Joy Luck Chinese Buffet

Their dishes are hidden gems! Very tasty and authentic Chinese food at a fair price! It’s underrated in the Google Map reviews. I’ve been there several times. This is also a great place for vegetarians. This time, I went with my Indian friend who only eats vegetarian, and he liked the eggplant and tofu dishes a lot.

The food just was not that good. The steamed rice, fried dumplings, potatoes, and the green beans were the only foods I enjoyed. The fried rice looked horrible and dry. The noodles were a strange color. A decent variety for a Sunday but the hibachi grill was closed.

We were looking for a quick bite in the area due to time constraints. We decided to give this buffet a try. There was plenty of parking next to the restaurant. The exterior and interior of the restaurant probably need some upgrades. The food was average. Staff were aloof. The price was reasonable.

Great food friendly service with plenty of options. Food portions are 🤜🤛👍👌

If I was able to leave negative stars I would. If you want the most bland unseasoned Chinese food in St. Louis then look no further. We were so excited to try the hot pot and it was absolutely awful! It tasted like unflavored spicy fish water. I’d rather risk getting shot in the hood and get a delicious meal that this garbage.

I have been coming to Joy Luck for many many years. In all the times I have patroned this restaurant, it has NEVER disappointed. The atmosphere is classy yet comfortable with the perfect amount of lighting and an aroma of freshly made cuisine that gets your mouth watering as soon as you enter. As for the food; I have occasionally ordered an entrée, which was absolutely perfectly prepared, but I mostly order the buffet. The buffet is quite possibly the best in St. Louis. It continuously has the freshest selections from their salad items all the way to their hot foods. No matter the time or day, I walk out, not only impressed, but left wishing I had not gotten that last plate. It is absolutely delicious. The staff who see you are taken care of are attentive and eager to assist you in any way they can. I never thirst for a refill, that's for sure!! Overall, Joy Luck is by far one of the best restaurants in St. Louis I have ever experienced, and I look forward to my next visit.

Our favorite Chinese buffet! Don’t let the bland building scare you away. Super nice staff, good food, hot and fresh. They are always checking the food and replacing it to keep it fresh. The chili chicken is the best. Great dumplings.

Food was good, we enjoyed the buffet. There were many choices of what to eat. They serve Coke products. It appears that you can cook you own food at your table

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.

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'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.

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,

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.

Chinese buffets are not very common, and while I wouldn't describe the food at this place as exceptionally excellent, it's quite delicious for a buffet. The price is reasonable, the variety is satisfying, and overall, it's a good choice. My only gripe is that the bathroom looks a bit intimidating. However, if you're looking for an affordable Chinese buffet, Joy Luck is a solid option.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

The food here is a good bang for your buck! Getting a substantial amount for just $15 is a steal - probably the best deal around. Btw it is a buffet so you can eat as much as you want! While I might not make it a regular spot, it's a cool experience to indulge in a variety of dishes for that price. It's worth it if you're super hungry and looking to save some cash!

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 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.

The food and service were absolutely amazing. This makes the 2nd time we have eaten at Joy Luck. I will choose this location every time we're visiting the St. Louis area. Thank you.

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.

Used to be a pretty good place to eat. Second time I was really disappointed. Went at 5 and nothing was fresh. The soda was also bad. They were willing to take off the soda the bill, but when you go to tip, the hiked up the tip percentage after tax which is sneaky. The bathrooms were very dirty. Both men and woman.

Food was not good. The interior needs a good cleaning. An hour later I had an upset stomach. I will not be returning.

Its a typical Chinese Buffet. Same as every other we all have been to. Place is pretty clean. But isnt a Must Try at least at 230p

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.

Honestly this is a very good and interesting buffet. I would definitely recommend this buffet to everyone living 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.

This place seemed dirty and was dark. Items advertised in the reviews were not on the buffet. No crab legs, no frog legs, no beef roast. We filled our plates anyway but after bites of 2 different dishes that tasted old and soured, we got up and walked out. $14.99 a plate for nothing special and I was worried about food poisoning after trying the mushrooms and green beans. My husband loves a buffet but needless to say, we won't go back.

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!

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.

Ok their Sichuan menu and its items off that menu are LEGIT! One of the best chili fish dishes I've had in STL and just overall the 4 dishes we ordered were all very well made (fish, crispy chicken, green beans, intestines....all "chef's kiss" good). I am pretty thrown off by its 3 star average rating! They're open for dine-in. Not to pit other places against each other but this is wayyyyy better than the places on delmar/loop area.

My dad found this buffet and we all went for lunch on a weekday. He was super happy that he got a few dollars off for the senior discount. Normal price is about $8 per person for lunch. They do charge for kids, even for my 2-year old daughter who probably ate 1 piece of fish and 1 dumpling total. I didn't expect much because...2 words: Chinese buffet. But, it was still tasty, with tons of options, if you're hungry and wanting variety. The buffet had the usual array of fried everything: shrimp, chicken, crab rangoons. I filled up on the green beans, which were delicious stir-fried and flavorful. I also enjoyed the dumplings, sushi, clams, fish, various soups, and my mom loved the custom-made-to-order noodles where you can choose your meat/veggies/sauce and the chef makes it for you on the spot. One of my favorite desserts is jello, and their jello and ice cream did not disappoint. However, the cakes were super dry and flavorless so I wouldn't recommend them. The people at a neighboring table ordered a hot pot which arrives with tons of meet and veggies to cook yourself, and I'm totally trying that out next time because it looked pretty authentic!

When looking for a nice lunch spot after a day of tracking thrifts and watching the random people of St Louis, we found this place...after missing the turn off due its failry small sign on the road. After going through the car washy and placing our jeep into 4 wheel drive to jump a curb, we managed to acoid hitting another car that decided to turn through the parking lot at the average speed of a normal highway police chase for this time of day. Moving along to the buffet itself, we were greeted quickly and they have non-sweet tea and Coke products so Diet Coke it was. There are about 5 food stations ranging from cold foods that I NEVER touch and neither did anyone else by the lok of everything barely touched by 1pm at this point but the chicken slection and beef entres were vary aplenty of options indeed. The fried donuts were good, but the crab rangoon and egg rolls were a little tough to eat and to throw due to my Tommy John's Surgery arm still not diagnosed yet. OVerall, a decent little lunch spot and a fair price but there are more options if you need to be blown away. If you're just hungry and not too picky, this place will do.

Over priced , under seasoned and not friendly staff .

Came here for the first time for dinner with a large group. We were seated quickly, and they were prompt in organizing what we wanted. Almost all of us ordered the hot pot. They have special tables with stove tops for the hot pot ($21). Hot pot comes with buffet!!! If you order just the buffet, it's $11. I was debating between hotpot or buffet, but my friends said you really only come here for the hot pot so I tried it. Hot pot comes with buffet, so I couldn't lose really in terms of food, not cost. We did the regular half normal, half spicy hot pot (first one on top on hot pot section). Lots of ingredients were set out for the hot pot, but it was unclear which meats were what when they came out until we had to ask again. Imo, hot pot was okay. Wasn't really my favorite. Friends said it's either you like it or you don't. Especially based on the spices and broth. I was thirsty from all the gorging of salty food, and I never really got my refills of water when I needed them. Plates took a while to get out of the way sometimes, but we were there for a while...so I get it. Other than that, it's a fair place to eat. You can get better Chinese buffets for sure (mediocre sushi, etc) BUT If you like Chinese style hot pot, then definitely try it out.

A Saturday night at 8pm I was looking for some good Chinese food in a relaxing spot. This wasn't the place for either. The food wasn't awful: It just wasn't as good as it could have been if items weren't overcooked. And, in an era of mega-buffets, Joy Luck had fewer selections. On the plus side, the hibachi grill allows you to choose your ingredients for a customized, quickly cooked entree. However, the hibachi ingredient trays lacked enough kitchen tools (spoons, tongs, etc.) for all items, making me wonder if some tools were cross contaminated by sharing between veggies and raw meat. True, meals are cooked on a hot griddle but the lack demonstrated inattention to details. The buffet did have a few items not seen with other buffets. Something called Old Bay Seafood included small crawfish claws, skin-on prawns that were a challenge and messy to open, and chewy calamari. Some food items were anonymous because no labels described what were in the food trays. From experience I knew one side item I enjoyed was seaweed salad but a label would have been helpful to someone unfamiliar with the dish. Several small children--either another diner's or some of the staff's family--were allowed to run and play unattended in the dining area. They weren't misbehaving but a restaurant isn't the same as a playground. The men's bathroom was a horror: It was dirty and smelled like a porta-potty. The paper towel dispenser was empty. For $12.50 the meal was competitive with other buffets but the food quality and dining experience weren't.

At a Chinese Buffet, the typical expectation is quantity over quality. Walking into this establishment gave that expectation a twist. You are presented with four buffet tables, however two of them are dessert tables. I was expecting a bit more entree-related food for the price I was paying ($17.78). I started out with a plate of white rice and honey chicken. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The rice was a different story. Was cooked, however was distasteful. Next, I had Lo Mein with broccoli beef. Noodles were excellent, but the beef was also distasteful. Finally, I finished off with some chocolate pudding and strawberry cake. Both were lacking in coldness. It almost felt as if I was eating an entree based on its temperature. Overall, some food lacked in quality, which is most important in a review. I may return sometime soon, but only if I'm really craving it. It will not be a planned visit.

Food: 1 Star Service: 1 Star How does this place maintain a 3.5 star rating? Are we reviewing the same place? What the heck do these people eat at home??? D: I'm sorry, but the stuff they serve here can't be described as "food" as it's foul, stale, and hardly edible. We came to try their hot pot (their specialty) as it also included the buffet. The Buffet Line: Dingy, dirty, old "food". Not sure how long it had been sitting out. I think the only item I could stomach was their pepper chicken. The Hot Pot: Stale broths with equally stale veggies with freezer burned meats. We spent nearly $200 for 5 of us. I would have rather dined out in Clayton for the same amount...