The buffet is alive and well at Golden Corral! But before you go, make sure you have the right strategy to leave your mouth, stomach, and wallet feeling happy.
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00:00The buffet is alive and well at Golden Corral, but before you go, make sure you have the
00:05right strategy to leave your mouth, stomach, and wallet feeling happy.
00:11All buffets are subject to one big problem.
00:13The food on the hot bar has been made in large batches and has thus been sitting there for
00:18a while.
00:19This allows buffets to offer a truly shocking amount of options.
00:22But unfortunately, it also means that the food isn't exactly the freshest.
00:26Still, if you know where to look, you can spot some relatively fresh finds.
00:31One of the best options at Golden Corral is the signature sirloin steak.
00:35It's made to order, which means it's fresh and hot when it gets to you.
00:38This also allows you to pick how well done you'd like your steak, though one drawback
00:42is that the steak isn't usually available for lunch.
00:44Instead, it's offered after 4 p.m., every day except Sunday, when it's served after
00:4911 a.m.
00:50You can also head to the salad bar to prepare some fresh veggies to pair with your delicious
00:54steak.
00:55Some salad and a few pieces of bread is a great way to start a meal, but don't fall
00:59into the trap of filling up on them.
01:01A common tactic that buffet-style restaurants use to keep their profits up is enticing customers
01:06with cheap and filling foods so that you won't eat as much of the more expensive options.
01:11And Golden Corral is no different.
01:13At the beginning of the buffet, you'll find the salad bar, and then each successive station
01:17starts with a nice selection of carbs, like bread and pasta.
01:21Again, it's delicious, but also cheap.
01:24We recommend walking through all of the stations before getting your plate and loading up.
01:28Take stock of some of the higher-end items that interest you, and then and only then
01:32fill your plate with the cheaper options that you really want.
01:36Throughout Golden Corral, there is a selection of plates and bowls, some big and some small.
01:41While each is placed in its own specific section, there's nothing stopping you from grabbing
01:45a particular plate from one area and using it in another.
01:49For example, the ice cream machine offers incredibly small dishes, but if you have plenty
01:54of room left for dessert, just head over to the soup area and grab a bigger bowl.
01:58Also, there are bigger spoons by the soup bowls, so if you find the tiny ice cream spoons
02:03to be insufficient, go ahead and grab a soup spoon.
02:06The dessert plates and main plates are also different sizes.
02:09If you want to try a lot of things, grab a smaller dessert plate and use it for the main
02:13buffet.
02:14This will help you limit your portion size so that you can sample as much as you want.
02:18Alternatively, if dessert is more your thing, then grab a dinner plate and go to town.
02:23I hope you saved room for dessert!"
02:26Timing is everything at Golden Corral.
02:29The later in the day you visit, the more expensive it'll be.
02:32The switchover between lunch and dinner happens at 4 p.m.
02:35While that might be pretty early for most people, you could certainly arrive at 3.55
02:39p.m., pay for lunch, and then stay for dinner.
02:42If you are willing to eat an early dinner like this, this will save you about $5 per
02:46person.
02:47It also allows you to take advantage of the sirloin without having to pay sirloin prices.
02:52Another note when it comes to timing, keep an eye out for rotating trays, as you can
02:56get the newest and freshest sides by watching for the chafing trays to be replaced.
03:01Nowadays, pretty much every restaurant has an app and reward system, and if you're looking
03:06to save a few dollars, it's worth signing up for Golden Corrals.
03:10Once you sign up and download the app, it keeps track of how much money you spend so
03:13that you earn a point for every dollar spent.
03:16At 100 points, you get a $10 reward.
03:19A dinner, meal, and an additional drink costs about $20, depending on your location, so
03:24you only need to go five times before your first reward.
03:28Sometimes Golden Corral will run sign-up specials that offer an additional discount on your
03:32first order.
03:33Even if you don't plan on visiting often, a sign-up reward is always a nice way to save
03:37some cash.
03:38What's up, money?
03:39What it is, bro?
03:40You straight?
03:41Everyone loves money
03:44Golden Corral offers to-go boxes that you can fill with whatever you want.
03:49This isn't an all-you-can-eat situation, so instead of one set price, you pay per pound.
03:53The nice thing about the to-go option is that you don't have to worry about what time of
03:57day you visit.
03:58Prices depend on location, but you can expect to pay about $9 per pound.
04:02This is a great option if you're trying to feed multiple people who all have different
04:06tastes or if you're someone who doesn't eat a lot of food in one sitting.
04:10A to-go box allows you to get exactly what you want, and you can save the rest for later.
04:16But if you're especially short on time, many Golden Corrals offer a take-out option where
04:20they package food just like at a traditional restaurant.
04:24The price of a meal at Golden Corral is only for the food.
04:28That is to say, it's all-you-can-eat, but not all-you-can-drink.
04:33Non-water drinks are going to cost you, and frankly, they're not worth the expense.
04:37Golden Corral does offer free refills, but this isn't a self-serve situation like the
04:40rest of the restaurant, as an employee has to refill your cup for you.
04:45Furthermore, if you get a drink that you really enjoy, chances are you might go a little wild
04:49and really fill up on it, which leaves less space in your stomach for the food.
04:54Water, on the other hand, is free and less filling.
04:58If you really have a hankering for soda, we recommend going to the grocery store instead
05:02and buying a two-liter bottle for the same price.