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    Minato Japanese Buffet

    3.9 (307 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 3:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM

    Minato Japanese Buffet Photos

    Business Info

    MINATO JAPANESE BUFFET ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Minato Japanese Buffet

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    Eugene H.

    04/3/2026 visit to Minato Japanese Buffet. Update: Our server Leo (from my previous review) was never seen again. Today we were a party of 4 and came to dine in around 5:30pm. We were seated pretty quickly within minutes of arriving. The food quality was decent and some food was still warm from the food warmer. I had the snow crab legs, clams, shrimps, and some veggies. I stayed away from meat since it was Good Friday. The employees who worked behind the line paid attention to the raw bar, made sure that the food stayed stocked up on ice, sushi plates were filled up, and the hibachi was always available. Overall the dining experience was 4/5 stars. What made me give 2/5 stars was the customer service. Our server's name was Laura I think? She didn't say what her name was in the beginning and it wasn't until later when the bill came I found out. She wasn't horrible, she just didn't seem to care. She never asked to refill the water and the drinks. When my fiancee asked her for chopsticks she said they are over there somewhere in the sushi line. She never came around to see if we needed anything for the snow crab legs so I had to ask other server for crackers. After the second plate of crabs she did came and ask if we needed butter and did bring it out. There were couple of other servers or bussers that stopped by our table to ask us if everything was okay. Our server wasn't rude she just seemed to be all over the place. I would still recommend Minato Japanese Buffet to others. Yes I would visit again in the future. I just seem to have worst of luck in this place of getting a normal server to tend to our table each time we visit here. I hope that the experience will be different for you guys. This place offers plenty of parking space.

    Menu
    Mariah M.

    Minato Japanese Buffet @minatojapanesebuffet Pembroke Pines, FL Who doesn't love a good All You Can Eat Buffet? Great service and great ambiance for a family or group of friends. So many tasty options! They definitely have something for everyone! Daily happy hour specials. Dont skip dessert, they have plenty! Do you like Buffets? #MinatoJapaneseBuffet #AYCE #HappyHour LetsDrinkz #EatzWithSweetz #LetsEatz

    Dinner buffet items
    Tina Y.

    I'm not sure what's happening, but the food quality has significantly declined. Our last visit was disappointing, so we decided to give them another chance for nostalgia's sake. We arrived around 8:30 p.m., and most of the hot food items were nearly empty, despite the decent number of customers. The steak, calamari, and eel roll were all gone. Even the rolls were smaller than before. The ribs were just bones and they wouldn't even refill anything. The desert section was also horribly empty. We won't be returning to this establishment anymore

    Michelle T.

    Absolutely amazing buffet. Tons of sushi, crab legs, oysters, ginger scallion fish, etc. The snow crab legs were so delicious. They didn't have the freezer taste that sometimes comes with frozen seafood. I like how they provided hot butter as well. Service was great! Super friendly staff. Restaurant is clean.

    Outside
    Melissa M.

    Had a good experience at this buffet. They had a variety of foods- both fresh and cooked, from sushi to fried rice to chicken teriyaki and more. Even crab legs. The variety was definitely there. Our server came by often but never refilled out water, which I wish they wouls have done. We were also sat in a small room to the back even though there were tables closer to the buffet, which would have been nicer to sit at.

    Jennifer J.

    I've been to plenty of buffets and this might be one of the best, however, kinda pricy compared to others. They have plenty of options from seafood to fried stuff to sushi and their desserts. I try to get a little of everything until I'm full and maybe repeats of my favorites. I did enjoy their bao custard buns and went back for more. I didn't get to take a picture of all my plates, but here are some of the food they have. The waiter was also nice and accommodating, so that was good. Overall, it's a place to check out, especially if you're hungry.

    CeCe M.

    This is a solid buffet with similar choices whether you're there for lunch or dinner. That said, for the dinner price, I think the dessert selection and meat for hibachi could be better. Overall, the food is quite good--especially the sushi section, which is my favorite. I can't recommend the crab legs, they were saggy and not very tasty. This place is my go-to when I'm really hungry.

    Idsia R.

    I love this sushi and Asian seafood buffet, they have a vast ocean of choices. It's a wonderful paradise for seafood lovers, with a spread of oysters, crabs, and a fresh layout of sashimi and sushi that exceeds any sushi lovers' expectations. This place understands its purpose to provide a vast variety of seafood that caters to the tastes of any type of culinary clientele, all without compromising the freshness of the seafood. Besides these food treasures, the buffet spreads its wings to embrace flavors. From savory Asian cuisine to the comfort of good American favorites, and not forgetting the sushi corner that draws diners in mass, there's a plate for every taste. The buffet is heaven where affordability meets so many choices, ensuring that every visit is a pleasure. Service is friendly and the vibe is a lively one with occasional happy birthday songs for the ones who are celebrating birthdays. In all is a very nice place to delight in all cuisines.

    Shockingly empty for lunchtime on a Friday around 2ish
    Chris P.

    Not sure what happened to this place. It USED to be real good. However fast forward to today, I came here with my 8 year old son and my parents around 1pm give or take. We were puzzled to see just how empty the parking lot was at this time. Because usually a Chinese buffet would be packed around lunchtime hours. As you walked into the building you get hit with a heavy fish smell which obviously isn't too inviting. we were then seated. as we began to start grabbing our food. We noticed that they no longer put out the real crab salad like they used to put out. Only the cheap imitation one now. as we grabbed sushi, the sushi has less fish on and in the rolls then prior experiences, crab ragoons had little to no cream cheese or crab in them. they were just doughy. They used to put out a tray of cooked shrimp with veggies out in the hot food area. That was no longer there either.... Then the burbon chicken didn't even taste like it. Seemed like something they just made quickly and put out. My mom noticed they don't even put out knives for the diners. She asked the waitress why? The lady claimed because people were supposedly stealing them. So they stopped. This time around the quality has went down immensely and it shows by how empty the place was.... Then as we get the check to leave, they increased the pricing from $7 to $10 bucks more than it used to be for 3 adults and a child. If you read my review this far then in the basically I'll end it with the food quality has dropped immensely yet they raised the prices up. Check the pics to see how empty the place was around 2ish We won't be back....

    Store front
    Patty M.

    I was a bit hesitant but to my surprise the Sushi's were very good Ambiance is very theme to the menu service was on point . Lunch $17.99 M- Fri Sat & Sun $19.99 children 4 to 7 $8.99 8-11 $12.99 Dinner Mon thru Thurs $29.99 fri- sun $31.9 Children 4-7 $13.99 8-11 $16.99

    Alicia G.

    Albeit not the most ambient or aesthetic of locations the food was fresh and it was quite clean inside. Specifically went for the sushi due to the positive reviews and months long craving and it satiated thoroughly! Had about 3 plates of food mostly sushi again with some appetizers including crab rangoon, wings, and salt and pepper shrimp and fried stuffed crabs. All were good and constantly replenished. Shrimp was a bit oily. Sushi was frequently refreshed and there were several sauces and wasabi to garnish. They even had fresh jalapeño infused soy sauce! Drawn butter can be requested for the raw bar. I never touched the hibachi but it looked appealing. Happy Hour is daily and the lychee martini was well balanced and strong for $6.50. Booth seating was roomy and comfortable and the service was consistent and kind. For a $19.99 weekend lunch I would say it was well worthy.

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    2 months ago

    Not thrilled over buffets in general. This one is pretty good and fresh. The variety is quite extensive and nice sushi variety.

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    2 months ago

    Good for an easy afternoon out. Fancy cafeteria.food was good staff friendly. Place was clean.

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    3 months ago

    Te best buffet in broward. Excellent service very friendly and alots of options of food.

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    Minato Japanese Buffet Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Minato Japanese Buffet

    Do they do reservations?

    You do not make a reservation less than 8 people. Thank you

    Do they serve lobster?

    Sorry, Robert I fell in love with that place, but to answer your question about lobsters, I do not know.… 

    Do they offer vegan options at the buffet?

    I am sorry, I don't know, but I can say there was a lot of great sushi, prices were good for what they offer. Looking forward to go back soon, got to lose a few lbs first,… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Miyako Japanese Buffet

    Miyako Japanese Buffet

    4.3
    (1.1k reviews)
    17.3 mi
    $$

    We love this place but be warned there is always a wait and usually a very long line up even before…read morethe doors are open. The staff is nice, the ambience is nice and the food is good. I love the hibachi. Steak, chicken, seafood. Noodles, veggies and like 8 difference sauces to try! It is a must. There is a TON is sushi, although, I don't eat it my husband does. He reports is was fresh! And the selection is perfect. They have a carving station, and there are always stapes, like gyoza, dumplings, tempura, and rangoon, Chinese donuts, .etc but the other dishes seem to change often ! It's expensive all the time, weekday and more on the weekend but it's AYCE :)

    We were surprised by the amazing selection of sushi, both cooked and uncooked! They had some…read moreunusual items that I've never seen at Asian buffets like frog legs and octopus. For the hibachi, you get a plate and select the items that you want grilled. I wasn't crazy about the location of the raw chicken which was in the back row. There were some juice drippings in the onions which were in front of it. They take your plate from you and put your plate aside, on top of another plate from someone else who may have selected raw meats. I don't know if those plates were re-used for the cooked food as I didn't stay to watch. They have a chocolate fountain where you can dip a variety of items like marshmallows, Rice Krispy treats and cannolis. There were more options but I didn't look at all of them. Our server was very attentive and checked her area often to clear plates and refill drinks. We never had to ask for a refill.

    Photos
    Seafood boil
    Seafood boil
    Miyako sushi and sashimi  so fresh
    Miyako sushi and sashimi so fresh
    Avocado dream roll

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    Avocado dream roll
    Chow Time Grill & Buffet

    Chow Time Grill & Buffet

    3.2
    (378 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    Chowtime is a Chinese buffet that also offers the popular Hibachi grill experience…read more This is a great space for large group meetings as the restaurant space is large! We went for dinner time on a week night and the buffet was very well stocked, and service was on point, always cleaning our dishes promptly with a fast beverage service. There was no problem that the group had requested separate checks, so this makes it a great venue with you have a friendly gathering or say a Bookclub meeting there. The food was good! I tasted the hibachi grill. It does take a bit, but the result was delicious and fresh. From the buffet I gravitated towards the sushi offerings that were available. The sushi was standard for buffets, tasty and fresh. No frills. Later I noticed they had replenished the crab legs as those walk away fast: a favorite in many buffets! They had several tables of food, clearly labeled to make your choices easier. Everyone had a great time picking many of their favorites, and at a roughly $20 per person, this was an excellent choice for a budget friendly dinner and conversation! Enjoy

    This a Formal Complaint: Unacceptable Employee Conduct and Cursing at Chew Time Grill & Buffet…read morethat's at the Pembroke Pines Location. I am writing to report a severe customer service failure at your 12375 Pembroke RD, Pembroke Pines FL 33025 restaurant on this day, June 13, 2026 at approximately 3:11-3:25pm. My server, Reymen, tall Karen, Asian or Chinese maybe was extremely hostile and explicitly cursed at me before my family and I before leaving the restaurant. As a paying customer, being subjected to vulgar language and verbal abuse from your staff is completely unacceptable. This behavior violates basic workplace standards and hospitality rules. I request that corporate management investigates this incident, reviews the store camera footage if necessary, and takes disciplinary action. I expect a response detailing how this is being handled. Receipt/Transaction ID# 506141378223635, total amount adding up to $68.42 with NO Tip (of which I wrote on the Merchant's Receipt. As I approached the counter to pay, Reymen rudely told me to hurry up. I told him that I was sorry. I didn't know that he was waiting on me. He asked me if I had already given him my credit card? I quickly told him that I really don't like his tone. He quickly said, "I don't care!" I asked him what did he meant by saying he didn't care... I asked him for his manger, said he was the manager, went on and on saying he didn't care. The lady at the counter said there is no manager, when I asked her for his higher up. I asked few workers about his higher up manager. The frontline person behind me asked me to explain the situation. He smiled and looked at Reymen several times as I was explaining. On my way leaving he kept cursing at me profusely. At one point, he advised me that there are cameras everywhere because I was looking up at the cloud ceiling design my son was admiring. I told Reymen that I hope the cameras could hear the filthy words he was saying to me. Other people around and his co-workers heard him including customers. My son left asking him why was he cursing at me. We went to celebrate my mom's 75th birthday and it was not a good experience at all. She was shocked on the way Reymen was speaking to me. Because I didn't curse back at him, I hope Reymen don't think I would just let that go.

    Photos
    Crab legs and more
    Crab legs and more
    Chow Time Grill & Buffet
    Food

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    Shinju Buffet

    Shinju Buffet

    3.8
    (453 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $$

    We came here with a large party after a graduation. There was a decent variety of food, but some…read morewas definitely subpar. I'd definitely avoid the tempura as it didn't have the right coating and really didn't work with the broccoli. The best item was definitely the steak in my opinion. The seasoning was delicious and it was cooked to perfection. The short ribs weren't bad either. The coconut shrimp was tasty as well, but I've definitely had better. The sushi rolls was alright and there was a wide selection, but some of the sashimi didn't taste the freshest. They had a decent amount of salads around the corner, but I didn't take part in any. Another great thing was the dessert bar. I really love almond cookies, so I was elated to see them there. Their orange slices were perfectly sweet. Some of their cakes weren't had either. I also love when buffets have a good selection of ice creams, so it was nice to see they had several flavors. I got pistachio, which was just okay in flavor, but nice that there were bits of pistachio in it. I also got green tea which was a little disappointing, but there was a tinge of tea flavor. I think I got a chocolate one as well, which was tasty. The bathrooms were nice and clean. The staff was friendly and came by frequently to top off our drinks.

    I had to rub my eyes when I saw the prices for adults on the website. $17.99 for weekday lunch? For…read moreall you can eat? Children 7-10 $13.99. Dinner adults are higher at $29.99 M-Thurs. and higher prices for weekends. We were on focused on lunch so we thought this was a good deal before a long drive. I also checked yelp and it seemed like the reviews were promising. The place is very clean and there is a lot of variety. There were non-sushi options such as hot food(noodles, stir fries, and fried food, along with sushi. There was also a separate dessert and fruit section. For the price it was worthwhile. The sushi didn't appear frozen and was quite tasty. I noticed there weren't any sashimi pieces just all either rolls or Nigiri. The service seemed prompt. We were quite surprised and thought it to be a good value. I would definitely double check the website in case prices change overtime.

    Photos
    Sashimi bar
    Sashimi bar
    Shinju Buffet
    Shinju Buffet

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    Ginza Japanese Buffet

    Ginza Japanese Buffet

    3.8
    (628 reviews)
    9.1 mi
    $$

    Great seafood and sushi buffet with a good assortment of items from hot cooked dishes to a fresh…read moreseafood station and a large sushi area. I've been for both lunch and dinner, and both were good value for a very reasonable price. Lunch options had all the basic buffet stables like fried rice, noodles, various fried or stir fried chicken dishes with some beef and seafood options, and lots of nigiri and rolls in the sushi bar with a few seafood salads at the end. For dinner, they bring out the premium stuff including generous cuts of sashimi (tuna, salmon, escolar), stir fried lobster, oysters and mussels in the raw bar, and some nicer hot options like pan seared short ribs even though the hot item section is a bit on the small side for both lunch and dinner. The hibachi area, while it looked nice, didn't look quite as impressive as the other stuff and with smaller portions of meat so I ended up skipping it. Also, dessert was mostly generic batched stuff like pudding and the square cake/pastry pieces you find at most other buffets. However, the rest of the items more than made up for it. If you're looking for a place to stuff yourself with tasty, no frills meat and seafood at reasonable prices, then Ginza is a great option.

    This place is hit or miss. Kind of just depends. We go here at least twice a year and sometimes…read moreeverything is stellar and other times it seems like our money could have been better spent elsewhere. Try and go earlier in the day when it just starts serving dinner and you'll have a better selection than halfway through

    Photos
    Buffet
    Buffet
    Ginza Japanese Buffet
    Bad taste

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    Bad taste

    Minato Japanese Buffet - buffets - Updated July 2026

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