Down Home Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Independence

what a let down! we used to eat here routinely and the buffet was excellent. then the pandemic came and everyone knew the restaurant was having a hard time. we hadn't eaten there in i'd guess way over a year or 2 ?? was in the area and decided to stop in and eat off the lunch buffet. it was not very good. the chicken was dried out, dark, & tough. could hardly eat it and this is supposed to be what they are noted for?? i can remember when it was hot & moist. instant mashed potatoes and what tasted like a can gravy. the buffet had been cut down in size and i noticed that the salad bar area was not as diverse as it used to be. i noticed like 6 diff macaroni salads on the bar. like how many types of macaroni pasta salads can you make? they were out of some things that they did not refill even tho they still were not at closing time. for what i paid for the buffet i could have got a better deal for the same price at a golden corral. its a shame but we won't be back. i don't understand all the 5 star ratings. what i'm really wondering is who's doing the cooking in the kitchen now bc it doesn't seem like the same ones from some time ago. it also seems like they are using real cheap ingredients like loads of pasta as its cheap. something is amiss here...

The food at this place is consistently delicious! Not only that, but the staff are absolutely incredible. Whether you're in the mood for breakfast or lunch, I highly recommend giving this place a try. Their lunch buffet is also worth mentioning—it's quite good. I must say, their fried chicken is particularly yummy! It's a bit disappointing that they're not open for supper at the moment, but you can always catch them for a satisfying breakfast or...

Unfortunately we arrived just 20 minutes before closing. They took care of us & never rushed us through our meal, even when they started their closing ritual. Vacuuming, sweeping, etc. They did not remove the food from the buffet until we were finished with them. Good was good but the chicken was kind of picked through. I've always liked down home. Real mashed potatoes, multiple salads, always chicken plus several other entrees. Would always...