China Garden Buffet

(2/4/25) Just not as good as it used to be :/I used to come here a lot over the years. Food was great with great selections. Parking always was (and still is) easy with a spacious lot right outside. The selection seemed to have changed and some of my favorite things I remember I used to always get were not available, the sushi selection was also very slim with only 2 kinds of rolls available but it was fresh and fine. The big thing for me was the fact they stopped offering actual dinner plates to eat off of and the only plates they had available anywhere were styrofoam... Food never looks or tastes as appetizing when presented on styrofoam. Not to mention if your food is hot enough (or as hot as it should be when it's fresh, in my opinion) it melts the styrofoam. The interesting part is I did have a couple bites of food here and there that seemed "cold," not like room-temp cold but cold like when food is reheated but not all the way so some of your bites aren't warm, still not sure what to think of this. So when I went back up the buffet after I grabbed a little of this and that to sample I chose only from dishes where the steam was really rolling off from them so I knew they were hot-hot (call me "weird" but I like my food served steaming hot). And for those, I used the little bowls over by the soup (the only real dishes/non-styrofoam available) so I could have a bowl of rice and things that didn't go cold immediately (and it did a great job at keeping the food warm a lot longer than the styrofoam plate, too).One suggestion, if you are worried about your customers eating as much as they can of what they take, have your servers stop taking people's plates away before they have even finished and just allow people to sit, eat, and enjoy without feeling rushed out. Our server took multiple plates from our meal when people were definitely still working on finishing (bc it is proper buffet etiquette not to waste a lot/any food...) and while it may not seem like a lot they were taking and throwing away, throwing away a few bites of food from everyone's plates quickly turns in a plate if not plates of wasted food. And as a result of them taking the last few bites of their plate too early before they fully finish. People went to get more to account for the last bit they had intended on eating in the first place and ended up getting more than they needed because we were already almost finished and as a result, waste even more. Not sure if they are trying to keep from people's tables from becoming disastrously messy, but dang, please just let me sit and try to enjoy my meal without making me feel rushed. I was the last one eating in my group and I still had a decent amount of food on my plate when a server comes and asks to take it away. I was aggravated with seeing how many other plates they had taken from our table early and just let her take it. It was still hours before close on a Tuesday night with many other tables open so not it's like we were keeping them or being an inconvenience. I know American dining is typically fast-paced and we don't take as long to sit and enjoy a meal like many cultures and most people typically do eat and run but we were there to enjoy and catch up and it really gave us the impression they wanted us to eat and leave immediately. Which brings me to my biggest issue of the evening. NONE of the workers smiled at us all evening despite making very close eye contact since the restaurant is not that large and feels a bit closed in/initimate. Usually I brush that kind of thing off as someone having a bad day, but the entire team? Idk. The only time I saw an employee smile was at the end of the night when she received the tip. It's sad that I'm saying this but I hope they just didn't like us for whatever reason and this doesn't speak for team dynamic/morale. So... yeah lol. Once upon a time I would have recommended this place for a casual dinner or even a good date spot but not so much not now. Especially with the styrofoam thing (hopefully this is just a temporary thing bc it's so wasteful). To be perfectly honest had I come here alone and realized they serve everything on styrofoam now, I personally would have left but I came with someone and did not want to switch up our plans. I left 2 stars instead of 1 because overall our party had a decent meal (what of it we were left to eat lol) and enjoyed our time together and we appreciate that regardless. Hopefully my review (which I did not expect to become so long when I started writing it lol) is helpful to improving the experience for guests in the future.

Good price for lunch! Parking is available in the posted spots next to the building. The food is flavorful and tasty. The air conditioning could have been a bit cooler.

Good as always! We use to go here when my husband was in college at Marshall. But every time we are both in town we make it a required stop!! :)

Great place! They always have the best food options. My personal favorite is the salt and pepper shrimp

Before Covid, I would have given this restaurant a 4/5 stars. However now, I ate one thing that I actually enjoyed and it was the sugared donuts. Nothing was cooked properly... my friends and I had upset stomachs the day of and after. The AC was broken and they had one small fan going towards the back. I ate off a plastic paper plate and the waitress (in sweatpants) checked on us once. The whole time I was there I kept thinking "This really can't get any worse" until I wound up in the bathroom 4 times afterwards. I'm not sure what happened after Covid and I understand there are obstacles, but at least cook your food right and keep it at the right temperature...

Beat Chinese buffet I have ever been to. Staff is friendly and attentive and the food is phenomenal and fresh! 10/10 would recommend Also, they have super clean bathrooms. Even at the end of the day

The location of this restaurant is a little isolated and may appear to be a hole in the wall, however the inside looked like your average Chinese buffet. Parking is very convenient, although the restaurant was busy while we were there. The restaurant had a wide variety of choices including many different types of chicken, rice, and deserts. Personally, we were big fans of the black pepper chicken and the lo mein noodles were nothing short of amazing. The price wasn't too bad, averaging around $10 per person for all you can eat. The service was exceptional with the waitress being on top of refills and removing old plates from the table. Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience and we will be sure to return soon.

We ordered two combination dinner . The pineapple chicken was edible . The General Tao was inedible . The chicken was so stringy and tough -- it could not be swallowed . There was a hard black object in one of the pieces . I assume a chicken bone . This was the final straw .

The food is always great here. You can get takeout buffet for $6.50 a pound and I have realized I eat a lot more than a pound.

We stopped by for the Tuesday Lunch Buffet (2 for $17.98) a very good deal. There was a large variety of hot foods, cold salads & fruits, soups and deserts. The servers we quick and courteous. The food was very good and fresh. The place was clean and one good thing was the use of styrofoam plates. I would highly recommend this place