Best buffets in Seattle? (Bellevue, Renton: restaurant, price, garden)

[Woof]

Sorry, but I'm a gourmand and I dislike being served. When I come up there visiting and make the foodie rounds, I want to know where to go ....... though I suppose it's a bit late to go traveling north if I want decent weather.

[seattlefanatic]

Is there such a thing as a good buffet?

[Vinylly]

Originally Posted by seattlefanatic

Is there such a thing as a good buffet?

From my experience with buffet's be it Chinese buffets or the now defunct (?) Royal Fork, all they surve is massive amounts of slop, great for big fat pigs who like to pile it on, but for normal humans that like good food, -it's slop. And, the swine that do gulp it down at these slop trouphs, dlisplay the manners of pigs.

[VeronikaW]

The Brunch buffet at Salty's is good.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Vinylly

From my experience with buffet's be it Chinese buffets or the now defunct (?) Royal Fork, all they surve is massive amounts of slop, great for big fat pigs who like to pile it on, but for normal humans that like good food, -it's slop. And, the swine that do gulp it down at these slop trouphs, dlisplay the manners of pigs.

But for those of us who like massive amounts of slop, and as someone who is rarely called normal, there are a wide varieties of types of buffers.
The Rock Pizza has a lunch buffet , served with soup bar, salad, and pasta. Unlike places like Pizza Hut, the Rock's pizza is pretty good.
A few Mexican places do a Sunday brunch buffet, including La Hacienda in Renton. Indian lunch buffets are all over and some of them are really good. The U District has a few good ones as does Bellevue..
Old Country buffet is not so bad.

[tobester]

Originally Posted by Vinylly

From my experience with buffet's be it Chinese buffets or the now defunct (?) Royal Fork, all they surve is massive amounts of slop, great for big fat pigs who like to pile it on, but for normal humans that like good food, -it's slop. And, the swine that do gulp it down at these slop trouphs, dlisplay the manners of pigs.

Oink! I'm guilty - I like Ivar's Sunday buffet. Especially after my 13 mile run on weekends.

[Woof]

Originally Posted by Vinylly

From my experience with buffet's be it Chinese buffets or the now defunct (?) Royal Fork, all they surve is massive amounts of slop, great for big fat pigs who like to pile it on, but for normal humans that like good food, -it's slop. And, the swine that do gulp it down at these slop trouphs, dlisplay the manners of pigs.

Just oozing snobbery today, aren't you? I've had exquisite food at Chinese buffets ..... but you have to be a mixer type of eater. If you keep simple monofoods like a steak and a potato always separate on a plate in a fastidiously anal-retentive way, then Chinese food won't appeal to you because it's usually a complex mixture of meats, veggies, and subtly spiced sauces (in traditional cooking, where the sauces aren't so cloying as in the American Chinese).

Your kind of food bores me, and my kind of food seems like slop to you. To each their own.

[Woof]

So it's Salty's brunch (never heard of the place, but then I rarely ate out in Seattle), The Rock's Pizza lunch buffet, I don't care for Mexican or Country Buffet, and Ivar's Sunday buffet. Good.

[Ancalagon]

Originally Posted by Woof

Just oozing snobbery today, aren't you? I've had exquisite food at Chinese buffets ..... but you have to be a mixer type of eater. If you keep simple monofoods like a steak and a potato always separate on a plate in a fastidiously anal-retentive way, then Chinese food won't appeal to you because it's usually a complex mixture of meats, veggies, and subtly spiced sauces (in traditional cooking, where the sauces aren't so cloying as in the American Chinese).

Your kind of food bores me, and my kind of food seems like slop to you. To each their own.

I don't think it is the kind of food people have problems with, it is the way they are served. Giant piles of food on the serving tables (sitting there for who knows how long) turn into giant piles of food on the plate. Not to mention that in my experience the same dishes at buffets are generally of lower quality than when ordered at a regular restaurant. Be it American, Thai, Indian, Chinese or Pizza. Don't get me wrong, I'll eat at one if broke or other people want to go but they are not at the top of my list. And I do have to agree with the above poster about many of the patrons of all you can eat places, especially in the South. Ouch!

For non traditional dining I'd suggest Dim Sum, Orchard Garden in Bellevue and Sun Ya in the I.D. are both good. My wife tells me there is a new place in Burien but I haven't been or heard any direct reviews. If you are into family style dining (order a couple large entrees for the table) Maggianos's in Bellevue has delicious Italian but can be bit pricey. King Wa in Burien has great family style Chinese, and very reasonably priced. Also pricey but delicious is Ipanema in DT Seattle, a Brazilian Steakhouse and Buffet. I believe there is also a new one open up in Factoria.

[Woof]

Well, actually as an unabashed gourmand (not gourmet) I DO enjoy giant piles of food if they're cooked and seasoned properly. Tasty food gives me intense pleasure, more than I get from anything but an orgasm. Great abundance makes me feel secure and content.

There are strict hygiene laws about how foods are put on the buffet and how long they can stay, so buffets are safe enough. Anyone who has worked in a restaurant kitchen can tell you that what you are served on a plate (often washed by a teenager with little care for thoroughness or looking to see if the forks and plates were properly cleaned) is not necessarily better than what is brought out in a stainless steel bin by someone wearing disposable gloves.

Brazilian sounds great, I've been meaning to try that - have only heard good things about their grilled foods.