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ChinaTown Buffet

2.7 (130 reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

ChinaTown Buffet Photos

Business Info

CHINATOWN BUFFET ATMOSPHERE

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

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Dessert
Lilee N.

I was hesitant at first, but this place is like a solid meal. It has everything you'd expect from a buffet. Came for lunch and if you had picky eaters, this would be a place to satisfy the most difficult of palettes. If you're looking to stay on the healthier side, they have sushi with a variety of fillings. There is also a bar with fresh vegetables and soup components you can give to the chef to either stir fry for you or make into soup. There's also plenty of protein to choose from at the other stations. Got a sweet tooth? There's a bar full of mini desserts as well as a soft serve machine. What can go wrong? Want to keep it fresh? Try the fresh fruits and yogurts or jello. Craving Americanized Chinese food? All your wishes from Panda are here (ok minus the orange chicken) for half the cost (it's not even $10 for lunch before tip). There are also some more traditional fare. Seating is ample and you can sit at a table or a booth. The servers come around often to check on you and to clear plates. Parking is easy. I was hesitant at first but because it looks low key outside. It is also no frills on the inside but the food was flavorful and I don't think there's any other place in town you can get this much food for such a small price. Don't expect anything fancy and if you understand it's a very casual setting for Asian fare... you'll come and leave very full.

Christopher A.

It was ok. Standard Chinese buffet. It was $16 though which seems a bit high. Service was ok.

Great place only huge selection buffet of American/Polynesian/Multi-cultural/favors. I enjoyed my time here.

a view of the buffet area
Miguel M.

Well I can't keep being delusional... As much as I backed this place up because I loved coming here growing up and it was a really good but now the food has gone downhill. Very greasy, and either too salty and no taste at all. It is however still very cheap and families can come eat a lot (Duh). The hibachi bar is alright, and another positive thing is that they constantly being out food so the food is also fresh. I'd say about half the food isn't Chinese either, it's American food tailored for kids which is ok, but if you're looking for Chinese food then it's definitely not for you. Overall, cheap food that taste ok. Obviously not authentic but it's still pretty decent. The people working and service is amazing but it sucks to see this buffet go downhill after so many delicious meals

Here's supposedly Hunan Beef, but maybe the owner wants to steal from customers and give them chicken.
Brian B.

This place is ok. The waiters and staff are excellent. But on this day, they lied. Because it's almost all gone, I wait for one of their best dishes to be refilled, which is Hunan Beef. A staff member looks at it and doesn't refill it. He then refills it with CHICKEN. One can only assume that because beef is more expensive than chicken, this place wanted to be CHEAP and give us chicken instead of beef. In fact almost every meat dish this day, during dinner, was chicken, and one of pork. Restaurant owners, take note that when youw ant to be cheap and rip people off, you get a bad review. If your label say Hunan Beef, make sure you're serving beef, not chicken. I won't be returning to this place. The waiters/waitresses are excellent, but the owner apparently is trying to steal from his customers.

Menu

On average the food is pretty good. Though the quality can vary quite a bit. My favorites are the pepper steak and the sushi

I wish my cookie had a fortune lol
Case H.

Doesn't look like much from the outside, however the full parking lot was encouraging! The staff was friendly and attentive. Everything on the buffet line was fresh, crispy and flavorful. The simple sushi options were quite tasty too. There was something for everyone.

Lan Z.

We love it here! Sooooo much variety to pick from.Simply delicious. Everyone here is really friendly.Delicious food, great atmosphere. very resonable PRICE!!

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Excellent buffet. Very nice staff. Good selection. Hot and cold dishes.BBQ Chicken WingBeef Pepper SteakGeneral Tso 's Chicken

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Always have been satisfied here. Good food and value. Very attentive staff and great food. I recommend it.

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Northern Cuisine - A3. Cucumber & Bean Curd in Chili Vinaigrette 东北拌花菜 (part of $21.95 Lunch Special Combo 2) - spicier than expected. Has tofu skin and peanut

Northern Cuisine

4.3(23 reviews)
2.2 mi

This beautiful dining experience nestles into Campustown and delivers great food, excellent service…read moreand a gentle welcoming atmosphere that pulls it all together into a delightful time. The food is the finest Asian fare around and avoids the common error of over spicing the food. The Mapo Tofu is remarkable and each of the items we shared in our group excelled in its taste and presentation. The decor is simple and elegant amplifying the peaceful mood that surrounds the diners. Each server was polite, gracious and accommodating without hovering or intruding. Do yourself a favor and set aside a day to visit Northern Cuisine and you will not regret it.

Ordered takeout from here so can't really comment on the service other than the food was ready…read morerelatively quickly! Portions were great for both items I ordered. Rice Noodle and Pork Salad {3.5/5}: Texture of the rolls of rice noodles were nice and chewy. There were tender strips of pork throughout with some refreshing cucumbers all mixed in a peanut sauce. Not really my preference. Braised pork belly and tofu puff {3.5/5}: Very nice portion size and tender pork belly. The sauce itself is like a thick gelatinous gravy that I was not particularly fond of.

Photos
Northern Cuisine - Front counter with waitlist tablet, bench to sit on while waiting by entrance door to the right

Front counter with waitlist tablet, bench to sit on while waiting by entrance door to the right

Northern Cuisine - B1 Crispy Pork In Sweet & Sour Glaze 锅包肉 ($19.95)

B1 Crispy Pork In Sweet & Sour Glaze 锅包肉 ($19.95)

Northern Cuisine - E26. Spicy Lamb Neck Bone Dry Pot 干锅羊蝎子 ($22.95) - has lotus root, potato, and veggies

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E26. Spicy Lamb Neck Bone Dry Pot 干锅羊蝎子 ($22.95) - has lotus root, potato, and veggies

Rainbow Garden Champaign - Chicken and eggplant in garlic sauce

Rainbow Garden Champaign

3.4(132 reviews)
2.6 mi
$$

We were looking for an old style Chinese eat in restaurant and this seemed to be the place. It…read morelacked in a few ways. If we wanted noodles and duck sauce on the table it was a charge of 3.25. Where I'm from that is usually free. When we ordered it anyway they were out. Who runs out of the crunchy noodles??? The soups were a nice size and had good flavor. The fried dumplings were a bit lackluster. The lo mein was really tasty. While the pepper steak was good the onions were cooked all the way and they had that strong oniony sharp taste that stays with you. The should use a sweeter onion. It was good but not the best I've had but I would go back. Service was excellent.

What an amazing find! My husband and I had been running errands around Champaign and were getting…read morehungry for dinner. We drove past this place and that, and eventually decided "Rainbow Garden" sounded worth doubling back for. And oh my goodness! First off: the service was PHENOMENAL! We were never rushed but never felt unattended. Our drinks were repeatedly refilled before they were empty. Our food came so much faster than we anticipated! Even paying was quick and easy. Second: the food was honestly some of the best we've ever had. the Pekin duck was nearly perfect (the skin could have been crispier) and the beef fried rice was possibly the best fried rice we've ever had. So flavorful, so full of meat, and the meat was tender and tasty! Third: the whole restaurant was very clean. The bathroom was a little dark, and there's an obstacle in the hallway that makes it not wheelchair accessible, but overall an excellent job. We will be back!

Photos
Rainbow Garden Champaign - Dining area 1

Dining area 1

Rainbow Garden Champaign - Seafood hot and sour soup for 2

Seafood hot and sour soup for 2

Rainbow Garden Champaign - Just finished lunch

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Just finished lunch

Golden Wheat - Jiajang noodles, aka Beijing noodles

Golden Wheat

4.5(15 reviews)
2.3 mi

I was really pumped to try Golden Wheat because my friends raved that this is the #1 noodle place…read morein Champaign. The restaurant is operated by super friendly and nice Chinese owners. It appeared that they do not speak the best English, but we didn't have any trouble ordering as there was an English/Chinese menu printed out, which we used to point to the item that we wanted to order. What we got: Beijing style JaJangmyeon: I had Korean-styled jjajangmyeon, so I didn't know what to expect at first. The portion size is beyond generous and the amount of topping on the noodles was more than enough. The noodles were soft and chewy. The dish tasted like peanut noodles which I am not the greatest fan of, but my friend loved it! Spicy fatty beef slices noodles: this was really good! I am a big meat lover and the amount of meat that came with this dish made me really happy! The dish was not too spicy and well-balanced. I wish there was a bit more soup because it was just a lot of noodles, but I think this is supposed to be more noodles than soup because it was one of their 'mixed noodles' dish. Overall, it was a very hearty meal. The owners were super kind enough to give us a free bok choy+fish cake side dish which we enjoyed as well. Despite the communication barrier, the service was great and the owners are super sweet people. I will definitely be coming back!

Stopped by after a few friends recommended this place! The noodle soups are amazing. Here are a few…read moretips for non Chinese speaking customers like me. It took a little effort to order due to language BUT it was totally worth it! ORDERING The owner who was originally taking my order was so friendly but only spoke Chinese, so someone else had to step in and help me translate. I asked for the most popular noodle soups and he pointed to "dry beef noodle soup" and "pork shoulder noodle soup" so we ordered both. After you pick your dish he asks if you want spicy or non spicy. We got one of each. I personally liked the "spicy" version and thought it wasn't spicy at all! FOOD I ran into a friend there who knows the owner. He told me everything is made from scratch! Including the noodles. The broth was perfection. So fragrant, flavorful, well seasoned, and clean tasting. Meat was super tender (both beef and pork) and pretty much melted in our mouths. The "dry beef" in the name is totally misleading because there is nothing dry about the meat. ATMOSPHERE It seems like the restaurant kept most of the interior decor from PvP bakery so the aesthetic is pretty nice. Simple, clean, modern, minimal. It's sort of a self serve style in here so you have to get your own water. Just like most Asian restaurants. PACKAGING I ordered our meal to go but the restaurant IS also open for indoor seating. Our food was packed with care! The noodles and soup were packed in separate containers. I will add a note of caution while carrying the food. The hot soup warped the plastic container quite a bit so by the time I got home I noticed that the lid was just barely hanging on and on the brink of busting open. As long as it's held upright though it should not be an issue. Overall, if you're looking for a non frills place with good authentic Chinese food, this is the place to go! Price was pretty good too especially for how good the fooAbout $11 per noodle soup which is much cheaper than mid summer and golden harbor. We will definitely be back!

Photos
Golden Wheat - Chicken and mushrooms

Chicken and mushrooms

Golden Wheat - Beef noodle soup. Classic.

Beef noodle soup. Classic.

Golden Wheat - Sour spicy beef

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Sour spicy beef

Mid-Summer Lounge - B4 Tomato & Scrambled Egg Dry Noodle 番茄炒蛋面 ($12) - tomato and egg are sweetened more than I prefer, but otherwise good

Mid-Summer Lounge

4.2(119 reviews)
2.3 mi
$$

Great fast-casual noodles for lunch near campus…read more The food is simply prepared and delicious. I ordered the first item on the menu: Bok Choy in Chili Oil Noodle. The hearty noodles were chewy with a slight taste of rice -- neither too refined nor over cooked. The beef broth brought the dish's rich taste and gave it some depth, while the bok choy and green onions in the soup were fresh and crispy. Even though the chili oil was a treat, it overpowered the broth and veggies so that I'd consider omitting it from the order. The restaurant was crowded with lunch-goers when I stopped in, but the turnaround on my order was fast. If you need a bite and want something simple and well made, his could be your spot.

We ordered: 1. Pork & Egg w/ Bean Sauce Dry Noodle…read more2. Szechuan style Beef Noodle Soup Very pleased that UIUC now has meal access to a Chinese noodle specialty shop. Flavor of the fermented bean sauce was good and I liked the chewiness of the noodles. Friends liked the Szechuan beef broth flavor and the beef chunks were tender. This will be very nice in the cold winters. No issues with service and there's a good amount of seating for small to medium size groups.

Photos
Mid-Summer Lounge - E4 Stewed Pork Belly in Toasted Bun 腊汁肉夹馍 ($7) - different pork belly filling from that of the 卤肉饭

E4 Stewed Pork Belly in Toasted Bun 腊汁肉夹馍 ($7) - different pork belly filling from that of the 卤肉饭

Mid-Summer Lounge - B4 Tomato & Scrambled Egg Dry Noodle 番茄炒蛋面 ($12) - tomato and egg are sweetened more than I prefer, but otherwise good

B4 Tomato & Scrambled Egg Dry Noodle 番茄炒蛋面 ($12) - tomato and egg are sweetened more than I prefer, but otherwise good

Mid-Summer Lounge - D1 Spicy Shredded Potato

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D1 Spicy Shredded Potato

ChinaTown Buffet - chinese - Updated May 2026

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