Golden Corral has a ton of options on its buffet, from entrees to side dishes to desserts,
but which choices should make their way onto your plate and which are best left behind?
We've ranked Golden Corral's most popular items from worst to first.
We know that you're probably not going to Golden Corral for all of their delicious
vegetarian dishes, but that doesn't mean that you won't want to get some veggies
on the side. That's why you might consider getting the carrots. However, we'd advise against it. Why?
These are the most flavorless carrots we've ever tasted.
Carrots are amazing when they're roasted, and they're pleasantly crunchy when they're served
raw. You'll get neither of those when you order them at Golden Corral, and the fact that they
taste like they have no seasoning on them at all certainly doesn't help. Give them a pass.
Meatloaf isn't exactly the most luxurious, high-end meat you can order from a restaurant, but
that doesn't mean it's not tasty when it's done right. The magic of meatloaf is the fact that you
can sneak in a ton of other ingredients to up the flavor ante, even though it just looks like a hunk
of meat bread. That may be what you're expecting from the meatloaf at Golden Corral, but chances
are, you're going to be pretty disappointed. Why? This meatloaf is incredibly bland.
"Meatloaf, meatloaf, double beet loaf - I hate meatloaf."
And it's not just about the flavor - this stuff is really dry as well. You may think that that's just
the way meatloaf is, but when we say this meat is incredibly dry, we mean it. Avoid it if you can.
How can you mess up green beans? They're pretty much the simplest vegetable you can prepare,
and while this veggie seems to be slightly more seasoned than the carrots, they don't taste
significantly more flavorful. They have enough salt on them, to be sure, but other than that,
you're not getting anything special here. And if you're
trying to convince your little one to enjoy their veggies? Good luck.
We think that it's important to get plenty of vegetables in your diet on a regular basis,
but if you've eaten green beans like the ones at Golden Corral for your whole life,
we would understand if you never wanted to touch them.
Look, we know that the issue of carrot cake is contentious.
However, we tend to reserve our judgment of carrot cake to individual cases — and
the carrot cake you'll find at Golden Corral is just not good.
It's incredibly dry, and even the frosting on top doesn't help the cake go down any smoother.
You might think that flavor could make up for the absolutely abysmal dryness in this dessert,
but that's not really on point either. This
cake is somehow both way too sweet and also bland at the same time.
Add to that the fact that it's covered in way too much frosting and doesn't even really look
that appealing. You're better off putting in the effort to make carrot cake at home.
A good pot roast is nice and juicy. Unfortunately,
that's just not what you're going to get from the pot roast at Golden Corral.
We couldn't believe how dry this stuff was. Take just a few bites, and you're
going to have such a hard time chewing through it that you won't ever want to order it again.
That being said, when it comes to flavor, the pot roast is quite a bit better
than the meatloaf. We can't really get over the incredibly dry texture here,
but at least you're not going to feel like you're chewing on nothing if you decide to take a bite.
If you know anything about sirloin, you know it's not the best cut of steak,
but that doesn't mean that this cut of meat can't be enjoyable. Is the signature sirloin steak at
Golden Corral particularly enjoyable? No. Like a lot of the other meat options at this buffet,
it's shockingly dry. However, we realize this is probably because it's a buffet,
and a lot of people aren't going to like a rarer steak. So while this sirloin steak
isn't anything to write home about, it's not the worst item on the menu.
If you're lucky, you'll get a nice cut that isn't too overcooked and has plenty
of browning on the outside. Just take a look at the different pieces of steak and choose one
that looks more appealing than the others. We can't promise you're going to love it,
but you probably won't want to throw it in the trash either.
We were so hopeful that the broccoli at Golden Corral would change our minds about the green
veggies offered at this buffet chain. However, that's not the case. Almost across the board,
the vegetables at Golden Corral seem to be severely lacking in seasoning.
That's a bummer, because broccoli can be really delicious when it's cooked well.
But listen: You have to get at least a little bit of green on your plate.
Therefore, you may want to grab some broccoli even if it isn't the most appetizing item on the menu.
Your taste buds may not be too pleased, but your body will thank you for giving it the
nutrients it needs. Unfortunately, we don't think the flavor of this dish will be enough
to entice you to eat more veggies, though. There are a lot of different meat options
on the menu at Golden Corral, but if you want something that's on the lighter side,
a dish you may be interested in is the baked fish. However, while it may be a healthy choice,
it's not necessarily a particularly attractive one if you really like seafood.
The fish is slightly seasoned, but we think they could have made it a lot more interesting
by adding additional spices or even adding a sauce on top. The fish is cooked through,
but you're not going to get a crispy exterior that adds some texture to the dish.
Mostly, it's just a boring piece of baked fish that you could easily make at home.
When you first see the Bourbon Street chicken at the buffet in Golden Corral,
you're probably going to think that it looks delicious. And we have to admit,
the spices that this chicken is covered in are really, really tasty. Overall,
we were really impressed by the way this chicken was prepared when it comes to flavor.
However, when we get to the texture, that's a whole other story. Though this chicken
tastes good, it is pretty dry. While it might depend on the time you go to Golden Corral,
you can't count on this chicken being nice and moist in the way you would probably like it.
That delicious flavor may make up for the bad texture at least somewhat,
but it definitely doesn't get the Bourbon Street chicken very close to the top of this list.
Who doesn't love pumpkin pie? It's one of those essential dishes that we've probably all tasted
at one time or another. And while it may seem like it's only something you should
eat during the holiday season, that's far from the truth. In reality, when you go to Golden Corral,
you'll find that a slice of pumpkin pie is just waiting for you to come pick it up and eat it.
What do we think of the pumpkin pie at Golden Corral? Well, we don't have a super
strong opinion on it. It's nothing special — it basically just tastes like the stuff
that you'd find in a plastic container at your local grocery store's bakery.
At the same time, there's nothing necessarily wrong with it. It just won't blow you away.
We've complained about a lot of the veggies you'll find at Golden Corral, but one thing we won't
complain about is the salad bar. The salad bar is one of the main reasons to visit Golden Corral.
It's so fun to get to pick out what kind of veggies go best together. In fact, if you always
had access to a salad bar, you'd probably find yourself eating way more salad than you do now.
Luckily, you have lots of options when you visit the salad bar at Golden Corral.
Pretty much anything you want on a salad, you'll find it here. Don't fancy yourself
a good salad maker? No worries. There are also prepared salads available for you.
Are there better salad bars out there? Of course. But when it comes to Golden Corral veggies,
the salad bar is probably your best bet thanks to the variety of choices.
"I like about Golden Corral is because we uh… get to choose whatever food we want."
There are a few chicken options at Golden Corral, but if you're wondering what the best one is,
then you have to try the fried chicken. That's because it's generously coated in
a crispy fried skin that will crunch as you bite into it. Is your mouth watering yet? The chicken
itself stays nice and juicy, so every bite is intensely satisfying. We really think they did
a great job with the texture of this chicken, which is why we keep going back for more.
However, when it comes to the flavor, it's not particularly strong or interesting. That doesn't
mean it's not good — it just tastes like most of the other batches of fried chicken you've had in
your life. If you're just looking for a solid piece of fried chicken, you've found it here.
We may not have been huge fans of the other desserts on the menu,
but that doesn't mean that every dessert at Golden Corral is lacking in taste.
In fact, there's one dessert that we like a lot, and that's the banana pudding.
When was the last time you had this light and creamy dessert? If it's been a while,
you'll definitely want to grab some while you're at the buffet. What we love about this dessert is
the fact that it's not heavy at all — it's smooth and creamy, but it's not too rich or overwhelming.
We also like the fact that the banana pudding isn't too sweet.
It's definitely got some added sugar in there, which helps make it truly taste like a dessert.
But it's not so sweet that you'll only be able to take a few bites before setting it down.
If you're the kind of person who loves seafood, but want something that features
a bit more flavor and a better texture, you can't go wrong with the fried fish.
The fried fish is surprisingly tasty, and we might even make a special trip to Golden Corral just
to eat it alone. First of all, the breading on this fish has been fried to perfection,
which leaves it with a crispy, crunchy crust. And with that fried, crunchy exterior,
you're also getting a lot more flavor. We're not sure if the improved taste comes from more
seasonings or simply from the fat the fish is fried in, but we're here for it regardless.
Making up your own baked potato at Golden Corral may just be one of our favorite parts
of the restaurant as a whole. It all starts with a perfectly cooked baked potato. We suggest adding
butter to it first, but that's totally up to you. Then, you get to choose from a variety of
toppings. Bacon bits are a must if you eat meat, but cheese and scallions are also go-to options.
There's something about the ability to choose whatever you want here that will really take
your baked potato to the next level. It's a super simple idea, but it's still somehow
one of our favorite parts of the restaurant, and a great way to get people in the door.
"So What do you see here at Golden Corral that you don't see at other restaurants?"
"...Crowds." Surprise! Our favorite
dish at Golden Corral is a seafood dish. That's right: The Golden Delicious shrimp is fantastic,
and you have to give it a try as long as you're not allergic to shellfish. While fried shrimp
isn't always the best seafood you can get, this stuff is downright delicious. The breading on
the shrimp isn't so thick that it overwhelms the seafood, but it is thick enough that it
provides a nice crunch to it that you won't get from just any old fried shrimp. The flavor is
good too — though that shouldn't stop you from dipping your shrimp in the sauce of your choice.
Whatever you choose to eat it with, we can guarantee that you'll be in for a
treat when you choose the Golden Delicious shrimp.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more Mashed videos about your favorite buffet joints are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.