Mandarin Restaurant – Vaughan

I usually come here for family ocassions or just for fun with my family but only maybe twice a year.
Last time we came with my family there was a BIG line up. Witch is normal since it’s a buffet.
We got seated in a room but in the very corner,
It was a problem beacause none of the waiters could see us and never came to ask us for drinks or refills. (Recommend not to sit in the corner behind the wall)
Some of the food I really like while others I didn’t, but I love how they have many foods to pick from!
The desserts okay, and the kids loved the icecream that they could pick from.
Overall I do recommend this place ! And would come back but not often.

Was at this location for our office Christmas lunch. Very polite server. Loved the food! An abundance of it! Be sure to book a table in advance no matter when you go. We were there on a weekday afternoon and it was packed with people. Luckily we did book a table. I love Mandarin! Would go anytime!

You require reservations. Even then, you will find empty tables, so that was a little questionable. Beyond that, our server was impressive and the food was great — considering it is a buffet. Meets expectations — what are you expecting? It’s Mandarin!

This buffet is very good for me. My son just ice cream and I so like king crab… Price is so much for weekend.

Honestly these days there’s not great value out of this place. On the weekends they break out crab legs but after tax and tip it’s almost 40 bucks a person even if you don’t buy drinks.
I understand it’s all you can eat but I don’t know many people that can get their money’s worth for this place unless you’re only or mostly eating seafood.
I’d rather just order Chinese from my local place and save over 60 dollars but this place is more of a special occasion place for us. It was a relative’s birthday as it usually is when we come to this place. We’ve been here a bunch of times and there are some changes that they’ve done lately.
They’ve added some raw fish to the sushi area but I noticed they don’t make any actually sushi (nigiri or maki) with raw fish. They have like 3 varieties or so of raw fish (red tuna, salmon, white tuna) to the side. I tried the red tuna and the salmon and they didn’t taste that great and/​or they didn’t seem very chilled. Health hazard? Maybe some of the hot food on my plate warmed it up a bit but it just wasn’t as good. I’ve had sashimi at all you can eat buffets in Miami and it’s night and day.
These days a weekend cost if you don’t eat seafood is NOT worth it IMO. 40 dollars after tax and tip is a lot for Chinese food considering you can get a lot of Chinese food for well under 30 dollars to feed more than 3 people and this place is much more for just one person.
I didn’t see too many dishes empty so they do fill them up fast, even the crab which I had none of and they do have a decent variety of food but it’s not worth 40 dollars per person during the weekends (busy time).

Terrible service.
Long story short; There was a huge line up. Families with hungry children…
And they were making people wait… There a huge section open with only a few tables occupied, and they made excuses to not sit people, on a weekday evening. So we tried speaking to the manager with an IQ of a 3 year old. That was a waste of time, and a bunch of families just left! We ended up at jack Astros and had the best time! With amazing service and food.

Wow! I’d love to be able to say I managed to get far enough to even TRY the food, but after explaining myself over and over and over again that my cell phone number wasn’t a local number and NO I don’t have a house phone, I managed to get my order together, she didn’t understand the address, I spelled it out for her and gave her directions and she still didn’t understand, she didn’t take the credit card I had on hand so I had to call back, I called back and she insisted I come pick up my order then when I said «no, I can’t come pick it up» she forwarded me to the manager.
Not worth the hassle, I hung up and called a different Chinese restaurant that actually seems to want my business!!! No problems with the address at all … Weird Eh?

I have been coming to the Mandarino for years. Over time they have changed and each location also seems to cater to their local community.
Every location has the water feature in the front
Every location has little umbrellas in their signature drinks
This restaurant has become a place for groups to celebrate special occasions because it can satisfy every guests tastes including Mr. McDonalds
That guy can have roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn Niblett and a casa salad
Mr chinois will enjoy some asian treats
Kids go crazy for the dessert bar and pizza slices
Being a pizzaiolo means I am critical of their horrible pizza but it’s for kids not for people like me
One thing that has changed over the years is a better sushi story with more selection. Sadly it still is a generic offering and their customers don’t mind. Jiro who? They ask
For 35 years they have truly offered a big spread and a chance for customers to fill their belly to the brim (which they do) with a very fresh offering of Chinese food
One thing that the group table commented on was how the plates are smaller. That just means you take 2 extra trips to the trough and battle through the crowd around the torpedo shrimps
In order to beat the owner and push him into poverty by eating more than what you pay requires arriving hungry and having a systematic approach to loading your plate on each trip
My 3 tips are to enjoy a half portion of soup as your starter and to scope out the hot grill servings where they may have sirloin steak right off the grill. Don’t have garlic bread or buns as that can fill you up with empty carbs that can be better served with more kung pao chicken

Worst parking out of all mandarins*. Not enough spots.
Otherwise just like all the other ones. Good «Chinese» food.
*yonge and eglinton is pretty bad parking too, but they have plenty of spots there, you just have to pay.

By now, if you haven’t visited a Mandarin Restaurant, you must be living under a rock. They seem to be popping up everywhere.
Anyways…as you enter the restaurant you’re greeted by a chorus of staff yelling their catch phrase… «Welcome to the Mandarin». It’s uncanny how they are all in synch and in tune with each other.
A host/​hostess will escort you to your table and along the way you’ll pass by the buffet. They will make small chit chat with you and explain the buffet stations and explain any specials they have. Once seated, your server is usually at the table within a few minutes.
The buffet is massive… there are the following stations:
Chinese Food (usually 2 stations)
Salads and Soups
Desserts — pastries, cakes, pies, ice creams
Sushi
Mixed — Roast Beef, pizza, etc
For a buffet, the food isn’t bad… probably one of the best when it comes to choice, price and quality. The service is friendly but they know that you’re there for the buffet so they stay out of your way. Empty plates are cleared away quickly. Beer is reasonably priced although some of the mixed drinks can be a bit pricey.
In order to suit the clientele and the restaurant is a buffet, the food is Canadianized/​Americanized Chinese food so the fare is: Chicken Balls, Lemon Chicken, Springs Rolls, Pepper Beef (the spiciest dish I’ve had here), noodles, rice, etc. If this is what you like when you have Chinese Food this is the place for you.

I have been going to Mandarin about once or twice a year since 1989. As a child, this was the best place to eat — when food was about quantity instead of quality.
The reason they have succeeded in my opinion is that they are consistent. When you go to Mandarin, you know what you’re going to get. Decent service and lots of food choices for you to gorge on.
Mandarin is a westernized Chinese buffet restaurant. They have a selection of the western Chinese food classics — pork ribs, chicken balls, fried rice, spicy green beans, crispy chicken wings. They have western foods during dinner — roast beef, mashed potatoes, frozen pizza, steamed carrots, grilled steakettes, chicken and sausage. They also have a few desserts: a decent selection of ice cream, cakes, strawberry. Salads and soups etc! Lots!
Lunch runs you about $ 15 a person while dinner is about $ 30 with taxes. The $ 15 difference is noticeable ie. all the expensive and good stuff (crab legs, prime rib, chocolate strawberries, sushi-​ish) is available only for dinner.
When I was young, I’d eat anything and everything.
But now — I’m about maximizing value when I go there. This is essentially what I eat when I’m there (dinner):
Plate #1: 10 steamed crab legs, 6 breaded shrimp sushi roll pieces and 6 Philadelphia cream cheese roll pieces and smoked salmon sushi pieces.
Plate #2: see plate 1
Plate #3: see plate 1 — I might add a slice of roast beef and/​or grilled chicken
Plate #4 — 3 steamed crab legs.
Plate #5 — dessert — 3 chocolate covered strawberries and a waffle quarter with a scoop of ice cream.
The wait staff clear our each of your finished plates quickly, and keep the glasses of water filled.
It isn’t fine dining — it doesn’t claim to be. It’s plenty, quick and fairly tasty — consistently so. It’s this consistent quality that has kept me coming back.
RS

This chain has consistent fast fresh food in all locations I’ve visited throughout the years.
It isn’t suppose to be authentic Chinese food, so I don’t rate or compare based on that.
It’s a Canadian Chinese restaurant concept and it’s execution is superb. .
All locations have an extensive salad bar, soup, BBQ, hot foods, drink menu and desert section. This makes it popular place to please a wide variety of patrons palettes.
As for service, I’ve never had a complaint here. They are very friendly (sometimes so much is feel fake: p), everybody including the chef, hostesss, and most especially your table servers.
From Barrie, Newmarket, North York, Scarborough, Markham Brampton, and this location I’m reviewing in Woodbridge I would say they are all consistently good.
I just choose based on location not because one place does the food better.
Really I don’t know why all the hate for it. Ah haters will be haters.

I was here for the first time last week! I went with about four co-​workers for yet another office lunch. Always enjoyable food, and a pretty busy crowd considering it was lunchtime on a Wednesday. Our waitress was super helpful, as one of my co-​workers has a list of food allergies. The waitress was able to tell us what was in every dish, and which ones to steer away from. Definitely going to come here again!

I love mandarin… yes I know it’s very «american» and I know you have to make reservations or prepare to wait… and dinner can be pricey ($ 21/​person) but I love it. Where else can you get fried rice, fried chicken, chicken balls, french fries, roast beef, mashed potatoes, sushi, pizza and shrimp under one roof? No matter when you go and which location you go to they don’t dissapoint. I love their variety of salads, their delicious wonton soup and mouth-​watering dishes and their tempting desserts! And best of all you eat until you can’t move. lol

I’m one of those guys that thought negatively about Mandarin growing up. Maybe I was SHORT and that all the adults at a busy Mandarin blocked my vision to the food and I had to wait until my turn. It was also considered «Canadian» and «Expensive» especially the ONLY time I went during dinner.
It wasn’t until co-​workers taking me back to this Mandarin for Lunch that I’ve noticed a different vision. I’m the one IN-​CHARGE now and expensive only refers to dinner and not LUNCH. In my books Lunch has value and dinner does not.
Mandarin does special CELEBRATIONS and that’s usually the period when we go and eat because there’s EXCITEMENT in the air or at least NOISY patrons but it’s expected of a buffet place.
Nothing out of the usual in terms of the Décor, Setup, Food, Service, etc… I’ve experienced a 30 min wait here once, as I’m told from the hostess because I fled once I heard the wait time.
The FORTUNE COOKIES do not have Lucky Lotto Numbers anymore and sometimes you might want to ask for more than 1 Cookie as the last few times with a table of 6+ we tend to get duplicates of each others. I’m BAD LUCK so I don’t believe anyone can have my identical fate!
I tend to do my own STRATEGY at buffets but now it comes second-​nature. It’s also one of the GREAT places to experiment with your PLATING DESIGNS. No one will judge you and you have all the time in the world to play around.