Going on vacation- Golden Corral

janjunie
janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
edited November 21 in Food and Nutrition
In two weeks the family and I are going on a little road trip around Washington state. We are from Canada and don't have nearly as many cool restaurants as you Americans. We are staying at a hotel that has continental hot breakfast, for the price of the hotel this is unheard of where I live.....so I'm looking forward to it.
So we'll be passing by a Golden Corral restaurant....I've never been, but have seen the commercials. My daughter is turning 7 that week and all she cares about is the cotton candy and chocolate fountain. I can't eat everything, but wanted to know what is the better food to try. I don't eat pork, beef or poultry but anything else is fair game and the dessert section will not be off limits. Calories be damned, if it fits in my stomach and I can still walk straight I'm eating it :).
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Replies

  • DuckReconMajor
    DuckReconMajor Posts: 434 Member
    edited July 2015
    Heh, typically there's nothing special at Golden Corral. It's the McDonald's of buffet restaurants essentially. Depending on which one you go to you might end up getting some pretty sub-par food.

    That said, my favorite thing to do at such a place is pile spaghetti/spaghetti sauce atop a mountain of rice and making faux Mexican rice.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    To be honest Golden Corral is not a place I would go to if I wanted to eat great food. The food is average at best. Generally cheap and the flavor does not warrant the extravagant use of precious calories. The salad bar might be your best option if you must go there. America has so many better places to spend your money and your calories at that I would say that for someone on vacation, looking to enjoy some good american food. you might want to find out what other options are in the area you will be in and let natives tell you what is really worth the visit. In general I avoid buffet type restaurants as much as possible. I have worked in a few. While I don't find that the behind the scenes stuff is always worrisome the dining out public can be pretty darned disgusting.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited July 2015
    Golden Corral gives me a cleanse for the rest of the night. I would skip it.
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,721 Member
    Please do not spend any vacation time at Golden Corral. Literally almost anything would be better.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    All of the above are accurate representations.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    Golden Corral is not great food, nor a good example of the restaurants in Washington!

    Download Yelp or something like that and see what's around you on your trip, see the ratings and the reviews. As a general rule stay away from chains.

    ANYWAY if you do go there, salad bar, things that are baked instead of fried, skip anything creamy, but enjoy yourself.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    No, G.C. is not gourmet fare, but our kids love it too and will gladly eat a balanced meal to get at the chocolate fountain & desserts. Unfortunately, I would have recommended that you stay with the grilled meats for an entree, but it sounds like those are off the table. There are usually seafood options, and the last time we went (over a year ago) they had these good crab cake sliders. There will be plenty of fresh fruits & veggies. I think they might have nutritional info on at least some items on their website.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Honestly, I can't recommend a single thing at Golden Coral...I think the last time I went was about 10 years ago...no bueno.
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    Golden Corral gives me a cleanse for the rest of the night. I would skip it.

    Lol
  • North44
    North44 Posts: 359 Member
    My daughter is 10 and totally in love with the chocolate fountain so I can relate. Keep your expectations in check and you'll be fine- as in don't expect fine dining, lol. When I go I get a salad, and then pick one section to get a balanced meal from. I don't just pick a bunch of random food from different areas. I pick a piece of fish, some rice and a veggie for example. Then I get a small dessert- maybe a couple of chocolate covered strawberries.

    Have fun on your vacation!
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    Thanks for the info everyone. I'm not expecting spectacular food, we'll be gone for a week and this is one meal at one restaurant. I have 3 kids and I think this will be a fun place the family will enjoy. I don't care about going over my calories at all and will be going to other cafés, restaurants, fast food places, trader joes etc throughout the week. I have the yelp app and use it regularly. This isn't our first trip to the US, will just be our first trip to GC.
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    North44 wrote: »
    My daughter is 10 and totally in love with the chocolate fountain so I can relate. Keep your expectations in check and you'll be fine- as in don't expect fine dining, lol. When I go I get a salad, and then pick one section to get a balanced meal from. I don't just pick a bunch of random food from different areas. I pick a piece of fish, some rice and a veggie for example. Then I get a small dessert- maybe a couple of chocolate covered strawberries.

    Have fun on your vacation!

    :smiley: thanks
  • North44
    North44 Posts: 359 Member
    janjunie wrote: »
    North44 wrote: »
    My daughter is 10 and totally in love with the chocolate fountain so I can relate. Keep your expectations in check and you'll be fine- as in don't expect fine dining, lol. When I go I get a salad, and then pick one section to get a balanced meal from. I don't just pick a bunch of random food from different areas. I pick a piece of fish, some rice and a veggie for example. Then I get a small dessert- maybe a couple of chocolate covered strawberries.

    Have fun on your vacation!

    :smiley: thanks

    You're welcome- you'll enjoy it- and your kids will love you for it!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited July 2015
    Depending on the neighborhood, the Golden Corral can be a very different place. Most kids love going there. I used to go about every other month. I preferred their breakfast, but the kids preferred dinner.

    The food isn't terrible, but most of it isn't anything to rave about. A lot of grease. A lot of fat on the meat. The only thing I remember being very disappointed in was the cobbler because I love cobbler and it's easy to make, but they manage to do it poorly. I'd just skip it. And they always seem to have just run out of whatever I want, but that's life.

    They have a salad bar. I don't know how good it is because I wasn't salading back then. They also have very yummy honey butter or margarine. I'm not sure how many calories are in that stuff, but it's tasty on the big buns.

    I hope you...and especially your kids...have a good time. :)
  • greekyogurtandpuppies
    greekyogurtandpuppies Posts: 81 Member
    I haven't been recently, but I love Golden Corral! I think their salad bar is fantastic. Enjoy your road trip!
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    I have only been to GC once. The food was absolutely disgusting and the clientele was just as bad.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I haven't been there for years because dh & I loathe buffets and it is always super busy and loud.
    I recall there being a very large salad bar, steak and desserts. Pretty standard buffet restaurant foods.
    goldencorral.com/menu/
  • andrikosDE
    andrikosDE Posts: 383 Member
    GC is the walmart of "restaurants". Avoid.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    'Have driven past it a million times. There are so many other options.
  • DuckReconMajor
    DuckReconMajor Posts: 434 Member
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    I haven't been there for years because dh & I loathe buffets and it is always super busy and loud.
    I recall there being a very large salad bar, steak and desserts. Pretty standard buffet restaurant foods.
    goldencorral.com/menu/
    oh man it didnt occur to me that they might have nutrition info online. now golden corral seems like an exciting challenge. plan your meal and learn how to estimate the portions beforehand.
  • myheartsabattleground
    myheartsabattleground Posts: 2,040 Member
    Golden Corral is BAE
  • sharonmrp
    sharonmrp Posts: 3 Member
    I am also from Canada, we live right on the border for Washington State so we go down a few times a year. Depending on where you are going there are lots of great restaurants to chose from. I believe there is a Golden Coral around the Marysville area, (west coast, above Seattle). I haven't eaten at that one. We did eat at one in Florida last year and it was great food. Also the restaurant was spotless and one of the better buffet style restaurants we have tried over the years. At that time I wasn't counting calories so I wasn't looking for diet approved food, but sure you could find something that would fit the bill.

    Go enjoy your holiday, the nice part about travelling and eating in the states a lot of the restaurants have the calorie right on the menu, makes it easy to follow the diet.
  • DuckReconMajor
    DuckReconMajor Posts: 434 Member
    sharonmrp wrote: »
    Go enjoy your holiday, the nice part about travelling and eating in the states a lot of the restaurants have the calorie right on the menu, makes it easy to follow the diet.

    This is mostly chain restaurants, but yeah a lot of them do. Is this not a thing in Canada?
  • sharonmrp
    sharonmrp Posts: 3 Member
    No, you don't see that in Canada. I can't think of any fast food or any other restaurant that has the nutritional info posted on the menu board on the menus themselves. But think there are changes in that line coming. But a lot of the restaurants websites to have a link to all the info you need.
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    Golden Corral as a vacation destination I have seen it all


    I can't knock it, actually. I've never been to one. I would suggest Yelp or checking out local newspaper sites for better suggestions, though.
  • withoutasaddle
    withoutasaddle Posts: 191 Member
    I love Golden Corral
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    When I think of Golden Corral it is the place where people are very over weight and eat so much food, they sweat while they eat.
  • tekkiechikk
    tekkiechikk Posts: 375 Member
    GC has all the best of the worst kinds of food... lots of delicious, deep fried badness but a load of it definitely isn't heart-smart or healthy. Drink a lot of water to fill you up... the salad bar (like most salad bars at any given chain restaurant) is a mix of evils... stick with the fresh veg and fruits and you'll be fine. Avoid the mayonnaise based products and anything glistening with oil.

    Check their website for the menu. http://www.goldencorral.com/menu/

    Don't let this derail you and have a great vacation!!
  • wearmi1
    wearmi1 Posts: 291 Member
    If you and your family are coming down to Washington via I-5 south from the Canadian border there are several casinos that have good food if you really want a buffet. The Tulalip Casino is right next to the Seattle Premium Outlets and it has really good food. Certainly something for everyone. Otherwise you can't beat the food scene in Seattle. So many local restaurants with amazing food. Pike Place is also a mecca of amazing fresh things to eat!
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    for the price, the steak at my local is pretty good, especially if I feel like eating meat until I nearly want to puke (rare, but occasionally).

    "good" choices are available but yeah, typically a cheap version of many American restaurant standards.
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