Clean and well kept facility. Pleasant staff with modern decor. The concept of Mexican and Chinese served together and/or as fusion recipes is risky but they do pull it off well. I tried a lot of dishes to investigate all of the recipes and was not disappointed. The flautas were great and so was the Mexican egg roll. I wouldn't say the food quality is top tier but for a buffet they do a great job. It is also reasonably priced for what you get. read more

Located in an old red lobster such Amazing and friendly me and my fiancé stopped here for a little lunch the food was amazing the shrimp tacos and salsa's superb filled up up good the staff was welcoming and friendly definitely coming back the next time I'm in Tyler read more

It's a pretty cool place, mexican and chinese buffet. Restaurant is really nice, food is alright, very hit or miss.

The food here is amazing! They have a great blend of Chinese cuisine and Mexican cuisine. Definitely a 10/10. They even have cool ice cream for kido, from snickers bars to push up fruit bars. The waitress was also very nice. Gave excellent service with a great attitude. read more

El Chino - Sign - Mexican Near Me - Tyler, Texas

See all

Some items were really good-- but they had battered shrimp--and the shrimp hadn't been peeled! Other items you could tell had been on the buffet for several hours (it was 7:00 when we were in.) I was okay with it but my wife said she wouldn't return. read more

Tried this new place on Christmas. It definitely underwhelmed. $20 a person is better than the original prices I heard at 29.99 per person. The food was as very average. The made to order tacos were good and the service from the taco cook was excellent. I may come back if I want tacos only. But could get just as good for half the price elsewhere. The Chinese food was as so mid it's hard to believe. No Mongolian anything. Frog legs... WTF Pot stickers were ok. Oh and the mexican egg roll was a baddie! So there was that. I would never go here again. Not worth the price. Service was awful and the place was barely 1/4 full. read more

I want to say Just...Don't.. The food was dried out and just not good at all. A huge disappointment. The place is clean the waitress was nice. Other than that I do not recommend.. read more

Came for dinner Sunday and was slightly impressed. Good selection, things were fresh and replenished frequently and they had a decent variety. Made the mistake of returning Monday late afternoon and bringing people with me on my suggestion. Selection (for the buffet) had changed substantially and the food that was available had been sitting since lunch. Service was ok, but that's about the only good thing I can say. Unsure whether a return trip is in my future, but all signs right now point to no. It's a shame, too, because I really thought I had found a place I could bring people. read more

The food was tasty but the service and management were terrible. No manager on site and our waiter never came to our table not even to give us the check. We will not be going back - terrible price of $20 an adult to pay for a terrible experience. Not worth your time. There are better places with better service you can go to. read more

The service was friendly and the place was clean but the food just had no flavor. I think the tortilla situation needs to be a little more clear too. How hard is it to put a tortilla warmer on the buffet with flour tortillas? With %15 tip $50 for two people and can't even get a chemechanga ? Queso just plain cheese? Where is the flavor? read more

Great food for the price, it was fresh. Everything I tried was good. Service was good too,..,.....,.........................,...................., read more

Went here with my entire family. Everything was fresh and the staff was very kind and communicative about what would be coming out next. Definitely will be back. read more

2nd time coming and it was as delicious and good as the first try. It is a must try !

The Chinese food was cold and did not have a good selection and the Tex-Mex food had no favor and the waiter did not refill your drinks at all it was not worth the money read more

Today was our first visit. We were craving Chinese food & we enjoyed it very much. The restaurant is clean & the service was very good. We are looking forward to our next lunch there. IC&JC read more

I want to open with the owner is incredibly nice, joyful and sweet and so is the staff. I want to further say Ohayo is absolutely phenomenal and you should be proud to also own it! I wanted to politely say El Chino needs some work. Price point is great, but the chefs need actual training on both Chinese and Mexican food. I can tell neither is made by those nationalities. It felt like I went to another country where they made both foods but only used a photo for reference and guessed on the flavors. I tried a bite of every single item that was offered and not even the salsa felt authentic or correctly made. I wrote this to genuinely help you get better because I love my community and want yall to succeed. Please consider outsourcing food training for the chefs. Like monthly constant continued training. We will continue to go to Ohayo especially on holidays and wish yall the best of luck!! read more

We anxiously awaited the opening of this new restaurant because it's my two favorite cuisines. The place is clean & remodeled. Our server was outstanding. The food selections were also very good. However, the temperature of the food is not adequate. It was barely warm. We wondered how much our dinner would be costing us & soon the suspense was over. Two buffets were $39.98. Two drinks were about $6.00. Add tax & a tip of $7.00 & it was nearly $60.00. Hard pass. Perhaps some of these things will be tweaked, perhaps not. Second chances are hard to come by in a business where you only have once to make a first impression. Every market is different. Perhaps if they had a steady stream of customers at lunch & dinner, the food would be hot and fresh. My neighbors went for lunch today & she told me they aren't going back either. read more

El Chino never disappoints! The food is always fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The staff is friendly, attentive, and quick, even during busy hours. Highly recommend for anyone craving great Mexican/Chinese fusion with excellent service! read more

Read the reviews and was hesitant to come but we did and it was wonderful! Mexican food was top notch! Service was great!

Don't waste your money on this restaurant. It's horrible. Food is disgusting no flavor whatsoever. It's a buffet and they literally have 3 choices of food. Not even the fruit was good. The made to order tacos were a failure, raw meet not cooked well. Not going back ever. The server was nice that's the only good thing about the restaurant. read more

I really wanted to like it but it it was just not good. Sorry. The food was hot and edible but that's really all I can say. The service was great but can't make up for the lack of flavor. read more

My wife and we're excited to experience the new El Chino restaurant advertising Mexican and Chinese buffet, they did not disappoint. The food was very good, we'll kept buffet but wow!!! The service was amazing, El Chino had only been open for 7 days and already had it together. You NEED to try El Chino in Tyler, experience it for yourself. Good job guys. read more

Food was horrible and service was bad I won't recommend this place if I won't waste my time in give this establishment any business

It's been a long time since I've been this disappointed in a dining experience in Tyler. I was really looking forward to the opening and hoped for a good experience, but, alas, it just wasn't to be. The service was pretty good. The staff was friendly and quite efficient. Unfortunately, the food was really pretty bad. The Mexican food was bland and really quite stale. The enchiladas had been out so long the tortillas were too tough to cut with a fork. The refried beans were not much more than a gray watery bean flavored soup. The flautas, if that's what they were, were gummy. I tried a couple of the Chinese dishes and they were flat and bland. The worst part of the experience was the price. For what you pay for the basic lunch buffet along with a drink, you can go to just about any restaurant in town and get a really good meal. I'll be truly surprised if this place stays in business very long. read more