China Star Buffet — Restaurant in Ellettsville

Positives: 🍽️ Variety of Options: The buffet boasts an extensive selection, including seafood dishes, crispy fried favorites, a fresh salad bar, and a delightful dessert spread. Perfect for groups with diverse cravings!

👨🍳 Friendly Service: The staff greeted us warmly, offered booth or table seating, and drinks were included with dinner—no extra charge.

🚗 Local Favorite: Despite the unassuming exterior, the packed parking lot speaks volumes! A go-to spot for Ellettsville residents, Bloomington visitors, and students nearby.

⏳ Leisurely Dining: No rush to finish—enjoy your meal at your own pace.

Negatives: 🏚️ Exterior First Impressions: The outside looks dated and could use a refresh to match the bustling vibe inside.

💳 Credit Card Fee: The 3% surcharge for card payments feels outdated; consider building this into menu pricing instead.

🍲 Inconsistent Food Refills: Popular dishes (like certain seafood or fried items) sometimes ran out, requiring patience until small-batch refills arrived.

⚠️ Floor Safety: Spilled water near the buffet area was a slipping hazard—better cleanup vigilance is needed.

🐄 Missing Beef: No beef options on the dinner menu, which might disappoint fans of classics like Mongolian beef or pepper steak.

Areas for Improvement: 1️⃣ Refill Strategy: Stock high-demand items more generously to avoid empty trays during peak hours. 2️⃣ Cleanliness Priority: Assign staff to monitor and clean spills promptly, especially in high-traffic zones. 3️⃣ Expand the Menu: Add a few beef dishes to balance the protein offerings. 4️⃣ Drop the Card Fee: Transparent pricing builds trust—absorb the fee into menu costs instead.

Final Thoughts: China Star Buffet is a hidden gem in Ellettsville (near Bloomington) with its generous variety, friendly service, and relaxed atmosphere. While it’s not perfect—exterior upkeep and occasional food gaps need work—it’s a solid choice in an area with limited dining options. Great for students, families, or anyone craving a casual, all-you-can-eat experience. We left satisfied and would return!

Note for Readers: Don’t let the plain exterior fool you—this spot’s popularity with locals and visitors is...

Not a huge buffet but what they had was tasty and the price was very reasonable. They have most of the standard buffet items. The seafood bake was especially good. I burned my mouth on the crab Rangoon (my fault), the hot & sour soup was passable and the green beans were bright green and delicious. The egg rolls are good for buffet fare but no egg foo young, some buffets have it, but not this one. The main dishes didn’t all taste the same. They had both vegetables and meat in them unlike some that leave out the veggies for some reason. The spicy pork had hot peppers in it if you want the heat but the sauce itself wasn’t spicy. The pepper steak was good, the beef was tender and the green pepper and onion wasn’t missing or over cooked. The chicken in every dish was good, for example, the sweet and sour chicken which is deep fried in batter was moist inside as were all the different deep fried dishes. I’d say this was the most outstanding quality of this buffet, moist tender meats in all their dishes. Lastly, they have the regular inedible dessert items which I always skip but they had the best hand scooped ice cream I’ve had at a cheap Chinese buffet.

We were (my wife and I) so impressed and satisfied after our first time eating here, we came back the next day.

Another plus, unlike some buffets that getcha with the beverage charge, this buffet includes your beverage. I love that too.

Sorry, closed on Mondays. Found this out last Monday when we wanted to go there again. We live about 40 minutes away so when we have some other reason to go to Bloomington, we go out to eat. But not here on a Monday. You’ve...

The buffet had fewer options than most other Chinese-American style buffets I've been too. BUT it still offered a decent number of items. Surprisingly the items offered were prepared well and good quality, I mean, at least, a little better than most other Chinese-American style buffets I've been to. It's strange how the same dishes can be so much better depending on subtle cooking differences. I ate at dinner time.

Dinner, with tax, was exactly $15 for 1 person. The unlimited drinks come with the meal. This is a bargain compared to most other Chinese-American restaurants.

They had the standard orange chicken I believe, also honey chicken, General Tso's chicken, and baked oysters with cream cheese.

They didn't have Mongolian beef(I never bother eating it anyway), sushi, sweet coconut cream shrimp, crab legs(No crab legs the day I went there, Sunday), frog legs or hibachi. Their desert section has even fewer options than other such restaurants.

However, the price(includes drinks) and quality of food were awesome. The selection size was pretty tolerable. I looked at some photos from other reviews going back 3 years in 2022 and the buffet menu looks exactly the same as today September 2025. If they had sweet coconut cream shrimp I wouldn't have any hesitation or regrets coming here regularly rather than...