This was our first visit and I had a gift certificate for a free meal.
(I was required to show my drivers license to verify that the gift
certificate was really for me and that I wasn't scamming them)

We chose a bad time. I guess everyone was taking their kids home
from the Mall or something because the place was crammed with families
with strollers, carry cots, and toddlers (all had a voice!). The
place had only a few vacant tables. I thought the price was quite
high for a buffet of this type. The weekend meal was $13.99.

I chose the current specials of pecan crusted fish, golden deep
fried shrimp and carved lemon rosemary steak and the scallops skewers.
(I don't remember the kind of fish or steak). Every item but the
scallops were outstanding. Juicy, tender, hot, fresh and not
overcooked. The scallops were an education. There were 6 or 8 of
them on a wooden skewer, they were grilled. The scallops each were
about the size of a kidney bean, maybe a smidge larger -- no joking or
exaggeration -- really. Of course they were overcooked, dry and
tasteless. How could they not be. I didn't know that scallops came
that small and if they did that it was legal to harvest them at that
size. I mean, it's the killing of babies, right?

The steak was about 1.5 inches thick and rare in the true meaning of
rare (hot and dark pink) My husband made the comment that he never
eats or likes rare meat but that this steak was really, really good.
If I hadn't been full, I would have gone back for more shrimp and
fish. I have never been routinely successful in getting the outside
of those two crispy and still able to keep the inside moist.
Congratulations to the deep fryer cook!

The rest of the food at Golden Corral was so-so and really picked over
due to the rush of the crowd. The staff was doing their best but they
were overwhelmed. So I really can't judge the salads, and desserts as
those tables were destroyed and I wasn't willing to wait. As we were
leaving things were beginning to calm down.
I think, personally, that Applebees (a sit-down restaurant) is a
better value, dollar for dollar. Plus you get table service and real
eating utensils (the minimal size and weight of the utensils given at
GC definitely limits the idea of anyone wanting to steal them)

My husband really liked the food. I'd rather go some place else.
Janet US