6 North Carolina Buffets That Flop And 6 That Totally Deliver

North Carolina’s buffet scene is like a rollercoaster: some spots leave you feeling on top of the world, while others make your stomach drop (and not in a good way). As someone who’s eaten my way through countless all-you-can-eat spreads across the Tar Heel State, I’ve experienced the heavenly and the horrifying. Ready for the inside scoop on which buffets are worth your hard-earned cash and which ones deserve a hard pass? Let’s dig in!

1. Casey’s Buffet (Wilmington)

Y’all, I nearly wept tears of joy into my collard greens at Casey’s. This Wilmington gem serves up authentic Southern soul food that tastes like your grandma made it – if your grandma was a culinary genius.

The fried chicken achieves that mythical crispy-outside, juicy-inside perfection that most places only dream about. Their mac and cheese? Transcendent. Even their vegetables – typically buffet afterthoughts – are seasoned to perfection.

The dining room’s unpretentious vibe lets the food shine as the true star.

2. Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant (Kill Devil Hills)

Behold the seafood mecca of the Outer Banks! Captain George’s massive nautical-themed dining room houses treasure troves of crab legs that snap with freshness and actually taste like the ocean (in the good way).

The shrimp preparations alone deserve their own fan club – from scampi to fried to coconut-crusted. Unlike many seafood buffets where quality gets sacrificed for quantity, Captain George’s manages both brilliantly.

Though pricier than some spots on this list, you’re paying for premium seafood that hasn’t been sitting under heat lamps for hours.

3. Blue Ridge Artisanal Buffet (Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville)

Forget everything you think you know about buffets. The Blue Ridge Artisanal Buffet elevates the concept to fine dining territory. Perched in Asheville’s historic Grove Park Inn with jaw-dropping mountain views, this isn’t your average all-you-can-eat experience.

The culinary team creates seasonal farm-to-table masterpieces that change regularly. I still dream about their roasted duck with cherry reduction and locally-foraged mushroom risotto.

While your wallet will feel significantly lighter afterward, the combination of impeccable food, service, and atmosphere makes this splurge-worthy.

4. Granny’s Kitchen (Cherokee)

Tucked away in Cherokee, Granny’s Kitchen feels like stepping into someone’s home – if that someone happened to cook like a culinary angel. The mountain-inspired comfort food hits every nostalgic note perfectly.

Their breakfast buffet deserves special praise: fluffy biscuits swimming in pepper-speckled gravy, country ham with the perfect salt cure, and pancakes that could convert waffle loyalists. The lunch and dinner offerings shine equally bright with standouts like tender pot roast and berry cobblers.

The friendly staff and reasonable prices make this spot a must-visit when exploring the Smokies.

5. Golden Corral Buffet & Grill (Greensboro – Landview Dr.)

I know what you’re thinking – a national chain on the “deliver” list? Trust me, this particular Golden Corral location breaks the mold. While other outposts of this chain can be hit-or-miss, the Landview Drive location in Greensboro consistently impresses.

The secret? Management that actually cares. Food is refreshed constantly, keeping everything hot and fresh. Their carving station serves legitimately good prime rib, and the famous yeast rolls emerge from the oven in regular intervals.

For families on a budget seeking variety, this Golden Corral stands head and shoulders above its counterparts.

6. Pizza Inn (Dunn)

Pizza buffets often become sad graveyards of dried-out crusts and congealed cheese. Not at Dunn’s Pizza Inn! This place shatters expectations with pizzas that emerge from the oven in perfect intervals, ensuring you always get a hot, fresh slice.

Beyond the standard pepperoni, they offer creative combinations that actually work. The pasta bar doesn’t feel like an afterthought, and their cinnamon dessert pizza should be illegal it’s so addictive.

The staff remembers regulars and will even make your favorite specialty pizza if you ask nicely – a personal touch that keeps locals coming back.

7. China Buffet (Greensboro)

Oh, China Buffet, how I wanted to love you. The sad reality hit me like a stale fortune cookie – this place embodies every negative buffet stereotype. The food sits under heat lamps for what feels like geological epochs, developing that distinctive buffet skin that requires archaeological tools to penetrate.

General Tso’s chicken should be crispy and flavorful, not soggy nuggets drowning in gelatinous sauce. The sushi selection (always a risky buffet choice) sits neglected, with rice hardening by the minute.

Even the ice cream machine wheezed out a suspicious substance that defied dairy classification.

8. River Buffet & Grill (Charlotte)

With a waterfront-inspired name but zero actual water views, River Buffet sets you up for disappointment from the start. The sprawling food selection initially impresses until you taste anything. Their crab legs – the supposed star attraction – arrive either frozen in the center or overcooked to rubber band consistency.

The hibachi grill concept falls flat when your chosen ingredients get tossed with excessive oil by unenthusiastic cooks. Most dishes taste suspiciously similar, suggesting a universal sauce approach to cooking.

The steep weekend price point makes the mediocrity even harder to swallow.

9. Asian Buffet & Grill (Matthews)

Someone needs to tell Asian Buffet & Grill that offering 200+ mediocre items doesn’t trump having 20 good ones. This Matthews establishment seems determined to win a world record for most dishes crammed into steam tables, regardless of flavor or freshness.

The egg rolls had the structural integrity of wet cardboard. Mysteriously, hot foods were served lukewarm while cold dishes seemed room temperature – a food safety red flag waving frantically in my face.

Even the typically foolproof soft serve machine dispensed ice cream with the texture of sandy slush.

10. Tin Tin Asian Buffet (Winston-Salem)

Tin Tin commits the cardinal sin of buffets – charging premium prices for bargain-basement quality. The Winston-Salem location boasts modern décor that falsely promises a superior experience, making the food disappointment even more acute.

The sushi contains more rice than fish, and what little protein exists lacks freshness. Their signature dishes taste like they were prepared by someone who read about Chinese food once in a magazine but never actually tasted it.

Most dishes suffer from a peculiar blandness, as if flavor itself was rationed during preparation.

11. Bamboo Garden Asian Buffet (Winston-Salem)

Bamboo Garden should consider rebranding as “Grease Garden” based on my unfortunate experience. Every dish I sampled appeared to have taken a bath in low-quality oil, leaving that distinctive slick on the roof of my mouth that persisted despite multiple beverage attempts to wash it away.

The restaurant’s dim lighting initially seemed atmospheric until I realized it conveniently hides food quality issues. Even standard buffet staples like lo mein had an off-putting texture – simultaneously mushy and tough.

The dessert selection of dyed-green “pistachio” pudding and stale almond cookies couldn’t salvage the experience.

12. Ichiban Grill Supreme Buffet (Greensboro)

“Supreme” sets expectations that Ichiban spectacularly fails to meet. This Greensboro establishment commits the unforgivable sin of serving seafood that raises immediate health concerns. The crab rangoon contained a filling that bore no resemblance to actual crab – or any identifiable food substance.

Steam table temperatures apparently operate on suggestion rather than regulation, with hot foods barely warm and cold dishes questionably tepid. The hibachi station, supposedly made-to-order, somehow transformed fresh ingredients into uniformly tasteless stir-fry.

Even the fortune cookies seemed pessimistic, as if warning against return visits.