Culinary Worlds Collide at Chow’s Country Buffet, Now Open in Tuscaloosa

A new buffet is open on Skyland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, where a family of veteran restaurateurs aims to offer something for everyone.

The space that once housed the Asuka buffet is now being leased by Yong Kai Chen, who also goes by Allen. He and his family own dozens of restaurants across Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida, including the Chow Town Grill & Buffets in Hoover, Valdosta and elsewhere.

Here in Tuscaloosa, they have opened Chow's Country Buffet, which combines the time-tested ideas of all-you-can-eat Southern country food with an Asian cuisine buffet.

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Boasting "Southern Classics with an Asian Twist," half the hot bar buffet features classics including fried catfish and chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, yeast rolls and dozens of other options. Steps away, the back half is filled with Asian cuisine - teriyaki chicken, fried and white rice, lo mein, egg rolls, sugared donuts and more.

Hot & Sour Soup is right next to the chicken noodle, and the buffets are rounded out by a salad bar and a huge variety of desert options.

The Skyland location is the first of its kind in Alabama and only the second under this banner. It joins the already-open Chow's in Jacksonville, Florida, and three more locations are coming soon to the Sunshine State.

The restaurant had a "soft" opening this weekend and is serving food now every day from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. They're in the former Asuka Buffet building - or Cheddar's, for the longtime residents - at 1100 Skyland East Boulevard and are planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony for next Thursday, November 14th.

For more coverage of restaurant and retail development around west Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.