All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants: Great Deal, Or Bad Policy?
[Photo: Robyn Lee]
In the United States, all-you-can-eat restaurant franchises are hardly a novel concept, but in the UK, they're more of a new arrival. In a piece about the new British buffet chain Taybarns, BBC News asks whether all-you-can-eat buffets encourage excessive eating.
With warnings that the UK is following the US with rising levels of obesity, isn't this sort of dining experience a cause for concern?
"When I come here I pig out," one diner is quoted as saying. "I've had two puddings already. I'll be regretting it when I go on the scales next week." Others echo similar sentiments.
Sure, you might fill up a plate with more than you need, when you've already paid for it. But do these sorts of restaurants actually constitute more of a health problem than any other? I'm inclined to say that enough dirt-cheap dining options exist in our world today—McDonalds and 7-11, I'm looking at you—that all-you-can-eat restaurants, though perhaps encouraging momentary indulgence, won't have a large-scale impact on health. And portions are so gigantic these days that one might not eat any more at a buffet than they would at any other restaurant meal.
What do you think? Are all-you-can-eat restaurants a bad policy? Or just a decent way to get a cheap, filling meal?
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38 Comments:
People aren't fat because they go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant every once in awhile to indulge and have a good time. They're fat because they go to all-you-can-eat restaurants every day.
Self control does wonders for weight-loss. What ever happened to personal responsibility? I really do not want the government telling me what I can and can not eat.
FlavorCountry at 7:22PM on 10/27/09
I don't think it's a bad policy as much as it teases our urge to eat vast amounts of food. From an anthropological standpoint, the large quantity of food in human societies is relatively new. Naturally, because our bodies are used to eating whatever and whenever we can just to survive, knowing that one could eat "as much as he/she wants" would send one's anticipation into a flurry. My biggest problem with all you can eat places is the lack of food quality. Other than that, just be conscious about how much you consume.
pastry262 at 7:27PM on 10/27/09
I agree that the government should not interfere with a person's choice of eating. The teasing of our urges to eat excessively is a good description because most of the time, as least in my experience, my eyes are bigger than my stomach, and I will overeat. I'm learning more and more (at the program I am attending) that salt, sugar, and fat are addictive substances that make people crave food and eat too much. These may be banned next if the fat tax passes. I'm also trying to adapt a different outlook toward eating...everything in moderation.
fatitalianbroad at 7:36PM on 10/27/09
AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL!
Goes against everything I believe in as a serious eater--quantity over quality, so many different flavors from a hodge-podge of cuisines yet nothing really well-executed, a reward system for those who eat more rather than less (more value), no ambiance, no freshness, and the best of absolutely nothing. Mediocre, processed food and lots of it--just what the world doesn't need.
I'm not going to even bring up seeing little gnats come from a salad bar when I had to eat in a cafeteria one summer, and I've heard stories about people with compulsive eating disorders/ bulimia really abusing the all you can eat policy....
HeartofGlass at 7:36PM on 10/27/09
To each his own. You could ask the same question of fast food joint, chinese take-out joint, ice cream joint, hot dog joint , pizza joint,etc. Everyone has one that they like,and several that they don't. And everyone is glad that the one they like is there.
dmcavanagh at 7:47PM on 10/27/09
All-u-can-eat puts the value in the consumer's control, and who doesn't want more value for their money? If one were to examine the eater's perception of the price of what they actually ate vs. what they paid for, I'd bet that they would say that they ate more than what they paid for every single time.
finewinendine at 8:03PM on 10/27/09
all-you-can-eat is pretty ubiquitous in Japan, too (especially yakiniku and cakes. yes, cakes) - though not as cheap and food quality tend to be pretty good.
Here in the US I'd go to an Indian place for lunch buffet so I can sample small amount of everything (often eventually overeat)- then I can go back for dinner and order things I like.
hmw0029 at 8:06PM on 10/27/09
I stopped in at a pizza place to pick up a personal-sized pizza and they were just opening up their lunch time buffet. I was amazed at the sight. People paid their $7 or $8 bucks and then loaded up their plates repeatedly, some of them eating probably the equivalent of 2 or 3 pizzas. And they hit the salad bar, too, piling globs of salad dressing on top of their "healthy" salad. Obviously, it's a deal. I paid the same amount and got one little pizza - maybe the equivalent of two slices from the buffet offerings. They ate as if it was their last meal. Maybe it was the last meal of the day and they were just filling up on cheap food. And of course the same thing happens, just in a slightly different way, when a hotel offers the Mother's Day brunch. Not my idea of a good meal. I agree with HeartofGlass - awful!
Bunnee at 8:07PM on 10/27/09
HeartofGlass got it right. The word buffet makes me wary of a restaurant. As do other things thanks to a certain Mr. Bourdain.
masalha at 8:17PM on 10/27/09
All I know is my favorite Chinese restaurant as a kid got a buffet around 1998. The food quality went down for everything, not just the buffet foods. It makes me sad to say they went out of business after a year of having a buffet.
Nosey at 8:21PM on 10/27/09
It all depends. I've been to places where the buffet is cheap and the food quality is exactly what you would expect (poor!). I've visited restaurants that had pricey buffets and were barely any better than their deep-discount brethren in terms of quality. And yet there are also those places with reasonable prices with some astronomically good dishes, although certainly not all of what they offer can be considered delicious (or healthy!). In the end it's just like searching out any other restaurant and giving it a shot.
Do I eat more than I do otherwise when I hit up a buffet? Let me just say this; during grad school I used to walk everywhere in order to get things done, to eat, or to do grocery shopping. You learn ~very~ quickly that buffet + additional walking = SENSIBLE EATING REQUIRED. That means picking out what you know you like, hitting up dessert before you think you should, and ending well before you think you're done. Relax a few minutes, maybe check the restroom, get some walking in.
If you're ever in doubt if you're eating too much, walk home from the buffet instead of taking a bus/cab/car/other ride. Heck, bike if you want! If you feel like you want to keel over and die, you may have to cut back a bit. Not much, but a bit. ;)
First Chair at 8:23PM on 10/27/09
Unless it's at the Ritz or someplace I KNOW takes food safety seriously, I don't go near an all you can eat bar. Not only is the food often held too long or held at improper temperatures, but you never know who is touching the food with their germy hands, mouth, etc.
All I can think of is the week we spent talking about the amount of bacteria on a fecal smear in Food Safety and Sanitation class in culinary school. G.R.O.S.S.
WickedGoodDinner at 8:52PM on 10/27/09
I think all-you-can-eat is more a symptom than the cause of the obesity epidemic. I think this would not be so appealing if the consumers who go to them (repeatedly, not just for the occasional night of gluttony) didn't already have an altered attitude towards food. I just don't understand how they are economically viable without violating all kinds of health and hygiene standards; if anything, that should be grounds for shutting them down.
firni at 9:07PM on 10/27/09
The all you could eat Chinese buffet kept us alive in college. Of course it was really only affordable on our budget because we would discretely leave the premises with as many freezer bags full of left overs we could carry.
bobbob at 9:44PM on 10/27/09
I've gone to buffets that cost $5 to $40/person. I think I eat less when I go to buffets...and the price doesn't dictate how much I'll eat.
I've mentioned this several times before, but I think that buffets showcase what a restaurant has on their menu without a person having to make a commitment. If I think what's on their buffet is absolute crap and/or their service sucks, I won't bother going returning.
Cassaendra at 10:00PM on 10/27/09
When I go to a buffet I take the smallest piece I can find or cut one small. I like to taste new things not gorge. I like to cruise on ships and do the same thing there. When I go to fast food, really a rare, rare accurance, I order kids meal size and don't finish it. Personal responsibility matters, I can eat all I want at home and don't why would I do it at a buffet? I have seen people, especially on ships, eat massive amounts because they paid for it, personal responsibility matters. I'm not fat because I care about me, others don't, stop blaming food availability, have self control. I am so sick of people blaming their weakness on someone else.
DCLSweetspot at 10:22PM on 10/27/09
I LOVE the idea of a buffet... that said, the last time I've been to one was over 5 years ago. And, even when I thought I would go back for more--because I could! and had paid for it!--I never did. One plateful is typically more than enough.
Onepot
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Onepot at 11:08PM on 10/27/09
If the food tastes good, why not? I stayed at a resort in Panama that had the best buffet ever: mostly local dishes, with fresh fruit, vegetables, great bread and all sorts of condiments. The desserts were too heavy for my taste -- I don't like sweet, frosted cake to begin with, much less in 100-degree weather -- but otherwise, we chose the buffet over the à la carte all the time.
piccola at 11:24PM on 10/27/09
one thing i noticed that really surprised me when i visited saigon, vietnam is that vietnamese people LOVE buffets, go often, and there are quite a few at every price point. however, i'd probably judge the obesity rate in saigon to be -10% or thereabouts. the difference between their way of all-you-can-eat and ours is that they go to a buffet for the variety of food, NOT for the quantity. whenever i went, it seemed like people actually do only stick to 1-2 plates of food and leave satisfied to have tasted small amounts of 4-5 different items. in the US, i've actually witnessed friends get double-digit servings at hometown buffet ("popular" buffet chain in california). it definitely changed my perspective on the buffet.
annlikesart at 12:34AM on 10/28/09
I hate buffets, but I would NEVER think of discussing them as part of "social policy".
That snotty articles like this get written at all, and discussed seriously is the problem. Proves again what a nanny state those in the UK live in.
I can't stand Vegas, but this sort of article makes we want to go live there among the free.
peekpoke at 12:48AM on 10/28/09
I just can't handle the food quality at the average all-you-can eat chain... Quantity is no issue when you don't want to eat it at all.
Salty mashed potatoes, ambiguous soggy meat dishes, and weak attempts at exotic cuisine that still manage to taste like fast-food fried chicken... Noooo thank you.
Nickiter at 12:57AM on 10/28/09
My father took me to a Chinese buffet place for my birthday. I did not anticipate having sushi, oysters and Peking duck.
Blue387 at 4:29AM on 10/28/09
I'm thinking of pot-luck suppers at church, which in effect are all you can eat buffets. People tend to go through once and eat about the amount they usually eat, which is more for some than others. Some will go through for seconds of a few things they liked a lot. Is it that they're surrounded by people they know? Does the anonymity of a restaurant deal allow people to pig out?
lemonfair at 5:10AM on 10/28/09
I tend to like all-you-can-eat buffets because I don't have to commit to one dish - I can take as little or as much as I like and find out what things I enjoy.
I'd say that I probably eat less at a buffet than a restaurant where I have 2 - 3 courses, and luckily I don't find it hard to stop eating when I'm full (I found that out the hard way when I was about 5).
nibblepig at 6:43AM on 10/28/09
I call these joints "troughs". When we fed the hogs ,it was always in a trough. It is defined as "a long shallow recepticle for animal feed". Same as "all you can eat buffets" Nuff said.
jfitz at 7:15AM on 10/28/09
It can be a great deal if the overall quality of the food is good. Some people like variety. The ones who are there to pig out would pig out regardless of where they were eating.
My favorite all you can eat deal was at a Japanese restaurant near where my mom lives. At lunch, the buffet was set up with hot appetizers and sushi. The teppanyaki station was set up for "choose your own" stir frying, so you could pick out a protein and some veggies and the station attendants would cook your meal for you. I think they were charging $8.95. I loved that!
Amandarama at 7:25AM on 10/28/09
i'm not afraid to admit that if i go to an all-you-can-eat joint, i'm eating all i can eat! which is way more than what i would normally eat. and i'd bet that most others do the same. so yeah, i agree and think if you eat at these places regularly you'll probably end up overeating.
_greenbean at 9:28AM on 10/28/09
I go to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet about once ever 2-3 months. My boyfriend and I go for the crab legs and sushi. Not to mention the Peking Duck, oysters on the half-shell, shrimp cocktail etc. Yes, there is the standbys like sweet and sour chicken and pork, fried everything, and crappy desserts but we bypass that. Since it's crab legs and you have to work for your meal we don't overeat but we do eat until we're full. I see nothing wrong with higher-end buffets. As a kid my parents would shell out $45.00 a person for an all you can eat Sunday Mother's Day Brunch which was to die for.
aem8770 at 10:01AM on 10/28/09
I like all you can eat Chinese restaurants because I like to have a few of my favourite dishes and usually I find that you have to order several big plates of dishes at Chinese restaurants just to get what you want.
toreh03 at 10:40AM on 10/28/09
Yeah:
I make a point to ensure I'm weary comfortable pants when I head into an all-u-can-eat location...so therefore: encourages the wrong behaviour IMHO :)
Like many other things: alirght in moderation I guess.
It's sort-of important to consider the overall "values" of the business too...for obvious reasons
hungrychristel at 10:48AM on 10/28/09
I haven't been to a buffet in over a year because I can't eat the amount of food they lay out and you can't take it with you! And yes, if you eat buffet every day you will weigh far more than if you go once a year. I don't think the government should regulate our eating habits. I think that each person makes a choice on what they eat. Some, like me, actually have a hormone inbalance. So, judging what is out there isn't fair to anyone, either the people eating or the establishment that is serving the food.
queenbleu at 11:15AM on 10/28/09
Amen @peekpoke! This is really a pretty ridiculous generalization. There are probably plenty of reasons that people go to buffets and not all of them involve a disgusting lack of self-control.
My tiny 80-something year old-great-grandmother's favorite places to go out were all buffets. When I was in college, we'd occassionally go out for a Sunday lunch. Because she lived alone and mostly cooked for herself, she loved that she could have a little bit of a few different things--particularly things that aren't easily cooked for one.
Also, I grew up in a very rural farm/ranch community (100+ miles from the closest Golden Arches). We didn't go often, but buffets were an economical way for my parents to feed my three growing (and athletic) teenage brothers.
thehostess at 11:37AM on 10/28/09
Food-quality wise...yes, buffets are sometimes lacking. But it can still be a fun experience. Obesity-wise...people have to take responsibility for their own lives. You can't blame a buffet. If you can't control yourself, then just avoid buffets. But the government and/or fellow citizens should not be controlling what other people eat.
gramlee at 3:33PM on 10/28/09
Bad, but for different reasons. I don't think they'll make you fat if you have any self control at all. I think they are a hotbed of germs and disgusting people with few, if any, dining manners at all. The first and last time I went to a buffet restaurant, I saw a little girl stick her grimy hand up to the wrist in the chocolate pudding bin. Blech!! Her mother didn't even chastise her or tell the lady at the counter what she did. When I think of all the people that came along and ate that pudding....I can't even think of going back to a buffet now!
elderberry44 at 5:32PM on 10/28/09
I always eat more than I should and the food is seldom as good as an a la carte order. That said I enjoy ethnic buffets to try to new things and find most places are very helpful in explaining things to an old anglo like me.
Before you commit take a look at the people already sitting down to eat. If you don't mind looking like them go ahead and enjoy.
chascates at 5:34PM on 10/28/09
Usually I hate buffets, but no one seems to be mentioning the awesomeness that is a well-done BREAKFAST buffet.
I love spending 1-2 hours on a weekend at a nice hotel breakfast buffet, chatting, reading the paper etc. There's not as much stuff to over-gorge yourself on, and it's difficult to get most of the foods horrifically wrong.
engill at 12:38AM on 10/29/09
Regardless of right or wrong, the market rules and people choose mass quantities of bad food with their dollars.
I can't disagree with it, but I feel bad when I see obese people going into junk buffet's. Part of me thinks the restaurant is feeding their disease. We don't have all you can drink bars for a reason. Maybe we shouldn't have all you can eat restaurants either.
forpolymath at 11:03AM on 10/29/09
The last time I was in Israel I stayed at a hotel that offered a breakfast buffet. The food was nothing less than amazing. They had cheeses and spreads from all over the middle east, a large assortment of fresh baked bread, familiar and exotic fresh fruit, and the most delicious yogurts I can remember having. It was very different from the breakfast buffets I have been to here in the US (less animal fat, less protein, less fried potatoes, less sweetened simple starches). In any case, most of us at that hotel ate smaller portions and seemed to be just as satisfied since the food was so fresh and tasty.
dnk668 at 4:28PM on 11/16/09