China Buffet — Restaurant in Charlotte

I hadn't been to a Buffet in years, & I was on the hunt two weeks ago. My husband & I finally stumbled upon this place. We were skeptical, however our hunger outweighed the skepticism. The parking was convenient this night because it was a weekday. Not many cars there, so we were hoping they were open. Upon walking up to the double doors, we were impressed. It felt like we were at a red carpet event opening the doors to a luxury Chinese villa. The doors were huge, maybe about 10ft tall, & everything outside seem polished & nice. We stepped into the lobby area, where we were met with a Chinese dragon statue to the right, equally as tall as the doors. To the left, sat a claw machine & a few toy capsule vending machines. Another set of double doors led us inside to the hostess standing behind a desk, & off to the right a register checkout. The decor was eye catching. After being seated, we enjoyed a beautiful array of foods. There's definitely a little something there for everyone. The food was hot, well kept, organized & clean. Meaning there wasn't any dropped food or crumbs in sight. The wait staff didn't speak the best English, yet understood everything we discussed. They were sure to keep our drinks full & remember my son had a Dr. Pepper & not a Coke. They were also prompt to take our finished plates. One thing I like is that they didn't come take away our food prematurely. I hate when you look away for a split second & your last bite of broccoli is being carried away! The reason I didn't give this review one last star to make it a 5 star review is because of the dishes & silverware. The dishes looked worn, & the utensils looked clean & used at the same time. The way people scooped the ice cream didn't seem that sanitary, & you are to drop the ice cream scooper back into a puddle of cold running water in a dish, yuck! That night was fairly empty which concerned us. However we enjoyed our experience so much that we returned two weeks later for my mothers birthday. The place was crowded & that made us feel a lot better. The parking lot was horrible, parking in back of the restaurant did not make me feel comfortable. Thankfully there is a police station nearby & this restaurant is next to a bank, so police drive through regularly. The wait time for a Saturday evening was average. Maybe a 25-30min wait. There were a lot of celebrations going on with large parties. Seating was tight in some areas and just fine in others. There never seemed to be too many people at the buffet area at one time. We enjoyed the Sushi, & many bar options. The Hibachi I did not enjoy very much, & I had a lady ask me which meat was the beef & the chicken. Because of how the meat was sliced, you had to name the meat by color. The beef seemed to be a little darker in color so I guessed to her that the lighter meat was chicken. I will be returning as soon as possible. For those who prefer carryout, the prices are almost $6.00 per pound. I wouldn't dare! I hope you enjoy this restaurant as much as I did!...

UPDATE: The last review I made for China Buffet was a while ago, and personally, I felt like it was much too harsh, especially for it being a buffet. Things have changed and my first review might of been because the quality wasn't that great AND because it was busy. A lot of times it gets busy but it also doesn't, the motels and hotels around the buffet add to how busy the place is but they still maintain their quality and service. Cups come in a much smaller portion than what you would usually expect in other buffets but they are quick with refills. The food is actually pretty good and can be filling, while the selection isn't much, you can still walk out those doors with a smile on your face and a full stomach. From Sesame chicken to mac & cheese, it still can satisfy many people. The food can sometimes be warm and not freshly hot but it still offers a tasty experience. The atmosphere is beautiful but sometimes with how packed it is, especially on the weekends, it can affect the way you look at it, a lot of it also comes down to the size of the waiting area, it's small and makes it seem full but Overall it's a pretty big place and can seat many guests. The drink selection is basically what'd you'd find at other restaurants, ranging from Pepsi products to tea, you'll find a drink to wash down the tasteful food on your plate. After over 2k views on my last review, I think those who didn't go should give it a chance, I was much too harsh, especially it being my first time. I have gone many more times and quality and service remains consistent in a good way but sometimes can be disappointing. Please, give this buffet a try, especially for the cheap...

While in the Queen City my party and I decided to try China Buffet. We ordered our drinks (Pepsi Products) and fix our meals. The food was mediocre at best. The staff didn’t refill the buffet as food items were getting low. They ONLY concentrated on making sure the crawfish and other seafood items were replenished. The hibachi grill was flavor less. I’ve had better from my local area restaurants. The waitress friendly but inattentive. She had to be asked to refill our drinks. My group and I went to the desert station where they had ice cream and a few cakes. As we stopped at the station with the strawberry shortcake we noticed a long piece of hair. At this point we decided to leave. I brought it to the head cashier’s attention. She started acting as if she didn’t understand English. I said if the health inspector were called this would be a health violation. And showing her the pictures we had taken. She did not ask one the employees to remove the tray. She was more concerned about us paying the bill. As I was paying for my party and myself I use my Apple Credit Card to pay. she insisted that I had to sign my receipt. I told her I didn’t have to sign. When the credit card receipt printed she quickly realized that no signature was required. The buffet is $19.99 a person on the WEEKENDS. After careful consideration she knocked $3.00 off. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Charlotte...