Seaside Buffet

I would say that this is comparable to a casino-​style buffet. You have hot entrees, desserts, grills, meats, crab legs, seafood, sushi, dim sum, soups, steak, and even phở! One of their popular items is the duck buns. Seafood seem to be plentiful here (with a variety of crabs, snails, oysters, etc). I loved their cheese scallops. Oh, they even have cotton candy. Dinner on a Sunday night was about $ 20/​per person. Pretty decent for the menu items and selection you get! This was the most crowded, non-​casino buffet I’ve ever been to. Even so, our server was attentive and friendly. Personally, I would not go here on my own, but for your seafood-​loving parents they will definitely enjoy dining here!

Where do I start? I don’t usually choose to go to a buffet, but since it was graduation weekend, everywhere else would have cost an arm and a leg. This is your typical Asian buffet. The place is average sized with a main room and a side room for overflow or large parties. The food placement is against the walls of the main room, serving Chinese and American food, along with a few sushi selections and your desserts.
My plate consisted of a variety of items: peking duck, sushi, sashimi, egg rolls, baked fish, fried rice, and egg drop soup. The peking duck was by far the best tasting food! It was juicy and meaty. The little bun it comes with was soft and went really well with the duck. I’ve had some peking duck that the bun and meat didn’t go well, which was weird. The sushi and sashimi were okay. I’ve had better tasting sushi at a sushi restaurant, but whatever. The egg rolls were okay. Not the best, but edible. They were crispy, but was kinda bland. I was already warned that the baked fish was super bland, but I had to try it out myself, and it was confirmed. It was bland. It actually looked really good, however. Crispy edges (for some reason I like that), seasoning on top, and the meat looked well done. But, when I took a bite out of it, it didn’t even taste like fish. Where did the flavor go?! What I was REALLY disappointed was the «egg drop soup». It had a red hue to it for some reason. Maybe it was mislabeled, and it was actually hot and sour soup? I’m not too sure, but the broth tasted like hot oil that you use for dim sum. It looked and tasted like that hot oil. I was really not feeling it. I like egg drop soup, but this was a huge disappointment.
The service was okay. Since we were a party of 12 and the rest of the restaurant was also busy, the waiters seemed like they were overwhelmed, as if they didn’t want to be there. I understand we all have those days, but, this is the industry you work for. At least make the effort to want to serve, but I do understand. Busy graduation weekend.
Overall, my experience wasn’t a good one. The food was a big disappointment, and the service was mediocre. I wish we had another choice to choose from.

I would honestly go to any buffet for all you can eat crab legs & crawfish, but I love this one because of its crème brûlée dessert.

This is the best buffet in San Diego! (⁎) I love how they serve sushi and hand roll sushi! And that’s cool that they serve cotton candy! (・・)

They have many choices from meat to seafood to udon and so on.
The layout is wide and roomy with the tables mostly in the middle and the food outside.
The food is not bad for the price. The variety is what I give it okay otherwise it would be sub par. If you are a seafood eater then it isn’t a bad place to eat. They have fishes, crawfishs, dungeons crab, clams, squids, snow crabs, snails, rock crab claws, scallops, and shrimps.
Waitress and waiter are pretty good when you need them

Came here for a family function. Gotta say, the size of this place is impressive. Its probably the second biggest Asian buffet behind Tora (Onami’s). They have a good sushi bar with lots of fresh sushi. They also had a cotton candy machine for kids, a soft serve ice cream machine, and a display of various desserts. I over heard some relatives complain the cheese cake was a frozen version they simply defrosted. Actually, one relative pointed out his cheese cake was still frozen in the middle. As far as hot food they had everything and slightly more. I tasted fried frog legs for the first time. It had a hybrid taste of fish and chicken to be honest. The restrooms here were pretty gross. The floors were sticky (likely with urine) and the sinks looked like someone took a bath and splashed all around them. They could stand to clean it maybe once or twice during a shift. This is definitely a good «group» restaurant. I believe it was $ 20 a person, but our family also paid ahead of time for this family get together.

I usually love going to buffets but this one wasn’t one of the better ones. Odd concept of the decorations and thinking it would have more Chinese food. They ended up having Japanese, Mexican, American, Brazilian, etc just to name off some of the items served here. The food was okay and the waitress would just stand there while you ate making you feel like you had to hurry up and eat. They weren’t even busy at all.

Fulfilled my mothers wishes to eat here. I haven’t been here in years, since it was once called East Buffet. It has changed owners quite a few times. I have to admit this most recent facelift it is quite nice. We had about a 15 – 20 minute wait which was not surprising for Mother’s Day weekend. They give you a number instead of calling out your name. So there is no confusion.
Food: First plate was the hot foods section. I tried salt and pepper shrimp, honey walnut shrimp without the walnuts, lo mein, bach Choy, and mystery dumpling. I am a huge fan of salt and pepper shrimp but this one was extra salty. Plus when I got to the counter there were only 3 left i didn’t want to hold up the line waiting for a fresh batch. I enjoyed the honey walnut shrimp and the the sautéed bach Choy was really good I went back for another serving. Lo mein was average something you could get at a fast food joint.
Second plate went over to the sushi and seafood station. Picked up my plate of edamame and assorted California rolls. Basically all the rolls were dressed up Cali rolls. Wasn’t a huge fan. I tried some of the BBQ/​noodle station items from my family’s plate. My brother said the meat wasn’t seasoned. They had duck! We were excited to make duck buns but were sadly disappointed with dry overlooked duck meat.
Dessert had to be my favorite part of our meal! Chocolate fondue fountain! And a cotton candy machine! Cheers! Frozen yogurt and ice cream options. Fresh fruit for the fondue machine. Moving on down they have sliding doors holding the small desserts like mango pudding, slices of cheesecake and other goods.
Atmosphere it’s pretty packed and it’s hard navigating at times. They have several televisions around to keep kids entertained with sports, or movies. I saw they had a bar in the back not sure if they use it or not. It’s a large space.
Service: drinks came out quick and they picked up our plates quickly. The waiter checked on us often and brought us the check promptly.
Overall: I would have preferred going to Barona or one of the casino buffets instead. Yes they had a good selection but quality lacked.

Can be summarized in one sentence. «Ate here twice with family, nobody got sick either time», so automatic +1 star
Selection is pretty good. Snow crab legs and oysters (both hot and cold). Cocktail shrimp, frog legs, clams, sashimi (tuna and salmon). Not brave enough to try cold oysters though. They replenish the crab/​oysters often so this is another + 1 star in my book.
Cotton candy machine, chocolate fountain, frozen yogurt machine. + 1 star
Overall its a slight step below Vegas buffets. Taste is average to slightly above average for a Chinese buffet. Food tends to be salty with lots of MSG, but that is expected. Grossed out by pineapple that was soaked in salt water. Service is fairly attentive, they remove plates quickly. Not bad considering it’s right in town. Noticeably better than other comparable Chinese buffets in town.
Place is packed so food turnover is fast, overall good value for the price.

I came here with my girlfriend and her friend! This place had it all in terms of choices of Chinese and Japanese buffet style food! I had Dim Sum, Egg Drop soup, Shrimp, Noodles, Pork, Chicken and Sushi served with Hot Green Tea. All of them very well made with a lot of flavor! I will come here again when I am in San Diego!

Maybe a 2.5 almost 3 but not there for reasons to follow.
Ok, so just like any fat guy I love me my buffets and this one had some great higights so it seemed… Brazilian BBQ! Tapenyacki (doubt I spelled it right)! Beers/​Wine! Etc etc etc…
But when the whole group walks away feeling slightly sick and some later on having said food come back up… and not from gorging then what does that say?
Mind you it was our own fault, some things at a buffet deserve to be left alone (cooked/​raw oysters for one). It was also Easter Sunday. So they were packed and busy, so food was being rushed out very quick. Could explain the sickness but at least to the highlights.
The Brazilian BBQ was nothing to run home to momma about. Chicken, Saudage and Bacon Wrapped Chicken. The sausage to my delight was tasty and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The others not so much.
Sushi, it’s Buffet sushi, some good bites like the crusted tilapia were surprisingly tasty and would love to try again while others just looked like a mess.
Salad bar had the normals, seaweed salad very tasty, and others as a nice cool refreshing bite instead of the hot food.
The salt & pepper crab, shrimp, calamari all left me wanting more from it. The calamari had good flavor but that was it. Snails in multiple styles along with the normals (orange chicken, etc)
The deserts had some good items (mango moose, strawberry frozen yogurt, and some others) and had some horrible flavors ie the cappuccino frozen yogurt tasted horrible and would never get that again. Fun things for the kids like Cotton Candy was a nice addition.
All in all an OK buffet but not worth the trip out of the area when others are on part closer.

The food is decent. The best items here are their sushi & desserts! I really love how fresh the sushi is but I wouldn’t recommend going all out with the raw sashimi though; it gave me the worst stomach ache last time. Their other items are way too greasy.
Two stars for the sushi & desserts, but their cleanliness is not up to par. It’s actually pretty gross.
Overall, this place is a great place to go to for family events but if you’re looking to have high quality service & food that you KNOW has been made with love (lol) I wouldn’t recommend coming here.

Okay sooooo I finally tried this place again on a Monday night and everything was cold and disgusting!
The server even gave us our check within 10 minutes of being there and everyone kept walking past my table like I was going to dine and dash.
Lost a customer!

Weekend buffet for $ 19.99?! Yeah, ok! Especially if that buffet has King crab legs, fresh shucked oysters on the half shell, thick slices of fresh sashimi and more!
Stopped in on a Sunday, rainy afternoon and was promptly seated. Drink orders were taken and I was up and running!
Plate 1 was full of sushi… at least 10 – 15 different rolls and 3 hand rolls made to order!!! Also thick slices of sashimi made my day… no skimping here like most buffets which usually offer razor thin slices of fish.
King crab was abundant both in the steamed trays and the cold trays. Lots of shrimp dishes, crawfish, clams and oysters.
Plate 2 was dedicated to asian treats like dumplings, potstickers, and buns filled with delectable surprises!
Plate 3 was a hodge pudge of goodness. Salt and pepper frog legs, chicken wings, coconut shrimp, asian beef, bacon wrapped chicken. Even a little bit from the Brazilian churrasco offerings!
By now I was stuffed but dessert called. The offering here were all good. Mini Apple pies, cherry pies, custards, frozen yogurt, soft serve icecream, cookies, asian bean filled buns, mini cannoli, cheesecake, flan, little various cake and brûlée. Best of all they had a chocolate fountain with fruits and marshmallows to cover. And for the kids a make your own cotton candy machine!
The wait staff were fairly quick in clearing your empty plates. They have a coupon out there for a 10% discount… if you are lucky enough to get one in the mail.
The food areas are clean and food is restocked quickly. The only area that was a tad slow to replenish was the sushi area but then again, they were offering up some great rolls which go fast.
I was full for hours so definitely well worth it!

This buffet is definitely an upgrade from all the other buffets in Miramar, or even San Diego. It’s a little pricey (about $ 20 per person), but it’s 50% off discount for children under 5 feet and another discount for seniors who are over 65 years of age.
The buffet is pretty big and has a lot of food options. My favorite was the Brazilian BBQ (I think that’s what it’s called). It’s similar to Mongolian style where you put the vegetables, types of meat, and sauces that you want on your plate and have them cook it right in front of you. The steak and shrimp really complimented my dish! I also liked the chocolate fountain! That was so awesome! You get to choose your fruits or marshmallow to dip in the chocolate fountain. I was a little sad that they didn’t have strawberries but the pineapples were still really good with it all covered with chocolate! They also have a cotton candy area which is perfect for the kids!
Overall, it was a good experience for my family and me. Service was good, our finished plates were cleaned every so often. I’d definitely come back again.

Old tree falls in wood
Seeds sprout in lush fertile soil
Circle continues.
I visited a few times with my mom back when this place was East Buffet. She liked the variety of choices and seeing the family eat till we got full. I always looked forward to the
mongolian grill. The big family get togethers have gotten fewer are far between without her. This has been my first time back since she went with us. Inside has been remodeled. Looks really nice. I try the teppanyaki first. Looks like the meat choices have been elevated with the replacement of the mongolian grill. There are cuts of steak waiting and the shrimp are bigger. Use to have slices of frozen meats. Overall my noodle dish was pretty good. Noodles, mushrooms, broccoli, bean sprouts, steak, and shrimp had very good flavor. The only cons were the steak was a bit tough and there is no pork or lamb option.
I sampled other dishes. Beef short rib was tender but I didn’t like the marinade used. French steak was tender and had delicious flavor from the peppers and secret marinade. Fried chicken wings had pretty good flavor but lacked crunch. Pork ribs were tender and had delicious flavor. Prime rib was a bit rough to chew and could use more flavor. Drummette was the one at the end of the skewer and a bit dry. Flavor was ok.
Pineapple ranged from tart to sweet depending on how good you are at picking sweet pieces. Watermelon seemed not quite ripe. Flavor ranged from sweet to bland depending on the piece. Jello was very good. Fresh and sweet.
The dessert case was refrigerated at a low temp. Apple pie was colder than I’m use to. Flavor was pretty good. Sweetness was about what I like and the pastry had a light flavor. Coconut jello had firm jello texture and good coconut flavor. Mango pudding had texture like medium firm jello and had a sweet mango flavor that was good. I’m glad the jello and pudding are cold but I hope they make the pastries daily and don’t rely on the refrigeration to keep them fresh. Crème brûlée had a crunchy top and had very good flavor. Vanilla soft serve was good. Texture was more icy than Dairy Queen.
Next time I think I’ll start with the teppanyaki grill and add different meats. The food isn’t great but it is among the best Chinese buffets I’ve tried in San Diego.
3.5 stars. Visited for lunch.

Came in for their lunch and they really stepped it up a bit!
They are always mailing my household coupons (great marketing) but I forgot to bring it in but my kids were hungry and my little boy loves buffets (lots of variety for him) so we decided to check this buffet out!
The crispy shrimp was my favorite (reminds me of the shrimps they serve at Asian weddings for one of their courses).
I liked the fact that the waiter would occasionally check on my table and see if everything was okay. They don’t really place many condiments at the table where they seat you at so you have to ask them. It was never a problem because the waiter was always readily available to service us (which was a plus)!
For a simple buffet, this place exceeded my expectation! I also love that they have egg drop soup because (what’s a Chinese buffet without egg drop soup)?
Anyway, I’ll be back!

My family and I came out here, party of 11, to celebrate the October birthdays in my family. I’ve never heard of this buffet, but I’m glad I came along. They have seafood, desserts, sushi, hot plates, bbq grill, and soups/​noodles. This is probably one of the better buffets I’ve been to. I was feeling the sushi bar, ’cause they had a variety of things and hand rolls made to order.
Their hot plates were definitely more asian-​inspired dishes, a few were hit or miss. Their dim sum wasn’t great and just looked overcooked and dry. But everything else was pretty good. I loved the soups, sushi bar, and the chocolate fountain for my strawberries.
I just don’t like how the tables are set up. Walkways are too narrow, but it’s they’re presentation overall is pretty nice.

MEH… typically asian buffet. Nothing to report because nothing stands out. I would say it is on the pricier side as well.
$ 19.95 all day on Sat & Sun
Food was just okay. Lot of items were almost flavorless. They do have Beijing Duck but the duck was super chewy and so was the bun.
Probably won’t be back

Yet another change in management, yet another name change from East Buffet to Seaside Buffet… but to my surprise, things have actually changed a bit for the better!
We came here this past Wednesday to celebrate my birthday and were immediately struck by the physical changes to the place. While the koi pond and turtles are sadly gone from the entrance, the majority of the booths have been replaced by tables that grouped around the middle of the room. The steam tables — and the new teppanyaki grill and Brazilian BBQ — are placed around the sides of the main dining area, leading the restaurant to feel more spacious and easier to walk around.
In terms of the food — the sushi rolls weren’t that bad, and while I can see some concerns about the protein selections of the teppanyaki grill (especially if they’ve been out for a while), I didn’t get sick from the shrimp and beef I had chosen for my noodles. So, yay??? While the cannolis in the dessert bar were very disappointing, the mango mousse cake was simply delicious.
Service was pretty competent, though it took a while to get our drinks refilled. And speaking of the drinks — yes, they weren’t as flat as we’ve had them before at Seaside Buffet’s predecessors… but would it kill the management to have a self-​serve soda fountain available?
I’d like to come back to try the Brazilian BBQ, and the shark fin soup (which I hope came from sustainably harvested sharks), so for now it appears that Seaside Grill has redeemed itself.