Friday, August 06, 2004
Comeback: Golden Corral and Plantation Buffet
It really has been nine months since I've eaten at a buffet besides the ones I've covered in this blog. This hungry streak was broken twice over this past week.
While in Winder, Georgia on Monday, I ate at the Golden Corral, a chain that has yet to open a franchise in Athens. It's a lot better than Ryan's for food quality and dollar value. Some of the items avialable that simply aren't found elsewhere are broccoli and cheese casserole and boiled okra. The fried chicken is just as good as that made by specialty restaurants. The bakery is updated with fresh bread every 15 minutes, though I didn't eat any bread because that would have filled me up too soon. The only thing I didn't finish on my second plate was the poorly named "Awesome Pot Roast."
Plantation Buffet is a locally owned and operated southern buffet in Athens, located on Commerce Road next to the bypass. This is the kind of place that SoBuff is especially mandated to review. The selection is pure southern cooking. Better yet, it's a flat $7 for each person, tax included. Diners are nicely asked to "take what you want but eat what you take."
Both these places have a common flaw: the tables are too close together. It's a little tight in each place when going to and from the bar but this is easily forgiven and overlooked, as a successful southern buffet really needs to make all the room it can for a grateful clientele.
It really has been nine months since I've eaten at a buffet besides the ones I've covered in this blog. This hungry streak was broken twice over this past week.
While in Winder, Georgia on Monday, I ate at the Golden Corral, a chain that has yet to open a franchise in Athens. It's a lot better than Ryan's for food quality and dollar value. Some of the items avialable that simply aren't found elsewhere are broccoli and cheese casserole and boiled okra. The fried chicken is just as good as that made by specialty restaurants. The bakery is updated with fresh bread every 15 minutes, though I didn't eat any bread because that would have filled me up too soon. The only thing I didn't finish on my second plate was the poorly named "Awesome Pot Roast."
Plantation Buffet is a locally owned and operated southern buffet in Athens, located on Commerce Road next to the bypass. This is the kind of place that SoBuff is especially mandated to review. The selection is pure southern cooking. Better yet, it's a flat $7 for each person, tax included. Diners are nicely asked to "take what you want but eat what you take."
Both these places have a common flaw: the tables are too close together. It's a little tight in each place when going to and from the bar but this is easily forgiven and overlooked, as a successful southern buffet really needs to make all the room it can for a grateful clientele.
Monday, November 24, 2003
Double Repeat Gluttony
I'm not sure why but Saturday I ate at the Shoney's Breakfast Bar in the morning and the KFC Buffet in Monroe that evening. I guess it was a matter of convenience and dependability in both cases. Correcting my previous post, however, I found if you get the regular sized cup at the Monroe KFC, the total comes out to $6.30. To get a larger cup when it's all you can drink anyway is pointless so do your best to resist the habit of going for the large drink.
I'm not sure why but Saturday I ate at the Shoney's Breakfast Bar in the morning and the KFC Buffet in Monroe that evening. I guess it was a matter of convenience and dependability in both cases. Correcting my previous post, however, I found if you get the regular sized cup at the Monroe KFC, the total comes out to $6.30. To get a larger cup when it's all you can drink anyway is pointless so do your best to resist the habit of going for the large drink.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
KFC Buffet, Monroe, Georgia
I was very pleased to recently discover that the Monroe KFC is now a buffet location, as I'm there a good bit and it's closer than the one I know about in Madison. Also, the KFC website makes no distinction between regular and buffet locations in the store finder, so one has to come upon one to know where one is.
Anyway, it came out to a grand total of $6.52 with the larger cup for a drink. Of course you don't have to tip at places like KFC because those people make real hourly wages, unlike waitresses. Better yet, I was the very first customer of the day, sitting outside in the parking lot at 10:30 Sunday morning. I regret only that I can't go to it again right now.
I was very pleased to recently discover that the Monroe KFC is now a buffet location, as I'm there a good bit and it's closer than the one I know about in Madison. Also, the KFC website makes no distinction between regular and buffet locations in the store finder, so one has to come upon one to know where one is.
Anyway, it came out to a grand total of $6.52 with the larger cup for a drink. Of course you don't have to tip at places like KFC because those people make real hourly wages, unlike waitresses. Better yet, I was the very first customer of the day, sitting outside in the parking lot at 10:30 Sunday morning. I regret only that I can't go to it again right now.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
China Hing
On the far west side of Athens, just outside the perimeter and next to the hull of what was once Wal-Mart sits a small Chinese buffet called China Hing. I went this past Friday in the middle of the afternoon, knowing the food would be less fresh at that hour than it would have been closer to noon, but I figured I could get a feel for the place anway.
Upon getting there and beginning my meal I wished I had come at a better time but I was there, I was committed and I was eating. China Hing actually has a good variety of items. The buffet isn't as huge as the one at nearby China Star but I couldn't think of anything that was obviously missing. One big advantage is that at China Hing, unlike at China Star, snow crab legs are available at all hours every day, thus making the $8.50 daytime price reasonable. They have crawfish, too, though I didn't try any this time. To find crawfish at a buffet anywhere around here is hard to do.
Overall it was good and filling. I can't really write a better review here now because I was also underslept and feeling funny going into the experience, so I'd like to go again, when the food is fresher, and have a more complete and satisfying dining experience.
On the far west side of Athens, just outside the perimeter and next to the hull of what was once Wal-Mart sits a small Chinese buffet called China Hing. I went this past Friday in the middle of the afternoon, knowing the food would be less fresh at that hour than it would have been closer to noon, but I figured I could get a feel for the place anway.
Upon getting there and beginning my meal I wished I had come at a better time but I was there, I was committed and I was eating. China Hing actually has a good variety of items. The buffet isn't as huge as the one at nearby China Star but I couldn't think of anything that was obviously missing. One big advantage is that at China Hing, unlike at China Star, snow crab legs are available at all hours every day, thus making the $8.50 daytime price reasonable. They have crawfish, too, though I didn't try any this time. To find crawfish at a buffet anywhere around here is hard to do.
Overall it was good and filling. I can't really write a better review here now because I was also underslept and feeling funny going into the experience, so I'd like to go again, when the food is fresher, and have a more complete and satisfying dining experience.
Friday, September 19, 2003
Ryan's
I figure I might as well touch on Ryan's Steakhouse and its MegaBar while I'm thinking about it. As a chain buffet it's not really the kind of place SoBuff means to focus on but it is something you can always expect to be about the same anywhere you go. It's always there and it's always on the road, like so many other familiar franchises.
I tend to go on the spur of the moment sometimes, myself, especially during the daytime when it's even cheaper. Once in a while it's worth it to go when they're slicing roast beef or something else special, or when they have catfish.
I'm not sure if it's me or what, but sometimes I feel I taste something starchy in just about every single menu item, like they're adding something invisible to make everything more filling. I definitely do recommend against eating a lot of the rolls they give you because that's exactly why they have rolls.
Ryan's, like Shoney's, is what it is and, again, will always be there. Sometimes it's exactly what you have a taste for.
I figure I might as well touch on Ryan's Steakhouse and its MegaBar while I'm thinking about it. As a chain buffet it's not really the kind of place SoBuff means to focus on but it is something you can always expect to be about the same anywhere you go. It's always there and it's always on the road, like so many other familiar franchises.
I tend to go on the spur of the moment sometimes, myself, especially during the daytime when it's even cheaper. Once in a while it's worth it to go when they're slicing roast beef or something else special, or when they have catfish.
I'm not sure if it's me or what, but sometimes I feel I taste something starchy in just about every single menu item, like they're adding something invisible to make everything more filling. I definitely do recommend against eating a lot of the rolls they give you because that's exactly why they have rolls.
Ryan's, like Shoney's, is what it is and, again, will always be there. Sometimes it's exactly what you have a taste for.
Aunt Bea's Country Buffet
Aunt Bea's Country Buffet really is named for the character Aunt Bea on "The Andy Griffeth Show," and in fact they have reruns of the show playing on two or three TV's while you dine. There's even a large velvet portrait of Aunt Bea hanging behind the checkout counter.
I haven't been in a few months, myself, but I go in once in a while when I think I want to eat a bulk amount of country cooking. I'm not sure how much of a hurry I'm in to go back lately, though, not just because I've taken on this new blog but also because this guy's experience is becoming more typical of what I hear from other people. I don't think I know this person but he certainly seems to feel strongly about his disappointing experience.
I'm disappointed, too, because there are always items on the daily menu I love to have whenever I get the chance, especially the squash casserole. Hopefully they'll turn it around soon. They just printed coupons in the Sunday paper last weekend so I would guess they'd want to keep winning friends and influencing people.
One thing about my experience eating there is I always walk out feeling extreme shock to my blood sugar level, and I'm not by any means someone who has to check blood sugar levels at all. I guess it's because I try to make the most of a buffet when I'm at one.
Aunt Bea's Country Buffet really is named for the character Aunt Bea on "The Andy Griffeth Show," and in fact they have reruns of the show playing on two or three TV's while you dine. There's even a large velvet portrait of Aunt Bea hanging behind the checkout counter.
I haven't been in a few months, myself, but I go in once in a while when I think I want to eat a bulk amount of country cooking. I'm not sure how much of a hurry I'm in to go back lately, though, not just because I've taken on this new blog but also because this guy's experience is becoming more typical of what I hear from other people. I don't think I know this person but he certainly seems to feel strongly about his disappointing experience.
I'm disappointed, too, because there are always items on the daily menu I love to have whenever I get the chance, especially the squash casserole. Hopefully they'll turn it around soon. They just printed coupons in the Sunday paper last weekend so I would guess they'd want to keep winning friends and influencing people.
One thing about my experience eating there is I always walk out feeling extreme shock to my blood sugar level, and I'm not by any means someone who has to check blood sugar levels at all. I guess it's because I try to make the most of a buffet when I'm at one.
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Challenged
Wouldn't you know it - I came down with a head cold this week right when I was planning to hit a buffet for the first SoBuff review, which would have made it very difficult to judge taste or enjoyability of any meal.
Hopefully I'll be over it enough tomorrow to choose a buffet to review. Among the buffets here in the Athens, Georgia area we'll be visiting soon are Plantation Buffet, Down Home Cookin' and China Hing.
Wouldn't you know it - I came down with a head cold this week right when I was planning to hit a buffet for the first SoBuff review, which would have made it very difficult to judge taste or enjoyability of any meal.
Hopefully I'll be over it enough tomorrow to choose a buffet to review. Among the buffets here in the Athens, Georgia area we'll be visiting soon are Plantation Buffet, Down Home Cookin' and China Hing.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Welcome
Welcome to SoBuff, the blog that reviews every kind of buffet restaurant in the American South. All tastes, formats, levels and types of restaurants are within our purview, provided they offer a buffet at some point in the week. Reviews are to be posted by myself and my fellow Buffet Club members here in the Athens, Georgia area, a new group of food enthusiasts who not only like to eat but also inform the public. Generally we can expect to have at least one or two reviews per week but there may come the occasional hungry spell where we attempt to do more. Thank you for reading and please come again.
Welcome to SoBuff, the blog that reviews every kind of buffet restaurant in the American South. All tastes, formats, levels and types of restaurants are within our purview, provided they offer a buffet at some point in the week. Reviews are to be posted by myself and my fellow Buffet Club members here in the Athens, Georgia area, a new group of food enthusiasts who not only like to eat but also inform the public. Generally we can expect to have at least one or two reviews per week but there may come the occasional hungry spell where we attempt to do more. Thank you for reading and please come again.
