Upon entering the restaurant, NJ Buffet, customers are greeted by beautiful Oriental stained glass windows and doors, walls of brown-auburn wood and gold tiling, and colored bubble tanks!But, do not be fooled by first appearances.

The interior design was not as appealing as the restaurant’s entrance. There were oval shaped lamps of multiple colors, triangular prism shaped lamps with red and yellow stripes, and then a few crystal chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. They all clashed. The tables looked like rectangular cut-outs of Jupiter which looked extremely odd against the red and gold carpeting. It was very compact and loud in the restaurant and you could hear the conversation from the table next to you. The awful music did not help at all. At one point I was listening to “Maid With the Flaxen Hair” orchestral piece and then Britney Spears singing “Oops, I Did it Again.” The table dividers are even see-through, giving minimal sense of privacy. I wish I had something better to say about the food.

At the buffet there was something called “Steak Pie” which was a dark brown pile of awful. The lo mein was extremely greasy and lacked flavor while the majority of the food seemed hastily fried. The sushi-bar had huge variety, and the sushi would have been great if it were not served at room temperature. The shrimp cake had too much breading and not enough shrimp. The dumplings were obviously poorly fried and did not taste appetizing. All of the soups were very watery. The worst thing I ate was the “Special Clam.” It looked and tasted like a clamshell stuffed with yellow, bronze-topped vomit. I had no idea what on Earth I was eating. Surprisingly, the Sesame Chicken tasted great. It had the perfect sweetness and a touch of saltiness. Unlike other buffets, NJ buffet had fresh fruit such as pineapple slices, kiwi, and cherries, which was a plus. Overall, however, I was not impressed with the buffet. They had food choices that sounded great, but did not look or taste that great.

The service was “all right.” The workers were nice, but, a worker stepped on my foot while taking my dish away. Several of them were dressed in black attire but then I spotted a few in jeans and casual shirts and sweatshirts, which looked very odd since they looked like customers cleaning up the buffet area and restocking dishes. They handed the bill to me and took away my plate before I was even finished eating which was very disappointing. The bill total was $29.70 for two people. I could get a better meal with better service for less than $14 somewhere else, so I do not recommend dining at NJ Buffet. If you’re looking for a classier setting with top-notch sushi and buffet, I suggest going to 23 Buffet in Wayne.

Ratings 1 out of 10 (10 being the best)

Buffet: 3

Sushi-Bar: 6

Service: 5

Appearance:5

Price:6