Big Ragu at Asian Buffet with a Rice Krispie Tower and Crab Leg on top
Gluttony. Local Dayton Chinese buffets are the perfect place to feed this deadly sin. Sure, The Big Ragu and Crew have reformed themselves and would rather visit North China Restaurant or China Cottage. However, once in a great while, we feel the need to hit the troughs at a local Chinese Buffet. Where else can you get all-you-can eat General Tso’s Chicken and stir fry green beans next to some pizza? There are so many Chinese Buffets to choose from, and your Food Adventurers have hit almost all of them. So let us share with you some of our favorite things about those local places with tin pans, large spoons, and some unidentifiable dishes.
Don’t spread bullcrap at trying to “keep it as healthy as possible” because you are trying to impress a nagging mom of two. Instead, hit the crab rangoons, and dessert. We have also upset more than one buffet runner and cook by scooping up the last of the coconut shrimp. This deep fried shrimp dish can be found at many of the buffets, and if you see it, you better make sure you get out of our way.
The Big Ragu goes for the fried shrimp and fish dishes, big surprise, huh? But the Big Ragu is also known to put raw oysters, mussels, peel and eat shrimp, and crab legs into legendary piles on his plates. He also shares the love of sushi, and has made many of those chefs earn their money.
Where are some of our favorite spots and their strengths?
Check out this Official Food Adventure Hit List for feasts as massive as the Great Wall of China:
Always Piles of Crab Legs at Asian Buffet
Asian Buffet on Miller Lane in North Dayton:
A huge complex that used to house a Ryan’s Buffet, is one of our favorites. First, they are the only buffet that we have been to that does not skimp their crab legs. For us this is a sign of love. They pile huge mounds of crab legs on the buffet and keep them coming during the feeding frenzy, when other buffets leave an empty pan of cloudy water. Asian Buffet also has a pretty decent sushi bar. We found many choices and they were decorative and true to form. Someone here is a legit sushi chef. We also love the hibachi grill offered here. Pile up your favorite raw meats and vegetables, and watch the kitchen staff stir fry it in your favorite sauce. Overall this is probably our favorite Chinese buffet in the Dayton area, and we always leave miserably full, yet satisfied.
Golden Dragon on 725 in Centerville:
One of our more popular places to overeat, this place is a little pricier than the others, but their overall selection is one of the best. For some reason, we have seen the most interesting characters at this buffet, maybe it is because of the interesting food. The Big Ragu loves the whole tilapia dish served in a ginger sauce with scales on and bones in. Tastes great if you can stomach the appearance. We load up on Coconut Shrimp here. Sweet milky goodness, and it tastes pretty fresh. The huge salad bar is one of the freshest, and also features large peel and eat shrimp. Another bright spot is that they have raw oysters on the weekends. We like to visit some of our favorite staff members here including “Cherry” and “Chin.” Other highlights include a small sushi bar that tends to have raw fish choices, and a full hibachi grill. they also have the best stir fried green beans in Dayton. But beware, sometimes they will substitute the avocado and celery in the sushi with green beans or peppers, which is just wrong.
Hibachi Grill and Buffet on Stroop Road in Kettering:
Mussels in Cilantro Sauce at Hibachi Grill & Buffet
Another former Ryan’s buffet restaurant this buffet has a few new items that deviate from the norm. We noticed they have a big more “American” food than the other Chinese Buffets. We assume it is to appeal to kids. The main attraction here is the Hibachi Grill with bigger quality meat varieties than other places. They stir fry your choices right in front of you, and offer homemade sauces to cover your raw choices. Two other things we really liked here were the hand breaded sole fillets, and the mussels marinated in a cilantro sauce. In fact, the Big Ragu would say the mussels here are one of the best items he has had on a Chinese Buffet. This place gets busy and has one of the lower prices of the other buffets, because they do not offer crab legs.
Eastern Buffet on State Route 741 in Moraine:
Crab legs here and butter galore. They have decent desserts and have recently added a sushi and hibachi area. The choices are pretty much what you can expect from the other buffets. Nothing outstanding but a solid original that the other buffets may have copied.
China Garden Buffet on Woodman Drive in Kettering and on State Route 73 in Springboro:
The Woodman restaurant was the scene of the famous “Ung Ghaa” episode. One of the waitresses said “ung ghaa” after watching The Big Ragu get a heaping plate of crab legs. Needless to say, he was not their favorite table on that night. The crab shells flew on this Food Adventure. They have nice decor with some of the paintings looking like HD televisions. The food is pretty good here and the soft serve ice cream is one of the better things when compared to the other restaurants. But be careful, if you take the last crab leg in the dish, you may get a raised eyebrow from the staff. We are pretty sure we earned legendary status on Woodman Drive after our food quantities consumed here. The Springboro location has some of the lowest prices we have seen for buffets, and is a steal of a deal for food offered. They have hand breaded fish at the Springboro location, which looks to be tilapia.
QQ Hibachi Buffet on Wilmington Pike in Bellbrook:
One of the weaker ones on our list, this restaurant is typical of what you would expect. If you are in a pinch it will do. The strong point here is it is a very clean and new environment and their hours seem to be later than other buffets.
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We want to hear your feedback on these buffets! Have you been to these places? Is there a good one on the list that we skipped? Please comment below !!
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