LOVE this. The food is always good and there are many different things to choose from. I like the sushi, noodles, frog legs, jalapeno chicken (to die for!) and cocktail shrimp. It is usually packed at night and probably for lunch but the off hours are great. I knocked down a star because the freezer that holds the ice cream does not seem cold enough and the ice cream turns to ice cream soup pretty quickly. read more

This buffet is located in Normal, Illinois but there isn't anything normal about it. Solid variety.

Yuck. The food here is not fresh and not changed out often. I would not waste your time and money on this buffet. I agree with other reviewers, that you pay top dollar for food that is not fresh at all. It shows the lack of care they have, and I hope this place closes soon. read more

me being a vegetarian has a good amount of veggie dishes,a large section for desserts,will definitely go again

Damn this place will get you fat in a good way. My family and I love going to this place. It's like a wonderland. I always get 4ths and 5ths. Sweet and sour chicken is my favorite. And the dumplings with chow mein is to die for. Love me some Chinese food for sure. My kid and wife love this place as well and is one of the best places ever to eat. This is a good place to just relax and eat without having to worry about long lines. read more

Food was okay. Not good, not great. Pizza was waxy, shrimp was not hot, lettuce was wilted on the salad bar. My kids barely ate anything- not even the mac and cheese because it tasted funny. The catfish, brisket, duck, and ice cream were good though (hence the 1 star). Super expensive. I took my family (2 adults, 4 kids) for lunch at 3pm. According to their website, kids are $1.40 for 2 year olds and an additional .70 for each additional year. The sign inside the door lists slightly higher prices beginning at $1.60 for 2 year olds. My kids are 5, 6, 8, 11. We all had water to drink. We expected our bill to be $37. Our bill was $60 without a tip. If I am spending that much money on a lunch, it sure would be at a place that has not scored 69 to 77 out of 100 on their health inspections. We will NEVER be back. read more

I thought it was pretty good for a buffet (which are usually lower quality overall) and it was a heck of a lot better than some of the other Chinese buffets in town. I really only ate some of the rice and chicken and salad, and I thought they had good flavor overall and everyone else I was with thought the food was good. It wasn't an absolute home run but if I was in the mood I would come back and try it again. I thought the desserts had a good variety but I only tried the Oreo pudding which was pretty good. The service was a little bit awkward at times (standing and staring over our table for 30-45 seconds for no reason without speaking), but she did try to make small talk and refilled drinks so it was good. read more

I've been here many times but I have to say that my opinion of the place is dropping. Went there last night at 6:30 and, for being in the middle of the dinner rush, the buffet left a lot to be desired. First, I went to the sushi bar. When I got there I found 3 or 4 selections of sushi rolls and no Nigiri. All in all, there were maybe 20 total pieces out (it looked empty). There was one sushi chef and I could see him making sushi rolls but he seemed to be moving at a snail's pace and I kept checking back only to find no more sushi on the bar. I went over to the raw bar area where they usually put out shrimp, mussels, and oysters. No oysters. As far as I could see, oysters were never replenished the entire night. The sign when you first come in says they have prime rib at dinner. When I got to that I found a few small scraps of overdone meat. Nobody was touching it. When they finally removed that, they replaced it with a ham. Another problem...they never change up the food on the buffet at all. They have so many Chinese dishes on their take-out menu but only a few of them ever see the buffet. How about some Kung pao anything or eggplant with garlic sauce as a change-up. The biggest problem is that this isn't the first time this has happened. I don't know if this is an effort to cut costs but the price of the buffet is the same whether you come at 4:30 or you come at 6. read more

Now, I'm not generally one you would describe as "the petite" type - in fact, the only person to call me slim was my manager when I used to wrestle in a local semi-pro league (Interestingly enough, as it pertains to this story, my moniker was "Big Bad General Tso"). So, upon hearing of an exciting new joint across town that catered to my culinary preference and exotic tastes, I found it quite necessary to grab my old wrestling belt, shine her right up and fasten her on - it was time to regain my title! As I pulled up to the beautiful edifice that is the Imperial Buffet, all I could think to myself was "golly - this is a darn little slice of heaven right out of China AND Japan!" I turned to my beautiful wife/best friend/life adventure partner and told her "Darling, I think we just stumbled into a beautiful relationship that will last us a life time." Now my story gets exciting. I parked my Chevy (darn right I drive a Chevy, take your Ford elsewhere) on the side facing Meijer (as I enjoy that view - God bless America) and had a slight skip in my step as I approached those welcoming doors. I honestly couldn't contain my excitement! I know this because I tend to sweat a bit on the profuse side when my heart gets to beating that fast; and, let's face it: there is a slight uphill slant to that parking lot. My excitement was only to continue to grow however - have you seen the inside? Only one word describes what met my eyes as I passed over the threshold: Beauty. Now, I've never been to the Far East, but I can only assume this is what it looked like. From the authentic dress, intriguing accents, befuddling names, beautiful art and kind hearted servitude - I knew I was experiencing the best that China had to offer. If this wasn't enough, all of my experience thus far was vastly overshadowed by the meal and dining experience that followed! My heart still flutters to this day as I think of it: buckets of General Tso's chicken, oodles of Shrimp Fried Rice, a plethora of Honey Fried Shrimp, a mountain of savory eggrolls, and to top it off - an entire side bar of dipping sauces that only accentuated the authentic Asian cuisine that was tantalizing my tongue! Now, I cannot pronounce any of these sauces names - but can I describe the colors and textures: thick, creamy, zesty, spicy, provocative and not to mention yummy! In fact, the only sauce whose name I could pronounce was named simply that: Yum Yum sauce. I must have had an entire soup bowl of that savory delight - no joke, it was that good. I cannot rave about the Imperial Buffet at any higher level. Simply put, this was the best meal of my life. Not to mention, since it is such a fancy place - I know it is healthy. I contrast this to a place like McDonald's or Taco Bell and there is simply no comparison - I get more food for one price and eat healthier, it is pure food science, ask any doctor. So please, I'm begging you, give this glorious establishment your business for my sake and for my wife's sake. We love it and would hate to see it go out of business. On a side note, it is next door to that incredible Meijer, just incase the shopping bug hits you or you need to buy some Tums! God bless you all. read more

This is a great 5 star buffay(I'm not French). I was able to enjoy a rack of ribs a plate of brisket and a lot of spare rib. I fixed a plate of items that a chef made onto a Mongolian stir fry. I chewed on fried egg rolls and crab Rangoon as well. I had a bowl of hard serve ice cream then a bowl of soft serve. Also had several cheesecake bites. This place is far from the crime parts of the area so you're ok going in there at anytime. There's a lady who'll take your plate when you finish yall ain getting that at the 3 star places. They had around 300 lbs of crab legs. There's pizza on the left. I know I smelled fish too. A few different shrimp too. read more

I am not a fan of mega Asian buffets. However, Imperial Buffet is better than most. The food is more flavorful than the average mega buffet. Their Asian dishes didn't all taste the same; they actually had flavor and tasted more like what one expects. Their sushi selection can be limited, and the flavor is sometimes a bit bland, but I don't expect great sushi in a buffet place such as this. That being said, their sushi is decent. They also offer a large variety of healthier foods such as baked fish, salads, and sushi. You can avoid all the fried, greasy foods and still have plenty to eat. The staff are friendly and attentive. All in all, this is one of the better mega buffets I've been to. read more

I have been there for lunch several times & I'm happy 95% of the time. However, I can now say for sure that I am in love with the Breakfast Buffet! Wow. So much to choose from & only $6.99. My boyfriend loves the waffle, stuffed french toast & all the meat choices. I am a huge fan of the made to order omelets. So many choice made to order right in front of you. The Chef was professional, polite & really funny. He seemed to really enjoy serving us & that is rare these days. The food quality was great, the servers were quick & polite & we are so happy they started breakfast buffet. This is a must go for all you breakfast lovers. Great job Imperial. A + plus read more

Our family goes here almost every 2 weeks because of the sushi. There food is usually cold and old. We have complained that the man who makes the sushi is very rude, gives us dirty looks and rolls his eyes at me. We talked to the manager and she told us to go to the front desk if we had a problem with him and she did nothing. When we were eating the employees talked about us right in front of us and kept staring at us. Usually they are good at refilling drinks and taking plates, but yesterday we did not get any of that service. We will not be returning and be trying some new places around town. Miss Manager, make sure you have your facts straight before you respond to a customers review. It sounds like you cannot take descriptive criticism to improve your business. Make sure that when you have your employees looking over your customers while they are eating that they take note of how many prices of bread they eat. We are three adults in our party, sometimes 4 and we order 4 pieces of bread. If you have proof that we walked out with a piece of bread, let me know and I will be more than happy to stop by and pay for it. As far as your cooks, they are rude and can't even speak an ounce of English. You can respond if you would like, and this review will go as far as you allow it. As far as my business I will be more than happy to take us somewhere else. You are not the only place in town that sells sushi, as a matter of fact Hibachi has recently been purchased by a new owner and they are now offering sushi in their buffet. Thank you for nothing. Don't hold your breathe, we are not "other customers", you will not be seeing us. We do not appreciate the staff watching over us, while we eat and then accused of taking your bread. We will be going to hibachi on veterans park way, by hyvee, in case you didn't know that they also serve sushi. HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!! Do not respond again read more

Alright food, nothing super wow factor. Stay away from the sushi, not good at all. Could use more food options. Probably won't be back soon. Hopefully the food gets more Chinese. read more

Awesome buffet. Anything you basically want they have. Sushi . Is very good as well as everything else on the buffet...... If you leave here hungry then it's your fault... Great food reasonable prices ... read more

Excellent jalapeno chicken, coconut shrimp, dumplings, seaweed packet things at the sushi bar. The atmosphere is great (the lighting is awesome), the food fresh and good. They even have frog legs. I used to go to Mings but since Imperial opened I have only been to Mings once and I will not go back ever again. Imperial seems to have cut into their business so much the food was not fresh and I not restocked. I love Imperial and find it fun and relaxing. read more

Good place to have lunch although sushi is hit or miss. The sushi "chef" struggles sometimes to keep up. This would had been a 4 star haven't been for Jazmin, one of the servants who is constantly rude and unapologetic about it as always. The day they can her they should advertise it. read more

Food is good. Good variety of items to choose from. Mongolian BBQ station is stocked well with fresh ingredients. Sushi and sashimi choices were fair. read more

I was skeptical of going here bc of the reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is spacious and looks nice. There was so much food, that even if you didn't like a particular dish, there's abt 50 others to choose from. So there's no reason for anyone to complain. They even have pizza, chicken nuggets, Mac and cheese, and fries for kids. The dessert selection is never ending. If you're a healthy eater, there's a fruit and salad bar and soft serve. I would definitely come back for more. read more

I'm not generally a fan of buffets, but I was definitely impressed with the breadth of selection here, and the quality of the food. These guys keep the food fresh and the steam tables hot. Virtually anything you want is in the buffet, including a lot of food not considered Asian. There's also a Mongolian grille, which is a favorite. Select your meat and vegetables, fill out the cooking sauces, and the chef prepares the food while you wait. A great place to go when you are quite hungry and not sure exactly what you want! read more

Ordered carry out. While waiting for my food had to listen to some guy sniffing snot out of his nose.... over and over and over. He was just hanging out while his girlfriend was working. Wanted to hand him a kleenex. Certainly ruined my appetite. Cant believe management allowed it. Definitely won't be back. read more

I love this Buffett. I recommend it to everyone I know when we're looking for somewhere to eat. Lots of options. Only reason there aren't five stars is because of service but that's debatable. read more

Good selections, usually fresh, clean. The dining area is due for a remodel. A $3 pepsi comes full of ice and you have to ask for more if you want it. Be prepared for a $38 check for 2 people. YES, $38 for a Chinese buffet! read more

We have been to Imperial Buffet a couple of times before but last time was the worst service I have ever received at any restaurant. Me and my husband and our 2 year old son go for dinner on a Wednesday night. The manager seats us at a table pretty close to the buffet and right in front of the section where the waitresses refill water/drinks. Then 15-20 mins pass by and no waitress stops by to give us a high chair or ask if we need any drinks. We ask one of the waitresses serving a different table for a high chair but she completely ignores us. After 20 mins or so I walk up to the front desk and ask for a high chair and some water. The manger comes by again and gives us the high chair and water. Then we go about getting our food, which was just average. After about another half an hour we have 6 plates on our table which have not been cleared because no waitress ever showed up!! By then we were really upset and when the manger stops by to seat some other people we call him once again and show him the mess at our table. He takes our plates away and tries to explain that the waitress who was in-charge of our table was upset with a different group. I really didn't understand why he was trying to explain that to us because that's none of my business. When 3/4 of the restaurant was empty he should have seated us at a table where we would receive some service or made sure that some other waitress was serving us. There isn't a whole lot of service expected at a Chinese buffet place, they just refill the drinks and clear the plates. In this case we were not even asked for drinks leave alone having our plates taken away. I don't think any child should have to wait for that long to get a high chair, it was ridiculous. Especially when there were 8 to 10 waiters right there who could see us all the time but they would not serve us since it was not their assigned table and our waitress was too upset with a different group so she didn't bother to serve us!! They tried to make up by giving us a 50% discount on the bill but that doesn't not compensate for such a bad experience and spoiling our evening. While walking out by mistake I left my child's bottle on the table, I went back to get it and realized that they put it in the bin along with the other used plates, when I asked for it they gave me a bottled covered in ice cream, they didn't even bother to wipe it down before giving it to the customer. I don't know how this restaurant plans to be in business after providing such horrible service. read more

Most of these reviews are good. A couple had issues and both were opposite as one said the sushi is the only thing to go for and the fried foods werent good and the other said the exact opposite. Everyone has certain tastes. I myself love this place over any other in B/N. I get the jalepino chicken, coconut shrimp and peanut butter chicken everytime and they are always excellent. . read more

It has something for everyone and you do not go away hungry that's for sure..It's extremely clean and well kept the food is a lot better and has more to offer then the other buffet Hibachi Grill & Buffet so if you like the food there this place wins hands down..you don't burn your hands on the spoon and it's not left out for hours like Hibatchi does and it's a bigger buffet with more seafood and American food to choose from..I love it and so do the kids and grandkids read more

the experience i had at imperial buffet was not great went there for my girlfriends friends mom birthday thought was going to have a good experience well sat down first off the waitress was rude throwing things at us and then she was yelling at my friends kid, the service was not taht great and the food was not that great my girlfriend got sick and then i got sick a hour later just want to say i wont eat there again read more

Had reservations made for a smallish family gathering. Reservations were for 30. Hours before the reserved time they called me to confirm. I confirmed the time as well as approximately the number in the party. Upon arrival they rushed to make us all sit as we were still waiting on a few more to trickle it. We were early by 15 minutes mind you. Everyone that was there sat and she took drink orders. Everyone then went to the buffet. 2 more people arrived for our gathering for a total of 18 people and the waitress told me I couldn't add two more to my party as they had taken two other reservations for the tables immediately next to us. I was baffled. So 10 minutes after arriving you've already given away the space I reserved? I immediately asked for a manager and she came and said that it wasn't a problem but asked us to move to another row of tables. No big deal we can do that. Here's where I really started to get frustrated. She brought drinks on a tray and just left them there. I had to sort them out to find we were short drinks and also not given over seven of the ones ordered. I had to request for them again multiple times. Then she questioned the size of our party and argued with me how many people we had. She kept saying we had 19 people. I recounted with her to show we only had 18. This happened over 5 times. She also came back over 3 times to sort out paying parties. I didn't get to enjoy anytime visiting my family as I was too tied up sorting all this out for her. As far as the food goes: hibachi was insanely slow. 15 plates deep at times. Everything else was subpar as well. They allowed way too many people in and you couldn't go through the buffet area without waiting a long time or having other people on top of you. I get that they want to make money but this was poor all around. They had so many people waiting for tables at the entrance that you couldn't even walk through it. I would not recommend this restaurant for a get together or even just a handful of people. read more