The restaurant is now Forest Buffet and we tried it out since they just recently opened. The space is way bigger than when it was Eastern and the decor is beautiful. I'm not sure if it's because they're new, but the food tasted fresher (more fresh? lol) and they seem to have more meat selections here. I will say the food got cold really quick once you got to the table so I don't think it was really hot in the display trays so that would be one of my only complaints. It is just another Chinese buffet but I would come back here for convenience since it is closer to home. read more

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Chinese Buffet done right! The Eastern Buffet has been around for a long time. This last visit I stopped in for lunch and was really impressed with the food quality. I ate as much Chinese chicken, fish, and fried rice as I could. The lunch price was around $15 and they had a solid selection of pretty much anything I could want from Chinese take out. Next time I want to eat my weight in Chinese take out I'll be stopping back in. read more

Eastern Buffet - a variety of food items on a counter - Buffets Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I love this place and the food here is great. especially their cream&yolk bun (personal favorite) read more

Eastern Buffet - the interior of a restaurant - Buffets Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Kinda typical Chinese buffet. I'm probably not a good judge on this type of restaurant so please forgive me and maybe see for yourself. The place was slow with very few customers. The food looked as if it had been there and I noticed it didn't get replenished until the dish was empty. The service seemed up to par and friendly. Price seemed fare and the place was clean. The ice cream machine was out of order. read more

I don't know what has happened, but this is not the place I remember. Maybe it was sold and new people are over it. Our experience last night 19 December 2023 was awful. This was Dinner time*** This used to be a lovely place. 1. Cold Food (In all of the Hot Food Preps) 2. Plastic eating utensils 3. Nasty Bathrooms 4. Inadequate staff 5. No response to whether they gave Military Discounts. 6. Had to ask for Napkins constantly read more

Okay...Review Disclaimer: I only reviewed the sushi bar as that is the only thing I eat here. However, they have one of the best sushi selections anywhere in Columbia, hands down. Where else can you eat, beautiful and UNLIMITED diverse sushi for about $10-$15. They have everything from sashimi, eel, tempura, and many of the more basic roles. The rest of the bar looks fine. I would avoid the oysters at all costs. The buffet rate goes up on Sundays to $15. I think it's a good selection and there are some yummy options. It's clean. Service is prompt, courteous and friendly. All in all it's a great place to get cheap food that will make everyone happy. The sushi is exemplary though! read more

Grossest place I've ever eaten, from food to bathrooms. The sushi had knats on it. The crab was deep fried to mush, the coconut shrimp much like everything taisted like old grease that was fowl. there was poop on the ground in bathroom an no toilet paper Spare yourself and go elsewhere read more

The food is okay. The staff must have been in a bad mood they were really snatchy when they take your card or refill your drink. I will not be returning. read more

Eastern Buffet - beef and broccoli on a paper plate - Buffets Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Stopped by here to have dinner before heading home from our flight. Horrible! The advertisement looked way better than the food. Most of the dishes was your standard Chinese food. We mainly wanted to try this place because they said they had crab legs. There were no crab legs! My boyfriend ate the crawfish and on the drive home he was sick. Threw up everything he ate. He pretty much got food posioning. Poor guy. The sushi selection was poor and the other dishes was old and dry. We will not come back again. read more

Pretty good place. You pay upfront and you eat to your hearts/stomach content. They had a decent variety of sushi and different meats. read more

Eastern Buffet - Sushi - Buffets Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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The food is phenomenal, however upon my second visit ( new to area) I was dismayed that I was supposed to eat my good food with a plastic fork again. Upon speaking to my server she and the hostess gave me a real fork. I say if the dishes are sanitary enough, why isn't real silverware? I appreciate the ladies taking care of me, however in the future I shall take silverware from home. Thank you ladies for understanding my dilemma. Top notch food! read more

Chinese buffets don't get any better than this. I eat here a lot and never had a bad meal. The salad bar is amazing to me, freshest lettace in town, and all the trimmings, just what I like. The hot items are endless, and all delicious. You even get free soft serve ice cream in cone or dish. They have real plates and real silverware no styrofoam stuff. The wait staff is fast efficient and pleasant. Price is not terribly low, but when you see the variety and quality and even custom stir fry and sushi you can see it is the real deal. 1. I love the mini honey crossants 2. I love the omlets 3. I love the egg drop soup and all the extras you can add to it 4. boiled shrimp, and fried shrimp 5. I could go on and on, even the iced tea is good and fresh. 6. and you get a fortune cookie, parking is easy as well. read more

The closing time said 10pm on weekdays but I arrived at 7:45pm and they were getting ready to close. Also the sushi bar was closed and that's what I really came for. Now I'm just disappointed. read more

When you are hungry, tired, and desperate for food, come to Eastern Buffet. The price is cheap and the selection will satisfy at least one craving. A winning combination when hanger kicks in. Some of my favorites included the chow mein, fried rice, crab rangoons, broccoli beef and chicken beef. They even have oysters, clams, and sushi, none of which I had room for that evening. They also have a few desserts, if you leave room for that. If you're really hungry and don't have the time to eat, you can also pay for a to go box and toss in all the goodies you want. This is perfect if you have already tried out the buffet and know what your favorite dishes are. Our waitress was very attentive and the price was under $15 a person. Depending on where you are from in the world, that may or may not be cheap. To me, it was! read more

Best buffet food I've ever had. Dessert area could use work, but hands down a must have for 8.99

My only complaint would be the temperature of the food. I tried a little bit of everything since it was my first time here. Pretty decent visit. read more

im here now. why people look happy leaving this place ? I have no clue. food was cold, and disgusting. I've never seen bourbon chicken sliced like that or so under seasoned In my life. dont go here. minimal food choices. this is disgusting. unfortunately for locals , you don't know what good Asian buffet is so this is accepted. i will NEVER COME HERE AGAIN. read more

First time here for a quick lunch yesterday and overall... Not really impressed. It's your basic buffet and they have lots of favorites. I tried several of their chicken dishes and all were pretty decent but I've had better versions of the dishes somewhere else. The teriyaki chicken had a bit of a weird, chewy texture that wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy the house chicken which was a bit spicy but the flavors and texture were good. It was the only thing I got a second helping of. The fried rice was a bit dry and not at all memorable. The Chinese donuts were good too. I had a Dr. Pepper and it was super weak. It tasted watered down but also like it didn't have enough carbonation at the same time. It was just eh for me. read more

The waiter staff was about as friendly as a telephone pole. Border line rude. The food was good about the same as other Chinese buffet. The restaurant was clean. There is not much more I can say. The rudeness of the staff and the just ok food. I might not go back. We will see. read more

What a rip off !! Overpriced and low quality food ! I mainly came for sushi and left feeling like I should have been paid to eat here. I was seated and brought a drink and never talked to again. The sushi bar was not fresh and barely had anything on it. What was there looked like it had been there for a long time and the guy supposedly making sushi was on the phone talking the whole time ! I asked him was he making anything and he said soon and keep talking on the phone he did that for literally 45 minutes ! I will never eat here again ! read more

Eastern Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Worst Chinese Buffet ever. Staff was nice, but the food was terrible, even the ice cream , came out like a slushie. All the other reviews are old, this one is from tonite ( 09-10-19 ) Worst 30 dollars, I ever spent. Do yourself a favor and drive somewhere else. Thanks Mike M. read more

So as a soldier this place is right outside the gate and totally my guilt pleasure. The crab Rangoon is excellent! I also really like their sushi rolls and the buffet selection in general. It's great for lunch and they're great about the baby getting stuff everywhere. It's def a fab for me read more

Have gone to this restaurant for over 15 years off and on when in the area. I usually go with family or friends. Always a great deal and the food is good! read more

Ate here for dinner on 8/10/18 @ approximately 5pm. Food was good. Paid with my debit card. On 8/11/18 @ 2pm I get notification from my bank account that there were 2 fraudulent charges. Coincidentally at the Walmart on Forest Drive and on Amazon. I did not lose my card and I rarely use my bank card. Someone stole my info from the restaurant. That was my last transaction before fraud took place. I will not be back. read more

Eastern Buffett is a wonderful Chinese restaurant in the Lexington area, the buffet is an amazing deal. The service is always fast and prompt, with good quality portions at a very reasonable price. They offer your classic Chinese American options such as Sesame chicken, General Tso, and much more, as well as good vegetarian alternatives. The have done an amazing job with fulfilling orders during Covid-19, there process was extremely clean and thorough. Highly recommend for excellent quality and price, great local restaurant to support. read more

Great food for the options they do have, and the sushi is great too. I'm not from the local area but both times I've travelled here I ate at this restaurant and always left full and happy. Prices are great, what I normally pay for 3 people is half of what I paid for 8. read more

Eastern buffet is a cut above the normal mundane Asian buffet. The food is mostly prepared on site including a decent sushi selection, the restaurant is clean, and the management and servers are welcoming. I consider myself a "regular customer", and highly recommend this place for a casual, economical meal. read more

The food here has its days... it taste good some days and others it taste bad!! Just depends on the day and what time you go too! I wouldn't go two hours before they close because then it just seems like they get lazy and the food taste bad. read more

We are from SoCal where Chinese food is plentiful and inexpensive. For Chinese food in this area, I would rate this place as above par and reasonably priced. There are lots of selections and the staff was always coming out to replenish the dishes, which indicates quick turnover. We will certainly go back! read more

If I could give this less than a 1 star I would. I got there right at 11 when they opened. I was excited to try this place because I love Chinese food and I was thinking getting there right at opening everything would be hot and fresh! Well I was wrong! The food was all barely lukewarm! The 2nd plate I made I even made sure to stir up everything I got and dug from the bottom of the pan... still barely lukewarm! The crab wontons were soft and mushy instead of crispy! They have this thing called shrimps croissant that looks delicious but has no flavor whatsoever! Service is terrible. Server didn't come check on me even once! He gave me a refill on my tea but he waited till I got up to go back for my 2nd plate! If you're looking for a good chinese buffet this is not the place to go. read more

I would suggest this as a stop if you like just good cheap Asian cuisine. Good variety. I think the egg foo young here is well done.

Before eating at eastern buffet I thought that most Chinese buffets were comparable. I was very wrong- this restaurant is very low quality. The Chinese food was dry and seemed to have been sitting out for a while. Limited selection of stir fries. Even the fruit and desserts were bland and not fresh. The buffet was pretty expensive for what you get. I would look else where for a good Chinese meal. read more

Cheap sushi, $.50 each if you order it to go. Buffet is $10.65 which is a little much for What they offer. I was there only to eat from the Sushi bar but the man would not make any salmon or tuna. I waited a very long time before I had to order him to make me some. I think the price is to high for the amount of food they offer. They do have a Mongolian bar also. I enjoyed the staff. I have nothing bad to say about this place. read more

I've been here a couple of times over the last few years and nothing has really stood out to me. The food is all very average. At one point they had a nice selection of tofu dishes but the last time I went, they weren't there anymore. Without those, it's just mediocre Chinese food. It's not bad but there are better in town. But hey, at least it's cheap and the building is clean. read more

Okay meal. The restraunt had the typical items you would expect to see at an asian buffet. The food was decent but nothing really stood out. The building was clean and smelled like they had recently painted. Not a terrible experience but I doubt I will return. read more

Although they have a very large buffet... there was a lot of stuff on there that was gross or way over cooked. Their sushi bar wasn't very fresh. The servers seemed really bored too. Don't think we will be back. read more

Buffet is good. Sushi is great! Service is a little slow.

I had lunch at the Eastern Buffet with my husband and one of his colleagues Saturday. I had never been here before but I was very impressed. This was the best Japanese/Chinese Buffet I've been to. The sushi was on par with the some of the finer establishments in the Charlotte/Lake Norman area. There was also a wide selection of other items. The hibachi grill had fresh veggies to choose from. After selecting your veggies, you tell the chef what meats you'd like, and in about 5 minutes it's ready. They also had awesome dumplings. Some of the best ones I've had. There was a salad bar that included fresh fruit and shrimp, a hot bar that had various Chinese entrees on it, and appetizer bar that had egg rolls and crab rangoon. There was also self-serve ice cream and a few dessert items to choose from. I believe for our drink and meal it was about 10 bucks each. It was definitely worth it. We look forward to returning in the near future read more

Good food, clean, and cheap. I went here for lunch the other day for the first time and I was impressed. The food is decent and there's sushi. It was only 14$ for lunch on a Sunday. The waitresses were fast to clean our table when we were done. I would go here again if I'm nearby read more

Everything on the buffet is good. I've brought dozens of visitors to Columbia to this place and every one has loved it. Great place for sushi in particular. read more