I had very bad experience in this restaurant. Pictures are so misleading. There was absolutely nothing except lamb shank (which was not good), rice and grape leaves. They gave dates for desert.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Subhadeep Nag (Deep)
During my recent visit to Chef Malek Buffet and Banquet, I encountered a service attitude that significantly detracted from my dining experience. Upon entering the establishment with the intention to peruse the buffet offerings before making a decision, I was met with an unexpectedly rude response from the lady managing the venue. She persistently questioned my intent to dine, repeating, "Sir, we have the same items as before. Are you going to eat or not?" This approach felt unwelcoming and pressured, diminishing the usually enjoyable process of selecting from a buffet.Moreover, I observed that the buffet was sparsely stocked, being only about a tenth full, which further contributed to my hesitation. Unfortunately, the management's demeanor fluctuated unpredictably, oscillating between moments of niceness and instances of rudeness without clear provocation.Another point of contention was the justification provided for the exorbitant pricing of the food. The explanation implied an exclusivity of supply that did not seem to reflect the reality or quality of the offerings. According to the manager, their supplier's unique access to out-of-state produce was the reason for the high costs. However, based on the quality and selection available, the prices did not seem warranted, appearing excessive for what was provided.In summary, my experience at Chef Malek Buffet and Banquet was marred by unwelcoming service and questionable value for money. The fluctuating customer service and the disproportionate pricing strategy were major detractors, making it difficult to recommend this establishment based on my visit.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Susanne HB
Who wrote all those 5-star reviews? For starters, there was almost no food. The food that was there was mediocre at best. The lamb shanks smelled like they had been sitting in their fat too long, so nobody wanted them. The chicken legs were tough. Lots of empty trays and pots. No lentils. There was an eggplant dish that was quite tasty but that was it. You cannot charge this amount of money and then don't provide food. We had gone there because of the good reviews and the halal food and were super disappointed. We will not come back.
Curtis Chen
Horrible
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jon Elliott
Our server was great. Food was delicious and we were so full trying everything. Tea, coffee were also excellent. Very delicious and healthy meal. We will make it our weekly visitJon &
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lentil Soup
Arvin Freeland
Lamb was falling off the bone, very tender and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony Andrews
Was a one and done. Will not be going back ever again. Was not worth the $24 a piece for me and my wife.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
jeffrey minnis
I always like trying different types of food and this place did not disappoint. The staff was excellent as well. If you are tired of the old restaurants give this place a
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Harvey
First of all, the sign outside that says “perfect food” is misleading. The woman running the place complained about how nothing was set up correctly, food was missing, she feels like she “babysits her staff.” This was our first impression given. The buffet is small, with half of it salad. There is no falafel, no pita, and when someone asked about French fries, the woman said “this isn’t McDonalds.” There were three kinds of rice, one of them almost made my son throw up it was so bad. The chicken and steak kabobs had been sitting there forever and were too tough to even chew. The food was without flavor, and the only thing edible was the hummus. I say this as someone who has lived in the Middle East. I know good Middle Eastern food and culture, and this wasn’t it. $24/adult is absurdly high priced for this small “buffet.” I see now why no one was in the restaurant. We miss Amer’s Grill!
PassOK, here you go,....We went on a Friday night, and it didn't look anything like the pictures, at all. That must have been for the opening week only. And the 5 star reviews must have been from opening week. Minimal selection. The food was hard and dry like it had been sitting out all afternoon since lunch. No flavor, no seasoning. We got sick after eating there. It is set up like a catering buffet, not like a real restaurant buffet. They don't bring out fresh food. Save your money.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mahreen Mamoon
Just the lamb was good. Rice was dry..no body showed up to clean our plates. Food wasn’t refilled. Never going back. Absolutely not worth $50
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
KB 24 #
I’m not sure why there are any 5 star reviews. Maybe there was a completely different kitchen staff on the days when they went than when we did. The food had zero taste and the texture was like it was heated in a microwave. They would only put 5 pieces of meat out at a time and people had to wait a long time for food to be put on the buffet. We tried to talk to the waitress about our experience and she got defensive and argumentative. I’ve eaten at no less than 6 other Arabic restaurants and this was by far the worst one. Oh and it’s $25 per person. It’s not worth the price at all. I wouldn’t even pay $5 for the food we had today.
Ahmed Khames
Authentic and delicious Iraqi cuisine!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zead Khames
Great food options, service is really good, and the owners are really nice.
I had very bad experience in this restaurant. Pictures are so misleading. There was absolutely nothing except lamb shank (which was not good), rice and grape leaves. They gave dates for desert.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
During my recent visit to Chef Malek Buffet and Banquet, I encountered a service attitude that significantly detracted from my dining experience. Upon entering the establishment with the intention to peruse the buffet offerings before making a decision, I was met with an unexpectedly rude response from the lady managing the venue. She persistently questioned my intent to dine, repeating, "Sir, we have the same items as before. Are you going to eat or not?" This approach felt unwelcoming and pressured, diminishing the usually enjoyable process of selecting from a buffet.Moreover, I observed that the buffet was sparsely stocked, being only about a tenth full, which further contributed to my hesitation. Unfortunately, the management's demeanor fluctuated unpredictably, oscillating between moments of niceness and instances of rudeness without clear provocation.Another point of contention was the justification provided for the exorbitant pricing of the food. The explanation implied an exclusivity of supply that did not seem to reflect the reality or quality of the offerings. According to the manager, their supplier's unique access to out-of-state produce was the reason for the high costs. However, based on the quality and selection available, the prices did not seem warranted, appearing excessive for what was provided.In summary, my experience at Chef Malek Buffet and Banquet was marred by unwelcoming service and questionable value for money. The fluctuating customer service and the disproportionate pricing strategy were major detractors, making it difficult to recommend this establishment based on my visit.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Who wrote all those 5-star reviews? For starters, there was almost no food. The food that was there was mediocre at best. The lamb shanks smelled like they had been sitting in their fat too long, so nobody wanted them. The chicken legs were tough. Lots of empty trays and pots. No lentils. There was an eggplant dish that was quite tasty but that was it. You cannot charge this amount of money and then don't provide food. We had gone there because of the good reviews and the halal food and were super disappointed. We will not come back.
Horrible
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Our server was great. Food was delicious and we were so full trying everything. Tea, coffee were also excellent. Very delicious and healthy meal. We will make it our weekly visitJon &
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lentil Soup
Lamb was falling off the bone, very tender and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Was a one and done. Will not be going back ever again. Was not worth the $24 a piece for me and my wife.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
I always like trying different types of food and this place did not disappoint. The staff was excellent as well. If you are tired of the old restaurants give this place a
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
First of all, the sign outside that says “perfect food” is misleading. The woman running the place complained about how nothing was set up correctly, food was missing, she feels like she “babysits her staff.” This was our first impression given. The buffet is small, with half of it salad. There is no falafel, no pita, and when someone asked about French fries, the woman said “this isn’t McDonalds.” There were three kinds of rice, one of them almost made my son throw up it was so bad. The chicken and steak kabobs had been sitting there forever and were too tough to even chew. The food was without flavor, and the only thing edible was the hummus. I say this as someone who has lived in the Middle East. I know good Middle Eastern food and culture, and this wasn’t it. $24/adult is absurdly high priced for this small “buffet.” I see now why no one was in the restaurant. We miss Amer’s Grill!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Friendly service and fantastic food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
PassOK, here you go,....We went on a Friday night, and it didn't look anything like the pictures, at all. That must have been for the opening week only. And the 5 star reviews must have been from opening week. Minimal selection. The food was hard and dry like it had been sitting out all afternoon since lunch. No flavor, no seasoning. We got sick after eating there. It is set up like a catering buffet, not like a real restaurant buffet. They don't bring out fresh food. Save your money.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Just the lamb was good. Rice was dry..no body showed up to clean our plates. Food wasn’t refilled. Never going back. Absolutely not worth $50
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
I’m not sure why there are any 5 star reviews. Maybe there was a completely different kitchen staff on the days when they went than when we did. The food had zero taste and the texture was like it was heated in a microwave. They would only put 5 pieces of meat out at a time and people had to wait a long time for food to be put on the buffet. We tried to talk to the waitress about our experience and she got defensive and argumentative. I’ve eaten at no less than 6 other Arabic restaurants and this was by far the worst one. Oh and it’s $25 per person. It’s not worth the price at all. I wouldn’t even pay $5 for the food we had today.
Authentic and delicious Iraqi cuisine!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food options, service is really good, and the owners are really nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5