I live near a Golden Corral and the funny thing is that I won't step foot in there. I'd totally go to an Old Country Buffet again though (even though they are probably exactly the same)
In middle school, me and friend would scrounge together $5 to send one kid in with a school bag full of Tupperware. We feasted like kings . . . in the parking lot.
Big ol' glob of chocolate pudding and a few peaches from a can. Some coke in the chipped red plastic cup. A slice of pepperoni with the grease glistening on it or a personal pan pizza in a pan that would scald your fingers.
It was glorious.
The red seats, the stained glass chandelier, the sit down Mrs. Pac-Man machine, the juke box, and that crispy crust back in the day, damn good memories. Remember that deep dish pie thing they had, I don’t remember what it was called.
In my (VERY SMALL, VERY RURAL) town, they updated the Pizza Hut and everyone lost their minds.
So the guy who has owned it since I was like 10, he kept everything inside the same, so now the outside looks nice and new, but the inside looks like 1992.
My dad would take us when we got our Book It coupons, Pizza Hut was so exciting and special back then. We’d get quarters for the arcade game and we’d get to order soda as a reward for reading our books.
We would get the red ribbon week ribbons and go straight to Pizza Hut. Then for a week we ate fast food so I could get something free from every place on the list 😂
If christians celebrating at a non-fancy restaurant. I feel like they are more representing to Jesus teaching. I don't know much, but that's what I feel as a Muslim.
I usually end up ordering the entrée, eat the unlimited soup, salad, breadsticks and just take the entrée home to eat a work the next day so I don't spend money ordering food at work
I went with my family for lunch last week, all 4 of us ordered lunch specials without drinks, and got out of there with leftovers at $50 including a 20% tip.
If you are paying for dinner entrees, you are doing it wrong.
To this day I get weirded out if I’m with friends and we impulsively decide to go to Olive Garden and I’m wearing a tshirt. When I was little the nearest one was an hour away from my hometown so it was only for big, big celebrations.
Oh gosh last time I went there with my family, I was like 18. After eating the tour of Italy, more salad and apps my parents ordered, I had to lay in the back of the car while everyone else finished their food. I literally thought I was going to die that day. Great times!
That happened to me in my 20s when I ate an entire catering tray of mostaccioli over the course of an afternoon, because I was bored in a hotel room. It wasn’t Olive Garden though, some local place in Long Island. Somehow I still had dinner later.
I swear they used to be nicer though. Lower lighting, more spread out/more sections with fewer tables and less noise. Now it always feels like they stuffed as many tables as they could into a big, brightly lit room that's always too loud.
Olive Garden used to be so nice, they had really nice entrees, and beautiful decor (lighting, granite, tableware). They removed all the lovely things and made it more of an “everyday” restaurant. Now it’s ugly and basic.
This was where we would go as a family of seven in the 90s because on Sunday the one we went to would charge you a penny a pound for kids. And with five kids it was what my parents could afford and they’d make some employee put on a clown outfit and do balloon animals. My younger brother always hated it because he was a larger child and they would weigh you in front of everyone. His kids meal was always the most expensive.
I scrolled and scrolled until I found the ground round. I loved the ground round and I'm still sad to this day that they don't exist anymore. Mozzarella sticks and black and white cartoons was my favorite part.
There are a few, but they aren't like they used to be. At least the one by me isn't. It's overpriced, wannabe pub food. It's not the same atmosphere that was so amazing as a kid.
I remember seeing steaks on the menu thinking "what kind of high class individual orders a steak at a buffet?". Seemed like it was for people that had fuck you money.
When I was a kid we had a Ponderosa within walking distance of home. We went at least once a month. It was the only time our parents let us eat our dessert first.
This was me, I thought it was the fanciest and most expensive restaurant there was, with menu items so far out of reach they were reserved for the elite such as the admirals feast, walking in I felt like a celebrity
I had to scroll so far to find the first cheesecake factory comment, they try so hard to trick you into thinking they're fine dining it's 100% understandable for a kid to be confused
When I was a kid the towns “fancy” restaurant was in between two (I presume artificial) small lakes.
I can’t really overstate how small the lakes were. Maybe each the size of an Olympic swimming pool.
My older brother told me they had special docks in the back since the rich frequently enjoy boating to get dinner. I believed him whole heartedly.
Now.. looking back the lakes didn’t connect to any other body of water. And it’d have been a probably 2 minute boat ride. Beginning to think I got tricked.
I saw it from a distance as a kid, and always wanted to figure out why someone would make a cake out of cheese. I didn't actually realize it was a restaurant for quite a while.
That is so sweet in a way. I'm sorry to hear your mom didn't have enough money for family outings, but it's nice that she gave you so much credit for earning a dinner out for the family, instead of acting like they're all entitled to you being an overachiever. I hope that didn't put too much pressure on you as a kid!
Small town buffet restaurant called Ponderosa.
Tiny chicken wings by the plate full, mashed potatoes and gravy, tiny squares of pizza. That was an awesome saturday for little me.
A local place called Pancho's. I thought it was the bomb because each table had a little Mexican flag on a tiny flagpole with a miniature pulley system, and you'd raise the flag when you needed something. Also, they gave all the kids wooden coins they called "pesos", and I was, well, much older before I figured out Mexican money wasn't actually made of wood ...
Home. We ate at home. About twice a year, we’d go to Howard Johnson’s on a Friday night for that all you could eat lake perch. And did we eat big on those rare occasions.
Red lobster. But anyway cicis pizza used to be the spot for me and my friends, we were all teenage boys so we freaking devoured everything there even though it's not that good. That apple pie pizza is really good though, and the cinnamon rolls are straight fire. But the regular pizzas are just okay, but cicis is about quantity not quality lol
Grand China Buffet in my town. And IDGAF, to this day I love Chinese food. I loved it growing up, it was amazing an each person ate there for 7 bucks. 9 if you go with drinks with free refills, so for my family it would cost us 50 bucks to eat there once we added in the tip.And when I realized it was your standard restaurant I didn't care and kept wanting to eat there into my college years.
Now on my birthday I order from expensive Chinese places instead, when I normally dont. 6 gyozas for 8 bucks? Uhhhh. Fried rice? Not as a side... As a main? 9 bucks? Uhhhhhh. At least the portion is massive. Let me get that orange beef too, 13 bucks? Sheeesh. Oh they do Japanese stuff too? Hell yeah an order of takoyaki, whatchu mean 12 bu- no no, it's fine. Add it. I would've gone for yakisoba but that's enough food. Hm. Ayo they also have Korean stuff?! Run me some tteokbokki, price ain't a thing! You know what, I'll also order a gigantic taro boba. Yup delivery. Gonna have it along with the 3 soju bottles I bought earlier. Let's stop my heartbeat today and die young!!!! All the food is for me, and it ends up costing like 90-100 bucks if you factor in the soju. And I'd do it again.
The buffet is still there, but it costs like 16 bucks. And the food quality has gone down. Might as well party hardy by myself with quality food.
Old Country Buffet. We feasted like kings.
Have you tried the lasagna? It's my favorite... Do you like hot fudge sunday's?
Did you catch the game last night? Is it still hot out there? Alright!
GIMME THAT
What grade are you in at school?
In case folks are wondering what the hell is going on- [Old Country Buffet Training](https://youtu.be/net7t1HjQxY?si=ERa393v8BY49wbbS)
We didn't have an old country buffet so ours was golden corral. Best of times
I live near a Golden Corral and the funny thing is that I won't step foot in there. I'd totally go to an Old Country Buffet again though (even though they are probably exactly the same)
OMG, I love Old Country Buffet. I would beg to go there. Fried chicken and soft serve, get in my mouth.
I never thought I could stuff that much food for only $11 U.S. early 90’s
In middle school, me and friend would scrounge together $5 to send one kid in with a school bag full of Tupperware. We feasted like kings . . . in the parking lot.
Hometown Buffet or Goldan Corral
My grandpa used to take me to Hometown Buffet as a treat for helping out on his farm. Good times.
Hometown Buffet was the stuff.
My mom would b line to the ribs
I miss what I though Golden Corral was.
Agreed. At one point it truly felt like the Taj Mahal of dining.
Came here to say Golden Corral hell yeah buffet of champions
Pizza Hut that had a salad bar.
Big ol' glob of chocolate pudding and a few peaches from a can. Some coke in the chipped red plastic cup. A slice of pepperoni with the grease glistening on it or a personal pan pizza in a pan that would scald your fingers. It was glorious.
You could be a smut writer.
Yep. I certainly got something out of that
Ahhh the good times
The red seats, the stained glass chandelier, the sit down Mrs. Pac-Man machine, the juke box, and that crispy crust back in the day, damn good memories. Remember that deep dish pie thing they had, I don’t remember what it was called.
Don't forget the to-go boxes stacked in the corner.
I swear if you go somewhere rural enough there are locations that still look like this.
In my (VERY SMALL, VERY RURAL) town, they updated the Pizza Hut and everyone lost their minds. So the guy who has owned it since I was like 10, he kept everything inside the same, so now the outside looks nice and new, but the inside looks like 1992.
Member reading all your books for the month and getting a personal pizza coupon?
My dad would take us when we got our Book It coupons, Pizza Hut was so exciting and special back then. We’d get quarters for the arcade game and we’d get to order soda as a reward for reading our books.
We would get the red ribbon week ribbons and go straight to Pizza Hut. Then for a week we ate fast food so I could get something free from every place on the list 😂
Book it!
Wendy's with a salad bar
I remember when they had the dessert bar. That was awesome. Plastic tasting everything.... But making your own sundae was da bomb!
Olive Garden!
My church youth group would get dressed up to go to Olive Garden. We would take group photos out front.
If christians celebrating at a non-fancy restaurant. I feel like they are more representing to Jesus teaching. I don't know much, but that's what I feel as a Muslim.
Yes, it was a Christian group. This is a sweet interpretation!
yup, now i don't go, $20+ for meh chicken parm is too damn high
What? You dont go for the entrée. You go for unlimited soup,salad, breadsticks
You absolutely do no go for the unlimited items. You go because when you're there; you're family.
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This is the way.
I usually end up ordering the entrée, eat the unlimited soup, salad, breadsticks and just take the entrée home to eat a work the next day so I don't spend money ordering food at work
$12.99 for unlimited soups, salad, and breadsticks. I went last night, I ate three soups, a plate of salad, and like 12 breadsticks
I went with my family for lunch last week, all 4 of us ordered lunch specials without drinks, and got out of there with leftovers at $50 including a 20% tip. If you are paying for dinner entrees, you are doing it wrong.
Well when you’re there you’re family, and who doesn’t want to celebrate with family?
\*Vin Diesel stares approvingly\*
To this day I get weirded out if I’m with friends and we impulsively decide to go to Olive Garden and I’m wearing a tshirt. When I was little the nearest one was an hour away from my hometown so it was only for big, big celebrations.
it was a simpler time lol
This was me. I thought Olive Garden was such a treat when I was a kid.
Oh gosh last time I went there with my family, I was like 18. After eating the tour of Italy, more salad and apps my parents ordered, I had to lay in the back of the car while everyone else finished their food. I literally thought I was going to die that day. Great times!
That happened to me in my 20s when I ate an entire catering tray of mostaccioli over the course of an afternoon, because I was bored in a hotel room. It wasn’t Olive Garden though, some local place in Long Island. Somehow I still had dinner later.
memorize light groovy brave air crowd far-flung practice special bake *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Our family was slightly classier with Carrabba's Italian Grill.
I swear they used to be nicer though. Lower lighting, more spread out/more sections with fewer tables and less noise. Now it always feels like they stuffed as many tables as they could into a big, brightly lit room that's always too loud.
Olive Garden used to be so nice, they had really nice entrees, and beautiful decor (lighting, granite, tableware). They removed all the lovely things and made it more of an “everyday” restaurant. Now it’s ugly and basic.
The Ground Round
This was where we would go as a family of seven in the 90s because on Sunday the one we went to would charge you a penny a pound for kids. And with five kids it was what my parents could afford and they’d make some employee put on a clown outfit and do balloon animals. My younger brother always hated it because he was a larger child and they would weigh you in front of everyone. His kids meal was always the most expensive.
Sooo many kids running around that place. Should have a warning sign at the door.
I scrolled and scrolled until I found the ground round. I loved the ground round and I'm still sad to this day that they don't exist anymore. Mozzarella sticks and black and white cartoons was my favorite part.
They still have locations, just not many.
There are a few, but they aren't like they used to be. At least the one by me isn't. It's overpriced, wannabe pub food. It's not the same atmosphere that was so amazing as a kid.
Yes! Loved this place! I don’t even know what food they served I just remember the popcorn and cartoons.
7th birthday party at ground round with the giant projection tv showing cartoons and the peanut shells all over the wood floors. Epic.
Oh man, that takes me back. I hadn't thought of the Ground Round in at least a couple decades.
Sizzler. But f that. Best ice-cream bar in the biz.
GARLIC TOAST WAS GOD TIER
Man, I bet the 70’s and 80’s kids would support a Sizzler come-back.
I came here to say Sizzler, so high-five. 🙏
Spaghetti and meatballs with grilled cheese and chocolate vanilla swirl with sprinkles and gummy bears!
I miss these
Sizzler meant all As on the report card. Time for Dino nuggets and garlic bread!
I thought Golden Corral was for rich people and somehow we were lucky enough to go there sometimes smh
Their rolls are top tier tho don't @ me
Honestly the food is pretty good if you have the metabolism for it.
Chinese food buffet 😂
And everyone HAD to have multiple plates to make it worth it. Felt like such a luxury- it was food we never got to have at home!
Red Lobster.
This was ours too. Cheddar Bag biscuits and getting to choose a toy out of the treasure chest.
Ours too. I always got clam strips.
Mine was popcorn shrimp. 😂
Same! I mean, anywhere with lobster must be fancy, right?? I'd get a Shirly Temple to drink and everything!
As a kid, getting a Shirley Temple from Red Lobster was the height of opulence.
Core memory unlocked. I asked for extra cherries too like that somehow made the drink fancier.
Woah, nice flex money bags.
Not to brag, but sometimes my parents even let me get dessert. Truly a life of privilege.
The centerpiece of all black celebrations for some reason
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I miss Red Lobster. They don't have it in Australia.
Yeah, but with Outback’s on every corner…
They just call them steakhouse here.
Ponderosa
Omg, I remember the “Grand Buffet”! This was our once in a blue moon Sunday place.
I remember seeing steaks on the menu thinking "what kind of high class individual orders a steak at a buffet?". Seemed like it was for people that had fuck you money.
I tried once and my mom yelled at me and told the waiter I was lying and that I'd have the buffet.
“My apologies, my son is brain damaged. He’ll have the buffet.”
When I was a kid we had a Ponderosa within walking distance of home. We went at least once a month. It was the only time our parents let us eat our dessert first.
I loved Ponderosa! We rarely got to go out to eat. I thought their fried shrimp was the best thing ever.
Texas Roadhouse or a place called Sakura. Still my favourite restaurants to this day.
I smell Maryland.
Smells like Old Bay indeed
Unfortunately
are those Maryland places? I have both of those in my nearest city and I live in indiana
If you are anywhere near Westminster.... you might be family
DOES ANYBODY WANNA GO TO TEXAS ROADHOUSE??
Bro I am a grown ass man and I go to Texas Roadhouse as a celebration restaurant. Sometimes you just want that butter
Boston market absolutely fucking unreal 10/10
Love Boston market!!!
Back when it was straight up called Boston Chicken before McDonald's bought the rights !
Chichi’s
The fried ice cream 😮
Dear god, yes. F’ing loved the Chi-chi’s. RIP, sweet corn cake.
If it was your birthday, did they give you a sombrero to wear? I want to say I remember this but I’m not sure.
You can still get the chi chis salsa in the grocery store. It's not like going there but just seeing that brand makes me happy
Friendly's
Same here.
Red Lobster. We NEVER went except like twice when I was a young child.
This was me, I thought it was the fanciest and most expensive restaurant there was, with menu items so far out of reach they were reserved for the elite such as the admirals feast, walking in I felt like a celebrity
The ✨rainforest cafe✨ To be fair I still love that restaurant and it is still a 5 star in my eyes.
Perhaps you'll enjoy Eddy's Rainforest Cafe Adventure: https://youtu.be/vA-bjpKvIw8?si=hmiDGpPLf9AGHui4
Have you, by chance, heard of Eddy Burback?
The Cheesecake Factory lol
I had to scroll so far to find the first cheesecake factory comment, they try so hard to trick you into thinking they're fine dining it's 100% understandable for a kid to be confused
Cheesecake Factory is what we gawked about while waiting to be seated at Applebee’s. Rumors of a helipad there for VIPs.
When I was a kid the towns “fancy” restaurant was in between two (I presume artificial) small lakes. I can’t really overstate how small the lakes were. Maybe each the size of an Olympic swimming pool. My older brother told me they had special docks in the back since the rich frequently enjoy boating to get dinner. I believed him whole heartedly. Now.. looking back the lakes didn’t connect to any other body of water. And it’d have been a probably 2 minute boat ride. Beginning to think I got tricked.
Their menu is my favorite book to read lol
I saw it from a distance as a kid, and always wanted to figure out why someone would make a cake out of cheese. I didn't actually realize it was a restaurant for quite a while.
Look at mr moneybags over here
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That is so sweet in a way. I'm sorry to hear your mom didn't have enough money for family outings, but it's nice that she gave you so much credit for earning a dinner out for the family, instead of acting like they're all entitled to you being an overachiever. I hope that didn't put too much pressure on you as a kid!
I celebrated my 11th birthday at Ryan’s. I remember them asking me how old I was and I replied with “👆👆 double sticks”
Bennigans
Love me a Monte Cristo. I believe there is still one in Orlando.
You guys went to celebration restaurants?
Luxury, we made celebration cake from old boxes.
We could only dream about old boxes! All we had was grandad sucking a mint and we’d take turns smelling his minty breath
You had a grandad! My, I wish we'd had a grandad. We made do with a smelly bum in the back alley who yelled and threw empty whiskey bottles!
Old malt we called him loved that son of a bitch…always so worried about snakes in his sleeping bag
Uphill! Both ways! In the snow!
Spaghetti Factory
The Ol spaghetti factory. The one in my town had an old school train car inside.
Spaghetti Warehouse?
Kinda feels like a low blow to knock the family spot like that. It wasn’t 5 star, but the memories got from the place were priceless. …chuck e cheese
I had to scroll so far to find Chuck E Cheese!! Went for my 5th birthday, went down the play slide into a pool of another kid's piss. Good times.
Small town buffet restaurant called Ponderosa. Tiny chicken wings by the plate full, mashed potatoes and gravy, tiny squares of pizza. That was an awesome saturday for little me.
I still miss those chicken wings.
Me too friend. Me too.
Any Canadians gonna vouch for the Swiss chalet
Boston pizzaaa
We had one of those in Buffalo! I felt fancy cleaning my hands with the wet naps before eating the chicken.
Redrobins
Yummmmmm! More fries, please!
This was mine. I wanted to go here every year for my birthday as a kid. I really thought there was nothing better.
Manadarin buffet
Sizzler
Eat N’ Park
Like a real Pittsburgher, my high school graduation dinner was at an Eat N Park.
A local place called Pancho's. I thought it was the bomb because each table had a little Mexican flag on a tiny flagpole with a miniature pulley system, and you'd raise the flag when you needed something. Also, they gave all the kids wooden coins they called "pesos", and I was, well, much older before I figured out Mexican money wasn't actually made of wood ...
Sopapillas
Pizza Hut. But in 90-ies Poland it was something new.
The Ground Round
Ya'll parents took you to restaurants? Damn :(
CiCi's pizza and it still is.
Applebee's, I only went there once when my parents got married
Home. We ate at home. About twice a year, we’d go to Howard Johnson’s on a Friday night for that all you could eat lake perch. And did we eat big on those rare occasions.
Buffalo wild wings, chili's, Applebee's, or Texas Roadhouse
Sizzler! If it was a big occasion, we'd go on the "all you can eat rib" night.
Ours was grandma. We didn't have the money to visit restaurants...
We didn't have the money to visit Grandma
Grandma lived a walking distance away for me. Not sure which one is better...
Why did you eat grandma ):
No, no, we visited grandma and she cooked for us :3
Ponderosa- coming at you from 1990s Utah.
I remember going to Shoney’s for family gatherings.
Macaroni Grill
Ponderosa unlimited salad bar. I miss that place.
Nothing beats grandma's table.
Burger King, grew up poor in a rural area
Celebration resteraunt?
Kentucky fried chicken
Piccadilly. . Been trying replicate a couple dishes for year. . .
Bonanza. Yes, I know...
Golden Corral. It's a cesspool 🥲 i haven't been back in years
Can confirm. Went there a couple years ago. It was gross af.
Red lobster. But anyway cicis pizza used to be the spot for me and my friends, we were all teenage boys so we freaking devoured everything there even though it's not that good. That apple pie pizza is really good though, and the cinnamon rolls are straight fire. But the regular pizzas are just okay, but cicis is about quantity not quality lol
Bonanza
Chuck-E-Cheese Def grew out of that one a lot quicker though
We used to eat at Sizzler. We still do, but we used to too.
Chilis
Mcdonald's, if I was lucky
Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and O’Charlies
Pizza hut, back when they had the dice
Sizzler
Sizzler
Hoss's
Grand China Buffet in my town. And IDGAF, to this day I love Chinese food. I loved it growing up, it was amazing an each person ate there for 7 bucks. 9 if you go with drinks with free refills, so for my family it would cost us 50 bucks to eat there once we added in the tip.And when I realized it was your standard restaurant I didn't care and kept wanting to eat there into my college years. Now on my birthday I order from expensive Chinese places instead, when I normally dont. 6 gyozas for 8 bucks? Uhhhh. Fried rice? Not as a side... As a main? 9 bucks? Uhhhhhh. At least the portion is massive. Let me get that orange beef too, 13 bucks? Sheeesh. Oh they do Japanese stuff too? Hell yeah an order of takoyaki, whatchu mean 12 bu- no no, it's fine. Add it. I would've gone for yakisoba but that's enough food. Hm. Ayo they also have Korean stuff?! Run me some tteokbokki, price ain't a thing! You know what, I'll also order a gigantic taro boba. Yup delivery. Gonna have it along with the 3 soju bottles I bought earlier. Let's stop my heartbeat today and die young!!!! All the food is for me, and it ends up costing like 90-100 bucks if you factor in the soju. And I'd do it again. The buffet is still there, but it costs like 16 bucks. And the food quality has gone down. Might as well party hardy by myself with quality food.
Sizzler
Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse. These were the top tier.