Ombu Buffet — Restaurant in Marrero

I went here with my husband to have lunch yesterday because I saw on Google that it has good reviews.

Here are my honest reviews:

The good part: Ambiance is nice, relaxing and very clean. Our server was very friendly and attentive. The person who is refilling the food is also very friendly and accommodating. Refillable drinks (I had Coke)

The not good part:

Foods are lacking some seasoning specially the hot & sour soup, which is one my favorite and I had yesterday. It needs more acidity and seasoning. It’s very bland. It really look appetizing, but I did not enjoy it.

I tried sweet and sour fish, but it’s too sweet, you can’t taste the “sour” part and the color is too bright orange or I would say pink. Not a typical sweet and sour sauce dish.

Stir fried noodles (thick noodles) is very very bland.

Fried Crabs - some are no longer fresh and some are. It is easy to determine it from the texture of the meat.

I am not saying to serve a Michelin star food quality, but I think seasoning the food will be good enough to enhance dining experience.

What we enjoyed:

Beef with peppers and onion (my favorite) Steam fish (I guess Pompano) Fried Rice (of course I am Asian!) Sushi Fried Shrimp Fried Fish Greens (Chinese broccoli) Fried plantains (will never go to Chinese buffet without eating this!)

Overall, it was a decent dining experience, but will not come back again. We prefer the Chinese buffet we usually go. For the amount of money we paid, it was not bad for lunch buffet. I love to eat and cook and very familiar with different dishes. My review is not to criticize the place, but to give an insight to improve the taste...

Honestly the place is hard to fault- great service, great lunchtime weekday price (after tax/fees/ etc about $34 for two adults with waters) with a very clear commitment to bringing novelty and value to their patrons- every time we go in there is something new. From the last time we ate there they had installed ice cream machines with interesting flavors like taro and matcha, they had improved their dessert display by placing it in a refrigerated case. The decor is pretty, feels clean and up to date,.... Honestly its a great place. There is also a clear commitment to cleanliness, with employees roaming the buffet making sure that things stay absolutely clean, stocked, and organized. I have quite a few dishes from here that I later think about how good they were, like the chicken wings and braised pork, as well as certain vegetables and fruits that I would NEVER expect at a buffet for dinner (jackfruit, chinese raab, etc). Their crab rangoons are never stale like some other places. Some items are a little lackluster but when you do this many other things right who could even care. I notice that I recognize many staff from when we started going there, which hopefully means they take good enough care of the staff that thet stay on and do not have a high turnover. They charge a 10% service fee which is not considered a tip but is claimed to go...

The dinner IS SOOO GOOD!! Basically like a seafood boil buffet with plenty of other options. The crab legs are SO MEATY!! Felt like I was eating a king crab instead of snow crab because of how full they were. The mussels were so good, loved the sauces on it, the crawfish, and the crab. So so good! My new favorite buffet. It’s a little pricey though but not a lot considering it’s literally a seafood boil buffet. Giving 4 stars because I came for lunch the 1st time I tried it & most of the food wasn’t hot enough, even my mom felt this way. This 2nd time though I said I’ll try it for dinner & it didn’t disappoint! Even their dessert is better during dinner time & is the best dessert I ever tried at a buffet! (only during dinner). I’d really work on the reviews if I was the owner though because I’ve been living in the area for a year & I would’ve tried it a long time ago if the reviews were better. Overall good! Will come back! Side note: I’d change the whole pricing thing & find a way to give the tips after, not before. I haven’t received service to judge for a tip & it would be unfair for...