Royal buffet — Restaurant in Zephyrhills

• Royal Buffet (aka: Royal 168 Buffet) Experience*

My girlfriend and I decided to check out the newly opened Royal 168 Buffet located at 37915 Eiland Blvd, Zephyrhills, FL. Here’s a brief rundown of our experience.

Hours: Monday to Thursday: 10:30 AM - 9:30 PM Friday & Saturday: 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM Sunday: 10:30 AM - 9:30 PM

Pricing: Lunch: $13.49 Dinner: $17.99

First off, I was really impressed by the renovations under the new ownership. The interior features a bright, modern design with a clean white and gray color scheme, complemented by both table and booth seating. While I think a few subtle Asian decorative touches could enhance the ambiance, it’s an inviting space overall. The restaurant boasts two well-stocked steam tables, a cold table, a hibachi section, and a sushi area.

As for the food, everything appeared fresh and well-prepared. I noticed a slight variation in flavor profiles compared to other Chinese buffets I’ve visited, which was refreshing, albeit different.

The sushi offerings were somewhat modest during our visit, with some sushi also placed on the cold table, so variety may improve as they settle in. Classic buffet staples were present, but I did notice fewer beef dishes than expected. This could be attributed to their recent opening—perhaps they're still expanding their menu.

Both the wonton and hot and sour soups were flavorful, though I would have preferred them at a slightly higher temperature. The sushi had a fresh taste, and I particularly enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms, rich with cream cheese. The crab rangoons were generously filled and satisfying.

I ventured outside my comfort zone and sampled the peanut chicken. Though I'm not a fan of peanuts, I appreciated the crispy texture of the chicken, and the sauce was thick and creamy. I can’t judge it fairly for my taste, but it was well-prepared.

The spring rolls and egg rolls were decent—though I felt the egg rolls had a bit more filling than I've encountered at other buffets. My girlfriend enjoyed her fried shrimp and sautéed mushrooms, remarking on their deliciousness.

For dessert, I indulged in the sugar-coated donuts, which were not only sweet but also had a delightful texture.

Service was a bit slow, likely due to the restaurant being busy at the time. A little more staff would have helped improve the experience, but I think they’ll improve once the initial rush dies down.

Our total bill was $43.83, which aligns with current dinner pricing trends. A quick note: the restrooms were clean, well-lit, and pleasantly maintained.

Overall, we had a satisfying experience at Royal 168 Buffet. The food was enjoyable, and we would definitely consider returning for...

I tried the lunch buffet at this restaurant today. It used to be Panda Buffet and I tried that one twice. Both times I had an upset stomach and a run for a few days before it cleared up. The new restaurant is under new management, beautifully renovated. It's bright and inviting inside. Everything was clean. They did a great job with the renovation for sure. Now to the food which is the most important. I think it's ok because I compare it to Asian Buffet in the plaza across from Wiregrass on BBD. I started with Sushi, much smaller selections from Asian Buffet, but they had some calamari salad next to the seaweed salad, which was really good. The fruits were next and also smaller selections. Only had honeydew and cantaloupe. No grapes, watermelon, or pineapples. Their hot and sour soup was good, but not hot (temperature) enough. The Chinese food selections are also smaller. I tried the General Tso chicken, honey chicken, black pepper chicken. Black pepper chicken won. That was the best one. I did not have the chow mein or fried rice because both looked really oily. General Tso chicken was a bit too oily looking, too. The honey chicken was too sweet. Their desserts were also very few selections and nothing I wanted to try. There were just cakes and eclairs, but the eclair filling was white cream, not custard. It is not my favorite filling. That was a good thing, so I did not have to eat dessert! They also have pizza, garlic bread, chicken nuggets, egg rolls, and a few other things I did not try. I think these were meant for kids or people that prefer American food. I would say that for me, although I enjoyed dining here, I would go to Asian Buffet instead because of more selections and a little closer to me. Pricewise, Asian Buffet is a little more now that they increased the price, but they offer 10% discount if you pay with cash. This is not an option at...

Unfortunately I have to write this review because me and my husband loveeeee this place that’s why I’m rating the food a 4 star but the service was probably the worst service I ever received in my entire life. Server name was Pam. A blonde headed young female. During the experience, I realize that I had to ask her to remove the plates from the table because it is a buffet and it stacks up pretty quickly she looked like she was upset about that. Then she never came back to refill our drinks, had to ask for that. Every time I had to ask for something, she was sitting down on her phone or talking to someone else so it’s not like she was busy or anything. At the end of the meal, my husband ask for the check, she brought that very quickly, My bill was about 42 dollars, but husband gave her 60 and obviously needs change, she asks him does he need change, he responds yes. She starts talking her language very loudly to another worker, and snatches her check book from my husband. She goes to the front where you cash out at and she still talking loudly looks very angry. My husband gives her a tip regardless because it’s only right, she turns around and asks my husband for more money!!! I cannot make this up!!! Never in my life have I experienced someone asking for more tip. The most unprofessional thing to ever do. I ask if I can speak to a manager. The manager happens to be standing right there I tell her the situation, she apologizes and says she knows we are regulars and she had this same issue with her a few weeks ago with another customer. She needs to be fired. She was clearly judging us after not properly doing her job during the whole meal, gets upset because I asked to remove plates, starts talking about us in Chinese. It’s absolutely ridiculous and they just lost a customer who’s been coming there since the day they opened! Thank you Pam! Or whatever your...