Valentino's Grand Italian Buffet — Restaurant in Nebraska City

This place was pretty gross. I get that they probably have a vacuum for the carpeted floor, which they probably wouldn't want to run while serving customers...but come on, at least do something about it. Otherwise, they probably shouldn't have carpets in the dining area.

Also, the main dining area by the door is cramped, despite the fact that there is a second dining area that I never see used. Why is that? Is it strictly for party reservations? The place could do with a few less tables and the ability to sit in both areas. This place must be a nightmare to navigate when it's packed! I hate when I'm trying to walk to my table and have no choice but to squeeze behind someone else who is already seated, who then often feels the need to move so their chair is taking up less space. It's mildly uncomfortable for everyone, just enough to be notable. If your property is small, it's small. Making people fit won't change that. It's probably even worse for the wait staff too.

The chicken pasta or whatever that was tasted awfully bland. The best item there was the buffalo chicken and even then it had the feeling of frozen chicken you've microwaved. I don't want to make any claims that they did microwave it or that they only serve frozen food, but the quality of a lot of the food feels like that is the case. I have never worked at a buffet, only a restaurant, so I don't know what all goes into rotating the food, but...this was not it. Everything looked better than it tasted, which says the most for their desserts. Someone described their cookies as soggy, which, somehow feel accurate? They tasted bad. The ice cream machine also barely worked—it filled the little bowl I had with liquid before putting out frozen ice cream...which tasted bad anyway. I wonder if they use a really cheap mix for their ice cream or something.

Also, the staff was friendly but barely waited on our table. They initially seated us at a table that was just wiped, which I am okay with. It makes sense not to out forks and napkins out on a wet table. However, after we got our food and were returning to our table, they placed forks and napkins at every other vacant table in our area without noticing or checking with us to see if we needed anything. I wouldn't normally do this but we were so hungry and could not find any other silverware so we had to grab some from the nearby tables. We really needed more drinks as well. During this, they seated people at a table next to us and not long after asked that table if they needed anything whereas we had been there much longer and did need something.

I lost track of who our waiter was by this point, but it felt like maybe they were understaffed? So, I'm inclined not to be upset by the waiters if they were overwhelmed. I just think this restaurant is going downhill overall. It's really sad, too, because we were there with my friend who, despite everything, absolutely adores this place no matter what.

I personally would never go here if it wasn't solely for my friend to experience it. I would hate to see my friend's reaction if this place were to go out of business. I don't know what could be improved without a complete overhaul of several things.

I have been to buffets that were perfectly decent, and buffets that were delicious and expensive, and then there's Valentino's buffet that is somehow far below the basic ones. I don't get it—do people mainly enjoy it because this is a cheap buffet? At about $13 a person? It's not the same type of buffet by a mile, but for just a little more money at an irregular time, HuHot is much better and much more worth it than Valentino's buffet. They're properly staffed, probably because people understandably want to work there, and they are able to take care of their customers. Not to mention, they don't try to cram tables together.

I'm sorry, I hate leaving reviews like this, but this place was just kind of terrible. I hope the waiters or other employees don't feel like I'm targeting them specifically. It feels like several big changes should be made to...

This buffet could be great. Sadly it is not. This was my 3rd visit and we drive from Omaha just for this. However, there were 3 big health concerns during this visit. The place is very dirty. Looking at the salt shakers, they were visibly grimy. Shakers are one of the dirtiest, bacteria filled items in restaurants, even when not visibly dirty. These clearly hadn't been cleaned in ages and the neighboring tables weren't better. Carpeted floors are gross and made worse when employees are trying to sweep up food near were you are eating and the debris bounces. The newly served chicken on the buffet was cold. Not hot or lukewarm even when they put it out and the buffet wasn't doing anything to keep the food at safe temperatures. This is a food born illness disaster waiting to occur. Then my daughter had some of the chocolate pudding, she spat it out and said it tasted rancid, like soured milk. We spoke to the manager to inform him of our concerns. He was very rude and defensive. He denied all problems we experienced and made excuses with the exception of our salt shaker, which he began trying to clean with a napkin. He said he threw out the pudding but only after eating an entire bowl of it and claimed it was fine. He said the chicken may have been cold because someone took the lid off. He pushily asked what we wanted him to do to make it right but clearly had no intention of actually doing anything, especially when we told him we only wanted safety improvements for all customers and that we weren't looking for any compensation and made that plain to him. He was so very rude, interrupting us, addressed us in a condescending and accusatory manner, never apologized or offered any promises of improvement, made nothing but excuses and clearly thought everything was fine. Since he offered no words of improvement or empathy, we told him that we would just pay our bill, leave, and not come back. He just walked away and said ok. When we paid our bill, I said to the employee that he is a peach. She seemed to know exactly what I meant and smiled. We are looking into notifying the health department because this place is too much of a risk especially when they show zero interest in even entertaining valid concerns. If it is like this with what you can see and experience what must it be like...

You long for pizza. You long for buffett. You start a quest to find a place that not only has a pizza buffet but also great tasting pizza with a big selection.

Tis Friday young adventure and your adventure starts with Pizza Ranch. Off you go. The journey is short.

-5 happiness -5 health

Pizza Ranch doesn't meet your needs. You continue and journey to The Amazing Pizza Machine. The journey is long but you arrive to a land that looks to check your every box. Is your quest finally over?

3 happiness

Alas the vast variety shows you not to trust your eyes, for they lie to you. Soldering on you learn of Valentino's. But the journey is long. Is two fortnights worth it? You take a break and rest but the next day you set forth for the land of Italian buffet. You arrive two fortnights later.

But you find the selection is small. The food is great, though not 75 options great.

1 happiness 5 sleep

You are so close to completing the quest, though you wonder if you ever will. An adventurer tells you of a land called Godfathers. You go.

10 happiness 20 health

Alas, the adventurer lied to you. Just as you give up you find out 4 fortnights away is a Valentino's with the grand buffet. Is this the answer to your prayers? You make the journey.

5 happiness 10 internal conflict

You have found a buffet with great variety...in everything but pizza. You are disappointed by the skimpy pizza buffet. But there's a huge salad bar so you feast on a salad and pasta. Why's the pasta taste rancid you ask yourself, as you wonder if you'll be sick later...

After feasting you finish with ice cream, only to find it doesn't look right. Is vanilla supposed to be that color? You taste it. It tastes of flavorless ice. You have journied far to end in failure. You head back home.

Is this the end? Have you started a quest that can't be completed?? You look for answers but will...