Oriental Buffet
About This Spot
Stepping into Oriental Buffet in Arcata feels like uncovering a quiet neighborhood gem where everyday comforts blend with thoughtful touches. The pace here is unhurried, a steady rhythm that invites you to linger, savor, and explore the many flavors laid out in an inviting, well-kept space. There’s a warm, approachable energy — it’s a place that welcomes friends, families, and anyone curious to taste familiar dishes with heart and familiarity.
While the buffet offers plenty to choose from, the experience isn’t just about piling plates high. It’s about moments caught between bites — the gentle crunch of a perfectly fried wonton, the soft creaminess of freshly made ice cream, or the satisfying balance of flavors in a steaming bowl of hot and sour soup. The spread leans into recognized favorites alongside unexpected delights, offering a comforting mix of American-style Chinese staples and some subtle surprises that invite you to pause and appreciate home-style nuances. The vibrant fruit selection and sushi bar quietly punctuate the variety, adding color and freshness to the laid-back atmosphere.
What gives Oriental Buffet a quietly special feel is its subtle nod to authenticity without pretense. Longtime locals sometimes mention how stepping inside evokes a slice of Chinatown in the heart of their neighborhood, where the aromas and dishes carry hints of familiarity that feel honest, not overly polished. The clean, simple interior and attentive service create a calm space to enjoy casual meals, making it easy to fall into a comforting routine or discover something new in each visit.
Whether you’re here to indulge in the soft texture of sesame chicken, pick through a platter of crab cream cheese wontons, or simply sip a bowl of soup with fresh baby bok choy on the side, the mood remains invitingly unassuming. It’s this blend of everyday charm and thoughtful details that makes Oriental Buffet a quietly dependable stop when local flavors and familiar faces are what you’re after.
What’s Available Here
-
No-contact delivery - Delivery
- Takeaway
- Dine-in
- Fast service
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Solo dining
- Wheelchair-accessible car park
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Wheelchair-accessible seating
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet
- Alcohol
- All you can eat
- Beer
- Coffee
- Comfort food
- Healthy options
- Private dining room
- Quick bite
- Salad bar
- Vegetarian options
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Dessert
- Seating
- Table service
- Toilet
- Casual
- Family friendly
- Groups
- Tourists
- University students
- Accepts reservations
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- NFC mobile payments
- Credit cards
- Good for kids
- High chairs
- Free of charge street parking
- Free parking lot
- Parking
Location & Hours
| Monday | Closed | |
| Tuesday | Closed | |
| Wednesday | 11:00 AM - 08:30 PM | |
| Thursday | 11:00 AM - 08:30 PM | |
| Friday | 11:00 AM - 08:30 PM | |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM - 08:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 11:00 AM - 08:30 PM |
Guest Reviews
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John Elmer 24 Dec 2025
As I’m rating this it’s not against all restaurants but against other Chinese buffets. And in that category it’s a solid American style Chinese food. The sushi was solid, as well as the Hot and Sour soup. Good fruit selection and the dumplings were good. The mai fun was poor. It did have an ice cream machine and the service was good
Shangfang Gao 22 Nov 2025
LA local sees it exceptionally good with very reasonable price. The mussel is our favorite. Instead of cheese, soft steamed egg was added on the shell. Together with the fresh and sweet mussel, it creates a taste that we never had and won everyone’s heart. I would also recommend fried rice noodles. Without much seasoning it’s giving out some reminiscent home taste.
Ruipeng Liu 劉 21 Nov 2025
Food is great. Break down as follows American style sushi (California, Philidelphia, Alaska, rainbow Roll, etc): fresh, rice is right texture, seasoned properly, simple. Dishes you'd find at Panda Express (Orange Chicken, Gen Tso, Mongolian Beef, etc): not too salty, meat is tender. About the same as Panda. Dishes that excel: Sauteed Eggplant, Sweet and Sour, grilled chicken, Sauteed Clam, Seaweed Salad. The eggplant tasted like homemade Chinese food. The clam had no bad fish smell, super fresh. The clam quality is above what I can make at home. Their seaweed salad tastes straight out of NE Chinese restaurants. It's a niche dish that is served only in small regions of China, but found here. Overall: amazing food for its price, much better quality and variety than Panda. Plenty of variety with some niche regional dishes.
Complete Randomness 16 Nov 2025
Not high expectations based on the outside, but it was great! Super clean inside, great food, although I wish all the dishes had labels. This was the first place that actually has good soft ice cream! Super creamy, no gritty texture at all, which has been all I've ever found. Very happy with our visit and would definitely return.
Robert Pitts, Jr. 07 Nov 2025
My family and I have lived here for 12 years and never knew this place existed! It was like walking into a restaurant in SF Chinatown, and right in our own backyard! The buffet selection is fantastic, with all your Chinese dish favorites, and some surprises. If you take-to-go, you pay by the lbs. so take care when you fill up; it is easy to want to fill up your box with a taste of everything! There is seating available too, with a private space for a large party.
Lexus San 27 Oct 2025
The interior is exceptionally clean, and there is a wide range of food options available. The quality of the food was remarkable, with freshness evident from the kitchen. Yummy Dishes were consistently replenished to ensure each container was filled. My culinary delights include pot stickers, egg rolls, fried cheese wontons, and sesame balls. Coleslaw was salty not sweet. For meat entrees, I tried the orange chicken and chicken with peanut sauce, but I didn't sample the soups, which appeared appetizing . As for seafood entrees, the baked salmon was decent, but the baked mussels were overly mayonnaise-heavy. However, the fried shrimp and coconut shrimp were absolutely delicious and flavorful. There are still more menu items that I haven't tasted yet . Guests have commended the delectable and fresh food selections offered at the buffet, which include popular items such as peanut chicken and orange chicken. There is a broad array of both Asian and American cuisine. The establishment features traditional Chinese dishes alongside a sushi bar, offering a great variety of sushi options (California, Philadelphia, Alaska, rainbow roll, etc.) as well as an appealing assortment of fruit desserts and standard buffet items. The staff was also very pleasant. Has Tasty desserts, small round cream puffs, cake swirl, crispy chocolate pastry, jello, puddings (chocolate & tapioca), chocolate cake (not to sweet) ice cream vanilla, chocolate soft serve or swirl mix Additionally, customers have the option to choose take-out based on weight.
Robert Reynolds 12 Oct 2025
My family came here for dinner on our drive down to the Bay Area from Oregon. Our expectations were not high but we were pleasantly surprised. It was perfectly decent with some delicious options. Food quality was above average and the service was good. I’ll definitely save this spot for future trips.
Fernando Barahona 02 Oct 2025
Definitely the best dine in experience for Asian food in Humboldt County the food is really good they offer quite the variety and sushi!!! Its all up to code as well and is fly free!!!! Very sanitary tongs for everything the food is absolutely delicious and did not get me sick although their flavors are strong those with weak stomachs will probably have problems