Imperial Buffet — Restaurant in Shrewsbury

Pretty standard Chinese buffet food and quality. There were more seafood based dishes than other places. Not a super "101+ item" buffet but still a good size and had all the regular options. Out of 6 stations, 5 were used. 4 for dinner items and 1 for desserts.

We went on a pretty busy night (Christmas Eve) and food was running out but was replaced in a reasonable manner. Food wasn't exactly piping hot unless you got it right when refilled but was acceptably warm. Overall the food was perfectly fine. Food 3.5 stars.

Lots of reviews complain about the service but it was excellent for us. They had lots of staff and they were quick to take empty plates and kept an eye on drinks, refilling when needed. Everyone was very friendly, and multiple people wished us a Merry Christmas when we were leaving. Service 5 stars.

Cleanliness was acceptable but the space could use a refresh. Carpets were worn out and the sides of booths were missing and painted plywood showed. Cleanliness 3 stars.

The cost was reasonable nowadays. The same cost of a meal at any restaurant. Cost 4.5 stars.

Now the elephant in the room. I can't believe people don't think they should tip at a buffet. These people work as much, if not more than those in traditional restaurants. Of course you should tip them. Listen, I hate the system of tipping we have in the United States unlike how they do it in most of the world, but that is the system people have chosen. If you go to a restaurant, you need to tip the staff. Buffets are no different. People who don't tip, 0 stars.

Long story short, don't expect a gourmet meal. Expect a decent Chinese buffet and you'll have a fine time. You won't call your mom about it, but you'll leave with a belly...

Expectations impact impressions and thereby affect ratings even if I try to not let it. I am human, after all (sorta). We were driving home on a Friday evening, about to go past Boston, so we looked for a good place to eat that was easy and delicious. The ideal place for us would have been something like the now closed Minado's. Because of the misleading AI summary, we thought that was what this place was. Our expectations were definitely not met. This place is a typical Chinese buffet like 90 percent of the restaurants of this type. Describing the food here would be like describing a particular McDonald's restaurant as compared to the other McDonald's restaurants. In other words, basically the same selections, similar tastes, definitely nothing special. It's not bad, not great, but ok within the context of a run of the mill Chinese buffet restaurant. One " incident" that is more a commentary of the crazy US Tipping culture: I paid with a credit card, and we were rummaging our pockets for cash when the server took the signed credit card slip back to the cashier, so we were planning to leave the cash on the table. Cost was $47, I only had $20 bills in my wallet, so we were looking for loose cash of around $10 (which is fairly generous for a $47 bill, even under US standards). In the meantime, the manager came by, ready for battle, asking what was wrong, since there was no tip. We explained and everything was fine, but interestingly, this would never have happened in China or any place in Asia, as there, as in the rest of the world, Tipping is optional additional gratuity for additional service, NOT a culturally mandated subsidy of underpaid workers'...

If I could give this place a 0 I would. They don’t deserve even 1 star. They don’t deserve anyone’s business. We have been to this place several times on random days of the week hoping the next visit would be better than the last, but they consistently disappoint us. The workers are extremely rude and dishonest. They tried to pre charge my credit card for a tip to the amount of their liking without my authorization, which they did not even deserve in the first place. And who the heck does that? I called them out on it and threatened to report them to the BBB. Only then did they nervously take it off my bill. This place will definitely screw the people over that don’t normally check their bill. Based on other reviews, it seems to be a common occurrence that they are able to get away with. I was not surprised when I read them. Workers look like they don’t want to serve you. They hover around and despite this you still have to ask multiple times before you get what you are requesting for. And when they finally do it, they do so with attitude and unhappily. As for the food it is very poor. Especially the calamari. It is old, cold, and I feel like I’m chewing on leather. To make things worse the restaurant is overall dirty. Bathrooms are disgusting and smelly, and worse, it’s next to the food. Every time the door is opened the stink from the bathroom is wafting over to the food. Last but not least it is overpriced. It’s nowhere near where it should be and it is not at all competitive with other Asian buffet restaurants. PLEASE do yourself a favor, avoid this place at all costs, and take your money elsewhere. I personally can’t wait for this dump...