Are You Willing to Brave a Buffet, or Do You Prefer a Sit-Down Restaurant?

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MsMediator

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2022
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#23
Prefer a sit-down restaurant that offers large portions.
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
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#24
no buffets for me. gourmet restaurants only.
 

ThereRoseaLamb

Well-known member
Jan 17, 2023
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#26
I love being able to take home leftovers for another meal!

Maybe some of you northerners (US) would recall the name of this place. It was a restaurant possibly called Governors? Either way it had this massive dessert that cost like 10 dollars or so. The deal was if you could eat the whole dessert you'd get it for free. No, I did not try. lol
 

HealthAndHappiness

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2022
10,300
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Almost Heaven West Virginia
#27
Hey Everyone,

This thread was inspired by @Cameron143 in another discussion, so I want to credit him with the idea! :)

I'm not sure if it works differently in other countries, but here in the USA, we have buffet restaurants in which multiple pans of different pre-cooked foods are set out under heating lamps, and, after paying one set price, people can help themselves to whatever and however much they want.

In a regular "sit-down" restaurant, a waitstaff member takes your order, which is then cooked after the order is placed, and you pay for whatever food you ordered with no refills.

I like buffets for the freedom and variety, but I have friends and family who prefer a sit-down restaurant because: 1. they can't eat enough to justify the generally higher buffet price, 2. they don't like that the food is pre-cooked and just sitting there, and/or 3. they see buffets as being unhealthy and full of germs (so many people passing by, unsanitary handling of serving utensils, etc.)

How about all of you?

Do you prefer --


A. An All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet:

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View attachment 264337

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OR,

B. A Sit-Down, Food-Is-Cooked-After-You-Order It Restaurant?

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Which places and types of cuisine are your favorites? :)

Definitely the good quality china buffets are my favorites. The key is to go when you can eat between 11Am and noon. If dinner, then before 5 pm. That's why I like to go on Saturdays. Most of the food is fresh at those times and you get first choice of your favorites.

The sushi rice rolls aren't as good as a genuine Japanese steak house, but you have to decide if you want unlimited good or very expensive small servings of better quality.

Favorites are:
Variety of sushi
Sea vegetables
Octopus
Salmon skin salad
Spinach souffle
Sea food
Olives
I hate these threads because now I'm hungry and starting to feel guilty about Mom.
I want to take her there when she gets better.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,423
9,407
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#28
Maybe some of you northerners (US) would recall the name of this place. It was a restaurant possibly called Governors? Either way it had this massive dessert that cost like 10 dollars or so. The deal was if you could eat the whole dessert you'd get it for free. No, I did not try. lol
Never heard of such, but they probably figure you need to send the money to Wilfred for diabetic supplies.
 

ThereRoseaLamb

Well-known member
Jan 17, 2023
4,787
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#29
Never heard of such, but they probably figure you need to send the money to Wilfred for diabetic supplies.

No kidding! I recall it's been about 20 yrs ago I attempted to eat a banana split Sunday. Oh, suffered like a dog that night, it was not worth the pain. I realized I had hit the age that I couldn't eat like that. I was skinny rail too.But that was the last time I tried a trick like that.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,704
6,892
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#30
Personally, Buffet. Main reason is I can judge the freshness of the food and know if it is worth eating. How sit down meals are prepared "out of sight" in a kitchen are a shot in the dark.

Main concern with Buffet food is the temperature it is held at. Make sure it is hot to the touch. Health Department regulations says it must be at least 140 degrees to be edible.
 

Subhumanoidal

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2018
4,061
3,175
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#31
I prefer sit downs. Buffets are to much work. And having so many options available makes it hard to pick. Often what happens is I'll pick some starters and by the time I'm done I'm too full for other things I want. So those cravings linger. Annoying.

We had a Golden Corral here a few years ago, but as mentioned by another poster, ours also just disappeared suddenly. It wasn't too bad
Last I heard we still have a Chinese buffet, but even pre covid many people wouldn't eat there because it was old and kind of gross. The food was mediocre. But a such a big building with really high ceilings. Odd and unnecessary and probably just jacked up the costs in order to heat/cool it properly.
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
2,617
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#32
Personally, Buffet. Main reason is I can judge the freshness of the food and know if it is worth eating. How sit down meals are prepared "out of sight" in a kitchen are a shot in the dark.

Main concern with Buffet food is the temperature it is held at. Make sure it is hot to the touch. Health Department regulations says it must be at least 140 degrees to be edible.
sit down meals at a gourmet restaurant are never a shot in the dark. they are the world's best food. i'm not going to mention where i have dined in this world because i don't want to sound pompous but i have never been disappointed in 44 years.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,704
6,892
113
#33
sit down meals at a gourmet restaurant are never a shot in the dark. they are the world's best food. i'm not going to mention where i have dined in this world because i don't want to sound pompous but i have never been disappointed in 44 years.

Obviously, a 4 or 5 star Restaurant is better than a Buffet. But, then, how many people regularly dine at such places? A small percent for sure. Living for the decade of the 70's in Europe, and traveling often, I also have eaten in some of the best Restaurants Europe had to offer. But the OP (IMO) wasn't speaking of such places.
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
2,617
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#34
Obviously, a 4 or 5 star Restaurant is better than a Buffet. But, then, how many people regularly dine at such places? A small percent for sure. Living for the decade of the 70's in Europe, and traveling often, I also have eaten in some of the best Restaurants Europe had to offer. But the OP (IMO) wasn't speaking of such places.
sure she or he was. it's automatically included in the statement. my wife & i dine at such places 2 times a week.
 

Cold

Active member
Apr 18, 2024
536
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#35
sure she or he was. it's automatically included in the statement. my wife & i dine at such places 2 times a week.
How much do these restaurants charge? If it's more than $30 a plate please don't respond because my heart and wallet won't be able to take it.
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
2,617
1,180
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#36
How much do these restaurants charge? If it's more than $30 a plate please don't respond because my heart and wallet won't be able to take it.
i'm responding because no one knows when someone will respond: a week, 3 weeks, 1 month? $30 a plate? my greatness! i paid that back in the 80's. where i live is an expensive area. near Saratoga. these dinners cost well in to the............ when in Saratoga, we dine at Siro's, 15 Church, Salt & Char, Prime, Wishing Well, Seneca & a few others. my wife & i have very well paying jobs. she runs a Thoroughbred horse farm & i run a landscaping business, i buy & sell silver & gold coins & i buy & sell antiques. in fact, i was just down to South Middleburg, N.Y., at the Creekside Fleamarket on Sunday, May 26th selling a collection of axes & hatchets.