Grand East Buffet — Restaurant in Bethel Township

Now, I just want to start off by saying that I was skeptical; I mean, who wouldn't be? Ever since I was young, my grandmother would always talk very highly of the Grand East Buffet. Us being a patriarchical family, my grandfather would always have to step in to correct her speaking out of line. When she passed, we were devastated. But, we knew it was for the best (she had constantly been struggling on and off with cancer; a beast who knows no bounds). Still though, there was an incompleteness that we all mutually shared, even on Derek's side. We all knew one thing...we needed to experience the Grand East.

The journey was a little more than strenuous. We traveled for about 3 months, although google highly recommended other methods of transportation. On foot, we crossed the Delaware border at high noon. A man can feel a lot of different emotions in just 3 months.

As we approached the GE, none of us knew what to expect. Everything seemed quiet; a little too quiet. We entered the establishment, and naturally I walked up to the counter to be seated. I was wrong. A lady came in hot from the left and motioned that we follow her, making me feel like the idiot that I was.

Strike one.

We were seated. The booth was very nice, the seats comfortable. The amount of leg room was insufferable, but more on that later. We went up to get our food as the waitresses welcomed us with their smiles. One woman didn't smile back. Looking back, I'm unsure if she actually worked there, as she had three kids with her and was also sitting and eating. God works in mysterious ways, afterall.

Strike two.

I hadn't eaten for 2 months, so I was literally starving. So many different choices to choose from; did I want the boneless ribs? Or did I want the Chinese donuts with their seductive glaze? They've tempted me one two many times back in Oregon. Even with all of the choices, I felt a heavy presence in the room. I knew what I needed to do, and that's exactly why I came alone. I made my way over to the desserts, grabbed a single plate, and grabbed a single piece of Flan.

Strike three.

I come back to my seat, and sit down. The family of three stared horrified and confused at my presence. The same woman from earlier wore a look of disgust that complimented her brown eyes. This was not my seat. I sit down at my seat and grab my fork. Right off the bat, I could tell that minimum thought had gone into the presentation of this Flan. It didn't scream my name the way I liked my other Flans to do. Nonetheless, I continued.

My fork slid right through it like a hot knife through a cold summery day. I raised the piece of Flan up to my mouth, hands quivering at the thought of my grandmother's last words; "Tom Hanks is so overrated."

Strike two.

When I say that this Flan could double as a 4 star omelet I really mean it. The taste of eggs were so strong, and it might've been the single most awful thing that's ever happened to me. Even the Flan shell was terrible, and I'm pretty sure it made me question my sexuality.

I remembered my grandmother's last words and repeated them under my breath; "Tom Hanks is overrated." At this point, the woman I was sitting next two got up out of her seats and gathered her children; she had had enough with my tomfoolery.

Overall, it was a great experience. The service was questioning and the Flan was horrid. All I know, is that this will NOT be my last time coming here.

5/5...

I would have given this place 4 stars because, the food was excellent and this is the only Chinese buffet that I've been to so far that actually has crab legs for dinner! Most Chinese buffets nowadays don't have them anymore and instead, have whole crabs, usually in a slimy sauce and/or they barely have any meat in them...IF they even have crabs at all so, that was nice to see. A lot of the food tasted just as if you were ordering out at a takeout restaurant and having it delivered. It was fresh.

The reason I did not give this 4 stars is because, the waitresses do not come to your table enough to clear it of your empty plates, to ask if you need more beverages etc. Not to mention, they have a bad attitude. No smiling, no friendly greeting, just a blank look on their face like they don't wanna be there or as if they do not like Americans if I'm being totally honest. I asked the young waitress if their were free refills on my son's soda and she had an attitude about that. My only other complaint, which is a small one, is that they don't have a huge selection. Less than what a lot of the other Chinese buffets I've gone to had. They also did not really have any food for picky kid eaters such as, for example, the little pizzas, fries, and stuff that kids will definately eat. Most chinese buffets always have at least a small amount of food that kids will eat. So, basically what I'm saying is that, the food is pretty good for a buffet but the service and friendliness of the staff is not. That's what turned me off...

We want to share our recent experience at the local buffet. The owner informed us that the buffet couldn't produce more food due to a non-functioning stove/oven. When we decided to purchase some Chinese cookies, we were surprised with a price of $15 per pound instead of the usual $7. The reason given was that the cookies were considered too light.

Unfortunately, we left disappointed due to what we perceived as a lack of business sense and greediness on the owner's part. We may reconsider visiting this place in the future, but for now, we feel they may be squeezing customers for every extra penny.

In Delaware, we often say we have just one degree of separation; almost everyone knows everyone else. This makes it even more important for businesses to treat their customers fairly and kindly. From the owner's perspective, squeezing every penny from a returning customer and double charging doesn't seem like the right approach.

If I were the owner and knew that my restaurant might have to close soon, I would consider a different strategy. Perhaps offering a small gesture, like a complimentary batch of cookies, could go a long way in keeping customers happy and loyal during a challenging time. It's all about fostering goodwill within our...