Houston • Chinese buffet
E-Star Buffet on Dacoma: Crawfish, Salmon & My Dinner Favorites
I’d already tried lunch at this E-Star location and liked it, so I went back for dinner. The modern interior and neatly presented buffet made a good first impression. For the price, I enjoyed the variety—and the crawfish gave me a reason to go back for another plate.
What I ate
Crawfish and salt-and-pepper crab
The crawfish hit the spot when I was craving it outside the usual season. I mixed chili into cocktail sauce for dipping and went back for more. For frozen crawfish at a buffet, I thought it was pretty good.
The salt-and-pepper crab had a lightly salted outside and a good amount of meat inside. That was another good bite from my first round.
Chicken, lo mein and hot dishes
The fried chicken wing had a nice sweetness and crispy coating. It wasn’t the juiciest chicken I’d ever eaten, but it wasn’t dry either, and I enjoyed it for a buffet.
The lo mein noodles were cooked nicely with a bouncy texture. I also tried several chicken dishes and a barbecue rib. The rib was tougher to chew at first, but it had better seasoning than I expected. The mushrooms were bland on their own, so I ate them with the more flavorful food.
Salmon and sushi
The salmon was silky, smooth and buttery. I thought it was pretty good for a Chinese buffet. The California roll tasted like a straightforward California roll.
I also picked up a roll without noticing it contained cream cheese. I’m not a fan of cream cheese in sushi, so that one wasn’t for me—my own ordering mistake.
Two soups
The Thai chicken soup surprised me with a spicy kick. The broth tasted clean and came out very hot, and I enjoyed the chicken.
The hot-and-sour soup wasn’t as good that day. It tasted bland compared with what I remembered from my earlier visit.
How much was it?
- Buffet price featured in my September 2024 video: $17.99 per person
Check current pricing, meal periods and seafood availability before visiting. This is the featured buffet price, not an itemized total with drinks, tax and tip.
What would I order again?
I’d go back for the crawfish, salmon, lo mein and Thai chicken soup. I enjoyed the buffet overall and would save more room for those favorites instead of the cream-cheese roll or hot-and-sour soup.
Restaurant details
Restaurant: E-Star Buffet, Dacoma location
Area: Houston
Address: 4526 Dacoma St, Ste 600, Houston, TX 77092
Cuisine: Chinese and Asian buffet
Best for: A variety of hot dishes, sushi and seafood
Use the map to plan your visit and confirm its hours.