This week’s Buffet Beat runs the full spectrum: restaurants that have finally opened, projects still moving toward the finish line, existing restaurants embracing unlimited dining in new ways, and one longtime seafood location going dark. There is a lot happening at once, so we are keeping the introductions short and getting straight to the plates.
OPENINGS
Kami Sushi Seafood Buffet — Richardson, TX
Kami Sushi Seafood Buffet began serving Sept. 16 at 112 W. Campbell Road in Richardson, TX, after a substantial renovation of nearly 15,000 square feet. Local reporting describes a broad buffet built around sushi, nigiri and sashimi alongside hibachi, hot pot, lobster, seafood and desserts. It is the sort of opening designed to settle the “what does everyone want?” conversation before anyone gets out of the car.
88 Korean BBQ & Sushi — Tyler, TX
After plans first surfaced in 2023, 88 Korean BBQ & Sushi finally opened Sept. 4 in the former Chili’s at 531 W. Southwest Loop 323 in Tyler, TX. The fixed-price AYCE format combines tableside Korean barbecue with unlimited sushi, appetizers and Korean side dishes. Diners grill the meats themselves, while sushi and the supporting sides are ordered as part of the same unlimited experience.
COMING SOON
Seven Sushi & Robata — Houston, TX
Seven Sushi & Robata is expanding from Asiatown to a second Houston, TX, restaurant at 3304 Milam St. in Midtown this fall. Owners Grace and Leo Xia are taking over the former d’Alba space and keeping Seven’s three-tier AYCE structure: $22 weekday lunch, $37 Core and $57 Premium. The new location adds a roughly 50-seat bar and late-night weekend programming; the patio, notably, will be drinks and à la carte only, so the unlimited marathon stays indoors.
King Buffet — New Braunfels, TX
A former Hyundai dealership along I-35 in New Braunfels, TX, is well into its unlikely second act as King Buffet. Texas construction records describe a $950,000 conversion of the 10,666-square-foot property into a restaurant, with a projected construction-completion date of Dec. 15. King Buffet already operates in San Antonio, but no opening date has been announced for the New Braunfels restaurant.
Fire & Wave — Bloomington, MN
Mall of America is planning its first dedicated hot pot restaurant for spring 2027 in Bloomington, MN. Fire & Wave will offer individual hot pots with customizable broths and ingredients, with diners choosing either unlimited hot pot alone or a combined hot-pot-and-sushi AYCE package. Sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi and small plates are planned for the combination tier, while premium selections such as wagyu will remain à la carte.
J.C. Hwang’s Albany + Robata Albany — Albany, NY
Two unusually ambitious AYCE concepts are headed for the same downtown Albany, NY, property under John Hwang’s new Archway Hospitality Group. J.C. Hwang’s Albany is targeting mid-October with a $14 weekday breakfast buffet, an $18 lunch buffet and a $42 table-service Sichuan dinner with 38 savory dishes and four desserts. Roughly a month later, Robata Albany is planned for the rear terrace, where guests will cook from an 88-item menu on tabletop charcoal grills for $48 per person. The terrace is being designed for year-round use, because apparently winter was not going to be allowed to interrupt the skewers.
Tsunami Buffet — North Highlands, CA
A 14,400-square-foot former Golden Corral in North Highlands, CA, is returning to buffet duty. The Sacramento Business Journal reported Sept. 23 that Tsunami Buffet is taking over the Watt Avenue property, which Golden Corral vacated in 2024. Beyond the tenant change, details remain thin: no reliable opening date, menu, pricing or operator information has surfaced yet. For now, the headline is satisfyingly circular – a purpose-built buffet building is becoming a buffet again.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Alma — Portland, OR
Alma in Portland, OR, has reinvented itself around unlimited dining. Chef-owner Vedran Jordan temporarily closed the Balkan restaurant this spring and reopened it in June with a two-hour, $55 “all-you-can-enjoy” small-plates format replacing the original à-la-carte dining-room model. There is no buffet line; dishes arrive in rounds and may be reordered throughout the seating. Alma’s current site also shows a $65 premium menu, while limited à-la-carte service remains available at the bar.
Desert 5 Spot — Washington, DC
Desert 5 Spot in Washington, DC, is running a recurring Thursday AYCE ribs night through Jan. 7. The Western-themed restaurant and nightlife venue offers unlimited smoked pork spare ribs and fixings for $35 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Destination DC lists the Thursday series through Jan. 7, making this a multi-month weekly promotion rather than a one-night special.
CLOSURES
Red Lobster — Valencia, CA
The Red Lobster at 27524 The Old Road in Valencia, CA, closed after service Sept. 20, and the chain’s own location page now lists the restaurant closed every day. The building is not expected to survive the transition: permits call for demolition of the roughly 8,173-square-foot restaurant to make way for a new Raising Cane’s drive-thru. Raising Cane’s currently targets fall 2027 for the replacement restaurant.
