United Buffet — Restaurant in City of Schenectady

I am not a local kids wanted to get Chinese buffet after we went to the Bronx zoo on our way home. I will preface this saying I used to be a buffet server at a pizza place and have waited tables off and on for over 20 years. The food was OK. Like coconut shrimp was good the one clean one I got anyway they didn't clean the poop shoots noticed after the fact. We have 2 teens and a 10 year old. It was 87. Dollars for 5 people the receipt said 5 adult buffet so I guess my son who literally ate 6 to 8 California roll type pieces of sushi and an ice-cream he shared with his sister. Because the sign says they charge you if you waste food. My daughter said that's a great idea get people to pay for dinner then pay for food they don't like I didn't see any additional charges so maybe it's more of a scare tactic than an actual thing they do. Anyway I gave her my card she saw there was a few dollars on the table and left to go run my bill but came back with an added gratuity showed it to me and said ok and then left to run my new total since apparently she didn't think she was gonna make enough money off our table. I always throw money down on the table when I go to a buffet because a lot of people don't even think they should tip at one. But I digress we got 5 waters 2 of which we're refilled we got 2 plates and some desert and we're in and out in about 30 to 45 minutes. I would have made my total on the card 100. Plus the 6 in cash I threw down but I paid the 100.25 instead because if you are going to tell me how much to tip you I guess I will listen to you. I will not return.. a lot of9 stale cold or Luke warm dishes tbh lots of breading and just overly processed crap food covered in sauces that make it barely palatable. I don't often write reviews but unless you need a lot of food for your buck I would skip it and go for a good steak or something else. ** edited we got sick as well. So I changed my original review. Do...

I went to United Buffet for the first time today, and I was very glad I did! My father was big into Chinese buffets, and if he were alive and lived near here, this would have been his place. First of all, this Chinese buffet has fresh food! I went around 4 pm on an off hour, and everything tasted great (for Buffet food). The chicken wings were tasty, the stir fried vegetables were a bright green, fresh and perfectly cook, not too crunchy, not too soft, the soup was a nice balance and not overly salty like many places are. They had a wide selection of food. While their main staple is Chinese cuisine, they also carry roast beef, mash potatoes, and gravy. I think I saw pizza off to the side as well. Their sushi and rolls were pretty good for a buffet place, and they also had a Mongolian wok, which I didn't get a chance to try. They have a salad bar and a great selection of chinese and western soups, dessert items, like little cakes, frozen soft serve, cookies, and fresh fruit. This place is an older chinese style buffet, but very well maintained, clean, and the hostess, server, and wait staff I found courteous and efficient. Each time I got up to get another plate of food when I got back, plates were gone. This is a great place to go to if you're hankering for a good ole Chinese Buffet that won't cost you $30 or $50 dollars. This place is affordable and reasonable. And the wait staff is super honest. I made a mistake on my credit card receipt, and she came back to let me know I gave them a dollar extra. I was so impressed I just gave it to them. When I am in the area again I will think to go...

To say my most recent visit to this establishment was a disappointment would be a tremendous understatement.

I very much used to enjoy coming here, my family gathered here on a weekly basis for dinner and have always had a pleasant experience.

Not this time.

Aside from a significant portion of the food being obviously left out for an abnormally long period, i.e. the ambrosia salad being full of fermented fruit, dumpling and spring rolls being soggy, "crispy" chicken dishes deteriorating to lumps of mush, I can't express enough my disappointment when it came time to pay the bill.

When the waiter taking care of us came by to collect the bill, she had intentionally blocked us from getting up from the table and insisting the tip that was left ($12 on a $62 bill, which is 18%+) was insufficient and kept repeatedly referencing the "Suggested Tip" section insisting that we increase the tip to the 22% suggested tip that was left at the bottom. A few of us tried to explain that we had already left a cash tip as part of the payment that she had collected, at which point she had attempted to call a manager over to try to force us to increase the tip amount.

On the way out for the evening after this very awkward and upsetting situation, we could overhear other guests being treated the same was at checkout.

I will never be returning to this establishment, and will recommend that if you are considering visiting yourself, find...