GoingSince1990
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2018
Never been to one, but reading this thread I get a distinct impression that “Chef Mickey’s minus the characters” would not be a completely accurate description of this place.
Golden Corral is probably about $50/head cheaper, so it gets marks for that.Never been to one, but reading this thread I get a distinct impression that “Chef Mickey’s minus the characters” would not be a completely accurate description of this place.
That chocolate dipping fountain is the reason my son chose to have his birthday dinner there for years nine and ten! Year eleven we told him we’d surprise him! Glad it wasn’t a bad experience!OK. It’s done. Kind of what I expected, although I skipped the drive-in afterwards because they didn’t have the movie we wanted. We just did something else.
Had the day off and got there for a late lunch. Wasn’t too busy when we got there. The not so big secret was getting there before dinner started, where nobody gets cleared. I’ve been to some buffets where there are distinct breaks and lunch customers have to leave.
Some of it was OK and some was kind of bland. I figured we were really waiting for dinner entrees (steak and prime rib) so we started slow. They had thin chips that were as good as Chili’s or Chevy’s. But they had salsa verde that was supremely sour but otherwise devoid of any flavor.
Onion rings and fries don’t do very well of a warming tray. The meatloaf was actually quite good. Didn’t try the pizza. My kid couldn’t resist the chocolate dipping fountain even though it sounds gross.
I only asked for a little bit of the steak and small pieces of the prime rib. Actually wasn’t too bad. I saw the steak being grilled. The prime rib was kind of soft. Could have used some jus or horseradish.
Desserts were OK.
The one warning I’ve gotten is that sometimes the clientele might be less than society’s finest. In finding reviews I found a story about a fight breaking out at this location, but everything was fine for us. There was always an employee asking to clear plates, and they even asked if we didn’t want food that was untouched. Don’t know if I’m coming back, but it wasn’t as bad as some might make it out to be. I don’t feel great, but I’ve had the same feeling from $50 buffets.
Now that you mention it, I guess I have the same issue. We cruise a lot and I'm not a fan of the buffets, even though the food quality is OK. With so much on offer it's pretty impossible not to want to try a little of this and a little of that. You end up with a discordant plate of weirdness and nothing ends up as enjoyable as it should be if it were only being eaten with other dishes that "match". I suppose a person could just go for a piece of chicken, mashed potatoes, a side salad and roll, but really, nobody ever does.I have been once, a few years ago. It was OK I guess, just not good enough to ever go back. I found it confusing actually. There are too many choices, all of them mediocre at best. I just have some sort of psychological hangup with seeing somebody with a slice of pizza, eggrolls, with a side of biscuits and gravy.
OK. It’s done. Kind of what I expected, although I skipped the drive-in afterwards because they didn’t have the movie we wanted. We just did something else.
Had the day off and got there for a late lunch. Wasn’t too busy when we got there. The not so big secret was getting there before dinner started, where nobody gets cleared. I’ve been to some buffets where there are distinct breaks and lunch customers have to leave.
Some of it was OK and some was kind of bland. I figured we were really waiting for dinner entrees (steak and prime rib) so we started slow. They had thin chips that were as good as Chili’s or Chevy’s. But they had salsa verde that was supremely sour but otherwise devoid of any flavor.
Onion rings and fries don’t do very well of a warming tray. The meatloaf was actually quite good. Didn’t try the pizza. My kid couldn’t resist the chocolate dipping fountain even though it sounds gross.
I only asked for a little bit of the steak and small pieces of the prime rib. Actually wasn’t too bad. I saw the steak being grilled. The prime rib was kind of soft. Could have used some jus or horseradish.
Desserts were OK.
The one warning I’ve gotten is that sometimes the clientele might be less than society’s finest. In finding reviews I found a story about a fight breaking out at this location, but everything was fine for us. There was always an employee asking to clear plates, and they even asked if we didn’t want food that was untouched. Don’t know if I’m coming back, but it wasn’t as bad as some might make it out to be. I don’t feel great, but I’ve had the same feeling from $50 buffets.
Every time I hear about that thing I just imagine 10 year old kids sticking their fingers in it.That chocolate dipping fountain is the reason my son chose to have his birthday dinner there for years nine and ten! Year eleven we told him we’d surprise him! Glad it wasn’t a bad experience!
Every time I hear about that thing I just imagine 10 year old kids sticking their fingers in it.
Now that you mention it, I guess I have the same issue. We cruise a lot and I'm not a fan of the buffets, even though the food quality is OK. With so much on offer it's pretty impossible not to want to try a little of this and a little of that. You end up with a discordant plate of weirdness and nothing ends up as enjoyable as it should be if it were only being eaten with other dishes that "match". I suppose a person could just go for a piece of chicken, mashed potatoes, a side salad and roll, but really, nobody ever does.
Now that you mention it, I guess I have the same issue. We cruise a lot and I'm not a fan of the buffets, even though the food quality is OK. With so much on offer it's pretty impossible not to want to try a little of this and a little of that. You end up with a discordant plate of weirdness and nothing ends up as enjoyable as it should be if it were only being eaten with other dishes that "match". I suppose a person could just go for a piece of chicken, mashed potatoes, a side salad and roll, but really, nobody ever does.
Rural midwest maybe. Those of us in and around major cities object to being stereotyped based on our Wal-Mart brethren.Golden Corral and Cracker Barrel all symbolize Midwest and Southeast America to me. My wife's family in Missouri, Illinois, Texas and Georgia all love them so I have eaten there and they are just fine. A Golden Corral opened about 4 miles from where I live a few years ago, and we still haven't made it there because the lines are always so long. And a Cracker Barrel opened a bit further away, we have made it there twice. Only place around here I can get a fried chicken liver dinner. KFC here used to have the fried livers, but dropped them. KFC still has them.....or did....the last time I was in southeast Texas 4 years ago.
All this reminds me of when Walmart first started opening stores in California in the 1990's. They were unknown to many, and almost like a cult to others. But they sure have transformed the retail industry, especially with groceries here.
That's a fair comment. My wife's nephew has worked retail for 25 years in rural Texas....local chains, national, and 5 years for Wal-Mart. In his opinion none of them know how to do anything. But Wal-Mart was the only one.....when he left......that called him up and said "what do you want to do with the $50,000 of Wal-Mart stock you got in the profit sharing plan?"Rural midwest maybe. Those of us in and around major cities object to being stereotyped based on our Wal-Mart brethren.
I know what it is, but I've never actually been to one. The big chain around here used to be Hometown Buffet, but one by one (along with sudden mass closures) . Hometown Buffet was operated by the same company as Old Country Buffet, and they used a variety of different brands. I remember seeing a pamphlet at one showing different locations/names within the same company. There are still (barely) a few left, but only in scattered locations.
The main buffets around here are often the iffy Asian buffets, although there are some upscale ones too. And those have issues staying open.
We're going to watch a drive-in movie and the theater is in the same town as the only (current) Golden Corral in the San Francisco Bay Area. I know there are differing views on the quality (I did a search on DIS), and there's no accounting for the differences in location. This one was previously a Hometown Buffet. Their weekend holiday prime rib sounds pretty interesting although I'm not sure how good it is.
Dislike intensely. Feeding trough of dirty people who take dirty plates (reuse) plates. Sharing serving utensils with people who probably don’t wash hands.
I felt the same way about Sizzler. Happy to report that box has been checked!No matter how bad I hear they are, every time I go to the States, I see Golden Corral, and I want to go. It’s on my bucket list. Lol.
Agree that's more concise than "discordant plate of weirdness".Ever seen sushi and steak on the same plate? The combinations I’ve seen at some casino buffets are interesting. I think the word is “eclectic”.
I felt the same way about Sizzler. Happy to report that box has been checked!
Agree that's more concise than "discordant plate of weirdness".