Captain Buffet — Restaurant in Sacramento

2 Adults:Total Cost:$62 (Drinks included)

First Impressions The buffet occupies a building that formerly housed a Cracker Barrel, and this is still evident from its exterior and overall interior design. The restaurant hasn't undergone much aesthetic transformation, which gives it a slightly mismatched feel in terms of ambiance for an Asian seafood buffet. Upon entry, payment is required upfront at the front desk (located to the right), which is a smart move to deter dine-and-dash situations. Guests have the option to tip during this payment process or leave a cash tip at the table.

The food variety was impressive, especially for seafood lovers. Some highlights included: Sushi & Sashimi Snow Crab Legs Baked Cheese Mussels Garlic Oysters (cooked) Raw Oysters Cajun Crawfish Stir-Fry Noodles Mongolian BBQ Station While the flavor and freshness were generally good, the experience was hindered by long waits and confusion around the more popular stations.

Desserts, on the other hand, were underwhelming. Options included basic pastries, fresh fruits, and small cups of standard-flavored ice cream. There was nothing particularly unique or memorable in the dessert selection, and it felt like an afterthought compared to the main buffet offerings.

Service & Efficiency Staff were polite and helpful, though clearly overwhelmed by the large crowds. The lack of organization at key stations—particularly the snow crab and Mongolian grill—created chaos and frustration among diners.

Key Issues & Suggestions for Improvement: Snow Crab Station Management The snow crab was clearly the star attraction, but the lack of staff oversight led to overcrowded, disorganized lines with people forming multiple queues from different directions. Suggestion: Assign a staff member to portion and serve 3–4 clusters per plate. This will improve fairness, reduce congestion, and cut down on wait times.

Mongolian Grill Confusion The Mongolian grill is located near the snow crab section, and lines often merged, leading to confusion. Suggestion: Use floor markers, signs, or barriers to clearly indicate where each line begins and ends. A buzzer or paging system could alert guests when their grilled dish is ready.

Self-Serve Drink Station The cups available for drinks were sometimes greasy or poorly cleaned, and supplies were running low. Suggestion: Have the host or server hand out the appropriate number of clean cups when guests are seated. Alternatively, keep cups behind a staffed counter to maintain hygiene and limit overuse.

Time Limit and Guest Monitoring There was no clarification at the entrance or on the receipt regarding how long guests could stay. We noticed a group at a nearby table swapping out diners mid-visit, with new guests walking in and sitting down without check-in. Suggestion: Clearly state time limits at the front desk (e.g., 90 minutes per party), and train staff to monitor tables to prevent misuse of seating.

Air Circulation & Ventilation The dining area became very hot and uncomfortable with the crowd size. Suggestion: Ensure the HVAC system is properly functioning, or consider leaving some doors open slightly during peak hours for airflow or adding swap coolers for additional assistance to cool down seating areas.

Final Thoughts: Despite the operational kinks, Captain Buffet has great potential. The variety and quality of food were solid, and the pricing—at about $31 per person after tax with drinks included—is reasonable for what’s offered. However, the current lack of organization around popular stations, poor air circulation, and limited staff management detracted from the overall experience. Desserts, unfortunately, felt uninspired and could benefit from more creative or higher-quality selections. We plan to return in the future, ideally once the initial hype has subsided and the restaurant has had time to improve its layout and service flow. With some adjustments, Captain Buffet could easily become a top-tier buffet destination...

I had high hopes for this place, but unfortunately, it was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had.

We visited last Saturday around 6 p.m. The parking lot was packed, and there was a line outside the door, which initially seemed like a good sign. In hindsight, I believe the crowd was more due to the place being new rather than the quality of the food.

The check-in process was unusual. We were given a raffle-style ticket with a number and told the wait would be 15–30 minutes. We were seated after about 15 minutes, paid at the counter, and then taken to our table. Drinks were self-serve and included in the price, which was convenient, but the overall setup felt like a dated 90s buffet.

The Food The buffet had a mix of fried and non-fried options—steamed rice, fried rice, noodles, wings, French fries, and orange chicken. There was also a Mongolian BBQ station, but they chose the sauces for you. The result was bland, burnt food that wasn’t worth the wait in the long line.

The seafood section was especially unappetizing. Snails, baked mussels with a questionable cheese sauce, and old-looking crayfish sat out unappealingly. The fish didn’t look fresh. The crab legs were the worst I’ve ever seen—dirty, broken into small pieces, served ice-cold on ice, and accompanied by a strange “butter” sauce in a squeeze bottle that tasted lemony and off.

Most of the fried items, including the rice and noodles, were excessively greasy. Hot dishes were bland, and the fish options were uncommon cuts with poor presentation.

The sushi was a major disappointment. The ratio of rice to fish was absurd—pieces were massive but mostly rice. The tuna was gray and tasted wrong, which was extremely concerning.

The Aftermath Sadly, both my partner and I became sick after eating here. Based on our experience, I strongly urge others to avoid this restaurant. Food safety and quality control were completely lacking.

There are far better dining options in Sacramento. This place needs serious improvements in freshness, preparation, and sanitation before it’s worth anyone’s...

So I tried Captain buffet for the first time yesterday. I waited to review on this to see how my stomach handled the food. Overall for the price I thought it was a good place to get my grub on! I thought the flavors of most of the food was good 👍 I thought some not as much. I got there around 30 mins after they opened and some of the dishes were at a good temperature while others I thought was too cold but maybe the warmers weren't up to temp yet. One thing I did notice is that before done with the first plate I was already feeling fuller than I thought I should be and feeling slightly uncomfortable. My only thought to that was that there must be MSG in some of the food I ate. While MSG will enhance the flavor of the food making you want to eat more of it it also makes you satisfied faster and you will eat less food than you would have. But if you are like me and have bowel inflammation the MSG can actually cause your stomach bloating and can cause stomach pains as is what happened to me for the next 5 hours following eating there. I had gotten another plate of food thinking I could get through it but the pain got to be enough to stop eating. Overall for the price it's a good place to be able to have a verity of different foods to eat. I think they should add signs to the foods they add MSG to so that ones who has issues dealing with MSG can avoid those, at least to have those options last or if at all. Would I go back again? I'd like to but I'd also like to know which food has the MSG in it so I can at least avoid those till last and maybe only having a tiny amount of it so I don't feel...