I am done with over priced restaurant buffet meals... - Page 5

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@Tinkrbl44wrote:
@petepeteywrote:
Easter brunch. The last few years we've gone out to eat. All of those places were reasonalble priced, order off the menu, one nice plate of food.

Yesterday I booked a place that had no indication on their web site that it was a buffet.

Yes, I will take the blame for not calling them and asking.

We arrived and learned that it was an expensive buffet. We thought about it and ate anyway because we didn't have another option at that point.

Carbs, Sugar, over indulgence was the theme. I just don't eat like that. I never get value from a place like that. They didn't even include coffee or beverages in the price.

Easter and Mothers Day seem to be the biggest days for restaurants to over charge people for average food.

Next year I am cooking my own family Easter dinner.

@petepetey

Frankly, I'm really surprised that you are surprised ....

EVERY holiday meal in restaurants is expensive compared to what they usually charge. It's not just Easter and Mother's Day ..... have you ever eaten out on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Yar's Eve? Yikes! It's just not possible to "get your money's worth" from holiday meals.

For any restaurant holiday meal, it's the CONVENIENCE FACTOR .... you get to select what you do or don't want to eat, and try things you wouldn't cook at home. Plus, there's usually an over-abundance of kids in the restaurants, and finding something they will eat is easier on the parents.

If you are a fussy eater and normally stick to a narrow selection, you shouldn't be going out to eat on holidays .... JMO.

I agree!

And if I had plans to go to a buffet at a restaurant I hadn't been to before (especially for a holiday or to celebrate a special occasion), I would call and ask questions. Are there options for vegetarians? Are drinks of any kind included? What is the cost for adults/children? Is dessert and/or coffee considered extra? Etc, etc..

Dining out at a nice restaurant (especially on a holiday!) is never going to be a bargain. You're not just paying for the food - You're paying for the service, the ambience, etc. Restaurants are in business to make money. Being an educated consumer - and asking questions to see if it will be worth the money to you - is always a good idea

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

The last time we went to a buffet for a holiday was about ten years ago for Mother's Day. We went to the well known Cliff House in the city, overlooking the ocean.

$50 a person, including champagne. It was wonderful. The tables were around men in tuxes who stood in the center, carved prime rib, made omelets, refreshed the shrimp tower, on and on. It was wonderful and worth the cost.

Fifi1 · ‎03-10-2010

Our country club does buffet for Easter and MOther's Day as they have such a crowd to feed. It's $35/pp and always very fresh fruit, egg and omlettes to order, crab and salmon and shrimp. They have a waffel station, crepe station, etc. and lovely baked goods. They really keep it very nice - I don't care for buffets, but these I will do! They have two Easter Egg hunts for children and of course adult beverages to order (extra) and it's always so festive!

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@NYC Susanwrote:
@Tinkrbl44wrote:
@petepeteywrote:
Easter brunch. The last few years we've gone out to eat. All of those places were reasonalble priced, order off the menu, one nice plate of food.

Yesterday I booked a place that had no indication on their web site that it was a buffet.

Yes, I will take the blame for not calling them and asking.

We arrived and learned that it was an expensive buffet. We thought about it and ate anyway because we didn't have another option at that point.

Carbs, Sugar, over indulgence was the theme. I just don't eat like that. I never get value from a place like that. They didn't even include coffee or beverages in the price.

Easter and Mothers Day seem to be the biggest days for restaurants to over charge people for average food.

Next year I am cooking my own family Easter dinner.

@petepetey

Frankly, I'm really surprised that you are surprised ....

EVERY holiday meal in restaurants is expensive compared to what they usually charge. It's not just Easter and Mother's Day ..... have you ever eaten out on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Yar's Eve? Yikes! It's just not possible to "get your money's worth" from holiday meals.

For any restaurant holiday meal, it's the CONVENIENCE FACTOR .... you get to select what you do or don't want to eat, and try things you wouldn't cook at home. Plus, there's usually an over-abundance of kids in the restaurants, and finding something they will eat is easier on the parents.

If you are a fussy eater and normally stick to a narrow selection, you shouldn't be going out to eat on holidays .... JMO.

I agree!

And if I had plans to go to a buffet at a restaurant I hadn't been to before (especially for a holiday or to celebrate a special occasion), I would call and ask questions. Are there options for vegetarians? Are drinks of any kind included? What is the cost for adults/children? Is dessert and/or coffee considered extra? Etc, etc..

Dining out at a nice restaurant (especially on a holiday!) is never going to be a bargain. You're not just paying for the food - You're paying for the service, the ambience, etc. Restaurants are in business to make money. Being an educated consumer - and asking questions to see if it will be worth the money to you - is always a good idea

@Tinkrbl44

If you go to a nice hotel or upscale place for a buffet, there's not many kids around, if any. Too expensive.

We went to The Top of The Mark one year with out of town guests and it was even more incredible than the Cliff House, including a live quartet of musicians playing classical music.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@Noel7wrote:
The last time we went to a buffet for a holiday was about ten years ago for Mother's Day. We went to the well known Cliff House in the city, overlooking the ocean.

$50 a person, including champagne. It was wonderful. The tables were around men in tuxes who stood in the center, carved prime rib, made omelets, refreshed the shrimp tower, on and on. It was wonderful and worth the cost.

I've been to buffets that have been similar. And other very nice ones too. Not all buffets are the same.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@Noel7wrote:
@NYC Susanwrote:
@Tinkrbl44wrote:
@petepeteywrote:
Easter brunch. The last few years we've gone out to eat. All of those places were reasonalble priced, order off the menu, one nice plate of food.

Yesterday I booked a place that had no indication on their web site that it was a buffet.

Yes, I will take the blame for not calling them and asking.

We arrived and learned that it was an expensive buffet. We thought about it and ate anyway because we didn't have another option at that point.

Carbs, Sugar, over indulgence was the theme. I just don't eat like that. I never get value from a place like that. They didn't even include coffee or beverages in the price.

Easter and Mothers Day seem to be the biggest days for restaurants to over charge people for average food.

Next year I am cooking my own family Easter dinner.

@petepetey

Frankly, I'm really surprised that you are surprised ....

EVERY holiday meal in restaurants is expensive compared to what they usually charge. It's not just Easter and Mother's Day ..... have you ever eaten out on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Yar's Eve? Yikes! It's just not possible to "get your money's worth" from holiday meals.

For any restaurant holiday meal, it's the CONVENIENCE FACTOR .... you get to select what you do or don't want to eat, and try things you wouldn't cook at home. Plus, there's usually an over-abundance of kids in the restaurants, and finding something they will eat is easier on the parents.

If you are a fussy eater and normally stick to a narrow selection, you shouldn't be going out to eat on holidays .... JMO.

I agree!

And if I had plans to go to a buffet at a restaurant I hadn't been to before (especially for a holiday or to celebrate a special occasion), I would call and ask questions. Are there options for vegetarians? Are drinks of any kind included? What is the cost for adults/children? Is dessert and/or coffee considered extra? Etc, etc..

Dining out at a nice restaurant (especially on a holiday!) is never going to be a bargain. You're not just paying for the food - You're paying for the service, the ambience, etc. Restaurants are in business to make money. Being an educated consumer - and asking questions to see if it will be worth the money to you - is always a good idea

@Tinkrbl44

If you go to a nice hotel or upscale place for a buffet, there's not many kids around, if any. Too expensive.

We went to The Top of The Mark one year with out of town guests and it was even more incredible than the Cliff House, including a live quartet of musicians playing classical music.

Good point! Where you choose to go makes all the difference.

lovescats · ‎03-10-2010

I was at a food court place one time and had ordered a drink and the kid put his hand in the ice and put it in the cup. I did tell the manager why I didn't want the order and left.

I like to go out to eat but I think you are better off eating your own stuff at home.

And yes I agree I don't want pawed over food either.

Toppers3 · ‎10-25-2016

@QueenDanceALotwrote:
I was just remembering a buffet line I was on a number of years ago and the woman ahead of me, right after a fresh pan of salmon had been put out, proceeded to take the serving spoon and push pieces around, turning them this way and that, picking small pieces out of the pan and pushing the food around the pan some more until it looked like, well, like what she had done to it.

I was waiting and waiting for her to hurry up and finally said, rather loudly, "oh,for crying out loud, just TAKE some and move on!". She just turned and glared at me. After ruining the dish.

People are crazy.

Yes, I guess you just never know what someone is going to do...

I don't care to watch when people play around with the food like that, either.

We were at a buffet restaurant years ago, where I watched fascinated while a patron opened up her tote and proceeded to put dessert items in it.

In went some of the cupcakes and whatever else she could put in there. It even stated on the large sign over the station that you couldn't take the food home with you.

TenderMercies · ‎06-03-2017

I love buffets. I go to two different restaurants with buffets every week, because I love going out to lunch. One is Japanese/Sushi and the other is Indian. They are both very nice, clean restaurants.

The problem with buffets is that people don’t know how to eat at them. People load up on carbs and sugary beverages, so they never get their money’s worth. I always order a water and eat lots of lean protein, a small side of green vegetables, and rarely eat any carbs. Not only does the protein fill me up and keep me satisfied until dinner, I also don’t get a food coma and feel like I need a nap when I go back to work. People who are carb fans should stay away from buffets.