Embers Restaurant

User Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

We were at Embers two nights in a row. This was mainly because so many other seafood buffets were closed during the off season (mid October). We would have liked to have tried some of the other places. Now to the important part of the review.

The first night was a Friday night. I had two heaping dishes of snow crab clusters and they were excellent! - succulent, tender, sweet, not salty, not overcooked. The knuckles were as tender and tasty as the legs which were huge, and not at all fishy. A lot of diners were there so the atmosphere was noisy. But the crab legs just kept coming out. Every 20 minutes or so, a worker went by with a push cart and two huge metal pans loaded with steaming crab legs to be placed at the buffet.

The Crab Imperial was good. It was very tasty, but a bit salty. I think it had real crab meat in it and not the imitation stuff. It had crab flavor and a couple of times I had to pick out tiny pieces of shell.

The scallops were small, but very good. They were tasty and tender, unlike the tiny pencil eraser-shaped scallops that often taste and feel like pencil erasers. Some had the coating falling off, but overall I enjoyed them. I also liked the fried shrimp with cocktail sauce.

The raw oysters were OK but small. Pieces of melting ice kept them cold but diluted the taste. I only had a few of them. The raw clams were also small so I only tried a couple them also.

Friday night at Embers was definitely great having had our money's worth for just $19.99 each. If there was a lack of waiter presence, I didn't care as it was a buffet. But, the shells and scraps were promptly taken away and our drink glasses were constantly refilled.

We went back on Saturday night since most other places were either closed or too far of a drive.

I skipped the snow crab legs as I had my fill the night before and wanted to try some of the other foods I missed out on. But I did note that the crab legs were now being served by a worker if you held your plate up to him at his station. The appearance of the crab legs didn't look as appealing as the self-served ones the night before. I also noticed that the cart with the ONE pan of crab legs went by less frequently and with less crabs in it.

I tried the Maryland crab soup which was tasty, but salty. I thought it was OK. I had some steamed/cold shrimp which were done just right. The ribs had a good BBQ flavor, but they weren't as tender as I would have liked them. The prime rib was excellent and not at all dried out. It was good if you like medium/medium-rare as I do. The ends looked a little more done for those who like their beef more cooked. I didn't get to try the fried chicken which looked real good. I guess I'll have to try it whenever I go back.

Overall, I highly rate Embers for food quality and price and would definitely go back.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Like a previous poster, the best meal we had in OC. We were there in the off season, but everything was fresh, hot, and plentiful. Not to mention a really good price. $20 per person for a buffet with large snow crab and nice med-rare prime rib! They had lots of coupons and specials, so look around or call to see when the best day to go is.

The original server we had was slow and not to be seen much (older lady), but another server picked up her slack and it was all good.

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User Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

I was recently at Embers on Friday, July 24 2009. I'm sorry to say this but it was THE WORST all-you-can-eat buffet in O.C. I would not recommend it to anyone. Our server was terrible and the food was horrible. The atomosphere is very cold. It seems as though I was stuck in a banquet hall. The food was so processed it felt as though my family and I were at the Old Country Buffet. Use your $30 wisely in this economy and go across the street to Phillips Seafood Buffet.

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