HomeTown Buffet
reviews and complaints

It is not good everything is very dry without flavor and the worst very expensive the prime rib over cook well done shrimps hard & dried chicken nudes soup very salty I did not like anything heer you need to check If they want business
I'm chef for french restauran
I want my money back

My address
Juan Rangel
47 W. Prospect st.
Ventura Ca. 93001
Cell [protected]

I was once a loyal customer of the hometown buffet, in fact, i had been going for at least 8 years once a week. On 12/26/2016 i walked into the bell location @ 6257 n atlantic and had a horrible experience. We went here yesterday afternoon. The place was swamped!  fortunately, we just got in before the main onslaught.  otherwise, i'm sure we wouldn't have stayed this time.  i felt for the families were lined up waiting to enter since this was a special occasion for the holidays. let me start by saying i paid $55 dollars for a meal myself nor my family got to eat for one there were no dining plates or utensils on any rack. The limited food available was cold. The desert table was empty the whole 30 minutes we were there. I paid for drinks and later was told the soft drink dispenser was broken? The ice cream maker was also broken and the place was filthy and dirty someone dropped the ball on this one. I asked to speak to the manager on duty i was informed that i had to wait 30 minutes the reason being is she was by busy in the back. The young lady at the counter was nice and informed me they were extremely short handed and did not plan to be this busy. I waited 30 minutes and the manager on duty never came out. My wife not wanting to wait any longer finally convinced me to just call it a loss and go elsewhere. This was really disappointing, to say the least, i will never return to this nor any hometown location ever again ...  can someone please contact me regarding these issues ?

The food was cold my friend fell and nobody came to help her the laughed at her and nobody came to see if she was ok but the food he took one meal off but still I don't want to even vine back the manger agured and was not very happy in the first place with the gray jacket he didn't look like a manger till he unzipped it but me and my friend scrapped her arm we tokd them and they said ok sorry and walked away

The macaroni and cheese are horrible and the new cheese too.We come to hometown buffet for many years and my kids used to love eaten here specially for the old macaroni and cheese and the cheese tacos.
Please pay attention to it.We are not the only ones complainting about it.
We spoke to the manager and He told us that many people has complaint about it all the way to the headquarters and you guys are gonna star loosing customers if you dont act soon.

This was the worst hometown buffet I've been to the environment was so nasty I have pictures paper and trash everywhere, kids tuning everywhere aging with ice cream machine waiting ice cream. The food was not even appealing I got 1plate and couldn't even eat anything off of it mashed potatoes were so watery, macaroni and cheese looks really old like it was sitting there for days it looks like mush. My son got a cookie that was so hard when my sister went to take bit she almost broke her tooth, the sodas taste like chlorine. We had to wait for cups to be washed. No e of the food was labeled and there was another customer that had ate something and it ended up being something she was allergic to because of no labels. This was a waist of my money and also the worst place to take my dad for a birthday dinner I am so upset. I will never be going to this place ever again.

We visited the Manchester, Ct location on Dec4, 2016. We used to frequent this location but today we were disgusted with the appearance, the filthy carpet, worn and dirty booths. The food might have been good but the place was very unappetizing and there is no reason for that, especially when you are serving food. Please send someone from the HQ to inspect and make the necessary improvements or you will be shut down by the health dept. I normally don't complain but this was over the line and it needs attention.

To whom it may concern;
Today my grandchildren and I went for breakfast to Hometown Buffet, as we were about to decide what food to eat, my grandson spotted a cockroach on the food counter and then another one on the floor. I immediately told a worker and he got a towel and killed it the other one my grandson stepped on it. I would really appreciate if you could clean the place or call the health department. I was so disappointing as my grandchildren used to like eating there.
I informed the workers, however they seemed not to care.

Recently went to HometownBuffet with my wife. We ordered some hot wings and two different salads. We've been there before and really liked the place, but this time it was a huge disappointment.
Wings were ok great as always, but my salad had this strange rotten taste. Vegetables were definitely not fresh. I asked for a manager but they said that he was out and they had no idea where he was.
Then I asked them to bring me another salad but they said that I have to pay for it. I told them about the rotten vegetables but they did not believe me. Then I gave them my plate and asked them to try it but they refused and claimed there was nothing wrong with the salad.
I'm very disappointed with HometownBuffet, I really loved the place, but I'm not sure about that now.

i was in your santa clara location on kiely today [protected] and was disturbed to witness two of your managers.as i pulled up in back where i always park i witnessed the two managers nancy and jeremiah in a long passionate embrace making out with each other out of view of their cameras.on top of the disturbing show of professionalism, when i finally sat down inside the restaurant, a gentleman comes in not bothering anyone and ask to see his wife nancy.i was shocked to see the same girl from the makeup session out back, i almost threw up my food.then i saw jeremiah grab her arm and pull her back out of site while the cashier deshaney)went to the gentleman an stated that nancy was the only manager on at the moment and is busy.confused the man walk comfy out and left, meanwhile jeremiah comes to the front holding nays lower back or upper button are in the dinning room laughing before jeremiah call got answered by the police and filed a false statement.i attempted to intervene only to be brushed off by the managers.so i left and came home to file this report of the hometown buffet business model of in house romances, and illegal and unethical behavior, and adultery during your business hours, , ,
thanks for your time and hopefully something gets done about this management pair in santa clara.unless this kind of behavior is appropriate...

I just started working at hometown buffet canoga park ca. I liked how fast the work was and was happy I got hired, but after the 3 rd day I noticed they paid no attention to when I was supposed to take my 10 min break. I asked a manager by the name of oscar if I could take my 10 I had been working 4 hours and my hands were shaking from handling the hot foods & cold foods. I knew if I rested I would come back refreshed, but he said we don't take breaks when we're busy. I told him isn't that against the law ? And he said no because I signed a paper that waived those breaks. I then got upset because I was being denied a break. I wasn't even working with the full energy i'm used to I was exhausted, so I told him I read all the papers I signed and I waived my 30 min lunch after the 5 hours not the breaks, I signed no such thing ! And he said he would educated me on the law, before he could finish I said to him it can't be forced I know this from previous employers if I want to waive my ten then that's my choice, but by law he can't force me to not take it that's illegal! And I needed a break to refresh myself. So he sent me reluctantly, but oh boy did I pay for that at closing he put me to close the hot bar. He just told me to clean here and there without giving me actual training or showing me how to do it. I had no idea what I wa doing I was scrubbing so hard I asked for a degreaser and finally gave it to me after 30-40 min I was at this point upset, I told that he was terrible for not giving me this sooner. But the whole time this manager was on his phone facetiming his girlfriend ! Hours passed he paid no attention to me, oh yes, when I screamed because I got burned when I attempted to clean an oven I assumed it was off since it was 11:30 pm, I couldn't help to have a hopeless feeling at this point my son's babysitter thought I would be off at 10 pm. I didn't even get a notice that I would be off later I was so frustrated and miserable never had I felt like this at a job my whole life. Then before 12 am he said to just sweep and mop because were gonna get in trouble. But was he was still on his phone not helping me!, ok so when he fixed my hours at 12 am, at this point I was officially working 9 hours on an empty stomach since I wasn't told where to store my lunch if it's cold or where to heat it up if need be. He said to me you should've been done at 10 pm this doesn't take longer than that, I told him I couldn't get the grease off nobody showed me how to clean that area. He said well everybody does it so.. And I told him he should've trained me better then ! I apologized immediately at this point I was upset because my son was waiting for me at home my ride waiting for me outside that person had to enter early in the morning to his job. The next day I told the manager mike about the breaks and the closing incident I had with oscar and he said I did waive those rights, and that hometown is like a factory where they don't stop, he also said that when I use the restroom and stop to drink water that's considered my break because i'm doing that on work time. I couldn't believe what I was hearing ! At this point I had already spoken to my lawyer and he advised me that if this continues that we can sue, but I don't want to do that I don't want problems. He also explained the meal and rest breaks to me and I was in all my right to be upset. When I found out by other employees that hometown doesn't give raises such as an employee that has been there over 10 years, or breaks for any of the people in the back so that they don't stop production, and a former employee that had quit hometown still owed him 12 hours he still has yet to receive them and knows he will never get those hours. I put in my two weeks notice and i'm glad I found out how this establishment operates at the start because this is a company I do not want to be a part in or grow for that matter. I had high hopes at first but quite frankly I am disgusted how people are treated here and are taking advantage of, it saddens me how people have no regard for human rights and mere common sense in people's basic needs when it comes to their breaks so they can fully function as employees throughout the day or how they need proper training ! I will be moving on with another company that I know for a fact five raises and 10 min breaks.

On May 1 2015, 4:40pm, I caught and killed a roach crawling on the wall next to my grandaughter. I took it and gave it to the nearest staff person, a cashier. She took it and threw it in the trash underneath the cash register. Nothing else was said about it. I feel that if a roach was out visiting us then how many more are in the kitchen where the food is and being prepared. As for me, I'am not coming back. Gee do you think its time to get the place exterminated?

This location has had the ice cream machine down for over three months, but we were there last year, and now that we think back it wasn't working even in october, nor november, as we were traveling there to visit our son for the last time, now since deceased.
The manager (Acting manager) on sunday evening, march 9/2015, was asked by me personally how long the machine had been not working, and he lied saying it was like three weeks, when I have an acquaintance who also eats there regularly who also verified it had been over three months, and this manager lied to my face telling me it had been fixed, and broke down after only one day.
I suspect the managers are too cheap to have it repaired as they save electric, time for cleaning it every night, and the cost of the mixes (By the way are ice milk, not the better creamy types) , and still charge full price claiming they had given the cashier instructions to let customers know prior to paying that it was not working so that we as customers could decide if we wanted to eat there or not.
This was all bs, and lip service, then the managers story changed to the fact they had a sign posted noticing the public of the machine being out of service by the cash register (Now maybe they do after last nights fray) , which was also not factual, and as a result we asked for a free drink since the machine is one of our favorite things in our home states location off sheridan in denver, which by the way is a model location, not a schlock run operation like national citys store.
The soups is watered down, like the managers take the concentrate home to feed there own familys at our expense, as it is predominately hispanic, as far as workers are concerned, and the request for a free drink to me and my wife, not to mention our friend who also is hispanic (As I do not dislike legal hispanic americans, nor am I prejudice). This acting manager said he would give us a drink after ten minutes of lying to me on every question changing the story as he went and felt would work on me, which didn't, and then refused to accommodate the hispanic man who also had stopped going there he told me as much.. Because of how poorly it is run.
The incompetence of management by this man, and the woman manager is directly inversely preportional to the ceo's ad right when you leave guaranteeing you will have a pleasurable experience or they will make it right.
Well the week prior, we went there, machine was down... And there were some african americans who were sitting next to us and the screaming and laughing was at decibels that rivaled a boom box turned up full blast in a vehicle on the street, and they refused to show respect to us as senior citizens, and management did nothing to even ask the folks to please hold it down.
Joy our helper who brought us drinks can verify the fact that she was a witness to this unpleasant group of loud and irreverent african americans, who seem to feel they are allowed to do anything to have a good time, yet disrupt the peace and should be allowed to scream and holler at any volume they please, and be allowed to disrupt everyone elses dinner to have a good time.
This is something as an incident I wish we had recorded on our I phones, as it would have had millions of hits on you tube under african americans behaving badly in public restaurants.
The way this hispanic manager gave us drinks was to give us a couple cards with free drinks granted one time on our next visit, meanwhile he lied about the ice cream machine being down over and over, and refused to understand that when you do not tell the truth when asked, that that is a lie, and not the truth not to mention lying about other things such as if thre butter was really butter as my wife cannot eat canola or soy oil products as she is allergic.
The mexican american who also complained spoke to this acting manager in spanish and he again lied to this man also, and refused to make us happy, as he should have given us all free meal vouchers for being so insensitive, and lying on top of it all over and over.
I said he should apologise, and give us all three free drinks on the spot due to the fact we were paying full price, and not getting to use the ice cream machine after so many visits and it was still broken, but said he was dealing with me, and I commented that : "to not give us all three free drinks, means he feels he can discriminate against the one and not for the others, so our appetites were spoiled by his totally unprofessional actions geared at profit only, and not to make the foundation of the customer being happy the basis of the concerns, but to only care about pure profit and greed, like customers don't count.
I will never go back, and we went half a dozen times since october, but yet being a manager he said did not mean he had to listen to my problems, and refused many times to speak to the hispanic man next to us that was my acquaintance to hear it from him also.
I am noticing in southern california that hispanic managed restaraunts refuse to ever make good on any complaints when the food is sub standard, and since they may not have been educated properly, have no understanding when managers, what it entails to run a restaurant chain properly, and offer free meals when you get sick with salmonilla for example due to poor food handling, they just apologise and say if you don't like it don't come back, that was the same attitude this manager had at this restaurant, so think again before going to this location as the management is condescending, unprofessional, and too cheap to treat customers who know what a real restaurant is supposed to be run like properly, as most of the customers are not us citizens, and don't know any better, so they get away with it in many cases with no complaints, as real american customers are always right but then again you have little kids sticking their hands in the food serving themselves instead of getting assistance from their parents. That also promotes disease to visiting customers more than anything else.
The head ceo of this chain needs to send in undercover teams of secret shoppers to see for themselves that there needs to be a shake up of management in this store, and fire the management there, and start over or just close this location down.
I feel sorry for the helpers trying to make a living who work there as they are all quiet and polite, but are afraid to tell the management that their poor business practices reflect on their tips, as we refused to tip joy (Our server) due to this disrespectful treatment by the management to give us a free drink after not having the ice cream machine working for so many months of us paying to eat there and then continuing to think that lying to good customers about the issue when asked flat out to tell the truth as to why it does not work... And lying in or faces like they have that right to do so.
So don't waste your time or money eating there unless you just don't care, or you don't know better as few customers even speak english, not to mention how management speaks spanish to all the customers like they are home in mexico... This is the usa... Either speak english in public as managers, or show the other real americans you don't care about the usa by flaunting you hispanic roots into thinking that someday we will all be speaking spanish. Most can speak english, they just speak spanich to be rude, in my opinion

Recently ate with my family at hometown buffet beaverton oregon one of my first experiences at a home town buffet. Worst eat out experience I ever had. The food was decently cold for a buffet, restaurant was dirty and looked like it had been ummanaged all day.
The busers for plates allowed our dishes to pile up. And worst of all a young lady named lorie gookins who took our pay for food was rude, cursed in front of my children and when what seemed like the manager came over and spoke to her she stormed off like a child throwing a fit. The manger had to finish our transaction

I went to home buffet on highland ave in national city. They had the price and hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was by myself and was charge as an adult one plus drink for the price of sixteen dollars, the price for 2 adults. Upon inquiring of the price. I was inform that on sunday's there is no lunch. So what do you do add breakfast and dinner? I will not be returning with out an apology and a free lunch. Angela johnson at [protected]@hotmail.com. Better business should check them out.

I got the coupon and I decided to use it in the place Home Town Buffet Restaurant. I came there and asked the waitress if I could use it. She replied “yes” and ordered meal, but after that she refused to take coupon and told me that it was invalid. WTF? I wonder if there are other people, who had the same experience. Can you provide any good piece of advice?

I went to this restaurant on Jan. 9th, 2014 accompanied by my mom and two small children ages 5 & 7. Since I did not have much money I decided to opt out of purchasing a beverage for myself and figured my son and daughter could share their drink. A server came to the table and offered me water and I said "no thank you." She then said I see you have a beverage that is not water and I said yes, I'm drinking my daughters beverage and she said I was not allowed to do that because it was as if I went to McDonalds and bought my daughter a kids meal. She said her kids meal comes with a drink for her. And I got upset- I mean who the heck do these people think they are? I told her, if those are your policies then they should be clearly posted and they are not, plus, McDonalds doesn't spy on wether or not I drink from a kids meal. That's ridiculous! You would think they paid these people over $30 an hour to "enforce their law". It's simply the stupidest thing ever. Don't get me wrong, mostly everyone else is a charm but this Hispanic lady along with a tall white manager are total jerks! I advise you to speak up and don't allow these idiots to try and make you feel bad over something you paid for.