Great Wall Buffet is on Gunbarrel Road. Click to enlarge.
photo by Janet Wilson
Wayne and I have decided that there must be some kind of hidden law that reads, “All strip shopping centers with a grocery store must also have a Chinese restaurant.” Has anyone else noticed that?
There is another all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet that recently opened at 2020 Gunbarrel Road – Great Wall Buffet. This is the old Barnhill’s location (which is a terrific location) – let’s hope the overall food quality is better than any of their predecessors and that the stigma of the Barnhill’s location doesn’t “zap” them before they catch on with customers. In case you’re thinking, “There isn’t a grocery store in that center,” think Wal-Mart.
According to their menu, “We are the largest Chinese Buffet and Open Grill Restaurant in Chattanooga,” serving Chinese food, Japanese Sushi, Mongolian BBQ and BBQ Steak.
Although it is large, Wayne and I didn’t really see it as the largest in Chattanooga. There are items offered at other buffets we didn’t find here – such as Prime Rib (I know, that’s not Chinese) at the Grand Buffet (albeit tough and you have to try to cut it off the rib roast yourself while balancing your plate), and Oysters at the Grand Buffet, as well as Chef Lin’s, although Great Wall does have Mussels. We didn’t really find anything here that the other buffets aren’t serving, so we can’t say it is the “largest”.
We didn’t really find anything here that the other buffets aren’t serving, so we can’t say it is the “largest”.
The Great Wall has a full menu in addition to the buffet, so don’t feel obligated to order the buffet if you only want a bowl of soup ($1 to $2.50), or an order of maybe Shrimp with Broccoli ($8.15).
We found the buffet to be fresh and under constant supervision – at least on the night we were there. The workers were stirring the food and keeping the containers filled. One thing I would ask them to do is turn up the heat a little. Most of the food was a tad above lukewarm, nothing was really hot. That is definitely something that needs to be done.
They do have a Mongolian Bar where the buffet is filled with raw, uncooked ingredients. You select the items you want, put them on your plate, then the Chef will cook it on the grill for you with the flavors and sauces of your choice. I know they have this same type bar at other Chinese buffets, but this one is more “noticeable”. It is where you can get to it easily instead of hidden where you don’t even notice its availability. There were quite a few people using this particular area.
The Hot and Sour Soup was medium spicy and thick with ingredients, although not as many mushrooms as you usually find. I really liked the Egg Drop Soup as it had more consistency than a lot of others I have tried. There were four soups on the buffet, as well as a complete salad bar, shrimp in the shell, crab legs, and the usual assortment of Chinese foods, including several varieties of rice and noodles.
They also have a Sushi Bar where the Sushi Chef is making it fresh while you wait. He was preparing numerous rolls, as well as Salmon, Tuna, Eel, Crab, Shrimp and Octopus Sushi. I did like the Sushi I sampled, although they didn’t have our favorite, the Scallops, and I didn’t find anything containing the Japanese Mayonnaise. I do prefer this system over the ones that just put the Sushi out on the buffet – somehow that always looks old and dried up.
I am sure we will go back, since we like Chinese food, and they do offer a large variety to choose from – I just hope they make the effort to keep the food hotter. Neither of us was impressed with the dessert selection. The desserts are the little purchased cakes and packaged cookies or the small cream puffs like the ones you get at Sam’s. Nothing is wrong with Sam’s, but I don’t want to go to a restaurant to be served the same thing I could buy and serve myself. We were told there is going to be an ice cream machine, but it wasn’t ready at the time we were there.
Menu entree items range from $5.25 to $9.95. Lunch specials (served from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. are all priced at $4.50. Buffet prices for lunch (11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.) are $5.99 for adults, $2.49 for Children 3-6, and $3.99 for children 7-10. The dinner buffet (Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.) is $8.99, $3.25 for children 3-6, and $4.50 for children 7-10.
The weekend buffet (Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.) is $9.99, $3.75 for children 3-6, and $5.25 for children 7-10. Sunday All Day the price is $8.99, $3.25 for children 3-6, and $4.50 for children 7-10. Prices do not include beverages. They do give a senior discount of 10 percent for ages 65 and over (but you cannot combine it with any other offers).
Hours for the Great Wall Buffet are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m.
Are you tired of dining alone? Check out our dine out web site, click on the link found on the main page and find someone to share your 2004 Adventures Coupon Book. The books are here – waiting for your orders – we’ve already started using ours. They make perfect gifts for any occasion – anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, congratulations, housewarmings – any time. Just go to our web site and click on the special link that will take you to a full list of coupons to be found in the book, along with instructions on ordering - and you can order them using your credit cards. You can also check on the other link on the main page and start your journey to finding a dining partner.
You can contact Janet Wilson and Wayne Keith by E-mail at cdojanet@bellsouth.net; cdowayne@bellsouth.net or by regular mail at Chattanooga Dine Out, P. O. Box 80453, Chattanooga, TN 37414. You can also contact them by going directly to www.ChattanoogaDineOut.com and scrolling down to "Contact our Staff" and click on the name of the person you wish to contact.
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