China Buffet King — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

I should have turned around at the very first question we were asked, "air conditioning or no air conditioning?". It took me a minute to understand because it's one large room.

Upon heading to the air conditioned section, you could tell it the only side they rocked an AC on overtime, because it smelled like a moldy rag. Them there filters ain't been changed in 5 years easy. At least it detracted from the smell of the booth, which hadn't been cleaned in longer.

So we cruised the buffet. It was 7pm on a Friday. Most of the cooked food looked like it was cooked the prior Wednesday at 12pm and regreased for weekend presentation. The disturbingly large jello section must have looked like a desperate oasis to anything that lived on that dehydrated buffet. The peanut butter chicken did look freshly gobbed. And the chicken wings right out of the microwave. The white rice was... Wait. You can't keep white rice out at buffet. It grows bacteria. That's actually really gross.

Given the state of things, the seafood only exists as an awful dare.

We sat. I found chopsticks in a stack of boxes stored in the window frame next to our table. Piles of utensil boxes blocking out what was left of the sun. I took a reticent bite of pork dumpling. It reminded me of owl pellet in the fall. 7/10 for an owl pellet, but still not fit for human consumption. Lo mein, merely swallowable. General Tso's was actually the worst I've ever had. You'd need to chew for a year for any hope it passes your lower g.i. tract safely.

When we got up under 10 minutes after having sat, the lady at the front asked how it was. When I said, "I'm sorry, it was very bad." she cackled loudly. I'm not sure if she felt awkward, thought it was a joke, or genuinely enjoyed our pained faces. Either way, she charged us for full meals and full fountain drinks. As I complied, I thought it may be in good faith to the universe so that the bite of food I'd taken hadn't gifted me foodborne illness. Then I noticed the large Pepto Bismol box containing loose carry out items. And then I understood the context of that laugh.

Maybe don't, at least...

I dont even know where to start. Clealiness is disgusting. I am not a clean freak but this place grossed me out. For example i found a peice a steel scrubby pad in the general tso chicken. A sizable peice. If you know what those tend to look like when they start to fall apart which i do that is disgusting. There was no way i was touching the fish. You can tell it sat there way to long. Do not give your kid the ice cream. The scoops sit in filthy water all day. They dont change it out. You may say oh welk you dont care about ice cream but that ethic is going to carry over everywhere else. Oh and on to the bathroom. Filthy and the whole floor was wet. I dont mean normal wet either. Like mop bucket dumped out wet. There was no slip warning either. It looked like they just tried to clean it by dumping soapy water and leaving it and it reeked of urine. The sushi looked like the sushi from a horror movie where a plague breaks out. The food that was edible as in not a health hazard was actually okay. Just okay at best though. I mean noodles were bland, shrimp tasteless, tso chicken was way to sweet. This place needs a lot of work. Also i wouldnt of bothered leaving a review seeing as i do not like getting workers in trouble, but to top it all off when they gave us the check they charged for 3 adults and 1 kid. We had me my girlfriend and our 2 kids. Our 2 kids are 1 and 3. This place is ridiculous. Old town buffet is cheaper if you go there at right time. Around same price otherwise. The food quality is like 6 times better then this place. I am never going here again. This place is like playing russian roulette with health. Um the tea was good. I should of took pics but my phone was dead. Trust me. Do not...

I need to update my review because it’s evident that this place is under new management, and I have some strong opinions. The service was impressive! Our waiter was attentive, although there were a few language barriers. My family and I managed to communicate just fine, so it wasn't a major issue.

Now, let’s talk about the food—this is where I have some serious concerns. The quality has definitely declined. Previously, it was fantastic, but now it falls flat. When we arrived, the food was cold❄️, which is simply unacceptable. I’m personally facing some challenges with chewing due to dental issues, and many dishes were particularly tough for me to manage. The rice was overcooked to the point that it resembled rice krispies, and a lot of the items were very dry. The egg roll was tough and lacked filling, which was disappointing.

As for the General Tso and Lo Mein, they tasted like they were doused in barbecue sauce without any finesse. On a positive note, the Crab Rangoon was decent, though the portion was much smaller than I remember. My fiancée's Sprite tasted more like water, and the same goes for my Pepsi—both times. The waiter piled the cups with ice, leaving little room for actual drink, and I noticed this happening to every cup served.

Management, if you happen to read this, I urge you to encourage your staff to be more mindful during food preparation. I know this place has the potential to do...