Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal City

Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal City reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. E

   Eva

   Los Angeles1 review

   5.0

   Dined on February 2, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We parked at the hotel and restaurant validates parking. We had a reservation and we waited about 5 to 10 minutes to be seated. There is plenty of food and despite the amount of people, we were able to get food right away. Choices ranged from lobster, crab legs, steak, scallops, sashimi, sushi, pizza… Good variety of side dishes fried rice, dumplings, mashed potatoes, salads, Brussels sprouts… Wide variety of desserts from cakes, chocolate fountain to crepes made to order. Waitress was attentive and soft drinks were included. We will definitely be going back.
   

   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on February 19, 2025

   Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We're thrilled you enjoyed our extensive buffet and that our team provided attentive service. We're glad the short wait didn't detract from your experience. We appreciate your feedback on the parking validation process. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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2. M

   Meisha

   Los Angeles4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on February 1, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Last night, I had the pleasure of dining at this exceptional seafood buffet, and I can confidently say it deserves every bit of its five-star rating! From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was inviting, and the staff was attentive and friendly The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the seafood. I indulged in **two whole lobsters**, which were perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. The **king crab legs** were also a standout, tender and sweet, making each bite a delight. The **shrimp cocktail** was fresh and well-presented, adding a refreshing touch to the meal. As if the seafood selection wasn’t enough, I also enjoyed **lamb chops** and **prime rib**. Both were cooked to perfection, juicy and full of flavor. The variety offered was impressive, catering to all tastes. To cap off the feast, I ventured to the dessert bar, which was equally impressive. I savored **ice cream**, **cheesecake**, and **churros**, all of which were delicious and a perfect ending to the meal. Overall, this seafood buffet exceeded my expectations in every way. The quality of the food, the variety, unlimited wine and the overall experience made for a memorable evening. I can’t wait to return and indulge in more of their incredible offerings! Highly recommended for seafood lovers and anyone looking for a fantastic dining experience
   

   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on February 3, 2025

   Thank you so much for your kind words and glowing review! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your dining experience at our seafood buffet. We are delighted that you savored the lobsters, king crab legs, shrimp cocktail, lamb chops, and prime rib. We strive to offer the freshest and highest quality ingredients, and we are glad you appreciated them. We are also pleased that you enjoyed the dessert selections, including the ice cream, cheesecake, and churros. We value your feedback and appreciate you choosing to dine with us. We look forward to welcoming you back. The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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3. J

   Juan

   Sacramento3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on February 1, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Seafood was super delicious fresh and fire. Recommend where anybody’s looking for fresh steaks, fresh seafood, and unlimited drinks 
   

   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on February 3, 2025

   Thank you so much for your kind words and the glowing review of our dining experience! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our seafood, steaks, and the unlimited drink options. We strive to provide our guests with exceptional culinary experiences, and we are delighted that we were able to exceed your expectations. The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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4. l

   lauren

   Los Angeles4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on January 26, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Love this place even through different management pricey but good experience for special occasions
   

   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on January 31, 2025

   We are happy to see you enjoyed your visit. Thank you for your feedback regarding out pricing. We will make sure to pass your comments to our management team! The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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5. M

   Micah VIP

   Los Angeles6 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on January 26, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Dined here for the Lunar New Year dinner, and gotta say, it’s a one and done experience. While the lobsters were delicious and fresh, the other offerings were mediocre, especially the dessert selection. There were no lion dancers as advertised online, and almost half of the special event dishes that were advertised on the online menu were nonexistent (there was no gai lan vegetables, whole branzino, soft shell crab, lobster tails, filet mignon, duck egg yolk sauce chicken, ginger crab legs, and no fish maw soup!!). Additionally, we had to wait 45 minutes after our reservation time, so it seems to me they really did not plan this out well either. Service was poor as our server have forgotten a few drinks and we had to flag for them, and it just seems like they did not have enough staff on hand. There were no buckets for the lobster and crab shells, and no wet naps, but dishes seemed to be cleared quickly enough.
   

   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on January 28, 2025

   Thank you for sharing your feedback on your recent Lunar New Year dining experience. We sincerely apologize for the shortcomings you encountered. We understand your disappointment regarding the missing menu items and the lack of lion dancers, as advertised. We strive to deliver a memorable experience and are truly sorry that we fell short of your expectations. We are actively reviewing your feedback and will use it to improve our future events. We appreciate you bringing these issues to our attention. The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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6. L

   Lorna VIP

   Los Angeles32 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on January 26, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   We had an early birthday dinner for my husband at Café Sierra, located in the Hilton near Universal Studios. This restaurant features an AYCE buffet with high quality seafood. It is pricey, $159 per person, but worth it if you can eat more of the pricier items. The wait was ridiculous even though we had a reservation. We waited 45 minutes past our arrival. DON'T TELL THE CUSTOMER THAT IT WILL ONLY BE A FEW MINUTES WAIT. Someone else was waiting for over an hour past their reservation. The only thing I can think of the delay of getting seated is there was a convention at the hotel. Once seated, service was ok at best. Ambiance was festive with live music and decorations for the Chinese New Year. I was HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED as they promised the traditional Chinese New Year dragon dance, but the hostess had no clue and it never happened. FALSE ADVERTISING FOR THIS EVENT AS THIS AD WAS THE DRAW FOR MANY DISAPPOINTED CHINESE IN ATTENDANCE, INCLUDING ME! The overall buffet features whole Maine lobster, king, snow, & Dungeness crab, oysters, scallops, shrimp cocktail, free flowing adult beverages & soft drinks, hot food items, sashimi, sushi, dim sum, steak, prime rib, lamb chops, pork belly, bone marrow, assorted desserts which included two chocolate fountains and scooped ice cream. Some items were seasoned perfect, others were acceptable but bland. There are many more items that I did not mention, but the offerings are extensive In the past they would have earned a five star rating, but all of the above mentioned, especially the FALSE ADVERTISING has knocked down my review and recommendations of this place. Go for the food but allow ample time due to possible long wait being seated.
   

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   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on January 28, 2025

   Thank you for sharing your dining experience at Cafe Sierra. We appreciate your feedback and are always striving to improve. We understand the frustration of the wait and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We are pleased you enjoyed the quality of the seafood and the overall dining experience. We value your feedback and will use it to enhance our guest experience. The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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7. W

   William

   Los Angeles1 review

   5.0

   Dined on January 26, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   It was our first time experiencing the restaurant and it didn’t disappoint at all. We will be coming back.
   

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   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on January 28, 2025

   Thank you so much for your kind words and for dining with us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your first experience at our restaurant. We strive to provide exceptional dining experiences for all our guests, and we're delighted that we met your expectations. The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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8. S

   Sophia

   Los Angeles15 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on January 26, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   We went there for Chinese new year celebration and as the on line description should have dragon dance that kind of performance, also the menu said have certain Chinese dishes but we didn’t see it , very disappointed , so please do as what flyers said
   

   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on January 28, 2025

   Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent stay with us during Chinese New Year. We sincerely apologize for the disappointment you experienced. We strive to provide an authentic and enjoyable experience for all our guests, and we will review your comments with our team to ensure future events accurately reflect the advertised offerings. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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9. E

   Estela

   Los Angeles1 review

   5.0

   Dined on January 19, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Everything is so fresh. The best seafood buffet in my experience, so far (and I have been to so many).. it's all worth it. Will definitely be back again.
   

   Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on January 20, 2025

   Thank you for the 5-star rating and for highlighting the freshness of our seafood. We are happy to see that you enjoyed dining with us and we look forward to welcoming you back soon! The Cafe Sierra Team
   

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10. S

    Shirley

    Los Angeles1 review

    3.0

    Dined on January 19, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3

    Definitely NOT worth $160 per person. 1. The king crab and lobster was over cook. 2. Prime ribs was also over cook and very dry. 3. Bone marrow was dry. For the desserts, omg ! You’re paying $160 and you expect that the dessert will be a little bit better than your dinner. You grab a crème brûlée and it was not good. Crème brûlée is supposed to have a crispy caramelized topping. That’s failed. It was so clumpy. Then you’re excited to try the crêpes. Never I went to a buffet that I pay $100 and the crepes and pre made already. I was like what! Both my husband and I were very disappointed. What a crappy and expensive anniversary dinner.
    

    Cafe Sierra at Hilton Universal CityResponded on January 22, 2025

    We're so sorry your anniversary dinner fell short of expectations. We appreciate your feedback regarding the king crab, lobster, prime rib, bone marrow, crème brûlée, and crêpes. We'll share this with our culinary team to ensure improvements. Once again we do apologize. The Cafe Sierra Team
    

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