Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates, Illinois

I love buffets.  Nothing like being able to pick out whatever you want to eat and eat as much of it as you can.  My first buffet experience was at a place called Bill Wong's near Orlando and then around the age of 11, Old Country Buffet invaded the suburbs where I grew up in.  My college, University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana, had buffet-style dining at every dorm, and I'm proud to say that I worked as a buffet worker for around two years.

I was in Chicago this month and had the luck of finding Royal Buffet on Golf and Roselle Roads in Hoffman Estates.  Amongst sushi, dim sum, Mongolian BBQ, Korean food and of course, Chinese food, they had all-you-can-eat lobster for USD 22.95!  Everything tasted great here.  I just couldn't believe the selection.  The buffet actually felt like a Las Vegas-type buffet with the choices available.

Once a batch of lobsters was cooked, dinners eagerly waited in line for a worker to put one on their plate with the tongs.  Here is a picture of one of my friends that I dined on. 

As an update, I actually had a chance to cook my own live lobsters.  The post is here.

My little red friend!

Cotton candy, lychee and grapes too!!!

So where does Royal Buffet rank in the hierarchy of the many buffets that I've eaten at?  Well, I'd have to say at least in the top 10.  Here are my favorites:

1. Bellagio, Las Vegas- Nothing beats the selection and quality here.
2. Paris, Las Vegas- Crepes and regional French fare with a French theme, awesome!!!
3. Carnival Buffet, Rio, Las Vegas- Biggest selection of food hands down, from ramen to spaghetti to prime rib to tacos to hamburgers, this one has it all.
4. Kushiya Monogatari, Minami Funabashi, Japan- All-you-can-eat battered and deep-fried sticks of meat! You pick out the meat sticks, batter them yourself and then cook them at your table! 
5. Hollywood Hotel, Hong Kong Disneyland- Well, the Disney fanatic in me has this one near the top, great shourompo (dumplings) and Mickey-shaped pizzas.
6. Royal Buffet, Hoffman Estates, Illinois- See the above.
7.  Carne Station, Ginza/Shimbashi, Japan- 焼肉食べ放題!!! Affordable, and a great selection of drinks to go along with your meat.
8. Biergarten, Epcot, Walt Disney World Resort, Florida- Great brauts, kraut and spetzle.  Lots of fun watching the yoddlers and performers on stage.
9. Blue Chip Casino, Michigan City- Well back in the day studying for the bar examination, I had quite a run on the 5 Timer slot machine.  Good memories bumped this one to the top.  The big BBQ beef ribs are delicious here.
10. Oceanarium, Pacific Beach Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii- All you can eat king crab legs and a three-story aquarium.  Doesn't get better than watching what you are eating while it is swimming around.

The above being said, I give Royal Buffet five out of five lobsters.