The buffet is really good. Probably the best from Urbana to Normal. BUT their Mongolian grill is the best. Make a plate and let them cook it. While you wait, you can go get a small plate and eat it. Then come back for the best Mongolian you ever had. My 11yo also loved the sushi bar they had. She wishes they had this place closer to Champaign. read more

This restaurant has re-opened. Not sure how long ago, based on the line we waited in, recently. Had been there pre-covid and food and service was good. Now, don't waste your time. We waited only 30 min, not too bad, but they couldn't keep up with food. Empty containers and or cold. Never refilled drinks. There was food on floor, no clean plates. So many people waited for containers to be refilled if you weren't in buffet line when they came out you didn't get them. I would wait a while for them to get back into the rhythm before going...post covid issues I'm sure. read more

Best Chinese buffet in the Midwest. They also have a lot of authentic Chinese dishes here.

My boyfriend an I went there to eat lunch on Sunday and he paid for it then looked at his bank account they charge him 12 times which made it over $400 to eat lunch.... Went back and they fixed it but it took 4 days to get our money back... I just want to make everyone aware of this so make sure to check your bank account after paying for your food. read more

This place has been a local favorite since it opened. Originally the food was always fantastic, hot and fresh. In recent years there has been a decline in quality. In my experience that is to be expected and it hasn't become gross or repulsive yet. We just left there and aside from having labeled something as shrimp that clearly wasn't (we still don't know what it was) most of the food was good. Imperial Buffet will never get another dime of my hard earned money. I've served drinks and bused tables in my life so I know what good service looks like. I have NEVER had a wait staff collectively just ignore me and my table before. My tea just sat empty. I had to gesture. That got me a dirty look followed by a hostile little person reluctantly coming to fill my glass with her face so twisted up it looked like someone was holding a small turd under her nose. We watched them clear dirty plates from other tables while ours just pilled up. Finally I got a different staff member's attention and she just looked at me like "what the hell do you and those four plates want?" My family and I got up and walked out after paying our bill and leaving an appropriate tip. These people were extremely rude and disrespectful for no reason whatsoever. The Imperial Buffet was only marginally serviceable to begin with but there are too many other options to be disrespected and talked about in Chinese or Vietnamese or whatever. I'm a black man and my fiancé is Asian. Maybe that was part of it maybe it wasn't. But really....who needs the nonsense? read more

I am a long time customer of Imperial Buffett. I missed eating there since it was closed due to COVID-19 few years ago. I am sooooo happy to know it's reopened again. I will bee thare this spring, summer and fall. See ya then folks! Great food, great and friendly environment, great servers, cooks etc... I love using chopsticks too! read more

I have been to several different Chinese buffets, and I know which ones are good -- unfortunately, almost all of them have closed down (and in some cases, the building no longer exists). Then there's this one. First of all, what they charge for a dinner buffet is on the pricey side -- the one in Champaign is $4 less per person and their selection, while not as comprehensive, is of much better quality. Since I no longer live in the Champaign area, this one seems to be the only one I know of (so far). The food choices are impressive here, but you have to get here early in order to get them -- otherwise, you'll miss out (and I didn't see anyone refilling those empty or nearly empty trays). What's left is either overcooked, undercooked, or has sat too long in the tray. In any case, even fresh, the food is mediocre at best. Trust me when I say I will not be returning to this establishment. I do not recommend it at all. read more

I am not a huge fan of Asian food. Read through my reviews to verify that. However, I will go if other people will go. I had previously visited this place when it first opened. Visited but not ate there. My girlfriend and I had walked in. No one would acknowledge our presence. It was busy but if you can't be bothered to at least let us know a wait time or greet us then I have no time for your business. Recently, I suggest we try it out again. She was hesitant based on our first experience. The employees working were very pleasant and greeted us. We were promptly seated. It's probably one of the best looking Chinese buffets I have ever visited. There is a variety of food to choose from. Another thing you might pick up in my reviews is I enjoy going to Chinese buffets and exclusively eating their American food selection. A majority of the time, the food is awful. I mean, I forgive that because it's not their specialty. Their American food was not the bad. Expect for the pizza. I have never found any Chinese buffet that has good pizza. It usually sticks to the pan and is hard. I did try some of the Chinese food. General Tso is my favorite. It was really tasty! My only issue with the place is the floor can be pretty slick near some of the food. I don't know if it's just my shoes but I can feel myself sliding. I have to keep my balance. It's not the bad but a fair warning. Oh, the sugary dessert selection could be tad bit better. I have been here a couple times recently. I'll continue to go as long as they remain at the same quality level. read more

NICE breakfast buffet! I haven't been yet for lunch or dinner but liked the breakfast a lot. They only offer breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays I believe. Several varieties of french toast, make your own waffle bar, made to order omelette station, TONS of cut fruit. The bacon was super crispy and perfect. I can't comment on the coffee yet since we didn't have it on our first visit. The interior is REALLY large and attractive. Our server was friendly and very good at 'the cruise ship experience'. Beverage refills and plates appeared/disappeared magically along with fresh napkins. I'll be back for lunch sometime soon. My son was telling me about the seaweed purses that he craves that they have on the non-breakfast buffets. read more

Very good food and service. We went around 5:30 and the food was hot and fresh. Our waiter was great, and refilled our beverages and cleaned up our table often. It got very busy around 6. I would go again read more

Absolutely wonderful. Out of Townes from California visiting family. This was their go-to restaurant with guests....and rightly so. Amazing buffet (table service option available) with sushi, frogs legs, chicken 10 ways, soups, deserts, ice cream 2ways BBQ, pizza and Mac cheese for uneducated palates.... salads & more. Clean. Spacious. Nicely decorated Wish we had one back home rlw read more

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For as long as I can remember, buffets have been synonymous with slimy, cold, gutter feed, and every establishment I have had the displeasure of frequenting have lived up to this reputation...that is....until I discovered Imperial Buffet! The items in their buffet are always well-stocked and prepared with care. There is also a variety of made-to-order dishes that you can order from the grills as well! Despite their Asian food focus and theme, they have a wide variety of tasty dishes and old favorites to accommodate everyone. The interior is spacious, sanitary, and snazzy. Its got a nice, chill aesthetic to it. You won't ever have to worry about bumping elbows with 400lb Bubba Joe and 500lb Mary Sue at this joint! All-in-all, this is still a buffet so be reasonable with your expectations. But, with that said, Imperial Buffet easily stands above the rest. If you are looking for above-average buffet quality, immense quantity, and reasonable pricing (hello Student Discount and Lunch Special), then you need to check this place out. Oh did I mention sushi? Limitless sushi. Gluttony be damned. The mere mention of buffets usually makes my skin crawl with memories of rock-hard crusty Jello and damp luke-warm mystery meats. Imperial Buffet is the exception to this and sets a fine example to make buffets edible again. Bravo, Imperial, bravo. read more

Superb Buffet spread and has dishes even for the vegeterians. Wife and kid loved the Dessert spread and had a lovely time. Sevice is courteous and prompt. Loved the Sushi spread !! The Mongolian Bbq live counter is great and awesome. A must visit for buffet lovers. read more

Imperial Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Best asian buffet in town! My family loves buffet, so I've grown up going to a lot of different ones all over Chicago land areas. Ever since moving to Bloomington, I've visited a lot of them also. I will definitely say I have enough buffet experiences to judge a good one from a bad one. This buffet went beyond my expectation in pretty much all categories. The restaurant was clean and actually put effort into decorating. The service was friendly and attentive, my plates were cleared off frequently and my cup was never empty. The food was fresh and cooked well, which I will expand on. Overall, all things considered, its price is more than justified. The food. They have a small but good selections of everything, from American Chinese, sushi, hibachi, American, to even an authentic Chinese section. The quality of their food was good, they have a good meat and vegetable ratio in all their dishes with all the vegetables looking fresh. Nothing was too salty either. Their sushi was above average, the rice was not mushy and the raw ingredients, such as tuna and salmon, were fresh enough for me to try (especially considering this is a buffet). Their salad and fruit choices were plenty and fresh. Their cakes and ice creams were a miss for me, but I was too full by then anyways. read more

Every time I come to Il we always eat here amazing food. I really like how you can request how you want your steak, shrimp , chicken etc! Food is very fresh , items replaced very quickly and for the price the food you can get is a good deal! Also servers very nice. read more

I guess that in the world of Chinese buffets, every restaurant has its window where it opens great and then fades off. Seems to be my experience anyway. Well, the window has closed on Imperial Buffet. Last three visits for dinner, none of the items that used to make this place worth it for dinner were available. Difference in price from lunch to dinner which used to be worth it because of the crab legs, prime rib, brisket and ribs that were server at dinner, not at lunch. Last three visits, none of them out on the buffet. A place where remnants were, but no food. Despite multiple employees going past the empty spots and refilling the cheap buffet items like fries and onion rings, nothing on the main dishes. The window has closed. Probably fine for lunch still, but not worth it for dinner anymore. read more

Is delicious！and cheap！worth it！ the seafood menu is ready for weekend day！ The cajun flavor is really good！ read more

Imperial Buffet - cajun seafood menu available！ - Buffets Near Me - Normal, Illinois

This was a very nice departure from the typical Asian Buffet Restaurant. Probably the nicest interior decor I've seen for such a restaurant. The staff was extremely polite and attentive to us. They have a large selection of fresh Sushi, including not just rolls, but fish also. The Sushi Chef, Hang, was very nice and provided us with a specially requested item. There is a large Mongolian BBQ selection that they will cook to your preference. All of the usual Chinese fair was there, but it seemed to be of a much higher than typical quality and very flavorful and delicious. They also had several items I've not ever had before. Several American style items were also available. The dessert bar was stocked with the biggest selection I've ever seen. Try the Green Tea ice cream! I enjoyed every aspect of this dining experience and will come back next time I'm in the area. Mahalo! read more

Imperial Buffet - Sushi - Buffets Near Me - Normal, Illinois

This is a great spot to come to with your family. My family and I come here during the holidays. My grandma has some dietary restrictions and mobility issues, so the buffet is an easy way for my grandpa to make her a plate with foods he knows she can eat while she visits with us at the table. I tend to get the same four or five dishes every time and they are consistently good. My boyfriend recently got the stir fry option and it looked/tasted amazing! They have ice cream, but sometimes the soft serve machine is out of order - they do have hard serve options, though. The mint chocolate chip with actual chips (not chocolate sprinkles) is usually in stock, so I'm all set! On top of all that, the staff are always very attentive and helpful. read more

This place is pretty good in general...buffets are hard to keep fresh and hot without a lot of turnover. They have plenty to choose from but on Saturday they had fresh oysters which were a nice addition. They also had steamed seabass in a light sauce with green onion and hands down was the best thing there. Soups were good and lots of salad choices including kimchi. The sushi is grocery store quality but I ate a few pieces as well as the seaweed salad. Go when there is a crowd and you will get your moneys worth and everything hot and fresh. If only there were a true Asian seafood buffet around like you see out west. Looks like these people are really trying... read more

I haven't been back in a long time, and our last visit was fun, to say the least. I was amused by the new food options they had: peppercorn flavored frog leg, and dim-sum style chicken feet (I was really sad chicken feet was all gone, but the smell and color of the leftover sauce seemed good!). Although most of the sushi was gone by the time we were there (630pm ish). But the food was always good! I recommend shrimps, pepper beef, lamb, Chinese veggie with oyster sauce, fried popstickers, and grill. BUT we got a little sick after getting back home. We didn't eat raw fish sushi, so we were not exactly sure what food caused the sickness, or simply because we had ice cream after the huge buffet lol. Anyways probably we won't come back soon in the near future, but when we crave big buffet again in 6 months, we will probably come back! read more

The worst "Chinese" food I've ever had. No flavor in anything. Beijing Beef was flavorless (which, the dish was 50% onions), Orange Chicken was flavorless... the rice was OK. Overall this sucked. read more

This is the best buffet in Illinois. It should actually be the paradigm for what all others buffet are. Not only is their salad bar phenomenal with both Chinese and American vegetables, their soups are flavorful. They don't phone it in on anything. They have authentic Chinese seafood dishes, dim sum, sushi, and the best Mongolian BBQ Grill I have ever tried. You pick from a large assortment of vegetables and meats, and then they have very cleverly placed a spice rack at the end so you can season it prior to them grilling it with your choice of sauce. Onto the entrees, it is mostly Chinese food but there are a few American entrees. They are all so tasty. Fill up in the buffet because although there are desserts, they are just your basic run-of-the-mill Chinese buffet desserts. Highly recommend this place during lunch time but especially during dinner time. read more

The food was so-so. I would stick to Hibachi and Sushi as they look to be maintained the correctly. This however is a poorly maintained facility that is incredibly dirty. I started noticing more and more things after I started eating. Rags on the floor under the Ice bin. Looked like they haven't cleaned a window in years. Look at the front window it has calcified water on it from a fountain that isn't even there any longer. Surprised the Health department hasn't had some major violations in this place. Won't be back! read more

I've known people that worked for this restaurant and stopped eating there because of things they witnessed that were highly unsanitary! They also removed crab legs from the buffet which was the best part of the buffet. read more

We did not eat here tonight. In the past the place was very good, clean, and welcoming. We stopped there tonight and was surprised it wasn't abandoned. The outside parking lot was littered with. Cigarettes in a very dirty coy pound. Weeds abound everywhere. Ok, so we go to go in and I looked up at a window that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. The lobby was dirty and smells of rotting fish. We didn't wanna chance eating there. If the outside looks this bad, how clean is the kitchen and how fresh is the food. We went to olive garden. read more

Really nice buffet, average service. They offer student discounts. they have a ton of seafood selection and then typical Chinese buffet options. They have sushi, but the guy i came here with said it was below average. I feel like this buffet is above average but not mind blowing. I would recommend this buffet for anyone wanting Chinese food. read more

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Way too expensive for mediocre, low quality, and poorly made food. Some of the food seemed like it had been cooked twice to mask the fact that it was old food. Sushi was warm and probably had been sitting on the bar way too long, service was horrible, waitress threw the straws on my table, and was quick to give us the ticket. My wife said that one of the waitress was in the bathroom and she didn't bother to wash her hands, disgusting. Won't be back. Save your money, way better buffet down the street. read more

This place used to be great but the quality has gone WAY downhill. The place is very dirty now and the hostesses are incredibly rude. The food is decent at best. They can't be bothered to turn on the air conditioning for most of the summer so the place feels like one big sweaty armpit. Would not recommend. read more

Place was deceiving, thought the food was going to be good or at least some good choices. I got "chicken" and fruit because I am a picky eater. come to find out I ate cat meat. I AM DISGUSTED and the service was terrible . been sick ever since I ate here. I don't know if its food poisoning or the fact that I am allergic to cats. read more

As far as Chinese buffets go, this is 5-stars, but I've never encountered a Chinese buffet that gets 5 stars on an objective scale, so four it is. Obviously there's no way I can comment on every aspect of the buffet - I hardly eat meat, and I'm not big into the mongolian bbq, and I always stay away from the mysterious pizza-fried chicken-potato skins section of Chinese buffets (what's up with that?). Everything I did have here, though, was definitely of above average buffet fare. Food didn't suffer from the "sat on the heaters for too long" sogginess, the sushi was fresh and tasty and there was a good variety (I'm sorry, but you don't get to expect a sushi restaurant from a Chinese buffet), there were several green veggie options, a variety of dim sum dishes (woohoo!), and a great salad bar with lots of fresh fruits and veggies. The lunch price was reasonable (under $20 for two - more for dinner, obviously, but I don't do Chinese buffets for dinner), and I felt like I got my money's worth without having to eat seven meals. I try to avoid buffets in general because, um, I have no will power, but I'll definitely choose Imperial again next time I decide to have a dietary splurge. Oh, also? This place is pretty! read more

I never go to a Chinese buffet with high hopes. This might be because of the personal historical data I have, but they are generally not completely spectacular. I am also under the assumption that all Chinese buffets across the nation get together to decide what to place on the menu at some sort of national convention. But that is a conspiracy theory I will need to research a little more before I make any confirmations. The food was definitely filling and definitely what I was expecting. They have all of the staples of a Chinese buffet: General Tso's Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken, etc. All of these were very filling and pretty standard tasting. They also have a full sushi bar and Mongolian stir fry section which were both quite interesting. The sushi was sub-par (which I suppose was to be expected.) My only complaint was that you really have no idea what you are eating. You can guess of course, but I don't usually like to do all that much guessing with sushi. Some labels would have been nice. The Mongolian stir fry section had some decent choices and they cook it there in front of you which is cool. The desert section was probably the best part of the meal. They have a whole hand-scooped ice cream freezer which was actually pretty high quality ice cream. I had the cinnamon crumb cake ice cream which tasted very much like a cinnamon bun. They also have soft serve ice cream and a freezer full of cheesecakes and specialty cakes which looked quite tasty. Beyond getting your average Chinese buffet experience, the place was quite clean. I would go back here again, but if I lived in the area I wouldn't frequent it too often. The meal was a little pricey for a Chinese buffet. read more

Went here for the 1st time tonight. Oh my goodness.. such a great buffet. Over load of food and everything was super fresh when we went. Sushi & a Mongolia grill like flat top, along with other Chinese dishes. Good crab Rangoon, eggrolls, and the coconut shrimp was THE BEST. I had two servings. Join the club too by texting club 1082 to 41169 and you receive $5.00 off your food. I think they send weekly texts to with offers like buy one get one half off kinda thing. read more

Imperial Buffet - The coconut shrimp hidden in the bottom right may not look the best but was by far my favorite thing there. - Buffets Near Me - Normal, Illinois

I am not a buffet person at all but this place is truly a gem! They have your normal selection of fried nastiness for the quantity over quality crowd but here are a few things beyond that on the buffet line. 1. Oysters on the half shell. (For real) 2. Pretty good sushi. (Not rolls with a ton of cream cheese and a tiny piece of fish either. Actually pieces of tuna, salmon, and eel on rice) 3. Hibachi grill with your choice of protein. (Rib eye, chicken, shrimp cooked to order) 4. Small but good selection of dim sum 5. Good dessert and fresh fruit selection (sliced mangos) Ive eaten here about half a dozen times and when im in town its one of my go to places. The restaurant is clean, nice decor/atmosphere, and the food is always consistent. Give it a try!!! read more

They have pretty good AYCE sushi. It's not the best but it's fresh and tasty and AYCE! They open around 11AM for lunch but I recommend waiting until noon when they put out the best pieces of Sashimi. They also have a Mongolian BBQ and great selections of Chinese buffet food. Great for lunch or dinner. read more

Imperial Buffet - AYCE Sushi! - Buffets Near Me - Normal, Illinois

This place is the best chinese buffet in town. We drove four minutes here for dinner. They have variety of dishes, sushi, seafood, meat, bbq, even oyster ! Awesome. Fruit is fresh and sweet . read more

The only things I find edible at this place is the sushi. It's fresh, not a huge selection, but at least it hasn't sat out for a long time. I hope you like California rolls, because it's mostly what you get, or some variation of it. The rest of the food is pretty bad, tasteless and greasy. They do have a good variety of fresh fruit which is a nice plus. Oh and its ridiculously crowded. read more

Will not recommend for taking your guests there. The management is pretty rude. We entered way before the dinner time started and towards the end of our meal while we were still eating with some business guests, one of a senior management member came to us and told our guest that next time when we come we will not be allowed to eat blah blah thing from the buffet as its a dinner item. We are embarrassed like anything. If that particular item was from dinner menu they should not have placed it there. Horrible experience. Noisy china in the kitchen. Ok for casual eating definitely not for talking guests along. read more

This is a pretty decent chinese buffet with a good variety of dishes. While none of the individual dishes are worth writing home about, there are many good options to choose from. When you combine that with the price, Imperial Buffet is a good option when you don't want the formality/length of time of a sit down place and yet don't want fast food. They have pretty good seafood items too, peel and eat shrimp, oysters, etc read more

Very good dish, with a lots of food choices. The fish tastes great! There are plenty of sushi with different flavors. I also like the fruits, grapes in particular. Also, to my surprise, there are oysters. There are also ice creams! Highly recommended read more