Royal Buffet

This place is closed. The food was average at best and the service was poor. No wonder they closed.

i went to royal buffet one day, restroom is not clean, most food are dry, food taste not fresh, service is bad also, i do not like at all, i will not come back anymore.

Like Bruce before me, I was going to mention that the Royal Buffet had taken the place of the Derby Diner before it. I don’t think that the Royal Buffet will supplant the China King down the street, as the Royal Buffet is smaller (a lot smaller, actually), but it definitely can serve a purpose — mostly because it is a well-​tended buffet, and unlike the China King, you get fresh sushi rather than the mass-​market variety from the China King.
The selection on the buffet itself isn’t outstanding, and nothing really sets it apart from any other buffet (if in the area and looking for a buffet, I’d probably go to the Dragon House on Woodlawn), but it’s not bad, and it does appear to be kept fresh — or at least it was during the time that we were there.
Most of the dishes are pretty standard meat and vegetable variety, and service is good.

This Chinese buffet opened in what used to be the Derby Diner, in the Costco shopping center on Tyvola. It’s barely a mile from the long-​standing «Super Buffet» a little further west, so I’m not sure why there is a need for two so close to each other.
The Royal Buffet has the usual standard chicken beef and pork dishses on the steam table. It seemed like they were a little lacking during my visit — the chicken teriyaki tasted like simple grilled chicken. Aside from being well charred, it had no flavor. The chicken and brocolli was drowning in sauce. Something labeled «pork chop» was large slices of, I assume, pork mixed with vegetables. The highlight of the tables was the full size ribs, which were meaty and delicious.
There is also a separate area for sushi. Most of the time, the sushi at a Chinese buffet is sort of an after thought. Not so here. This is a mini-​sushi bar with several different rolls and salmon, shrimp, crab stick and other nigiris. There is also a sign posted that they will make several different sushi items to order at no extra charge. I made two visits for these fresh rolls and was stuffed.
My glass of water was refilled often. The restaurant looked clean and the staff checked the condition of the buffet table on a regular basis.
Overall, I was pleased with the Royal Buffet. I would recommend the sushi more — for $ 12 including soda and tip, a pretty good deal.