Chow's Country Buffet opens, bringing Asian and Southern comfort food under one roof

Teresa Stepzinski, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
Updated ·3 min read

Craving fried chicken or sweet and sour chicken but can't decide between the two? Well, now you don't have to.

A first-of-its-kind buffet in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida offers those and more Southern comfort foods as well as Asian-style classics.

Chow's Country Buffet recently opened at 4250 Southside Blvd. in the former Golden Corral location near Jacksonville's Tinseltown area. There, it joins Biggie's Pizza, Island Wing Co., Copeland's of New Orleans and Vagabond Korean Steakhouse.

With its "Southern Classics with an Asian Twist" motto, Chow's offers more than 150 freshly made entrees, sides, salads and desserts.

Special seasonal dishes coinciding with the holidays also are featured.

Fried catfish is among more than 150 Southern-style and Asian-style favorites offered at Chow's Country Buffet, which recently celebrated its grand opening at 4250 Southside Blvd. in Jacksonville.
Fried catfish is among more than 150 Southern-style and Asian-style favorites offered at Chow's Country Buffet, which recently celebrated its grand opening at 4250 Southside Blvd. in Jacksonville.

The location is just the first for Chow's, Evan Chen, managing member of Chow's Restaurant LLC and other company officials told the Times-Union.

"First, we're going to have another location in Jacksonville then one in Orlando and one in Birmingham, Ala.," Chen said. "Once those are successful we plan to have more across the Southeast."

Chen said they are scouting out possible locations on the Westside for the second Jacksonville location but no decision has been made.

He noted that Chow's is part of a longtime family-owned and operated line of buffet restaurants throughout Florida and the South. They include Chow Time Grill & Buffet with about a dozen locations, including Ft. Lauderdale, and Chow Won Korean Steakhouse launched in Miami with a goal of about a dozen locations in the South, Chen said.

On the menu at Chow's Country buffet

The seafood boil is among the customer favorites at newly opened Chow's Country Buffet, 4250 Southside Blvd. on Jacksonville's Southside. The combination Southern comfort food and Asian buffet is the first of its kind in Jacksonville.
The seafood boil is among the customer favorites at newly opened Chow's Country Buffet, 4250 Southside Blvd. on Jacksonville's Southside. The combination Southern comfort food and Asian buffet is the first of its kind in Jacksonville.

Chow's Country Buffet focuses on Southern-style and Chinese-style favorites.

Southern entrees include brisket, fried chicken, meatloaf, fried catfish, barbecue ribs, butter shrimp, barbecue chicken, baked chicken and seafood broil, manager Connie Lew said.

Shrimp and Buffalo wings along with all the fixins', such as mashed potatoes, green beans, corn and Mac N' Cheese also are featured.

The Asian offerings are led by Beijing Beef, General Tso's Chicken, Chinese doughnuts, egg rolls, sweet and sour chicken, Kung Pao chicken, fried rice and more, Lew said.

There also are extensive salad and dessert offerings.

Customers make their selections from the Southern Style Seafood & Deep Fried bar at newly opened Chow's Country Buffet, which features Southern-style and Asian-style offerings.
Customers make their selections from the Southern Style Seafood & Deep Fried bar at newly opened Chow's Country Buffet, which features Southern-style and Asian-style offerings.

Lunch at Chow's Country Buffet costs $11.49 for adults Monday through Friday and $15.99 on Saturday and Sunday. For senior citizens and military personnel, it's $10.49 Monday through Friday and $14.99 on Saturday and Sunday, the website shows.

For kids, lunch prices range from free for youngsters aged 2 and younger, $5.99 for ages 3 to 6 years old, $8.99 for ages 7 and 8 years old, and $9.99 for ages 9 to 11 years old.

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Dinner prices for adults daily Monday through Sunday are $15.99, and $14.99 daily for seniors and military.

Kids dinner prices are free for ages 2 and younger, $6.99 for ages 3 to 6 years old, $9.99 for ages 7 and 8 years old, and $12.99 for ages 9 to 11 years old, according to the website.

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Chow's Country Buffet is open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Chow's Country Buffet opens in former Jacksonville Golden Corral spot