China Palace Restaurant — Restaurant in Wisconsin Rapids

Friendly staff start to finish. I was the 1st buffet customer of the day, at 11am (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday buffet 11:00am - 2:00pm). There was a customer outside waiting for curbside pickup. Five more customers came in quickly afterwards. The buffet was full of food. I could hear the steam table boiling, and see steam rising underneath the poly canopy; it looked hot. Unfortunately, everything I put on my plate was cold, not even slightly warm. They must've been filling it cold and flipped on the heat at opening. That's not safe food handling. The items that were fried, were overly crisp and literally hard to eat; except the lightly battered shrimp, those were good, albeit cold. The other stir fry dishes looked nearly the same, with fresh, al dente vegetables, and tiny flakes of meat. Most concerning was my 1st plate was dirty (I turned it in & they thanked me for bringing it to their attention). The next plate didn't look much better, but I figured it was stained. Between that uneasiness and the cold food, I couldn't eat the majority of food on that plate. I saw them refill a few things, so I reached for another plate from another pile. It, too, looked dirty with a white film/etching, like the others. I suspect it's their dishwashing detergent, but we don't need to be eating those toxins. I didn't eat $12.64 worth of food, but I also didn't get sick. It was an unsettling experience and I won't return. The koi fish were also overcrowded in their...

Today I tried out the buffet that hasn't been offered since Covid. They shut down this buffet and finally reopened recently. Our family was excited to try out the new experience offered by new management. We have all been in this restaurant many times in the past 20 years and have observed many Law Enforcement Officers taking their lunch breaks there. "Word of advice" if you see local cops eating or parked in a local restaurant, they know where the best local food is... Lol.... Anyways, we overheard the waitress asked two local officers to leave the building and remove their guns because the owner didn't allow guns in their business.... We were shocked! The officers had a calm discussion with the waitress and she left momentarily.. I personally went up and grabbed a plate to listen to the conversation as the new owner approached. I heard her say something about not trusting her patrons with guns. I went back to my table after hearing the conversation and shared the information with my family. Nearby patrons were asking me what was going on, and I shared the stupidity of the new owner's thought process! Another patron paid for the officer's meal which they respectfully shook their hands with and showed their appreciation. I really don't wish to support local businesses with this kind of mindset... Even if non-law enforcement, law abiding citizens wish to carry legally, they should not be discriminated against! We will...

China Palace, 2113 Eighth St. S.: March 15: 11 violations: Chicken in cooler not properly cooled; cooked chicken in walk-in cooler not at proper temperature; no air gap or backflow prevention at mop sink; chlorine test kit not available; no certified food manager for establishment; salt, sugar, sesame seeds and spices stored in unlabeled containers; handles missing from reach-in freezer and microwave; cooking equipment in kitchen not cleaned frequently; floor and wall junction in dishwashing area not coved; ceiling tiles missing in kitchen; bathroom doors in kitchen not kept closed. Re-inspected March 21: Nine violations: No air gap or backflow prevention at mop sink; chlorine test kit not available; no certified food manager for establishment; salt, sugar sesame seeds and spices stored in unlabeled container; handle missing from reach-in freezer and microwave; cooking equipment not cleaned frequently; floor and wall junction not coved; ceiling tiles missing in kitchen; bathroom doors in kitchen not...