The Mandarin is still our first choice in restaurants! The sushi is unbeatable and the service is outstanding. We also recently had my mother in law's 88th surprise birthday party there and it was nothing but fabulous. The food was great, Benny's service was excellent, and Jeff and Sese were so helpful in setting up the room (The table was beautiful!) and then helping to take pictures. Robert continues to take pride in his restaurant and his staff, and it consistently shows. Thank you to all of you! read more

Much nicer since it's been renovated. For Reading, the best sushi but if you drive out of town there is better. I do like the takeout because they are super quick. The Sunday buffet is the best thing this place does. $10 all you can eat and decent sushi for that. That's lunch price, dinner is $18(??) read more

The Mandarin has the best sushi around. They have some interesting combinations so you don't get bored with the same maguro or saki or hamachi. The spiced tuna on "clam" rice shells is really good. The service is great. The atmosphere in the sushi bar and the other bar is very nice. The spicy scallop sashimi is a favorite of mine. read more

One of the best Chinese restaurants - and buffets - north of Boston. Great food, and while the buffet is smaller than some it's got all the essentials, is kept well-stocked and hot, and the quality of the food is uniformly good. The whole place is clean and well-maintained, and the service is prompt and attentive. What more could you want? read more

Never got to experience the food. The service was awful. Unable to handle the flow of people, you apparently need to make a reservation but that isn't anywhere on the website. People standing all over the waiting area, spilling in to the dining room. Woman at the front counter out of control, very irate. Parking is difficult. read more

Good food and a nice little bar. Bartenders Ricky and Yandi do a great job. Try the Mai Tais! The bar is small but usually not crowded.

Good food - but service rushes you and they are "extremely" rude!!! I went there with my son and wife and before we even bent down to get into our seats - one of the hostesses ran over to my son and said rudely HOW OLD ARE YOU???!!!! - my son was taken back, but confirmed he was 10 - the biatch then said some chinese to the server which I later found out meant that he did not qualify for the childrens price on the buffet - which we were not even planning to order...... I will never go there again! That is ignorant and rude! read more

Disaster... Waited a long time to get waited on and it was not jammed in there. Asked for lemon in water...zilch,, none! Food was just warm and the pan fried noodles with chicken and veggies was a disgrace and the mooshi chicken was crap.. Thought we would give it a shot instead of our usual Su Chang and in own Chinatown favorites.What a mistake. I think some peeps dont know good food! Never ever again a complete waste! Beware! Right up there with Kowloon garbage! read more

the food was sucks...a feeling that was old..we also was ordering sushi with eel..horrible...service,also..no smile,no atention... We will not go in this place anymore...a lot of places,cheaper,but better food..for exemple Sato II from Stoneham read more

I came here with my family and was extremely disappointed. We had the buffet and can honestly say, the food was pretty bad. I'm a big sushi eater (big fan of Fugakyu and Oishii) and was appalled by their quality and limited selection. The food (Chinese and Japanese) doesn't even compare to Emperor's Choice's. If you want fresh, quality food, go to EC (www.ecreading.com). Mandarin has a nice decor and good parking, but that's about it. read more

The food was great, a little expensive but wonderful. Service however was horrible. Our waiter was rude and short with my mother when she asked questions about the bar drinks. It took longer for the waiter to get our drinks then it did for the food to come out of the kitchen. Another table of two was seated at the same time as us and they left a half hour sooner then us. read more

Excellent Chinese food. This isn't your typical "Americanized" Chinese food joint. They prepare some great authentic dishes and have a variety of food that appeals to a large group. I prefer to sit at the bar during the buffet lunch. read more

Good, solid Chinese/Japanese fusion in a north suburb of Boston. I would suggest ordering more from the Japanese menu rather than the Chinese menu, as I would rate the Chinese food as average. On the Japanese side of things, we tried the avocado and crabstick salad, Philadelphia roll, and caterpillar roll, all things I would certainly get again. On the Chinese side we tried the crab rangoons and the chicken lo mien, both were good, but far not the best American Chinese food I have had. I would go back for the sushi and Japanese menu, but probably would leave the Chinese side of things alone. 4 stars for the Japanese food, loss of one star for the average (at best) American Chinese food and for the price, which was very high for a Chinese restaurant in the burbs.... read more

Tried to have party catered by them. Paid ALOT of money per person ($18) and did not get food equal to that amount. Owner has been rude and defensive, trying to blame me when he short changed me based on the amount of food that arrived. Would NEVER recommend this place. read more

I've come here many times for the lunch buffet and had takeout sushi. The lunch buffet is pretty standard - pretty much what you would hope for or expect for a good chinese buffet. The weekend brunch version has some different options included as well. The standout here for me is the sushi - you can get a big platter to bring home for reasonable prices. All tasty! I much prefer this place to Tulips in Stoneham. The food is much better at the Mandarin. You will overeat at the lunch buffet no matter how hard you try not to. read more

3.5 stars. This place is pretty much like any other Chinese buffet I've ever been to (no crab legs if you like that). We got free soup with the buffet - egg drop and sweet and sour (?) and didn't like either of them. Buffet food all average and decent, nothing spectacular but nothing bad at all. Very similar to the place Bamboo in Bedford - it may be owned by the same ppl. The sushi and rolls on the bar were all ehh but then again, we didn't order directly from the sushi bar to judge that too harshly. Green tea ice cream super bland. Would go back if craving Chinese since it's so close to home. read more

I've been coming here for years so I thought it was high time I reviewed it. They just finished a new renovation and it is absolutely gorgeous inside, and very clean too. I live less than a mile away so we're here quite often, and generally order the buffet. It's very plentiful, quality Americanized Chinese cuisine that always leaves me satisfied. I highly recommend! read more

Work near by and have been here a couple times for the lunch buffet. $11.25/pp for the lunch buffet which is a bit high for the area but food quality is good. More of an upscale chinese restaurant with clean, modern decor. Large selection of the usual but also a decent sushi selection as well. Food and service is above par. Can't come too often due to the huge amount of food available but a place I try to go to twice a year for lunch when I have the hankering for a chinese buffet. read more

Service is iffy, but the food makes up for it somewhat. Good veggies, but they add extra salt and sugar to all their dishes... Above the average chinese buffet restaurants but barely in some ways. If you avoid the sauces you should be fine. read more

When we first moved to this area earlier this year, I'd read the reviews here about the food quality at this restaurant and looked forward to trying it. Since then, we've been to Mandarin Reading a few times and ordered take-out from them several times. Overall, I would say the food quality is very good, but the service leaves something to be desired. Granted, we've gone to Mandarin Reading on the weekends for dinner, and it's VERY crowded. Be prepared to wait for a table if you're going at peak times on weekend evenings. And we've found we get the worst service during these times. The last time we were there, a waitress took our drink orders after we were seated - my husband ordered cold sake - a specific brand on their menu that he has tried before elsewhere and likes. A different waitress comes to our table a couple of minutes later and takes our food order. It takes some time to get our appetizers, and the second waitress brings those to our table, but we still don't have our drinks. She leaves the table so quickly that we don't have a chance to ask about our drinks. She finally comes by a few minutes later and my husband flags her down and asks her about the sake. She apologizes and says she will take care of it. On her next trip to our table, she brings our main dishes, but still no sake. She apologizes again and says she will go get it. She comes back again a few minutes later with the sake, but it's NOT the sake my husband ordered. At this point, we're so tired of dealing with this that he drinks it anyway. We have had some sort of order mix-up or long times between visits from our waiter/waitress every time we've been there. When I order take-out, I usually have to correct them to get my order right (thank god they repeat it back to you before they let you go). I will say that they have the best Chinese food I've tried in this area. Everything is very flavorful, and I find the meat and vegetable quality to be better than average - no canned vegetables, and decent meat (not chewy or gristly). Even the shrimp in my favorite dish there (Chow Foon with shrimp) is pretty good - not the cheap tiny shrimp I've seen used at other restaurants. The sauces and spices in every dish we've had have been excellent. So, very good food but not the best service. Bring your patience with you, especially if you're going on a weekend evening! read more

Best Chinese in the area. We've tried a few places in the area but we always end up comparing it to here. A little loud and crazy on Friday/Saturday night but everyone's having a good time. The shoomai, hot and sour, pork fried rice, and beef skewers are great. Swing by and have a great hot sake. read more

Mandarin is the best chinese in the north shore by far. The Luncheon buffet is one of the best I have ever had. The food is fresh and well selected! All the soups are excellent as is the sushi. The entree's are pricey but worth it for the consistently fresh food!! read more

Overall I'm impressed. Though the seasoning is heavier than I'd usually expect, the dishes are still delicious and you can finish several bowls of rices with them. Their Japanese dishes, on the other hand, are more like typical "Chinese style Japanese foods" and I'd not recommend them. read more

I had the buffet. Based on food, service and value I'm giving this place 2 stars. If the buffet price was reduced by $3, I'd rate the food at the buffet 3 stars. Most of the food in the buffet area is deep fried. There were only two or three dishes that had good depth of flavor. The sushi was palatable but not much more than that. For my choice of soup I went with the hot and sour. After the first spoonful, all I could come up with to describe the taste was "train wreck." I'm not returning to this restaurant. I don't care how hungry I get after a long shopping extravaganza at REI. There are better sushi and Chinese buffet restaurants elsewhere. read more

This place is ideal for busy moms. If u get the buffet, the food is ready to eat once you're seated. Then you can actually enjoy you're meal. Everything is good, but I really loved their dim sum dumplings, teriyaki chicken and lo mein noodles. I will definitely go back for lunch, but get there early cause it gets crowded fast! read more

I ordered take out, chicken wings, crab Rangoon and beef moo-shi. The appetizers were good and not too greasy. The beef mooshi had a nice flavor, however there were important ingredients that were lacking, the beef, mushrooms and eggs. There were no eggs or mushrooms and 3 very small pieces of beef. The rest was a big bowl of lettuce. Disappointing. read more

We had the buffet. It was very pricey ($23.99) for a very small selection...maybe 12 hot dishes. We were brought miso soup. It was lukewarm and bland. The sliced steak was excellent. It was medium rare and tender. The small pieces of shell on lobster in a sauce were messy, hard to eat and what you could get out, was mushy. The other entrees were just ok. Not great, not bad. The temperature of the food was not as hot as I would have liked. When we were leaving before 8:30 pm, the staff had fully cleared the buffet so my guess is the heat had been turned off earlier. This was surprising as the closing hour was listed as 9:45. The sushi was like the hot food. Only a few selections and not great, not bad. There were 2 flavors of ice cream offered, some marshmallows dipped in chocolate and some very tiny dishes of what seemed to be melted whipped cream. Our overall impression was "meh" Definitely not worth what they charged. FOLLOWUP 1/17 I called and spoke to the general manager. I do appreciate that he wished we had said something while there. However, hearing that its better to have the buffet early did not make me happy. I was also told its better to order off the menu and that around 7:30 the heat is indeed cut off the buffet. He said they would have made fresh anything we were unhappy with, but in my opinion, everything should be the same no matter what time you order it. He apologized over and over, but his suggestion of us coming in again, ordering off the menu and he would bring some free appetizers to the table did not make me feel better. Almost $50 before the tip for sub standard buffet...and we get offered a couple of free appetizers. Nope. read more

Best Chinese food buffet in the area (I've never ordered off of the menu), but be prepared to either wait for parking or park at the DMV across the street, and then you'll have to wait to be seated (usually a reasonable amount of time, not bad). Food is tasty and fresh, something other buffets lack far too often! Very busy lunch crowd on weekdays, but since everyone has to get back to work it all runs very smoothly. read more

I have been a regular at Mandarin pretty much since it's opened. A lot of people write about the buffet, which is decent, but it's still a buffet. That being said, it's better than your average local asian restaurant, but the best food is never put out at the buffet here or elsewhere. I used to go to Boston for sushi every time the urge hit, but no more. With better food, a shorter commute, lower prices, and no parking hassles, Mandarin wins out every time. I think if I lived in Boston, I would make the drive out here for sushi! The sashimi is always very fresh and tasty. The maki rivals Fugakyu, and I think is better, with few exceptions. The chinese food is very good too, but I tend to appreciate the sushi more. The peking duck is good as well as the standard american chinese fare. The scorpion bowls are delicious and the drinks are well poured without being overly strong. Some of their best offerings unfortunately (for newcomers) don't appear on the menu though, so it's best to go with someone familiar with the restaurant. They might even be able to keep you warm! (although I've always found the temperature to be quite comfortable, maybe even hot if sat next to a window in the summer) If you like sushi and live anywhere nearby, you won't be disappointed. To the reviewer that mentioned Bamboo in Bedford having a similar menu- that's because they're sister restaurants. They also have one in Dedham right off exit 15. I have eaten at the three and they're all good, although proximity makes Mandarin Reading my first choice! read more

I went here for the lunch buffet, and was very impressed. Excellent variety and very tasty. Favorites in the buffet: carrot potstickers, General Gao's chicken, pepper chicken, lo mein, and almost a dozen more delicious choices. The pans in the buffet are small and the restaurant was busy, so the buffet dishes were being refreshed frequently. It was impressive to have sushi (mostly maki) in the buffet offerings, but it wasn't really very good. The dessert selections were mixed: some ok pastries, quite bad carrot cake, and ice cream. Kudos on a decent mix of fresh fruit, though, and on having a variety of selections. The highlight was definitely the Chinese dishes, though, and next time I won't bother to save room for sushi or dessert. read more

My family has been going here for years. Their buffet is wonderful the staff are lovely, efficient and professional. On several occasions I've witnessed kitchen employees come out, fill a plate from the buffet and have lunch. That, to me, is proof that there is nothing to worry about with the quality of the food. Which is delicious, BTW. read more

This is my favorite place to goto for Chinese and Japanese takeout near me. While a bit on the pricey side, the food never disappoints. The buffet selection is also excellent and diverse. Finally, it's rare to see a Chinese restaurant focused on excellent service like Mandarin. read more

We are regulars here. It is by far the best Chinese food around. Chicken wings are my family's favorite. Giant menu with daily specials. The sushi menu is also quite big. Very fresh food. Very friendly staff. The prices are also really good. read more

Nice remodel. Haven't been here in quite some time and pleased with the ambiance

Sushi was fresh and the spicy duck was delicious. I want to come back to try other menu someday.

Meh. Food was excellent compared to other restaurants I've tried since moving to the area in January but that means little. The food was bland and the buffet items were cold to lukewarm even though I got there five or ten minutes after the buffet started. There were no wet napkins to use after eating the sticky ribs. You also needed to use your hands to eat the grilled shrimp and lobster. The lobster could have been the best dish - the sauce had promise - but there was an unusually small amount of meat and no small forks to get out what little meat there was. The veggie Lo Mein was the only dish that wasn't bland. Lots of fresh garlic. Very tasty. Too salty. They had a beef dish with very fresh mushrooms and snap peas. Best dish that I tried. Peking Ravioli had very gummy skin. If I go back, it will be for lunch. read more

The food here is very good. It is Americanized Chinese food but they also have a small sushi bar and whole fish items. The pan fried noodles are good and they have all the fun drinks. They great you once you walk in the door. Have always been pleased with the food and service. Careful leaving the lot as people drive too fast near I95. With that it is right off the highway towards reading on 129. Also, it is a good place to bring a dozen people at lunch to the buffet. read more

I have never had sushi in Japan, but boy, have I had plenty of sushi around MA.... and nothing has EVER come close to this. Went last week, on a lazy tuesday night at only 5pm or so. First good sign: at least 7 other cars in the lot. Second good sign: Menu has a lot of choices between chinese and japanese. I order the miso to start, which is pretty satisfying, not too salty, delicately flavored. Gentleman ordered the red lion roll, I order the caterpillar and we each also order the philadelphia roll. I can't even being to explain how perfectly rolled, fresh tasting and nicely sized these were. The philadelphia rolls were delicious. My caterpillar roll had a LOT of roe that burst in your mouth like little pink stars and it was beautifully wrapped in a swirly, two tone avocado covering. Content sigh. Gentleman's red lion was the star of the evening, with two fried shrimp on the side, and tempura on the inside, among other things. Crunchy, slightly spicy, amazing. Even though the fried ice cream dessert was a disappointment and the cheesecake was only marginally better, I'm still giving it 5 stars because for the first time in a sushi place we did not feel rushed at the end of our meal. On the contrary, we probably sat around for an extra half hour saying sweet nothings and sipping our waters. Very happy overall. Did I mention it is very reasonably priced? First time there... going back in 2 weeks as I have to be in the area. Will report back. read more

LOVE this place. When my husband and I were looking for a place to hold a small wedding reception (40-45 people) we chose the Mandarin and could not have been more pleased! The owners were very helpful in assisting us in choosing the dishes which ranged from the sushi "Love Boat" to lobster, to special made chef choices and some common standbys. The event was this past November and our friends and family are still talking about all the food. The servers were very attentive and kept food and drinks coming so that all of our guests were very pleased! Not only did my daughter have an "untypical" reception but the cost of the event including an open bar for our guests was much more memorable and reasonable than the average wedding selection of beef or chicken! I highly recommend Mandarin Reading! read more

The General Gau Chicken was overly sweet and no vegetables...hoping they would have put some broccoli int there or something. Also the waitress was not friendly and didn't have people skills. I'm not asking for pampering..but hello, how are you, should be expected. read more