"All you can EAT!" A regional/state thing?

[EEKappa]

I'm getting all misty-eyed reading about Pancho's! Oh, those sour cream enchiladas, and the sopapillas. Mmm. When I lived in Atlanta there was a restaurant with a salad and dessert buffet that always had a mountain of chocolate mousse. We loved it for chapter functions.

I also live in New England, and the only buffets we see in my area are lunch buffets at Indian and Chinese restaurants. When we travel and eat at a really quality place, my husband always says that we need to open a good restaurant in town. I remind him that there wouldn't be a market for it with all the people lining up outside Olive Garden to wait an hour for unlimited soup and breadsticks.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

So typical of Americans.

I avoid the all-you-can-eat buffets. I much prefer a locally-owned restaurant with unique food and smaller portions -- and so do 90% of my friends.

Unique food? I tend to avoid places that advertise "unique cuisine," as the prices at those places tend to be as inflated as the culinary egos and the snobbery. That, and the food is rarely if ever "unique."

I'll eat wherever my family and I are in the mood to eat. Sometimes that's a nice restaurant, sometimes it a place that's quick and easy. Sometimes it's a local hangout, sometimes it's a chain. Sometimes it's a place to get dressed up for, sometimes I'm peeling my own shrimp. Sometimes it's "American cuisine," sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's even a buffet (which can be a plus with kids) -- either the "trough" kind or the Sunday after-church very nice kind.

Every restuarant may not have good food, but good food can be found in any kind of restaurant -- even the troughs.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Unique food? I tend to avoid places that advertise "unique cuisine," as the prices at those places tend to be as inflated as the culinary egos and the snobbery. That, and the food is rarely if ever "unique."

I really meant more -- well-prepared food or a place that gives a twist to a traditional dish.

Truly, I love the fine dining experience as much as a burger at a local hole-in-the-wall place.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Unique food? I tend to avoid places that advertise "unique cuisine," as the prices at those places tend to be as inflated as the culinary egos and the snobbery. That, and the food is rarely if ever "unique."

I totally agree with you!! I try to stay away from places that say "unique cuisine" or "authentic _____ cuisine." The summer I turned 15, I was traveling to Dallas with my family. As we passed Midland, we decided to stop and grab some food. We found a restaurant that said "authentic Mexican food." Well we didn't think anything of it, so we went in to eat. It was THE WORST food i've ever had. And totally NOT Mexican at all. the flautas were eggrolls, the quesadilla my cousin ordered was just one large tortilla chip covered in Velvetta. I shudder just thinking about it.

I hate it when people claim to know how to cook certain foods (well mainly Mexican food) but it's totally wrong.

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by epchick

the flautas were eggrolls, the quesadilla my cousin ordered was just one large tortilla chip covered in Velvetta. I shudder just thinking about it.

After growing up in Texas with a fondness for Mexican food, I ventured to Virginia for graduate school.

Not long after arriving I was lamenting that I was really missing some good Mexican food. A friendly classmate, who was from Baltimore, tried to be helpful: "What do you mean there is no Mexican food here... we have a Chili's!"

Sigh.

Originally Posted by epchick

I hate it when people claim to know how to cook certain foods (well mainly Mexican food) but it's totally wrong.

If there is not a huge tub of lard involved in making my flour tortillas, then they ain't tortillas. Bonus points if the lady making them is the matriarch of the family and doesn't speak a lick of English. Love those sweet ladies....

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by Blondie93

After growing up in Texas with a fondness for Mexican food, I ventured to Virginia for graduate school.

Not long after arriving I was lamenting that I was really missing some good Mexican food. A friendly classmate who was from Baltimore tried to be helpful: "What do you mean there is no Mexican food here... we have a Chili's!"

Sigh.



If there is not a huge tub of lard involved in making my flour tortillas, then they ain't tortillas. Bonus points if the lady making them is the matriarch of the family and doesn't speak a lick of English. Love those sweet ladies....

Tex-Mex rules to live by -

1.) Understand that Tex-Mex is not Mex-Mex. Mexico has a rich and varied cuisine, which bears little resemblance to Tex-Mex.

2.) You cannot get good Tex-Mex outside of Texas. Yes, the restaurant may be owned by Mexicans, but that does not mean the food will be up to true Tex-Mex standards. I cannot count the bad experiences I have had all over the country because well-meaning friends are convinced I will LOVE their local Mexican restaurant. Thanks for trying - I need to go home to Texas.

3.) A good Tex-Mex restaurant makes their own tortillas (by HAND, not machine) and fries said tortillas to make chips. Bagged chips = NO. Salsa or pico out of a jar = no.

4.) Fajitas are made of skirt steak or chicken. Lobster fajitas are an abomination.

Herbert's Taco Hut in San Marcos is just about PERFECT - started as a Mexican grocery, started selling prepared food, added on to the grocery store in several stages. It is like a rabbit warren. Black velvet painting of Jesus amongst the cosmos over the jukebox, little Mexican women patting out the tortillas, two beer limit with dinner, and CHEAP as free. Yummmm. . . it is also out of the way, so tends to draw a local crowd. I need me some cheese enchildas now.

[Dionysus]

I think this is worth mentioning. I'm no food snob, and i'm quite a glutton. Probably 1 out of 6 or 7 of my posts are about food.

I like large amounts of food, and I prefer to have it for cheap...but I wouldn't compromise quality for quantity or price.

I agree with MysticCat, you'll find good food at most type of places. I'm just weirded out by people who ONLY stick to chains and buffets, which seem to be the trend in Missouri, Illinois (except chicago), and some parts of the south. There's so much more out there.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

I'm just weirded out by people who ONLY stick to chains and buffets, which seem to be the trend in Missouri, Illinois (except chicago), and some parts of the south. There's so much more out there.

And I'd completely agree on that.

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I think the last time I went to a Ryan's/Golden Corral/Western Sizzler type place was 20 years ago in Milledgeville, GA. I went to lunch with two of my grad school professors. After witnessing one of my professors wiping her soup bowl clean so she could fill up the same bowl with dessert....I had had enough. Oh, but there was more. She asked me if I was going to eat any of the dinner rolls. I said, "no," and she proceeded to stuff the rolls in the plastic bag which had been wrapped around her silverware!

Interesting. I never thought to judge a restaurant, much less a whole catagory of restaurants, by the bad manners or boorish behaviors of my dining companions.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Interesting. I never thought to judge a restaurant, much less a whole catagory of restaurants, by the bad manners or boorish behaviors of my dining companions.

Oh, don't analyze it too much -- I was just sharing a funny story.

My dislike of buffet-type restaurants is much more deep-seeded than from just this situation.

[FlaGirl07]

I absolutely HATE buffet style places. Of course being drug to Golden Corral on Sunday's after church when I was little and watching my fat uncles raid the meat buffet embarrassingly probably attributed to this. There are TONS of buffet style places in my region. The fat rednecks probably make up 90% of the revenue I'm sure. The last buffet I ventured to was the "Crazy Buffet" in Tampa. Of course we were only down there for a Bucs game (GO BUCS!!!) so I wasn't going to be picky. It was basically a spruced up Chinese Food buffet. I'm not a heavy eater so I never get my money's worth, but I spent a good 10 minutes lingering around the chocolate fountain =).

[guitarak]

I'm from Alaska, and the only buffets are Chinese, but they aren't very popular (but pretty good). I think in Anchorage there is some sort of Texan restaurant that does that sort of thing. I don't think we eat much food like that, we're more seafood people if we're going out to eat.

[KatieKate1244]

Despite my hometown recently being named the fattest place in America, there's not too many all-you-can-eat places I can think of. There's a few Chinese places, two Shoney's, and a Golden Corral. It should be noted, though, that the Shoney's breakfast bar is a gift from God.

[gee_ess]

If you want to see the Mother Lode of All You Can Eat Buffet places, then run don't walk to Branson, MO. Country music shows + outlet malls = AYCE restaurants galore.

And to the earlier poster(I forgotten who said it) who discussed the buffet experiences on cruise ships, I heartily agree! It totally grossed me out to watch that excessive behavior.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by gee_ess

If you want to see the Mother Lode of All You Can Eat Buffet places, then run don't walk to Branson, MO. Country music shows + outlet malls = AYCE restaurants galore.

Have you been to Vegas?!

[gee_ess]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Have you been to Vegas?!

LOL - yes! I think they might be tied for the prize!