One of my favorite restaurants in highland park (actually in the twin cities). Go - to chinese buffet. My favorite is the fried potato dish, and the shrimp.
(5)
Sai V.
This place is like 3 miles away from my apartment, walked in randomly and got amazed. Best place to taste the Chinese food and don't forget to taste the banana desert with almond cookie. My kudos to the chef who make the food
(5)
David R.
The best Chinese food buffet in the Twin Cities, bar none, and we've practically tried them all by now. EVERYTHING'S delicious, especially the honey mustard shrimp (a personal favorite). The staff is always friendly, courteous, and helpful (especially Johnny) and did I mention the addictive honey mustard shrimp? We've been dining here for years and will continue to do so. When you've found the best, why go anywhere else? Besides, Johnny has started growing a mustache and we want to see how it turns out...
(5)
Sheila X.
My boyfriend loooves Cleveland Wok. I think it's pretty good. I feel they recently changed their noodles on the buffet, but my boyfriend disagrees. He still loves it all. I really like their General Tso chicken, which is not on the buffet. The food is good for the price you pay. I think that's why he loves it so much. I do like it too. It's more flavorful than other chinese buffets. I wish they had ice cream dessert available for the buffet. There is a frozen yogurt place right a cross the street from it though. We usually stop there after.
(4)
Samuel W.
My girlfriend, Admiral Ackbar and I walked in here today. The admiral is sort of a dick and wants to get his review out of the way first. Admiral? "It's a trap." Thank you, Admiral. I'm thoroughly convinced the bathrooms were never actually meant to be used. It's rather akin to pissing in a crushed cracker jack box. I suggest warming up with a few yoga stretches beforehand so you don't end up pulling your spine out of alignment trying to drop a cleveland steamer. I've never been a huge fan of the buffet setup--it's small and its location forces you to end up grinding on those people that just can't wait for two goddamn seconds to get their egg roll--but some of the food on it isn't bad. I don't mind the eggrolls (they're more of a Vietnamese style), the steak and potatoes, the roasted mushrooms and the spicy pork are standouts. The fried rice, lo mein, chow mein and most of the other 'staples' you'd find at a Chinese buffet are pretty abysmal, though. The fried rice lacks -any- vegetation and has very little flavor. I've never been a massive chow mein fan but this variety is certainly one of the worst I've tasted; the consistency is gelatinous and the flavor is, again, lacking. A lot of the other reviewers have noted how small it is in here. When it was crowded, there was an uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobia that remained ever-present during the meal. Our most recent experience, however, brought us here at a time when the place was pretty dead. Almost immediately after being seated, we both started hearing this odd noise. It sounded like a dude receiving oral enlightenment. No, I'm not kidding. Turns out it was one of the employees whom, I hope, was sick and was continually making moaning/grunting noises. While in the middle of my second plate, said employee walked over to the buffet and started rummaging around. Despite the party in his pants, he managed to pull it together long enough to grab one of the trays a quarter full of sticky chicken to take back to the kitchen. I suppose being ill makes you shamelessly ravenous because he began pulling out pieces of sauce-laden chicken with his fingers to start loudly eating almost as quickly as he grabbed the tray. Are the smoldering embers of your appetite stoked yet? The other guy that was working with him (they both looked to be teens) tripped over a chair after getting off the phone behind the front counter. So, naturally, he did what any sensible individual would do: he turned and kicked the chair three or four times in retribution and then started complaining. They both then proceeded to grunt and groan their way over to a table and giggle like schoolgirls about something or another. Truthfully, this place is just like any other Chinese buffet; you pile a bunch of shit on your plate and typically end up with a 50/50 ratio of tasty to soot and poo. Here, it seems, the soot and poo increases exponentially with each visit. If you've ever been sitting alone in your living room and found yourself pondering the age old question, "What would it be like to dine in a porno that I have zero sexual interest in?" you might be able to get a similar experience at Cleveland Wok. On the slight upside, the prices are cheap to drag you in like a starving orphan. I think the admiral's initial review pretty much sums up how I feel about that, though.
(2)
F E.
This place has gone down hill. The buffet Quality is really bad as of late. Went today for dinner and you could tell half of the chicken dishes have been sitting out for a long time. The sesame chicken was rubbery and cold. Stay away if you can.
(1)
Tara O.
As a former Tommie, I have eaten a lot of take out, ordered a lot of delivery, and dined in for a lot of lunch buffets at the Cleveland Wok in my time. I've never been to a better buffet. The green beans in the garlic sauce are... I don't have a word (or dictionary to look one up) to describe the awesomeness.
(4)
Ben J.
Cleveland wok has one of the best quality buffets in the cities. The food is top notch and always fresh. There isn't a huge selection but what they do have is delicious. Prices are very reasonable. The place is always crowded and the buffet is set up in an awkward position so be prepared to wait in line and possibly throw a few elbows to get to the food. Parking is also a bit difficult so you will most likely have to walk a bit to get to the restaurant. It's worth it though.
(4)
Andrew S.
Best Chinese buffet in the twin cities. Super small and cozy, food is always hot during the lunch and dinner rush. The staff is super friendly always smiling and if you are a regular they know you by name.
(5)
Molly S.
We just had Cleveland Wok cater my son's graduation party! The owners were so easy to work with. The food was brought hot and ready to go. Tang even set it up for us! The food was delicious...the fried cream cheese wontons were a hit!!
(5)
Jeff S.
This is a good one. It's the only Chinese Buffet I really like near here. Good amount of choices and they keep it fresh.
(5)
Debelah T.
This place was a delightful visit for me. They do a good job at keeping all of the food fresh at all times. I noticed that they paid big attention to their detail with freshness and food quality. I don't say that about buffets very easily, but I say that about this one. The woman who welcomed me and served me was delightful. This is a good buffet for a good lunch. Their prices are pretty good. I love that they have lunch hour, the time to get a cheaper lunch during rush hour lunch.
(4)
Deidre J.
We have been long time lovers of the delicious Cleveland Wok buffet, and we had them cater our wedding reception in May 2014. They were very pleasant to work with and offered a very reasonable price for good quality Chinese food. The pot stickers, cream cheese wontons, lemon chicken, beef and potatoes, and lo mein were a huge hit with our guests. They delivered on time and the integrity of the food was maintained while served over hot plates at our outdoor reception. We were very pleased with our catering experience and highly recommend them for weddings or any occasion.
(5)
Larry L.
i have read a lot of the reviews and cannot understand how there could be bad ones - but - - i will say- i , we - my partner and i love it !!!! We got married on the 13th of this last month and they catered it - and everyone was blown away !!! the only complaint ?? too much food !!! everyone had to take food home and then i dropped off a lot to friends and neigbors who, by the way - raved on it ! Yes, we had the wedding and the food in our home and the RABBI who married us in our home- LOVED everything ! - we now live in white Bear Lake- so we went to the GREAT Moon buffet for lunch today- 20 x the selection of the cleveland wok and my spouce for the first time anywhere had to spit food out -three times - and you know what ?? yes, we are driving to the cleveland Wok From now on - it's worth it !
(5)
Alanna N.
Hands down one of THE BEST places for Chinese food in St Paul. Their portions are huge and their prices are awesome ($7 for a combination order that includes an entree, fried rice, and egg roll -- could definitely feed 2 people). And you know the mystery chicken you find at other Chinese restaurants? When you bite into a piece and experience a strange texture that's definitely not... meat? You won't find that at Cleveland Wok. The meat and veggies they use are as fresh as it gets. The teriyaki chicken + cream cheese puffs are my favorite things so far. You can tell the employees here care about the quality of their service and food.
(5)
Dave F.
Everything I've tried here has been really delicious and fresh. I do think it's one of the best Chinese restaurants in St. Paul... and they deliver!
(5)
J D.
We have sincerely ordered from this place at least 40 times in the last 5 years because they deliver and are consistently good. The chicken is ALWAYS all white meat and the veggies are cooked nicely and are seemingly fresh. The bathroom isn't the cleanest and they could shujj up the place but it's clean and well kept and the service is decent. The food is just nicely done - never once, in all of those times, had a bad experience. Recommend the sesame chicken and the chicken lo mein.
(5)
Robyn R.
Fresh, traditional Chinese food. The buffet was piled high with lots of choices and they were all delicious.
(5)
Leslie H.
This place, like so many Chinese restaurants, is hit or miss. One day when we dined in, the food was flavorful and fresh. A few weeks later when we had it delivered to our house, it was bland, and the chicken they used for the sweet and sour dish was DISGUSTING. It looked like they swept together all the scraps of pieces they didn't want to use for their dine-in guests and stuck them in the fryer. I am always weary of meat at Chinese restaurants anyway, because I've had so many gross experiences, but this dish may have swayed us from ever going back to Cleveland Wok again.
(2)
Karen R.
I got Cleveland Wok to go a few months ago and I thought it was kind of sub par. I ordered sesame chicken, plain fried rice, and an eggroll. The sesame chicken (which is my favorite americanized chinese food) was really weird-- it almost tasted like maple syrup and was way to sweet. The rice was kind of dry, and the egg roll was just ok. Today I was really craving chinese food, so my boyfriend (who loves CW) and I went for their lunch buffet. Everything today was AMAZING! All of their other chicken dishes were super good in that I-want-to-eat-tons-of-fried-food kind of way, their fried rice and plain white rice were both really good, and their cream cheese wantons were phenomenal. My favorite thing, though, were the green beans! They tasted so fresh (they were nice and crisp and seasoned super well) and they were just wonderful. The fried bananas were also really good and kind of unexpected. The service was also great: friendly waiters refilled our water glasses, our check was brought to us quickly, and the restaurant seemed clean. I feel really lucky to have this place just a few blocks from my apartment. I will definitely be back. I totally recommend!
(4)
Taylor W.
Love this place! The food is always fresh when I stop in and the price for a buffet isn't bad at all. Friendly service and never a dry glass when you drink all your beverage. Great place to go for lunch.
(4)
Nicholas F.
I decided to try this place after pretty decent reviews, which after eating there, I am thinking people really don't know what really good Chinese type foods and buffets are. This is only for my buffet experience. A VERY small selection here, and a lot of battered, fried dishes in the buffet, the only thing that was semi-good was the lemon shrimp. I could tell the quality of meat was on the cheaper end. The only vegetarian option I noticed was a vegetable stir-fry that was oil/greasy. My so-called iced tea I ordered was nothing more than diluted water, I ended up making them take the $1.75 tea off my bill. Other than the friendly service (which is not key to a great eating experience) there is to return here. There are many other good Chinese buffets around town for a little more or roughly the same price and are far better and offer far more selection that CW.
(1)
Adam W.
For a time this was a solid lunch buffet spot. No longer. All of the interesting/adventurous options are no longer to be found. Instead, plenty of the same old same thing, bland and greasy. Even the hot and sour soup wasn't. Sadness.
(2)
Nick A.
This is one of the best Chinese buffet's you can find anywhere, period. It is absolutely incredible. The selection is not as big as you would find at a much larger buffet, but they usually have 6-8 choices which are almost all fabulous. I am a huge Chinese food lover and would recommend this to anyone who has never had it! Best place in the twin cities by far.
(5)
Monique H.
Apart from China, Springfield, MO is the Chinese food capital of the world. (I can't back that up). So, after living in St. Paul for a little less than a month I've been longing to get some egg rolls in my belly. This place is conveniently within walking distance so obviously I decided to give it a go. Pretty cramped in there. As many have said it's not got a lot of wiggle room. Especially up by the tiny buffet area. As soon as you grab a plate you are intimately connected to the person standing two inches in front you loading up on rice. Speaking of the rice I'm not really sure what was in it. It was really brown. Not brown rice, but so brown it looked like it was covered in so much soy sauce it had taken on an unnatural espresso color. I gave the rice a miss. The egg rolls were pretty stellar, though, and I did enjoy the green beans. The rest of the food...meh. It's typical Chinese buffet. The price and location brought me in. Maybe if I'm really jonesin' for an egg roll I'd go in again, but there's gotta be better.
(2)
Erin A.
Love this place, we have been going for over 10 years. Best buffet for the price. Everything is delicious and the staff is awesome
(5)
Rebecca D.
After reading some poor reviews, I feel compelled to give my opinion. We've been dining here for the last 10 years and love it! We always do the buffet, and always leave stuffed and in pain, isn't that what buffets are for!? :-) I have always felt the food was decent quality, the chicken pieces in the sweet and sour chicken are always white meat and cut thick. Beef and potato, mushrooms, cream cheese wonton, and green beans are always on the first plate, really good items! But really, all of the items never disappoint. The family that runs the restaurant have always been friendly and remembers who we are, even if it's been 6 months or more. While the place can get cramped, that only shows how popular it is! For us, this place will always be on our list, especially when we feel that urge to totally overeat like Americans were bred to do!
(5)
Gary B.
After scoring the last two volumes of Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy at Half-Priced books I decided to treat myself to lunch and ended up at the Cleveland Wok. Mistake! It's not that the food was bad it was that it was boring. It's sad when the fried chicken wings were the best thing on the buffet. Let's start out with the hot and sour soup. Bland. I want that soup to wake up my head. All the dishes could have come out of a Minnesota church kitchen. When I see "Szechuan" on an item I expect some zing. The Szechuan meatballs were kind of like bland Scandinavian meatballs with a dibble of five-spice powder on them. Even the tea was thin.. The place was crowded... I guess it was the $5.98 lunch price. It sure wasn't the food.
(1)
Joe I.
I have to step up my review of this location as it has become my 6 year old daughter's favorite place to eat out, and since she would not eat anything even remotely resembling a potsticker at home, and that she does here (and with chop sticks!) I have to up the review. Plus, our 2 year old eats free. The food is good, they now have milk as an option for kids (though last time I visited they were out) and they deliver super efficient, super friendly service. It can get uncomfortably crowded, but I'm not going to fault them for being successful!
(4)
Brandon B.
Let me start off first by saying the Cleveland Wok has always been a quantity over quality place. That being said, the food i ate there was some of the WORST food i have ever tasted in my entire life. This one Saturday my roommate and i were super hung over and wanted to get some food right off the bat so we decided to go to the Cleveland Wok. I hadn't been there in probably 4-5 years, but i figured not much had changed. And at first, from appearances of the buffet, nothing had. Then i tasted the food, YUCK! It was all just so much worse than i remember, and two problems stuck out that were never there before. First, the sweet and sour sauce. They have the standard red/orangish sweet and sour sauce that every crappy Asian place has; EXCEPT, someone apparently decided they'd make their's unique by dumping in a bucket of Ginger powder. Holy crap, it was awful! Then the Sesame Chicken, which was usually one of the best things there. This time, for some reason, it tasted like someone cooked the meat in grease from some cheap breakfast sausage links. The Sesame Chicken tasted like i was eating some cheap nasty Jimmy Dean Sausage links, it was freaking gross! At that point i attempted to do what i have never attempted to do before, dine and dash. I figured, how can they expect me to pay for this crap? Joe Rogen pays people thousands of dollars to eat less nasty shit than this on Fear Factor. So i went downstairs where the bathroom is and i saw this door that said "employees only". I figured it was the door to get out the back entrance. But then i opened the door to a warm room and in the middle were large tables that were filled with uncooked food!!! Food that was surely going to be cooked later on, just sitting opened up in a warm room. One of them was the egg rolls i remember. They need to send a health inspector to this place. They got food just sitting out and they're cooking their chicken in pork grease which could condemn some religious people to eternal damnation. When i saw that food sitting out in that nasty dirty old room i wanted to *bleeping* puke! Obviously it goes without saying, but i'll do it anyways, i felt like complete shit after eating there. Sure its only 6 bucks, but that's 6 bucks to feel like crap. Hell you can pay a friend five bucks to punch you in the stomach and spit in your face, and you'll get the same awful feeling you get from the Cleveland Wok only it's a dollar cheaper. Oh by the way, i did pay for the meal and do not endorse dine-and-dashing of any sort.
(1)
Lindsey W.
I used to live a few blocks from this place and hadn't had their delicious buffet in over a year. I went back this weekend and man my husband and I had been missing out. I would highly recommend the beef with potato (sounds weird but it's good), cream cheese puffs, and the garlic green beans. That is usually what most of my plate is made up of. The service here is outstanding. Your water or any other drink glass is never more than half empty. And they clear your plates for those of us who go up multiple times immediately! I think there actually used to be a facebook group called "3 plates at clevland wok" And it's cheap...delicious food for only $8.25! ($7.50 at lunch!)
(4)
Amy R.
The quest continues to find some really good egg foo yong close to my home. None of what I ordered really left a memorable mark or stood out presentation or taste wise. Egg rolls: small, greasy and the thin wrap. I prefer the thicker egg roll wraps stuffed with cabbage and heartier. Shrimp Egg Foo Yong: Thick little patties, but the gravy was strange. Yellowish and with a spice I couldn't wrap my taste buds around. Didn't really care for it. Shrimp Fried Rice: Really greasy and the cheapest shrimp ever. Chicken Wings: Ok. Kind of smallish and not too much meat. For the price, its fair. It just didn't leave anything memorable that I would go rushing back for.
(3)
Matt R.
It's a guilty pleasure, but every once in a while I get the craving for their amazing green beans (and pot stickers, and Mongolian beef, and won tons, etc.). Set into a tiny space near the corner of Cleveland and Ford Parkway in Highland Park, St. Paul this restaurant is a spot for the locals that know it's good. My favorite is the lady up front at the register. It's like an entire office in this little podium space where she commands the buffet, take out, greeting, and tending to the register.
(4)
Stephanie R.
I love Chinese food, and I love buffets, but somehow I just never really enjoy Chinese buffets. They are often greasy and stale, but I still end up eating my weight in sesame chicken! But Cleveland Wok was a very pleasant surprise for me! They were able to accommodate my group of 10 people with only 30 minutes notice in this small restaurant. I loved it here! The hostess was super friendly and helpful, and although smaller than most, this buffet was definitely my fave Asian buffet thus far in my life. The food was fresh and my favorites included the green beans, the SUPERB egg rolls, and the fried bananas coated with sugar! The best part was that since it tasted more like real food than most, I didn't feel the need to sleep off a buffet-hangover an hour later! Very reasonably priced, and a must-eat St. Paul buffet!
(4)
Suzanna C.
I don't know whether it's possible to truly appreciate the Cleveland Wok unless you move away from it, as I have. Friday nights hitting the Wok, followed by a movie at the Riverview are simple but important pleasures that are lacking here in the suburbs. The Cleveland Wok offers the best Chinese buffets to offer: the food was always hot, the variety was good for a buffet offering and I never tasted anything there that wasn't flavorful, crisp and colorful. There's always a crowd that hums with the pleasant banter of people relieved to call it a week and as we all know, it's a good sign when it's hard to get a table - especially at a Chinese buffet that offers no parking. Unlike most buffets, I'd recommend trying everything. The flavors are clear and crisp and worth taking very light samples of - after all, professional buffeters know to sample sparingly and then go in for the real deal course, comprised of winners from round one. And so on, until two entrees go into head to head battle for the championship - which will she finish? For me, my stomach's never made it past plate one, but I suspect plate 3 would be comprised of the honey-mustard shrimp (available only at dinner) and potstickers. For lunch, since its sans shrimp, the egg rolls would make it to the championship. I did go with half a dozen coworkers several years ago for an eating contest and the men found as much and more to like about the Wok's offerings to squeeze all we ladies out of contention. That might seem like a simple point, but I've found more women friends than male that list Chinese as their first or second favorite type of food and I think it's largely because men are more comfortable with food that's not green or colorful (ok, men of MY generation). Not to worry, my male baby boomers, there's a dish comprised of entirely meat, potatoes and onions that's quite savory and familiars like chicken teryaki that you can pick around to the bits you recognize. And given the lunch and dinner buffet prices, you've got to love the value for money. Words to the Wise. Get to the Wok as early or as late as possible - they stay busy. Don't go to the bathroom, it doesn't feel clean and it's kind of creepy downstairs. Eat in rather than take out if you can, the take-out containers for lunch & dinner are pretty tiny. Wear boots and warm clothing, you're going to have to walk a bit from your car and the restaurant is small, so when it's bitter, every time another customer comes in - which is often - the entire restaurant can feel the chill. If only there were a Lakeville Wok...
(4)
Carolyn O.
My family loves coming here and you really get bang for your buck.
(4)
Stacy K.
I love this place! I've been coming here since college and many of my friends and I are still hooked over 10 years later. It's consistently good, whether you get the buffet or order off the menu. In particular, the beef and potatoes with oyster sauce, hot and spicy pork, potstickers, and green beans with garlic are all delicious. It's rich and greasy enough to be satisfying chinese food but never oily to the point where you feel gross afterward. The service is always really friendly and usually quite efficient, even when it's busy, and the prices are pretty reasonable. You can also get the buffet to go. Parking can be tricky but there are usually spots on Pinehurst. Also once the bank is closed, it seems safe to use their lot...I've done so dozens of times and never had any problems.
(5)
Angela L.
Your typical Chinese Buffet! The service here is pretty good, the will deliver, and as far as Chinese Buffets of a similar type in the area go, this is my favorite so far. I was raised in a family which taught me two conflicting worldviews. Half taught me to love buffets, the other half taught me to fear them and their evil ways (unsanitary, gluttonous, etc.) and the latter half has usually won out over the years, but Cleveland Wok isn't just any old Chinese buffet, it's the Highland Park neighborhood buffet and I have a lot of great memories of going here during my college years with friends or ordering in for club meetings or movie nights in the dorms. The cream cheese wontons cannot be beat, the green beans are delicious and I love the sesame chicken and fried rice. You can order fried rice with chicken off of their menu, but it is never included in the buffet. The interior is really quite small, and unless you are able to snag a booth you may be left feeling slightly cramped at the tables. Be prepared for a possible wait for a table on the weekends.
(3)
Ben D.
Okay so typically I am afraid of buffets I haven't had yet... But this was a very good decision!! The food here... it's just so much wonderful all trapped beneath a warming lamp! Everything that I tried here was delicious! And for only $6 it was WELL worth it! My favorites here are the Won-Tons, Terriyaki Chicken, and the green beans were VERY yummy! It's definitely worth a shot if you are hungry, although I wouldn't go if you're itching to use a restroom... it's like a small dungeon hardly shoulder width across!
(4)
John H.
Best Chinese buffet I have ever been to. I'm a student so the super cheap prices are awesome and the food is stellar! I love their lunch buffet, and I will continue to visit this place for years!
(5)
Lisa M.
Last Chance CW, last chance! Once upon a time, CW was my favorite. That was long ago. The quality of the food and gone down and I can longer recommend CW. I had to try it one more time since I had written it off over a year ago. My dining companion had been there in the past and didn't love it either. So, we tried lunch again last week. The egg rolls and cheese puffs are good, but the Hot and Spicy Pork is now Hot and Spicy Chicken and the rest of the food seems blah and lifeless. The beans used to rock also. Big disappointment - a fall from grace....Good bye CW. I will not miss you.
(2)
Joanna C.
Cheap. Plentiful. Will do in a pinch. Their fried rice (which is critical) is mediocre at best but the buffet is cheap and there are a decent amount of simple, staple items to try. Nothing stellar but it'll do in a pinch.
(3)
Seth M.
Chinese buffets are hit and miss and they also seem to be particular to users' taste. For example, I think the Great Moon Buffet tastes like hot garbage juice whereas my wife loves it. So when it comes to trying Chinese restaurants, I rely very little on other peoples' opinions. The food here was above average. It wasn't hot even though we got there pretty close to when they open. The variety was very good and there was a variety of soups, noodle dishes, meat and vegetable dishes and deserts. I wanted to try everything so I took very little of each dish. There were three deserts including deep fried bananas which were delicious. Nice building and good for groups. The location of Highland sucks since it takes 20 minutes to get there from anywhere in the Twin Cities. But if I'm in the area, I'll go back.
(4)
Karl H.
I'm relieving The Cleveland Wok of their 4 star status and demoting them to 2. The last couple times my wife and I have gone here haven't been so great. The green beans, my fav, have been luke warm at best and not up to their previous standards by any means. The rest of the food seems to have lost it's goodness too. The only thing I truly like anymore is the sweet and sour soup but that doesn't make it worth going back to as frequently as we once did. What happened?
(2)
Marc B.
Oh Cleveland Wok how far you have fallen. While no Chinese Buffet truly deserves 5 stars on Yelp, you used to be one of my favorites. Now, with the price of a buffet exceeding $10 at dinner, and a declining quality of food, I find it harder and harder to create excuses, or even want to, stuff my face with lukewarm Chinese food. What once was a neighborhood gem perfect for filling up a styrofoam container and sneaking it into a movie at the Highland Theater is now a worn down neighborhood hole in the wall, and not in a good way. Sadly it's not really worth the effort to find a parking spot in the crowded area but if you happen to be walking by and are starving, there are worse options you could choose.
(2)
Rob G.
This is a neighborhood classic and is probably one of the best places to get a good quality buffet at an incredibly low price. They have a relatively small selection of dishes, but what they lack in quantity is more than compensated in quality. You will not find a better place in Minneapolis or St. Paul that offers the extremely good value and delicious entrees of Cleveland Wok for around $6/person at lunch and $8/person at dinner. The staff is very good at attending to customers and refilling drinks regularly. Not to mention they are very friendly and, if not too busy, will make some time to chat for a minute and say hello. This place has become something of a local treasure in the Highland Village area and is sure to be around for a long time.
(5)
Robert M.
Their buffet selection is pretty limited, but everything that they do have is pretty good. You also can't beat their prices.
(4)
Lauren M.
I had to really debate about whether to give this place two or one stars. Let me give a brief history before I delve into my review. I just moved into the St. Paul area this week and am looking for a Chinese delivery to replace what is my all time favorite back in Atlanta, Mo Mo Ya. It was hands down the best Chinese/Japanese (they served both) I have ever had. So, I used Yelp to look up some local delivery places and decided to try Cleveland Wok. Here is why I wanted to give them one star. The "gentleman" answering the phones was down right rude! I asked him if they delivered, just to make sure I'd called the right location, and he snaps at me, "yes." Then I ask him which phone number he'd prefer: my apartment, which isn't hooked up yet but does have a number (I didn't know if they used the zip code for locations) or my cell which works. He snaps again, "I don't care! Whatever we can reach you on!" ...Um...Ok. At this point I'm seriously considering saying just forget it but I push on. I start to give him my out of state cell phone number. "WHAT?!" He yells when I say the zip code. I pause and say the numbers more firmly. He seems to realize he's giving me attitude and chills out for a bit. Finally, I place my order and he asks for my address. I tell him where I live but say I have a private entrance so the driver doesn't have to be buzzed in. I start giving the directions HE asked for and then he cuts me off, rudely of course, "Forget it. Just tell the driver when he calls." Click. No total for my order or anything. Just pure rudeness. The driver called when he arrived and he was a little politer, though obviously irritated that he had to drive to my private entrance. Oh! Excuse me for not being able to buzz you in when I don't have a phone! PLUS, I'm saving you the long walk to my apartment and agreeing to meet you at YOUR car. Regardless of his mildly exhausted tone, he was nice about it and came over. The food is the reason my review got bumped to a 2 star. It arrived promptly and was reasonably good. It probably would have hit the spot better had I not still been so irritated at having to deal with the guy on the phone. Overall, the food was decent. I've definitely had better. It wasn't very fresh tasting so I'm guessing they just take it from the buffet and send it out. Not what I'm used to at all. I won't be ordering from here again unless I'm absolutely desperate for food. I don't want to put up with the rude staff for mediocre eats.
(2)
John B.
This place has gotten a little bit more expensive over the years, but not enough to drive me away. It's really good for lunch, though there could be better places to go if you want a classy dinner. As far as how to eat there, you have to go about seventy-five percent on the first place, so that you even have room for a decent second plate. The cream-cheese wontons are great, but as always, you have to eat them first, so they don't get cold. There's enough chicken for all you fans of Americanized Chinese food (as I, not caring, have been told that's what it is, ala LeeAnn Chin), and one of my favorites is the Hot Sour Soup. The only thing I would improve is that there are just not enough things with mushrooms. I'm a big fan of mushrooms, so that's just me.
(4)
Joel M.
1st visit amazing, so came back again. This time chicken was really tough, and fatty. Sweet n sour tasted funny . Sad
(3)
Kevin H.
I have eaten lunch at the buffet and thought it was okay. Ordered delivery tonight and have to say that without a doubt it was the worst Chinese take away I have ever received anywhere in the US. I have lived in MD, PA, NJ, CT, CO and have eaten it in a dozen more. Bland isn't a more vanilla description for the lack of flavor. Ordered General TSO's and it couldn't have been more neturally flavored, lacked brocolli, and no peppers. Not only was it not in a spicy brown warm sauce, it seemed to be a weak interpretation of sesame chicken without the sesame. Egg foo yung gross, mushy, oddly flavored soaked in an unidentifialbe yellow sauce. Scallops and mushrooms were leathery and chewy and the green in the meal was chewy like a rubber plant- Sorry but you won't see my business again
(1)
Nick K.
You go here for the memories. And the fried bananas. But mostly the memories. You're looking at the place you skipped class to go to, if you went to Highland Sr. High. A time when you could eat 3 plates of food and not get fat. Food is your basic buffet fare: Green beans are good, if a bit oily. Vegetable delight is good and possibly healthy. Eggrolls are good, Fried rice is a bit dry, but what do you expect? Potstickers are good. The beef potato in oyster sauce is pretty good but it just sits there in you. You can feel it. Lunch buffet is good until three, so be ready to soak up the sun and sink into a blissful afternoon food coma.
(4)
Rhonda G.
I find it interesting how this place made it in this location and Willowgate didn't. I think the answer is in the buffet. It's just very satisfying, and to some addictive. Very close quarters. Handicapped, not if you want to use the bathroom. It's down a long flight of stairs. It's wide enough for a wheelchair to be rolled down. Lunch time is extremely busy. Sometimes I'd be willing to share a table with some poor bastard who would have to get back to work. It's hard to get in If you aren't there by 11:30. I hear the dinner buffet has more options.
(4)
Brent S.
Pretty cheap lunch buffet, but you get you get what you pay for. They don't have large tables; can only seat up to 4 together. As a broke college student, I found this to be a solid restaurant.
(3)
Jennifer S.
Lunch Buffet for two (+ 1 hot tea) - $14.30. Nice selection of items in buffet. Busy with customers, although none of those customers were Asian - but hey, we're in Highland Park here. Very nice cream cheese wontons. The eggrolls were a bit greasy and, just... well... uninspired. I've had much better. Tasty hot-n-sour soup. The vegetable medley stirfry was too salty for me, but there was lots of bright, fresh looking broccoli in it. It seemed that the food, once brought back to the table to eat it, was already cool, instead of hot. I'm one of those who likes their cold food to be cold and their hot food to be hot. Attentive servers.
(3)
Don C.
$5.99 Thats about the best thing you can say about this buffet. Its small, has little for variety, and the staff are rude. They don't even have fried rice. I'm a fat american, and I want my fried rice.
(2)
Jeff R.
I'm not typically a big fan of buffet-style dining experiences, but we were dragged here by some family visiting from out of town. I guess it's the place they like to go when they're back in the Cities. Did not enjoy the food at all. They had a couple of vegetarian items on the buffet - One was your standard-fare mixed vegetable dish, and the other a massive bin of string beans. The vegetables were soggy and tasted like they'd been cooked a couple of days ago, and while the beans were okay, they're not going to sway me toward a positive review. The place is really tiny. Not in a "cozy feeling" kind of way, but more of a "your ass just rubbed against the side of my plate as you walked by my table" kind of way. The air conditioning dial must have been set to ARCTIC, as well. It couldn't have been more than 64 or 65 degrees in there on what I recall being a pretty reasonable late summer afternoon. Since it's buffet style, there isn't a whole lot to say about the service. I will mention that the hostess (owner?) at the front of the restaurant was extremely friendly, and very accommodating to our sleeping infant. She was very nice.
(2)
Ingrid H.
This is my favorite Chinese buffet. I've been going here since undergrad (less frequently now that I moved away, but I still stop by when I'm in town). The buffet is small, but has plenty of variety and everything is always fresh. I love the cream cheese wontons (which I've now learned you can't always get in other states), and when we stopped there today the broccoli was delicious and still a little crunchy (I hate it when it's overcooked). The meat was good, too (not to chewy or dried out like buffet food sometimes gets) and I always like their lo mein. The service is great, too. They are quick to bring drinks and take away empty plates. With a $5.99 lunch buffet, there's not really a reason NOT to go here.
(5)
Shaggy V.
Really great buffet at dirt cheap prices. I loved the egg rolls and Beef. Wish they had a little more in way of variety at the buffet but I loved it anyways.
(4)
Stacia P.
Just went here for the dinner buffet. I would give another half star if I could for the simple fact that they have two of my favorite dishes, honey mustard shrimp and lemon chicken, on the buffet. Somewhat small selection but BF and I tried everything on it and it was all good. It's not much for ambiance but that's not what I go to a chinese buffet for. The service was EXCELLENT and the price was fair ($21 for two buffets and two teas). I would have paid that just to have the honey mustard shrimp. I can't bring myself to give it 5 stars but we both thought it was the best buffet food we have eaten in a long time. We will definitely go back.
(4)
JoeNLauren P.
I'm giving this place four stars solely based on their superiority to other chinese buffets. It's comfortable, friendly, and the food is relatively awesome. The buffet is quite a bit smaller than you may be used to, but everything is fresh tasting and delicious. The fried-banana things are amazing, and the rest of the food is good as well. Can't complain about anything. If you like this sort of food, you can't really miss here!
(4)
MALEAH A.
It's nice to have a decent chinese buffet close to home. Nothing super exciting here, but the food is decent and the service is quick and friendly. Tea house is still better, but this will do in a pinch.
(3)
Ryan Q.
This place is all about quality not quantity. The buffet is small and limited but almost every item on the buffet I'm down to munch on. The wait staff is first class - I honestly don't think my water cup has ever gotten below half full. If cream cheese wantons are your thing, they have the best. the lunch buffet is a steal at 5.99 giving you the exact same selection as the dinner. Often times there is a line out the door but it's a wait worth making.
(5)
Korrin P.
The food is typical Chinese food. Very good by tastes like every other Chinese restaurant. They get a four because there isn't one item that I don't like and their buffet is a great deal. And they deliver quick if you don't feel like leaving your house
(4)
John S.
Pretty ok for a Chinese Buffet. The food is pretty good, but they don't have much variety and it's usually a long wait at dinner.
(3)
Kaye M.
We go here when we're hungry and don't need a lot of flavor...AND I want lots of amazing cream cheese wantons!!! The staff is always friendly and everything is always clean. You'll see a steady stream of folks in here while you dine. Tonight when we were there the place was loaded with kids. Happily they were all well behaved and didn't bug me and it was great that the staff was accommodating. This is not a place you go to eat and linger, eat and leave. That's the plan. The chicken offerings are disappointing. The sesame chicken pieces are more breading then they are chicken and it really has no flavor. I should have asked for red pepper flakes to spice it up...but I didn't. Sad face. Anyway, it's nothing to write home about and I wouldn't go out of your way to go there, but if you're in the hood and you're deciding between the Wok and Lee Ann Chins, I'd say hit up the Wok.
(3)
Ryan O.
There's way better options for Chinese food - try Rainbow on Eat Street
(2)
Katie S.
We order from here at least 3 times a month because it is the best Chinese in our area (1.5miles away). Today was the fourth wrong food delivery order in a row... I have been waiting to write this review because, like I said, the food is good-great when they get it right! The delivery is pretty timely and the food is good, but the kitchen cannot seem to get the orders right! During lent they sent beef orders instead of shrimp so, we had to wait another 45 min to an hour before they sent a new order to the house. Instead of simply replacing it they argued with me. We were not looking for a free meal and sent the wrong order back with the driver. Tonight though I ordered a simple order with white sauce instead of brown (I am allergic/sensitive to something in the brown sauce). Before the driver left I checked my "white sauce order", wrong again. So, as my family finished their meal I was delivered the right one 45 minutes later. Good food, crappy service!
(1)
Mike D.
it is a good and reliable buffet and the staff is extraordinarily friendly and helpful. they have a menu service as well, but the buffet is quite decent for a general audience. lots of good shrimp are part of the nightly buffet -- but get there early to beat the crowds! also, on one visit i was with a friend who was vegetarian. i asked the woman putting our the food if the egg rolls were vegetarian. she did not speak english well so i was not able to understand her answer, so i let it pass. a few minutes later she showed up at our table with a small plate of vegetarian egg rolls - at no extra charge. needless to say we were both quite impressed with the attentiveness of this service
(4)
Michael N.
I was over in the Highland area and stopped in for the lunch buffet. Nothing fancy here; straight up Chinese buffet. It is pretty small so not quite that many selections. Don't expect more than standard Americanized Chinese food and you won't be disappointed.
(3)
Allison V.
You get what you pay for. Lunch buffet is super cheap, and you can get grossly full easily. I really liked the potstickers and cream cheese wontons, but the chicken entrees and vegetable dishes were pretty unmemorable. Food was hot, but not that flavorful.
(3)
Andy G.
Best Chinese buffet I've ever had! If I could give it more than five stars I would. A buddy and I went there on Saturday for lunch on his recommendation and wow, was I impressed! Each bite was a little piece of heaven in my mouth. I wish I wasn't so hung over so I could have enjoyed it more, but it was great none the less. Unlike standard Chinese buffets where all the food tastes exactly the same, just in different shapes, this was unbelievably tasty. I can't wait to go back without being hung.
(5)
jordan o.
Very good chinese food in highland park at a fair price. The buffet is very good and this resteraunt is always busy so food isnt sitting in the buffet table all day long. Servers are attentive and very friendly.
(4)
Motor P.
Cleveland Wok is amazing and oh-so delicious! My all-time favorites: Hot & Sour Soup, Green Beans, and Mushrooms. I'm also a big fan of the shrimp, lemon chicken and orange chicken. Oh- and the fried bananas! It's a great place for the price and for how much you get, and it is best to go to when you are super duper hungry. I only took off one star because the price has gone up a bit, but it's still cheaper and better than any other Chinese buffet I've been to here. Also the green beans are occasionally not as crisp as they normally are, but I'm willing to overlook this given it's usual awesomeness.
(4)
Greg S.
We love the Cleveland Wok. We have been coming here for years and the food is consistently great and we have gotten to know the staff and they have always been attentive to any special request we have asked. Very inexpensive and they have a takeout option on the lunch and dinner buffets. Highly recommended.
(4)
Kat P.
Not great, but not bad. Seems just good enough to quench a craving for decent Chinese food. I've never tried the buffet, but the a la carte options have been good. I liked the triple jade. Next time, I would ask them to make the hot and spicy mock duck much hotter. And I wouldn't bother with the green beans again.
(3)
Max M.
One of the better Chinese buffets out there. Priced well (especially for lunch) and located right in the middle of the Highland Village.
(4)
Erik B.
A very busy little Chinese restaurant with actual Chinese owning and cooking - which I find to be a definite plus. Most people I have taken here have really enjoyed it and when I was living in St. Paul I was quite the regular. The place has a good buffet at very decent prices.
(4)
Corey G.
Best Chinese Food Buffet in St. Paul and dare I say the world. Food is always fresh and the service is awesome.
(5)
jermsnc ..
the attraction at this place is its very good, and pretty cheap buffet. it's especially cheap over the noon hour.
(4)
Joey F.
Really enjoyed the $6.50 lunch buffet. They didn't have a huge selection, but had lots of different kinds of chicken and everything was pretty good. Would definitely go back.
(4)
Jen G.
A true neighborhood favorite! A great buffet that's either all-you-can-eat if you dine in, or pay-by-the-pound if you take out. All the mainstay favorites can be found, but there are also some delicious surprises like honey mustard shrimp and Szechuan green beans. It's a weekly favorite .
(5)
Liz L.
Tried them for the first time tonite because they deliver. What a great surprise. Loved the food. The veggies were fresh and the egg rolls nice and crisp. Excellent quality at reasonable prices. We will definitely order from them again.
(5)
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Address :767 Cleveland Ave S
Saint Paul, MN, 55116
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Ananya M.
One of my favorite restaurants in highland park (actually in the twin cities). Go - to chinese buffet. My favorite is the fried potato dish, and the shrimp.
(5)Sai V.
This place is like 3 miles away from my apartment, walked in randomly and got amazed. Best place to taste the Chinese food and don't forget to taste the banana desert with almond cookie. My kudos to the chef who make the food
(5)David R.
The best Chinese food buffet in the Twin Cities, bar none, and we've practically tried them all by now. EVERYTHING'S delicious, especially the honey mustard shrimp (a personal favorite). The staff is always friendly, courteous, and helpful (especially Johnny) and did I mention the addictive honey mustard shrimp? We've been dining here for years and will continue to do so. When you've found the best, why go anywhere else? Besides, Johnny has started growing a mustache and we want to see how it turns out...
(5)Sheila X.
My boyfriend loooves Cleveland Wok. I think it's pretty good. I feel they recently changed their noodles on the buffet, but my boyfriend disagrees. He still loves it all. I really like their General Tso chicken, which is not on the buffet. The food is good for the price you pay. I think that's why he loves it so much. I do like it too. It's more flavorful than other chinese buffets. I wish they had ice cream dessert available for the buffet. There is a frozen yogurt place right a cross the street from it though. We usually stop there after.
(4)Samuel W.
My girlfriend, Admiral Ackbar and I walked in here today. The admiral is sort of a dick and wants to get his review out of the way first. Admiral? "It's a trap." Thank you, Admiral. I'm thoroughly convinced the bathrooms were never actually meant to be used. It's rather akin to pissing in a crushed cracker jack box. I suggest warming up with a few yoga stretches beforehand so you don't end up pulling your spine out of alignment trying to drop a cleveland steamer. I've never been a huge fan of the buffet setup--it's small and its location forces you to end up grinding on those people that just can't wait for two goddamn seconds to get their egg roll--but some of the food on it isn't bad. I don't mind the eggrolls (they're more of a Vietnamese style), the steak and potatoes, the roasted mushrooms and the spicy pork are standouts. The fried rice, lo mein, chow mein and most of the other 'staples' you'd find at a Chinese buffet are pretty abysmal, though. The fried rice lacks -any- vegetation and has very little flavor. I've never been a massive chow mein fan but this variety is certainly one of the worst I've tasted; the consistency is gelatinous and the flavor is, again, lacking. A lot of the other reviewers have noted how small it is in here. When it was crowded, there was an uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobia that remained ever-present during the meal. Our most recent experience, however, brought us here at a time when the place was pretty dead. Almost immediately after being seated, we both started hearing this odd noise. It sounded like a dude receiving oral enlightenment. No, I'm not kidding. Turns out it was one of the employees whom, I hope, was sick and was continually making moaning/grunting noises. While in the middle of my second plate, said employee walked over to the buffet and started rummaging around. Despite the party in his pants, he managed to pull it together long enough to grab one of the trays a quarter full of sticky chicken to take back to the kitchen. I suppose being ill makes you shamelessly ravenous because he began pulling out pieces of sauce-laden chicken with his fingers to start loudly eating almost as quickly as he grabbed the tray. Are the smoldering embers of your appetite stoked yet? The other guy that was working with him (they both looked to be teens) tripped over a chair after getting off the phone behind the front counter. So, naturally, he did what any sensible individual would do: he turned and kicked the chair three or four times in retribution and then started complaining. They both then proceeded to grunt and groan their way over to a table and giggle like schoolgirls about something or another. Truthfully, this place is just like any other Chinese buffet; you pile a bunch of shit on your plate and typically end up with a 50/50 ratio of tasty to soot and poo. Here, it seems, the soot and poo increases exponentially with each visit. If you've ever been sitting alone in your living room and found yourself pondering the age old question, "What would it be like to dine in a porno that I have zero sexual interest in?" you might be able to get a similar experience at Cleveland Wok. On the slight upside, the prices are cheap to drag you in like a starving orphan. I think the admiral's initial review pretty much sums up how I feel about that, though.
(2)F E.
This place has gone down hill. The buffet Quality is really bad as of late. Went today for dinner and you could tell half of the chicken dishes have been sitting out for a long time. The sesame chicken was rubbery and cold. Stay away if you can.
(1)Tara O.
As a former Tommie, I have eaten a lot of take out, ordered a lot of delivery, and dined in for a lot of lunch buffets at the Cleveland Wok in my time. I've never been to a better buffet. The green beans in the garlic sauce are... I don't have a word (or dictionary to look one up) to describe the awesomeness.
(4)Ben J.
Cleveland wok has one of the best quality buffets in the cities. The food is top notch and always fresh. There isn't a huge selection but what they do have is delicious. Prices are very reasonable. The place is always crowded and the buffet is set up in an awkward position so be prepared to wait in line and possibly throw a few elbows to get to the food. Parking is also a bit difficult so you will most likely have to walk a bit to get to the restaurant. It's worth it though.
(4)Andrew S.
Best Chinese buffet in the twin cities. Super small and cozy, food is always hot during the lunch and dinner rush. The staff is super friendly always smiling and if you are a regular they know you by name.
(5)Molly S.
We just had Cleveland Wok cater my son's graduation party! The owners were so easy to work with. The food was brought hot and ready to go. Tang even set it up for us! The food was delicious...the fried cream cheese wontons were a hit!!
(5)Jeff S.
This is a good one. It's the only Chinese Buffet I really like near here. Good amount of choices and they keep it fresh.
(5)Debelah T.
This place was a delightful visit for me. They do a good job at keeping all of the food fresh at all times. I noticed that they paid big attention to their detail with freshness and food quality. I don't say that about buffets very easily, but I say that about this one. The woman who welcomed me and served me was delightful. This is a good buffet for a good lunch. Their prices are pretty good. I love that they have lunch hour, the time to get a cheaper lunch during rush hour lunch.
(4)Deidre J.
We have been long time lovers of the delicious Cleveland Wok buffet, and we had them cater our wedding reception in May 2014. They were very pleasant to work with and offered a very reasonable price for good quality Chinese food. The pot stickers, cream cheese wontons, lemon chicken, beef and potatoes, and lo mein were a huge hit with our guests. They delivered on time and the integrity of the food was maintained while served over hot plates at our outdoor reception. We were very pleased with our catering experience and highly recommend them for weddings or any occasion.
(5)Larry L.
i have read a lot of the reviews and cannot understand how there could be bad ones - but - - i will say- i , we - my partner and i love it !!!! We got married on the 13th of this last month and they catered it - and everyone was blown away !!! the only complaint ?? too much food !!! everyone had to take food home and then i dropped off a lot to friends and neigbors who, by the way - raved on it ! Yes, we had the wedding and the food in our home and the RABBI who married us in our home- LOVED everything ! - we now live in white Bear Lake- so we went to the GREAT Moon buffet for lunch today- 20 x the selection of the cleveland wok and my spouce for the first time anywhere had to spit food out -three times - and you know what ?? yes, we are driving to the cleveland Wok From now on - it's worth it !
(5)Alanna N.
Hands down one of THE BEST places for Chinese food in St Paul. Their portions are huge and their prices are awesome ($7 for a combination order that includes an entree, fried rice, and egg roll -- could definitely feed 2 people). And you know the mystery chicken you find at other Chinese restaurants? When you bite into a piece and experience a strange texture that's definitely not... meat? You won't find that at Cleveland Wok. The meat and veggies they use are as fresh as it gets. The teriyaki chicken + cream cheese puffs are my favorite things so far. You can tell the employees here care about the quality of their service and food.
(5)Dave F.
Everything I've tried here has been really delicious and fresh. I do think it's one of the best Chinese restaurants in St. Paul... and they deliver!
(5)J D.
We have sincerely ordered from this place at least 40 times in the last 5 years because they deliver and are consistently good. The chicken is ALWAYS all white meat and the veggies are cooked nicely and are seemingly fresh. The bathroom isn't the cleanest and they could shujj up the place but it's clean and well kept and the service is decent. The food is just nicely done - never once, in all of those times, had a bad experience. Recommend the sesame chicken and the chicken lo mein.
(5)Robyn R.
Fresh, traditional Chinese food. The buffet was piled high with lots of choices and they were all delicious.
(5)Leslie H.
This place, like so many Chinese restaurants, is hit or miss. One day when we dined in, the food was flavorful and fresh. A few weeks later when we had it delivered to our house, it was bland, and the chicken they used for the sweet and sour dish was DISGUSTING. It looked like they swept together all the scraps of pieces they didn't want to use for their dine-in guests and stuck them in the fryer. I am always weary of meat at Chinese restaurants anyway, because I've had so many gross experiences, but this dish may have swayed us from ever going back to Cleveland Wok again.
(2)Karen R.
I got Cleveland Wok to go a few months ago and I thought it was kind of sub par. I ordered sesame chicken, plain fried rice, and an eggroll. The sesame chicken (which is my favorite americanized chinese food) was really weird-- it almost tasted like maple syrup and was way to sweet. The rice was kind of dry, and the egg roll was just ok. Today I was really craving chinese food, so my boyfriend (who loves CW) and I went for their lunch buffet. Everything today was AMAZING! All of their other chicken dishes were super good in that I-want-to-eat-tons-of-fried-food kind of way, their fried rice and plain white rice were both really good, and their cream cheese wantons were phenomenal. My favorite thing, though, were the green beans! They tasted so fresh (they were nice and crisp and seasoned super well) and they were just wonderful. The fried bananas were also really good and kind of unexpected. The service was also great: friendly waiters refilled our water glasses, our check was brought to us quickly, and the restaurant seemed clean. I feel really lucky to have this place just a few blocks from my apartment. I will definitely be back. I totally recommend!
(4)Taylor W.
Love this place! The food is always fresh when I stop in and the price for a buffet isn't bad at all. Friendly service and never a dry glass when you drink all your beverage. Great place to go for lunch.
(4)Nicholas F.
I decided to try this place after pretty decent reviews, which after eating there, I am thinking people really don't know what really good Chinese type foods and buffets are. This is only for my buffet experience. A VERY small selection here, and a lot of battered, fried dishes in the buffet, the only thing that was semi-good was the lemon shrimp. I could tell the quality of meat was on the cheaper end. The only vegetarian option I noticed was a vegetable stir-fry that was oil/greasy. My so-called iced tea I ordered was nothing more than diluted water, I ended up making them take the $1.75 tea off my bill. Other than the friendly service (which is not key to a great eating experience) there is to return here. There are many other good Chinese buffets around town for a little more or roughly the same price and are far better and offer far more selection that CW.
(1)Adam W.
For a time this was a solid lunch buffet spot. No longer. All of the interesting/adventurous options are no longer to be found. Instead, plenty of the same old same thing, bland and greasy. Even the hot and sour soup wasn't. Sadness.
(2)Nick A.
This is one of the best Chinese buffet's you can find anywhere, period. It is absolutely incredible. The selection is not as big as you would find at a much larger buffet, but they usually have 6-8 choices which are almost all fabulous. I am a huge Chinese food lover and would recommend this to anyone who has never had it! Best place in the twin cities by far.
(5)Monique H.
Apart from China, Springfield, MO is the Chinese food capital of the world. (I can't back that up). So, after living in St. Paul for a little less than a month I've been longing to get some egg rolls in my belly. This place is conveniently within walking distance so obviously I decided to give it a go. Pretty cramped in there. As many have said it's not got a lot of wiggle room. Especially up by the tiny buffet area. As soon as you grab a plate you are intimately connected to the person standing two inches in front you loading up on rice. Speaking of the rice I'm not really sure what was in it. It was really brown. Not brown rice, but so brown it looked like it was covered in so much soy sauce it had taken on an unnatural espresso color. I gave the rice a miss. The egg rolls were pretty stellar, though, and I did enjoy the green beans. The rest of the food...meh. It's typical Chinese buffet. The price and location brought me in. Maybe if I'm really jonesin' for an egg roll I'd go in again, but there's gotta be better.
(2)Erin A.
Love this place, we have been going for over 10 years. Best buffet for the price. Everything is delicious and the staff is awesome
(5)Rebecca D.
After reading some poor reviews, I feel compelled to give my opinion. We've been dining here for the last 10 years and love it! We always do the buffet, and always leave stuffed and in pain, isn't that what buffets are for!? :-) I have always felt the food was decent quality, the chicken pieces in the sweet and sour chicken are always white meat and cut thick. Beef and potato, mushrooms, cream cheese wonton, and green beans are always on the first plate, really good items! But really, all of the items never disappoint. The family that runs the restaurant have always been friendly and remembers who we are, even if it's been 6 months or more. While the place can get cramped, that only shows how popular it is! For us, this place will always be on our list, especially when we feel that urge to totally overeat like Americans were bred to do!
(5)Gary B.
After scoring the last two volumes of Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy at Half-Priced books I decided to treat myself to lunch and ended up at the Cleveland Wok. Mistake! It's not that the food was bad it was that it was boring. It's sad when the fried chicken wings were the best thing on the buffet. Let's start out with the hot and sour soup. Bland. I want that soup to wake up my head. All the dishes could have come out of a Minnesota church kitchen. When I see "Szechuan" on an item I expect some zing. The Szechuan meatballs were kind of like bland Scandinavian meatballs with a dibble of five-spice powder on them. Even the tea was thin.. The place was crowded... I guess it was the $5.98 lunch price. It sure wasn't the food.
(1)Joe I.
I have to step up my review of this location as it has become my 6 year old daughter's favorite place to eat out, and since she would not eat anything even remotely resembling a potsticker at home, and that she does here (and with chop sticks!) I have to up the review. Plus, our 2 year old eats free. The food is good, they now have milk as an option for kids (though last time I visited they were out) and they deliver super efficient, super friendly service. It can get uncomfortably crowded, but I'm not going to fault them for being successful!
(4)Brandon B.
Let me start off first by saying the Cleveland Wok has always been a quantity over quality place. That being said, the food i ate there was some of the WORST food i have ever tasted in my entire life. This one Saturday my roommate and i were super hung over and wanted to get some food right off the bat so we decided to go to the Cleveland Wok. I hadn't been there in probably 4-5 years, but i figured not much had changed. And at first, from appearances of the buffet, nothing had. Then i tasted the food, YUCK! It was all just so much worse than i remember, and two problems stuck out that were never there before. First, the sweet and sour sauce. They have the standard red/orangish sweet and sour sauce that every crappy Asian place has; EXCEPT, someone apparently decided they'd make their's unique by dumping in a bucket of Ginger powder. Holy crap, it was awful! Then the Sesame Chicken, which was usually one of the best things there. This time, for some reason, it tasted like someone cooked the meat in grease from some cheap breakfast sausage links. The Sesame Chicken tasted like i was eating some cheap nasty Jimmy Dean Sausage links, it was freaking gross! At that point i attempted to do what i have never attempted to do before, dine and dash. I figured, how can they expect me to pay for this crap? Joe Rogen pays people thousands of dollars to eat less nasty shit than this on Fear Factor. So i went downstairs where the bathroom is and i saw this door that said "employees only". I figured it was the door to get out the back entrance. But then i opened the door to a warm room and in the middle were large tables that were filled with uncooked food!!! Food that was surely going to be cooked later on, just sitting opened up in a warm room. One of them was the egg rolls i remember. They need to send a health inspector to this place. They got food just sitting out and they're cooking their chicken in pork grease which could condemn some religious people to eternal damnation. When i saw that food sitting out in that nasty dirty old room i wanted to *bleeping* puke! Obviously it goes without saying, but i'll do it anyways, i felt like complete shit after eating there. Sure its only 6 bucks, but that's 6 bucks to feel like crap. Hell you can pay a friend five bucks to punch you in the stomach and spit in your face, and you'll get the same awful feeling you get from the Cleveland Wok only it's a dollar cheaper. Oh by the way, i did pay for the meal and do not endorse dine-and-dashing of any sort.
(1)Lindsey W.
I used to live a few blocks from this place and hadn't had their delicious buffet in over a year. I went back this weekend and man my husband and I had been missing out. I would highly recommend the beef with potato (sounds weird but it's good), cream cheese puffs, and the garlic green beans. That is usually what most of my plate is made up of. The service here is outstanding. Your water or any other drink glass is never more than half empty. And they clear your plates for those of us who go up multiple times immediately! I think there actually used to be a facebook group called "3 plates at clevland wok" And it's cheap...delicious food for only $8.25! ($7.50 at lunch!)
(4)Amy R.
The quest continues to find some really good egg foo yong close to my home. None of what I ordered really left a memorable mark or stood out presentation or taste wise. Egg rolls: small, greasy and the thin wrap. I prefer the thicker egg roll wraps stuffed with cabbage and heartier. Shrimp Egg Foo Yong: Thick little patties, but the gravy was strange. Yellowish and with a spice I couldn't wrap my taste buds around. Didn't really care for it. Shrimp Fried Rice: Really greasy and the cheapest shrimp ever. Chicken Wings: Ok. Kind of smallish and not too much meat. For the price, its fair. It just didn't leave anything memorable that I would go rushing back for.
(3)Matt R.
It's a guilty pleasure, but every once in a while I get the craving for their amazing green beans (and pot stickers, and Mongolian beef, and won tons, etc.). Set into a tiny space near the corner of Cleveland and Ford Parkway in Highland Park, St. Paul this restaurant is a spot for the locals that know it's good. My favorite is the lady up front at the register. It's like an entire office in this little podium space where she commands the buffet, take out, greeting, and tending to the register.
(4)Stephanie R.
I love Chinese food, and I love buffets, but somehow I just never really enjoy Chinese buffets. They are often greasy and stale, but I still end up eating my weight in sesame chicken! But Cleveland Wok was a very pleasant surprise for me! They were able to accommodate my group of 10 people with only 30 minutes notice in this small restaurant. I loved it here! The hostess was super friendly and helpful, and although smaller than most, this buffet was definitely my fave Asian buffet thus far in my life. The food was fresh and my favorites included the green beans, the SUPERB egg rolls, and the fried bananas coated with sugar! The best part was that since it tasted more like real food than most, I didn't feel the need to sleep off a buffet-hangover an hour later! Very reasonably priced, and a must-eat St. Paul buffet!
(4)Suzanna C.
I don't know whether it's possible to truly appreciate the Cleveland Wok unless you move away from it, as I have. Friday nights hitting the Wok, followed by a movie at the Riverview are simple but important pleasures that are lacking here in the suburbs. The Cleveland Wok offers the best Chinese buffets to offer: the food was always hot, the variety was good for a buffet offering and I never tasted anything there that wasn't flavorful, crisp and colorful. There's always a crowd that hums with the pleasant banter of people relieved to call it a week and as we all know, it's a good sign when it's hard to get a table - especially at a Chinese buffet that offers no parking. Unlike most buffets, I'd recommend trying everything. The flavors are clear and crisp and worth taking very light samples of - after all, professional buffeters know to sample sparingly and then go in for the real deal course, comprised of winners from round one. And so on, until two entrees go into head to head battle for the championship - which will she finish? For me, my stomach's never made it past plate one, but I suspect plate 3 would be comprised of the honey-mustard shrimp (available only at dinner) and potstickers. For lunch, since its sans shrimp, the egg rolls would make it to the championship. I did go with half a dozen coworkers several years ago for an eating contest and the men found as much and more to like about the Wok's offerings to squeeze all we ladies out of contention. That might seem like a simple point, but I've found more women friends than male that list Chinese as their first or second favorite type of food and I think it's largely because men are more comfortable with food that's not green or colorful (ok, men of MY generation). Not to worry, my male baby boomers, there's a dish comprised of entirely meat, potatoes and onions that's quite savory and familiars like chicken teryaki that you can pick around to the bits you recognize. And given the lunch and dinner buffet prices, you've got to love the value for money. Words to the Wise. Get to the Wok as early or as late as possible - they stay busy. Don't go to the bathroom, it doesn't feel clean and it's kind of creepy downstairs. Eat in rather than take out if you can, the take-out containers for lunch & dinner are pretty tiny. Wear boots and warm clothing, you're going to have to walk a bit from your car and the restaurant is small, so when it's bitter, every time another customer comes in - which is often - the entire restaurant can feel the chill. If only there were a Lakeville Wok...
(4)Carolyn O.
My family loves coming here and you really get bang for your buck.
(4)Stacy K.
I love this place! I've been coming here since college and many of my friends and I are still hooked over 10 years later. It's consistently good, whether you get the buffet or order off the menu. In particular, the beef and potatoes with oyster sauce, hot and spicy pork, potstickers, and green beans with garlic are all delicious. It's rich and greasy enough to be satisfying chinese food but never oily to the point where you feel gross afterward. The service is always really friendly and usually quite efficient, even when it's busy, and the prices are pretty reasonable. You can also get the buffet to go. Parking can be tricky but there are usually spots on Pinehurst. Also once the bank is closed, it seems safe to use their lot...I've done so dozens of times and never had any problems.
(5)Angela L.
Your typical Chinese Buffet! The service here is pretty good, the will deliver, and as far as Chinese Buffets of a similar type in the area go, this is my favorite so far. I was raised in a family which taught me two conflicting worldviews. Half taught me to love buffets, the other half taught me to fear them and their evil ways (unsanitary, gluttonous, etc.) and the latter half has usually won out over the years, but Cleveland Wok isn't just any old Chinese buffet, it's the Highland Park neighborhood buffet and I have a lot of great memories of going here during my college years with friends or ordering in for club meetings or movie nights in the dorms. The cream cheese wontons cannot be beat, the green beans are delicious and I love the sesame chicken and fried rice. You can order fried rice with chicken off of their menu, but it is never included in the buffet. The interior is really quite small, and unless you are able to snag a booth you may be left feeling slightly cramped at the tables. Be prepared for a possible wait for a table on the weekends.
(3)Ben D.
Okay so typically I am afraid of buffets I haven't had yet... But this was a very good decision!! The food here... it's just so much wonderful all trapped beneath a warming lamp! Everything that I tried here was delicious! And for only $6 it was WELL worth it! My favorites here are the Won-Tons, Terriyaki Chicken, and the green beans were VERY yummy! It's definitely worth a shot if you are hungry, although I wouldn't go if you're itching to use a restroom... it's like a small dungeon hardly shoulder width across!
(4)John H.
Best Chinese buffet I have ever been to. I'm a student so the super cheap prices are awesome and the food is stellar! I love their lunch buffet, and I will continue to visit this place for years!
(5)Lisa M.
Last Chance CW, last chance! Once upon a time, CW was my favorite. That was long ago. The quality of the food and gone down and I can longer recommend CW. I had to try it one more time since I had written it off over a year ago. My dining companion had been there in the past and didn't love it either. So, we tried lunch again last week. The egg rolls and cheese puffs are good, but the Hot and Spicy Pork is now Hot and Spicy Chicken and the rest of the food seems blah and lifeless. The beans used to rock also. Big disappointment - a fall from grace....Good bye CW. I will not miss you.
(2)Joanna C.
Cheap. Plentiful. Will do in a pinch. Their fried rice (which is critical) is mediocre at best but the buffet is cheap and there are a decent amount of simple, staple items to try. Nothing stellar but it'll do in a pinch.
(3)Seth M.
Chinese buffets are hit and miss and they also seem to be particular to users' taste. For example, I think the Great Moon Buffet tastes like hot garbage juice whereas my wife loves it. So when it comes to trying Chinese restaurants, I rely very little on other peoples' opinions. The food here was above average. It wasn't hot even though we got there pretty close to when they open. The variety was very good and there was a variety of soups, noodle dishes, meat and vegetable dishes and deserts. I wanted to try everything so I took very little of each dish. There were three deserts including deep fried bananas which were delicious. Nice building and good for groups. The location of Highland sucks since it takes 20 minutes to get there from anywhere in the Twin Cities. But if I'm in the area, I'll go back.
(4)Karl H.
I'm relieving The Cleveland Wok of their 4 star status and demoting them to 2. The last couple times my wife and I have gone here haven't been so great. The green beans, my fav, have been luke warm at best and not up to their previous standards by any means. The rest of the food seems to have lost it's goodness too. The only thing I truly like anymore is the sweet and sour soup but that doesn't make it worth going back to as frequently as we once did. What happened?
(2)Marc B.
Oh Cleveland Wok how far you have fallen. While no Chinese Buffet truly deserves 5 stars on Yelp, you used to be one of my favorites. Now, with the price of a buffet exceeding $10 at dinner, and a declining quality of food, I find it harder and harder to create excuses, or even want to, stuff my face with lukewarm Chinese food. What once was a neighborhood gem perfect for filling up a styrofoam container and sneaking it into a movie at the Highland Theater is now a worn down neighborhood hole in the wall, and not in a good way. Sadly it's not really worth the effort to find a parking spot in the crowded area but if you happen to be walking by and are starving, there are worse options you could choose.
(2)Rob G.
This is a neighborhood classic and is probably one of the best places to get a good quality buffet at an incredibly low price. They have a relatively small selection of dishes, but what they lack in quantity is more than compensated in quality. You will not find a better place in Minneapolis or St. Paul that offers the extremely good value and delicious entrees of Cleveland Wok for around $6/person at lunch and $8/person at dinner. The staff is very good at attending to customers and refilling drinks regularly. Not to mention they are very friendly and, if not too busy, will make some time to chat for a minute and say hello. This place has become something of a local treasure in the Highland Village area and is sure to be around for a long time.
(5)Robert M.
Their buffet selection is pretty limited, but everything that they do have is pretty good. You also can't beat their prices.
(4)Lauren M.
I had to really debate about whether to give this place two or one stars. Let me give a brief history before I delve into my review. I just moved into the St. Paul area this week and am looking for a Chinese delivery to replace what is my all time favorite back in Atlanta, Mo Mo Ya. It was hands down the best Chinese/Japanese (they served both) I have ever had. So, I used Yelp to look up some local delivery places and decided to try Cleveland Wok. Here is why I wanted to give them one star. The "gentleman" answering the phones was down right rude! I asked him if they delivered, just to make sure I'd called the right location, and he snaps at me, "yes." Then I ask him which phone number he'd prefer: my apartment, which isn't hooked up yet but does have a number (I didn't know if they used the zip code for locations) or my cell which works. He snaps again, "I don't care! Whatever we can reach you on!" ...Um...Ok. At this point I'm seriously considering saying just forget it but I push on. I start to give him my out of state cell phone number. "WHAT?!" He yells when I say the zip code. I pause and say the numbers more firmly. He seems to realize he's giving me attitude and chills out for a bit. Finally, I place my order and he asks for my address. I tell him where I live but say I have a private entrance so the driver doesn't have to be buzzed in. I start giving the directions HE asked for and then he cuts me off, rudely of course, "Forget it. Just tell the driver when he calls." Click. No total for my order or anything. Just pure rudeness. The driver called when he arrived and he was a little politer, though obviously irritated that he had to drive to my private entrance. Oh! Excuse me for not being able to buzz you in when I don't have a phone! PLUS, I'm saving you the long walk to my apartment and agreeing to meet you at YOUR car. Regardless of his mildly exhausted tone, he was nice about it and came over. The food is the reason my review got bumped to a 2 star. It arrived promptly and was reasonably good. It probably would have hit the spot better had I not still been so irritated at having to deal with the guy on the phone. Overall, the food was decent. I've definitely had better. It wasn't very fresh tasting so I'm guessing they just take it from the buffet and send it out. Not what I'm used to at all. I won't be ordering from here again unless I'm absolutely desperate for food. I don't want to put up with the rude staff for mediocre eats.
(2)John B.
This place has gotten a little bit more expensive over the years, but not enough to drive me away. It's really good for lunch, though there could be better places to go if you want a classy dinner. As far as how to eat there, you have to go about seventy-five percent on the first place, so that you even have room for a decent second plate. The cream-cheese wontons are great, but as always, you have to eat them first, so they don't get cold. There's enough chicken for all you fans of Americanized Chinese food (as I, not caring, have been told that's what it is, ala LeeAnn Chin), and one of my favorites is the Hot Sour Soup. The only thing I would improve is that there are just not enough things with mushrooms. I'm a big fan of mushrooms, so that's just me.
(4)Joel M.
1st visit amazing, so came back again. This time chicken was really tough, and fatty. Sweet n sour tasted funny . Sad
(3)Kevin H.
I have eaten lunch at the buffet and thought it was okay. Ordered delivery tonight and have to say that without a doubt it was the worst Chinese take away I have ever received anywhere in the US. I have lived in MD, PA, NJ, CT, CO and have eaten it in a dozen more. Bland isn't a more vanilla description for the lack of flavor. Ordered General TSO's and it couldn't have been more neturally flavored, lacked brocolli, and no peppers. Not only was it not in a spicy brown warm sauce, it seemed to be a weak interpretation of sesame chicken without the sesame. Egg foo yung gross, mushy, oddly flavored soaked in an unidentifialbe yellow sauce. Scallops and mushrooms were leathery and chewy and the green in the meal was chewy like a rubber plant- Sorry but you won't see my business again
(1)Nick K.
You go here for the memories. And the fried bananas. But mostly the memories. You're looking at the place you skipped class to go to, if you went to Highland Sr. High. A time when you could eat 3 plates of food and not get fat. Food is your basic buffet fare: Green beans are good, if a bit oily. Vegetable delight is good and possibly healthy. Eggrolls are good, Fried rice is a bit dry, but what do you expect? Potstickers are good. The beef potato in oyster sauce is pretty good but it just sits there in you. You can feel it. Lunch buffet is good until three, so be ready to soak up the sun and sink into a blissful afternoon food coma.
(4)Rhonda G.
I find it interesting how this place made it in this location and Willowgate didn't. I think the answer is in the buffet. It's just very satisfying, and to some addictive. Very close quarters. Handicapped, not if you want to use the bathroom. It's down a long flight of stairs. It's wide enough for a wheelchair to be rolled down. Lunch time is extremely busy. Sometimes I'd be willing to share a table with some poor bastard who would have to get back to work. It's hard to get in If you aren't there by 11:30. I hear the dinner buffet has more options.
(4)Brent S.
Pretty cheap lunch buffet, but you get you get what you pay for. They don't have large tables; can only seat up to 4 together. As a broke college student, I found this to be a solid restaurant.
(3)Jennifer S.
Lunch Buffet for two (+ 1 hot tea) - $14.30. Nice selection of items in buffet. Busy with customers, although none of those customers were Asian - but hey, we're in Highland Park here. Very nice cream cheese wontons. The eggrolls were a bit greasy and, just... well... uninspired. I've had much better. Tasty hot-n-sour soup. The vegetable medley stirfry was too salty for me, but there was lots of bright, fresh looking broccoli in it. It seemed that the food, once brought back to the table to eat it, was already cool, instead of hot. I'm one of those who likes their cold food to be cold and their hot food to be hot. Attentive servers.
(3)Don C.
$5.99 Thats about the best thing you can say about this buffet. Its small, has little for variety, and the staff are rude. They don't even have fried rice. I'm a fat american, and I want my fried rice.
(2)Jeff R.
I'm not typically a big fan of buffet-style dining experiences, but we were dragged here by some family visiting from out of town. I guess it's the place they like to go when they're back in the Cities. Did not enjoy the food at all. They had a couple of vegetarian items on the buffet - One was your standard-fare mixed vegetable dish, and the other a massive bin of string beans. The vegetables were soggy and tasted like they'd been cooked a couple of days ago, and while the beans were okay, they're not going to sway me toward a positive review. The place is really tiny. Not in a "cozy feeling" kind of way, but more of a "your ass just rubbed against the side of my plate as you walked by my table" kind of way. The air conditioning dial must have been set to ARCTIC, as well. It couldn't have been more than 64 or 65 degrees in there on what I recall being a pretty reasonable late summer afternoon. Since it's buffet style, there isn't a whole lot to say about the service. I will mention that the hostess (owner?) at the front of the restaurant was extremely friendly, and very accommodating to our sleeping infant. She was very nice.
(2)Ingrid H.
This is my favorite Chinese buffet. I've been going here since undergrad (less frequently now that I moved away, but I still stop by when I'm in town). The buffet is small, but has plenty of variety and everything is always fresh. I love the cream cheese wontons (which I've now learned you can't always get in other states), and when we stopped there today the broccoli was delicious and still a little crunchy (I hate it when it's overcooked). The meat was good, too (not to chewy or dried out like buffet food sometimes gets) and I always like their lo mein. The service is great, too. They are quick to bring drinks and take away empty plates. With a $5.99 lunch buffet, there's not really a reason NOT to go here.
(5)Shaggy V.
Really great buffet at dirt cheap prices. I loved the egg rolls and Beef. Wish they had a little more in way of variety at the buffet but I loved it anyways.
(4)Stacia P.
Just went here for the dinner buffet. I would give another half star if I could for the simple fact that they have two of my favorite dishes, honey mustard shrimp and lemon chicken, on the buffet. Somewhat small selection but BF and I tried everything on it and it was all good. It's not much for ambiance but that's not what I go to a chinese buffet for. The service was EXCELLENT and the price was fair ($21 for two buffets and two teas). I would have paid that just to have the honey mustard shrimp. I can't bring myself to give it 5 stars but we both thought it was the best buffet food we have eaten in a long time. We will definitely go back.
(4)JoeNLauren P.
I'm giving this place four stars solely based on their superiority to other chinese buffets. It's comfortable, friendly, and the food is relatively awesome. The buffet is quite a bit smaller than you may be used to, but everything is fresh tasting and delicious. The fried-banana things are amazing, and the rest of the food is good as well. Can't complain about anything. If you like this sort of food, you can't really miss here!
(4)MALEAH A.
It's nice to have a decent chinese buffet close to home. Nothing super exciting here, but the food is decent and the service is quick and friendly. Tea house is still better, but this will do in a pinch.
(3)Ryan Q.
This place is all about quality not quantity. The buffet is small and limited but almost every item on the buffet I'm down to munch on. The wait staff is first class - I honestly don't think my water cup has ever gotten below half full. If cream cheese wantons are your thing, they have the best. the lunch buffet is a steal at 5.99 giving you the exact same selection as the dinner. Often times there is a line out the door but it's a wait worth making.
(5)Korrin P.
The food is typical Chinese food. Very good by tastes like every other Chinese restaurant. They get a four because there isn't one item that I don't like and their buffet is a great deal. And they deliver quick if you don't feel like leaving your house
(4)John S.
Pretty ok for a Chinese Buffet. The food is pretty good, but they don't have much variety and it's usually a long wait at dinner.
(3)Kaye M.
We go here when we're hungry and don't need a lot of flavor...AND I want lots of amazing cream cheese wantons!!! The staff is always friendly and everything is always clean. You'll see a steady stream of folks in here while you dine. Tonight when we were there the place was loaded with kids. Happily they were all well behaved and didn't bug me and it was great that the staff was accommodating. This is not a place you go to eat and linger, eat and leave. That's the plan. The chicken offerings are disappointing. The sesame chicken pieces are more breading then they are chicken and it really has no flavor. I should have asked for red pepper flakes to spice it up...but I didn't. Sad face. Anyway, it's nothing to write home about and I wouldn't go out of your way to go there, but if you're in the hood and you're deciding between the Wok and Lee Ann Chins, I'd say hit up the Wok.
(3)Ryan O.
There's way better options for Chinese food - try Rainbow on Eat Street
(2)Katie S.
We order from here at least 3 times a month because it is the best Chinese in our area (1.5miles away). Today was the fourth wrong food delivery order in a row... I have been waiting to write this review because, like I said, the food is good-great when they get it right! The delivery is pretty timely and the food is good, but the kitchen cannot seem to get the orders right! During lent they sent beef orders instead of shrimp so, we had to wait another 45 min to an hour before they sent a new order to the house. Instead of simply replacing it they argued with me. We were not looking for a free meal and sent the wrong order back with the driver. Tonight though I ordered a simple order with white sauce instead of brown (I am allergic/sensitive to something in the brown sauce). Before the driver left I checked my "white sauce order", wrong again. So, as my family finished their meal I was delivered the right one 45 minutes later. Good food, crappy service!
(1)Mike D.
it is a good and reliable buffet and the staff is extraordinarily friendly and helpful. they have a menu service as well, but the buffet is quite decent for a general audience. lots of good shrimp are part of the nightly buffet -- but get there early to beat the crowds! also, on one visit i was with a friend who was vegetarian. i asked the woman putting our the food if the egg rolls were vegetarian. she did not speak english well so i was not able to understand her answer, so i let it pass. a few minutes later she showed up at our table with a small plate of vegetarian egg rolls - at no extra charge. needless to say we were both quite impressed with the attentiveness of this service
(4)Michael N.
I was over in the Highland area and stopped in for the lunch buffet. Nothing fancy here; straight up Chinese buffet. It is pretty small so not quite that many selections. Don't expect more than standard Americanized Chinese food and you won't be disappointed.
(3)Allison V.
You get what you pay for. Lunch buffet is super cheap, and you can get grossly full easily. I really liked the potstickers and cream cheese wontons, but the chicken entrees and vegetable dishes were pretty unmemorable. Food was hot, but not that flavorful.
(3)Andy G.
Best Chinese buffet I've ever had! If I could give it more than five stars I would. A buddy and I went there on Saturday for lunch on his recommendation and wow, was I impressed! Each bite was a little piece of heaven in my mouth. I wish I wasn't so hung over so I could have enjoyed it more, but it was great none the less. Unlike standard Chinese buffets where all the food tastes exactly the same, just in different shapes, this was unbelievably tasty. I can't wait to go back without being hung.
(5)jordan o.
Very good chinese food in highland park at a fair price. The buffet is very good and this resteraunt is always busy so food isnt sitting in the buffet table all day long. Servers are attentive and very friendly.
(4)Motor P.
Cleveland Wok is amazing and oh-so delicious! My all-time favorites: Hot & Sour Soup, Green Beans, and Mushrooms. I'm also a big fan of the shrimp, lemon chicken and orange chicken. Oh- and the fried bananas! It's a great place for the price and for how much you get, and it is best to go to when you are super duper hungry. I only took off one star because the price has gone up a bit, but it's still cheaper and better than any other Chinese buffet I've been to here. Also the green beans are occasionally not as crisp as they normally are, but I'm willing to overlook this given it's usual awesomeness.
(4)Greg S.
We love the Cleveland Wok. We have been coming here for years and the food is consistently great and we have gotten to know the staff and they have always been attentive to any special request we have asked. Very inexpensive and they have a takeout option on the lunch and dinner buffets. Highly recommended.
(4)Kat P.
Not great, but not bad. Seems just good enough to quench a craving for decent Chinese food. I've never tried the buffet, but the a la carte options have been good. I liked the triple jade. Next time, I would ask them to make the hot and spicy mock duck much hotter. And I wouldn't bother with the green beans again.
(3)Max M.
One of the better Chinese buffets out there. Priced well (especially for lunch) and located right in the middle of the Highland Village.
(4)Erik B.
A very busy little Chinese restaurant with actual Chinese owning and cooking - which I find to be a definite plus. Most people I have taken here have really enjoyed it and when I was living in St. Paul I was quite the regular. The place has a good buffet at very decent prices.
(4)Corey G.
Best Chinese Food Buffet in St. Paul and dare I say the world. Food is always fresh and the service is awesome.
(5)jermsnc ..
the attraction at this place is its very good, and pretty cheap buffet. it's especially cheap over the noon hour.
(4)Joey F.
Really enjoyed the $6.50 lunch buffet. They didn't have a huge selection, but had lots of different kinds of chicken and everything was pretty good. Would definitely go back.
(4)Jen G.
A true neighborhood favorite! A great buffet that's either all-you-can-eat if you dine in, or pay-by-the-pound if you take out. All the mainstay favorites can be found, but there are also some delicious surprises like honey mustard shrimp and Szechuan green beans. It's a weekly favorite .
(5)Liz L.
Tried them for the first time tonite because they deliver. What a great surprise. Loved the food. The veggies were fresh and the egg rolls nice and crisp. Excellent quality at reasonable prices. We will definitely order from them again.
(5)