Lighthouse Buffet

somehow this place got an 8.4 and todai got a 7.4 i don't know if a few people arent padding the ratings here but the food at best was average as well as the selection. i went there for dinner and it cost 20 bucks but for the extra five, it wouldve definitely been worth just going to any todai due to the wider selection and fresher food. a huge disappointment considering i yanked my visiting parents to go. i hope some of the users here wisen up with their ratings. Pros: friendly and fast service, not crowded, easy parking on a wkday Cons: food, limited selection, not worth the price more

horrible food considering it got reviews on food network. went for lunch but dinner is probably better but really nothing great. worthless to travel far for it. more

saw an old episode on foodnetwork featuring this place. went and tried it out once. Horrible!! there are better places out there. thought it would be good considering that its in santa monica. WRONG!. the selection was minimum. says that its a sushi buffet but had hardly any sushi. not worth the travel or the price. Cons: minimum sushi selection more

I was looking for a sushi buffet last week and found the Lighthouse Buffet. Having found most sushi buffets inedible, I was skeptical but went anyway. The Lighthouse sushi was fresh and they had a pretty good selection. The hot foods were standard Asian buffet items (chicken teriyaki, fried rice, etc.) but they also had tempura and decent selection of seafood (fried oysters, baked shrimp). Oh, and crab legs. An earlier review said they didn't have anything to break the claws but I when I went on 6/29/06, they had plenty of "crackers." Pros: Inexpensive sushi more

I have only eaten there once. When I went, it was great. The food was tasty, the sushi was good, and the dessert was actually one of the best I've had in L.A. The papaya was so good I ate more until my stomach started to hurt. The hot foods are O.K, some are not very healthy looking so I avoided them. THe sushi and sashimi was alright. The service is good. The clientel was a good mix of people. I saw alot of asian people so it tells you its not all that bad. Parking is hit or miss. Location is great because after food you can walk it off at the promenade. more

This restaurant is just bad. There are lots of places to eat in Santa Monica and to waste an evening at Lighthouse is not worth it. First of all, a sushi buffet's primary concern should be freshness. The sushi offered at Lighthouse is not that fresh. Their selection of dishes is not that great either. ALso, the restaurant is too small, and you will likely be seated in an awkward place. In the end, there just isnt one Positive to be said about the food or the restaurant. This is one place I will never go back to again. Pros: moderate price Cons: , no selection, poor taste more

I have no clue why this place is rated as one of the best buffets in the country. Stay away from the hot foods- they look and taste like oil and grisel. It drips with grease, prides itself on being bland, and couldn't look more unappetizing. The dessert section is a complete disgrace-it consisted of bruised fruit, small pieces of chocolate cake, and vanilla pudding cups. They have crab legs... but no claw crackers. I bent 3 forks and cut my hand trying to get the meat out of these. The sushi section is small, but respectable. But sushi is not the type of food that you want to be gorging yourself on anyway. And, the most annoying aspect- they have little signs at each station TELLING you how much of each food to take. This is all I can eat right? Let me decide how much I want. Pros: Reasonable price Cons: , Lack of utensils, Small selection more

The location is next to the refreshing sea, the food is great , sushi and the crab is top quality, not like what youd buy in markets, other very fresh ,quality options to choose. Pros: free street parking, fresh more

quality is hit or miss. Husband likes it so we go fairly often. They have the premium sushi (uni, ikura, a sashimi selection, etc) but it is just a little better than supermarket quality. Ok it is still better than Todai & Light & Healthy. However, for around $20, cheapest sushi you are gonna find that is better than edible. Avoid all the cooked stuff. It is all swimming in fat. Pros: cheap, fast Cons: lower quality, hot, crowded more