ElChino Mexican-Chinese Buffet in Tyler, Texas, has closed after less than a year, ending one of the more unusual buffet experiments to appear in the market recently. Local reporting confirmed by Aug. 25 that the restaurant had shut sometime during the preceding months.
ElChino soft-opened in November 2025 at 1500 W. Southwest Loop 323. The concept came from the same local restaurant group behind Ohayo Sushi and combined Chinese dishes, Tex-Mex favorites, a conventional buffet, made-to-order specialties and a build-your-own taco-and-burrito component.
One of Tyler’s Most Unusual Buffet Experiments Is Over
The menu was unusual enough to require almost no marketing shorthand. Fried rice and lo mein could share a plate with fajitas, tacos, queso and fusion dishes, while the buffet structure let diners decide for themselves whether those cuisines belonged together on the same trip.
The restaurant also adjusted prices shortly after opening in response to customer feedback, suggesting management was still tuning the model even during its first months. Despite that flexibility, ElChino did not make it to its first anniversary.
The Former Red Lobster Already Has Another Restaurant Planned
The building itself is a former Red Lobster and is already headed toward another restaurant life. Joamia’s Kitchen has announced plans for a Japanese family-restaurant-style concept at the address, with baked goods, soufflé pancakes, seasonal desserts and a menu distinct from its existing Tyler location.
ElChino therefore leaves behind both a short operating history and a memorable idea. Mexican-Chinese buffet was specific enough to sound like a category of one, and for less than a year in Tyler, it essentially was.
