Great American Steak and Buffet

Great fresh salad bar! All of the food was hot and fresh. It depends on what time you visit. I’ve been there at the beginning of the lunch hour and had no complaints. Service and food was great and I know I have pretty high standards. However, you get what you pay for. In my opinion, it ranked right up there with TGI Friday’s, Chillis, Ruby Tuesday, etc. without the alcohol. The dessert bar needs improvement.

This use to be the best buffet in the area. Now I don’t know what to call it. The servers are always nice and friendly though. I love the fact that they have fresh brewed sweet tea. (one of the reason I still come here) They use to serve steak and roast but the last 2 times I went they didn’t have it because it was the weekday so if you are trying this place for the first time go on the weekend. The fried shrimp is pretty good and the salad bar is always fresh. The cakes and pies are all gross and should be shipped back to where ever they came from. The Ice cream machine is always nasty or broke because parents let young kids serve themselves without supervision. I saw a little boy lick a cone and put it back last time I was there so I just stay away from that whole area now. I still go here from time to time because of how much I use to love this place but it is really going down hill. Oh and the restroom… GROSSEST NASTIEST FILTHIEST MOST DISGUSTING PLACE TO E.V.E.R. Go potty. I have seen cleaner Johns (port pots) on the side of the road. Don’t dare take your children in there. I suggest using the restroom next door at the car dealership if you can’t hold it.

This place STINKS! (literally and figuratively). Do not go here. Do not leave your money here. This place is worse than all fast food restaurants (I would rather eat at McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC). This place is worse than other northern VA buffet places.
Bottom Line:
–This place stinks, try to avoid if you can.
–All buffet restaurants are terrible!

Seems as though things have gone downhill very quickly for one of my formerly favorite spots. The quality of the food is definitely not what it used to be.
They are even bold enough to show you add they are setting out the store bought doughnuts. This is the place that used to be filled with the smell of freshly baked cakes, pies and pastries.
The fresh made touch is what made this place great and they have abandoned that for the sake of the dollar.
My visit this past weekend was a true disappointment.

The chicken and the fish is absolutely delicious I always come here just for the chicken and fish. Then also it’s the fresh salad bar the price is very reasonable for a family that wants to go out family friendly restaurant.

Came here while waiting for a vehicle inspection from the dealership next door. The hostess and waitress were really friendly and fast sat down less than 5 minutes during the busy lunch hour.
Buffet is American diner food… salad was fresh and crispy. Everything was well stocked and the drinks came pretty fast (unlike Golden Corral here you have to tell waitress what kind of drink you want they bring it to your table). Pretty good buffet for only $ 8.99.
Only downside was setting kinda old and musty. Table surface was sticky with grease. But freshness good staff and price were all great. Definitely come here if you are into cheap buffet.

This place is better than most buffets. The salad bar items are fresh. There are many dressing choices. The fruit is fresh and yummy. Meat lovers will have a variety of choices from fried chicken to steak and more. The hot bar has fresh vegetables, pastas, soup and vegetables. There are lots of dessert choices, including frozen yogurt. The place can get crowded. We prefer going at off hours. The servers are «hit or miss.» Some are really friendly and others need to smile more. We come for the variety of food items and not warm fuzzies. The staff will take your dirty plates and bring refills. We don’t visit buffets as often we used to because who can eat (or needs) all that food? When we decide to have a variety of items, this is one of the places we visit.

Me and my husband went in there today to eat when we saw a roach by the salad we left right after. if they have a roach right by the salad i wonder what they have in the kitchen nasty

The atmosphere killed this review for me. Had to hunt down waitress a few times. Floors were slippery. But the food was really good. A nice variety of meats including alk you can eat ribs and fried shrimp, but they were empty most of the time. Place was packed. The building could have been designed better cause people were running into each other.

Decent buffet place if you’re really into fried foods. Thy okra was good. The ribs were dry and hard. They have a large salad area but the turnover wasn’t s much as the meats, so generally I would be weary of that. The soft serve ran out and they replenished it up quickly. I went with my husband because I had a BOGO coupon from the entertainment book. They honored it even though we were eating dinner and the coupon was for lunch or breakfast.

Food is good but the ambience and cleanliness is horrible. You will need to ignore the fact that it may take an hour or two for the tables to be cleaned and the bathrooms are not the best.

The food was awesome! My kid loves the dessert bar! I would tell others to stop by and check it out for sure

Well we decided to stop in since we had to wait on my sister at the Airport. I was pleased to see this place I used to love to go to the one in Waldorf before it burned down. So we decided to go in and give it a try. They seated us. The table was wobble the waiter was nice and put napkins under it to make it stable since it was missing a leg. I went to the bars. Was going to get salad nut it did not look to fresh. So went to the other buffets and got some shrimp, beef tips, rice That I put the tips over, apples and what I thought was dressing. Did not like much. I did like the corn bread and beef tips so pushed my plate aside. I then went back and plate of beef tips and rice. Was good. Could not finish it. Deserts look good but decide to pass. Not a Bad buffet but could lower the price was 11.99

I want to give this place two stars, but I also have to acknowledge the fact that it is packed every weekend and nearly impossible to find a seat. Obviously, someone must love it hard, so three stars is more than enough.
The Pros:
1) it is an all you can eat deal, so if your into that sort of thing, you’ll find yourself in hog heaven.
2) It is cheap.
3) they serve steak on the weekends, hence, the crowd.
4) the selections lean towards country cooking and soul food
Cons:
1) I’m not really a fan of these buffets, and I rarely get my money’s worth.
2) they only serve steak on the weekends
3) the steam tables are loaded with a lot of bland, average food
4) the place really needs a good cleaning
This buffet journey was just ok, for there are better options down Rt 1; ironically, I am the Duke at this one, but that is because it is very near my house. Out of boredom I’ve checked in when I couldn’t beat the weekend crowd. Now, that I have had the food here, I most likely won’t be back to this one… But again, it does have its following of steam table lovers. I guess I’m just not one of them.

I have a hard time grading this place in comparison to a normal food establishments. If you decide to eat here you should expect a cheap buffet because that’s what your going to get. Their meat is probably grade B or lower and the staff is par for the course for an all-​you-​can eat. But, if you grading them against other establishments in this bracket they are average. The place could use a remodeling and better dessert selection but beyond that, it is what it is. However, if you like fried chicken, this is the place to get some really good buffet style yard bird… love it!

This is one of two all-​you-​can-​eat restaurants on the Richmond Highway corridor between the City of Alexandria and Fort Belvoir.
The pricing of meals is high and accessing the restaurant from Old Richmond Highway is awkward.

Not as good as the golden corral (I don’t know what that says really) but not bad either. The ice cream was my favorite part — but the salad bar was ok too. The décor could use some TLC and perhaps it could have been cleaner. The service was slow. SO slow. There isn’t a lot to do in this kind of place… pick up plates and fill cups. But somehow our server couldn’t manage to keep up.
If you’re in the mood for a buffet then okay but I wouldn’t go out of my way.

THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE VISITED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT:
We was in the area looking at cars and saw the buffet. My boyfriend and I love a good buffet and we hadn’t eaten yet so we decided to give it a try. The price seemed reasonable, but my boyfriend quickly pointed out the dirty carpet. I then noticed the outdated and raggedy booths, but still I held my judgement. I’ve been to dive places that have amazing food, despite the poor ambiance.
Atmosphere: Dirty carpet, outdated furniture. I should have just walked out after seeing this, but I didn’t…
Food: The bar was small compared to other buffets I visited. The food tasted ok. Some of it was bland and lukewarm.
THE WORST PART AND HENCE THE POOR REVIEW:
As I was half way done with my plate my boyfriend pointed at the half wall beside me. He is known to be a joker and I brushed off his gesture. But he insisted and as I turned to see what was on the wall I was appalled to see a ROACH just sitting their eyeing my food.
I tried to get one of the waitstaff’s attention and she just looked a me and motioned for another woman who walked away. A minute later I saw that she was reemerging from the kitchen with my server. I pointed out the wall and the disgusting intruder who joined my table for two, uninvited. She said, yea, and reacted as if this happens everyday. She took my napkin off the table and killed it. I refused to finish my plate and I sat down at the table across the both. She then returned and told me my meal was comped.
She brought me a new plate, but I couldn’t continue to eat. I mean if the roaches are hanging out in the eating area, then how many of them can you find in the kitchen were the food is cooked and stored? OR worst of all how many can you find on the bar where the food is kept for hours under a hot lamp?
We just left and I lost my appetite for the night. Never again.

«If this is your first time at the buffet, you MUST try every item on the buffet… OR at least try» is a mantra I started in high school and have yet to strive away from. On that note, I did just that here.
Admittedly surprised as I approached this buffet with caution based on both the total average stars along with a few brief review comments on the right side of the Unilocal page. Since I’ve always been a «sucker» for buffets, I had to try this one out for myself. Before my spiel, three takeaways:
1. GO. But only during or just before peak meal hours (think 11 – 1; 5 – 7).
2. Do NOT expect filet mignon nor expect the grill cook to heed your prep demands.
3. They have fried chicken livers! OMFG. I haven’t seen these on a buffet in years.
Walking in, I’m greeted immediately with a smiling face, asked how many and then taken to the booth requested. The greeter wipes off the table before sitting which was nice but can cause some to be taken back. My waitress comes right after, asks for my drink order. So. It. Begins…
Anyone remember the restaurant chain Bonanza? Well, this reminds me of Bonanza which is great for nostalgia but not-​so-​great for those that like to focus more on the decorations/​ambiance and not on the food (i.e. could use remodeling/​updating). Also, note that depending on your waiter/​waitress will depend on the cleanliness of your experience. They sweep and maintain their respective sections it seems and I saw quite a few DRASTICALLY different sections on my way to the restroom to wash my hands prior to beginning. Nevertheless, I got lucky with mine.
I always begin with a salad. Always. Why? I NEED something good before I overdo with all the not-​so-​good. Trust me, I have the room. This salad bar was fresh, clean and well maintained (constantly stirred, wiped-​down, replenished). Standouts here were the garlic bread croutons, grilled chicken slices (not just cubes) and ranch that tastes like the kind you had in your school cafeteria. For me, it was great. Try the potato and tuna salads. Not too shabby. Banana pudding (yes, here as it is in many buffets) was Jello pudding’ish. Fine.
The two, hot bars featured everything from spaghetti to chicken teriyaki. Mashed potatoes were classic instant and so was the gravy but the macaroni (n’cheese) was extra cheesey, the cornbread was nice and moist and pot roast (with vegetables) was fork tender. All three are items frequently eff’d at chain buffets. Make sure you try the sweet potato casserole. Delicious!
The main ticket is closest to the grill as a meat carving/​seafood/​taco section (on the end). Here, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the sliced ham, bbq riblets (think Applebee’s flavor), buffalo wings (tasted remarkably similar to Hooter’s), fried jumbo shrimp and fried chicken. There were also seasoned, green bean straws (awesome), onion rings that tasted better than average, fried fish, fried chicken livers (my favorite) and the aforementioned taco station. Random, I know but standard fare that allows you to be as creative as you want to be. I always am, just like I am with the dessert bar.
Which takes us here, dessert. Before having the dessert, I enjoyed a slice of pizza (found here). It put a smile on my face as it reminded me of Ryan’s rolls (another buffet chain) as the dough with marinara, cheese and pepperoni on top. Just as soft and fluffy to eat. Enjoyable to the last bite…
Oh, right dessert. soft serve vanilla is all you get but, as mentioned before, be creative. I made a quite amazing ice cream sandwich with a peanut butter cookie on top, chocolate chip on the bottom with a nice chocolate sauce drizzle. Fantastic. Try the cobblers (apple and blackberry) as well as the coconut cake. Pass on the rice crispy treats (kinda low on marshmellowness), pecan pie (filling with a few pecans on top) and coconut cream as well. Dig-​in on the pumpkin pie as it was quite remarkable if you still have room. Maybe cause I hadn’t had some in quite a while.
Still here? OK, be sure to TIP your server (always), the buffet is $ 10.99 (well worth it) and remember, eat only what you take and take only what you can eat. You’ll have a more pleasurable experience that way I can almost guarantee it.

About a 2.5: I am a sucker for AYCE buffets, and so I had to try out Great American Steak and Buffet. They have several locations in Alexandria (one in Bailey’s Crossing) and they offer the typical American fare, such as: baked chicken, fried chicken, bbq pulled pork, honey mustard chicken, roast beef, pot roast, teriyaki chicken, pork spareribs, fried fish, fried butterfly shrimp, chicken tenders, hot wings, honey baked ham, turkey, rice, mashed potatoes and gravy, casseroles (potato cheese, sweet potato, broccoli), meatballs and gravy, mushrooms, stuffing, green beans, corn kernels, broccoli spears, chicken stir-​fry, black-​eyed peas, spaghetti, salads, rolls, and pies. They also offer breakfast buffet with bacon, sausages, waffles, pancakes, and omelets. I thought the chicken wings were okay, but they were more on the saucy side and the interior not cooked well-​done for the entire batch (some were cooked well, others more on the stringy side) as I prefer; the meatballs were okay with its gravy, as it was on the saltier side; the fried butterfly shrimp were fine, and they were larger than usual, which was nice to see. The restaurant itself is kind of on the dingy side, and I think either with a renovation and more attention in keeping the buffet areas clean and the items more consistent in terms of preparation would make a world of a difference! You can see that it is definitely a popular spot with the locals, families, and big party groups. I am glad I was able to check this place out, but don’t think I will be returning!
+AYCE
+meatballs and gravy