This is a rarity: a Chinese restaurant that also serves Pad Thai. You can eat in as we did, but you order your meals, pick them up at the counter and seat yourself. Works fine and saves a tip if you think that way. I ordered the Pad Thai dinner special and was pleasantly surprised to find it also comes with a couple of choices. In my case I added pork fried rice and an egg roll. A lot of places don't offer rice with noodle dishes. The egg roll was excellent and the rice and pad Thai were fine. I thought the pad Thai would have benefited from having more veggies with it and a bit more sauce, but it was certainly a generous serving and tasted fine. My wife went with chicken and broccoli and also thought it was fine. We thought restaurants have to offer tap water, but when we ordered water we received bottles. So it was all good, and there was enough available that we had a second meal of leftovers, one way to help defray the higher cost of eating out these days. read more

It always seemed to be on a Saturday night when my family - Mom, Dad older sis and I ventured out for dinner. It was the late 8Os and Chinese buffets were in their infancy in Queens - it was an exciting day to know that we're going out to eat that evening to my parents favorite Chinese buffet. They basically half starved us during the day with our ritual of a banana for breakfast and another fruit or poorly prepared vegetable for lunch. They're always looking for a deal, which I believe was part of their attraction. Personally, I've not had many new memories of buffets of any cuisine - they're always getting peppered with heath violation papers - this was my thinking. Driving hungry and teetering on desperate to just sit with a hot cup of tea and decompress the body and brain from a trying week - the neon sign and ample parking had me turn around and pull in, enter and was seated. I expected somebody to be tucking egg rolls into their boots and all out brawls at the shrimp tray, none of which occured. There were some mysteries rolls, not much shellfish - it wasn't a seafood buffet, yet there were underwater representatives available. Ya know -- I think its a law to have fish and turtles in the foyer at those establishments as I reflect back upon a seafood buffet experience or two. Four double sided, well lit serving stations. I started with a scoop of what I believe was a Chinese roasted imitation crab souffle - green beans for a good luck chaser. A stick thru a piece of white meat (perhaps turkey) hit my plate with a Clunk as did the breaded chicken so I created a soft landing zone with beef fried rice and lol mein noodles for future additions. So I began to eat and I watched some people waiting for new trays to arrive - this is a strange optic for me - I mean, the particular item of interest to you is worth just standing there - in wait - hoping to get first dibs? The place wasn't very busy, personally, I'd wait at my table - Weird. First plate was fresh and hot and unhealthy - it went down quickly and plate number two had a sauced rib, a chicken wing more green beans and sliced pepper thingies with a sweet and sour eggplant I believe. Needing a flavor punch I foolishly a dropped a half a ladle of some super spicy mustard that wrestled my nostrils with blowtorch intensity, which the jasmine tea doused out quite well. Then I saw a banana at the far table and freaked out a bit due to the scars of the Late 80s Bananas // Chinese Buffet Memory Synergies - so I stayed away from that area which also included the desserts - but I didn't see the self serve sift ice cream machine equipt with the lever giving you the maniacal power to create ice cream lines over your cookies, so that was out. That's basically it -- $17.75 out the door. read more

China Rose Restaurant - Plate number duex - Chinese Near Me - Brunswick, Maine

I ordered the crab Rangoons and they looked great tasted great I ate 4.5 of them before finding a little black spider. Clearly had been fried with the Rangoons. Fucking nasty. Don't eat here. read more

China Rose Restaurant - Spider fried into a crab Rangoon - Chinese Near Me - Brunswick, Maine

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**Disclosure** All my experiences with China Rose have been through Doordash, so this review is all about the food and I am NOT able to speak to the service by the staff. I have ordered from China Rose, through Doordash, on about half a dozen occasions. The food has always been good and their portion sizes are on the bigger side. The General Tso sauce is different than I am used to and is a bit not he sweeter side than the spicier side. The sauce is also a bit thinner than others. The PuPu for 1 has a bounty of delectable foods including chicken fingers, shrimp, teriyaki steak, crab rangoon, chicken wing and boneless spare ribs. The boneless spare ribs are the the only part I am not a fan of because they tend to be overcooked and difficult to chew. They pack all their food very well and I have not received an order where the sauce or other food contents have spilled over into the bag. read more

China Rose Restaurant - a plate of food and a box of fries - Chinese Near Me - Brunswick, Maine

China Rose in Brunswick might be the best buffet in town. With a wide variety of delicious options--from classic Chinese dishes to sushi and desserts--they have something for everyone. They also easily accommodate large parties, making it perfect for gatherings. 10/10 would ABSOLUTELY recommend! read more

We went today Food was ok but the service was horrible They questioned us as senior citizens we are 69 and 67 Then kept standing around at our table making it very uncomfortable This is a large Resterent Brought us the check while we were still eating and kept wanting us to pay When we finished and went up to the desk to pay the man at the counter would not accept payment with a card He loudly demanded that we give it to the waitress to take in the back. Note the scanning device was on the counter where it has been forever He told me he will take cash and "at this restaurant I would have to follow his rules" I paid wit cash his look was surprised My last trip till I hear staff has changed I was just trying to pay my bill not get yelled at read more

Food was cold staff just looked at us the food was not good it's expensive for 3 people for lunch

Do not go here, the chicken is dry, sometimes the food is cold in the middle. There was also visible mice that ran across the dining room floor. There is visible ceiling tiles that are nasty and unappealing. The staff are decent. read more

Chicken was dry,customer service was good, drinks where good, there wasn't that many people there and now I understand why the employees where nice and kind the bathrooms are a little dark, food was flavor less wouldn't really recommend eating here unless if you want to waste your money it was also really over priced it's was $16.95 for one person. read more

We hadn't been in almost 5 years, but decided to give it a try again recently. The good news - my stomach wasn't upset as it was after the last visit. Keep in mind, I was the only one that got sick. I'm guessing there may have been some cross contamination with some of the food or guests. There was plenty of food to choose from at around 6pm on a weeknight. All bins were full. The strange part - the veggie lo mein was cold, but people were eating it and they were filling the bin, but it was cold. Not warm but actually felt cold. I stopped eating it because it made me nervous, but it tasted ok - seasoning was delicious. The pork fried rice was tasty - I got two servings of it. The wontons were decent, but they were all stuck together. The chicken fingers were a little tough, but tasted ok as well. Either they were over cooked or had been sitting in the warmer too long - either way, I did still eat them. The veggie spring rolls were terrific - temperature was hot on the inside - be careful. They were the best I have had in a while. The mei fun was also a winner for me - I loved the fact there were big pieces of fried egg that I could grab :) The desserts - were standard bulk bought type - didn't waste any calories there. Staff was ok. never had to ask for a refill and they cleared the plates as soon as we stood up. The prices were ok, we were able to eat right away and everyone was able to find something like liked. It's ok if you are looking for a place for quick food and can accommodate large parties - this is an ok place to go. read more

Picked up my usual order of shrimp fried rice. The size shrunk, the shrimp shrunk (in number and size). Same price.

This place used to be a lot busier on a Sunday. I can see why it isn't. Do Not Order Tea if you don't want to pay 1.75 person for each cup which if you do the math makes that a 7 dollar pot of tea. Outrageous! Also it appears they have no ambitions to fix their soft serve machine. If you plan not to fix it, remove it. Also the pineapple was spoiled on the desert bar. The reason why you not making any money is because local folks know a good value and your buffet is not a good value anymore. Also you can tell you don't put any money in the restaurant anymore. The place is falling apart. It wouldn't surprise me if you are not in business in the near future. People are not coming here anymore. read more

it is really had bad experience there the food so bad and so old and it's almost everything empty but the food was bad. I don't recommend to come over here at all. Run away. unless you wanna get sick. read more

this is one of the nicest buffets I have been to. the customer service is absolutely excellent. the food is so hot and fresh, such a great variety. look forward to going there again. read more

Everything is good except the Egg Foo yon . The gravy is sweet and not like other places. When I want EggFoo Yon I go to Augusta or Portland. read more

all the food was very delicious and flavorful. everyone working there were also very friendly! the decor is also beautiful. one of the best buffets i've been to! cant wait to come back :) read more

China Rose Restaurant - food from buffet! - Chinese Near Me - Brunswick, Maine

Food is good, not great, but good. Could be much better if they would turn up the temp on the steam table to keep the food HOT! Even very warm would be an improvement. Even right out of the kitchen, it isn't very hot. Disappointing. I will say they don't skimp on quantity. Take what you want, but eat what you take. read more

I got the PUPu platter for one. One each of the Teriyaki beef, skewered beef, egg roll, fried cheese wonton, 1 fried shrimp, 2 fried chicken fingers with batter so thick it was hard to find the chicken. Gargantuan Chinese drumstick wings filled half the container. NO beef spare ribs. My first experience here, and the last. read more

I've been going to China Rose since I was a little girl- it used to have the nicest owners who kept the food hot, the restaurant clean and managed their staff well. It changed hands years ago and just has never been the same. The food is a hit or miss.. sometimes everything is fresh and hot but other times it's cold and clearly been left from lunch. They do have a decent variety and I think it's an okay price for how much they offer.. but I've definitely had better Chinese buffet food. I do have to say their cashew chicken is my favorite ever, and I only go maybe once a year, so if it's on the lineup that makes it all worth it! read more

China Rose Restaurant - The rangoons are pretty good- not too sweet! - Chinese Near Me - Brunswick, Maine

Great buffet, reasonably priced. Alot of food choices. Waitress unfortunately spent alot of time in the corner playing on her phone instead of checking on her customers . One waitress was playing with another's hair then didn't wash her hands . They need to brush up on their English as well! read more

China Rose Restaurant - Crab legs ! - Chinese Near Me - Brunswick, Maine

I've heard rumors about this place over the years, but overall I enjoy it. Nice atmosphere, lots of space, and they accept reservations for 100 people for lunch!! (True story!) if I were to give any criticism it would be to be more specific about labeling food, as well as making upgrades to the soda and soft serve ice cream machines. A good place for a cheap buffet meal! read more

We walked into the restaurant and ALL of the employees had winter coats on. We had coats on as well and couldn't tell, until we sat down, that it was actually colder inside than it was outside ( our car read 46 degrees ) We decided to stay anyway, and that was the biggest mistake ever. All the food was ice cold and rock hard. It was such a miserable experience. We had one plate and asked our server for our check because the A/C was blasting ( it's November) she all of a sudden didn't speak English anymore so couldn't respond. Ridiculous! Don't go here. It's worse than the worst. read more

Very decent. After reading the other reviews I was not optimistic - I thought no matter what I'll order off the menu. But when I walked in not only did the buffet look awesome, it was steaming hot at 4:30pm on a Sunday afternoon! Great selection, the food was great & I'd go again. The service was reasonably friendly & attentive. When I asked for menus I was given one takeout menu, oh well. Not "fine dining" but I'll take it! read more

Very disappointing. I arrived at 5:45 pm to get food while it was fresh. Half of the food I took was stone cold and it came out of 1/2 full pans. I will not be returning. read more

This is a decent Chinese buffet near where I live. What I like most about it, Cheap Includes drinks Hard serve ice cream Friendly service Cheap Plenty of options Almost always hot and fresh Big parking lot Cheap So if you're in the mood for some good food for a good price give this place a try. read more

This is a great place, amazing food at a great price. The dinner buffet is amazing

Not sure what happened, but this place is so much better than it was when I visited last year. There is, however a caveat; visit at 11:00 when it opens. The food is great!. My new go to Asian buffet for the Brunswick area read more

So while I currently live in San Diego, the China Rose remains some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. I've been here more times than I can count and the owners are really really nice. What I love about the food here is that it's a buffet but they care about the quality of the food being served. So many other buffets serve the food and it's cool, it's a buffet, but it's not GOOD Chinese food. The China Rose has always been great. I wish San Diego had a Chinese restaurant like this... I always try to go when I'm back! read more

This is the worst Chinese buffet we've ever been to. The waitstaff are rude and unprofessional as they are constantly speaking and calling guests all sorts of profanities right in front of them and always complaining (we speak fluent chinese). The food is badly made and the buffet is poorly maintained..we came in as a group of five and only stayed 15min before we realized how terrible this place was..we paid and left immediately..we cannot recommend this restaurant, other than to say,,,,STAY AWAY... read more

This used to be our favorite take-out restaurant in Brunswick for Chinese food and for buffets. Most recently our experiences have been terrible. Pathetic buffet with tasteless food, multiple items missing from the buffet and which are refilled very slowly at all. If you pay full price for a buffet for dinner the ice cream machine should be working, there should be sushi, all your entrées should look fresh and be topped off regularly. Not worth going anymore for us. The person at the front desk which I assume is the owner or family member of the owner was less than helpful. read more

I've been to this place quite often. This is a decent place to go to if you want Asian food, since there are not a lot of good and affordable Asian restaurants around Brunswick, Maine. Also, their buffet lunch menu is the same as that for dinner, but a lot cheaper, so definitely make time to go during lunch. Price (as of 10/12/15): - Lunch buffet: $8.95 (around $12 with tax + tip) - Dinner buffet: $14.95 (around $19 with tax + tip) They have plenty of parking spaces. The waiter's and waitress's do not really show positive attitude, but also not negative. Plates are taken away really quickly on non-busy days. Food comes out fast, and they are quite tasty. I do recommend going here on the days that you feel hungry and crave Asian food. You can't find many in Brunswick. read more

Visit tegularly from NM and enjoy this place. Plenty of good choices and the staff is helpful & friendly. Especually like the Hong Kong Chicken ( kind of a roasted sauced chicken that reminds me of roast pork ) and the hot n sour soup. Very fresh seafood especially the cooked shrimp. I would recommend the lunch over the dinner as I feel diner is a bit over priced. Also go when they are in full swing as if you come late the food has been sitting around for a while and is a bit soggy. Nice that beverage is included in price read more

Ugh. This in my opinion was the worst restaurant experience I've had in many, many years. We used to live in the area and had been to China Rose many times. It was perfect when you wanted the typical Chinese buffet and Americanized Chinese food. You know what I mean - chicken fingers, the red pork, egg rolls, fried rice, etc. The wife and I were passing through the area last weekend and I had a craving for Chinese buffet. China Rose seemed to fit the bill. Bad mistake. The first indication something was wrong should have been the empty parking lot on a Saturday night. Always used to be fairly full on the weekends. The second clue should have been the deteriored state of the building. The third warning sign should have been the lack of A/C and high humidity in the restaurant when we walked in. Unfortunately hunger and stubborness overruled common sense and we sat down (over my wife's protests I might add). The food was terrible. Many dishes were lukewarm at best. Chicken fingers were nothing but grease. The buns were literally hockey pucks. I could go on and on but I'm getting nauseous. I was mystified at what happened to the China Rose. It used to be a quite solid choice for heart attack Chinese food. Some research provided the answer. China Rose was sold to new owners in 2012. We will never be back. Don't waste your money or time here. read more

It's okay. You can definitely find something to eat, even for a picky eater.

This is a Chinese Buffet restaurant; I am not even sure if you can order food at your table. My wife and I have been here many times over 11 years. We don't frequent the place, but it is better than most Chinese restaurants in the area. My wife loves the fact they have King Crab legs, especially for the price of the buffet, you can't beat that. Usually these appear on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday buffet--I'm not sure if they are there during the weekdays. I love the dumplings and honey chicken myself. It is standard Chinese buffet food. Nothing bad about it, but nothing stellar. The atmosphere is simple, not gaudy like most. The music was a little weird last time, peculiar funny. Instead of bucolic, instrumental, Chinese music, that seems so common fare for most, it was pop and rock music from Asia . A little strange, but fun nonetheless. read more

Wait staff are rude and unprofessional. Not even done with our first plates off the buffet we were handed the check and told to "pay now then you finish eating" taken off guard, we paid and literally not 5 minutes later the waitress came back to our table with an empty bill fold and said "What, no tip for service?" Well, typically we leave cash on the table or on the receipt after we actually finish our meal, not before we have even finished our first plate. Management was rude when confronted about it and outright said, "I don't have time for your bulls***!" This was our favorite restaurant back when the previous owners from 10 years were there. Now, it is a dump with service to match. read more

For cheap buffet style dining, China Rose is your place. I only give it such a low rating because after eating there twice I experienced food poisoning. I will say it was a few years ago, but I probably won't go back there anytime soon. read more

My Red hat Chapter and I went there April 2 for dinner there were 13 of us, what wonderful service we had, food was great and hot! The overall atmosphere in the room was very enjoyable! Thank you, we will be back! read more

Been to the China Rose dozens of times over the years and have found the food consistantly excellent. For a relatively small town like Brunswick, the buffet is huge. There's a good variety of dishes too, about a third of the buffet has a bunch of fried offerings/appetizers like crab rangoon, spring rolls, teriyaki chicken, and wings. Another section has a salad bar that has cold mussels, deviled eggs and even sushi, which is hard to find unless you go to Portland. The final section has entrees like General Tso's chicken, beef with broccoli, veggie lo main and fried rice. There is a small selection of "American food" for picky children or those who aren't acclimated to Chinese food yet. There is potato, French fries, pizza slices and a few other selections. On weekends there is a ham carving station. Nothing too fancy but it's enough to satisfy my five year old. The few times there have been a less than steller meal, usually one or two items were dried out, was after peak meal time. For best dinner results, an this is true for most buffets, show up between 4:30 and 6:30, especially if it's a weekday. But I would highly recommend this place as one of the best in the area, even on par with The Great Wall in Augusta, another great buffet. read more

My wife and I used to come here all of the time, we even made special trips from Woolwich, about 10 miles to pick it up. We have not been here for awhile so, we stopped in over the weekend with the family and I gotta tell ya, it wasn't that great. Not all bad, but a lot of choices were fatty chicken or seemed under-cooked The crab legs were good as well as the pork fried rice and vegetable lo-mein, but what I used to get all of the time (Honey Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, General Chos Chicken) were all fatty. The BBQ Spare Ribs were super sweet and the chicken fingers were not crisp, they seemed like they had been sitting for awhile. The service was fast, but very rude. The guy that seated us shouted "FOLLOW ME". He did not say hello or anything. The wait staff was quick to take our stuff away even if we hadn't finished and rushed us to pay, even reaching across my plate to take the check folder, when I had not even had a chance to get my card out. We spent 103.00 and not even a thank you or have a nice day. Sad to say...I think that will be our final China Rose visit. read more