Lotus Garden Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Arizona

YUCK! My husband and I came in at 3:20. I ordered a beer and the waitress apologized for not having any cold glasses. We ordered sushi and our waitress came back and said the sushi chef was on break until 5 so we had to order something else. We ordered the poo poo platter as an appetizer and the spring rolls were so greasy I could only eat half of one — and that’s coming from an American who loves fish and chips, fries and potato chips! The wooden serving plate that came on was BROKEN, as you can see in my photo and it looked like it hadn’t been scrubbed clean in weeks. As an apology for not having been notified from the beginning that there was no sushi available we got complimentary soup. My egg drop soup was so gelatinous that it didn’t seem like I was putting something that was actually edible in my mouth so I didn’t eat it. I got my plate first and we waited so long for my husband’s ribs to come out that we asked for everything to go, after I asked if rice wasn’t included with our meal because we didn’t get any. The waitress with the VERY LOUD VOICE SAID SHE COULD BRING ME SOME IF I WANTED IT!! That’s weird, I thought, since rice is usually included with every Chinese restaurant meal I’ve ever ordered. She brought it out but the rice looked so old that we left it at the table when we packed up the rest of our food. Our waitress apologized again and said that the chef was so new that he literally got off the boat from China a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to scream, “The let him OUT?! and then they let him IN?!” (This is during the COVID 19 pandemic, mind you). By the time we got home we both had stomach aches and ended up throwing away the rest of our food. That was too bad $45 later. The only good thing about this restaurant was our waitress who said it was her fourth day on the job and she gave us SO many apologies for everything that was wrong while we were there. She was so sweet and we kept telling her it...

Lotus Garden Chinese Restaurant offers a buffet experience that many diners have come to expect from a typical Chinese buffet. However, there are several common concerns that have surfaced, particularly related to food quality and rising costs.

Inflated Prices: One of the major issues is the noticeable increase in prices. Buffet-style dining is often seen as a budget-friendly option, but the recent hikes have made it less of a value. In the current economic climate, inflation has impacted many restaurants, but at Lotus Garden, the price increase doesn't seem justified given the overall experience. What was once an affordable dining option is now comparable in cost to higher-end sit-down restaurants, yet without the same quality.

Food Quality Concerns: A more pressing issue is the food quality, particularly the freshness of certain items. Several dishes, particularly those featuring meat, have a taste that suggests they are on the verge of "turning." Chicken, beef, and pork dishes sometimes carry a slightly sour or off-putting flavor, raising concerns about how long the food has been sitting out. The risk of eating food that tastes like it’s about to go bad detracts from the overall dining experience and makes diners question the restaurant's food safety practices.

Stale and Overcooked Items: As with many buffets, another issue is inconsistent freshness. Some dishes can sit under the heat lamps for far too long, becoming soggy or hard.

Conclusion: Lotus Garden Chinese Restaurant offers the convenience of a buffet, but rising prices and concerning food quality make it hard to justify the cost. With some items tasting like they’re on the verge of turning bad and others suffering from lack of freshness, the overall experience leaves much to be desired. For those seeking a more consistent and fresh dining experience, it may be worth considering...

Very disappointing. My MIL took us to lunch last week for my husband's birthday. They love sushi and their regular place wasn't open so we stopped at the Lotus Garden. It wasn't a good start when they sat us next to the massive and completely filthy fish tank. It's really disgusting. They ordered their sushi and I ordered a chicken and veggies meal from the lunch menu. The soup was warmish, not hot, and very thick. Gelatinous. My main course had big pieces of chicken in a sauce I didn't care for and almost no vegetables at all. The waitress delivered the first plate of sushi and my MIL commented to us that the roll was much too large and they both said it was warm. My husband told me warm rice should never, ever touch sushi. The additional plates of sushi were the same. They told me they were too large (too much rice) wrapped loosely and fell apart easily. All no no's for sushi. On top of that the waitress seemed to be having issues with the sushi being delivered to our table and the one behind us. She was constantly giving apologies to both tables and the final sushi plate she brought to our table was incorrect. She explained that the chef had made the wrong thing and asked if it was okay to have it instead of what was ordered. My husband said it was fine. The waitress was very nice, but as I said she was apologizing throughout our meal... and mentioned the sushi chef is new. All in all it was a very big disappointment to all 3 of us and I don't imagine we'll go back. I didn't see the bill but I'm sure it was quite expensive since they had 5 plates of sushi. I see a lot of fantastic reviews for this restaurant... so at least for the sake of those returning customers PLEASE clean the fish tank, cover it,...