China Inn

Chinese restaurants aren't good in Ottawa, but this one is the best. It's nothing at all special…read morebut it works. Dragon City is cheap and it's food. Prices are kind of high. They thankfully do give you a lot. About the only way to order is carryout. It might offer delivery but not sure about it. There for sure is no indoor dining though. Came in recently and placed an order. We got the General Tso's Tofu. It's about $13 for the only portion, which didn't even look like it was that big. This seems a high price for this kind of place. It was cooked long enough. Too long. Crunchy tofu hard to chew. This did have some pretty hot flavor and there was a good mix of broccoli and other vegetables that made this a full meal. Good if looking for cheap Chinese. It's better than it looks. They may overcook it but oh well.

Very strange food , no pork in the pork fried rice along with no pea's or carrots just orange…read morecolor. Egg roles have just cabbage in them . Very expensive to add to that !

Small Beef Fried Rice

See all

Uncle Wong's

4.2(42 reviews)

7.5 mi

Great food!! Great location in my town! Very nice menu!…read morePerfect serving size Friendly staff Will definitely order again

It was okay. The dishes were plated nicely but everything wasn't as it should be. The fried rice…read moredidn't have any egg or vegetables in it. The crab rangoon was overcooked and puffed out too much. It should have had more filling and I think it tasted like they should change their frying oil. The Moo Goo Gai Pan should have had more mushrooms in it and the chicken tasted kind of fishy. My boyfriend's mom liked her steamed dumplings and her garlic chicken too so at least she liked her stuff a lot. Since our bill was over $50 they gave us a free order of Chinese donuts and she gave us a packet of almond cookies to go as well. I will go again sometime and try something else. I hope they change their frying oil soon.

Inside of restaurant

Crab rangoon

See all

Outside of restaurant

Lin Garden

2.8(21 reviews)

2.1 mi

I order lunch takeout every other week from here. You get a soup, side roll, main dish and…read morefried/white rice for under $6. My mom loves their egg Foo young. My husband and kids live the sesame chicken. I like their general tso's and Hong Kong rolls. Their crab Rangoon is pretty excellent, too. We've frequented their lunch and dinner buffet. Pretty accommodating for the area. They make things fresh. Don't expect stellar decor or good furniture and ambiance. It's just a eat and go type place. 4 stars for Ottawa area. The family that runs the place is really nice. The female owner always recognizes me and asks about the kids if they're not with me.

Terrible. overcooked crab Rangoon and chicken and cashews that is mostly just celery, which I would…read morenot have ordered if I had known. The picture online did not show that. I think places need to put actual pictures of what they're cooking because this is gross. Lo mein was gross and loaded down with mushrooms when we put down we didn't want those in there. I would recommend you go to Peru for Chinese. What a waste of $30.

See all

Burnt crab Rangoon with runny filling

815 Cherry Buffet

4.6(5 reviews)

16.3 mi

The best Chinese food Food is always fresh and hot!…read more The service is great ! We pick up our order and it's always ready as promised! Prices are great also! Highly recommend. You will love it!

The food is always fresh and always makes it the 30 minute drive home still warm, I made a whole…read moreyelp account just so it could be stated that the crab is amazing there. The service is amazing every single time and the drive thru is the most convenient thing ever. I 100% recommend

See all

China House

3.8(23 reviews)

18.9 mi

This may be a smaller buffet than some are used to. The great thing is the food in the buffet moves…read morevery fast thereby keeping it fresh and they replenish quickly. The restaurant is clean and the staff polite. The price is very fair and the food is delicious. Mendota is very lucky to have such a nice place to enjoy such good food. Thank you China House for all of your hospitality and hard work!

For many it may be hard to believe there's any good restaurants in Mendota. It's a rinky dink town…read morewith not much going on. China House is among the okay places to eat. Has a buffet, but that food is most crappy compare to the menu items. There's some pretty okay choices, if you look for these. At lunch the restaurant had a light crowd. It's hard imagining there would be too many people in here. The town is pretty small, meaning there's not a whole lot of people to come show up. Even so, there were quite a few in here. The menu has pretty much Chinese American basic stuff. It's about $8 for an entree. We got the Ma Po Tofu. We got them to make it vegetarian. Seriously there's a lack of these choices. The tofu was the soft kind, but there were peppers and tons of spice. Good place for its location. It may not look like much, and it sure isn't much. The food has pretty good prices and the portions are pretty big, so this is a pretty good value.

The open box!

See all

Oriental Garden Restaurant

4.2(44 reviews)

32.5 mi

The OG is a weekly go to for us. We enjoy dinner and lunch. The owners are always in house and…read morecooking. Thanks John & Lark

Had some better than expected Chinese food. It certainly is among the best options in Princeton…read more Oriental Garden is pretty basic and typical. Looks about similar to many of these such restaurants and the food does too to be honest. The prices are pretty good for the big quantity. Coming in here the first time we were surprised it wasn't one of those Chinese restaurants with the big pictures of the food over the counter. It's actually a little nicer. The food still is pretty similar to many others. About what to expect on the menu. The typical Americanized type of stuff. It's about $11 for an entree. We got some of the tofu ones including the Bean Curd With Garlic Sauce. It had not much of a variety of vegetables but it had a spicy flavor. There's also plenty of options if wanting meaty things like beef, chicken, or seafood. Great thing is there's not much competition. It's closed Mondays. There's a few tofu options for vegetarians.

Delicious soup

Really good house fried rice. Probably some of the best I've had . And I've had a lot

See all

Coconut shrimp

Chan's Garden Restaurant

3.5(21 reviews)

13.8 mi

My family and I have been coming here for several years and it's one of our favorite places. The…read moreservice is always very friendly and they have a lot of choices on the hot buffet. Some of my favorite items are , sesame chicken, general tso, pepper chicken, beef and broccoli. I absolutely LOVE the crab rangoons. I could eat like 5 of those. Best crab rangoons in the area for sure. We also enjoy the flat top stirfry section. Basically you choose your own raw meats, vegetables, noodles or rice and they cook it for you on the flat top grill and it's not an extra price. They have probably 25 seasonings and about 20 different sauces you can use. It's so good!! I highly recommend trying it. The restaurant is always clean every time we come.

I placed an order for pickup, only to arrive half an hour later and be told that they didn't have…read morethe ingredients for almost half of my order. I spent another 40 minutes waiting for the rest of my order, only to find dead flies in my soup when I got home.

Chefs fried rice with beef , pork, and chicken

Kung pao beef , we asked for extra spicy

See all

Bayou Express

4.2(38 reviews)

15.1 mi

Still love this place - I had to add an update because I have now tried many things on the menu and…read moreI have never been disappointed. My husband said its the best Mongolian Beef in the area- we order it extra spicy and its GREAT! I also love the shrimp fried rice. Sushi or Chinese you just can't go wrong here. Great service, great prices, great food! MY ORIGINAL REVIEW: Tucked away in the Peru Mall, this place is certainly a hidden gem! It is so exceptional because it is finally an ACTUAL sushi place in the Illinois Valley - it is not exceptional sushi but it is good, very good, and nothing like to what people around here are used to at the Chinese Buffets. Most of the rolls are cooked and it seems the crab might be imitation but it is worthy enough to satisfy my craving for sushi! The Chinese food is also good - I tried a sample. Spring Rolls were excellent. I have been here a few times for sushi and I have like everything I have had. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area and want sushi - I like that they also serve Chinese because I can get my husband to eat here with me - he doesn't like sushi, but he will eat Chinese. I have even gotten a to go order for lunch ;) Friendly services, reasonable prices and I will be back - I am sure!

These people know there stuff. All I have to mention is spicy and they bring it. They are super…read morenice too! The place is not terribly big, but I don't care.

Kung pao shrimp

See all

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Master Buffet

2.5(69 reviews)

15.0 mi

First time here, and I was pleasantly surprised. The food was very good and fresh. So many options…read moreavailable it was hard to decide. Our server was very attentive and polite. We'll return.

Off of the hundreds of Chinese buffet, this one is one of the better ones. The are plenty of…read moreoptions and while it does tasty a little greasy, they don't all taste the same. Each item that I tried had its own taste and distinction. All the items on the buffet are the same ones you find any where else. Our buffets was hot and replaced quickly if it got empty. Service was friendly. Overall I would be back if I am in the area.

Entrance of Master Buffet. I love the cats waving at you when you enter.

See all

This place is called Master Buffet now!!!

China Inn - chinese - Updated November 2026

Browse Nearby

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Desserts near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Things to Do near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Restaurants near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Parking near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Coffee near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Mall near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Dim Sum near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Pho near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Sushi near China Inn

BEST of Ottawa, Illinois Shopping near China Inn

Best of Ottawa

Things to do in Ottawa

Browse Brands

Brands by name

Browse Articles

Articles by date

People who viewed China Inn also viewed

Dragon City

3.3

(25 reviews)

Very strange food , no pork in the pork fried rice along with no pea's or carrots just orange…read morecolor. Egg roles have just cabbage in them . Very expensive to add to that !

New China

4.0

(6 reviews)

One of the best restaurants in Streator. I have to go there at least once a month to satisfy my…read morecraving for Chinese.

Better than expected. It really is a surprise to find any decent food around here. New China is one…read moreof the few Chinese options in Streator. Has a lot of basic items. They also have a few vegetarian ones such as tofu. After heading north along the main road, we stopped in. It wasn't busy even at lunch. That could have been a bad sign. Has most of the typical Chinese American items. We got the Mongolian Tofu. It's about $8 for a lot. This came with not quite crispy tofu. It still had good flavor. The vegetables were mostly onions and peppers. Good amount for the price because you get a lot. It used to have a buffet, but it doesn't seem to anymore so it's just the regular menu. The food may be pretty average, but there's a few good things for vegans and vegetarians.

Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill

4.1

(47 reviews)

Mongolian Grill in downtown Lasalle is an excellant establishment. Customer service was a…read morerefreshing experience. The lady at the front desk is very kind and patient when dinning here; an ignorant customer ordering takeout was unreasonably demeaning towards her for a slight language barrier, yet she kept composed. The menu has surplus options with massive portions, especially for the price. The chef clearly takes care with their cooking and plating. The apetizers could alone be a meal! Overall a lovely quaint restaurant.

This place... oh my goodness, this place. The GEM of the Illinois Valley. I could sing praises to…read moreMongolian Grill from the rooftops, and I would if I had access to a roof. Let me state that I have been eating here since they opened, around 2013-2014 perhaps. Everything has stayed consistent, including the pricing, and that's been impressive. When you walk in, you have the option of ordering from the menu or doing the buffet and let me tell you- get the buffet. If you can cook at all, you will enjoy yourself here. You'll get your soft drink, then it's off you go to build your masterpiece. Five separate buffets with two side stations, there's a lot to process. There's two small stations, one for fried rice and one for ice cream. There's a cold bar in the back which features some salad items and desserts, and one buffet table full of ready to eat apps and foods with some soups offered. I did giggle that the one says "eggg dorp soup". It's what you'd expect at any Chinese buffet. Then we get to the good stuff- the hibachi stuff. You have three bars for hibachi: your noodles and veggies, your meats, and your sauce ingredients. You get a bowl and load it up with your choice of noodles and veggies, there are so many options. Tofu, egg, zucchini, baby corns, broccoli, water chestnuts, sprouts... I can't get enough color! Then you move over to the meat buffet, where you select your raw cuts and place the pieces in your bowl. I typically do the beef and shrimp, always good quality. You'll bring your bowl to the hibachi grill and set it on the counter so they can start cooking it. You'll go make your sauce at this point, which is where it could get overwhelming if you don't know flavors well. There are probably 20 sauces to mix and about 25 seasonings and the likes to add flavor, so there's a lot of room for creation with your sauce! You'll bring it up to the hibachi again when you're done, and they'll plate your order and bring it to you if needed. For $10.99 a person, what a stellar deal. So much fresh produce and variety from a family owned business, it's a staple in the Illinois Valley. Although I've moved to another state at this point, this is the one restaurant I haven't seen done this well and one I miss whole heartedly. I visited the IV from Florida recently and ensured I ate there several times because I just can't get enough of the great service and incredible food. If you haven't eaten here yet, you're missing out. Stop by today and build yourself the meal you deserve.

The Beach House

4.2

(78 reviews)

Very friendly service. The cost seemed a little high for the amount of food but the food was well…read moreprepared and tasty.

Been back multiple times. Food consistently good. Cocktails always refreshing. Service always…read moreexceptional. Staff always friendly. Ambiance welcoming.

Bayou Express

4.2

(5 reviews)

Great place, great food, great people…read more Try their MexiCali roll, you won't be disappointed with any of their dishes but that one of my favorites so I recommend it to everyone.

We hadn't ordered from Bayou in awhile. Everything was as amazing as we remembered. Fresh flavorful…read morerolls and Chinese. Perfect amount of spice with crisp vegetables! It's a MUST!!

Casa-Mia Lounge & Restaurant

4.2

(91 reviews)

•$$$

Great food, but now is closed ! Miss the great food, always…read morefresh and tasty .. went there for our anniversaries for years! Please come back Casa Mia !!!

Definitely don't judge an establishment based on what it looks like from the outside…read more This looked like someone's house but you walk in and it's a cozy restaurant with an amazing patio. We were seated in their second dining room which was away from the bar and main dining room. We were kinda bummed we got sat there but it ended up being ok. There was a large party seated behind us so it was quite noisy. We ordered martinis which were good. For an appetizer we got the fried pickles and those were delicious. Full of dill pickle flavor and the breading was very light. I ordered the salmon and sautéed spinach which was one of the specials. My dinner companion hit the rib eye and blackened shrimp. Both entrees came with a salad and the steak with a potato. Our appetizer and salads came out right away. The salad was very disappointing. Only lettuce pretty much, no tomatoes or anything else. I think it might have had cucumber. Very lack luster. My salmon and spinach was great!! I enjoyed it and the salmon portion was generous. I had enough to take home. The ribeye was cooked medium rare as requested and it was very good. Shrimp was great and had a nice spice to it. The French fries were cold though. Service was ok. I would definitely try them out again but be warned that they are a bit overpriced. Parking is terrible and you need a reservation. The patio was nice and I loved the fire places. There was live music that night. Overall good place for maybe a special occasion.

The Study Supper Club

4.4

(58 reviews)

Is it really open? Let us know. We have enjoyed it in the past, this summer we tried and it was…read moreclosed so we went to Up Town. Just let us know when we can come back and enjoy it again!

The bartenders and staff were great. Just stopped in for a couple drinks on our anniversary. It was…read moresuch a cute place, decorated like a library supper club, cool vibe ambiance. It was dark but cool lighting at each table. The drinks were just right and lots of old popular like the old fashioned. Enjoy

Burger and Sushi House-Ottawa

4.0

(334 reviews)

BASH (Burger And SusHi) in Ottawa IL: Why you should go there instead of fast food chains. If you…read moreget a $16 roll and a $10 roll and really take the time to enjoy each mouth full of those true works of art (tip of the hat to Hadi).. eyes closed ..face skyward.. all attention on your tastebuds to give the experience the attention it deserves.. you'll take half of each home and get two meals. Technically that $30+ tab is more than you'd spend for a burger and fries and a shake someplace.. but thats one meal..and its fast and its done and did you really need or want that calorie count? that fat and sugar? starch and salt? It tastes good you say? ok.. try this instead.. take half home. two meals at about the same price per meal.. much better for you and when I say ART.. I mean ART. Like taking your tastebuds to a live concert with Bach and Mozart playing and the opener is OG Queen. As to the economics.. If you buy at a chain..thats an organization designed to funnel money up and OUT of your community as much as possible.. if you eat at say Cinco in Streator or any locally owned and operated and incorporated restaurant more of the money stays local to swish around in the local economy. OH and of course, healthier eating in both cases. real food. A solid platter at Cinco usually gets me at least two meals and thats if i dont mix in the leftovers to punch up my own tacos or soup or whatever I'm cooking

I definitely would have not thought to put these two concepts together, but it totally works and I…read moream so happy it exists. The atmosphere was great and energetic, and our server was very friendly and fun. I believe her name was Lauren and she was a good time. Definitely want to visit again as the sushi looked delicious.

The Boatyard

4.7

(6 reviews)

Ordered the heirloom tomato/burrata appetizer and filet. The tomatoes were fresh and ripe with…read moreincredible flavor. The homemade apple cider balsamic dressing was The filet was cooked to perfection (medium rare) with a slight char on the outside. It came with crispy potatoes and grilled asparagus - also incredible. The service by Matthew was excellent. Ambiance along the Illinois River was relaxing and beautiful We will definitely return.

There are not a ton of nice places to eat in this area. Had high hopes for the boat yard based on…read morethe menu but they did not execute. Fortunately the staff was very nice and the views are lovely so its worth a trip here for those 2 reasons. You just might roll the dice on the food. I got the blackened Mahi mahi. It was overcooked and dried out. The black rice was not seasoned and cold. The roasted carrots were pretty greasy but tasted ok. The fish seasoning and sauce were actually quite good. Better executed it would have been a great dish.

Hank's Farm Restaurant

3.7

(218 reviews)