Pandabear Buffet in Griffin, GA — Restaurant in Griffin

The food is not as good as it used to be and the waitresses look very unhappy, never smile even when you speak to them, they looked really grouchy and did not speak back...maybe they did not know English but they all looked mad. The pans that they keep ice in to fill the customers glasses with were scuffed up on the outside with black marks so I wondered if the inside was cleaned. The pans/tubs were gray and you could see the black marks very clearly. Why would you put Ice in a nasty looking tub anyhow. They should have a proper place like a freezer to keep ice (?) I had hot tea but I still had that doubt in my mind about anything being clean. The food on the buffet was "cold" the soup barely warm. When I get soup I want stove hot soup not luke warm. I dont understand why you would cook food and let it sit and get cold and the chicken looked like it had been there a long time all dried out. I used to like going there, it has been a while since I have been there so I guess things have changed maybe new manager/owner. I have my doubts about the cleanliness if they allow the customers to see that the ice that they are using in the drinks is sitting in a nasty looking tub then what does the cooking area look like that you cant see... I will be sure to read the Grade on their check up card before I eat there again... if I go back. I did not do that today as I just went in and then to the buffet and then began to notice these things. Also I notice now when I drive by the parking lot is not full ever, they used to stay packed so I am guessing others have noticed the decline in the quality of food and not so...

This used to be a great buffet, always hot, fresh and tasty. Then ownership changed hands at least twice that I know of and the quality plummeted.

I went again yesterday (9/1/2025) after a year and a half since I last tried it to see if it had improved. Unfortunately it wasn't as hot as it should be, several items had clearly been out a very long time and were dried out and hard. The fried dumplings/potstickers seemed like they had been fried, stayed out a long time, got refried and again sat out a long time, they were hard yet chewy, not good at all.

The other issue is that it's become dated and in need of an update, especially to the bathrooms. The entire place feels like it needs a deep clean.

I will say our server was very nice, prompt with refills, and when my husband accidentally knocked his drink over she was there quickly and was very kind about it.

I don't think it's too far of a goal to get it back to the way it used to be. Maybe putting out smaller amounts of food at a time when not busy so it doesn't sit so long and end up wasted, or worse, used the next day. A deep clean, a fresh coat of paint, and some additional/new decor, and big updates and cleaning in the bathrooms.

As far as how to make the food taste better, that I don't know, other than it was great before so it is possible.

I really hope they can improve, this used to be one of my favorite spots and came often pre-pandemic before that first change in owners.

I hope they can...

I visited this place Monday, January 11, 2021 at around midday. I usually don't do reviews on Chinese Buffets, because they are mostly all the same. I know each time I go out to eat, I do expose myself to COVID-19. For the most part, all my visits have been safe, or at least thats how most establishments have made me feel, as each take their own preventive measure. This place as well required "mask on" at entrance and offered gloves to wear each time you served your food. That was all fine and dandy. My issue was that there was no social distancing between tables, ALL of them were available to customers. We were seated on a table, but 3 seconds after, the person right next to us started to cough profusely with no mask. I immediately changed my table without even asking the waitress. I went across the dinning area far from that person, but this side of the restaurant wasn't any better. The TWO tables next to me had customers sneezing and coughing. I got into panic mode, barely had a bite and left. This, I would say, has been the scariest experience in a restaurant I've ever had since the pandemic started. Now Im monitoring the health of my family members and myself. This place does not enforce...