The BuffetMap Essential Guide to Buffets

Do you have a burning hunger that won’t be solved by a simple main course and entree at your local restaurant?

Sounds like you need a buffet!

Buffets and all you can eat restaurants are a true dining innovation. 

They’re the perfect solution for anyone that is exceptionally hungry, loves a huge variety of tastes or is organising for a special occasion. 

Have you ever looked at a menu and thought to yourself, ‘I just want to have a taste of everything’?

With buffets you can. Welcome to dining heaven. 

So if you understand these fundamental benefits and buffets are your thing, then enjoy BuffetMap’s Essential Guide to Buffets. 

Buffet vs All You Can Eat – What’s The Difference?

Discerning buffet lovers might notice a seemingly innocuous difference when searching for buffets and all you can eat restaurants. 

That is, some all you can eat restaurants don’t mention the word buffet.

And conversely, some buffet restaurants don’t mention ‘all you can eat’. 

So is this some sort of trick? Or are we missing something?

It’s no trick, it’s simply a case that some all you can eat restaurants do not serve their food in a heated buffet food tray. 

All you can eat pizza restaurants and Brazilian barbecue restaurants, in particular, usually don’t serve via a buffet. Instead, food is served in a hot bay or the waiters and waitresses will serve you food via table service.

And if your buffet restaurant doesn’t mention all-you-can-eat, don’t worry. If it’s a buffet restaurant, all you can eat is implied. 

Eat your heart out.

Is All You Can Eat Really All You Can Eat?

Yes!

You really can eat all you can manage to eat at a buffet (and non-buffet all you can eat restaurants). 

What if I have a big appetite?

Buffets actually factor this into their business model. For every giant with a huge appetite, there is a petite person with a small appetite. 

I’m sure somewhere out there is a buffet restaurant with a ‘fair limit’ policy, similar to the fair use policy that broadband companies have.

But we haven’t heard of it!

So again, eat your heart out.

Can You Get Kicked Out Of A Buffet?

I’m sure you can get kicked out of a buffet for being rude or starting a brawl with the waiters, but the magic of Google tells us that ‘can you get kicked out of a buffet’ is something that people actually search for!

We assume the underlying fear here is being kicked out for eating too much food. 

Which again, refer to the above, this is never really the issue. 

One caveat here. You can get kicked out of a buffet if there is a time limit, and in fact, most buffet restaurants have this.

They would quickly go out of business if they let customers sit in their venue all day long and eat all day long. 

Usually 1.5 hours or 2.5 hours is the norm. 

Are Buffets Good Value?

Yes!

Typically at a normal restaurant you might have one main course and an entree.

At a buffet, you’re getting a plate full of entrees (or more) and two or even three main courses (depending on how hungry you are).

Why eat out and buy one plate of food when you can have ten for the same price? 

But remember the golden buffet rule: Thou shalt skip breakfast and/or lunch on the day of a buffet lunch or dinner.

In Summary

Buffets are a great way to dine, especially if you’re hungry or you love to have a small taste of everything. They are perfect for a special occasion such as birthday dinners, and food selection with such a smorgasbord on offer becomes a fun topic of discussion.

You can search for best buffet restaurants right here on BuffetMap, and don’t forget to leave a review if you’ve had a great buffet dining experience recently and need to share it with the world!