4. Restaurants

Celebrity Soul Food Buffet

24416 Muirlands Blvd, Lake Forest, CA, 92630
  • (949) 328-9720
  • Store is closed

Celebrity Soul Food Buffet Menu

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Visit below restaurant in Lake Forest for healthy meals suggestion.

Denny’s ( 23515 El Toro Rd )

Visit below restaurant in Lake Forest for healthy meals suggestion.

Denny’s ( 23515 El Toro Rd )

  • B C.

    I was intrigued when I saw that a soul food buffet was opening near by. After checking out their online menu I was anticipating great food. Despite the lovely hostesses attitude and hospitality, mostly everything else needed improvement. There was a shortage of fried chicken, half the menu wasn't served, seating arrangement was awkward, the restrooms were not clean, and I was serenaded by the karaoke guy while I ate. There are a couple of positives however, the Mac and cheese was pretty good and the mashed potatoes were good. This place seems like it has the potential to be pretty good in the future, but right now....not so much... Updated 7/19 "Please excuse the behavior of this customer. We have addressed his comments before now it's becoming absurd. We have watched this customer come in several times to eat and again you have stated no issue to our staff or owners." I have only visited this place one time, and felt an honest review voicing my personal opinion would not intentionally offend the owner of the restaurant..guess it did. As I said, this place has tons of potential from the quality of the good food I had on my plate.

    (2)

  • Jenny H.

    A solid 5 for the food and the friendly faces, but minus one star because I believe they could run a tighter ship. The plates were left piled on our table for close to our entire time there, and the waffle maker was left unusable even though I asked them about cleaning it several times (partially my fault - they had run out of the spray earlier and never replaced it so my attempt at a waffle stuck terribly). There was also no catfish for a good 20 minutes after we'd arrived (around 6:30, and the place was pretty empty) and no gumbo even though that was supposed to be the dish of the day on Saturday! Despite the shortcomings, we'll be coming back. I just hope there's gumbo, catfish, and a working wafflemaker ready next time! Must tries - fried chicken, fried catfish, neckbones, mac and cheese.

    (4)

  • Dani G.

    What a fun place with great food - over and above that. The place has amazing energy with great service - and you can even join in on dancing or sign karaoke- reasonably price and a ton of food! I will be going back!!

    (5)

  • Eric L.

    The service and the staff are only surpassed by the food. I'm gonna roll myself out of here as happy as I've been since the Clinton years. The banana pudding is so good I had to walk outside to be sure I was still on this planet.

    (5)

  • L G.

    Not Worth it! - The reviews are FLUFFED! Tried the joint when it opened and a few times after. The experience was CONSISTENTLY BAD. The best item on their menu is the fried chicken but even the chicken was mediocre. A lot of their food LACKED FLAVOR, was TOO DRY, was NOT APPEALING, or LACKED QUALITY. They have difficulty keeping food (chicken) available. Customers wait for food, which lessens the overall experience - they respond with apologies. It's a consistent complaint with customers but they can't seem to fix this issue. Salad is wet - they don't take the time to dry - simple preparation issues. Their business model is to connect with customers at the table (note they are very nice people!) and to constantly push and push their customers to submit positive reviews on yelp. The NEGATIVE REVIEWS are ACCURATE and I applaud fellow Yelpers that don't get persuaded and provide real experiences. This place is not worth an additional visit. There are too many establishments with exceptional food with great experience. Well it may be worth a visit if the price correlated with experience..........THIS JOINT IS ONLY WORTH $10 - that's' being nice!

    (1)

  • Sherry G.

    Ok folks, I'm not sure what was going on at the restaurant before, but I've been here 3 times now and the food is great and the service is just as great. Sorry they weren't able to keep the restaurant going.

    (1)

  • Vic B.

    I work in Lake Forest so I cant put in words how happy I was to hear that Soul Food was coming!!! All you can eat too. Happy Happy Joy Joy.... It just happens to be in the same spot as one of my reviews on the worst Chinese buffets I ever had. I kept going by and the grand opening was pushed back. I wont make any color folks time jokes, I promise .......LOL I was off opening day so I stopped by on Day 2. Right off the back the staff made me feel very welcome. With my 15% off card it was $10 and some change. I loaded up a big plate of neck bones, meat loaf, ribs, cat fish and fried chicken. Sat down and got a big fork of meat loaf and dang it.... It was cold.....So I went on to the other stuff and all of it was all bomb bay.... The biggest problem I had was, I was too full after my first plate and every thing else was a blur....I never ate so many neck bones in my life... The chef came around and asked how was every thing, I told her great but the meat loaf is cold. She didn't get mad and said she would jump right on it. I really hope they make it.I plane to try and get all my family to meet there one Saturday.... It's a little drive from the LBC but well worth it........

    (5)

  • Rob D.

    Went here recently with friends for lunch. It is an all you can eat southern style buffet at $11.95 for lunch. A pretty good value for the amount of food and pretty good quality of food. Location - Celebrity Soul Food is located in a strip center in Irvine. Nothing really fancy on the outside nor the inside. They play blues for music which I love and it definitely goes with the southern food. The two chefs came around and asked how the food and experience was which is good personable touch. All of the food is in heated trays. And, despite other complaints that I read on Yelp, they were pretty vigilant about keeping the trays fully stocked. Also, check the daily specials. On the day I went, ribs were the daily special and I am glad that I went on that day as the ribs were pretty decent. Food - Fried chicken - Good, crispy on the outside with I believe, and I may be wrong, corn bread crust. And, on the inside, moist, and not too greasy. Pretty good! One of the stars of the show. - Ribs - They were a little better than average. But, I ate a lot of them because I enjoyed the tangy barbecue sauce. They did not really have a smoky flavor to them which I am used to, having lived in the south. They were juicy though and had a good porky flavor. - Catfish - The catfish was one of the stars of the show. It was deep-fried as is the custom in the South. Nice, light crust and very moist and tender on the inside. It was excellent and some of the best catfish that I have tasted. - Mac and Cheese - It was just plain mac and cheese with a good coating of what cheese on the top. I really liked it. Very cheesy flavor and thick, not runny. Good stuff! - Collared greens - I was disappointed by the collared greens. They were watery and lacking in flavor. I am used to having very flavorful greens that are fresh tasting with a little bacon. And greens in a southern restaurant are the usually a star of the show. Not here. - Deep fried pork chop - Yummm. Light fried crust and pleasantly juicy on the inside with plenty of porky flavor. - Rib tips - Disappointing. Dry, a little tough and not much flavor. - Yams - Not that great. They seemed a bit overcooked. They weren't even orange. - Red rice and beans - Pretty good with a lot of flavor. - Banana pudding - Just like my mom used to fix with old school vanilla wafers on the top. Better than my mom's though. Sorry mom. Lots of banana flavor, not too sweet and very good. - Lemon cake - Yumm. This stuff was good. Moist and good, fresh lemon flavor that stood out. - Peach cobbler - Sort of reminded me of mom's. Not as good as mom's though because the peaches seemed like they came from a can and the crust was a little soggy. But, still not bad. - Bread pudding - They were cut up in little squares. And, they had a pretty good, bready, buttery flavor. There were several items that I did not try such as their waffle bar where you could make waffles and have them with fried chicken and maple syrup. Old school. All in all, Celebrity Soul Food Kitchen is a good value for lunch with pretty good, quality food, lots of it and great and friendly service. I am glad that we, behind the vanilla OC curtain, finally have a good southern soul food place to go to.

    (4)

  • Cornelius R.

    This is the soul food place of all soul food. For those of us that live in Orange County, we no longer have the travel into Los Angeles to get an outstanding soul food meal. This place is off the chain and for those that don't know me, I'm a picky eater. I really enjoyed the collard greens, fried chicken and let's not forget the peach cobbler.

    (4)

  • Felix L.

    Word is quickly spreading about Celebrity Soul Food Buffet. The restaurant just opened its doors yesterday and the dining area is already packed with a large lunch crowd (a.k.a celebrities). From my understanding, the owners plunged deep down into Lake Forest by faith and opened up this eatery for customers to feast on food that would remind them of their grandmother's southern dishes. Celebrity Soul Food is a welcoming addition to Lake Forest because the city is starving of a unique restaurant. With exception to three exceptional Afghan restaurants and a sino-Peruvian gem in the city, Lake Forest is filled with monotonous chain restaurants, lackluster fast-food joints, and only a handful of family-operated ethnic restaurants worth repeating. Soul food is extremely hard to find in Orange County south of Anaheim, and serving this type of food in a buffet environment is the most appropriate introduction for customers easing into Southern cuisine. When you walk into the restaurant and observe the layout, it's easy to recognize that Celebrity had replaced a buffet eatery. There's four rows of steam tables anchored in the center that is adjacent to a salad bar and self-serve waffle counter. Celebrity fills each row with a hodgepodge of hot iconic Southern comfort dishes, ranging from crispy fried chicken to seasoned meatloaf to green bean casserole. Traditional classics such as collard greens, lima beans, and pulled pork can also be found. In addition, staples including neck bones, fried catfish, macaroni & cheese, and slow cooked chicken smothered in a creamy sauce are stacked up high in trays for guests to satisfy comfort food needs. All the food is prepared by experienced soul food chefs with Southern backgrounds using family recipes passed down over multiple generations. My top 3 favorites today were the collard greens, Southern fried chicken, and rib tips. Collard greens was a standout because it was flavored by simmering in a light chicken broth without relying on a heavy hand on salt and pepper. It was wholesome and tasted like pure natural green vegetables. The fried chicken when served fresh from the fryer is one of the best in south Orange County, unmatched, with a golden crispy coating on the outside and perfectly seasoned moist meat on the inside. Rib tips were tender to the point that some pieces nearly fell off the bone. They were meaty although not the type with a smoky flavor that I preferred. Sauce smothering the rib tips was thick but application was not overly aggressive. While I was highly impressed by the buffet variety and indulged in most of the homestyle buffet items, some logistics of the restaurant operation require improvement in the future. The most apparent matter is the absence of food labels. First-time customers with no prior exposure to soul food may have trouble identifying items on the steam table. Is it spicy? What ingredients does each dish contain? Second, there was an issue with food temperatures today during lunch. Two of the steam table heaters were apparently not functional, resulting in food not being maintained at optimal temperatures. In this situation, it would be reasonable for Celebrity to place warning signs around these steam tables or to remove food from these tables, because meatloaf and green beans cannot be served at or below room temperature. If I would have been warned, I would not have had to bite into a cold piece of meatloaf. I experienced a similar problem with the catfish, but fortunately a fresh batch was refilled shortly at another steam table row, and that tasted much better, especially with the light flaky breading. However, I thought the catfish was slightly overwhelmed with salty flavors and it could be balanced with a tangy supplement like tomato topping or citrus juices. I consider Celebrity as excellent change of pace dining option. The concept of a soul food buffet is novel and from what I see, is currently highly accepted by the curious lunch crowd. The experience felt like I was attending a giant potluck with friendly hosts. I would revisit more often if not for the unapologetically high-calorie and heavy-nature of soul food.

    (4)

  • Stephanie H.

    This is a review of the food at Celebrity Soul Food. Hubby and I live in South OC, so when our church bulletin announced that there was a soul food restaurant opening in the area we wanted to try it out. We are typically very health conscious, and I am always skeptical of soul food places, which tend to skew high on the calorie scale and have loads of fatty pork in every dish. I was pleased to discover that this place had good clean food! We arrived this afternoon around 4:23 (according to the receipt) and were offered the chance to tour the buffet. The food looked good overall. There were lots of side dishes and plenty of main/meat dishes to choose from. We chose to take our meal to-go and ordered a 3-entree meal that we planned to share. We ordered fried chicken (2 pieces), smothered pork chops (1 piece), Deep South catfish (2 servings), macaroni and cheese, green beans and red beans and rice. We paid $18.31 including tax. I have posted a picture of hubby's meal that I plated when we got home. He devoured it. He liked the seasoning and the portion size - no big surprises, just good food and plenty of it. I am a pescatarian so I stuck to the mac and cheese and catfish, which turned out to be Swai. The two are easy to discern because catfish has a meaty texture and mild flavor, whereas Swai tends to be airy in texture and bland in flavor - it also cost a lot less than catfish. This kinda sucked because I don't like the flavor of swai on its own, however the mac and cheese was excellent. It was al dente and had the right balance of cheesiness, saltiness, and creaminess. Honestly it tasted good warm and at room temperature. The atmosphere and décor could use some work (a painting of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe don the outside), but the food is good and the owners are passionate and love what they do ( they are from Florida).

    (4)

  • Brandon V.

    This place is not closed they are remodeling I called the number to this place so just give them so time and they will be back up and running and I can't wait to eat there

    (5)

  • Mark V.

    This was NOT for us. Friendly staff and that was great. Arrived for breakfast buffet - hard to say "buffet" when there's 5 items and a waffle machine. Fried chicken, fried fish, home fries, mac n cheese & cheesy eggs. On the far left was a bucket of sausage gravy - but, for what? There were no biscuits and we still cant figure out what the sausage gravy was for. The labels above the 5 items hadn't been changed from dinner. The waffle machine was the sort where you pour batter into the foam cup to the fill line then pour it in the machine. You know, the exact same sort thats in the lobby at motel6. There's a photo of a waffle with butter and syrup. The syrup, is the plastic box just like McDonald's take out packets. The butter - there was none. Staff kind enough to bring 3 pats of frozen butter out from the kitchen - frozen butter on a hot waffle? Ok, gave up on that. There's no cream for coffee. Friendly staff brought us a foam container (the ones used for take out side dishes) of milk from the kitchen. $10.50 for the buffet plus $2.50 for coffee. 2 of us just over $26.00. We'll not be going back, ever. We were there from 745am-9am and there was one other customer the entire time. Looking out the window we saw "burger town" in the parking lot and that lil joint was doing a business. Full breakfasts $4.50 on their window. Next time...

    (1)

  • Jeanie H.

    Warning: come hungry and wear loose clothing! Fried chicken, fresh waffle press, ribs, mac and cheese...need I say more? Restaurant is clean, staff friendly, and the food is REALLY REALLY good! The only reason I gave this place 4 stars is because their "premium" desserts are an additional cost. Usually buffets include everything but not this one. That was kind of disappointing. Also, they were having a special event that day and the breakfast items were only for the people in the special even. however there were no signs to indicate this and all the breakfast food was out with the rest of the food. The only way we knew was because the manager came over and told us we couldn't have breakfast (awkward!!). Other than that everyone in out party enjoyed the food and would defiantly go back again.

    (4)

  • Joel R.

    For the price of $15 pp for dinner, its a deal. Lots of good soul food here. My favs there were the fried chicken, pork ribs, cornbread, rice and beans, banana pudding, and peach cobbler. Meal includes soft drinks or ice tea so that is an added bonus. Staff is friendly.

    (4)

  • Renee L.

    Finally came with my friend after seeing her pix and hearing about the delicious food. She was right, food is fresh and great. The fried chicken is the bomb!!!! Will be back soon! Oh and the owner is soooooo nice & friendly too. My only suggestion is to add little tags overo or at each pan of food telling people what it is. It would definitely help those of us who are unfamiliar with soul food cuisine to know what we are eating. Thankfully I had an excellent "guide" with me who could tell me what each dish was.

    (5)

  • Thomas R.

    Hey this place is closed. No trespassing signed up everywhere. So don't adventure out there. I'm not sure why it hasn't been updated yet but it's doe sure not open

    (1)

  • eric k.

    Wow, what an unusual find in Orange County. What was once one of a million other Chinese buffets is now the Celebrity Soul Food Buffet. 4 tables of delicious hot foods, and a long tables of cold sides and salad stuff. I tried a little of everything, and the quality of everything was quite good. Hot, fresh, and delicious. Neckbones, BBQ ribs, smothered pork chops were the favorites for sure. Nice greens and red beans and rice. Oh, and lightly fried catfish that melts in your mouth. Sadly, it is far from me, but if I'm down here again for work, I'll definitely be back! Big thanks to my boss for picking up the very reasonable tab too!

    (4)

  • Rossette W.

    First time here...forever fan. Great southern soul food. Catfish...mmm. Fried chicken...mmm. Red beans and rice...mmm. Not to mention the cornbread and slammin' peach cobbler! So much great food, so hard not to get stuffed!

    (5)

  • Bryan R.

    == THE FOOD BBQ Beans - a bit thick and almost a mollasis like consistency. Not my cup of tea, but went really well with the cat fish. Cat Fish - tastes okay, but I wish it had the same crunch consistency as the fried chicken. Not the same batter, but the

    (4)

  • Bryan H.

    This place is unimpressive. I will only recommend going here if you absolutely love soul food and you have low expectations of the quality of food. In my experience, the food was sub-par, the buffet was grossly mismanaged and untidy, and the food was overly salty and dry. I thought that my one-time experience may have been an anomaly, but after reading the mixed reviews of others, I realized that it was not. As a Tennessee native I grew up on 'soul food' and so I admire the vision of this establishment but I'm disappointed on it's execution. My 2 star justification is as follows: They were not refreshing the food unless people specifically ask them. For example, the country fried chicken was not updated the whole time I was there. I didn't ask, but should I have to? There were two old dry pieces left that no one wanted to touch. I did ask for Fried Okra as it was empty, and they responded with a new batch within 15 minutes. That was cool. But all in all, I felt like if I could go back in time, I would have had to point out 6-8 things that I should have been refreshed without me asking. It was 7:30 on a Friday so I figured that would be somewhat of a prime time to go. It is certainly the most expensive time to go. This was not worth $36 for two people. As I was leaving, I hoped that I would be asked about my experience because I really wanted to see if they cared. They didn't acknowledge me leaving and now here I am writing a public review hoping that I may be able to help others have a realistic expectation. In closing, if you are going to try this place I recommend that at the very least demand to take a look at the buffet BEFORE you prepay for your food. A visual inspection will give you strong indication of the quality of food and how it's being managed based upon demand.

    (2)

  • Dmitri N.

    Some friends enthusiastically recommended this place, and we were curious enough to try it out. Big disappointment. The good: The staff were friendly and attentive, and worked hard to clear tables. Biscuits were fluffy inside and crunchy outside. The peach cobbler, cheesy grits, and catfish were great. The bad: Many of the dishes looked like they'd been sitting out for a really long time. It was a Saturday afternoon, so probably not the best time to go. Everything felt... cheap. Ordinarily I don't care about the interior of a place as long as the food's good, but the poorly painted walls and repurposed Chinese Restaurant doorways were really distracting. I really wanted to like this place, but it was a really poor experience for the price.

    (2)

  • Brandi P.

    This place is amazing...this is a place you want to come to after church. The food is right...they not just talking about they being about it. Crispy seasoned fried chicken, ox tails, greens, red beans and rice, mac and cheese nothing like some food that makes you remember your grandmother's kitchen. We will be back frequently. Good customer service, welcoming and inviting...#the sessions ***my only critique would be the ox tails need to be more tender, I just like mine falling off the bone a little :)

    (5)

  • Steph K.

    Go to Hometown Buffet

    (1)

  • Jamie G.

    YUM! Definitely go here! You will find your staple soul foods like mac n cheese, baked beans, and grits, and you will find a wider selection of lesser known foods to discover and devour as well. There was a section to make your own waffles, and they tasted divine (I am already dreaming of having them again, and I just went last night). The peach cobbler was delightful, too. I wish they had ice cream, though! Oh well. I will still be back.

    (5)

  • Kea F.

    I love this place! My family and I came here for Easter brunch and had a great time. The staff was so friendly and we felt like we were having Sunday brunch at home with the family. The woman who worked the front of the house also helped with the tables, she was all over the place! Not in a bad way, she was definitely working hard and would make us laugh. They bring out warm cornbread to your table, so good! The fried catfish and okra ran out quickly, but they would replenish it just as fast. I think it's great that they bring in out in smaller batches because it's fresh. I really enjoyed all of the food and we will be back!

    (4)

  • Anna H.

    I should have have kept in mind that this restaurant is a run of the mill buffet and not a fancy schmancy Vegas buffet. Lots of fried food and a few variations of the same dish. I assume there were variations or else it was just the same thing in two sections of the buffet. I didn't go back for a second plate so I didn't try everything. None of the food really stood out. The waffle maker near the drinks was my favorite part of the restaurant.

    (2)

  • Ray G.

    I was excited to find this new establishment that served soul food buffet AYCE style. I used to come to the same location when it was an AYCE Chinese buffet. The price for the lunch buffet at Celebrity Soul Food Buffet was $11.95, which was reasonable. I arrived at noon and there were only about 6 tables of diners in the place. So, I dove right in to the goodies at the buffet bar. I tried some ribs, fried chicken, collard greens, meatloaf, dirty rice, red beans & rice, baked chicken and fried catfish. I liked the flavors of the foods I got. The only problem was the food was a bit tired and felt as though they'd been at the steamer tables for too long. I realize that is the gamble when you eat at a buffet...places that are a bit slow don't have fast turnover of the food sitting on the steam tables thus the food gets soggy, tired and cold. Establishments that are busy and have lots of patrons turn over the food fast and keep it fresh, hot and crisp. Thus, the fried catfish and fried chicken were disappointing. The flavors were good but the items were a bit cold and soft (instead of crisp). But, I attribute that to the slow turnover. The red beans and rice was fair. I prefer the ones at Popeye's. The food was decent enough where I will try them again but I will try when there are plenty of people there will be more turnover of the food.

    (3)

  • Darryl T.

    Anyone who loves authentic soul food will love this place. The dressing, Mac and cheese, greens, fried catfish, smothered pork chops, peach cobbler, and fried chicken are worth the price. Friendly service in a clean environment. The only challenge I encountered with my large party today was that good food was often exhausted by appreciative customers. The staff had a hard time keeping up with demand, but they made a valiant effort. I'll be back, for sure.

    (5)

  • Darren N.

    Amazingly delicious all you can eat soul food in Lake Forrest, who'd have thought? Fried chicken and mac n cheese for days! They even have waffle makers so you can do chicken and waffles.

    (5)

  • O D.

    This place is good however it isn't the best. It really is original and one of a kind and the quality is much better than that of some of its competitors buffet organization. Their fried chicken, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mac and cheese are some of the stars of its offers. Its fantastically price especially for a price of 15$ for all you can eat dinner? It's great and you should try it if ever given the chance.

    (4)

  • Eric S.

    The only thing Hollywood about this place is the studio photos of the food probably uploaded by someone who is directly connected to the restaurant. Are some of the 5 star reviews acting auditions? Talk about misleading. Where was the ribs? Apparently the day before I came was rib night....and they said they didn't have ribs then. LOL really? Why was the floors so greasy? Authenticity? Was me falling part of the authenticity? That could have ended a lot worst for everyone but luckily I got the balance of a cat so I made it out okay. Well except being humiliated but thank goodness there was only 3 other people there on a Sunday night. Everything above could have been forgiven if the food was good. It wasn't good. That's all there is to say about it. Collard greens was overly bitter. I couldn't even taste the greens, just bitterness. What was up with the banana pudding? It was a lumpy mess. That pudding disappointed me more than my college rejection letters. Seems like the only seasoning they have is salt. No pepper? Add salt in its place. No sugar? Lets add more salt. Everything was salty, bland, old, and/or not edible. I guess the one star would be for the fried chicken. It was good maybe a bit salty. Figures right?

    (1)

  • Tu-Quyen P.

    The food here was sub par and about the level of a run down Sizzlers and yet way overpriced even with a coupon. Look elsewhere for your fix.

    (1)

  • Loren H.

    How much fun was today! We had my dads birthday party in a private room. The food was fresh and always full. The karaoke was fun and lots of cool songs. Loved the walls and decorations , this entire place had a good vibe! Go try it !! Only reason I didn't gibe it 5 is beaches there were not many vegetarian options. The nest soul food in town!!!

    (4)

  • Unlimited C.

    Excellent! Some of the reviews I read jus now were negative due to lack of food. My assumption is they went on a day or time when there were lots of patrons and hungry stomachs. I did have to wait on fried chicken and fish but the gal serving was as sweet as she could be continuously checking on us and bringing plates of fish and fried chicken making the buffet even more convenient as we didn't have to get up. The food tastes as comforting and soulful as Thanksgiving Day with family. The chicken and fish were seasoned well, the macaroni and cheese tasted like Auntie made it and the corn bread was soft and sweet! The BBQ baked beans with collard greens and hot sauce topped it off as I personally keep it simple and basic. There is an array of soul food choices and by the smiles and assistance of the servers, Celebrity Soul Food Buffet makes you truly feel at home and I'll definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Cafesweetty Z.

    Sorry guys, wanted to give you more stars but couldn't. Why....salt, salt, seasoning salt and more salt. That's all I tasted in the mac n'cheese and okra. The other veggies were flavorless. Peaches cobbler, looked very delicious even tasted ok, but the crust was so gooey from sitting in the steamer all day, I suggest putting it somewhere the crust can stay flakey. Staff are awesome! Neckbones okay, the jambalaya was tasteless and only tasted like tomatoe paste. I've heard nothing but great things, but this is my 2nd time around and I haven't seen anything different. My kid changed cups 2 times becuase they were dirty with lipstick prints and close the door, I don't want to wave off flies all day. I drove all the way from L. A., never again.

    (3)

  • Don T.

    If you have a craving for soul food, this is the spot to go elbow deep for an hour or so then go sit in the car to take a few big breaths to ease all the goodness down. The food is on point. Neck bones, collard greens, cheesy grits, catfish, serve yourself waffle stations... Yup. Now the reason for the 3 stars: decor needs to pop more. You can see that the remodel consisted of some paint, plastic "Oscar" statues, old posters of Hollywood types. The Chinese buffet underneath pops its head out all over the place. Gotta give Celebrity Soul Food it's own identity, or else people will know it as "that place that used to be a Chinese buffet". Not hating, the food works, but without some branding and marketing, they'll be forgotten, unfortunately.

    (3)

  • Greg K.

    Service was good food was good fried chicken fried pork chops Mac n cheese the southern way collared greens. Prices are reasonable for adults but the kids age range is not realistic (3-9) and there is absolutely nothing kid friendly to eat!

    (3)

  • Shawnda C.

    The food was absolutely delicious! I ordered the fried catfish, smothered pork chops, cabbage, fried okra and yams! Yummy! I was glad to find out that I could order carryout online! I have a toddler who is not always pleasant in restaurants. It was ready when I arrived and I was able to walk immediately out! My son will be home on leave and this will our first stop! I can't wait to try other foods from this restaurant!

    (5)

  • Ryan W.

    My wife and I had high hopes for Celebrity Soul Food Buffet. After all, it's an adventurous idea for Orange County, and it's got tons of four- and five-star reviews. Unfortunately, we will not be coming back. Celebrity Soul Food Buffet has four short "hot" buffet stations in the center of the restaurant, along with one long salad station. The hot stations include one for hot desserts and three for entrees, some of which were repeated across multiple stations but most of which were the only option for that particular entrée. The cold station has a regular lettuce salad bar on one side and a fruit salad bar on the other. A waffle station is in the back by the drink dispensers. It has the standard waffle makers that you'll find in hotels. The daily special was Louisiana gumbo. The food by appearance alone was a mixture of okay and unappetizing. The hot entrees generally looked okay, although the ones that were running down low didn't look good. One tray in the dessert area I guess was supposed to be cinnamon rolls or something but there was no label and the tray just had random pieces of bread and frosting in it. It wasn't refilled at all during the entire time we were there (probably an hour). The salad bar was uninspired: a mostly-empty tub of lettuce, a bowl of very old-looking tomato slices, a bowl of cucumber slices, and then smaller bowls of various toppings. For some odd reason there was a bowl full of raw chopped white onion (in a salad?) and another bowl full of mashed garlic or hummus or something. The fruit bar was equally uninspired. A large bowl full of fruit from the fruit cups that they sell in grocery stores (the kind that comes in the water), some more canned sliced peaches, and some cut cantaloupe and strawberries. A couple bowls of Jell-O and banana pudding. Silverware is in recesses at the end of each buffet station. For some reason every fork in the fork hole in one of the stations was a different style. The food by taste was not great, certainly not worth the $34.95 that it cost for the two of us. The best part was probably the fried chicken, which was pretty good but nothing special that we couldn't have gotten elsewhere. The gumbo was alright, as were the red beans and rice. Most of the rest of the food that we tried, including collard greens, green beans, mac and cheese, grits, etc. was not good. I could not finish the vegetable or fruit salads that I made. The décor and atmosphere are both just depressing and sad. The empty tables were dirty, including ours. I had to wipe it down myself when we sat down. The blues music was focused up near the front of the restaurant and barely audible in the back where we sat. Nobody seemed excited to be there, and nobody seemed to really be happy. When I got up to go get my second plate (the salads) I seriously just wondered what I was doing with my life. It was really depressing to walk back and see the other guests glumly walking around eyeing the entrees. The restaurant has an odd air of cheap cash-in for nearby Hollywood (hence the name, I guess). Every table has a mini Oscar statue at it, and there are cardboard cutouts around the floor (e.g. Michael Jackson) and random and lonely huge paintings of equally random celebrities. The back wall near where we were had an enormous painting of Robin Williams (kind of creepy considering the timing) that just said "Williams" next to it. Nothing else at all on the wall. There are three distinct dining areas: one to your right as you come in, one in the back right corner (where we sat), and one in the back left, a separate room. This room was perhaps the weirdest of all, as it had a poorly-designed title above the entranceway ("Donnie Williams Hall of Champions," with the lettering already falling apart after less than a month and a half...see the photo), with one single painting in it: Muhammad Ali on the far wall. The other walls? Nothing. So a hall of champions with one person in it. Finally, both my wife and I made visits to the restroom before leaving. My wife said that there was urine all over the floor and the restroom in general was very dirty. The men's restroom was also very dirty (see photos). The handicapped stall in the back clearly had a toilet cover dispenser removed, but nobody bothered to patch or replace the tiles. The replacement dispenser was on another wall and the covers were smashed into it. The toilet hadn't been flushed. The one urinal was not the standard "tall" urinal like you see in most bathrooms, but was a more compact, curved one that lent itself to very easy splashing. Finally, the trash can by the door had been torn out, leaving a huge ugly recess in the wall. A second trash can had been put in directly next to it. I don't get it. As we left our table the busboy thanked us for coming in, which was nice. But unfortunately we won't be coming back.

    (1)

  • Richard C.

    Have not found anywhere else in OC that has authentic southern style food. Very large selection. Complete with fried chicken, catfish, and sweet tea. This is not a health food restaurant just good food. The Monday-Friday lunch special price $11.95 is a decent value for the quality and amount of food ya get, would be perfect if the drinks were included.

    (5)

  • Danika K.

    This place was a disappointment. I will not be going back!!! I would have given no stars if it would have let me. My family and I decided to try the place. I am always skeptical about soul food places because I hold them at a high standard, simply because I have been cooking it my whole life. The prices were ridiculous, for the COLD food, DRIED OUT food, and I honestly wouldn't call half of that stuff soul food because much of it did not tatse like soul food to me. Plus we were never informed the drinks were extra. That would have been nice to know especially since I usually drink water with my meal. I can see how people who didn't grow up eating soul food would like it, because some of the food does have good flavor, its just in my opinion not a good depiction of what soul food really is. On the positive side, the staff was nice.

    (1)

  • Anthony J.

    I can still smell the Chinese food from the previous owners. The staff was nice. The salad was horrible. The place is in need of some AC

    (2)

  • Lisette C.

    Heard rave reviews about this place had to come check it out especially since it's a Soul food buffet so me and the family were in the neighborhood so we got here it was after 4pm so its dinner prices $15.95 without a drink and kids $6.95 also without a drink. 1st stop bathroom really out dated bathroom stalls don't lock. The inside decor was ok and the dining area was clean. the staff were friendly. We made it to the buffet I tried the catfish it was cold & chewy, next stop the chicken I tried the Bbq, fried & smothered chicken all were stone cold nothing worse than cold chicken Burrr..... next the the short ribs luke warm. So tried smothered pork chop luke warm, mac & cheese was hard and greasy yuck! Colards , green beans were over cooked but they were hot! Dressing was hot and tasty. Yams were mushy and lacking sugar. The Mashed potatoes were good. The gravy was luke warm. There dessert was limited if you wanted premium dessert like peacn pie sweet potato you would have to pay extra. They did offer peach cobbler it was good, Banana & Bread pudding it was good. They did have a waffle station my favorite where you get to make it your self and it was great! I think this place is way over rated seriously! But hey you be the judge but I'm not coming back. I know if Gordan Ramsey were here he would say what is this? And I wouldn't give this to my dog! And go in the back to the kitchen and say blood hell!

    (2)

  • Amber C.

    I literally looked up this restaurant today, viewed the yelp reviews and went there for a late lunch. I am from the south, so I find it difficult to find restaurants here in California where my soul food cravings can be satisfied...I am beyond impressed with this place. The food is amazing in taste and selection. The owner and employees were extremely nice, making sure customers are being taken care of by frequently checking on them at their tables. I highly recconmend this restaurant to anyone looking for some southern comfort food. Pros: Cheap prices, food selection and taste, customer service and cleanliness. Cons: location is tucked away in Lake Forest

    (5)

  • John D.

    After reading some very positive things about this new establishment and hoping that the negatives were just sour grapes, we decided to give it a try. Boy were we disappointed. We planned our visit for a Saturday evening, just before the dinner rush hour and found a dining room that was about 40% full and only 3-4 tables available ... the others were still dirty from previous diners. The fried chicken was quite good - but that was the highlight of the buffet. The catfish was soggy, pork chops dry, and mashed potatoes clearly instant. The muffins had some blue spots in them, but no evidence of actual blueberries. Even the iced tea was from the fountain. It's hard to take a southern soul food restaurant seriously when the tea comes out of the machine. If you want a slice of pie or cake - it is going to be a $3.50 per slice add-on ... so plan accordingly. We decided to pass. I really wanted this new place to be great - in the way Paschal's in Atlanta or Saw's in Birmingham are ... just great simple down-home southern cooking. Sadly, Celebrity is not even close and we won't be back. Caveat emptor.

    (1)

  • Jay S.

    Celebrities, soul food and buffets - 3 of my favorite things! Okay, that's not entirely true but I'm going to spare myself some shame and not explain how true/untrue that statement is. I came here for lunch last week to celebrate my friend's birthday and I was a bit surprised to find that there was a soul food restaurant in the area, let alone a soul food buffet. They've got a number of southern staples here - grits, potatoes, fried chicken and waffles, and a bunch of other stuff that tastes great smothered in gravy. For buffet food the quality was pretty good. The staff is also super friendly. The lady at the register (possibly the manager?) came by our table to make sure we were all taken care of and was joking around with us the whole time. I don't think there are many places to get soul food nearby so you'd think that this place would be more well known but in our group of 12 I think only a couple had even heard about this place. Overall we all had a great experience. I don't think I can eat this type of food too frequently but when I'm ready I'll be back!

    (4)

  • John S.

    The dishes in this wonderful buffet represent a culinary tour of my childhood back in Georgia. There is a huge selection, including peach cobbler and banana pudding that rival anything I've had. Prices are not cheap but the quality is so worth it. Plus, the service is warm and friendly, another reminder of the Southern culture.

    (5)

  • s y.

    I would gave it a 3.5 star if i can . But overall, its still buffet food. Its definitely not gourmet for sure. the place is a little hometown buffet/ chinese buffet looking. I tried a little bit of everything while i was there. fried cat fish, fried chicken, mac and cheese, ambrosia (marshmallow fruit salad), ribs, oxtail, neck bone, corn,banana pudding. I liked the fried chicken the most. They have a little spice in the seasoning. Not too much breading, light and crispy. mac and cheese, oxtails are pretty good too. Ribs is a little tough. collar green was bitter, yam had cinnamon on it, and it was sorta tasteless.

    (3)

  • Jenny O.

    Like a lot of other people, i was looking forward to going and got to try it out for lunch on a weekday, nice and quiet and slow. The front desk people and the waiter are very friendly the food sadly not good :( the fried chicken over cooked and kinda bland seasoning. mashed potatoes more like mushed potatoes too many chunks mac and cheese not good at all a little cajun/louisiana style seasoning perhaps??? doesn't work for me the self serve waffle machine was neat, but hard to operate :( the battered fish not that great at all... i saw some other things that i would have tried had the other food been more tasty, but the more i tried the more disappointing it was for me.... sadly i will not be back again...

    (3)

  • Thomas H.

    Can I give a two and a half star? B/c of the female gm rude response. Most of the food were bland. The fried chicken was exceptional well done--crispy on the outside and juicy in the inside. Oh, they have a section for make your own waffle. You should try it. Fresh and everything. I asked the female general mgr for the wifi pswd and she told me they would not give it out. THIS is a fault advertising since it is said that WIFI is FREE on the features section.h

    (3)

  • Delisa A.

    The food was old andehty did not replenish them. Service was moderate although they did make fresh bacon for my daughters. I will not be driving down south to try this place again.

    (3)

  • B P.

    Where are all these positive reviews coming from? Church members or the owner? Food was mediocre WHEN available. I say when available because you have to wait 10 20 minutes for them to refill the food. They didn't have enough staff to cover the entire place and only had 2 high chairs. Holding our 1 year old to get food and eat is always fun... Here is a tip. Golden corral has everything this place has but the fried catfish. They have all that they have and much more readily available at all times. The owner seemed sweet and welcoming but I come to a restaurant to eat; not wait for food to come of the kitchen while holding my daughter still for 2 hours...

    (1)

  • Holly S.

    I was really excited to try this place. The hostess was really friendly and helpful but we were disappointed in the food. I tried the fried chicken-probably the best thing they have but everything else like the fried okra, collard greens, and mac n cheese were either super salty or dripping in oil. The pasta salad was the worst thing I've ever had in a restaurant and I would not be surprised if it had been sitting there overnight. I'm just praying I don't get food poisoning from it. There were soap suds surrounding all the buffet dishes so it made for a pretty nasty smell and it got in some of the food dishes! We won't be back sadly.

    (2)

  • Scott V.

    Considering the options of buffets in South Orange County... this is tops! The chicken and Slamin mac n cheese are amazing... that by itself would keep me coming back! Add to that all the other options.. chicken in any way you can think of... sides that include hand mashed potato's, someone said they are instant... wrong.. instant does not have chunks of potato's.. with some gravy they are amazing or butter.. you decide! Pork chops, rice and beans, collard greens, corn.. the list goes on! Oh and did i mention the waffle station where you can make your own, fresh waffles... and add chicken to make it total southern comfort! This place is amazing for a buffet, there was a waitress constantly monitoring the temp and amount of food in the buffet, as well as I saw the chef come out and check the food as well! For the price of 11.99 during the week, this is a steal! Unlike other buffets you can also get food to go at $5.99 a pound which is amazing in my opinion... you cant get a normal meal for that... and lets face it.. a pound of food will fill you up! I saw special for football nights on Thursday, Sunday and Monday for VIP buffet and door prizes as well. Celebrity Soul Food Buffet is a must if you want a buffet with a variety of food, it puts Sizzler and Hometown buffet to shame, not that that is saying much, but I would put this place up against some of the buffets in Vegas! I have told all my friends about this place and almost all have said they will go try it, I look forward to visiting it again and being able to upgrade to 5 stars.. as I will never give any place a 5 star rating on my first visit! Hope you all enjoy!!!

    (4)

  • Sara W.

    I was excited to try this place but most of the food was just ok. It's not as rich and heavy as I thought southern comfort food would be and it did not seem super fresh. I left super full due to my curiosity to try everything but I was not super satisified with all the flavors. Best thing was the fried chicken. The flavor was amazing and the skin was so crispy and juicy. Buffalo chicken wings were also pretty good. The pork dishes like the pork chop did not look good so I didn't even try them. The sides like mac n cheese and mash potatoes were ok but very generic. Not rich and creamy. I never had collared greens before so I did not know what to expect and I was hoping for more based on the reviews but they were not my style. The make your own waffles is fun though and cornbread was good as well. Best dessert ever though is the banana cream pudding. Soooo gooood. I don't think I would come back as I feel it's kind of on the same level as hometown buffet. I suppose it is a little fresher and service is better but American food is all pretty much the same to me. Price wise I might as well just go to hometown buffet. Overall I guess it depends on your standards since my opinion of American food is not picky at all.

    (3)

  • Will H.

    Nothing good to say about this place. Poor food, service, attitude. Empty trays. Won't be back.

    (1)

  • Aa A.

    Great food! Was so glad these guys moved into the OC area because I was craving real soul food for a long time! Only complaint is that the floors always sticky there... if they could just mop more rountinly, it'd be better. Anyways, try soul food! Great stuff!

    (4)

  • S. S.

    I LOVE this place!!!! FINALLY, soul food in OC...SOUTH OC, no less! LOL I hope they are very successful. I especially like the asparagus, the fried chicken and the mac and cheese. Oh, and the cornbread muffins. And the cobbler!! Almost forgot to mention the cobbler! Yum! I didn't realize I could make waffles to go with my chicken, so I'll do that next time. I also love the Soul Town (Sirius/XM) station that is playing. Just a great family place!

    (5)

  • Sy h.

    Not sure why I got suckered into going here. And also not sure why it has such a high rating. Food was iCk.. Restaurant was musty and dirty.the crew seemed nice but the less than mediocre food doesn't make up for good attitude, sorry.

    (1)

  • Chris C.

    Great: ribs, smothered chicken, pork, biscuit & scrapple gravy, salad bar, banana pudding, make your own waffles, spicy succotash, meatloaf, fried okra, catfish, candied yams, breakfast potatoes Hard to find in CA: neck bones, black eyed peas, cheese grits, collard greens, other home style vegetables Decent: mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, fried chicken, corn bread,

    (4)

  • Tabby K.

    So me and my boyfriend decided to try out this Buffett and see what it was like, after trying the food I had deeply regretted spending $35.00. We got our plates and we made ourselves around the buffet bar, it was so bare. The food was cold, empty food trays, dirty dishes everywhere it was disgusting but we still decided to try it out. We began to eat, the mash potatoes tasted like someone mashed them with their feet! The potato salad that was in the cold area of the Buffett bar was warm. We were still waiting on the fried chicken and it came, we tried it and it was GROSS!! It tasted old! The food overall was just bad!! The service was not bad but not great, the inside is just sad and depressing, why they even call it "Celebrity Buffet" is beyond me!! And to add soul food to it is a joke!! I got up to go to the ladies room and that's what put the nail I'm the coffin for me!! I walked in and it smelled like sewer, the floors were wet like a toilet overflowed, the walls looked like they needed to be power washed, dead bugs everywhere and dead spiders in the bathroom walls along with old spiderwebs. Obviously the owners of this place could care less of what the place looks like especially their bathrooms, they were appalling! When I got back to my table I told boyfriend we are out of here!! We barely touched our food and I couldn't care less I wanted out! Do not ever eat here!! It's not worth your time or money!

    (1)

  • Jim T.

    All-You-Can-Eat Soul Food. Expensive for lunch at $15.00 but great southern cooking. Fried catfish, collard greens, green beans, fried chicken, BBQ chicken and a waffle maker. Friendly manager, surprising to find soul food in South OC. More like what you'd find in South Central LA. Not too busy at lunch. Food was fresh and quite a big selection.

    (4)

  • Chad K.

    Well... They tried I suppose. I overheard a member of the staff saying they cater to Will Smith and Fantasia.... If so, that's quite an accomplishment because everything was Meh. The buffet appears large, but expect lots of duplicate foods and a very bare cold section. A lot of things are mislabled and they don't have everything listed online. The food has been sitting there for a while so expect it to be dried out from the heat lamps (or its possible they cook it dries out). They only fill things when they are absolutely bare and never swap old out with new. Presentation wasn't the best and it looks like they ran out of money half way through remodelling. I give it more than 1 star as the staff were personalities. Not necessarily in a good or professional way, but in an interesting and mostly friendly way. I strongly suggest you pass. It tried to fill a void in Orange County and failed. But at least the tried ( I suppose).

    (2)

  • Leah S.

    Bring an appetite, prepare to linger for a while. A quirky find in OC. Lovely, attentive service and a massive buffet selection. We went late morning on a weekend so this is about the lunch buffet. I tried both fried and bbq chicken with a fresh waffle, many side dishes (Mac and cheese, collard greens, beans and rice, black eyed peas) and went back for catfish. Everything was tasty and fresh. Even though I ate my fill I did not leave feeling like I ate too much...How is this possible? Friendly staff treated us like family. We will be back.

    (5)

  • Brady S.

    The slamming mac & cheese was the bomb the smoke chicken was killer but being a Cajun the red beans and rice were okay and the gumbo wasn't gumbo it was missing andouille sausage it was good but it was missing the andouille sausage. For dessert I tried the peach cobbler the vanilla putting the peach cobbler was killer wish I could've had some soft serve ice cream with it and vanilla pudding was good.

    (3)

  • Veets S.

    I am going to give this place 4 Stars even though my personal experience was a 3 Star meal. Let me explain, and its really my fault. This is a buffet and as such it has high and low times. Lunch hour = High Later in the night = Low Now this is important in a buffet that uses steamers to keep the food warm. If you go at a high turn over time the food is fresh and yummy as it keeps turning over. If you go at a low time the food as sat for some time and its not at its peek. Still good but a bit like getting left overs. Now the reason I am willing to give it the extra star is as follows: 1. Bravo for bring soul food to South OC its one of the things missing in our scene. 2. I could tell the food is good. Had it been just a bit more fresh ( again my fault for the hours I choose to try it ) it would have been the bomb. I will be going back for sure. So take my advice and try and go at a high traffic time, so the food is turning rapidly and you get a chance to sample some damn fine Soul Food.

    (4)

  • Colleen G.

    Can I get a 6th star?? Loving the Southern Hospitality and authentic southern cuisine... super fresh, delicious, food. Here's how our visit went... We were greeted right away by the Mrs. Jacobs (who we instantly loved) and the cashier. Both were very friendly. Mrs. Jacobs showed us around the buffet a little and recommended her HOMEMADE MAC n' CHEESE and a few other of her specialty items. It was like she was inviting us into her home! Then there was the FOOD. Everything was freshly made a looked like it JUST came out of the kitchen. hot and fresh. I tried a little of a lot because everything looked so good. I started off with Mrs. Jacobs' MAC N CHEESE, which I have decided to rename OMG MAC N CHEESE.I have fried chicken on a rare occasion, and this was one of those. I literally had a mouth-gasm. RIDICULOUS. STOP IT. OMG. My mouth had it's own set of emotions for a few delicious moments. Now... I've had lots of types of mac n cheese - 6-cheese, truffle mac n cheese, mac n cheese with bacon, mac n cheese in the box... THIS was the BEST. It was so damn good. It doesn't look like much, but I'm pretty sure she sprinkled magic fairy dust on it before it was brought out to be served. Next on my list of favs was the fried chicken. I don't have fried chicken often for obvious reasons. My grandmother is from Oklahoma, so I know what Southern Fried Chicken should taste like and am often disappointed. This was literally PERFECT fried chicken. It wasn't too salty. It was the perfect crispiness. The meat was juicy and tender. SOOOOO Good. Watch out Colonel. I MAY have been lickin' my fingers... Everything else I tried was really good and you could taste the love that's been added as a main ingredient. We will definitely be back and I'm bringing recruits!! Mrs. Jacobs..... YOU ARE AWESOME!! XOXO From your girls with the chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn... and don't forget the OMG MAC N CHEESE.

    (5)

  • Jennifer W.

    I am from the south, raised eating all of these foods, so my expectations may have been higher than most. The place itself is a bit awkward inside- it just doesn't feel like the right setting. Odd decor and such--just weird. Unfortunately the food was about as unexciting. There were a few very food items on the menu-fried chicken, greens, and baked beans were solid. Actually now that i think of it, the veggies were really my favs. Alot of the food was room temperature at best and although the buffet looks very large, alot of dishes are repeated. Many of the dishes that may not have been as popular you could visually tell had been sitting under the heat lamps waaaay too long. They were clumpy and in some cases dried out. First, I was extremely disappointed in the mac n cheese. It was actually spicey, and my kids couldnt eat it. Grits and mashed pots were not homemade - good soul food should NEVER require the addition of salt from a shaler- and they took no southern tlc with the veggies, such as good seasonings, or flavoring additions such bacon or ham hocks. I love black eyed peas and these i couldn't even eat. There was a seasoning in them that just didn't belong there and they were just too dry. Desserts were extremely underwhelming and made me feel beyond proud that my peach cobbler and banana pudding cant be beat!! It was nice to experience the flavors of home and i commend the effort, as they did have a few solid dishes, but i really just left with an increased longing for my grandmas grubb instead!

    (2)

  • J. C.

    I was thoroughly impressed to be honest. I guess like many, I was going to judge this by my own families cooking & it's was very close on all counts. The mac & cheese was spot on just like my own or should I say my "dads". The collard greens were great! I do have to admit though, I've been eating clean for the past 4 months & it was VERY evident & easy to taste the large amounts of salt in the food. There's A LOT!!! But the way I look at it, this will be a cheat day treat for me maybe once every other month so I'll just enjoy the additional flavor! LOL

    (4)

  • Bon Eric P.

    Totally dissapointed !!! Fried chicken is salty and hard its been on the holding time for too long same as the fried fish, roasted chicken what flavor? Oh sweet skin but inside dry very dry. Fried okra nahhh! Its not fresh,, salad bar there is an extra ingredient flying insects. Theres also a big trash can expose and visible in the dinning area with no lid. YOU NEED MORE WORK GUYS!!

    (1)

  • J G.

    Finally got a chance to make it out to celebrity soul food after riding 30-45mins to get there. CLOSED! With a sign that was printed saying closed on Monday sorry for the incovience. BUT it's Tuesday! Not Monday closed tho. I was really disappointed almost like in the movie vacation lol when Chevy chase was going to Wally..... So.. We decided to call, should have done that first I guess . The machine say welcome. We are open wed-Sunday 11am... I'm confused! The door says 2 things ( original hours, then closed on Mondays) but closed tues too,machine says something else ,yelp time says something else.. Please update what you are doing so that your door, yelp, and you machine are saying the same thing. more than likely I won't be back again I only came that way for this place and with my busy schedule I won't have the time.

    (1)

  • Kristen K.

    I had been really curious about this place so we gave it a try. I read some of the reviews before going in, and I can say some of the reviews about poor cleanliness did not ring true on our visit. The buffet area was very clean, and prompt attention was given to remove dirty dishes. We were warmly greeted and the staff was very nice. The decor could be a little more inviting - it's red and black (oddly/poorly) painted walls and references to Hollywood are everywhere. The colors don't set a comfortable or relaxing mood and if there are references to be made it would be better to focus on the food instead of the restaurant's claim to fame as a celebrity caterer. Ambiance aside, I was there for the food! I was looking forward to eating certain things I consider to be staples and were advertised on the menu (like sweet potatoes - my favorite!) However, nary a sweet potato was found :( I did ENJOY the greens, grits, catfish, Mac n cheese, and cornbread. I tried to sample as much as I could! It is true there are many duplicate items - the buffet could use some more variety. It is also true that items ran out and sat empty for a long time. I never did get to try that peach cobbler! The banana pudding was refilled and it was a good reminder of my mom's :) BOTTOM LINE: For the price (close to $50) for 2 adults and 1 child, we probably won't be back. There were some good items but nothing you can't make at home. I do hope they improve the variety and go an extra mile when it comes to prep and presentation. It will pay dividends. This area needs a soul food place.

    (2)

  • Becky B.

    Celebrity Soul Food catered our wedding, and everyone LOVED the food! The spread was amazing, and we made a lot more fans for them. They worked with us on our budget and on a short time table, and Mrs. Jacobs made us feel like family. :) I'm from the deep south, and their food lives up to the name! We were so thrilled to actually have good tasting food at our wedding and couldn't be happier with how things turned out. P.S. Be sure you check out their peach cobbler!!

    (5)

  • Rachel M.

    So Delicious! Where do I begin to describe the wonderful meal I just had here? I knew we found a great place (thanks yelp!) when we first walked in because the whole place smelled amazing. Red beans and rice, yams, catfish, greens, chicken, mac n cheese, jambalaya, peach cobbler, everything I tried was incredible! Even my ultra particular, only wants to eat his favorite sandwich for every meal, 10yo loved the mashed potatoes, gravy, and especially the banana pudding with Nilla wafers. Husband made himself ill because he couldn't stop eating, lol.

    (5)

  • Brandon C.

    The food is excellent and the service is too! Come for lunch and get a better deal on the buffet!

    (4)

  • Ed S.

    Service was very warm and friendly. A bit pricey for dinner, but it is all you can eat. Flavor was excellent. I absolutely loved the neck bones with tender meat and tasty gravy. They also had fried okra fresh from the kitchen, which was excellent. Liked the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Yams were very sweet and tasty, with cinnamon. Peach cobbler was good. My wife loved the collard greens, cabbage, green beans, pork and beans, and barbecued beans. Pork and fried cat fish were ok. It's in the same strip mall as our favorite Peruvian restaurant Delicias Peruanas in Lake Forest.

    (5)

  • Nicole H.

    Food: Delicious! They had all kinds of yummy soul food but I enjoyed the waffles (yes they have a waffle station), corn bread, peach cobbler, fried chicken, red beans and rice, pork chops, and to my surprise (cause I've never liked it before) collared greens. I was a little sad I didn't see gumbo (if they don't carry this they should and I would come here all the time, considering Lucille's took there's off the menu) Atmosphere: Although you can tell they remodeled a Chinese buffet to a Soul food buffet I still digged the fib. It was open, great color and new art on the wall.(I liked the tribute to Robin Williams) Staff: I have nothing but great things to say. The staff I came across were all super nice, friendly and seemed to enjoy their job. I actually was surprised by the genuine hospitality. The hostess greeted us and when saying goodbye engaged us in polite conversation. The manager (at least I think he was) asked how everything was to each table and seemed to actually listen to your answers. Our bus boy was on top of his game, I give him props for dealing with my obnoxious mom first asking for baby wipes then trying to take food home at a buffet smh she just loved that fried chicken. What surprised me the most was that the chef came out multiple times to check on the buffet food himself and talk to customers. Cleanliness: I know it's only been open since July so of course the whole building is pretty darn clean, but the food areas were kept very clean as well. Cost: It was $16/person for the all you can eat buffet (at dinner time), but they lunch and to go options as well. Suggestions for the owner/manager: 1) If you don't have gumbo (sorry I didn't grab menu) you should. 2) I know you have tea options but I really wished there was some homemade sweet tea 3) Um where was the butter? So much yummy corn bread, but no butter that I could see (kudos though it was moist enough to eat without it) but still missed it. 4) I would suggest small reusuable containers for the syrup and maybe maple syrup ( just throwing that out there) 5) Although the waffles were good I think the batter could easily taste way better 6) Keep doing the extras to make customers feel like family and striving to stay successful, it will for sure expand what you got going.

    (4)

  • Alex W.

    Holy FRIED CHICKEN! Hands down best fried chicken I have ever had, so good the second it comes out its gone. I was so impressed with Celebrity Soul Food. We went with a big group of people and everyone left stuffed! The owners are incredibly sweet walking around to make sure everyone is happy and even hooked our table up with some amazing BBQ pork. My favorites were the fried chicken and macaroni and cheese! Not to mention the waffle bar! Only thing I would change is more dessert options, but the peach cobbler was on point. I definitely recommend everyone giving the soul food buffet a chance!

    (5)

  • Pam D.

    It was great! Very good fried chicken and collard greens. The mac and cheese were not exceptional, but still good.

    (5)

  • Derek B.

    What an awesome addition to our neighborhood! The fried chicken, slammin' macaroni & cheese, BBQ ribs, and pulled pork were my faves. The cobblers, both apple and peach, were delicious! I'll be back.

    (5)

  • B C.

    I tried Celebrity Soul Food for lunch and although I hesitate to give them only 3 stars, I just have to gives what's fair. For the record, let me say that I REALLY want them to be wildly successful since I love southern food! The concept of a soul food buffet is a different one and a highly welcome (and needed) one. Despite being 15 minutes after opening time, customers were left standing at the front and waiting while employees were on the phone or setting up the buffet. Yes, there are multiple "new restaurant" kinks that are understandable (for the most) part since it's only been 4 days since their opening...steam tables getting fixed during lunch, some lukewarm food temperatures, small pooling water on the floor and bathroom, static filled music followed by too loud odd music choices, sticky spots on chairs, etc. Ok, let's get to the most important part..the food! - Food that deserved second helpings - Peach cobbler - some of the best I've ever had and I don't even like peaches! Stuffing - Awesome, just awesome Corn with orca & onion - Surprised even myself on how much I liked this Mac and Cheese - perfect representation of southern style mac and cheese. Fried catfish - well seasoned cornmeal crust - tasty, tasty, tasty! - Food left on the plate - Fried chicken - well seasoned cornmeal crust that unfortunately didn't hold up on the steam tables. Crispy skin had turned somewhat flabby as it sat on the steamers and the chicken meat itself was unusually fatty. Meatloaf - smothered meatloaf was on point taste wise but was only lukewarm. Unlike previous yelper photos, the meatloaf today was served in small loaves vs a sliced large loaf. I think the slices would actually be better as it allows you to more easily take a smaller portion. The actual meat was very dense and somewhat dry...perhaps due to overcooking or overpacking/overworking the ground meat. Cornbread- cornbread was baked into little muffins and although the outside was nicely golden brown, the inside was "wet" indicating an undercooked muffin. I also tried the grits and banana pudding which were good. Many other dishes (including a DIY waffle maker) that looked very delicious but I was too full to try. Service was friendly and dirty plates were cleared quickly. I would recommend others to try this new restaurant for themselves and plan to return myself... in a few weeks to give them time to work out the "new restaurant" kinks.

    (3)

  • Kua C.

    Best Soul Food I've had in California!

    (5)

  • Norma S.

    When I heard the FISH radio station advertise that there was going to be a soulfood restaurant opening up in Orange County, I was ecstatic because I "love me some soulfood". I went there on opening day, and went back this evening to try the buffet. I tried to sample everything in the buffet, but couldn't because there was so much. The foods that stood out the most for me were the fried chicken, which was good, not overly spicy and fried to perfection. The macaroni and cheese was "the bomb", the greens were good (almost as good as my aunt Jean's greens, sorry Jean!); the catfish was delicious, not overly spicy, the black eyed peas were tender and flavorful. I loved being able to make my own waffle, and the flavor was awesome (definitely made from scratch and not packaged). I was impressed with the way the staff greeted us when we came in, they made us feel right at home! They are truly "down home Southern" people! I am thrilled I no longer need to leave Orange County to get some "authentic" soulfood, and cannot wait to bring my family and friends! Welcome to Orange County and keep up the good work!

    (5)

  • Michelle S.

    This is by far the absolute best food I have had since I left Alabama. It is true soul food. Everything is so fresh and flavorful. At this moment I can't even move. I had a little of everything. Cabbage,mac not cheese, cat fish, collard greens, corn bread, hash, Apple cobbler and as soon as my stomach stops screaming I am going to get some banana pudding. I swear u wont be disappointed. This place is amazing. Great service. Make sure you tell Candace War Eagle when u walk in. It takes u back down south.

    (5)

  • J L.

    Pros -Most of the food items were good and unique. -Hard to find soul food places in the area. -Restaurant has large seating capacity. No wait at 6:30PM, Friday. -Service was very friendly (Southern Hospitality!) Cons -Decor kinda cheesy. It's obviously a converted Chinese restaurant. -Popular food items go fast. They don't restock fast enough (Fried Chicken, Corn Bread) lots of empty tray that have remnants of food in it. -Dessert is lacking. Sweet Potato Pie is extra $3.50 -Drink/Soda is extra -Make your own waffle area is a mess and takes forever (Not sure this is a good idea. It's mostly the customers fault though) Just opened, so there's room for improvements.

    (3)

  • Remmy C.

    I was SO excited to go to this place as I've been looking for some good soul food in Orange County and heard about this place from a co-worker. It was the WORST food I've ever had. In fact one star is too generous! The buffet was not stocked with any main courses. The things that were there looked like it had been sitting there all day. WAY too salty and most of it lacked any flavor whatsoever. Don't go! Run away!

    (1)

  • Nahid B.

    Finally a good soul food place close to my house! What I loved: the greens, dressing, the corn (amazing), Lima beans, red beans n rice, black eyed peas, the okra, fried chicken, catfish, and the banana pudding. The only thing I didn't love was the mac & cheese. But my bf makes the best. The staff was amazing, they were super friendly and made you feel like a part of the family!!

    (5)

  • john h.

    I will say it again: There are no GOOD soul food restaurants in Orange County. I know soul food, having grown up on it in my nuclear and extended families. Soul food was the leftover/cheap pieces of meat and vegetables that the slave owners did not want. Slaves found a way to make these pieces and ingredients palatable and nutritious. There are certain dishes that must be served at a soul food place, and certain dishes that cannot. For example, The Memphis Cafe in Costa Mesa serves Dungeness crab cakes, fry bread, duck, and risotto. This is NOT soul food. Mrs. Bea's on Harbor? It's not listed as soul food, but it should be. Celebrity Soul Food Buffet is a soul food restaurant. They serve the correct dishes. Such as, you ask? Fried/Baked/Smothered Chicken, black-eyed peas, oxtails, collard greens, mac and cheese, ribs, neckbones, and grits. So why the single star? Most of the food sucked. I ate all of the aforementioned dishes except for the neckbones this last Sunday, to supposedly cap a wonderful end to my 55th birthday celebration. Some dishes (Fried Chicken) do not stand up well to warming/steam tables. The ones that did were dried out (spaghetti) or mushy (squash). The Oxtails and greens were the only hits of this place. But since I can cook those myself, I won't be back. To the owner: I wish you success. Don't bother to respond to me. My mac and cheese alone could beat yours any day of the week. I might have to open my own soul food place just to show you. Nahhhhh

    (1)

  • Stephanie W.

    The food was absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed the server they were very accommodating and polite. The catfish is absolutely delicious I can't wait to return.

    (5)

  • Shine H.

    I don't understand the fascination with collard greens. Yes, I finally got to try it, but guess it's just not my cup of tea. We went for the Sun oxtail special, but were happy to see other items that are featured on other days there as well, def worth the extra few bucks. There's a lot of bone-in meat which suits us asians just fine as we're use to that, in fact, it's a nice change :D What keeps it from 5 stars is a few items are mysteriously salty. I couldn't tell if it was the mashed potato, meatloaf, or cornbread stuffing. Not sure, just occassionally there would be a pow of salt. Not a fan of the chicken smothered in gravy though. I rather get the fried chicken and just pour the gravy on myself, keeps it more crisp. The malted batter waffles are the best! I usually have to drench my waffles in butter and syrup, but I don't know what it is, but it was so good, I finished my 4 round buffet meal with 2 waffles. Definitely will want to go back to try gumbo and other specialty items...long as waffles are available those days too! :D I should also note, service was attentive and took my plates away promptly, kudos for good service.

    (4)

  • Paul H.

    Went here for lunch today with a group of 10. Lunch buffet and a drink are just over $15. I ate a pretty good amount of pretty good food. What I liked: catfish, collard greens, black eyed peas, grits, green beans, mac n cheese. What I loved: cornbread, smothered pork chop, some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. One of my friends mentioned to a server that there wasn't any okra. A little bit later, they brought out a whole tray of it for our table! Who does that? No one except for this place! Phenomenal service. Will definitely be going back.

    (4)

  • Robert L.

    I really want to see this place thrive. These comments are meant to be constructive criticism. I haven't been back since my last review so it's still one star. What I've concluded after reading a lot of other reviews is that this restaurant has a problem maintaining consistent high quality food, service, and cleanliness. Translation: when they're good, they're very good, and when they're bad, they're HORRID! Apparently this change can occur from one meal to the next or from day to day. You can't even find consistancy throughout the place on any given visit. It's 50/50 odds that it'll be good or bad. And friendly service really isn't friendly if they're beguiling you to overlook shortcomings in other areas. I will try them one more time, but only if they will let me check out the buffet before I pay!!! Look for another review here soon.

    (1)

  • Prience M.

    Horrible experience. The buffet tables were not all in use, and the ones that were in use were nearly empty. What food was available was certainly sitting on the table for a long time. The flavors of the food were either too salty or too sweet. The waffle iron in the back where you can make your own was dirty. There was only one member of the staff working. He was the only good thing about this place. He was friendly and kept trying to assure us that more fresh food was on the way. About 20min after sitting down the only fresh food that came out of the kitchen were about 10 pieces of catfish. My wife and I decided that it wasn't worth risking sickness to eat any more of the old food that was available so we left. I would strongly recommend steering clear of this place. It is definitely not worth any amount of money. So disappointing, I was really hoping for some good soul food.

    (1)

  • Kitty C.

    Okay, I was skeptical and I even thought the price was a bit on the hefty side but this was a total treasure! The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the cleanliness of the place. The people were super friendly and the food was SO GOOD. After actually eating I would totally fork out the money. I think the place use to be an Asian buffet and you can kind of tell they didn't spend a ton of money remodeling, but the food makes it worth your while. The catfish fillets, some sort of oxtail in gravy, fried chicken, mash potatoes, mac and cheese and MORE! The service was great and the owner or chef (couldn't remember what he said) came to greet every single table. A friend of ours who was with us, was from the South and said this was as close as it gets! The only negative thing I had to say was just it felt kind of dirty, they only had 2 high chairs and when we went both were occupied. It was kind of hot and the floors were sticky. But, one thing I learned is that great food is typically associated with a "hole-in-the-wall-and-I'm-not-sure-if-what-I'm-­eating-is-clean-but-it's-so-good-I-don't-care" type of atmosphere. Overall, great food and great hospitality!!

    (4)

  • Cindy S.

    I just devoured a big Southern dinner with my friend. I'm so full I can barely type, but I'll make an effort. First off, let me start by saying that it's about time a soul food restaurant set up shop in South Orange County. We need more diversity around here. Overall, the food was scrumptious. They have a vast selection of soul food with all the fixings. I tried just about everything I can get my hands on -- and then some. I must've made about four or five trips back to the buffet. Even though it was a buffet, the service was impeccable. Nothing beats Southern hospitality. I'm a sucker for a friendly face. The only thing I didn't like was the price, which is why I gave this place four stars. As a baller on a budget, spending close to $20 on a buffet is a bit too much.

    (4)

  • Hong K.

    This place does not open on Monday. Their website does not mention it. The sign at their door says Monday-Friday 11:00 AM till 9:00 PM. I went there for lunch today and it was closed. This is very poor customer service

    (1)

  • Deborah W.

    It's a Saturday evening and there is no meat!! People are complaining there are a lot of empty trays. We came from Corona. It's sad to see the customers walking around the buffet looking for food. The food I did eat wasn't very good. The customer service was good.

    (1)

  • Alexis N.

    So good! Very authentic southern soul food! Was happy to see dressing, neck, banana pudding, fries chicken, cheese grits, cream of beef and black eyes peas. Delicious Peach cobbler! Only downside, biscuit and cornbread were a bit dry and the Mac salad tasted store bought. Staff were super friendly and fun!

    (4)

  • Erin N.

    Since this place just opened right down the street from work, and I don't know of any other soul food restaurants in Orange County, I had to try it out. After reading mixed reviews, I must say I was impressed with almost all of the food. Great selection and everything was fresh. I loved that there is such a wide variety. My favorites: Greens, cornbread dressing, corn & lima beans. Honarable mentions: Fried chicken (only because it was slightly cold), catfish, cabbage, red beans & rice, black eyed peas Things I would skip: mac & cheese (mushy, greasy, bland), sweet potatoes (I prefer mine). What I was blown away by: We ordered a 2 meat & 3 sides to go ($13.95) for my friend's boyfriend. Portions were HUGE. We could have only ordered that and had more than enough to feed all three of us. They stand out with their exceptional service & friendliness. I requested fried okra, and they brought it fresh to the table. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Will definitely return.

    (4)

  • Kristin T.

    My husband and I were so excited to see a soul food restaurant in Orange County FINALLY! We visited for lunch after church with many friends. I can't even begin to tell you what an amazing experience we had. The staff was was accommodating and so friendly and helpful and the food... OMG, THE FOOD! We immediately scooped up a plate full of our favorites; collard greens, mashed potatoes & gravy, red beans and rice, sweet potatoes, ribs, catfish and fried chicken and then managed to make room for some banana pudding and peach cobbler. All of it was A-MAZING! That's all I have to say, A-MAZING! Can't wait to go back!! One small suggestion would be to have the dishes labeled on the sneeze guards but that is so small it didn't even phase me.

    (5)

  • Jeanette P.

    Mmmm!!! Felt like thanksgiving! Food tasted like home, no it's not gourmet, BUT it was the true definition of comfort food and felt authentically "home made" and not fake and microwaved or processed like a hometown buffet or some of these other buffet jokes out here. The staff were all so sweet and friendly especially the manager. Sweet And charming Guy. The karaoke was a GREAT feature, felt like we were at a family reunion! Will definitely tell everyone I know!

    (5)

  • Heaven H.

    Finally found some good southern food! My husband and I are from Texas and it's hard to find good food anywhere in California. This place has the best fried chicken! The employees were very friendly and we met the owners on the way out which were even better! Definitely a must try, can't wait to go back and try the ribs and meatloaf.

    (5)

  • Tabitha G.

    Went here with the fam for Sunday brunch and we did not regret it! The food was delicious, i loved the great selection of cold pasta and potato salads, the mac n cheese, corn bread pudding stuff, make ur own waffles, cheesy grits and the catfish. They also had some great looking chicken and beef selections but i am pescatarian, everyone else said the meat was delicious as well. (they have breakfast from like 730 to 11 i believe but we came a a bit later) EVERYONE was extremely friendly and helpful. Silvia greeted us and hooked us up when our yelp coupon was not working. And i didn't catch his name but the gentleman with the gold teeth was so nice and never let our table have ANY extra dishes on it, he was quick to swoop em up when we had finished. We even saw a couple foot ball players and i guess celebrities come here all the time. They have several different themed rooms to sit in, one being the "man cave" with a huge tv. EAT HERE IF YOU WANT A HAPPY TUMMY AND SOUL!

    (5)

  • Eric J.

    You can definitely taste that it's all homemade. Love the grits, the fried chicken, sweet potatoes, greens, smothered pork chops, rice. everything here is on point. great customer service. Have brought numerous people here, and they all loved it too

    (5)

  • Mike H.

    Have been back three times since last review and both time there was hardly any food to be had. If you are going to be open for lunch you need to have food out at lunch time.

    (2)

  • Karen D.

    When I first drove by and saw the sign for Soul Food, I was really Excited! I could not wait to tkae a lunch break and go try it out. Today a couple of Co-workers and I finally got that chance. we got there right when it opened. 11a.m. and it was all ready to eat! When you first walk in all you smell is the delicious Catfish! Everyone there is Very Friendly! The Owner Gretted us and Came back to check out and see how we were doing. I had the Beef ribs, Fired Chicken, Catfish, Mac n Cheese and Some Salad. Everything was really good. The Chicken Taste Moist but I wish It had a little more flavor...But that could just be me. I love Spice on EVRYTHING!. My Favorite would have to be the DELICOUS Catfish! and the best part is. I was disappointed they did not have any Cocktail sauce and the owner had them Whip up some of the best cocktail sauce i have ever had with horseradish! that is the best service I could have asked for. I was so full when I left and I can not wait until I get to go back with more of our co-workers! Wish I lived closer so i can go eat there for Dinner!. Can not beat the food an at such a great price!

    (5)

  • Tahera C.

    I was very disappointed at the taste and quality of the food. I make soul food and there was vinegar in just about everything. Why? This place got a lot of hype but you couldn't pay me to go back. Try it if you choose but this is not what soul food should taste like.

    (1)

  • Frank L.

    I truly enjoyed my lunch experience at this restaurant. The staff is at attention and they are as friendly as they are hard working. The choices of dishes include every soul food you can imagine. The flavors are all there. I always have something critical to add so don't take the following comments as negative or as indicators of any dissatisfaction. I will be back. 1.) Carrot salad should be made with grated flat strips not square strips (to hold more flavor) 2.) Collard greens could be cut into slightly larger pieces (for aesthetics) 3.) With more than 4 choices of chicken, a slightly more seasoned fried chicken option would be delightful. I do want to wrap up by encouraging Lake Forest to support this restaurant. Also I want to tell management not to take criticism negatively. The comment they made in one reply about Golden Coral was a bit below the belt. I would say to management that they can just focus on food details and keep doing what they are doing. Hold you chefs to the highest standards of flavor and freshness and you will do fine. And it makes no difference if celebrities like your food. I know many rich and famous individuals with no palette for fine dining.

    (4)

  • Lisa D.

    Holy Moly, this place is amazing! Before you even get to the food, the great staff makes you feel completely welcome and that they are genuinely happy to see you. The cooks are obviously from the South because the food authenticity is spot on (I have lived in Alabama, I know what I am talking about!)! Take your entire family, it is kid friendly and there is something for everyone to eat. The ambiance is a little odd still, but you can tell that this is a true mom and pop and they are working on getting it exactly how they want. I don't care a lick about it when the food is that good!

    (4)

  • Rita M.

    The food was great well worth the price. Favorites were the collard greens, fried chicken, fish and peach cobbler. Wish I could've eaten more. Glad it's not too close to home!

    (5)

  • April W.

    Congratulations Dr. Fredrick and Taja Jacobs, for being daring enough to step out on faith and bring this venue into a this region! I must say after eating at The Celebrity Soul Food Buffett, I felt invigorated! I didn't feel sluggish after eating! I was happier! The food was delicious! I love that salad is available! All of the food was so good and the desserts as well! I sampled everything! Looking forward to eating here often and utilizing the catering service!

    (5)

  • Keira w.

    Been waiting for a SoulFood spot in Orange County. I was welcomed by the polite & friendly female owner, wished their family success here in Orange County. Took my order to go & was captivated by the aroma for 3miles. The food: oxtails, fried chicken, smothered pork chop, catfish, greens, Mac & Cheese, green beans, dressing & banana pudding to go was succulent, moist & heaven to the palate. Everything is flavorful.

    (4)

  • Sacha A.

    Great food, but the signs for the food need to be fixed, many times they are mixed wrong and you have to ask what the food is. I like this place, came here twice and both times i was very impressed with the taste.

    (5)

  • Jimm K.

    This restaurant is a breath of fresh air, I'm happy to have authentic soul food here in Orange County. I love the different variety of choices to actually choose from, nice and hot. The owners were very nice and hospitable you can't help but to fall in love with them. I pray that GOD continues to bless them personally and keep the business profitable. I would recommend this place to everyone looking for good down home cooking. GOD BLESS THIS BUSINESS, AMEN.

    (5)

  • Tam L.

    This my 2nd visit and I'm happy to report their food quality is consistent. Top honors goes to their fried chicken, mac & cheese, neck bone and banana pudding. Skip Hometown buffet and give this place a try. You won't be disappointed unless you like the taste of highly products processed food.

    (4)

  • Chad W.

    Make a left when you pull in-----and go to BURGER TOWN USA!!!!!

    (1)

  • Scott F.

    I'm a Georgia guy so I was very happy to hear about a soul food Resturant in South Orange County. After service (OCCoC) several of us decided to go. From the opening of the door the people were friendly and down to earth. We were greeted like we just walked into Madea's home. So let's get to the food. Cornbread: Excellent. Not overly sweet. Hot. Collard Greens: not to spivey, with a great taste. Ox Tails: soft, meaty, not rough. Savory and not overly oily. Baked chicken. BOOM. Even Emerial would not complain. Cat Fish: Not gritty. Melt in your mouth. Flaky addicting. Fried Chicken: great tasting outside. I think I grabbed the wrong one as it was a little dry inside. (Sorry. Have to be honest) Sweet Potato: excellent. Perfect taste balance Green Beans: Wonderful Mac & Cheese this ain't kraft. But Kraft needs this recipe. Red beans and rice: Don't change a thing. Peach cobbler: reminds me of home. banana pudding: I'm sorry momma, but they must have stolen Madea's recipe. Can't wait to taste there other stuff. I'll be back soon. In fact see you all on Sunday.

    (5)

  • Cindy K.

    This place has the best grits. You can even make your own waffles. The owner, Dr.J., is a down to earth guy. The cornbread, collard greens, and Mac and cheese were my favorites too..glad to have tasted this good soul food.

    (5)

  • Evan M.

    Not many buffets out there keep you feeling welcomed every time you come to their place like this, let alone any restaurant. This place has an exceptionally kind staff that do their best to make sure your visit is memorable. Right when you walk in they greet you with such a warm welcome that makes you feel like you've just come home. Now this isn't even mentioning the food here. The food is simply fantastic. You get your money's worth in my opinion. And compared to other places that serve "soul food" or anything similar to it, this one definitely takes the cake and makes sure it's the only one holding on to it. I absolutely love the fried chicken and waffle they have here, not mentioning that's it basically unlimited. Overall I think this is a great buffet with such a great atmosphere that keeps you wanting to come back. Can't wait to eat here again. Remember to try the peach cobbler!

    (4)

  • Jordan A.

    Food was so good everything was fresh nothing I ate was disappointing and the waffles were the cherry on top. I DEFINITELY will be coming back

    (5)

  • Brenda R.

    If you ever wanted to try delicious fresh soul food this is a place to go. I absolutely enjoy having caught fish at celebrity so full it is served fresh, flaky and tasty. I recommend going right around there opening at 11 AM. Or about 5 PM where you're not beating a huge rush. The staff is really friendly the location is kept clean. There are so many choices you have to have at least a second helping. It's a great dining establishment for one or a group. I highly recommend having your next business meeting there you just can't go wrong.

    (5)

  • Cheryl W.

    Just ok....had to wait for dishes to be refilled more than what should be expected for their signature dishes, ie catfish, fried chicken. Many foods were cold or had been setting out for awhile and were crusty. People were very nice though . Also, needs more light ....a little dismal to me.

    (2)

  • Doug W.

    I've tried this place twice..breakfast was below average and then lunch was terrible.

    (1)

  • Moka G.

    Just want say that the Staff was great! So nice and helpful. The buffet was lined up with beautifully made Fried chicken, BBq chicken, Stuff I have never tried that was awesome like Smoked meatloaf..Soooo goood!, Mac&Cheese, Collard greens, Fried Okra and Grits that was pretty dang Good! I had to go back 3 times to try it all... and then the salad bar and deserts...aww-man it is a treat to have this type of restaurant near by. I will be back for more and will bring friend's! You wont be disappointed . Thanks again to the staff that made the meal and the experience that much better! Moka

    (4)

  • Jaime D.

    We tried Celebrity Soul Food for the first time tonight and I am a fan! We were a little worried about the food, because buffet food is often not good. No need to worry! Everything we tried was really good. Our favorites were the mac and cheese (of course) some sort of stuffing (?) dish and banana pudding (quite possibly the best i've had!!). On top of the really good food was the amazing service. Everyone working here is amazingly nice. Even if you are not a fan of Southern cooking, it's worth going here just to support the kind people who run this place. It is a welcome addition to Lake Forest!

    (4)

  • Edith S.

    The food is amazing..collar green, mac and cheese and sweet potato pie are the favorite. If you like southern food, u gotta come try this place.

    (5)

  • Ivery S.

    This is the Place to go when in this area!! The food IS AMAZING and I am from Missouri and I know good cooking, when I eat it!! The service is GREAT and the atmosphere is very nice. I enjoyed meeting the Owners and their staff and how wonderful they are! Our organization will be holding ALL OF OUR MEETING THERE AND I CANNOT WAIT until the next meeting, that's how good the food is here! Don't forget to try the Peach Cobbler...it is so gooooood. Oh yeah, I did eat the salads as well and the tuna was so delicious and every morsel was fresh. I enjoyed my pig out moments here as well as the hospitality! I will return soon, with friends and family on a Sunday outing after Church!! Thank you to the Jacobs and their staff and God Bless and continue the Blessing of feeding folks the best tastes in OC!!

    (5)

  • Anthony G.

    Best review I can give you is to say ... just get here! You will be glad you did. Authentic soul food in the OC, finally.

    (5)

  • John S.

    Ok, my lady friend wanted to take me here today as a little celebration for a job interview I had. We've wanted to try this place for several months now. We arrived around 4:30pm on a Thursday. This was a mistake. I felt so bad for her. She spent over $36 for dry,cold salty food. The only thing worth eating was the fried chicken when they brought it out fresh. At least it was hot. Well, the catfish was Ok but, COLD. There were some other dishes that were tasty but, COLD. It appeared to me the food was left over from lunch. I can't express the disappointment we felt. I don't see how it survives with food that bad. I hope someone from Ralph's reads this because their fried chicken is SOOO good! They kill it! We will just go to Ralph's from now on. We won't be back to this buffet!

    (1)

  • Wendy B.

    We really had a great dinner!! Fried Chicken better then any we've ever tasted, steaming hot and cooked just right!! Yummy Greens, Mac n cheese, sweet potatoes and cornbread muffins!! We appreciated the food was NOT salty just perfect!!! Mashed potatoes were good and Lemon cake for dessert was moist & delicious. Next time we will try waffles we were too full!!! Call ahead for special dishes for that day :) Ribs on Friday I heard!!

    (4)

  • Maria S.

    Yummy. We have been wanting to try this place and we ate glad we did. The fried chicken is AMAZING. I also loved the green beans, waffle maker and masked potatoes. The salad bar head a ton of options, but we wet too full to make it there. Wonderful service and friendly staff. We'll be back to try everything we couldn't for in today.

    (4)

  • Bill G.

    I have seen better food in dumpsters. This place serves garbage and calls it food. The fried chicked, what little there was of it, seemed to be frozen crap dumped in a fryer. You had to wait to get the few pices they would put out and when you did it was nohting but wind and thighs. The couple of pieces I tried to eat were under cooked, nothing like trying to eat under cooked chicken. I would say that the rest of the food was slop, but that would be an insult to slop. When we complained to one staff member who was very understanding and apologetic. Then the "chef" came out and had major attitude. He didn't really care much that we had a terrible meal. Rarely do I write a bad review, but the food here was so bad and the chef had such a crappy attitude (much like his food - crappy) that this was the first thing I did as soon as I came home. Save your money and avoid this place. I am sorry for some of the people that work there. I am sure they are not all jerks like the chef.

    (1)

  • Ryan T.

    Best fried chicken and catfish I've ever had in my entire life! The meatloaf was beyond phenomenal. The ribs? AMAZING. The staff was beyond friendly and welcoming. This is a place I'll keep going back to again and again.

    (5)

  • Mariquet A.

    Food were excellent! Fried chicken and Catfish were great..and the Peach Cobbler.. delish!. and pretty much EVERYTHING! Oh, you can make your own waffles too! Watch out Roscoe's..Celebrity Soul...is in town!!!

    (5)

  • Don B.

    Was searching for some soul foods in OC when this popped out in my newsfeed. Place is clean. Staff is super friendly. Food was ok but not totally impressed. Pork bones was awesome by the way. Chicken was juicy and i guess straight from the frier. They have that do it yourself waffle so ask them to help you with it. I might come back, I might.

    (3)

  • Wini L.

    Glad to have another variety of restaurant in the neighborhood! How I love those Fried Chicken! I am now craving for them again! Operationally, true that there is room for improvement. But considering it is a new restaurant, I think they are trying hard to get things done right. I really enjoyed the food. Definitely a place to go back when I crave for some gooood Fried Chicken, cat fish, ribs and Waffle!

    (5)

  • Namazhya Y.

    We love it great locations, great presentation , amazing food our family is just so trill that we have something so close of home that we do not have to travel to LA to find this amazing food. Capt Midnight

    (5)

  • Dustin W.

    Everyone reading!! Eat and Enjoy! Had the best experience here at celebrities!! Great food, various flavors and delights for your tastebuds. Can you say cornbread!! The best I've ever had at a restaurant.

    (5)

  • Andrew K.

    The food was very good, uncomplicated, down home cooking. We did have to wait ten min for the fried chicken, but honestly the staff was so lovely I didn't mind sticking around a few extra min.

    (4)

  • William W.

    Tell your friends, tell your family, we have a legit soul food place in OC! The food is delicious, just like you would see in the south with oxtail, fried chicken, catfish, collard greens, and all kinds of other goodies. Super friendly staff and patrons. This is a absolute must-try!

    (5)

  • Ed E.

    Went here about a month ago with my family for lunch. I was excited to try this place because I had never been to a soul food buffet. I was very disappointed. The food was to salty and tasted like it sat underneath the heat lamps for hours. I don't think I will be coming back here.

    (1)

  • Mike D.

    OK. While the two owners appear to be nice...they do not PAY there employees...i worked for them Four months ago and have emailed and called daily...and have not received my money just awful...i am going to see a lawyer. The manger as they call her MISS CANDACE...smokes constantly and does not wash her hands it is gros....be careful you dont get ash i your food.....they do not return phone calls and appear to be nice buit do not want to payu money that is due.....do not go there...not nice people...you do not treat people the way they have treated me. pay the money due and move on. i have spent 70 dollars in phone calls alone to get a check that is 90 dollars

    (1)

  • Toni R.

    The food was wonderful, the staff were friendly and welcoming. We had a little bit of everything: fried chicken, pork chops, greens, black eyed peas, corn bread muffins, Mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, banana pudding and bread pudding. We were too full to try the waffles but we will get them next time. We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Carol R.

    Great time, nice homemade food and delightful staff and owner! Thank you a wonderful experience!!!

    (5)

  • Christina K.

    Our first visit, and I was hoping for some good Southern Food in OC. We were not impressed. We should have walked out when we noticed how sticky the floor was while we were waiting to pay. It's very expensive for a family of two adults and three kids - there is no kids pricing, it's $16 per person and that doesn't include drinks. However, they didn't charge us for drinks this time because most of their drink dispensers weren't working. There were only a couple pieces of fried chicken, one of which my husband had and he said it was awful. It took forever for them to bring out more chicken, and then there were only a few drumsticks which another patron practically ran over to grab. I managed to get two of them for my kids before she got them, but she got the rest of them. There were hardly any of the entrees available and some were not refilled while we were there. The waffle maker wasn't working either. There was lots of rice, cabbage, potatoes, and other side dishes. Two stars because the mashed potatoes and corn were good according to my daughter. We just felt like it was not worth it for our family.

    (2)

  • Neil S.

    If the world was going to end tonight and we were given just enough time to eat one last meal, then you can find me concocting myself a feast at The Celebrity Soul Food Buffet. Why the Celebrity Soul Food Buffet? 1. It is up the walking distance from my house, Eliminating all risk from driving and perhaps falling asleep behind the wheel after an overindulgence. 2. In the frantic situation which is the end of the world. I need the best food. All of it. I need: Grits Cheesy Grits Neck-bones Catfish Mac and Cheese Fried Chicken Fresh Waffles BBQ Chicken Baked Beans Red Beans and Rice Yams Collard Greens Green Beans Okra CornBread Peach Cobbler And the Celebrity Soul Food Buffet has it. They have all of it. And they do everything VERY VERY well. I felt like I was in New Orleans, less the awful humidity. Plate after Plate I had to sample all these items until I tapped out. Luckily, I was able to try the Peach Cobbler, which not only was out of this world, but which, like many aforementioned items, has never been done well and put together (until now) in the City of Lake Forest, The County of Orange, The State of California if not this side of the Mississippi river. Buffet's are inherently are very vulnerable to the wrath of the Yelp reviewer, because of the many instances where things can seem unkept, or not fresh, but the Celebrity Soul Food Buffet's wonderful staff took the stigma out of the buffet experience and were very friendly. Available are other desserts/pies that could be ordered which I had to skip because if I had not listened to my conscience, ordered the sweet potato pie, and began to dig into it, I would have surely exploded like a birthday balloon. There are so many great items which I would like to go over individually, but I am happy that this is a buffet. If this place was a la carte, knowing what i now know, It would be next to impossible for me to narrow it down to a single plate. My decision fatigue would be showcased at the front of the line as many people behind me would probably suffer from the same affliction of trying to order 1 or 2 things from the eclectic fare presented at this wonderful establishment. A Special Thank You to Chris, who I briefly chatted with on my way out. We discussed how, out of the sake of my (Paleoish) diet, I cant let my self come here every week. We agreed on twice a month. I cant believe this place exists. My only question would be (and the answer is not important), Were the Peaches in the Peach Cobbler from Georgia? Because I wouldn't know the difference! Exceptional!

    (5)

  • Chon T.

    Definitely one of the better buffets in the oc. Selection was good, with many variations of chicken (fried, baked, BBQ), rice, veggies and pork dishes. A make your own waffle station ensures a perfectly cooked waffle fresh with no heating lights. Mac an cheese was pretty cheesy, though not as creamy as I would've liked. Salad bar was decent, with many picknicky types available. Props to the staff for keeping this place super clean; tables were constantly turned over, food counters constantly wiped and hot food came out regularly. There were some food repeats at some of the stations, but still enough variety to not be boring. I'm a big fan of the fried chicken with waffles, the neck bones and the spare ribs. Also, the green beans were outta this world. 3 plates of green beans and I still can't get enough. Karaoke dude on a Sunday afternoon only adds to the entertainment value. I'd come weekly if only you were closer!

    (5)

  • Fred F.

    Been here twice with my friends. The first time we went was on a Monday and they didn't have ribs or much of anything, asked the cashier why don't you have any ribs and ect she told us they only serve the good stuff on the weekend. So me and my friends decided to go back one weekend, and let me tell you it was worth every penny!!! Great food with lots of choices!! A must go place on weekends!!

    (4)

  • Donny I.

    Very simple.. If you like southern cooking, I mean like how they do em back in the south, then it's the place for you. I love the atmosphere, so laid back, good music, staff are very friendly and attentive. The executive chef comes out and talk to ya. Real southern comfort. It's a good mix to have in South OC. Fried catfish was awesome, fried chicken n gravy... Well the fried chicken itself was already good then you smothered it with gravy, my belly was very happy. Then the banana pudding... Good Lawd have mercy... Let's just end it with that.

    (5)

  • Nina P.

    Loved it. Buffett style pick your desire. And make your own waffles! Peach cobbler, barbeque beans, corn bread, mac&cheese, and Catfish!! So good. My son and I ate until we couldn't move. The menu is different depending on the day, can't Wait to go back!! A side note some dishes need more seasoning, so grab some hot sauce!

    (5)

  • Wanda K.

    Definitely a place to get some southern cooking, collard greens, grits & cornbread... My favorite was the fried catfish.. Next time I wanna try the karoake

    (3)

  • Kimberly N.

    This was my first time here...I am definitely going back! General manager Candice was nice and helpful. Very sweet and FABULOUS! We came in with a big family... without reservations. Oops. Sorry Candice, but she still accommodated us and we will be sure to make reservations next time. There was plenty of food that kept being refreshed. The food was really good too. My favorite, the catfish and the greens. My picky daughter even ate here and enjoyed the food and the entertainment. At 1pm, karaoke started. Roy, the karaoke guy is AMAZING! We sang songs as a family, we danced doing the Cupid shuffle, the wobble, and the step dance to r-Kelly's step in the name of love. The kids were up dancing and singing too. It was definitely the most fun and best food our family has had in a long time. My cousin said we should have all of our family get togethers here! It is a bit of a drive for most of us, but definitely worth it. We will be back. :-)

    (5)

  • Steve B.

    11.95 Lunch buffet, lots of food, lots of choices. Very good, friendly service. The food, not very good. I tried the catfish, barbecue chicken, Mac&cheese, salad, potatoes, peach cobbler, and rolls. Maybe I picked the wrong things, maybe it was the time (1PM), but I've had MRE'S that tasted better. Sorry.

    (2)

  • Scott P.

    My wife and I like there food. We've been here a few times. But I'm afraid it's starting to slip, we hoping it's growing pains and it's going to get better. it's better than hometown buffet. More home type food.

    (4)

  • Kelly M.

    Excellent food and customer service! Owner kept bringing us "extras" to the table. Red velvet cake to die for. Had so many helpings of neckbones I'm about to cluck! Waffle makers were a hit with the kids. Will be back!

    (4)

  • Geoffrey J.

    Holy cow! Lake Forest is on the map! Just stopped by to see if Celeb Soul Food was open, and it is, and it's great! My teenager, his girlfriend and I absolutely stuffed ourselves. Wonderful service. And the food, in a word -- fantastic! Authentic Southern cooking at its "comfortable" best. See you there, soon!

    (5)

  • Eric M.

    Love this spot! Great food, great price, great service! Was talking to the owners and they are really down to earth peeps! Definitely a must try and I we are coming back for sure! This spot is SCVCapproved!

    (5)

  • MARINA T.

    Went to celebrity soul food buffet for lunch. I love collard greens now. Their fried catfish, collard greens and Mac and cheese were so delicious. Fried chicken was excellent too. Actually it was all good including peach cobbler. Definitely going back with the family

    (5)

  • Toni C.

    I can't say enough. This place was awesome. Great Fried Chicken Mac n Cheese, corn bread, PEACH COBBLER delish. Great price and great customer service. We will be back soon!

    (5)

  • Orlando G.

    Peach cobbler is off the hook; that's what she said. Loved the catfish, perfectly seasoned and plenty juicy. Blew my otherwise healthy diet and worth the splurge. Ambience is wonderful w pleasant R&B music.

    (5)

  • Jonathan B.

    This place is wonderful on every level!! Great service, Great soul food especially the yams!! I give it 5 stars!!! It's hard to find places like this anymore!!! Check this place out you won't regret it!!

    (5)

  • Kristine D.

    This old southern girl was looking forward to some serious soul food. Our server at 5 pm was a nice and helpful but between the gnats by the salad bar and soda machine and cold greasy food I don't think we will go here again.

    (1)

  • Yesenia M.

    I can not believe I didn't find this place any sooner. This place is amazing! Everything is so fresh and hot. It doesn't taste or look like it's been sitting for a long time (like you see at many buffets). The owners are so nice & sweet. The man which I believe was the chef/owner, had a conversation with us. Gave us a little background on the restaurant. Told us a little about the food. I wish I could rate this place a 10! There is nothing else like this place here in Lake Forest. So so good!

    (5)

  • Vicki M.

    I will never go back. Not only did we over pay for what we got, but we barely got anything. While we were trying to eat, a lady and gentleman were filling plates full of the chicken and fish that just came out of the kitchen. However, they were nice enough to let us get a couple pieces before they took everything, and I mean every piece of chicken and fish. I am amazed they allow people to do this. Not only was this allowed, but before we could get 2nd's, and we were starving, they were back doing it again. Apparently they are either pigs, rude, both, or were having a party in the Karoke room. In any event, if this place is going to take parties, then they need to make arrangements for that and not let the rest of the diners suffer or be cheated out of a meal. Shame of them.

    (3)

  • Lyn S.

    I visited here during the holiday last month. I must say I was disappointed with the presentation and the taste of the food, especially for the buffet price! Like someone already mentioned, the variety of food was good, but it taste unseasoned, very bland & some dishes were cold! It looked thrown together and overcooked. I know it's buffet-style, but I still expected better quality. The employees were courteous and service was good. So hence the 2 stars.

    (2)

  • Don M.

    Yum! I was born and raised in South Orange County and didn't think I liked southern food until I gave celebrity soul food a try. I'm so happy I did. I'm not big on buffets but it was this or a burger. I'm so glad I forced myself to try almost everything. The greens were so tender, and yes I ate it. It's easy to eat veggies this way. Besides the salad bar, the rows of fresh and cooked perfectly food that you've heard about all your life but didn't want to visit a place in Compton. Off the beaten path but well worth the drive. Dr J is an amazing guy and the celebrity he knows and cooks food for often is more than the items in the buffet. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming.

    (5)

  • Marc S.

    If you live in South Orange County, and you like soul food, you do not have many choices. I was excited when I saw that a soul food restaurant was opening. I have been there 4 times, and it is very good. The place itself is not modern. Even though it just opened, it already looks run down, but I did not go to Celebrity for the decor. They have all of the expected dishes - fried chicken, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, rice, cat fish, greens, smothered pork chops, etc. My only suggestion would be towards their lunch pricing. The buffet is still around $13.00 for lunch, and I do not typically spend that much on lunch. The put out the same spread as they do for dinner, and it is just too much. I think that a reduced offering and reduced price for lunch would make sense. The people are extremely friendly, and I will be back.

    (4)

  • Marc N.

    Excellent food. They have the best fried chicken ever. They had many delicious selections from the buffet. Mac n cheese, cheesy grits collard greens fried catfish, ribs, cubed steak........ All if them were excellent. Had some waffle and some desert as I was too stuffed from The great food to eat a bunch of desserts. I totally recommend this place.

    (4)

  • J D.

    Bland and overpriced!! $35 for two. PLUS $3.50 for each drink, PLUS $3.50 for dessert. For over-cooked dry tasteless food. The items I did try we're sitting in the trays for a long time. Dirty tables all over the place with workers standing around talking. I had to move dirty dishes to another table. I heard the employees laughing I glanced over at them looking at me. I guess it was funny to them?? Hurry in, but eat first! They will be gone soon. One of the servers asked how things were I said I was disappointed, a big (dr. Jacobs) angry man came over to discuss the problems Dr. Jacobs (not a dr. of customer service) threatened me. As he has in other reviews reply, see Darius b. read-on for yourself. Read the reviews, for a new place one would think the food extra fresh and clean. Not! They just opened! Image in 6-8 months! Don't worry they won't last! I CANT BELIEVE ANY OF THE REVIEWS WERE POSITIVE. Maybe if these reviewers just got out of prison or the army, they would be honest. Or maybe they got confused with hometown buffet. Hometowns food is better. Fried chicken was their best, it was over cooked and the piece I got missed any seasonings Mashed potatoes are box- Red beans n rice- simply bad Oh yea for $ 35 bucks!!! Plus drinks plus dessert!! That makes it about $50!!! Go anywhere else and enjoy GOOD fresh HOT food.

    (1)

  • Pam H.

    I went into the restaurant thinking that this is a nice family owned business I would love to eat there, But? I found out that this employer, doesn't employ legal Americans. Which, I will never eat there again, nor promote any business that does hire illegal aliens, knowing that so many legal Americans are out of work. Especially black Americans! Shame. Do not spend your hard earned money promoting the unlawful hiring of illegal aliens. We are giving our country away. I will be back with family and friends when legal workers are hired. You can count on that. Thank you.

    (1)

  • Cathleen M.

    I LOOOVE Celebrity Soul Food Buffet!! The food is amazing (never tried neck bones, oxtail or catfish before and now I am HOOKED). AND the atmosphere is fun and family-friendly. I'm at Celebrity every Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm for Karaoke (and dancing whenever we feel like it). It's like my second home. Please join us for the most fun you've ever had! If you have a birthday or other party coming up, reserve a banquet room and request karaoke.

    (5)

  • Matt V.

    Too few foods selections. Do not have foods described on the website. My friends and I were very disappointed during our lunch today. Salad Bar "Over 100 items to choose" - we only see one iceberg salad nothing else. Hot Bar = No Baked Chicken, No Catch Fish, No Mild-Hot-BBQ Wing, No Steak, etc... Is dinner better? No - we are not going back.

    (1)

  • Pippi D.

    First off, one of my good friends makes the best neck bones, red beans and rice, so any place that boasts killer soul food has a lot to measure up to. I went Friday around 6:00pm meeting up with a group of friends. While two of us waited for the rest of our party, I went into the restroom to wash my hands. A good indication of a restaurant is how clean and well kept the restrooms are, and by this indicator alone, I should have told everyone "let's go to El Ranchito" across the lot. I've been in restaurants where the restrooms were immaculate; this one didn't come close to clean, with no butt gaskets in the large stall. This is just before what should be a Friday night crowd so that alone is unacceptable. The decor is supposed to be Hollywood, but there are more photos and a life size cutout of Michael Jackson than anything "Hollywood." Each table either had a "Hollywood" sign or a trophy/statuette, but no condiments. I had a salad first, and the lettuce and strawberries were fresh, other items run of the mill, a better selection is found at my local Sizzler. I went to get a drink - which is an additional cost not included in the buffet price. There was no ice. After more people complained, someone was finally sent out to buy ice. We were halfway through our meal by the time the gofer got back with the ice. Not a good sign. Seriously? A Friday night and you have no ice? The hot food - which is more aptly called "Luke Warm" - had a couple of decent items, but for the most part everything I tried was bland and tasteless. While I was eating my salad I kept seeing people at other tables get up to grab a bottle of hot sauce and/or salt and pepper. Why didn't they have these basic condiments at every table or did the staff just forget because they were too busy yakking with each other? I tried the smothered pork chop which was good but the port chop itself was a very thin cut, The macaroni and cheese was a waste of space on my plate, and anyone who says it was amazing probably makes theirs from a little blue box. I didn't try the dressing, but was told it had far too much sage, to me it just looked mushy so I didn't bother to even taste it. I have to admit I am a dressing snob, so If I can't distinguish the celery and onion from the bread, it's mush and probably from a box. Red beans and rice with neck bones is the number 1 indicator for me of good soul food. Celebrity's RB&R was mostly red beans - I got a scoop of white rice and put the red beans & rice on top, and again, bland; the neck bones looked and tasted like they had just been boiled by themselves without any seasoning. The only flavor in the pulled pork was the sauce and there were no rolls to make a little sandwich. The mashed potatoes were clearly boxed so I didn't bother, and the gravy looked like it came out of a can, although it was rather lumpy. I didn't try either of the grits because they looked more like porridge than the grits I am used to. As far as the fried fish is concerned, the batter used was, again bland. Notice a theme here? Bland, bland, bland, pass the hot sauce so I can get some flavor here! The ribs were passable, but they had no seasoning other than the BBQ sauce. I like my ribs with a rub, slow cooked with a side of BBQ sauce, here it was bare, no seasoning whatsoever, or ribs smothered in BBQ sauce. The baked chicken was good, tender and moist. As far as the corn muffins, they were cold, not fresh out of the oven as I expected. I also expected a non-sweet corn muffin. When you have yams that are swimming in butter and brown sugar, you really don't need a sweet muffin. One thing that really bothered me was the cook who would come out of the kitchen to put food on the buffet, but then she'd grab a plate and start eating. Lady, you're supposed to be tasting the food IN the kitchen, not grazing at the buffet. There was a good number of people who came in around 6:30P, but when we left, the place had pretty much cleared out and there was no one coming in. Not a good sign and I doubt this place will still be in business in six months. All-in-all, the one outstanding feature was the company I was with. Not recommended if you have ever had authentic soul food. In fact, this place is not recommended if you want to TRY authentic soul food.

    (1)

  • Judy L.

    Great soul food. My daughter loves the catfish. My son ate 6 plates of food! Large variety of dishes. Friendly staff very welcoming.

    (4)

  • Johanthan J.

    Being African American I had high hopes for a local soul food restaurant. Unfortunately it seems that we have been BAMBOOZLED yet again in the OC. The food was COLD, fried chicken, greens, cabbage, black eyed peas, PEACH COBBLER?? ALL COLD.... When I told the staff that the food was cold, we were told that they were sorry and they would heat up our plates in the microwave... This place is not ready, I doubt they be here in a year. The staff (relatives) look and acted like they did not want to be there. The attitude from a couple of the staff (relatives) was straight outta Compton, but the address and surroundings was Lake Forrest?? Next time I want Soul Food, Ill visit M&M's, at least I know that the service is Hood, but the food will be HOT... Never again will I go back, and I will tell every one I know the same. By the way, paid $40.00 dollars for 2 people... Trash...

    (1)

  • Patricia K.

    What a nice surprise to find an authentic southern-cooking restaurant and a buffet to boot. EVERYTHING was delicious! The staff are very upbeat and enjoy welcoming the customers and tutoring newbies to soul-food. For those who do not have large enough appetites for a buffet, they also have to-go-options, of one-entrée and 2 sides, or 2 to 3 entrees and sides, starting at only $9.95. We arrived around 5pm and it was quiet, with a few tables of people and LOTS of fresh food. We sat there for nearly 2 hours chatting and eating and watching the line grow. Great to see a new place do well. The Chef (Michelle) came to our table to get some reaction and was very pleased with our 'WOW's. God's blessings on these super friendly, culinary folks.

    (5)

  • Chenine J.

    If I could give this place 0 stars I would the food was horrible. My husband went and bought us lunch today over 24 2 small plates the meatloaf was horrible way over seasoned with salt the cabbage was not cooked at all crunchy crunchy the chicken dry the macaroni horrible I don't like anything about this place if you have ever had a real soul food you would know that this is not it do not go here.

    (1)

  • Jethro M.

    Fuckin shit ass food. Doesn't even deserve 1 star. Quite expensive for shitty quality good. Rather eat frozen food.

    (1)

  • Kell J.

    I have been wanting to check out this place for a while. It was a pleasure to eat here. The food was very good all your typical and popular soul food dishes....the pictures on Yelp we're pretty much the same inside the restaurant. It was very clean inside. The food trays and counters were all pristine. The staff was very nice and helpful they made me feel like family.. I tried to try everything but it was really too much food. Mostly everything I ate was really good and it tasted like real home cooking. The waffle machine was a big hit too.. I had a few too many. The side dishes were also very tasty. Plenty of dessert and drinks to choose from. The price is the best ever..I would definitely come here again. They even have take out...for those who likes soul food you should really give this spot a try.

    (5)

  • Nonya B.

    First, I'd like to say the staff was exceptional. The other diners? Pretty rude. The not so good: The overuse of salt ruined the whole experience. Even hours later I could feel the salt burn on my tongue. There were a few dishes that were ok, unfortunately I had the salty stuff first and nothing tasted right. We won't be back until I start seeing yelp reviews saying the salt is under control.

    (1)

  • Jayce C.

    I had family visiting from Sacramento. We decided to try the Celebrity Soul Food Buffet. A friend of mine boasted about this place. I usually do not talk bad about places but this place topped it all. Where do I begin my rant?! We went around dinner time. I did not know you had to pay extra for drinks for a buffet with a price of about $16. The cashier did not make that known. The catfish nuggets, chicken and black-eyed peas were cold. There was a tray of what I thought was yams but it was actually pork n beans and hotdogs. If you have ever cooked pork n beans you know how long it takes for them to look dried out. The whole time I was there the ribs were never replaced the tray was dried out and empty. What a joke. I will not recommend this place to anyone. I spent about $100 and it was not worth it. I was embarrassed my family had to experience such an awful place. I do not complain much. I am not about getting a free meal. But, I am just like any good paying customer. I want good food. If you're looking for a good place to eat I would not choose this one.

    (1)

  • Charles J.

    The only thing I didn't like was there wasn't a bed in the back to lay down after I ate. You know some folks get the itis....

    (5)

  • Patricia B.

    This place was amazing!! The food was fresh, hit, and delicious the customer service was awesome very kind, polite , and friendly the manager was great ...My favorite was the mac n cheese and neck bones...Will defently going back...

    (5)

  • Mel J.

    First time and wasn't disappointed. Service was great and food was tasty! Not the place to be if on a diet! Just have to walk a few extra blocks or run that extra mile as it's worth it.

    (4)

  • Tammy H.

    When we pulled up, we were surprised that this was the former Dragon Buffet that my kids and I loved and went frequently to before they went out of business. Celebrity Soul Food was good and tasty. I liked it but the kids didn't. It was too pricey for the type of food they offered. We would have gotten a better value at Sizzler.

    (3)

  • Richelle F.

    The food and service was fantastic! And I had never had coloured greens before and they were fantastic!.

    (5)

  • John C.

    seeing that weve come here the last 3 sundays in a row and each time right when they open, i was pretty bummed today there was no baked chicken today. their baked chicken is moist and cooked perfectly with just the right seasoning. there were also no ribs. im glad they moved the corn bread over to the heated area but the bread is still cold. i wish the corn bread could be warm at least. today's meal was a bit of a bummer which is why i can only give 3 stars. consistency is the key and they also didnt have any ribs today. the chicken fried steak today was also soggier. and the sunday special oxtail today wasnt quite as flavorful nor fall off the bone like last sunday. gawd, last sunday the food was epic. the oxtail like melted off the bone and was bursting with flavor. the chicken fried steak was just the right balance of crunch even with it being doused in gravy. the fried chicken here though is always on point. lightly seasoned, not greasy and a light crunch. and hot to the bone. i do love the vegetables here though, cant go wrong with corn, green beans w/ potatos. today they had this cabbage that looked to be marinated with bacon and was cooked perfectly. they also had some sort of potato country hash deal that was labeled "special request"? dude, give me the baked chicken instead! im not too big on the mac and cheese here though. i prefer a meltier mac and cheese that has the ooey gooey goodness and here it's more dry almost like a mac pie instead. also the salad/fruit bar just looks depressing. whenever i pass by it the food looks fresh but just the presentation of it is really depressing and i usually steer clear of the salad bar. i noticed today also they started labeling their food items which is helpful. all this time i thought i was eating spare ribs but instead they were neck bones! j/k they also need to include the serving utensils on both sides of the station. so often i need to switchover to the other side. this place is worth a try but i guess if you end up with some favorite items just be careful that it might not be there next time unless its the daily special or the fried chicken. love the concept though of buffet soul food though. who wouldve thunk it.

    (3)

  • Clyde A.

    Smoked Chicken, Fried Chicken, Neck Bones, Greens... Absolutely delicious! Refreshing to know a good Soul Food Restaurant exists in OC. Clean atmosphere and very friendly service... Then I hit up the mouth watering fish, dumplings, and cobbler... I will be returning here for sure!

    (4)

  • Danielle N.

    First and for most the food was scarce and of sub par quality. When we were there it looked to have not been restocked for some time. When watching an employee attempt to switch out red beans and rice she spilled the entire batch into the steam bath. Instead of cleaning it out and getting fresh water she covered it back up with the empty tray. The food that was stocked was dry and coagulating under the heat lamps. They were completely out of protein ( fried chicken, catfish, ribs). It being prime dinner time there were many people standing around waiting and hoping for the kitchen to restock anything. The owner or manager was going around saying, "all ingredients are fresh". However, with food that was stocked was not fresh at all. They had canned green beans, and the mashed potatoes were made from instant potatoes. Also the wings were clearly frozen. The waffle station was a complete mess and there was a "problem with the ice machine" so, there was no ice for the night. It was a very strange dining experience. One that I would not wish to repeat.

    (1)

  • Maria A.

    For days I've crave fried chicken, KFC and Popeyes aren't available near my area so I thought I would give this place a chance. It's a buffet place but they offer to go plates. Order the 1 entree with 2 sides. The online confirmation mentioned a 20 minute wait so I was there in 15 minutes. We still had to wait an additional 10 which was fine since the hostess was super sweet gave us peach cobbler AND pound cake for our wait. Soon as we left the place with our food it was all downhill the chicken was way too dry, the Mac and cheese was neither cheesy or well cooked and the Mashed potatoes with gravy had a really unsavory taste. I really hope real southern food is nothing like this if not I think I'll stick to KFC. Needless to say fair chance given but definitely NOT doing it again.

    (2)

  • Adam N.

    Hands down the best soul food in OC. Before all you hipster foodies begin to roll your eyes and go on a Instagram hashtag rant, don't fog up your Ray-Bans, I said IN OC. Sure, there is probably better in New Orleans, and I've had some great soul food in LA as well. Problem: we're not in LA. This place is absolutely stellar for a random spot in Lake Forest. Great job guys, I tried a little bit of everything and will return soon to get some more of those cheesy grits and fried chicken!

    (4)

  • Kimba L.

    The service was awful, the food was gross and I wondered if there was more food because there was barely any food out. There were dirty dishes all over tables and the chefs must be really slow. There was one old piece of fried chicken and a few pieces of old unsweetened watermelon. The Alfredo pasta tasted old and I would consider it a joke. I'm surprised the health department hasn't looked at the old crusty food. This place should be shut down and there's probably bugs creeping around the whole place, I wouldn't know because I left within 10 minutes thinking I could catch a possible sickness. I had to watch out my friends.

    (1)

  • Marissa B.

    If you love soul food this is the place for you! I had fried chicken and catfish with all the fixins and it was amazing. I was able to save enough room for the make your own waffle bar. Coolest thing ive ever seen at a buffet! Definitely save room for the peach cobbler too!

    (5)

  • Chris R.

    Honestly, I know this place wont last long so its really not worth me leaving a very detailed description but ill give you the highlights. The food quality was very low, everything was saturated in grease & butter (soul foods), the selection was poor & the service was non existent. To be fair the atmosphere was pretty awesome but to pay $14 for what they offered is money wasted.

    (2)

  • R L.

    Nice selection of buffet dishes but, some items were just warm, not hot. Not sure if this is because food is served buffet style. We did have to request for fried chicken which came out of the kitchen hot, just cooked. Servers are very friendly and attentive.

    (3)

  • Larry T.

    For some reason my review is not showing up (could easily be user error) , so I will re post it. I would love to hear a response. So, I am local to the area and try to support all local businesses, so when I saw that this place was opening, I got excited and wanted to check it out. Over this past weekend while running some errands with my teenage daughter I mentioned that we should go here. Being a teenager and a very picky eater she was unsure so I said that I would run in and take a look at the food (the place that was there before had cleanliness issues in my opinion). I went in and asked the man who I think was either the manager or owner if I could take a quick look around. He told me that I could not, that it was an insurance liability. I have looked around many other restaurants over the years and have never been turned away. I found this to be rude and just plain bad business. What are they hiding? He had the opportunity to win over a great customer. Give me a tour, talk the place up. But no, he chose to turn me away. Does anyone know if giving someone a tour of your new restaurant is really an insurance liability, or just plain bad business? I still would like to try the place as I consider myself a foodie but not sure I can support an establishment that treated me that way.

    (1)

  • Katherina D.

    I think the food here is delicious. Granted, I get what other yelpers have commented on; soul food probably shouldn't sit under buffet heat lamps, but c'mon people soul food is pricey, and this is affordable. I really enjoyed the mac n' cheese, red beans & rice, sweet corn, yams, and fried chicken. I will be coming back soon! Thank you Christopher & Takana for being such amazing hosts.

    (5)

  • Ana B.

    Did not like the place! First off where was the variety!? There were 4 areas to pick food from and they seemed like they all had apple with cinnamon, or mac and cheese...the same ones not even different. There was always a wait for something weather it be fried chicken (which was not even worth the wait) or ice for your dang soda! The salad bar....sad as f@$#%, not much of a variety. Oh and dessert.....none in my opinion, just jello and fruit....ice cream machine....NONE (but we did ask and were told there was rumor of one to come). Now they did just open on the 14th at the location I went too. So that said, I may give them one more chance, like a couple months out, they may win me a little with an ice cream machine.

    (2)

  • Dave F.

    The fired chicken and the catfish ROCKED! That's all that needs to be said!

    (5)

  • Linda L.

    For you southerners who hunger for home cooking, you can find it here. We left church and we were starving, as usual. Found Celebrity Soul Food on Yelp and drove straight there. Great, friendly people and station after station of fried chicken, smothered pork chops, fried catfish and all the great southern sides to go with them. I ate three plates filled to the brim and didn't sample a fourth of what they had. I would have given 5 stars, but this is Florida soul food and I grew up on Texas soul food. Fabulous, though, and they're doing Thanksgiving!

    (4)

  • Joe L.

    Food was ok it was just another standard buffet to me it was a hit and miss on the food. I was expecting better quality soul food.

    (3)

  • Mona D.

    My friend and I had the pleasure of making our first (of many I may add) trips to Celebrity Soulfood last night and I was pleasantly surprised. I have had soul food from all over the country and I was skeptical but I was thrilled with the choices and quality of the foods. The place was clean and the staff was super attentive and warm. I absolutely loved the smothered pork chops and neck bones, they were tender and flavorful. Now I consider my greens the best around but I had seconds of their greens, again great flavor, not over salted or over cooked and with lots of bacon. The catfish was fried perfectly and the prices were affordable for the amount of food offered. South Orange county, we finally have an authentic soul food restarant, my prayers have been answered!!!!

    (4)

  • Kenny C.

    Let me start off by saying Ted S.'s review is everything that is wrong with YELP!!! Why would you leave a bad review for something that is YOUR fault. Complaining about them not being open when they haven't even open for business yet? WTH is wrong with you? As for my experience, I couldn't have been happier with the food. It was tasty and everyone was friendly and attentive. There are lots to choose from so go give it a try for yourself.

    (4)

  • K W.

    Pretty decent for a buffet. Pros: Fried chicken and fried catfish were my favorite....batter is light and crispy. It's even better when they just put out a new batch, so best to look out for that. Fried chicken and wings are mixed together...i prefer the wings. There was quite a large variety, esp for soul food. Staff was very friendly. Cons: The price was probably a bit high for what you get, but I didn't mind supporting a new business. Not sure what was going on with the floors, but they were a bit slippery....esp if you are getting up often to visit the buffet.

    (4)

  • Swayze J.

    The food was delicious, It's well worth the money. I'm for sure going back, can't wait!

    (4)

  • M C.

    Went for a late lunch. Was ok. Much of the food had been sitting out awhile... Thumbs up = Fried chicken, baked beans, waffles Thumbs down = chicken fried steak, Mac n cheese

    (3)

  • Victor A.

    In South OC I have had a hard time locating true soul food. I guess the closest was Lucilles BBQ, a pretty good rib joint, but not what I would call authentic down home southern style. That's all changed; Ive been to Celebrity Buffet several times since I stumbled upon it a month ago; it's as authentic as what I enjoyed while living outside of Atlanta and traveling throughout the South some years ago. There's smothered pork chops and chicken, fried chicken and catfish, neck bones, grits, red beans'n rice, corn bread, and peach cobbler, the classic flavors of home style southern cooking. It's all really good, and although traditional soul food is not known for being the healthiest of food styles, I do find myself piling on vegetables over most of my plate here; the collard greens, green beens, cabbage etc taste wonderful to me, so I don't just gorge myself on the proteins and gravy. Vegetarians be aware though, most all of the veggies are flavored with bits of pork, so off to the salad bar you go! This is my new favorite place to splurge on comfort food, worth a visit for anyone with a hankering for the real thing! The staff has been great as well, friendly and attentive, the decor is simple, casual and clean, and the sound of great blues music adds to the ambience. It's a really good buffet and a fine experience so I rate it 4 of 5 compared to other great restaurants that individually prepare and plate your meals but it gets 5 of 5 if compared to other buffet style restaurants. Yum!

    (4)

  • Neal C.

    Tried this place out on Thanksgiving after being referred by a friend. During our meal, our table was visited by (what I assume to be) both owners of the establishment, asking us how the food was (tasty!) & thanking us for coming. This made a big impression. The southern fried chicken & pork chops stood out for me; the wife really enjoyed the cornbread stuffing. Will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Big P.

    I can't say enough about this joint! The food is great the ambience is very inviting and the staff and ownership is top notch! This isn't just your normal buffet food, you can taste the quality and love that is put into all the dishes. Tons of choices and all as good as the next.

    (5)

  • Matt D.

    Great management team and staff. We enjoyed bringing them business. As a buffet we were not expecting five star food, but I'd give it 3 star quality. It was an excellent variety of "soul" food and served hot. As a buffet it is important to us that they frequently refill the items which they did. For a buffet I'd rate the environment with 4 stars and give the mgmt. and service 5 for their friendliness.

    (4)

  • Irene T.

    Must try the Neck Bone and Fried Fish!!! Everyone there was extremely friendly. Felt like everyone was family. I'd for sure come again. I recommend this place to my foodie friends. Thanks :) and expect us again sometime soon.

    (5)

  • Ken R.

    This place opened in July, 2014. My first visit. Soul Food buffett offers a Great variety of Soul food choices. Loved the cat fish, greens, and yams. Peach cobbler was also off the chain.

    (4)

  • Josie Y.

    I am one happy camper. Soul food in Lake Forest...what makes that statement better? Add buffet to the end of it. I have been hearing about this place opening so as soon as I had the opportunity we made our way there for dinner. The entry way has some really nice ceiling accents and the size of the dining room was bigger than expected. I could see the steam raising from the buffet area and was ready to let my eyes feast on the selections. We were greeted by the super friendly lady at the register and got to choose our own table. I tried so many dishes like macaroni n cheese, smothered pork chops, cabbage, BBQ wings, fried chicken, collard greens, grits, cornbread...ya I'm not done....stuffing, fried fish, spaghetti, baked chicken, meatloaf, red beans and rice and black eyed peas. Then as if that wasn't enough to make you feel full just by reading this, but yes then I tried the bread pudding and cobbler. They have some other desserts at an additional cost like sweet potato pie and red velvet cake, I love sweet potato pie so I got a slice and it was sooo worth it. Service was outstanding, everyone is friendly and they really care about your experience so check them out.

    (5)

  • D S.

    Service was great. Food was okay. Catfish tray was emptied within seconds of them bringing it out. There was food all over the ground, didn't come across as the most sanitary place I've ever eaten. Very over priced for the quality of the food.

    (4)

  • Danny R S.

    Been here twice now. Overall the food is a good representation of Soul Food. The food is good and fresh. What I liked was the: Fried Chicken, Pork Chops, Collard greens, yams and the fried catfish is really good. They also have sweet tea (a must) as well as peach cobbler and the banana pudding was good. They also have lima beans, corn, okra (sometimes), and black eyed peas. The service and staff are all great. I wish this business a success as a good soul food place is needed here in South OC. For the owner: There will always be a negative review here on your yelp page..Some will be reasonable and some won't. That is the nature of how this works now as yelp greatly affects a food establishments (specially for the young crowd). Everyone has different ideas and tastes and have differing ideas on what is good food or bad. In the food business you know that you won't please everybody no matter how much effort you put in. That is just the nature of it. Even the most perfect restaurant and service (is there such a thing?) there will always be someone not satisfied. I see that the owner is responding to a lot of the low ratings here..which is good. However, if I was the owner I would probably refrain in responding to every single bad reviews here. Just let it go..I would just respond to reviews that deserve it such as unreasonable claims or wrong facts. As long as the majority of your reviews are good (and its seems to be that way), then you are on the right track. Good luck and I wish your business success..Will see you again!

    (4)

  • Michele' L.

    My friends and I have been coming weekly or every two weeks since it's opened. We get there right when it's open. The staff is wonderful and you feel like family. The owners are wonderful! Don't get me started about the food! Everything is good, the peach cobbler, catfish, greens, mac n' cheese, chicken, waffles!

    (5)

  • Denise E.

    We were so looking forward to this new restaurant so I took my husband there this past Saturday for his birthday. It really fell short of what we both expected. We were never greeted by a server, however, there was a young lady there who looked miserable and finally found her way over to ask if she could clear our table. The table of people behind us ended up putting their dirty dishes on an empty table. The food line was half empty, trays of dried out food or entrees that you could not identify. There were waffle irons along the back wall which I guess are there for the customers to make their own. Not sure as not one of the staff mentioned them. We did see one man with a chef jacket and long hair hanging around the food line (he actually blocked a customer) while he talked on his cell phone. And what was up with the jewelry? I am surprised that anyone working in foodservice has on rings or bracelets which harbor bacteria. The inside decor of the restaurant still looks like the former restaurant ~ not at all what the website leads you to believe. The saving grace, as we were leaving the owner was coming in and we told her exactly what we thought. She did the right thing and refunded our money and sent us home with some Red Velvet Cake ~ which was AMAZING. She also gave us tickets for a free dinner which we will use later this year. Since we are small business owners, we like to see other small business successes. I am looking forward to fresh, tasty food and excellent customer service when I return. Your "A" game is essential since there are so many choices of places to eat in Orange County. P.S. You may want to check your web site ~ there are a couple of grammatical errors that need to be fixed.

    (2)

  • Jen K.

    SOUL. FOOD. BUFFET. That should speak for itself! I've never been to the south, but it satisfied my imagination of what an authentic soul food buffet should be. You definitely can't and shouldn't eat soul food buffet regularly, but this place is a must try if for nothing more than to satisfy your curiosity. Wide spread of items. I scoped it out to go on Friday which is FRIED CHICKEN DAY! YUP! It was good....fried chicken, ribs, catfish, three other kinds of chicken, wings, all sorts of sides I've never even heard of, desserts, fruit, you name it. DO IT!

    (4)

  • Kathryn B.

    Everything I tried was very good. Things I never usually eat and that looked like they might be too greasy were a delight. Even the jello was different and tasty. The corn bread looked dry but broke apart into perfect moist corn flavored softness. The chicken and pork were crisp and light. They have a waffle iron too !! I will be back and I will bring friends !!

    (5)

  • Jackie H.

    The place was nice, had some karaoke going on. I was really disappointed in the food. It was bland. I was hoping for some kick to it or at least salt. Although the best part is the waffle maker! Make your own waffle add some fried chicken and boom roscos chicken and waffles

    (2)

  • Stephen L.

    By far one of the best fried chicken spots in Lake Forest. Not only is the food amazing, I haven't seen great customer service like this in some time. Great job.. great place to eat.

    (5)

  • Bri G.

    Delicious soul food in south OC! First off, the staff was very nice and welcoming. My favorites were the bbq and fried chicken, Mac n cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, peach cobbler and banana bread pudding! So happy my boyfriend found this place on yelp. Def coming back soon!!

    (5)

  • Sarah K.

    This place is amazing! I have been here 2 times and am never disappointed with the staff or the food. Everyone here is friendly and make you feel like family. The cooks are out and help answer any questions you have. I live their meatloaf! The mac and cheese is incredible. I am so happy and honestly crave this place all the time. I found out that they have football nights and I can't wait to come back.

    (5)

  • Lupe A.

    Good soul food cat fish fry chicken yummy sweet potato pie loved . Be back for sure

    (5)

  • Tom R.

    Tasty food -- excellent service -- very friendly people -- decent pricing for what you get -- and, once again, excellent service and nice people (worth repeating). What more could you want when you are going out to dinner? We did get one experience that we hardly ever get when we go out. The owners came over to our table multiple times to make sure that we were enjoying our dining experience. I took a trip to the fried chicken tray and was disappointed to find that they were out. The owner noticed and as soon as they had more to bring out actually brought some fried chicken to our table. You don't get that kind of personalized service very often. And actually I get that they run out of fried chicken occasionally. If you want to go to a place that never runs out of fried chicken you need to visit the service deli in your local Albertsons -- they never run out. BUT, remember when you get the fried chicken at Albertsons, you also need to pick up a case of bottled water (or something else to drink) because the fried chicken at Albertsons is dry-dry-dry. At Celebrity, the fried chicken constantly turns because it is so tasty. When I took my first bite of the fried chicken you could instantly tell that it was fresh, moist, and worth the short wait. So, to the owners of Celebrity (Tajha and Frederick -- sorry if I misspelled your name), many thanks for an excellent dining experience. Also, BTW, we also enjoyed meeting your kids. Our grandson enjoyed playing with them.

    (5)

  • Kenny R.

    Amazing food and amazing customer service all around . Being a chef and eating at many soul food restaurants around the country this is by far one of the best !! Such a special treat for Orange County since venues like this is hard to come by unless your in LA or SD , all around SUPERB !!

    (5)

  • Keolahiwahiwa P.

    I loooooooove this place! Catfish, Collard greens, corn beef hash, corn bread, fried chicken, green beans. YUM. They have regular desserts included in the buffet such as vanilla pudding and peach cobbler which is already decadent enough for me... but then they have premium desserts available for additional purchase: pecan pie, red velvet cake, carrot cake, and of course sweet potato pie. I haven't had these but they looked amazing... I might have to go back and try them tonight!

    (4)

  • Tyra D.

    We arrived for an early dinner and the place was deserted. We were greeted warmly. We grazed over the HUGE buffet and chose a little of this and that: Cornbread Stuffing, Collard Greens, Corn bread, Macaroni and Cheese, Catfish, Fried Chicken, Candied Yams. We were very happy with our choices. We will be going back. We were impressed with the cleanliness of the restaurant. It is huge so if you have a large party, they can accommodate them.

    (4)

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Opening Hours

    Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : No
    Caters : Yes

Celebrity Soul Food Buffet

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