Detroit area buffets

[detroitbred]

Buffets are one of the best [[ ot worst ) places to "people watch"! I could forget to put food in my own mouth because it is hanging open wide.....in horror and amazment at what people have on their plates. I can only imagine what goes in the dumpster at the end of the night...enough to feed a small starving conutry to be sure. We sure do some things to excess in this country.

[MichiganMan]

MGM buffet is the best of the 3 casinos. Just ate at the $9.99 Greektown. While the food and the choices are not as great as the MGM, it is well worth the price. I recently ate at sweetwater and my bill for just hot wings no drink just water was about $10. At Greektown I had a lot more choices and could eat as much as I wanted. I am one for quantity over quality everytime. Cheaper the better.

[Khartoum]

Fire Mountain Buffet is quite good. I tend to avoid buffets because I CAN eat a lot of food, but just choose not to...but my boy always enjoyed going over there and hitting up Fire Mountain. Plus they have pictures of beautiful Detroit buildings on the walls, some of them now torn down, so those are extra interesting pictures to look at.

[EMG]

Before leaving the state several years ago, I frequently ate at the Sveden Houses - particularly the one on Harper north of 12 mile in St. Clair Shores - but alas, I understand that one for sure [[and probably all others) have gone out of business.

There was a Chinese buffet that my wife and I REALLY liked - and that was Ming-Wah's, in a strip mall at the northeast corner of 12 Mile and Ryan. Hopefully that's still there. Biggest and best selection of QUALITY items that I've ever seen at any Chinese buffet anywhere.

[jt1]

Oh and to add: Big Boy on Jefferson has [[or used to have) a buffet.

[Melody]

The MGM Grand has the best buffett out of the three casinos, in my opinion. I like it because of variety, more so than the quantity. I've been to the Wednesday night crablegs fest once or twice and I'm always amazed at how people walk around with TWO plates piled high with crab legs, like the resturant is going to run out.

Another good buffett that's new is Fuji Japenese Buffett on John R just south of 14 Mile. For about $20 [[cheaper at lunch) they have dim sum, standard Chinese food, Japanese food, lots of seafood including shrimp tempura and crab legs, it's all all-you-can-eat including the sushi bar! Best buffett sushi there is [[they are constantly make it right there). They also have shabu shabu for an extra cost. Nice atmosphere and full bar. I like it there.

[Detroitnerd]

Indian buffets are among the best, IMHO.

[jt1]

Ghandi in Hamtramck has a buffet

[unclefrank]

I remember eating at a couple of Indian ones, that I don't member the names of, in Troy when I worked out there. They were good, but the food was very rich, and it would have my poor gut in an uproar a few hours later.

[Moetown]

The 10 buck greektown buffet is good if you like roast beef, ham, chicken and meatloaf and mashed potatoes. They also have a good salad bar, everything else is average to below average. Its the best deal in the detroit area at 10 bucks.
It is also open late on friday and saturday till 2am.

The mgm is the best followed by motorcity, but they cost about 24.00.
Motorcity was always the best to me because of the carved turkey and prime rib, but the quality has really slipped since they moved the buffet to the new location.

[1KielsonDrive]

Back to food. What Indian restaurant in the metro-Detroit [[A2 included) area you all would say is the least strong and most palatable for a non-Indian food loving person. In other words, food for a gringo. I never cared much for curry. I worked with an Indian Chef a few years ago who would make the most wonderful Indian food - but it barely had any curry in it. I guess he was trying to appeal to the masses. It went over.

[Ocean2026]

MGM in Vegas is great so I'm not surprised this one is good. I like buffets for the variety but tend to over-eat. Its not a good place to people watch - unless you like very big people. What I hate is some giant - blocking my way to the food while still chewing from her/his last plate.

Is that Indian Buffet good?

[Warrenite84]

For those not familiar with Sign of the Beefcarver, [[NOT a buffet), specializes in REAL carved roast beef. All food items are ala carte and certainly a couple of levels of quality over most buffets;, but not fine steakhouse quality. Baked breaded fish, stuffed chicken, meatloaf, good desert pies, etc.. 50's-60's Colonial motif, popular with retirees but decent nonetheless. $10-15/person.

[[Disclaimer- Beefcarver was my first job back in the early 80's and I got hooked on their French Dip Sandwiches. I still visit occasionally.)

[EMG]

For those not familiar with Sign of the Beefcarver, [[NOT a buffet), specializes in REAL carved roast beef. All food items are ala carte and certainly a couple of levels of quality over most buffets;, but not fine steakhouse quality. Baked breaded fish, stuffed chicken, meatloaf, good desert pies, etc.. 50's-60's Colonial motif, popular with retirees but decent nonetheless. $10-15/person.

[[Disclaimer- Beefcarver was my first job back in the early 80's and I got hooked on their French Dip Sandwiches. I still visit occasionally.)

Wow. I thought the last of the Beefcarvers had closed down. I didn't realize any were still left, but Googling it it looks like the Royal Oak and Dearborn locations are still alive and well.

Yes, my family and I went WAAAY back with the Beefcarver - when we first started eating there in the '70s, it was called Sign of the BeefEATER and the Friday surf-and-turf specials featuring roast beef and a lobster tail were only $3.98 - WOW was the parking lot backed up then! We usually ate at the Eight Mile and Kelly location just north of Eastland though in the early 90's when I was dating my [[now) wife who lived in Royal Oak at the time the two of us would go to the Royal Oak location often.

Yes, if one chose wisely it was a great place to get a HEALTHY restaurant meal and a reasonable price.

[Zacha341]

Buffets can be scary and nasty in oh so many ways, but on a budget or for comps they can usually delivery an adequate if not great meal. Several people have mentioned that MGM as a good buffet. I disagree. Of all three [[MGM, Greektown and Motorcity) MGM is the worst IMO.

Named the "Palette" MGM's buffet would be more appropriately called "Lukewarm-de-Nasty". The seating and service is adequate, but the food is horrid for the most part. The meat section consists of poor cut, fat laden, low quality meats, too bloody, poor selection and the trays are not changed enough and are often empty.

I don't expect buffet food to be piping hot, but to many food stations at MGM contain "congealed" old/ cold looking food especially the meats!

The chicken is just ok and a "curry" inspired chicken casserole is very good, but the potatoes and hot veggies are not good at all. MGM's buffet has one of those Asian cook-in-front of you areas, but the cooks seem almost "angry" or bored... and the variety of items to make good bowl meal are poor in variety and quality. BDs Mongolian does a far better job!

The Asian buffet style items are better but nothing remarkable and the rice is just bad and everything is flat room temperature and trays not changed out enough. There was once a sushi bar but that is not present on many days any more.

Now for the seafood section. Again horrid, messy and unkempt. Salmon only barely edible. I cannot comment on the oysters and scallops as I don't eat them but, I began to hate fried shrimp behind going to this buffet. The batter is just burnt sub-standard taste bad and the shrimp itself tastes like it came out of a swamp - LOL! The fried cat fish tastes freezer-burned frozen or tasteless at best except for the "salty" batter. Greektown Casino buffet does a much, much better job at their fried cat fish fillets.

The salads at MGM? Horrid! THE WORST IN TOWN! Half filed servers, sloppy unappealing presentation with the exception of the Asian salad. A good salad bar should be rotated with fresh ingredients regularly and must be kept neat. If you want a good buffet salad, Motorcity is excellent. It's well staffed to keep in neat and well stocked. Their sushi station is adjacent to it and not a tired after thought like the lame mini sushi station at MGM is or was.

Desert? Well it's ok, for cookies and mini mouses and specialty ice cream nice and hand spooned for you, but not enough variety or quantity to say much more about the dessert 'er selection - but I guess as the name "Palette" suggest you just want a bit of this and that, or not. This one started out ok, but is in decline now....

I would suggest Motorcity or Greektown buffet over the MGM buffet.

[LodgeDodger]

[quote]I don't expect buffet food to be piping hot, but to many food stations at MGM contain "congealed" old looking food especially the meats![/quote]

Disgusting.

[Zacha341]

I laughed when you said "loose burger consistency" re. the moussaka at Greek Town! It is that, but I just love it! I know it's not the high road of Greek cuisine but I always go back for a ladle-ful more - making sure I get a slab of the cheese floating therin! LOL! I really like the fried cat fish at GT too. And the pizza is great, especially soon as it come out. Before having pizza at the GT buffet, I NEVER ate pizza at ANY buffet as it was always chucky-cheese lamp-heated "only edible to small kids" style. But Greektown buffet does a good job at it!!

[Zacha341]

I simply adore Indian buffets. Even if you overeat a bit you know it's not all fried, white flour, sugar laden... There was one in Rochester near the Auburn hills border I used to go to... I cannot recall the name. Down the road from Oakland Univ....???

[Zacha341]

Does any one hear recall that Asian buffet called Jumbo's in Troy on Maple rd I think? Did they get eaten-out-of-house and home? I started going there only about 2 years before it shut down... there use to be some mega-large peeps eating there! LOL! The crab legs were a big thing there. I am not a crab leg maniac, but had a few there once or twice. One my favorite things there was their string beans... just perfect. Did they relocate?

Speaking of crab legs Ceasars Casino buffet has them there on one day of the week. They score them and cut them down to shorter sections for easier breaking/ eating... I still avoid crab night... too many people at the trough - appetite killer - LOL! Ceasars buffet has the best friend chicken for a casino buffet. It is called "jackpot chicken"!

[Moetown]

I rated mgm the best in detroit, followed by motorcity, then greektown.
By vegas standards they are all way below average and way over priced.

I always preferred motorcity for the carved turkey and prime rib/roast beef , but quality has slipped since they moved into the new buffet location, and its just too much money.

I would not be a regular at mgm because it costs too much also.

The mgm buffet is 50% off until the end of august, so it is priced closer to the quality
that it really is.

[TJC]

MGM and Caesars Windsor best buffets around!!!!! Motorcity close behind, but still behind. Used to be good. But now, just O.K. Greektown buffet-UUUGGGHHHH!!!! Like eating at a pig trough!!!!!

[CLAUDE G]

I don't really care to eat at any buffets. The only one I will eat at is Pizza Hut only because they put out a fresh pizza every few minutes.

I tried the Pallett Buffett at MGM Grand Casion, just wasn't happy with the selection and even the desert table sucked.

[JTistle1]

I enjoy Capers on Gratiot north of Seven Mile. It's not a buffet, but portions are HUGE, and you order your steak by the ounce. You can order a 25 ounce steak if you want. Great tasting food too.

[canuck]

Lots-o-laughs!

I agree with all of you who mentioned Indian Buffets. Here in Montreal, buffets tend to be the pig-out central variety too. We found a nice Indian english-pub with authentic food in our neighborhood, subtle desserts at a decent 11$. None of the congealed, dried out lukewarm ever. Sahib in Pointe-Claire, only 520 miles from Detroit.

[EastsideQT]

I went to a restaurant for lunch on Jefferson & Mt Elliot over the holidays called Sunday Dinner Company..It's a buffet but unlike most buffet's where the customers are serving themselves they have servers at the buffet who dish out the food. You can go up to the buffet as often as you want. If you don't want to go to the buffet the waitstaff will bring you whatever you want. Certain things like fried chicken and fish are not on the buffet because they are cooked to order. But they will cook as many pieces as you want. It's a good place for large groups because If your party wants fried chicken or fish or both they will cook as many pieces of each as want so that when you get them they are hot, juicy, and fresh. When I was there the buffet items included baked chicken, mac & cheese, meat loaf, collard greens , ham, dirty rice, fried corn, cabbage. For dessert they had peach cobbler, apple & sweet potato pie and a couple other things I can't remember what they were. They will bring out whatever dessert you want because the desserts are not sitting on the buffet. I know that's a lot of food for lunch luckily I didn't have to go back to work...:-) They don't have a salad bar but you can order a salad. They have the usual beverages, sweet tea, soda, juice, coffee. no alcohol. The lunch was $10.00. Dinner is about $15.00 [[the menu is expanded) and on Sunday it might be about $20.00 because I've been told they offer a lot more items like turkey and dressing, yams, etc,. etc. The decor is nice they have local artists painting on the wall. Soft jazz in the background and very attentive waitstaff. But this is not just a restaurant they are also providing services to the community...See Below

The Sunday Dinner Company provides employment opportunities for disenfranchised citizens such as at-risk-youth or returning citizens and provides services to the general public via a beautiful restaurant. A skills re-training culinary arts development program is also in the works. The staff at the Sunday Dinner Company prepares food for homeless, seniors and shut-ins in collaboration with Forgotten Harvest, a local food rescue company.