Joy East Buffet — Restaurant in Trussville

The only JOY to be found here is in leaving.

I had high hopes for this place, I really did, but it seems my search for a decent buffet is still ongoing. My friend and I went for dinner, and for $43 for two of us with drinks, we got what I can only describe as some of the worst food I've ever tried.

I made the mistake of trying every single chicken dish, and they were all terrible. The chicken was either dried out and crunchy or weirdly chewy and fatty. It was just a baffling experience.

Hoping for a small win, I checked out the dessert bar, but that was just as sad. It was a pathetic display of a few types of fruit, both fresh and canned, one kind of cookie, and one kind of cake. There was no ice cream machine, and the case that was supposed to have ice cream was completely empty.

Our visit was so short—maybe 25 minutes total—that we had to track someone down just to get the bill. We never even met our server. The only moment of pure joy was leaving knowing that I won't...

Great place, but a few changes are necessary.

Much of the food was cold and the food that was not cold was overly crunchy as if it had been re-heated. This place needs background music. The tables are way too close to the food. It’s a buffet so people are constantly walking up and down and it felt like I was in the way the whole time. Very uncomfortable.

Keep in mind they are new so with time and minor adjustments, they could easily be 5/5 but for now, 3/5.

Update: As of 09/23/2025 things have gotten better. The food is definitely warmer now and keeps the temperature. Now all that's needed is the background music or TV's for...

Honestly, so pleasantly surprised by this experience. Best Chinese buffet I’ve been to in Alabama by a significant margin. There’s a wide range of options from the classics like chicken and broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, and dumplings, to more southern/American options like chicken nuggets (surprisingly good), seafood, pizza, and fried okra. My favorite things were the teriyaki chicken, chicken wings, and chicken and broccoli. But lots of other good bites too. Excellent service made for a great meal. I went in pretty apprehensive because I really haven’t been to a good Chinese buffet in Alabama before, but I was pleasantly surprised and...