Buffet Madness...

Buffets... - Buffets...
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
April 30, 2008 8:02am CST
Most of the restaurants that I’ve seen have buffets out. Basically long tables with hoods that have numerous pans or dishes of all kinds of foods. Some are salad bars (serving only salad makings), some are dessert bars (serving only desserts) but some are complete bars that have salads, desserts, main dishes and side dishes. We went to a restaurant called Ryan’s last summer and it was amazing. They had a grilling section for having you steaks or chicken grilled to perfection, a section just for breaded shrimp, chicken strips, hush puppies and about 8 tables of various dishes and desserts. I love going to these places but I always seem to overeat and then have a stomach ache or I only eat a little and feel like I don’t really get what I paid for. Normally you can’t take home the leftovers like you can if you order a regular meal and can’t finish it. Also I notice a lot of waste going on (at Ryan’s I saw someone throw out 2 perfectly good steaks b/c they weren’t cooked perfectly…they could have taken them back up and had them cooked a little more). So, if you go to a restaurant with a buffet do you overeat and feel stuffed or eat a small amount and not feel like it’s worth it? Do you tend to waste more or see others waste? What about getting one plate (of say chicken strips) and a couple ppl sharing it? Do you think buffet’s are worth it? What are your good and/or bad experiences with buffets? **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
16 people like this
42 responses
@ruthinian (2309)
• United States
1 May 08
I love buffet because I have lot's of choices and a I have a bite of almost anything. I only take bits and pieces of the dish that I like. I dont want to over-eat because of desserts. I don't have bad experience, all my buffet experiences are yummy.
@Amberina (1541)
• United States
1 May 08
Whenever I go for buffet I usually get one plate of main dishes type stuff and then I will get a huge salad and a drink maybe dessert and then I'm done I rarely go back for seconds. I think it's worth it if you bring in a lot of people with you or some big heavy eaters thats when it pays off.
2 people like this
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
30 Apr 08
Oh I love these sort of places, but here in Australia most of them have stopped putting food out like this as some people seem to think it is unhealthy..they don't even have salad bars at hotels any more, i loved going to a local hotel and being able to get my own salad...
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
30 Apr 08
i love the buffets, but like you, I eat too much and come out either sick or feeling like if I could just lay down now and go to sleep, i usually eat the wrong things and end up with acid reflex, then that keeps me up all night, but god wasn't it good when we was eating it. We have one buffet that serves all the seafood you can eat and I go wild as I am from Louisiana living in Ohio now and don't get the seafood that we just crossed the road to the dock and picked up. Like you if I eat just a little I would feel I did not get my money's worth as they have become quite expensive around here.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
30 Apr 08
I have a love/hate relationship with these kind of restaurants.. I love them because I get a variety of food and though I may overeat, I do pay attention to what I put on my plate and I don't waste food, that is not right.. I hate it because my husband is the opposite..He refuses to watch what he puts on his plate and sets a bad example for the kids by not eating it all..His first mistake is he buys a steak along with eating what is at the bars..I only get what is at the bars, so I know what I am getting into..With my husband, he goes and gets this big plate and starts eating and then his steak comes out and he now has too much food..If he would just get a small salad or something, that would be one thing, but he doesn't, he will get a full plate.and wastes food..
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
30 Apr 08
we used to go to a place called the smorgasbord and it was all so good and we did notlet anything go to waste. i think for whatwe paid for it it was a pretty good deal and we got excellent food and plenty of it to boot. a really fun place to eat at for special ocassions.
@KKKBsmom (1092)
• United States
1 May 08
oh... when my kids were younger and ate happy meals... it was cheaper for us to eat at the buffett than at mc donalds... I miss those days... all you can eat! LOL MMmmmMmm
@Qaeyious (2357)
• United States
20 May 08
Buffets are a waste of money for me because I do not eat as much. It was not always so; I was the typical overweight overeating American - got up to 305 pounds, with wheezing and sweating to boot - not a pretty sight. I was eating incorrectly, and buffets teach us undisciplined people that - once that gets pointed out to us, anyway. Sure with kids (at least back in the old days, when physical play time was encouraged, before computers and video games, and the dropping of physical education from many curriculums) it was a godsend. My mother tells the story of 6-year-old me going to a buffet place and getting one adult platter of spaghetti; then another; a total of three big adult platters of spaghetti and meatballs, and I ate all three. Next week they rose their kids' prices ... But I was never fat until I started drinking after the age of 21. Working as a security guard at a Nestle plant most likely contributed. And my love of eating. One serving of beef steak is 3 oz. Places serving sirloin usually measure out 8 oz., ribeye (my personal favorite) - 12 oz. That is 4 times the amount one should eat in one sitting. Pasta is 1/2 cup. Cooked. Not a half gallon bowl. I don't recall the serving size of Alfredo sauce ... (but now I detest having my pasta SWIM in it ...) I'm sorry if I digressed a bit, I shall make my conclusion - If you don't have a weight problem, you are doing the right thing. If you are a little ... thick ... and have no health issues, more power to you. For me, personally, I had to stop, and think. My method of eating was going to literally kill me. Ever saw the movie 'Supersize Me!"? - same point. A little late, perhaps, but an eye-opener. My first goal is to reach 255 pounds, the weight I was when I started my first diet. I have 20 pounds to go ...
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
20 May 08
Like you, I'm a large person so buffets are especially bad for me. Couple that with my Diabetes and their 2-3 dessert bars and you have a walking time bomb. I rarely go to buffets b/c I can never eat enough to feel it's worth the money and b/c I tend to overeat...which is already a problem. They do have great food though :( Good luck on your goals...I need to do the same but it is so hard to do. **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
30 Apr 08
I hate buffets! We go and I try to eat a salad at first to fill up a little. Then I eat a little of this and a little of that and then I try a few desserts. By the time I an done eating, I feel sick! I usually have to rush to the bathroom because of the preservatives they use on the foods. I would much rather go out for a nice dinner or even appetizers with friends. We go to buffets very rarely.
1 person likes this
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
30 Apr 08
I have not been to a buffet type restaurant in a while and I do love them. They always have so many good things and so many things that I love but others in my family don't so I tend to eat those things mostly. I will just get a little bit of certain things so I can eat what I put on my plate and if I feel I missed out on something or want seconds on something I will go get a little bit of that again. Very seldom have I had to throw much of anything away but like you I have seem so many people waste good food.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 May 08
I love buffets, but I don't tend to stuff myself, so there is always the issue of not getting one's money's worth. Also the more I see other people eat, especially if they are really unhealthy looking people, the less I want to eat, so that take away some of the pleasure of dining. But it is so kewl to be able to try a little of many different things. People who follow strict rules about food combining would be horrified.
@suehan1 (4344)
• Australia
1 May 08
we love our buffet meals here,and my son and i often go on a sunday to all you can eat for $9.90.we never waste any of our food,we just eat what is on our plate,and if we want more we go back up and get some.i hate seeing people waste perfectly good food,and i think sometimes their eyes are bigger than their stomachs.cheers sue
• Australia
20 May 08
Before moving interstate, we had a favourite restaurant that was an all you can eat buffet. They had lots of yummy foods that I could eat all day! The trick to getting your moneys worth is to take about 2 hours to eat a meal. Helps if you have someone to talk to and just nibble the food. Since moving, haven't found anywhere that has come close to being half as good. Guess that's the price you pay for a more friendly climate.
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
30 Apr 08
I always overeat at those places and fell stuffed but you have to get your moneys worth. The best buffet is a place called USA Steak Buffet it is all you can eat steak and salad bar they also serve hamburgers, ham, chicken, spaghetti, things like that for the mail course then a salad bar and desert bar with all kinds of things on it.
1 person likes this
@MGjhaud (23240)
• Philippines
1 May 08
I also love buffet style but I'm the type of eater that eats too little. So it's not suitable for me to go to such festivities or restaurant style of serving. And yes, you pay an exact amount but you can't take out any food even if you just ate a little.
@GardenGerty (160098)
• United States
1 May 08
My experience with buffets is that the food is often yummy, they are great places for things to either go to waste, or go to waist. I do absolutely and positively overeat, and that is one reason why I need to lose 50-70 pounds. I also tend to get sick after I go to one.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
1 May 08
the bad about a buffet is it is not quality food, it is done quickly and the care is not taken over it as it would be in a very expensive restaurant, my boyfriend hates buffets, but I love them. It is great when you are a crowd and everyone wants to eat different things. You have quite a selection and you can try everything if you or you can pick and choose your favorites. I eat until I am not hungry anymore and I don't over stuff. And it is often cheaper than many of the restaurants here in montreal.
@mbs730 (2147)
• Canada
1 May 08
I am a food addict so buffets are one thing I avoid for the most part. HOWEVER once a year I HAVE to enjoy the Chinese buffet called Mandarin. Their food is amazing quality and I make a deal with myself to not criticize myself after going there. Because it's PLANNED and know that after enjoying the food there, I get back into the mode immediately after.
• United States
1 May 08
If I eat at a buffet place, I tend to eat there after a long day of not eating much at all. So, I eat quick which means I tend to over eat. However, sometimes I end up going there and hardly eating anything at all, which really sucks. I hate paying that much for a buffet meal and then really not getting what I paid for. However, if the food is really worth it then I really do not mind.
@terri0824 (4991)
• United States
1 May 08
I do like buffets for the variation of foods that is available to eat. Most of the time I generally overeat trying to get my monies worth. But then there are times that I don't eat much and feel like I haven't gotten my monies worth before I got too full to eat anymore. We have a Golden Coral here and it is even better than Ryans. I don't eat out much anymore these days. But I would have to choose Golden Coral or a Chinese buffet over Ryans.