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    Buffet Palace

    3.3 (624 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Buffets, Korean
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm

    Order Buffet Palace Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    BUFFET PALACE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Reviews With Photos

    Grace L.

    I am tempted to give it 1 star but I feel bad because this place is nostalgic to us. We've been coming here since the original owners began this restaurant over 30yrs ago. We've had big events here bdays, grad events, family gatherings because it's nostalgic and yes mostly at nights. Even after the Shins sold the place we'd come back mostly evenings and the food was the same. Consistent. Good. The crab and raw crab a favorite along with the sushi and spicy soup and fried chicken wings. The last time we came was in December for dinner and already it was just ok. Passable. Some stale old food. But we thought it was an off day. Today. It was a big day. I should have trusted my gut. I called for the entire month to try and book the place because my son's HS graduation is today on a Tuesday morning and coming here with 30 guests seemed like a good nostalgic choice for lunch right after. BUT every time I called to reserve that room that back room where we have had many parties the front person or host would brush me off saying don't worry it's a weekday we just opened no one here just come. I emphasized it's for a party of 30 and we need that room to decorate and seat us all together. He was adamant it's ok just come. I called a week later and the phone line kept saying busy. I called the day after during store hours no answers I thought this place was closed. I already sent invites out and guests were to arrive. I almost changed venues. I should have. We called again this past weekend on a Friday night then Saturday morning then Sunday morning um NO ONE answers the phone! It was busy all day???. I even texted. I asked a question here. No answer. I needed to know this place will be open and ready for 30 guests. Finally my daughter called yesterday during lunch lol and surprisingly someone answered. What a relief. He yawned while talking to her but he assured yes just come no need to reserve and you can have the room. We asked will you be ready for 30 people and fresh food? He said yes no one here noon on a Tuesday. Um ok. Well we got there the back room is closed. No AC. They quickly prepared tables for 30 outside. It was done. Fine. BUT the food was such a disappointment. 75% of the food is not fresh. It's like they reheated old food. Why would you do that? The sushi rice was crunchy. Hard. On some. The fried stuff was stale. Old. The chicken stuff was old and dry. The fried rice was stale. The soups were ok. Beef was gone in many beef dishes and they didn't replenish the food fast enough for the whole place. The place looked dirty and the tables are sticky. The floors were greasy and slippery. The whole place looked dark and dank and broken. Only the fried fish 2nd batch was good. That's all I ate! I can go on and on but it was just not good. And I think the Asian owner and manager knew it too. I overheard and even talked to them saying we've been coming here for over 30yrs and no one answered my calls when I wanted to reserve to make sure fresh food is available for 30. I emphasized it was important because I knew my guests are foodies and restaurant owners. I called too many times to warn them and have things ready. That's all they have to do. Is be prepared. There are reasons why I ask for this. 2 restaurant owners were in my group. Half the people I invited know the previous owners and knew how good this place used to be. Now all 30 will think twice before they come back. So it was not a smart business move to not be ready for a huge party no matter what time of day we come. It doesn't have to be a weekend. Lunch buffet still has to be fresh and available. Do not bring our stale old food to get rid of first. Where is the logic on this? Food has to be fresh. Host and people working in the front has to be attentive and cordial and working. The waitstaff was but not the host or hostess esp not the ones answering phones. They looked tired and checked out. And yes dropping calls for a week was a big warning. I thought they were closed due to health inspections or something. Anyways you get my drift. Sorry to say this was our last straw and attempt especially because we brought so many people and we hoped for a good meal and gathering but the food and atmosphere was pretty disappointing. Has ownership changed? Chefs changed? What happened? Sad and disappointed..

    Extra protein in the fruit salad
    Jorge V.

    Fly palace today. Killed 2 at my table b4 I made the mistake of hitting the buffet. Place is run down, all the walls, floors, chairs,tables l, ect are sticky, worn, dirty. Flys everywhere. 20 per person on a Friday, same offerings as a Monday at lunch. Staff was OK I guess, not attentive but what do u want from them at a buffet. Surprisingly tho no mud butt afterwards.

    Dead roach on/in the food.

    Dead Roach ON THE BUFFET COUNTER Staff didn't seem surprised. Lost my appetite. Cleanliness concerns--definitely won't be back.

    Various sushi, lo mein, orange chicken, beef short rib
    Alex G H.

    Really good value for the price! One of the best buffet spots in Austin, and the Korean dishes are amazing!

    White and fried rice
    Alan F.

    What can I say about buffets? All you can eat. I've been to many buffets, and honestly, this is one of the best for the price. Everything was fantastic except the egg rolls. All the other food made up for that. All the veggies were fresh, and all the food was prepared well and at perfect temperature. I had to go back for seconds of the fried rice as that was absolutely perfect. The service was fast and friendly. There's a large free parking lot. Disabled parking spaces. Entrance into the restaurant has two wide doors, easy access for wheelchairs. I looked around at other patrons to see how they were enjoying their meal. And, yes, they had big smiles on their faces. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for individuals, couples, and families. Children friendly with a HUGE variety menu.

    Sushi
    Heather A.

    This is a solid choice for a Chinese Food buffet given that few buffets are ever outstanding by the very nature of being food cooked for groups of varying tastes for long periods of time. They have a wide variety including your Chinese buffet standards along with a noodle bowl option, sushi, cold sides, and of course an array of desserts. The food was plentiful and they did a good job of refreshing the food during our visit. The sauces on the sesame chicken, orange shrimp, and green beans were very good. The fried foods were very crisp but some of the food did seem a bit overcooked. Our servers were nice and attentive and did a good job coming by to get drink orders when new people joined our party and kept your glasses filled and plates cleared. The restaurant itself is a bit rundown. There are scuff marks or worn off finish on the wood floors and it seems there may have been some issues with flooding at some recent point in time as there were some large fans pointed at the floor when we were there.

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    4 years ago

    They definitely put msg in their food. I had stomach problems for two days after eating here because of it.

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    3 years ago

    Food was barely warm and everything tasted like it's been sitting there all day this food is better when they open and service was okay

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    Page 5 of 16

    Buffet Palace Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Buffet Palace

    Do they have crab weekday lunch?? Not the raw but regular crab

    What's the price?

    It was 18 bucks when I went in Jan 2023. Hot tea was extra.

    Do they serve both soy sauce and spicy raw crab?

    No.

    When do they serve the Spicy raw crab?

    Only on weekends when the price is a bit more expensive.

    Do they offer senior specials or discounts?

    Yes, and military discounts, too. There's also a good coupon here on yelp.

    Will they be open Christmas Day?

    Yes @ 11:00AM

    Do they offer take-out food?

    Yes, they offer take out also

    Do they have crab legs?

    Yes. At least they have every time I've been there.

    How much for lunch?

    Right about $10.65 with a tall glass of ice water. You. Can't eat it all. Need to come back 3 times. Great food, great service.

    What's the price for kids?

    $ 9.75 for kids

    Do they serve Korean black bean noodles?

    I'm afraid not. In all of the years I've frequented this joint, I've never seen them serve jajangmyeon (짜장면). But they do make an OK spicy tofu soup and bulgogi for a buffet.

    What is the cost?

    13.95 adult dinner

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    Bamboo House Austin

    Bamboo House Austin

    4.3(386 reviews)
    9.0 miCrestview
    $$

    My boyfriend has been wanting me to try this place for awhile. i finally agreed and omg. We really…read moreshould listen to them more often This place is amazing. we first came yesterday during the rain, we ordered sweet and sour chicken and the duck. which were both amazing. We also got the Hot green tea which to my surprise was regular green tea instead of matcha which i LOVE. and it was a perfect meal for the weather at the time. our server was great and paying attention to us. We also decided to stop by today since i loved it so much and we got the Eggdrop soup, Lo mein with Beef and the duck again. This time the duck was 100 times better than yesterday and omg so good. The eggdrop soup was one of the best i've had before and was amazing. And the lo mein was so tasty. This time the service was lacking just a little bit. But that's okay. They don't have any music unfortunately both times we came. Overall 10/10 would come back a million times again.

    I really wanted to love the food here, but I think it's because I'm from Houston! Houston has some…read moreof the best Asian food and it's hard to compare when going to other cities. The fried rice was okay, didn't have much flavor, but I appreciate the portion! I did really like that the duck came with the broth (this was the selling point-definitely get this). The duck of was good, I believe this is what people usually come for. I would come again, but I do think there are better places for flavor.

    Photos
    Bamboo House Austin
    Bamboo House Austin - Menu

    Menu

    Bamboo House Austin - Menu

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    Menu

    Qi Austin

    Qi Austin

    4.4(887 reviews)
    4.0 miMarket District, Downtown
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Outdoor seating

    Went to Qi for dim sum brunch and overall had a really enjoyable experience. Qi is know for…read morecombining western and traditional Chinese cuisine by using local organic farming. Did not have a reservation on this occasion, but they always make me feel welcome and manage to fit us in. Sat on the outdoor covered patio that was cool and shaded. The atmosphere is modern and lively, making it a great spot for a weekend brunch. Started the meal with cocktails including Lycheetini with Deep Eddy Vodka, Giffard Lichi-li. lemon, cranberry, I cut the cranberry. Also had a Fresa Paloma with Socorro Reposado Tequila, Contratto, strawberry, lime, grapefruit, five-spice that was very sweet and garnished with a flower. You are given a card where you can mark your dim sum selections. I ordered the Shrimp Pancake, Snow Crab Ball and Chinese Sausage Sticky Rice. The standout was the shrimp pancake that had a really great texture and flavor. The snow crab ball had a strange texture with shrimp surrounding the snow crab claw. The Chinese Sticky Rice is always a favorite. Also ordered the Truffle Egg Fried rice and Birds Nest with Seasonal Vegetable. The Truffle rice is so flavorful like a flavor explosion in your mouth. The Birds Nest is made with fried potato shreds which contain the a variety of vegetables including cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms and asparagus. The nest is also edible and has a crunchy texture. The presentation of the food is amazing and everything came out hot and fresh. The flavors were on point, and you can tell there's attention to detail in the preparation. Service was attentive outdoors and the pacing of dishes felt just right for a relaxed brunch. This restaurant is truly a gem whether you come for brunch or dinner service. Will definitely be back.

    A large group of us came for dinner - the ambience is super fun, modern, and vibey!…read more Service was prompt, friendly, and accurate. As for the food - everyone loved their dishes! The flavors were spot on and delicious. The only challenge we had was that they would not allow split checks or at least partially split checks - so we spend a huge amount of time figuring out what everyone owed. I wouldn't do a large group here in the future, but I'd definitely come back for a date or small group.

    Photos
    Qi Austin
    Qi Austin - View from the Patio

    View from the Patio

    Qi Austin

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    House of Three Gorges

    House of Three Gorges

    4.4(387 reviews)
    10.4 mi
    $$

    Three Gorges is a small, no-frills restaurant with bold, authentic Chinese flavors with a Sichuan…read morecuisine twist. The menu has nicely seasoned dishes that balance heat, flavor, and aroma. I ordered hot and sour pork soup. I had never had hot and sour soup with meat. Portions were generous, ingredients fresh, and the food arrived smoking hot. The noodles were soft, smooth and flavorful. The pork inside looked like tiny meatballs. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the restaurant was completely full and customers were continuing to flow in. Because the restaurant is rather small, I had to wait about 20 minutes for my order. Jim, one of the owners, said if I had ordered 3 items it would take about 45 minutes, that's why I went with one. You could easily tell that many folks at the restaurant were regulars, which means the food, service or both were exceptional. Definitely will be returning to Three Gorges...

    House of Three Gorges is a no frills, authentic comfort meal that is warming and delicious. Family…read morestyle, big portions at a good price point. - Cumin Lamb: A heaping pile of thinly sliced lamb that is tender mixed in with cumin seeds, sichuan peppercorns, fresh cilantro, and red chilis. The cumin seeds give it that signature earthy, aromatic flavor and you get a slight tingly numbing spice sensation from the chilis and peppercorn. The lamb is not overly gamey, but it still does taste like lamb so if you are not really a lamb fan, I'd choose something else. - Jumping Fish: A very popular dish! Tender white fish fillets that is so soft it melts in your mouth. It is in a flavorful oil and broth that is refreshing from the fresh jalapenos. It is a savory dish, yet still relatively mild. It commes with napa cabbage as well! This was my favorite dish and I loved the flavor combined with the white rice. - Mapo Tofu (Vegetarian): They have one with pork as well, but I got the vegetarian version. Silky soft tofu cubes in that signature mapo tofu sauce and numbing peppercorns. Despite the appearance of all the dishes, none of them were very spicy. Overall, a comforting soft, spicy, savory dish with a slight tingle. - Eggplant in garlic sauce: A deliciously sweet and umami garlic sauce. The eggplants could have been a bit more cooked through in my opinion though since it was still quite firm. I loved it still! Note that all the dishes to me were not spicy just had an underlying subtle spice or tingle (like a finishing flavor note if you will). Also, since it is sichuan the dishes are on the oilier side. You order with the cashier at the front and pay up front as well. Food comes out quickly. It is a small space with three rows of tables (maybe around 12-15 tables give or take), so it does fill up fast. I went at around 5:40 PM on a Thursday and there was no wait, but by the time we finished eating at around 7PM, the restaurant was full. House of Three Gorges was hyped up a lot on my social media feed and through word of mouth, so I came in with high expectations. Luckily, they did not disappoint.

    Photos
    House of Three Gorges - 2023.09.22. House of Three Gorges (三峡人家), Austin, Texas

    2023.09.22. House of Three Gorges (三峡人家), Austin, Texas

    House of Three Gorges - R02 Chicken Fried Rice ()

    R02 Chicken Fried Rice ()

    House of Three Gorges - V01 Dry Sauteed Green Beans ()

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    V01 Dry Sauteed Green Beans ()

    Twin Panda

    Twin Panda

    4.5(431 reviews)
    17.3 mi
    $$

    Soooo good! I asked on next-door what was good for Chinese food near me, several people recommended…read moretwin panda although it was a little further than I wanted to drive I'm glad I did! Shrimp and walnut prawn very delicious good size portion nice big shrimp and not gooey . Combination fried rice has plenty of meat. Great flavor and shockingly also has large shrimp. Mongolian beef because I thought I had to give it a try most Asian places I am very particular and don't like chewy meat. Very good not chewy! Bakmi Ayam noodles with chicken and mushroom very good. I like this more than I thought I would. I also appreciate that it had fresh greens on top. it's also served with some chicken broth. I did not use it yet, smells amazing though. When I walked in, I was greeted by two friendly young ladies. I placed my order and waited. I do not have a large waiting area. They also do not have a large dining room. I would love to come back and bring friends as it's a very cute place and the staff is very friendly. Small and casual decor would be a great place to come with friends. They do have some Asian beer in the back cooler. I can see from where I am standing. I apologize, not taking a photo of each dish however I didn't think about it until after I made my plate.

    Small lil join off of parmer around the corner of where I live, so I took a stroll here to try it…read moreout. Since my fridge froze all my eggs somehow lmao. This is my breakfast/dinner. The service is great, my waitress just knows how to read the room, ask, and provide info. I was looking at the menu for a while that she came up to me and help explain certain dishes and fan favs or her personal favorites which helped a lot! She's very kind and sweet. It's a quiet little place, but it's quick to fill up. I sat in the right hand corner which is tucked off. I like my spot cause I felt like I was in a noir vibe. So here's a quick lil announcement though. The wait for the apps was short, but the wait for my main dish was 15-20 minutes I don't think my wait is Normally that long but just a heads up. This is the cost of cheap but great quality food. For the appetizers I got the spicy shrimp and the steam chicken dumplings. They both came out really hot so be careful lol. Man the spicy shrimp was very delicious and spicy! But not too spicy for me because I'm use to it but if you're not a spicy veteran this does have a good kick. I loved the sauce and the lettuce, which i used pieces of it to scoop and eat my shrimp in whole. This is a 5/5 recommend The dumplings came out in a pair for like 4-5 dollars I think. It was very hot and soft. The only thing tho was that the meat inside the dumpling was a lil dry compared to a lot of Asian restaurants I've tried BUT it tasted good and was flavor. 4/5. I got the Ox tail Beef broth soup and the Nasi Padang. The ox tail was very good, it has its spices but it's a simple soup with the meat, the potatoes and chopped up tomatoes all thrown into the bowl, with wontons. I used the side chili they gave me, lime into the soup. It was so much to eat for me including the rice with the bowl. Of soup was a lot. Because it was ox the price was a bit high so like 19 which is reasonable. The broth was great, it's simple yet very delectable. The Nasi Padang, was a curry based plate with two types of meat, shredded beef and chicken, two different curry flavors. One was sweet and the other was tangy which was different. It wasn't my favorite but the ox tail definitely beat it. Overall this place was really good and something yall should doif you wanna eat out on budget but good.

    Photos
    Twin Panda - Seating

    Seating

    Twin Panda - Comfort food

    Comfort food

    Twin Panda

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    Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery - Fried Rice, General Tso Chicken, Lettuce Cups, Potstickers, World Famous Crab Rangoons, Drunken Beef Noodles from Tso Chinese

    Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery

    4.4(266 reviews)
    2.9 mi78704 (South Austin)
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Catering service

    Was craving some Chinese take out during my lunch break and there was a TSO Chinese Takeout &…read moreDelivery close to my office. I was excited to see a collab between TSO and Black's BBQ, so I ordered the Black's BBQ Brisket Fried Rice. I was able to place my order in the app and my order was packed and ready to go during the pickup window time frame. The Black's BBQ Brisket Fried Rice contained long grain rice with vital farm's egg, peas and carrots, onions wok tossed with umami sauce (including mushroom soy and fish sauce) and Black's chopped brisket (lean and fatty mix). The Black BBQ sauce on the side was a nice touch. I enjoyed this fried rice dish very much and it exceeded my expectations. They also packed utensils and soy sauce. I plan to return here as it is close by my place of employment and offers a range of Chinese dishes for takeout and delivery.

    We were having an incredibly exorbitant day of eating and figured why not end it with some Chinese…read moretakeout? We noticed this place is opening up soon really close to our house so we decided to see if it will be our new local favorite by trying their congress location. We were incredibly pleased with the quality and quantity of the food! Portions are GIGANTIC so know this going into your order - a portion can easily serve 2-3 adults (depending on hunger level and appetite). We got the drunken noodle and Singapore noodle and both were BOMB! Spicy, flavorful and saucy! Delish. We also got some fried pot stickers and they too were delicious. Highly recommend - it's especially great that in this economy they insist on no tipping.

    Photos
    Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery
    Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery
    Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery - Fried Rice, General Tso Chicken, Lettuce Cups, Potstickers, World Famous Crab Rangoons, Drunken Beef Noodles from Tso Chinese

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    Fried Rice, General Tso Chicken, Lettuce Cups, Potstickers, World Famous Crab Rangoons, Drunken Beef Noodles from Tso Chinese

    Buffet Palace - chinese - Updated May 2026

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