Ichiban Buffet — Restaurant in Saint Augustine

Just finished lunch here with the family on Wednesday afternoon. The crowd was scarce around 2pm when we arrived. My concern with this is that you want a crowded restaurant for buffets so the turnover of the food is constant. The few items for sushi rolls were fully stocked but the selections were very limited. Tasted fresh. That was good! After sushi, I went to the hot dishes. By this time, the dishes looked like they were sitting. The number of hot Chinese dishes were limited. They had plenty of the cold buffet or hot American mixed dishes. None which I was interested. Just then, the staff came with fresh cooked dishes including the bourbon chicken, fried rice, chicken and broccoli, sautéd mushrooms. I chose those fresh items and they tasted great! I was thankful for these that came out just in time to enjoy. The restaurant overall seemed pretty old. Did not feel it was the cleanest. But the lunch price of $12.99 overall was a good value for what I was able to enjoy. Wish the selections were more for sushi and Chinese dishes, but I still enjoyed the lunch. So my conclusion is mixed. Overall value is 4.5/5. Decor/ ambiance is a 3. Our server was active. No complaints there. Food was good for what I had but number of choices were limited. Know what they offer is good but they...

Hadn't been in a while, for a buffet the food is good many kinds of rolls. I usually like to go just before it gets busy so that they're putting out fresh warm food. Like they say though good help is hard to find. The hostess set us down asked us if we wanted anything to drink? I said just water for now but I'll probably order a beer. I know it's a buffet and the wait staff isn't quite like regular restaurant, but I tried to get the attention of our server several times. If they care they come by and say how is everything would you like anything? You know basic server 101. I mean if they want to get the bill up some if we ordered something like more drinks the percentage will be higher, therefore so will the tip. More money for the establishment as well. Finally over halfway through she came by to grab the used plates. We managed to order a Kirin. (By the way marked as imported, it's brewed in Virginia) As I'm up getting food the beverage was put on the table it was fairly warm with no glass or anything just appeared there. The only other time I saw the server was playing on cell phone sitting in the corner. I'm just wondering if the establishment instructs wait staff on restaurant etiquette. At least make believe you care. Please take some time to...

My father in law turned another year older (don’t ask how many cake slices he had, the number is classified) and celebrated at Ichiban Buffet in Saint Augustine. First off, the variety vs. price ratio is wild. You pay one entry ticket, and suddenly you’re in a world where Chinese dishes never end, sushi rolls keep appearing right in front of you like magic tricks, and the dessert bar looks like it belongs in a Willy Wonka spinoff. I may or may not have had cheesecake and cotton candy ice cream in the same round. (Birthday rules: calories don’t count.)

The place was packed like ‘Black Friday sale for egg rolls’ packed but somehow it stayed super clean and organized. Tables got cleared faster than I could pile up lo mein, and nothing ever looked messy. Big props to the staff for keeping the buffet lanes stocked and shiny even with a crowd that eats like it’s their last meal.

Now, why not 5 stars? Well, because if it was five, I’d probably still be there, living under the chocolate fountain. Four stars means I loved it, I’ll definitely be back, but I can still walk out of the building without being rolled out on a dessert cart.

Bottom line: Ichiban Buffet = Best birthday playground for your taste buds. 🥢🍣🍰 Just bring...