Sohao Buffet — Restaurant in Lawrence

When we entered we were seated immediately. We could get food immediately from the buffet and as we were getting food, a server delivered our drinks.

The food we got was a hit or miss. The fried rice for example tastes like something made in a huge pot with just soy sauce and msg. There was no delicious smokey taste to it from wok hei. The chicken on a stick and general tso's was pretty good, but even then the general tso chicken to bread ratio wasn't very good so it felt really heavy/greasy to it. They got the classic crab ragoon, but id stear clear of their sweet and sour sauce; just something seemed off about it.

We never got a water refill to our drinks and I think they should keep up with that considering how much sodium is in their food.

When we finished our meal, they have deserts like jello, almond cookies, cakes, and individually wrapped ice cream flavors among other things. This was okay.

When the check arrives, they had pre printed tip percentages ranging from 10-20% along with a custom line to put in a straight amount.

The atmosphere for a Friday evening was pretty bustling, people coming and going and seemingly satisfied. Big family with children would benefit from this place. Judging by the foot traffic a buffet style place is what a lot of people are hoping for.

Overall not quite the experience I was hoping for considering the giant that was king buffet that recently closed. Considering the fact that there are just tons and tons of places to eat in Lawrence it'd be hard for...

I've been here a few times already. Everything is honestly pretty good and the price is definitely fair.

Some of my favorite options: Crab Rangoons, egg roll, orange chicken, Mongolian beef, beef & broccoli, fried shrimp, noodles, egg drop soup with wontons, hot & sour soup, dumplings with sauce, and the green beans.

Some of my least favorite options: General tso tofu, potato's, fried chicken, unpeeled cooked shrimp, peanut chicken, spicy chicken, and the dessert cakes.

Things I believe need improvement: The buffet layout The food cases are against a wall so It's usually crowded and there isn't an easy flow to make your plate. The plates They are always soaking wet Food options There aren't that many food options which is definitely a disappointment. No general tso's chicken?! I think a salad bar would be a great addition. The desserts are lacking, well the cakes anyway. Side note: I snagged a vanilla ice cream and brought it home to my senior rescue dogs. They rated that stuff 20 out of 10!

I'll definitely return but hope to see some changes in the...

It's great to see a Chinese buffet back in Lawrence, and Sohao didn't disappoint. The buffet portion of the restaurant is relatively small, but there was still a good selection of food. The quality of the food was well above average.

The wait staff were extremely attentive, monitoring low drinks and empty plates and jumping to action quickly. My drink never fell below the half-full mark the entire meal, and an empty plate didn't stay on the table longer than 60 seconds. They were all very friendly and had smiles on their faces.

The restaurant has a very relaxed vibe. Casual pop music was playing at a reasonable volume. The seating was adequately spacious, with options for a booth, free standing tables, and split bench/chair tables. The wooden bench seating had cute little individual cushions to ensure comfort.

This was an unexpected pleasant surprise when we stopped in to check it out. It's a great...