13 Chain All-You-Can-Eat Buffets Where Your Meal Practically Pays for Itself

Dining out has become more challenging as inflation forces consumers to tighten their purse strings and eliminate discretionary spending. Buffet restaurants have been hit extra hard, with many closing their doors since the pandemic.

So what are consumers who want to go out to eat more supposed to do? Luckily, they can still indulge without worrying about breaking the bank with these 15 all-you-can-eat buffet options.

Golden Corral is synonymous with the American buffet experience and is known for offering a great value for the price. Perhaps, more importantly, it gives diners the choice of picking their favorite eats.

Each Golden Corral location offers a wide variety of customized meals. Combine that with quality ingredients cooked simply, and you have a winner. The best part? It costs less than $20 per person.

Sizzler has weathered many storms during its existence. These days, the once ubiquitous chain buffet only maintains a presence in the Western U.S.

If you live on the West Coast, you can treat yourself to a hot plate chock-full of grilled meat or seafood and all the sides you enjoy at affordable prices, including their once-famous salad bar.

Ponderosa Steakhouse, also known as Bonanza in certain areas, hasn't aged well since the 1990s, and many locations are now closed.

Still, you can visit some of the existing 20 locations in the Midwest and on the East Coast to enjoy a steak (ordered separately) and a buffet that offers hungry visitors everything from sides to dessert.

America's Incredible Pizza Company doubles as a game complex, which makes it the perfect spot for kids who love their pizza. Adults who enjoy affordable buffet-style meals like hot dogs, pasta, and tacos can also join in the fun.

For $25, you can enjoy the buffet and get game credits, making for an affordable and entertaining night out.

This Midwest chain serves all-you-can-eat pizza, but also favorites like fried chicken with all the sides you can think of.

Lunch and evening pricing are affordable enough at under $20 per person, and the quality of the fried chicken and sides makes the all-in price worth it.

Captain George's doesn't welcome diners with pizza, hot dogs, or fried chicken. Instead, this buffet chain makes a splash with plump shrimp, oysters, and crab legs.

While this translates to shelling out more cash for your meal, it's worth it. The $50 price tag for the likes of oysters Rockefeller at Captain George's is a steal compared to how much they'd go for at a high-end venue.

Back in the day, people didn't go to buffet chains for the best steaks. Yet, Fogo de Chao delights customers with delicious Brazilian barbecue, especially melt-in-your-mouth cuts like picanha.

This restaurant complements the delicious meats—the mainstay of the Brazilian barbecue experience—with a full salad bar. The catch? You'll need to dig a bit deeper in your pockets to gain access to both. For $60 per person, you'll enjoy a meat feast fit for a king. That's still far less than what you'd pay in a high-end steakhouse.

Shady Maple is the largest buffet in the U.S. Besides the restaurant, this Pennsylvania institution includes a gift shop, a convention space, and a farm shop.

Here's a pro tip: the Shady Maple Smorgasbord costs less if you visit at breakfast and lunchtime. If you're sick of limited options at other buffets and want to try some Pennsylvania favorites like scrapple and mush, Shady Maple is the place for you.

Sushi Palace is the go-to buffet for sushi lovers in New Jersey. All four locations of this chain offer fresh, made-to-order sushi and sashimi for the affordable price of less than $35 per person.

Sushi Palace is a far cry from the buffets of old with their hot plates and reheated food, and has enough offerings to satisfy even the most discerning palates.

Unlike your run-of-the-mill buffet chains, HuHot Mongolian Grill doesn't serve all-you-can-eat ready meals. This restaurant offers visitors a selection of meat, vegetables, and noodles they stir-fry for you right then and there for a custom dish.

Since each meal is cooked from scratch, HuHot is worth its price in gold. More importantly, customers rave about the quality of the ingredients, the generous portions and how tasty their stir-fries turn out.

Hungry for Indian food? Mount Everest India's Cuisine has you covered when you're in Las Vegas, regardless of whether you're looking for lunch or dinner.

Like many other Indian restaurants, this eatery is vegetarian-friendly and offers delicious AYCE Indian and Nepalese food like chicken momo and mango lassi based on traditional recipes. Better yet, Mount Everest India's Cuisine is affordable in a city that is anything but.

If you live in New York or New Jersey, head to Cast Iron Pot for mouth-watering Korean barbecue at affordable prices. Hit up their all-you-can-eat lunch buffet to eat your fill of galbi, bulgogi, Korean side dishes, soups, and more.

With an affordable price of less than $30 per person, you'll leave full and satiated.

This incredible Amish buffet, which also doubles as a bakery and farm store, offers AYCE freshly cooked food, bread, homemade pies, and jam for both lunch and dinner. Gasthof Amish Village may not be a chain, but it's an institution—and an affordable one at that. Lunch and dinner prices are under $20 per person.

Besides enjoying dishes like hand-battered chicken and fresh greens, you'll also be able to pick up some delicious Amish creations to enjoy at home after you visit this Montgomery, Indiana, gem.

Many well-known all-you-can-eat buffets have closed their doors in recent years, but plenty of budget-friendly options are still serving up bottomless plates across the country. If you're looking to enjoy a hearty meal without overspending, these buffet restaurants offer great value.

Another easy way to avoid wasting money is to cook from scratch. Homemade meals can be just as delicious as restaurant dishes for a fraction of the cost.