Ugh God no. I went to Lo Kai and well, from the previous reviews it was about as good as I expected it to be. The food was nasty, Americanized Chinese food. Fried, sugary, goopey, and dreadfully salty. My Gin and Tonic was watered down but I needed the booze to get the food down. I was here for a "mercy meal" after a funeral, so it wasn't my choice and I wasn't paying, so that was good at least. If I had paid for this experience I would have been realll upset. The decor looked like it hadn't been changed since the restaurant first opened (I'm thinking seventies or eighties). Anyways, not really much point going on but I feel obligated to urge future Yelpers who come to this page to stay. read more

Amazing all around! Also the manger is the best, such a sweet guy and great at his job! Love this place.

I really wanted to rate this a 4 or 5 because I love the food, and have been coming here for years, I even now live in San Diego and come here when I come home to visit. Buffett is GREAT, especially for $7.95 or $8.95, whatever the price. Food was fresh, hot, and the same quality as if we would have ordered individually. One of the guys who works there is a complete dick though! On my way out, I could hear him berating one of the older female waitresses, and when the waitress walked away she asked him if he knew her husband just died and the guy replied "YES". Not very friendly to his staff, and absolutley NOT something the customers should hear. read more

This is a local place. It has keno and the whole place is very dated. It also smells a little like it needs a good deep cleaning. The bar service is slow and the mixed drinks mainly taste like just drink mix. The food is ok. Not the greatest. It's all kind of bland except for the pork with mushrooms, which is very spicy. We had a party here over the weekend and they were great about saving us the large tables in front of the fire place. Our server was very good and attentive. read more

I prefer other places in the area, but some of the food at the Lo-Kai is pretty great. Like other reviews state, I do think this place is very run-down. It needs some updating! The buffet has a good selection. My favorites...crab rangoons, beef & broccoli, and my all-time favorite, Hawaiian Beef. I have tried this dish at several Chinese restaurants, and no other place comes close to quality and taste of this dish. Oh, and if you like Mai Tai's...theirs packs a punch. read more

Just say, "Girl, Bye!" to dining at Lo Kai. I was passing through the town of Dracut with a couple friends who wanted to stop in for Chinese food before our trek back home. I wish I had read the reviews, or at least asked the locals before dining here. Upon stepping into the restaurant, I immediately noticed the retro 80s vibe of the restaurant, something I didn't mind at all actually. In fact, who doesn't want to feel like they've warped back in time to a Chevy Chase movie from twenty years ago? However, what I didn't expect was the entire experience to feel like a Chevy Chase comedy. After we were seated, we were asked if we wanted to do the buffet ($12.50 per person) or if we wanted menus. After doing a quick stroll and observing the buffet option, we decided it best to order from the menu, as opposed to food that had been sitting out all day. The menu was very disorganized, and some of the main dishes we were inquiring about weren't on the menu (but things that the restaurant does serve). We ordered the letter 'K' from the combination dinner options, an order of General Tso's Chicken, and a large Vegetable Lo Mein. The food came out after five minutes, which was an indicator of its quality. Simply put-the combination dinner plate just was not good. The boneless spare ribs and beef teriyaki were lacking flavor. The pork fried rice was stale and the crab rangoons tasted awful. The Vegetable Lo Mein looked like thin slices of onions and the veggies were not cooked, and since food poisoning wasn't on our top list of priorities for the day, we decided to send it back. The General Tso's was tolerable, but I mostly just consumed the broccoli it came with. Throughout all the negative, there was a beacon of hope. Our server was really nice! She was really attentive and very understanding. She was the shining star of Lo Kai. All in all, not the best experience, but gave us a good laugh all the way home. I would highly recommend looking at other Chinese food restaurants before deciding to dine at Lo Kai. read more

Friendly staff, reliably Great Food at reasonable prices!! They have been there for years, never bad food or drinks!! read more

What can I say....about Lo Kai....hMm... Well to start off, Lo-Kai has been around since the 80s as far as I know, My parents used to always bring me here as a kid on weekends and we would come and indulge ourselves to their delicious buffet. What a treat it was! As a kid I used to always look forward to coming here, great Chinese food locally instead of having to sit in a cramped car and drive all the way to Boston's Chinatown to have dinner. I remember the bright fancy lights of the Lo Kai sign blaring throughout the night as if it was a mini Las Vegas ushering us in. I remember the big parking lot crowded and filled with cars, the brown and red paint covering the walls and those big comfy brown leather booths that my parents and I used to sit in. It was a great place for a kid to go to! Sadly, fast forward 14 years later, everything about the restaurant is still basically the same, I decided to drop by Lo-Kai again for dinner since I was home from school, I was excited to see that the parking lot was still packed like I remembered and I was surprised to see a line coming out the door of people waiting to be seated. The seats and decor was exactly the same as I remembered except it was more used and run down, I figured that they at least give the place a new paint job to make it more inviting but if it isn't broken, why fix it? I went to their buffet and looked around, there were 2 buffet bays that had a bunch of stir fry dishes, fried rice, lo mein, chicken fingers, crab rangoons, eggrolls, egg foo young, chicken nuggets, french fries etc etc. Its sad to say that the food was not as tasty as I remembered, to my dismay, it seemed as if majority of the food had been sitting under the heating lamps for a while, rather lukewarm and wasn't all that tasty. It also didn't seem to be very consistent, majority of the food seemed to be really soggy and just a pile of mush where as some other items were made hot and fresh right out of the kitchen, you could really taste the difference between what is fresh and what isn't. What weren't fresh when I was there: - The eggrolls had an off taste which made me almost sick to my stomach, it tasted as if it had been reheated from last nights dinner. - The lo mein was very soggy and didn't have any real taste to it. - Their chicken noodle soup was a really bad choice for soup to put at the buffet, the soup had a thick, translucent, skin laying on top and the noodles in the soup was very mushy, BUT their hot and sour soup on the other hand was very tasty, hot and fresh with generous chunks of bamboo and tofu, yummy! - The chicken nuggets being offered was very hard and dry. This was just to name a few, they had some very good chicken fingers, fried rice and chicken teriyaki when I was there. They also had a machine which dispense soft served ice cream, they offered vanilla, chocolate and a mix of chocolate and vanilla. My brother and I were enjoying the sweet and cold treat until we noticed that the ice cream tasted a little funny, we weren't quite sure as to exactly what it was but it tasted somewhat irony. The service was very friendly, my waitress gave us a huge bowl of bread and butter for our table, water and tea, she greeted us with a smile and was very quick to refilling our water and tea cups. Service elsewhere is a different story though, whoever was responsible for clearing out the tables were very slow. When we sat down at our table, a big family of 5 left prior to us sitting down and their table just happened to be next to where we were seated, the table was a mess, covered in food and spilled drinks with dirty dishes and cups all over the table. There was also 2 other tables that needed cleaning nearby as well. Sitting down and trying to enjoy dinner while next to a filthy table isn't exactly pleasant. We sat down and were probably their for about a half hour to 40 minutes, by the time we got up and left the table next to us still wasn't cleaned, it was appalling. I had a good time reliving my childhood, the decor and furniture was the same but sadly, this place really needs a face lift, majority of stall doors in the bathroom were hanging off its hinges so bad that you couldn't even lock the door. Overall, my review for Lo-Kai is meh, the food was alright but I've definitely had better, its not as good as what it used to be back in its day. It seems like a great place for locals and seems to do really good business, but until I see some significant changes to Lo-Kai, I don't think I'll be returning here anytime soon. read more

My family always loved going to the "Kai". My husband and I went to a fundraiser for the Dracut Police for the last 3 years and it was held in the banquet hall. The last one we went to the food (buffet) was uneatable. I ordered a Mai Tai and it was awful. I sent it back and ordered a different drink and that was horrible too. Bob was not the bartender. I don't know who was the bartender but he's never taken a bartending course. I probably could have done better. We haven't been there since. The place inside certainly needs an upgrade. Something brighter. It doesn't need to be that dark inside. read more

Good Lord, here we go with a place that is so dreadfully bad that you just have to love it! An aquiantance of mine is fairly close to the owner and from what I hear, is the cheapest human being alive. Which I guess explains why this place has not been updated since the 1970's. Yes, 1970's. 80's decor would make this place seem modern. I have actually seen duct tape for some time on some of the booths in the lounge. There are 4 main areas of the Lo Kai. The Lounge, The Dining Area, The permanently creepy-closed-dark-smoking-dining area, and the back dance area. Lounge-This is what you see when you first walk in. A dark dungeon of a bar helps to disguise what it really looks like because I'm positive if there was a light turned on people would leave in disgust. Keno screens and a couple TV's is pretty much the only light in here. Dark green vinyl patched up seats are off set by dark wood paneling. Dining Area- 2 areas really, one is a large room which houses the 2 buffet lines. None of the food here is very good. Getting the buffet is actually not a bad deal around $10, but the food seems to always be atrocious. Ordering off of the menu is more expensive, and the food you get is either hit or miss. Don't look down at the carpet or up towards the celings until after you have eaten. Closed Smoking Room- Seems to have finally died about 15 years ago, give or take. I have never seen this room open for anything since smoking was banned in restaurants. Creepy doesn't even begin to explain it. I've been informed that this room is actually opened for special events but God knows why; there must be so much nicotine build up in that room it must give the Marlboro plant a run for it's money. Dance Area- This is where the place actually seems to do something decent once in a while. It is a huge area with tables, large dance floor, a large stage for a band, and another full service bar. I have seen some enjoyable shows here, I must admit. Lately it has gone downhill even more, as the owner is so cheap many bands and acts won't even consider going there anymore. The Legend shows were alright, although if I see that Elvis guy anytime soon I might barf. The drinks I will admit are pretty damn good here and the wait staff is great. Rumors persisted about a year or so ago that the owner was considering selling this place to the 99, but that rumor seems to have died. Head down there on a Friday or Saturday night and see how packed the place is; it does have an old, buy very loyal following. Folks swear that it is the place to be. As bad as it is, there is SOMETHING about it that draws you in. Lo Kai is a perfect example of something so wrong, cheesy, outdated, and downright god awful that it's actually good fun in it's moments! read more

Food is ok at best...... It looks like it would be a fun place but is long overdue for a remodel... Last time we went there they did not order the buffet and food seemed like it was not fresh. We can't prove it but it seems like we got food from the buffet... We might try it again as that place is usually pretty busy so it must be for a reason, right? read more

Went to my friend's Sweet 16 reserved here. Workers were very friendly and danced along with us while doing their job :).

Well here we go. This Place is an institution in Merrimack Valley. The drink are good and the decor beings you back the the 80's faster than Marty Mc fly's Delorean. The food is average at best. They do have an amazing amount of entertainment and a great room for dancing. It is worth the effort to just hangout and have a drink. read more

I only come here for the live entertainment and sometimes for drinks since Im not too far away. Not sure if they have a new cook but I ordered pork fried rice lo mein crab rangoon and teriyaki stick. There was rarely any meat or vegetables in my rice or lo mein and teriyaki stick thing was good. I wish they would renovate or remodel the place to make it look more presentable. read more

We go here all the time and it's been very good. Even during the pandemic we order take out and it's good. However since the dining in started and we dined in, it's been not so good. Not sure if they got a different cook or what. The pupu platter has been overcooked and very dry. The general gau was good as was the chop suey. We will give them 1 more chance at the pupu platter and if it's still the same we will go elsewhere. read more

Best Chinese food ever. Been coming here for 40 years. Buffet all day sundays! Sam is the best!

Good atmosphere, strong drinks and greesey "chinese" food. You know exactly what you're getting into and it more then delivers. There were 5 of us and we all left with smiles and full bellies. read more

Wedding ceremonies are perhap not this restaurant's cup-of-tea. They were very nice and profesional during the begining of the process, but as soon as the payment was received, their attitude changed. Things that were promised to us were NOT deliverred. Understand this, to plan a wedding, it takes a lot of sleepless nights and money of course, so when a restaurant that you think you could count on starts to retract what once promised, the added stress/frustration were almost unbearrable. The managers and yes I mean more than one of them, were lacking in communication. There was no clear leadership among the staffs and the managers. It seemed like any decisions that were made among the managers always to be "No". "Can we guess more glasses for our guests?", "No". "Can we have the tables that were promised?", "No". "Where is our glass tower?", "No, I mean I don't know". The night was a complete nightmare for all of us. Being a businessman, your words need to carry some weights, and always deliver, deliver, and deliver more than expected of you. When judment is clouded with greed, often the decisions were made are not the right ones. I do hope this restaurant will reflect upon this before it is too late. read more

One evening after a night after the bars me and my wife were in the mood for a late nite snack so we headed to the Lo Kai. The waitress was friendly, and the service was great. However the food was another story entirely. The lobster sauce was more gristle than pork, I ended up spitting out more pieces than I ate. The fried rice was so salty it was inedible. The chicken fingers were limp and they tasted as if they were cooked in a oil that was not changed in a year. I am pretty sure chicken fingers should not taste like fried fish. The only redeeming aspect of the meal was my wifes Mai Tai which was more alcohol than mix. The drink helped to dull the pain of a horrible meal. read more

Dirtiest, grubbiest Chinese food restaurant in the Merrimack Valley/Southern New Hampshire Area. My boyfriend got food poisoning and I'm still amazed I didn't. Do not go here if you care about your health! read more

Don't ever come here for dinner buffet! Their options are small and the food was cold. The waiter (I think it was Jamie) was really nice. However, the owners were talking and looked at us when we came in and didn't say hi. It seemed like he expected us to greet him and when I did, he still didn't say anything. The food, was not so great. For $30, I could have went to a better buffet with more options and hotter food. We wanted to give this place a try since it was close to the house and we were hungry. When we left, the owners were still talking and looked at us AGAIN without saying a word! Never again!!! read more

My experience is with take out only and the food is always fresh, hot and tasty. We switch to Lo Kai from another local place a few months back and were very happy. read more

I don't think they clean this place. I seem to always end up visiting here when I'm back home. It's so gross in there it is almost laughable. Thankfully the drinks are strong enough to make me forget about the duct tape that is holding the booth together. read more

How is this place still open ? Food was horrible, the drinks could strip paint off metal, bartender swearing and throwing stuff at staff, mold on ceilings, broken lights, bathrooms are gross and filthy, broken paper towels holders, the place smells like an ashtray, not handicap accessible read more

Never had the worst food in my life went hear for the first time last nite with my girl for take out got both orders wrong my girls plate had lobster sauce like 2 spoon fulls and was just throw in her plate ribs tasted like shit it was just all bad wouldn't feed that food to a goat never in my life would I go back there. read more

After a long day at the hospital, my husband suggested lokai. Never again. We arrived around 8:15pm and after we was seated , we saw that their wasn't much to eat. So I grabbed a few item, waiting to it be refreshed w new food. NEVER HAPPENED! We ask and they say they close at 9pm and they don't refresh the food. So why wasn't we warned at the door. Or even half price for what ever dry food we can find at the buffet.. I will never go back pass 7pm . read more

This business is a disgrace to the neighborhood. They could care less about the noise they make long into the night. Call over and ask if they could turn the music down since it is well after midnight and they don't. Can they turn the Bass up any louder? In fact they will open the back doors probably to let the stink out and the noise just gets louder. They've even claimed they have not control over the loudness because the band controls that. Really? Who own/runs the restaurant? Who controls the lights/electricity? Grow a pair and turn off the circuit breaker if the band won't co-operate. Maybe a visit from the Cops is needed more often. Cooks are outside near the dumpsters smoking and feeding seagulls. Totally gross and unhealthy. How many seagulls does it take to fill the skies of Dracut with chinese food and old rolls and bread? The answer lies in the side street of the Lo Kai. read more

Just had dinner here after getting recommendations on the Talk section of Yelp. My wife and I have been looking for a replacement chinese restaurant after China Tea House was burnt down. Got some recommendations and decided to try Lo Kai in Dracut. What a mistake... Upon driving up on a Saturday night around 8:30pm, the parking lot was packed. I thought maybe we found a good place. As we walked towards the front door, I saw a lunch and buffet sign. I started to get concerned. Walked in the door and placed looked busy. We were brought to the dining room and was empty with maybe 3 tables. We decided to look at buffet to see if it was an option. Food looked like it has been there since 6pm. My wife ordered a dinner combo plate and I braved the buffet. Both were terrible and lukewarm. This place looks like a local place where they go for the drinks, not food. There was a band when we were there and was filled with people from all ages. read more

I wanted to love this place - the exterior looks cool, the parking lot is always packed and I had a really great review and yet, my guest and I were very underimpressed. I think the problem came with my great review - it was from someone who lives in town and has lived in town. My conclusion about this place is that what draws people in is the fact that 'everybody knows your name' . One of those places that a town grows familiar with and thinks is wonderful because everybody goes there, but in reality it's not. We went for the lunch buffet. Our waitress saw us waiting for a while, another waitress told her to serve us but she opted instead to serve regulars (addressing them by name). This second waitress got our water and told us to just go ahead to the buffet. There were about 10 selections, all very standard. The beef and broccoli had an odd flavor I've never experienced anywhere else. The general gau - well I took a lot knowing it's one of my favorites, I ate two pieces and tossed the rest. The lo mein was dry and not worth the second trip to try. The egg rolls and lobster sauce were really good. They have softserve as a dessert. At first we were enjoying it but after a while it seemed to have a funny flavor and left that funny flavor in your mouth (like artificial sweetener perhaps) After leaving we both decided it was ok, but if we never ate there again we wouldn't care. read more

We ordered from the Lo Kai Restaurant in Dracut and I was pleased with everything I ordered. The house fried rice was loaded with onions and shrimp and bean sprouts. We ordered Beef Mushroom Chow Yoke and it was awesome. We also got a pu pu for 2. Everything was so tasty. I will recommend the Lo Kai restaurant for chinese food. read more

B.L. is correct: This is more a place for drinks and a good time than first-class cuisine. I've never had the buffet, but the couple of times I've eaten there have been OK. Expect old-school Polynesian of average quality. Fun bar, with bands and, I think, once-a-month standup comedy. Crowd skews about my age (low 40s) and up, for the most part. read more

This was my second visit to the Lo Kai. This experience was exactly what I was expecting. It was busy. Buffett was fresh, hot and full and offered a great variety. I love the old school decor inside. read more

We have recently moved to the area and have been trying out different Chinese restaurants in town. Most have been mediocre, but this place was truly the worst. The Sub Gum fried rice was dark and bland, the chicken fingers were thick with slightly undercooked batter. General Goa's chicken was flavorless, and the beef teriaki and spare ribs were inedible (truly we just threw them out they were that bad). Most places have at least one or two decent dishes but this place had nothing redeeming about any of their food. What a waste of $65 we won't go back. read more

Just went here for dinner with my husband. The decor is nice but you have to wait for someone to come out to seat you which took 15 minutes. Once seated we went to the buffet which I thought had another part to it or a dessert part somewhere nope that small selection was it. The food was not even warm it was room temperature. The Peking ravioli was like biting into dry leather. The fried doughnuts were stale!!!! And the gravy had a film over it. What sums this place up should be their catch fraise. Lo kai "food not even fit for the homeless" read more

Fantastic New Year's Eve party, best deal in town! What a great time at the Lo Kai. The music was live and they played everything from the 50's to present day. The dance floor was never empty. The food on the buffet was fantastic and they were hopping to keep it well supplied. The drinks were fantastic and service was quick and efficient! Truly the best deal in the entire area. The tickets were $25 pp and you received live entertainment, fantastic unlimited buffet, champagne toast at midnight, and party favors on each and every table. Again, service was top notch and food was fantastic! Found out that night that the event was sold out well in advance. Will definitely return next year and will buy my tickets early again. Kudo's to everyone at the Lo Kai! read more

Awesome drinks, food is great I love the lokia...Gary and bobby best bartenders can't get any better than these guys....waiting staff is incredible.. read more

Food is excellent, let me start with that. Went here for a birthday party and let me tell you I have never had worse service at a bar in my entire life. My first drink I got was a mixed drink ($12) and it tasted nothing more than water with a splash of alcohol. The bartender was straight arrogant, you would think knowing that there's a big party going on he would of at least tried to be somewhat decent of a human being in order to get tips. NOPE he was yelling at people getting their attention by saying YOOO, ripping cash and cards out of peoples hands, it was just a very unpleasant service. This is my second time I been here and the first time their was a different bartender and he was just as bad as the one last night. I will never go here again and pay for another 12$ water just to get screamed t and treated like trash. read more

This place has good Chinese food like any other place in my area. I like coming here for the buffet. They have all my favorites including gold fingers, chicken fingers and rice. The best part about the buffet is the soft serve ice cream. read more

Always love the food, and the drinks are even better! Waiters/Waitresses are always super friendly and the owner is as well! All around great atmosphere! read more

The Lo Kai has seen better days. The restaurant needs updating and has gone downhill from a regular, good Chinese restaurant to a shabby, fly-by-night luncheon. The restaurant is huge but that is by no means a way to judge a place. On a Saturday night it is still not full, as it had been in the past. The service is sub-par and some of the items on the buffet are highly undesirable while the rest remains questionable. On the other hand, it is a great place for functions. The have a large, well kept function hall to the left of the restaurant that includes a bar (separate from the regular bar), many tables (along with a buffet option) and a dance floor. I was appalled on my recent visit that it just isn't what it used to be. I was only drawn in by the $5.95 buffet sign, but even that won't draw me in again. read more