OK so we have been coming here for about two years or so and at the start it was great. Food was ALWAYS hot and fresh and staff was ALWAYS on point,but it started slipping and fast. Food is now cold and stale and the staff sucks. Most of the signs telling you what the food is are mixed up and forget the sushi bar there are no signs anywhere telling you what is what. The ONLY good thing is the hot bar where you pick the food and the guy cooks it in front of you. We even have to avoid the ice cream and desert bars. When the jello smells of bleach you know something is wrong. read more

The food was good. However, the service was awful: one of the waitress explicitly asked me to leave a good tip since it's not included. It was so rude; I don't think I am visiting this place again. read more

What can I say? It's a chinese buffet...just like every other one you've ever been to. The staff, however, is incredibly attentive; our drinks were never empty. The food was okay...nothing special but not terrible. Good price for a quick night out. read more

Buffet. Chinese . Gainesville . Has sushi which is okay. Hibachi pretty good. Good variety & food quality as expected for large scale buffet. Packed at lunch with people so best chance for freshest food. read more

Awesome place to eat, by far the Best Chinese Food in Gainesville for lunch or dinner... Even great for picky children with much to choose from the Staff is very nice and courteous. Thank you read more

was there just a couple of weeks ago......could not finish anything I had sampled....absolutely awful! Food cold .... and I was there at prime lunch time. Definitely will not go back!! read more

Place was one of the most disgusting places I've ever eaten. The food is low quality and the place seems really dirty. There is some sort of fountain in the front on the inside and it to looked dirty. The place just grosses me and my family out to the point of just leaving. read more

Definitely coming to Ocean Buffet instead of Szechuan Palace. Food is really good! Service is equally good.

I live in Lake City, and I have been looking for this type of Chinese restaurant. They have a classy vibe with a discount undertone. It's a little on the pricy side for dinner, but with the HUGH selection...they have to pay for all that fare somehow. There is SO much to choose from, and they even have hibachi, of course. There really isn't a word in my vocabulary to describe this type of Chinese restaurant; for me, if you've seen one of these you've seen them all; however, this was EXACTLY what I was looking for. read more

I went for lunch, which is about $8 for the buffet. What made my buck worth it was the hibachi grill and the ice cream bar- I stayed away from pretty much everything else because the food wasn't that good and some things were cold. However, the fact that you can create your own meal and have a chef cook it on the hibachi grill is awesome and I can't complain for the price. They have really good ice cream and good variety of flavors too. Everything was clean from what I could see and people were constantly putting out new food. Would definitely return. read more

First visit Saturday. Everything very clean and staff very helpful. Looked the hibachi bar choices.

This place's sushi is good. That's the only positive I have to say about this place. The people who work the lobby and the waiters and waitresses do not understand customer service. Our waitress did not know how to smile. She did not know how to pick up plates from our table on at LEAST a semi-regular basis. Instead, because I need more than 1/2 an inch to put my plate down, I had to move and stack the used plates from my table and set them down on the empty one next to us. This is not how an establishment should be run. No one asked us if we're enjoying our food. I did not receive a refill. There are countless fundamental flaws within this place. Especially to not ask, but DEMAND a tip AND follow us out the restaurant when we decided not to. I've never not tipped before in my entire life, but I had to make a stand for myself (and seemingly many others on yelp) this time. read more

I wish I could give zero stars. Worst. Experience. Ever. The waitress didn't collect any dishes, didn't give refills, wouldn't get anything we asked for, and treated us improperly. She then had the manager follow us out to complain about the tip. Never going there again. read more

U know what.. I'm sorry I wasn't going to do this but I feel like I should leave a warning to other people screw what could be cost efficient to them. In the steamed fish there was a long white string.... I have no idea what it was but I have an idea. I don't wish bad on this place but don't eat any raw fish or cooked fish here because I know some places just pull them out and use the fish to save money.. I'm hoping I didn't get that steamed white fish undercooked I'll have to wait a few days if I notice symptoms of consumption. I tell no lie I didn't make a scene because I'm not that guy but I will warn others to be mindful read more

The food was ok. Dinner buffet is $11.49/lunch is 7.99? Lunch is a much better deal because the food is the same as dinner except for the fried tiny blue crabs which I don't care for read more

Excellent sushi, seafood's and grill. Very clean and clean bathrooms. Very friendly and professional employees. This is one of our favorite Asian restaurants. read more

We went to eat last night after working all day moving furniture .. Thinking .. That it would be better than McDonalds. Low and behold.. We were looked at like they didn't want us to come in.. My husband has been sick since we ate there last night.. That's the 2nd time I've eaten there and the last!! It's been two days and my husband is just now feeling better. We ate from the buffet and he asked for a Hibachi and they took it to the back to make his dinner... He has suffered ever since:( read more

My son and several others developed symptoms of severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating here.

Very large variety of items. Sushi, oysters on the half shell, shrimp- many types, blue crab, a cook station for stir fry, and nice selection of desserts. I had a coupon but did not use it-I want this place to stay open! $11.95 for dinner. I would have been happy at twice the cost. All items were fresh at the appropriate temperature with the trays being filled when needed. Definately recommend and will be back. read more

Went there several times and loved the food but I am a vegan and they don't label their food very well so I had to guess if the food was vegan friendly. I won't go there often because of this. read more

Our first Chinese place to try since moving to Gainesville. We see why it has "Ocean" in the name, LOTS of seafood choices. Many choices and styles to choose from. This is a place we will definitely visit again. read more

Great choice and quality of food considering its price. The staff seem to be not that friendly though.

BLLLEEEEEECH I got sick after I left despite eating "fresh hot and steaming" that was just put in the buffet.

We ordered take out for our first experience here. Orange Chicken and General Tso's, lo mein, fried rice and egg rolls. The chicken was horrible-- both were way over cooked...hard and chewy. I called, they were apologetic but asked me to bring it back for a refund...JEEZ--back in the car. When I got there, she only gave me credit for the chicken not the other items even though I brought it all back (which was half the 45.00 bill). I think this was HORRIBLE customer service. Who would eat fried rice and lo mein without chicken?? They were not nice about it either. I will NEVER go back and will tell everyone else what they did. It was bad enough the meal was awful but the real insult was they would not give a full refund and also their poor attitude. If not for that, I may have tried it once more. SHAME on you!!!! read more

Solid buffet. Great friendly service. The waitresses never tried to hurry or push us out. The food was was excellent for a chinese buffet and the sushi was better than Publix. I'll definitely be back! read more

My husband and I have been here twice - partially because we get coupons, partially because they really are a great buffet - and will go back. I'm usually not a buffet person because I just can't stuff myself like some people can, but I have really enjoyed the food. The lunch price with a coupon is a great deal and I LOVE their sushi. I am less adventurous than my husband when it comes to the variety I eat, but I enjoyed both times I went there and unlike most Chinesey buffets, their sushi actually is good. Never had to wait and the staff is friendly. It's also clean and not icky inside. Great find! read more

Food was really good considering I am from the Northeast and I've had some of the best Chinese Buffet. I like how they have sushi and Chinese. Will return again. read more

Food is always good to me and I come here frequently with my family. It's like a small family outing routine now

I was starting to think that I could not get good Chinese food in the area but Ocean Buffet has proved it does exist. The restaurant is clean, peaceful, and happy as well. One thing they could add for those of us who eat alone..."shared seating" and music. Why not greet and meet while we sit on our seat? LOL...Really...a good buy if you want endless good food. read more

Best buffet in Gainesville ever!love their fried roll sushi! :)

As I said in my previous review 3 1/2 years ago, I find that this is a good choice for an inexpensive buffet. The service has been fast however always impersonal (one likely reason is that the servers don't seem to be able to communicate in English!). On my last visit, my experience truly left the proverbial bad taste in my mouth. Over the years, I have often gone to the buffet line only to pick out a plate with something from a previous meal stuck to it which, I understand, happens from time to time when so many dishes are being washed and hustled back out to the serving area. Normally, I would just overlook this error and put the offending plate to the side and pick out a clean one. However, just the other day, I was completely disgusted by the presence of a long black hair (I mean REALLY long) which was stuck in a piece of broccoli I had selected and which hung off my plate almost halfway to the floor. I was so grossed out by this that I walked over to the entrance area before my dining companion (who was visiting Ocean Buffet for the first time ever) returned from the buffet line to our table. There was one female and one male at the cashier area when I walked over and held out the plate for inspection without saying a word. They both saw the clearly visible offending substance and the female took it away from me and disappeared without saying a word. Now I can understand their embarrassment but I found the lack of an apology from either of them highly insulting. I, understandably, couldn't eat after that and I did have to reluctantly explain to my friend what had happened after he pressed me as to why I was no longer eating. Most astonishingly, the bill was eventually brought to our table with both buffets still being charged! I had to presume that the waitress hadn't been notified of my mishap and that the error would be corrected when we went to pay at the front. My friend was the one picking up the tab on this luncheon and, thankfully, when we went to the cashier area, the previously-mentioned male employee (I assume the manager) mumbled something about having to make an adjustment. I was relieved to hear that but after my friend paid and we had left the restaurant he showed me the receipt, I was shocked that the manager had only KNOCKED ONE DOLLAR OFF OF EACH BUFFET!! WHAT?!?!?!? This is unacceptable, unthinkable, outrageous behavior from this restaurant which now adds a new meaning to the term "cheap buffet." Well, if this lack of respect for their customers is the road that this bunch wants to go, then they deserved to be punished for it. Any other decent restaurant would have profusely apologized and likely comped BOTH meals without question. My previous comments about their food still stand. However, these people are no longer going to get a pass for their inability to keep up with the standards demanded of other restaurants hereabouts. You are now on notice, Ocean Buffet. SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT!! read more