You don’t need a soft-serve machine or a chocolate fountain to have a good buffet. And you certainly don’t need Golden Corral. While it’s got the nostalgia factor locked down (and sure, the yeast rolls), a lot of folks don’t realize how many regional buffets have quietly been doing it better—fresher, cheaper, tastier. These are the ones where locals fill the parking lot on a Tuesday night, not because it’s cheap, but because the food’s actually good. You won’t find sneeze guards shielding sadness here. Here are 15 buffets you probably didn’t know existed—each one outdoing Golden Corral in its own unapologetic way.
The Nordic ($140) – Charlestown, Rhode Island
This isn’t just dinner, it’s an event. You’ll eat crab legs by a lake while someone in a Red Sox hat cracks lobster claws nearby. Open only in summer, The Nordic feels like a locals-only secret with luxury resort energy. Prime rib, filet mignon, oysters, and snow crab all make $140 somehow feel reasonable. Come ravenous or regret everything.
Shady Maple Smorgasbord ($14-$30) – East Earl, Pennsylvania
It’s not just the biggest buffet in America—it’s a pilgrimage site for anyone who appreciates 14 types of vegetables and eight kinds of pie. Shady Maple is where roast beef and shoofly pie coexist peacefully across 200 feet of food counters. There’s no gimmick here—just serious comfort food in serious portions, at prices that still feel 2009.
Crab House NYC ($80-$115) – New York, New York
If you’ve never eaten scallops and king crab in Midtown while watching tourists fumble subway maps, this is your spot. Everything’s made to order—no crusty trays of seafood sadness here. It’s $80 for unlimited crab, oysters, and more, or $115 if you go full-lobster. Pricey? Sure. But this is Manhattan. And this is worth it.
Jacob Soul Food & Salad Bar ($8.49) – New York, New York
The vibe is Harlem, the price is ten bucks a pound, and the food tastes like someone’s grandma finally opened a kitchen to the public. Pig’s feet, oxtails, mac and cheese, plantains—it’s unapologetically Southern and impossibly satisfying. No reservations, no frills. Just soul food that punches way above its pay grade.
888 Japanese BBQ ($27.95-$33.95) – Las Vegas, Nevada
Don’t let the strip malls fool you. This is some of the best AYCE sushi and barbecue in Vegas. Kobe beef, filet mignon, carpaccio—it’s all here, and you cook it yourself tableside like some glorious carnivore ritual. Even the lowest-tier menu feels like a steal. Go Kobe-tier if you’re feeling flush. You won’t regret it.
Red Apple Buffet ($16) – Chicago, Illinois
This place is your Polish aunt’s fantasy come true. Pierogi, schnitzel, beef brisket, and blintzes rub elbows with American classics like ribs and mashed potatoes. No faux ambiance, just legit home-cooked food in massive quantities. At $16, it’s wildly underpriced and absurdly satisfying, especially on cold Midwestern afternoons.
Casey’s Buffet ($14) – Wilmington, North Carolina
This is where you go when your stomach wants a Southern grandmother and your wallet wants to keep it chill. Fried chicken, okra, catfish, and banana pudding all show up in endless succession. Fridays mean fried shrimp, Sundays bring roast beef. You leave stuffed, salt-happy, and weirdly emotional.
Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet ($18) – Plano, Texas
Think: hummus instead of ranch, kafta instead of meatloaf. Dimassi’s has 60+ Mediterranean dishes, many of them vegetarian or vegan, and none of them feel like an afterthought. The house-made pita comes out warm. The tabbouleh is crisp. For $18, you feel like you’re gaming the system—in the healthiest way possible.
EDGE Brasserie & Cocktail Bar ($145) – Miami, Florida
EDGE isn’t a buffet every day—but when it is, it goes all in. Sunday brunch is $145 with bottomless cocktails, tomahawk steaks, raw seafood towers, and pasta made before your eyes. It’s less buffet, more culinary flex. Worth it? Absolutely—especially if you’re hungover and pretending you have a yacht.
India Palace ($15) – Phoenix, Arizona
It’s tucked into a strip mall, sure—but that’s usually a good sign. The lunch buffet is stacked with Indian staples: lamb curry, tandoori chicken, fresh naan, all somehow perfectly seasoned and never under a heat lamp too long. With plenty of veggie options and shockingly good service, it’s the best $15 lunch in town.
Espetus Churrascaria ($74.95) – San Francisco, California
If you’ve never had a caramelized pineapple roasted on a sword, welcome to Brazilian barbecue. Espetus brings skewered steak, lamb, shrimp—and the servers won’t stop until you say so. The salad bar includes farro and prosciutto. It’s not a buffet in the traditional sense, but the meat parade alone buries Golden Corral six feet deep.
Der Dutchman ($19) – Sarasota, Florida
Der Dutchman feels like it was built by someone who believes Sunday dinner should last four hours and include five meats. The Amish-style buffet is $19 and features roast beef, turkey, noodles, mashed potatoes, and enough pie to start a roadside stand. It’s simple, warm, and probably better than what’s coming out of your kitchen.
Ole Times Country Buffet ($10-$20) – Brunswick, Georgia
This is Southern cooking without pretense: fried green tomatoes, peach cobbler, banana pudding, and BBQ pork that doesn’t even need sauce. Everything feels like it came out of a cast iron skillet two minutes ago. Locals rave, tourists stumble upon it and leave believers. It’s no-frills, just fried-to-perfection charm.
Cafe Sierra ($109) – Los Angeles, California
The seafood buffet at Cafe Sierra isn’t cheap, but it brings the heat: Maine lobster, Dungeness crab, oysters, and even a chocolate fountain for dessert. There’s bottomless champagne, boba stations, and it’s all walking distance from Universal Studios. Think hotel brunch turned up to 11. Not subtle, but fun as hell.
India’s Grill ($28) – Los Angeles, California
This low-key spot rarely makes headlines, but its buffet nails the basics. Butter chicken, saag paneer, samosas—all done fresh, with just the right level of spice. It’s unassuming, consistent, and comforting. The naan is fluffy, the chutneys sharp, and at under $28, it feels like the city’s best-kept lunch secret.