Fortune Star Buffet

Business is closed since June 2011. We went to Empire buffet in Laurel instead.

This place has closed; not sure why.

I love to eat food. Im very open minded. I love buffets. I went to Fortune Star Buffet the other day, and at first glance, there were alot of people there, a pretty big variety of what to get including Phở and sushi. Now knowing buffets and their foods sometimes can get stale depending on what the supply/​demand is for each type of food. But when I came, it was pretty busy, so id thought they would bring new foods out more often. I grabbed my first plate and started eating… Almost everything on that plate was either stale or it went bad. Only thing that was actually edible and enjoyable was the fried rice, lo mein, and the dumplings. But the meat dishes, sushi, and some desserts were just horrendous. The service wasnt good. And when I gave them a good tip out of generosity and consideration, they didnt even say thank you or even smile back…
Not terrible. Not bad. But Terribad.

I’ve been here a few times and I would only rate Fortune Star a little higher than Panda Buffet (under old management).
In it’s early days of opening, Fortune Star was like the Mecca for lovers of Chinese buffets. However, over the years, the quality of the food and the variety are both lacking. Having experienced a large buffet in Charlottesville, Fortune Star now seems like nothing. The sushi is boring and cheap (usually just Californian rolls, mostly with imitation crab, cream cheese, few with raw fish), the hot foods can sometimes be left out too long & the staff is slow to replenish seafood (like crab legs, oysters etc).
However, that is not to say that the food is inedible or anything. Fortune Star is a good place to go if you’re feeling particularly lazy one day and do not want to cook, so I would not go in with overly high expectations.

When we went there when they first opened a few years ago, their food was different, fresh and well-​made. Since then, their quality has gone downhill consistently and it was obvious they were taking shortcuts. Last night was the last straw — we will never go there again.
— The shrimp shumai seemed old and had been sitting in the steamer for a while
— The sushi was mostly the crab stick type — they really didn’t put out anything with sashimi
— There was a bin for crab legs with no crab legs the entire time we were there
— Aside from the shumai and the turnip cake with solid pieces of turnip there was nothing else that could be considered to be normal dim sum fare
— My wife was freaked out by the cockroach crawling up the wall.
I also don’t like how the wait staff hover around when you’re counting out cash to leave for a tip.

I ate here once and from then on, I always think of it whenever I will have party, I had a big party last March and I ordered all food there. T‘was a hit! The manager was so. nice too– Nick! He personally delivered the food in my party and even followed me up after the party to see how everything went. Sad, he was transferred to another location-​Rockville, they said. The next time I ordered for my birthday, the new manager, David was trying his best to be nice too! The food was really good. Some of them resemble Filipino food. Try it to believe!

I ate lunch here recently. There’s not much to say about this place other than it’s a typical, run-​of-​the-​mill Chinese buffet. If you go into it accepting it for what it is, you’ll be ok. But if you enter the place with lofty expectations, you might be disappointed. Food was a little on the greasy side, which again, was not all that unexpected. And I found it a little odd that I couldn’t find one single egg roll or spring roll. I’m not sure this place would necessarily be on the top of my list if I wanted to go to a buffet again, but you can’t beat $ 6.99 for an all-​you-​can-​eat lunch. That’s a good deal.

Came here on a Friday night. Seems like there is an okay selection for a buffet, but the turnover rate for the food is slow (aka: food may be too dry, sitting there for a bit too long). The service was a bit sour too (more sour than what I expected at a buffet).
There is one island of dim sum which wasn’t too bad. They needed to just pan fry the chive & shrimp dumplings and the turnip cakes for a tad bit longer. The dim sum in the steamers were a bit dry though. There also had a decent selection of Chinese baked goods which was quite pleasant and fresh (the red bean one was quite good! Better than the Maria’s Bakery ones). These items were the only decent food at this buffet.
For dinner, there wasn’t much special dishes/​seafood available as I had thought. They had crawfish (very gritty, ugh), clams (some undercooked), snow crab legs (there wasn’t many left; no refill when we were there), steamed whole tilapia. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t any sauteed crab or anything.
The sushi… sad and tiny.
Overall, SX and I thought that the price was a bit too much for the offerings. We also thought, that maybe we shouldn’t go to anymore Chinese buffets since we’ve been to some really good ones back home (aka: East Buffet, Best Buffet, Minado, Green Fields in NY/​NJ).
This buffet was disappointing.
Side note rant: you have to pay before you are seated. I am not a fan of this. Apparently, other buffets in the area do this too? Why? I can’t even see the goods before I hand over my money… ugh, I just feel that this business practice is just plain rude and a backhand to the customer’s face.

Will not subscribe to the theory that because it is a buffet that a different set of rules apply. The food either tasted good or it didn’t. I do feel that I am being a little generous with the 2 stars anyway, taking into account that it was a slow night at the chinese pig trough.
Found the sushi to be about the only redeeming choice the night I sampled the goods. Certainly not $ 14 per person worth but. .. The wife enjoyed the lo mein and fried rice but that stuff is a no-​brainer.
Found the squid, fried salt and pepper style, and in Vietnamese soup, chewy like an old shoe. Yuck. As for Vietnamese style soup, fake crab was gross, squid yucky, shrimp ok and the broth tasted like it was out of a can.
As it was a Saturday night they had Dim Sum offerings. The dumplings were mostly terrible. Disgusting Pork Bun. One saving grace was decently flavored Shrimp Dumpling, that i barely got one of as Asian customers were flocking around fresh batch (my clue to get some.)
Tried a chicken foot, that was ok but suffered from too much time on the buffet. Crab legs and «baby lobster» (looked like crawfish to me) set off a feeding frenzy among the few customers that night and I didn’t fight for my share. Other authentic Chinese dishes like Sticky Rice with Chinese sausage was gluey disgusting bland mess. Lost hope after too many disappointing bites.
Desserts pretty bad all around, took a bite of quite a few then proceeded to spit them into my napkin. Not worth the caloric intake.
All in all, won’t go back, ever. Don’t see the need.

My husband and I checked out Fortune Star Buffet on a whim last Sunday, and will definitely return again. Not only did FSB have a wide variety of buffet-​style dim sum samplings, they ranged from basic vegetable fried rice to baby lobster, tripe, and squid. My husband happily worked through all these meats, and promptly went back for seconds.
FSB also had a good vegetarian selection, and I loved their bok choy with black mushrooms and the mustard greens. The fruits/​salads and desserts were a bit generic and dry tasting, but the flavors and tastes of the last two buffet stations made up for all of it!
For $ 13.99 per person for an all-​you-​can-​eat, FSB was well worth it. The service was prompt, courteous, and helpful, and the place itself was casual, perfect for large groups/​families. Enjoy!

The staff was nice and helpful but the food was average at best.

This place is really great if you have friends in town, an old friend took me to this place and I am not usually one for buffets but, this one was more like dim-​sum than a buffet. They have traditional chinese dishes and deserts that remind me of hong kong specialties, and they have regular american-​chinese things like beef and broccoli and egg rolls, french fries etc… so very kid friendly. The best is their Seafood and veggie collection, they also have tons of fruit, if you are a vegetarian there are tons of options for you here. I also like the fact that they make smaller amounts and refill often, so the food is fresh and hot.
I has the sea salt pan fried scallops, salt and pepper squid, crawfish, shrimp fried in hot oil, sweet and sour fish, chinese broccoli, asparagus and other stuff. oh and they have good mei foon. I tried a little bit of everything. It’s all labeled so, you aren’t blind into what you are dipping into.
I have no complaints, this place is always busy but there is tons of room for everyone. The best time to go is on a weekday or earky on the weekend when its $ 8 before 3pm and after that it is $ 12 or $ 13 per person. Their sushi is pretty fresh and good too.

Being a lover of benedicts, corned beef hash, grits, country fried steaks, bacon, a country fried steak wrapped in bacon covered with grits… droooool…excuse me, I just caused my self to drool w/​my delicious typing. Where was I? Oh right… I think whoever invented the concept of serving breakfast all day was a genius! And now, you can have dim sum (Chinese breakfast food) all day at Fortune Star Buffet, and you don’t have to elbow old Chinese ladies w/​those massive purses in order to get a table.
Food — The buffet is separated into 4 islands.
Island 1 is the lame island — cold foods, jello, pudding, etc… that’s all I have to say about Island 1.
Island 2 has soup (hot & sour, egg drop, seafood soup, and a few others) and decent dim sum (roast pork bun, shrimp noodle tube, duck feet, tripe, pork feet, various types of dumplings, radish cakes, sesame balls, and meat-​filled buns). It’s not fantastic by any means, but $ 13.99 on weekends for AYCE is a bargain considering dim sum averages anywhere from $ 15-​$ 20.
Island 3 has the «Chinese» food you might be accustomed to at a Chinese buffet — chicken w/​broccoli, General Tso’s, pepper steak w/​onion, etc… Most of this food is just ok but the shrimp w/​snap peas is excellent — the peas are crispy and the shrimp are de-​veined. There’s also whole steamed cod, something you don’t see every day.
Island 4 has the rice and all things fried. I love fried food. To reiterate, I love fried food, but just b/​c you batter some inferior food-​like product and fry it in oil doesn’t mean it’ll taste good. In fact, this whole Island gives fried food a bad name. For shame! *Wags finger*
There’s also a sushi section, and perhaps Empire Buffet has raised my expectations b/​c I found the rolls here to be poor. It’s mostly rice rolled w/​either cream cheese or fake crab meat; the spicy tuna tastes mushy; and the rolls w/​a deli-​thin slice of tuna or salmon on top aren’t very good either. The noodle soup bar might be novel for those who are accustomed to lower-​tier Chinese buffets, but for those who’ve been to something like City Lite, the noodle soup bar here is laughable in comparison. The ingredients aren’t that great, the broth tastes like canned chicken broth, and they take close to 6 minutes per order. And since this buffet can get packed, you may have to wait a while for a subpar bowl of noodle soup. There’s also a wonton noodle section, which is essentially the same thing as the noodle soup bar, only they cook it on a grill.
Finally, they have a wide assortment of baked goods. There’s a sign above it stating that baked goods are $ 0.65/piece for carryout, but they are included in the buffet price. If you really want to carry it out, that’s what women’s purses are for. Sure, they typically can’t eat their money’s worth, but they more than make up for it with the room available in their purse. So make sure you bring at least one woman along. Not that I do that… just sayin…
Location — Drinks are not included in the prices and the lunch buffet ($ 7.99) is M-​F 11am-3:30pm and dinner ($ 13.50) is M-​F 4 – 10. Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays is $ 13.99, but as Lisa S. noted, the holiday policies are rather asinine. The day after Christmas? Chinese New Year? I asked if the food is different on holidays vs. a typical lunch and they said since it’s Chinese New Year, they had special food and what not. LIES! ALL LIES! I went back the next day at lunch and the spread was the SAME! So if you’re intent on getting the lunch price, make sure you call ahead to make sure they’re not celebrating Flag Day or Administrative Professional’s Day.
In addition to the prices, the bathrooms are horribly inadequate. Yes, they are clean, but there isn’t enough water pressure for the toilets to do what they’re supposed to do, esp. for a Chinese buffet. Trust me, I’ve tested them. So if you do have to go, make sure the stall you choose has the plunger in it.
Finally, the interior is huge and it gets packed. What’s odd is that you almost never see old Chinese people going to Chinese buffets, but there’s always a lot of ‘em here, which I don’t much care for b/​c they usually mistake me for being Chinese and when they see I can’t speak Chinese, they mutter something to each other.
So the dim sum is good, as evidenced by the Chinese clientele, but the rest of the food is just ok, drinks aren’t included in the price, and they take Prices May Vary seriously. As a result, I much prefer Empire Buffet a few miles down Rte. 1. But for breakfast anytime, Fortune Star is a great choice.
P. S. «Free Buffet for Birthday. Please show ID (Minimum 4 people).»

Today was my not work day so I decided to drive up to Ellicott City, MD and give my parents a visit. My parents recommended this place and I was very hungry so I said «LETS GO!!»
There are many variety of items to try from dim sum, sushi, and your regular chinese stuff. The food was very good. You know the chinese food is good when you have more chinese customers than others.
Only pitfall is the area location. Restaurant is located near distribution centers so lots of 18 wheeler trucks. Also I like to see some labels on the food items of what they are. I ate a frog leg, YUCK! Not my choice of seafood. I thought they were deep fried scallops.

Don’t go during weekends, if you do go early. Go during their lunch time, which is 8 dollars and it’s alot less crowded. There is a bit for everyone here. There are tons of options Alaskan Leg crab and raw oysters for seafood lovers, the usual Chinese buffet fair for the less adventurous and even the standard buffet pizza. What makes this place such a good value is the outstanding Dim sum selection, fairly good sushi and made to order wonton or phở soup with your choice of ingrediants. Very authentic and ethnic, as you can tell by the customers who frequent here.
My only complaint is the terrible customer service here, I came here with a friend with birthday and got in argument with a waitress about whether or not birthday people get free pop. Service is definitely lacking, but then it is a buffet and it generally draws cheap fat jackasses that don’t tip. I’d wouldn’t try either if I had to put up with people like myself.

As Mark S. said in the first review here, don’t expect your usual Mega Chinese buffet with french fries, pizza, and Fifteen Kinds Of Chicken In Brown Sauce.
If I had to describe Fortune Star quickly, I’d call it a ‘Dim Sum Buffet’. Most of the dishes are things you’d find on the beat-​up metal carts circulating at your run of the mill dim sum joint. Chicken feet. Beef tripe. Sticky rice with Chinese sausage. Several kinds of dumplings and buns. All are well prepared and, while not outstanding, hey, it’s a buffet! In JESSUP. Next to the TRUCK STOP. And lunch is $ 8.
Did I mention they have a sushi bar, with all you can eat sushi that’s actually halfway decent? Also, they’ll prepare-​to-​order noodle soups with stuff in them. I’m not exactly sure what the ‘stuff’ is, but next time I’ll find out.
There are enough roundeye-​safe dishes here to fill someone up, but this is a place I’d only really go if I knew all my dining companions weren’t terrified of stir-​fried octopus and something woefully translated to ‘shrimp in rice tube’.