I Ate So Much, I Can Barely Move!
Written: Sep 04 '00 (Updated Oct 28 '06)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: The All- You- Can- Eat Mega Bar Buffet
Cons: There is a Strong Tendency for People to Overeat
The Bottom Line: Ryan's offers lots of food for the money- a fact that can be both good and bad.
|
|
|
| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Ryan's |
Ryan's Steakhouse is a family- style chain restaurant that was founded in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1978. It has since expanded to more than 300 locations in 22 states, with most locations in the southeast, midwest, and south central United States.
Menu Selection:
This restaurant calls itself a steakhouse, and so it would follow that steak is the central food item on the menu. That may have been true in the early days of Ryan's, but it isn't true anymore. Yes, they still offer some pretty good tasting steaks, but the main reason that people go to Ryan's now is for the all you can eat Mega Bar Buffet. This gives you more than 100 food selections, with unlimited plate refills and drink refills, for a price of about $8.50 per person. They usually have every type of meat you can think of, along with numerous vegetables, breads, pizza, etc, etc. With this many selections, you should have no problem finding some food that you like. That includes both vegetarians and finicky consumers. I have found that some of the food is better than others, so I recommend trying a little bit of several food items at first, to find out what you like.
For the kids, there is special menu for ages 4 to 10. Kids over 11 have to pay the adult rate for the buffet, and kids 3 and under eat free.
With all dinners, Ryan's includes unlimited trips to the all you can eat bakery dessert bar and complimentary coffee. This is true regardless of whether or not you choose the Mega Bar. Similar to the Mega Bar, the dessert bar includes a wide assortment of foods, like pie, cookies, ice cream, cake, pudding, etc. They also have some specially- marked sugar free selections for those who are trying to watch their intake of sweets.
Nutritional Value:
Considering the extensive selections on the menu, getting the right nutritional balance is pretty much up to the individual. If you want to watch your fat intake, there are more than enough selections to choose from that are low in fat. If you want to indulge, you will have no problem finding plenty of good foods to fill you up.
If you want to visit Ryan's, but you don't like the temptation of the all you can eat buffet, then you can select a grilled meat item from Ryan's "Sensible Choice" menu. There are three selections: grilled chicken, grilled sirloin, and grilled salmon. The grilled chicken has just 183 calories and 4 grams of fat; the grilled sirloin has 239 calories and 9.5 grams of fat; and the grilled salmon has 227 calories and 7 grams of fat.
Service/Atmosphere:
Ryan's restaurants are very large inside, with room to accomodate a couple hundred customers. The parking lots are always very large, too. The ceiling is elevated, and the Mega Bar is the focus of attention, located right in the center of each restaurant. When you first enter Ryan's, you stand in a cafeteria- style waiting line, to place your order and get your drink. You are given a receipt and you then take your tray and go to a table. While you are getting your food, the waitress comes around and checks your order, on your receipt, and refills your beverage.
The service is very prompt and courteous. If you get the Mega Bar, you are serving your own food, of course, so there isn't much interaction with the restaurant personnel. But I am always impressed at how Ryan's waitresses are so quick to fill your glass with more beverage, even without you asking for it. They know that customers are going to need plenty of beverages to wash down all of that food, so they continuously fill your glass.
In my area, Ryan's Steakhouses do not offer any discount coupons. I don't think they really need to, considering the relatively low cost of the Mega Bar.
Final Thoughts:
Ryan's Steakhouse is a great place to go when your appetite is strong and your wallet is tight. I recommend going here only if you are really, really hungry. The Mega Bar will fill you to the brim and beyond. If you are not that hungry, it isn't worth it. Dieters should avoid Ryan's completely, because the temptation to overeat is just too strong. You might think you can control yourself, but once you get there and see all that good food, just waiting to be eaten, I guarantee you will eat more than you expect to!
Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews of Other Full- Service Restaurants:
American Style Food:
Denny’s
Hooters
Perkins
Waffle House
Damon’s
Steak ‘n Shake
Cracker Barrel
Frisch’s
Max & Erma’s
Golden Corral
Shoney’s
Bob Evans
Hard Rock Cafe
Outback Steak House
Friendly’s
Red Lobster
Texas Road House
Bill Knapp’s
Ground Round
Fricker’s
Hops
Applebee’s
O’Charley’s
BW-3
Ponderosa
IHOP
Ruby Tuesday
Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q
Famous Dave’s
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Cafe
Italian:
Olive Garden
Carrabba’s
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
Mexican
Chi- Chi’s
Cozymel’s
Chipotle
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.