Where is a good but not overly expensive place to get perviously mentioned food... buffet would be nice, but not neccacary.

Directions would be helpful too... keep in mind i'm from well look at my location and you know....

i like Panda Express....not really a buffet...if your looking for a buffet The Mandarian House is what I would go for.....also for those willing to spend a little extra money....on western avenue there is a charming little place next to the two barber shops....hope that was of some help.


Antika

Thanks, that was very helpful.. I've been meaning to try Panda Express actually. So thanks.

I'm sorry, but I think Mandarin House sucks ass. To be blunt. Their egg-drop soup is usually cold and thin and tastes like gelatin (dissolved horse/cow bones). Every time I have been there, something I like has been made too cold. And the waitstaff takes about 3 minutes after your glass is empty to ask you if you need a refill. Hence, I never intend to go there again.
I usually dislike chinese buffets. But if you are wanting some fairly decent ones, you can try:
BQ's Asian Grill, its on Kingston Pike just east of Beaden High School/ Disc Exchange... I think its the Gallaher View Exit of I-40.
B Q Asian Grill
or
#1 China Buffet - Its a little hard to get to, because of the road work, but it is at the intersection of Papermill Dr. and Weisgarber Rd.
#1 China Buffet
Both are pretty good for buffets.
If you want good and cheap (esp. before 4 PM) Chinese food. Try Szechuan Garden. They make good Egg-Drop and Wonton Soup almost all the time.
Szechuan Garden Yum. Anyway, good luck!

i never had any problem with the mandarin house on merchants drive but the latest i have ever gone was like 730 so who knows?

yeah, i go to the one on merchants atleast 3 times a month....as far as the egg drop soup...i love it.....i have atleast 2 bowl fulls every time...and the lemon chicken is soooo yummy!

I'm really into Japanese food, which I know is totally different, but if you want to try it go to Sakura beside Books A Million on Kingston Pike. Go and sit a a regular table at lunch. I havn't done Hibatchi (sp?) there yet because their lunch box specials are sooo good. Get the Terayaki (sorry I spell worse than my 4 year old) salmon, it's like 6.95 and comes with Miso Soup and salad with Ginger dressing. And a few other items.

Soooo gooood.

There were quite a few that opened up recently and actually delivered but they are all now closed (they were open for about a month) Panda and PF have the best quality but you will pay for it, I would not go to BQ with a gun to my head, ate there once and was holding back vomit before I even finished my meal, I only stayed longer because the pain kept me in a bend over position, they fail every inspection (with scorse like 38 and 40) and tend to be closed every other week because of this, There is maderin but quality is LOW but at least no violent chuckage. I haven't tryed the new place next to books amilion (it use to be contonhouse, THE best chinesse that was in knoxville, $3.50 for a HUGE meal, guess thats why it went out of business). Some times the little places in strip malls and such are actually really good. China Wok in Seymour is has some really great stuff, and china dragon (not the one in the woodson mall) up in lafollette actually has some diferent recipies than you normally get (they have the same name but they make them different some how).

BQ's Has never been closed, much less every other week closed, as far as I know. I live right down the street, and Boo and I thoroughly enjoy eating there, and have never become sick from eating there.

What did you have?

It was my first time there so I got a little bit from each section and it has been closed, I drove past it and it was empty and the windows were covdered ( I cheered for a very long time, thinking finally a horrible place in knoxville gets closed instead of being voted best in knoxville). a few days later I was told it was open again. Three weeks later it got a 38 food ispection (mandatory closing) two weeks later a 42. A week after that it either won or got honrible mention in Metro pulses best of Knoxville

Ok I have worked in restuarants as mgmt for pretty much all my adult life.....It takes a hell of alot of mistakes to score under 70 and half of the health inspectors give you leway but i dont think i would ever eat at a restaurant that scored under 50 more than once... prolly never eat at one that scored under 68 for that matter...

But at least 2 known serious low scores in a year? Do they speak or read any English? Sorry I prefer my digestion system to be in working order not acting tempermental.

As for the china place in Lafollette it is really good..... but why would you be in that neck of the woods?

family

OMG my son and his father's family live there.

Ok, I formally retract my statement about Mandarin House . The one on Merchant's Drive is pretty good. I still think the other one sucks, though.
The whole "pain in the intestinal system" is why I generally avoid buffets in the first place. I have had ok experiences at the places I mentioned earlier, but overall, I would still rather pay less and get a meal I know I will enjoy (plus be able to take home the left-overs), than risk the ever-changing buffet quality. Unless, of course, I have enough money for one meal, and have all day to stay there and read, while I digest.
I was sad when Canton closed. I do agree that the Japanese restaurant there is pretty good. The koi are cute. And the lunch meal price is pretty decent. Its a little different taste than Chinese, but the miso soup isn't bad. I hate the ginger salad dressing though. The teriyaki chicken or beef isn't bad. The rice and leftover sauce are good together too.

I love most asian fare, and Chinese is no exception. What you want to avoid in most cases is unfortunately just what you are looking for: The Buffet.

If you are looking for a good restaurant, you should be ordering off the menu in any case - No one expects a primo steak at Barnhill's do they? I mean a buffet is OK, but you shouldn't expect excellent fare from one. Sadly, I have yet to find a Chinese place I really like in Knoxville. I ordered mu shu pork from one place and they served it with tortillas - Philistines. I judge a Chinese restaurant by their hot and sour soup and potstickers. If those suck, I don't go back.

One place I have had a lot of success with here is Taste of Thai, located near the Best Buy off of Kinston Pike. I've had several appetizers and entrees, and the tom ka gai is some of the best I have ever had. You can regulate the spice as you like it - I've found a medium "3" has enough of a kick for me. It is a bit more expensive than typical Chinese, but Thai generally is. You are also getting a much better meal than the swill served at pricey places like Giant Panda and PF Chang, who both serve bland americanized Chinese.

I ordered mu shu pork from one place and they served it with tortillas

Every chinese restaurant I've ever been to does this. Unless you mean they busted out some kroger-bought taco bell style tortillas.

Alur006 wrote:

I ordered mu shu pork from one place and they served it with tortillas

Every chinese restaurant I've ever been to does this. Unless you mean they busted out some kroger-bought taco bell style tortillas.

Bingo. Not the Chinese pancakes...Tortillas. It was a place down in Lenoir City. Don't recall the name.

The absolute best chinese that I have ever eaten was from Super Mandarin. It's not the same as the Mandarin House. They only have two locations. One is in Halls, on Maynardville Pike in the Halls Plaza across the street from Wal-mart. It's in a stand alone building that used to be a bank. The other one is somewhere on Cherry St. or in that area. I have not been to that one yet. Anyway, I like the food there alot, they do have a buffet but I generally prefer to order from the menu. There's hardly a dish over 10 bucks and the servings are massive. I hope this helps someone in the search for good chinese food

Hi I'm a er who wastes the bandwidth of this forum trying to push pills via online Rx's, I also no respect for this community or the owners of this site.

*edited by bone