Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Smiley's Cafe

    3.3 (43 reviews)
    InexpensiveBuffets, Chinese
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Smiley's Cafe Photos

    SMILEY'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Smiley's Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    a dining room with a table and chairs
    Genevieve P.

    Hello fellow restaurant-goers, I am leaving a review for Smiley's Cafe due to my outright dismay at the standards I witnessed there. If you love Smiley's Cafe- this review isn't for you. However, if you have a penchant for delicious food, quality service, and nice restaurant surroundings - don't ignore what I'm about to list. Smiley's is a buffet. The one time I went there, on November 15th, 2023, some of my food was lukewarm. If the food is lukewarm in the serving basins; it isn't food safe. And no, I didn't wait for my food to get cold. Secondly, the food doesn't taste 'right.' At least not the soup that I tasted. It tasted more than 'off.' Also, the water that I was served had a dirty film floating on top. I didn't drink it. When my boyfriend and I entered the Smiley's Cafe unit in the mall- none of the tables were clean. If I recall correctly, there were no other customers there. We were assigned a table that I wouldn't have chosen. Because the staff member chose that one to clean. As I was sitting down at the table, I pulled out the chair next to me to set down my stuff. The chair had a huge chunk missing-- ripped open. If I were the restaurant owner/manager, I would have that chair replaced! After getting my food ..I looked up from my chair.. and in the corner of the restaurant; there was a huge spider web-- CAKED with dust. Horrified, I thought to leave- but since I already had my food; I decided to give the place the Genevieve Parry, (or Gordon Ramsay-style,) treatment. After I left, I felt dirty and gross on the inside. Wouldn't recommend, and honestly would vote to have the place shut down. It makes Alamogordo, NM. look like a joke. I already put in a tip to the State of New Mexico's Food Safety Program. I went back in to Smiley's on the 8th of December and took a photo of the spider web- which I've included for my review. Thanks for reading. P.S. My boyfriend wrote this: "There were what appeared to be food stains and small bits of dried food stuck to the wall next to our table, and they looked like they had been there for a while." He also mentioned to me that he got lukewarm food, and another dish with soggy breading. Food in buffet tables should be kept at a temperature of 140°F or above. Not to mention, changed out with fresh food every so often.

    Michael W.

    The serving size is absolutely insane for the price you pay. They hook it up big time. The food is always fresh. The potato's and mushrooms are delicious. All the chicken is good. Noodles and rice are good.

    Store front (entrance is inside White Sands Mall)

    See all

    29 days ago

    always delicious and fresh, Gret variety of dishes, but wish they had more veggies. We always go for lunch when visiting Cloudcroft area/

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Great food and lots of choices. We eat here on a regular basis, usually to go. If it fits in the container you're good.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Arguably the worst Chinese food I've had. Buffet style, it's cheap, and definitely not worth it in my opinion.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of D C.
    0
    5
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    We actually liked this Chinese food option. No service really needed, pay, pick out and eat. Inexpensive, quick and clean.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Michael W.
    110
    112
    180

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike R.
    63
    31
    42

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Fred S.
    0
    10
    12

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    For the price it is unbeatable anywhere. Clean, nice, interesting atmosphere and my wife likes it even more than I do.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Salem T.
    30
    18
    24

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    This place is really good. Price is fair and people are very polite. I come to this place atleast once a week.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of M M.
    0
    18
    0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    This place is awesome! Great service, decent food. Small but really good for the price. Will be going again!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Smiley's Cafe

    Review Highlights - Smiley's Cafe

    It's in the White Sands Mall, but the food is a delicious buffet for a reasonable price.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino - Beautiful view

    Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino

    2.7(366 reviews)
    29.6 mi
    $$

    4 Stars - A High-Desert Blackjack Fever Dream…read more There are casinos, and then there are casinos that feel like a mildly hallucinogenic roadside poem written at 7,500 feet above sea level. This is the latter. The blackjack tables here are loose in that beautiful way that makes a gambler feel briefly chosen by the gods. Chips slide, cards slap the felt, and the dealers and pit bosses carry a refreshing lack of casino stiffness. Nobody's breathing down your neck like a tax auditor of sin. The vibe is relaxed, almost conspiratorial--like the whole room knows we're all here for the same ridiculous dance with probability. Two dealers deserve special mention. Makaila runs a table like a jazz drummer--smooth, quick, unflustered. June, meanwhile, is a delightful menace. She enjoys tricking players into thinking she's pulled a blackjack. She'll pause, squint, grin, and for a brief moment the table collectively experiences a small existential crisis before she reveals the truth. It's performance art disguised as card dealing. The hotel itself sits out in Mescalero, right beside Ruidoso, overlooking the calm waters of Mescalero Lake--a high-desert lake that looks especially poetic when the mountain air hits your lungs like cold champagne. At 7,500 feet elevation, the place has that crisp alpine quiet that makes you feel like you've wandered into some strange mountain monastery... except the monks are holding blackjack chips. Inside, the casino is modern, comfortable, and easy to navigate. Outside? The parking lot is a bit ugly--like a sun-baked asphalt lizard. But it's shaded, which in the high desert counts as a civic virtue. The crowd is mostly reasonable. Sure, every casino has a few characters who appear to have been assembled from spare parts and bad decisions--but overall the patrons were friendly. I even noticed quite a few young women comfortably playing at the tables, which usually means the atmosphere hasn't drifted too far into creep territory. The rooms are spacious and many have great views of the lake, which adds a peaceful counterpoint to the card-table chaos downstairs. And if you're the adventurous type, there's a disc golf course nearby plus plenty of walking trails along the lake. It's a nice way to clear your head after battling the dealer and the laws of mathematics. One practical note: Hydrate like a camel preparing for a desert opera. The air here is dry enough to turn a raisin back into a grape. Would I come back? Absolutely. Between the mountain air, the laid-back blackjack, and the occasional theatrical dealer mind-game, it's a wonderfully strange little high-desert gambling outpost. Four stars. Bring water. Bring luck. And keep an eye on June's face when she peeks at that second card.

    The hotel and room were very nice. Far exceeded our expectations. The views were lovely…read more The "blond haired witch" that evidently is the manager for the very upscale restaurant and bar was rude, condescending, and over the top. We were unaware of a private event being held in the bar. The bartenders fixed our drinks and she let us all know that a private event was starting. Why wasn't this advertised? Why was she screaming at everyone to leave. "Go outside!" "Finish your drinks there." Well, several of us did attempt that. Not only was there a LARGE oversized DOG on the patio (I'm extremely allergic and I doubt it was a service animal) but someone else was also SMOKING out there. Did she address either of those issues? So we took our pricey drinks to our room. When we came back down at 7 the area was packed, Smokey (?) and chaotic. The bars in the rest of the hotel/casino don't compare with this one. Why wasn't the extremely over priced restaurant opened to the private party instead of the bar which many of us wanted to utilize yet couldn't. The restaurant was nearly empty. The night prior when I inquired about reservations she told me to go to Open Table. "Do you utilize Open Table? Just go there." OK. I do. But why couldn't she take our reservation? What a piece of work. Our breakfasts and bar tenders in the Broken Arrow were fabulous! It was obvious they were locals and took pride in their job. Was interested in the spa but there were no price sheets available. Was told to "look online" but still couldn't access the information. So I didn't "spa it." We don't gamble but came for the ambience, the food and drinks, and the scenery. We will come back. Hopefully Blondie will be GONE! Y'all can do so much better. ###

    Photos
    Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino - Fun Comedy Show- TheCOPCOMIC.com

    Fun Comedy Show- TheCOPCOMIC.com

    Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino
    Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino - Amazing woven basket fountain, pretty mountain views and a giant tree in the lobby made this a perfect December getaway.

    See all

    Amazing woven basket fountain, pretty mountain views and a giant tree in the lobby made this a perfect December getaway.

    Golden Corral Buffet & Grill

    Golden Corral Buffet & Grill

    3.0(56 reviews)
    65.6 mi
    $$

    Every so often you just have to hit up a large buffet and that's what I did today for lunch. It had…read morebeen eight years since I had been to the Golden Corral. This buffet is much larger and busier than the Asian Buffet in town. It is well managed, clean, and orderly. The prices are very reasonable. But, at the end of the day it is a buffet and you are not going to come away thinking you just had a fine dining experience. As before, most of the food I sampled would be in the "C" to "B-" range regarding flavor and quality with some items in the poor range. Nothing was real good or outstanding as you would expect. I found the meatloaf, the popcorn shrimp and sauce, the roasted potatoes, the hash browns, the fried chicken and the teriyaki chicken to be fairly good. The dinner rolls were mediocre as were the breakfast sausages and the onion rings. The pizza had a decent enough sauce but the crust resembled cardboard. The spaghetti was mediocre and the marinara sauce not so good. The fries and hush puppies were outright poor. The service was pleasant and efficient, The young women were doing a nice job of timely clearing tables and assisting people. I left feeling full, but not really satisfied with the overall dining experience. I left the restaurant not being sure I wanted to repeat the adventure! Rate the dining experience about THREE AND A QUARTER STARS. Ok for a large buffet but not the experience we look for when dining out. It of course all depends upon what you're after. If you just want to "pork out" for a reasonable price the Golden Corral is an option.

    Always look for Big Trucks parked near by! Not a place for a young couple wanting a memorable meal…read morebut sadly not much competition in the buffet world nowadays leads to the cheapest food often reserved and proper food temps are something consumers need to be aware of. Sorry but when they advertise a specific item I've found that others before have scooped up and generally disappointed! Mostly canned goods, what you should always ask to look at buffet before you pay .

    Photos
    Golden Corral Buffet & Grill
    Golden Corral Buffet & Grill
    Golden Corral Buffet & Grill

    See all

    Smiley's Cafe - buffets - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...