# Do You Enjoy "All You Can Eat" / Buffet Restaurants?



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

The "All You Can Eat" buffet restaurant is one of my favorite places to go to. The only problem is I do feel too full afterwards. I don't eat out much, maybe once or twice a month.

What do you say? I say "yommmy!"


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Not really. The food usually isn't as good or fresh as ordering off the menu. 

I used to like them when I was younger and ate a lot.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I am young and I like these places, although I generally may only eat a couple of small hot things before moving right on to dessert where I really fill myself up.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

If the food is good, yes, but as my body ages, I find "all you can eat" less and less appealing. As a young buck, I could down three plates of spaghetti. Now, one plate is all I can consume comfortably.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

I like "buffets" where you pay by weight. They're not all-you-can-eat, but they have plenty of variety. I honestly wouldn't get the best deal with something like a flat-rate, my appetite is overall quite small.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Don't do it much any more. My appetite has shrunk and the value-for-money just isn't there any more. Sad!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

GreenMamba said:


> Not really. The food usually isn't as good or fresh as ordering off the menu.
> 
> I used to like them when I was younger and ate a lot.


This.............


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I've occasionally indulged in buffets but I don't like the time slot policy that some places implement just so they can get you out and the next batch of people in - I like to take time over food in a relaxed atmosphere, not stuff myself stupid in a glorified mess-hall just because the clock is running down.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

In spite of their generally low status, yes.

Eating out here otherwise is very expensive, say € 40 as a minimum, whereas buffet restaurants go down to around € 10 -15 incl. non-alcoholic drinks. 

Cafes with at times better food also serve it from around € 10-15, though.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

"...and finally, sir - a wafer thin mint..."


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

I like all you can eat because of the *large choice* and great value (to me anyway).


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I understand that, but the thought that other people may have been touching the food with their hands and also, how long the food has been standing out there in the tray is a turn-off, even though it is usually a fine bargain, so I would prefer to order off the menu.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

I don't eat that much so I feel I'm subsidizing other customers.

Also, with the exception of Indian restaurants, the food generally isn't very good.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

hpowders said:


> I understand that, but the thought that other people may have been touching the food with their hands and also, how long the food has been standing out there in the tray is a turn-off, even though it is usually a fine bargain, so I would prefer to order off the menu.


The touching factor isn´t that relevant here, since normally you grab the food with spoons, forks etc. belonging to the individual course. Also, there are strict rules as regards the hygiene/ storing / replacing of food, but living up to these regulations of course isn´t always accomplished.

We have a system where the strict inspection reports and "smiley"-evaluations must be presented to the public in the restaurant window. Don´t know if that is widespread elsewhere:


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

I never do all-you-can-eat buffets, though I sometimes visit lunch spots that allow you to assemble your own meal and then get charged by weight. It's faster than table service and you can get reasonable variety, though it's generally a bit pricey.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

I was persuaded to try one of these in Copenhagen one evening in August, joen_cph, and was rewarded with the worst meal of my life in circumstances where I've actually been expected to pay to eat. UK school dinners standard (and I was very much a pre-Jamie Oliver child!)


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Do you remember the name? Some have a bad reputation, of course. And I´ve experienced poor ones too.

EDIT: Case solved.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Back in my field service days I used to love Denny's all-you-can-eat buffet breakfasts. Scrambled eggs, bacon _and_ sausage links, hash browned potatoes, orange juice and coffee. What that song in the finale of Mahler's 4th _should_ have been about.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Not as much because I can't seem to eat that much in one sitting, so they often end up not being worth the money to me. The only all-you-can-eat I go to with any frequency is a sushi place--my friends love it but I find I get full fairly quickly and at $18, it's fairly expensive.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I don't have a problem with them. But one around here that's notable is named Chef's, and on weekends has what they call an inspired table, where for one price their whole menu is buffet style. You can't do it more than twice a year; it is wonderful and painful at the same time.


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## KrystianMartin (Sep 27, 2015)

There should be just yes as well because in any form I enjoy it as I love to be creative and create my own mix-dishes of any kind and in all types of the worldwide Kitchen traditions one can do so and mix as those dishes were created as well mostly without pre-calculated plans (not all but some are).


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## Guest (Sep 27, 2015)

I voted "No". I have been to about 2 or 3 of these 'pig-outs' and I must admit I have never enjoyed the experience. First, I find the concept ever-so-slighty obscene, knowing that there are many who go hungry; second, the quality is often of "mass canteen" style and of dubious nutritional value. On a commercial level, I suspect the restaurants that promote what is essentially gluttony resort to cheap techniques such as filling their customers' bellies with rice and other low-cost carbohydrate-rich swill beefed up (pun intended) with factory protein (i.e. meat of dubious provenance). I'll pass, thanks.


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## KrystianMartin (Sep 27, 2015)

I tried it only once so maybe my experience is not big but it is indeed positive and it was very tasty Asian Food. It wasn't made on a three-month oil but a truly tasty food. I can only wish you only the good experiences while eating outside home.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

The WORST(the "worst," but truly, the best!) of these places is Super China Buffet. The food quality is terrible, you feel like you are making yourself obese, and yet its so fun to go to.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Turkey, lobster, sweet potato pie
Pancakes piled up till they reach the sky
I wanna eat 'n eat 'n eat 'n eat 'n eat until I die

Turkey, lobster, sweet potato pie
Pancakes piled up till they reach the sky
Lots of starches, lots of greens
Fancy chocolate-covered...beans!


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

It is usually on Chinese restaurants and it have become more and more common. I don´t eat out that often longer but sometimes I do. I usually eat deep fried chichen, pork or fish anyway so that is what I take I don´t like deep fried prawns so I avoid that and eat something else if that is the deep fried alternative. I used to like sliced beef but it is often difficult to chew so I avoid that nowadays.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

TalkingHead said:


> I voted "No". I have been to about 2 or 3 of these 'pig-outs' and I must admit I have never enjoyed the experience. First, I find the concept ever-so-slighty obscene, knowing that there are many who go hungry;


Going hungry is the only way to go to insure you get your money's worth.


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## SeptimalTritone (Jul 7, 2014)

clavichorder said:


> The WORST(the "worst," but truly, the best!) of these places is Super China Buffet. The food quality is terrible, you feel like you are making yourself obese, and yet its so fun to go to.


Interestingly enough, my Chinese friends like those places... ugh. And it smells like a swamp of death too.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

I tend to eat too much at these places ... but there is one here that we do frequent about once a month ... I go for the healthier stuff, meatloaf, green beans, potatoes, etc. Loved going to an oriental buffet here which closed down about a year ago. 

Best one was in Denmark, a buffet in a coastal village that served Frikadeller, among other delightful meats and dishes.


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

My favorite restaurants are of the buffet variety- I'm very impatient and don't like waiting for my food.
One has to be careful of these types though, especially meat/fish. It can spoil quickly if left out too long.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Recently found a really great Indian buffet near my place. Food is fresh, taste is tremendous! I can't eat all that much, but still...


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## bestellen (May 28, 2015)

Yes, depending on the food of course.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Not as much as all you can drink Bars...


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Buffets don't really appeal to me because even if the food is good, I simply can't eat all that much.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Morimur said:


> Buffets don't really appeal to me because even if the food is good, I simply can't eat all that much.


It is at least then it is a lunch buffe not more expensiv than a plate so it is not that bad.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I like good food, of course, but, as you have likely noticed, that includes almost anything, so I can always find something to enjoy, no matter where I eat (I'm not thrilled about fast-food hamburger joints, but, if I have to, I can even eat there), and the more there is, the better  I don't like those places where they serve a big huge plate at a high price, with a puny little potato, a fraction of a leaf of lettuce, a mouthful of meat topped with a layer of abstract art and sprinkled with powdered herbs, to make it look like the plate is actually full.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

I like buffet style restaurants but I just don't dine out often any more for cost and health concerns. Anyways, I went through different buffet restaurants throughout my life. American, Chinese, Sushi, Mexican and now my favorite buffet restaurants are Indian!

Just last week my friend at work and I went to a new (to us) Indian restaurant and found the food quality to be very good and tasty. Of course it wasn't cheap ($12 for lunch) but worth it. We both over-ate.. bad


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

I like trying lots of different things, so a buffet is great for that. The trick, which is easier said than done, is to take really small portions of all of the best-looking items, note what is the best, and go back for more of that.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Mainly the breakfast buffets in hotels when travelling. I can have as much scrabbled eggs as I want. And I get to see the standard of sausages before deciding to put any on my plate. A selection of croissants and pastries in Europe also helps set me up for the day.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Don Fatale said:


> Mainly the breakfast buffets in hotels when travelling. I can have as much scrabbled eggs as I want. And I get to see the standard of sausages before deciding to put any on my plate. A selection of croissants and pastries in Europe also helps set me up for the day.


Yes those are fun.
I haven´t been at an hotell for a while.
I know there can be a huge variation in buffés from hotell to hotell.


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

No, I don't. The last "buffet" I set foot in was in Easton, MD. It was called...The Golden Corral. Perfectly nasty. My first intimation that perhaps I had made a wrong choice was that once inside the door there is a sort of holding pen where you are forced to queue. You cannot exit here, for your way backwards is blocked by patrons behind you. Then, you are confronted by a soda machine where you can choose your drink (in a huge plastic cup). Then you pay for a plate, and the rush is on. Your dodging skills are now put to the test as you must navigate through rowdy children, the morbidly obese, and the hygienically disadvantaged. After you pile your plate with questionably edible food, your next task is to find a sheltered place to dine in peace. No such place exists in The Golden Corral. Instead you find a place with the least food adhering to the table top and "hunker down" . I was fortunate enough to find a seat that backed up against the wall. From this vantage point I was able to observe human nature at its most primal. Wasted food and gluttony, with slovenly behaviour seems to be the norm. I left as quickly as possible. Never again.


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

When we travel through France we take lunch and dinner at a Flunch restaurant (mostly to be found in an hypermarket mall).




























Flunch is the French answer to American fast food. Mostly we choose the "Plat du jour" for 6.95 Euro, which contains the meat. But all the vegetables, sauces, potatoes, pastas etc. are for free. Actually we like it, when the meat is for American eyes small-sized, but the selection of in the French way prepared vegetables on the other hand happens to be really great. While travelling from north to south we did notice some regional differences (in vegetables). Apart from the warm meal there is also a possibility to have a cold buffet. Mostly I take the medium plate and start to build an eiffeltower of delicious salads crowned with black olives (for 3.95 Euro). Next to this we have a jug of water (free)


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

TxllxT said:


> When we travel through France we take lunch and dinner at a Flunch restaurant (mostly to be found in an hypermarket mall).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was even more cheapskate than that: I just sat outside and availed myself of the (excellent) free WiFi!


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Figleaf said:


> I was even more cheapskate than that: I just sat outside and availed myself of the (excellent) free WiFi!


Yes, typical Dutch who outshine the Scots especially abroad...


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Oh dear, Txllxt and Figleaf, France is just full of wonderful inexpensive food to be discovered at all sorts of excellent local restaurants. Unless you're vegetarian, that is, when you will be met with puzzled looks and an offer of a salad topped with a rabbit...


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

TurnaboutVox said:


> Oh dear, Txllxt and Figleaf, France is just full of wonderful inexpensive food to be discovered at all sorts of excellent local restaurants. Unless you're vegetarian, that is, when you will be met with puzzled looks and an offer of a salad topped with a rabbit...


Gah. The French pretend they don't know what a vegetarian is, the same way that they pretend not to speak English, but when you speak English among yourselves you can tell that they are listening attentively and understanding it all! Language-wise, I can just about manage to converse in bad French (and contrary to the stereotype, they are very patient and tolerant of people mangling their language) but even as a lapsed vegetarian who eats fish, I struggle with the food. Garlicky everything and awful smelly cheese- bleurgh! 'Flunch' did smell quite nice and looked clean and friendly, but I wasn't taking any chances.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

TxllxT said:


> Yes, typical Dutch who outshine the Scots especially abroad...


Haha, usually in Mediterranean countries I'm mistaken for a German. One thing I liked about Franche Comté is that there are so many Dutch and Germans around that pale blonde English types like me aren't unusual and don't stand out, whereas in Limousin we were getting a lot of strange looks. Ironic really, considering that Limousin has plenty of British second homers and Franche Comté has the smallest British population of anywhere in France, with the exception of Champagne Ardenne!


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## breakup (Jul 8, 2015)

I don't eat enough anymore to make it worthwhile, and the food is usually adequate at best.


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

TurnaboutVox said:


> Oh dear, Txllxt and Figleaf, France is just full of wonderful inexpensive food to be discovered at all sorts of excellent local restaurants. Unless you're vegetarian, that is, when you will be met with puzzled looks and an offer of a salad topped with a rabbit...


We go where the French go; especially in the weekends it seems as if all the locals have gathered in their Flunch with the whole larger family. Apart from the food we like to 'immerse' among the French, it's fun.


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