I came by for the dinner buffet on a weekday. It was pretty empty so I pretty much had the whole buffet to myself. I was seated promptly and my drink arrived quickly. The food was good. Everything was hot and there was a variety of selections. It's your typical Chinese buffet. I don't remember anything that stood out, but everything on the hot plates were good. I will say the sushi put out was subpar. I can see that the pieces weren't very popular so I'm not sure how long they have been out. I'm usually at Chinese buffets for the hot food though, so I wasn't too bothered by it. Overall, China First is your typical Chinese buffet. It's definitely not the best in town, as I think Chow Time currently has that spot. There's a bigger selection and more variety of foods offered at Chow Time. However, China First is cheaper, which is why I think this buffet is completely worth it! You know exactly what you're getting for a very low price. read more

Put napkin holders on the tables! Keep cold food cold and hot food hot or warm. Don't be looking at the customers as they are some kind of enemy or going to steal from you. Remodel, remodel, remodel! read more

For me, this place is mediocre. It's greasy for me, and some of the bottom of the dishes looked unclean. It was good to have the variety. Maybe it is good for taste but it's just too oily for me. I did like the decor in the restaurant. That was my favorite part read more

China First - a buffet with many different types of food - Chinese Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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Fantastic little all you can eat buffet. They have all you can eat sushi, American items, crab rolls, crab Rangoon, steamed dumplings, fried dumplings, ice cream everything you could possibly imagine at this all you can eat buffet. Incredible service your cup will never go empty and plates never stay on your table. hostess is very personable, and you are seated immediately upon walking in. All chefs I came in contact with were incredibly personable as well. Absolutely amazing, coconut macaroons as if there wasn't enough food for you to get stuffed with already. it is a very quaint and cozy restaurant. The size is very misleading and goes on for quite a ways inside. plenty a 6 foot distancing for anyone who may be immune compromised. read more

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I have been going to this place since I was knee high! Great food, they might speak another language but they try in the customer service realm. Worth the $! read more

China First saved the day as one of the ONLY restaurants open in Tally for Christmas Day - my family does all of our Christmas-ing on Christmas Eve so it is always a struggle finding something open for our very lazy 25th. Anyways, this is a Chinese Buffet. There are lots of options for food and, like most buffets, the food can get pretty stale sitting out for a while. The food was good, not great, not horrible. I do agree with some of the reviews that the food is extra greasy here - most notably the egg drop soup and the krab rangoon. However, apart from the greasiness, both of these items had good flavor! Not a particularly friendly staff, but they looked busy filling online orders and the rest of the motley crew that showed up on Christmas Day. Pricing is a little high for the quality of food so you'd better fill up to get your money's worth. read more

This was our first visit since Covid. While the restaurant was pretty empty the food options on the buffet were good. Unfortunately there wasn't enough people emptying the food bins to keep the hot fresh food coming. But I give them an "A" for effort for sure!! What we did eat tasted good just would have been better if it was hot. The service here is just as good as it always has been. They do great. I do hope COVID doesn't do them in! read more

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Chinese buffet with huge selection, including sushi, soups, ice cream and other desserts, etc. Also good service.

It's like every typical Chinese Buffet but it was exactly what I'm looking for. It had a nice variety of both chicken and beef options some of which I have never seen on other buffets before. Everything I tried tasted good, nothing tasted like it had been out for a long time and it all tasted fresh. Had a decent sushi selection. The Crab Rangoons were Great!! One of the best parts in my opinion was the deserts, a nice variety of cakes, pastries, and ice cream. I will definitely be returning to this buffet many times in the future. The Staff was also very nice. The restaurant had that perfect Chinese Buffet feels that I'm also looking for. Also had a buffet to go option which is nice. Overall it had a nice variety of options which everyone is sure to find something that they will enjoy. read more

This place should not be open. Needs to be inspected. Food is barely edible, old, big bowl of wasabi is brown. They'll charge you as though their food is quality though. Seems to cater to those who intend to eat a lot in one sitting, so perhaps they're buying cheap ingredients and hiring cheap labor. Men's bathroom is disgusting. I am so embarrassed I brought my family here. read more

DO NOT EAT AT CHINA FIRST!!! Brook and I went for lunch. A man was coughing all over the restaurant. He kept going back and forth to the buffet while coughing and touching plates and serving spoons! Deep nasty wet coughs!!!!!!! I told the owner Brook and I didn't feel comfortable eating there and asked to kindly leave. Do you know she still charged us!!!!! Please believe I'm filing with the health department! I can't believe she still charged me saying " you made plate, you have to pay" I didn't eat anything off my plate due to me being so I comfortable and scared to get sick as well! DO NOT EAT AT China First!!!! read more

Ordered takeout of a few different items. Everything was good, nothing was cold. We just walked in and picked our order up and enjoyed it at home. It's easy to rate something low stars, and I can't speak for service that appears sub par for other reviewers , only food quality. For Chinese, it could've been a lot worse. Everything was tasty and portions were generous. read more

I was having a hard time finding the Chinese food that I like. This place has it. It is an hour and half from me, but every time I am in the area I go. Great buffet. read more

The good - this was a ton of food in order to reach the delivery minimum. The not so good - I requested that both entrees we ordered to be EXTRA SPICY, and from what I can tell, there was zero spice added. In addition, the veggies included in one of the dishes were so charred that they smelled up the hotel room. I appreciate that they offered vegetarian options with tofu, veggies & rice only, etc., but unless in a jam, I would not order from these folks again. read more

This place was great. I did not take any pictures as I was too busy eating. It is not often that you see the overflow room used in a Chinese Buffett but I saw it today. The food kept flowing so it was hot. The chefs special chicken was very good angling with the salt and pepper shrimp. The pan emptied as fast as it was brought out. Service was also very good. read more

Glad to announce that Chia First buffet is back. Great food and service. So glad to see them back to serving again.

Pretty good! It's not a huge buffet, but it does have most of your favorites. The staff have always been very nice and welcoming to my family and I -- even when my 2 year old makes his presence known. Haha Never had a bad meal or bad experience here. Is just good simple food. read more

Food was fantastic! Good price, too! I really enjoyed my experience and 100% will return!

It's not the best but it is pretty decent if you're in the mood for a Chinese buffet. They have the seafood buffet on the weekends, in which I have tried to crawfish and crab legs and they were pretty good. They have a huge selection along with sushi and desserts but lots of the items on the buffet can be hit or miss. The sweet iced tea is awesome! read more

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Worst Chinese food I have had in Tallahassee. I ordered on line for take out on a Friday afternoon. I ordered the basic Sweet and Sour chicken with extra S&S sauce. I picked the order up and did not check my order (my fault). When I got home not only did I not have my extra S&S sauce but my S&S chicken had no, repeat no, S&S sauce at all. Never again will I waste my money on this horrible Chinese restaurant. read more

Really enjoyed the lunch buffet. Nice variety of foods, good atmosphere, nicely decorated, and a great price! This was my first time, my wife's second - she brought our VERY picky teenage son last week, and he loved it. read more

Their egg drop soup tastes like water and yellow food coloring, and their chicken has no flavor. The only good things I ate were cookies and cream ice cream and watermelon. When the watermelon at a Chinese restaurant is better than their main dishes, then you know something is up. I will not be returning to China First. I have labeled this restaurant China Last! Eat at Roboto Tokyo Grill or Tasty Asian for some great Asian food. read more

Yuk food no flavor! No service to refill drinks as servers were cleaning beans on a table in the dining room!!!! They don't care! Don't walk... RUN!!! read more

Never EVER coming back here again! The food was cold. They had barley any options. Service wasn't the best. Just wasted 30 dollars for 2 people. Would not recommend! read more

We've been coming here for over 20 years, off and on. It had been several years since we'd been and we were entertaining our young nieces, so we came, knowing we'd have a great meal. Wrong, kinda. There were fewer items on the buffet than in past years and many of the old favorites weren't there. Several items were cold (no, dumplings aren't supposed to be cold). Our nieces enjoyed it, especially the apple pie and donuts (!) The one saving grace was the low price: $40 for four meals and drinks. read more

I've had their lunch buffet a couple of times, and I cannot recommend it. Several better (dare I say, much better) choices are available around Tallahassee. read more

I got the seafood combination on my first night living in Tallahassee. I had nothing in my apartment and I was tired from driving a long way so I ordered China First instead of cooking with my non existent cookware. The post came very quickly, about 30 minutes before I was expecting it, but that is where the good things ended. The dish I ordered was nothing like the description; at first I actually thought I got the wrong order. The description for the seafood combination was "scallop, shrimp, crab slowly cooked with mushroom and tomato in a brown sauce." What I got did not include scallops, mushrooms, tomatoes, or brown sauce. It was snow peas, baby corn, broccoli, cabbage and water chestnuts with white sauce. The crab was imitation, but that is hardly an offense wren compared with how of base my meal was. The delivery person also didn't give me any utensils, so I was forced to eat everything with my hands. It was all around a bad experience and I wouldn't recommend it. read more

China First - This is what I got, not anything near my expectations. - Chinese Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

Will never return they rushed me out when I was only here for about 30-45 mins like I paid for to many people to be treated like that will not recommend and they food was dry and nasty go to the one on North Monroe By Dennys read more

I absolutely love their broccoli casserole!! Everything there is always fresh and tasty.

The food isn't fresh. I had some serious stomach issues 30 minutes after eating here and won't be back.

This is my usual place for Chinese buffet. They have seafood Buffett on the weekends. There is a balance of authentic Chinese, American, salad, fruit, desserts, and Sushi. The waitresses are nice and pay attention to details. They offer chopsticks and keep the drink refills coming. The buffet is constantly filled from the kitchen with new pans of food. read more

Tallahassee has virtually no good Chinese restaurants. You may as well get used to that idea. China first is a decent buffet, but not thrilling at all. The selection is pretty good, and the staff is passable, but not amazingly friendly. Price is about $10 per person at night, including a drink. Have not been there for lunch. read more

I can't speak specifically for the General Tso's chicken that my fellow reviewer found so offensive, but I quite like China First. I went to their Sunday lunch buffet and was impressed by the selection and freshness of the food. Certainly, it is very Americanized Chinese food, but there is lots of it and nearly everything I had was worthy of seconds. I didn't try their sushi, but the rice, lo mein, chicken and broccoli, beef and broccoli, and so on were all delicious. The waiters were diligent about clearing used plates and food was constantly being brought out when it got low. The price for Sunday dinner seemed a bit high, but weekday lunch is quite cheap. If they have the same selection, it will be one of the best deals in Tallahassee. read more

Watch for the cook to bring out the hot food and get it fast. Otherwise, the food can be cold. But for $7 you can't beat the price and variety. Popcorn shrimp is excellent! I haven't found a better Chinese buffet in Tally. read more

I was here while crossing through Tallahassee. If you know about Chinese food, there is nothing Chinese in their menu. Fried rice is orange, tastes like MSG! WHAT A HEALTH HAZZARD. The fish stick I just gave it one bite and had to stop eating. It had an aweful foul smell. It was so horrible I could not continue eating. I JUST PAYED ANDVWALKED AWAY. The strong old fishy smell I could not get rid of. Servers were not nice, nor cooperative either. The waiter served my diet coke pouring from another tall glass. Never from a Pitcher or straight from fountain soda. Cleaneliness seems poor. If you are used to above average oriental food and care about sodium intake and cleanliness this is not the place for you. read more

I thought my delivery order was fine when I first received it, but on closer inspection I found a COCKROACH in my hot and sour soup. I had already taken a bite and everything. I don't think I've ever thrown something away more quickly, and needless to say I will never order from them again. read more

All you can eat, and open all day, but don't make the mistake of going during off-hours. Lots of American food like french fries and iceberg lettuce, but also plenty of the usual Americanized Chinese buffet fare. Look it over and choose carefully, and you'll have a tasty bargain. read more

I had never had an issue with this restaurant. Decent food until last night. I should've cancelled my order when I was persuaded to try something else. I politely said no and ordered what I wanted. Well, they basically delivered to me what they had suggested. When I called back the young lady that answered the phone stated that I called back the next day and immediately hung up in my face. I call back the next day and the same lady is extremely rude to me like I DID something wrong. After we go back and forth, she hangs up on me again, I call back and she finally answers the phone after I've called about 5 times back to back...smh. I try to explain to her what I want so the same mistake doesn't happen again and she yells at me saying she's busy. I'm just really disappointed in the customer service. Everything is great until there's a problem with your order. Won't be patronizing this restaurant anymore. read more