Dining as a tourist in US? (buffets etc)

Thanks, but how do you, as a tourist, locate a cafeteria or buffet when
you come into a town? Of course, they don't have websites

---------------------------------

Usually they'll say "Bufffet" in big letters on their sign

Keep in mind, unless you're a huge eater you may not save a huge amount at a
buffet meal. For example, an entree at a chain restaurant such as Denny's
or Applebees might be ten or twelve dollars, wheras a buffet place might
charge fifteen dollars per person. When all is said and done the prices
might come out at about the same, but you'll have gotten better food at the
non-buffet location. Most American restaurant portions are huge, so you
won't go hungry.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada

Utah, Arizona and Las Vegas very soon
I've heard about the "buffet" concept

Most restaurants in the U.S. do NOT serve buffet-style, but some do,
and they are especially popular in Las Vegas.

There are several types you might encounter:

-- In Las Vegas, many of the hotel/casinos have buffet restaurants
where you pay a fixed price and then serve yourself from buffet tables
where all kinds of food is displayed. You are free to go back and get
more food; it's "all you can eat". Usually there are waiters who come
by your table periodically to bring your drinks, clear old dishes off
your table, etc. Some of the buffets in Vegas are very good. Check out
the buffet reviews at: cheapovegas.com

-- You'll find some buffet-style restaurants in other cities, too,
although often they are "family-style" restaurants that are casual and
cater to families. These types of restaurants used to call themselves
"cafeterias", but most now call themselves "buffets" because many
people associate "cafeteria" with lunchrooms in schools or factories
where the food isn't the greatest.

-- A more common type of buffet is the "salad bar", which you'll find
at many regular restaurants. A salad bar is a small buffet that's
mostly just salad items. Some sit-down restaurants offer a salad-bar
option on the menu. If you pick it, you can make your own salad, which
some people enjoy because they can make it exactly as they want. Some
salad bars just have salad items, and others also have soup, pasta,
meat items, etc, so it's always wise to walk over and look at the salad
bar before choosing it so you know what you're getting.

As far as tipping is concerned, if you're at a full-service restaurant
in which the waiter brings your food to the table, then a tip is
expected (15%-20% is pretty common). If you serve yourself and the
waiter is at your table only briefly to deliver drinks and clear old
dishes, then tip less. If it's entirely self-service and no waiter
comes to your table, don't tip.

Jim

The type of buffet usually determines what you tip. If you are in a
place where you do everything yourself (also known as a cafeteria) you
usually just leave a little money for the clean-up people...when we
travel with small children (or very messy adults) we leave more money.
In some places such as hotel dining rooms you have wait staff who take
care of you for drinks, silverware, etc. and you go get your own food -
I believe I saw a guide book that said 12% is standard in a situation
like that. In some cities such as New York, the management adds an
automatic 18% service fee to your bill if you are in a group of 6 or
more but I do not know if that applies to buffet service.

Carol
Editor - Lowfares.com
http://www.lowfares.com


B Vaughan wrote:
On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 10:20:02 -0700, "Bob Gardner"
wrote:

When on the road, we occasionally eat at an Old Country Buffet (sometimes
Hometown Buffet...you can Google them) where we, as you say, pay a fixed
price and then proceed to a number of tables where various foods, both hot
and cold, are available. All you can eat, go back as many times as you like.
You will see some really fat people at these places!

Actually, if you think about it, unless you eat more than the average,
these buffets are not a bargain.

There are also in some large cities cafeterias where you weigh your
food and pay by the pound.
--
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.

"Fiance" wrote in news:1150046814.621280.260960
@j55g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
Thanks, but how do you, as a tourist, locate a cafeteria or buffet when
you come into a town? Of course, they don't have websites

Cafeterias and restaurants are most common in tourist areas where they are
easy to find. If you are staying at a hotel, you can ask there for
recommendations. You should also ask about diners, which are small road-side
restarants with simple inexpensive food.

On 2006-06-11 16:34:54 -0400, "Geoff Glave" said:

Thanks, but how do you, as a tourist, locate a cafeteria or buffet when
you come into a town? Of course, they don't have websites

---------------------------------

Usually they'll say "Bufffet" in big letters on their sign

But more ofthen they'll say "Buffet". :-)

On 2006-06-11 15:50:40 -0400, B said:

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 10:20:02 -0700, "Bob Gardner"
wrote:

When on the road, we occasionally eat at an Old Country Buffet
(sometimes Hometown Buffet...you can Google them) where we, as you say,
pay a fixed price and then proceed to a number of tables where various
foods, both hot and cold, are available. All you can eat, go back as
many times as you like. You will see some really fat people at these
places!

Actually, if you think about it, unless you eat more than the average,
these buffets are not a bargain.

And the food isn't nearly as good as at numerous sit-down restaurants,
including some pretty reasonably priced chains.

There are also in some large cities cafeterias where you weigh your
food and pay by the pound.

One that I recommend, if you like vegetarian food, is Le Commensal in Montreal.

wrote:

IME there is usually a jar or box or plate somewhere to leave tips.
Just look out for it if you wish to tip.

The only places I ever see tip boxes or plates or anything like that is
in places where I wouldn't expect to have to tip, like a take out
restaurant or a coffee shop with counter service. Tips are for service
like taking orders and bringing the food. Going to the counter to get
my coffee and donut is basically the same as going through the check
out line in a grocery store or getting a package of cigarettes at a
convenience store, and you wouldn't leave a tip for that.

If you want to experience a variety of different styles of service then
go for it. The variety of styles is surprising.

Some are usual full service restaurants where you sit and everything is
ordered and brought.

One drop down is a place like that where you get all you can eat but
they bring refills when needed. Usually but not always refills on
coffee, tea, or sodas are free.

Another possibility is a place where you place your order, they give you
your drinks and bring you your food.

Another is like that but they call you to get the food when it is ready.

Still another is a standard cafeteria line where you go thru collecting
dishes and pay at the end. Usually depending on the dishes but
occasionally by weight.

Another is a place where you pay on entry and there are large tables of
food which you help yourself to. These can range from marginal quality
(taste the safety is fairly well regulated) to pretty good. Of course
the costs vary as well.

I am sure that I've missed something but it's a pretty good range.

In general you tip based on service. If you do all the work except
cleaning the table perhaps $1 per table. If they fill the drinks maybe
$1 per person. For good quality full service usually 15-20% perhaps more.



Fiance wrote:

Could anyone give a short description of dining habits for tourists in
the US? We are planning to visit Utah, Arizona and Las Vegas very soon
but we haven't ever been to the US and don't know dining traditions in
this country.

For instance, I've heard about the "buffet" concept. It's absolutely
not customary where I live. I understand it the following way: you pay
a certain amount for yourself and then may proceed to a table with food
where you can take as much as you want and are able to eat, carry it to
a separate area, and then eat. Tips are not customary (if they are,
whom should I tip?).

I also wonder whether the self-service model is widely known in the US:
you enter an area surrounded by tables with sort-of-bartenders; meat
dishes on one table, veg dishes on another table etc; you choose
several meals from different tables, then go to cashier, pay and go to
a separate are to eat. Tips are not customary (if the are, whom should
I tip?).

I think the restaurant model in the US is not much different from
Europe. Tips - 15 percent of the bill.

I would be glad to read your comments!

In article .com, rentgenas
says...

Could anyone give a short description of dining habits for tourists in
the US? We are planning to visit Utah, Arizona and Las Vegas very soon
but we haven't ever been to the US and don't know dining traditions in
this country.Hello,

I recall some of your threads regarding your upcoming trip, at least partially
in the US Southwest. I do not recall where you are coming from - sorry.

As others have stated, the two types of restaurants that you have described
are a "buffet," and a "cafeteria." Both types exist in the US, more often in
tourist areas, or areas with a larger population of senior citizens on fixed
incomes. They are similar, but do have differences, as already noted. Usually,
the overall costs for either are a bit lower, but I find the quality of the
food to be even lower, and seldom worth the cost. Many diners equate quantity
for the cost with value. I do not.

I see that Las Vegas is part of your itinerary. It probably has a higher
concentration of buffets than any other place on earth. Las Vegas also has
some spectacular restaurants, though the great ones are a bit on the higher
end, cost wise. Some of the smaller towns are not likely to have many dining
choices, and one is more likely to encounter a cafeteria in/near a US park or
campground.

That said, part of all of my travels around the globe involve food. Maybe it's
because I usually travel to places with great local food, or great
restaurants. I would not miss the culture of cuisine in any of these places,
regardless of whether it's a wonderful inn in Wales, or a Michelin starred
Indian restaurant in Mayfair, or a fabulous "plate lunch" in Hawai`i. It does
not have to be expensive, though I admit that I'm usually paying more than
most travelers for my meals, because I count these at the same level as
admission to a castle, fare to a park, cost of some attraction, etc.

Now, if you really love food, and appreciate it, especially at a cultural
level, then the suggestion to look at Chowhound (www.chowhound.com) is a good
one. It is meant for people, who really appreciate great food - not
necessarily expensive, or trendy, or the darling of the food press - just
great food. There is a section on the Southwest that covers much of the area
that you will be traveling through. The forum is NOT designed to find the
cheapest possible sustenance, but the best available. If food matters, then,
by all means, go there. Look at the recent threads, especially for the places
you intend to visit. There are tons of Las Vegas, AZ and UT posts up now. Take
a few hours and have a good read. Use Ctrl-c/Ctrl-v into a Notepad TXT file (
if you're on Windows). If you are traveling outside of the US Southwest, there
are other sections for say, California, North & South. After reading the
existing posts, you'll get an idea what it's all about - GREAT food, and often
on a budget, or for a large family. There have been several posts recently on
Las Vegas buffets. The ones with good food for the $ are the ones to look for.
If you do not see the places that you'll be traveling to, list your itinerary
and give some indication of what you want in the way of food - local
specialties, regional favorites, steakhouses, etc. plus your anticipated
budget. People will be glad to respond to your trip plans with
recommendations. Now, if you only want to maintain life with food items, and
do not care about how good it is, Chowhound is probably the wrong place to
ask. As an aside, the US Southwest has some fabulous food, representing
several regions: multiple Native American cuisines, multiple states of Mexico,
several combinations of these two, some fabulous California influenced
cuisine, plus many other ethnic influences. In short, a great place to sample
the culture via the food.

I'd suggest that you try to get recommendations for free-standing (non-chain)
restaurants, often chef-driven, in each of your destinations. The true value
of dining in these is usually much higher. Next would be the local-chains, and
finally the national ones.

Last, I always tip the bus-persons in a cafeteria or a buffet, as they will be
clearing my dishes, etc. Depending on the cost, it'll usually be about 10%. If
I am served in either, whether by bringing my food to the table, drinks, etc.
it'll go to 15%. I usually tip in the 20% range, including my wine bill (with
a few exceptions) for good service in a more traditional restaurant with 25%
for exemplary service. These are rough estimates and are definitely influenced
by all factors. If the buffet, or cafeteria, is dirty, when I sit down, the
bus-persons will get less, because they did not do a good job before I came
in.

Most of all, enjoy your visit.

Hunt

In article , Hunt wrote:
That said, part of all of my travels around the globe involve food.

I am absolutely the same. There is no way to create additional
money for travelers, but if possible, I would urge you to try to
eat well. The "bad" food in the USA is very very very bad. Many
of the places mentioned in this thread are horrible; I would rather
skip eating that day.