China Cafe buffet — Restaurant in McAllen

I came to have lunch with my sisters and neice. I think a manager brought our drinks and that was the last we were tended to. The tables around us were taken care of by their waiter. We never got refills. Our plates were never picked up. Not that we’re messy but as a server i understand the importance of a clean table. We waited for anyone to come by to give us our tab. No one ever did. We went to the front to pay because we didn’t have another 20 min to wait. I’m assuming she’s the manager but the lady in the front desk finally pops up after my sisters and I we’re waiting. In an annoyed tone asks for our tabs. We let her know no one tended to us and we never got our tab but we wanted to pay already and leave. She got mad our tabs weren’t all on one ticket then got defensive over what drink my one year old neice had. She really wanted to charge us for sodas. We had water. When my youngest sister was signing her receipt the manager pointed to the exit and told my other sisters to leave. (We all came together. We were all leaving together. We just needed to finish paying) I understand busy days but do not be rude to the paying guests when you’ve done nothing to take care of them or help them. It’s the audacity of her kicking us out when we had every right to blow up on her for everything else that...

Original Experience: Good, fresh, clean, and delicious food. The variety is great, and the service is usually good too. I don’t live nearby, but I don’t mind the drive.

Update: I've been coming here for over 12 years whenever I'm in the McAllen area. Unfortunately, today was a major disappointment. I had just gotten off work early and decided to take my son out for Chinese food. Big mistake. Upon entering the restaurant, I asked the manager/owner about the price since I usually come during lunch hours. She replied in Spanish, pointing and saying "allí" (over there), and then came to the register and told me the total was $30, stating we had to pay before going in. I mentioned that we were going to dine in, and she replied, "I know pay first."

I found it odd because other customers before us went straight to their tables without paying upfront, and others were paying only after they had finished eating. It felt like we were being singled out and treated with suspicion, as if we weren’t going to pay for our food. It wasn’t the first time I noticed this woman being cold and unwelcoming, but I had always brushed it off. This time, however, was the last straw. I will no longer support a business where I feel disrespected and unfairly judged. I’ll be taking my business elsewhere like...

Let’s be honest—this place doesn’t even begin to compare to the mighty and powerful Kurai. Walking into this dungeon of a food hall today around 1 p.m., I was immediately greeted (if you can call it that) by a hasty, cold woman who looked like she’d rather be anywhere else.

She has a favorite word—which I’ll reveal shortly—but trust me, it wasn’t “welcome.”

The food? A lineup of 32-hour-old options reheated for survival, not satisfaction. Surprisingly, it wasn’t terrible. And to be fair, the waitress tending to the table was kind and attentive—credit where it's due.

But then came the checkout. This is the moment when most places offer a smile, a polite “thank you,” maybe even a “please come again.” Not here. Oh no. I was met with a full-on foul attitude. The woman at the counter was extremely rude—so much so that she shooshed me mid-sentence. That’s right, shooshed me like I was a misbehaving child.

Why? Because I didn’t understand her accent right away.

She hit me with her favorite word—“Excuse me?”—three times, each one sharper and louder than the last. And each one delivered with an ogre-like grimace that could curdle milk. It wasn’t a question. It was a challenge.

And just like that, I paid, walked out, and immediately regretted not going to...