Market Buffet and Grill

Went in for Sunday Brunch. We had been there a number of years ago and it was very good! This visit was not.
Pizza not cooked, Ice cream cones were stale, fish was overcooked. Taco Bar was good but not really clean.
We felt like we were bothering our waitress.
definitely gone downhill.

In short: all-​you-​can eat mediocrity. Every time I go, I’m a little disappointed… but I keep going back.
A few years of living down in the US introduced me to the waist-​widening wonder that is Golden Corral, a chain of family-​friendly all-​you-​can-​eat buffet restaurants specializing in «homestyle» food. There was one near my workplace, and it quickly became a favourite place for me to enjoy a relaxing lunch with a couple of friends (or a good book): the pay-​first buffet setup meant no waiting, just walk in, sit down, fill up, then leave.
I had sincerely hoped that the Market Buffet would be a Golden Corral equivalent, and on the surface, they have a lot on common: they’re both homestyle pay-​first buffets featuring a variety of food at a reasonable price. There’s just one key difference: while nobody would call a Golden Corral gourmet dining, the food — at least at the one I frequented — was consistently adequate. Nothing fancy, but the roasted chicken was always tender, the lettuce was always green and fresh, and the fries were always crispy.
The food at the Market Buffet, on the other hand, just… isn’t very good, and for a place that visually promotes itself as being fresh, they seem to use an awful lot of premade stuff. Like, I’m pretty sure most of their desserts can literally be bought at Wal-​Mart, and the corn dogs are actually Pogo-​branded right on the stick. The gravy is weirdly gelatinous, the meat tends to be dry, the battered fish is often limp. All in all, it kind of reminds me of food from a summer camp or a high school cafeteria: it’s not actually *bad*, I’ve never taken a bite of something and thought «ugh, I don’t want to eat this,» but it’s not good, either.
So, why do I keep going back? Well, it’s cheap. It’s cheap, and it’s friendly, and the cashier and servers are always pleasant and attentive. And sometimes, all I want from a meal is a comfortable booth to curl up in with a book, a cheerful waitress to top up my Coke every so often, and a plate of basic American comfort food just like a 70s housewife used to make, all ketchup-​topped meatloaf and boiled cauliflower with bright orange cheese sauce. I was actually a bit torn on what star rating to give the Market Buffet, because for all its flaws, I do have a certain fondness for it. But it’s a guilty pleasure: I enjoy it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend.

Was a great stop for the family. Great variety when you have kids with different food preferences and they need to be fed quickley. Taco’s to bbq chops and everything in between. Will return.

An episode of South Park inspired my husband and me to look for a «country kitchen buffet». Market Grill seemed to fit the bill. We got there just in time for brunch, which is over at 3. It was so fun to see all the different things to eat, such as make your own tacos and sundaes, various sausages and pulled pork. Actually most of the food wasnt that great, but the selection was good. The coffee was bad, but that could be because they were ready to pack up. Anyways a fun time, in general.

So I had seen a lot of advertising for this place at a great price! Well folks you get what you pay for! I took some family there, and oh boy was I embarressed. To be honest, I wouldn’t feed this food to my sisters mean little puppy bear. Stick to south st burger people of if your really hungry, go visit my good pal jin su at Royal Thai. Dats the best! Bön apetit