China House Zimmerman — Restaurant in Zimmerman

I was craving Chinese food on a road trip so I decided to Google one closest to the gas station I was at. It was a minor hassle getting there due to road construction, but it was worth it to support a local business in a sea of chains.

I ordered beef with broccoli lunch special that came with a side of lo mein and an egg roll. I also decided to get a small white rice and a beverage. The total came to just under $19.

Sadly, the beef was not fresh. It had an off flavor. The coloring resembled pork due to the oxidation that occurs when red beef is prepped and exposed to air. I didn’t realize at the time, but they are closed Monday and Tuesday. I stopped in on a Wednesday. You can do the math.

The restaurant and bathroom was very clean, the service was friendly, and the portions were good—I would have loved to take leftovers with me. There wasn’t a garbage can for me to use, so I had to just left my slightly eaten meal on the table and leave. This was nothing that made me sick, I was just very disappointed to spend a decent amount on a lunch that I couldn’t enjoy. I wish I just went to Hardee’s or...

The made to order take out food is much better than the buffet. We've ordered her at least 2 dozen times over the past 3 years and were only disappointed one time.

The buffet, however, is a different story. They are skimpy with their offerings and they do NOT refresh their buffet. It's as if they're waiting for you to fill up on what is there, rather than what you want. There is usually not enough egg rolls or cream cheese wontons, and they don't get replenished. The rice gets dried out. Their buffet has a lot of room for improvement.

And that lady sits there everyday with a huge tub of sour cream, a spoon, and fills wantons. I've seen her reading magazine while she stuff wantons without looking. I'm not sure how healthy it is to have 20lbs of cream cheese sitting out and not kept cool. And, I've never seen her use gloves while doing the wantons.

Also, the place is a bit grimy, they could clean...

Along with friends, I have been eating at the China House for almost ten years and ,without exception, find delight in the fresh array of heaven. Never, since leaving California, have I found food reminding me of what I got in San Francisco.

It is not convenient since I live in Elk River,MN and do not drive. Therefore it is a treat to get to Zimmerman. However, it far exceeds any Chinese Restaurant found nearby.

I send China House my regards---and wish them success and happiness on this Chinese NEW YEAR day...