Journey Sushi & Seafood Buffet
4325 Lien Rd, Madison, WI, 53704
Journey Sushi & Seafood Buffet Menu
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Address :
4325 Lien Rd
Madison, WI, 53704 - Phone
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jennifer C.
I came here just to check this place out even though I'm not a super huge buffet fan. There was a variety of sushi options as well as Chinese food options. The chicken Chinese options were a bit dry but otherwise, it was halfway decent. The service was pretty good - the servers were pretty attentive. I will be back if I'm in a pinch for a Chinese buffet.
(3)Jacob M.
This is a place my fiancee and I like to go to, as well as have a group of friends for no-fuss dinner. There's a good variety of foods; my favorites are the crab rangoon, fried rice or noodles, and almost any of the meats. I also like that the sushi has a cooked option because raw fish isn't my thing. We've yet to try out the hibachi grill in the back, but it may require that you not eat anything else at the buffet since it can be so filling. Overall, this is a no-fail place for a cheap and delicious meal.
(4)Krystin F.
The first time I went here I actually liked the place...it was inexpensive and seemed to be a good quality spot (Chinese/Japanese/American hybrid) with a couple of opening service kinks to work out. Sadly, the service has improved, yet the quality of cuisine has suffered immensely, & the price-tag has gone up. The sushi is plentiful and options abundant, however most traditional rolls call for about 1/3 cup of rice per whole roll...their rolls have WAY too much rice (at least 2x normal roll amount) so much that any flavor is overpowered by rice....perhaps they switched chefs but my most recent visit was ridiculous...if you want to do sushi here I recommend going on the busy, weekend day/nights but definitely not during the week...the only time I recall their sushi being of good caliber was during this time frame.. The hot food is usually stale, underdone, and generally lacking...when crab ran goons are inedible I definitely raise an eyebrow! They do have consistently good items like an assortment of soup, fresh fruit, salad, and a create-your-own grill and my personal go to's like seaweed salad and surprisingly delicious mussels! For weekends this place gets 3 stars...otherwise...more like 2 simply because service here is always pleasant.
(3)Katy V.
Our family came for dinner after a fun filled day at Wisconsin Dells. My first impression is that the place is huge! A lot of parking space, dining space, and a pretty diverse food selection. There's a noodle bar and a stir fry bar as well as a sushi bar (as the name suggests). The food was decent, but unfortunately over salted. The price was decent as well, but the one thing I did not like, compared to other buffets, is that the drinks were not included in the buffet price. Overall, a decent experience for a Chinese buffet.
(3)Nelly M.
Ehm, if you are looking for some quality and tasty sushi, this is not the place for you! They do have a number of variants, but none is to my taste.... They are just blah *sorry* But the seafood is okay. If you are craving for some crab, shrimp, fish and other seafood, you can give this place a try. And will I ever go back? No, not really, unless I really miss having some seafood, which may not happen in the near future. As for my sushi fix, I will definitely look elsewhere.
(3)Julia F.
We've been going in to this place since they open, our place to go on weekends. Good food and cheap price compare to other buffets in Madison. We've been to most asian and non asian restaurants in Madison and surrounding areas, this place is a keeper. Food is not overly salty, most restaurants can't even taste the food itself.! It's all salty. Would have gave this a 5 star but their ladies bathroom need a ventilation, it's clean but every time I go there smells really bad. I just don't use the bathroom there at all.
(4)Hera J.
Why is this place rated as 4 stars??? This is your typical Chinese buffet with a few more sushi roll choices. Food was not fresh. The quality of sushi was low. And it seemed that the food has been sitting there for a while. I know I will never be going back to this place. Save your money and go elsewhere.
(1)Sarah Z.
Journey was my first ever sushi buffet experience. I definitely didn't go into it expecting to be blown away, but I was pleasantly surprised! The sushi wasn't the best I've ever had by a long shot, but it definitely satisfied my craving and I loved the variety. My husband and I went for their lunch buffet on a Monday afternoon and they must have had 12-15 different rolls up for grabs! I didn't have much other non-sushi food except for the soft-serve dessert, but they had 4+ other buffet lines with non-sushi offerings. Journey will definitely do for sushi in a pinch, but I'll probably go to one of the other sushi restaurants in the area for my sushi fix in the future.
(3)Jonathan T.
Back in the day when I used to breakdance 24/ 7 and take advantage of all the free food provided by student organization events, my homies and I would perform on State Street during Badger football games to make some side money. Once we got enough bills from drunk fans that began their Saturdays with downing 40s at 8 am, we'd blow it all on eating at the buffet in the afternoon. (Because that's what you do when you're beautifully young, constantly hungry, and unaware of this tool called Yelp.) We used to hit up this spot called Taste of Asia on the reg, and even battled with that name in Columbus, Ohio in 2005. Needless to say, buffets have a small place in my heart. But now I'm grown, I gots some $money, and I haven't been to a buffet since 2010; however, every time I get together with my old friends, I get sort of nostalgic. Several months ago, I took a trip out to Madison with my girlfriend and met up with one of my best buds, his wife, and their newborn. He told me about Journey's, and we decided to check the joint out. Would it be like old times? In comparison to other buffets in Madison, this eatery is much cleaner and larger. And speaking of larger, this buffet looks like if Noah's Ark crashed and everything died inside. Whether it's scarfing down deep-fried prawns, indulging in the sushi and salad stations, or raising glucose levels to a dangerous height with the soft serve ice cream machine, one can live this fantasy at Journey's. Sadly, all the items there, to me, just taste incredibly bland. It was the first time in while where I actually didn't enjoy eating my food. However, there's only so much one can critique about Journey's since 1) it's a buffet and 2) you're paying less than $20 per person. I'm sure buffet lovers will love this place. For me, though, I've moved on and so has my stomach. Thus, I think it's appropriate to give this place a well-deserving A-OK.
(3)Amile B.
This place is awesome. I just like going here for the sushi! Also the other dishes are just great too. I never had a bad trip here. The seating area is really nice and open. They have big table for families.
(5)Anna L.
Great food for the price you're paying! This place recently opened and truly shows Madison how Asian buffets are meant to be. Like most Asian buffets, they have the classic Chinese dishes, but they also have an extensive line of sushi maki (rolls), nigiri (pieces), and sashimi. Additionally, they have a salad bar and a Mongolian type of grill bar at the back of the restaurant. The lunch buffet is $8.45; dinner $12.95. The price includes all sushi and sashimi. Lobster is also available for dinner/Sunday's. Servers are also very responsive. Highly recommend!
(4)Steve L.
Probably should give this one star, but can't bring myself to go that low. + Huge buffet that is laid out so as to allow for plenty of room to maneuver + Buffet was kept well stocked - nothing was ever low or empty + Staff was very friendly and very prompt with clearing plates and getting refills - The food. The majority of it. Here's why: - The sushi rolls were laden with crab-like-slaw; every roll had a healthy dollop of it - Each piece of sushi I tried was warm-to-hot; this scares me - The rolls were covered in various sauces - I'd rather they feature the fish than some cheap, mayo-based sauce - The tuna nigri was dry and also warm - The salmon nigri was very hard to chew and was warm to the touch - The General Tso's chicken tasted quite odd; not anything like what I've had before - Broccoli and chicken was barely lukewarm; chicken was decent but flavorless - Egg rolls were very crispy, but I'll be darned if I could tell what they were filled with + Potstickers were tolerable; wish they had little bowls for the sauce So... I'm pretty sure I won't be back. The "value" of an inexpensive buffet isn't worth the lottery-like-quality. UPDATE (24 hours later): I experienced some serious "discomfort" in the 'ole digestive tract later in the evening and through part of the next day. I suspect the lack of proper food storage temperature may have played a role. I would urge Journey to check the temperatures of all of their foods - sushi rolls should not be lukewarm, and hot dishes should be hot.
(1)Daniel S.
The Journey is THE best buffet in Madison. The other contender (I am looking at you "World") does not even come close. For the price you pay (9$-13$) this place provides: -sushi -crawfish -stone crab -octopus -shellfish -mussels All of which are of decent quality and taste. This is a buffet - not a 5 star authentic Japanese restaurant. Out of all the buffets I have been to (around 10 across the country) this one provides the best value by far, which is what you should be looking for when you go to a buffet. it sickens to me see people complaining that some item out of a hundred on display was not "authentic" enough. Get real. Authentic ethnic food does not cost $12 for all you can eat.
(5)Katy B.
I have only been here for lunch, and I mostly focused on the sushi, since I heart the stuff. The sushi was better than I was anticipating, since this was my first all-I-could-eat experience and I like to keep my expectations low. Lots of rolls with crab stick and fried items, which isn't surprising since those are cheaper to put out, but also some raw salmon and other fish were on the bar. All of the rolls tasted fresh, and there were people behind the bar putting out new rolls, so I felt pretty comfortable stuffing my face with them without fear of getting ill. Indeed, all's well that ends well. Delish. Though it was lunchtime, my friend and I were disappointed to discover that they do not serve wine or beer. This is basically the reason for four stars rather than five.
(4)Tasha T.
$15 lunch seafood and Asian buffet on a Sunday! I absolutely love this place! It's cheap, endless, and... Most importantly, it's the best Japanese sushi and seafood I've had in Madison this far! REAL sushi and sashimi! Also, there's lobster, shrimp, and oysters on the shell! Way better than those overpriced Asian restaurants that leave you spending at least $40 by the end of your 1-2 person meal. Highly recommend!
(5)Myndiy Y.
I recommended this buffet for anyone who loves eating Chinese food as much as I do! :) (09/17/14) I believe this is the only legit Chinese buffet that's on the East side of Madison? If not let me know! Lol anyhow, I often eat here when I visit my sister and her family in Madison. The staffs are kind and simple they take us to your seats quickly and take our drink orders and we're on our way to the hot food aisles. The price is affordable and can't complain much. The food are sometimes fresh and sometimes dry (but only when it's close to closing time). I haven't had any bad experiences here yet and hoping not to. Overall it's a nice decent buffet to take your date; family; friends etc.
(5)Adam C.
I tried this place at the recommendation of a friend who went here a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad I did. We came here during a day trip to Madison for my fiancée's birthday/doctor's appointment/trip to pick up a turtle we're babysitting. It made a suitable birthday meal. The regular buffet items were probably the best I've had at any Asian buffet I've been to. Everything seemed fresh and the options I chose were outstanding compared to other buffets I've been to. My only complaint is that the fried rice was a bit bland, but it's meant to be mixed in with the other foods so that's a minor gripe. My stomach was a little bit uneasy all day (unrelated to and preceding coming here, totally not anything to do with the restaurant) so I took it easy on the sushi. The few pieces I had were good, although they weren't, in my opinion, on the same level as the rest of the food. For sushi, I'm definitely still more partial to Fushimi/Fushinami on Milwaukee's east side. That said, the sushi is endless and you're free to take as much or as little as you like. Too often with sushi buffets you're locked into a whole maki roll only to discover its not quite your thing; here, that's not going to happen. The sushi area seemed sanitary, and two guys were making the rolls fresh as I browsed. The service was pretty friendly for a buffet. Often, at a buffet I feel like I'm being watched by the staff; here, it felt like the staff was present but not like I was being stared down. The woman waiting on us was attentive about clearing plates and bringing drink refills. Finally, the price: we did the lunch buffet. Honestly, for all-you-can-eat sushi...you really can't beat this price. $8.XX per person, plus a bit for the drinks. That's just unheard-of. Easily a 4/5. I plan to come back on some future trip to Madison, and I could easily see bumping it up to a 5/5.
(4)Caleb S.
What a great place. Total for two people for dinner was 31.44 with two sodas. I got filled up on sushi and went for some fresh fruit for dessert. The buffet is huge, almost overwhelming with the amount of choices, you will definitely find something delicious to eat. Comfortable setting, good music, clean, the staff was very responsive and friendly. My girlfriend and I will definitely be back for more!! *posted a picture of my dinner* :)
(5)Pearl P.
Just went here after reading the review in 77 Square. It was terrific. They have delicious spring rolls, a nice selection of Chinese fare, and classic American (Mac and cheese). Very good value. Great service. Loved the prepared-on-the-spot stir fry along with cucumber rolls.
(5)Belinda L.
This is by far my favorite buffet place in town. The other legendary buffet places were no longer in service when I moved here some time ago. But I am happy we have the Journey Sushi now =) Other reviews have pointed out specifically the pricing and types of food available down to every detail. So I thought I'd list down a couple of my favorites. Coming from Asia, I have tried many different types of food, and I mean A LOT. Which was why I was pleasantly surprised to see that they have raw oysters and shrimps on ice. And sashimi platter too. I remember seeing salmon, tuna, hibachi, octopus sashimi to name a few. The baby clams, crabs and lobsters are really good too. By now it is pretty apparent I am a huge seafood fan. But in addition, I also love their tepanyaki (stir-fry) bar. You get to choose the items you like and the chef will stir-fry them for you on the spot. On certain days you get marinated beef ribs at the bar, which are awesome. The popular items do go very fast, so keep an eye for your favorites and get it fast, otherwise it will take a while before they re-stock, especially on busy times of the day. They do have a large seating area with an additional room, so definitely the place to go if you have a large group. Great for gatherings and such. The location is out on the East side, not the most convenient for me who lives out on the West side and work on campus. But it's great selection of food and good quality draw me here regardless so that says quite a lot about the place =)
(4)Jessica A.
Good for Madison. Actually, considering other options I must say its not shabby at all... Lots of sushi options, various rolls both raw and non-raw. Pretty decent. Chinese food buffet and American options as well. But I never am pleased with the American options... I suppose if you are at Journey, a Chinese buffet, don't expect the best Mac and cheese. The crab rangoons are delish, they have soup options as well as a grill option. They have a self serve ice cream dessert area with other cakes/fruits/pastries. The price is really cheap considering the options. The taste and quality also is at par with the cost you're paying.
(3)Simon L.
Oh Journey... I used to love you so much! But after SERIOUS food poisonings(by serious I mean diarrhea vomiting fever oh the works!) not one, not two, but THREE times, we must part our ways. One reviewer mentioned failing health codes? Not surprised. Whatever concoction they drop on the Mango roll was rancid. The bad alcohol aftertaste means it was probably way past its expiration date and fermented (OMG!). Service was good which gets them one star; hot bars never made any impression. Unfortunately for the east siders, this is your only option for buffet. If you must go, please stay away from the mango rolls. DO. NOT. EAT. Le mango roll.
(1)Richard B.
This is a very good restaurant, the food is fresh and very flavorful. Good selection of seafood. If you like shrimp this is your place. A lot of squid and clams. There is also American cuisine. All you can eat!
(4)Erin C.
5:30pm on a Saturday, the large space was bustling with activity and filling up quickly. The buffet isles were all lit up, the trays were steaming with hot food, glistening and colorful. The sushi was made in front of you, and the area was clean. We started with the sushi, which was surprisingly good. The pieces were small, but no fishiness -- score! My giddiness increased when I spotted steaming half crabs, but a bad ammonia taste had me later googling "What to do when I've eaten ammonia crab." I had a good laugh about the responses that came up. The green beans were my favorite hot dish, fresh and stir fried with garlic and pickled radish. The mac and cheese was comforting. Unfortunately, my dining companion, a die-hard General Tso's Chicken fan who will eat GTC under almost any condition, did not enjoy their General Tso's Chicken. The salad bar was virtually untouched, and I could see why. Both trays were filled with either limp spinach leaves or browning iceberg. They also have a variety of fresh fruit and a selection of desserts. Jello and soft-serve could be found, two necessary staples of the epic suburban Asian buffet. If you like volume and variety, this may be the place for you. There is a lot of effort put into keeping the prices as low as they are. For example, the fried scallops weren't really scallops but some sort of imitation meat. I should have known, seafood + all-you-can-eat + we-are-not-by-the-sea probably isn't a good combination. I think the shrimps were real though. TL;DR: The best thing about this place is the sushi, but it's not good enough for me to come back.
(1)Grace P.
Pros: Great selection of sushi, Chinese, and American food. Good prices. Lunch is about $9 and dinner is about $13. It's very much worth it! Cons: Service is not the best or most friendly.
(4)Ally M.
This is your typical Chinese buffet. The food is the same as all the other big buffets that are out there. Obviously the food is not authentic Chinese food, but if you're hungry, this is a decent place to go. Their seafood is sometimes pretty good, and we've gotten plates of it every time we go.
(3)Kyle Z.
When i am craving chinese food I am not looking for a big plate, small portion type of place. I am feeling glutinous and want some freaking general tso chicken and some hot and sour soup- and a lot of it. This buffet delivers. Everything hot was legit. They even had fried chicken, pizza and "fresh" dinner rolls. They had hibachi style grill with a ton of ingredients. I didnt do the salad bar as I wanted to be fat. The sushi was better than grocery store sushi but not like anything you'd find at Red or Muramoto. Some of their doctored up rolls with a ton of sauces on them were ok but some were "i'll never try that again." My best advice is proceed with caution. and dont expect the kind of sushi that would cost a $15 roll in a different restaurant. If you got the chinese meat sweats this place will not disappoint.
(4)Andy J.
I am usually not a fan of buffets, but Journey is better than most. There are Americanized dishes as well as some more authentic dishes. The buffet also includes some American dishes and a HUGE sushi buffet. If you are a sushi fan, the price is well worth is for all you can eat. The sushi is above average but mostly Americanized sushi. Most of the sushi is cooked, but there are a few traditional pieces of sushi (raw fish and rice). I was impressed with the selection of seafood and a big fan of the mussels. There's Chinese style desserts as well as Jello and soft served ice cream. The place is usually packed with Asian peeps which usually means the food is pretty good. In this case, I think it's more of the fact you get a ton of food for very cheap. Overall, probably the best Chinese buffet in Madison so definitely worth a visit!
(4)Rob H.
I'm done with these sushi buffets! I couldn't find a decent tasting, non-greasy dish. Other than the blah, hope I don't get sick from it sushi. I'm from out of town and know what good asian and sushi is supposed to taste like. I wouldn't give that food to my dog.
(1)Josephine C.
I found it tremendous food to choose, I can find it satisfied with my family. It is worth wealthy.
(5)Heather C.
If you don't eat sushi, seafood, or anything that once had a face, or dairy then Journey has only a few things to offer. But I went here anyway because I like a challenge! I brought with me a crabby dining companion (no pun intended) and a self-proclaimed adventurous minor. I walked around multiple buffet tables with minor, until I happened upon the chicken feet, I giggled with evil delight when I directed minor's attention to the feet. Said minor took one look and ran away. So much for adventurous. Later I spied a tray of baby octopus, and I couldn't resist. I again showed minor, but this time it back fired on me when she took one look and yelled "OMG GROSS!" The young man preparing sushi behind the table looked at us concerned. "Don't mind us, we are dorks" I assured him. Minor did try crawfish for the fish time, but was afraid of the little claws. So when she was flipping it around, trying to figure out how to eat it, a claw touched her hand and a scream around the world was heard. I also heard the phrase "its eyes keep looking at me!" Ahhhhhhhh! My crabby dining companion took one bite of fried rice, and had this look on his face like I just insulted his mama. Turns out all the Americanized Chinese foods were particularly bland. I tried some of the Lo mein, and yes, it definitely could have used a ton more spice. We paid 47 dollars for 3 people, and I have to say I find that spendy for what we actually consumed. But I also consider it our own fault because we went here knowing what it was and knowing that we are annoyingly particular. But I guess lots of people really like this place because it was PACKED.
(3)Wenting L.
Pretty good for the price. Haven't been there for quite a while. Hope that it is still of good quality~
(4)Kao V.
I wasn't expecting Journey's to be an Asian buffet from the looks of its exterior. This establishment has plenty of parking and it's simple to find: it's in front of a Target in Madison East Side. We were greeted with smiles as we walked in. We had a group of 7 adults and 3 children on a Sunday - adult pricing is $12.95 per person (unsure what the cost is per child). They were able to find us seating; no problem because there were plenty of seating - and I mean PLENTY of seating. The sushi bar manned the front with 3-4 standing chefs prepping the trays of sushi. A variety of perhaps 6 (give or take) different rolls were available with sides like seaweed salad and edaname. There were a large variety of other foods - whole crabs, bbq ribs, chicken wings, pizza, fries, broiled fish, stir-fries - there was even a hibachi bar! There was an area dedicated to desserts - my favorite was the ice cream selection. Service is friendly. They cleared our empty plates as soon as we got up to go get another plate. They also refilled our drinks regularly. We must have stayed there over an hour just talking and eating - there were no push from the waitress that we had to hurry up and eat. As good as it gets as far as Asian Buffets goes - based on the price and selection that you pay for.
(4)Rebecca L.
As with all buffets, Journey is more about quantity than quality. I have to say that the quality here is better than with most buffets. Hot bar: They do have a lot of seafood. There's crawfish, stone crab, shrimp (fried and steamed), baked salmon, clams, mussels, and SUSHI. (More on the sushi in a second). The crawfish will make you sad if you've ever had crawfish boil down South, but if not, then you should be fine. The clams are where it's at, IMO. The other stuff was probably boiled and doesn't have a lot of flavor. There's also the usual Chinese buffet items: broccoli chicken/beef, orange chicken, fried rice, lo mein, coconut shrimp, fried scallop (not real scallop! Skip it.), hot and sour soup, etc. The potstickers were a hit for me, but the other items were just ok. Cold bar: your typical salad bar. There was iceberg mix and spinach leaves, then a bunch of typical salad toppings. Dessert: I saw that they had individual servings of ice cream, as well as soft serve, jello, typical buffet cake, and bananas with some kind of red sauce. Sushi bar: Sushi chefs are right behind the sushi buffet making the rolls so it's pretty fresh. As far as rolls go, most of them are ones with "fancy" names filled with cooked ingredients catered towards Americans and covered with sauces. They do have a couple of rolls with raw fish and some nigiri down at the end of the line, if you're lucky. I haven't had any disastrous journeys to the bathroom, so I think it's safe. Hibachi station: Did not get to try, but they had a decent selection of raw ingredients you could pile in a bowl, hand to a chef, and have it stir-fried for you. Service: It was packed at 6pm on a Saturday night, but we were seated in about 15 minutes. The waiters are very efficient and are pretty good about filling your water up. Overall: There's enough variety here that you would probably have to make two trips to try everything they have. Although they have some hits, there are also a lot of misses in terms of dishes. Use your best judgement. For $12.95, you can't do better than this all-you-can-eat buffet.
(4)Gregg F.
Stopped in for lunch today with a colleague. Absolutely fantastic! This place has everything!! Great sushi, awesome food across the board and at a great price. I will be back!!
(5)Gail B.
Some of the food was pretty good, and I would recommend those items. However, some of the food tasted bad, like it was old and possibly spoiled. We didn't try the sushi. I have always worried about the health of raw seafood. After tasting some of their hot dishes (crab, lobster, squid, and shrimp) that tasted like there was something wrong with them, I am glad we didn't try any sushi. What was good was the fried chicken and sweet and sour chicken. I didn't have dessert, but the 3 in our party who did said the cream puffs tasted like the cream was plastic and the puffs were stale. The cakes tasted old. The hot tea I had tasted like water. It was colored, but there was no flavor. It was a nice place to talk, however. Although the place is fairly large and it was full, it did not seem noisy at all and we could hear one another well. While I enjoyed the company, the food will keep me from returning.
(2)Adam M.
Reviews for this joint have been all over the map. Most people seem to love it, but there are a couple of severe haters. After my mental compilation of all those Yelpers, I came away with a joint that is the (former) Oysy 2.0. Journey is everything I want from an Asian buffet; well maintained buffet and dining area, friendly & efficient service, massive variety of seafood, fresh sushi, traditional Chinese buffet favorites, a flat top grill, soft serve, Gremlin feet [ see photo for proof (or steroid-aided chickens that were seriously juicing)] and so much more. The 1st thing that nails your noggin in its size. The place is massive. There are so many buffet stations that it's a bit overwhelming. You cannot take in everything at once -- if you try, you'll get an internal system error message (like I did). As soon as I rebooted, I noticed there were two sushi chefs preparing it fresh at the buffet. I decided to survey the landscape because there are so many options there is NO way to get through everything. I passed many rows of sushi, sushi appropriate salads, a fresh salad bar, Chinese bakery, cream puffs, soft serve (and ice cream cups) many rows of Chinese dishes with a variety of crab, faux scallops and some imitation crab dishes, a "mostly" fried American buffet area, mediocre looking pizza and a flat top grill with an attending chef. This place is massive! Googly moogly. I sampled pretty much everything I could have wanted except I had no room at all for ordering a dish from the flat top grill section. The sushi... is very good. There are is a great selection of of sushi. I had about eight varieties myself including versions of uramaki, nigiri and western style. Although the pieces were smallish, they were cut adroitly, formed well and tasty. Of course it's not the primo quality you'll get at 1st rate sushi bars because it's an effin' cheap buffet. The entries and salads, for the most part, featured good ingredients, were well-prepared and never sat too long. At many other Asian buffets in the area, dishes like General Tso's chicken become sticky without the fried crunch that fresh versions have. Not only did their chicken have the perfect texture, all of my pieces were white meat. A couple entrees and seafood items were a little under-seasoned like the lo-mein and crayfish. No worries, folks. Journey includes any kind of sauce you could ever want at this type buffet (at least 20, I believe) and the several I had were exactly what I use at home or prepared perfectly (e.g. the dumpling sauce). I was so ticked I had no room for the flat top grill station, but I couldn't trust my suddenly balloonish belly with another full plate. Next time. Soft serve and the mini Chinese buffet cake squares were the perfect closer to my fattening feast. My family, a crew of devil's advocates, were all super duper happy with the meal and agreed that it is unquestionably the best buffet in the Madison area. We will be going back once every few months. Service was perfect. We were seated immediately. The pleasant server nearly met us at our table. She came by and stopped several times for immediate dish clearing and beverage refills without any of us even having to ask. I went to Oysy at least six times when it was open. It is better than Oysy ever was in every conceivable respect and measure (including the price, strangely enough). There is absolutely nothing wrong with Journey except for their price points. I have no idea how they can make money charging south of $13 for dinner. It would be a value at $19.95 per person. Tips: When you are at an Asian buffet and see scallops uniformed size and batter-fried, rest assured they are not real scallops. Do not expect the crab to be "real" crab meat when it is mixed with cheese and put in a crab shell or in anything that it can be concealed. It's a "trick" performed at almost every Chinese buffet.
(5)Sarrut O.
I don't know if you had the privilege to try Oysy (sushi and seafood buffet) when it was around, but this is the next best thing and I'll take it. A Chinese, Japanese and American buffet at a more affordable price than most other buffets in town. You can create your own stir-fry, no need to worry about what sauce to make (they have a sauce they use and it complements whatever you put together). There's also a ton of sushi you can choose from. Their sushi is pretty good for buffet setting, they're better than sushi you'd find at other Chinese buffets but no where near sushi special restaurants (of course). There's a salad bar with more options than you normally see, spicy mussels, seaweed salad, squid salad, kim chee and much more. The list really goes on. They claim they have over 200 items at the bar...I guess I need to make frequent trips and get eating, I mean counting. getnmahbelly.com/2013/10…
(4)Jae C.
What a yummy buffet for such a great deal! Looking back, I feel like I didn't eat much but apparently I had about 2-3 plates. The sushi section was almost always empty the entire time we were there because everyone was snatching them up. It was nice to see the sushi chefs were right behind the station making more. I also really liked that the sushi was labeled (raw or not), since my boyfriend prefers the cooked sushi. No guessing game there! I think I was most excited that they had coconut shrimp and egg custard. I could be completely satisfied just eating those two with some fried rice. The selection of food was definitely not short of satisfying anyone who has different taste. My friend ate the same thing over and over with complete satisfaction. My boyfriend spent his time walking around and eating anything he could really find. Baked mussels were one of the favorites. The one section we didn't really touch was the American food--pizza, fried stuff, etc. The back of the restaurant had a "make your own stir fry" type section which I skipped (for now) since my belly was begging me to stop. That's definitely the first place I'll be going to next time! Being from LA and having visited Las Vegas numerous times, my buffet expectations are pretty up there. And although Journey doesn't surpass LA and Las Vegas when it comes to buffets, it's pretty close. Pretty close in proximity to my house too---just 5 minutes away! That might be dangerous. By the way, they're open on Thanksgiving until 8pm. FYI.
(4)Kyara M.
I just do no understand what people see in this place. The Fried Rice is possibly the most bland rice I've ever tried. Crab Ragoons are barely filled, Spring Rolls are extremely greasy, far too many American options to be a "Chinese" restaurant ( such as mac n cheese, hot dogs, french fries that were super soggy), orange chicken has a bad after taste and the desert ( minus the Almond Cookies) aren't great. I am not a fan of sushi so I cannot speak much to that. I went here under several great reviews from people I know. Tried the food twice and have not changed my opinion of the food. It is just below average. Now that Orient House has changed management and have declined in quality of food, I am not sure where to go for great chinese food in Madison anymore. Journey reminds me a lot of China One which I do not like. Madison can produce far much chinese food. This is just bad.
(2)Thao L.
3 star for the food, 5 for the pho. Had dinner here nearing closing time, bad choice! Food was cold and dry, duh! However, the pho was ridiculously good! Very surprising.....
(3)A.D. M.
It ain't so bad. I mean, it's an all-you-can-eat buffet, so don't walk in expecting the moon. That being said, it's better than I thought it would be. The service was good. The food was decent for AYCE. The selections were wide and varied. I'm not going to hate on this one. The sushi wasn't the best. Hy-Vee has better sushi, but for all-you-can-eat, you shut the heck up and eat it. The dessert selection was the least impressive thing to me, but even that was okay. I will go back. I'm not in any hurry to go back. But I will go back.
(3)David G.
To summarize this is just above your all you can eat eateries with the exception of the Sushi Bar with many options. This is a very clean place and the staff is friendly.
(3)Linda X.
After reading reviews I had high hopes for this place. Went here for lunch with a big group. The only good thing Id say was the fried sushi. Other than that the food was bland and not flavored very well. Two stars I guess for the lunch buffet price considering their variety of sushi.
(2)Jason C.
As good as the AYCE sushi offerings in Wausau at half the price - and you serve yourself! I have eaten at several AYCE sushi bars, and this one is definitely in my top 3 simply just for the value. Sashimi and nigiri sushi included in the bar, and it costs $13 - not including your drink. Plus they have so much hot seafood that I wish I could eat... but being allergic to some of it, I have to stay away unfortunately :( All of this on top of the fact that there was squid salad... the same stuff you have to pay $5-8 for a small plate of at a normal sushi bar... and it's all you can eat.
(4)John W.
For a buffet they have a sushi line which is pretty decent! Place is busy but keeps up with the lunch hour rush. Worth a visit!
(5)Neal C.
For an Asian buffet, this place is as good as it can get unless you are looking to pay $25+. I really cannot imagine how they actually turn a profit charging $9 for lunch and $13 for dinner. The selections on the buffet are varied and high quality. The meat in the chicken is white meat and very tender... the Mongolian grill is a nice plus. They have a couple steamed bun items (egg custard and red bean paste), a few American items (fried Chicken, pizza, fries), sushi rolls-- none of which are spectacular but they are better than you'd expect at an Asian buffet. You also see them preparing and slicing the rolls so you know they have at least been made recently. There is an extensive salad bar and fruit/dessert bar, the service is very responsive (continually filling up your drinks... although they certainly have incentive to do so, as the drinks fill you up far cheaper than the food). I'd go for lunch for the maximum value, although at $13 it is still a total steal for dinner as well.
(4)Joshua B.
You know I really wasn't sure what to expect here. My wife wanted to try it and our friends had coupons. So we decided to go. We walked in and couldn't get over how big this place is. I'm still picturing Damon's being here. One of the things I noticed was the fact that it was pretty busy and there were quite a few Asian families here. That's not something I normally see at most Asian buffets. Overall it was pretty good, sushi was fresh. My favorite was the Shark Sushi. Lots of options here. Worth a try.
(4)Eric K.
It is my goal to stop by Journey's every time I'm in Madison. Being from Chicago and having access to so many Buffets, I can honestly say no Buffet that cost less than $15 can even come close to topping Journeys. Lunch - $9 Dinner - $14 Their Sushi is average to above average considering the price you pay. There is a Sushi Bar in the front of the Buffet with a variety of rolls. Rolls such as California Rolls, Alaskan Rolls, Nigiri, Toro, and Amaebi. It isn't the most fresh sushi, but you get what you pay for. I'm always content. The best thing about Journey's is their small Sashimi selection during dinner time, $14 and you can have all you can eat Sashimi for dinner. Along with Sushi Journey's does offer a Chinese Styled Buffet. There are many Chinese chicken and beef dishes along with crab rangoon, french fries, fried chicken, and plenty more. There is also a mongollian grill in the back of the Buffet, at this grill you can basically design your own dish and have the Chef fire it up in the back. In all, you will gain a few pounds when dining at Journey's. Cheap Food is great Good Sushi
(4)annie m.
I was so leery of sushi buffet, but the hubby insisted that I try. I can't even express how pleasantly surprised I was at this place. The sushi here surpasses the bourgeoise Murimoto, no lie. The rolls were tight, the rice cooked perfect and the fish and avocado wasn't turning like my experience at Murimoto. I will be back w bells ringing for the sushi! Can't wait to try the pho. I did sample the fried rice and rice noodles in the buffet and wasn't impressed. The miso soup was good.
(5)Lisa M.
Pretty nice. Pretty nice indeed. I'd been wanting to check out this newer place for a while now. The last few restaurants that have operated in this space didn't last long and never seemed to be very busy. Journey, however, always seems to be hopping. This past Sunday I decided to visit for lunch when I had plenty of time to check out all they had on offer. And they had a lot. The sushi. They had a lot of it, probably about 12-15 different varieties of rolls. I'm a bit of a newb and a wimp when it comes to sushi, but I did really enjoy the three or four different types I tried. The pieces were being made freshly right next to the trays. With the place being busy as it was, the rolls seemed to be refreshed frequently so nothing was sitting out too long. The Stir Fry. I didn't try it, but it looked really good. They had all the fixing on the line. You could add whatever you wanted into your bowl, pass it off to the cook, and watch him fry it up nice and quick. The rest of the buffet. There was a much wider variety of dishes than I've seen at other buffets. I'd like to say I'm an adventurous eater, but on this day I was wanting the more Americanized things. The teriyaki chicken on sticks was some of the best I've had. The chicken was actually moist and not jerky like. The egg rolls, spring rolls, and sweet and sour chicken were pretty standard, but still good. Some of things I don't normally see were the full in the shell stone crabs, some crawdad looking pink things (did I mention I'm not that experienced with more out there foods?), some fish that I couldn't quite identify, and more varieties of soup than usual. Overall, I liked Journey. It also has the advantage of being really reasonably priced. Service was good in that things were frequently being refreshed on the buffet and my drink never got to empty. I totally admit that I am far from an expert on this type of food, but I will note that in the dining area I was seated in, there were more Asian families speaking an Asian language than there were anyone else. I'm assuming they knew Asian food and all seemed to be enjoying their time at Journey.
(3)K V.
This would be a 4 or even 5 star review if I was rating solely within a "cheap sushi" category. Really wide selection of rolls, and huge selection of other items like seaweed salad, kimchi (not very spicy), Americanized Chinese staples, dim sum, and even some 100% "please-your-grandma style" American food. No one was getting anything from the salad bar or the fruits so those secitions looked a little neglected (the rest was being constantly refreshed). You could take a group with divergent / anti-sushi tastes and they should be fine. At $8.95 for lunch (weekdays) and even cheaper for kids it's a bargain (they get you on the sodas, though!) Took my 11 year old and his friend who need to learn to pace themselves when it comes to AYCE sushi (just glad they did not loose it in the car on the way home after inhaling 2 plates waaay to fast...) My 6 year old had a slice of pizza, some bread, a couple of chicken nuggets, and chocolate ice cream (and loved it).
(3)Kelly R.
I am rating this four stars--keeping in mind that it IS a buffet. If it were a typical restaurant, it would really only get three. Lets be real, there is a different standard here. My sister likes non-raw sushi and Chinese buffets, so this was a great place to take her for her birthday. She was quite happy with the meal. I was satisfied--especially given the price. There were maybe 15 types of rolls out, but a third were filled with "Krab". Not my fave, but she said they were pretty good. Several of the others just had too much goop and just didn't make me want to put it on my plate. The one roll that stood out was the Mango roll--very tasty. The fish was pretty fresh, but many of the rolls were just kind of sloppy, with the over saucing and loose rolling. Even with all of that, it was surprisingly good for less than $15 a person, AYCE. My sister was excited about the crawfish, but after reading another review I told her not to get too pumped because she used to live in Louisiana. She actually said they were better than some of the Cajun restaurants she's been to in the area--but could use a bit more kick. The other buffet items were 80% hit and 20% miss. Most things were fresh and had good flavor(seaweed salad, green beans, chicken skewers). Some were disappointing to see(baked Krab salad with cheese, crab shells stuffed with Krab and cheese, mussels covered in...cheese) and some that were just downright awful(ugh, the cakes!). Service was very efficient and friendly, though. If I had to choose to eat at a buffet in Madison, this would probably be it.
(4)3 B.
BEST asian buffet in town! Journeys has the most variety of asian food to choose from. The sushi is delicious and totally worth the buffet price compared to other sushi places. I am also in love with the kimchi! So yummy! One awesome thing that they've recently added is Vietnamese pho! The only small suggestion I would give is that I wish they provided lime instead of lemon for the pho. Otherwise, I could eat there everyday!
(5)Jeff O.
Best buffet in Madison,flavorful food good pricing all u can eat sushi can't ask for a better deal than that
(5)Clara T.
I really like the food BUT I REALLY HATE the waitstaff staring at me! Every time I go they are staring at me! it's creepy. I finally just had to stop going
(2)Sandy Z.
The first time when I went to the restaurant the food was fresh and I love their sushi.There has many choices of the sushi roll and it also has fresh sashimi. How can you get such good deal from buffet?Also they got many seafoods lobster, oyster, steam clam mussels.definitely they have many traditional Chinese food and the waitress are friendly. I would really recommend you go there try it and I think you gonna love it
(4)Alice s.
They don't really do customer service here, but they are usually friendly and quick to get you seated and bring you a drink. The amount of food is a bit overwhelming. The sushi bar is rather good and you get to see them making it right in front of you so you know it hasn't been sitting out all day. If you like typical chinese food (egg rolls, fried rice, etc.), their selection is great. If you like seafood, their selection is great. If you like chicken feet, well, they have those, too! You're just guaranteed to find something you really enjoy here.
(4)Ryan L.
Tried this place today for lunch. Cannot beat the price of $8.50 for an all you can eat. Most of the popular dishes seemed fresh which was all i wanted along with some of the sushi. Desert choices were plenty along with some ice cream to top it off. Would recommend this place for anyone looking for a great deal of food for a bargain of a price.
(5)Sarah M.
My girlfriend and I have been here twice already for lunch. We both love the sushi and the staff.
(5)Pauline J.
I was very drawn to this place due to my insatiable hunger for seafood, but it ended up being my downfall. Everything about this place is typical except for the atmosphere and the selection. The place is a LOT nicer looking and feeling than any other Chinese buffet I've been to. The selection is seriously crazy. They have all the normal stuff, plus a huge selection sushi, a large variety of seafood, a few American dishes, and some authentic Chinese dishes. Unfortunately, I hated almost all of it. The Chinese buns with red bean paste were delicious though. I tried everything, but ended up filling up on those. The sushi was dry and a little bland. A few of the specialty roles weren't bad. I tried the chicken feet, that was a really interesting experience that I will not be repeating. Everything was pretty average and ok until I sampled the seafood. I almost immediately felt nauseous. Pretty sure I got food poisoning from something. Of course none of my friends had any of it so they all keep trying to get me to go back. Just the thought of it makes me queasy. I begrudgingly went back once and ate nothing but the red bean buns and potstickers. I hope to never come back here again.
(1)C V.
Best Asian buffet in Madison. Variety of food to select from and they restock constantly and consistently. I go here for the crawdads which means theres no wait to get your plateful. They also have a lot of sushi and sashimi with chefs constantly preparing fresh rolls. Plates are cleared quickly and service is friendly. I have tried all of the other Asian buffets in Madison and this place sits at number one for standards in Madison.
(4)Bob F.
Chinese restaurant :( I went with my couple friend that loves sushi . But so disappointed sushi look awful , rice was hard .and we been told lobster is on buffet . That was a lie ! They charge $10 for a half lobster . The Chinese food was ok . But if I'm looking for some sushi I will not coming Here again .
(1)Cole F.
Eh. Sushi was mostly rice, not enough filling. Service was very good. Food seemed not very flavorful.
(3)P. R.
Worst food I've had in a very, very long time. I texted my husband afterwards that I'd just eaten at the world's worst restaurant. LOOKS kind of like "real" Asian food. Beyond that it was fairly disgusting fare that should be avoided. If your well-intending relatives take you there, avoid the raw/ cold food, and head straight for the one dish of veggies (green beans). The giant steamed clams are good with the sriracha sauce on the table. POSITIVES Lots of food available. Looks convincingly like real Asian food from afar. NEGATIVES Carpeting disgustingly dirty and smelly Food temperature issues: "sushi" and raw oysters kept for shockingly long times at temperatures that looked iffy. I would avoid anything raw here. Mayonnaise: Chef of the restaurant covers so many food items with mayonnaise. The "sushi" consists mainly of fake crab mixed with mayo and then shaped into "sushi". Much of the other sushi is raw fish and because of how dirty things seemed, plus food temp storage questions, should be avoided. Who puts mayo and cheddar cheese on mussels and calls it "food"? Mayo seemed to be in awkward places. Icky serving equipment. The sushi bar and other places had serving equipment that had sat (with warm mayo on it) for exceedingly long times. I felt disgusted just using the equipment. Veggies: Where are they? There were THREE dishes that had veggies in them. This is supposedly an Asian restaurant and yet, where are the veggies? The restaurant has ONE dish that is just vegetables, the string beans. The other dishes with veggies both had meat in them, loosely identified as chicken with broccoli and beef with peppers Tofu and brown rice: DO NOT EXIST HERE. Seafood: A lot of seafood was offered. Except for the big steamed clams, the vast majority of the food was overcooked to the point of being dry. Dried out lobster. Salted prawns so overcooked as to be soft and spongy. Dry "salmon" that somehow was the palest of pink. Dry overcooked "steamed" fish. I avoided the non-hot seafood because I was afraid of stomach ailments, but they also offered spicy octopus salad and jellyfish salad. Fried Food: Virtually all other food there was deep fried. Row upon row of deep fried meat of one sort or another. Dumplings and other "Asian"-looking food: Dumplings were frozen not hand made. Any dim sum style food was sadly not what you'd expect and I suspect prepackaged as well.
(1)Tawnie R.
Went for dinner the other night, and we were very pleased. Hubby loves the sashimi, and ate his fill of it. I, on the other hand, detest raw fish, and they have a very nice selection of foods for those of us that don't do the sushi/sashimi dealeo. Rock crab, stuffed crab, garlic lobster, baby clams, and several "Chinese" dishes, etc. We will be back.
(4)Breanna M.
My family and I were feeling something new today. However, trying this was a bad idea. The tables inside the building are less than a foot apart. I felt like I was eating with strangers, and it was uncomfortable. Also, it was extremely hot inside. It is hard to enjoy a meal when sweating. When I went up to get food, there was a woman at the buffet licking her fingers and then grabbing the tongs to get food. It was gross. We had to leave after not even finishing our first plate. Very uncomfortable, bad experience.
(2)Jack C.
Tried Journey again today and thought it was fantastic: food and service were great! Tried some new Sushi that I've never seen before, which was delicious. Non Sushi food was also hot and wonderful. They offer a huge variety of items and it was busy but not too busy for good service.
(5)Kari H.
I had heard good things about this restaurant and decided to try it on a Sunday at lunch time. I was VERY disappointed in the food. Everything was either barely warm or room temperature and lacking in flavor. I had such high hopes but would rather spend a bit more for some truly great food elsewhere. Don't waste your $$ on this place.
(1)Sean H.
I left before I finished eating because (with the exception of the crab legs) all the food was very old and cold. I told my server but she didn't speak English. I called after I left (feeling very sick to my stomach) and tried to speak with a manager but the person who answered the phone didn't speak English either. This restaurant used to be very good but now is using cheaper quality and all the cooks are more interested in standing around chatting than serving hot and fresh food. I will never come back and I promise to influence as many people as I can to stay away. I also just read that The Journey recently failed 12 health code violations. They are still failing in my eyes. Never again! Excuse me while I go vomit.
(1)Kristina V.
This buffet was okay. The location is bad. The past restaurants didn't last long but since this is a Chinese buffet it might have a chance. The food was not great but it was bad either. They have a sushi bar and the ones who ate sushi were pleased. The you can get ice cream in a cone or bowl. They also had sherbet ice cream in individual cups, and icees. I can see myself coming back if I don't want to drive too far.
(3)Ray B.
I've been missing Oysy since it closed. Journey is as good or better. Only thing I missed was peel and eat shrimp. Aside from that it has all the expected items at a Chinese buffet such as this. Overall quality is terrific, even my wife who doesn't like fried Chinese food enjoyed it. Next time I'll try the stir fry in back!
(4)Eric I.
one of the better buffets I have been to went with 2 kids and 2 adults and we all found something we liked
(4)Adam C.
Great sushi selection. Great buffet selection. Even nice ice cream selection. Highly recommend!
(5)Renola S.
What a great way to experience amazing food that you would not try normally. Very clean friendly and best of all delish!
(4)Tou M.
Best sushi & Chinese buffet in Madison, WI since the passing of the OYSY restaurant. Very good selection of sushi but don't expect high end quality as you would get from dedicated sushi restaurants but definitely several notches above your local grocery made sushi. The Chinese hot dishes are very good and have a fair amount of selection to choose from along with a Mongolian grill station. The price for lunch and dinner is super reasonable if you're looking to consume lots of food. I've been happy with my dining experiences at The Journey.
(5)Jeff B.
The combination of price and quality for a seafood/sushi buffet is phenomenal. EVERYTHING, including the other buffet dishes, were excellent.
(5)Lu Y.
Maybe best sushi buffet in Madison. But not so good I think.
(4)Daniel Y.
Last night was the second time I've been to Journey Buffet. What really impressed me was their customer service. We were a group of 7 adults with 4 children and the staff were very accomodating and quick to bring out the high chairs. It felt good to be treated well as a customer. The food was also good and much better than most chinese buffets in Madison. I would go back with a big group of friends.
(4)Courtney F.
HIghly impressed. I am another previous Oysy goer and miss it dearly. This evening I tried The Journey for the first time by getting sushi to go. Their selection was great! I got at least one of everything and paid under $5.00! I couldn't believe it! The sushi had great flavor and was being freshly rolled in front of me. I look forward to going back and trying the hot buffet as well. I will definitely be recommending people here!
(5)Josh J.
Very pleasantly surprised! Clean, lots of options, all fresh and affordable. Will be back.
(5)Christine O.
Best buffet/restaurant I've been to in awhile.. Food was awesome. Can't wait to go back. Sooo rooting for this place to succeed. Then the east side would finally have a decent place to eat. Love it:)
(5)Oldschool K.
The better buffet restaurant around the area. Good atmosphere and good food. Will always go back. If you haven't tried it. Go for it. No regrets. ..
(4)Jonathon M.
I ate here for the first time today. Very impressed with the wide variety and the stir fry to order grill. The staff was very punctual. Was with a party of four and everyone enjoyed everything they ate. All of us will definitely return and will definitely recommend to others.
(5)David M.
Had lunch twice, with 2 Japanese ladies we all enjoyed ourselves. Good Food, Service, for the money it costs, you cant beat it. I've ate at another Sushi and Seafood buffet, that was no better and cost more !! KANPAI !!!
(4)Norah C.
I have always heard my friends talking about how the Journey Seafood Buffet has delicious food but I never had the chance to try them out myself. The other day as I was shopping at Target with my aunt, right across from the Journey, we decided to give it a try. Turns out that my friends were right, everything was delicious with a great selection. The only thing about this place is that they didn't have crab legs that my aunt loves. So I talked to the manager there, and found out that, because crab legs are too expensive for them to afford since the dinner price is only 12.95 per person. It is understandable, although they didn't have any crab legs, they still have a wide variety of seafood, such as, clams, stone crabs, and oysters. A whole bar of sushi featuring sashimi and about 20 different kinds of sushi caught our eyes immediately when we first walked in. We had such a great time there and we are definitely gonna be back!
(5)Laurie B.
My daughter and I went to eat the Sunday buffet Aug 31. We have eaten at the place back when it was new it was good. So last Sunday I treated her ...well it was CRAP. The stone crabs were brown where they had cut them in half the chicken tereyalki was so overcooked I could cut it with a knife. The crab rangoons were cold. Nothing we placed on our plate was any good. We took 2 sips of soda and asked to see the manager. A young woman came over and I asked if she was the manager she said yes. I told her the food was loudsy and tasted bad. She said they have a new chef. Does this mean a new chef is the reason they have bad food and its ok because he is new. She saw we had hardly ate anything and I wanted my money back she said she could only take 10% off the bill. A word to the wise drive right past this place. It seems like this building is cursed and always has bad food eatry. With all the different buffets in town this place won't last long and serves them right bad food bad customer service.
(1)Sherry F.
Enjoyed this Buffet both times I have had the pleasure of eating there. My son loves sushi and felt the stuff was good. "Haven't had a bad bit yet" were his exact words. Feeling that a good buffet will have good food but seldom great food this Buffet hits the mark and more. Coconut shrimp very good but a tad too sweet for me. General Taos was tasty but not really spicy. Nicely cook asparagus. So many other good dishes to choose from you may forget they have a Mongolian grill. This grill is there to please the absolute pickiest eater. And as stated by others the sweet treats are so good you may not stop eating when you know you should. I have enjoyed the vegs they have both in the salad bar and in the steam tables. When you want a buffet with plenty of seafood this is the one to choose.
(5)Elizabeth R.
It's huge! Twice as big as any other Chinese buffet in Madison. Lots of sushi, good selection of fresh fruit. Most of the other food is the same stuff all the other buffets serve, with a few extras. The quality was decent, though nothing blew me away with its sheer awesomeness, and right now the place is so busy that the food gets refreshed often. Service is friendly and efficient. The price is on the high side - reasonable if you're going to stuff yourself with sushi, too high if you stick to stir-fry. Kids' meals are very cheap (guess they don't eat much sushi). I'll definitely be back.
(4)Tina W.
Pretty good for a buffet! Quality could go up a little but the selection was tough to beat. Attentive service.
(4)Matthew G.
one of the best Chinese buffets around. yes, it suffers from the same pitfalls of other buffets: sometimes you might choose something that isn't perfectly hot or fresh. this is just the "nature of the beast" when it comes to buffets. truth is, they are at a disadvantage to a regular restaurant. if you are at a non-buffet restaurant and are served food that is luke-warm, you have a legitimate complaint. but lets be honest, it comes with the territory at buffets, and there is no easy answer. some say they should just put out smaller amounts. well, ok, but they can't really make the replacement serving until that one is gone, so then the complaint will be that the food keeps running out. if your food is actually cold, let them know so they can do something about it. otherwise, if you expect everything you eat to perfectly fresh and hot, you really should stay away from buffets. I took that much time on that issue because I feel some people have completely unreasonable expectations at buffets. it's the same as if I went to a regular restaurant and complained that I didn't get a huge selection of food and could eat all I wanted for one low price! now, to get specific about Journey....to be honest, I would say the quality is the same as other buffets that I have ranked highly, but where they really shine is selection. an entire row of sushi, with 2 guys right behind the buffet making it fresh. this is one area I would say the quality is above other buffets. for buffet sushi, this stuff is really, really good. fresh, lots of flavor, huge variety to choose from. they have a better than average Mongolian grill available, usually at least 4 different kinds of soup, a salad bar, nice assortment of fruits, soft serve ice cream you can put in either a cone or a bowl, pre-packaged containers of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream, the usual assortment of cakes and cookies, and even on the lunch buffet you can get fried scallops (imitation, i'm guessing, but still good), fried shrimp, salmon that was much more flavorful than usual, and the usual selection of Chinese dishes along with many choices you never see at other buffets. as I said, the selection is great at this place. i'm really surprised they can offer the lunch buffet for only $8.45. personally, I've never had anything here that was cold, tasted like it had been sitting for a while or lacked in flavor. the place is also very clean, plenty of seating available and has a much more upscale look than other buffets. and the service has always been really good as well. if you enjoy Chinese buffets and know what to expect in terms of quality, you have to give this place a try.
(4)Kyle H.
Not a big fan of buffets normally but this place is legit! Great food and plenty of selections.
(4)Ann B.
the good sushi stir fry service the bad the entree on the buffet lukewarm some were flavorless the good does outwiegh the bad good for lunch
(3)Sara U.
Ugh, terrible. Rude hostess, apathetic service staff, boring, bland tasteless food. My boyfriend (who loves sushi and octopus and oysters) and I tried a little bit of everything and were unimpressed and underwhelmed. Little flavor in anything offered. I'm afraid this endeavor will simply be another failure in a restaurant location that should have no problems succeeding.
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