We LOVED the food and service here! It's one of the cleanest and most organized buffet we've been to. The haibachi was our favorite -- food was hot and spicy! Didn't love the sushi, but there's so much other food it didn't matter. read more

Visiting TX and decided to come here with a big group. Everyone ate well. Stomachs were okay after. Only thing that was not great was seeing a huge fly around the cold desserts. Prices were pretty standard. You pay upfront and get to stack up your plate however you want. Workers forgot my spot and what drink everyone ordered.. they eventually forgot my drink. Water and tea is made of pure tap water. It was an interesting experience. read more

Lin's Grand Buffet - Chinese Near Me - McAllen, Texas

I wanted to share our experience at Lin's Grand Buffet in McAllen, TX. My daughter wanted to her dad to eat for my birthday and decided to eat at Lin,s Grand Buffet in McAllen, TX off of Nolana. When entering the business, I approached the cashier, an older lady, and explained it was our first time at this establishment. And how did it work. Do we sit down and a waiter will assist us, do we pay first, then enter, etc... She looked at me and didn't answer me. I thought maybe she didn't understand English and ask her in Spanish. Again, she looked at me and didn't answer me. She then told me in a rude and aggressive manner, pay first. Which I politely thanked her and proceeded to pay. We entered the restaurant and there was a not a single table that was not dirty. The areas in the restaurant that did have clean tables were closed off. I proceeded to ask one of the employees if they could please clean a table, in which I was told in few minutes in very rude manner. Needless to say, we waited a few minutes and a table was cleaned. We proceeded to get our food and sat down to eat. The food was cold. I told the individual that was placing the food in trays in the serving area. Her response was it's not my fault its already late. It was only 7:00 PM that Sunday evening when we got there. The lady was also rude when I asked where the white rice was located. Her response was right over there; can't you see it. The only good thing out of our experience was our waitress was very attentive with our drinks. I usually don't give bad reviews on my dining out experiences but never again at this place of business. Sincerely, Ricardo Diaz read more

Wouldnt recommend, before i could even eat i had to hunt down the only available table there was hardly anywhere to sit, it was packed to the brim and had EXTREMELY loud music playing. the food selection really didnt make up for it, Other than the sushi which was good all of the other options were mediocre, like others are saying its all very bland. It all tasted pretty much the same with 0 seasoning and i lost my appetite after a bite or two. just overall not worth it there was people dumping their food on the tables And i saw the waitress scoop it off with her bare hands?? Just weird vibes and sub par food dont go read more

Why are many of my restaurant experiences trash lately??I asked this place for a refund in the spot as I fund myself in The bathroom vomiting before I had finished my first plate. Food poisoning is not pleasant, be warned. read more

Meh we paid $35 for two adults for lunch. And while I guess that isn't bad it wasn't worth the price in my eyes. When we arrived the parking lot was FULL! Good sign, I figured people love it and with so many people the buffet will be well stocked and rotated. While it was well stocked everything I got was less than warm, didn't taste good, and in general just wasn't worth the hype. I love the Lin's express so I was hoping I'd love this too, but it wasn't my jam. I'll try some of the other buffets in town before I make my way back here anytime soon. read more

This place was so bad that after I left I barely made it to fourth Street before I had to pull over and puke up all the 'food' that was consumed. 50$ up front, I won't ever be recommending anyone to eat there unless they wish to poison their date. Then go ahead have a blast, you may just killed them with food poisoning. I would have given them a negative 5 stars if I could have. read more

Food all tastes the same really no defining flavors. I tried hot and cold foods. I don't expect service at a buffet. But they have nuts in several deserts and I asked what the nut in a muffin was. They went and got someone who spoke English. I asked him. He said I don't know. I asked if he could ask and he simply turned around and walked off never to return. Servers should be able to ask about the food. It's clean. But I will not be back. Just simply not worth it. read more

Lin's Grand Buffet - Buffet area - Chinese Near Me - McAllen, Texas

"That tastes like the locker room smells!", said my daughter of 12. McAllen...RGV, I ask you...how, how is that a great burger joint like Fuddruckers or Drifters, went out of business?!? This place, for dinner, is $15/person. We are a family of 4.... $62.74, and we all left hungry. The food is sub-sub-par, textures are bad, food was cold. The subpar wanna-be Khan's grill area is bad as well, meat textures were awful. Most of the proteins were a congealed glob. Oh, and dessert...the chocolate pudding did not taste like chocolate. The tapioca pudding was . The sugar biscuits were burnt. They even put out store bought powdered donuts. ‍ Well, we will hopefully never be back. Good luck to them and I hope they can figure out how to improve the food. If they even actually care to do that... read more

People were nice. Food was average in quality some tasted good while other things tasted stale. Seems to be kind of not as clean as it should be. Maybe just the varnish on the tables . It seemed sticky. read more

Not sure how this place passes the health department inspection. It's so gross. Kitchen is filthy. Floor in the kitchen doesn't look like it's been properly scrubbed...ever. Smell of rotten food and B.o. read more

The food is moderately good, but not much authentic Chinese food. If you want food that taste good and fill up, then this is the spot. One compliment is that the food is hot. There is nothing worse than food that's been setting since a place opened. However, Lin's does an excellent job in changing out the trays. Kudos to them. My favorites are: the brisket, fried shrimp (oh so crunchy), fried fish, noddles, and the egg rolls. The actual "Chinese food" is about 70% tasty. I prefer getting the Mongolian noodles made like the restaurants in Los Angeles. I wish they add bok choy. What they do have is tasty. You pile your plate with fresh veggies, choice of meat (or no meat) and noodles. You hand it to the cook and he will cook it right in front of you. I recommend the Mongolian Sauce as it is not as salty as the soy or as sweet as the teriyaki. Add a kick of chili sauce of a spicy delight. Overall it is acceptable but not something I'd eat everyday. Unless I want to roll in and out. And it is on the pricey side for small children. read more

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We went here for dinner on Mother's Day. They had a good variety of food to choose from. As always, I enjoyed getting my food cooked on their Mongolian grill. My son enjoyed their pizza, chicken nuggets, and fries. And, my husband enjoyed their seafood selection. read more

Absolutely love this place, yes it may be pricey but worth paying every penny for , gets a little packed but food is ALWAYS! Great! And some employees are actually very nice and talkative like any waiter should be. I wish the building would get bigger but hopefully in time it will. read more

NOT the best place to go if your celebrating something. Not the resturaunt fault but usually there are careless parents who let their children wander around bumping into people. Food is good (though take a while to get refilled once it runs out) but some food leaves an oil taste. Only issue I have is the price, it's a bit pricey But overall good service! Totally recomend read more

Lins is just ok. Food was fair but all started tasting the same. I love hot and sour soup but theirs lacked the right seasoning which was very disappointing. The staff was great and stayed busy if not serving then wiping and cleaning. I might would go again but I'll continue to look for my style H&S soup. read more

My favorite chinese buffet in mcallen. Great food and excellent sushi bar, has be going back for more. Alittle on the pricey side however read more

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Went to this place and NEVER again!!! I got the urge for Wonton soup and ran into this DUMP!!! I should've left when no one spoke English. Sounds racist I know but, I'll explain my comment. The normal in Mexico, is below sub-standard. They want to set the bar here as they have it there! Very pricey ONLY to get the following. I went to the soups and saw a black coffee looking boiled water in the warmer. I asked one of the servers there, for the Wonton soup and she pointed to the black boiled water pot. I dipped the spoon and NO Wontons were in the soup. I asked if the Wontons were separate as many Chinese food restaurants do so. She told me she would bring some out. She DID NOT go to get them as she had stated and went about fixing the food trays in the warmers. A waiter was passing by so, I asked HIM if there were any Wontons for the soup. He responded "I don't know". Words that I feel should NEVER come out of food service workers. About 10 minutes after I asked the first waitress regarding the Wontons, here she comes carrying another black boiled water pot. She placed it on the warmer. I again asked her for the Wontons, she dipped the ladle to the bottom of the pot and scooped up a Wonton. I moved the black water around and managed to fish out 3, yes 3 Wontons out of the gallon sized pot. As I grabbed a soup bowl to get my 3 Wontons, it was FILTHY!!! Rice stuck to the bottom and all around the bowl. I looked at 4 bowls before I decided the last one would be the cleanest of the bunch. I got some French fried onions and batter fried shrimp which both looked golden brown. When I tasted both items, they tasted like they had been deep fried in the oil of a tractor trailer's Diesel engine!!!! They tasted like the oil had been in the fryer for a mere several decades!!! Fed up with the lack of service and god-awful food, I tried to get some ice cream but decided NOT to even open the cooler as my fingers got stuck to gummy feeling goo from the handle before I could even open it! Disappointed, I decided to leave the below sub-standard establishment!?!?! I went to the cashier and told her about the FILTH all over the restaurant. She asked me if I had complained to my waiter. I asked her if the waiter was going to clean up all the deficiencies I had pointed out to her in minutes. I left without making a fuss but, this needs to be available to anyone who plans to go there. 2 hours after half ass eating the little food I served myself, I can still taste the heavy burnt oil used for frying!!! I clicked on one star rating as the app will NOT accept a ZERO star rating. read more

We came here for lunch - You pay at before the meal and seat yourself. Food was passible and it is all you can eat. Because of Covid, plastic utensils and disposable chopsticks, and you get a plastic glove to get your food. We are from the San Francisco Bay Area where these type of buffets abound, but we do not know Texas standards. For variety, very minimal - everything is smaller (but a relatively small dining area as well. I guess chicken is cheap, so they had several dishes of chicken. Sushi variety was lacking. Tables were sticky and could use a good washing. Plates were not too clean either. But, it was cheap costing around $40 for two seniors and two adults - almost half the price of California. They did have crawdads, but no clams, blue crab, duck, or the variety of desserts we are accustomed to. The food is in food tables which are refilled. If you want fresh go with the Mongolian barbeque where they fry it fresh for you (Just a comment, but Mongolian barbeque is not Mongolian - it is as American as fortune cookies, pizza and crispy tacos). In our travels, we have been often told that restaurants cater to their customer, and authentic food may not suit the local palate. Lin's has multiple locations in Arizona and Texas, so they are apparently doing something right, and there are numerous Panda's in the RGV. Better to serve the people what they want. Serving chicken feet, trotters, jellyfish and the like would probably gross out the locals, and even I have difficulty eating blue crab. I thought their enchiladas were pretty good though. read more

While the selection of food was great. The taste was just so blan I've had better tasting water then most of the food they had here. It honestly felt like everything was boiled and then the water was tossed out, to be reboiled to ensure there was no flavor. Would not recommend this place. read more

STAY AWAY! I went here with my family for lunch. The food was disgusting. Everything was either cold, unseasoned, or both. The egg drop and the hot and sour soup tasted nothing but just pure oil. The fried shrimp and fried fish tasted like it was cooked in rancid and burnt oil. Any other fried food we ate was dry and tasteless. The meat quality is is very poor. I'm extremely disappointed and if I could give it a zero star, I would. read more

The choices were so amazing that you could eat there for 5 days and never have the same thing twice. Everything was freshly made. The vegetables were not overcooked. The fruit was also great. They also had a mongolian grill section, which I could not take advantage of because I was too full! You must try the shrimp (any way they have it), and the chicken teriyaki as well as the BBQ chicken. Can't say enough good things about this place! read more

Never come close to closing time. They actually bring out the mop bucket smelling of heavy fabuloso mop detergent. They mop the floor while you're eating and if you're close they'll hit you with the mop on your feet and not apologize. Come during day and the food is great. read more

Very disappointing. Most of the food had little flavor, very simple. Very crowded because they refused to open the top area. Will be awhile if I return. read more

Wow!! Wow!!! Wow!!! Awesome place! Beautiful resterant! Amazing food! So much to choose from! Tons and tons of food! Everything was wonderful!! On the weekends they even have the Mongolian steak on the grill made fresh as you order by the chef. And lots of seafood on the buffet. Our waiter was so nice and friendly. We were a party of 6......2 adults and 4 kids. .....he must have refilled our drinks 50 times. Can't say enough about this place!! We will be back often!! read more

Had a great time with my painting group's monthly luncheon yesterday...7 of us this time. Great waitor keeping our drinks filled & plates cleared. Maybe it was the early time but some of the food could've been hotter (temperature wise)...but selection was large & varied. Look forward to trying it for dinner. read more

THIS PLACE SUCKED!!!!!!! The food is absolutely horrible. I wish I could give this place less than a star- not to mention that the price for an adult to eat is $10.99/ SERIOUSLY?? RIP OFF!!!!!!! I came here just expecting regular tasting food as I not picky but I CANT NOT BELIEVE HOW HORRIBLE THIS PLACE IS!!!!! Not to mention the women's restroom smells like Shi*!!!!!! From everyone wiping their as*es and just throwing it in the trash can. Really people?? For $10.99 a plate to eat garbage I'm sure you can afford an air freshener for the bathroom. I had people dining with me here today and they all said the same thing. Horrible, disgusting, food. I left here wanting to vomit for eating the food. I WILL NOT BE COMING BACK TO THIS S HOLE- read more

This place serves a wide variety of Chinese-American food, sushi, and desserts. Most of the food is delicious, considering it's a $10 buffet. Food is fresh, the right temperature, and frequently refilled. I like the kung pao chicken, brisket, salmon, lo mein, crab rangoon, and fried shrimp. There's also a salad bar, Mongolian grill, and ice cream. I don't know what the other reviewer was talking about, because the whole restaurant is probably the cleanest buffet I've been to, and the restrooms are nice. Friendly service. Give this place a try! read more

They have many choices, the standard Chinese buffet dishes, plus a few American dishes (pizza, some BBQ). We appreciate that they use stoneware dishes, not the cheap melamine that others use. But the dining room has a funky, dirty smell that is unpleasant. They recently had a not-so-great health inspection report. I hope they will clean the place thoroughly so that we might go eat there again. After all, for $10 per person (full price applies also to children 10 years and older) we should expect a clean, pleasant place to eat. read more

As we arrived, the parking wasn't so great; but as we entered they served us quickly. The food was sublime and was freshly made, as for the service; it was constant and polite, great employees. For a $10 buffet it was a great deal, I highly recommend this restaurant for a good non expensive meal. read more

Lin's Grand Buffet - Chinese Near Me - McAllen, Texas

Lyn's buffet in my opinion is the best oriental buffet in town. Consistently great food, with lots of variety. The Mongolian grill and Sushi bar included sends it over the top. read more

This is the worst place in McAllen to eat. Got back to the table with my plate, a baby roach bug crawled out of the rice!! Ask for the manager, not on site. So they refunded our money & said this seems to happen every time after pest control comes!! The worst !!! read more

This is the best place in the area we found for Chinese food. There was a great selection on the buffet & the staff was friendly we will definitely keep this place on our restaurant list read more

Lots of choice. Sushi bar and Mongolian grill. We were happy. We were eight and sat at a big round table.

I really like their Mongolian grill and their buffalo chicken wings. The rest of the food is alright.

Crawfish is good and the crab is even better. Small variety of sushi but it's good. I love the hot Cheeto crumbles that go on sushi. Takes the sushi to another level. Mongolian grill is below average and the Chinese dishes are average at best. Other than the crab, there's nothing else that stands out. read more

Meh. Actual Chinese food not that good. Hot & sour soup a fail. Really wanted to like this place. Fine if you prefer quantity over quality.

This used to be our spot when we lived in Brownsville. it's changed some. Still a lot of selection, but it seems that it's gotten different items over time. My kids didn't like it much. My friend that joined us didn't feel well after our lunch. I'm not feeling so good right now, but it's been a full day now and I felt fine afterwards, so I don't know if related. I probably would try mcallen/Edinburg next time. Out has higher reviews read more

First time here. Everything is old and cold. Servers response: we are slow so it doesn't get changed! So because it's slow I get cold, crappy, old food. I enjoyed 3 halves of hard boiled eggs for $11.49. NEVER AGAIN. I'd have come back if the waitress would have responded differently. read more

Food was cold and old on the buffet line so I opted for mongolian grill instead. The cook didn't understand much English at all. wasn't an Asian in site. Only Mexicans who don't speak English. He didn't cook the shrimp separate from the rest of the good first even though I had it perfectly separated for him. He also lied and said he added the sauces but did not. He cooked my plate for total of maybe 40 seconds. Closer to 30 seconds. When I told him the food wasn't cooked and the shrimp was raw and I was going to make another plate and if he could cook the shrimp separate he took my plate and through out back on the grill. so I then tried sweet and sour chicken and poured some sweet and sour sauce on it. Well it wasn't sweet and sour sauce it was pink water. So last I tried the sushi. The rice used to make the sushi was not the sticky Asian rice you usually see on sushi but instead short white rice. All together the food was terrible. read more

Lin's Grand Buffet - Chinese Near Me - McAllen, Texas