Chengs Buffet

This has to be one of the worst Chinese buffets I have ever been to. The selection is not that good and the food is sub-​par. Not sure if I will return.

We used to think this place was comparable with other Chinese restaurants in the area. Last week my wife brought some take out home with her. Everything tasted flAt, old, and left over.
I ate a piece of pork which I knew was bad and became quite ill.
I think it will be q long time before we return.

I love Chengs! The food is always fresh, the servers are super attentive and the choices are endless. Sure there’s lots of fried goodies, but do not pass on the black pepper chicken!!! The pricing isn’t bad, and it’s pretty clean for the most part (considering it’s a buffet). I’ve been to Chengs probably 10 – 15 times and never have had any issues there. We used to drive from New Albany, and now from Johnstown and worth the drive!

It’s hard to find good food in Newark, much less good Chinese food. We’ve tried several places that were total failures. Failures like I need to scrub my tongue and have my memory erased while internally wondering how can Panda Express actually taste better than these places.
I’ve been working up the nerve to try Cheng’s for a couple of months just out of outright fear. Chinese buffets are always a crap shoot. I’m happy to say I didn’t walk away with food poisoning, but I also didn’t necessarily walk away raving. But, at $ 7.99 for lunch, I’m not complaining too much.
The food selection is pretty minimal, although thankfully it was all fresh. There is a small sushi section that had some variations of California rolls and a couple tuna and salmon sashimi items. There were some stuffed into tofu pouches which were overly sweet which I was not a fan of.
When it comes to Chinese, I will make the trip out into the city and probably keep this as a quick/​cheap option if I’m too lazy to drive extensively.

Its a buffet… but the shrimp are larger and of bigger variety then the big chain seafood restaurant. Very pleasant staff and eere kind to even the crazies who artived 10 min before closing with large family! Worth the drive IF you like chinese buffets with colorful variety of dishes and sushi. If not, let the rest of us enjoy!

O.M.G. we walked in and was greeted. Server was nice. We went up to the BUFFET and it looked presentable. It was around 430. We went back to our seat… the hot food was cold… and the cold food such as desserts and all were room temperature and not chilled or cold at all. The jello and bananas were turning brown from not being chilled or even cold. we also looked around and the dining room looked like it had not been seen by a vacuum in months. We will not be back.

Typical Chinese Buffet. They have quite a bit to offer on the Buffet and they also have Chef’s waiting to cook food for you.

What’s more American than a Chinese Buffet? Row upon row of batter-​dipped, deep-​fried delights, steaming platters piled high with vegetable lo mein and beef teriyaki and szechuan chicken. Foods shoved on skewers, or submerged in sauces, or stuffed and served on the half-​shell. Add all the requisite Western idiosyncrasies like pizza, fried chicken, and soft-​serve, and it’s easy to see why we’ve all fallen in love with All-​You-​Can-​Eat «Asian» food.
I’m native to Newark, and Cheng’s has always been my basis for Chinese Buffet criteria. So far, Capital City hasn’t even come close. Potluck always appeals to me — I’m a great lover of appetizers, small plates, and variety — and this place is the perfect venue for it. The interior is tranquil, a sparkling chandelier reflects cool blue neon in a ceiling recess above the tables, and Asian touches pepper the walls. More importantly, these booths are actually comfortable all the way through 3 (or 4, or 5) plates of pleasure.
It’s not just a diversity of mealtime options that makes Cheng’s my buffet champion, it’s the selection and substance. I usually start on the side with the classics, just a spoonful or two of the following: stir-​fried mushrooms and mixed vegetables, szechuan chicken and broccoli, grilled shrimp, a skewer of teriyaki or barbecue beef, sweet and sour pork, a stuffed crab or creamy clam dip, all topped off with mussels and crab legs. They’re smallish and sloppy and it’s a struggle to eat them, but I never refuse shellfish.
My latest visit was last Father’s Day, and the man of the hour made a beeline to the custom stir-​fry counter with his first plate. He always starts his feasting with a personalized potpourri of his favorites, freshly tossed together and fried before our eyes by a chef in their open kitchen. Sounds tasty, doesn’t it? Father knows best.
The husband prefers helpings of plain steamed rice, proteins, and fried foods, while I usually head to the deep-​fry side for my second helping. Over there you’ll find little fried shrimps, chicken drumsticks, crab rangoon, and sugary chinese dumplings. They also have mozzarella sticks, mac and cheese bites, and tater tots, but we’re not here for that crap. Ok, maybe just a couple tater tots, no-one’s looking. This side also contains cups of chinese soups (hot & sour, wonton, egg drop), if you like them luke-​warm and lacking in spices.
The dessert section is a bit of a disaster, but you should be running on fumes at this point. I suggest you spurn the water-​logged peaches and pears, pass up the puddings, and opt for ice cream sundaes. Grab yourself some immediately melty soft-​serve (Oo! Chocolate and vanilla twist!), shake on some sprinkles and spoon yourself some chocolate syrup. If you still have a sweet tooth, there’s always the fortune cookie.
Did I mention that they’re in Spanish? All joking aside, mine read «Otras dias, otros maneras.» But what else could you expect from the ultimate Americanization of Asian food? The west is a melting pot, and Cheng’s Chinese Buffet is another delicious symbol of the synthesis between cultures and cuisine.

We have been eating at Cheng’s for many years. We especially liked the Chinese music videos with many scenes of China as the background — now they have either sports or news without sound. This year the food quality has been compromised, perhaps in an attempt to keep costs down. I doubt that we will return as the last three times were so disappointing.

My second time here. Always very good!
CRAB LEGS!!!
Overall, one of the largest selections on a Chinese buffet I’ve seen since moving to the Columbus area.
I did ad the first picture for this place on here to give you an idea of how nice it really is on the inside. Hope it helps.
If you’re ever in the Newark area… give it a shot… you won’t be disappointed.

For Newark, OH… this is a very good Chinese buffet (boo-​fay, as I say). The location (strip mall) where Chengs is located is fairly new and very nice.
The restaurant certainly looks like a Chinese restaurant with much Asian décor. The buffet is stocked full of both fried and grilled dishes. The general Tso’s chicken is one of my favorites here, as well as the hot & sour soup. During some evenings of the week, they even have crab legs. I tried a few last night and they were «just okay.» Kind’ve small and difficult to get the meat out. (But I don’t judge the entire place by a few frustrating sea-​spiders!)
There is also a small sushi selection, if you enjoy that.
Lots of different seafood dishes (muscles, crab, etc.), lo mein, chicken & broccoli, and the list goes on.
I’ll definately be back when I’m in town!