I don't know whether this was planned or not, but I think I was "swindled" out of $15 cash on my first (and only) visit there. I was there alone, driving in from out of town. I made the "mistake" of paying for my meal with cash. The meal was decent, some foods were warm, others were not- so-warm. None of the food on the bar was really fresh and hot, except for a few of the spring rolls and some of the fish and seafood. I had what I thought was a fair and attentive wait service. It was good enough that I was impressed to leave a tip before ending my meal, a rarity for me. But all that good impression changed when it came down to the experience of leaving a tip; this experience made me decide to never go back again. My advice to potential customers, should you decide to patronize this restaurant, is to pay and tip with a card and keep an eye on your bank statement. read more

Still my favorite eatery in Durham. I like buffets because I can eat the items I like best or happen to be in the mood for. When a fresh pan is brought from the kitchen, it is as good as ordering from a menu. Lots of vegetables: broccoli, carrots, zucchini, baby bok choy, white mushrooms and seafood (mussels, fried shrimp, squid rings, fish filets). Sushi is the weak spot - rice not seasoned, edges dry. Calm interior, dim lighting. Staff is efficient and polite. read more

The sign may be in need of repair but don't let that deter you. The place is very clean with great decor and seating. Service is friendly, efficient and attentive. The buffet is very clean with a sushi bar, soups, salad, verious meat and seafood dishes and desserts including an ice cream station. Food is hot and good and you will leave with a full stomach. read more

Good food! You get what you pay for. Wide variety and nice atmosphere. Some food is cold or not as hot as I'd like though. And the service is pretty attentive . read more

This place had a decent selection and seemed clean. Our server wasn't overly friendly but took decent care of of us.

This is amazing, so much variety, so clean, I can't wait to bring my vegetarian partner here, something for everyone! Check out the videos...salt and pepper shrimp was perfect. Nice service staff... eat here you won't be sorry! read more

China Buffet - Unlimited sushi too. - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

If you've ever wondered what it's like to dine in a place where language barriers are the least of your concerns, where customer service is an urban legend, and where the food makes airplane meals look gourmet--then congratulations! You've found the perfect spot. The staff operates with a level of indifference so profound, it's almost philosophical. The management? Let's just say they've achieved Zen-level detachment from the concept of customer satisfaction. As for the food, imagine a reality show where chefs are challenged to make something almost edible--but with none of the urgency or skill. Would I recommend this place? Only to those who have given up on life and want one final push over the edge. Bon appétit... or, you know, good luck. read more

I would give it a 3.5 stars if I could. It's a pretty standard Chinese buffet that is cheap and has a lot of different foods. None that stand out, but also something for everyone to eat. I especially liked their hibachi/noodle soup bar, but none of the ingredients were especially fresh or looked appetizing. Service is friendly and attentive enough and there is nothing too good and nothing too bad about China buffet. It's probably similar to others that you have been to. read more

Bleh. We should have known to stay away when we saw the sign as the lights for h & I were out.. so it read CNA Buffet. The food was all sub par, for even a Chinese buffet. The guy at the sushi section refused my wife's request for a side of spicy mayo? Nearly all of the sushi rolls had cream cheese. Bathrooms disgusting & barely operating. The decor & restaurant was all very worn. Definitely won't be back. read more

I was in a time warp. Didn't realize this type of buffet still existed. WOW!!! I don't want to be extremely rude, so let me say this. I will never ever eat here again. Neglected furniture,horribly cooked food,fish filets cooked in gallons of water, and unusual pasta seafood combos. I ate the fried shrimp because It was the safest. I know this restaurant exists for people who have limited resources, but they deserve quality food and a clean, attractive environment, and this was not it. Shame on you, China Buffet read more

I really wanted to like this place! I've been here a couple of times to give it a chance, but the food, service, cleanliness and price are subpar. For starters, several items were cold; this was a running theme each time I've visited. Some food items either had too much salt, or no flavor at all. I will say I was pleasantly surprised with the sushi. It tastes okay, but the counters serving the food itself get pretty gross, (took a big risk here, I know). There are visible stains on the carpeting and furniture. Staff can be attentive depending on how busy it is, but not very friendly. I did have a strange encounter during our last visit where we noticed they sat all of the black people in one single section of the restaurant, regardless of what time we arrived- I wouldn't have thought anything of it if it weren't pointed out to me. Very weird! I'm a sucker for a good Chinese buffet, and I wish there were another in the area. It's really not worth the price and there are far better local gems throughout the triangle. read more

I told myself that I would never eat another Chinese buffet but here I was at my first buffet in a few years. To be honest, I woke up from a nice long nap and must've dreamt of Chinese food. When I woke up, I had a craving for a Chinese buffet. After evaluating the different ones close to me, I went with this one. When I arrived around the peak dinner time on Saturday evening, I was seated immediately by myself in a aisle. This special section was for anyone that had less than 2 people dining. As I ate, I felt like I was eating alone on an island. The waiters must've forgotten about me because I all alone. No one came to pick up my plates or ask me how I was doing. Luckily, more people started to fill in the seats. The Food: A nice variety but honestly, it was hard to find something that I like to eat. Not sure if it's because I'm no longer into buffet food or what? Nothing seem appetizing to me, not even the items at the dim sum. I felt lost at the buffet line. I ended up eating some fried rice and shrimp. The best item was the curry noodle soup. It's a separate line by the hibachi. That was actually the only good thing that I hate. I don't expect much because it's a buffet. A place where you fill yourself up and go home to take a nap. I don't suggest having high expectations here. It's just another mom and pop Chinese buffet. Be kind to the waitresses and eat on. read more

See all

I know it's silly to have a Chinese food craving but it's what I was thinking the entire time I was driving up from Charlotte. Yelp pointed me to China Buffet and I arrived in the time between the late lunch crowd and the early dinner crowd, but the place was still quite packed. The staff were doing an excellent job of keeping the steam tables clean and stocked. The food was fresh and little of it had been sitting for very long. Being on a keto diet, Chinese food can be a challenge. Not eating carbs or noodles or rice and avoiding sweet sauces is hard. But I managed to skip through most of that and put together two plates of good choices. I also took one turn with the hibachi grill, some sliced beef, onions, peppers and mushrooms but the guy overcooked it to the point that it was chewy, which was unfortunate. Lots of options, even for people who are not big fans of Chinese food. Chicken wings, roast pork, even pizza and garlic bread! [Review 11833 overall, 1615 of 2019.] read more

China Buffet - Steam tables at China Buffet - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Food was really good and the sushi options were great, hot food was hot and cold food was cold, loved the sushi, loved the chicken special

What you would normally get at a Chinese buffet is here! From fried chicken, lo mein, crab Rangoon, egg rolls, and ice cream. They also have fried crab legs and sesame balls with red bean. Those were the highlights for me. The inside is very spacious for large parties. Took off a star because they put all the dirty dishes right near the buffet (where the servers get receipts and where the drink machine is) which did not seem very safe to me in terms of health. read more

China Buffet - Buffet - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We went for a special occasion last night. Half of what I got was room temperature when it should have at least been warm. I noticed a few food items were mislabeled (ex "crab w/ cheese" but it certainly was not), and probably half of the red labels (indicating spicy hot) were not at all - I know bc I don't like hot/spicy but decided to try them anyway. On the way home, I started feeling nauseous, and we had to stop so I could get to a bathroom. Later, my partner also got sick. So overall, the food wasn't good, and we both got sick. Will never go back there. read more

Its a great restaurant- now its also since buffet quite a varietous menu of chinese simple to guess what the sushi means- appealing and rights as imprecant on variety and affordable read more

I have eaten here many times over the past few years and thoroughly enjoy it. It is one of my family's favorite restaurants. Pro's: - Food is usually pretty good - Friendly staff - nice selection of food on the buffet - nice seat layout Con's: - A bit dated - Store is off the beaten path on 15\501BUT once you find it, it is well worth it. I have been eating here for years and will continue to eat there for years. read more

This is the best buffet option in the area. The selection is decent and they keep the food fairly fresh. Our favorites are the hibachi where you can select your veggies and protein and they cook it fresh for you. And also the Noodle Soup Bar. I would avoid the Sushi. Doesn't look fresh and the wasabi is an odd fluorescent green color. They use to serve crab during dinner, but no longer do. The service is good. Everyone is friendly and our plates get cleared in a timely manner. As for the ambiance, it's average. It could be cleaner. The bottles of soy sauce and sriracha on the tables are always sticky. All in all I would recommend. read more

Overall experience is Good.. Food and place is clean.. One of the affordable Eat All U Can places here in Durham.. Service is ok its just that they want you to tip immediately.. read more

Really solid chinese buffet option if you've been craving, especially with the pandemic. They require gloves (provided) and mask while you are up and about self serving. read more

China Buffet - Pricing, general info. - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Today my husband and I ate at 3:30pm at this buffet. The food that is advertise and displayed inside the restaurant itself are different things. They had advertise steam crab and it was not available. We found this place via google. All of the food was really bland with not a whole lot of flavor to try. Aside from that, a lot of the food their was not Chinese food. We had almost zero interaction with our waiter but what we did have was him blatantly checking my butt out and not receiving refills on drinks. That was very uncomfortable and unprofessional. Pricing was advertise as cheap however we wouldn't consider $35 for 2 people as cheap on weekdays. We could've went to Cheddar's and had a better meal and better service for $20. On top of all of this our stomach are killing us. read more

This place is just as good as it was before COVID hit. Hadn't been in a while!! Food is still fresh with great variety. Sushi might even be a little better! Staff super nice and check in to make sure you have ever hung you need. read more

"Buffet Chinese, with sushi, *NOW with hibachi and fancy soups!*" Yes, it's not gourmet food by any means, but for the price, this place rocks! As people have noted already, they have standard Chinese buffet fare (wonton soup, hot & sour soup, sesame chicken, chicken w/ mushrooms, black pepper chicken, various beef dishes, salmon, octopus, a few vegetarian options, salad, sesame balls, other desserts). The selection is quite large- they call it the "mile-long" buffet. Quality is fine- a step above Golden Corral but probably still not mid-tier. They have decent sushi- no, it won't compare to a fancy sushi restaurant, but some simple standards along with ginger and wasabi. NEW: they've opened a wing around the corner from the sushi section. One part has fancy soups (picture uploaded)- I had the roast duck, noodles, and vegetables. Other options included curry noodle & shrimp noodle. The soups are prepared ON DEMAND and as you like it in terms of content and spices! You place your order, sit down with your buffet food, and come back in a few minutes for the soup. The other part is hibachi, where you pick your meat and vegetables, request a sauce, and they cook it- just like at Bali Hai on Ninth Street. The options are more limited than Bali Hai, but let's remember- this is all INCLUDED in the buffet price- no extra charge! You can eat all you want and not have to balance your food into a tower from your bowl to avoid increases in price. Plus, any locals who get the "Clipper" magazine or other mailers can find coupons for this place. Standard price is not bad, and the with-coupon price makes this a wonderful value. It's especially great for people with kids, big-eaters, and anyone who wants to sample lots of dishes rather than stick to one single option. read more

China Buffet - New (2010) soup bar - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Normally I have some sushi first, but as I walked by the buffet to be seated I decided to hit that first. Everything was super fresh, looked and smelled fantastic! Nothing was overcooked or dried out, which can be the case if you get there after they've been open several hours. Good tip is to go early, as we did. Since it's a buffet I sampled a little bit of my favorites; fried dumplings, crab rangoon, sesame chicken, rice noodles, garlic chicken and broccoli, and green beans with garlic. All were terrific. The sushi was fresh and varied as the chef is constantly making it. The fresh fruit was amazing - watermelon, pineapple, papaya and cantaloupe were just a few that I tried. We took a chance today thinking there might not be any yelling coming from the kitchen, as was the case on our last couple visits. We thought maybe on a Sunday they'd give it a rest. It took quite some time before I could hear it over the many kids that were twirling and squealing through the buffet area nonstop! Suffice to say it was a bit of a circus there, but the food was really, really good!! The staff is always great. Very attentive in taking used plates away and filling your glass if it even looks like it's reaching the three quarter or half way mark. So while it can be hit or miss here, today was a very good day, at least for the food and service! read more

China Buffet - Super fresh fruit! - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

China Buffet has taken my money for a number of years...consistently. The restaurant reminds me of an old hat I wear. It's worn, faded and needs to be replaced...but I'm so use to it that I keep going back to it. It's a strange analogy, but it fits. I've seen this restaurant go through many management and employee changes over the years, but they're still consistent with decent food quality and cleanliness. The decor (crazy lamp scheme) is a little bizzare but it will keep your interest. They do well with providing a variety of different dishes but some are much better than others. The Hibachi grill...is outstanding. Try it. The Sushi bar....is sub par and the person who makes it hasn't learned the art of making sushi in all the years that he's been doing it. The fish is never quite fresh, the sushi doesn't look too appealing, and some of the combinations (like spicy/hot tuna salad wrapped with cheap rice and nori) don't go over so well...unless you're into that type of thing. The Main buffet section is decent....depending on what night you go and what Chef has cooked the items you've selected. The flavor and quality seems to fluctuate drastically depending on who cooks. There is a subsection of the buffet section where they provide soup (egg drop, hot & sour, etc.). The more authentic chinese cuisine (Zongzi - rice stuffed and wrapped in bamboo leaves, Chicken feet, Dim Sung, etc.) is mainly served on the weekends. This is the closest you'll get to eating "real chinese food." The fresh salad, fruit, and pastry section is not bad. Lastly...stay away from the hard ice cream. Children normally serve themselves out of this. 'Nuff said. There you have it. China Buffet...a good place to take the family when you're on a budget. read more

China Buffet - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Exactly what to expect. Food is good service is good. Outside could use a little TLC but that's not so important.

This place is amazing and we use to go here all the time before covid 19 and they shut down for a couple of months. We always go when it's busy because we know the food will be hot and fresh. Servers are usually very good and always keep your drink full and good at clearing up the table so we can get more plates. As I said prior they just reopened a couple of weeks ago and are taking covid very serious to protect you and them. They are cleaning the whole time. When you go to the buffet you are wearing gloves when touching the handles and you are using plastic plates at the buffet. I have not had a bad experience yet, one of my favorite Chinese buffets in the area. Their fried chicken wings and rice noodles are my favorite and the best. The chicken is seasoned very well. Can't wait to go back again. read more

They have a good food selection. Also the sushi bar is good. Love the soups!. Staff is very friendly and always on task. read more

China Buffet - One side of the bar area! - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I would never consider eating here with a health sanitary score of 86. They've gone down every time they've been inspected. That's terrible!! read more

Probably the best Chinese Buffet option in Durham, but they have almost outpriced themselves.

The soup noodles is very good. On the weekday, you have 5 choices: beef, chicken, duck, curry, and shrimp. There are also 3 or 5 selections of pasta noodles, including Japanese Udon. I like the delicious Tai curry soup, with either duck meat or beef, as the topping. The sweet sauce for the chicken is very unique. It was made the same way my grandma did. I would pay the chef for the receipt of this sweet and sour sauce. The manager is polite too. Nice sushi read more

China Buffet - the interior of a chinese restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Came here for lunch yesterday. Started out OK. I noticed that a lot of the food were not fresh. I noticed some trays were almost empty. I got the usual stuff: 1st plate: Pan fried dumplings, stir fried green beans, sushi rolls, calamari, and jalapeno chicken, sprint roll. 2nd plate: More sushi rolls, chow mein, bok choy, oyster in garlic sauce (cooked) Dessert plate: almond cookie, orange slices. Around 4:30PM at work, I started feeling not so good. Around 5:30PM, I ran to my bathroom at home and vomited. Then again at 6PM, then again at 6:40PM. Never again. read more

If you want to pay to eat off styrofoam plates, plastic utensils, get charged $1.99 for soda water and eat food that's barely hot, then this is your spot! I was told that I was charged for the CO2 in my soda water. I mentioned that this was the only place I've ever beento that charged for carbonated fountain water and the manager could care less. I mentioned that this isn't the way to do business and her response was that what I said didn't matter. This is very true but I won't ever return. Go down the street to Hibachi Grill. I promise you it's way better read more

This place is wonderful, really fun almost futuristic atmosphere, for the young and old at heart. One of the best Chinese buffets I've been to, always very fresh and the service is always quick and friendly. It reminds me of the old Chinese buffet on Franklin Street 35 Chinese. I have come here quite a bit over the years and I have never been disappointed. I always will be a customer and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good and also reasonably priced buffet, plenty of healthy options also! read more

I love eating here with the family. Food is always hot and the food always fresh. Place is clean. Staff is polite and very helpful. Many items to choose from. Been eating here over a decade with no issues or concerns. Always great visiting here. read more

They have pretty decent food for a Chinese buffet. They have a good selection for buffet and sushi. They also have noodles and hibachi. Since I went in on a Saturday for dinner, all the food was hot and they kept the buffet full. The restaurant was clean and the server was very attentive! read more

Decent Chinese food, small place but lots of variety. I would definitely recommend it read more

China Buffet - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

LOTS of selection choices... made to order hibachi, sushi, hot soup station, chicken dishes, vegetable dishes, desserts, seafood station, and the list goes on. My favorite was the "scallion chicken", and I don't even like onions. Pros: There's a bit of everything, and not only the standard chicken dishes. Cons: The sushi is pretty much as expected for a buffet sushi offering... skip it. read more

I was very dissatisfied with the food and service. Most of the stuff on buffet wasn't labeled properly, wasn't warm, and wasn't delicious. I really don't know how they're still open and in business. The people that work here barely speak English. When I asked about some fresh items coming out, they acted like I was speaking a language from Mars. It was so bad that I will never go back read more

See all