The customer service . As far as food quality, we are all aware that this chain of restaurants doesn't evolve with the times and their call of action is for bland , run of the mill knockoff cuisine . Having had a problem with the people who answered the phone I asked for a manager to call me back . He did . All I received was a lot of rhetoric and no satisfaction . Very disappointing read more

Just great, great food, service is, as always, impeccable. The staff are so friendly and take such good care of you. The choices are endless, and every single food station is always full of delicious food. We usually order in from Mandarin, but hubby wanted to take me out for dinner. He knows Mandarin is my favorite. It didn't disappoint and I can't say enough great things about this restaurant. Except, go try it out, you won't be disappointed. 5 stars all the way!! read more

Always received a delicious meal, huge variety and so fresh. Staff is super friendly and fast. Decor is very inviting and peaceful. I'll be back for sure... read more

I rarely write reviews but I think this one should be used by restaurant management to improve. Myself and my guests have all ordered from Mandarin over the years. My recent order (for delivery) was over $200. The food was not up to standard. The S&S chicken balls were so tough people had difficulty cutting them. Two people ate the Zesty beef and both said it was grisly; there was no sauce for the lemon chicken, no packets of soy sauce. The honey garlic ribs were just bone and fat and very pink. The food just wasn't worth it. Sorry to report this but the disappointment after spending that much money was just too much to overlook. Absolutely not worth it. There is no way we would order from Mandarin again. Sad to see another once great restaurant go down the tubes. On a positive note, in fairness...the ordering and checkout process was fine. The food did arrive in a timely fashion. The delivery person was pleasant. Only the main event...the food...was disappointing. read more

This was a different experience for us but we liked it. Currently they only have their buffet open a couple days a week. What they had going on on a Monday evening was what they called bites. Smaller portions of a select menu for a low price. For 2.99-5.99 you could pick out dishes from soups, salads, spring rolls to noodles, rice and chicken, beef, shrimp and pork dishes. When we first walked in we were wowed by the vastness of the entry which sported decor along with water and fish and a long bar. Then stepping into the buffet area showed the largest buffet I have ever seen. There was no food out but I can imagine what it looks like when it is operating. We were there on a Monday night when they were offering "bites". With a limited menu there were appetizers, soups and salads and some dishes with beef, chicken, pork or seafood. Also to order was white or vegetable rice, noodles and a few desserts plus beverages. Prices were 1.99-5.99. We were given a sheet of menu items to check off what we wanted. Entrees we're about 1/2 the size as normal. We ordered green tea, spring rolls, chicken meatballs, vegetable rice, steamed vegetables and black pepper steak and General Taos Chicken and hot and sour soup. Everything we ordered was tasty and we even took out with us rice and vegetables and a spring roll. The General Taos was crunchy with the expected heat, the black pepper steak had large slices of thin cut tender pieces of steak in a pleasant sauce. The chicken rolls were a surprise as we were expecting ground chicken that was fried with a coating. We saw a table next to us order them so thought we would try them. But it was actual pieces of chicken coated and fried and they were perfect balls topped with a sweet sauce. The spring rolls were vegetable and they seemed mushy but tasted good and came with its own sweet/sour sauce. I added my steamed vegetables to my other dishes over the vegetable fried rice. I have Berber had fried rice like this before. It was a dark brown, maybe fro soy source? But it did not taste salty. It had mixed vegetables unit with a little heavier on the corn side. But we liked it. The hot and sour soup was a generous bowl sized and the tea also came in a generous size China tea pot with a little round cup. We were offered hot was clothes when we finished our meal. It has been a lot of years since that has been offered. I would give a 3 star in the food but the hospitality of the wait staff was exceptional with friendly and happy attitudes. If I lived there I would happily go back and would be interested in how their buffet looks. read more

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If you like plain and bland, get ready for exceptionally plain and bland. Undercooked wontons with tasteless soup. Overcooked spring rolls, my vomiting child and a hostess who assumed she was overwhelmed by the excitement of a 60 something plus crowd. The only item that offered anything with flavour was the peppered beef. That was at least. 2.5. At least if they offered a buffet, I could have drowned my sorrows in gluttony. Just under $50 for a sad and pathetic meal that the server was happy to accept my tip and watch me leave. I'll never ever visit here again. read more

Mandarin Restaurant - Shanghai Noodles - Buffets Near Me - Barrie, Ontario

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Great service. Great food. Very clean. Friendly staff. My husband and I have dined here a number of years ago read more

Haven't been in year and it was worth it. Our waitress Mari was a delight. Super sweet and attentive with the guests and peers ensuring they were okay. Food was delicious although we got in late, everything was fresh. Managed to get my hands of 3 crème brûlées. They were phenomenal read more

It's really just the all you can eat buffet there is more than Chinese food there but the place is pretty good the service is pretty nice the place looks very beautiful and I here you can plan parties here too but that is a pretty good idea lots of kids having a great time and overall it was a great experience read more

Thxs for offering the Seniors Special Discount on Saturday. It was extremely well supported. The usual multiple quality buffet items were really appreciated by this diner. I enjoyed the variety and quality that were offered. The steak grill was excellent. My complements to griller. Best senior's deal in Barrie. read more

Last time we went it wasn't wheelchair friendly we couldn't get my mom's power chair through the door.

I really enjoy going with my family. Variety of food and one of the best all you can eat in the area. Sushi dishes aren't that good. But lots of good food around read more

Good was good, service was excellent. Everything I tried was fresh. We had a great experience.

Amazing buffet style restaurant with such a great food selection and great service. I loved cucumber salad and beets so much. They have very delicious mashed potato and steak Such a huge selection of desserts and fruits. Everything is so fresh and so tasty. I wish there were such restaurants in Texas as well. Definitely a place to check out. read more

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So I definitely went into a bit of a food coma and instead of writing superb wrote subpar on the survey while sitting at the table. To rectify let me go into a bit more detail and explain why my brain stopped functioning properly. This mandarin is by far the best of all locations I have been to and I have been to about 5 to be precise. Starting from the greeters to the waiters absolutely by far best service you could get. I have been to high end restaurants and did not receive such service. Our waiter Chi ( I apologize in advance if I misspelled the name) was an absolute delight, extremely knowledgeable, professional and very pleasant. The food was delicious I have tried pretty much a bit of everything and my hat is off to the chefs of this location because genuinely the food was great and definitely fresh. Great atmosphere and clearly very well maintained restaurant from the decor to the cleanliness I definitely give 5 stars. read more

the prices are much too high now and it is no longer a self serve for seconds like it used to be!!!!!!!!

Had a great meal, buffet was excellent, food was fresh, great selections. Service was excellent, very attentive: glasses kept full, tables cleared quickly. One of the owners came to our table introduced self and asked if everything was ok. read more

It's all frozen food what a sin. You would think a place like this with the kitchen they have someone could cook a dish.

Disappointment doesn't come close. It's been a few years since we have been so we decided to take a friend out for dinner. Food was cold, chicken balls were rubbery and rice was starchy and ....no chow mein? really? Prime rib could not be cut with utensils on the table, it was that tough. Not sure what has happened to this location but I can say they raised their prices and lowered their standards. Service was ok, but not like it used to be. Felt like we were being rushed out. We will not be going back. read more

The food ws not up to the "old" Mandarin. Since they changed owners the food variety and quality has gone way down. In the "old" days we would go back for seconds. Now - no way. We are not the only ones who feel like this. In the "old" days the parking lot was ful - and - you had to wait a while to get a table. When we were there a month or so ago - the parking lot was empty, the seatin was where you wanted it - the place was virtuallyt empty. No thanks, no more Mandarin for us! read more

Amazing service! Food tasted amazing service was amazing and overall an awesome dinning experience! Me and my father go here once a year on our way home from a yearly trip to Toronto and never disappointed! Was definitely an improvement from last year when the covid restrictions were going on and we had to wear gloves to get our food and the food was average during that time which is understandable as you guys had to follow protocols, will definitely be returning next year and are already excited for next years feast! Hopefully the crab legs will be back as well next year! read more

Stopped for lunch on a Friday with my parents and son on our way north and it was a good choice. Very short wait, less than 5 minutes. Food was plentiful and hot. As always there was lots to choose from even for my little picky eater. Price at lunch was fair for the amount of choice. Tables had table cloths which is amazing because it is very clean. They brought hot towels before we ate as well as at the end of our meal. This was very impressive and important to help lessen germs. Bathroom was very clean. You never leave hungry!! read more

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First time back since the pandemic, great Covid protocols, gloves provided and are to be used when getting food, new gloves every time you go up. it seems like more staff to clear plates and dispose of used gloves, fill water and disinfect table and chairs between sittings. Food was great as always, fresh and tasty. Great service as always. Managing Partner Carolyn Xavier very friendly and welcoming, always comes by our table to say "hello" and welcome us back. Great experience!! read more

This used to be a great place to eat but has been steadily going downhill the past year or two. Prices have climbed considerably and frankly it's just not good value anymore... fewer dish choices... "cheaper" dish choices... at considerably higher prices. Two major complaints. I used to love their roast beef... in the beginning you could get rare, medium rare, medium and well done. But for the past year it seems they don't even try to make rare or medium rare available. All of the roasts are cooked until medium and well done... there is no choice. It comes out like over-cooked shoe leather. Total waste. My other complaint is seating. I go to a restaurant to enjoy a nice meal... I don't go to listen to screaming babies, young children, etc.. I understand that families with children come out t, o eat as well, but they should seat those children in areas with other young families. NOT right next to elderly singles and older couples... it is just stupid. Myself and several other tables of elderly patrons were in "Room B" about half way through our meals when staff proceeded to seat 4 or 5 different tables with multiple young children... mixing them right in amongst the other non-children tables. It was extremely disruptive. Young children should be grouped together... with the setup the restaurant has, they could easily be put into room E/F as they used to do. Letting these young kids run amok and disturb other patrons is not a good solution. I won't be going back. read more

Going for post-Christmas lunch at the Mandarin has become a tradition for us when we go to see family for the holidays. Whomever is available joins in. This Mandarin is a little older, and smaller, than some of the others in the Greater Toronto Area, but they still make many Chinese buffets we have found in our part of southeastern NH look sad. (We are open to recommendations if someone knows of a place that might be comparable, between Manchester/Nashua and NH seacoast.) Soup and bread station; cold salads/seafood (King crab legs for the dinner buffet, sometimes lobster too), but always peel 'n eat shrimp and mussels); loads of typical hot dishes that you'd expect at any Chinese restaurant, and some novel, even healthy non-fried options, such as the baked salmon. There's also a carvery/grill station, sushi, pizza, and then of course a huge dessert station with cakes, cookies, squares (we have some Nanaimo (chocolate/nut/coconut base, layer of icing and covered with dark chocolate glaze) bar addicts in our group LOL) and ice cream/frozen yogurt bar. A cotton candy machine, if you just haven't had enough sugar. Now they also do Belgian waffles. I love the egg rolls. Have never quite become used to the egg/spring rolls here in New England with cabbage; sorry I still prefer the Canadian-Chinese version with bean sprouts. Reservations are strongly recommended because the place fills up very quickly. We made a booking for 6 at 11:45 (they open at 11:30) on a Sunday and surprisingly, almost no one else was there. But within half an hour, the tables were becoming quickly occupied. By the time we left 90 minutes later, the reception area (love the beautiful décor) was packed and some people were even standing outside. Service is stellar! Fast, efficient, friendly! Our servers Phoebe and Lu Lu anticipated everything we might need/want. Always refilling soft drinks and coffee (my mother-in-law says it's very good coffee) without being asked. Love the warmed moist hand towels at the start and end of the meal. At $19.99 Cdn each (less 20% for seniors, and half price for children under 12) for Sunday lunch, it's a phenomenal deal! Your eyes will want to try everything; your stomach may mutiny before you've sampled half of it all. Be warned! ;) read more

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You can stuff your face with 50+ variety of faked Chinese dishes and blatantly non-Chinese food (shrimp salad, boiled mussels, etc). Lunch is around $13 while weeknight dinner's $19. The food's alright and being Chinese, I thought their pan-fried pork dumplings were the most authentic food I found. If I'm every back at the hotel next door with no car, I'll visit Mandarin again. read more

Went to this particular Mandarin because my boyfriend's mom said it's the best Mandarin in Ontario. We had lunch there as a small family get together for my birthday. The service was exceptional and the wait time for a table wasn't too bad, only 10 minutes during peak time. It is quite busy there so definitely make reservations if you plan to go either as a couple or big group. The food was not at the level I was expecting, definitely not the best Mandarin, I would say it is quite average. The food quality is quite similar to the Mandarin location in Scarborough, so nothing special there. But the service is what made the experience great. I wouldn't travel all the way to Barrie just to go to this Mandarin though, but if you're in the area, definitely hit this place up. If not, there are other Mandarin locations. Overall, it was a good experience and I enjoyed it very much. read more

This Mandarin location has been the best I have visited, ever. The service was very friendly and attentive. Water was refilled when half finished, other drinks refilled immediately. Waiters did not interupt conversation to check in on our meal. Perfect service. I also suspect the waiters were trained in what to say because they delivered their lines so smoothly...scripted maybe? Selection of items were generous with quite a few high quality items in the mix: Prime rib, lobster, crabs legs (done two ways), shrimp (done 5 or 6 ways). All items I ate were properly cooked and refreshed regularly. Lobster thermador was refreshed at least three times in an hour and a half. Fabulous dessert section including a cotton candy machine, unique selection of cakes, waffles, chocolate cups, and a higher than average selection of ice cream. I truely felt this Manadrin was well managed and well invested in. They certainly did not skim on the food. The building is also very clean and well maintained. Loved it!! Price? $25 per adults (Saturday visit) read more

I was back and forth on a four or a five star rating. A well deserved five carried the day! The experience starts right when you enter the door with a warm welcome to the Mandarin. The staff at all stations carry on that 'spirit' of friendliness. The ladies at the roast beef section and sushi bar were amazing. The only bad news was I walked away with more food than I should have, but a price I was glad to pay! :-) The selection is very impressive. The preparation and flavours of the dishes are extremely well executed. Too often in buffets the dishes all taste the same. Not the case here. I was particularly impresses with the roast beef. Fantastic flavour and it melted in the mouth. I am still reliving the flavours read more

I have three boys, and the Mandarin is their favorite place to eat when they're visiting Barrie. The food may not be that authentic for the purists, but it's very good and there's lots of it and the wait staff is highly attentive (especially considering it's a buffet). Make a reservation, though~you can literally wait for hours on a busy weekend. We've also tried their takeout, which is exceptionally good~fresh and delicious. read more

We really enjoy the food and service at this location. The water is refilled on a regular basis and other drinks are refilled as well. The food variety is awesome. Sushi bar, salad bar (with very unique sides that are always fresh and are frequently refilled), two hot food bars (with very clearly labelled dishes) and two absolutely wonderful dessert bars. The desserts here are not your run of the mill desserts usually offered at buffets. Some of the cakes are truly unique and their ice cream and waffle bar is awesome. read more

Good quality buffet Chinese/Canadian style food and lots of selection but the price has gone up substantially and they've stopped serving crab legs on the weekends (which use to validate the inflated weekend price) but unfortunately not anymore and they've raised the price yet again! I probably won't be returning anytime soon! read more

Service was fantastic, our water glasses were always filled, and plates were cleared promptly. The food is great is you're looking for North American 'Chinese'. If that's not your thing, then there's a roast beef station with mashed potatoes and yorkshire puddings, and a selection of other non-asian foods, as well as a large salad and dessert bar. Cons: It's a popular place, so the wait to get a table is long during peak hours, and parking is a challenge. If you're looking for a cheap night out, order take-out, as the buffet is a little on the pricey side. read more

I always go to the Mandarin when I'm home visiting my parents. The waitstaff is very attentive, and the food is actually quite good - the selection is overwhelming! Of course, any all-you-can-eat place encourages over-consumption, and the piles of food on some of the patrons' plates is mirrored by their waistlines...and rather a turn off. And, honestly, who wears wife-beaters out to dinner? This is not the restaurant's fault, I realise, but it forced me to knock a star off. One other thing that amazed me: my parents (both seniors) and I took our 94-year-old friend out for lunch - and she was asked for ID to prove her age! The woman uses a walker, for Pete's sake! She found it amusing and slightly ridiculous. Next time I'm home, though, I expect we'll go again! read more

One of my favourite places for a buffet in Canada selection is fantastic and service is always good no matter what location you go to

Went here after an event--we were starving and hadn't eaten since 6 AM, so were ready to chow down! When we walked in, I was very impressed by the decor. Unfortunately, the food was not as impressive. The buffet had your average mix of food, and while the quantity was good, most of the food was bland tasting. The one thing that both my colleague and I loved was the crab legs that are available on Friday and Saturday nights-totally worth it! Overall, a nice place to go if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive, very filling meal, but don't expect the highest quality. read more

First time going to Mandarin- good food but embarrassing experience: They give you a bill on an old fashioned cardstock and ask you to write suggestions on the back. After paying, I filled it out and brought it out to the front of the restaurant leaving it at the front desk/cashier. Our waitress chased us (my boyfriend and myself) down to the doors yelling at us to stop. The entrance was filled with people waiting for tables. She wanted the bill back because I took it away from the table. This was super embarrassing after paying 70$ to eat there as it looked like we were about to dine & dash. Im assuming they only get their tips if they prove what tables they served or something. Please update your system Mandarin, for the better of your customers and your employees. It's too bad because I did enjoy the food. Bathrooms were clean. Buffet floor was incredibly sticky though. read more

They just care about money, food was ok i enjoyed food from their HQ in Brampton more.

Buffet selections for everyone. Food is always refreshed or brought out fresh. Theme events always ensure different selections. Managing Partner Carolyn Xavier is welcoming and cheerful. This location is now our No.1 choice over Newmarket Mandarin, personal choice with selection of stores nearby to walk off a glorious meal. In the buffet are multiple selections of chicken, beef, pork, shrimp and fishes. Fruits and salads to please most and other salads as well including bean, chickpea to name two. read more

My first time here. Loved the food, selections and the staff was do friendly. We will be back again on our next trip through Barrie. Great experience. read more

Mandarin Restaurant - My first try of salmon. Was great. So much selection. Will be back for sure - Buffets Near Me - Barrie, Ontario

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