Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Buffet

    3.2 (495 reviews)
    Open • 4:00 pm - 8:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    The Buffet Photos

    THE BUFFET ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Loud
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - The Buffet

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Lobster Tails
    Don B.

    The Buffet at Valley View Casino is not a buffet in the traditional sense of grabbing a plate, perusing around at the hot food stations and serving yourself any portion you would like. I do miss that part of a buffet of visually seeing all the food offerings and taking a small portion for you to bring back to your table and seeing if it is good or not. The Buffet is a sit down affair. You get to the your table and are greeting with a bag of tostitos, guac and salsa. They take your drink order and then you order off the placemat menu at your seat. While the menu is extensive, food is such a visual experience in the sense of seeing what it looks like and knowing how big the portion is. When you order from the server, you get to choose from 4 items that will be all on one plate if it fits. The lobster tail is the star attraction and you are allowed one per order but you can eat as many as you want. Food quality was not that great and the lobster tails were really salty. I wish I was able to try other menu items but I was already full from the first order as you do not get a good sense of how big each portion they serve you. I believe the value is great for AYCE lobster tails and prime rib. I just wish it would return to a true buffet where you serve yourself.

    New Menu as of 05/13
    Steven F.

    The menu changed although slightly. The required tip has gone up to $8 per guest. However, once we were seated, we waited nearly 45 minutes before a server came to take our table to take our order. This is still not a self-serve buffet. Despite this, the food was still decent.

    This is how I eat my seafood
    Janice A.

    You're crazy if you eat at buffets often. You have to be the healthiest person in your area. So much food. The main attraction is the lobster of course. Everything I've tried here is good. Service is great. It has a nice vibe but a bit noisy. The tip they collect when you pay before you are seated is now $7.00 per person but the waiters are usually on point. Still table service not a go get it yourself type of buffet since Covid. I sort of like it this way. When we get the lobster craving we come here.

    Menu April 2021
    Jasmine D.

    Waited 3 hours until our pager went off. Waited an additional 20+ minutes in line to pay and be seated. There is an automatic $7 charge per person, supposedly for gratuity. Our party of 5 was split and seated at two different tables, and we had different servers. At first, our server was friendly and quick to take our order for soup/salad and first round of entrees (the menu is the table placemat, and you get to choose 4 items per round). She never returned to check up on us while we were eating; and we kept trying to flag her down and get her attention. We ended up asking other servers for things such as butter and lemon for our lobster tails & crab legs. Those were very much needed, as the crab legs were pre-cut and DRY AF. When our assigned server finally got to our table, she said the kitchen was closing and asked if we still wanted to order food...duh of course we did. Food taste and quality is not as good as it was before. My sisters who were at an adjacent table had already finished eating and were waiting for me. An employee that had just finished clearing/bussing a nearby table, dropped her tray, and a dirty plate full of trash and food fell on my sister's back. My poor sister had some sort of food residue/remnants on her back & clothing. Though the employee apologized, we felt like she could have done more; but we did not bother to escalate the situation and decided to leave.

    Dessert
    Ace D.

    Valley View Casino is one of my favorite casinos in the area. Their buffet is easily one of the best in San Diego, especially the all-you-can-eat lobster nights, which are a big highlight. The atmosphere is lively and they even have live bands on some days, which adds to the experience. Service can be a bit slower during busy times, but overall it's still a fun place to visit. Helpful tip: you do need to be a card member to access the buffet, so it's a good idea to call ahead to confirm details before heading over.

    Andrea H.

    Very interesting buffet, you have a server and order off of the menu. Then the items are brought to you. Some of the food was OK. The lobster was rubbery and did not taste fresh. The dessert items were my favorite, but I am just biased towards sweets. Honestly, I think this buffet is mid-tier and lack quality dishes. The appetizer for the table was a bag of tortilla chips with cheese/salsa... Definitely enjoy Morongo's buffet more!

    3 hours wait...
    Ray S.

    This was not a true "buffet". After checking in we had to wait almost two hours. When we were texted to show up with our entire party of four, we had to wait another half an hour. Our drink orders were taken before being seated at the table. Upon arriving at the table we were served tortilla chips, guacamole and salsa. Not a very pleasant presentation with the chips still sealed in the packaging. We had to place your order four items at a time with a server. Our server was Jose. The ambiance was decent with big screen televisions showing random food items on the menu. On the screens were featured such dishes as lobster tail, prime rib and osso buco. And then randomly butter, ice tea and cookies. The lobster tail was tough and salty. So salty that I didn't even use the butter. I ordered white meat for the fried chicken and it was almost inedible. Although it was nicely seasoned, it was super dry as if it were sitting under a heat lamp for hours. Being it was lunar new year they had several "Asian Inspired" on the menu. The char siu BBQ looked pale and lacked flavor and seasoning. The gochujang glazed Korean smoked pork ribs were the opposite. Too much seasoning and salty as well. The same with the dynamite wings. The dim sum basket tasted blah. The dumplings and shumai were overcooked. I could have gotten better and fresher Chinese food at Panda Express. Disclaimer: I rarely eat at Panda Express haha. The other items were not even worth writing about. Valley View please step up your game with "The Buffet" otherwise I would rather go to the Black & Blue Steakhouse or Patties and Pints. Or better yet I would Harrah's which is less than ten minutes away. Harrah's has Hell's Kitchen and far superior dining experiences.

    Dumplings
    Char B.

    Came back here again because my cousin has a free buffet ticket. Seems like the food and service got worst. Our server Reign is kinda in her own world not even paying attention when we are ordering. Apparently you have to go in order: appetizer/soup then main course then dessert. Once you order your main course you can't go back apparently..... the service is so slow I can't tell you how long we had to wait for our food to come out. Even for something simple like water didn't get served to us after we asked TWICE. the lobsters aren't as juicy as before. The crab legs they cut in half and are dry. The s'mores chocolate brownie which is a new chef creation is so sad. Just because you put a marshmallow and small graham drizzle on the side does not make it good. Presentation is nice but food is poor quality. And to top it off so is the service. I really wanted my clam chowder soup but what ever.

    "rare" prime rib.
    Historical P.

    Misleading. Seriously rename this to something else. This is NOT a buffet. Long wait times for a salad. A salad! And I asked for rare prime rib. What is this? Mandatory tip? No wonder, service is bad. Good ambiance though.

    2 Lobster
    Jenny V.

    All the food was delicious. I ordered so much food and enjoyed each dish. The food was well flavored and service was fast. The staff was very friendly and helpful. This is the Buffet to go to!!

    Alisa K.

    I went here in December 2023 and am just now getting around to writing this but yes very memorable experience. Not sure if it's bc of Covid but it's not a help yourself buffet. The waiter comes to your table and takes your order for each round. Service can be slow especially because the buffet is always packed but the waitresses try their best to get your food hot. There's some rules to ordering that I can't remember but there's a few things that were amazing. Lobster tails Alaskan crab Soft shell crab Beef birria Peanut butter cookie Pistachio ice cream

    This is what was brought to me with my plate, I open in it and food particles! Yuck!!
    Brandy S.

    If I could give it negative starts I would! It's not a buffet style, which is disappointing. We were on the waiting list took 1.5hrs. Then waited in line and another 30mins to get a table. Then waited about ten minutes (I timed it with my phone) just to get a drink order. Then waited about 15 minutes just to order food and our drinks haven't arrived. It was just a shit show. One of the servers just threw down the lava cake, and was told that the kitchen will be closed in 20 mins. Food was cold due to long wait times. Never got my second order of drinks, only had a plate and half to eat cause the restaurant is closing. And the food not to par being the best. The best of what? The BEST of wasting your time. Felt rush to order, service was shit. The tip is already included on the ticket. Never ever coming back to this buffet. The Casino itself was good, the staff helpful. If you want crappy food , long wait times then this is for you.

    Delicious salad

    See all

    7 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike S.
    209
    78
    151

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Avery T.
    434
    32
    12

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    26 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 3
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 6
    Love this 5
    Oh no 4
    Photo of Ace D.
    337
    131
    180

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Ray S.
    640
    146
    1117

    2 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 4
    Photo of John H.
    34
    42
    1

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kent G.
    13
    278
    83

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of S W.
    2
    71
    12

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 4
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Thank you for coming in and leaving a review, Marie!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gary N.
    904
    1573
    108652

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 4
    Love this 7
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 26
    Thanks 0
    Love this 23
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Thank you for coming in, Richard! We hope to see you again soon.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Trina M.

    Trina M.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sharon B.
    24
    54
    18

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Valerie V.

    Valerie V.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 13

    The Buffet Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Buffet

    I can't seem to find the prices. Can someone please tell me how much are the buffet?

    $49 a person plus a forced $7 tip per person that must be paid at the cashier before you know if you will have decent service or not. Also you have to sit at the table and wait for them to give you food, up to 4 dishes at a time and one soup and… 

    What are the best/slowest times to go to avoid wait times?

    There's really not a best time to avoid the line or wait for blue and silver card members. My girlfriend and I get their at 11am and still had to wait. If you're a black card and gold card member you get VIP access. There is no waiting or… 

    Is the buffet open to regular people like non players?

    No & not even all players. Just got an email from them for October 2021. Blue (players) card holders & above only.

    Is there lobster every day of the week, select dates? Or how can I plan my trip to ensure I have lobster during my stay?

    I believe there's lobster present during dinner time. I've been there during dinner time on both weekdays and weekends and can confirm this.

    So no kids are allowed even though they're just attending the buffet?

    Unfortunately, no. Pala and Harrah's buffets do allow children though. It's still worth going to… 

    Are kids allowed?

    Hi Mark, we are a 21+ property, so anyone who is 21 and over is welcome to enjoy our casino. Thank you!

    What other seafood items do they serve on Saturday evening other than shrimp?

    Salmon, lobster, different types of fish on the sushi.

    View All 11 Questions

    Valley View Casino & Hotel - Valley View Casino & Hotel

    Valley View Casino & Hotel

    2.9(1.3k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    •$$

    Fun spot, but very smoky and the slots are packed close together. Free masks at the players' club…read moreand I recommend getting one or two. Casino is pretty clean though. No piled up ashtrays. (Ugh) There is a large nonsmoking section which is where we spent a lot of time. Unlike some other casinos, they don't just chuck old machines in the section but have a good mix. And there are several self-serve beverage stations throughout the casino. My friend had never seen that feature and he now loves this casino, lol. Harrah's is only about 10 minutes away.

    I have a service animal and was initially denied entry. They claimed they do not allow psychiatric…read moreservice dogs only seeing eye dogs or guide dogs. When I explained all of his training and then tasks they said he was not "acting like a service dog" and they said they watched footage of us waiting for a minute while they were coming and that he was "pulling on his lead" and "not patting attention" I said I take an accusation like this very seriously and that if they are truly claiming that I want all of this is writing and documentation of him "not acting like a service dog" as well as that video evidence of him not acting like a service dog. I then unfortunately had an episode due to the drama of it all to which my dog tasked and my husband stepped up and took over. They then realized they had messed up, changed their mind and said "we will allow it just this time" Absolutely ridiculous. My dog has gone through extensive training, been certified through two trainers, has passed his CGC and public access and the audacity for a security guard to say he wasn't acting like a service dog because he wasn't looking up at me every single second is ridiculous. They are not robots, he can get stepped on if not careful, he checks in every 10-15 seconds and alerts just fine. They would not show us footage of him "not acting like a service dog" which makes me think they were just lying to try and not allow us entry. I'm only writing this review so others don't feel absolutely awful since the valley view security treats people as the service dog police. I understand people abuse and lie about service animals, but it was quite obvious my dog is trained. To be questioned like a that was awful and just sad. Just be for warned you're going to be questioned like a criminal and may or may not be allowed entry with a service animal.

    Photos
    Valley View Casino & Hotel - Hotel Lobby

    Hotel Lobby

    Valley View Casino & Hotel - Maine Lobster Buffet

    Maine Lobster Buffet

    Valley View Casino & Hotel - Hotel Infinity Pool

    See all

    Hotel Infinity Pool

    KJ Chinese Restaurant - Beef and broccoli (add shrimp)

    KJ Chinese Restaurant

    2.8(291 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    •$$
    Casual dining
    18 years in business

    This restaurant is located inside the Harrah's So Cal Casino and resort, along with a few other…read morerestaurants including Hell's Kitchen and the soon-to-open Terra y Firma. It's a small-ish space with not a lot of tables and no real ambiance, so be prepared to wait in line at peak hours (there is no dedicated Diamond /Seven Stars line). The menu is extensive and offers a wide assortment of mostly Chinese dishes (common/classic as well as slightly more obscure) as well as some Thai and Korean dishes. We've eaten there twice and were pleased both times. The ingredients were fresh, the food came out quickly, and everything was well-seasoned. The portions are quite large-- for example the hot and sour soup easily feeds six adults. Parking is free in the structure and first floor parking lot. There is no outdoor seating.

    Pretty fast service and dishes came out hot and tasty. This is a bait and bustling place so if you…read morewant a quieter dining experience, skip this place. I noticed they also have take out and there was lots of orders being made/picked up. Considering this is a casino, the prices were very reasonable and the portions large. The soup bowl was huge and there was more than enough for 3+ people. Although we come to this casino often, this was our first time at this restaurant. We will be back again as the food was tasty but we will order less! Our group of three ordered one noodle bowl, fried rice and two chicken dishes - kung pao and orange. So much food. They also started with waters and have fountain Pepsi products.

    Photos
    KJ Chinese Restaurant - Sweet & Sour Pork

    Sweet & Sour Pork

    KJ Chinese Restaurant
    KJ Chinese Restaurant - Lobster e rolls

    See all

    Lobster e rolls

    The Café - Blue berry muffin with butter. I ate half and forgot to take the picture until after.

    The Café

    3.9(57 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    •$$

    The Café is located inside Valley View Casino to the right of their popular Valley View Buffet. It…read moreis open 7 days a week but only from 7:30am-2:00pm. My boyfriend and I have eatin breakfast here in the past, but we rarely visit the casino before 2pm. Yesterday (Friday), I decided to take my mom on a little drive and thought "why not brunch at the casino!?". We arrived at 10:15am, and there were many parking spots available in their parking structure - from the second floor on up. We walked through the casino all the way to the back right (near the hotel), and there was a party of two already checking in at the host station. Check-in was a fast process, they asked for my name and if I was staying at the property. We were ushered into the restaurant and told to wait to the side for a hostess to seat us. I saw it was busy, but not completely full. They still had quite a few open tables available, and we were seated quickly after about 5min. of waiting. The lady who had seated us was wonderful, and very nice. She took our drink order (2 coffees) and brought over 2 cups as well as a saucer full of hazelnut creamer packs. Our waitress visited our table shortly after introducing herself. Her name was Celine, and she was a ray of light! Very sweet and attentive. She quickly poured our coffee and brought 2 muffins to the table. These are complimentary muffins, and let me tell you... they are DELICIOUS. They have a walk up bakery right next to the café, and every single thing i've purchased from them has been top notch. The muffins also come with homemade whipped butter which compliment the flavors perfectly. Celine gave us a few minutes to look at the menu and came back to take our orders. My mom and I both ordered the triple decker turkey club sandwich. One with parmesan fries and the other with fried onion petals. Now, after this, my mom had an OOPSIE and spilled her water cup all over the table. Of course she was embarrassed and panic just engulfed us...Without asking, a worker by the name of Javier appeared at our side to help. Of course it was embarrassing...but he was so kind about it and made my mom feel better. He got more napkins and then held out his serving tray telling us to just push the ice onto that and he will take care of it. He literally stepped into action...where I feel others would just walked by at other places until you ask or make eye contact with panic. Javier, thank you so much, you are a sweetheart and theyre lucky to have you. After that whole excitement, our food quickly came out. It looked delicious...and I have had onion rings but never fried onion petals! I LOVED THESE!! They are so much better than traditional onion rings. The turkey club was loved by both of us, and the parmesan fries were great. Celine checked in on us regularly and refilled our coffees along with that. It definitely was a great brunch that we had, and we were lucky to have had the service from Celine and Javier on our visit. I will DEFINITELY be back! and recommend you take a nice drive one day to try it out.

    My husband and I love dining here. The service is impeccable and the food is outstanding…read more Mirabelle was our server and she is attentive, friendly and professional. The ambience is beautiful with a view overlooking the sprawling mountains. I highly recommend the French dip!

    Photos
    The Café - Inside

    Inside

    The Café - Complimentary Bread

    Complimentary Bread

    The Café - Shrimp  pad Thai, peanuts  on the side . Very good, mild, nice sized shrimp .

    See all

    Shrimp pad Thai, peanuts on the side . Very good, mild, nice sized shrimp .

    The Buffet - buffets - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...