Jade Rivers

Date: June 10, 2009
Time: Approx. 12:30pm

Location: Lincoln, Nebraska

Restaurant: Jade Rivers
Overall Rating: 2.5 Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls: 1.5
Food Quality: 2.5
Price: 4.5
Atmosphere: 2.5

Service: 3.5

I went to the Jade Rivers Chinese Buffet yesterday for lunch. I wouldn’t go so far as to put “famous chinese buffet” in the title on the menu, as they did. They didn’t have Cashew Chicken, so I tried the Almond Chicken, which by the way, did not have any almonds. It was just OK. That word really kind of sums up the whole experience. They had pork and vegetable egg rolls. Both were very dry and I had to use soy sauce. Side note: If you have to use soy sauce on an egg roll, in my opinion, that is not good. The Crab Rangoon was the worst I’ve had. It was bone dry. No filling at all and they were very small. The Vegetable Lo Mein was average. A little dry and the noodles were thick. The Egg Drop Soup as so so as well. It had green onions in it and looked a little oily. The General Tao’s Chicken was what you’d expect for a buffet, along with the Orange Chicken. Generally, good hot or luke warm, but try to get it while it’s hot! The best item I ate was the Teriyaki Chicken. There was no breading, but the sauce stuck to it well, giving it a full flavor. The chicken pieces were a familiar consistency too. Always good to see in a Chinese restaurant. The last item I tried was the Indian Chicken. It needed a bit more flavor. I was expecting to taste that Indian flare, but might have been expecting too much for this place!

I’d like to come back and eat off the menu to give a fair rating of food right off the cooker. Overall for a buffet, I give it a 2.5 out of 5. The price was $5.99. So for that cost, the level of food was right on value. The service was good. All people were very friendly and prompt in removing plates. We were even asked if everything was good, which is unusual for buffet-style places. Restaurant was clean. Definitely felt like I was in an “American-Chinese” place. The Chinese ambiance was lacking a bit. If you’re looking for cheap Chinese food with fair quality and mass quantities, this is your place. http://www.jaderiversbuffet.com/

Fortune: “Share your insights with close friends for rewards this week.”
A perfect fortune for the first week of this blog. These are my insights, shared only with close friends…so far.