slo’s WEDNESDAY 8/28 poll - Buffets (restaurant)

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I love Indian food buffets, which I might get only once or twice a year. And Cabanas on DCL. Other than that I don't really eat at any buffets. I've never really been too worried about germs from them. I will get food sometimes from the Whole Foods hot bar or salad bar, so that's kind of the same idea as a buffet.

 

[CynBeth]

I love them but rarely get to go because my other family members have food allergies. Disney buffets are great as are on a cruise but the ones in my area are not really able to accommodate.

 

[lovin'fl]

Pre covid we used to go often. I try not to go now. My DH loves a buffet but I just don't. Don't like standing in lines to get food and half the time what I want is nearly empty so I have to take the scrapings if I want it. Worry about kids and others poking with their hands or talking/coughing/sneezing around the food. Or flies could be around. Not to mention food sitting around a while. I am just more conscientious of germy things now since covid times. Plus I'd rather be seated and waited on. If I wanted to work for my food, I'd stay home and eat where it's also cheaper.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I can't recall the last time I went to one other than Disney World. And that's been over 7 years ago. They're okay.

 

[BrianL]

I love Indian food buffets, which I might get only once or twice a year. And Cabanas on DCL. Other than that I don't really eat at any buffets. I've never really been too worried about germs from them. I will get food sometimes from the Whole Foods hot bar or salad bar, so that's kind of the same idea as a buffet.

Indian buffets are great. Unfortunately, all of ours stopped doing buffet during COVID. Some of them have come back for like weekend lunch only.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Ohhhhh...I LOVE buffets. Especially a good Asian buffet with lots of variety. There's a Hibachi Grill near me that we go to sometimes, and they have the freshest sushi and sashimi. I'm a sushi fiend, and I love all the different kinds they have.

 

[Kitty 34]

Our casino closed their buffet during Covid. Haven't been to once since. And honestly, I really don't miss a buffet as I just don't eat that much anymore.

 

[cabanafrau]

Not my thing. Generally they were always just a bunch of meh food I wasn't interested in anyway, but offered up with a side of germs.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I love a really good high end buffet, not so much for overeating as it is for the ability to taste a bunch if different things that would not go together on a plate.

When my kids were little we ALWAYS did a Chef Mickey (so cute and on the monorail) and a Hollywood and Vine (Hollywood Studios always had the worst dining options) so many nice memories. The price was high but we loved it so very much it was never an option to skip either.

In Vegas I have been to Wicked Spoon a few times and loved it. The last time I went pre Covid I think they had a to go option for lunch where I was able to fill a container as long as the top fit securely so I got lunch and dinner for around $20, no idea if it is still a thing.

I adore the Fogo de Chao Market Table which runs around $15 M-F for lunch I think. There is no meat but the ones I have gone to have salmon and chicken salad. The ONLY awful one I ever went to was in Orlando, it was a nightmare with nothing offered, won't do that again. I usually show up the moment it opens or close to it so I get first pick.

 

[The Mayor]

Not a huge fan of buffets so checked sorta. The only buffets I've been to in the last 20+ years have been at WDW. I much prefer having a meal cooked and brought to me in a restaurant instead of feeding at what reminds me of a trough that people are breathing all over all day/night.

 

[OneOftheB's]

I am not a fan of buffets. It could be that I feel that the quality of the food seems a bit lower than cook to order meals. Or it could be (let's be honest and change that to probably) that I was a health inspector for 13 years and several restaurants I inspected were buffets. People are gross. Restaurants try to save money by not tossing food that shouldn't be served. Staff is sometimes lazy, sometimes untrained, sometimes super busy and don't always do what should be done when it comes to safe food handling.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I like them... but I just don't go anymore. Mainly because got out of the habit when Covid hit, plus the fact is hard to practice self control.

 

[mrsstats79]

We love buffets and miss them. Sorry that so many closed after covid. Enjoy the casinos that still have them, even if they have gotten very expensive. Just went to a Chinese Buffet 2 days ago. They are hard to find now. I am not afraid of the germ factor.

 

[ncc1701]

I like them. Don't go to any near home but will do them in Casinos, Disney and some other locations on vacation. One of my favorites on vacation is Captain George in Williamsburg.

 

[ncc1701]

Duplicate

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I liked the ones I considered to be of good quality. Buffets are much less common than before the pandemic. Those that still operate, some have disposable gloves at the beginning, to keep the serving utensils sanitary. I think that's a good idea.

 

[BayouQueen]

I personally don't enjoy buffets. I feel icky eating too much at once, and especially a bunch of foods that don't always go together.

But..we have a couple of good ones near us and usually go as a family for Easter and sometimes Thanksgiving. In our family, we have vegetarians, meat lovers, gluten-free, picky children. A good buffet solves a lot of problems. Wish we could do potluck instead, to save money, but somehow that hasn't worked in our family.

 

[Diznygrl]

I have a love-hate relationship with buffets. I like the IDEA of them, being able to get a little bit of a bunch of different things (although sometimes the amount of choice can be overwhelming). Used to love buffets when I was younger but then I became a germaphobe (WAY before Covid) and reading online about all the gross things people do at buffets, my mantra became "I don't buffet".

That said, I'm not completely opposed to eating at one given the right situation. Haven't been to one in a number of years though. Another issue I have with them is that they've become more expensive in order to compensate for all the bottomless pits who walk in there and load up plates of nothing but prime rib and crab legs. I don't want to pay such an inflated price when I know I am not going to eat that much.

 

[slo]

Since I have no good buffets by me anymore (we do have a Golden Corral, but I won't go in their if I got a free meal - it's gross in there), means that my DH and I really need to book a cruise so we can go to a good buffet there

 

[bcla]

I never took advantage of the Buffet of Buffets pass in Las Vegas and have some regret.

I tried it once. The secret is to get in the dinner twice. We did that and frankly skipped lunch since we weren't hungry. Still came out ahead with dinner twice and breakfast once. The price was less than the price of two dinner buffets. Might have been about $52 plus tax around a holiday weekend.

When I was working a contract job in the Sacramento area I might go for this buffet at a tribal casino once a week for $10 (M-F but required a player card). And it was really good. I might even gamble about $10-20 and call it a day. A few times I even came out ahead enough to pay for the meal. The other thing was to avoid it twice a week, where they had a 55+ special where it was $5.50. Adult price was still $10, but man that line could get long.

I found that they discontinued the buffet because of COVID-19, but they apparently brought it back. Nowhere near as cheap as it used to be. $30 for M-Thu dinner but $15 on M/W with a player's card. And they now require a reservation. I got curious and found that the M/W dinner reservations are hard to come by.