I don't like them that much either but they are okay for their purpose and some of the more expensive ones do seem worth it. The cheaper ones usually are just not that good and I always end up disliking my experience even if I'm full by the time my meal ends. I would rather just spend on a nice regular meal instead of that kind of buffet but like I said the higher priced ones are still kind of enjoyable.
I think buffets are fun if you are out with friends and family. You'll feel more comfortable and also enjoy the meal more. But like with everything else, there are good and bad buffets providers. And in most cases, you will get what you pay for. But to be fair, I've been in cheaper ones that I enjoyed more that the expensive ones.
One of the casinos in San Diego has a $22 buffet, but the food is incredible. There Mongolian food, sushi, crepes, seafood stations, BBQ stations, and Mexican food among a about 100 or so dessert options. It's the best 20 bucks you can spend on food as far as buffets are concerned. I haven't been to another buffet in years because this one is so great!
Ryan's probably has the worst buffet that I've tasted. They have some good selections in terms of what they offer, but their particular versions of it usually aren't very good. The spinach and maccarroni in particular is pretty bad. Only good thing in the whole buffet is the salad. I definitely won't be going back there anytime soon.
Buffets are good if you're gonna have a party or you're going as a group and most of you have large appetites, lol. Some buffets are quite cheap too and affordable. I know a resto that offered a buffet meal for $12 a person.
I get scared of germs at buffets because everyone touches every spoon, fork, and knife, even the 1 that I want to use. is just not sanitary. I do like pizza buffet because the pizza is sitting there with a spatula. I use a napkin to grab a spatula to serve myself in my family. it is however fairly cheap to go to and we can eat as much as we want and get full.
I just went to Golden Carol today and I really enjoyed myself. I usually don't enjoy their food because I feel that they are a little light on the seasoning (I'm from the south). However, this time the food was great. I love to go to buffets if they have good food. There is nothing worst than a huge buffet with horrible food.
I enjoy buffets for the variety at decent prices. That being said, I'm getting to the point where I hate Golden Corral because my sister's husband will only eat there when we try to do family hangout time. Every two weeks my two sisters and I will go visit Mom in the nursing home and then spend the day together. Sometimes their husbands will meet us for lunch but only if it's Corral. It's kind of funny though because for the longest time, one husband would only go to Ryans or CiCi's pizza--now he won't go into either. My personal favorite buffets are either Mexican, some Chinese or the casino buffet even though that one runs about $15 a person just for lunch. I'm the only one who'll do the Chinese though so either I eat alone or I suffer through Golden Corral since the nearest Mexican buffet is about 60 miles from us.
My wife and I go to a couple of Buffets. Ryans and a couple of Chinese places are our norm. I can't say anything bad about the buffets but some of the people going to them can be rude and extra wasteful. I have seen empty tables with the plates still on them half filled with wasted food. My wife and I do not mind going back through the beffets to get extra helpings and generally speaking, when we leave the table the plates are empty.
I am lucky to live within travelling distance of a place that serves a Pan Asian buffet. I have been there several times and for a reasonable price you can try out food you may not have tried before. As well as Chinese, Indian and Japanese food you can try Vietnamese, Cantonese and Thai delicacies. For the unadventurous there is pizza etc as well. It is a popular place to go to and you have to book in advance but it is well worth it. If I go on holiday I look out for buffet dining because I feel you have more Choice and can try things you may not if you have a menu.
I think my favorite buffet in Vegas currently would be at the Wynn - the food is phenomenal, and it's very clean too - kind of like a French countryside on crack (there's like 20ft tall topiary plants throughout it). The Prime Rib alone is worth going there for. My only beef with the Wynn though is the layout of the place is super confusing (which they do on purpose to keep you gambling there), so you might need to ask an employee there how to get to their buffet area. It's been about 4 years since I was last there though and if I remember correctly I think it was about $45 or so - not cheap, but well worth it. The cheaper buffets, I'm generally not as fond of. Mainly because a lot of the food in them is swimming in grease/butter, and not exactly healthy. Not to mention, they are often crowded with families with lots of screaming kids.
I personally agree with some of the users about eating food that has been sitting around for awhile. However, some of the buffet restaurants really try to keep the food fresh. Old Country Buffet is a thought, and also some of the smaller banquet hall style buffets really do well in this regard, from my experience.
I have to admit I love buffets. Do I overeat? Yes, but it is so tasty and I get to try a variety of different foods. They are great if you just don't know what you feel like eating or if you have kids because there is usually something there everyone will like. We have a great chinese buffet near us and my husband and I really enjoy going there. You can have a great dinner and dessert for a very reasonable price. The atmosphere is also very nice there. I think if the buffets are run well and kept clean, it is a fun place to go. My husband and I met a whole bunch of his family at a chinese buffet one time and we all had a great time. I have never had to wait for a table at a buffet, which I like. On weekends, some of the other restaurants can get so crowded that you have to wait for long time just to get in.
I like buffets, but only certain ones. I live in the Northeast, and we don't have a Golden Corral that I know of up here. If we did, the negative comments are making me think I'd be wasting my money there. We do have a fantastic Indian buffet nearby that I love! Believe it or not, they even let you do take-out with the buffet. They give you these huge boxes to put your food in for take-out, and they include two pieces of naan to go with the meal! If I'm going to go to a buffet, I'll typically do it for lunch. I arrive pretty much when things are getting set up on the warmers. This way, I don't have to worry about a lot of people being ahead of me and leaving behind all their germs!
Although it's true that buffets can be very cost effective, especially when dining out with children, several personal experiences have lead me to avoid buffets altogether. Once while my husband and I were dining at a Golden Corral, we encountered a "not so sophisticated" patron of the restaurant. Now, I'm not trying to sound stuck up or upper crust, but once you hear my story, you'll understand my comments. My husband and I dutifully waited our turn in line around the buffet. We conversed along the way, not paying too much attention to the person in line ahead of us. As we neared the end of the line, helping ourselves to each dish along the way, my husband noticed that the woman just in front of us was licking the serving spoon with each serving that she took. Needless to say, we left our plates and notified management of the situation. They had to close the buffet while they switched out every dish. Unfortunately, it has left me with a "bad taste in my mouth" for buffets!!
I do enjoy buffets, they allow me to taste different foods and take more of what I like. Sometimes you order something off of a menu and then you find that you don't like it very much, but with buffets you can eat to your heart's content. I've never been to a buffet where the food was bad though
I always enjoy a buffet, depending on the admission price of course. I have a really small stomach, and I fill up very easily. So whilst buffets initially seem like a great idea, I almost never get my money's worth when I go to them, because after the first one and a half plate of starter snacks, I am full. So I am fifty fifty with buffets.
I like buffets because you get a selection of things but usually there is not much that you are satisfied with, sometimes it is better to go out and choose a meal that you will be happy with as the quality is different. I went to a sushi buffet and was really looking forward to it but once we got there they gave us a list of rules and we found that we were only getting sashimi once in the hour that we were allowed to sit there.
I also think buffets can be a bit hit and miss, but once you find a good one, you're all set. I especially like the Chinese ones, I think the food lends itself to this type of set up. Because I like so many things on the Chinese food menu, I like to sample as many or as few things as I like on any given day. I used to have a really good Chinese buffet that I'll never forget. You could have starters, your main meal and dessert for £9.99 and it was all yummy!
I do like a buffet but I do not like not knowing how long the food has been left out. I have never had a bad experience with a buffet but sometimes it has been a little bit on the dry side, thankfully I have never gotten sick though.
