Seaside Buffet — Restaurant in San Diego

I came here while visiting the area. My parents had raved a lot about this place but I am not quite as ecstatic as my parents are about this buffet. This is my first visit to this location and I did come here for lunch on a Wednesday. A birthday lunch for myself and by myself if you will. So, I don’t go buffet’s very much; with the pandemic and all this would be first time in 3 years since I’ve been to one. What I found interesting is that they use foam plates and plastic utensils in place of the regular plates and the usual silverware wrapped in a napkin usually left at the table at any Chinese buffet. There are signs asking people to wear the disposable gloves that are at every station to handle the ladles and tongs to handle the food. So be mindful of that when you come, for me it was quite a surprise and I’ve been wondering for a long time how buffets would operate again. I’ve tried a bit of everything and I don’t really have much to say really. The fried chicken was quite interesting, it’s like they mixed five spice and battered the chicken in tempura to fry it up. I didn’t really care for it and the temperature was more on the cooler side than warm. Then again as with any buffet if it is slow the food isn’t going to be rolling out hot very often. I know the big restaurant’s have hold time on the food but I don’t really think the hold times really matter here. There is a small selection on the sashimi and the sushi which are okay in my opinion, I’ve been to other Chinese Buffet with sushi and this on the lower spectrum in my opinion. As an FYI Tomi’s in San Jose is a pretty good Chinese buffet with sushi for those traveling up to Northern California. I think the only two items I kind of liked are the fried rice and the Mongolian beef which were pretty good in flavor just not temperature once again. What I disliked were the salmon and the baked scallops, the salmon is too bland and the scallops were very salty with soy sauce or teriyaki or oyster sauce they used for it. Overall I just find the food to be very mediocre at best, it is your typical Chinese buffet with defrosted cakes for dessert, the Mongolian barbecue and they say they have Brazilian barbecue too but I think that is a dinner special so I can’t say much there. But I wouldn’t come here for the barbecue thinking it’s going to give any Fogo de Chão a run for it’s money either. I wouldn’t recommend coming here for lunch especially if it’s slow but I will say the price is good being at $15.88 and a soda is $2 and some change. So easily a $20 lunch or i had paid $20.07 exactly for myself today. The staff here is friendly enough, they are not rude but not overly friendly either; I guess polite is the right word. So don’t come in here expecting a conversation like the one you had with the waiter or waitress at Applebee’s last week. I may come back to try the dinner next time but just having lunch here it didn’t really make me want to come back again either. So I say just come at your own risk for lunch, my parents came for dinner twice in two years and they say it was good. If you want maybe you could take my folks advice and come by for dinner to see for yourself. They came here on the weekends so it could be different too. So yeah just come at your own risk but I wouldn’t recommend lunch especially if it is slow. If you read the whole review thanks for taking the time to, I know...

We've been here several times, only on weekends and I'm glad to finally have the chance to review the Seaside Buffet. If you have an insatiable craving for quality seafood while also considering cost, then Seaside wins the battle. I haven't had the opportunity to dine in on weekdays, but I hear that lunch costs only $11.88 for an adult on Wednesdays; what a deal! Even when paying $21.88 per person on weekends, I believe you definitely get your money's worth. This place also offers various discounts: 10% off for seniors 65+ and for military service members. Children who are 3-5 ft. tall enjoy their meal for half price. Plus, Yelpers can get a buy-one-get-one-free offer on any of their flavored and non-flavored iced teas upon check-in.

On weekends, parking can get really busy, but you should be able to find a spot in no time. The wait time to be seated should not exceed 15 minutes. The staff are friendly and consistently accommodating. There are multiple food stations with an assortment of dishes, including seafood, sushi, teppanyaki grill, Brazilian BBQ, noodles, fruit, vegetables, and desserts. Our personal favorites are the sushi and seafood bars. The raw salmon and salmon sushi sashimi are the best, especially when dipped in soy sauce mixed with lemon juice. I also come here for their delicious and juicy oysters and escargot. The escargot, or edible land snails, is a popular delicacy in countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Australia, and, of course, the U.S. It’s amazing how the oysters and escargot are always available each time we visit; part of the reason why we come here often. This past weekend, we were delighted to see the shelled jumbo shrimp. I may have had three plates filled with these giant penaeoideas; they kept delivering. Another longtime favorite, which I hadn’t seen for quite some time, is their fish with fish eggs. They are very good, but unfortunately, this might not be the season. Nevertheless, for those who love crab meat, Seaside may not have the best offerings. The legs are small, and you may need to put on your spectacles to find the meat. But that's a minor issue.

The finale is their simple dessert station. They offer cotton candy, a s’mores station, chocolate fondue, green tea/taro ice cream, and a few other sweets. They also have mixed drinks, wine, and a wide variety of beers available for those of legal drinking age. The humble atmosphere may not be up to par for those with discriminating tastes. Nonetheless, the tasty and high-quality seafood, combined with affordability, is where Seaside rises to the top. We'll certainly visit again in the...

Oh. My. God. This buffet is a hidden gem! They are the King of Kings when it comes to all buffets!! Seafood lovers you will be in heaven! They have bottom less crab legs, King 🦀 crab legs, salt and pepper seasoned fried crab, octopus, ramen, udon, vermicilli! The possibilities & different options are endless!!! We came here out of curiosity but my God we should have come sooner. I'm coming for lunch more often! The seasoning for all the different types of food is impeccable. The food is exploding with flavor. Catering to all foodies! Pricing is around 25 dollars per adult with a beverage! BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD!!! You can go to Applebee's and pay that for one type of meal... but here you will get the best quality of food and variety a buffet can offer !!! Sushi, different soups they even have a ramen bar where you can pick and chose what you want and they will boil the noodles and produce fresh! Right in front of you. They also have a full bar!!!!! Options of beer wine and cocktails. I am so so SO impressed and pleased. The service ITSELF was excellent! They constantly kept our table clear and our drinks filled. They checked in on us offering us more napkins(because you will need them with all those crab legs) I can not say enough great things. They have a customer for life with me! Thanks Seaside buffet 5 stars! Bonus.. you can roast your own s'more!! And they have a cotton candy machine ! Don't wait, definitely check...