Imperial China Buffet

I think at this point we’re all in agreement that «Chinese» food is basically just «American» food prepared by Chinese people.
That being said, I like Chinese food, a lot. I’m not saying I eat it every week, but when I do eat it, I’m pretty fussy about it. I’ve blacklisted numerous Chinese places in the area for nothing more than a soggy rangoon, or a mushy noodle. One of the great things about this place is their ability to keep everything consistent, every time. With a buffet of this size, it has to be a challenge to keep everything on point, but they pull it off, every time.
The buffet is expansive, and has just about every type of Chinese food that you can imagine. I can confidently say that I’ve tried 90% of it and never hated anything. I’m admittedly about 80% various meats most of the time, and not heavy into anything with seafood or veggies or anything, but I do make it a point to taste stuff… simply because it’s a buffet. And everything has always tasted good.
That being said, listen people… I shouldn’t have to tell you to NOT eat Sushi at a Buffet, but I’m going to anyway. Don’t eat the Sushi. If that’s your thing, go across the street to Sakura. On the flip side though, the Hibachi service here is actually pretty awesome and a cool way to get that Hibachi feel without the whole rigmarole of sitting in a Hibachi place. But again, if you’re totally into that, go across the street.
If you’re looking for a solid Chinese food take out or buffet experience, this place will not disappoint. Prices are more than reasonable, service is on point, and the food is exactly what you’d expect. If you’re one of those snobby, arrogant American’s that has «toured» China and «knows» «real» Chinese food, then you’ll probably be disappointed. Which is okay, because you’re probably a terrible person anyway.

Sometimes you just feel like eating massive amounts of Asian food. This is a good place for that.
First off, service: Always hello with a smile when you walk in. I usually go for lunch, and try to get there early (11:30) to avoid the crowd. I’m shown to a table and a server comes over and takes a drink order. It’s lunch, so I settle for soda, otherwise, there would be a Scorpion Bowl with my name on it. It’s brought quickly, along with an invitation to help myself at the buffet. The servers don’t make much small talk — it’s either because their English is not good enough to carry a conversation, or, my preferred interpretation, they speak English better than most of the patrons and don’t want to show off. We’ll come back to service in a bit.
Food: There’s something for everyone. For starters, a cold bar with seafood (at lunch, mussels, marinated cuttlefish, peel-​and-​eat shrimp and salad), and hot soup (won ton, hot and sour, and egg drop, at my last visit). There’s also a sushi display, and it’s not too bad. Nothing too exotic, and mostly vegetable rolls, but still, sushi.
Once you get past that, there are 32 hot entrees available, both Chinese and American. Since I’m not there to eat mac ‘n’ cheese and chicken fingers, I go right to the regional specialties. I’m partial to the pepper chicken, the honey chicken, and, of course, dumplings and spring rolls. There’s a hibachi where you can create your own fried noodle dish.
After that, dessert. Jello (which is actually very popular in Asian countries), puddings, various canned fruits (lychies!), the occasional fresh melon, cakes, cookies, and ice cream — both dipped and soft-​serve.
Back to service: Your server doesn’t hover around the table, but always makes her presence known if you need something, if you need your soda refilled, or if there are empty plates to be cleared away. The check is presented promptly, and when you throw cash on the tray, you never hear «Do you need change?» (the one thing that I wish more restaurant owners would teach their servers not to say!). They return with your change with a couple of fortune cookies (which are of American origin, not Chinese), thank you for coming in, and invite you back.
Let me say this: Yes, this is a buffet, but PLEASE tip the servers — at this particular place, the service is better than in most other restaurants I’ve been to. There’s also a tip jar at the hibachi and sushi stations. Toss a couple of bucks in there — those guys deserve it.
The buffet itself is about $ 10 at lunch, more at dinner. With tossing a couple of tips around, it works out to about $ 15/​person, which, for the amount of food available and service, is a real bargain. What really affects your final tab is how much you drink. The cocktail prices are better than reasonable, and most fall into the Tiki theme (the aforementioned Scorpion Bowl, by the way, was originally created in Honolulu around 1933). They actually have a wine list (your choices are red or white) and they have some beers (since I don’t drink it, I couldn’t tell you what kinds, or how much)
Is it the highest quality food? Not by a long shot. Is it a relatively inexpensive place for a group or that «special date»? Yep.
If you’re in the area, I’d take a chance on it.

My partner and I love going to the buffet. He can have macaroni and cheese while I indulge in raw bar, sushi, and the Mongolian grill. The service is always friendly. One of life’s guilty pleasures!

So for a buffet it’s what most other places have. I did try the hibachi last time and it was disgusting. I had rice noodles and shrimp with garlic sauce. All it tasted like was butter. Will never try that again. Don’t think I will be wasting my money here.

My wife and I decided to try this place since we were both very hungry and passing by on our way home. We should have kept going. I usually like buffets and especially ones that have sushi. I LOVE sushi.
Unfortunately this is one establishment that we will not be returning to. As we entered we were immediately greeted and seated by a friendly woman. The waitress followed behind us and asked for our drink order as soon as we sat down. Was actually impressed… until we went for food. As a longtime sushi fanatic I B-​lined for the sushi. I noticed that the fish and other materials for assembly were left out on the counter (unchilled and uncovered) and there was no one around. As a general food practice this is a no-​no. My brain told me to stop but my stomach begged me to continue. The selection was varied (more than your typical spicy tuna roll, California roll, etc.) so I made a few selections and headed back to the table. The sushi was AT BEST room temperature if not slightly warm. I was unable to finish it which was a HUGE disappointment. I decided to give the rest of the menu a fair shot as I’ve run into this problem before (although not with most sit down true Japanese restaurants). The imitation crab was rubbery and drenched in some type of oil. The «Terriaki chicken» sticks had been sitting out way too long and were firm and dry. Not even sure they were chicken. There was a steak and mushroom dish that LOOKED delicious until it was determined that it was actually cold (not intentionally). The only item that my wife could stomach was the chicken tenders and for the cost of almost $ 50 for 2 adults and a 12 y/​o we could have gone across the street to McDonalds for better food. I think next time we will drive the extra 10 minutes and go to the Royal Buffet on the other side of Waterbury.

As buffets go, this one is really good. They even have HUGE King Crab legs that are served hot and steaming with lots of melted butter. I always leave here feeling fat and happy, and that’s the way all buffets should be. :) Their sushi is okay, not phenomenal, but that’s why there are sushi places.

Not a huge fan of Buffets. And when I told my folks that I wanted to eat Chinese, I was hoping they were going to take me to Panda House in Danbury, which is my favorite. When we pulled up to this place, I was perplexed, because they feel the same way about the buffets. However, I was stunned. I’d never seen so much food on a buffet outside of Las Vegas. Just about anything you can think of, they had. And it was all good. Not to mention, they also had a Mongolian style BBQ, where they will cook you food fresh and it’s all part of the meal. The service is good. Like most Chinese restaurants, they’re not overly friendly, but they’re not rude. it was very surprising and very good.

Don’t want to even give one star, we went there for lunch. Now both of us keep running to the toilet with the runs. Won’t ever eat here again.

Since my last review, this buffet has become one of my dad’s favorite restaurants, and he chose this for our Father’s Day meal, which was the second time I’ve eaten here. There was some lunch special going on for about $ 10 – 11 (can’t remember the exact price), and surprisingly it was pretty good, exceeding my expectations of a cheap Chinese buffet.
We came towards the start of service so the food was much fresher than the last time I was here, and almost all the dishes I tried were well-​prepared and tasty. My favorites wound up being the salt and pepper squid and some kind of stir-​fried rice vermicelli dish, the latter of which tasted refreshingly authentic (we are Chinese). I also had a plate of hibachi noodles and it was just okay. I’m sure it would be great if you’re into that kind of stuff, but my noodles were too soft and swimming in the sauce I chose. I didn’t get a chance to try the sushi that day nor the raw bar because I had a cold sore, but the sushi certainly looked good and offered a greater variety than most buffets I’ve been to. Overall, most of the food was a little on the salty side, but that’s to be expected from a Chinese buffet. The desserts were your standard fare. I wish the fruit was a little fresher, but again, Chinese buffet here. The service was perfectly satisfactory, and the restaurant appears to be clean.
All in all, it’s not the best food in the area, but it just might be the best buffet, and for $ 10/​person, the value of the lunch buffet can’t be beat (it had a pretty generous amount of seafood despite the cheaper price compared to dinner). I doubt you’d be able to sample a greater variety of food for $ 10 anywhere else in the area. I would return!

All you can eat Chinese, sushi and hibachi at a great price!
That’s the best it will get. I have dined at this Chinese buffet ever since it opened up in the former Rite Aid site (yes, I remember that!). Some days the food is excellent, other days it’s decent. I have went for lunch and dinner and there is not much of a difference from what they serve for lunch to what they serve for dinner, with the exception that crab legs and a couple other seafood dishes are added for the dinner time. If you want crab legs, you have to be alert for when they refill the tray. The tray gets empty in a matter of minutes (or sometimes seconds).
The hibachi is excellent for picky eaters or for those who like to have a customized variety. The sushi is a hit or miss depending on the time you dine in, but still pretty good. The food is what you expect at a typical Chinese buffet, with your general assortment that includes sweet and sour chicken, boneless bbq pork, lo mein, fried rice, general tso’s and a bunch others. The alcoholic drinks are good and they are CHEAP! Cheaper than other places that’s for sure. During one of our visits, a couple family members ordered drinks and our bill was only around 50 bucks. Not bad!
We have gone once around 8 at night and there were a good number of people there enjoying dinner. We probably finished and left around quarter past nine and people were still coming in. The food was still pretty good and fresh during that time. Every time I go to dine in, a lot of folks like to come and fill a takeout container with whatever their hearts desire. Definitely a great choice if you what some Chinese takeout with a lot of variety but without paying extra.
Service is great. The waitresses like to chat with regulars but does not mind chatting with everyone. They are really good with refilling beverages, clearing the tables and bringing the check in a timely manner. Only one time the quality of service went down slightly, due to a table of diners who was giving everyone a hard time about the bill. If you don’t have enough money on your debit card to cover your bill, please do not take it out on the staff! Seniors get the 10% discount on their bill, kindly let your server know and they will gladly adjust your bill to reflect the discount.
Parking may be an issue at times as this buffet is in a strip mall. But there is never a wait for a table as it’s a pretty decent-​sized buffet. The décor, however, could use a little bit of updating, but who cares? You are there for the FOOOOOD!!!
Fun fact: the owners of this buffet are related to the owners of Torrington Super Buffet.
Happy eating!

Great place. I have been coming here since they opened in 1998. The place has declined a bit. It would be nice if they updated the interior. The sushi is very good. This is the only place where i eat the sushi. Their buffet ia good but they tend to serve the same items. All the staff is very friendly and very nice to me and my children.

ok so my boyfriend and I were doing our laundry one sunny afternoon at 3Js and needed to kill some time while our clothes were drying. So we decided to check out Imperial for drinks and appetizers. We sat down and immediately ordered beers and then we looked at the menu, looked at each other with our jaws dropped. I ran to the bar and canceled the beers and we ordered a scorpion bowl instead. This place is ridiculously inexpensive when it comes to cocktails! So we sucked down our delicious scorpion bowl, shared some potstickers (delish) and then took our buzz to the laundromat and had a blast folding our laundry! That’s what laundry day should be like everytime!
Side note: we did come back for the buffet and it is definitely worth it. Lots of options, sushi, grill & dessert also included in buffet price. Plan to come back and bring the kids in tow sometime.

A solid choice with good value. Not the best Chinese food compared to other sit down restaurants but great for a buffet. also good alcohol selection. The one thing I would recommend is going there for lunch which is seven bucks with a drink whereas dinner is 13 for the same selection. Has declined slightly in the past few years.

The price is pretty good; It includes a habachi bar and sushi. Even for the sushi alone, it’s worth the price rather than going to a more expensive Japanese sushi bar.

Went here in September.
It was okay. Nothing too spectacular.
It really is hard to eat healthy here though. There are only a few healthy items and they were mostly drowning in butter or oil.
The sushi simply wasn’t good (which was not surprising).
I mainly ate seafood (mostly shell-​based fish) and for the most part it was fine.
A tad pricey though, but okay.
Atmosphere.meh.there really isn’t much.
Would I go back? Maybe 1 – 2 times a year, but not much more.

This buffet has been here for years. I used to go all the time as their food always seemed very good. But I think the more I branched out and found more varities of hibachi and sushi, the more my taste for this place went downhill. I used to LOVE their sushi, I came here awhile back after trying various amounts of sushi and I was so turned off that I ended up throwing out the whole plate of food. They have your typical chinese food that in all reality is hard to mess up. The food is good, just nothing I would brag home about. I think with the recent opening of Sakura across the street, this is when they added the hibachi to the menu. I didn’t try it the last time I was there, but my boyfriend did and he said it was pretty good. Nothing to extraordinary though. I feel like this place really kinda slacks now and seems to be barely holding on. I got sick after I ate here the last time. I don’t know if it was the food that didn’t settle right or what. I would go here if I absolutely was craving Chinese food and couldn’t get anywhere else but it won’t be on my number 1 place to go when I’m starving.

Excellent food. Today I arrived at 3:24pm for lunch. Lunch prices good till 3:30pm. The gentleman at the counter pointed to the clock and said its 3:30pm. I showed him my iPhone and told him his time was wrong. Apparently they didn’t want my business and I said «that’s ok, I’ll just leave.»

I would say that I am a huge Chinese buffet fan and go to one at least once a month with a time period in my life where I went as often as once a week. Over the years the affair has transformed from a «let’s stuff my stomach until I cannot stand it anymore» to a «I need some quick Chinese in me».
Now in regards to Imperial China Buffet I would say, pretty decent affair here folks. Nothing spectacular and everything I had have, I had better elsewhere. First course involved some lo mein and various Chinese food dishes. Really nothing to talk about here. We are talking standard Chinese food, some mixed sea food dishes, beef and broccoli, crab rangoons, and a shrimp with imitation crab meat dish. They were all meh at best, but I would like to state that nothing was overly salty which is a common problem at cheaper chinese buffet locations.
Next course the Hibachi. This is the best thing about this place. The Hibachi was pretty good. I had noodles with beef, shrimp, scallops, onions, with two eggs. Asked for the garlic sauce (knowing you can’t go wrong with such a classic sauce). I added sriracha on top of it all just because I like things spicy. Loved it. I would come again and the next time skip over other things and just go full Hibachi. My fiancée had about the same thing but with teriyaki sauce. Big mistake, the teriyaki sauce was very sweet. It really killed the dish. Stick with the garlic sauce folks.
I then moved on to a loaded dish of sushi. They really try to have more of a variety then the standard spicy tuna, salmon rolls, and california rolls. There was some sort of eel roll and also a I believe tempura shrimp roll. The sushi wasn’t too bad, now again this is measuring from chinese buffet standards. I would definitely eat the sushi here again. I know other places where when trying to eat sushi it instead invokes my gag reflex. The sushi here was fresh enough where I didn’t get that aged fish taste.
I finished up with some ice cream and sugared fried dough balls. Hard to mess up fried dough balls and they definitely didn’t mess it up. Only complaint would be that the balls were evidently sitting around for an extended period of time which made it a tad stale.
So Imperial China Buffet like previously mentioned is very decent/​standard affair. It doesn’t stand out but it definitely isn’t at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality. I guess this would be the place to go if one does not want to venture into Waterbury. We will be hitting up a few more buffets in the coming few weeks so will see how Imperial ranks in regards to this area.

My favorite buffet in the area! Staff are very friendly and very prompt with removing plates. A strange, but to me, significant detail: this place has tea cups and kettles that aren’t shaped in a way to burn your knuckles, like some other local buffet.
Their «spinach bun» is one of my personal favorites; I look forward to them. When there was that nationwide spinach scare a couple of years ago, they had to get rid of them for a while; it broke my heart just a little.
I don’t like sushi, so I can’t comment there.
You can also get to go; I see a lot of people doing that on their work break. But I don’t like to rush like that when I go.

My coworkers and I were hungry and on a budget. Imperial Buffet didn’t disappoint. THey had a WIDE variety of seafood including friend shrimp, shrimp cocktail, mussles on half shell, baked salmon, baked catfish, crawfish, baby octopus salad, and of course, sushi. All of these were delicious. The great thing about buffet is you can try a bit of everything. There is also your typical chinese-​american dishes, as well as the standard soups (egg drop, hot and sour, wonton). ALL FOR 6.95!
I’d love to go up there for dinner one night, considering there is even more food, including ginger lobster on friday and saturday night.
Great buffet, check it out if you are in the area, it looks a little grimy from the outside, but once see the food you will be impressed.