Very good dish, with a lots of food choices. The fish tastes great! There are plenty of sushi with different flavors. I also like the fruits, grapes in particular. Also, to my surprise, there are oysters. There are also ice creams! Highly recommended read more

Maybe I just came on a bad day, I don't know. The staff was nice, the place was clean, the price was good, the place looked very nice, and there was a large variety of food. Despite all of that, In feel like the food was mediocre at best. Everything seemed dry and bland. I felt like the sushi didn't have enough rice vinegar in it. The lo mein tasted like it was frozen, and the sesame chicken was FLOATING in sauce. The teriyaki chicken was crispy in a "has been under the heat lamp for hours and not replaced like it should've been 2 hours ago" kind of way. On top of that, I couldn't even taste anything. It just tasted like. Like dried up chicken. It was very sad. The coconut shrimp didn't taste like coconut shrimp either. It tasted like celery and cleaning supplies. Which was concerning. The crab Rangoon wasn't even sweet :( In my opinion, the best thing to eat there was the drinks and fortune cookie. But then again, maybe I just has a bad day because everyone seems to like this place. I gave it 3 stars instead of 2 for good customer service, good atmosphere and cleanliness, and good variety. read more

Food is fine: Sushi a little dry, the other food is like in regular China Buffet exept they have a big choice of tasty fruits. Interior is great: Everything is new and neat. read more

Went in around 1PM, and the food was not fresh. They also didn't bother to fill out fresh made mashed potatoes and gravy the time I was there. The server we had didn't seem to care. read more

I'm catty, but I hate to write negative reviews... this place garners it, though. Upon arriving I noticed that this place LOOKS absolutely amazing. It is the most beautiful looking buffet I have ever visited. The decorations and lighting scream "new age tokyo" from from to back. I went there for nothing but Sushi, to be honest, and found myself disappointed by the texture and taste of their sushi. I've had worse, but, I can't attest to them being a great source of Sushi. The fish was generally bland and the avo was completely squishy. But, it filled its place. The rest of the food I tried tended to be full of fatty chunks, flavored with the generic spices and fill whatever niche you'd expect. The BEST thing about this place? The Mongolian BBQ style flat grill they have. That is, for me, the only reason ever to go back. The Buffet food wasn't bad, but the only thing setting Imperial apart from other buffets is their Mongolian BBQ section. read more

This place always has a great variety of foods to choose from! I will say that their food seemed a little greasy but was still really good. I usually head straight for the sushi options and grab tons of sashimi. There are also usually some "exotic" options like frog legs and such. I guess it's technically a Chinese / Asian buffet but there are plenty of other options if you don't like that cuisine. Price is also very reasonable with a student discount available! read more

Best coconut shrimp ever! This buffet is HUGE! Tons of variety. They also have a grill chef on hand to create your own meals. Sushi isn't my thing but i hear itms great too. Sadly, your server doesn't speak english so asking what you are eating isn't something they can answer. They have NO idea. They also run out of hot tea pots frequently so if you order, expect a mig without a pot, last time i even got a water cup with HOT tea. Not wise. But the food makes up for the weird read more

I went at night to enjoy the Crab Legs. I see they post pictures but I was told they would not be serving it as it was too expensive. I paid $15 which was the discounted senior rate but was very disappointed. Other than that they have good food read more

Such a great place. It's a little pricey, but the food selection is fantastic. Fresh sushi, lots of vegetable dishes, the meats out for slicing are cooked perfectly. Always fresh crab legs - my favorite. Dessert selection is also very nice. There's a big cooler with many different types of pies and cakes. Service is friendly and prompt. Also, I think you get free hot tea, as I haven't been charged the past couple of times I've ordered it. One of my favorite places in town. read more

$6.99 for lunch is not bad, and that's about the only time I'd go. Went for a late Sunday lunch and that was a mistake at $13 since I really didn't want to stuff myself. There's a lot of buffet standards like fried foods and weird dessert concoctions (Oreo pudding?) on the bar, and Imperial Buffet has an advantage over the other places in that they have a good stir-fry setup. And extra points for some dim sum items like my personal favorite shumai. Sushi selection is limited but satisfactory to my limited palate -- mostly rolls and some small amount of nigiri. My companion got white tuna, and they were tiny. (If you're just getting into sushi and are afraid of wasabi, don't worry -- it's served separately). Service is hit-or-miss -- on a few occasions I wanted to say something about waitstaff's manners, but it's a buffet. read more

Very good! It's the best and biggest buffet. Excellent Chinese buffet with sushi and Mongolian BBQ. Love this place! read more

See all

Went to Imperial Buffet this evening for dinner with friends. There were 8 in our group and they were able to accommodate us quickly. Our drink orders were taken quickly--no Coke products, sad!! Everything I tried was great. The stuffed mushrooms have lots of crabmeat, not just a bunch of breading. The crab legs were hot and plentiful. Catfish (whole, not filets--hooray!) were large, but not strong tasting. The butter potatoes needed a little salt, but that's easily accomplished and I had rather add my own salt than have something too salty. Boiled shrimp was very good and not overcooked. Oysters on the half shell were fresh and briney, just like they should be (please put the saltines closer to the oysters...they were hard to find). Desserts were mediocre, but who has much room for dessert anyway with all that good food? We'll be back! read more

This place has pretty great Chinese. My only complaint was the temperature. It was so hot the sat next to the thermostat and it read 75 degrees. Other than that, pretty good place and very clean. read more

"that's some fat $hit" is all I can hear in my head as I'm writing this review! Haha. Yes, I'm acknowledging I came to this buffet. I'm over it (kinda). I was meeting my parents and older brother as a halfway point between their house in southern IL and my place in Chicago. I also went to ISU so any chance to come back and check out my former 5 year place of residence is always nice. My dad requested a "schmorgasboard". I knows it's actually smörgåsbord but hey, it's all in how my dad says it! So after finding that my favorite college Chinese buffet had closed we came across this place. It was not a let down! Tons of yummy Chinese and American options on the buffet. I only found two things that scared me, the ribs and some sort of cheese fish ball combo. Gross. read more

Now, remember- three stars means ok. It's buffet and all that implies. I have gone once, and will probably not go back. It smells fishy when you walk in, with an overwhelming fried overtone...again, my opinion. Selection is WIDE- there is a TON of food there. There is a place where you pick your ingredients and they cook it to order, so a bit healthier than the fried aisle of insanity. It gets CROWDED, but everything seems really well stocked. They serve pepsi- a plus read more

As Chinese buffets go, this one is pretty good. They have a wide variety of food, both Asian and American. We come for the shrimp. Tonight there was also prime rib and crab legs. You can get a fresh stir fry too. The price is reasonable at $12.95 a person for dinner. Of course that means lots of kids running around. read more

I get a chuckle at people who expect this to be a great sushi or Mongolian Bbq place. It's a buffet! They do the buffet well. Veggies are fresh, wide variety of beef and chicken options. They also have added in a few very authentic Chinese options. No complaints from me and I have dined here over thirty times. Great lunch spot in BloNo. read more

A newly opened buffet brings you a big variety of Chinese/Asian style food. I especially like them because they have a counter for authentic Chinese food, so don't miss it if that is what you are looking for. The services are good, and I don't feel being watched. read more

Lunch specials are $8.79 not including tip with a great variety that will please about anyone there. The Sushi is my favorite. Prepared right in front of you and almost always fresh. I remember feeling ill one time long ago but you can easily get value with a couple plates of Sushi. Mongonlian plates are there as well and I even tried chicken feet and the crawfish. They also have your standard chinese food fair, pizza, ice cream and a full fruit and salad bar as well. The food always has been fresh there and we are always seated right away. It is a great place to meet at lunch with coworkers and fill up for a sleepy afternoon in the office. read more

Food was really good but our waitress was slow. She got our drink order wrong and then we had to walk around to find someone else to fix it and then do that again for refills. Seriously though, the food is delicious and the BBQ beef was YUMMY! On a side note, the music they play will put you to sleep about the same way a Thanksgiving turkey will. Way too relaxing. read more

Not a fan of this place. We went there for dinner. Went shortly after 5. Food was lukewarm and some of the food tasted like it had been sitting there since lunch. Not worth the $65 tab for 3 kids and 3 adults. read more

I rarely go to a buffet. However, I was out of town and thought let's look for something fast. I looked on YELP, and again, rarely do you see a buffet with four stars. I'll make it quick. There were many choices. Many items were limited and cold. The price was $14.00 per person, drinks separate. Typical buffet factory with too many low quality bland food items. There are several other options in the area that I am sure are much much better. read more

Price: $11.99 per person for dinner Of the two chinese buffet places in the BloNo area, Imperial has been regarded as the upper-scale establishment. The two highlights of the restaurant is the habachi grill and sushi with a dedicated chef at each station. The rest is as-you-expected chinese buffet with all the popular Hunan and Szechuan style dishes we enjoy (general tso, orange, sesame, etc...). They also have an assortment of american-style dishes which include pizza, fries, meatballs, wings, and mac and cheese. Additionally, there is a full-range salad bar and desert counter (gluttons rejoice)...only in America and maybe the UK. There's also a counter for culter food that only real asian people eat (chicken feet, steamed red bean puff thingy, etc...) Decor is really nice if you're located in the middle of restaurant. The outer tables are booths and less appealing. Restaurant is clean, feels clean (as much as a buffet restaurant can be) and the waitresses are kind and prompt. Bring your kids. The food is actually pretty good, but there's a ton of salt in everything. read more

I love this food, I've been in many restaurants, I tried this one to celebrate my grandmas birthday.. service was good, clean, and many varieties to choose from when talking about food. But my stomach was hurting really bad the next day, I almost had to leave school. I believe the problem was the chicken sense it was waaay hard to chew. read more

This a good quality Chinese buffet. My opinion is that you should go during dinner with the grill and do that you will with meat or veggies. Crab rangoons are a favorite in those buffets read more

My family and I always go to this place because the food is fairly good and my brother and I love sushi but one of the main reasons why I'm going to stop coming to eat here is because of the sushi maker with the ponytail. Every time he sees my brother and I he always stares at us the whole entire time we are eating. Tonight he walked by our table slow and stares at my brother my mother and me then he says something in there native language and starts to laugh then previous times when we ate here he was eyeing my sister up and down. It pisses me off that this guy makes my dinner visit so uncomfortable. Another reason I hate this place is because when they get the fresh food they throw all the old cold food on top of the fresh ones. And if I recall correctly that's against health code if the cold food isn't as hot as the fresh food!! read more

The Imperial Buffet is hands down the best Chinese Buffet in Bloomington / Normal, if not McLean County. The restaurant itself is fairly spacious and decently decorated : seating is also comfortable, which is important to me personally since I'm 6'4 and I take up a lot of space. The waitstaff is usually pretty responsive; quick refills and I've never had to ask more than once for the check. The range of available food is always excellent; it's got all the favorites of the 'Take-out Menu Aficionado', as well as a few unexpected departures (like Pepper Steak made with actual cubed steak). The Mongolian Grill - basically a Hibachi cook with less fan-fare and a different name - is an impressive addition, especially to a buffet style restaurant. Pick what you want, hand it to the fellow and wait for a few moments while he makes the magic happen. Also, for a place that isn't actually a sushi place? They have a good selection of roll varieties, as well as traditional sushi - mostly imitation crab, cooked shrimp, raw tuna, and raw salmon. The only remote problem with the restaurant is the pricing, which seems to fluctuate vastly between the weekends, dinner hours, and weekday lunch rush. It's the same selection of food no matter when you show up, but if you do so on Tuesday at 1 in the afternoon, you'll save about $5 / head. That aside? Great food, good price, comfortable place - you want a Chinese Buffet with a bit of extra oomph, this is the one to go with. read more

In my constant pursuit of great Americanized Chinese food, I must say this place was on the money! The selection was more than generous with a few things you almost never see at other buffets. All the usual favorites were delicious, crab legs that were actually edible and not sitting in water for hours, and whole-baked flounder that was outstanding! They also have a Mongolian grill which was very good, and a nice assortment desserts. The building looks nice and the interior was pleasing to the eye, and most importantly the bathrooms were clean. With the delicious food and the passed bathroom test, this goes to the top of my Bloomington Normal Chinese eateries. read more

Love this place. Truly. It's a gem. I am also really psyched on the lights above the buffet changing color. Ok...yeah, I admit that may just be me. You walk in and are seated. The waitress takes your drink order. Then.....it's buffet time. Now, most people are simple "get a plate and eat" people. They pick out the few things that look good and if still hungry, they go back to try something else. It's called "buffet prioritization" and it will serve you well here, grasshopper. Learn from it. Sometimes you run into the "I have to try a little of everything" type person. Don't do it! I am warning you now, you will surely explode. Literally. No one wants exploding entrails on their plate of sushi so please, just calm down. Pace yourself. You can go as many times as you want. Strategy is important. Sometimes you run into the "yes, I know it's a buffet but I only want this one thing. I can do that. I paid for it". This customer, observed in his native habitat here, is almost always seen with crab legs. I refer to this type as the "hunkered down eater". They usually sit in a rather hunkered down position over their plate of crab legs, as though some brazen crab leg bandit is going to zip by in an attempt to snatch the aforementioned food and said eater is in a position to provide resistance and defense with his elbows. My theory is that if you eat a pound or two of crab legs here, you save money than eating the same amount at someplace that specializes in seafood. On the other hand, eating crab legs takes some effort and perhaps their doctors told them to get exercise and this kills two birds with one stone, so to speak. Who knows. I observe. I don't judge. The crab legs are quite excellent though. Another type of diner is the kind I find most amusing. They are people who walk by and say "what is THAT!?!" OR "eww, what IS this?!?". Now, there are signs above each and every dish but perhaps the person cannot read. Sometimes, there is just a "nope, nope, nopity, nope, nope, nope" and the person moves on. Inevitably this person fills their plate with roast beef, mac and cheese, baked potato, shrimp cocktail etc etc. This is the "I am a Midwestern eater who does not stray far from moms type of cooking" customer. No shame in that. I know many. Imperial covers you and children as well. Now, the final kind of buffet eater is the "What in the hell is that....let me take some". This is me. I have learned I love frog legs. Octopus dunked in cocktail sauce. Crawfish I do not care for and sushi is grand. I am addicted to their jalapeño chicken, coconut shrimp and string beans. I also dig mixing their Jello and ice cream (it's an Irish thing, leave me alone). I have discovered though, quite by accident, that one should take teeny tiny bites of the cakes. I once snarfed down a piece of cake I thought was caramel (they are tiny pieces) only to discover it was butterscotch and I am terrified of butterscotch. The resultant facial contortions and wild gesticulations caused a server to look on in concern, then ask if I was ok. Scraping my tongue with a butter knife and rubbing ice cream on it like salve did little to help but the server was nice to be concerned. Her continued monitoring of me was comforting though ok, proof I am a little over the top in my reaction to butterscotch. My buddy who loves butterscotch though said it was great (the cake....not my reaction) In short, this place is well done, has good service, has food for the picky, the stubborn, the child, the explorer etc. You will not leave hungry. Your drinks never run dry (the servers are Johnny on the spot) On a side note, when my father was alive he loved this restaurant and we would bring him in his wheel chair, my mother pushing him while I dipped his plate. It was very easy to maneuver him around inside the restaurant. I often see wheelchairs at the buffet so this place is truly wheelchair friendly. read more

I went there twice last week for lunch and dinner. Both experiences were great. There are about 7 sections of food: Mongolia BBQ, sushi, Chinese food (dim sum too!), main dishes, salad bar/fruits, soups and desserts. The food selections were great, the place is clean also, the service is good too. Food wise, I especially like the Mongolia BBQ, main dishes and sushi. Their roast duck, fried frog legs, and steam salmon are a must. Their seafood were pretty good too, I was pretty happy with their vegetable selections as well, usually, you will only be able to find green beans in Chinese buffets, but they have several kinds of vegetables to pick from. However, I didn't get chance to eat desserts, because I ate too much food and don't have room for it. Personally, I like this buffets more than Ming's. I would definitely recommend you visit this place. read more

The food was really good, with lots of options ranging from traditional Chinese to Mongolian BBQ made-to-order. The hostess/cashier was incredibly polite (and cute too!), and the server kept the table clean and drinks filled. I'm sure my colleagues and I will return soon. read more

Stopped here for the first time tonight. Top quality food and great hibachi grill with lots to choose from. Great service, just a great place to eat for variety. I didn't expect great beef roast but that's what we got and good auju too. Keep up the good work! read more

This restaurant has good food, however they are not good about keeping the floors by their serving stations clean. I was having lunch there with a friend and slipped in some water on the floor next to one of the stations. I fell and hit my forehead hard on the floor and broke my glasses. There were many witnesses plus my friend saw this. I was in pain and very shaken up and upset. The manager came. When I told him I had slipped in water, he was very apologetic and said they would pay for any medical bills and replace my broken glasses. He also did not charge us for our lunch which was nice. I left my name and phone number with him and told him I would be in touch. Luckily I had a pair of prescription sunglasses with me so I was able to drive home. When I got home, I had four bumps and bruising on my forehead. I called my doctors office and spoke to a nurse. After talking with her at length, she said it was doubtful I had a concussion so I did not go into their office. I returned the next day to get a statement in writing that they would replace my glasses like they promised before I went to the eye doctor. They told me they had contacted their insurance company and they couldn't do that because it wasn't their policy. They did not give me the name of the insurance company or a contact person. Also, they were speaking amongst themselves in their native language. When I asked them to speak English so I could understand, they said they couldn't because not everyone understood English, so I really was kept in the dark about what they were discussing. In short, they lied to me and did not follow through on their promise to replace my glasses which are broken through their negligence. I do not have any vision insurance and now have to try to come up with the money to replace a $650 pair of glasses, all because of a puddle on the floor that they did not mop up. My advice to you is that if you go there, watch your step to make sure the floors are clean and dry. One other thing, they did not offer to fill out an incident report which I understand is standard procedure in these types of accidents. I have to admit I was so shaken up I didn't think about it later. So again, it's their word against mine that I actually slipped in water (they are lying if they say I didn't. I doubt their insurance would have paid this under any circumstances because of the deductible. These glasses should be replaced out of their regular restaurant funds which they promised to do. I will never return to this restaurant again and will be telling my friends how they treat their customers. read more

I have eaten here several times and for the price. I will keep going back. Love the many options they have. And plenty of deserts to enjoy. I'm jokked on their peanut butter chicken love that stuff. read more

I think the best thing I ate was a dinner roll. Food is not even lukewarm, Tried from different parts of buffet thinking maybe part of the table shorted out. Everything fried is sitting in grease, and looks soggy. Went to get some sushi, avocado was dark brown. read more

Very good selection. The Mongolian has the widest variety in the area (includes water chestnuts and bamboo shoots). Everything was somewhat fresh except the dessert peanuts. read more

As soon as you walk in it smells . . . not pleasant . . . just fishy and dirty, which is no bueno for a new restaurant. I will say that it does look clean and the decor is not bad. We were quickly seated and went up to the buffet. They have all of the typical items, a dessert bar, salad bar, pizza, fried appetizers, sushi, and the chinese favorites. I had a try of the orange chicken, beef and broccoli, lo mein, and some sushi pieces. The sushi was okay, however the chinese items that I tried were terrible! Over sauced, bland, greasy, and with tough meat. I also had some chilled shrimp cocktail and spat it out as it was rubbery and favorless. Yuck. My boyfriend liked the pizza . . . My advise is if you want a Chinese buffet to stick with Mings, way better tasting for about the same choice in items. read more

My family drove here from champaign for sunday dinner, a bit pricey but definitely worth it! We paid $15 a person but you get unlimited sushi, seafood, steak and everything else! Sushi itself is worth what we paid. The restaurant was clean, updated, nice and bright! All the food was fresh and a big selection!! We definitely will be coming back!! read more

Upscale Chinese buffett that is clean and most of the food is above average. My favorites are the Hot and Sour soup, peanut chicken, pepper steak, and for dinner they have crab legs and prime rib. Prices are 9 bucks for lunch buffet and 14 for dinner higher than some but good deal for the quality. Sushi is usually fresh and they have a mongolian bba area. Wait staff is usually prompt as well refilling drinks and taking dishes. One area that is always subpar seems to be their fruit the cantelope, pineapple, and musk melon are rarely ripe and hard. Disappointing as those are my favorite dessert items vs the sugar filled cakes and pastries. We keep coming back for the good stuff here. read more

Really love this place. Service is always excellent, and the food is always fresh. When I visit the buffet area, they always have multiple items I can eat. And it's good food, too! read more