Empire Sushi and Grill Buffet — Restaurant in Santa Fe

An Amazing Sushi and Grill Buffet Dinner Experience. I went to Empire Sushi and Grill Buffet for dinner the other day, and it was an absolute delight. The variety of sushi there is mind - blowing. The salmon sushi is a stand - out. The fish is so fresh and fatty that it simply melts in your mouth, releasing the sweet flavor of the sashimi. The California rolls are also ingeniously made. The combination of crab sticks, avocado, and cucumber is refreshing and has layers of flavors. The grill section is full of pleasant surprises as well. The grilled steak is cooked to perfection, with a crispy exterior and tender, juicy interior. The grilled shrimp is well - seasoned too, with firm and springy meat. What's more, the seasonings are well - balanced, never overpowering the natural flavors of the ingredients. As soon as we entered, the waitstaff greeted us warmly and quickly showed us to our seats. They also introduced the layout of the restaurant and the signature dishes in detail. During the meal, the waitstaff frequently came to ask about our dining experience, promptly removed empty plates, and took the initiative to change the grill paper. They were also very attentive in refilling our drinks, making us feel highly valued. The restaurant has a simple yet tasteful decor. The soft and warm lighting creates a cozy ambiance, making it perfect for gatherings with friends or family. The background music is also just right, not too loud, which helps set a relaxed and pleasant dining atmosphere. Overall, it was a truly satisfying dining experience, and I will...

1 Star This place is a disaster, start to finish. Let’s talk pricing first: kids over 10 are charged full adult prices, as if puberty instantly equals a $20 appetite. The “senior discount” is a laughable $1.10 off—and only if you’re 65+. Apparently, anyone 55-64 is just… out of luck. Most places recognize 55+ as senior, but not this one—they’ve created their own rules, and none of them make sense.

Now, the food. It’s a sad, soggy buffet of overcooked, underseasoned, room-temp regret. The sushi looks like it was rolled by someone with a blindfold and a grudge. The fried items were stale and greasy, the rice was crunchy (not in a good way), and I swear the chicken was more bone than meat. Even the desserts were tragic—think melted soft serve, stale cookies, and cake that tastes like packing foam.

Service? What service? Plates piled up while the staff actively avoided eye contact like it was part of their training. The whole place felt like a retirement home for food safety violations—dingy floors, sticky surfaces, and zero atmosphere unless you count fluorescent lighting and sadness.

Final verdict: wildly overpriced, questionably clean, and objectively bad food. Avoid at all costs unless you enjoy paying too much to be...

If you're looking for an all-you-can-eat, and not so cheap, buffet option in Santa Fe, Empire Sushi and Grill is the choice. If you're not too caught up with semantics then you won't mind the loose Interpretation of the word "Sushi." Because there isn't if you consider pinky-finger sized scraps of what appears to be salmon or tuna on a crabmeat roll. I doubt any of the ingredients are fresh or made in-house. That said, they did have a couple of "Sushi" chefs behind the counter to give an impression that everything was authentic.

Other than less than appetizing Sushi, they have a whole grill offering a wide range of Asian inspired foods, noodles, etc., pizza and other basic buffet essentials. The restaurant is huge with lots of seating available for large crowds.

Finally, for those who say, "what'd expect?" from a buffet, I say a little something more at $17.00 a plate for...