Cancel

Open app

Search

Empire Buffet

2.5 (276 reviews)
ModerateBuffets
Closed • 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

Empire Buffet Photos

EMPIRE BUFFET ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for groups

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Empire Buffet

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Inside
Lorena T.

Came here two years later to find the food still unlabeled. What I thought was fish, turned out to be chicken. Or at least label one area - seafood. The front of the building says sushi; however, there was no sushi. We came here for the buffet special, 11am-3:30pm -$17.95. When the check came, we had to remind our server that we were all seniors, so she had to redo the check. So don't forget to ask for the 10% senior discount before the server writes up the check. Some food was good (Shui Mai, sis liked the pig's feet) while others were not (dumplings, shrimp). The softie ice cream on the way out was nice and creamy. Friendly service. Free drinks. We didn't take advantage of the make your own noodles in the back of the restaurant. Free parking on the lot. Place was busy!

Good Good

Good food. The food is amazing! love to come back soon.The employees were so nice to us!

Suzi N.

I'm glad all these bad reviews didn't stop me from going. The restaurant was very busy but the food was good and so was the service. They brought free refills of our drinks before we even requested them. Don't let these reviews concern you, I think it must be something personal because I found everything to be fine.

Ken M.

Those people that give a one or two star expected this AYCE place to be like some fancy place are out of their minds. Lunch is $18 folks. That's the price of a super burrito these days. All these one star review complaining about service or not wanting to tip. It's a buffet for god's sake. Just leave a 10% tip and everyone is happy. The food is not one star so ignore those reviews. The food is very decent for the price. At least I cannot make it any better myself. It is better than Panda Express for sure so if you are willing to pay $14 for a plate at Panda, then this place is 10x better. Their food is pretty fresh from the kitchen and I love their Mongolian grill to get fresh noodles cooked in front of you. Well worth the money for the quality, so five stars is warranted. It ain't the best food but it is very satisfying for the price point and you won't feel ripped off and will definitely leave full for sure.

Fish, Calamari, steamed clams
Sakkara C.

Much better variety and fresher food than NYC buffet in Oakland. I treated myself for my birthday and they were so good , I kind of over ate that day. Lol This was actually my second time eating here.

My plate

See all

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 1

2 years ago

There is a wide selection of food. Although we were given drinks that we did not order.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Food was decent at best, but so overpriced. An extra 80 dollar charge (original tab was 50) for eating a plate of fries?

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 2
Photo of Eric Y.
0
158
5

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 2
Photo of Rose Marie J.
25
187
1534

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 3

3 years ago

Very good . I was amazed at how fresh the fish is prepared. I really love coming here with my two friends. Yummy yummy

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Foods was not fresh, not cleaned, Taste not good and expensive if compared to the service and foods.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

I think only the chow mein is cool. And although none of the food is delicious, I think it's alright because of the amount of options

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Amy O.
719
21
1

3 years ago

Customers service wasn't great, a little dirty & too crowded for me. I wouldn't recommend to my friends & families

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Food is decent and ice cream is a a go to especially for kids! We went here on a weekend and pretty quite selections of food for the price.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Kathy V.
1218
1302
8179

16 years ago

Helpful 17
Thanks 0
Love this 17
Oh no 0
Photo of Yb B.
1250
26
12

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Lisa T.
1011
1401
1396

12 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Dan P.
0
23
1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

19 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Got my mom sick from eating their food. Their food was overall mid and greasy. I don't really recommend tbh

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Gai S.
3
14
5

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Hard working staff. A lot of selections. A reasonable prize and minus 10% off for senior citizen. Very nice.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of John D.
0
26
30

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Went with a gang of family and we all enjoyed it. They kept the drinks coming and the food was good but not great. Better than Panda Ex.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Nasty as hell, Blue Crab was served, or should I say the meatless Blue Crab, just not the same.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

Page 2 of 7

Empire Buffet Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Empire Buffet

What differences are the kinds of seafood they offer between lunch and dinner?

They offer crab for dinner

Is there a birthday deal? Like birthday person eats free or discounted?? With a group?

Do they still serve snow crab here?

The crab is by order only. $19.99/lb with buffet or $27.99/lb w/o buffet. (TBH, I forget the precise price, should be $19+ and $25+ respectively)

View All 7 Questions

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Buffets 13,803 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

San Pablo Lytton Casino - Solid win almost 1k after 5 spins

San Pablo Lytton Casino

2.2(419 reviews)
0.3 mi

It was a 10 out of 10 for me. Things others commented on:…read more Heavy smoking? Nope. Zero smoking. No one was smoking near me and they announced many times that there was no smoking on the floor. Clean? Yes. Everything seemed very clean, including the bathrooms. They were in good shape when I entered but the cleaning staff walked in behind me. Pay outs are unfair? I won $300 but I'm not playing big machines so take my input with caution, because maybe I just had a lucky day. Way too crowded? We went on Labor Day 2026 and it seemed the same as the few others we've been to (I've never been to Vegas). In my mind a casino is going to be crowded so I don't understand this idea because floor space is money and I'm just sitting on a stool so I was comfortable the whole time. Rude staff? I talked to several and all were nice to me and they seemed friendly to others as well. I didn't order drinks but they did point me towards the bathroom when I missed the ginormous bathroom sign. WHERE TO EAT?! We opted to eat down the road at Paradise Indian and that was an10 out of 10 as well on taste and price so good to keep in mind. OVERALL We rarely go to casinos and I play the baby slots. I played a .50 cent that was off to the side (it was the lowest I found but I'll play a .10 or .25 slot if I see one). I played for a couple hours so I feel like you can get as much entertainment for the same as going to a movie if you're bidding small but... BONUS: I won a little, then increased my bid after a good win and then one more time after another win. I got a great free play game right as we planned on leaving so I went home with $300 extra dollars over what I put in. The lower machines also have a lower maximum bet and that's a good thing.

I have a real problem with this place. Twice I have witnessed people in need of medical attention…read more The staff does NOTHING to help the victim. They stay with the person and that is it. They don't do any assessments, vitals, orientation, nothing. One man was passed out (or dead). I started to get down and take his pulse and was driven off. I backed off but stayed to see what happened. They didn't call out to see if anyone in the casino could help. No one checked his pulse. The casino person just stayed there. He was more concerned with running people away. On September 1, 2026, I saw an older woman on the floor. From the look on her face she seemed dazed. Again, no one did a thing. No one tried talking to her to assess her mental status. They just circled her with chairs and ran everyone away. On September 2, 1998 I tried to deliver a letter to the general manager. No one at the casino would accept it. I was told that due to security reasons, I had to mail it. I mailed it that same day with a copy to San Pablo Chief of Police. I expressed the concerns mentioned here. I wonder do the employees know CPR. If not, why not? Why don't they call out to see if anyone else can help ? To do nothing is totally unacceptable. How many have died waiting on the 911 response ? I am not letting this go. They take in enough money to correct this. Train your people, hire a nurse or EMT to be on duty.

Photos
San Pablo Lytton Casino - The next day I received this hand, Pay

The next day I received this hand, Pay

San Pablo Lytton Casino - Jackpot hand pay 4 April 2024. Second  hand-pay  of 2024 at the Lytton

Jackpot hand pay 4 April 2024. Second hand-pay of 2024 at the Lytton

San Pablo Lytton Casino

See all

Lee's Garden - ginger chicken veggie egg roll steamed rice thin noodles

Lee's Garden

2.7(109 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$

My coworker grew up going to this place. I stopped on my way to work to grab lunch for us…read more I think I was their first customer. The food was fresh and delicious. I wanted garlic chicken wings but they didn't have but they had several other chicken dishes. I tried their fried chicken, drumsticks. They were big. They were fully cooked. Juice was coming out as I bit into chicken. No red blood near bone. Their sweet and sour pork is the best. If you get noodles or rice, don't forget to have the sauce added. They give you plenty of food. Worth the price, although not overpriced. Worth the drive. Too bad space isn't large enough to eat in. My coworker is in his 60's and used to go here all the time when he was younger. He has fond memories of the woman who sat at table snapping beans. I didn't select the beans this time but have had in the past and their good. I have read other reviews and understand bad reviews but all I can say is try for youself, I am glad I did and will return.

Everytime I go to the Asian Market across the way I go to get some food here at Lee's Garden. It's…read moreeasy & fast. I get the 3 choices for $14 . Boy jus the choices are so good fried rice or chow mein or chow fun then 2 other options you pick !! Boy & you get so much to eat. I'm telling you it's well worth it. What can I say more but just go & try them yourself & enjoy the food. Oh & go hungry !! Sevice is fast & there's even tables there for you to eat there too! Very nice & clean

Photos
Lee's Garden - Lee's Garden food court

Lee's Garden food court

Lee's Garden - Lunch special with 1 item with an egg roll and a free can soda!!! What a value meal!!!

Lunch special with 1 item with an egg roll and a free can soda!!! What a value meal!!!

Lee's Garden - Metal Scrubby! Don't eat here!

See all

Metal Scrubby! Don't eat here!

Sizzler - Cheeseburger

Sizzler

3.1(316 reviews)
2.9 mi
•$$

I know the food isn't the greatest but I love their salad bar buffet. The ingredients seem fresh,…read morewide selection to choose from, good salad dressings, some other warm dishes included and dessert. Slightly overpriced for salad bar, but not too bad. Dinning area is nicely lit with comfortable seating.

I came to the Pinole Sizzler yesterday with my fiancé and his parents, and for some background, I…read morehaven't been to this specific location or honestly any Sizzler in about a decade. The last time I went, I remember being pretty underwhelmed by the food, so I came this time with very low expectations and really only planned on eating from the salad bar. We ordered the flavored lemonades, which were just okay nothing special. The salad bar, however, was **immaculate**, and I was actually very pleased with that part of the experience. Unfortunately, the customer service is where this visit went downhill. My fiancé and I came back to the table with our salads, and the waitress came over and checked our receipts. This really rubbed me the wrong way. If you've ever been to Sizzler, you know you pay at the counter **before** you're given your plates. This isn't a traditional buffet where you walk in, grab a stack of plates, and serve yourself as much as you want. You are given a specific plate for each person who paid, along with a cup for soup. So when there are **two empty plates sitting directly across from me, I don't understand why my receipt needs to be checked again. I had already paid, received my plate, and was sitting at the table eating the food I paid for. I've never experienced that at Sizzler before, and it came across as very strange and unnecessary. Maybe there was an innocent reason for it, but from the customer's perspective, it felt like I was being monitored or suspected of something. On top of that, our actual waiter never came back to check on us. We weren't asking for anything excessive, but basic table service and checking in on your customers should be expected. Then, when someone came to clear the plates, my father-in-law made a lighthearted, completely harmless joke about her being safe from the homeless taking the food we discarded outside. She blatantly ignored him. Whether she found the joke funny or not, after he said thank you to her a simple "thank you" or acknowledgment would have been enough. Ignoring a customer who is speaking directly to you is not good customer service. The frustrating part is that the **salad bar was actually great**. I came in willing to give Sizzler another chance after not visiting in roughly ten years, and the food itself gave me a reason to consider coming back. But the overall customer service made the experience uncomfortable. This restaurant seriously needs to invest in some customer-service training. The little things matter. Customers shouldn't leave feeling like they're being watched, ignored, or inconvenienced for simply being there. I came in with low expectations, and while the salad bar pleasantly surprised me, the service unfortunately confirmed some of the reasons I hadn't been back in so long.

Photos
Sizzler - Inside

Inside

Sizzler
Sizzler - The menu.

See all

The menu.

Royal Indian Restaurant

Royal Indian Restaurant

4.6(84 reviews)
0.4 mi
•$$

Getting off work, hunger pains kicking in and all I crave is curry. Faithful Yelp, I roamed its…read moreabundance to find Indian cuisine in my neck of the woods. Royal Indian Cuisine came up, not close to home, but with its stars I had to check out the menu. I placed the order online and made my way. Text message notifications are amazing! You don't have to wait around wondering when your order will be ready. Once I stepped in, the smell of the restaurant permeated my senses making my mouth water and nose inhale deeper in pleasure. The gentleman behind the counter was welcoming without hesitation and extremely friendly. He notified me the wrong roti was prepared for my order and asked if I could wait 2 minutes. Of course I can! He asked if I wanted the other roti made by mistake, YES PLEASE! You can never have enough...(at least I can't)! The inside of the restaurant is quite spacious with ample seating and an ease to practice social distancing if that's your jam. Located inside Smart & Final Shopping Center (with Auto Zone & Round Table) on San Pablo Ave, between San Pablo and San Pablo Dam Rd exits, you will find it tucked away in the back of the parking lot. The parking lot is pretty big so parking is not an issue - I went around 6:45p. Food...FRIKKIN DELICIOUS! To go orders, the aloo gobi came in a plastic resealable container filled to the brim and each roti was wrapped in a white liner sheet sealed inside aluminum foil. Plastic utensils and napkins were provided, neither needed for me. If you are ordering online, in Special Instructions include your spice level (medium, spicy, extra spicy). I ordered the Aloo Gobi ($10.99) a combination of potato and cauliflower cooked with onion, tomato and spices. The spice level is medium, tingling the tongue while keeping the mouth pleased. The gobi is firm to the touch and soft enough to fall apart at the same time, the aloo is the same. Each bite marinated to perfection. The portion size is abundant, enough for 2-3 servings for one or family sharing for 2 (I didn't share)! Add rice and it will go a long way - I didn't. I also ordered the Tawa Roti ($2.99), each order comes individually (with 1) so I ordered two. BONUS: I was blessed with their Tandoori Roti ($2.99), each order comes individually. The tawa roti (similar to a flour tortilla) is just as I remembered it growing up, ours were prepared in a skillet on the stove. Soft, thin, easy to pull, thick enough to stand up to my aloo gobi and perfectly made to compliment each bite. The tandoori roti (similar to a pita) is thicker and flaky in texture, soft, easy to pull, stood up to my aloo gobi, complimenting each bite. Will I return, UH DUH! If you are looking for authentic, non-American Indian Cuisine, you're in luck - Royal Indian Cuisine is here cooking with home recipes (at least it tastes like it). Go! Enjoy! You won't regret a penny spent.

Flavorful and well-priced Indian food, with discounts on daily specials and delicious appetizers…read more I ordered for pickup, so I can't comment on service, though from what I saw, there was no wait at 6 PM on a Monday. The restaurant was nicely decorated and gave off a mix of Insta-friendly backdrops and Indian banquet hall vibes. They have daily specials that knock off a few dollars on certain combos. Monday was $16 for chicken tikka masala and 1 butter naan. We ordered 2 orders of the chicken tikka masala, a garlic naan, vegetable pakora, and a samosa chaat app. Everything was packaged well. One thing we noted was that they did not include complimentary mint or tamarind chutney (maybe those cost extra?). The food was all excellent. The chicken tikka masala had a good flavor, and the apps were truly outstanding. The vegetable pakora had less batter than I usually see, which made for a lighter texture that really let the vegetables shine. The samosa chaat was also delicious, with a perfect mix of textures and spices. One tip is to check local coupon sites for extra discounts. We'll definitely be back!

Photos
Royal Indian Restaurant
Royal Indian Restaurant
Royal Indian Restaurant - Logo & Address

See all

Logo & Address

Bismillah Restaurant - Chicken Biryani

Bismillah Restaurant

4.0(363 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$$

Sad to Share - It's their Last Day To-Day !!! Apparently a…read moreDifferent Type Cuisine have ' purchased the Eatery. Maybe American - Continental (?). Am ' unsure of the Details !!!! Bottomline : "" Very Last Day to Step-In & Grab Chef Salim's Downhome Desi Punjabi Cuisine !!! U may wanna call to check / order your favorite dish dere first !!! Chef Salim ! U will be 'sorely missed ' - For Your Wonderful Curries, Grills & Nan Breads + Killer Chai Tea !!!!! "" Last but Not Least "" ...... Mucho GRACIAS 4 all the Incredible Meals over the past decade +. Remain Blessed Chef Salim !!!!! Hard to believe !!! What an "Incredible Sppt "" !!! """ MAGIC HANDS CUISINE """ !!!!

We have a couple of Indian restaurants closer to us that we like, but we ventured out a little…read morefurther this time. We were having dinner with a friend that eats Halal food and Bismillah popped up on Yelpas a good option. Being the uncultured person I am, the only reference to Bismillah that I knew of was from Bohemian Rapsody, so I had Queen running around in my head for the week leading up to this dinner. We walk in on a Friday night, the lights are off, there are no customers, and an older gentleman greets us at the register. It's not the most welcoming environment, but we are hungry, so we order our food and grab a window side table lit by the setting sun. Two modifications to our order - they ran out of mango lassi , and when I asked for Raita, the gentleman recommended the chutney instead. Also, no tap water, but you can buy bottled water. Turns out the guy behind the counter is the chef and waiter as well. We ordered Chicken Tandoori (leg), Lamb Biryani, Palak Paneer, Chicken Karahi, and Chicken Tikka Masala for our entrees. My favorites: Chicken Tandoori - nice char, flavorful and tender Chicken Karahi - kind of like a hearty chicken stew Onion kulcha and Roghni (sesame) naan - the garlic naan was actually a bit disappointing (on the dry side). So when we ordered more naan, we tried the other varieties and liked them better. Pricing was very reasonable.

Photos
Bismillah Restaurant - Garlic Naan $2.50 - good

Garlic Naan $2.50 - good

Bismillah Restaurant - Tandoori Leg - did not taste right.

Tandoori Leg - did not taste right.

Bismillah Restaurant - Nehari Beef

See all

Nehari Beef

Empire Buffet - buffets - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...