Don't expect high quality Asian food from a buffet. It's just not going to happen. The food is good for a buffet though. It's fairly cheap and the food is fresh. I personally would recommend the oysters in black bean sauce, the peanut chicken, and the mushroom chicken. The service at this place was decent. The used plates were always taken promptly. Our server was actually the only person that was ok. He didn't talk much and wasn't very friendly. But it's not his job to be overly friendly. His job is to make sure you tended to and he did that well. The hostess however had this mean glare that she shoots at you when you walk in almost like she hates that your there and she never said a word other than an unfriendly "hi". If your looking for a place with cheap food to stuff yourself and don't care about service this is the place. If you want and expect the full service then look elsewhere. :) read more

I'm here for lunch "to go" (pay by the pound) once or twice a week. It usually costs me $5 or under for a decent amount of food. They are friendly and the food is always good. read more

Standard Chinese buffet. A little greasy tasting and fairy limited selection. Decent service.

As far as Chinese buffets go this is fair to average. They have a small Mongolian section with only a few items to add to protein. The regular buffet selections are ok. Crab legs were tiny and not that great. Server had a hard time understanding English. For $12 I guess it is worth it, however I would not give this place a second chance. If ever in town again I'll definitely eat elsewhere. read more

This is your best bet for a bite of China. We had a lunch here when we drove by the town and the experience was great. The dinning environment was pleasant, the foods and dishes are authentic Chinese cuisine and freshly enough without any stale as many other buffet restaurants tend to have. The value was superb, with just 9 dollars for such a lunch, it is really hard to beat. read more

Right for the price! Fresh sushi and a huge variety of other traditional buffet items that were all good! Great find!

here is the most recent health inspection reporthttps://lostcoastoutpost.com/inspected/oriental-buffet-arcata/

I love this place- wonderful authentic food, good prices and no msg. Im so glad theyre here.

This restaurant is great for a Asian buffet place around the town. The foods are great for me. Waiters can speak Cantonese and a little meandering, and their is a bunch of people at 3 p.m. I enjoyed the high speed internet in the restaurant and its name is att0280. Wifi password can be find at the front desk. I like the Mongolian chicken and chow mien the most and there are varieties of foods, about five sections of them. The prize is also good, about eight dollars per person. But, this buffet can have more improvements. The ice cream is differ from other Asian buffets and I think it is too soft. I also don't like the Peking chicken which it tastes weird. Overall, I would still like to go this restaurant again for its prize and tastes of the foods. read more

AVOID EATING HERE. This is the worst place to eat in all of Humboldt County. My friends would always want to come here to eat dinner because it was cheap and it was a buffet. THE FOOD IS LITERALLY REPULSIVE. First off the first time I ate there I found a huge long hair in my food and was disgusted but I said, "this could happen at any restaurant." After I took my first bite I was disgusted. Oriental buffet is clearly not even real Chinese food. It literally taste like the fake Chinese food that you get in the frozen aisle at a supermarket. Last but not least, THEY DON'T PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES. They were audited by the IRS last year and they were fined 1 Million dollars for wage theft. Their employees were literally being payed 1.50$ an hour. around 200$ a month!!!!! BASICALLY SLAVE LABOR AND THEY ARE SOMEHOW STILL OPEN. I wasn't surprised when I read this in the news paper. Their food is literally a reflection on how they treat their employees. TERRIBLE. DON'T EAT HERE. read more

I guess it has a nice layout and decor with something that passes as sushi and a Mongolian BBQ. The food is OK but nothing to make you want to come back. A good place if you value quantity over quality. read more

This is probably one of the better places to eat at in Humboldt County. I've been going to school at Humboldt State for 3 years now and there isn't many good places to eat. However, Oriental Buffet is the best bang for your buck and the food is great too. Most places close really early and are super expensive with small portions. I rate it 4 stars just because they don't refill your drink that often. read more

The place was clean, the food was only edible, price was typical for a Chinese buffet, service was definitely lacking. I'm pretty sure I won't be back & I would urge anyone looking for somewhere to eat & considering 'Oriented Buffet' to keep looking, you'll do better almost anywhere else. read more

Bad food and horrible service.. I will not be going back. We had a large group but paid separate. The waiter let plates stack up and sodas were not refilled. After a short time, before we were even close to being done eating, the waiter brought us our checks and we felt pressured to rush our meal and leave. I did not feel his service was worth the $8.00 + tip that was included in my bill alone. Others in the group had similar amounts for tips added. This was a place we went every time we visited Arcata. We will never be going back and will be telling our friends also. read more

The price and service are good but the food is ridiculously BAD!! No taste at all. The worst Chinese food me and my wife have ever had. The best thing of all was the ice cream. :/ read more

When we knew our trip included Arcata we made a bee line to oriental buffet! It did not fail to please! A much better selection than most of our oriental buffets here in reno! The sushi bar had nearly double the selection than most! With at least 25 selections plus a Mongolian grill. We did not come across a single dish that was not scrumptious! Service was great ,almost perfect! The location was perfect for someone traveling to the coast from the top end of the California interior. read more

The food was alright. Came in on a Thursday night and it wasn't too busy. As we walked in, we weren't even greeted. I decided to take it to go and as I was getting my food, it felt very uncomfortable knowing the servers were all standing around "watching". It didn't bother me much because it wasn't like I was interacting or communicating with them. I was just there to get my food and go. However, the lady working the front counter was very unfriendly. Not even a simple "hello" or "thank you". At least a simple "hi" would've been polite, not trying to rush and take my money. Overall, I'm not stepping my foot in that restaurant due to the poor service. read more

This is a really big Chinese buffet with a few non-Chinese dishes. We came for dinner, and it was crowded and the food was constantly refreshed, which is one of the keys to a good buffet. The price is very reasonable for what you get. They could move it to the Bay Area and charge more and still compete. The food is good and includes some lighter dishes. The steamed fish was fresh-tasting and good quality for a buffet. I also had stir-fried vegetables that were crisp and not too greasy. The unhealthy stuff is here, too: Amazing, fresh little Chinese donuts. read more

Food was flavorless so i had to leave my whole plate. I will never come back here again . We got way better chinese food up there in Lodi California. read more

It's Sunday night and lots of places in Arcata and Eureka was closed. Didn't feel like Porter Street BBQ so we decided on this place instead. The minute we walked in, everyone stared at us. Even the staff chuckled! They must be thinking we are either crazy or desperate to be Asian and visiting this establishment that clearly isn't geared for Asians. To be honest, the food wasn't half bad. It's similar to the many all you can eat Chinese buffets I've visited in the Midwest and East coast. The nice thing about this one is they have a better sushi selection than what I'm used to. Along with the standard salmon, tuna, snapper nigiri and california rolls, it also offered unagi rolls and dragon rolls (with tempura chicken instead of shrimp). Plus they also have Mongolian BBQ. The hot and sour soup was good and had chunks of enoki mushrooms in it. It's also nice to see sauteed bok choy, snow peas and green beans. Not bad a bad deal for $10.95. It's still better than Panda Express or Mr. Chow's. And options are really limited when up in Humboldt or Del Norte Counties. read more

So really not bad for buffet at all. And the restaurant was clean and the buffet was looked after and stocked well. I had hot and sour soup, my favorite and it was good. Service was okay, not particularly friendly. Eureka seems to be full of nice friendly folks but not here. Overall, if it is convenient I would go here again read more

This is my favorite place locally to eat! I love the eggrolls with the hot mustard, the mussels are great and the oysters with black bean sauce are excellent. There is something for everyone here. In fact, I'm going there tomorrow with my parents for dad's 74th birthday celebration! Looking forward to it :) read more

How good can it get sushi rocks!! This is a great buffet and super cheap. I loved the cole slaw and the won tons...the steamed fish was super yummy- clean. read more

Very average tasting food. Nice selection but typical bland buffet food. Nice clean restaurant.

Okay first off it's a Buffett so don't ever go to a buffet expecting top notch . That said this place is pretty bomb sushi I could give or take but awesome seafood entrees and Mongolian BBQ and can't go wrong with the price super cheap! read more

The food was okay. They were not that fresh when I was there. Also, the cleanness of the restroom needs improvement!!

I wasn't expecting world class food from a oriental buffet, but this was awful even for that. Broccoli beef had no flavor, the chow mein was over cooked and soggy. All of the beef had a slight gamy flavor. Only good spots is its clean and the waitress was very prompt and polite. read more

The price is fine but the food is cheap. I've been here 3 times with my wife and I'm really less than impressed. It's a buffet, I wasn't expecting "fine dining" but the food is average and that's being really generous. The sushi is the best thing they have but still not 4 star worthy. I also take issue with the cleanliness of both the floors and the tables. Not the worst place ever but why not go to a nicer chinese place for the same money imo. read more

2 Stars for the price, the food is horrible and will have great shame in saying this place is my guilty pleasure. I can get take-out for lunch for $7 and have it packed with food. However, I've been here enough to know which dishes are edible and which to leave alone. Also it must be noted that somedays are going to be better than other, the consistency of good food is never there. That being said, you can't go wrong with the peanut chicken, hot pepper chicken, and steamed white rice. Stay away from the sushi. read more

We always take family that is visiting here and it has always been a great experience! The food here is very delicious and it is very affordable. read more

Delicious food served buffet style at a very reasonable price. So many great choices to choose from. The employees are always polite and helpful. Absolutely one of my favorite places to eat in Humboldt County. read more

I've been here a few times, and they've been good most of the times.. But the last time I was there someone threw up right next to our table on the ground, and the wait staff did nothing about it other than cleaning it up... Any other place maybe on the planet would have offered a discount on our meal or even just to move us to a different booth... Now every time I think of going there I'm just reminded of someone who hurled right next to me and a wait staff that didn't care at all, ew read more

Have eaten here 4 times, in the last 4 months. Food was fresh and hot. Price was very good. Lots of shrimp and that is good. Dim sum was good, salad bar had good selection, and all fresh. Did not have the chance to try dessert, as I was too full of shrimp. read more

Oriental Buffet has the best Chinese food in the county. I know because I'm from Los Angeles and ate Chinese food growing up. I've been to others in Humboldt and they do not compare to Oriental Buffet. read more

We really love this place! The food is always hot and fresh, and the flavors are wonderful. The price can't be beat!!! The Oriental Buffet is by far the best Chinese restuarant in Humboldt County! And when the have Snow Crab - OMG!!! I eat it till I'm ready to burst!!! read more

literally the only good thing is their white rice. that says a lot about this place...

What did you expect? It's average. I called it the gwei low feed trough. But for the price and selection it's unbeatable and that's what you get. It's almost like the "orientals" (can't believe people say this any more) have a formula for these buffets. It's almost as universal as mcdonalds. Anyway, what you think you will get here is exactly what they have. So chow down gwei lows. read more

I didn't have a particularly good experience visiting this restaurant. While I wasn't expecting a five star meal from an asian food buffet, I WAS expecting to find at least a few things that I would want to eat. The food overall was greasy and not fresh, which was surprising for a restaurant on a Friday night. This place has your standard array of fried seafood dishes, plus a few "sushi" options, soup, and salad items. Why did this restaurant get two stars if I knew that the food was going to be bad ahead of time? Why did I even go in the first place? On their website, they advertise that they have crab legs. Literally, it's the second item listed on their home page, and they advertise their evening buffet as the seafood dinner, which leads one to believe that they would have a variety of seafood, crab included. When we arrived, there were NO crab legs, and when I asked the waiter about it he said that they didn't have them every night. When I asked him what nights they DID have it, he couldn't answer me. I had to make due with soggy flounder (how does that even happen?), chow mein, and rice. Definitely not worth the 10.95 per person. read more

I am gonna keep it short and simple. I was thrown off since our "server' gave me a really bad look everytime she had to come back to our table to clean the plates. Uh, hello its a buffet and you barely have to do anything but drinks & cleaning the table. Food wise, I only like the chow mein. read more

We recently stayed here and had the pleasure of eating at the Buffet. We were totally impressed with the hot, fresh food. We tired to sample everything and I do mean there is a lot to chose from. Clean restaurant, fantastic food. read more