This All-You-Can-Eat Restaurant in New Jersey Is Not for the Faint of Appetite

There are few things I love more than a good all-you-can-eat restaurant. I grew up on buffets, when Ponderosa Steakhouse, Sizzler, and Hometown Buffet could all be found within a few miles of my house. Those are harder to find these days, but a new type of all-you-can-eat feast has stepped up in its place.

Today, the hottest type of restaurant is the all-you-can-eat made-to-order place. There's no buffet where food sits out under a heat lamp, which isn't always the kindest to some items like stir-fries. Rather, you pay one price and tell the waiter exactly what you'd like to eat, and it's made fresh and brought out to your table. The most popular options for this type of restaurant include Korean barbecue, hot pot, dim sum, and of course, sushi! It just so happens that the best all-you-can-eat sushi in New Jersey is located in a small strip mall not far from my home. Sushi Saga in Edison, New Jersey offers one of the most affordable all-you-can-eat Japanese meals around, and you'll definitely want to visit this one on an empty stomach!

What to Expect at Sushi Saga

Sushi Saga is hidden in Tano Mall, a strip mall between Menlo Park Mall and Metuchen. You'll also find a pizza shop, a bagel cafe, a Korean supermarket, and a dance academy—but one tenant stands out from the crowd in a big way. Sushi Saga might look humble from the outside, but the offerings at this restaurant are anything but.

The understated interior has some Japanese-style art on the wall and a sushi bar towards the back. It offers both all-you-can-eat dining and an à la carte menu for dine-in or takeout. When I arrived, the lunch rush was just starting, but the staff handled the crowds and ensured everyone got their food in a timely fashion.

The ordering here is simple. For each round, you'll be given two sheets of paper, one for the sushi bar and one for cooked dishes from the kitchen. Just mark your choices down, hand them to your server, and wait for your feast to begin! Aside from a two-hour time limit, there are no restrictions on how much you can order.

Best Things to Eat at Sushi Saga

The sushi bar is the headliner here, and everything was fresh and flavorful. I stuck to the individual sushi pieces, but sushi rolls are also available. They come in six-piece portions, though, so order cautiously; like at most all-you-can-eat places, there might be a surcharge for wasted food.

I was an even bigger fan of the cooked entrees, though, like the teriyaki. You can order chicken, fried tofu, or red snapper. All three were well-cooked, flavorful, and served in small portions that made it easy to eat a little of many different items.

I didn't have that much time for lunch, so I had two large rounds of food, and concentrated my second round on some of the bigger options. The tempura was great, especially the rarely-seen crab stick tempura, which had a mild sweetness that countered the fried batter. If you want a lighter option, the udon soups are flavorful and refreshing. I barely scratched the surface of all this restaurant's all-you-can-eat option offers, so I'll definitely be back!

Have you dined at Sushi Saga in Edison before? If not, tell a dining buddy about this article and plan a visit to the best spot for all-you-can-eat sushi in New Jersey! You can see the full à la carte menu and place your orders on the Sushi Saga website, and this location is wonderfully central to some of my favorite spots in New Jersey. You're walking distance to the state's newest retro arcade, and only a short stroll to Roosevelt Park, home to Plays in the Park during the summer and the state's most unique statue. And if you need some more ideas on how to fill a day in central New Jersey, why not head over to Only in Your State's AI-powered travel planner and let it design a custom itinerary for your visit?