Find My Perfect Chinese Restaurant Near Me

East Garden: A Chinese Restaurant in Charlottesville, Virginia
  1. Chinese Food
  2. Chinese Restaurant
  3. Virginia
  4. Albemarle County
  5. Charlottesville
  6. Chinese Restaurant in Riverbend Drive
  7. East Garden

East Garden

391 reviews

East Garden Photos

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Hours

Monday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Tuesday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Wednesday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Thursday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Friday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Saturday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Sunday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

About East Garden

Welcome to East Garden, a Chinese restaurant located at 120 Riverbend Dr, Charlottesville, VA 22911, USA. Situated in Charlottesville, Virginia, East Garden aims to provide a satisfying Chinese dining experience for both locals and visitors. Based on recent customer feedback, East Garden offers a variety of dishes, including lunch specials and a buffet, with generally positive remarks regarding food quality and service.

One customer who ordered the lunch special, which consisted of chicken lo mein accompanied by soup (specifically hot and sour soup), provided a somewhat mixed but overall positive review. They found the chicken lo mein to be "average" in quality, but noted that it contained a "plenty of meat," which is a positive aspect for those who appreciate generous protein portions in their noodle dishes. The accompanying hot and sour soup, however, was described as "delicious," indicating a highlight of their meal. The reviewer also commented on the "good portions for the price," suggesting that East Garden offers value for money, particularly with their lunch specials.

Another customer had a significantly more enthusiastic experience at East Garden, stating that the restaurant offers "really good food, among the best Chinese food I have ever experienced." This high praise suggests that East Garden has the potential to deliver exceptional dishes that stand out even among seasoned consumers of Chinese cuisine. This reviewer specifically mentioned the buffet, noting that the "warmers appeared clean" and the food itself was "fresh, hot and delicious." These are crucial aspects for a positive buffet experience, indicating attention to hygiene and food quality even in a self-service setting.

Further enhancing the positive impression, the same reviewer described the staff as "obliging and pleasant." Courteous and helpful service can significantly contribute to customer satisfaction and the overall enjoyment of a meal. This positive feedback on the staff suggests that East Garden strives to create a welcoming and hospitable environment for its patrons. The reviewer also mentioned having dined there twice and expressed their intention to become "long-term patrons," a strong testament to their positive experiences. Practical aspects such as "easy access and ample parking" were also noted, making East Garden a convenient choice for diners.

Based on these reviews, East Garden offers both a menu with individual dishes, such as the chicken lo mein lunch special, and a buffet. The buffet seems to be a particularly strong offering, with customers praising the freshness, temperature, and taste of the food, as well as the cleanliness of the serving area. The menu items, while potentially varying in quality (as indicated by the "average" lo mein), can still provide satisfying options, especially when accompanied by well-received items like the hot and sour soup. The generous portions for the price point of the lunch special suggest a focus on providing good value to customers.

The environment of East Garden is not extensively detailed in the reviews. However, the mention of clean buffet warmers implies a focus on hygiene within the dining area. The easy access and ample parking suggest a location that is convenient for customers to reach, likely situated in a way that accommodates vehicular traffic. Beyond these points, specific details about the restaurant's decor, ambiance, or seating arrangements are not provided.

In terms of services, East Garden offers both a traditional menu for ordering individual dishes and a buffet option, catering to different dining preferences. The positive feedback on the staff as "obliging and pleasant" indicates a focus on good customer service for dine-in patrons. While one review mentioned a lunch special, it is not clear if there are other regular promotions or discounts available. Takeout service is not explicitly mentioned, but it is a common offering for many Chinese restaurants, so it is possible that East Garden provides this as well. Delivery service is also not mentioned in the reviews.

The features of East Garden that stand out based on the reviews are the quality of their buffet, the generous portions offered (at least for the lunch special), and the pleasant and obliging staff. The buffet, in particular, seems to be a draw, with its fresh, hot, and delicious food and clean presentation. The easy access and ample parking add to the convenience of dining at East Garden. While some menu items might be perceived as average, the overall culinary experience appears to be positive for many.

Promotional information is limited in the provided reviews. The mention of a "lunch special" suggests that East Garden does offer discounted options during lunch hours. However, the specifics of this special (beyond the chicken lo mein and soup combination) and any other ongoing promotions or deals are not detailed. Local users interested in potential promotions or discounts at East Garden are advised to contact the restaurant directly or check any online platforms they might be listed on for current offers.

In conclusion, East Garden in Charlottesville, Virginia, appears to be a Chinese restaurant that offers a generally positive dining experience. Customers have praised the fresh, hot, and delicious food on their buffet, as well as the obliging and pleasant staff. While some menu items, like the chicken lo mein lunch special, might be considered average, they still offer good portions for the price, and accompanying dishes like the hot and sour soup can be a highlight. The easy access and ample parking add to the convenience. For local users in Charlottesville and those visiting the area, East Garden seems to be a reliable option for enjoying Chinese cuisine, particularly if they are interested in a buffet with fresh and tasty offerings. It would be beneficial to inquire directly about any current lunch specials or other promotions to maximize value.

East Garden Location

120 Riverbend Dr, Charlottesville, VA 22911, USA

Customer Reviews

3.0
391 reviews
A
Ana Rios
Apr 03, 2025

Ordered the lunch special chicken lo mein and it came with a soup & sour soup. The lo mein was average but did have plenty of meat and the soup was delicious. Good portions for the price.

J
Jay
Jan 02, 2024

These folks have really good food, among the best Chinese food I have ever experienced. The buffet warmers appeared clean and the food was fresh, hot and delicious. The staff was obliging and pleasant. We have dined there twice and plan to be long-term patrons. Easy access and ample parking.

H
Heisenderp
Apr 12, 2025

Placed an online order for pickup using the restaurant's preferred online service, trying to help them save money. Order confirmed, was given a time about 30 min out. Arrived at that time. Guy at the register was staring at his phone playing a game. I interrupted him and told him I had an order to pick up. My name wasn't on any of the orders that were ready. He looked in his system and said he didn't have any more orders. I showed him the confirmation email and he kind of freaked out and grabbed an iPad or tablet of some kind, and said "here is the order, but I didn't put it in". He just stood there staring at me with a blank look. He didn't offer to rush it through, offer a discount, nothing. Just stared at me. I told him to cancel the order and walked out. I won't be back even though this next closest place is another 10m away. The food is just OK anyhow, if the service is this inattentive and they don't care when they screw up, might as well drive the extra distance for good food.

K
Kenny D
Dec 06, 2023

Wow, people are really loose with those 5 stars...do they not know that means perfection? I had been a longtime fan and patron of East Garden before the plandemic and the fire they had. It was the best deal in town for sushi. I would always get some sushi, then go to the steam tables for some samplings of the dishes. The food was mostly pretty decent and flavorful. Times are tough for restaurants, and its no different for East Garden. Their actual sushi (raw fish on a log of shaped rice...Maki rolls are not sushi) has been reduced to the size of my pinky to the second knuckle. Hilarious and pathetic at the same time. If they cant afford the sushi anymore on the buffet, they should make it a separate purchase, but dont insult me with what I saw. So I moved on to the steam tables. I have to say, the food looked fantastic and most of what I tasted was cooked pretty well as far as doneness, etc.. Sad thing is it appears they quit seasoning the food. I sampled 9 different proteins (seven of them are shown in the picture I attached). All, except what was a lightly battered deep fried fish in a creamy sauce were bland (upper right in the picture, I purposely didn't take much sauce because I was just sampling, I did go back for more of that). This is a theme I have been finding in many restaurants. Only thing I can think of is people are complaining about detecting any salt whatsoever in their food, or any spice...like even just black pepper. My wife sampled several things too and had the same opinion, "mediocre". Even stuff like the pot-sticker dumpling sauce and cocktail sauce had some weirdness to it. Both used to taste great back in the day. We sampled all these proteins in small amounts because we wanted to take-out meals for the evening later at home. We didn't think the fish dish I mentioned earlier would hold up well storing and reheating and nothing else we tasted was anything we actually wanted to eat. It's all looks great, it just doesn't taste "great". Just blah. We hadn't been here in some years due to the plandemic period, the fire they had and we dont find ourselves in Pantops a lot, and usually eat lunch when in town convenient to where we are. We came this time because we bought half price vouchers they were offering in a promotion and needed to use them by spring or they expire. We'll probably give our unused voucher to someone else, I dont even want to come back at half price...I'd rather pay full price somewhere with better tasting food. At the time we arrived and ate, around noon; back in the day, this place would have been hopping. I was struck by the lack of that foot traffic they used to have. Maybe thats why they were selling discount vouchers. Maybe other people feel the same as me about the food. The price has been raised for the buffet. Cant blame them for that, everything is more expensive, but the taste of the food (and the size of the sushi) has gone down. If you just want a pile of food for $12 and you arent concerned about good seasoning, it's worth it. There was nothing offensive, it's all perfectly edible. But we dont eat out a lot...when I do, I want it to be very good food, not "mediocre". I hardly ever mess up and make mediocre food at home!

F
Faun Leibowitz
Feb 20, 2025

I have never gone to a buffet restaurant that wasn't disgusting. The food at Garden East is fresh and very well prepared; the mixed vegetables, five slice chicken, string beans with garlic sauce, and whole mushrooms with oyster sauce were of homemade quality--deliciius and simple. The pan fried dumplings contain a perfectly respectable pork, ginger, and scallion filling, but the time they spend in the service try reduces the actual wonton leathey and unpleasant. Of course, avoid the sushi and I would not recommend that you eat the large pieces of fried frozen fish sitting in murky liquid. The dessert area offers tiny pieces of tasty chocolate and coconut cakes, but you must avoid the chocolate pudding (because it's tacky to eat pudding in public) and the rock hard lychees. I want to stress that this is easily the only buffet restaurant I would ever go back to, and if I had to choose between going to Garden East or any of the Chinese of Thai places in Charlottesville, I would pick Garden East every time.

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