The Filling Station — Restaurant in Dalton

Where do I start...I have waited for a while to leave this review because I wanted to give a fair overall opinion and not a review based on one visit. However this last visit has caused me to go forward with my review. Pre-covid The filling station was just pretty good and their food was never really hot, just always luke warm(this hasn't changed over the last several years). Before covid there were condiments on the table. Now you get your luke warm food from the buffet line immediately after paying, then you have to find a table, then return to get your drink and then you have to ask one of the very few folks that help with cleaning tables for condiments (Stop acting like we did during covid as an excuse not to have condiments at each table.) After that your food doesn't have a chance to be warm especially when it only starts out luke warm. Then there's the chicken, it's like a box of chocolates, some pieces are tough and inedible and some are edible. Then there's yesterdays snafu. They explained after you paid that one of there fryers went down and that they only have one fryer and asked us to be patient. Seeing how their fried chicken is their main meat it looks like they would have slowed the line down or not let as many folks dine with them as they normally do. But they didn't. They let folks in at the same pace with no chicken on the buffet. So instead of holding the entire line up waiting on chicken we took our vegetables and started eating. It wasn't until we were almost finished with our vegetables that someone came out of the back with chicken which means I had to break in line to get our chicken which means even less chicken for those in line making everyone have to wait even longer. Then a few visits ago I asked one of the employees if they received the tips left at the register since you are asked to leave the tip while prepaying for your meal and they responded by saying that Stephanie (the owner) does not pass them along to the employees. They stated that Stephanie feels that she pays the employees well enough and that Stephanie keeps the tips. Seems to me that over the years that we have been visiting The filling station that the quality and service has gone downhill while the prices continues to rise. I feel that it's all about the bottom line...

Ok, back to traveling... Stopped for lunch before heading on to Atlanta. Thought awesome, buffet!! Plus it says southern comfort food.

First adult buffet $15 Kids buffet (under 11?) $9 (As of July 31, 22)

Wish I'd of read the reviews before making my final choice. Very limited food options, serving bar is not very long so I can't see the options being much different or there being more any other day. (Sunday after church is when we visited) Now don't get me wrong what I had was NOT bad. Green beans, Mac n cheese, very soupy mash potatoes, creamed corn, sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole, fried okra, stewed tomatoes, boneless limp "fried" (but not really) chicken, I'm guessing a shredded turkey? Chicken? Idk white meat with mushy either old breading or a dressing, hard to tell, ham, pasta with shrimp, coleslaw, potato salad, salad, but only honey mustard dressing... I only personally tried the mystery shredded meat, green beans, Cole slaw, sweet potatoes, and banana pudding. The meat.... I just don't know, tasted fine but I had to pull parts out I would eat if ya know what I mean.

Clientele was mainly older. Dessert was decent. Would I come again if I lived here? No. Would I stop again traveling, unlikely. However if that is the menu your looking for the taste...

There is history in this building and there are memorabilia on the wall to show it to you. This is buffet only dining and open only at lunch time. You pay as you come in. During the week it cost $12 and $12.50 on Sundays. The food is Southern comfort food and it really is tasty. As a vegetarian I had plenty of selections. Your drink (sodas, teas, and water) is included in the price as well as your dessert. You can go for seconds (and possibly thirds) on all food and beverages. They have southern iced tea that tastes homemade and doesn't taste brackish. They have two bussers that are stealth like ninjas roaming the dining area to clear your used plates from your table. The food items on the buffet are replenished frequently. There are a variety of pies, cakes, and puddings (this includes a sugar free pudding). I definitely recommend eating here. I gave it four starts because I thought they could have had their salad also be buffet like. There were items in the house salad I didn't like, such as onions, green peppers and cucumbers. I would prefer to build my own salad so as not to waste and have more items to...