China Gourmet
117 E Wells St, Milwaukee, WI, 53202
China Gourmet Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Milwaukee for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
117 E Wells St
Milwaukee, WI, 53202 - Phone (414) 272-1688
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
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.
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Katherine R.
I absolutely LOVE LOVE this place ... Nice people GREAT tasting food and they deliver! I always try something new every time I order from here and it never FAILS me... The shrimp toast and shrimp balls are the BEST!
(5)Batilly H.
First time ordering--used GrubHub. Pro's: super quick delivery. It was estimated to be an hour, delivered in 20 mins or so. The delivery guy was polite. Cons: I ordered egg drop soup and chow fun. The egg drop soup was pretty straightforward. However, when I was almost done w it, I almost ate a piece of string?? It was so bizarre. Not sure where the rope/string came into play in my meal. The chow fun was piping hot and looked fresh, but had a subtle sourness to it. Could just be a different recipe. But really, string in my soup? I didn't even notice it bc I tipped back the entire container into my mouth and started chewing something that tasted like rope. Gross. Don't think I will use them again. It could just be a one off though. Things happen.
(2)Joe T.
Goodness, me; I am ever so sorry about this, but if this restaurant is the best Chinese food in Milwaukee (as they claim to be so voted), then the residents of this city should swear off Chinese food forever - or at least until they travel. Let me start by saying that one of these stars is solely for the polite and friendly service. The food - well, that's another story. I had the lunch buffet, and thus was able to try several dishes. Essentially, everything was bland and flavorless. Shrimp with lobster sauce, fried rice, dumplings, you name it. Even the garlic chicken! It was to the point where there was little point in having different dishes since they all tasted the same. Let's discuss the beef and broccoli - a staple of Americanized Chinese cuisine. I would never have thought that I would see the day where someone goofed this dish up, yet here I sit, dumbfounded. Not only was it as bland as everything else, but the beef was mushy and of low quality. How does this even happen? Folks, you prepare better food than this each and every time you pour milk over your cereal in morning.
(2)Marco P.
My favorite Chinese joint. Good food and Robert is a great guy.
(5)Jennifer C.
My husband & I went here on a whim because we wanted to check out other Chinese restaurants instead of going to the handful that we usually frequent. We ordered: 1. Taiwanese Rice Noodle which had thin rice noodle stir fried with chicken and vegetables. 2. Home style beef which is shredded beef sauteed with shredded carrots, celery in a special spice hot brown sauce (you can ask for it not to be as spicy and they will adjust the spiciness to your liking) 3. Pot stickers The food was a really good and came out quickly. The owner was very nice and talkative but provided excellent service. We will be back!
(4)Armand D.
I love this place. Fast service , great food. They have a snail appetizer with lo mein in Thai chili sauce that is off the chain! Portions are large but you know the problem with Chinese food? I spent $65 for 1 and was hungry an hour later. It was worth it!
(4)Josh C.
My coworkers and I had a hankering for Chinese and this place was within walking distance of our hotel. The food was really good and the portions were perfect. It was a little pricey, but nothing too outlandish. As we sat down the owner's wife came over and stared at me for a long moment before saying to me, "why do you look so dirty when the other man look so clean?" I had just showered, so I was a tad confused. Then she slowly stretched out her arm and grabbed a hold of one of my curly locks of hair and caressed it with creepy curiosity. She then turned and left our table. I must say I have fairly long hair and a decently thick beard. So maybe that is what looks dirty. She later appeared from what seemed out of nowhere to ask where I was from. I told her I was from minneapolis. She then clarified and asked my nationality and ethnicity. I am quite Caucasian, but told her of my Irish and Scottish heritage. This did not satisfy her. She then told me beards, referencing mine, are gross and that I must eat a lot of cheese as an explanation for my beard's girth. As a final nail into this coffin of awkward yet oddly entertaining, the owner, a rather old man, spilled a large beverage into the lap and purse of my coworker. He was very sweet and apologetic and gave us a free appetizer. All in all we were thoroughly entertained by this owner and his wife. Great food, great fun.
(3)Mina V.
My husband and I went there again today. First time was super good, second time was...eh, okay I guess. The first time we went there, it was super busy and a lot of people we having the dinner buffet so everything turned out fresh. Their buffet selections are smaller but still are pretty good: steamed dumplings, sauteed garlic Chinese greens with garlic (similar to bok choy), braised beef rib, veggie egg foo young, veggie lo mein, mushu duck with pancakes, shrimp balls, spring rolls, crab ragoons, etc. This restaurant does Szechuan style so a lot of their options were lighter (less greasy) which we both loved!! The second time around, there was hardly any food left in the buffet and hardly anyone was checking up on it to make sure the dishes were being refilled. We were very sad but when we had asked a waiter for it, he came out with a dish full of the greens just for us! We felt so special. The owner is a very friendly man. I can't wait to try the chung king fish special... heard it was a local favorite!
(4)Bruce K.
Chinese buffets are usually pretty good at attracting me and this one is okay. Perhaps not the largest selection on the hot bars and nor is it the healthiest food in the world, but they promise that they don't use MSG and there is plenty of food. Okay, we're going in! Three or four steam tables and one cold table with classic Americanized Chinese food, like Chicken and Broccoli and Beer in Oyster Sauce. Steamed dumplings, fried rice and spring rolls, of course. I filled my plate three times, including one pass at the dessert table. Towards the end of the lunch hour, some of the trays were emptying out, but the kitchen staff was trying hard to keep up. Service was good. I assume that's the manager who was refilling my water glass. Would I return? Yes, if I'm in the mood for Chinese buffet.
(3)Amy S.
Loved this place. Owner was charming and friendly. Food was great. We had potstickers, which they make in-house, three in a nest, duck fried rice, and emperor's shrimp. We'd definitely go back when we're in town.
(4)David S.
My mother and I ordered delivery this afternoon. We shared the sping rolls, steamed pot stickers and a small order of the teriyaki chicken. The spring rolls were light but quite greasy. Lots of veggies inside were good. Kind of turned off by all the grease but the flavor was good. The pot stickers were ok. There's a reason people get them fried but my mother is on somewhat of a health kick so we tried the steamed version, nothing special. The teriyaki chicken suprised me the most. Most of the time teriyaki chicken comes with a little bit of a kick, not this version but it was delicious! The sauce was a bit soupy but it was sweet! A good change of pace from what I was expecting.
(3)Scott B.
Went here for New Years Eve and definitely would not recommend it to others. The owners are very nice and hospitable but the quality of the food is sub par. Food was not hot and very overpriced for the quality. We are new to the area but will be looking for another Chinese restaurant for our next family night out.
(1)C G.
Great lunch buffet and excellent hot and sour soup (ask for it). We don't normally go to lunch buffets but the selection at this one is good. Homemade hot sauce rocks!
(4)Arielle H.
What can I say about this place? Well when we walked in the door makes this annoying noise. There was only one other person there besides us, so we thought no big deal we would get in and out. We waited by the door to be seated for about two mins before the owner greeted us. He was very friendly and talkative. That was the only reason for the slow service. Now I've eaten a lot of Chinese food and this was good, I had the chicken and broccoli (which I've had better) and my boyfriend had the curry chicken. Now the thing with my boyfriend is that he love love loves spicy food so when he ordered it he wanted it as hot as he could get it. When he received his plate it wasn't as hot as he thought it was going to be, and the owner said " if it's not hot enough, use the hot sauce" and that's what he ended up doing. The decor of the place was a little to much. They still have there Xmas lights and decorations up. Tons of bamboo as well. The owner made it a nice environment for us, but the service was a little slow, he did give us extra fortune cookies, which I love!) and boxed my food up for me right in front of me! It was a nice experience overall but it is a little pricey. My boyfriend was a little disappointed and stated it's not as good as it used to be. But I would give this place another try. I would like to try there buffet. So I'll see about going back
(4)Michael L.
It is really sad how terrible this place has become. Back when it was on Kilbourne it really was the best Chinese food in town. Well no more. Had the buffet this evening along with some friends before a show. First time in quite a while although I have dined there many times over the years. Food has become bland. Worse, besides the owner and his wife, there were no servers. Yes NO wait staff, not even one. Service was non-existent. The bill came to $22.70 for the buffet, a cup of tea, sales tax and a MANDATORY 20% gratuity!!!! Are you kidding? A gratuity is meant to supplement low paid servers. This was simply extra profit. The best way to send a message to greedy business owners is STAY AWAY (I certainly will).
(1)Lala S.
I hate to even give it 1 star but they suck. I ordered the Singapore noodle highly disappointing and no flavor. Just hot hot hot and that's it. It cost to much and overpriced for a small dish. Never again! This is not the best chinese food in Milwaukee people get it together
(1)Hillary H.
The food came hot, but I was not impressed with the taste. Its kind of expensive as well.
(2)Ankit C.
The food is good, decor not so much. The owner is pretty friendly (useless trivia: he's a computer software engineer from 1970s!). He provided me and my roomie with extra bowls of rice a couple of times. If that doesn't earn a 4-star then I don't know what does. ;-) I hope to try out the Chinese lunch buffet sometime too.
(4)Jonathan S.
Pretty good chinese buffet. Hot and fresh food. Clean and kinda kitchy. Good service. Good value. I'll go back.
(4)David K.
This is the place. We've been in Milwaukee for 2 years searching for good Chinese food. One night before a show at the Rep, we stopped here as we were in a hurry. We just ordered different meals for delivery. Both experiences exceeded other Milwaukee options.
(4)Mihaly T.
Milwaukee's best Chinese lunch buffet and a long-time lunch hour tradition for over a decade. Thanks for the memories!
(4)Tristan K.
I would consider China Gourmet among my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee, and the weekend dinner buffet is among the best buffets in Milwaukee. You really have a lot of great options on both the menu and the buffet, and sometimes they have crabs legs on the buffet. My waitress was fantastic the first time I was there, when I asked for a crab fork, she said they didn't have them, but showed me a trick to cracking them open, and ever since I've been able to crack them perfectly every time.
(4)Tom C.
My dinner experience was pleasant and satisfactory albeit unexceptional. The crab rangoon appetizer is bar none the best I've ever sampled. I happily devoured every bite of the house rib eye steak. The service is friendly and hospitable. The cozy window table perched on downtown Wells Street left me with no complaints.
(3)Anna W.
I'd say 3.5, but I'll round up. Some teammates and I came here after practice for lunch. I'm not typically a big Chinese fan, but this place was surprisingly good. Foods on their buffet you have to try: -mushrooms in oyster sauce (YUM) -shrimp in lobster sauce -vegetable fried rice -fried shrimp bites -crab rangoon -almond tofu (never had this before, ended up going up for 2nds and 3rds) -maple custard Foods not to waste your time on: -crispy pork (pretty tasteless to me) -black bean ribs (wayyyyy salty) -beef and broccoli (again, wayyyyy salty) Overall, it was really good, really filling, and very good service.
(4)Ezra E.
Let me preface this by saying the food tasted good prior it becoming a terrible food experience that is completely unacceptable. I ordered delivery to my hotel in downtown Milwaukee and the food showed up promptly, I ordered Tung An Chicken and Mongolian Beef. I was happily enjoying my meal when I had almost completed a serving of the chicken noticed a shiny black and green thing in the sauce. I gagged as I noticed it was a dead house fly. I understand things happen and while I had certainly lost my appetite i was looking more to notify them of this than anything else. The person that answered the phone could not understand me and though i was saying "fry" instead of "fly" She put someon else on the phone and after looking up my order he took my complaint. Rather than being apologitic and looking to rectify the situation he got defensive and told me it was impossible becuase its cooked in very hot oil. M-Kay... Continuing to make excuses rather than take responsibility offered to bring him the dish back to prove to him the fly was in the food. After a bit of back and fourth his only offer of solution was to make me a new order of the chicken to which he told me I could give away if I had lost my appetite. I let them bring me the new order and i sent the delivery man back with the fly infested one and threw away the new one. Not sure if i can contest the charge but I will at the very least not ever order from this place again.
(2)Bobby G.
Not gonna lie... basted on the name and exterior, I expected this place to suck! OPPS... I was actually very impressed! Great classic dishes as well as modern spins. Well done.
(4)Mike C.
This place might as well have a sign out in front, "We're trying to have the Health Department shut us down, but so far they've been ignoring us." Yeesh. Stopped in last night before a show at the Pabst Theater was wholly disappointed. When this space opened up as a electric trolley car themed pub and restaurant of a different name many years ago (15?), it was a great place and an early indicator of the type of quality we would become accustomed to in Milwaukee today. Now a Chinese joint under the name China Gourmet, it has fallen far from a once pleasant pre-show destination. I should have trusted my instincts. Upon my first step through the door I could see the place was a hygienic shambles. Papers stacked up all over the place. Dirty windows. Unvacuumed floors. Seriously. If the dining area looks like this, I can't imagine what lurks in the kitchen. The menu I held in my hands looked like it served as the kitchen stove wok's backsplash. There were stains and splashes of sauce all over it. Even hungry, I started to lose my appetite just looking at it. Service was slow and food just blah. Nothing to rave about. I ordered the spicy beef with peanuts. The owner/waiter asked, "Four star hotness? Or Five?" I went with four -- while I wanted heat, at some restaurants, if you go to five, you better be prepared for pain! Not at the China Gourmet. This four was a one and a half in my book. There was nothing spicy about it. This is a place to be avoided. This great piece of Milwaukee River real estate needs to be reclaimed by someone who can restore the pride of of a good establishment only steps away from one of the greatest theaters in the world: The Pabst. Note: the only reason I gave this place 2 stars instead of 1 is that the owners really are very nice people. They try, but just not hard enough. Another note: What the heck, Milwaukee? We originally targeted eating at Beta by Sabor (smaller plate dining at a Brazilian steakhouse). They weren't open on Sunday. We went to the new Spanish place on Wells--closed on Sunday. The wait at Rock Bottom was one hour and Port of Call told us they were full (even though there were many empty tables, they were out of waitstaff. We'd have to eat at the bar). With the show at the Pabst (The Tallest Man on Earth) and Crosby, Stills, and Nash playing at the nearby Riverside, you'd think somebody would want our business! :\
(2)Andy C.
What a very odd experience indeed. Between the kitschy decor and the proprietor that was one part schmooze, one part stereotypical funny older Asian guy, and the lunch buffet items that were on diametric spectrum ends of "authentic", I'll most likely return but again be caught in the middle of "Where am I?" and "What is this?" Location: 3.5 out of 5 China Gourmet has a prime real estate spot on the Riverwalk on Wells. I suppose you could probably try to get in via the Riverwalk, but it seemed like most people were entering and exiting on Wells. Street parking is available, as is a larger public lot where Rock Bottom is. There are a few bus routes that run along Water and Plankington, and for a truly odd dining experience, try hitting up one of the beer gardens/bistros/Rock Bottom first, or maybe after. From my digs in the 3rd ward, it was maybe a 15 - 20 minute walk, which is warranted given the fact that I stuffed myself like Templeton. Customer Service: 4 out of 5 The young lady that was my waitress was very friendly and while she didn't make much small talk, she was quick to refill my gigantic glass of water, and periodically asked if I needed anything. The proprietor, as I mentioned earlier, was an odd combo of being stereotypically demanding ("I need more fried rice, more shrimp balls, hurry!"), of schmoozing with customers ("Oh, it's been awhile since I've seen you" or "You want a vegetarian egg roll? I'll bring it out to you as soon as I can!" and of being comical (for example, he addressed me in Mandarin, which is fine, but he also brought me a spoon and not chopsticks.) There was also a fellow who appeared to be a floor manager checking on the supply of foods, and he was very sharp about noticing which foods were almost at the point of depletion that they needed a refill. I mean - I really don't have a negative thing to say about the customer service at this place. Decor: 2.5 out of 5 Bahahah. Nothing like walking into a Chinese joint and seeing the red lanterns, and split panel framed artwork everywhere. Lucky bamboos? Check. Good luck cat waving at you? Yep. Promo signs for Tsing Tao? Absolutely. I mean, I almost wanted to see the disposable paper tablecloths and plastic seat protectors, because that would have made the experience more unironically authentic, but those were nowhere to be found. It is...what it is. Selection and taste of lunch buffet items: 4 out of 5 This is where the overall experience didn't make sense, right? On the one hand, they had Americanized chinese food: overly sweet crab rangoons spring/egg rolls, what I would call chicken nuggets, "Governor's chicken", egg foo young, etc. They also had some food out that played to the historical aspect of Milwaukee's heritage, but with little to no relevance of anything "Asian", like kielbasa sausage with bell peppers. Then, they had food that I swear - would be something that my mom would make at home. Notably, the Chinese greens with garlic was well, sauteed baby bok choy with garlic, and the Asian style eggplant is something that I've eaten in little pop up diners overseas. I mean..they cast a wide net at this place and while admittedly it was truly hit or miss from an overall perspective, the parts they hit were spot on for what you'd expect, and the parts that they missed were in actuality hits for a different approach. In other words, someone who's only seen Americanized chinese foods will feel at home when they see the fried items, but might be shocked at the bok choy and eggplant. Someone who wants something truly authentic will notice the bok choy and eggplant as being familiar, but will have no frame of reference for the little chopped and fried pieces of chicken in tempura batter. Someone who doesn't really care and can eat anything (like myself) will walk away confused, but satisfied. Value: 4 out of 5 (for buffet only) Only drinking water, the damage out the door including tax was 10.50. A couple bucks for the service will set you back less than 13, which isn't atrocious. Depending on what you're looking for, you may be able to recoup that price just on a few items alone. Overall: 4 out of 5 Man, I hate to do this, but this place is getting a 4 because of my usual rounding (up) convention. I mean, it's a really odd place, but I can't say that I had a terrible time. I'll definitely be back at some point.
(4)Leah M.
After trying to get a table at the Safe House and Rock Bottom on a Sunday afternoon, we decided to give China Gourmet a try with our family of 6. We received excellent service, free appetizers, quick drinks and dinner was on the table in less than 12 minutes from the time we ordered. Everything was fresh, hot and delicious and even my little daughters ate everything they ordered without a fuss. We were very happy with the service, quality of food and price.
(5)Alicia D.
Though the owner was very friendly, the food was very overpriced for the poor quality and small portion size. The buffet wasn't open at the time, so we ordered off the menu and weren't too pleased with our food. The location is convenient and right off the river, but I definitely would not return.
(2)Chen L.
very nice eating environment with lots of traditional Chinese decorations. And the food is marvelous!
(5)Ashley S.
This place gets one star for its convenient location and a second star for its large water glasses. Seriously, I've never seen water glasses that large in all my years of restauranting; they were big enough that I didn't need a refill the whole time we were there. I want one for myself! We sort of came to this place on accident. We were planning on having a hot date night, which as you can see took a turn for the worst as poor planning ruined my grand plans of grabbing food from The Noble. So, because we were running late, we decided to just head out to our hotel and grab some quick food before the show at the Pabst (Craig Ferguson woot!). However, after driving around the block between Old World Third Street, Kilbourn and State enough times to make myself dizzy, we gave up and drove grumbling into a parking structure. We walked toward the theatre, passing right by China Gourmet in favor of greener pastures. But when we discovered that even Jimmy John's was closed (at 6:00pm? WTF?), we realized that we had no other choice: China Gourmet was it. Dim the lights, please. Nothing says romance more than a Chinese buffet. When we walked in the door, it made a loud, jangling noise to alert the entire restaurant of our presence. A sign clearly stated that we should wait to be seated. And yet, though several kitchen personnel peeked around the corner and saw us waiting, nobody came to greet us. I sat there slowly dying of embarrassment at my failed date planning as the minutes ticked away. Finally, one of the line cooks came out and motioned for us to move further into the restaurant - like we should have known that all along. A friendly lady with odd mannerisms ushered us to a table and disappeared after telling us about the buffet (but not the price, which was also not listed on the menu...) After a long while we ordered our one dish to share, the crispy beef that we ordered with "medium" spice. I can't handle spicy food, and my boyfriend loves it, so we always try to compromise. However, when we received our food, both of us were disappointed. At first I didn't know that the beef was meant to be "crispy," and became quite alarmed at the questionable, definitely non-meat texture of my "beef." I became slightly more relieved when I learned that the beef was breaded, though I would by no stretch of the imagination call this beef crispy. It was also terribly bland, offering no spicy flavor whatsoever. I only ate a few pieces of the beef, sticking mostly with the broccoli and rice on the side, which was probably why I got so wasted from my two gin and tonics at the show later on... We also had to wait for an inordinately long time to pay our bill. She walked past us several times, and I was practically waving my money at her, desperate not to miss a moment of Craig's lilting Scottish brogue, but she really had no urgency which I guess wasn't altogether unexpected, given the quality of her service throughout the night. She seemed to be the only front-of-house staff present in the whole restaurant, which wasn't really working out given that it was sort of busy on a Friday night. I really think a more casual/cool restaurant would do better there, for people who are looking to eat before a show like we were. I guess that's this restaurant's only redeeming quality: it's there.
(2)Greg M.
Ugh, I suffered through this place once a week while visiting MKE with work and I'm so glad I found Jing's. NIGHT AND DAY! China Gourmet food is served hot, but NO flavor what-so-ever. I have tried several different issues and none of them were any good. Make your way to Jing's and order from there!
(1)Gail S.
I've been going to China Gourmet when it was in its former location in the Plaza East Building. I always liked their food, especially the shrimp fried rice. In the last few months, however, I've noticed a change and it's not a change for the better. Last week, I went to CG and ordered some shrimp fried rice to go. When I got back to my office, you could definitely tell by the way the rice looked that it wasn't fresh. The rice looked old and tasted old. Today, I went there to get a take out order of garlic chicken. I asked for my garlic chicken to be prepared spicy, no onions and extra garlic. Well, to paraphrase Meatloaf, 2 out of 4 ain't bad! I got my garlic chicken, and it came without onions. However, they failed to put in the extra garlic and worse yet, there wasn't even a HINT of spice. By far, today's "spicy" garlic chicken was the blandest dish I ever had from CG. If I wanted my food that bland, I could've brought a can of Chun King from home and just heated up the darn thing! I enjoyed going to CG because I like authentic Asian cuisine. Up until recently, it was just that way. Everything was very fresh, made to order and extremely tasty. It's not like that anymore. If I want Chun King, I may as well go to Wong's Wok!! I enjoy various types of food - Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai - I know the difference between them and what spices are used in the various regions' food. If you think because I'm Caucasian I wouldn't know the difference, you are sadly mistaken. The last couple of times when I've ordered food either spicy or extra spicy, it's been very hit and miss. Today was a HUGE miss. Other times when I asked for it extra spicy, it was SO spicy I almost couldn't eat it. Consistency, people! "Spicy", "extra spicy" and "mild" are NOT the same! The other thing I would like to comment on is how dirty and sloppy the restaurant has become. As soon as you walk in, if you look straight ahead, there is a hostess stand. It's a complete mess! There's junk all over the top. What looks like it was once a coat room of sorts is also right by the hostess stand. That's even worse! There's an old office chair in there, ladies shoes, old phone books, old sweaters and coats, etc. Someone really needs to clean this up and make it much more attractive. This is the first thing that you see as you enter and it's really quite the eye sore. If you look to the right and to the left as you walk in, there are just way too many family pictures either taped to the post or to the large mirror that's on the left. A few family pictures are nice, but then they should be put in frames and hung nicely, not just scotch taped to a wall. Some of the older ones are already curled! Same for one end of the bar. If you look at the side of the bar where the cash register is, it's one ungodly, unsightly mess. There are old newspapers, magazines, etc. laying around. On the bar itself is what appears to be Robert's and Alice's paperwork for the restaurant. It's very unattractive to look at; it shouldn't be on the bar in the first place and if you're going to do business-related work, it really should be done in the privacy of a back room. Too many calendars on the wall, as in old calendars. Is it really necessary to keep calendars from 2010 and 2011? Too many tacky decorations and let's not forget the water stained ceiling tiles! It's all this clutter that really takes away from the dining experience, and it makes the restaurant look dirty and messy. If the front of the house can't be kept neat, clean and attractive, I just wonder what's going on in he back of the house where the food is stored and prepped?? The lunch buffet used to be really, really good at one time. Now I feel it's overpriced for what you get. I've had the lunch buffet 2-3 times in the last 4 months or so, and it's very disappointing. First of all, the bins look dirty. It's also difficult to get the food out as other reviewers have mentioned. The food itself doesn't always look fresh, and when there are empty bins, it doesn't seem like anyone is in any real rush to refill them. For $9+ for a lunch buffet, I expect that the food bins are clean and easily accessible, and filled with good, tasty, fresh food! For all of these reasons, I can only give CG a one star rating. Actually if I could, I'd give it a half star rating. I've been a loyal customer for years and years, and even though I was disappointed in my last 2-3 visits there, I kept hoping things would turn around. Unfortunately, they haven't and I doubt I'll be going back any time soon. I'll just continue my search for a really good Chinese restaurant in downtown MKE.
(1)David L.
China Gourmet is probably my most solid Chinese for Milwaukee. Sure, there are probably better in West Allis or the outskirts, but when you depend on the buses, those might as well not exist. CG has solid food that fills you up. The buffet is tasty and kept-restocked quite well. Service is superb. The staff is courteous and friendly, and as I've become a regular, it feels a bit like family. I won't say the food is fully authentic Chinese, but it's not the kind of place someone would go for that. If you want food that actually makes you feel like you've eaten something, rather than being all spices and no substance, go with this one.
(4)Kyle C.
Wow! What a surprise. The food is fresh and so flavorful. The crab Rangoon was some of the best I have ever had. I will eat here every time I'm in the downtown Milwaukee area from now on. Truly impressed. Great owners with a sense of humor and a warm personality. 5-Star food and service!!!!!
(5)Marshall S.
Like another yelper, I'd say 3.5 but decided to round-up because of the hostesses "older-lady cuteness factor". We were there at the end of the Chinese New Year festival week while they were featuring the "mega buffet" and a free gift (we chose stir fry sauce) with the purchase of two buffets. There were a lot of items. By far, my favorite was the sesame shrimp. Most items were ok-average. Had crab legs, but were not worth the effort or mess. Spring rolls were very good. Very cool building. Some interesting decorations (some just LOL ridiculous - i.e. Chinese lantern taped to the bulb of a ceiling fan). Overall, I thought it was a little dirty though. Friendly staff. Dessert table left MUCH to be desired; but hey, who goes to a chinese buffet for dessert?
(4)Cricket R.
First time ordering from them. Last time ordering from them. Got delivery. Took 1hour 15mins. $5 delivery charge. Ordered pepper steak, veggie rolls, and hot and sour soup. Pepper steak was mushy and tasted like a cow barn. Veggie rolls where VERY greasy and I think someone may have dripped their blood on them(don't know what else it could have been)! Hot and sour soup.. just gross. Should have spent the almost $30 on groceries. What a waste.
(1)Stef S.
Best Chinese in downtown Milwaukee! "Gourmet" is accurate. I enjoy the sesame chicken and crab rangoons! The chicken is soo good, fresh and you can tell its good quality, unlike some other mysterious Chinese food. (I have never been in the restaurant, only have had delivery). YUM!
(5)Greg W.
I went here for the first time on Monday......I didn't have a bad experience but I didn't have a great one either........ The lighting is very dark on the inside - not exactly what you expect going into a Chinese restaurant unless it's an upscale, classy vibe. It's modernly clean, but the appearance of the place won't knock your socks off either...... I know they have a famous lunch buffet for $9 - but I didn't want to pig out this day.......I figured I would order one of the lunch menu items - I'm thinking I'm going to save money by doing this.......NOT! I ordered sweet & sour chicken which is an item you can't really go wrong with - and should be easy to make by any Chinese restaurant. It was okay but nothing special at all......on top of that, I ended up paying $9 for it. I felt jipped at that point because I could have had the buffet and tried some different things. I will admit.......the food in the buffet didn't look spectacular and that's mostly why I didn't go with it. - I would have a hard time recommending this place but if someone asked I wouldn't kill it either. On the bright side......the owner/or manager working there was very nice and was a big Bucks fan......that was cool.
(3)Chris A.
Wow...from 4 stars to 2. Went for the buffet again and the food was cold and not fresh. Think mushy broccoli. Different server and she was nice, but didn't offer the same service as before.
(2)Tonya C.
We were looking for someplace close with a good buffet for lunch today, and I ran across the 2010 top buffet winners at OnMilwaukee. These folks were in the top 15 list, so we decided to give them a try... We even found a parking spot right outside the door, so took it as a good sign. The place feels very authentic, with Chinese dramatic masks on prints around the walls, and servers with broken English. As another reviewer noted, the place was quite dark, even when the sun graced us with its presence. Service was very prompt and attentive, and we could see several different buffet lines. We discovered right away that they serve soup extra/separately, and were given the choice between egg drop and hot and sour soups. Then we took off to see what our options were. Their appetizers were, sadly, mediocre: The steamed dumplings were soggy, as were the egg rolls. I suppose that's part of the hazard of a buffet--overcooking in some direction--but many manage to overcome the issue with an appropriate selection of items. The main items, including General Tsao's chicken (which they call Governor's chicken), and beef with broccoli were much better. I really liked their "Chinese vegetable with garlic" which were sauteed baby bok choi and very well done. The rice was also a little soft for my taste, but they did have a very broad selection. They even had a dessert tray. All in all, decent, filling food, though at $9.50 not the cheapest lunch buffet option, and probably not something I'll return for. It was disappointing that OnMilwaukee rated them so high; I should've checked Yelp first, for a more representative view of their food...
(2)Marie J.
In a fit of panic and desperation, we decided to give this place a try before a concert at the Pabst theater across the street. Immediately we were hit with a distinct smell that I can only identify as cat litter or urine.... thankfully, no cats in sight... It did not bode well. The staff was aware we were a bit rushed and wanted everything as quickly as they could and this need was completely met. We decided to only order one quick entree to split so as to avoid leftovers. Plus, the prices were pretty high for chinese food, roughly twice the amount you typically see. We played it safe and got our tried and true sesame chicken. We were told that if we were splitting an entree, we would have to pay a $2 extra plate fee. Sure, whatever, just feed us. The typical large oval plate comes out... half full... My eyes literally could not adjust to the small amount of food we were served to split between the two of us. They didn't even bother to spread it out a little across the plate. Fortunately I wasn't starving so I forfeited the majority of the meal and ate about 3 pieces of chicken, which were way over-fried and chewy. Thank god it wasn't more, because it made me so sick regardless. And to top it all off, our waitress made us so uncomfortable. I'm sure she meant well, and I understand more than anyone what its like to be in the service industry, but her behavior was pretty out of line. She was extremely condescending and interrupting. And we couldn't help but hear, as she yelled across the restaurant to someone else working there, that she needed to be done because some detectives were meeting her at the restaurant shortly... don't mind us! Just a terrible experience. We would've been better off not eating at all. Don't go here. For any reason.
(1)Julie D.
I used to order from this place all the time, and after being away from the area for a while, I decided to give them a try again. I had been searching long and hard for decent Chinese food. Although I certainly am a huge fan of the Americanized Panda Express-esqe Chinese food, there are times that I just want some good chow fun. However, that has been quite a task. I eventually remembered this place and looked them up on the internet and was delighted that they had chow fun. I phoned in the order when I left work and picked it up on my way home. It was ready when I got there, which was about 15 minutes later. The guy who greeted me at the door was friendly. So, I took the food home and dug in. The beef was tender and had good flavor. However, the noodles (which happen to be the most important part) were super soft and almost mushy. I was disappointed, but had to appreciate the fact that they even offer chow fun on their menu. I'm sure that I will order from there again, especially if I am at home and am feeling too lazy to go out and get something.
(3)Liz D.
We came here to have a quick dinner before attending a show. We told the waitress we had to be out at a certain time and wondered if they could serve us in time. They were very eager to please and brought us our food/refills/check and receipt extremely fast. I was impresses by the menu. I myself went for a more "panda express" selection, with beef lo mein, and crab rangoon; while my boyfriend decided to go for a more authentic dish. We were both very impressed by our food. It was hot, and cooked just right. The beef in the lo mein was the most tender and flavorful I've ever had. The Rangoon was delicious and cooked just right, not overly Crisp or soft. It was sweeter than normal, but I actually enjoyed it more that way. You only get three glasses of soda, which is better than most Chinese places, but do be warned. Thankfully the glasses are generously large. We were so happy with our food, when bad weather hit the next day, we decided to have them deliver to our hotel. We read it could take up to an hour, but it only Took about 20 minutes. The food was just as delicious and fresh as before. We both tried some new dishes and it was all fantastic. It's probably good I am going back To Michigan today, this place is way too tasty!! The best Chinese place I've ever visited hands down.
(5)Laura S.
Dear Yelp Friends, Please try this wonderful restaurant. I'm not a big fan of Chinese food because I find that it's usually drenched in grease or overly saucy. It so ofen lacks the more subtle qualities of other Asian cuisine, such as Thai. But, my beau and I were visiting his hometown from our current home in L.A. and we just loved this restaurant. We went to the lunch buffet (I'm usually wary of buffets, they can be overcooked and again, too much grease) but lo and behold -- so many items to enjoy. He is vegetarian, and there were many options for him, which the super friendly waitress was kind enough to point out. The atmosphere is very pleasant too. Plus, no MSG at this place. It's a gem. Please check it out for yourselves. Best, Laura
(5)Slob S.
For our second buffet, we decided to move out of the North Shore and mingle with the fancy business folk in beautiful downtown Milwaukee. At its heart is China Gourmet. We chose this buffet because Snob had been there a few years prior and knew this was going to be some good quality eats. We were excited to potentially have a strictly positive review about a buffet we thought would keep the number one spot for weeks and maybe even months. During the long, late nights of creating the concept of this blog, Slob and Snob agreed that writing this blog is not about hurting feelings or taking cheap shots for audience enjoyment. It's about educating the people of this great city and guiding them down the path to great Chinese buffet experiences while helping them avoid the nasty potholes along the way. Upon entering China Gourmet, we were greeted by a friendly man wearing a tucked in tie that told us, "Welcome to my restaurant, I'm gonna cook you up some good buffet." He quickly took us to our table, past the buffet tables, and through a very spacious, clean, and naturally lit dining area. We looked at each other with high hopes, licking our chops, and getting ready to sit down to discuss our plan of attack. Just then, before we could even pull our chairs out, and very excited waitress came to greet us and began to lay down the ground rules for the meal we weren't allowed to enjoy quite yet. Not quite understanding who she was dealing with, she began to explain in condescending detail how one is to approach a Chinese buffet. We tried to stop her so she could continue doing her job; however, this attempt was rebutted several times with, "I'm not done yet." Upon the many ground rules we were reminded to follow, the rule she had the most passion for was "Just one free soda refill". When we got the refill later on, she made sure we understood 'No more soda for you'. In our William Ho's experience, we quickly forgot who the waitress was, an excellent element of a Chinese buffet. This waitress was quite memorable, a not so good element of the experience. Especially when at the end of our time at China Gourmet, Snob overheard her say to a group of people (which we tweeted from @chinesebuffeter), "Hold on, as soon as I can't get these people out of here." I'm pretty sure she was referring to us, no, I know she was, we were the only ones in there. Finally, all poor Slob wanted and all he asks for from a Chinese buffet is the sugary, melt-in-your-mouth, deep-fried Chinese donuts. He approached the dessert section, headed straight for the 'Chinese donuts' sign and reached in to a barren sugar wasteland of a tray. Snob, being the more aggressive of the two, asked politely for more Chinese donuts for Slob. The waitress response, "Well, the chef stops cooking after 2:00, so I don't think he'll be making more." End of story. Let's keep in mind, the food is the most important aspect of a Chinese buffet. With that in mind, have you ever placed something in your mouth that was so delicious, so crispy and creamy, so sweet and slightly salty, that everything else that is wrong with world just melts away on the cream cheese goodness? Per Snob, "Screw the healthy stuff, I'm converting to fried cheese!" Yes, Slob and Snob agree, the crab rangoonies (they deserve an affectionate name) are perhaps, the single-most tasty item on any Chinese buffet they have ever encountered. Just pure delciousness. As you will see, our scores reflect a buffet that has a few really good items that brings up the quality score. Thus, Snob's score will be higher than Slob's. The rest of the items will be mentioned in our individual critiques, except we agree that: 1. The whole waitress thing 2. The whole crab rangoonie thing 3. At $11.50 per person with soda, way over priced 4. Chinese buffets should not place a limit on soda refills 5. We couldn't see the food we were selecting, it was tucked under counters in a very dark space. This is where we differ: Slob The China Gourmet experience reminds me of a quote by former Czechoslovakian tennis player Ivan Lendl, "It takes more than a forehand and a haircut." Lendl was talking about Andre Agassi, not Chinese buffets, but his wisdom helps me draw a parallel and make my case... It takes more than an address and crab Rangoon. China Gourmet's lunch buffet simply has little going for it other than that prime downtown location and one truly spectacular appetizer. An overly anxious waitress who scolded us upon arrival, an out-of-place refill policy, unusually placed pots and strange comments were lowlights of this experience. The flip side....crab rangoon. (For the rest of the review, please visit: onmilwaukee.com/myOMC/bl… )
(2)Erika B.
I ordered the Chef's Special Chicken with Honey Garlic Sauce for delivery, along with an order of crab rangoon. Everything arrived in under 45 minutes and hot. The chicken was battered and fried, and arrived with the sauce on the side, which was awesome because I could control the amount of sauce used and it kept the chicken crispy. The rangoons weren't filled with the typical bland cream cheese filling, either. Though China Gourmet is a bit more expensive than most other Chinese restaurants, the food is worth it. I will definitely order from them again.
(4)Stacy L.
i used to go to this place when it was at the old location on State Street - that place was fabulous. This new location is filthy dirty - the restroom was cleaner than the restaurant! the table i sat at had food splatters on the wall and the tray holding the condiments was disgusting. The decor is dusty - clean that giant mirror and take down all those photos put up with scotch tape! They would be a good candidate for the show Restaurant Impossible on Food Network. The lunch buffet was so poorly designed - you can't even see the food, you have to bend over, lift lids and reach under glass with no lighting. It was a chore just to get a plate of food, i was going mostly on the little cards telling you what was inside each station. Ok, about the food, it wasn't bad (love their crab rangoon and governor's chicken) but there's buffets as good in town for at least $2 less. Sad to say i won't be back, i used to love the old china gourmet :(
(2)Belinda J.
I live and work in Downtown Milwaukee. As such, I like to order lunch from local restaurants in the area. China Gourmet is one I was ordering from on average of twice a week and each and every time they would get my order wrong. Initially I would give them a pass and not complain, but when it continued to happened I started calling them out on it. Why did I do that? Boy, you would have thought I had insulted the owner's mother instead of complaining about missing fried rice! Customer service at this place is the worse! The food is reminiscent of Wong's Wok, shopping mall Chinese food, so it is nothing to rave about. But when you paired that with truly rude and abrasive customer service....suffice to say this is not a restaurant to give any of your money to.
(1)Brad E.
This is miles away, in terms of yumminess, from most Chinese buffets. There are about 8-10 outstanding entrees, and they feature different dishes every time we go. Crab legs, mussels, moo shu, lo mein (noodles), other familiar Chinese favorites, etc. The food is so good. The location is in the middle of the downtown theatre district and right on the river walk. Parking is difficult so plan accordingly. This is a great place for a date, especially if you are comfortable pigging out with your significant other. This place marks the home of the bronze Fonze.
(4)Sara A.
For a chinese restaurant, the place is pretty decent. I don't know a lot of chinese restaurant in the Milwaukee downtown area, so I'd say this place has pretty tasty food for a chinese cuisine. Service is fast too. So, if you're in the area to go to for a show at the Pabst theater or the Milwaukee Performing Arts, definitely give this place a try. It's right across the street!
(3)Emily R.
Unfortunately we had a poor experience. We arrived on a Sunday around 1.30pm. The hostesss/owner sat us at a table and told us if we wanted the buffet to help ourselves. We went to the buffet only to find old, caked on food in the dishes. There were no egg rolls or rangoons ready. There were no chicken dishes available. The rice was old, and there were no noodles. Our waitress said that they would be making more and bringing it out as they made it. The only thing they ended up bringing out was vegetable fried noodles. The noodles were good, but not enough when I signed up for a buffet. We asked the waitress again and she told us that the buffet closes at 2.30pm so they stop bringing food out at 2pm. It was 2.05pm when she told us this, which didn't explain why no more food had been brought out. We asked to speak with the manager. When the manager came to our table to told me that she would order more of whatever dish I wanted. But she failed to appreciate the concept of a buffet. I wanted a little of everything, not one dish, or I would have ordered off the menu. The owner was less than caring about our concerns after we had discussed them with her. We spent $11 per person on this buffet and we definitely did not get close to that worth of food. If you go, hopefully you don't have the same experience but try to get there well before 1.30 and ask to make sure they will be bringing out more food.
(2)Joe G.
I think the food here is probably a three, but I've bumped it to four because of the online ordering and the fact that absolutely everything seems to be made in-house. I've only ever ordered it for delivery, though, so I couldn't say anything about the restaurant itself.
(4)Kim B.
I ordered mixed vegetables and spring rolls. There were lots of veggies, but the dish was extremely bland. The spring rolls were just okay. The only good part of the meal was the orange cookie included with the order. I had my order delivered to the hotel where I was staying The delivery guy was very friendly, but there were no napkins with my order. There was a $3 delivery charge, and the delivery guy had to scramble to find a receipt he could give me. The receipt included a line item for free crab rangoons for the hotel - they probably provide freebies in exchange for referrals, but I found it just a tad tacky for this item to be listed on my receipt.
(1)Nicole L.
Nice place across the street from Pabst Theater which is perfect to grab a bite to eat before a show. Both the walnut chicken and honey chicken were good. Crab rangoon and chicken spring roll were good as well. And our waitress was out of this world - so incredibly friendly and helpful but not phony at all. The owner was nice, and funny too. I really like the atmosphere and was surprised at how empty it was on a Friday evening.
(4)