. There's no choice on the tea flavor, just plain tea. It's not too sweet so it was good for me. Sushi - I didn't have any but others in my party did. They had the sushi chef make handrolls which were a great option if you don't like the sushi selection on the buffet table. They will also slices pieces for sashimi. Salt Pepper Shrimp - flavor was decent but very dried out. I can't even remember what else I had because they were all blah and unmemorable. When we got our Prime Rib, there was about 2" of the end left, all dried out. We were given paper thin slices that were all tough. We were one of the last tables so I guess they didn't want to put a fresh piece of prime rib out. But as we were about to get desserts, they put out a fresh prime rib (1/2 of a regular prime rib that's served at a buffet) when everyone else there was done. What?!... Turns out it was now time for the staff to have their dinner. So, they got the nice slices of prime rib. Interesting. WARNING: Wine & Beer are no longer free. You have to pay. Only sodas are free which are served in huge cups to fill you up. Would I go again? If I absolutely had to because of an apocalypse. And I would go on a Friday night right when they open for dinner. If I could give this place negative stars, it would be -2 stars. They will validate your parking & you'll pay $13.20. read more

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I've been hearing about Cafe Sierra and their crab legs and prime ribs so I had to come by to try it for myself. I love how the food is unlimited, that's a huge plus especially if you're indulging in seafood so you can eat till your hearts content. My favorite has to be the whole steamed lobster, it was so juicy and sweet, I dipped it in melted butter and it was perfect! I also appreciate the meat options here too, the bone marrow, lamb chops, prime rib and roasted duck were so good. Make sure to save room for dessert because the dessert selection here is amazing. I had to order a crepe cause why not? It was a perfect treat after a delicious meal. I'm also a huge fan of the churro, I was surprise to find filling inside the churro, like what? It's seriously my favorite time of churros! read more

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Craving unlimited lobster & drinks? If yes, then you should give this all-you-can-eat seafood buffet a try! Cafe Sierra is located on the 1st floor of the Hilton Hotel near Universal Studios. Because of this, it can get busy. However, our group made reservations in advance (super easy to make & surprisingly no cancellation fee) and we didn't have to wait upon arriving. Our group came here to celebrate a friend's birthday and we were amazed by the service! The staff frequently checked in on us, grabbed our plates, and asked if we wanted any drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). This buffet offers a wide variety of seafood (shrimp, crab, oysters, lobsters, etc), meat (lamb chops, prime rib, steak, etc), hot food items, sushi/sashimi, and an assortment of dessert (crepes, chocolate fountains, ice cream, etc). Some highlights for me were the shrimp, snow crab, and lobster. Super fresh and juicy! Overall, I was amazed by the quality of food offered, but given the price of the buffet, I did wish they had an even wider selection of food. Given the price (~$150 per person), I probably would not come back unless it was for a special occasion. If you do come here, this place is a no tipping establishment and part of your bill includes a mandatory 15% facility charge. read more

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Premium giant seafood that's fresh and juicy! I recently had dinner at Café Sierra while visiting Universal Studios, and I was genuinely impressed by the variety and quality of the food. It's a buffet-style setup, so I was expecting decent but not exceptional--turns out, some dishes were actually pretty memorable! The seafood section was my personal favorite. The king crab legs were fresh and sweet, and they didn't skimp on the quality. I went back for seconds (okay... thirds). Th marine lobster was huge! It's very fresh and the meat is tender. It's the perfect place to celebrate birthdays and all diners thought the same! When we were there, every 15 to 30 minutes there would be a birthday announcement. The whole entire restaurant and staff would cheer on! The staff was extremely professional and very kind! They're so welcoming and made my whole experience feel extra special! read more

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What have you done for me lately? I've been to the buffer many times, when I think of a buffer in LA, there was nothing better. I how I have a good experience the next time I go. The 15% fee plus no tipping policy seems to be the opposite way of rewarding excellence and positive feedback. I'll certainly go back after that policy changes read more

The service from Maria and Edixon was phenomenal. Too bad Cafe Sierra doesn't accept gratuities. They have an automatic 15% house service charge. Food is good. read more

Cafe Sierra - Whole lobster, king crab and snow dramas, - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

The food is good but somewhat small variety of food options to choose from! With the prices being more expensive than a buffet in las Vegas I'd was hoping to see more food options! I'd skip the king crab legs and go straight for the snow crabs, super big and tasty:) the lemon butter was yummy paired w the crab. The rib meat was super soft and well seasoned, the pizza looked good but I was too full to eat any. My favorite thing was the crepe station for dessert. The service was good, everyone kept checking in to change our plate for the crab shells. read more

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The 25.00 fee was harsh, could not change the reservation and could not get someone on the phone to answer before or after the meal (818-506-2500) or thru their website number. Reservation was incorectly made for 7/11, but needed to be 7/12. they charged me $200.00 for the error, which they made it pretty difficult to correct (was not corrected, so was charged). Meal for group $895.00, includes questionable site fee of $95.00, the parking was not completely free $13.55 total for 7 people $1108.55 and they still wont answer the phone, but I did get a text to pay 25.00 per person, since they were able to seat our group on the 12th, when they inputed the group, they texted me to pay on "open table" (incredible). Food was good, but no greens, snow crab (not King Crab) was salty and on our visit, only lobster thermador, tons of shrimp dishes, omelete bar, french and waffles were great, the rest were asian infused buffet style dishes. Server was the highlight and we tipped accordingly. UPDATE, most think the alcohol is included, Sierra should really do a better job sharing that is not the case anymore. Beer, wine and Well drinks are extra. read more

Went for brunch on a Saturday and got the first reservation which I highly recommend because it wasn't super busy to start. I loved the bottomless mimosas! There were SO many food options it almost made my head spin, but you bet I tried as much as I could! We started with the crab legs of course. Loved them! I wasn't a super big fan of the oysters. They were HUGE, but not the best tasting in my opinion. The staff did a great job of replenishing all of the seafood and hot food so you never had to wait for anything. Some of my favorites were the crab legs, sashimi and dumplings. I was also so surprised how delicious the desserts were! Don't sleep on the cannolis. Wow. I thought the hot food was ok. Service was great and I loved the live music element. The buffet is situated inside a hotel so expect a lot of people, but it's pretty spacious. I appreciated the high ceilings. I would say the vibe is pretty casual, so no need to dress up. I saw a lot of big groups here. This would be a great place for a special occasion meal. We went to celebrate Valentine's Day! I would even come here for a girls brunch. You can park at the hotel but they do validate that takes the cost down a bit. I didn't think any one thing at the buffet was particularly outstanding, but I enjoyed the experience overall. read more

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