I really wanted to love this place because one of our good family friends highly recommend this place. Came here one time and never again. I've had a lot of Chinese buffet food and I honestly am not picky even if I have an all time favorite. But I have to say, even the mediocre dishes from various places I've been has this place beat by a hundred miles. The food is somewhat decent but if I crave for Chinese, I'd rather go to Panda Express. read more

the rice tasted nasty greasy...it was dried up they must have gave me the old fried rice....soup was old , sorry but i will not get anymore takeout from them..i will be sure to tell other not to eat there.. read more

I am in town visiting and I have to say this is still the best Chinese food in NC. Food is hot and fresh. The flavor is amazing. Try the chicken wings. The staff is super friendly and the owner seems to always be working. And you can't beat the price. read more

Mai Tai - Chinese Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

See all

I was actually trying to put 0 stars... this place is just extremely depressing.. everything is dry and over price for what it's providing. I just felt extremely uncomfortable and I lost my appetite in the first 10 minutes.. read more

The Mai Tai in Jacksonville, NC went from the best in oriental restaurants to the worst restaurant of any type in this town. The owner passed away and someone purchased it and changed the buffet and the staff and raised the price. The fried rice is without any other ingredients. It is just plain yellow rice with no taste. I asked for Duck sauce and the server brought me a few to-go packets. Wow, they hit rock bottom. Friends have complained to the "manager" and said it was a waste of time. I will miss the way it used to be. If you want tasteless food, go to the Mai Tai. read more

We came an hour before close and were still greeted with open arms! Got told if there was anything we wanted made fresh they would do it without question, 10/10 we will most definitely be coming back. read more

Have eaten here off and on for 15+ years, and they have some of the best Chinese food in the area. Tonight we noticed on our way out, unfortunately, the Health Inspector's grade B, The score was 81.5 %, which is almost a C..Not acceptable, and would not have ordered if we saw this as we came in. We will not return until a Grade A, and a high A at that. Will be checking online on Onslow Health Grades. read more

We love the buffet! Our favorite: shrimp fried rice! The pricing: fair. Employees are nice.

Do yourself and your stomach a favor and avoid the Mai Tai at all costs!! I don't know if the Management or Ownership has changed but, this restaurant needs to have a visit from the local Health Department. I will begin with the food, we arrived at opening time on a Sunday and the food was barely warm and absolutely tasteless. Our condiment holder on the table was rusted. Next was the service, our waitress spent more time gossiping with other waitstaff than checking her tables. We had to go get her to get a refill. Last and the icing on the already revolting cake is the Mai Tai's bathroom situation (pictures included) my shoes stuck to the floors, the toilet looked as if it had never been cleaned to include mold on the handle, the walls had God knows what all over them, and the ceiling bent looked like it was full and about a year over due for a change. After seeing the bathroom I wondered how filthy their kitchen was?? As I said do yourself a favor and go elsewhere! read more

See all

Save your time and money, and possibly health! The food had a very bad taste to it and when at the hibachi bar there was dead flies in the raw chicken. The food took my appetite quickly. The bar looked to have a lot of different offerings, but the taste from the sautéed mushrooms, the egg rolls and the broccoli and chicken were all very different, in a not so good way. Just hoping at this point I don't end up with food poisoning. This may be the first time I have visited a restaurant and left like this. Not a picky person at all. read more

Sadly it's just not what it use to be. I don't know when they took the train down. It was something I use to love as a kid. Now I've been back twice since then and both times gotten a very upset stomach. I mean like up all night into the following day upset stomach. read more

I have been going to this place for over 30 years and it was the place to go and we spent payday night there with our families. It was always jammed. Tonight we went. The buffet was steaming but everything we got was COLD! It tasted nasty. What happened to this place? I guess they don't care. I had to ask for them to refill the shrimp and clams. What a shame that this place with so much history and wonderful memories for people of Jacksonville has turned into this. I used to go when it was a small small place with them still serving hot tea. And another thing they have stopped but was given as a thank you for coming was a free cup of coffee after the meal. Nope. We won't go back. The parents must of have retired and whoever is running it must be trying to close it down. Sell it. Waste of time and lousy food. Don't bother. read more

Two words...food poisoning. Went here with my family and the food smelled rancid. Service was ok, but wouldn't risk it by going back.

If I could give zero stars, I would. The hours are odd. I'm not sure why they're open for a couple hours, then closed for two, then open for two, then closed for a few more. Weird hours. We apparently got there within 45 minutes of one of their mid day closing times, and thought that would be plenty of time. We were seated, and had not even gotten up to get a first plate when one of the waitresses came to ask if we were done with the cold buffet so she could start packing it up. I said no, we just got here. I went and got a plate for each of my children, had just sat down with my husband to our plate and a different waitress comes up and asks if we are done with the hot buffet so she can pack it up. I asked her why did they seat us if they did not have time to even serve us? She immediately got an attitude and started arguing loudly with my husband. I was absolutely floored at the rudeness of the waitresses here. If someone is trying to eat, why would you start vacuuming around their chair unless you were intentionally trying to hint that they needed to leave? I usually give a place two chances but this one will never get my money again. I've never had a waitress waving her finger at me like a Jerry Springer guest. The place also stinks like mold and ammonia. What little food was on the buffet was horridly overcooked, greasy and limp. The majority of it was American and Italian food. Never again. read more

This restaurant is a regular stop when we're in Jacksonville.The buffet is nothing fancy (it's thoroughly Americanized), but there is variety to choose from, which is good when you have picky eaters. I'm easily amused, so my favorite part of the place is the water wall (where bubbles trickle upward) and a train that goes along the upper part of the wall and through tunnels. It's the BEST place to go if you have kids, because there's healthy food, junk food, and the train for a distraction. Just make sure you have a handful of quarters for the train fee. read more

This place has one MONGO buffet!! Two stations of chinese dishes including things like cashew chicken, sesame chicken, beef and shrimp noodles, fried rice, crab rangoon, egg drop soup... one station of pasta, macaroni and cheese, collards, crab cakes, fried shrimp, french fries, etc... one salad bar station that I've never even made it to... and a smaller dessert station with a few cream pies and an ice cream machine. The food is the best if you go shortly after they open, when everything is really fresh and things haven't had a chance to start drying out (i.e. the fried goods). They do rotate dishes as they empty, but it's always best fresh. The food definitely isn't 5-star, but I would say it's 3.5 stars, and with the quantity and variety of dishes available, it's worth the price. The service is good (the staff seats you, brings/refills beverages, and clears your plates) and we've never had any complaints. You just want to be REALLY hungry when you go !! read more

Been going here for 20 years each time we drive through to the OBX and it's had it's ups and downs as noted below, but I am here to report that it's on the up and up. Place had a face lift and looks clean. BIGGEST PLUS is the new hibachi grill where you can make healthy dishes. Everyone was happy! PS - Train was working again :) read more

Mai Tai - New hibachi grill! - Chinese Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

See all

Nothing is really good here. I ended up eating nothing but the dumplings and even they are oily as hell. The shrimp were the size of a dime and both of their dishes for it were disgusting. They had all the general americanized chinese dishes but even those tasted as if they were made of low quality ingredients even for a buffet. The sushi isn't great, they offered 4 types but most of which tasted all the same. The only good thing that came out of this place was the waitress, she was nice and always refilled my party's drinks/ took our dishes away. I'd say skip the buffet unless you want diarrhea. read more

Chinese buffet? Ehhh so so. The wait staff is not good at all. We walked in someone sat us and NO ONE came back to us. We finally had to ask for a waiter/tress to come and get us water. The food left a lot to be desired. Come on Jacksonville can someone bring GOOD food in!!? read more

We stopped here for lunch. It is your typical Chinese buffet. That being said, there is a huge variety of different choices. The hibachi was a nice addition. The waitress was swamped while other staff just watched her. It would have been a better experience if the others pitched in. While we were there, local fire and rescue and police were eating there....always a nice sign for a local joint. Bottom line... If you are looking for a buffet with a large variety, this is the stop for you. read more

We eat here A lot when People are Visiting US, & Some want Chinese while Others want Other Asian Style Food. It's been Very Pleasant Every Visit so far. The Staff is Friendly, & The Restaurant is Clean. read more

Tried them again and it was outstanding! Everything was fresh and flavorful! Redemption points for these guys!!!! read more

Mai Tai - Buffet - Chinese Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

I would give it no stars if I could. This place was the WORST!! I just got done eating here with my boyfriend and ALL of the food taste FROZEN or it had no taste at all.... literally left this place feeling like I was going to throw up. DONT RECOMMEND going here at all. My boyfriend isn't picky at all and even he left disappointed and sick. If you're looking for a buffet that isn't that expensive then it was okay about $27 for both of us. read more

Was not a fan unfortunately. I found it suprising they had not tofu otions on the menu, plus I am not one for buffets. Had the veggie Chop Suey, which was decent, but I had higher hopes for Mai Tai. read more

Great selection on the buffet Excellent service! A great place to bring the family Fresh seafood. Sushi & sushami 5 stars read more

Delicious food, great choices. The pies taste like they're home made!

I think things have improved since my last post. They could improve the interior decor but otherwise the food is good. We get the buffet to go. read more

This has to be the most disappointing disgusting place to eat. The food is overcooked dry very blah, not even salt or pepper would help it no taste what so ever. The service was nothing to write home about either. For the price they charge isn't where the quality of the food for its price . Also with a 85.5 B rating isn't cool or acceptable to be , I only know this after eating the food will never come back to this place. Only moments after eating here we became very nauseated and not feeling well. read more

Upset I even wasted my money here. It's a typical dingy buffet and the food is nothing special. It's a cluster inside trying to get around. I won't be back. read more

Was in the mood for Chinese food and decided to try out Mai Tai. Got a family of 6, with 4 young kids, so buffet style restaurants are pretty good. Gives the kids a chance to try food and if they don't like it they can try something different. Historically that means we, Mom and Dad, might not get quality food. Not the case tonight. A previous review mentioned the inspection rating, today it was a 93 - A. Not sure why it was low before but whatever the case, it was corrected. Honestly, I'm the parking lot we agreed to leave if the rating was still low. Walked in and saw the A, figured it was worth a try. Everything was delicious and the service was great. Angie was our server and she was quick, friendly, and very sweet. There is a made-to-order habachi station; here you hand off a bowl filled with your choice of ingredients and a chef grills it up. There is a station with hand rolled sushi that was a hit with my kids. The buffet was stocked up and the dessert bar was the same. Personally I thought the bang bang shrimp was great along with the steak and broccoli. It was also nice to get a Pepsi that didn't taste flat. Overall we enjoyed the visit and will try it again in the future. read more

Went here with my wife and probably won't ever come back. Most of the food was sub-par except for the hibachi where you pick your own ingredients. Hibachi was very very good. But the place has a very awkward setup around the lack luster buffet. Most of the food looked like it had been sitting a while. Even those classic Chinese foods weren't good (general tso and sweet and sour) $25 for two ppl is not bad but I still didn't get my money's worth read more

Mai Tai - The interior of "Mai Tai" - Chinese Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

My husband & i travel 45 min just to come eat here I find it to be the best Chinese buffet around .The building def needs to be up graded along with some new decoration inside and out but over all I enjoy eating here read more

Been eating here on and off for the past 25 years. I still consider it to be one of the best Asian buffets in town! Still have the best fried clam strips, honey walnut glazed chicken and lo mein. Hibachi is kinda "meh" but as an earlier review said, "good foe what it is". read more

Went here cause me and my husband wanted to try something new and at the time it had good reviews. Everything tastes blain, the sushi bar is also gross and blain.... Won't be going here ever again! read more

I tried out this place today and I had some high hopes for it, considering that most Chinese and Indonesian food is vegetarian/vegan-friendly. Vegetarians and vegans beware, there is not much of a selection. Its pretty much meat dish after meat dish. I did however make use of what I had to choose from, which was sautéed spinach, grilled zucchini and steamed rice. It was good food, especially the zucchini, but I had no idea what it was sautéed in. It could've had butter (I'm vegan..no dairy) in it for all I know....but no one, including the waitress, could really answer any questions about the food. I was told by the waitress that I could customize and have sushi made for me madethe way I want it. So, I thought I'd try that out... after asking one of the cooks for a vegetable roll (upon seeing that there were none) I was told very rudely, "What we have out is what you choose from..we don't customize, it doesn't work that way!" So, good spinach and zucchini...but in the end,the food wasn't what left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

This is a nice place foe what it is. The waiters are friendly and sharp and there is a nice manager that keeps an eye on everything. The food is of good quality - the sushi needs improvement but at those prices this is to be expected. read more

Well, tonight the food was mediocre. I paid $10.45 and left unsatisfied. Items that were supposed to be crunchy were soggy, the sushi rice was over cooked, and the food was all around very unsatisfying. Seems like most of the focus is on hibachi- other options have been abandoned in my opinion. Won't eat here again until I hear better reviews. read more

Mai Tai - Chinese Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Great food cheap to eat and friendly service. I love this place. This is by far one of the best Chinese buffets in town hands down

Yuck.. POLYNESIAN FOOD..no it is NOT! Anywhos, the food is a mix of Chinese/americanized/unknown/made-up nastiness. O M G if you want stomach cramps/diarrhea, poorly cooked food, well this is the place for you. If you have standards and actually know what Chinese food and Polynesian food taste like then go elsewhere. FYI there isn't a Polynesian restaurants here in Jacksonville (Mai Tai should stop advertising that they serve Polynesian food because they don't, far from it!!) I have eaten here more than once (friends and co-workers), and each and every time, dreaded the experience and after effects. 1. Restaurant is filthy, smells bad, dust and dirt on the ceilings, carpets, seats. ( Dont touch the underside of the table or chairs, you will not like what ends up on your hands). 2. Restroom, its even dirtier in the bathroom. You can find those little roach motels on the floors in the corners and dead or live roaches on the floors. I would rather go outside, the air is soo much fresher and its cleaner outside than inside that restaurant. 3. The lighting is so dim, I believe they have it dark so that the customers don't see all the filth that there in. So, if you can see how nasty it is in the dark, can you imagine how dirty it must really be when they actually have the lights on. 4. The food is greasy and tasteless and on the verge of giving you food poisoning. I refuse to go there anymore, no more stomach pains and diarrhea for me. My co-workers don't care and like to go there because its cheap, a all you can eat buffet, and they have low standards. Yes, my co-workers are men(LOL) so they also have iron stomachs and do not mind their asses being on fire. The price here is good and they have a large selection of dishes, but the place is in desperate need of an upgrade from food to decor. It's in serious need of a cleaning. The waitresses and hostesses, I have never had a problem with, they have always been friendly and attentive. There's this tall slim blonde hostess that works there, likes to talk, is extremely friendly, helpful, and gives great customer service. If I rated the hostess and staff I would give them a 5 because they have always been great when I use to go there but the food gets a 0 :( sorry. read more

This place was a real disappointment yea they do have a bigger selection but the quality of the food is seriously lacking. The lo mein was made with spaghetti noodles plus it was super greasy. The chicken and broccoli was made with white sauce that was not even good and dont even get me started with how Not clean this place was. Worse buffet I've ever gone too so far in Jacksonville. read more