Best Buffets in San Antonio (2026)

Right outside the Randolph AFB gate in Universal City, M.Y. Chock Dee doubles as a Filipino market and a counter-service dining spot that punches well above its price point. The chicken adobo and lechon kawali are the dishes to load up on, and the pancit noodles round out a plate that reads like a home kitchen, not a steam table. The market side means you can grab ingredients on the way out. Casual, fast, and cheap.

Dimassi's runs a full Mediterranean spread, and the lamb shank is the move here, ring the bell at the counter to get it. The stuffed grape leaves, lamb kabobs, and rice pilaf hold up across the line, and the room stays clean with staff that keeps things moving. For a group that wants to graze through chicken, beef, and mezze without committing to a single order, this all-you-can-eat format makes the math easy.

Thai O Cha has been running a lunch buffet in Universal City since 1999, and the regulars are loyal for a reason. The spread is on the smaller side, but the pad thai, green curry, and fresh spring rolls deliver on flavor in a way that bigger buffets rarely match. Lunch buffet runs roughly 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner switches to à la carte. For the price, it is among the better-value Thai lunches on this side of the loop.

Susie's Lumpia House runs buffet-style at lunch, which catches some first-timers off guard, but the format works. The lumpia is the centerpiece, crispy and worth stacking on the plate, and the chicken adobo and pancit fill out a spread that reads like Filipino home cooking. The room is low-key and unpretentious. A good stop for anyone looking to introduce Filipino food to the table without the pressure of ordering blind from a menu.

El Coqui draws regulars who drive across San Antonio for the pernil asado and mofongo, and the CanCan (or KanKan) comes up repeatedly as the plate to order. The room plays salsa, the staff is attentive, and the space stays organized and clean. The Cuban sandwich with fried yellow plantain also holds its own. Parking runs tight, so plan accordingly. For Puerto Rican cooking in San Antonio, this is the room people come back to.

Kumi covers a lot of ground on a single ticket: fresh sushi, crab rangoon, general Tso chicken, lo mein, fried rice, Mongolian beef, and a seafood boil option. The crab rangoon stands out as some of the better renditions at a San Antonio buffet, and the house fried rice has its own following. The room is clean, the staff turns tables efficiently, and the format works well for groups that can not agree on a single cuisine.