Shanghai Avenue Super Buffet — Restaurant in Broken Arrow

09/09/2025 - Shenghai has REALLY gone downhill since we were here a few years ago (2022?). We only came here because East China Buffet in Bixby STRANGELY does NOT serve General Tso's Chicken . . . At Shenghai Avenue tonight (Sep 9, 2025), I saw most of the General Tso's did NOT look right, so I got the last 4 pieces of dark General Tso's because the light colored pieces looked completely wrong. The light pieces were the same color as the Sesame Chicken next to the General Tso's. My husband got some of the light colored Tso's and immediately at the table said to me, This doesn't taste right! I said, Try mine. He did, and said, Yours tastes like General Tso's. I brought it to the attention of one of the waitresses who referred me to the lady who rings up your bill at the cash register. She put some on a plate and ate a bite, and said, That is General Tso's. You must have gotten some of the old pieces, because they turn darker brown after they sit for an hour, but we use the same chicken for both Sesame Chicken and General Tso's; the only difference is the sauce, see General Tso's has Red Pepper flakes? I went back to the table and told my husband what she said. He replied, I call B.S.! That is not like what you got the first time thru, so I went back and tried the light colored in the General Tso's heating pan, and he was right, it wasn't anything like the original General Tso's I got (this was more heavily breaded). He said, the BEST thing here tonight was the coffee cake with caramel icing on top (And he isn't a big sweets fan, so for him to say the dessert they order in, probably from Sysco food delivery or Springfield Grocers, is better?!? That is really saying something . . .)!!!

The buffet was ABYSSMAL and we will not return. We'll go to Chopsticks for General Tso's next time, and back to East China if we want buffet, although we don't go to East China Buffet as much as we used to because it doesn't seem as good as it was a year ago.

The noodles were cold at Shenhai Avenue, the General Tso's tasted like Sesame Chicken, and the fried pieces of chicken of several varieties had absolutely no crispiness and my husband referred to them as doughy, but I felt like they were soggy as in a piece of toast you've let sit in water for 30 minutes until it goes mushy....

Me and my 4 kids (3 girls, twins 9, and oldest 11 and a boy, 1 yr. old: 2 months away from 2 yrs.) were eating there just yesterday (7/31/16) and my youngest was crying... apparently they do not like that. 1) would you want others telling you how to raise your child. 2) 1 yr old will cry out of nothing. 3) I raise my kids not to baby them. 4) they were more loud talking and laughing in Chinese or mandarin.

I don't care that they talk in different language... but I hear them all the way from the teller area.

as soon as the lady says I was just eating and not taking care of my child... I got furious with silence and got out of there as soon as possible. I baby my child when warranted (i.e. accident, booboo, etc.)

to that lady that was telling me how to raise my child... mind your business on how to raise my child. do you know my child better than I do? how do you like it if I tell you how to raise your child?

me and my wife have taking care of 3 girls no problem and they are more behave than most kids I've met... another child (older than my boy... i'd say about 3 or 4) from someone eating he was bawling his eyes out and more loud than my boy.

frankly... mind your asinine business attitude. as long as they are not being abuse. get the back off.

btw... I told them we are never going back... and we've been going there since we moved here in broken arrow in 2008 long before they were called Shanghai Ave. they lost my business... my side of the family (me and my siblings) are part Chinese. we eat a lot of Chinese. I speak other languages as well. but out of curtesy at other people... I do not speak them in public with my kids. I will rather spend more in other places than go back...

I'm not sure what people expect when they come to a Chinese buffet, but it's certainly not for the service. How much service do you need? All I need is for them to point me to my table, and bring me a drink...I'll take it from there. Both of these requirements, they've always handled just fine.

The food is consistently some of the freshest and best tasting Chinese buffet in town with frequent "refreshes" of low items. Selection is very large, and includes pretty much all the standard items you'd expect, including shrimp prepared a few ways (no extra charge, as mentioned in a previous review). My personal favorite is their Honey Chicken, which is excellent. My palate may not be as sophisticated as some reviewers here, but if any dishes are bland, it's due to your selection, as there are many flavorful choices available. They aren't all covered in sauces, either, as there are plenty of "plain" items to choose from as well.

The building and decor are nothing particularly special. But, although lacking in any real ambiance to speak of, the restaurant has always appeared clean/neat. Maybe I'm just low maintenance, or maybe I don't have unrealistic expectations for a ~$10 a person buffet, but I haven't had a bad experience there in the many times I've visited over the past couple of years. I'd would highly recommend Shanghai Ave. to anyone hungry for lots of tasty Chinese food at a...