Grand Buffet
I’m not really big on buffets. There are only three places I (and my family) ever go to where buffet is the norm: Fogo, and the brunch at the Ritz and the Renaissance Waverly hotels. But my mom is a big hot pot fan and Grand Buffet has been the place we’ve been going to for many years. It is also one of the oldest places to offer it.
Grand Buffet is a Chinese super buffet. The have tons of food including king crab legs, whole steamed fish, sushi, and fresh oysters aside from the usual Chinese fare. But we only go here for the hot pot alone. Sadly, the atmosphere became unbearable as years went by. Serving utensils are greasy, the floors are wet and slimy, the smell is dank, the carpets are moldy, and the tables are sticky. Just thinking about it grosses me out. So we stopped going all together.
But last Friday, my mom insisted we give it another try. We were doing the no-meat-on-Fridays during Lent and seafood hot pot seemed like a good idea. I wanted to go to Mini Hot Pot but my mom wanted all the fixings that were only available at Grand Buffet. Besides, she contended, we were going to cook our own food anyway so we know it’ll be clean. It’s hard to argue with her so we let her win.
Well, what a surprise — the place was immaculate! The floors were scrubbed clean and spotless, the serving utensils were all clean, and the food were neatly and nicely placed in their steam trays. I was literally astounded. The food has also tripled in quantity: there were lobsters in ginger/scallion sauce, barbecue duck, crawfish, frogs legs, Chinese barbecue, and even dimsum! We didn’t touch any of the buffet items so I can’t comment on the food. But the hot pot items have expanded: fresh shrimp, blue crabs, Manila clams, crawfish, giant clams, mussels, fish, oysters; assorted tofu, dumplings, and fish cakes, plus various green leafy veggies, and several kinds of mushrooms. You can really go overboard with your hot pot fixings here.
A welcome surprise — the place is spotless, the quantity and quality of food have improved, and service is outstanding. I’d put this place back on my rotation for hot pot. Incidentally, the place is under new management. I’ve seen this place get a score as low as 70 on their health inspection. This visit, they’re at 92.
Insider tip:
Located off Shackleford Rd. next to Home Depot and Oriental Pearl.
Buffet: $12.95 (daily)
Hot Pot: $14.95 (available during dinner on Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
The scoop:
Grand Buffet
1825 Liddell Ln
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 279-0606
Technorati Tags: buffet, seafood, hot pot, Duluth, Gwinnett, Chinese super buffet, sushi, dimsum
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Food Near Snellville // Mar 19, 2009 at 11:31 pm
If I haven’t said yet, I took my family here on your recommendation and my whole family had a great time of it. Ironically, we then go home and there is the Anthony Bourdain show (No Reservations) on China, with Mr. Bourdain sweating his way through an immensely hot Szechuan style hot pot..
2 MAGGIE // Jun 5, 2009 at 7:38 pm
THIS RESTAURANT GOT CLOSED BY GWINETT COUNTY HEALTH DEPT MANY TIME. THEY GOT AS LOW AS 17 ON THEIR SCORE. JUST TODAY, JUNE 5TH, 2009 AROUND 3 PM THEY GOT CLOSED AGAIN BY THE HEALTH DEPT.
FOR THIS MANY REPEATED CLOSED DOWN BY HEALTH DEPT. THEIR CLEANINESS SHALL BE IN QUESTION.
3 Chloe // Jun 6, 2009 at 12:47 am
Maggie, thanks for the info.
Here’s the link to the current inspection report dated 06/05/09. They have until 06/08/09 to correct all violations before being allowed to open:
According to the report:
“Permit is being suspended for Grand Buffet due to 2 consecutive U’s on routine inspections. Compliance conference has been scheduled for Monday, June 8 @ 9:00 am @ Gwinnett Environmental Office. PIC/Owner must bring detailed corrective action plan to compliance conference. Release of permit is contigent (sic) upon re-inspection.”
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