Ole Times Country Buffet — Restaurant in Lake City

A group of about 20 of us visited this restaurant on MLK Day 2019. We were in town for an event and frequent this restaurant each time we're in the area. We were seated in the private room in the back of the restaurant due to the size of our party. Our assigned waitress was great and served our party well.

Mid-way through our meal, a waitress by the name of Miranda (not assigned to us) walked into the room and approached the table occupied by our children. One of the babies had apparently grabbed a salt shaker and was in the process of trying to put it in her mouth. It all happened very quickly. Before the parents could address the issue, Miranda very loudly and aggressively (while waiving her hands in a violent manner) screamed at our party, "YA'LL NEED TO GET YOUR KIDS!" and stormed out of the room. She was NOT assigned to our party and had no reason to be in the room. After storming out, she went to other staff members and could be heard loudly complaining about our party on the restaurant floor.

Instead of confronting her, we reported the issue to Assistant Manager BILLY, who pulled Miranda into a room to talk with her. Not even 5 minutes later, she returned to the floor, went to a table near us and was seen pointing towards our room, discussing the issue with other customers.

We called Assistant Manager Billy, who said he would "talk with her again". During this time, one of the mothers of the children begin crying and raised her voice that she felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave. Billy responded very unprofessionally, "I am NOT going to be yelled out. You can get out". We were taken back because he was more offended that an emotional mom raised her voice but, didn't show the same concern that a staff under his management was yelling at customers and causing an uproar in his restaurant.

By this time, GM Garrett approached us and informed us that there was NOTHING he could do about the situation and this would needed to be settled with corporate. He asked if we wanted to stay to finish our meal but, by then, MIRANDA had multiple tables watching our group due to her gossip and unfounded complaints on the floor. We felt so uncomfortable that we left without finishing our meal.

We contacted corporate and spoke with LESLI, office manager. It took 2 weeks for us to get a response only to be told that they'd talked with the staff and had educated Miranda on proper behavior on the floor. However, they could not refund our money because they don't allow owners to do so. This is totally unacceptable. We've visited this restaurant many times while traveling to the area but, will not return. Poor staff behavior is a reflection of poor management. We refuse to spend hundreds of dollars in an establishment that does not value it's customers.

STAY AWAY...

THIS IS AN EDIT FROM MY REVIEW APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AGO: Since Ole Times Country Buffet has new owners, the food and atmosphere has really went downhill. Stopped to eat there approximately 2 weeks ago with our daughter. Prices increased and atmosphere DEFINITELY decreased. Instead of the overhead ceiling music, they had what looked like a Bluetooth speaker sitting on top in the middle of the buffet, playing music SO LOUD that we could not hear the cashier when she told us our bill amount and it would hurt your ears (unless you were deaf) just to have to go by it to get to the food, leave, or go to the bathroom. I overheard many, many customers complaining about the music, the cleanliness, and how the quality was no longer there.

For example, some of the food was not fully cooked and hard, some was dried out, some looked like it had been there all day (you could see the old dry looking beans in with the new that was poured and mixed all through, dumplings that use to be REALLY good was dry and mushy, very little desserts on that cold station that really doesn't work to keep the desserts cold (which ALL of this is unexceptable), and this was about 4:30 - 5 pm on a weekday. Quite a few of the food containers were empty. The waitresses all stood in a group with one man at the drink station and was laughing with him and hugging him while customers were waiting on drinks and empty plates to be removed and tables needed cleaning (which was just a swipe and still dried food on them). I took my sanitizer and a napkin to wipe down the table AFTER it had been "cleaned" by the waitress.

We have been driving about 2 hours to eat there or stopping on our way back from trips for the past 10+ years, but now I would rather stop and get a sausage dog, hot dog, hamburger, or drive a little further and get better food for the same or cheaper cost, and NOT get disappointed.

I don't mind paying for good food, but this was not what I expected or wanted. I know they went up on the cost of tea and soda, but NOW THEY CHARGE $1.00 FOR WATER.....ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!! Guess it helps pay the water bill.

The old saying still goes, "IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT!!"

Sorry if some of you don't agree, but to each their own. New owners change things to streamline, be more "cost effective" or think they are making it better, only to ruin what use to be a very, very, great place to eat. SO VERY...

Ole Times Country Buffet was where we stopped by for lunch after leaving Atlanta, enroute back to Miami. We had a great time dining at Golden Corral years ago so we decided to relive another diner-styled buffet – that is quite representative of our buffet experience in the USA, this time, at Ole Times Country Buffet…

Ole Times Country Buffet & Bar-B-Que is a buffet venue that offers a wide variety of food with a focus on Southern food and barbecue. You’ll be able to enjoy seafood, barbecue, pork ribs, fried chicken and many other vegetables and desserts here at Ole Times Country Buffet.

Inside, we love the country-style and homely interior decorations. You can see lots of wooden panelling, furnishings and furnitures within. If you look closely on the top that lines the restaurant, you’ll also find many different types of cookie jars on display! This is so cool and local! Upon entering, we paid our buffet at a total of $33 for 2 people. We also added a tip on the card which the cashier returned to us in cash. This allowed us to place the tip at the table before we leave.

The buffet selection at Ole Times Country Buffet and BBQ is very extensive. No matter your preferences, you’d likely be able to find something that suits your tastes. For vegans, you’ll find a great selection of salads and condiments as well as cooked vegetables (spinach and beans). For carnivores (like us), you’ll be happy to find barbecue meats, fried chicken, fish and chips and even grilled chicken. For desserts, you can choose from pies, cakes, cinnamon rolls and more! With so much choice at Ole Times Country Buffet, we found ourselves going for seconds and thirds and more…😅

For more details of what we had at Ole Times Country Buffet, visit...