Kingdom Buffet — Restaurant in Hudson

Really 2 1/2 stars really. Really read all as it's short but I feel important advice. I have gone to Kingdom Buffet maybe eight times in three or so years and food was always hot, yet I went usually around mid after noon or dinner time. I also felt the food was good and worth it to return, not excellent, but lunch price to 4PM was only $7.47, cheapest I've ever found. Also I found if I came before 4PM and ate past that time they'd usually, not always, charge the lunch price which was very nice. One of the servers had told me that was the rule to charge lunch price if one started eating within their lunch price time frame... yet found not all servers honored that or remembered when you came in. Servers have always been very nice, however young lady was business like tonight, Friday 7-18-14. This time, and I just returned, I felt I better write something. The whole buffet 1hr and 15 min before closing on a Friday night, (they close 10PM and I arrived 8:45PM) was room temperature! Even the interior of the nuggets of like General Tso's Chicken, and even the egg rolls, were room temperature to the core as though the heat to the buffet had been turned off for quite some time! I can't imagine the reason for doing that as electricity bill can't be that radically effected. Also I think the FDA or whatever rule of I think 160 degrees Fahrenheit minimum buffet food temp is very necessary. I could see why a high temp for another reason too, to keep any flies away. I only saw one fly landing on the buffet food, but if it had been heated it would not have even been near the food. I never complained and just paid, left a tip, and briefly used the restroom. When I came out three people who sat next to me only about 10 or at most 15 min starting just before I left were already in the parking lot! I didn't ask; but I bet they must have refused to eat! I'm not sure of that; but only guessing. I was very hungry and ate anyways but strange feeling that I could get sick but okay so far 1 1/2 hr later. Otherwise I'd recommend going there during busier time of day... only after today for quite some time I don't think I'll...

I struggle what to rate this establishment overall. As with everywhere there is some positive and some negative. When entering there were four tables occupied including the one myself and my family were about to sit at. I first went for the hibachi. Four types of meat and several vegetables. The sauce add ins were lacking severely. There was nobody at the grill, I set my food down to be cooked and walked away for 10 minutes and someone had just put it on the grill. As far as the buffet, although the selection is quite small, The taste of most of the food made up for the small selection. I would also say about 80% of what I put on my plate was at a decent temperature. I could definitely tell that most of their food more than likely comes frozen If you like sushi, it was very well wrapped and tasty. But again about five rolls to choose from. The service was OK in the general sense of plates being picked up, etc.

I did like it...

Pros: Price is nice for the buffet, the time (closing time) is a good time to go get a late night bite. Crab rangoons are delicious. Best egg rolls I've had at a buffet. Most buffets I've ate at had cabbage-only egg rolls. Kingdom buffet has meat in their egg rolls. Very delicious.

Cons: Costs extra for sushi (I know multiple buffets that don't charge for sushi), Shrimp are not on ice and are warm and soggy, fortune cookies are stale. Small buffet, not much of a selection. Half of the things weren't even being cooked again and put into where they should be served. So i basically didn't get to try half of their food. The customer service was disappointing. Half of the employees are sitting on their phone and there was always a kid running around the place and staring at my...