I have been to Elite Buffet years ago and I enjoyed it. This time in 2022 it was not a good and tasty experience. The food was cold and it did not have flavor. My party was there for no more than 15 minutes or less and we wanted a refund and the woman at the counter didn't understand what we were asking. She gave one to go plate and still didn't attempt to see what the issues were. There was nothing there we wanted to take. The lobster roll was not good. The cheesy lobster wasn't good. Even the garlic bread was too hard to eat. The woman said the food was fresh however, it didn't taste fresh at all. They had stuff that looked burnt and the ambrosia salad was sour which was at all how it should be in my mind. The woman said she would speak to the owner which she didn't do. We got there around 12:05 and are already gone at 12:27. I would not go back to this place again. I don't know if COVID caused the decline in quality but something sure had affected it. We left with no refund and hungry. Not a good look Elite Buffet. If it could be zero stars believe me it would be. read more

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Pleasant surprise! Fairly clean - not pristine - for $20 it's a pretty good deal. The food was all pretty tasty and hot. I tried the teriyaki chicken, spring rolls, wontons, lo mein, egg drop soup, fried zucchini, orange chicken, stuffed mushrooms, chicken dumplings and a few other things and everything was pretty good! Modern interior and quick to get in and start eating. Bussers were fast at clearing plates. Would definitely go back! read more

Good for a buffet. With the dessert line was bigger, didn't have anything except boxed cookies and some cakes that tasted like saw dust. Meat was good, lots of variety, free soft drinks included in price. Clean and decent food. Will be back! read more

The food was typical for a cheap AYCE Chinese food place. The service was all self serve with the exception of your plates being bussed. The selection was not very impressive. Not bad but not good either. Just okay. Go here if you're in a hurry and can't drive another 10 minutes to a better buffet. read more

I'm very happy with the fact that they have disposable plates and plastic gloves for people to use as they grab food Some people dont don't wear them but I'm very pleased that they have that option for those who chose to use them. The food is tasty no complaints there. read more

Food: As for the MAIN food, they still have all of the regular stuff, like orange chicken, the crab cake things in the shells, cream cheese rangoons... but I noticed that they cut down a few things and spread out some of the food a little more. Probably due to COVID. However, the selection is still more than enough for any typical customer. I did notice that their sushi roll selection was limited to 2 types, which was a little disappointing, but again... this is probably due to COVID. Atmosphere: I was impressed with the safety protocols they have in place. Lots of sanitizer and they make you wear plastic gloves when you go to get food. I really appreciated that. I didn't like that they are using styrofoam plates (because of COVID) but I understand why. Also, each other table is reserved EMPTY which is great because who wants to sit that close to people anyway...? I haven't been to this place in a few years, so I think they redecorated inside, I could be wrong on that... Service: No complaints. The girl at the front wasn't very friendly, but that doesn't carry over to the quality of the food. They were constantly cleaning tables and removing trash, so that was a plus. Price: So they raised their prices due to the COVID situation, about $2 a person. But I was fine with that. Still, a family of 4 is going to run you about $50. You can't only get water either, I think they bake the soda cost into the price. ??? Overall: It's a decent place, I would come back. Again, all of the COVID stuff they are doing is great, but it's a little pricy for a buffet. But, at least we know it is here and we will most likely be back if we get a hankering for a Chinese buffet! read more

I am not a fan of buffets in general and try to limit gorging on food. But with that being said, Elite Buffet is decent. I was wavering between 4 and 5 stars for a rating. But considering how they are able to keep covid precautions in place and still operate bumps them up to a 5. You are required to wear disposable plastic gloves (no latex) which they provide, face masks (you provide), and there is plenty of hand sanitizer. They have the best smelling hand sanitizer. Make sure to use some. You will be happy that you did. I learned that weekends have a higher price for the buffet and different menu. Someone mentioned there is crab on the weekends (which I don't bother with). I found out the honey walnut shrimp is a weekend only item from the staff. I am not sure what else there is. It doesn't have the hugest selection of premium items (i.e. not stuff like salad, pudding, cookies, generic sushi, and other stuff people pass over). But what they have is decent. The cream cheese wontons are pretty good. You also have the option of getting a to-go container instead of eating at the buffet. If you're not a big eater and don't want sumo-sized portions, this is the way to go. I usually come in around $6 - $8 average. On the cheapest it was $5 and change and over $10 at the most expensive. They also have fortune cookies if you need a emotional boost or life advice/guidance from your fortune. Someone else (review) said they don't get you refills on soda. The soda machine is self serve. It works the same as putting food on your plate. It's a buffet. That's how it works. read more

The variety of food and quality was amazing! They were very clean and the food was incredibly delicious. The service was good as well in that they let you grab your own drink and plate and stay out of your way lol. 10/10 would recommend read more

Food was cold and not so fresh. Table was sticky. I went there a few years ago ago, it was cleaner and better.

Been going here for years its nice to pick out your items then weigh them for take out good deal for the money if you eat in all you can eat or take out dont go to take if you want fresh food I recommend going on the weekends for the best items with freshness with seafood parking is not to bad even though the parking lot is usually full you can always find good spot I recommend hidden gem here! read more

Family had lunch here at Elite Buffet on a Wednesday afternoon. The restaurant is located in a shopping center, and the neighborhood is a bit run down. Lots of homeless people around, too. Not busy at all. Small restaurant with only one entrance and exit. Lady checking us in was nice. Typical Chinese food. Nothing special. Drinks were included. Some fresh fruits. Deserts were disappointing. There were like 3 pots of soups. Bathroom could use some cleaning and updating with lots of graffiti everywhere. Only one foundation drink station, and it could use a bit of organization and cleaning. There was only one waiter, and he also handled refilling the food, too. One thing that bothered me was that there were no napkins at any tables. You had to go to the end of the restaurant to get them. Overall, compared to other AYCE Chinese restaurants, this one is somewhere along the bottom. It could be just the time of the day, but I don't think we would be returning to this place, again. read more

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After hearing great things about this buffet. We tried it. Hit or miss on items. Lobster roll...sucked! Orange chicken fantastic. Crispy chicken..flunked. broccoli beef... great! Get where I'm going with this. Just dependent on the item. read more

08/12/22- Searching for a place to eat after a long day at a Sesame Place, then driving 9hours back, I figure that a buffet is a good solution to lasts for a long drive! Whoever is the owner of this restaurant has a great concept on how a good buffet should be. You pay first before you eat. Once you paid, you can sit anywhere you want. Beverages are included in the price! All the things that you need are all there such as dinnerwares, plastic or metal, cups, napkins! You are literally on your own! On your own to indulge and dive in fresh foods! One thing that amazed me- is that, they don't wait for food to ran out! Before it's even gone, the new tray is laid down! Fresh, hot, tasty food! Crabs, fried shrimp, salmon, fried foods, vegetables, chinese food, desserts, ice cream, soups, salads, teriyaki, bbq, sushi- just to name a few. No clams, but it's okay. Bean sprouts and imitation crab with cheese topping caught my attention most! And the cashew with sesame seeds on a big bowl by the salad is great! The Hispanic workers are very hardworking! Salute guys! They are very respectful, great service with a smile! Very humble and down-to-earth! With this buffet experience that I had, this one does not stare at you while you get your food or when they get your used plates! I have been to many buffet, and this one is by far, the best! On some buffet, workers/owner stare at you at what food you get, what time you got there, or if you have some leftovers! They practice good attitude here! None of their crew complain or look at you! They are just minding their own business and always making sure that it's clean everywhere and the food is always filled up! Attentiveness is excellentè! And to some yelpers who are complaining about cold food, can you at least specify what food are you complaining about. This is a steam table for buffet, so how can there be a cold food? Unless you are talking about sushi or salad, well then, you must be from another planet! It's meant to be cold :) Hard evidence is needed for unreal reviews like that! And for the price, don't be expecting overhyped foods! What they serve is great enough for the price that you paid for! Other buffets will charge you an extra 2.99$ for drinks on top of the buffet price. Then you have to bug them and call them for refills! This one is very unique that even their fountain sodas, you're on your own! If you don't wanna use the real utensils, there's plastic available! This one don't use paper straws, which is a huge plus! I hate having to use paper straws! Oh and btw, restrooms are clean and tidy! Mi amigos are the best!! They are always at your service! Give this a try and you will see! As they say, you can't always please everyone! But I was glad that I have encountered this great buffet! Although, it will be long from now that I can come back here! Unless I am willing to do a 9hr drive! It is Elite as what their name implies! Til next time, I shall return whenever I am in the area! Keep up the great work! Two thumbs up, hands and feet! Thank you for filling up our hungry tummies on the way back home! Great tasting food til the end!! read more

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Yes, I agree with another reviewer, this has been such a pleasant surprise! All the food I had was great, and I got wonderful service from Steve. In addition, the fellow busting my dishes did a great job. The food is delicious, the price is reasonable. The hours are long and not much restricted to get that great price of $15 for all you can eat including beverages. No waiting, as the previous reviewer said once you pay for your meal at the beginning. You can just pick up everything yourself including the beverages. The booth I sat in was very comfortable. I think they're all like that. Hopefully, they will be able to maintain this very good impression that I have right now. read more

The service is horrible the woman picking up the plates went to my table trying to fight me in front of my kids and family .i told the so called manager but she didn't care at all .its so small with horrible customer service. Don't recommend at all read more

They should change their name because this place is garbage! I was hoping for much better, but just wishful thinking.. It's sad to see that they make money by catering to people who go there just to get full. Not me! I don't eat cause I have to, I et cause I want to. You are greeted by hoodrats, and waited on by Chinese dudes who can't speak English. Very difficult to understand. The food is stale, just turned every couple minutes by a posted worker so it doesn't look old. Not much flavor, and soggy. So disappointing.. The best part of my visit here was the nigiri sushi, which rated about a 5 out of 10. And the fortune cookie at the end (8/10). That's pretty sad. I got 3 plates of food and didn't finish not 1 of them. Boooooo! I will NOT be back.. read more

Elite Buffet - Don't let the picture fool you.. This was the best part of my dinner (besides the fortune cookie). - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Sadly I'm going to have to leave a 1 star review. The food tasted ok but everything was too cold. A few things were tepid and others were almost room temperature. I just hope I do t get sick. Sad so sad. read more

I went here yesterday it was so nasty that's the only word i can find for this place, chicken had so much fat you couldnt eat it, rice was hard, orange chicken and forget it it was all yuck except for the sushi it was descent. no shrimp in shell or crab as they advertise. im not sure what people find in this place but i was not happy and they would not give me a refund. i just left i do not recommend at all. will never eat here again they should be ashamed read more

Amazing place cant beat the lunch price anywhere else. My favorite is their house teriyaki chicken , their chicken wings are also good. Their egg flower soup is good so is the jello and the ice cream.also their fried rice is tasty don't forget to try the beef and brocolli read more

I love that every time I've come here, there's a good table to sit at. The food is always so good and I've always left very satisfied. We always go with a large group, 5-10 people will have a great time here. And i never feel rushed by the staff to hurry up and leave. read more

Food is okay but some of items looked & tasted like have been standing there all day long. First time coming here ,nothing impression me except the waitress sometimes coming and check on me , asked that everything okay?. When I first came to my table, there were the Rice leave on the Chair & some on Table , I gotta to cleanup by myself before I gonna get the food. While I'm eating my food, the Waitress sweeping the floor on font of me. read more

Elite Buffet - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Food was cold, Flavorless and for what the charge I rather drive 30 minutes to escondido and eat a Fasia Chinese buffet now that is amazing food elite buffet no good will never come here again read more

Looks clean, good food and is close to my house ,. Isn't to expensive end is ok for family

It could be better but I am happy with what they are. Good food for a good price. Definitely worth the value and you don't get too much of the msg feel. I'd go again but I wouldn't wait in line for it. Try it, you might like it a lot more than I did. read more

I admit it, I actually like buffet restaurants, but seriously, this one is good and here is why. This is not the place you take a lady out on a first date, no, this is a place you take your buds after a day of being out and about, outdoors. The dress code is causal, the prices are fair. Yes the food is a bit oily, but then again, most food is either packed with oil and sugar, unless you want to pay a lot of money for fresh and healthy food. It is a better deal and better portions then say Panda Express. This is a decently priced, mid tier buffet, that also gives the customer the option of filling a to go box and paying by the weight, ideal for people who want to pick up something to eat at home. As for me, I enjoy my alone time and I have no problem eating alone in a restuaraunt, and buffets allow me the comfort of eating alone, without the awkward sitting at a table by myself, waiting for food. But then again, why not just buy food and take it home right? read more

My favorite fast and friendly buffet .Food has always been hot when I've gone .Sometimes they change the menu unexpectedly but overall a great place to bring your family and budget friendly read more

very dissapointed. hospitilized by their food. food very greasy, the kitchen does not take sanitary pre- cautions to make sure food is safe. food seems appealing but the sickness tells me otherwise. read more

No fresh and no delicious food here Service so zero there are ignored me to get soda I don't recommend you guys read more

Food was cold and the the taste of some of the food had not taste. I tried several chicken items and if they were hotter they would have been good. I did not try the fish because I was afraid of getting g sick. read more

Is $14 buffay wat u expec? Dont be doosh bag if u no lyk day it's mostly fried. Dey have all u canneat sushee dued! How can u hait on dat? I eat it reel gud. I lyk it reely mush. I swer dued. U wana hait on dis plac bcus u expec gormay lobstr or sum shit? Fuk dat. It's worth the price of admishon... U wan to get betr food, then expec to pay mor than $14 u cheep fuk. Dis place rox! I actuly don't want them to improv da fud bcuz if dey do, then da prises wil go up and dat not gud. I lyk that is gud at $14. read more

It's a big buffet as far as seating wise. Their food area looks like it'll have a lot of food but it really doesn't. I wasn't satisfied. Their meat looked a little questionable. My family and I were there for only like 30 minutes and we left. Their fried rice is great but that's about it. read more

A very decent priced buffet spot here in Lemon Grove. Great selection of foods to choose from ( Chinese, Japanese sushi, American dishes and the end of main course they have dessert anything options fruits and ice cream. The service is ok they have staff(s) who periodically pick up dishes off the table when done. Overall and nice place to go when your on a budget and looking for options. read more

It was okay, my table was un properly clean and sticky. The chicken was still pink and cold. Some of the fountain drinks no longer had flavor on them, tasted really watered down. I don't think it was the price worth paying for. Although, the service was alright, enough space for tons of customers. None of the food was running low, a lot of options, which of course comes with a couple good ones. Shit it'd give it a 4/10 read more

I came here for lunch with my daughter to meet up with an old girl friend and coworker I used to work with a long time ago. As we walked in, we were seated near the buffet. This place hasn't changed much since I was here a long time ago before Yelp. The prices for buffet went up a lot! Back in the day it was only $7.99. I ended up paying $20.99 for me and my daughter. She only costs $3.95. So apparently on Sunday's and holidays it's $12.99 for adults. I should have came here on Saturday. Maybe next time. As for the food, I had fried rice, noodles, shrimp and mushroom chicken. Food was pretty good but greasy for the noodles. I ordered raspberry iced tea but I saw soda on the table so I returned it for the correct one. When I got the new drink, the glass had a crack in it. I took that back and told the guy there's a crack in it. What a bad start. The desserts were good. I had the banana pudding which was sweet. The fruit salad was decent. The cream puffs were delicious. I was on a sugar over load. Too bad they didn't have sugar free desserts. They also had a salad bar. Descent food. Seating was plentiful. When we left, it was crowded. There's plenty of parking up front. Get here before the lunch crowd comes. It gets packed! Descent buffet place. read more

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Don't wast your money or risk your health, there are much better Buffett's. Went for lunch. This place is extra cheap with the food selection. Only kind of shrimp was some slimy cooked shrimp. And Half their food was always missing. Usually don't write bad reviews but didn't appreciate how dirty and carelessly their employees handle the food and are constantly wiping down crap from their counters into the food. One woman was throwing out a bunch of garbage with some rubber gloves on, then she proceeded to walk up to some food and mix it by hand with the same rubber glove that was just handling some nasty garbage with. Bunch of nasty pigs. Go somewhere else you deserve better. read more

It was by chance that I stumbled upon Elite Buffet during their grand opening (was heading towards In-n-Out and happened to see it out the window) and being as how I had been craving buffet style Chinese food I felt like a "kid during Christmas." The restaurant was spacious and it kept you from having to dine elbow to elbow with other patrons which I've often found to be the case with buffet style restaurants. The staff were friendly and efficient especially in keeping your glasses filled and collecting your used dishes. The best part of all was the $10.99 dinner price. Whether you will be impressed with this restaurant or not, at least you won't break the bank in finding out one way or the other. DO try: Vegetable lo mein - moist and flavorful Chicken dumpling - well seasoned and perfectly tender Beef broccoli - tender and tasty Fried rice - not much to say except it's fairly difficult to botch fried rice Crispy chicken - not very crispy but, appetizing Vanilla soft serve ice cream - the best part of the meal! DON'T try: Spicy chicken - Spicy? I don't think so! The chicken was tender but, bland. Egg drop soup - unnaturally slimy Coconut shrimp - it did not taste like coconut. It had an odd flavor in which I can't figure out. Crab stuffed crab shell - hilariously ironic however, it tasted greasy. Cheese wonton - unless you like the feeling of being ill, just "STAY AWAY" read more

I agreed with the other review. I came in for lunch and found some of their dishes are cold. They might want to check their warmer. It might be malfunctioning. Most food are too oily! read more

Now I am not going to say this place is the cat's pajamas or anything because we all know standard buffets and how they work with mass food production on a day-to-day basis; however, I will say, for a standard buffet in a strip mall in the middle of Lemon Grove, this one satisfies my hunger for lunch in the middle of the week. There are actual Asians here, which is reassuring - then you know it's the real deal. They have a variety of different foods available from a salad bar to chinese fare to chicken wings to pizza and dessert. There is a little something for everyone's taste buds, but my favorites are the cream cheese wontons with sweet and sour sauce, the salad bar, orange chicken and hot & sour soup. I usually sample a little bit of everything, but those are my standard go-tos while I am there. They have plenty of parking available seeing as it's a strip mall, they take credit cards and for lunch under $10, you have quite the deal. read more

04/04/2015 I came here with some of my family for lunch. I'm already not a big fan of chinese food but that's what majority of the group wanted. It's your typical, overly greasy, extra shiny chinese food joint. I would just give it an extra up because it does have some sushi. This place is a Chinese buffet so you pretty much serve yourself until the waitress sees you're finished & gives everyone at the table a fortune cookie. Our waitress was great! She kept our tables cleaned & our drinks filled. If I was forced to choose a chinese food place this would be one of the ones I would go to again. read more

The food selection was not great. Other than the selection, the food itself was still not impressive, it still depends on what you enjoy but I disliked it. The service was okay, workers only take/bus plates. Ambiance was quiet, lots of lights too which is good. I don't recommend coming here. read more