The difference between Royal Buffet (君臨閣) and other Chinese buffets around this part of town comes down to size and variety. The plus side (#1) is the abundant parking, practically guaranteed seating, and options that skew on the more authentic side of things. The downside is knowing the limitations that come with affordably priced buffets and quality of food. The official entrance is from the parking lot between Vinh Hoa (#2) and the massage. Plenty of folks will also enter from the back, which is through the Dynasty Plaza mall and takes a bit longer. It then becomes a question of stairs (parking lot) versus an escalator (mall). At $18-24 (lunch to holiday pricing), the prices aren't too steep for AYCE food. Kids 3 and under eat free but are otherwise subject to $13-14 per person. Non-water drinks are $2.39 a person, so definitely get as many refills as possible. The place is as massive on the inside as it looks on the outside. Window side seating offers an elevated view of Chinatown, but don't focus too much on the excessive finger prints along the windows. The seating is so abundant that almost any size group should have zero problem finding space. There is also a large private room that is ideal for special functions, equipped with TVs and a sound system. Food wise, it's a hodgepodge of all food types. Here's a breakdown in the stations: Mongolian Grill / Noodle Soup: This is a combo station where one can customize their stir fry. I had decent results with lo mein, an egg, some vegetables with beef slices. The person cooking drizzled sesame oil, soy sauce seasoning, and water and each time it took around 3-5 minutes. The noodle soups are a bit more standard but the options here are the noodle options are wonton noodle, beef noodle, seafood noodle, and beef pho. I wouldn't recommend ordering the latter. Fruits & Salads / Cold Dishes / Seafood: A standard selection of cold fruit salads, which is unsurprisingly the least exciting part of the buffet. I'm impressed with the variety of the sushi on the seafood end, but the presentation and fish quality is extremely mediocre. It won't deter most folks, since most people perceive value by loading up on the rolls. When in doubt, shoot for the sashimi. Entrees: With the exception of the eyesore dim sum and standard fried food selection, there is a solid selection of hot food. The weekend offerings is probably the best they'll have, but some standouts here included the thin ribeye slices, a solid mapo tofu with a kick, well seasoned clams, fish slices, pork spare ribs, a very solid steamed fish, and several varieties of fried noodle. Folks might enjoy the Chinese-American selection, which should have all the classics (sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, marinated chicken wings, etc.) and then some. Serviced as a decent job of clearing tables, offering water refills, cleaning the food counters, and replenishing empty trays. I appreciate some small touches, such as their multicolored plates for different selections, bathrooms, and well marked labels. Buffet lovers who are in it for the thrill of copious portions will likely enjoy what's available here. __________ (#1) Aside from one's waistline. (#2) https://www.yelp.com/biz/vinh-hoa-houston read more

See all

I'm reviewing from the POV of an allium-free vegetarian. The owner of the now closed Pine Forest works here and they have an entire two rows (?) of vegetarian food that he is in charge of. It's pretty decent and takes up almost 50% of what they offer, so not bad if you follow a vegetarian diet. Do note that you pay the same price regardless of what you eat. Likely not food allergy friendly; we fed my kid with the food allergies before we came. This place is fairly new and is on the second floor of Dynasty Plaza. A decent amount of parking but it can fill up fast during the busy hours as there are a lot of restaurants there. We initially scouted out the place a week before and it was almost empty, but we did go during the slow hours. This time, I met up with my omnivorous friend at noon and there were a good amount of tables that were occupied. It is a huge space so if it were smaller, it would seem busier, but most people spread out. It's about $18 per person for the weekdays and about $24 per person on the weekends. Kids are around $11 each. This price does not include the beverage station/drinks but you do get complimentary water. There's a sign saying you can't stay for longer than 2 hours. You pay first and then seat yourself... almost. Someone came with us with our waters and asked us where we wanted to sit and placed our drinks on the table. We chose a more isolated place. They don't have actual napkin dispensers. Every table has soy sauce, sriracha, and a bag of napkins. No caddy. Very casual. They offer a lot of different foods. You can order stir fry/noodles that they make just for you, there's an international section consisting of fried chicken, fries, even a few soups, a sushi section, fruit and salads, the 2 vegetarian sections I mentioned earlier, and a dessert section. I honestly just focused on the vegetarian and dessert sections. The food was good as expected. Less greenery than one would think when you think of vegetarian food but there is some. I thought it was pretty good except for the fact that I could only eat one full plate, but I managed to sample almost everything in that one plate. They've got things you might recognize from Pine Forest but also items that are new, so that is nice. They have an interesting shaved ice section, but the ice is sitting there... but the ice bed it's on isn't cold enough to keep it from melting. I like the idea, but the execution could be much better. They have small diced fruit, beans, and grass jelly as well as random liquids you can add on (syrup)? I think that they could definitely provide bowls of fresh shaved ice (the guy manning that counter looked pretty bored) and offer more toppings where the platter of shaved ice is. The dessert section is a bunch of cakes, but they do offer individual cups of Blue Bunny ice cream (vanilla, strawberry, chocolate). My kid loved the mango one the most. She ate 3. I thought the mocha (?) one I tried was on the dry side. My friend got a chocolate one and she agreed. Overall, pretty decent if you go for the vegetarian items. The price of $18 isn't terrible, especially if you eat more than me. However, I'm not sure if it's worth it to pay $24 on the weekends. My kids don't eat a lot; my daughter only ate a few bites of the rice noodles and 3 mango cakes. There's a reason why we don't bring them to buffets. BUT if you've got a big eater for a child, then go right ahead. I definitely think drinks should be included. It's a BUFFET. As for the meat items, my friend said they were okay. The seafood could be more fresh. They should label better though. Some sections have labels but they're mostly wrong. The restrooms are sound the side and we're pretty clean. I like how they have a lower sink for kids/wheelchairs. They definitely have some things to improve on and iron out overall. The Pine Forest owner did say that they might get rid of the vegetarian section. Once that happens, I guess this place won't be an option for us. Not sure if that will mean they'll focus on more meat items, but perhaps they should perfect/improve on what they already have if the reviews I've heard on those are mediocre instead of doing too much. read more

See all

I have been waiting for Royal Buffet 君臨閣 to open since 2020. I live nearby and drove to Dynasty Plaza thousands of times to see the progress of this restaurant from then to now. I believe it's still soft opening. Oh boy, I am just glad it's open. I talked to the employees about the upcoming changes as few stations were built recently and more food will be introduced in next few weeks. I considered Royal Buffet as a decent restaurant for everyday dining. Not pricey like Kim Son and the restaurant interior is spacious. They even have a banquet room and seating areas divided up for private gatherings. I think I gained 5 pounds eating lunch here. I tried every single dish and I considered to host my foodie meetup here. The food is acceptable for me. A few dishes are authentic Chinese flavors and some are Americanized Chinese food. I could skip cooking and come here to indulge stewed beef 紅燒牛肉, stewed tripe, curry beef 咖哩牛肉 and even steamed buns at the dimsum station. Looking at the dining room, there were diverse of people eating here, mostly non-Asians. I'm also thinking about those people with different palates in buffet food. Since I don't eat sushi's, I can't tell you what I think. I would return to try dinner menu on weekends. I have heard they will have steaks and more seafood options. I can't wait to come back. read more

See all

Great location. Solid service. Good Food. After a day in Hermann park, my parents and I decided we that we needed a hefty meal to fill ourselves for the day. For the past couple of months, we've seen Royal Buffet still in construction and it just recently opened. It seemed like a perfect opportunity. Royal Buffet is located on the second floor of Dynasty Plaza. There's plenty of signage that will guide you. When we arrived, I think they were still training the host staff. There was a bit of miscommunication whether we should follow one person to our table or wait for another person to have our drinks, but that was more than understandable since this place is still relatively new. From what I've read from other reviews, drinks are self-serve. You also pay before you eat. For us three (including one senior), the total came out to be about $90 total. The space is large with high ceilings and windows the surround most of the restaurant. It reminded me of an airport... in a good way. There is no wait staff. Instead, mainly people to get empty plates out of your way which I think makes it more convenient for customers and staff. Some highlights of the buffet for me were the sushi (especially the sashimi), shrimp fried rice, and shaved ice. The salmon sashimi was nice and fatty. The other sashimi was good as well. I got multiple servings. The fried rice was a nice filler and they were generous with the shrimp. Then the shaved ice was a great dessert with multiple options to customize. I particularly liked the boba and coconut milk. On the other hand, the most disappointing dishes for me were the dim sum. It's displayed nicely and they have multiple options, from bbq buns to chicken feet. However, if you frequent Chinese buffets then you can easily tell that these are supplied by the same mass manufacturer. No problem with that at all. It's just not my preference. The chicken feet were probably the best out of all the dim sum options. Other things to note, the restrooms are clean. The staff are very nice and attentive. I would come back again if in the mood for a Chinese Buffet and in the area. read more

See all

Some of the food extremely greasy, some of the food extremely salty, all the food is very low quality. Strong pass. By the way, is anyone know where the Pine Forest Cafe owner went? read more

I wanted to like this place so much. The location is centrally located. The staff are super nice and friendly. We were asked to pay before being seated, which was a bit strange. We chose to sit by the window with the most beautiful view of the area. Maybe because the dining hall is extra large, the buffet area looks so small in comparison. And the food selection is somewhat limited. My favorites were the dim sum chicken feet, sautéed salted and pepper potatoes, chicken wings, frog legs, shaved ice station, and the Thai tea and milk tea stations. However, some of the seafood did not taste fresh like the steamed fish, sushi, and mussels. The beef noodle soup was a bit salty. I would like to see more made in house dishes that are traditional and authentic. read more

Royal Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Houston, Texas

A rare gem in the area that has authentic Chinese dishes hard to find in other restaurants and nonexistent at other buffets! Although their raw seafood isn't the freshest, I highly recommend their rich variety of hot stir fried and soups. read more

High price for a very limit selection. It Friday night and it dead. It way too quiet for a buffet restaurant. read more

Royal Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Came here on a Monday for lunch and most of the food taste stale and not fresh. Soup station we tried the pho and beef soup ... both were pretty bland. Dessert station was horrible ... only the premade ice cream in a cup was decent. This is probably and one and done place for us . For almost the same price , just take your ass to kim son buffet. Way better. read more

The Mr. had saw this place on our way to our destination and decided after we finished shopping we would go here after building up an appetite. Upon arrival we realized this location was situated upstairs. Took the escalator up(had to walk down a flight of stairs when we left. We were greeted immediately. Selected the buffet without the snow crab legs $21.99 and if you want it with its $31.99 (definitely not worth the price) They had a small portions on the buffet table and not a big selection of different entrees. Some of the food looked/tasted as if it had been sitting for awhile. They did have a Mongolian and noodle station that is fresh and you select the ingredients. They did have shave ice you can create your own with fresh fruit..Ice cream cups and fruit and sweets. I will say that they are very clean and the employees are steady walking around cleaning the food area and handles. For that price they should offer more. Maybe we were paying for location. Won't be in a rush to go back. read more

See all

Trash. Came Thursday 7pm and not a soul in place but still was dumb enough to give it a try. Food was old, stale and dry. They kept on flipping and bringing the food back in the kitchen to reheat so it can look freash again. Dont waste your time and money. The owners at this point just want you to pay so you can get rid of their left over inventory. By far one of the worst place I've ever experience read more

ive been looking forward to this place opening for sooo long so i was rlly excited to try it out. the service was wonderful and plates were cleared super fast. however, the food selection is pretty limited, and the quality is okay. the hot dishes were warm at best, closer to room temperature, and the sushi rice was too cold and hard. go for the sashimi and snow crab instead, those were better. the dim sum was standard, veggies were good, and my personal favorite was the mongolian stir fry since its fresh and piping hot. they do have lots of dessert and a shaved ice bar with lots of toppings which is pretty unique! as for other sweets, the sesame ball is so hard it was impossible to chew :'( overall the place is mid for the price. i think theres plenty of room for improvement and worth trying it yourself. since they just opened its understandable that they're still figuring things out, so i hope the next time i come back it'll be better! read more

Restaurant is spacious, but food is third rate. Lower quality of food ingredients and some of the items seems to be frozen products just heated up (dimsum). Also, they set the payment system so that you automatically pay tip even if you dont want to leave a tip using a credit cars. Don't know if the actual servers get it. Lots of better buffets for the same price or a few dollars more. read more

Various types of sushi, chef works fast, clean and professional. I really like it All seafood is fresh and tastes delicious. There are also vegetable variants that can be an option for vegetable lovers. read more

Horrible. Might be one of the worse buffets in houston. The temp for most items felt off. And some of the items felt old and I was there at 1130 read more

This place was an absolute delight! The food was fresh, in abundance, and they had a great variety. I'm not a vegetarian, but my favorite were the glazed sweet potato's and sweet potato patty! Our baby enjoyed the noodles and fried fish. I personally enjoyed the sushi and garlic shrimp. For babies 3 and under it's free. The place was clean, tile flooring was refreshing ( no sticky carpeting). The busboys were really good about picking up our used plates. Everyone was very friendly. read more

The cashier explained lunch and dinner price difference and tip policy. After paid, we were given two cups and were told that we could just go ahead walking in. As first time visit, we were totally confused should we turn right or left. We found ourselves a table and decided to walk around to find out what does this buffet restaurant offers. After browsing around, we decided to try items from each station. I tried dim sum; I wasn't too impressed. Next, I tried some hot entrees, food tasted not bad. Later I got myself a bowl of beef noodle soup; the soup tasted nothing but soy sauce and salt. I did not try wontons soup but it seems the item many customers would get. It has two flavors of crawfish which I did enjoy a lot. This restaurant offers lots seafood selection and sushi bar is clean and tasted fresh. While we were eating, we saw the staff did sitting customers and there was few staff working on floor and assisting to get drinks. We thought it was self seated and fill up drinks on your own; felt a bit embarrassed and felt no wonder people were looking us while we were trying to pick up a best table when we walked in. Next time we know to ask to be seated. Overall, price is reasonable and it does has lots to offer. Also it has room to improve in Asian food cooking and taste and service. read more

This is probably one of the worst buffets I've been to. Not a very "royal" selection of food (maybe because they just opened and still in the testing phase?). I ate a fried dumpling and had to spit it out because the inside was uncooked (imagine tasting raw meat and dough. Yuck!). Tried a salmon roll...also spat it out. You pay before dining. Apparently, the price dropped a couple $ today. It was $19.99 for lunch today, while yesterday it was $21.99. Definitely not worth the price. The price does include drinks, but sodas were flat. Overall, food was terrible but the staffs were nice. Though I think they hired too many people. Most of them were just standing around. read more

My parents and I decided to try this new buffet. The price was good. The place was nice and clean. The food was fresh and delicious. The shaved ice section was a plus. We will definitely go back. read more

Royal Buffet - Pricing on 6/5/2025 - Buffets Near Me - Houston, Texas

My parents and I decided to try this new buffet. The price was good. The place was nice and clean. The food was fresh and delicious. The shaved ice section was a plus. We will definitely go back. read more

Royal Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great authentic Chinese especially vegetarian cuisine. It has a mix of authentic and Americanized Chinese food. Very decently priced as well. read more

Not a lot of choices and the quality is horrible. Not worth your time or money. Would not recommend to anyone.

Where do I even begin! This place is heaven-sent... I had a dream last night of dining at a grand buffet decided to check Facebook for recommendations and the essence of this buffet just captured my attention. Oh boy! I couldn't contain my excitement...I busted out my door on the spot, got in my car, drove 40 minutes and paid ASAP. Once I was cleared, the scent of the foods were extremely alluring and so was the customer service. EXTREMELY enthusiastic for my next visit to suffice my cravings! read more

I paid for Snow Crab buffet but they serve limited snow crab. The batch of snow crab was gone in 2 minutes and I have to wait for another 30 minutes to get in line only to be frustrated because it quickly disappeared. read more

Royal Buffet - Empty snow crab bin - Buffets Near Me - Houston, Texas

Royal Buffet? More like Royal Pain. Royal Buffet has met its Royal Match. Food Quality: F, Cafe East outshines this place, and they don't exist anymore. Even the seafood selection looked below par. The soup bar had a 4-item menu, but we didn't try it. Could've been good, but the staff looked less than enthused to be there. Sushi bar was meh. Many items were mislabeled, so second glances are needed if you have a food allergy. Location: D, 2nd floor, Chinatown - trauma traffic and parking, elevator in plaza was broken. Secondary elevator was from a haunted '70s movie. Noped out of that situation real quick. Vibes: B, nicely decorated, good views with windows; buffet aesthetic is mid, dead Private Space: C, holds 80, half walls Parking: A, good parking, inner lot spaces are 2 hour limits Bathrooms: A-, stainless steel reveals. Two ply toilet paper and floor to ceiling doors. Well-lit. Koi-engraved patterns were nice. Cost value: $49.77 for 2 on weekend. Worth it? Not even close. If the best part about a food experience is the decor and the bathroom, then just look at pictures on other people's reviews and go somewhere else. read more

The staff is very friendly, plenty of food choices. Clean and spacious. And has fresh crawfish. For this prices I eat several pounds . Totally worth it. read more

I would want to start by responding to the individual who awarded one star. I disagree with that review completely. I've gone Royal buffets twice, and I really enjoyed both visits. I used to visit Kim Son, but Royal Buffet has become my new favorite spot. I'd suggest it to everyone. Kim Son caters more to Vietnamese, whereas Royal Buffet caters more to Chinese. If you enjoy Chinese style buffets, you should try the Royal Buffet. read more

Good services and nice staff. Location is good, in the center of China town. The food is OK for a price $17.99 (lunch weekday).

Dined in for lunch on the second day of the soft opening. There was a wide variety of food and drinks available for $19.99. The food was very good and high-quality, with excellent service. read more