Doesn't Recommend

Jamie W.

Joined 4 months ago

Have not been here in a while. Last time we were very pleased. However, the trip yesterday was a nightmare. The food was not good. There was a smaller selection. Staff was rude. Oh and they had chicken strips for the "chicken" part of sweet and sour chicken. Very, Very disappointed! We will never eat here again...

Doesn't Recommend

Robert L.

Joined 1 year ago

Declining Badly Since Remodel and New Competition. Am switching to a new buffet nearby because of much higher quality food and a better setup for customer service at the buffet.

A recent remodel at Crystal Palace actually reduced the value of the dining experience. It was a serious mistake and may be a nail in the coffin ending this restaurant's existence.

The new electric buffet tables do not keep the food as uniformly hot as the old gas tables. They make it harder to access the food which is now kept in smaller pans that run out more frequently than the larger pans on the older tables.

The traffic pattern at the buffet was changed to allow access by customers from only one side. This does allow the buffet to be serviced by employees without disturbing guests but creates large backups when many customers are on line.

The frozen dessert (ice cream) machine is constantly out of adjustment producing ice cream that is more ice than cream. Numerous attempts to repair this older piece of equipment have not produced results that last.

Frequently, improperly washed dishes are placed out for use and are rejected by guests.

Lacking a hibachi bar is a big minus compared to many other buffets in the area.

Hope they can turn it around but feel that this restaurant is now doomed. The volume of customers has recently taken a big drop.

Recommends

K Benvenuto

Joined 3 years ago

AMAZING BUFFET!!. I dont know what those negative reviews are talking about! I am in LOVE with this place. I need "fixes" that how much I love it! The just did alot of renovations and now it looks even more amazing. Same great food if not even more! I love the crab rangoons and ALL the desserts! It has an amazing selection of food. And now that Im writing this I might just need to go for lunch or dinner , I'm making myself hungry for some! :)

Doesn't Recommend

theloveburts

Joined 3 years ago

Most Money I Every Paid for Low Grade Food. Our family of approximately 6 people ate there on a Friday early in the evening (5:00 pm).

The place was packed. The food was not particularly good. The restaurant was dingy, not too clean and poorly lit to keep people from noticing. The whole place really needs an upgrade.

They kept asking everyone in our party if we wanted crab legs over and over and then we noticed a little card on the table stating that they had raised to price of the buffet indcuding crab legs to $24.00 per person! Thye also raised the price on the regular buffet as well. The little card said something about people eing "wasteful" as the reason for the dramatic price increase.

This restaurant used to be one of our favorites but I don't suppose we will be going there again.

Recommends

Lisa C

Joined 3 years ago

Great Overall Experiance. Great food and a huge buffet. Waitresses and other employees were very friendly. Food was fresh and hot. I would definately go back and recommend to all my friends.

Recommends

saturnfan

Joined 5 years ago

Can't Understand the Negative Reviews. We've been going here once or twice a week since Crystal Palace opened about 15 years ago.

The food's great including the crab legs. Buffet tables are frequently refreshed and cleaned to be sure the items are full and fresh.

We really enjoy speaking with the owners since they are friendly and truly enjoy dealing with their customers.

It's just shocking to read the negative reviews and we wonder if some are being entered by competitors since several new Asian buffets have opened in the area.

Just got back from dinner at Crystal Palace. Love the vegetarian delight and the moist flavorful rice. A vegetarian's delight for me. and many selections for the rest of the family.

Give this buffet a try if you enjoy Asian food.

Doesn't Recommend

kiamsha227

Joined 4 years ago

Crystal Palace OMG What a Dump!. I had not been there in about 2 years but I had been singing it's praises to a friend of mine. Well, last night we went for what used to be a great dining experience. OMG was I in for the shock of my life!

The selection was pitiful and the food was unappealing and horrible! The sushi was a big dissappointment because there were only 3 choices and those were more rice than anything else. The buffet choices were dismal at best and visually as unappetizing as anything I'd ever seen, not to mention tasteless. The crab legs were not fresh, bland, and overcooked to boot! When I don't indulge and enjoy the crab legs anywhere, you can trust and believe there's something wrong! I always liked to finish my meal there with the prime rib - another major disappointment! My dinner guest tried it and took only one bite before pushing it aside. I took a good look at it and refused to subject myself to it. It was so far below being properly prepared (as close to raw as you could get - did they kill the animal 5 minutes ago? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my prime rib medium rare, but visually it was dry red and gross. I wouldn't even attempt to taste it. The offerings next to it looked as if they had been sitting there all night and it was only 8:00!

I completely missed the warning signs - the place looked as though it had been evacuated by everyone who figured out earlier that the food was worst than garbage. The surroundings were dark (probably so you couldn't see just how dirty the place was), there was no atmosphere, no ambience, no comforting feeling. You can imagine when I got the bill how pissed I was - $40.00 for the worst food I've eaten in ages. I normally would have complained to management but I didn't have enough strength because I really hadn't eaten. I guess this is what happens when an establishment decides to hire cheap help in the kitchen in lieu of qualified staff who know what they are doing! I'm always leery of a chinese buffet with not one Chinese person in the kitchen!

Bottom line, run and run fast! It was a huge disappointment and an experience I will never repeat again. The place should really be shut down! There's a better place down Capital Blvd. in the mall where Food Lion is located. I had gone there last week and absolutely loved it!!! The selection was outstanding, the sushi was excellent, service positively a joy, atmosphere was amazing, and the price was cheaper! Maybe that's where everyone else went last night because they knew better. Now I do too - you couldn't pay me to eat at Crystal Palace again!!!!

Doesn't Recommend

snitch4

Joined 4 years ago

This place sucks. I ordered fried rice and the meat was dry as a rock. who knows where the chicken came from. The shrimp had a funky after taste. They charged 7 bucks for a bunch of crap. What a dissapointment that the restaurant sucks. The down hill trend continues and the place sucks ass

Doesn't Recommend

Mel71

Joined 4 years ago

Has gone waaaay downhill. I have been here a number of times over the past few years and my visit this past weekend is making me rethink any future trips. This place has really gone downhill.

They do have a good selection of food to please everyone, but seriously, the place really needs a good scrub down. My shoes were sticking to the carpet as I walked to my seat. They had been a little wet from the rain outside, but them sticking to the carpet tells me the carpeting is filthy. You can look at it and see how discolored and soiled it is. I pulled out a chair by the back and my hand just about got stuck to the metal backing of the chair. They obviously do not wash those. They should really consider doing a little remodeling, replace the carpeting and open the blinds to let a little light in the place.

Recommends

Vsaxena

Joined 4 years ago

Best Chinese Restaurant in the Triangle!. This is by far the best Chinese restaurant in the entire Triangle. The food is diverse, the staff is kind, and the experience is breath-taking. If you had a bad experience at Crystal Palace, then I apologize. But please do not base your judgment on merely one visit. Visit often and give Crystal Palace a chance. It truly is the most delicious and mouth-watering buffet within a 2 mile radius. I promise! Eat there! But please... don't work there! :-D heheh. God Bless. 1 Luv. pEaCe