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    China Kitchen

    3.7 (27 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese, Buffets
    Closed Closed

    China Kitchen Photos

    CHINA KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Christmas day buffet
    Roger P.

    I last visited China Kitchen before Covid. I wanna say it was around 2018 or 2019... Our family got the buffet and none of us liked it. We thought the overall quality of the food was pretty poor and I didn't come back. A couple times a family member would order takeout off the menu and enjoyed it. On Christmas day 2025 my son and I were home alone and this was one of our only options for somewhere to eat in Española so we decided to give it a shot. I don't know if we went on an off day those several years ago, or if things were improved, but it actually wasn't bad. The buffet is small but what was there was decent. Not my favorite or would consider top notch but it was passable especially in a town with no other Chinese options. Standouts for me were the Pepper chicken and the Hot and Sour soup. Service was good and we were offered drink refills. Price point was really good. Sorry my pictures aren't great, the lighting is very dim in the restaurant. We'll come back.

    Shrimp with broccoli
    Leslie N.

    This is one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to. I've been to quite a few. I had broccoli with shrimp. Everything was fresh and not overcooked. It also included carrots and squash. It was excellent. The hot and sour soup was unique and also excellent. The vegetable eggrolls were fantastic.

    Buffet style
    Ciara P.

    We were a little skeptical about coming here because we had read some bad reviews but we were pleasantly surprised. One thing that must be understood is that it is in Espanola and if you are looking for a 6 tables worth of food kind of buffet this may not be the place for you. However, if you are looking for some good Chinese food that covers the basics this is your place. We noticed a lot of people were here so that's a good thing. The food itself was really good. The staff was constantly bringing out freshly prepared food and soups. I personally loved the egg drop soup it was very flavorful in my opinion. Everything else was really good. The staff was great and checked on us frequently refilling our drinks and removing any finished plates we had. Our waitress was awesome and she did a great job. I would recommend this place if you are looking for Chinese food in Espanola. They have take out too!

    Choices.
    Ross M.

    Española, New Mexico is dusty and drab. However, it's a convenient gateway to other beautiful spots, you can go back and forth across the Rio Grande without a passport, and there is a little gem of a Cantonese restaurant. It's not fancy, but the food is tasty and the service is friendly. If you're too 'Santa Fe' to eat here, then just keep on driving. If you're curious but don't want to be seen walking into the place, there's a discrete back entrance off the highway. The food is fresh, there is variety (including some simple sushi rolls and an iceberg lettuce salad bar), and when I went (7:00 p.m. on a Saturday) the place was full of locals. Eat it!

    The China Kitchen Buffet in Española, NM

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    4 months ago

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    16 days ago

    Food is great! Service is excellent! We love the beef and broccoli! Highly recommended for the whole family!

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    9 months ago

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    4 years ago

    Very good tasty stuff You won't be depressed your crazy no more just happy and full.of very good food

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Don't go here unless you want a cockroach in your food. Just do yourself a favor and drive to Santa Fe and get Chinese food from there.

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    9 years ago

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    Review Highlights - China Kitchen

    Never had a chance to do a buffet here but during COVID, I did take out and loved it.

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    Albuquerque Country Market

    Albuquerque Country Market

    2.0
    (1 review)
    73.6 mi
    $$

    Aahhh, the great American road trip, with all of its ups and downs. If you're pressed for time and…read moredon't have the opportunity to explore, you're stuck to whatever's right off the freeway. In other words, an endless supply of truck stops and fast food. Don't get me wrong, there are many "diamonds in the rough" to be found in scary, Deliverance-type areas all throughout rural America. You might enjoy some of the best BBQ ever at a random, shithole stand where the picnic benches haven't been wiped down in weeks. Fried chicken? Turns out those semi trucks aren't just fueled by diesel my friend...there can be some food finds on your way that score major points for their cheap, greasy, "eat behind the wheel" convenience as well as their honest lack of pretension. That said, the buffet at the Albuquerque Country Market offered none of the endearing qualities listed above. I'll take full blame for this. Everyone was getting pretty hungry, and we happened to pull up into a gas/convenience store/diner that offered a buffet. With 12 hours plus of mostly night driving ahead of us, getting a big meal seemed to make sense. What would have made a hell of a lot more sense would have been to ask one of the locals where some good cheap food was. I mean, we're in Albuquerque here, it's a big city so there have to be decent places within a two mile drive. Not being familiar with the area though, and being tired, we decided to go for the "safe" route and stick to a place where we could swing back onto the highway and continue. Our loss. We leafed through the menu--most burger and fries-type combos (all very standard diner fare) were at least $7.50-8 bucks, so paying $9.29 for a dinner buffet didn't seem like that bad a deal. Once we started grazing though, we realized how truly limited the options were. Hailing from buffet land (casino Hell), I can safely say that this was probably the most limited buffet I've ever experienced as far as selection, and quality ranged from below-average to downright scary. They should have charged $5.99 or so--even then you'd feel semi ripped off. I kept my selections simple and safe. Iceberg lettuce salad with dressing and croutons, mashed potatoes, green beans, etc. Very generic, and it all had that tasteless, reheated, frozen food quality that the lowest end buffets seem to share. For Reno area readers, I'd compare it to the old Silver Club "steak buffet," only without the grilled to order steaks. When I did take a slight risk, it wasn't worth it. There was some awfully lonely looking fried chicken sitting under the lights. Pretty dry and unappealing, but I've seen worse--so far our truck stop tour had featured some truly horrifying heat lamp displays that made me question, "Do people actually eat that stuff? Or is this joke food that they only put out for tourists?" I gnawed a couple bites, then decided to call it a day as far as the meal. I've had better chicken in 99 cent TV dinners. For fear of getting physically sick on the last leg of the trip, I decided to cut my losses and pay the bill. The greasy-spoon equivalent of sticker shock hit me when I realized that they charged extra for a drink--my iced tea was an extra $1.99. The bill for three of us set us back $31.63--total ripoff for the lack of food choices and overall low quality. There was also soft serve ice cream and cake/pie type desserts available--but even that was an extra charge!! I'm surprised they didn't charge for water, napkins, salt, and toilet seat covers at this place. Even though there weren't many other diners, it took our server a while to find our check. She seemed surprised and a little put out that she had to cut her conversation short with another guy who seemed to be a local. Can't say I blame her really, she was probably surprised that anyone ordered the buffet at all--the 8-10 guests in what was actually a very large cavern of a restaurant seemed to be the equivalent of a "dinner rush" in this joint. As you might imagine, the buffet was a definite one-star experience. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt for two reasons--1) the restaurant burgers and regular dinners (meatloaf, turkey plate, etc.) looked pretty good and it seems like that's what the locals were eating. The buffet is probably a money grabber to profit off those who are just "passin through"--with the extra dessert charge I can imagine even a kids' meal being a luxury item. 2) This place is also a large store/truck stop/gas station. The convenience store area is HUGE, and well stocked with tons of cheap items, from clothing to Roswell shot glasses, CD's, DVD's, etc. In retrospect, we should have just stocked up on cheap junk food (jerky, chips, etc.), caffeinated beverages, a couple of bowling shirts and a pair of flip flops--still with extra money left for tacky New Mexico souvenirs. I'm sure Albuquerque has a lot to offer, but next time I'll take my chances and venture further off the beaten path.

    Cicis Pizza

    Cicis Pizza

    2.9
    (68 reviews)
    66.3 mi
    $

    Loved it here! My boyfriend and I stopped by because we hadn't eaten at CiCi's since high school…read moreand wanted to relive some of that nostalgia. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the restaurant was clean and welcoming. I'll admit, I've had a hard time with buffets since COVID, but as soon as we walked in, everything smelled fresh and delicious. The food was great, and one of the cooks even came over and asked us what kind of pizza we'd like added to the buffet. He made it fresh for us, and it was hot, fluffy, and absolutely delicious. That personal touch really stood out and made the experience feel special. They also have an arcade area with lots of games, which gave us major Chuck E. Cheese vibes in the best way! It made the whole experience even more fun and added to the nostalgic feeling. Also, make sure to download the app before you go! As first-time app users, we received a coupon for the Monday and Tuesday Adult Buffet for only $5.99 (per person), which made this such a fun and affordable date night. If you're a young couple looking for a sweet, budget-friendly place to spend time together, this is a great option. The atmosphere was relaxed, it wasn't uncomfortably crowded, and we never felt rushed. Between the fresh pizza, friendly staff, arcade games, and great deal on the buffet, we had a wonderful time and will definitely be back!

    What do you do for dinner, when sugar levels are dropping, nothing sounds good when batting ideas…read morearound? Cici's is a reliable meal. Pizza, pasta, chicken noodle soup, salad bar, dessert bar, and optional (costs) drinks. They have wings & poppers to add to your meal. If you aren't familiar with Cici's they are all you can eat OR order a full pizza pie and eat there, or take home. Cici's has an arcade. They recently added more games. Great for large families. We [used] to take our family of 4 kids here frequently [now adults]. The owner is very receptive to communication. Want a specific type of pizza on the bar, ask, they will let you know when it is ready (usually). Tipping is recommended for the crew (in drop box) & separate for the dishwasher/busses (left on table). Thank you Cici's for a quick dependable meal!

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    Cicis Pizza
    Cicis Pizza
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    China Kitchen - chinese - Updated August 2026

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