The Royal Buffet offers excellent Chinese and (some) American and Japanese food, with a catch - cockroaches.
I had been here a few times and was greatly pleased with the variety, quality, service, and value of the food, but on my most recent visit (spring of '09) I was greeted at the sushi counter by a cockroach making his way across the ice. I called over the manager who scooped up the roach (not kill, but gingerly lift it off the ice and cradle it in his hand) and promise to call pest control immediately. Unfortunately for me, the damage had already been done so the manager waived our bill. Needless to say I have not been back since.
If you can live with this fact, the food is of great quality and value and the refills are prompt - three things that are essential when dining out.
This is a pretty good Chinese buffet located near the Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart Supercenter. When I'm traveling between Boston and Albany and I get really hungry, I'll hop off the Mass Pike at Exit 5 and make a stop at the Royal Buffet for lunch or dinner.
As you enter the place, be sure to check out the nice fish pond in the corner. This buffet offers the popular Chinese dishes & items, American dishes, dim sum, stuffed shells, soups, seafood (shrimp cocktail, crab legs, soft shell crab, crawfish, steamers, salmon, squid, raw oysters, mussels), BBQ grill, sushi, roast duck, salads, & desserts (hard ice cream, cake slices from display cooler, jello, fruit, cookies, tarts).
The food I've had here has been pretty good and tasty each time. I especially enjoy the good seafood selection during dinner, including the steamers, crabs and crawfish! The service is pretty good with refills on drinks and clearing of plates.
BUFFET PRICES (as of 12/2008):
Lunch (Mon-Fri 11:00AM-3:30PM): $7.99 (Adults), $4.99 (Kids 6-11), $3.99 (Kids 3-5)
Dinner (Mon-Fri 3:30PM-9:30PM; All Day Sat, Sun & Holidays): $12.99 (Adults), $7.99 (Kids 6-11), $4.99 (Kids 3-5)
Seniors over 65 get 10 percent off. Kids 2 & under FREE.