Ole Times Country Buffet — Restaurant in Georgia

It's a big place! Get ready to walk.

We had some 65+ youngsters in our party. The cashier informed us that the seniors couldn't get a discount until after 2pm! (If you're going to give seniors a discount, why would you limit the hours?) So, if you have any seniors in your party, don't go until after 2pm.

We were supposed to pick up our own silverware when we walked in & paid, but nobody told us to do that. (If you're going to make people do that, tell them.) I recommend putting the silverware next to the plates - not all the way across the restaurant. Better yet, have the wait-staff bring it. Goodness knows, they seemed to have the time.

I saw a couple wait-staff just standing around. Another 1 was sitting down listening to something on headphones. Yet another 1 actually sat at a table across from us to have a phone conversation. We had to start putting used plates on another table because they weren't being cleared to make space at our table. I didn't go into the kitchen (obviously), but the people who kept the food stocked seemed to be quite busy.

If you like a buffet, this is a really good 1, though. The salad bar had a lot of ingredient options for make-your-own salads. There was a variety of other salads (cole slaw, chicken, crab, macaroni, pasta, etc.). If you're a vegetarian who loves a buffet, you definitely want to eat here! There were so many veggies & other non-meat choices (black eyed peas, butter beans, cabbage, cheese grits, corn on the cob, cream corn, French fries, green beans, mashed potatoes, red potatoes, rice, etc.). I was disappointed with the lack of variety in entrée selections (baked chicken, BBQ pork, Brunswick stew, fried chicken, fried fish, etc.). I was hoping for chicken and dumplings, ham, and seafood options (not even fried shrimp?!). I thought it was funny that they offered pork rinds with the entrées. I found the desserts kind of uninspiring - not just because of the options, but more because of the taste - good, but not great. But, hey, it's a buffet, not a pâtisserie. They had cookies, ice cream, pies, puddings, Rice Krispie treats, etc.

1 of the members in our party loves Brunswick stew. In fact, they'd eaten it 3 times already that week in 3 different restaurants. They said this was the best Brunswick stew they'd had!

My personal favorite was the cheese grits. I'm a "Yankee", and when someone set grits in front of me for the 1st time, I tried to add butter and brown sugar - to the horror of everyone around me! I quickly learned the acceptable ways to eat grits, thankfully. The only grits I'm interested in, though, are the cheese grits my spouse's aunt makes. I have to admit, the cheese grits at this buffet were the only thing that had me going back for 2nds.

By the way, if you're looking for butter for your roll or cornbread, it's across the room, hidden away with the salads. This is an all-you-can-eat buffet where they help you walk off...

COLD MEAT WARNING-So the overall experience at this restaurant -proved the "look" of the facility to be very deceiving(since it was the largest neatest looking Ole Times, from the outside in, that I've ever gone to- as far as a building is concerned). HOWEVER after making my first plate I came to discover that.... NONE of the meat was even warm, although I informed a lady back in the back and she nicely tried to "heat up" some initial meat in a microwave(because, she said, someone didn't turn the heat up underneath it...) I DID NOT trust it just being heated up seeing I had no idea how long it was in that condition(cold) and sitting out, AND it was pork rib tips -take a food handlers class and you can figure out why I wouldn't)...I therefore discarded that meat and decided to try to get some baked chicken instead(it was cold and I realized that it wasn't steaming from the bottom of the baked chicken either...I then brought it to the attention of the waitress AGAIN)... then I attempted to get fish (it was cold). It was one of the most ridiculous experiences I ever had at a buffet...I was then told the manager could DO NOTHING about it even though he was told the moment I found out all the meat I tried to get was no good... after each piece of cold meat I got as well as the friend I was with confirming HER MEAT ALSO WAS COLD that she had as well and my young child then told me her meat was cold too... the waitress then informed me that we weren't the first to complain but that many other customers had complained as well... no manager ever came aside from a "so called floor manager" who said she couldn't do anything about it (THAT IS NOT A MANAGER)- and she said the "main manager"...would not do anything about it and that he said "they should come at 5:30 when everything is "hot" rather than 7:00 when we came to the restaurant"... nor did he even come out and speak with me concerning the matter claiming to be too busy counting money(THAT IS NOT A GOOD MANAGER). I'm actually not one to complain really, however, I paid a decent price and received absolutely unacceptable service. I was unable to have ANY MEAT with my buffet purchase absolutely unacceptable . I was told "Mr. Tod or Tom" could be contacted in the morning and was a "new manager"...BIG MISTAKE never again will I go to this Ole Times until something clearly improves. Thankfully I can at least warn others that they may have a similar unpleasant experience if they choose to go to this place...unbelievable. If the manager would have made it right somehow, I wouldn't feel the need to leave a review- but that was unacceptable I did not receive what I rightfully paid for. I am suprised no one else left a review concerning this- if there truly was as many complaints as the waitress concernedly shared there being-seeing it's actually pretty serious and can make a lot of...

I love to give 5 star reviews. But in this restaurant's case, I feel I have to post a negative review because I felt misled by the high ratings google maps has from other reviewers on this store.

I have to say to the reviewers who have pumped this up to a 4.5 star...SHAME on you for lying to the public. We went to this store tonight because of all the rave reviews. It was our first time here. Let us describe what we found. The first thing I tried was the popcorn shrimp. It was very good. Then I had a piece of chicken. It was bland. Didn't finish the first piece. Then I tried the pulled pork. It was just ok at best. My wife tried the ribs. They were cold. She couldn't finish them. Mashed potatoes were instant. The gravy was disgusting. The deserts: Banana pudding...wife couldn't eat it. Pulled and chopped pork was ok. The corn on the cob was the kind that looks like it comes frozen in wrappers and then is heated up.

The steak was not really edible. The chocolate ice cream was not working. The vanilla tasted like a very cheap ice cream you would get at a inexpensive buffet.

So disappointed. So then I went for a salad, hoping to make up for the meal. I liked the diced ham. The olives and cottage cheese were good. The pears tasted like they had been served, stored and rechilled and served again over and over. They were probably the worst pears I've had in 20 years. And I love pears usually.

I guess I would summarize this experience in one sentence. "Think of nursing home food, and you get the picture."

Very disappointed. Cannot recommend the food at this restaurant. Shame on those who gave it high ratings. What were...