Shiki Buffet - Glendale Heights — Restaurant in Glendale Heights

Visited this buffet 1/20/2024 on a Saturday. I was tired of same food we usually cook on many prior get togethers so I decided to go to a buffet this year. I was celebrating my b-day party, we had invited 14 guests but only 11 arrived. Regardless we paid for 10 people because 1 was a 4 y/o child (kids eat free). Our reservation was from 4pm and they let us dine in & pay afterwards because some people were running late & some didn’t make it. Paid $200. I left $10 tip (will explain below).

I didn’t get a Happy Birthday song as I have many times in other Buffet’s in state of PA, but the food was fresh & abandoned. There are a total of 9 double sided heated & cooled food stands with fresh fruit & jello, fish/crabs/lobsters/seafood, fired stuff, meat stuff, salads and so on the usual buffet assortment. In addition buffet has a hibachi grill along with sushi selection. Ice cream machine which works wired but ice cream was good & tasty.

To be perfectly honest about the atmosphere and/or customer service. I’d say this buffet rates a 7 of 10 stars. #1 Good fresh food, reasonably clean place, lots of Hispanic visitors but #2 poor customer service. For starters, servers don’t speak English very good. Our waitress was very difficult to understand, had a “poker face” type of expression & careless eye gaze. My husband and I both couldn’t understand what she was asking but sort of along the way she gestured drinks, so we told her to come back in 5 min cuz our guests haven’t arrived. Yet she left and gone she was. I fished her out in the crowd to get us drinks because you can’t grab a soda by yourself. I brought my own plastic yellow cups cuz I had a white/yellow theme of napkins & plastic wine glasses, but waiter never came to our table to remove dishes let alone refill drinks. She came that 1 time but in stead of getting what people wanted brought a bunch of glasses w/cola and gone she was again. We pretty much served ourselves the rest of the evening, cleaning our dishes & using bottled water we brought for our child (he had 2 full bottles). I left $10 cash as tip just out of politeness, thinking maybe she did come and I missed her while running around w/my kid back and forth, checking out sea turtles he liked at the entrance fountain.

We had a reasonably large company of people living in different locations of IL, so for Aurora, Warrenville, Elgin, Chicago residents it took everyone 30 min distance drive to this location and it was reasonable time frame cuz we usually get together in Naperville area which some drive up to 1 hr.

Unfortunately this is the closest to Naperville “biggest” buffet I spotted with descent reviews but had they left out soda machine for public use (self serve) & didn’t emphasize on waiters getting us drinks (which never come to assist), I’d like this place much more. But it’s highly unlikely I will return here again unless I’m solo, in this area. I’ll be checking out the Downers Grove buffet after today. Though we had a good time with our company parents & friends, spent there 3 hrs, everyone ate what they liked & we left satisfied as I was told. But I wanted our time together to be perfect, so I didn’t have to run around the waiter for a drink or clean dishes from our table myself. So for poor service I give 3 stars. I only liked the guy up front, he spoke very well, was nice and polite. I didn’t make any photos but per reviews from other people trust me when I say, food looks just...

If I could give a NO star review for this place, I definitely would!!👎

I called up their business on 5/27/23 at 11:15am bc I was in the area wanted to have lunch with my hubby. Their phone message clearly said "All pricing includes beverages. For adults: Lunch $13.99 for lunch & $17.99, Dinner $17.99 Monday to Saturday 11-3pm. All day Dinner on Sunday is $17.99."

When we walked up to the counter, we werent even greeted. (clue #1) We waited & noticed they had a manual sign on paper that had a change of pricing than what I understood from their phone message. The guy finally addresed us by saying "2'? I answered yes then inquired about the price for lunch. He said $17.99 & automatically proceeded to ring us up. Then I explained to him that Shiki's phone messagr said Mon-Sat lunch 11-3pm is $13.99. He said yah that's until May 30th...I looked at my husband and asked: Isnt today May 27th? He stuttered & stammered "uh until April 30th". (clue #2) Whaaat? I pointed out that the message didnt specify a time period. Then I called their business # from my cell phone & proceeded to play it for the guy at the counter. He rudely walked away without an "excuse me or hold on" leaving my husband and I to wonder. (clue #3l

We saw him talking to another guy. We waited. He eventually came back to the counter where we were still standing and said that $17.99 was the price. I started to explain again that is not what was published on their phone info. He said he could NOT give us the $13.99 lunch price today (Sat) even though it clearly stated it. After going back & forth on the principle, he said "OK" & started ringing us up. But when he gave us the total and as my hubby started to hand him payment, I questioned the guy "Is the meal $13.99pp? He said oh no -- I could only give us a 15% discount. Underhanded & slick. (The last straw) No apologies, no nothing. We walked out & took our business elsewhere.

Before we left, I kindly recommended that they urgently change/update their phone message -- they did later that afternoon. 😜 I checked. Good thing I recorded their original phone message beforehand tho.

Dont waste your time here...it is nothing special & the representatives arent even willing to back up their own pricing. 👎

Come to find out later that my mother-in-law & her friend ate lunch here Friday. They were currently experiencing diarrhea. 😮 Connected? 🤔

I probably saved us all (& you) some stomach issues. You're welcome! 🙌

Shiki will prob not last too long, esp if they continue to misrepresent themselves. Too bad, we love supporting local businesses...not...

Even with the large variety and quantity of items on the menu there was nothing that I “need” to come back here for or bring my friends so they can try(unless I was filming a prank video or something). The food was mediocre at best. Everything was hot, but nothing tasted fresh at all.

Honestly I should’ve lowered my expectations the moment I read “all you can eat” and “$17.99”. Some things are indeed too good to be true.

I saw a lot of red flags that should’ve been my indicator to turn around and eat elsewhere: Sticky floors An empty koi pond with dirty water and tissues floating around water dripping from the ceiling and wet floor signs every 10 feet. I’m sure the money they spent on the signs could’ve been used to fix the leak strange soft spot in the floor entering the dining area that can easily cause you to trip 75% of the food there was stuff you buy in bulk at Costco and throw in the oven or fryer stale ice cream cones and watered down ice cream The real killer:seafood The seafood they offered here was either not properly prepared or not properly stored and served. This seafood is a great way to give your digestive system a reset.

There was a few things that they did well. Sushi was very good, I wish it was labeled. Coffee cake was delicious, great selection of fresh fruit, hibachi guy knew his stuff! The texas toast was good it was definitely frozen texas toast out of a box but good none the less lol.

Overall would not come back here, definitely wouldn’t bring my family or friends. I’m not one to ever leave bad reviews on a restaurant but please please do better! You’re in a great location and the concepts are great! Get better quality ingredients and switch to fresh foods and I wouldn’t even mind paying...