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.