Golden Corral Buffet & Grill — Restaurant in Vancouver

Father's Day Sunday June 17th 2018. I had never been to Golden Corral before and I heard that their ribs and prime rib was delicious so I invited my entire family here for Father's Day. We waited in line for about a half hour. I wasn't mad about the wait I understand it's Father's Day night and they're busy. When we got to the register they had a sign showing what different types of meat they had for the night as a special. I'm including a picture. They also raised the price $1 this means the buffet cost $16.99. The sign advertised ribs, shrimp, smoked sausage, sirloin steak. Out of these four Meats available the only thing they had was the smoked sausage which was tasty but dripping with grease. At the register I asked the lady why they raised the price she said it's because we're having a special we have all of these meats available tonight. From what I was told from other people these meats are usually available. When we got in there we found out that none of the Meats were available except for the greasy sausage. So we had a party of 11 people and they told us they could see us now after about a half hour wait. They brought us to four Separate Tables that were not even side by side the whole family would have to split up and sit separately. I told the waitress that we would probably need a 5th table if that's how they're going to seat us. She pretty much ignored me and walked away. So I grabbed a rag and wiped down one of the dirty tables that were sitting there that had no one sitting at it anymore. We then attempted to rearrange the tables so we could actually sit together. The manager came over and said we can't rearrange the tables like that so we're going to rearrange one for you guys. well at this point everyone had their drink sitting on the table and jackets hanging on their chairs. I feel that all of this should have been done before they ever walked us out onto the floor. So we ate what was available which we could have just made it home for half the price. It was honestly nothing fancy and I was literally disappointed and not impressed whatsoever. So then I went up for dessert thinking to myself people had told me they had a chocolate fondue fountain and different things that you could get into fountain. So I go up to the dessert bar only to find out that their chocolate fountain is out of service and they have a giant bowl full of crusty dried up chocolate with a little bit melted right in the middle that people had been over and over dipping their strawberries and pineapples in, were talking little kids and everything. One of the worst experiences I've ever had at a buffet restaurant and I would highly recommend that you walk in there and take a look around before you go assuming that you're going to eat there. The place was filthy the service was terrible and the food was close to average and they did not have what they advertised. Knowing that it's Father's Day they raise the price on their Buffet because they knew the restaurant would fill up because it's new in town. I feel like this was just a manager with an idea to be a little bit greedy somewhere along the line. This was a terrible experience and I will not be going there again. If there was any way to get a refund I would. I paid $80 for me and my fiance and my mom and dad to eat a dinner that was definitely not worth it. Keep in mind this is the first time I've ever been there. If your manager and you're reading this I hope you'll consider contacting me to offer me a refund. I...

(Review for our last visit on June 20th at 4:30pm)

I am so impressed with the amount of work and effort the Golden Corral staff has taken to make the restaurant cleanly and feel safe for patrons during this pandemic.

The restaurant has partitioned off the buffet bar, so that there is one entrance and all traffic must go one way (from right to left, entering near the dessert area).

There are markers on the ground to make sure you are 6’ apart from other patrons in line, and when it is your turn, one of the servers in the kitchen area (on the other side of the buffet) grabs a plate for you and follows you down the line serving you your food.

I was a bit skeptical about this and felt a bit awkward about it at first. But, honestly, it went really smooth and there was no weirdness at all. It ran like a well oiled machine, and I feel like I got the food I wanted faster and easier than I would have if the buffet had just been open like normal.

One different aspect was that the salad bar was closed and not part of the partitioned one-way traffic. Instead, our main server took our salad (and/or soup) order when we sat down and brought it to us about 5-10 minutes later.

As for the seating, every other booth was closed and many of the tables were missing (or chairs were turned over). This was actually really awesome, because the restaurant tended to be pretty crowded in the past. It actually felt comfortable for change.

We did not get dessert… so I didn’t really get a good look at how that area was set up, but I think the staff served you there (just like the main food).

As for the food… I’m not sure if it is because we haven’t eaten in a restaurant in close to 4 months… but it was DELICIOUS. Seriously, one of the BEST steaks I have ever had.

We are definitely going to return in the...

So if you have ever heard of a stereotype of the people who eat at all-you-can-eat buffets, they're all true. We only went because my wife won a 2-for-1 coupon. So we broughty son and his family.

Plenty of parking. Decor is dated but that isn't why people come here. Carpet desperately needed cleaning or replacement. Our server, Sara, was super nice and on-the-ball.

We sampled a lot of items so I can't list everything. I can say that the offerings at the salad bar were fresh and tasty. Though I didn't see lots of salads being made.

The different rice dishes were dry and crunchy. Taco meat was tasty but very soupy. I saw a server cut open a bag of soupy refried beans so I passed on those. Grated cheeses were pre-grated and were rubbery. Most of the hot meats were well cooked and tasty. I asked for a steak and it was perfectly cooked but a little fatty. Veggies like broccoli and carrots were tasty and perfectly cooked. Corn was canned but good. Mashes potatoes were moist and perfect but the gravy was just that store bottled salty stuff. Fried chicken was moist and tasty.

The dessert bar was well stocked and bakery items were clearly not made on premises but were very good. Chocolate dipped strawberries were fresh and not made with cheap chocolate.

Like me, if you are a veteran, at some point you've worked in the mess hall/galley (kitchen for you civilians). And once you've worked in a commercial kitchen and looked behind the curtain, you can't unsee what you have seen. Eating at a buffet brought back a slew of memories of that time. And not all good ones.

So in closing, there was good food and not so good food. You can make a meal out of it. But at $20 per person plus $3.50 for a drink it was a little expensive. For that price I'd rather go...