China Buffet — Restaurant in Vicksburg

We often stay at the nearby Comfort Inn (which I give high marks, btw) & thought we'd try this place for a change from pizza or Cracker Barrel. It's your average Chinese Buffet at your average price. Mediocre and about what we expected. They tout themselves as a seafood place on the menu they leave in the hotel lobby, but that's not really on the buffet, you have to order seafood as a separate meal. I wasn't too surprised at that. The buffet selection itself was nothing to write home about, I've seen much better selections for the same price elsewhere. The only thing I really took issue with this place was they have signs crudely written in black magic marker on white printer paper taped up all over the restaurant warning you of a 30% surcharge if you leave food on your plate. Although we are not the types to waste food at a buffet, I really took issue with the whole vibe of being threatened like this. They could have just put up nice professional signs requesting customers not to waste food in order to help keep prices down, or something like that. If you are running a buffet you have to expect the occasional person is going to come in & waste food & have that budgeted into your price structure. I just felt it was kind of nasty .... like eating in some kind of authoritarian State (like Communist China?) Ruined the whole vibe of my average Chinese buffet meal. I asked the waitress how much food left on a plate would incur a surcharge & she couldn't tell me, so she called the manager on-duty (Sunday evening) who came over & I let her know my feelings (in as nice of a way as possible) When I asked how much food left on a plate would incur the 30% surcharge she could only say "we decide." I asked her if I didn't finish my bowl of hot & sour soup would I incur the surcharge & she said "no, that will be ok." We might stop by again next time we travel through if we happen to be in the mood for average Chinese buffet food, but probably not ... but if we do & I see their tacky threatening signs still plastered all around the place we'll walk right back out. I just don't need that kind of ugly vibe when trying to enjoy a meal...

Ate here for a late lunch on March 29th, 2023, about 2:30 pm. I was very pleased to see that they had disposable gloves for patrons to use. I've always been concerned about other patrons not washing their hands before using the common utensils to dish out food from the buffet. Also, men's restroom was fairly clean, but rather dark. As for the food, not as good as it was 8 to 10 years ago when I traveled through Vicksburg twice a month on business and looked forward to stopping here for lunch or early supper. However, about 5 years ago they changed ownership I think. The older lady cashier who was top notch and ran a tight ship was no longer there, replaced by a much younger cashier lady. This time the food was just OK, lukewarm, egg rolls not real fresh, and they stopped having the lo mein or fung mei noodles (scorched rice noodles). I tried again a few months later and still disappointed, so chose other places to eat, such as Billy's Pizza just around the corner in the corner of the former outlet mall. Then I changed jobs, then the virus crisis, now I go to V'burg about once a month, so thought I'd give it a try again. It was much better than 5 years ago, but still not quite up to the level it was 8 to 10 years ago. I think they had another change in management since the cashier lady has changed and seems to have more on the ball. Egg rolls still a little stale and lukewarm, but they had my noodles, plus now have gloves. And my waiter Pedro was really good with checking on me to see if I needed any more water or tea or wasabi. Oh, cucumber & tomato salad was good, but that's not the Chinese part. But then, neither...

My family of 6 including myself eat here all the time. I would like to inform anyone who goes here, there is a 30% surcharge on large uneaten portions of food. I don't personally have problem with this but I can somewhat understand if some do. But please put yourselves in their shoes before you get upset about that issue. I have a 4 yr old that has left a good amount of food on her plate before and they did not make us pay a surcharge. Now I would like to say: We ate there tonight 6-6-21 Sunday evening at the same time that gentleman that left a review right before myself did. He made it a point to have a serious problem with the surcharge (at table side). While I understand his complaint he was a little unruly with the waitress and the manager. His wife has some medical conditions that sometimes prevents her from finishing her meal so he expressed that to the manager. The way he acted was just not necessary. If you read this Mr. Andy next time handle that kind of issue at the register where it belongs not table side when you have other people around you trying to enjoy their meal. Thanks from the family who was seated to your left. Oh and I would also like to say God please bless this couple, help mr. Andy keep the strength to take care of hisself and his lovely wife. Cover this couple in love...