If you just want a mediocre buffet eat here. My husband and I ate here last week for dinner because we love hibachi grill restaurants and when we found out they had crab legs we were all for it.....BIG MISTAKE! What they call crab legs is hilarious. They are so tiny and thin and seriously, they only bring out one little pan at a time so you have to get there right as they're bringing them out or you won't get any because they bring only enough out for like 3 people....no lie! The other food was just ok, nothing to get excited about. Oh, and don't even get me started on the women's bathroom. How hard is it to fix a loose toilet seat? And the last time someone actually cleaned it was probably a month ago. Very nasty! read more

Everything on the buffet was cold . All the chicken and pork not even to room temperature .This place will get you sick and may even kill you . nothing but a bacteria trap . When I confronted the manager she advised that next time I come back to let them know so they can reheat the food on the bar. I will never be back .Sad . read more

We love this place! Its ine our top 2 go to Chinese food places. The food is always great. The staff isnt that friendly and the service isnt that great but it's a buffet and the food is delicious! read more

I've eaten at a lot of Chinese buffets on the road. In my hometown I have a few I frequent, but many on the road I've tried I wouldn't go back to eat again....Chef Lin is an exception. We were driving back to Ohio from Destin and wanted a place that was cheap and easy to eat with the kids, just off the highway. My wife did some research as we approached Chattanooga, on all the buffets there and we chose this one and man was it a keeper. They have all of your typical chinese trimmings, General Tso's, Pepper Steak, etc, all great. What was exceptional about this buffet....the raw bar. They have freakin' Sushi chef's making excellent pieces. On top of that...raw oysters....man I love raw oysters and they are expensive anywhere else. This place was packed, but it's big enough to handle all the traffic, worst part was finding a place to park. My kids loved the fried donuts and ate several. read more

Certain combinations just come across weird. Hearing an Asian person with a thick southern accent counts as one of them. Irrelevant ruminations aside, I was surprised at how good the food was here. They have a big spread and everything I grabbed was delicious. The sole crawfish I sampled was perfectly cooked, making it easy to peel. Overall, their seafood selection was pretty good and they even had items I didn't expect, like tripe (no chicken feet, however). The disappointment came on the dessert front. Fortunately, the fruit was good enough to cap off my meal. I didn't pay, but I believe it was less than $10 each with tax and tip. Pretty good value considering the food. Not that I'd be back in Chatt any time soon, but I wouldn't mind returning to this place. read more

Almost passed not eating here after some reviews . Must be competitors leaving bad reviews . We had a great meal family of 5 . Everyone liked what they got . Good selection , friendly staff , it's not a fancy place but I did not pay fancy prices ! read more

I would love to give this place a 5. It was clean, waitresses were friendly and courteous, buffets were well kept and clean, food was very tasty. But I went to this place solely for the hibachi and the hibachi chef really disappointed me. I specifically kept asking for no oil or sauces and he repeatedly added oil. I would love to have blamed it on a language barrier but it definitely wasn't that. I went back twice. Both times the food was good but both times it wasn't what I asked for. I'm in town for the week and was hoping to find a place to go to for lunch everyday but looks like I'll be finding another place. If you're looking for just the buffet food, definitely go give it a try. Looks delicious! read more

This is in my hometown and I always go when I'm visiting. They have the typical fare on the buffet lines. This, oddly, is not my favorite part. I LOVE that the sushi is made fresh (and quickly). I have never eaten here at time when the sushi sat out for more than 15-20 min before it was eaten. They also have a Hibachi and a huge selection of deserts, fruits, and salads. The desserts aren't great, but whatever. I will always return for the sushi. read more

Food was lukewarm and rubbery didn't seem like people wash their hands before eating. Don't do a lot of buffets and this makes me remember why read more

Chef Lin Buffet - The man in white eating with his fingers and the food very rubberlike the only good thing was the icecreamWill not comeback here - Buffets Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Sushi was really good and service was excellent really enjoyed the food and will be back soon

I only come to Chattanooga once ever 2-3 years. Chef Lins is the first thought when I arrive. They have the best food joint in the United States. They are always friendly. Thanks Patrick read more

Currently sitting here after tubing and my GOD !!!! E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G is sooo good nothing is flavorless the string beans are so good fruit is fresh it clean staff is nice it not loud no over barring music must come !!! read more

I think i have a new hot spot china buffet. Good services quality sushi wide variety read more

Chef Lin Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Buffet has a wide variety of food offerings. You have rows and rows of food items, but what makes it special is the special Sushi bar where there were at least a Dozen types waiting to be sampled. I am a Chicken sampler at Chinese Buffets and this one did not disappoint at all. The Teriyaki, Orange chicken were delicious. The fried veggies were awesome, they had Broccoli and Pumpkin in breaded and deep fried version, pretty crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Not too much into soups but they had at least 4 different kinds and then also had some steamed dumplings with it. Lastly the desserts were pretty cool, the coconut based item was real good. Overall 5 stars, will most certainly return. read more

We went today for Mother's Day. They handled the CRAZY amount of people very well and even had carnations for Moms. That was a nice touch. The reason I am here to provide feedback is our daughter suffered a burn from egg drop soup. She had a bit drip from the ladle onto her hand and received a pretty decent burn from it. We asked a hostess for a cold rag and were brought a to-go cup I went directly to Mr Lin who quickly provided a bag of ice. The soup was SO HOT thought that from 1p to now 8p you can still see the burn on her hand and we're applying burn cream. Not trying to file an insurance claim or anything silly but a visit to our table would have been nice and definitely turn down the temp on that soup. read more

Food was subpar. this place was great, not anymore. We had a problem because their sushi cooks apparently have the dangerous practice of cross contaminating their rolling boards. When I asked to speak to a manager about said issue, I was confronted by a very deffensive man, who proceeded to explain to me that they apparently have being cross contaminating for a long time (this, as you immagine, did not help his case). After I had to teach Mr.Manager the dangers and potential law suits that come with cross contaminating, he finally decided not to charge us for the meal. Not my goal but at least I didn't have to pay for a bad meal. Beware of this place. read more

Staff is friendly and the atmosphere there is very welcoming. The food was delicious and I would definitely eat there again!

Revisited today with my daughter for lunch. BIG, BIG improvement in the food. So much better! The steak was thick and juicy, the shrimp and chicken cooked to perfection. I am so glad we gave Chef Lin another shot because it was DEFINITELY worth it. Food stocked, hot and fresh on the buffet, waitress attentive. Highly recommend and we will be visiting much more often with food this good! Thank you Chef Lin! read more

The employees there are always smiling and the food really good. The salt & pepper shrimp amd most all the food ive taste have been good

The sushi is quite good from the buffet. The staff was nice. Unfortunately that is it. The buffet tables are so close together that it's just about impossible to get through them without being run over by unattended children and very rude adults. Horrific experience. read more

I have a long relationship with Chef Lin's (or The Chief as we call it at work), I've been eating here since they opened. Work lunches, family dinners, special occasions...hell, my wife told me that she was pregnant with my son there, 17 years ago. They'll always hold a dear spot in my heart because on that special day the waitress brought our drinks, and instead of a glass of sweet tea, I was served a baby bottle full of milk...I was so happy as we'd been trying for quite some time. So it pains me to have to write this. My friend and I used to be friends with the owners back in the beginning, Kay was the sweetest thing, always willing to bend over backwards to help out. The people in charge have changed so many times that I have no idea who's at the top. As the years have gone by, the quality has decreased tremendously. They are quiet famous for their low health department scores. I stopped going for about 3 years after they got something like a 26...the reasons why were too much to ignore. Chicken stored at an improper temperature, roaches, and rat droppings in the food prep area. I stopped going. Then I was pulled back in with the lure of lunch with the guys. Talked my wife and family in to giving them another chance. In fact we ate there Christmas Eve. We did voice some concerns about the temp of the sushi...but it turns out we didn't need to worry about that, because my son and I contracted Shigella. Take a moment to look up Shigella...it's a nasty beast! And it's transmitted through the transference of fecal material to food. This started out as a terrible Christmas Day...my case was mild compared to my son's, but it still lasted a week. My son on the other hand wound up being hospitalized as dehydrated and delirious. It was a scary time. So, needless to say, our time with "The Chief" was done! One would think... Why did I go back??? I suppose it was for the lunch time camaraderie, at least that's what I tell myself...either way it was stupid, but don't worry, no one got sick. Instead we were treated to a lunch time show of three rats running back and forth under the table across from us. The people had just left, and obviously dropped some food on the floor. It took less than five minutes for these fellows to find it. They ate, fought, and generally had a good ole rat time. We told the waitress, who told someone in charge, who came to our table and apologized and gave us a whopping "Half-Off" our meal...pretty cool, as I thought the show that we were subjected to might cost us more. But before we left, a lady came to our table (perhaps the top person in charge during lunch???) and had a few words for us that didn't do anything to quell the rising nausea...she told us something this affect: "I tell them ALL the time to shut the back door! But they leave it open! It's the boxes you know...the boxes that bring them in!"...yeah, whatever. I crouched not five feet from these three rats and filmed them eating, and generally living their lives in what is quite obviously their home, as they were VERY comfortable with their surroundings and the people trying to have lunch. I've shown this video to everyone in my office...I can't make them not go, but most have heeded the warning and have found another Chinese Buffet to stuff themselves with. I know running a restaurant is difficult...you have food, and TONS of food waste with a buffet. It's a sad part of our lives as Americans...we throw away SOOOO much. We need to follow the example of places that share their leftovers with homeless shelters (my son works for Little Caesar's and he was reprimanded for giving the leftover pizzas directly to the homeless man digging them out of the dumpster..."if he wants them, he can get them out of the trash. The last thing we want is them hanging out around here because we're feeding them!!!" Their leftover pizzas are either taken home by employees, or thrown in the dumpster. They don't bat an eye if you take home six, as long as no one else wanted them...so now when I pick up my son after work, we drive down to the end of the strip mall, and hand them to the guy and his friends...that way they aren't hanging around like the manager wanted, and something that would have been eaten by rats or thrown in the landfill is at least consumed by someone in need. I know...it's a double edged sword..."if you keep feeding them, they won't EVER pull themselves out of the situation that they're in!" True...but I also know some of these folks will NEVER pull themselves out. I mean of the 6 or 7 people that enjoy these pizzas, 4 are veterans...the others may be, but the fellow we hand the pizzas to says they won't talk about it). Sorry, off my soapbox now...for the most part. My final point again...running a restaurant is tough. But whatever the cost, have a contract with an exterminator. Follow the rules of cleanliness, make sure your work stations are sanitary. It's that simple! read more

I went here this past Friday based on some reviews that I thought was basically 50/50. Well I took my chance to see for myself. When first entering the building I was very impressed and there was a lot of food to choose from. It all looked really fresh and there was a nice amount of customers. Well, to make a very long story short in my opinion the food was very bland and some even cold as if it was left out too long. I'm from Louisiana and catfish is a regular back at home. I tried the catfish and that was no catfish, I'm thinking it was Whitey which is what they eat a lot of up the North East Coast. I'm a huge fan of Sesame Chicken but this was my first time seeing it brown, isn't it supposed to be a reddish color? Although it wasn't that bad, but the Pepper Shrimp was my best next to trying chicken feet for the first time. Overall, I don't plan on making any more visits here. I didn't even give myself a chance to try the sushi. read more

Great resturant had great food awesome waiters.very polite people very nice fast service also!

The staff greeted us in a very friendly manner as we entered. We were seated very quickly. The buffet is reasonably priced and there was a good variety. The food was very good. The dumplings ( subgum) fell a little short. Overall it was a great eating experience and we will return. read more

Horrible food would not recommend going there asked for crab legs they would barley fill the pan back up guess there trying to save money read more

Thank you for reaching out. We returned this Friday and had a very positive experience. The food was delicious, and the wait staff very friendly and fast. Appreciate your response to my feedback. Good service is as important as good food. We'll be back. Thanks again! read more

Yeah, this is not a great buffet. They promote that they've been voted #1 but not by me. They seem to try to cover to much and I just don't prefer the tastes of their preparation. read more

Crab legs are always cold. A table across from us said this to the waitress she claimed she cooked it twice and brought it out. But then why would it be super freezing cold? Sushi is never iced underneath major red flag specially if it sits out all day I didn't notice until after i stuck a super hot piece of sushi in my mouth . Can you say parasites, or bacteria??? My little sister only wanted to eat salad and thank goodness she did they scored a 26 in just august with the health code!?!? They apparently corrected it in two days. I feel like its gone back to its old ways as pertaining to the sushi. Crab. And food left out all day and it being overcooked. I wish you guys well. But this is unacceptable specially because families come here to eat please make sure everything is cooked properly and attained to that afterwards. You've lost a customer, and her family. read more

Best buffet we have ever found. Love the sushi, crab, and shrimp. Best value, selection - this coming from an experienced Asian family.

I agree with Dude D.! Everything was bland. We went for dinner on Tuesday at 7p. Hardly anything was hot. You can order a steak that's included with the buffet. We ordered it medium but we got well done. The oysters on a half shell and mussels didn't look very good. The raw fish on the sushi was a bit chewy. The crab legs are bland due to them sitting in water. The clams and sesame balls were the best things on the buffet. read more

I was Very disappointed with There good and I find if you Visit the rest room in most Resturaunts that's what in Most cases your Food is Going to be like... almost All Items were empty even The Soups..They couldn't keep up with the Customer's. I'd rate the food 1 Star At best.. I'm Just Saying !! I wouldnt waste My time or Money.... read more

Passing through town and was hungry. Figured can't go wrong with Chinese. Food was okay, service was good. Would not be a first choice. If ever I was passing through again, I would try a different place. read more

For a $10 buffet including sushi and hibachi you can't expect this to be an updated top of the line establishment with everything new and fancy. You take it for what it is and try to enjoy the food. Everything was above par in my books, and make sure to get the crab Rangoon! read more

I tried this to see if it has improved and why the people of Chattanooga keep s on voting this as the best in Chattanooga for the past 10 years. The food was cold and also tough. I usually get two plates but I couldn't eat the second if I was to get it. The meat was too fatting and tough as shoe leather There is plenty fo food but it was cold. The cheese stick are over battered and tasted as if they was just taken out of the warmer tray from the previous night. I finally figured what Chef Lin's get the vote for the best is that they are paying off the paper to do it. There are two other chinese buffets that are better tasting and the food is hot. Please don't waste your time at Chef LIn's unless you want to see it coming back up. read more

This has to be one of the worst Asian buffets I've ever been in. The chicken is always overcooked for sitting on the bar too long, and the atmosphere is drab at best. read more

Horrible!!! I can see why they had so many bad reviews. I waited almost my whole meal before they refilled the soup I was looking for. And that was the main reason I come to Chinese to begin with. Almost all the chicken I tried was so tough and chewy that it was inedible. We will never be back. read more

Never once have I had a bad meal. The Sushi is super yummy, and lots of choices on the buffet.. See you soon.

This was a DIASTER. My husband normally loves chinese buffets so we took him there for Fathers Day and all I can say is that was the biggest mistake. First of all how is it a Chinese buffet when 90 percent of the food is seafood. Second of all none of the food was really hott it was as if they just had it sitting back there and filled it up as it got low. What bothered me the most was that none of the Chinese food that they did have seemed authentic... like the honey chicken was like not chicken. All the pieces I had were hard as a brick. Overall I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone. They advertise that they have won awards for best buffet. Dont fall for this. It is the worst chinese buffet in Chattanooga. read more

The sushi was about the only thing good there. They didn't keep the sushi bar stocked at all. All they were worried about was cleaning and they didn't seem to have a problem having chemicals around the food. They kept the hot food stocked, however after trying a few different things, I decided it wasn't even good enough for my dog to eat! And the service was HORRIBLE!!!! The servers will run you over if you don't watch out. I was almost knocked down several times. The waitress never offered us refills we had to ask. And when she brought the check she literally stood there until we gave her the money and then kept looking at the table for a tip. Once she finally walked away we put a dollar in the table and it was like she was watching and waiting because she came by and snatched it off the table. No thanks! That was our first, and last trip there. read more

The food was horrible. It tasted like lemon Lysol smells. Ughhhhh...... And the bathrooms? Disgusting. What a waste of $10.