I'm not usually a fan of buffets, but this one was good. The food was very fresh and high quality. I didn't hate eating here, like all other buffets. There are very many items to chose from, but not a lot of good vegetarian items. The lo mein was very tasty and the choy was great. My only recommendations would be to a add at least one tofu dish, and also labeling on the dishes that is more specific. Like what kind of egg roll is this? read more

At just over $10/person for dinner, the value was good. One person in our party had a lemonade. $1.75 for the glass, but included refills. The rest of us prefer water. You should be able to find something that you find is OK to eat, and depending on your taste you may luck out and find something you think is good. In our party of three, we all found several things (most of which we've enjoyed numerous times at other restaurants) which we didn't care for at all. One person in our group said of the items he did finish that, "they were just ok, not good" (but, as he said, he could see going back if he were really hungry and didn't want to spend much.) There was a hibachi bar (pick out the food you wanted and they'd put it on the cooktop at the counter), but the items on it didn't look that intriguing to any of us so we passed on it. The sushi bar (pre-made rolls sitting there, without labels) didn't pique our interest, either. There was a carving station (carve your own) with ham, sausage and beef. The beef was well done (as in brown, all the way through) -- the one who ate it said it was chewy, but the flavor was good. There were a few soups to choose from. We didn't see any wonton soup. (Not a problem as we weren't in a soup mood. Just commenting as wonton soup is usually a staple at the buffets we'd been to in the past.) A couple of oddities on the buffet, which I haven't seen elsewhere: Crawfish and frogs legs. (Frogs legs were edible. I'm guessing that the crawfish were in some sort of Cajun seasoning which I didn't care for, but perhaps that's the type of seasoning rather than their preparation.) The dim sum that I ate was disappointing. And, as that's usually one area of the buffet where I usually have fun, it was a bit of a letdown that the selection was minimal. Dumplings and shu Mai were heavy and dried out. The egg roll that I had was awful. Took one bite and put it down (and was tempted to spit out what was in my mouth) -- thick, stale tasting crust.. I would have had to take another bite to get to any filling. I would have liked to see more vegetable dishes to choose from, to help balance out the various meat and seafood items. I did have some Bok Choy, which was as expected. I enjoyed the salt and pepper shrimp. Note: They were whole, with the heads on, which bothered the third person in our group. The person on our group who usually enjoys various items with barbecue sauce said those items were inedible here. The pork chops didn't look like they had a sauce, but they did and the sweet, heavy taste was overpowering. (Barbecue sauce, whether or not it was visible, tasted like a very heavy sugar glaze with no smokiness or anything to take away from the beyond-cloyingly sweetness.) Overall, if this were a restaurant where you ordered specific dishes, I would have only given it one or two stars. Same if the cost were higher. But, since you can push aside whatever you dislike in a search to find the ones that you think are ok or better, and you can do so at such a low price, I've given it three stars. read more

This place a horrible. They used to be good when they first open but now they are so bad. The food was old and rotten. Our whole family came to dinner so we didn't have to cook and can relax but there was nothing edible there at all. The sushi was dried and old. The fresh salad bar was left over from the morning and all the vegetable was wilted and brown. The rest of the food was bland. Watered down. And cold. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

The food here was pretty good for an Asian buffet. It included a hibachi bar, and over 50 food options on the heated and chilled bars. The staff was quick and helpful, and the price was not bad for all that you were offered. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a bite in Ithaca with the most food for your dollar. read more

Service is good. They take your plate away quickly. Quality is poor. None of the sushi were good, the seaweed salad had vermicelli.mixed in it to lower the unit cost. Sanitation is not too bad but some bathroom stalls could not be closed. read more

I've always loved coming here! The food is great, servers are very friendly, very clean. But one of the sushi rolls I always get are no longer serving them, why is that? I really liked how they combined both crab and cheese in a sushi roll, it was one of my favorites there! read more

My local buffet has over 250 items for $15. Spring Buffet is cheaper at $12 but has much much less selections. Food is not that great. The sushi is too big. So much rice in sushi. I guess it's ok for $12. I would rate this as 2 or 3 stars. The reason for 1 star is the waitress dropped a fortune cookie on the floor then pick it up and gave it to us. read more

Husband and kids ate there tonight. Ate their whole meal only to find a dead bug in the ice cream (well the peanuts on the ice cream). Was told the exterminator was there today and that is probably why. Got the meal free, if that is any conciliation. read more

Spring Buffet - Said bug... - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Relatively clean, most of the time (we've been there about 4 times in 5 months); however, BLAND BLAND BLAND. ALL of the dishes, except the hibachi, which you customize, taste EXACTLY like one another. I, too, wanted to have another buffet option in town; however, I tried it several times, and each time it was the same. As if there was only 1 dish on the entire buffet, because they all taste the same. Also - no distinctive Asian flavors like ginger or garlic - or oyster sauce - or anything. I mean, each time I went, I expected a different result, but each time it was the same. For my money and my time, the other buffet in town may be a little older and a little worn, but the food there is much more flavorful, fresher and has a great variety of flavors. read more

This place was amazing so many different choices! Prices aren't bad, Definitely will be eating here again :)

Good food few items on menu were lacking flavor not bad just lacking. Food was fresh and all trays were full. I am a big shrimp fan and the reason for the 4 stars was did not enjoy there cocktail sauce. Also main reason I went there was to try there frog legs which was no where to be found. I was there for the lunch buffet so I am assuming it a dinner menu item. read more

Spring buff is one of my go to's as a college student. It's affordable and pretty good for your basic buffet. The sushi looks a little sketch but is actually pretty decent. This is the best cheap buffet I've ever been to! (Go for lunch) read more

Great place, they have a large selection!!! There food is fresh and good.. I am glad that e stop to eat here.. So if you are in the area and like Chinese food go!!! read more

Spring Buffet - This is there sushi bar. There food is fresh and good. - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I am a Jersey native coming to school at IC. Jersey is the last of Chinese buffets, so I have been spoiled growing up... unfortunately, spring buffet is about 15 years behind Jersey standards, but that doesn't mean it's a bad place to eat. I still come here to eat on occasion when I want to remember my childhood. Hahaha... but in terms of ranking, this buffet is the best in the finger lakes area, but comparatively to NJ, is in the bottom percentile. read more

Finally, a clean restaurant in Ithaca! I got lunch takeout on a Tuesday, and I was sincerely impressed! Huge selection of Asian foods as well as some American stuff (crinkle cut french fries, mac & cheese) for only $3.99/lb! I ended up getting over 2 lbs of food for $10 (with tax). Everything looked and tasted delicious. Food was fresh, hot, and flavorful without being too salty or greasy. The restaurant and buffet area appeared clean and was fully stocked. Recommendations: boneless BBQ spare ribs, honey chicken, dim sum, and dumplings read more

Make your own Hibachi included in the Price! Went for Dinner ... CRAB LEGS!! All you can Eat! Take yourself, hell grab the neighbors,friend,daughters boyfriend...even your mother in law,she might just like you after this :) $11.49 per person for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, $10.49 Monday-Thursday, $10.99 all day Sundays. Lunch Monday-Thursday is $6.99, Fridays and Saturdays $7.29. read more

So many choices there! I went on Sunday. The place was very popular. Besides sushi, seafood and common Chinese buffet dishes, they have a big Hibachi place, where you can customize your dish. read more

See all

Good selection of food, price is reasonable. Decor looks great! Surprised not busy on a sunday.

This is a 4-star joint for a Chinese buffet. Of course my rating is comparing this place to other typical Chinese buffets. Its clean, has plenty of options and the taste is fine. Nothing outstanding here but there is no other decent buffet option in Ithaca either so they kinda win by default! Will go back. read more

For being in Ithaca this place really was a surprise. Not only is the place huge and very clean their food is great. They not only have a large buffet option but also made to order hibachi, sushi, and lots of dessert as well. Simply put if you're looking for good food and service in a nice clean environment this place is a must visit. read more

Very good! BEST buffet around. Please note the best time to go is during dinner hours as there is far better selection of dishes. The sushi is amazing and all the dishes were very flavorful. One of the few chinese buffets I've been to that's spicy food is actually spicy. Also one of the downfalls of buffets is that the food can become lukewarm. In contrast, at this buffet all the food was piping hot! Would highly recommend! Especially the coconut shrimp, honey chicken, and dim sum. read more

There's selection but there was no salmon sushi rolls just mostly crab. The price is decent. Service was good. For lunch there was no salmon. They said there was salmon for dinner. read more

This place is amazing. If you've ever been to Chinese Buffet imagine that but costs maybe $1 more, has literally twice as much food (and somewhat better quality) and the inside is nice and brand new. They even have a hibachi station and a full sushi bar. Lunch is $7 for all-you-can-eat. I don't know how they even break even with the amount of food they're putting out and how little they charge. Highly recommend read more

We ate here a year ago, it was just ok. We went back tonight and discovered a tremendous improvement in the food. Some items were a little overlooked, but that's better than undercooked. As a whole it was very good. We will not wait another year to go back! read more

So most Chinese Buffets feel real dirty (especially the bathrooms). But this one was pretty clean! I would give it 4 stars for that. But one star for the food. First time there and that was the most tasteless chinese food I have ever had in my life. Bland and bad. Shrimp - grimy Crab Legs - zero taste Lo mein - slimy general tao - flavorless and it wasn't just me. Everyone at our table independently noticed how tasteless things were until eventually one person said what everyone else was thinking. You could blindfold me and could not tell difference between fried shrimp and french fries. Also a lack of vegetables. They had some snow peas that tasted like rubber. Come one kitchen put some sauces on this food! I really wanted to like this place because so I could go to a chinese buffet and not get grossed out that the people cooking my food were using that dirty bathroom. But I hate to say it, I think I will take enjoying the food over enjoying the bathroom... I will give it one more shot at some point based on some of the other reviews so look for an update... but not anytime soon. read more

After reading the other rave reviews, I think I may have eaten at a different place....or the lunch buffet is not as good as the dinner buffet. Not that it was bad--it was a pretty typical buffet. Very reasonably priced and the service is friendly. read more

Tastes good, clean and cheap. I think it is the best one in Ithaca.

Easily the best of the Chinese buffets in Ithaca. Look it's exactly what you expect from a Chinese buffet: huge variety, mediocre sushi, some very questionable dishes. However Spring really separates itself in two areas: very good service and consistent quality. None of it's dishes really standout but none of them are bad and everything is very decent. And honestly what more can you ask for. read more

Was referred to this place by a friend, and was worth the drive. Great selection and fresh! Great staff as well. Great eating environment as well. Would definitely recommend going. The prices are very good i had thought. read more

As others have noted, this is a new business. This means that the decor is new and is still clean. You don't walk in to a steamy miasma as you might at other all-you-can-eat places. But, then again, the decor and ambience has to be really bad before it overcomes the selection of food, the preparation, and the taste. Yes, there are a lot of dishes. No, few of them (none?) are vegetarian and only a small number feature vegetables in consequential amounts. Tofu? Fuggetaboutit. This is an odd situation since Ithaca is known for its vegetable-conscious diners. Almost as if the owners thought that this was a random town in upstate New York. It's not, it's Ithaca. All of the dishes were good enough to qualify as "average" but few of them (none?) stood out in my mind as a candidate for seconds. I tasted each of them...once. I even tried a plate of the hibachi (choose your ingredients, choose a sauce, cooked to order). I asked for a ginger sauce; what I got was indistinguishable from "generic brown sauce." The shrimp were tiny. The sushi is good enough. A lot of rice packed around a little fish. Try it, but large amounts are for those with large capacity and little enjoyment of fine tastes and textures. The Chinese food is also passable. For the price of admission, it ought to be better, and it ought to be imaginative. Try, for example, the Star Buffet in nearby Vestal. For a similar price you get more seafood, more vegetables, a tasty hibachi, and eye-catching original decor. Sure, we Ithacans are saddled with an extra 45-minute each way...but it's worth it. The desserts were the average collection of average factory pastries. One of my pet peeves about Oriental all-you-can-eats is the total insensitivity to ice cream flavors. Like many, Spring Buffet had a half-dozen tubs brightly colored, candy-flavored ice creams. Haven't they even heard of mint chip, cookie dough, and the like? Bottom line: try it once. Your mileage may vary from mine. read more

Ohmigosh, I'm addicted to this place. The food is fresh and uniformly delicious, it's impeccably clean, and the staff is friendly and well-trained. After I'd been there a few times, they memorized what I order to drink! They give a 10% discount for seniors. Some of my favorites are the sushi (authentic) with heaps of really fresh ginger and wasabi available; the egg-custard tarts in a light and crisp pastry shell, fried bananas (plantains); honey chicken; and always the fresh salmon. Honestly, everything I've tried has been delicious. Highly recommended to my friends and they all have become regulars, too - that says it all. Plenty of parking. read more

My family and I meet at the spring Buffett usually 2-3 a year for a casual and enjoyable family dinner. Tonight IS THE LAST TIME we will be going! Everything started out fine but after sitting down to eat our meals noticed a musty odor. After some investigating it turned out that it was coming from the MOLD growing underneath the thick sauce the general tsos chicken! Shoving our plates aside we promptly told the waitress who asked if we meant it was bland. I repeated it was covered in mold, she only said ok and took the plates. We immediately went and told the management who only said, "we will switch the pan." SERIOUSLY?! Upon return to our table we were given a check for our meals, which were not able to be eaten and told have a good day. It was insisted we pay full price! I'm disgusted and will not be returning! read more

This is just what Ithaca needed! I've always loved Chinese buffets, but every Chinese buffet that I've tried in central New York and Ithaca has been extremely disappointing. Spring buffet is great. It's new and clean. I went Friday night, and there were a lot of people so quick turnover of food. So much seafood, meat (steak), sushi, hibachi! Such a great deal, not so great for your waist line though... read more

I love it here. The facility is super clean and nice. The food is always fresh and trays are full or quickly refilled. The salad bar and fruit bar are great additions to the usual Chinese food fare and make me feel that I can make healthy selections to go along with my delicious selections. Love that they add new items every so often as well. read more

The new construction is very nice. That is about all I DID like about this new restaurant . Although there are a lot of options to eat, they are presented poorly and without a lot of flavor. When I addressed an issue with the wait staff I was redirected to the "manager" who told me my problem did not matter to him and he is trying to run a business. The WORST customer service. If they treat the people who eat the food like that I can not imagine they treat the prep or cooking of the actual food much better. Will never go again. read more

The service was friendly, at the door and at the table; my drink was refilled promptly when it got low. As for the food, I appreciated that there were items I do not usually see at other Chinese buffets, like frog legs and crawfish. However, I went at dinner time and several of the food items looked as if they had been sitting out for a while and needed to be replaced. Would like to have seen fresher food in some instances, though most of it was alright. The selection was pretty good as well. One of my few peeves was with the ice cream station. It was sticky and all the ice creams mixed together by previous guests, as per usual with those setups. I wish they would just go to soft serve machines and be done with it. Overall one of the better Chinese buffets in this area, with a good balance of selection, cleanliness, neutral ambiance, and friendly service. Not too shabby for the price. read more

Yes the food is unlimited, but it's very poor quality. The sushi was the main highlight, however, there was a very small selection and they did not replace rolls after they ran out. In addition, all the Chinese food left me wondering if I would be food poisoned. The salad bar was the lowest quality part of the visit; it tasted as if the food had been constantly put out for days until someone ate it. I am not an Ithaca native, and i frequent buffets of this style in my hometown and among my travels. This was not the worst buffet i've ever been to, but I see no reason to ever go back. read more

The first time I ate there, I was not impressed. I took from the buffet and didn't go to the sushi bar or hibachi grill. The food was greasy, overcooked and somewhat tasteless. I wasn't interested in returning until we joined friends there for a birthday party so didn't have a choice. This time, I had hibachi and it was very good. We were a party of 10, and our service was great, especially for a buffet. I will definitely return. read more

Spring buffet is probably the best buffet to open in Ithaca. Wonderful choices, great for all ages. I went with my family of 5 & we absolutely loved the experience & food. read more

I suggest if you go there, do NOT pay with a credit card. because even though you sign what you want for the tip, they charge whatever they want and then lie. I put down a $4 tip cuz service was not that good and when i checked my transactions they charged me $7.50 for a tip. When i called them on it, they blamed the bank saying banks always take 20% automatically and they fix that at the end of the night. Complete bull, banks do not do that and guess what my card wasnt reimbursed. read more