I visited here on my birthday in September. I was able to get the free lunch voucher by registering my email on their website. The food was great as usual. Credit to the hard working chefs and staff refilling the buffet stations. The servers are also wonderful and pleasant. If you are looking to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or milestone then I recommend coming here. They always update their menu based on the season. read more

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This Mandarin is one of the better locations - food tastes good and is refilled promptly, and the servers are quick to help when you need drinks or plates cleared up. It's a great spot for bringing a huge group. read more

Although I live close enough to walk to the Mandarin Restaurant in Pickering, I have not dined there in many years. I have, however, been to two of their locations in Markham earlier this year. The Pickering location is smaller than the Markham locations, giving it an intimate feel. As usual, I started with soup and salad. I always enjoy a fresh salad and a good bowl of soup. Next up was the Prime Rib, medium rare, just the way I like it. I had it with mashed potatoes, onion rings, garlic bread, and a coupled slices of bacon. It was good enough to have seconds! Yummy! I also explored the other buffet stations and ended up sampling their fried rice, noodles, ribs, calamari and a couple other things. They were all good. I had no room left to explore their breakfast items, grilled foods, or sushi. I was stuffed! I did, however, manage to squeeze in some dessert, mostly fruits. It was a good finish to a good meal! I have to say, this Pickering location beats the Markham ones for service, and freshness of foods. Kudos to all the staff! read more

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Every visit to Mandarin Pickering is a treat. The service is always spot on. Some foods I love occasionally gets replaced (like the steamed white fish and sugar free cheesecake), but overall, food selection is pretty good. They even had sliders today, and my 5 year old loved it! We had a couple of staff helping us today, including Michael. He was very attentive and friendly. Thank you! read more

This buffet was almost empty, and for good reason. Our evening start off with the hostess that didn't escort us to our table, they pouted to the room we would be sitting in and gave us instructions on how to get to our table. It took forever and a day to have someone show up to order drinks, it would have been faster for me to go to the convenience store buy our drinks come back and drink it before our wait staff came to the table. But it's not their fault, it appear they were managing more than one entire room. This is poor management, your guest service was terrible on on all level, my party had to wait for long periods to get refills. The food also was not good, I had shrimp, which tasted like it was left over from lunch service, and was soggy, I had the lemon chicken, which I don't think was touched throughout the meal service so it was also soggy. The warmers weren't warm, so the food was just above room temp. Most items weren't refilled, until there was one in the bin or zero, and some items they would replace the food with a tray, to say they weren't refilled. The grilled items however were filled. The dessert items were not. They only Had oranges from fruit. They ran out of chocolate covered strawberries, melons, and only had one flavour of jello. Salad was running low, there was more displays of ice on their tables of the buffet for salad and dessert than the actual bowls of food. My guests and I were so disappointed in the quality of food as well. We tried the honey crunchy sticks (basically fried wonton rappers coated in browned melted sugar), this was hard and stale, and soaked on one side with sugar. I was wondering why the place was empty when I walked in, but soon found out what terrible quality of food, lack of refills when food ran out, and slow service was all Contributing this. I brought 7 people and a birthday coupon, and they still charged us for 7 people, and didn't use the birthday coupon they took from us at the door and charged us at $39.99 per person. I have not been so disappointed in the service, quality of food or overall experience. I have never said this before of any restaurant, but I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT! IF THERE WAS A ZERO STAR THIS LOCATION EARNED IT. read more

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Did take out from the Mandarin for the first time and it was ok. Nothing special but we still enjoyed the food. Sorry but I can't remember exactly what but it was good. Food arrived in a fairly timely fashion. Overall a decent experience. Would do again maybe down the road. read more

First time back since covid and happy to say, great service and great food. Totally worth it at 25$ a person for lunch. The food variety is much better imo than other locations ...they have a lot of variety in terms of salad. Can't stop thinking about that eggplant one. Sushi is done well though mostly vegetarian and basic. Roast beef and steak a bit saltier than id like but I wouldn't knock off a star for it. Also two tables of dessert with soft serve. Totally recommend everyone getting the torpedo shrimp while there. read more

Mandarin Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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I confess that I am a foodie snob who wants to order from the most exotic, or "authentic" and different restaurants out there. Also, buffet style does not usually appeal to me. I really only went to the Mandarin because my kids are fans, and their buffet table did always offer something for everyone. Well, in these Pandemic times, buffet style is not on offer at the Mandarin. For Mother's Day, we ordered delivery, and I was most pleasantly surprised! The dishes were all as expected, but there were a few great touches to make our meal special. First, the food arriving piping hot, clearly freshly prepared (not off some buffet table) and the excellent spring rolls were crispy and tasty. Second, they gave us double fortune cookies! Always great for a festive occasion! They are fun for all, especially if you are in good spirits (which we were). Third, everything was exactly as we specified, with some sauces on the side and others mixed in. Well done! Their buffet did not have much appeal for me, back in the old days when we could do that. But the delivery process was so easy, it arrived so fresh, and I think that I would actually order it again! I've ordered from restaurants which (back in the in-person days) I considered far superior. However, now, with our changed lives, some of those five-star places end up with a delivery that could be cold, mixed up, or any crispiness turned to sogginess. I think that Mandarin has their delivery/take-out game plan well thought out! If we try it again during the Pandemic, and they repeat their excellent performance, then I will up it to 4 stars. It was Mother's Day, too, so they might have been very busy. Well done, Mandarin! They deserved 3.5, by the way, but there is not that option, it seems. read more

2.5 stars My review is based on getting takeout. You order at the counter once you walk in. If you pay with cash it's 10% off and when we went if you ordered $48 before tax on takeout or delivery you could get a free tea-for-one teapot and teacup. The lady told us 20 min so we went to wait in the seating area. I didn't time it but it probably took around 10 min. The food came in hard black plastic containers in very durable paper and plastic bags. They want to make sure your food makes it to your table in one piece. The actual food is mediocre, it's like Machu Wok at a foodcourt. This is the epitome of westernized 'Chinese' food. If you're in the mindset that you're not having actual Chinese food then it'll be okay. read more

This buffet had really stood the test of time. The Pickering market is extremely fickle and many have fallen throughout the decades (Tucker's Marketplace and Yong Super Buffet). A recent visit reminded me why everyone prefers Mandarin. I visited on a Wednesday for lunch and the place was quite busy! We were seated in the back room behind the sushi station and it was completely packed. It seemed like there was only one room that was closed. The quality of the food is really THE standard for all buffets. It's visually appealing, hot and fresh and tasty. One great indicator of the food quality are the fries/onion rings. If they're soggy, they've been sitting out which means not fresh. In this case I was in crunch heaven! I saw servers from the kitchen constantly bringing out fresh food. There are a lot of meat options so there aren't skimping on ingredient quality at all - very lovely salmon filet, while steamed white fish and many saucy chicken options. There are multiple dessert bars with many individually wrapped items which make for easy helping. There's a self-serve frozen yogurt bar complete with toppings. They also have a cotton candy machine which was very popular with the kids. Calorie information is listed for each and every item which is helpful albeit a little scary as you're on your 4th plate. The service is always exceptional starting and ending with hot towels and never having to ask for water. The nice decor and automated restraints make it a very pleasant environment. Great visit! read more

I LOVE the Mandarin, and this location is no exception. It was renovated a short time ago and the dining rooms are all decorated so beautifully! This location is the regular one that I've been coming to with my family for years. The service is always extremely courteous and friendly. The selection of food was wonderful and trays refilled quickly. That is important since I have my set items I like to get, they tend to be popular :) They've expanded their sushi offerings and also offered rib eye steak and full turkey dinner items which was a nice surprise. I finished it all off with a fresh stick of cotton candy. Yummy! read more

Mandarin Restaurant - Cotton candy machine! - Chinese Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

Very clean. Attentive friendly staff. Lots of tasty choices. Buffet items replaced promptly read more

I've been coming here since I was a kid. My family have become accustomed to flocking here for birthdays, celebrations, family dinners, and to take part in the various festivals they have going on here (ex. chinese new years, dumpling festival, moon festival, crab leg festival). This typical occasion was for my brother's birthday + moon festival. When it's your birthday they surprise you with a slice of there chocolate cake from the buffet with a candle in it and get the table to start singing happy birthday to you with them while they snap your picture. You can then pick up your picture on the way put out and they give it to you in a magnetic mandarin frame which you can stick on your fridge! Definitely make reservations when you are coming here or be prepared to wait. Also advise the hostess when making reservations or your waitress if your celebrating a birthday (if you want it acknowledged) but normally they pick up on it. They really go all out at this location with decorations. It's always beautifully designed to accentuate whatever festival they have going on or holiday/season. Upon entry the lobby is decked out with the themed decorations and they have a beautiful koi pond just beyond the front door. Food wise its always fresh and hot and the quality and variety is pretty good also. They have a sushi station where rolls are being prepared live in front of you, the famous crab legs, a carving station with roast beef, grill station with chicken, beef, sausage, and shrimp, lots of chinese foods/rice/noodles, american cuisine including wings, pizza, fries, salad bar, soup station, ice cream bar, and a great variety of desserts! Service is always top notch here! They clear the tables of empty plates promptly and go around keeping glasses and beverages filled. Our waitress was Sylvia and she is always very cheerful and upbeat and wonderful at what she does! Upon arrival she explains about moon festival and takes our drink orders. They have a good selection of cocktails/mocktails here. My favourite Mocktail is the Blueberry Lychee Lemonade - bubbly delicious and fruity! Sylvia takes notice that we are switching from food to dessert and offers to bring tea/coffee. I always order a pot of there Green Tea - very refreshing and mild perfect and comes out piping hot. Perfect combination to go with my rich desserts, which is my favourite part of the meal. Dessert favs include the nanaimo bars, chocolate mousse cups, chocolate covered strawberries and the ice cream bar equipped with hot fudge and chopped peanuts. At the end of the meal Sylvia graciously delivers the bill and hands each of us a hot lemon scented towel and thanks us for coming, we all receive a fortune cookie, and since its moon festival we also all get a little take away gift. Always great service here, hot and fresh quality food. Highlights include the crab legs, sushi bar, chinese foods, fresh grilled meats and good array of desserts and ice cream bar! Also check out the cocktails/mocktails too! Make sure you make reservations as they get really busy Fri-Sun Dinner. read more

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Since my first visit, I've returned a few more times for relative's birthday dinners. Each time, the menu seemed to change slightly but last time we were there, the crab legs tasted very bland and watery. I'm not sure what happened since I'd imagine they follow the same cooking methods each time for all their dishes. Quite possibly simple misstep in quality control. The same night at the sushi counter, they actually served me frozen salmon sashimi and told me to "wait a little bit for it to thaw before eating." Really?! The salmon pieces were all in different stages of thawing out, some being rock hard and some semi-malleable. I took the sashimi anyways but had to wait a good 20 min to eat them. Not good. We had also specifically asked to be seated in the front room where they have oversized fishtanks that my daughter loves. This request was also ignored that night. The service was a little on the slow side this time but overall experience was still good enough that I would probably have no problem going back for another family dinner. But I have to take at least one star away for that frozen sashimi, don't I? read more

Excellent value considering you get a variety of appetizers including soups, shrimp/mussels and numerous salads, a good selection for your main course either Chinese including Sushi, or pizza or prime rib with mashed potatoes and Yorkshire pudding, and a nice selection of sweet desserts or fruit plates if you are watching your calories. But if you are watching your calories, what are you doing at a buffet? And you can go back for seconds or thirds. The quality of the food is excellent and they are constantly replenishing the trays of food. The salads are fresh and the prime rib melts in your mouth and would rival in quality to some steak houses that would charge $40 just for their prime rib alone. With the massive selection of food, there is something for everyone. Kids love it. And the service is excellent as well. From the friendly greeters at the front door to the waiters, bus boys and waitresses who refresh your drinks and clear your old plates. They are all smiling and friendly and all wearing masks for everyone's safety. The food stations, dining rooms and washrooms are all very clean, which is a good indicator of how their kitchen would be. I love the Pickering Mandarin and treat myself twice a month. And as a senior, the 20% off is a nice reward to us older folks. The Mandarin is by far, the best buffet in the GTA and beyond. read more

I've been to this Mandarin a few times. There isn't a whole lot to say about the service because it is after all a buffet. However, despite being a buffet what service you do get is pretty good. They take your plates from your table at a pretty quick rate. The hostess is usually polite, and they give you a nice after dinner mint. The ambiance is pretty good, the rooms are sectioned off so there isn't one giant huge mess of people who are all making noise. The buffet is laid out in multiple tables, and they have some pretty good vegetarian possibilities. Often Chinese buffets don't have many vegetarian options. The food is mostly American-Chinese food, so it leans towards "Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls" as opposed to what you would find in Fujian or Hunan households in China itself. Nonetheless, the food is well cooked, it is mostly warm. The turn over rate is pretty high. As a warning, this isn't a cheap buffet, I believe it is like 17.99 to eat there, so make sure you go with an appetite. read more

Absolutely hate this location. The service is very good and friendly, but the food my goodness it is awful. I moved from Toronto Yonge/ Eglinton back to Pickering and that location of Mandarin is by far the best quality for food and taste. This Mandarin had a horrible taste, we went on a Sunday and I'm starting to think they were pawning the bad stuff on us customers that day. The sauces all tasted refrigerated or as if a key ingredient were missing. Everything had the wrong taste and wasn't like the many other locations I've partied to eating at. The salmon with the nice glaze was not fresh, it had a mildew smell to it and funny taste. Desserts seemed weird tasting as well. I don't know but can't quite put my finger on it but a lot of the meats they cooked such as the pork ribs with red sauce were also of mold taste. I would suggest anybody to make a trip to the other location like Boxgrove Markham. I saw many flys buzzing around and fruit flys which is never a good sign for freshness in a food establishment. read more

I was here at the Pickering location of the chain yesterday cause I was eating with my MIL who lives at the very border of Scarborough and Pickering, and she loves hosting her 2 granddaughters at her local Mandarin Buffet. Not all restaurants in this chain are alike in their offerings you know; they do tend to cater to local tastes. This eastern GTA location is far more likely to have non-Asian items such as scrambled eggs, bacon & sausages on the brunch menu than say, Yonge and Eglinton, reflecting the different local tastes of the more "whitebread" population here. It's also less likely to experiment with the more unusual Chinese offerings for their buffet. I like both kinds of diversity in my buffet, enjoying both the more exotic Chinese choices AND the traditional Canadian brunch and dinner choices, so I'm happy, whichever way the particular Mandarin location in question scews--I am a true Foodie LOL. As long as they prepare the dishes well, and for the most part, the various Mandarin restaurants do, that's all I ask. Mandarin truly reflects our multicultural GTA spectrum. Personally I have two things I look for at every Mandarin location though: at the carving table, a good roast beef or flank steak (brunch/lunch choice) THINLY SLICED, something it took the Mandarin carvery staff some time to master, but give them credit, now they've all mastered the slicing/carving technique, and secondly, I hope desperately they are not out of crème brûlée at the dessert table. There's nothing I love more than that satisfying burnt sugar crunchy topping over custard. When I didn't see it there and there were some wait staff present behind the dessert counter serving cotton candy to the kids, I asked them if they had any crème brûlée. Two of them didn't know what I meant. The third lady looked like she had a lightbulb go off in her head when she informed me regretfully, "Only at dinner time, not brunch, not lunch." Then, trying to be helpful, she steered me to the other dessert table, where she showed me the crème caramel. "It's not the same thing," I told her. "I know," she replied, again regretfully. Well, she tried. She was doing her best to be helpful and I can't fault her earnest intentions. A few moments later, I bumped into a Mr. Lam whose name tag proclaimed him to be Assistant Manager. I thought I'd take the opportunity to make a suggestion that crème brûlée be added to the lunch menu. Mr. Lam was very happy not only to carefully write my suggestion down in a notebook he carried with him, he did better than that. MUCH better! He offered to have as many crème brûlées as I liked delivered to my group's table, even though it wasn't on the lunch regular menu. I was ecstatic. Then he and another female manager told me I could always approach Mandarin management staff with a special request like this. Good to know! I learned something new today. There's one more new thing all Yelpers should be aware of: there is now a calorie count sign with every regular item on the menu! I know, we're still gonna pig out, but now you can make an informed choice and pick the steamed fish over the baked salmon and save 10 or 20 calories. Those all mount up and choosing wisely makes a surprising difference if you're watching your calories, your carbs and your sugars as I am. I usually feel a little bloated the next day after a buffet binge, but not this time! My BG reading was within the normal range this morning, and I credit those calorie signs that helped me navigate the menu. You can credit Premier Wynne for that one, Yelpers. All Ontario restaurants have to post their calorie counts for their regular meal choices now and it's being phased in. Mandarin has taken a really good approach to this by having big plastic coloured signs under each dish with the name of the item with its calorie count underneath. A sincere thank you to Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario government for passing that regulation, which will help us make healthier food choices when we eat out in the years to come. On that happy note, I wish all of you happy noshing in the GTA and oh yeah, Happy #Canada150! The Big Day for Canada is now only a little over a week away. There's lots of places to celebrate so get out there! read more

The service is OK. I like the fact that there's so many options. When I go to mandarin I only look for vegetarian options.l as I only eat halal meat. There's sooooo much to chose from luckily for vegetarians. From pastas to pizzas and more you won't leave there hungry. The dessert selection is awesome as well! I love how they have a few different ice cream flavour options. read more

My favorite dishes at this restaurant is the mouth watering prime ribs and crab legs. The servers there are extremely friendly. That's the place where you get value for your money. I went there the other day, the Xmas decor is awesome. read more

Mandarin Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

Been many time to the Pickering Location for a sit down feast, always left satisfied and happy with service. Being our regular take out place closed we decided to try the dinner for 4 from the Mandarin, was told it would take 45 minutes to an hour was okay being December 30th and probably busy, our meal arrived within 15 minutes, almost like it was already bagged and ready to go. Food was cold and egg rolls were soggy, was very disappointed read more

Looks like a pretty new location, the service was good as usual, gotta love their shrimps!!! :) Will go again when I'm in the mood for Mandarin. read more

Great restaurant. We held our baby shower here on February 4th, 2017. They're very accommodating. They let us start decorating the night before (providing no event is happening that time) and we came back the next day in the morning to finish. The staff were friendly, food is good and the manager (Francis) worked out a deal for us. Gloria also was there while we were decorating and she was really helpful. Thank you as well to Danny who was the server. Thanks mandarin for making our shower a success! read more

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Last and final review about this restaurant in Brock Rd, Pickering... Once again i made a mistake to visit this place because i thought food, service and the whole atmosphere would be different after renovation, but guess what..??? Still BS..!! Service is worse than ever... Staff are most focus in setup tables than attend customers that are still there... Shame on this restaurant... Way better if i buy popeyes at next door, go back home and eat in peace... read more

Have been coming here for many years and the service has been very good. Food has also been pretty good. Went yesterday with my family and found the food extremely salty. Could not even eat the hot sour soup as it was so salty, it did not taste right. I mentioned this to our waiter and he indicated he would let management know. The roast beef, even though I went up twice and asked for medium and then medium rare both times was served well done with no pink. Ended up leaving both pieces. Since it was not the weekend, missed the crab legs which I always enjoy. Service was very good, polite and attentive. Dessert was plentiful and we always love the coffee. read more

This is the nicest and cleanest Mandarin I've been to. We had a party room booked for about 50-60 people and they gave me a room that had enough room up to 70 people. It was a lot more spacious than the other Mandarin locations I've been to. The room had a nice set up and was very private. The guests had plenty of space to walk around and talk to one another. Many selections of fresh and hot food and sweet desserts. Our server was great and the manager (Francis) I spoke with was very friendly and easy to talk to. If I have to book another party at a Mandarin, I would definitely book at this location again. And I will also be recommending this location to friends and family, should they choose to have an event at a Mandarin buffet. read more

Mandarin is a festive place with happy diners feasting on the meticulously prepared Chinese cuisine. Still the gold standard for meals in the city of Pickering, worth a trip from anywhere. Let the ever-present servers guide you through the wonders of Chinese cuisine, every dish is a winner. The place was hopping with a very friendly atmosphere. The service was high class. From the moment we walk in, staff makes us feel like we're amongst old friends. At $11.99 lunch/brunch buffet is truly a bargain. Also available here banquet facilities. Standards of cleanliness here far exceed those mandated by law. Very Very Safe Place To Eat. Mandarin never fails to fulfill our expectations. Once again we had a truly wonderful dining experience. This Restaurant Cannot Be Too Highly Recommended. read more

I go here every year for my birthday as a sort of.. tradition.. but really, the food is quite "meh" (for lack of a better word?). I'm a vegetarian, so I can't really comment on the quality of things like the meat, but my parents have complained many times that the meat/fish here is not that great (not HORRIBLE, just not great). I'm not really complaining since it's to be expected of a buffet that the food quality is lower, though. I generally go here for the desserts which still aren't great, however I love pigging out on the variety of different types of cakes every year for my birthday! I have to say, this place was going to get a 2-star review if it were not for the service. I have had great service every time I've been here, as waiters are usually very nice and quick with taking away dirty plates, refilling water, etc. Often my brother special-orders shanghai noodles (when they don't have them out on the buffet), and they make him a whole plate fresh with no extra charge! Overall, it's a nice place to come to and pig out at once in a while for a special occasion, but definitely not somewhere I would go often! read more

An amazing experience all around. Make sure you are hungry when you come here, since it's all you can eat delicious food. Service is standard Mandarin - you are treated like an honored guest, which is such a great feeling. Plus, since this isn't Toronto, there is ample free parking! read more

Best Mandarin experience yet. Fantastic food, impeccable service, pricey, but worth it. Highly recommended. read more

Mandarin Restaurant - Front door - Chinese Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

great food, always surprise me with few new dishes. Food is always fresh, hot and tasty. Service is great, francis is down to earth and nice to talk to. read more

The place is fablous! beautiful renovation, great food and varities, they did not have cooked whole salmon before and now they brough tit back. Great stuff : ) read more

I am not really a fan of the Mandarin but many of my family and friends are so this is where we go. I do not like to have to line up to get my food. I walk with the aid of a cane. Stay away on weekends as it is busy with families with small children running about. If you are not steady on your feet they might just knock you over. Overall the food is consistently decent. It is a great place for families. The kids can get want they want and there is lot to chose from. For people like me it is best to go for a lunch early in the week when it is less busy so you do not run the risk of being knocked over. read more

The service was great and he staff is very welcoming! The sushi could have been a lot better, however everything else I can't complain! They had a wide variety of soups and salads, grilled items, saucy items, fried items, pizza, sushi, and all kinds of desserts! Although the food is not amazing, it is however a good option for people craving different foods. read more

The place look amazing after renovation. The atmosphere and service also improved.. great experience overall!