Ocean Buffet Restaurant is an Asian seafood buffet restaurant that is located in Carlsbad. Anytime I go to a buffet of ANY type and the price is under $25, I don't really have any high expectations from it. I've been here about 3 times and it's exactly what I expect it to be. I don't touch the sushi. I don't touch the pastas or noodles. I only eat the flan for dessert. It's good for $25 lunch. I expect mid-quality food and I also expect health risks and this is why I avoided the sushi, the mussels, soft-she'll crabs, the noodles and a few other dishes. I personally love the jalapeño chicken, the mushrooms in brown sauce, the bao buns, the plantains, sesame balls, flan and a few other select items. Ocean Buffet has plenty of parking nearby and they also have a lot of seating options inside. Lunch Special Price is $19.50. Dinner prices are $30.99. Curiously, I didn't see any Time Limit Announcement. But it's safe to say I think I was there for 2 hours. Overall, this is a good priced buffet with a decent selection of food. read more

Ocean Buffet - Interior - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Food at best? I'd give it a 3. Wanted sushi so bad. First look at the sushi . I'd rather eat gas station sushi! Plus the sushi chef ( if that's his title) was smoking out back when I parked! My stomach started to bubble after a few bites. I was scared to fart until I got home! The establishment wasn't very clean. Never wanted to go from jump. But my Sister and dad been bugging to try it out. And now they regret it Should be called TJ ocean Sewage Buffet read more

Ocean Buffet - All booths from here were the same. This is what the food tasted like. - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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One thing is for sure: when they say they close at a particular time, they close. And sit down right next to your table until you leave. I never show up at closing time figuring that even if they seat me you it's going to be 11 before I'm done. Usually I expect a bit of grace period between closing time and GTFO time. Ocean doesn't waffle on whether closing time should mean, "seating Intel" or "you don't have to go home but you can't stay here," I'm a pretty good sport and I try not to be a dick regarding showing up with less than half an hour until close, usually figuring that it's gonna take the staff a while with side work and cleaning and breaking things down stuff like that.. The buffet is really big, which is probably the best feature. Sushi is OK. A lot of stuff is OK, but just OK it would not surprise me to learn that this was the biggest buffet in North County San Diego, however it would surprise me if this place was considered the most flavorful buffet in North County. If you like lo mein, and this is gonna sound crazy, but oceans 11 Casino just north of the 78 Exit Mission St. has the best house lo mein I've ever tried oddly enough, they stopped serving Asian food at 11 PM even though you can get the rest of the menu out on the Poker floor 24 hours. read more

We couldn't decide what to eat for lunch so we picked ocean's buffet because there's a variety of everything here. The restaurant is huge! Plenty of seats everywhere. Service was awesome! The servers are always walking by to clear our empty plates. There's so much food there! I tried a little bit of everything. There's so much to eat. There's a few items I didn't care for but many delicious stuff! read more

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No your typical Asian Buffet. Yes, some of the foods are the regular items you will find in Asain buffet but this place has more. They have many other options. They have 4 types of crabs, several types of shrimps, yhey have 2 t types of oysters, several sashimi and sushi. They even have a grill station. The best part is that the food taste good, it is not salty and oily just like some again buffet. Several options for dessert The place offers many tables amd we dont even have to wait to be seqted. At the price of 32/pax, it is a good deal. For fiod quality, huge place, and reasonable price i will rate this experience with 4.6 read more

Ocean Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

A decent visit while down in SD with the Mrs. Stopped in as we were in the area and it was fine for the price. Everything was "buffet grade" from the sushi to the dim sum (clearly prepackaged items) to the hot foods. As with most buffets, if you stick to the items freshly brought out, you are generally happier. On individual items: - snow crab, fine and plentiful although the body meat tasted freezer burned; - dim sum, ok for pre packed; - sushi, fine but nothing memorable or particularly flavorful; - hot items, stir fried beef was good although very heavy on baking soda used to soften meat, orange chicken was fine as was the eggplant - steamed fish fillets looked good and fresh but didn't have any flavor; - little chocolate ice cream cup was surprisingly fudgy Service was solid for an Asian buffet. Price was good for a Saturday night at $33 per person. Overall 3 stars. Worth a visit if you are in a buffet mood but nothing to write home about. read more

Great place to go if you're indecisive on what to eat. Seafood? They have plenty. Noodles? Similar to Great Khan's- where you pick what you want, and they'll cook it for you. Sushi? They have a decent selection that's pretty fresh. Service- they're quick, and don't say too much. Sometimes too quick. I like to use an extra plate for crab leg shells/ crawfish shells, and they'll literally walk by and scoop up the plate without asking. This place can get busy, but we've always been seated immediately. Pricing is fair. You can get your money's worth for sure. read more

For Carlsbad/Oceanside, this is a solid family spot for a Asian/Chinese seafood buffet. It's not cheap (low 30's before tax/tip) but if you can eat a lot or if you value the diversity of options then it's great. I personally was okay after eating a lot of the stuff, but I would still be a little cautious about the raw oysters and some of the other stuff. Sushi was fine when I had it but I have a pretty strong stomach. They have some more "premium" options like crab and sashi/sushi so I was genuinely surprised. A lot of the food I thought was pretty tasty and decent all things considered. I personally wouldn't care too much about coming back by myself but when I visit my parents, if they wanna come here I'd be happier. Service was decent and they do a great job at taking the plates off your table and stuff. Food: 7/10 Service: 7/10 Atmosphere: 5/10 Value: 6/10 read more

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Seeing the available food options on their website, we came here as we were local to this restaurant for the day. Unfortunately, we found the food to be not as fresh or as good of quality as we would have preferred. I will say though, the server was very efficient, friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. read more

Ocean Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Very clean place and the food was really good. Everything tasted fresh, and the service was friendly. I would definitely come back! read more

Ocean Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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All you can eat for only $32.99 is a pretty good deal as buffets go, I think. They also give a 10% discount for seniors and military. The restaurant has lots of seating and easily accommodates large parties. Our party of eleven were seated at a long table near the back of the restaurant and away from the crowd. That was nice. The food offerings is typical buffet: sushi, noodles, various Chinese food dishes, desserts, soups, salads, etc. I was impressed with the crab legs, which were meaty and tasty. Good service, clean, well maintained. read more

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Late Post - 05/25/26 We were staying in Carlsbad for a week and found this place in my search for a buffet for my dad's birthday. We were pleasantly surprised with how they took care of our accommodations especially since there were 16 of us going to their restaurant. When were greeted and seated right away. The food selection here is great. Different types of crabs and other hot dishes that are different from the ones I've had here in San Diego. Staff was very attentive and took care of us the whole time. This location also has pretty good parking too. Highly recommend this spot and hope to visit it again when we go to Carlsbad. read more

Didn't make it home this year for the Lunar NYE feast, and didn't have the gusto to make all those dishes myself, so we came to feast at this buffet. Expectations were low, but I was pleasantly surprised by the number of things that actually tasted good. Good: Warm crab legs Crawfish Mussels Short rib at hibachi station Steamed fish Green beans Sushi and sashimi Chicken wings Not good: Clams Sauce they put on noodles at hibachi station is too sweet Dim sum Chinese stir fry dishes sat too long and the corn starch got clumpy Fruit was disappointing sad and bruised Desserts read more

Ocean Buffet - Fish for abundance, noodles for long life, variety of meats for....something. Happy New Year! - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Celebrated my Father's Birthday here as he the as become a fan of this place. Worth the drive from Rancho Bernardo. As we parked I recognized the architecture and style of the building. It was a former Souplantation. The place has tons of f parking. It is clean and spacious. They offer a wide selection of food. You will certainly find something to enjoy. Whether it's sushi, steak, crab legs or even oysters. It's all here. Delicious, reasonably priced food. Beer soda and wine is also available at a nominal price. Service is excellent. Came hungry and left full. I wouldn't hesitate to visit here again. read more

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Hubby and I were driving back up to Long Beach and didn't know where to go and grab some food, after not being able to find the fried chicken sandwich place in the mall we search for seafood buffet. It's located in a non descript strip mall with plenty is parking. We got a table pretty quick, servers are friendly and attentive constantly clearing out the dishes. In terms of the food, there is a large variety and pretty much everything we tried we enjoyed. Below summer picture and videos of the buffet items. It's a good value for good quality food in the middle of nowhere in a strip mall. The booths could use a remodel, they are old and you can feel Everytime the person behind you moves, but that's not a reason to visit. If you are near by and craving a week priced buffet, you should stop by, I know I would. read more

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I've been to this buffet a few times while visiting The Shoppes at Carlsbad. Occupying the former Souplantation building, the restaurant offers a consistent weekend price for both lunch and dinner. On weekends, they feature a premium all day menu that includes all you can eat crab legs. Between the cold and warm crab leg options, I found the warm ones to be superior as they're less salty and much more flavorful. The buffet offers a solid variety of Asian fusion staples, such as fried rice, orange chicken, and honey shrimp, alongside a surprising selection of sushi and decent sashimi. My personal favorites were obviously the crab legs, stir fried whole mushrooms, clams, string beans, and the scallops with vermicelli served in the shell. The service is quite attentive; the staff is quick with drink refills and clears finished plates promptly. They also provide practical extras like crab crackers and disposable gloves. While the dining area is spacious and relaxed, I would suggest skipping the dessert section, as those offerings were not appetizing. Overall, it is a reasonably priced spot for a wide variety of food in a comfortable environment. A solid 3.5 stars. read more

The worst food I've ever had. We didn't want to pay but didn't want to be a pain couldn't even finish one plate. $48.88 for 3 bites each. Never going back. Zero stars if could be given. read more

As a native growing up in oceanside, we always go to buffets almost weekly for the crab legs and I loved going to them. I was sadden to hear local buffets were closing down during the pandemic as I miss buffets. This buffet replaced soup plantation (rip!) and it was nostalgic because it still looked like the place. Overall the variety food was great - from sushi, hot foods, seafood, etc. My friends and I came here for lunch and was very impressed with the quality. Im excited to get the buffet experience again, despite the cost. Its definitely worth it for the amount of plates i can eat :p. The space itself is a bit small where the foods are set up so expect to wait your turn to get something and can bump into people too! read more

Ocean Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Walk in, state how many are in your party and get seated. From there, you can order drinks and then go through the buffet lines. So many options!. I was there for the seafood, but they also have chicken or beef entrées. They even have a Mongolian barbecue section. They also have great desserts including ice cream, chocolate covered marshmallows, pastries, and Jell-O. The prices are very reasonable if you go during the lunch hours on a weekday. Otherwise, be sure to eat a lot of food so you can get your money's worth. Come hungry and try a bit of everything! read more

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Wow, seriously wow. The service was superb super attentive and friendly, the quality was truly top notch, and the variety was great! Our visit exceeded any expectations I had! - Recommend going right when they open! We got there at 11 when they opened it was just us and one other party, everything was so fresh and you get absolutely first pick! By about 12 it was starting to get much busier - I would definitely still go at a busier time, but having first dibs and the place almost to ourselves was wonderful! read more

Ocean Buffet - Sushi assortment & Mongolian bowl! - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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As far as buffets good, this one is pretty good! The service was really great! Lots of people working and they were attentive and friendly! The restaurant was clean and spacious! The sushi area was pretty good. The fish was the right temperature and seemed fresh. I had some rolls and some sashimi. They turned the sushi over pretty quickly so it stayed fresh! That's the only thing I was able to get a picture of. The rest of the food was decent. The salmon wasn't as good as many other buffet salmon but not bad. The shrimp dishes were ok. Pretty standard for a buffet like this one. The crab legs were great and one of the highlights as far as food goes. I also had some cooked crab that was good. I'm not a big desert person, but I love ice cream and enjoyed the single serve pre packaged ice creams. I ate a lot and was full and satisfied! The price was reasonable! All in all a good dinner! read more

Ocean Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Came for dinner again and unless you are huge on seafood, I would stick to dining at lunch. It's cheaper too. Dinner offers crabs legs, fish, oysters, but for someone who isn't about seafood, it's pretty basic. They do have a chocolate fountain, good selection of dessert and ice cream. Service was okay, a bit slow, the girls were usually standing around together chatting. The big group seating is very cramp. We were a big group, another big group came and was seated next to us, it was very hard to get in and out of our seats because the chairs were so close together. You either had to suck it in or ask the person to scoot in. We had a different experience this time than last. I still think it's worth to come here but going forward only for lunch. read more

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If I can give 0 stars to this money hungry place I totally would. For 1, when I asked what prices were and turned to look for a sign, the server tried to cover the prices LOL Another server tried to say I walked in at 3:34 pm when I asked them to confirm what time I came in which in the end she lied cause they confirmed I came in at 3:30. The experience was so bad that I grabbed ONE plate and when my husband was not feeling it, I asked to get out of here. They forced me to pay 30.99 & then told me "since its your first time, next time you have to let us know if the kids eat or don't eat cause it's a waste of food if they don't eat" For 1. Who the hell makes garlic bread hard as a rock?! For 2, their buffet area is so unsanitary and disgusting like hairs be falling all over the food when they are switching food out leaving it there in the way of people!!!! I demanded a refund and this place is refusing to give me my money back. This buffet was horrible & I definitely recommend to go to Asia Buffet off Nordahl in San Marcos. They're so much nicer and welcoming than this disgusting place. They charged me for drinks we didn't even touch or drink!!!!!!!!! MONEY HUNGRY BUSINESS They don't care about you as a person or a guest As long as they get their money is all that matters to them!!! Not to mention the old bald man kept walking past our booth and kept trying to intimidate me and harass me by dogging me like he was going to do something. They stand outside and smoke cigarettes and go inside to attend people and food WITHOUT WASHING HANDS !!!!!!! Be on a look out for the cigarette smoking employees ! read more

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I usually don't expect much from chinese buffets but i was really surprised at how good the food was here. Came here during lunch on wednesday. They offer the usual foods you would see at a chinese buffet, including sushi and a dimsum section. I was surprised to see salt and pepper crabs during the lunch hour. Tried a little bit of everything, the sushi was surprisingly really good, the salt and pepper crabs was meaty, and my favorite dish was the eggplant and tofu dish. So crazy that that ended up being what i enjoyed the most. Their red bean sesame balls and fried donut was a nice sweet treat at the end. The staff here are nice, plenty of seating and lots of free parking. read more

I absolutely love the service, the variety, and the taste of this food. It's not always that buffet. Do a good job on all those things but the ambience and the cleanliness were superb and we could not stop enjoying our ourselves, which is not always the case again. We're absolutely coming back and totally ifive stars on all the level levels. read more

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Ocean buffet took over the old Souplantation. The floor layout is pretty much the same so it is roomy and spacious. It is bright in the restaurant and very inviting. The host is friendly and you are greeted with a smile. Like most buffets the food is sectioned out in specific stations, such as sushi, desserts, main dishes, etc.... I enjoyed the food. Everything was fresh and the food stations kept the appropriate temperature that it needed to be, cold was cold and hot was kept hot. There were employees constantly checking the food station keeping it clean and replenished. The only con for me is where the food platters were kept for the customers to retrieve, it was at knee level below the food station. Sanitary reasons for me... I really liked the food and I definitely would return and try some other things that I didn't this time around. From my experience at other buffets, you don't encounter friendly customer service. At this place I think they might actually take pride in customer service, because they smile and actually are friendly. Keep up the great customer service. read more

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The food is fresh .I will go back ！l like all food here ！it's also clean here!l will come here on my birthday ，too I very like here read more

Food selections fantastic, eyes could eat more then I could...I'm stuffed and still didn't sample everything. One recommendation...men's restroom.....fix the faucets...tighten them down read more

The food was VERY GOOD and there was quite a variety of items. The restaurant is clean, well lit, and well maintained. Our server was friendly, helpful, and attentive. Clean restrooms -- I have added Ocean Buffet to my "must visit" list for my Carlsbad excursions. read more

Very good and the food looks fresh. Make sure you come with a healthy appetite but don't overeat.

Truthfully I thought it was more of a Chinese buffet. I had the Mongolian bbq and it was very good. If you like crab then it may be worth the $33 bucks. The rest of the food was just okay. They did have several shrimp dishes but nothing to rave about. The server was okay but a different girl was the one that seem to help us and she is the one that should have gotten the tip. The tables need to wiped down better. The melted butter should be by the crab. They do have a large sushi bar but my daughter said it was not that good. A friend of our went here and she is Asian and she was not impressed either. So sorry but it might do well for awhile. We went on a Friday night and it was busy but we did not have to wait. It got real busy an hour later. 7pm read more

Delicious food, we came in for their Saturday dinner special. The food was delicious. The orange chicken was soggy but besides that the food was good. I really enjoyed the service. I wish they would put an ice cream machine haha since that's my kiddos favorite part. But will definitely be back!! read more

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When I heard this was opening, I knew I wanted to try it. The parking lot was a bit crazy but once inside we seated instantly. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They kept our dirty plates cleared and our water filled. I tried quite a few things, but nothing stood out that much. The sushi was a bit dry. Definitely worth what you pay. I would come back and try different things though. It was a new experience for me and now that I've done it I would have a different preset of doing things next time. read more

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OMG! Where do I begin? Should I start with the unlimited crab legs, the modest price (even on a weekend night), or the friendly and fast service/seating. We just moved back to Oceanside and what a gem Ocean Buffet is! A seafood lovers dream, and as someone who is keto-pescatarian, this checked all my boxes. I must have had like $40 worth of Sashimi alone, not to mention the $60+ of crab legs! Certainly got my money's worth and didn't break the diet either. I felt so protein-rich words can't even describe it. For some reason I didn't know the price going in (even though it was clearly listed on a chalkboard when I walked in) -- and I assumed it would be anywhere from $45-60 pp) -- so you can imagine my surprise when the server dropped off the bill and it was $32.99 for Friday night dinner! The soft drinks are only $2.99 as well! I've been to many places where the soft drinks are $4+! I would definitely recommend this place for large groups, specific dietary restrictions, friends or family who are visiting California, lunch, dinner, dates, and much more! I'll definitely be back because of the seafood quality, price, excellent and attentive service, as well as the ease of parking and proximity to most of SD. 10/10! *** Please remember to tip your servers! I understand it's a "buffet," but they work super hard, are very attentive, and live off of tips here in CA! Don't be frugal! You shouldn't be dining out if you can't tip. Period! read more

Ocean Buffet - Crab Legs! - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

June 17 2025: I don't come to Yelp to rant but to share awesome places to eat or unique interesting items to try, but my 2nd visit here was so outrageous, I had no choice. The 1st time? Amazing food, fresh ingredients, attentive staff. Even Tiffany W.--who I think is the owner's wife--was friendly and welcoming. Seemed like a rock solid spot. Then came my 2nd visit (today), just four days later. Big mistake. Tiffany literally told me to "zip my mouth" twice . Then she had the nerve to force me into a handicapped seat--even after I asked to sit in the regular section with everyone else. She was almost yelling, throwing a fit, and making a full scene. So much so that other customers got up and left because they were so uncomfortable. My younger brother is in a wheelchair, (not with me tonight) but still made me feel so uncomfortable to site in a section reserved for people with disabilities. To top it off, she starts talking shit about me in Chinese to the servers, thinking I couldn't understand. Lucky for her (or maybe not), I caught enough to know she was disrespecting me in a rude way. Doesn't end yet,--when I went up to pay, she called me a racist, then threw in that her husband is white American like it somehow proves a point. I laughed in her face and told her my ex was Asian, that I've traveled all over Asia, and that I speak multiple Asian languages. But of course, logic doesn't matter when you're dealing with someone who's clearly unhinged and unprofessional. This place has only been open 3+ weeks and already it's a dumpster fire in regarding to customer service. If this is how they treat customers, they won't last long no matter how delicious the food is. Racism, hostility, zero class--it's all on full display here. And honestly, we don't need any more of that, especially not in this country where the person sitting in the highest office seems hellbent on fueling that same garbage. Save yourself the headache. Go somewhere else, like 100's Seafood Grill Buffet in San Diego (Mission Valley). read more

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Ocean Buffet - Impressed and Full! Okay, Ocean Buffet I see what you're cookin' in the kitchen! This place runs efficient. Uncle on the mic is on stage calling out dishes like a pro-refires, low stock alerts keeping the line hot and ready. Respect. For the price? I'm genuinely amazed. With everything getting more expensive these days, Ocean Buffet is still serving up good-tasting food at a price that doesn't hurt. I wouldn't be surprised if prices go up in the next 6-12 months hopefully because of high demand, not the other way around. I dropped by on a Friday lunch and it wasn't busy. As a sushi lover, I appreciated the variety. And all the Chinese takeout-style dishes were fire General Tso's, fried pork chops, you name it. Even the salad and dessert bars held their own. Service was on point, drinks stayed filled, plates cleared fast, and the staff was on it. And shout-out to them for offering a military discount that's always appreciated. I'll definitely be back for more food and maybe a modem connection to this buffet greatness. read more

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Amazing food buffet, delicious and well made. Staff is courteous and fast at removing empty plates. I suggest going on a weekday to get a better price, but no crab legs and spare ribs. Going today for my birthday read more

Reviews were all over the place so decided to bite the bullet and try it for myself on a Friday night. It is definitely seafood oriented, so meat eater be warned. Overall, overpriced for what you get compared to similar venue (Pan Asia in San Marcos). Sushi was decent for buffet and better than PanAsia, with a good selection and variety. I love crab, and they have 3 different kinds, and none was great. So really middle of the road, nothing to get wowed about, and you can get full if that is what you are after. Buffet are also convenient for large party read more

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If they could've pulled off the sushi, then it would've been 4 stars. Super busy on this Friday lunchtime feast. Atmosphere was rough. A long ways from being a nice sit down buffet as all fixtures seemed rather weary. Not tired, but not fresh. I can't say it wasn't clean, but it certainly didn't give me the fresh and easy feeling. Presentation of foods was about the most plain and mediocre as I have seen for a buffet. All servers seemed rather rude and would make their way past you by use of any means (squeezing through, elbowing you as they pass, or just standing in your way). The layout is definitely for adding more and more customers. I even thought to myself, "where does someone go to so much matching furniture?" They could not have fit anymore tables. They also couldn't have made it more complicated to get to the food from basically any seated position, because they put a 'servers station' right where everyone could walk through. Nope!, gotta fit more customers. I thought all of the food had good flavors, textures and seasoning . . . except the flavorless array of sushi, sashimi and such. Every piece was completely empty of flavor (what do you expect for a buffet sushi?). Price was good for lunch at $20 each. Plenty of choices and all pans seemed well maintained and the foods I ate were well up to temp. I really can't say that I won't be back, but I probably won't be back. YOU give it a try. CritDicks read more

Ocean Buffet - Sign from the street and lot. - Buffets Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The food buffet looked delicious and plentiful. I was hungry and started at the sushi bar and some hot and sour soup. The seafood amazing! Crab Legs, mussels, shrimp, cold, fried and sautéed was definitely worth the Sunday brunch! I had to try a tablespoon of the variety of vegetables and noddles dishes. I finished my lovely dining experience with fresh fruits The service was excellent! The restaurant is clean and ready for the guests! I plan to return this Sunday. I am a 70 year old senior citizen and appreciated the discount too! Thank you. read more