Diners piling plates with snow crab legs, sushi, and lo mein at Kingdom Buffet in Newington have a new reason to pay attention to town hall: the restaurant's owner is asking for permission to pour beer and wine alongside the all-you-can-eat spread. The buffet, which opened at 196 Kitts Lane in late January, has already built a following for its seafood and hibachi station, and now it wants to add alcohol to the mix.
A Petition Months After Opening
Owner Siyu Xiao, representing 172 Kitts LLC, petitioned the Town of Newington Town Plan and Zoning Commission in April for a special permit to serve beer and wine, according to Town of Newington records. The restaurant's initial restaurant permit, secured in 2025, had not included alcohol service in the original filing, meaning Xiao is now going back to local officials to expand what the business can legally offer.
Kingdom Buffet officially opened its doors in late January, and the Newington Chamber of Commerce hosted a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony on February 10, as detailed by The Connecticut Scoop. The restaurant sits in the Newington Commons shopping center, in a storefront previously occupied by a Michaels arts and crafts store before that retailer relocated to Berlin, Connecticut, in March 2015, per Patch.
Crab Legs, Sushi, And A Fast-Growing Following
According to Fast Food Club, Kingdom Buffet serves sushi and sashimi, Chinese dishes like lo mein, hibachi cooked to order, pho and hot and sour soup, and desserts ranging from fried sugar donuts and sesame balls to fried plantains, jello, fresh fruit, ice cream, and sorbet. The restaurant has built a 4.4-star average across roughly 700 Google reviews, with sushi drawing 77 mentions and the hibachi station picking up close to 20, per the same account. Diners reportedly spread the word about the new buffet within roughly two weeks of its opening.
The restaurant opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 9:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday, the outlet reports. Weekday lunch is $17.95, while weekday dinner and weekend meals are $27.95.
Takeout By The Pound For Premium Seafood
For diners who would rather eat at home, Kingdom Buffet also sells takeout by the pound, with rates ranging from $8.95 per pound for regular dishes up to $16.95 per pound for sushi, sashimi, and snow crab legs, per the restaurant's own pricing. The per-pound pricing varies by dish, with sushi, sashimi, and snow crab legs at the upper end.
A Crowded Field Of Connecticut Buffets
In July, Umi Hotpot Sushi Seafood Buffet opened in North Haven, filling a former buffet location that had sat vacant since 2018.
The restaurant also enters a market with established destinations such as Pacific Buffet & Grill in Wallingford, featured by Taking the Kids, and Royal Buffet Sushi and Grill in New Milford. In Danbury, Agogo Asian & Sushi Buffet rolled out a daily late-night discount in September offering takeout seafood at $7.99 per pound plus $12.99 per pound for snow crab legs, underscoring how aggressively regional competitors are pricing their own seafood offerings.
The Newington zoning commission is reviewing Kingdom Buffet's request to serve beer and wine. The restaurant is leaning on its seafood spread and hibachi station to keep pulling in crowds at Newington Commons.
