Best Chinese Buffet in Chicago?

Hey all!

We are taking a family friend (per their request!) to a Chinese buffet for a holiday celebration. Of course, with buffets, each has their ups and downs, but scrolling through Yelp for the last hour has just left me frustrated and no closer to a decision!

Does anyone know of a good buffet place that might feel/look a little nicer than your standard shop? We don't need anything too fancy, but these friends don't go out to eat much, and we would like to treat them to something a little nicer than they would otherwise go to Bonus points for one that might have seafood (although we plan to go on Tuesday, so we might be out of luck!)!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates is pretty much the only good Chinese buffet left in Chicago. it's very good, lots of seafood and lobster on Wed and Fri.

31 Golf Center, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169

NOTE!!! There is a place in Downers Grove that calls itself Royal Buffet and has a VERY similar logo but it sucks so bad I would rather go to New China Buffet and just eat the leftovers off other peoples plates.

I am unaware of any Chinese buffets in Chicago. Interestingly, when I was in VA, there was a place I used to eat at all of the time for lunch and dinner off of the buffet.

If you want a nicer place, not buffet, try GNR Chengdu Impression.

If you want seafood, also not buffet, in Chinatown try GNR Go 4 Food.

If they need an American accessible place that looks nice with decent food then do Moon Palace in Chinatown. This is also not a buffet.

Whatever you decide to do, good or bad, let us know the details post-meal.

Cheers,

I am unaware of any Chinese buffets in Chicago.

oh...there's plenty-
they live amongst us.
For example, across from the Belmont Blue Line is a Chinese Buffet on the NorthSide of the street (just before Kimball/on the way to Jung Boo Market!)
in Logan Square. Many are in strip malls, too.
My issue is the quality- never beats the quantity/$$ ration.
"Best" + "Buffet" is- IMHO- an oxymoron.
Please take your friend to a great neighborhood place like- "Northern City" on 31st in Bridgeport for their weekday Lunch Special Menu.
For an amazingly affordable $6.95- you will eat fresh, well presented N.E. Chinese food (Dongbei region) that will blow the socks off of any all-you-can-eat place.
EggRoll & Soup & Rice & Fortune Cookie are included as well.
Pluss- if Jack-the-Owner- is asked nicely- he'll turn ya on to
his house-made- (w/ small slices of apple) -KIMCHI!

Octarine wrote:Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates is pretty much the only good Chinese buffet left in Chicago. it's very good, lots of seafood and lobster on Wed and Fri.

31 Golf Center, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169

NOTE!!! There is a place in Downers Grove that calls itself Royal Buffet and has a VERY similar logo but it sucks so bad I would rather go to New China Buffet and just eat the leftovers off other peoples plates.

Should I admit this, but I love Royal Buffet. We found it once after a very good lunch at another very good buffet in that area, i.e., Godavari. We've gone several times now, and we've introduced others, who've all liked too.

Is it the best cooking in the world or the best sushi.

But it's all you can eat.

Also, they make the stuff in small(ish) batches, so it has that over Panda Express.

And, it's really interesting. My wife gets the chance to eat about five lobsters (you have to do it, one half of lobster at a time), and I eat spicy tripe (actually pretty good) and that cold jellied beef shank I always want to order but can't and kimchee and dumplings and fried calamari, and pig's feet, and a few variations of spicy fish, and then when I've totally pigged out, there's a few desserts I like and a few I really like.

The market for this place is not Trump's America, and like I say, if you ever wanted to try chicken feet and snails and whelk and radish mutton soup; if you want to dip into a big bowl of stew that includes tripe and tendon and brisket, you can do all that and more. If something is gross or doesn't work, just move along. I mean my wife won't eat shu mai, and I'd love to gorge on some here, but they really make awful ones. I'll just try something else.

You didn't say where you were looking. There was a thread on suburban Chinese Buffets recently. Check back to the list in the November period.

D.

Oops! Sorry I guess the title of your post should have been a clue on the location.

D.

dodger wrote:Oops! Sorry I guess the title of your post should have been a clue on the location.

D.

Not really. Chicago is so big that without a little bit of specificity it is almost meaningless. If you are staring off in Rogers Park it is a pretty good bet that Evanston would be OK, but Hegewisch might not.

This is super great and helpful - and has made the cut! I'll report back tomorrow,
but thanks everyone for your thoughts/insight! I love this forum!

Vital Information wrote:

Octarine wrote:Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates is pretty much the only good Chinese buffet left in Chicago. it's very good, lots of seafood and lobster on Wed and Fri.

31 Golf Center, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169

NOTE!!! There is a place in Downers Grove that calls itself Royal Buffet and has a VERY similar logo but it sucks so bad I would rather go to New China Buffet and just eat the leftovers off other peoples plates.

Should I admit this, but I love Royal Buffet. We found it once after a very good lunch at another very good buffet in that area, i.e., Godavari. We've gone several times now, and we've introduced others, who've all liked too.

Is it the best cooking in the world or the best sushi.

But it's all you can eat.

Also, they make the stuff in small(ish) batches, so it has that over Panda Express.

And, it's really interesting. My wife gets the chance to eat about five lobsters (you have to do it, one half of lobster at a time), and I eat spicy tripe (actually pretty good) and that cold jellied beef shank I always want to order but can't and kimchee and dumplings and fried calamari, and pig's feet, and a few variations of spicy fish, and then when I've totally pigged out, there's a few desserts I like and a few I really like.

The market for this place is not Trump's America, and like I say, if you ever wanted to try chicken feet and snails and whelk and radish mutton soup; if you want to dip into a big bowl of stew that includes tripe and tendon and brisket, you can do all that and more. If something is gross or doesn't work, just move along. I mean my wife won't eat shu mai, and I'd love to gorge on some here, but they really make awful ones. I'll just try something else.

Hombre de Acero wrote:

I am unaware of any Chinese buffets in Chicago.

oh...there's plenty-
they live amongst us.
For example, across from the Belmont Blue Line is a Chinese Buffet on the NorthSide of the street (just before Kimball/on the way to Jung Boo Market!)
in Logan Square. Many are in strip malls, too.
My issue is the quality- never beats the quantity/$$ ration.
"Best" + "Buffet" is- IMHO- an oxymoron.
Please take your friend to a great neighborhood place like- "Northern City" on 31st in Bridgeport for their weekday Lunch Special Menu.
For an amazingly affordable $6.95- you will eat fresh, well presented N.E. Chinese food (Dongbei region) that will blow the socks off of any all-you-can-eat place.
EggRoll & Soup & Rice & Fortune Cookie are included as well.
Pluss- if Jack-the-Owner- is asked nicely- he'll turn ya on to
his house-made- (w/ small slices of apple) -KIMCHI!

I will 100% be checking out the lunch suggestion.... that sounds amazing! Thank you!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Octarine wrote:Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates is pretty much the only good Chinese buffet left in Chicago. it's very good, lots of seafood and lobster on Wed and Fri.

31 Golf Center, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169

NOTE!!! There is a place in Downers Grove that calls itself Royal Buffet and has a VERY similar logo but it sucks so bad I would rather go to New China Buffet and just eat the leftovers off other peoples plates.

No truth has been more wisely spoken, or written.

Octarine wrote:NOTE!!! There is a place in Downers Grove that calls itself Royal Buffet and has a VERY similar logo but it sucks so bad I would rather go to New China Buffet and just eat the leftovers off other peoples plates.

Octarine wrote:Royal Buffet in Hoffman Estates is pretty much the only good Chinese buffet left in Chicago. it's very good, lots of seafood and lobster on Wed and Fri.

31 Golf Center, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169

I live kinda near here now. Is this still a good place?

Yep, still good.

At the risk of flushing whatever LTH credibility I have down the toilet, I am a huge fan of Chinese buffets. I sadly have to agree that Chicago is a very poor buffet town, especially compared to Indianapolis where I grew up. I have the (mis?)fortune to live in the notorious “buffet triangle” in Avondale, between our three most notable Chinese buffet choices: China Buffet on Pulaski, New China Buffet on Addison, and Buffet Castle (AKA Buf Castle because several letters in their sign don’t light up) on Belmont.

Out of these three, only China Buffet on Pulaski is worth eating at. It’s no coincidence that they have the smallest selection of the three; the limited selection means more turnover and higher attention to detail. I have even detected a hint of wok hei in their lo mein from time to time. Not to be confused with its close neighbor, New China Buffet on Addison, which is just mediocre all around (even by buffet standards).

Buf Castle on Belmont enjoys the dubious distinction of being the stickiest restaurant I have ever eaten in, and should be avoided at all costs.

Please understand this recommendation has about a million asterisks after it. For those who don’t appreciate the noble art of the buffet, there’s probably nothing for you in this post. For the buffet fans out there (you know who you are), China Buffet on Pulaski is your best bet, but even that one is being graded on a pretty steep curve.

China Buffet
3029 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60641

New China Buffet
3246 W Addison St #4329, Chicago, IL 60618

Buffet “Buf” Castle
3326 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

eating while walking wrote:New China Buffet, 3246 W Addison St

I "ate" at New China Buffet once a decade or so ago, most popular item flaccid low quality whole hot dogs wrapped/fried in egg roll wrappers. They would put out a full hotel pan of greasy wrapped dog, piled high, and the entire mess would vanish into a teeming plus-size scrum that would make an Irish rugby player wince.

I shudder every time I drive past at the memory.

Contra eating while walking, I studiously avoid New China Buffet, but I’m okay with going to Buffet Castle on Belmont once every five years or so. It’s great that there’s a better quality buffet in the burbs, since neither is the type of place I’d take a loved one on their birthday.

One potential curveball suggestion: the buffet at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN. There’s a dedicated “Asian” counter with some decent seafood plus Americhinese classics. Not exclusively or even largely Chinese, and the food isn’t good, per se, but for a buffet? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯