North Country Steak Buffet — Restaurant in La Crosse

My old lady and I dined at the North Country Streak Buffet on the north end of LaCrosse this Saturday past.

It was cold as blazes outside and, normally, this would not matter one bit in a review, but the line to get seated was lengthy and processing hungry folks through so that they could get.a table, some silverware, and napkins took a bit of time. There was a surly gent behind me, staring into my soul, as if I had something to do with the hangup. Everytime the door opened, a blast of LaCrosse winter swept over everyone in that line.

The price was reasonable and the cashier/host was pleasant enough. She escorted us to our table and we were served drinks by a very friendly server. Here is where things get good. For me anyway. I went and got a 5 oz. steak, prepared medium rare. It was excellent. No additions were needed. No Heinz 57, no A-1, no Worcestershire Sauce, or sauce of any kind was needed. On my first trip, I also had some mashed potatoes with gravy and made myself a single soft shelled taco with pork and rice and cheese and lettuce. As good as the steak was, the mashed potatoes tasted funny and I would not recommend. The taco was decent.

The taco was decent enough that I made two more on my second trip through the line and I ordered my second 5 oz. steak, this time rare. The streak was, again, excellent, but required some extra chewing and I knew I had to order it medium rare in order to avoid a Heimlich-type scene in the middle of a crowded restaurant during the Saturday night rush.

On the 3rd time through, I ordered the streak and took a 3-layered dessert-type thing. The steak was, again, something to write home about, and the dessert was just okay. My fiancee brought me an ice cream sandwich, which I neglected to touch, because I was nearing the end of my eating capacity.

The restaurant had little control over it, but the ambience was disrupted by a party of 20 costumed cosplayers that came in. This livened the place up and would normally be nothing more than a curiosity. However, one of their party fancied himself an Errol Flynn type and had an absurd, sheer-ish v-neck top that descended to his belly button. And I am not kidding about this. He had more fur than a cat lady's sweater showing. Thankfully, we were wrapping up and so our revulsion was limited to the audacity of the guy, but, nonetheless, he should have been asked to display a little decorum, if you ask me.

Overall, a good experience and I, personally, would recommend going through the prepared meat lines, almost exclusively. Other options included: pork chops, hamburgers, and chicken sandwiches. Thanks for the...

Saw this restaurant on an article about best buffets in the U.S., and drove 50 miles out of the way to see if it was worth the hype. First impressions were that the decor was nice and not tacky like many buffets. It felt like an adult restaurant. At 2pm on a Sunday, it was quite busy, which is an excellent sign. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a long wait to get through the selections of food. Everything’s laid out in a nice and logical manner. The salad bar looked very fresh, the various meats were delicious, and the jalapeño pineapple sauce for the chicken was sweet and had a bit of a kick—but not so much that you couldn’t give it to someone who doesn’t do super spicy.

The typical side dishes weren’t anything special (except the au gratin potatoes with thick pieces of ham were impressive), but no one goes to a buffet to eat corn and mashed potatoes. The taco bar was perfectly fine looking, with plenty of toppings, but I didn’t have room on my plate, but I’m guessing it was good. The dessert bar was exceptional, unexpectedly so. Most buffets either skimp or put out a huge spread of low quality desserts. Their options were neither limited or overwhelming, but what was available was high quality. They put thought into making sure both kids and adults would be satisfied.

But none of what I sad so far is important. The place has the word Steak in its name. No one comes here for the broccoli salad. I’ve been to buffets where they offer low quality steak that’s cooked either raw or extremely well done, and you get one or the other no matter what you ask for. Buffet steak is expected to be cheap. I was absolutely shocked that each time I asked for medium rare, it was done properly AND it was probably the highest quality meat I’ve found in a buffet outside of a $70 Christmas buffet at a 5 Star hotel.

Everyone was friendly and efficient, and kept the buffet stocked and the used plates removed multiple times to keep the table clean and comfortable. I would absolutely return here next time I’m anywhere near this area. This was a great experience, and totally unexpected for an all-you-can-eat...

On fire and on point describes this place. Recently ate here expecting a medium experience as it is a mass produced buffet style spot. I was delightfully and unexpectedly suprised.

The food was DELICIOUS. The steak was tender and perfectly cooked. The hamburgers were better than a cookout. The bread pudding... the selection of food was awesome with very few letdowns. The salad bar cold and well stocked to perfection. The desert bar was right on with selection and quality. Its all homemade food your mom would serve at thanksgiving... and its done cheaply... how? Dont know.

The atmosphere was dead on perfect with warm wood color and old style cooking utensils everywhere. Tables are roomy and comfy. The place is clean clean clean. Everything looks new. The location is perfect with lots of parking and a mural to welcome you in. Window seating is plenty was well. This place is perfect for a family get together.

Ashley, our server, was wonderful. She had a great work ethic and a smile that was warm and friendly. All of the staff was warm and friendly. All seemed to care about our exoerience here. It shows as i wish this place was in My home town. All of the staff deserves a huge pay raise... thank you for being so awesome.

We will be...