Odd restaurant policies?!?

[dragoneggs]

I stopped doing buffets quite a while ago. Undisciplined children were bad but the gluttonous adults are what really put me off.

I have never enjoyed buffets... even as a hungry young single man. Always felt like I was shoveling food from a feed stall and the flavors always seemed bland.

Pretty sure there are none currently operating in Washington state at the moment due to COVID. My wife and I went out to lunch locally today for the first time in I can't remember how long, and visited a Thai place. There was one other couple in the place and we were seated as far from them as possible. I really feel sorry for restaurant owners and workers these days.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Are buffets even operating as such these days?

I think Golden Corral, GC as we call it, announced bankruptcy last month. Meaningless unless you are owed something.

I noticed the GC in my area is open but, I couldnt go to a buffet now if I had to. I致e quit my gym membership after 40 years. This virus creeps me out.

2 quick GC stories.

I needed a big time litigator lawyer SOB years ago and was sent to see this lawyer gal, don稚 remember her name. She ran and lost for judge years later. Her husband was one of the founders of GC. Mr and Mrs were both....big people. In high school in the 60s I was 5 ft 10 and 285. They didn稚 refer to me as big, if memory serves. Now 160 for years.

I worked for a tech co in southern Italy, there are couple, maybe! We would prepare MRI imaging suites prior to setting the machine, we called them magnets. I did the testing blah blah but they sent 2 technicians from the factory to do the install.

If you have been to Italy you learn they serve food very differently. They call them plates. Basically you get your salad on a plate, eat it and they bring you your veggies on 1 plate, all by them selves. You eat them, then they bring you a plate with a piece of meat or fish, all alone, you eat that and out comes anothe4 plate. The way to keep score is, how many plates?

It was time for lunch so I took the Italian technicians to GC.

Talk about kids in a candy store. They didn稚 understand you could go back so they loaded up their plates, it was great. I think we went to GC 4 of the 5 days they were here.

I read a few years ago that Mississippi had the most buffets for under $5.99. I guess somebody keeps track of that stuff?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

FWIW, I prefer my own and Sharn Jean's cooking to 90% of what you can get eating out. I do like a good Chinese restaurant of a "GOOD" seafood restaurant, but what I really miss is a good cafeteria. I can recall when a cafeteria was always within easy driving distance; now there are none in the OKC metro area that I'm aware of.

 

[jmc]

Thought I'd throw in a restaurant funny.

I have this friend Bill 6'5", 400#...a BIG eater. Years ago I could eat three platefuls (1 now), but we take Bill and watch in amazement as he downs seven plates. As waitress heads back plate #8 Bill yells "And this time pile it on". Bill finishes that and manager comes over saying "that's it!" Bill says but the sign says all you can eat! Manager says for $2.95 eight plates IS all you can eat.

Well, that triggered a flashback:

Homer Sues All You Can Eat Buffet - The Simpsons - YouTube

(3:20, but ya get the point in about the first minute.)

 

[Big Barn]

I stopped doing buffets quite a while ago. Undisciplined children were bad but the gluttonous adults are what really put me off.

I hope no one interprets my post as fat shaming as it was not my intent. Human behaviour is what I was highlighting and certainly NOT physical characteristics.

 

[Fuddy1952]

In the early 70s we took Big Bill to this bar we would frequent in a sleazy part of town...the entertainment was amazing . When everyone sees him they thought "oh...s***". To serve beer the place had to serve food also (some strange law), but it was just a beer joint. Someone said "I bet that guy could eat a large pizza in 5 minutes!" Someone said "four!!!". Then everyone's around our table placing bets.
Bill's hollers "seventeen seconds!!!!!".
You could hear a pin drop. Someone unplugged the juke box.
Soon the "cook" walks out from kitchen, sets a large pizza on table.
Some guy is looking at his watch...says "ready-set-GO!"
I'm still amazed after all these years...Bill folds it in half, half again, again until it was like a cone...then shoves it down his throat! He barely chewed it. The watch guy yells "13 seconds!!!".

 

[Thomas]

Are buffets even operating as such these days?

Yes in our area...note some restaurants have chosen not reopen the buffet lines.

 

[Big Barn]

Yes in our area...note some restaurants have chosen not reopen the buffet lines.

Interesting. I thought Covid might have caused the demise of buffets forever. Obviously I was incorrect.

 

[Thomas]

We look forward going to dinner church would put on also breakfast...darn good home cooking and chatting with others.

 

[/pine]

What I liked about going to places like Golden Coral was being able to eat in courses at one's own leisure...appetizer/soup...salad/rolls...then hit the main courses and side dishes...and of course desert...

Before COVID "country style" dining was popular around here... seating was either family or common tables and they would bring out all the different dishes to be passed around...usually several different meats and many sides...many of them are/were farm to table establishments and the food is/was outstanding...