Jade Dragon Buffet — Restaurant in Ames

Wow! This place has gone downhill! My wife and I used to eat here 15 years ago when we lived in the area. I think it was under different ownership. The service was ok. They were polite, but didn't seem to understand English at all. There was trouble communicating just "yes" and "no". The sushi is NOT good. Seriously, you don't even have to go to a high-end place. Hy-Vee's fresh sushi is better! The buffet food is pretty standard Chinese buffet fare. Teriyaki chicken skewers, salt and pepper chicken, spring rolls they bought pre-made, all of it exactly the same as every other buffet. It was all hot and fresh, though. The Mongolian grill was un-manned, I had to ask if it was available (that was a problem!). The food selection for it was poor! Only 4 meats and one noodle selection. Just a few vegetables (7 or 8 maybe) and 9 sauces. Most sauces are basic - like soy, chili oil, teriyaki, hoisin. It was 10-15 minutes from when I asked about the grill and when I got there. It was not hot. Pretty sure they only turn ot on on-demand, which I understand, but they are not turning the gas up or giving and pre-heat time to achieve the stir fry temps you would normally see over a gas jet in a restaurant. No sizzle when the food is put on. If you're thinking you'll get something close to hu-hot here, you be sorely disappointed! Not trying to be mean, just being honest. It cost me $77 + tip to feed my family and I didn't like most of it. Sorry, but I...

Recently went out to dinner at the Jade Dragon - we were very pleased. I know the previous restaurant in that location had some issues. Please don't let that deter you from checking out the new facility.

We found the entire place to be updated and scrupulously clean. The restrooms were repaired and spotless. The food was delicous and appropriate temperatures, which can be an issue for buffets. Neither of us likes sushi, so we can't speak to that. Spouse tends to prefer less spicy foods, while I enjoy the spicer stuff - neither of us had anything we could complain about. There was a wide variety of food selections. We did not sample any of their 'American' foods, as we do tend to think that these options are not usually great at Asian restaurants, but there was pizza, french fries, fried chicken, etc., available if your party has folks who won't eat Chinese food.

The main food bar, salad bar, dessert bar and ice cream station all had a broad range of choices available. We were there on a Saturday evening - the place was busy but not packed, the food was continually replenished and very fresh. Our service was good.

Just thought I'd share in case there are others who are hesitant to try it out because of dissatisfaction with the previous...

My family was really excited to try this buffet with new ownership, sadly it fell WELL below normal standards. The staff was friendly, and tended to our needs just fine. The atmosphere is exactly the same as the last buffet, which is stale, carpeted, and outdated. Music? Still from the 90’s. Food was below average for a buffet. Ankeny has a better one if you’re willing to take the 30 minute trip. We also all wanted to try the hibachi, and waited at the counter for over 5 minutes.. twice, and still didn’t get served. Walked away. Egg drop was yummy though! The biggest red flag for me, however, was I got food poisoning.. I had no food for 16 hours prior, no coffee, just a hot cider. Within an hour after my buffet meal, my husband wasn’t feeling well, and I had all the typical food poisoning symptoms for days following. Will NEVER...