China Cafe

I used to love this place, because the food was great. Used to be run by the people that had that exceptional restaurant, Hunan, on 5^th street. Went there about a year ago, and it was crap, starting with an S. Won’t ever return. Tyler restaurants are so complacent. They have one good year, and they don’t change squat!!! They ASSume they are still good, and they’re crap.

Just finished eating here and I won’t be back. Three of the chicken dishes were so hard I couldn’t stick my fork in them. I tried biting them in half and it was impossible. All very poor quality food with very little flavor. The soup wad OK but there was a think film on the top of each pot. The steamed rice was the best thing. The only reason I gave it two stars was because the service was good.

I’m bummed because I wanted to like this place. They have a lot of dishes but only a couple are edible. Several of their chicken dishes look very good but are literally inedible. I end up spitting out half the meal. Most of the other items are ok, soup is good, but the chicken MUST be fixed before getting a positive review.

I am eating here now. When I arrived the food was still being placed on the buffet line and boy was it wonderful! Everything was crispy and hot and so great! Really enjoyed the green beans, general tso’s chicken and the lo mien was good too. I have come before in the afternoon and you could tell things have been out for a while but the flavor was still good.

The staff was friendly, the buffet was kept full on this busy afternoon. However these were the only redeeming qualities. The food was unappetizing, greasy, and basically the items pretty much tasted like one another. The Dr pepper I received tasted «off» as if the lines had not been cleaned in the soda machine for quite some time. I decided to drink my husband’s water instead. I prepared a salad (I know, right?) and was disappointed to find that what I thought was bleu cheese was in fact tarter sauce. (No labels, so I based my choice on the texture of the dressing. I choose wrong) The black olives tasted «dated» and the pineapple, well, it tasted like nothing. I am not a fan of being wasteful. However on this evening I pretty much did just that, only ate about a ¼ of my meal before deciding I didn’t want the wrath of never ending indigestion. 1 star for staff the other for actually keeping the sub par food plentiful, but other than that… I’d pass on this particular buffet.

This is the best Chinese buffet in Tyler. After 4 pm they put out the coconut shrimp! That’s my favorite. Service is great. Food is the best in town for Chinese buffet. I have tried the other Chinese buffets in town and they are disappointing. Don’t do it! Just stick with China café. The buffet was great last night when my family and I went. My 10 yr old daughter is picky so it’s a plus that she loved it too. Fried rice is fresh. No complaints. It’s clean, the staff is nice. Bathrooms are fine.

Had not been to restaurant in maybe three years, rushed for time due to appointment my husband and I decided to return. We will not make that mistake again. Food very lacking, steak had weird taste, husband felt it had been reheated several days. The noodle dish had defiantly been warmed up from the day before, sticky and broken up. Everything very bland with a greasy feeling left in mouth. Noticed people at nearby tables pushing plates back with lots of food left on plates. At checkout noticed signs posted from past years claiming to be locals favorites, I was wondering where those people that voted were now eating as half of tables were empty.

Run of the mill buffet, typical Chinese food. Nothing stellar. Reason I’m here is it’s next to my hotel.

Worse place I’ve ever eaten by far me and a co worker sat down to eat everything was fine got my 2^nd plate and while sticking my fork in the rice a black spot turned over on my fork then I realized it was a roach I get pissed call the manager over and the only thing he says is «sowey» like it was no big deal with a stupid smile on his face I had to ask to not charge it instead of him doing it himself after i got up and stormed out before it got worse. So if you want to go out for some really shitty food and have the special roaches and rice this Chinese joint is right for you… Shitty food. Shitty service. Don’t know why I even tried it in the first place They’ll be serving snow cones in hell when i go back here. Pathetic

This place is terrible. Food quality is not up to par and as expected with Asian food buffets, the taste is lacking significantly. I’m disappointed that I paid for my buffet because it definitely wasn’t worth it. I won’t be coming back. If you want cheap food, go to a fast food restaurant.

Went to this place on May 7^th. Typical afternoon crowd, not overly crowded. Order drinks and went to buffet. I go to scoop the fried rice and their is a bug right there on top of the rice. I bring it to the attention of one of the workers. She looks embarrassed and apologies and gets who I assume is the manager. I show it to the manager who scoops it out and tells me it is an onion while trying to break the bug into small pieces so it cant be seen.

Came here on a Thursday. It seemed pretty slow so I don’t get why it took so long to get a refill and pick up the dirty plates
Food was good though., all the trays were stocked and I noticed workers would check the stations that needed to be refilled with food and clean the counters (just not my table., ha)
Favorite item is the sesame chicken., kept going back for more. I still like this place plus very close to me

An old female friend of mine, back in the day, said «if you want good Chinese food, then you must follow the Jews.» Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be many Jews in Tyler, so I must use a trial and error approach to Chinese food, here in Tyler. And since there always seem to be a plethora of Asians dining at China Café, then it must be good, right?
Now, here’s a breakdown of China Café: This place is seriously dated. I mean, it’s décor is God awful. You couldn’t pay me a sawbuck to lick the disgusting green carpet in this joint. It’s really that bad. But, what they lack in modern décor, they make up for in the food.
Yes, we come here for the food. Albeit not healthy, when I am ravenous, a good China food buffet can be quite satisfying. But, word to the wise– only frequent occasionally, or you’ll end up developing the portly shape of most of their patrons:)
Ok, now to the food. It’s, by far, the best selection I’ve witnessed in Tyler. The food is always hot, and they seem to do a damn good job in refilling all of the items, unlike a few of their competitors.
I’ll return. Just not often, as I take pride in my health.

i just ate at this place 2 hours ago and i was very disapinted and the sushi rolls was rotten i told the manager and she didnt do anything plus they all went speaking in chinnese like if i was crazy i know rotten when i see and even smell i live chinnese food but today was not the day for it very dissapointed

This is my fav place to eat. Great food. Great people.