Its funny I have never heard of any of these names besides Golden Corral, I only went there once on a class trip to Virginia, and I thought it t was terrible, but buffets gross me out in general, just so wasteful. I dont think we have anyhting of the type up here around NYC, Im guessing that the diners are pretty much the same thing, decent quality food at a good price. In my city, population of 85k, theres about 7 diners within clifton and its surrounding areas alone that I know of, probably much more.
Any Cafeterias Left In Your Area?
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Back in the day (70s-80s), I had many too-large meals at the local Sveden House. Loved that place, but when the gangs began to take over that 'hood and the drug dealers moved in all the good people who could leave did so and the place is a (blank)hole now. The SH has been gone at least 30 years now. I've heard some good-some bad about Golden Corral but I won't bother going there mainly because I'm too old now for all-you-can-eat.
NYC had a Horn & Hardart cafeteria where each item was behind a little glass window that opened when you put in some money. Gone several years ago.
Something like the Horn & Hardart was on 5th Ave. It was a Schrafft's. It was a good cafeteria.
My grandma would take me there in the early '60's.
My grandma would take me there in the early '60's.
Never were around really in Northeast that much except facility like workplace, school or hospitals.
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Edit...I just checked and there are 6 MCL cafeterias around Indianapolis, and there is also Jonathan Byrd's, north of Indy, which is legendary.
I have been to the MCL on 36 and the MCL up by Castleton, both are very good, albeit a tad pricey IMHO. Both have had really good service and everything was very good. You get the food yourself but they come and take you plates away and refill you drinks. I like the whole cafeteria concept. Both MCLs I have been to were very clean and the people working there were all very nice.
I will say that the times we went there were mostly older people in there, though there were some families with smaller children as well. These places are not going to appeal to everyone, but I sure like them.
I will need to check those others mentioned in the Indy area.
Edit...I just checked and there are 6 MCL cafeterias around Indianapolis, and there is also Jonathan Byrd's, north of Indy, which is legendary.
I have been to the MCL on 36 and the MCL up by Castleton, both are very good, albeit a tad pricey IMHO. Both have had really good service and everything was very good. You get the food yourself but they come and take you plates away and refill you drinks. I like the whole cafeteria concept. Both MCLs I have been to were very clean and the people working there were all very nice.
I will say that the times we went there were mostly older people in there, though there were some families with smaller children as well. These places are not going to appeal to everyone, but I sure like them.
I will need to check those others mentioned in the Indy area.
I always loved when I got to the dessert section of the line. There was always colorful jellos with whipped cream.
But yeah I think people just don't have interest in cafeteria's anymore. The Bohemians and hipsters will revive it if they can make it trendy.
But yeah I think people just don't have interest in cafeteria's anymore. The Bohemians and hipsters will revive it if they can make it trendy.
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Originally Posted By: Donald
NYC had a Horn & Hardart cafeteria where each item was behind a little glass window that opened when you put in some money. Gone several years ago.
That's an Automat. From Wikipedia:
"At one time there were 40 Horn & Hardart automats in New York City alone. The last one closed in 1991. Horn and Hardart converted most of its New York City locations to Burger Kings. At the time, the quality of the food was described by some customers as on the decline.
In an attempt to bring back automats in New York City, a company called Bamn! opened a new East Village Dutch-style automat store in 2006, but it closed in 2009."
NYC had a Horn & Hardart cafeteria where each item was behind a little glass window that opened when you put in some money. Gone several years ago.
That's an Automat. From Wikipedia:
"At one time there were 40 Horn & Hardart automats in New York City alone. The last one closed in 1991. Horn and Hardart converted most of its New York City locations to Burger Kings. At the time, the quality of the food was described by some customers as on the decline.
In an attempt to bring back automats in New York City, a company called Bamn! opened a new East Village Dutch-style automat store in 2006, but it closed in 2009."
The cafeterias at the nearby university are open to the public, have been revamped, and are quite phenomenal. There about 10 stations with different specialty foods, from home style to exotic. Salad bar. Sushi bar. Beverage station. All you can eat. Much of the food is prepared fresh. No wonder university tuition and board is so high. But, the emphasis on healthy nutritious food is a good thing. It must be difficult to not gain weight during college.
https://eatatstate.msu.edu/menu/Brody Square/all/2018-01-14 Click on the various stations at this single cafeteria. There are several more: https://eatatstate.msu.edu/
It's fun dining with college students. This past summer, my 5'2" wife sat down with some of the 300 lb. football linemen and gave them some unsolicited advice: told them she was gonna kick their [censored] if they performed like the previous year. It worked!
https://eatatstate.msu.edu/menu/Brody Square/all/2018-01-14 Click on the various stations at this single cafeteria. There are several more: https://eatatstate.msu.edu/
It's fun dining with college students. This past summer, my 5'2" wife sat down with some of the 300 lb. football linemen and gave them some unsolicited advice: told them she was gonna kick their [censored] if they performed like the previous year. It worked!
We used to have locally owned cafeterias, some quite good specializing in seafood in coastal communities here, as well as chains Furr's & Luby's. Only Luby's remains.
Golden Corral and Ryan’s are not cafeterias. They’re food troughs.
1 Golden corral and 2 Valentino's, and maybe 2 or 3 all you can eat Chinese type buffets ( not sure the name as they change names often) is about it here in Lincoln NE. Used to have Old country buffet which IMO was the best of the bunch but they went under a decade ago. We were in Jackson TN back in Sept for my in laws 50th wedding anniversary and went to a place called Brook Shaw Old Country Store, they had an excellent breakfast cafe. Not great for the arteries but really great tasting food, pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravey, grits.. all the good stuff. Wish they had one up here... currently nothing comes close. Cracker barrel is OK and has similar menu but is not a buffet.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
The department store thread got me thinking about another type of establishment that’s going away - the cafeteria.
How about the cafeterias that were in the department stores?
Our Zellers used to have a bit of a cafeteria. Woolco stores did, and I liked theirs. The Bay used to have a malt shop.
K-Mart had them and they had decent food. Always people in them. Zellers did as well as they took over the K-Marts around here. Now Zellers is gone and so are the cafeterias.
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
The department store thread got me thinking about another type of establishment that’s going away - the cafeteria.
How about the cafeterias that were in the department stores?
K-Mart had them and they had decent food. Always people in them. Zellers did as well as they took over the K-Marts around here. Now Zellers is gone and so are the cafeterias.
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Golden Corral and Ryan’s are not cafeterias. They’re food troughs.
Touché, touché! Goldon Corral is the Walmart of restaurants. In fact, they should merge and have a Goldan Corral inside every Walmart.
Golden Corral and Ryan’s are not cafeterias. They’re food troughs.
Touché, touché! Goldon Corral is the Walmart of restaurants. In fact, they should merge and have a Goldan Corral inside every Walmart.
Originally Posted By: BJD78
1 Golden corral and 2 Valentino's, and maybe 2 or 3 all you can eat Chinese type buffets ( not sure the name as they change names often) is about it here in Lincoln NE. Used to have Old country buffet which IMO was the best of the bunch but they went under a decade ago. We were in Jackson TN back in Sept for my in laws 50th wedding anniversary and went to a place called Brook Shaw Old Country Store, they had an excellent breakfast cafe. Not great for the arteries but really great tasting food, pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravey, grits.. all the good stuff. Wish they had one up here... currently nothing comes close. Cracker barrel is OK and has similar menu but is not a buffet.
I’ve been to the place you’re talking about in Jackson. It’s great. But neither it nor the others you mention are cafeterias. They’re all you can eat buffets. Big difference. The food at cafeterias is usually higher quality than an all you can eat buffet, for obvious reasons.
1 Golden corral and 2 Valentino's, and maybe 2 or 3 all you can eat Chinese type buffets ( not sure the name as they change names often) is about it here in Lincoln NE. Used to have Old country buffet which IMO was the best of the bunch but they went under a decade ago. We were in Jackson TN back in Sept for my in laws 50th wedding anniversary and went to a place called Brook Shaw Old Country Store, they had an excellent breakfast cafe. Not great for the arteries but really great tasting food, pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravey, grits.. all the good stuff. Wish they had one up here... currently nothing comes close. Cracker barrel is OK and has similar menu but is not a buffet.
I’ve been to the place you’re talking about in Jackson. It’s great. But neither it nor the others you mention are cafeterias. They’re all you can eat buffets. Big difference. The food at cafeterias is usually higher quality than an all you can eat buffet, for obvious reasons.
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Golden Corral and Ryan’s are not cafeterias. They’re food troughs.
Touché, touché! Goldon Corral is the Walmart of restaurants. In fact, they should merge and have a Goldan Corral inside every Walmart.
LOL. Yep! It would enable a lot of people to kill 2 birds with 1 stone!
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Golden Corral and Ryan’s are not cafeterias. They’re food troughs.
Touché, touché! Goldon Corral is the Walmart of restaurants. In fact, they should merge and have a Goldan Corral inside every Walmart.
LOL. Yep! It would enable a lot of people to kill 2 birds with 1 stone!
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