Ichiban Grill & Buffet

Read bad reviews online but decided to try anyway since it was nearby… my mistake.
Servers were nice but the food was… tasteless.
Mac and cheese was watery… no real sushi… all the chinese food had that particular spice scent that i really dont like (usually most lomein and fried rice taste the same but… not here.)

A buddy an I were just looking for a quick bite to eat and we thought about this place. We walked in and were sat down drink orders were taken and off to the buffet we went. We are both general tso guys so we pretty much went in for the kill on that… it was one of the best we have both ever had. Chicken on a stick was great too. Neither one of us is a sushi person so I can’t comment on that. Overall the place is clean and well taken care of. It’s a Chinese food buffet not a 5 star restaurant .you get what you pay for. I gave it 4 stars because of the desert. only hard ice cream and stale pastries.

Anyone who has been here back when it was «Majestic», knows how awesome that place was. ‘Ichiban Grill & Buffet’ however, was a disappointment. I dragged my friends a long distance (us being from Mount Olive) to go to this place, still basing my expectations on my memories, despite knowing this was a completely different and newly managed restaurant. The price for the dinner, for the quality… not so sure. If I need a Chinese food binge, I usually throw my tasting palette out the window, but I would still sum this up as disappointing. Service was decent as most buffets are concerned.
Entrees was the weakest and most disappointing. I actually had a hard time trying to find chicken dishes to eat, and usually that would be my safety net if everything else was bad. I did manage to fill myself up, as this buffet was pretty big in variety. There’s nothing that stuck out to me, again, as I had a hard time finding a simple chick dish. One thing I remember being disgusting was one of the chicken dishes (sorry, can’t remember or save you from the mystery steam tray).
The dessert bar was large and surprisingly good. Large, pre-​sliced cakes, pastries, and hard ice cream freezer. I highly recommend the carrot cake. I’m usually a huge fan of hard ice cream, but some of the flavors were pretty gross. I don’t know how that could get messed up.
It’s not fair to keep seeing this place as the wonderful ‘Majestic’, however even looking past that, this was a pretty disappointing experience. Honestly, the dessert bar saved this place of getting a one from me.

No. Just no. I don’t care how cheap it is, they’ll have to pay me to eat here again. My family and I went here because we thought it was an all-​you-​can-​eat sushi place — we’d been here when that’s what it was. It closed for a while, then re-​opened and is now just a horrid buffet. Lots of «sautéed» or «baked» items swimming in butter and oil; scary-​looking sushi; dried out kebabs; tasteless desserts. Save yourself the trouble and avoid it. Not going back. Ever.

I went back for lunch about a week or two ago, and their lunch price has gone up. Not by much but every penny counts.

I went here yesterday evening for the first time. I enjoyed the food. Everything was fresh and not dried out. They had seafood, including crab legs and lobster, and meats, sushi, fruit, rice, lo mein, etc as well. The restautant is clean the service was good also. I would definitely come again! :)

so now I’ve seen where buffets go to die… if you find yourself even contemplating coming here… don’t! you’ll thank me. came in on a Saturday night, thinking that there should be an decent crowd… boy was I wrong… absolutely empty it felt like a cafeteria at a homeless shelter. And the food forget it… it looked as if it was sitting there since 12pm. cold, dry, and disgusting… and the service oh man, it was like mindless drones. nobody smiles or greets you… so yeah steer clear of this place!

On their handwritten posters outside and the signs in the door, they advertise their Mon-​Fri prices of $ 5 lunch and $ 10 dinner. No hours or prices are posted anywhere otherwise. They do not tell you that the Sunday dinner price is $ 15.99. Nor do they tell you that 2:30 on a Sunday classified as dinner. Most places I’ve ever been to do lunch until 3pm.
The food is nothing to write home about, but ok for buffet. Lots of food was lukewarm, one cake on the dessert area was moldy. Some food trays were not being replenished that much, and the sushi area was practically empty.
The fried foods were best, because we all know anything tastes great when it’s fried.
Best items to try: ham, donut, country chicken, seafood cake, beef ribs, hot & sour soup, sesame balls.
Skip: most of the desserts (which were dry, or moldy), deep fried blue crab, veggie lo mein, pizza,
Everything else was in between.
Also, one person ordered tea. We decided some of us might have tea later, so just asked the waiter to bring 4 cups — one for each of us. He brings out 4 cups and a metal teapot with hot water and 2 teabags in it. On the check, we were charged for 4 teas. We disputed that, so they only charged us for one tea. Most places I know charge you per what you order, or per tea bag, at most. Two of us didn’t even drink tea.
So: if you are going to eat here, go on a weekday. For $ 5 or even $ 10, it’s worth what you pay for. Not $ 16 though. Make sure you ask them beforehand whether you’ll be paying for lunch or dinner. They will try to nickel and dime you if they can, so ask about everything. Unless you don’t care. Then enjoy some cheap buffet food.

Been here three times on saturday’s, first time meh, second time I was very impressed! third and final time meh again. I am not saying it was not worth the price since it is very cheap, but I am looking for a balance of quality and price. This place is fairly priced for what they are offering.
I noticed yesterday, which was when I went last, that they lowered their prices. Hmmm? This was reflected in what they were offering. The sushi was not being replenished to keep up with demand and it was also of lower quality than offered before. Many of the other dishes offered were just lacking luster. However, for what I paid I cannot complain! For two, the bill was $ 21.00 and this included an order of tea, which was extra. My situation is that I am not looking for the cheapest buffet so much as a good buffet that is reasonably priced. For someone who just wants to eat a cheap meal, Ichiban will do just fine, but for someone looking for freshness and flavor and willing to pay more, this place will disappoint.
I am not a hibachi fan and so never use this option, but it looks like they have a respectable set up. The ice-​cream selection is also a plus here since it is of the scoop variety and pretty good as apposed to most other buffets which offer soft serve with no flavor. So in summation, Ichiban is a practical lunch spot at best, but not for someone in search of fine dining.

All right, everyone who is ripping this place a part needs to realize you’re paying $ 7.99 for lunch something like $ 14.99 for dinner which is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than any other buffet’s prices — so lower your damn expectations and realize you’re not going to get a raw bar and a variety of fruit options and all that jazz. You’re getting what you paid for and on that note, the quality and consistency of their food is pretty damn good.
I went with my friend for lunch so I can’t speak for dinner — which I’m sure is better. Their sushi is decent, the pieces are small and the rolls are constantly changing — at least they were throughout the time that we were there — so there aren’t any name cards, you pretty much have to look at the ingredients and know what you do or don’t like. We certainly ate more than our moneys-​worth just eating 2 plates of sushi alone. My friend just stuck with the sushi and had no complaints while I did venture out to the rest of the buffet from the hibachi to the soups — everything is pretty consistent even when they need to refill the buffet which is actually impressive since sometimes when buffets restock the dishes the quality can be rather iffy — I hope they keep this up.
Truly my only complaint is regarding the shrimp. The shrimp is unpeeled — that I don’t mind — but it also still has the legs on them as well. The shell is already enough work to eat around, couldn’t you just de-​leg the shrimp for us too? I would complain about the head being on too but it doesn’t bother me as much as I know it bothers others.
All in all, when I’m super hungry and don’t have much money on hand I would definitely revisit this place. My friend and I went there as an alternative to spending $ 20 on a sushi-​lunch. I’m willing to go back and try dinner.

Their food is average, their service is okay and prices too high. Should’ve gone to another buffet. Very unpleasant experience

Would have to say this is number two worst buffet… first off if u have kids and use a 10% off its not for the whole bill, only adult meals. Cuz kids are already at a discount. Really lame. Food was ok def not worth $ 15.99. Don’t eat the yellow cookies or clear jello… nasty soap taste. Service was attentive. Overall def one star for effort. Save your money…

Don’t even bother this place is horrible!
They play bait and switch with the prices. Their advertised price that we received in the money mailer is not the price they charge you!
We also arrived a full 2 hours before closing and not once did they replenish the buffet. Most trays had a spoonful of food left in it.
This place won’t last long a huge disappointment!

The Willowbrook Mall was insane today, so after an hour or so of shopping, I decided to ditch two of my friends and head to the buffet with my other friend. Coming from the mall side (Bloomingdale’s side), just drive through Exxon and exit from the other entrance – the traffic will take you another five minutes of waiting just to make a quick turn into the buffet’s main entrance.
Price and Seating: The website must not be updated because my friend and I paid around $ 17 each for dinner price, not the $ 12 listed. Also, it looks like the place is open 11am and closes late in the evening; the website says they’re closed 3pm-3:30pm. There are plenty of places to sit – from tables to booths on both sides of the building.
Food: The «Dinner Special» items are really the ones worth trying. Everything else is typical buffet fan fare – lo mein, wonton soup, pizza, char siu on the stick, etc. The «specials» include imitation crab meat on clam shells, kalbi ribs, and different types of seafood. There was stir fried lobster, but there was hardly any meat in the claws. If I’m not mistaken, they even had these medium sized rock crabs alongside mussels, chilled shrimp, and crab legs. Most of the dishes were lukewarm, so try and time when you go up; watch which dishes are coming out of the kitchen.
If anything, try to avoid the sushi unless you know the guys making them put out a new batch. I don’t mind eating «cheap» sushi, but the ones around 3pm tasted old. The rice was getting hard and the avocado slices on some of the sushi on display were turning brown. Same goes for the desserts – stick with fruits or the bai tang sha weng (fried Chinese doughnut with sugar).
While I’ve certainly eaten at better buffets, this one is alright for the area. The proximity to the mall also makes it a solid alternative if you’re not fond of the food court options or Ruby Tuesday-​style type of chain restaurants.

I suppose the first thing one would notice, is that the entire interior of the restaurant has been redecorated. Its new appearance is upscale, fresh, and bright. The staff is attentive, but never intrusive.
The selection of sushi, although adequate, was very nicely made and of only the freshest ingredients. I should be fair, to note that we went at lunch, and not at dinner time, when the selection of sushi would have been more varied. The soups were all well made, and none of them were thickened or gloppy.
At every type of cuisine, I apply a go to dish. This test, is always a good indicator of the quality of food. My go to dish at an Asian buffet is fried calamari. At Ichiban, the fried calamari was exceptional! The inside was tender and moist, and the outside was a thin flour coating which was neither over spiced nor oversalted. It was very refreshing to go to an Asian buffet, where the fried calamari was not done up in a thick batter or a thick layer of bread crumbs.
What I also found exciting, on the buffet table was something called hibachi beef. These cubes of tender marinated beef were offered with peppers and onions all of which were absolutely fresh. I recommend it highly.
This was a real surprise, given that the restaurant opened about 2 or 3 weeks late. It was definitely worth the wait!

We checked this out for lunch and for the price, it exceeded our expectations. There was fish and cheap sushi. For similar rolls at Sushi Village for lunch for almost half the price, it’s pretty good. The rest of the food was what you’d expect from a chinese buffet. They also had a hibachi station that cooks up whatever you put on a plate. Overall, pretty good for the price.

Originally I thought It wasn’t the greatest but wasn’t terrible and gave it 3 stars. Now that i’ve gone back there 2 more times I have a different view. I would rate this place as a 4. I really have to say this place is very clean, probably the cleanest buffet I have ever been to. Staff are very attentive in the buffet area! They do have large variety, most of the food seemed like it was fresh. I liked that sushi, and hibachi was included. The sushi was average, but there were a lot of options to try.
I do think they should have better signs above food items. Especially for those with food allergies. Also, the crab legs were soggy/​rubbery making them difficult to crack open.
I will continue to go there, and recommend it to others! :)

This place used to be called the Majestic, and then something else, and now Ichiban Grill & Buffet. Unfortunately it seems like the food has not improved at all and the quality has actually gone terribly worse. It’s your typical Asian buffet with none of the food being particularly good. I didn’t get a chance to try the grill but the buffet food was mediocre at best. This restaurant is huge so it seems like a lot of people are choosing this venue for certain events like birthday parties or baby showers even though this place doesn’t have an actual private/​party room. The only pros I could think of were the huge parking space, location, and prompt service. Sadly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this restaurant changes its management and name a few years from now.

This is a typical buffet with a large variety of food none of which is really that good. It is mostly Chinese despite the Japanese name. The food from the grill is average at best. I would say the best part of the buffet is the duck although the one I got had a piece of duck that was mostly fat.
If you like buffets with a large number of items and value quantity over quantity then this would be satisfactory option. If you value quality and would rather pay more for it then skip this place.
Unfortunately I don’t think this place will last any longer than the last Japanese buffet that was in its place. If you want Japanese buffet then Minado’s is probably still the best option.

Now for the real «first-​to-​review» review of Ichiban (since we actually waited for the business to open, before reviewing it).
Synopsis: If you don’t care for the name «Ichiban», just wait a while, and it is bound to change again.
Within the last few years, this place has been the Majestic Buffet, Mikado 23, Saku Hibachi, and now Ichiban Grill and Buffet. If the review you’re presently reading is anywhere near accurate, it’s a safe bet this place will have yet another name before too long.
This may just be us waxing nostalgic, but the «Majestic» moniker probably fit this building the best. The palatial façade and staircase you climb to reach the front doors (only one of the two doors actually works) sets it apart from any other buffet restaurant around these parts. But truth be told, with the Passaic River just across the street, this area finds itself under water every few years. The elevated building is an attempt to stay above the high-​water mark.
We were next door at the new (relocated) Costco on Halloween, so we went over to see if Ichiban was open yet. (Note to self: you should review the new Wayne Costco location.) It turns out that Halloween was Ichiban’s opening day. Trick or Treat ! (More on that aspect of our visit, later.)
Don’t let the Japanese name fool you. This place is 95% Chinese & American cuisine, the same as most Chinese buffets. This place looked promising upon walking in. It looked clean and the buffet tables were brightly lit, however there was only a handful of customers (there were more employees than customers when we were there).
We would place the number of food choices somewhere in the middle of the buffet spectrum; more than some in the area, but smaller than the big boys, such as the «NJ Buffet», up the road in Riverdale. Some of the items, such as the eight or ten varieties of Sushi, were unlabeled. Some items were mislabeled, in what seemed to us to be an attempt to either deceive or entertain their customers. Lots of cheap dishes, such as macaroni & cheese, «mashed potatoes», fake onion rings, the small unappetizing pizza that most buffets have, french fries, corn, yeast buns, fried imitation scallops, chicken nuggets and some truly horrible sweet and sour chicken.
They had six varieties of «soup», and the two that we tried were disappointments. A chicken soup with escarole that was little more than watered down broth, and something labeled as «shrimp in lobster sauce», which was really the same soup that other places call «crab soup». It was completely tasteless, and contained a few tiny bits of artificial crab legs, and didn’t appear to have ever seen even a single shrimp or any real lobster. Trick or Treat? TRICK.
Then there was the tray of crustaceans labeled «mini lobster», which was, in reality, crawfish. Trick or Treat? TRICK.
Call us «shellfish», but none of the crabs, oysters, clams or mussels looked particularly tempting. We’re not into this stuff and didn’t try any of it, so perhaps some of it was better than it looked.
Speaking of tricks, you might want to pass on ordering «hot tea». Drinks are almost two bucks extra. Hot tea was $ 1.49 per person, which they serve in a metal teapot. But if you were hoping for a nicely brewed, full-​bodied pot of Chinese tea, you will be disappointed. We got a pot containing five or six cups of hot water, and a single, solitary Lipton tea bag. We prefer places that actually brew an urn full of black tea ahead of time, but we would even settle for tea bags and hot water, if they could bring themselves to use enough tea bags to make the tea passable. FAIL. (And it’s a particulary egregious failure, seeing how easy it could have been to nail this one aspect of the buffet experience.)
One bright spot was the hibachi grill (actually it’s teppanyaki, not hibachi, but to be fair, most places do incorrectly call this style of cooking «hibachi»). They had the usual assortment of vegetable, shrimp and meat ingredients, and it was the one thing we tried that was hot (temperature wise), and which we were quite happy with. TREAT.
Call this wishful thinking, but given that their name *is* Ichiban, having an eggplant dish available would have been a nice touch. (There is a variety of long, skinny Japanese eggplant called Ichiban.) In fact, chicken & eggplant is one of this top-dog’s top dishes. Just saying.
Because they weren’t very busy, some of the other things we tried had been sitting there way too long, and were dried out, such as the General Tso’s chicken, which we couldn’t chew, even using our canines. And most of the items we sampled were lukewarm at best, Unlike other buffets, they do not have heat lamps keeping the items hot, and those steam tables don’t really keep things hot enough.
Service was good, but the place was almost empty, so your mileage may vary.
Oh, and the background music was way too loud.
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