Since the “China Buffet Coming Soon” banner was hung on the outside of the old Golden Corral at 1079 Collinsville Crossing in Collinsville, community members have been excited and full of questions about the new Chinese Buffet coming to town. Online community groups have been abuzz with questions, at least once or twice a month, and no answers have been readily available—until now.
WhirLocal Collinsville-Triad managed to track down both the owner and manager of the new Chinese Buffet, Mr. Chen and Mr. Lu, to get some questions answered about the new Chinese restaurant in Collinsville.
Highly Rated Chinese Buffet Coming to Collinsville
It turns out the Collinsville China Buffet is in good hands. The owner and management staff are responsible for the successful and locally loved China Buffet an hour and twenty minutes away in Du Quoin, IL.
The China Buffet in Du Quoin has been in business over 16 years and boasts 4.2 stars out of 5 after over 500 reviews on Google. The restaurant has a near 5-star rating on other online review platforms as well. Here are a few customer comments regarding the quality of food and service at the China Buffet Du Quoin location:
“The food was amazing!! I can’t say enough about the quality of the food … The place was packed, yet the buffet had plenty of every dish, and I saw four dishes being changed out while I was getting my food to go. GREAT ALL AROUND. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.”
Eddie V.
“Food was hot and plentiful. Will be back again … All fried items looked like they were cooked in fresh oil and were very crispy.”
Ken D.
“Best place to eat in town—always so friendly. Love how they have all that wonderful food fresh every time I go in. I am actually eating there again tonight for supper… Kid-friendliness: Always so kind to kids!”
Amber A.
Many local reviewers expressed that this was their “favorite Chinese restaurant” or the “best restaurant in town,” frequently citing the freshness of the food, cleanliness of the restaurant, and friendliness of the staff as the reasons for their reviews. A restaurant has to be well-managed to get that kind of feedback after being in business for such a long time. We believe our Collinsville location will be in good hands.
Menu Options Galore
When asked about the menu options that will be available at the new Chinese Buffet in Collinsville, Mr. Chen informed us that the fare will include pretty much everything that is available at the Du Quoin location, only there will be “more items, better quality and better atmosphere.”
The China Buffet in Du Quoin already has a large selection of standard Chinese food fare—from Egg Rolls to Hot & Sour Soup to General Tso’s Chicken to Lo Mein to Seafood options, coffee and desserts.
When asked specifically about what additional items might be available, Mr. Chen was reticent to give a full list but did mention that sushi will be on the menu at the new location. Could the Collinsville China Buffet come with a full sushi bar? We will see.
When Will the Collinsville China Buffet Open?
Renovations are ongoing inside the old Golden Corral building that will house the new Chinese Buffet. Both Mr. Chen and Mr. Lu were unable to give a specific timeline regarding when the new restaurant might open, but Mr. Lu did tell us it would be “definitely this year.” That means we can expect the new Chinese Buffet to open in Collinsville before the end of 2024, but it is unsure if that will be in summer or fall.
The lack of a timeline is due to the nature of construction projects, and the final decision to approve inspections being up to the City of Collinsville. Mr. Lu also said that everyone at City Hall has been very nice to deal with and very friendly.
Chinese Food Buffet Coming Soon to Collinsville IL
Stay tuned to WhirLocal Collinsville-Triad for more updates as we get closer to the grand opening of Collinsville’s newest Chinese Buffet!