5 Country Buffet Chains That Still Do It Like Grandma’s Sunday Table
One reason people love country buffets is that they spark a kind of nostalgia. For some, it reminds them of being a kid, when buffet restaurants were everywhere. For others, the country-style cooking, which pays little attention to calorie count or fat grams, reminds them of sitting at grandma’s table for Sunday dinner. While not many buffet chains are still operating, there are a handful where you can relive that cozy comfort of your childhood at your grandmother’s house. Here are 5 country buffet chains that still do it like grandma’s Sunday table.
Golden Corral
If you want a wallet-friendly, homestyle buffet experience, hit your local Golden Corral. The chain, around since 1973, fills the void left by Hometown Buffet and Old Country Buffet, which started closing during the pandemic. The endless breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet has over 150 food options, including BBQ beef, roast beef, sirloin steak, cheeseburgers, short ribs, flatbreads, and more. “I have been to many steak houses and have had a many of great steaks. However, the best steak I have ever had was at a Golden Corral,” one Redditor says.
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Sirloin Stockade
Sirloin Stockade is a smaller chain in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kentucky that is part steakhouse and diner and part buffet. You choose your entree, which could be a big, juicy steak or “homestyle favorites” like beef tips, chopped steak, or chicken fried steak. Then you can add a salad bar and a hot bar, perfect for a Sunday night dinner. On the weekends, they also do brunch with carving stations. “They had a carving station with ham, roast and turkey,” a TripAdvisor diner confirms.
Shoney’s
Craving the Sunday brunch you used to have at grandma’s? Head to Shoney’s, famous for its Fresh Food Bar, for buffet-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. The breakfast buffet, available on Sunday, features an all-you-care-to-eat format that includes pancakes, bacon, sausage, grits, and eggs. “When I was a kid my family used to Vacation in Chincoteague, VA, and the ride back to NJ was never complete without a French Toast Stick stop at Shoney’s! They were so damn good,” a Redditor recalls.
Piccadilly Cafeteria
Piccadilly Cafeteria is a cafeteria-style restaurant where you grab a tray and move down a service line, choosing individual homestyle Southern items diners have returned to for decades. ” Kinda like a buffet, but you pay by item once you’ve assembled your food instead of just paying a flat fee for any amount of food,” a Redditor says. It is “the bomb,” another adds. People love the hard-to-find items, including the classic beef liver and onions smothered in savory onion gravy. “Piccadilly is my favorite,” a Facebooker says. “Picadilly’s has good liver n onions,” another agreed.
MCL Restaurant & Bakery
MCL Restaurant & Bakery is another cafeteria-style homestyle comfort food chain founded in 1950. One of the most popular items is Liver & Onions. “One of our original recipes with caramelized onions. Not for everyone, but we have some very loyal Liver and Onions fans out there! 🏆 This is for you guys!! Every Thursday, 🛑 stop in and get this iconic MCL specialty: Liver and Onions!” the chain shared on Instagram. “Best Liver and Onions,” a TripAdvisor reviewer declared. “I love Liver and Onions an it is the special here on Thursday’s. It may be a 35 mile drive to get here but once I get here I know that I will be in Liver Heaven. Today was such a trip and I proceeded to get 3 orders of the liver. The liver is very moist and tender and taste outstanding.”