Joy Luck Chinese Buffet

I recently visited Joy Luck Chinese Buffet and had a fairly average experience. The food options available were not bad, though I found the selection to be somewhat minimal. If you're looking for a wide variety of dishes, this might not fully meet expectations, but what they did offer was satisfying. The highlight of our visit was definitely the service. Despite the restaurant being fairly busy, we were seated right away, which was a pleasant surprise. The staff was courteous and attentive throughout our meal, which added a positive note to our experience. As for the atmosphere, it was a bit on the bland side. There wasn't much going on in terms of decor or ambiance, so it felt a little understated. If you’re looking for a vibrant or themed environment, you might find it somewhat lacking. Overall, Joy Luck offers decent food and excellent service, but could benefit from enhancing its ambiance and menu variety. A solid choice for a straightforward buffet experience.

We were sat promptly and asked for our drink order. Everything was clean and hot. Staff wiped up any spills. Food was replaced when it got low. Friendly staff. The place inside and out was clean. We will visit again.

Sad to say this has been my least enjoyed buffet. Food was average at best. Surprised at the amount of fried food on the buffet. Indonesia want fried foods, I want a selection of various meat and vegetables dishes. There is no need for a return trip for me.

We usually go here on Christmas day, as we celebrate on the Eve with family at our place and take the holiday to relax a bit. Our last experience wasn't great, but that was more of an unusual experience. Food is decent for a buffet. Hot pot was not my fav this time. The Mongolian BBQ is usually my go to. Been closed though when we go. I'm not sure after our last experience if we will be returning for the next holiday or take a pause for a different place. Every business staff has an off day now and again. They added a large tip ( we did not even know) not unusual, rather high especially for a buffet. I called wondering why our bills were so high. ( this time our server took drink orders as we walked to the table, gave utensils, hot pot once and drinks ( tea tasted soapy) and even when we asked for replacement tea...did not come back. I got everything we needed from napkins to water and drink refills. Hot pot gets as many refills desired, we had none. We did have a second server drop everything to help at the end. Our server received the tip from one party ( seperate checks) with us that was large, they actually refunded ours after I called about the large descepancy ( went back) and I gave it to the second person that dropped everything to help. We usually tip well on holidays especially, tipping twice ( 4 times really cause we also left tips) for no service wasn't our desired option. I'll return eventually. Not the restaurants fault. The food just wasn't as it usually was either. Usually a fav for buffet.

My husband found maggots in the lo mein noodles and mussels. I told the employee and she told her manager and they both were laughing about it before coming back and offering me 10% off my husbands meal. But he ended up taking his meal off the tab. But I dont understand how a restaurant could have “A” rating with the heath department and have bugs in their food. And I just wanted to let people know .

Definetly a Chinese buffet, atmosphere is great. Very calm and nice environment. The service was quick, they made sure you were taken care of but also left you alone- Perfect balance in my opinion. Decent amount of variety in food. Appetizers, main meals and desserts. All very clean and workers were restocking and mixing food regularly. Decent price for what you're getting. My favorite Chinese buffet in stl for sure.

After relocating from Bay Area in 2012, we searched for traditional Chinese (any Asian cuisine). We originally found JL after reviews in Feast magazine about the homemade noodles. Besides a favorite spot downtown, we visited JL for dinner often. After covid and retirement we relocated. We’re back in town and visited for lunch. Noticed different ownership, less flavor, oily noodles, less fresh seafood options, lots of frozen foods covered with sauces. Finally, the ladies room needs a good power wash of walls and floors. Hope they dedicate more time into quality, flavor and cleanliness.

The food here is great! The entree choices vary day to day. They usually have sesame chicken, dumplings, sushi, and crab Rangoon. They have a salad bar also. And they have fruit options. You can also get dessert and they have lots of options like pudding, fried bread, and jello. There’s also some ice cream in the back behind the buffet.

The servers were friendly enough. The food was subpar. I liked the broasted chicken and my daughter liked the sugar donut. Everything else was bland, greasy, or the texture was off (the seafood bake was fluffy). It wasn't that expensive, but it wasn't really worth the $12.75 either.

We visited Joy Luck on a Saturday evening at around 6:00 PM. It was moderately busy, but there was plenty of space and we were seated promptly. The buffet itself was clean and nicely organized, with a good selection classic Pan-Asian cuisine. All of the food seemed fresh and was replenished regularly during the 90 minutes our party of four dined and talked over dinner. The sushi, seafood salad, and other cold items were very cold, and the hot items were steaming hot, all with good flavors. The crab Rangoon was mild and slightly sweet, and the broccoli beef was well prepared with mild spicing. There was a small array of dessert items, including very tasty melon and a few cakes and ice cream. Service was good and everyone seemed to be friendly. With regard to those reviews stating that staff was unfriendly, we certainly did not notice rudeness, but we did encounter two persons tending the buffet who seemed unable to understand English...so they weren't going to be able to manage a "friendly" conversation. The servers were fluent in English, and very nice! Overall, this is a moderately priced Chinese buffet, not a Five Star steak house, but it was clean and the food was plentiful and tasty. We liked this restaurant, and we will be back!

I haven't been to a Chinese buffet in ages. I'm definitely going back to Joy Luck. They had a nice selection of food. It was fresh and tasty. The prices are reasonable. Customer service was great. The restaurant was busy with plenty of customers. Clean.

The place was packed with Blue Collar men eating alone at individual tables. The food was adequate and the place was not too dirty to eat in. The staff were kind and efficient. The food was not worthy of photos. I ate 10 lbs of food, and only spent $15. It was exactly what I expected for an all you can eat buffet in an old Pizza Hut building. I would

No one will confuse Joy Luck's buffet with fine dining. But many of the dishes are good. Pick and choose what you like. It's filling and (relatively) reasonably priced. Typical St. Louis menu -- egg rolls, pot stickers, crab rangoon, hot & sour soup, egg drop soup, coconut shrimp, chili chicken, General Tso's and sesame chicken, beef & broccoli, white & fried rice, lo mein, some seafood dishes, etc. No pork dishes I can recall. Hot mustard and vinegar available. Easy parking lot, courteous service. We've eaten there on and off for many years, and find some of the negative reviews here to be absurd.

Horrible service before was even seated , decided this is just disgusting behavior with customer service which is a RedFlag . Will not be back to dine here under no circumstances!

Food was good. They had a huge bar to choose from! Go during lunch time for best price. Take a friend or Family Member. Sue S.

Food was not that good/Seems like food had been out for a while and had not been refreshed/sushi was room temperature and hard and was afraid to eat it. They did not bring out more/I've had much better. This was our first time at joy luck/air conditioner. Seems to be not working very well. Was hot inside restaurant. More than likely will not be returning/had to stop on the way home and throw up

This is a buffet full of food poisoning and disease. Worst possible owners and staff, as well as the patrons. Bugs in food multiple times. Pricing is outrageous, and you'll agree once you see and smell the "food". Absolutely do NOT eat here. I and many others cannot fathom how this place hasn't been shut down.

Definitely not a good variety. Subpar quality. No flavor. Service was DRY, Not even a smile. Lo Mein was cold, and no dessert options. Where's the ice cream?? Lol Will NOT be coming back. HOKAIDO IS DEFINITELY THE PLACE TO GO FOR SELECTION, PRICE AND VARIETY.

Ok, I eat here from time to time. Food is common fair Asian buffet. Nothing stands out. That said, they get the job done and the place is clean. Easy location from my work.

We ordered the buffet on our visit to Joy Luck, but I wish we had ordered from the menu instead. The food was pretty bland and nothing was good enough for us to make a second trip to the buffet. It was also pretty expensive, especially for how lackluster it was. However, the person at the table next to us ordered from the menu, and his food looked and smelled amazing. I definitely want to come back to try something from the menu. The booths are all set up for hot pot. This means that there isn't much leg room, but that there is potential for some great food if you ordered from the menu. If I could go back in time, I would forego the buffet and give the menu a chance.

The service was fast and our used plates were cleared quickly. The food was excellent. Everything was fresh and replaced quickly as it was used. The sautéed green beans were exceptional as was the roasted chicken, crab Rangoon and fried rice.

Food was not flavored well. We only saw an employee when we were seated. The food was lukewarm. Would not recommend this place.

The food has declined and I came in today for my mom's birthday u usually pay at the end I paid early so we can just leave when done. we got there at around 3:15. I ask the server do they still serve mussels and crawfish they said only at dinner time. I asked what time was dinner and they said 4pm I looked at the time and it was currently 4pm I said oh great. The server then proceeded to ask me to pay the difference for dinner which I was confused on why since we hadn't left , paid before we sat down and ate and it's a buffet! There were customers there before us that remained after we left however no one else was asked to pay the difference except us and we are black ! I never had that happen to me before and I will not be returning!

A quiet place for a quick lunch or a relaxing dinner. Off the beaten path near Manchester and Hanley road lot Parking. Can be easily missed not a lot of signage on Manchester. The buffet is plentiful with all of your favorite Asian Fare. My favorites are the roasted chicken tender juicy and delicious cut like Peking duck with the skin attached but not as crispy. Seafood delight with crisp zucchini and baby corn and carrots. Stir fried green beans and the spring rolls. They have everything from egg drop soup to sweet dumplings. You can also order ala Carte from the menu, or to go. They are known for their hotboxes as well, but I've never tried it. Friendly staff and fast service make for a pleasant experience. The lighting is low and atmosphere subdued so great for a date night. The crowd had light chatter when we arrived. We will visit again.

Wonderful assortment of buffet selections. They have hot & cold food choices. I like how they have a variety of chicken options. Their fish is delicious too. They offer something for everyone. I've seen happy children eating & cleaning their plates. They are closed on Tuesdays.

Just your average Chinese buffet. The spicy chicken dish was pretty spicy, but I liked it.

Immediately given bill, before seated to dine, weird. Fresh roasted green beans, garlic and olive oil, yumm. Best part of meal for two cost $36. Enjoyed chicken wings. They gradually brought out fresh options, most disappointed was crab Rangoon -- prefer it fried til crispy. Trying place once was enough,

Yikes. This place went down hill fast. Ordered hot pot which includes buffet. Nothing on the buffet was warm. Icecream had hair in it - when we alerted the waitress she went straight to the register to give us a 10% discount - but we weren't looking for a discount- just wanted them to address the icecream station cleanliness.. sadly, I think Joy luck ran its course & it's time to shut down. God speed.

We've been eating there more than 10ys. Quality has substantially declined, wife with diarrhea and allergic reaction from too much MSG. We used to love this place.

This place needs some TLC it's a little run down a little dirty. The food is tolerable. All of the fried food was undercooked barely crispy. I'll not be back

We came to joy luck buffet for dinner. Dinner buffet is $13.50 per person on Saturdays. This is now crowded though the buffet offers a good selection of choices. My favorites from the buffet options include: salt pepper shrimps, mayonnaise shrimps, beef with broccoli and spicy chicken. Everything is decent. I'd visit again when I don't want to cook, while want good selections.

My buddy Andrew told me this is the best kept secret in St. Louis. It brings him Joy when he's down on his Luck... Quite literally!!! Every time he leaves, he buys a couple scratch offs & wins every time!!! All the food was delicious!!! It definitely lifted my spirits on that cold rainy day.

Nope! Ok so the reviews are very mixed and I see why. First the service is absolutely horrible. No greeting when you walk in or anything. The staff seems like they can careless to be there. The food was just ok. The sushi was horrible. Definitely a big no.

Family restaurant fairly quiet very good Chinese food and a little sushi fast service

Joy Luck is a hidden gem that serves classic Asian buffet dishes, but also surprisingly good hot pot. As a seasoned veteran of Chinese buffets, I have high standards. However, they impressed me with their quality selections, my favorites of which were the BBQ ribs and Chinese fried chicken. They have a hot pot option that fully includes the buffet service. Got this with a group of friends today and we were impressed by how good the hot pot was! They provide a seafood platter with shrimp, fish balls, tofu, and vegetables. You also get beef, pork, and tripe (hard pass for me, but each to their own). Overall, this place is a solid Asian buffet/hot pot destination that deserves more attention!

I came two days in a row and can confirm the hot and sour soup and fries are the most decent items out of everything. The exterior/ interior has no personality to appeal to customers. Trying the hot pot was disappointing as the broth and other sides were bland. I won't be returning unfortunately.

Don't go here!! Make the longer drive someone better. The price isn't cheap compared to other places and choices are limited and 99% of the time was thinking I'm definitely getting food poisoning

This food was so disgusting. Watery and no flavor.. Assumed we were taking food from The Buffet. Rudely apologized when proven wrong. Racism's with races in different sections... And when they noticed we couldn't eat the food and we remarked on the lack of flavor the manager came out and told my daughter and myself we were no longer welcome here. Find somewhere else to go. I politely informed him that we were never coming back because the food is not appetizing. And we are sick from it. The service and atmosphere was atrocious. This place is terrible. I will never eat here again....i recommend you do not either if I could give them zero stars I would.

Either I caught them on a bad day or I didn't like my visit here. I went there just after lunch and was seated at a booth, the booth had the burner in the middle. The one who sat us down took our drink order right away and told us we can go ahead and go up to the buffet. I didn't find anything extraordinary there. The usual chinese buffet fare. It wasn't terribly hot, the food was a little old where the employees come up and mix it up because they need to keep it moving because it doesn't get replenished enough. We were there at 12:45 on a saturday. Employees were nice, the used plates got picked up quickly, the drinks were refilled. So I am giving two stars because of decent service, but not the type of food that I'll be craving to go to again. There's a chance we give it a second chance if we're in the area but we aren't going to make a special stop.

I'm giving 5 stars on all of my past experiences here. I've only experienced the dine in HotPot with buffet once, you just need to know what you're choosing,carefully from the buffet. The hot pot was great! More than that I am a long time follower of the Szechuan menu and regularly picking it up to go for lunch at work. This restaurant has been hard to access since the closing of the Hanley Manchester bridge,. So excited that Manchester is open and I can start picking up delicious Szechuan items to go. I have been hoping that Joy Luck would make it through this time as access to their place has not been so easy

Best Chinese food buffet that I have been to in the St. Louis Area. the service is good, well, its all you can eat, but they keep the drinks replenished, come by to pick up plates, to keep your table clear. The food is very good, its all you can eat buffet, and I think, for Chinese Cuisine, it is hard to find a restaurant that can keep up with good tasting food. Joy Luck does a good job, Bringing out food that tastes good. its not lousy food, its good. and thinking, all you can eat, Lunch I believe cost me in the neighborhood of $12.00 and that you are limited to "all you can eat" its really not bad at all. The Location is very nice, very clean, spacious. A lot of tables were available. I would Normally rate a restaurant like Joy Luck in the 3 star's but I gave them 1 more star, because in my opinion, being that this place is ALL YOU CAN EAT, what you pay for and what you get, this place is the best All You Can Eat restaurant in this caliber. that should stand for something. I have been to places where all you can eat was 3 - 4 times as much, the food was slightly better, but it wasn't 3 - 4 times better, maybe just slightly better. Good Value, Good Quality food, Good Service, Good Ambiance, and in this caliber of all you can eat, they are the best, that I have tried in the St. Louis Area

I usually don't leave reviews but I feel it's important for people to know before they come back there were two separate instances where I saw a waiter pick up a piece of cake off of the buffet right in front of me and eat it with his hands. I didn't see it but I heard a customer last time I was here say that they put part of her food back into the buffet to not waste it.

Solid buffet. Food selection was ok and there's some gems in this buffet like the chicken on stick which sits in a yummy sauce and is not on a stick lol or the coconut shrimp. Lo mein is good and so is egg drop soup. Service is prompt and drinks are kept full. The restaurant itself is clean and upkept with nice decorations to help with atmosphere. Only reason it gets 4/5 is because some of the food could have been more hot/fresh and some items needed to be rotated especially on Sunday when there is a premium charge all day.

It's a buffet, they're service is decent, they have almost everything you could want on an Asian cuisine buffet. Nothing that will blow you away, but better than most in STL.

Food is great and fresh! Very nice service and clean organized buffet. Bathrooms are very clean. Best Chinese buffet in st.Louis!!

So we had restaurant road trip at Joy Luck. It was a large group, 28 individuals occupying 4 tables for dinner. I've never done hot pot before so I was excited to learn the ways of boiling my food and indulging in new flavors and textures. You pick your broths and let the simmering begin! I tried tripe, fish tofu (which was surprisingly tasty and one of my new favorite foods), seaweed salad, fish balls and who knows what else. It was such a fun experience! Great company definitely kicked up the experience! One thing to note: They don't serve alcohol! However, you are allowed to bring your own. I wish I'd gotten a picture of all the cases that accompanied our tables! Lol! What a hoot of an evening. I'd definitely come back for more hot pot.

As of 5/28/20, I was very pleased to find that Joy Luck was open again as it is one of my favorite restaurants. They are only open for take-out right now, which is to be expected. I neglected to take a picture, but they have a clever window set up at the inner door to facilitate pick-ups while supporting distancing. I would also suggest calling your order in before arriving. I really missed the salt and pepper calamari and it was done perfectly, as usual. Very happy they are back!

If I could give a minus 1star I would. The name should be Oh Boy Yuck The egg drop soup tasted fishy. The food was not hot. The sushi tasted like plastic. The women's restroom stalls were nasty, one had toilet water on the floor and another had poop on the floor. Will never go there again. Was told once they had pests. Now I do believe that. Will never go there again. Take your changes and meds if you do. Also, the manager refused to make amends. Even refused to acknowledge us upon leaving so we just left the money on the counter while he sat against the wall with his eyes shut. So unprofessional and childish!

loved it. and i'd come back and do the take out. food was hot, and tasty. i couldn't find the bowls at first but ended up finding some, there was another bin that contained dirty ones.

Food is mediocre. But the filth and nasty neglected cleaning is disgusting. I urge you to go anywhere else

My son found this restaurant online, and suggested that we give it a try. Last night we did it. The food is incredible. The experience is even more incredible. The hot pot at your table last for several hours if you sit to enjoy all of the delicacies of this experience. Many people came in while we there, and enjoying what we would call and consider Excellent food and excellent service. Definitely put this on your places of must go.

Cheap Chinese buffet, and I am a fan. A great place to go for a guilty cheat meal. Lots of posts talk about the low quality of the food, but what do you expect from an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet?? It is definitely quantity over quality here though. Have a wide selection of typical Americanized Chinese food, but also have some foods unique to the Sichuan region. In addition to the buffet, they also have a full menu of Chinese food including hot-pot.

Read the reviews and was scared when I showed up to their crusty ass building... the inside was nice and food was delicious (we had their hot pot). The service, however, was HORRIBLE but the food was good so I will definitely come again.

This buffet has the pretty standard Chinese buffet menu. The cost was $30 for two people with drinks which I think is a fair price. I came for a late lunch which I do think effected the freshness and the quality. The trays of food were only 20% full and they never brought out any refills during the time I was there which was kind of disappointing. I had to find an employee to ask for a refill on my fountain drink, but they were very quick to help me. All of the employees were very polite and helpful. The vibe was really quiet and relaxing. The sushi and fried donuts were out the entire time, the chicken wings and majority of the food were unfortunately pretty dry. Overall I would give this place a second chance because the price and staff were good, the food had good variety and if I went at an earlier time it probably would have been 5/5.

I really wanted to like this place since I love Chinese Buffets. The service was great! The food left a lot to be desired. Very dated menu- based many on fried meat products. I liked the baked seafood and fish dishes the best. No tofu or veggie stir frys. Probably would not return.

Service was good, minimal talking and didn't bother us much. Overall vibe was okay. If you're tall I recommend a table bc the booth and table are so close to each other; there's no leg room. Most of the food is just not good. A lot of old stuff out. I did however enjoy the egg drop soup. What really got me tho was the black mold growing in the rice cooker in the buffet. It is clearly never cleaned. Needless to say I'm not going back.

This place has been on my radar for years but as Covid hit and I shied away from buffets, it was put on the back burner. I decided to give it a try via GrubHub or pick-up and it's now one of my go to spots. The food is always fresh and tasty. It's maybe a little more moderate on the price side for a combination plate but everything has been good so far.