After a long, two hour hike up to the "Y" representing BYU in Provo, Utah and minor housecleaning as well as other small errands before deciding to go out to dinner at the Golden Corral, we were famished. We were ready for a buffet as myself, son, daughter and nephew visiting for spring break completed our day's activities. No one wanted to cook and we were looking forward to dining and simply kicking back.

A vision we would not view upon our arrival to the Orem restaurant. We arrived at approximately 7 p.m. and the parking lot was full and upon our entrance, we saw a multitude of children everywhere. It was definitely family night, which is fine as our family was just another amongst many. However, it was noisy, overcrowded and looked messy and disorganized.

We paid for our meals, $52 for the four of us and waited to be seated. The tables were all close together and rather uncomfortable. The server was very pleasant, but we had to wait for our drinks and for new plates if we were to revisit the buffet. While my daughter and I only tried a few dishes, my son and nephew [who is a growing, very large football player] went up several times. So waiting for new dishes was a bit frustrating for them and we had to reuse the same eating utensils. The restaurant looked like one big banquet hall and I was disappointed not only with the ambiance but the lack of cleanliness of it.

The food was bland, at best. Our chicken had not been cooked thoroughly and the pasta had much to be desired. The salmon was the worst I'd ever eaten and the desserts were as bland and unflavorful as anything else we tried. My son and nephew did enjoy their ribs and steak where a server would distribute your choices rather than having it set up buffet style. But overall, the other dishes we all tried were an unappetizing experience.

Compared to our local Chuck-A-Rama, another buffet, Golden Corral fails dismally. They serve quantity, but lack on quality. The food options are also plentiful, but none is done really well. Chuck-A-Rama is clean, there are booths to make dining more private and it is about $3 less expensive. There are many options there, but most are done well. Having tried Golden Corral once almost 15 years ago, we had hoped there was some improvement from our first disappointing experience. There was very little.

I know one cannot expect too much from a buffet-style restaurant, but for the money it should be at least better than a fast food restaurant. Furthermore, they should take heed to their local competition and be up to standard with it or be better. Our next buffet dining experience will, more than likely, be at the other restaurant. Sadly, Golden Corral was not so golden. Not even silver, possibly a bronze rating. I would give it 2 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend this restaurant mainly for a children's outing or special occasion. They are not so fussy about taste buds and would enjoy the noise and sometimes chaos. It was like being at a grown-up Chuck E. Cheese's.

Thanks for reading.

-Kaahu

Recommended: No