I've been dining at this place for the last three years. However, every time I receive the check, there's always a facility charge of an average of $75 on the check. When I ask the employees, they seem to be confused about it, and they mention that it's the management is adding that fee, and it seems like nobody likes it, but it is what it is. So with that said, I think I can honestly say this is the last time I'll be dining at this place. read more

Been coming here for years and wanted to come one last time for Sunday brunch before the name change. Kinda sad this is coming to an end because we have been coming here for a long time. Sunday brunch was $95 and comes with unlimited mimosas. Main reason I come here is for the seafood. Lots of snow crab legs, lobster, sushi. I ate a lot of crab lol. Also tried the lobster. Glad we came one last time. Sad to see Cafe Sierra Sunday brunch end after coming here for so many years. read more

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Cafe Sierra, now know as Merine. This review is based on Cafe Sierra, when we visited a few months ago. OK, so I've been coming to this restaurant back many years ago, when the cost was $64 dollars per person, then the prices started going up, $74, then $86, then they were offering king crab legs and whole steamed lobsters....and now, brunch is $100 with no king crab and whole lobsters. Apparently, king crab and whole lobster's are only offered during the dinner service, priced at $140, which I can't confirm because I can't afford to pay $140 per person! For $100, king crab and whole lobster should be offered anytime, not only at dinner time, and for $40 more. I felt the quality of some dishes have gone down a bit, with some, being to salty, or a little weak in flavor, or simply just served at luke warm temperature. As far as everything else, staffers were all really nice, helpful and attentive, dining area was cleaned and nicely decorated. People would come more often....I would come more often, if they just drop the price down a bit, and offer king crab and whole steamed lobster all weekend long. 3.7 stars from me. read more

I came mainly for the seafood brunch and was honestly a little disappointed. There was a big selection overall, but for $120 per person, I expected the seafood to be much better. There was no king crab, and while they did have snow crab, it was served cold and wasn't anything special. The lobster claw was actually good, but the baked lobster was just meh. The rest of the food selection was okay, but nothing really stood out or impressed me. The food wasn't necessarily bad, but for the price, I definitely don't think it was worth it. The restaurant was also surprisingly empty for a brunch, which may say something. I will say the service was great. The staff was attentive and friendly, and I have no complaints there. Overall, for $120, I expected a much better seafood experience. Unfortunately, I wouldn't return. read more

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

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

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Came here for Sunday brunch to celebrate my wife's birthday, and we had a wonderful time! Sierra Cafe at the Hilton Universal City is definitely one of the top buffet spots in LA, though personally, I think dinner is even better. At $90 per person, the selection and quality make it a great celebratory spot: Seafood & Sushi: Solid raw bar and seafood spread featuring lobster, snow crab, raw oysters, and tender scallops. The made-to-order hand roll sushi was fresh and delicious. Dessert Spread: Easily one of the best parts of the meal. The new Dubai chocolate cup was amazing--rich, decadent, and loaded with crunchy pistachios. They also had a full chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows, mini cakes, ice cream with toppings, and even iced boba milk tea. Drinks & Perks: Soft drinks are included in the price, which is always appreciated. Service was attentive, friendly, and kept our table clear throughout our celebration. Parking was straightforward at $16 with restaurant validation. A fantastic choice for a birthday meal or special weekend brunch! read more

Merine - Made this ad with raw oysters- haha - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

We had our company Sunday brunch for 33 people at the new MERiNE (formerly Cafe Sierra) last week. Our waitress Tina was super helpful and friendly. We were served champagne and orange juice to start off with. There's a lot of variety of good-quality fresh seafood. Everyone enjoyed this meal!!! read more

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

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Cafe Sierra is an amazing buffet. I will never line up at any overcrowded Vegas buffet. When I want delicious seafood and prime rib, I will head to Cafe Sierra. I didn't get to take pictures of all the food, but from the pix I did take one can see the quality. The staff is attentive and friendly. The buffet and dining area is clean and classy. My only complaint is that the boba for the Thai iced tea was undercooked. Go. Eat. Here. read more

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Not the best premium AYCE seafood spot but I wouldn't call it terrible. It was ok due some factors with good and the bad. First thing was making the reservation, we weren't seated until 25 mins after our reservation time so don't roll in too hungry because you gotta wait again after you check in on your time waiting on others who have reservations before you. L Service was attentive to clean our tables often and the manger does help the workers when it got too busy. He got our drink orders because he noticed we were sitting without drinks. Lobster was inconsistent like you will get a perfect steamed lobster which was yummy but then the next one is overcooked. Gambling. King crab was great Scallops were great oysters were great dim sum wasn't that good Chinese food section was ok They had Bone marrow, whoa they got a prime rib section sushi bar can make sashimi for you so you can skip the rice which is great Thai tea bar which was too watery Ice cream Dessert bar was mostly premade tiny cakes from every mass produced buffet but the bread pudding was interesting along with donut wall Mongolian grill for noodles which was cool. For the price i paid i demand a great lobster every time i went back but 1 out of 3 wasn't a good track. I saw a few fruit flies around dessert bar. Get a fan or try to deal with it plz. Not gonna lie, not much options in LA for premium seafood AYCE so I'll eat here again eventually. Just get the lobster not over cooked please. Very crowded and loud. read more

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Located inside the Hilton Hotel outside Universal Studios, this seafood buffet was absolutely amazing. It was one of the best buffets I've visited in years. The seafood was fresh and plentiful. The customer service was outstanding from start to finish. Decor was simple nothing to exciting. read more

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

Merine - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

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

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

Merine - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

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

Came here for brunch. $100 per person, which is worth it if you can eat your weight in crab legs. I don't think I would come back though. Cold seafood - 5/5 Lobster claws are on the smaller sized, but they taste fresh. Shrimp & oysters were all good too. The main attraction is the crab legs. They are plump, but very briney. In the back, they do offer a boiling pot to warm up your cold seafood. Buffet 4/5 The half baked lobsters are good, just too rich in cream and cheese to eat too many of them. Prime rib isn't as tender as I would hope, but it was perfectly cooked. Lamb chops were smothered in some type of chimichurri sauce that made them way too salty. They should have the sauce on the side. The Asian section didn't look like good quality food. I would skip it, especially for this price. Desert 2.5/5 Huge selection, but every desert sucked. They're just poor quality. The crepe looks good, but it's too thick. Service 5/5 The servers are always going around filling up drinks and taking away the tray for shells. read more

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

Merine - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merine - Round I - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

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

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

Merine - Pepperoni pizza - New American Near Me - Universal City, California

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

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

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

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

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they just reopen from remodel. sadly most of the well trained staff are gone and new ceo . the lobster was over cooked and too much mayonaise. the berries was sour, the y dont have dungein crab anymore, the lamp chop was too raw, less dessert items. most of our favorte staff are gone read more

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

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Had dinner there last night for first time. They had a special on their buffet dinner. I was surprised the restaurant and atmosphere didn't reflect a lot of the YouTube videos. The restaurant area looked smaller and the hotel which I haven't been for a while looks like it could due for a facelift. The host was ok but needs to be more energetic. Our server was hardly around even though he seems nice.. attentiveness was very poor. There was a nice variety of food whole lobster being the best and prime rib not bad. Very disappointed at the king crab which I was going there especially for it . read more

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

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