7 Golden Corral Tips You'll Wish You Knew Before Eating There

There is possibly nothing more stereotypically American than the all-you-can-eat buffet. Among those, one of the most well-known is Golden Corral. Golden Corral has been in business since 1973, when the company first opened as a steakhouse. The company expanded to new locations and soon became known across the United States. Over time, as the chain grew, it transformed into the sprawling wonderland of buffets we know today.

Every Golden Corral has a massive selection. There are food stations set up throughout the 11,000 square foot buildings. In order to take full advantage of the options, though, you have to go in with a strategy. After going through a rough patch during the 2020 pandemic, as so many restaurants did, Golden Corral had to rethink the structure, but that only added to some of the company's offerings. A buffet of this size can be intimidating, but with these extra tips, we can help you make the most of any trip.

All buffets are subject to the same downfall: the food on the hot bar has been made in large batches and has been sitting there for a while. This allows buffets such as Golden Corral to offer a truly shocking amount of options, but unfortunately, it also means that the food isn't remarkably fresh. That said, if you know where to look, you can get fresh food.

One of the best options is Golden Corral's signature sirloin steak. This steak is made to order, which means it is fresh and hot when it gets to you. It also allows you to pick how well done you like your steak, which is more choice than you usually get at a buffet. The one drawback is the steak isn't available for lunch most days. It is available after 4 p.m. every day except Sunday when it is available after 11 a.m. If you want to continue your fresh meal, head to the salad bar and prepare your own fresh salad to pair with your delicious just-cooked steak.

A salad or some bread is a great way to start a meal, but do not fall into the trap of filling up on them. While you can take home leftover food at a traditional restaurant, there is no such luck at Golden Corral. Therefore, make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck and avoid the cheap filler foods.

A common tactic that buffet-style restaurants use to keep their profits up is to entice you with cheap and filling foods so you won't eat as much of the expensive foods. Golden Corral is no different. If you come to the beginning of the buffet, you will be greeted by a salad bar. While we love a nice salad, be wary of filling up on it. As you move down the buffet stations, each station starts with a nice selection of carbs, such as bread and pasta. Again, delicious, but also cheap. Do a complete circuit of the Golden Corral stations before getting a plate and loading up. Take stock of some of the items, such as the made-to-order sirloin and the golden delicious shrimp. Start with these higher-priced items and fill them out with the cheaper items you really want, not just the ones you see first.

Throughout Golden Corral, there is a selection of plates and bowls, some big and some small. While these are placed in specific sections of the buffet, there is nothing stopping you from grabbing a bowl or a plate from one area and using it in another.

For example, the ice cream machine offers incredibly small dishes. This can be good for ice cream, but it can also be good to help separate side dishes, such as green beans. Conversely, if you love ice cream, head over to the soup area and grab a bigger bowl. You don't have to be limited in ice cream consumption just because the company put tiny bowls next to the ice cream machine. Additionally, there are bigger spoons by the soup bowls. So, if you find the tiny spoon provided to you insufficient, grab a bigger soup spoon.

The dessert plates and main plates are also different sizes. If you want to try a lot of things, grab a smaller dessert plate and use it for the main buffet. This will help you limit your portion size so you can try as much as you want. Alternatively, if dessert is your thing, grab a dinner plate and go to town. You don't need to be limited.

Timing is everything at Golden Corral. The restaurants are open for various meals. Some are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The later in the day you get, the more expensive your entrance is. The thing is, there is no time limit for your meal. For example, at our local Golden Corral, breakfast and lunch are $12.99, but dinner is $17.49, and that is before drinks. The switchover between lunch and dinner happens at 4 p.m. While this is early, you can go to Golden Corral at 3:55 p.m., pay for lunch, and then stay for dinner. If you are willing to eat an early dinner, this will save you nearly $5 per person. It also allows you to take advantage of the above-mentioned sirloin, which is only available from 4 p.m. onward most days.

As an additional matter of timing, keep an eye out for rotating trays. You can get the newest and freshest sides by watching for the chafing trays being replaced.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! These days, every restaurant seems to have an app and rewards system, but if you are looking to save a few dollars, it's worth signing up. Golden Corral works by signing up and downloading the app. Then, you can either scan the QR code at the register or enter a receipt code after the fact. This is a great option if you forgot to scan your app when you registered. The app keeps track of how much money you spend. For every $1 spent, you get a point. At 100 points, you get a $10 reward. With a dinner meal costing $17.49 and an additional drink of $2.49, you only need to go five times before your first reward.

Plus, sometimes Golden Corral will run sign-up specials that give you an additional discount on your first order. Even if you don't plan on going often, getting a sign-up reward is always a nice way to save some extra money.

Some days are busy, and it can be hard to make food at home. But that shouldn't stop you from going to Golden Corral. Golden Corral offers to-go boxes. They let you take a box and fill it with whatever you want. Since this is not an all-you-can-eat situation, instead of one set price, you pay per pound.

The nice thing about the to-go option is that you don't have to worry about what time of day you go. In our case, breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all the same at $8.99 a pound. Additionally, this is a great option if you are trying to feed multiple people who all have different tastes or for anyone who doesn't eat a lot of food in one sitting. Getting a box to go allows you to get exactly what you want, and you can save the rest for later.

If you are even shorter on time, many Golden Corrals offer a take-out option where they package food just like at a traditional restaurant.

The price of a meal at Golden Corral is only for the food. It is all you can eat, not all you can drink. Non-water drinks at Golden Corral are going to cost you, and frankly, it is not worth the expense. Soda has a notoriously high profit margin for restaurants. So don't spend money only to have the company make extra money off you. While Golden Corral offers free refills, this is not a self-serve situation like the rest of the restaurant. You have to have an employee refill your cup for you.

Plus, if you are getting a drink you really enjoy, like a soda, for example, you are likely to drink more, which in turn gives you less space for food. Once again, this will increase Golden Corral's profit and lower the overall value of your meal.

Water, on the other hand, is free. Besides, most of these drinks are mostly water anyway. Go to the store and buy a 2-liter bottle of soda for the same price.