Rant: The Best Type Of All-You-Can Eat Buffet!

When restaurants began to reopen after the pandemic, many which once offered all-you-can-eat buffets decided not to reopen those buffets. Such buffets were seen as a health hazard, too risky to justify reopening. Some felt that this might have sounded the death knell for buffets but that proved not to be the case. For example, in 2022, buffets were a $5.5 billion industry, up 9% from 2021.

The returning buffets have tried to take measures to make them more hygienic, with sneeze-guards and more. That won't assuage the worries of everyone, but it seems clear that plenty of people are willing to take the risk. Some restaurants will never bring back their buffets, but other restaurants will fill that gap. Buffets are returning and in a major way. This may be partially due to the commonly low prices for these all-you-can-eat spots, especially when inflation is such a major issue currently and restaurant prices have generally risen significantly. 

Not all all-you-can-eat buffets are the same. There is one type which provides plenty of health safety (as much as any restaurant), lots of delicious food, and the hot food is truly hot and not merely luke-warm. Yesterday, I dined, with five friends, at one of those restaurants, and we enjoyed an excellent dining experience. All of us had dined at this restaurant before, and we were all eager to return once again. 

We visited Endless Hibachi & Sushi in Peabody, an all-you-can-eat spot which includes a wide range of Sushi, Japanese Appetizers, and a Hibachi meal. Rather than select options from a large buffet table, you order off a menu! Then, your server will bring you your selected dishes, and the hot dishes are properly hot, rather than luke-warm, which often happens to a pan of food on a traditional buffet. You also get your choices for Hibachi, which is then cooked in front of you. And, you can continue ordering more food off the menu if you so desire. 

The all-you-can-eat lunch, which is available Monday to Friday (11:30am-3pm) only costs $15.95 while the all-you-can-eat dinner is $34.95 (but includes a larger menu of options). This has to be one of the best value options, especially for Lunch, in the area, and it seems crazy you can get so much food for such a low price. Just consider how little Sushi you can purchase for $15.95 at any other Japanese restaurant. At Endless Hibachi, the food is tasty and plentiful, and the tempura is especially delicious. 

 

Maki Maki, in Woburn, is a similar type of all-you-can-eat buffet but they don't have Hibachi. So, you can order plenty of Sushi and Japanese appetizers from a menu, which then gets delivered to your table. And you can keep ordering off the menu until you are sated. Lunch prices range (dependent on the day) from $21.99-$23.99 and dinner prices range from $33.99-$35.99. 

This type of all-you-can-eat buffet, where the food is cooked to order, avoids the health risks of the normal buffet tables. If you order a hot dish, the food is delivered to you properly hot. On normal buffet tables, the food sits and over time, hot dishes become luke warm or worse. There's plenty of food options available on the menu, catering to many preferences. What's not to like?

Maybe other restaurants, who already have traditional all-you-can-eat buffets, or are considering opening one, might reconsider the matter and opt for one where patrons order off a menu. It avoids many of the problems associated with traditional buffets, and might then garner even more customers. 

Have you dined at endless Hibachi & Sushi, Maki Maki, or a similar restaurant? Your thoughts?