I don't know what kind of Chinese Food everyone else is used to, but this place was terrible. It was near empty around dinner time on a Friday night, not a good sign. The buffet had a number of things to choose from, yes, but the trays were pretty much empty so that food had to be out for a while. We went through 4 plates attempting to try different things but everything tasted absolutely horrible. Except for the egg rolls. The food was dry and just didn't taste like anything I've eaten before. My husband felt the same. I actually had to spit some food out. I guess for $8 you shouldn't expect much. The staff was friendly that was about the only positive. Oh and the bathroom was fairly clean. Maybe the prepared food tastes better. I would suggest you just keep moving. There's better food on Waters and Hanley.
(1)
Will And Barbie P.
Great place, great tasting food egg rolls are the size of burritos, all the food was very flavorful....very friendly staff, great customer service lunch 7.99 dinner 9.99 . Definitely will go back when in this area again.
(5)
Chris M.
The food was very good and in good portion size. The prices were very affordable and the ambience was great! I had the jalapeño tofu and it was delicious! Will definitely be back
(5)
Michelle B.
Service was amazing. Food was good. Disappointed in crab ragoons but cocoanut shrimp was fantastic and the egg rolls were monstrous. Lo Mein was great if I was from here I would come often.
(5)
Laura F.
Delicious Chinese food for a great price! I love all the options at the buffet with my favorite item on the buffet being the honey chicken. They have the most delicious wonton soup as well - but you have to ask for it as it comes with the buffet, but is not set out for you to serve yourself. If you come during lunch, they have almond cookies on the buffet and I could eat those all day! They have such a wonderful flavor and crumble when you bite them - so good! If you come for dinner, they have sushi on the buffet - nothing fancy, just 3 different varieties, but still very good. The also have tasty hot tea that I really enjoy every time I dine here. It really is a great value for the price and I just wish it wasn't so far from my house because I would love to come here more often!
(4)
Michael C.
As I'm new to the area, I'm hitting up all the buffets to find the best. At first I didn't even know Lee Garden was a buffet until I truly read the sign outside. While the buffet is limited to a single table, the food quality is better than at the other buffet in the area: I enjoyed the jalapeño chicken and the coconut shrimp the best. Ultimately the difference between this and NY Buffet is quality over quantity. Although under Trang's advice, I am curious to try their actual menu.
(3)
Shauna E.
A good, inexpensive lunch buffet. I know they have a regular menu too, but I've never ordered off it. Decor is outdated, but the restaurant is clean. Selections on the buffet are fresh and numerous--they even have a small selection of sushi! Wait staff is friendly and attentive. I used to come here when in college to do homework and eat and the wait staff never gave me any problems (though I did always make sure to adjust my gratuity to account for the table space I was renting!) A Solid 3.
(3)
Andres F.
love every bit of it! nice variety for a great price!! full menu boosts wider array of delicious options. 1.95 drafts and unlimited ice cream! staff is so friendly and welcoming too!!
(5)
Thomas M.
I don't usually write a review but the food at this place is horrible. I went here a few years ago and I remember it not being to good but I think it's worse than I remember.
(1)
Morgana V.
I've been coming here since I was a little kid! The buffet has never changed(not complaining!) I like coming here and knowing what to expect, sometimes they have something different. Probably about 20 options of different things. Also there is a salad bar, and many dessert options.
(5)
Trang T.
Good as a buffet. Great as a gourmet Chinese restaurant. I feel the art of the great Chinese dish is lost in today's quick-and-dirty-150-calorie-laden-items buffet dining... experience. What's great about this gem of a restaurant is the food not on the buffet line. Next time you go here, sit down and look at the menu. And if you happen to be vegetarian, ask the chef to make you something. The soya cheese braised squash alone will be enough to give you a food orgasm.
(5)
Princess G.
My rating of this buffet dropped the night I found out that they raised their prices. The food is still great, yes. But why pay more for the same exact menu? Still, the service is friendly and timely, and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxing.
(3)
Otto L.
They have the freshest buffet with the nicest service consistently.
(5)
Stephanie R.
Service is great - the food, not so much. Everything lacked flavor, even the egg rolls. Thank goodness the buffet price wasn't expensive or else I would have felt robbed. Don't plan on coming back anytime soon.
(3)
Ryan M.
Me and my co-workers hit all the places on Hillsborough. Lee Garden has a $5.99 lunch buffet. Not the worst, not the best, but a good value. Scores points for the amazing flavored chicken. Buffet is usually full & fresh with decent service.
(3)
Kelly C.
I only eat fried rice, plain, but I make sure to get buckets of it when I'm back in town. My favorite in St. Petersburg. Also, my friend says the lo mein is great.
(4)
Pyra-Danny V.
BETTER OF THE BUFFETS The appearance alone inside (with big clean booths half-filled with diners even at an odd hour) calmed down my typical fears of eating at a buffet. The outside appearance is a bit worn looking yet this place looked a bit more welcoming than others and seemed to attract a better crowd. All good signs. TYPICAL SELECTION The dishes offered are very similar to other Buffets... 'take out Chinese'-type food. Decent quality. Overall lots of brown colors. Thankfully the variety is not insane (those tend to work against the bigger buffet places because fresh food doesn't get turned around as fast). The quality from those I tasted were better than typical take-out places (crispier veggies, not-soggy fried items). I liked how they had Crawfish and Mussels during my visit.
(3)
Shaun W.
Go buy frozen egg rolls and orange chicken from Publix.... eat it, throw it up and put it in a to go bag and you have the best this shithole has to offer. Good luck if you want condiments, they all cost extra. I didn't even want to give it a half star and I'm sad I even tried the terrible excuse for food they charge people for.
(1)
Dawn P.
always great !!!!!!!!!!!! favorite place to go.... i love it!! the ladies there are so funny and so welcoming....i love their smiling faces...the buffet is always good....but need to update their food a little, but its always great !!!! i never knew that a buffet could be that good...
(5)
Jean A.
It's alright, I went for lunch and it was quite ok. The food was hot and the selection on the buffet was limited compared to other Chinese buffets I've been to. It's pretty close to my house, but I don't think I'll be back. And they need new seats! Mine was broken
(3)
Eric G.
I was pleasently suprized. Not in the quality, but in the type of food offered on the buffet. It dfinately is a buffet quality food which isn't good or bad, but I enjoyed getting to try dishes that you would not expect on a medium size chinese buffet line. The fried dumplings and plantains were probably the best items. I was not a fan of the pepper steak entree, but on a buffet WHO CARES. I would recommend for a very inexpensive place to try a few dishes aside from whatever is your "goto" chinese choice. They also had a nice dessert and salad bar. So where else can you get a complete three course meal for just over $7 with tax?
(3)
Courtney A.
Pretty basic all you an eat Asian buffet (sushi with cream cheese, lo mein, fried rice, cake, soft serve ice cream, coconut shrimp, teriyaki chicken, chicken and broccoli, green beans with pork, etc.). When looking at the buffet, the overwhelming colour was brown (fried food and starches). There were crayfish (aka crawfish) which I probably had 4 helpings of! They were delicious and easily the best bang for your buck part of the buffet. I also had some hot and sour soup that had decent flavours but was very starchy. Very friendly and attentive waitstaff. They kept a good eye on the levels of food in the buffet and came by multiple times to refill our tea and water. Would go back again for the crawfish, chicken and broccoli and price. There was also a menu option if people didn't want the buffet but I didn't look at it.
(3)
Phuong Dung N.
The food is okay and not expensive, however, they just raised their price for the buffet. And it is just a typical Chinese buffet. I like the fresh shrimp and crawfish., dont have many choice for the desserts. I will probably consider coming back.
(3)
Edwin B.
Not my type of place. Small food bar. Bland taste. I can't say I will ever go there again. 2nd worst buffet I have ever seen. The were a lot of older people in there maybe their taste buds are shot
(1)
Kim E.
We went on 45 mins before closing so for an inexpensive buffet I wasn't expecting much. It was clean, every thing we tried was tasty and they were very welcoming. Our drinks stayed full and we left satisfied. I will return soon!
(5)
Jose L.
Great food and excellent service. Very friendly servers. Lots of choices on buffet. Food was hot and fresh.
(5)
Kevin L.
Excellent food, especially for the price. My favorite are the wings, crabmeat, ribs, and the beef fried rice.
(5)
Andre B.
This is awesome Chinese restaurant if you go there order the hot and sour soup...I drive a long way just to get the hs soup! Everything is good here... I have been eating here for years
(5)
Vy M.
My boyfriend and I decided to go out here for lunch. It is horrible. The food smelled of reused oil. There was only one bar of food to choose from. There were about 20 dishes. Absolutely horrible!
(1)
Samantha L.
The food is just absolutely Devine. Every time I come into this restaurant everyone is so nice and welcoming g as opposed to other buffet restaurants where you feel like you're being watched the whole time. Without fail, I always end up ordering almost all of the foods from their menu item its cheap, delicious, and worth your time and money. You get a good amount of food for the prices too! The quote " don't judge a book by its cover" is ABSOLUTELY Lee Garden Chinese Restaurant; their buffet is small but it packs a punch! Their Dinner buffet especially is definitely worth your money as they're famous for their delicious red BBQ ribs and I can see taste why! Its absolutely my favorite ribs and no other restaurant can beat it. Now, I know its a Chinese restaurant but their ( also known for) wings!! O...m...g... I can not express the chills and tingles I get when I engulf them. Their Lomein is another one of my favorite meals ... It's literally like visiting heaven when you're eating this dish. The buffet only offers Vegetable Lomein but I mean, if u can make just vegetables and noodles taste heavenly imagine what it tastes like when you can personally customize your Lomein ( Togo, or you can dine in and order) EXAMPLE of customizing your order: I would like the Chicken Lomein but I would also like to add broccoli and with no m.s.g and less oil. *note* this is not what I would order but merely an example. Their chicken Lomein is delicious on its own. NOT ONLY is it a fantastic buffet but their Dine in Menu is just Out. Of. This. World. The Lee Garden Volcano Steak would have to be my favorite dine in dish and there's seafood bird's nest that's just crazy good! There's a lot more that I can say but I'll just stop from here. I really hope you visit this restaurant as it truly is fantastically amazing.
(5)
Henry T.
Better than expected. Everything was delicious. Some items were new to me like bacon cabbage - so good. Also very cozy inside and staff is friendly and their English is on point. No language barrier here. Not that there is anything wrong with Cantonese or mandarin
(4)
Jason P.
I really hate giving bad reviews.. This is only for one experience during lunch buffet. While I liked the honey chicken, when it came out fresh, everything else was a bit weak. Was looking forward to good ribs.. Only leftover boneless were served. The butter fried wings had potential, but we're old and tasteless. Lo mein, usually a reliable choice was made with linguini and had waaaay to much pepper to make up for flavor. Jalapeño chicken was good, but only tiny bits if chicken were left.. There were quite a bit of people that came for lunch buffet that were excited, but unfortunately, I couldn't join in the excitement. On a plus side, the women working we're very pleasant and welcoming, and constantly filled my water, which is a rare occurrence in a low priced Chinese buffet.
(2)
Dave L.
Average Chinese Buffet I live in the area and this is where I usually go when I'm in the mood for Chinese buffet. I go here mostly because it is nearby. The food is average Chinese buffet quality. It's not a huge buffet either but they have all the typical items. They do have a full menu too but I've never ordered from it. Service is usually good.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Adrian C.
I don't know what kind of Chinese Food everyone else is used to, but this place was terrible. It was near empty around dinner time on a Friday night, not a good sign. The buffet had a number of things to choose from, yes, but the trays were pretty much empty so that food had to be out for a while. We went through 4 plates attempting to try different things but everything tasted absolutely horrible. Except for the egg rolls. The food was dry and just didn't taste like anything I've eaten before. My husband felt the same. I actually had to spit some food out. I guess for $8 you shouldn't expect much. The staff was friendly that was about the only positive. Oh and the bathroom was fairly clean. Maybe the prepared food tastes better. I would suggest you just keep moving. There's better food on Waters and Hanley.
(1)Will And Barbie P.
Great place, great tasting food egg rolls are the size of burritos, all the food was very flavorful....very friendly staff, great customer service lunch 7.99 dinner 9.99 . Definitely will go back when in this area again.
(5)Chris M.
The food was very good and in good portion size. The prices were very affordable and the ambience was great! I had the jalapeño tofu and it was delicious! Will definitely be back
(5)Michelle B.
Service was amazing. Food was good. Disappointed in crab ragoons but cocoanut shrimp was fantastic and the egg rolls were monstrous. Lo Mein was great if I was from here I would come often.
(5)Laura F.
Delicious Chinese food for a great price! I love all the options at the buffet with my favorite item on the buffet being the honey chicken. They have the most delicious wonton soup as well - but you have to ask for it as it comes with the buffet, but is not set out for you to serve yourself. If you come during lunch, they have almond cookies on the buffet and I could eat those all day! They have such a wonderful flavor and crumble when you bite them - so good! If you come for dinner, they have sushi on the buffet - nothing fancy, just 3 different varieties, but still very good. The also have tasty hot tea that I really enjoy every time I dine here. It really is a great value for the price and I just wish it wasn't so far from my house because I would love to come here more often!
(4)Michael C.
As I'm new to the area, I'm hitting up all the buffets to find the best. At first I didn't even know Lee Garden was a buffet until I truly read the sign outside. While the buffet is limited to a single table, the food quality is better than at the other buffet in the area: I enjoyed the jalapeño chicken and the coconut shrimp the best. Ultimately the difference between this and NY Buffet is quality over quantity. Although under Trang's advice, I am curious to try their actual menu.
(3)Shauna E.
A good, inexpensive lunch buffet. I know they have a regular menu too, but I've never ordered off it. Decor is outdated, but the restaurant is clean. Selections on the buffet are fresh and numerous--they even have a small selection of sushi! Wait staff is friendly and attentive. I used to come here when in college to do homework and eat and the wait staff never gave me any problems (though I did always make sure to adjust my gratuity to account for the table space I was renting!) A Solid 3.
(3)Andres F.
love every bit of it! nice variety for a great price!! full menu boosts wider array of delicious options. 1.95 drafts and unlimited ice cream! staff is so friendly and welcoming too!!
(5)Thomas M.
I don't usually write a review but the food at this place is horrible. I went here a few years ago and I remember it not being to good but I think it's worse than I remember.
(1)Morgana V.
I've been coming here since I was a little kid! The buffet has never changed(not complaining!) I like coming here and knowing what to expect, sometimes they have something different. Probably about 20 options of different things. Also there is a salad bar, and many dessert options.
(5)Trang T.
Good as a buffet. Great as a gourmet Chinese restaurant. I feel the art of the great Chinese dish is lost in today's quick-and-dirty-150-calorie-laden-items buffet dining... experience. What's great about this gem of a restaurant is the food not on the buffet line. Next time you go here, sit down and look at the menu. And if you happen to be vegetarian, ask the chef to make you something. The soya cheese braised squash alone will be enough to give you a food orgasm.
(5)Princess G.
My rating of this buffet dropped the night I found out that they raised their prices. The food is still great, yes. But why pay more for the same exact menu? Still, the service is friendly and timely, and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxing.
(3)Otto L.
They have the freshest buffet with the nicest service consistently.
(5)Stephanie R.
Service is great - the food, not so much. Everything lacked flavor, even the egg rolls. Thank goodness the buffet price wasn't expensive or else I would have felt robbed. Don't plan on coming back anytime soon.
(3)Ryan M.
Me and my co-workers hit all the places on Hillsborough. Lee Garden has a $5.99 lunch buffet. Not the worst, not the best, but a good value. Scores points for the amazing flavored chicken. Buffet is usually full & fresh with decent service.
(3)Kelly C.
I only eat fried rice, plain, but I make sure to get buckets of it when I'm back in town. My favorite in St. Petersburg. Also, my friend says the lo mein is great.
(4)Pyra-Danny V.
BETTER OF THE BUFFETS The appearance alone inside (with big clean booths half-filled with diners even at an odd hour) calmed down my typical fears of eating at a buffet. The outside appearance is a bit worn looking yet this place looked a bit more welcoming than others and seemed to attract a better crowd. All good signs. TYPICAL SELECTION The dishes offered are very similar to other Buffets... 'take out Chinese'-type food. Decent quality. Overall lots of brown colors. Thankfully the variety is not insane (those tend to work against the bigger buffet places because fresh food doesn't get turned around as fast). The quality from those I tasted were better than typical take-out places (crispier veggies, not-soggy fried items). I liked how they had Crawfish and Mussels during my visit.
(3)Shaun W.
Go buy frozen egg rolls and orange chicken from Publix.... eat it, throw it up and put it in a to go bag and you have the best this shithole has to offer. Good luck if you want condiments, they all cost extra. I didn't even want to give it a half star and I'm sad I even tried the terrible excuse for food they charge people for.
(1)Dawn P.
always great !!!!!!!!!!!! favorite place to go.... i love it!! the ladies there are so funny and so welcoming....i love their smiling faces...the buffet is always good....but need to update their food a little, but its always great !!!! i never knew that a buffet could be that good...
(5)Jean A.
It's alright, I went for lunch and it was quite ok. The food was hot and the selection on the buffet was limited compared to other Chinese buffets I've been to. It's pretty close to my house, but I don't think I'll be back. And they need new seats! Mine was broken
(3)Eric G.
I was pleasently suprized. Not in the quality, but in the type of food offered on the buffet. It dfinately is a buffet quality food which isn't good or bad, but I enjoyed getting to try dishes that you would not expect on a medium size chinese buffet line. The fried dumplings and plantains were probably the best items. I was not a fan of the pepper steak entree, but on a buffet WHO CARES. I would recommend for a very inexpensive place to try a few dishes aside from whatever is your "goto" chinese choice. They also had a nice dessert and salad bar. So where else can you get a complete three course meal for just over $7 with tax?
(3)Courtney A.
Pretty basic all you an eat Asian buffet (sushi with cream cheese, lo mein, fried rice, cake, soft serve ice cream, coconut shrimp, teriyaki chicken, chicken and broccoli, green beans with pork, etc.). When looking at the buffet, the overwhelming colour was brown (fried food and starches). There were crayfish (aka crawfish) which I probably had 4 helpings of! They were delicious and easily the best bang for your buck part of the buffet. I also had some hot and sour soup that had decent flavours but was very starchy. Very friendly and attentive waitstaff. They kept a good eye on the levels of food in the buffet and came by multiple times to refill our tea and water. Would go back again for the crawfish, chicken and broccoli and price. There was also a menu option if people didn't want the buffet but I didn't look at it.
(3)Phuong Dung N.
The food is okay and not expensive, however, they just raised their price for the buffet. And it is just a typical Chinese buffet. I like the fresh shrimp and crawfish., dont have many choice for the desserts. I will probably consider coming back.
(3)Edwin B.
Not my type of place. Small food bar. Bland taste. I can't say I will ever go there again. 2nd worst buffet I have ever seen. The were a lot of older people in there maybe their taste buds are shot
(1)Kim E.
We went on 45 mins before closing so for an inexpensive buffet I wasn't expecting much. It was clean, every thing we tried was tasty and they were very welcoming. Our drinks stayed full and we left satisfied. I will return soon!
(5)Jose L.
Great food and excellent service. Very friendly servers. Lots of choices on buffet. Food was hot and fresh.
(5)Kevin L.
Excellent food, especially for the price. My favorite are the wings, crabmeat, ribs, and the beef fried rice.
(5)Andre B.
This is awesome Chinese restaurant if you go there order the hot and sour soup...I drive a long way just to get the hs soup! Everything is good here... I have been eating here for years
(5)Vy M.
My boyfriend and I decided to go out here for lunch. It is horrible. The food smelled of reused oil. There was only one bar of food to choose from. There were about 20 dishes. Absolutely horrible!
(1)Samantha L.
The food is just absolutely Devine. Every time I come into this restaurant everyone is so nice and welcoming g as opposed to other buffet restaurants where you feel like you're being watched the whole time. Without fail, I always end up ordering almost all of the foods from their menu item its cheap, delicious, and worth your time and money. You get a good amount of food for the prices too! The quote " don't judge a book by its cover" is ABSOLUTELY Lee Garden Chinese Restaurant; their buffet is small but it packs a punch! Their Dinner buffet especially is definitely worth your money as they're famous for their delicious red BBQ ribs and I can see taste why! Its absolutely my favorite ribs and no other restaurant can beat it. Now, I know its a Chinese restaurant but their ( also known for) wings!! O...m...g... I can not express the chills and tingles I get when I engulf them. Their Lomein is another one of my favorite meals ... It's literally like visiting heaven when you're eating this dish. The buffet only offers Vegetable Lomein but I mean, if u can make just vegetables and noodles taste heavenly imagine what it tastes like when you can personally customize your Lomein ( Togo, or you can dine in and order) EXAMPLE of customizing your order: I would like the Chicken Lomein but I would also like to add broccoli and with no m.s.g and less oil. *note* this is not what I would order but merely an example. Their chicken Lomein is delicious on its own. NOT ONLY is it a fantastic buffet but their Dine in Menu is just Out. Of. This. World. The Lee Garden Volcano Steak would have to be my favorite dine in dish and there's seafood bird's nest that's just crazy good! There's a lot more that I can say but I'll just stop from here. I really hope you visit this restaurant as it truly is fantastically amazing.
(5)Henry T.
Better than expected. Everything was delicious. Some items were new to me like bacon cabbage - so good. Also very cozy inside and staff is friendly and their English is on point. No language barrier here. Not that there is anything wrong with Cantonese or mandarin
(4)Jason P.
I really hate giving bad reviews.. This is only for one experience during lunch buffet. While I liked the honey chicken, when it came out fresh, everything else was a bit weak. Was looking forward to good ribs.. Only leftover boneless were served. The butter fried wings had potential, but we're old and tasteless. Lo mein, usually a reliable choice was made with linguini and had waaaay to much pepper to make up for flavor. Jalapeño chicken was good, but only tiny bits if chicken were left.. There were quite a bit of people that came for lunch buffet that were excited, but unfortunately, I couldn't join in the excitement. On a plus side, the women working we're very pleasant and welcoming, and constantly filled my water, which is a rare occurrence in a low priced Chinese buffet.
(2)Dave L.
Average Chinese Buffet I live in the area and this is where I usually go when I'm in the mood for Chinese buffet. I go here mostly because it is nearby. The food is average Chinese buffet quality. It's not a huge buffet either but they have all the typical items. They do have a full menu too but I've never ordered from it. Service is usually good.
(3)