As my time in the RGV comes to a close (for this season), I need to report on the Chinese buffets. Naturally, since the area is largely Hispanic, I didn’t expect many buffets but did find 2 within a reasonable driving distance. The first is the Grand China Buffet. I checked their Google reviews before making the drive. Since we were still in the middle of a pandemic, I also paid attention to the mitigation efforts listed on the website. I was pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant had implemented social distancing for seating, mandatory face masks, and gloves for use at the steam tables. (Full disclosure: they add $0.20 per person to the bill for those gloves.)

On to the food. They had a very good variety on the steam and cold tables, along with a small sushi bar and small Mongolian BBQ. Apparently, they discontinued the ice cream for Covid precautions. I was disappointed that they did not have one of my favorites – frog legs. They also don’t ever serve crab legs. But, the middle of the day fare is pretty decent. Besides the normal items, they also served squid and coconut shrimp. I returned here on almost a weekly basis. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area.

An honorable mention goes to Lin’s Buffet in Weslaco. I only visited here once. It was decent restaurant but with a slightly smaller selection than Grand China Buffet.

I didn’t have a lot of time to check out the local buffets since Amazon kept me very busy. The first one I found was the Asuka Hibachi and Buffet, just a couple of miles from the campground in Smyrna. It was an average place in a plaza. On the plus side, they did have rice noodles and sugared peanuts. I never saw crab legs or any other ‘exotic’ dishes on the steam tables. Food quality, décor and service were OK for the price. I quickly got bored here and decided to look elsewhere.

After some research on Google, I tried out the Yoki Buffet in Murfreesboro TN. The drive was a little longer but turned out to be well worth it. I was only able to visit during dinner or holiday hours. During this time they always had froglegs and large shrimp available. For you crab lovers, they had either stone crab or blue crab, but no king crab legs. This place was always busy so expect a crowd. Dessert selections were limited but they also had a hibachi and sushi.

With all the down time we’ve had, I’ve had the opportunity to visit several local buffets. Most fall into the ‘average’ category, although I was pleased to see that they all served rice noodles. My favorite in Fargo is the Giant Panda buffet. For me, they have the best selection at a fair price. While most of the buffets should be OK for a visit when in town, I have to mention 2 specifically.

The first is the Snap Dragon Asian Buffet, just over the state line in Moorhead MN. I visited here shortly after my arrival, while my truck was getting repaired. This place was close enough for me to ride my bicycle. That turned out to be a good thing for them. I walked inside and looked at the number of trays on the buffet and was very disappointed that it was so limited. If I’d been driving, I would have turned around and gone to plan B.

The other buffet I wanted to mention is the Super Buffet, on 45th St in Fargo. I visited twice and was satisfied with the variety, quality and price. Then I returned a 3rd time, on a night they were serving frog legs (one of my personal favorites). Maybe they had a replacement cook that night, maybe not. I just know that most of the food was very greasy and I was up and running to the bathroom several times that night in the RV. I understand this can happen anywhere but I honestly can’t remember the last time I had the experience from a public restaurant.

During my few months here in Cornersville TN, I made several trips to Huntsville AL to shop at the commissary and Exchange on Redstone Arsenal. Being a ‘kill 2 birds with 1 stone’ kind of guy, I also researched buffets in or near Huntsville.

My first few visits, I would leave early in the morning and stop at a Golden Corral for a breakfast buffet before shopping. It was OK but the omelet chef wasn’t up to my standards. The bacon was always good though.

At some point I decided to leave a little later in the morning and check out the Chinese buffets. My first try was the New China Grill and Buffet. The outside of the building looked a little dicey and the parking lot was fairly small but I was committed to try it. The inside was very modern and clean, lots of comfy seating and well lit. They had a very good selection, including sushi and a hibachi grill. The price was very reasonable and the staff were attentive. Overall high marks after my initial trepidation.

Shortly after that, the subject of Chinese buffets in Huntsville was raised at work. My boss made a suggestion based on personal experience so the 88 Buffet was my next stop. It sits in a large shopping plaza on a major thoroughfare and was well liked by the locals. The selection here was even better than New China Grill and Buffet. They also had sushi and hibachi grill. It seemed like the choices on the steam tables favored meat and fish over vegetables, and that was fine with me. I did like that the salmon was grilled instead of swimming in hot water. They also had some shrimp dishes for lunch that I normally see for dinner at other places. I had to stop in on a Sunday just to see what new dishes they might have then. I was mildly disappointed that they didn’t have frog legs but they did have salt and pepper squid. Bad news for you crab leg lovers – they didn’t have any, but they did have blue crab. Besides the normal dessert items, they also had soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt.

I would have to give a slight edge to the 88 Buffet if you’re passing through Huntsville AL while you’re hungry.

I’ve been in middle Tennessee for almost a month now so it must be time to talk about the local Oriental buffets. The nearest town with a buffet is Lewisburg TN and they actually have 2 Chinese buffets.

I did not, and will not, visit the China Wok buffet because they use disposable plates and plasticware. Shame on them. I don’t know how the economics work out for actual plates/silverware/dishwasher vs plastic and Styrofoam but I believe their practice is killing the planet. I will not contribute to that destruction.

The second Chinese buffet in Lewisburg is Fusion Cuisine. It’s located right next to the WalMart in a small strip mall. Despite the fancy name, this buffet should be included in the ‘economy’ category. Lunch was under $7 (without drink or tip) and the selections reflected that price. I did not make a return visit.

I mentioned my disappointing experience to some of my coworkers and they highly recommended the Golden Buffet in Pulaski. That was about a 25 minute drive to find out that it was only marginally better than the Fusion Cuisine. If it was a little closer I might have gone back. Unfortunately, it also suffered from the small town buffet syndrome of just not much of a selection.

Continuing the search, I tried the Lucky Bamboo buffet in Columbia TN on a Sunday afternoon. Jackpot!!!! I was initially mildly disappointed that they didn’t have rice noodles when my attention was captured by a suspiciously familiar tray at the corner of the steam table. Hallelujah, they had frog legs. I quickly filled half a plate, and also loaded up on garlic shrimp. They had all the other standard dishes, sushi and a hibachi grill. Plus they had an excellent dessert selection that included one of my all time favorites – Napoleons. After a few more visits, I discovered that they also serve frog legs for dinner during the week and rice noodles are available during lunch. It’s not as big as some buffets that I’ve visited but it had enough of my favorites to keep me coming back.

As my time in the Pacific NorthWest comes to a close, I should write one more review before I forget about it. In Silverdale WA, you’ll find the King’s Wok buffet. It’s in a small shopping center near the Kitsap Mall. This buffet took a little figuring out. It’s one of those where you pay first. They hand you your silverware at the register, or at least they lay it down on the counter while you’re taking care of the bill. During one visit, I forgot my silverware before walking to a table. I turned around to get it while the next customer was already in place and got a very dirty look for my efforts. Anyway, you pick your own table and, unlike most buffets, you get your own drink. They had a Mongolian grill and a very good selection of the standard Chinese buffet items. Desert bar was small but good. Ice cream was dipped by an employee so you didn’t have to worry about some kid dropping stuff in there.  Definitely worth the visit if you’re in the area.

Since I added the tagline “Seeing the country 1 Chinese buffet at a time” to this blog, I should probably mention the buffets I’ve visited periodically. For my stints at the sugar beet harvest in Stephen MN, the nearest decent buffets are in Grand Forks ND. For the first 2 years, our ‘go to’ spot was Great Wall Buffet on Gateway Dr. Yes, I said ‘our’. There are several of us who really enjoy buffets and almost always combine a lunch with a regular shopping trip. Anyway, Great Wall is a decent buffet. Rather limited selection of dishes but we weren’t really expecting much here. At one point, I checked YELP and found another buffet in town but it had even worse reviews.

Well, this year we decided to check out the other place, Panda Buffet on south Columbia Rd. What a welcome surprise. Much greater selection of standard buffet items, Mongolian grill, and dessert. (There’s a reason I didn’t mention salad bar – what a waste when you’re paying for a buffet!) They had chocolate cream pie in a dessert case. This place was actually crowded! We even noted numerous Asians paying to eat there. Is it the perfect Chinese buffet? No. Here are a few things I noticed. This is the first Chinese buffet I’ve visited that does NOT have chicken on a stick. If you want to eat something off a stick they have decent shishkebab with beef, onion and green bell pepper. There is one waitress who isn’t very attentive. If you need a drink refill or plates cleared, don’t be bashful. Flag her down. The hard floor areas can get very slick after a few spills. I saw one lady go from carpet to hard floor and land flat on her ass.

So, what was the deal with YELP? Well, I looked at the reviews again and spotted a link to view ‘filtered’ reviews. Apparently they employ some type of algorithm to keep pumpers and bashers off the main page. I couldn’t see any indication in the filtered reviews that they were bogus. So, I’ll know to look a little harder the next time.