“Hey. Since moving to Hendersonville five years ago, I’ve been going to China Buffet and Grill every few months. Two years ago I wrote a review, but I deleted it and wanted to give an update. There are plenty of reviews out there, and every person can be a critic on the internet, so I doubt mine will stand out much. My review will be a long one, but please take a moment to read if you care about food, service, or are interested in learning about cultures.The food at China Buffet can be great, especially in the mornings when it is fresh. In other times of the day it is not good, and is hard to recommend due to the inconsistency. The cooks never get enough credit, and no one ever speaks of them. They are always working hard to check on the food and put out more. The chow mein is especially good, and the potatoes are to die for (that is probably why everyone wants to eat them.)For one person, $11-12 would be a generous price to pay here if the prices were consistent. But… the prices are not always consistent, and I often feel they are trying to upsell me in a way. For example, when you enter the lobby they have a board with prices listed at different times in the day, $11.99 in the afternoon for lunch and so on. But at times, I’d visit during the afternoon and would be charged $13-14 which does not match the advertised price on the board. Adding to this, for the same size plate you would receive for takeout before, they recently started charging $2 extra for the same plate, while offering a smaller plate option. If you don’t mind spending a few bucks extra, go for it - but please keep this in mind. I feel this could be due to inflation, or higher costs to maintain restaurant, but I would like to know for sure.The atmosphere can be slightly noisy, but comfortable. It is well decorated but certainly not like the China Star Restaraunt in Madison that I was familiar with as a small child. Perhaps it is unfair of me to compare though. China Star Restaurant was always so peaceful, and the rooms were big. Every room was decorated to fully immerse you in the setting, as if you were in the heart of China itself eating food while keeping you interested in the culture. From the moment you walked in, the entrance was decorated with ornaments, dragons and other mythical creatures. As a kid I found it so beautiful, it made me more interested in learning the culture. Sadly, they went out of business. If I could give the owner a hug I would.For years, I tried other Chinese restaurants in Tennessee, from Hibachi, to Panda Express, to China Wok, Panda Cafe, and even China One, but none of them were quite like the China Star Restaurant I remember as a kid. They all struggled with consistency, and delivering that same feeling. No one could replicate the quality of China Star until China Buffet.When people come to a restaurant, people expect great food as they should - but it seems no one else is interested in the culture or has any respect for it. I think part of this is because most Chinese restaurants do not fully commit to teaching people about it, and we are often careless people. This restaurant does convince you that it is a chinese restaurant, but it feels like something is missing I can no longer find again.As for service, China Buffet is okay. The waitress is quick and responsive, and the guy at the front desk is cool. But at times, some of the people don’t respond to words like “thank you” and appear to ignore me. Instead of seeing this as rude, which I did, I try to think of it as my lack of understanding or a difference in language. I understand that in other cultures, people do not share or express kindness in the same small ways that we do in America. So I try to keep an open mind. I don’t know. I think that is the right way of seeing it.Taking this all into account, is China Buffet worth it? Yes and sometimes no. Food can be great but inconsistent. The atmosphere can be noisy in afternoons, but it does okay to show the theme. The service is good.I took several hours to write this. Hope it was worth it.“
“I walked in, and it was very crowded like I expected for a Sunday. I didn't have high hopes from my experiences from various restaurants of there's in California. But the reviews were slightly better than most of what I seen so I thought, why not? I would try it. The first thing I noticed is that they did not have a drink fountain by the cashier to fill your drinks. They bring you your first drink. The 2nd thing was to be expected. The only table I could find was dirty. But when the last people were finished is unknown. And with how busy it was, you would have to expect to wait. So, as some guy came by carrying what looked like a tray of forks, etc. This was an issue. I asked him to get someone to clean the table for me. He instantly called me sir despite me wearing a dress and carrying a purse. It should be obvious I may or may not use other pronouns. If you read my other reviews, you would know I am normally patient with this. Despite it being obvious. I told him I do not go by, sir. I prefer she/her terms. He just looked, didn't apologize, and got someone to clean the table. This is where I got annoyed being addressed in a way that bothers me, telling them, and then they ignore or do it anyway. The food was mostly typical as it is in California, but it was way better than most in California. I have been, too. The service and waitress (Driania) i know i spelled her name wrong. i apologize. has been phonomal. I plan on coming back if I don't get addressed as sir all the time.“
“I have been to an array of buffets, but this one by far has had the most variety of food I have ever experienced. My favorite dish was the cabbage. I know it's a side dish, but it was the star ?. I actually ate 4 bowls of it ?. The varieties of chicken and beef were amazing as well. The crawfish had flavor but was extremely spicy. Don't get me wrong, I am from Alabama and love a spicy crawfish, but it was jam-packed with jalepeños in the boil itself. This was a first for me, but I still ate them all mouth burning and all . I wasn't a fan of the sushi. I didn't like the choice of meat with the filling of the sushi. The fried chicken wings and drums! They were the second star of the show. They were seasoned like my granny's; I thoroughly enjoyed them. Dumplings were also chefs kiss. I could go on and on, but overall, the food was superlative.The service was great. It took some time to get a refill, but I believe it was because they were so busy. Once things got quieter, the server was exceptional. Refills back to back and dishes on the table were taken out accordingly. Outstanding experience here. I will most certainly be back. I urge anyone to come gather an opinion about this restaurant. I believe it's worth it.“
“Food was okay. Place was clean. Well organized. Location is not convenient considering distance, price, and pizza not much better if any than CiCis. Weekend buffet does have more than just pizza. Nashville Hot chicken tasted good but not even in the class of KofC’s hot chicken hot, a bit disappointed.“