10 Of The Best Dinner Entrees To Try At Golden Corral And 10 To Leave On The Buffet

When I think of a buffet meal, I think of Joey from "Friends" winning his money back at breakfast. You can capitalize on quantity depending on the spread. They have something for anyone, allowing a person to enjoy a variety of food types, and, quite honestly, indulge a little too much — insert Phoebe Buffay's maternity pants here. While I've enjoyed my fair share of buffets with traveling — from random Hiltons on the road to high-end options in Las Vegas — I haven't been to a chain buffet since Hometown Buffet closed in my area a long time ago. I packed up my gear and decided to head across the border to New Hampshire to try another big chain: Golden Corral.

With my partner in tow, we explored the Golden Corral's buffet setup to try out all of their dinner entrees. From steak to pizza, fried shrimp to kielbasa, we had a little bit of everything. After thorough analysis and a whole lot of Tums, I created the ultimate Golden Corral dinner entree guide. Here are the top dinner entrees to try and the ones you should leave on the table. Let's get at it!

My Polish blood had me try the kielbasa first. Who can resist when it's literally on the table? The large pieces were in a tray combined with peppers and onions and cooked to perfection. Overall, I was impressed.

The flavor was spot on, offering that traditional Polish sausage taste with a light kick of spice and heat on the backend of the bite. It was a little greasy and fatty, but to me, that's right on point. I don't want healthy sausage or kielbasa. I want to taste all of the flavors. Who knew Golden Corral had some of the best kielbasa around? This one is a must-try.

When it came to Golden Corral's barbecue chicken, it looked way better than it tasted. While the chicken itself was pretty good, the rest of the dish fell short.

When I think of barbecue, I think of rich, sweet, and tangy sauces. This sauce didn't measure up — it was too thin and lacking flavor. The sauce was also a little sweet, with notes of traditional barbecue flavoring. Without depth, however, it leaned bland and didn't offer much in the way of enjoyment or addition. For the most part, the chicken was juicy and seemingly good quality, but without that flavor, this one was marked as "leave."

This bite was the most surprising of the entire night and, by far, the best thing in the buffet line. The pork tamales are a must!

These weren't super dry or moist — a true Goldilocks story — and featured a great array of flavor. Made from corn meal around a pork filling, these little pockets were spot on in all ways of deliciousness. The meat mixture was a touch cumin-heavy, but each bite was consistent, and the light heat added a lot of flavor to each bite. I'm definitely surprised by saying this: Absolutely try the tamales at Golden Corral!

One look at that pan, and I was already saying no. But I take my work seriously, so I had to try all aspects of the buffet ... even if the Salisbury steak looked super questionable.

One bite in, and it was clear I judged this book well. The Salisbury steak didn't taste bad, but it was onion heavy with every bite. Weirdly enough, I'd call this one bland, as there were no other flavors to be found in the meat. I didn't get much flavor from the sauce either, which was odd because the gravy looked so thick in the pan. The meat was a little overcooked, too, and that pushed it over the line for me. When you're scouring all the buffet food and deciding what to put on the plate, leave the Salisbury steak on the bar.

If you are looking for a solid ground beef dish, you can't go wrong with Golden Corral's meatloaf. This one offers flavor, texture, and a solid eating experience.

The beef was cooked well; it wasn't dry at all. While there was ketchup on top that added a lot of sugary flavor, there were notes of seasoning that shone through, completing the savory flavor profile. The texture was great, and each bite was balanced and flavorful. After a few mouthfuls, you'll be yelling, "Ma, the meatloaf!"

Another barbecue icon gone wrong was Golden Corral's pulled pork. While this one looked pretty appetizing, long pulled strands of pork in a juicy sauce, the taste just wasn't there.

There was the same traditional saltiness to the bite, but it was bland. The sauce was super thin and watery with no depth and no real notes of anything — barbecue, vinegar, sugar — nothing. I did appreciate the clean taste of the pork, but the watery sauce was a serious ick factor. There were some killer meat options in those trays, so leave this one behind.

I think it's hard to mess up chicken fingers. Frozen or deep fried, you'll usually find something enjoyable wherever you go. Even if they aren't great, there's always the option of condiments. However, Golden Corral hit a home run with their fried chicken fingers — no condiments needed.

These chicken fingers were balanced. They were a little salty, but there was flavor in the breading which truly elevated the bite. I got hints of pepper, salt, and possibly a touch of paprika. I didn't love that the breading wasn't super crunchy, leaning a little mushy in some spots, but overall, you can't go wrong with one (or three), on your plate. And with so many condiments around the entire food area, you can dress these up any way you please.

Speaking of chicken, I didn't know what I was getting myself into, as I stared into the tray of Bourbon Street chicken. I wasn't sure which flavors would be present, but I have to say, I disliked them all.

This one tasted like bad Chinese food in the worst ways. It was overly salted, there was an ungodly amount of teriyaki sauce, and the chicken pieces were inconsistent in size and texture. I felt like every aspect of the ingredients were fighting against each other. 

This is teriyaki gone wrong. Hard pass on the Bourbon Street chicken; I suggest you do the same.

While the rest of the barbecue options were subpar, the ribs was where Golden Corral shined. Seriously, don't miss this one as you're walking through.

I have no negative notes here. The meat was super tender, juicy, and fall off the bone good. They honestly compared to some of the top barbecue spots I've been to in Texas and Nashville. The sauce was heavier than any other on the trays, but it was sweet with a little tang — just right. If you're looking for a great meat option — and you love a good barbecued meat — the ribs are a solid choice.

Upon first glance, I knew exactly what I was getting with Golden Corral's pizza. Have you ever tried cafeteria pizza? Like from a school or a hospital? This is it.

From looks to taste, this pizza was a fail — both the cheese and pepperoni flavors. While the cheese had moderate notes of what mozzarella should taste like, the sauce was too sweet and overpowered each bite. I was hoping the one pepperoni I was given would offer something to write home about, but it literally tasted like nothing except grease. 

What's worse? The bland dough that had no flavor whatsoever was soggy except for the very edge of the crust. One bite was too hard; the other was too mushy. This option was just a mess.

I know I'm going to get some heat for this one, but I will never lie to you when it comes to my honest reactions. While this taco bar (if it can be called that) doesn't necessarily look appealing, the taste was there, and that's all that counts. 

For this buffet item, you have the option of ground beef, nacho cheese, rice, and beans. We opted for the taco shell over the chips, some beans, meat, and cheese. I know it's not good for you, but man — do I love the occasional nacho cheese. Looking back, I'm honestly shocked we didn't make nachos.

With one look, I was most worried about the beef. It's a little loose, mixed with a lot of seasoning, but the seasoning was great. It offered that traditional American ground beef taco night flavor with cumin and salt at the forefront, and it also had some heat on the backend. I'm telling you — looks can be deceiving. Give it a try. 

I have a lot of chicken fails on this list, which now includes Golden Corral's fried chicken. I was pretty disappointed, as I didn't think you could ruin fried chicken. The outside looked crispy and brown, but I have some negative notes to report about the taste.

While the chicken looked juicy and crispy, it was super bland, and it's all because of the breading. The crispy outer layer did have some salty notes, but there were no other spices or flavors to enjoy. Like the barbecue chicken, the chicken itself was juicy, but it was a little greasy — and not in a good way. After a few bites, the ick factor became too much. Bottom line: There is better fried chicken out there, and there are better options at the Golden Corral buffet.

I'm not a huge fan of seafood at a buffet, but I have to say — Golden Corral surprised me again. They had some great seafood options, including the fried shrimp.

The fried shrimp is a total try with delicious breading and a solid shrimp bite. The shrimp was cooked correctly and of good quality, which meant there were no stringy pieces or rubbery bites. The breading was delish, too. It was flavorful and salty without being too overpowering. You could keep eating them without fail. From taste to texture, the fried shrimp blew me away.

If you know anything about me, you know I love hot dogs. From Costco and Sam's Club to the best brands at your grocery store and delicious fast food options like Five Guys, I don't discriminate ... until now.

I have to start by saying that the bun was wrapped in plastic and not toasted. Looking back, I wonder if I could have asked to have it toasted on the flattop. Needless to say, there were a lot of red flags. 

When it came to flavor, it did taste like a pork hot dog, but there was no other flavor, along with no snap from the dog. Honestly, this tasted like a mediocre "ball park" boiled dog — and not in a good way. Do better, Golden Corral. Hot dogs are a cherished part of American culture.

While I love a good steak, a buffet steak isn't exactly a go-to for me — but this one wasn't too bad. It was good enough to make it to the "try" list.

Golden Corral's sirloin steak was the only item at the buffet that you had to "order." There was a bowl of steaks (a little off-putting), and a staff member handy who will throw yours on the flattop and cook it to your liking. I opted for medium rare and got exactly what I asked for.

I loved the charred taste. It was pretty salty but not enough that it was a deterrent. There were no chewy pieces or weird fatty aspects, so for me, that was a win. Add a little pepper, and you have a solid bite — and totally affordable. 

The ham is probably the fanciest looking station of them all, with its wood cutting board, large knives, and heat lamp. While the setup was top-notch, the ham wasn't.

Overall, I can't hate on this one too much, but it wasn't in the upper echelon of bites. While not necessarily bad, there was limited flavor and some weird discoloration on a lot of the pieces. You did get some salt and what tasted like faint notes of traditional ham, but that was it. It was tender in most places but without some flavor, and those weird discolored spots on the flip side of this piece, the ham made the "leave" list.

You have to try the baked fish. I feared it would be too fishy or chewy, but I found none of either within each bite. All I can say: This fish had great texture and solid flavor.

I also loved the rice this piece of fish came with. It was flavorful, fluffy, and reminded me of paella. The fish was flakey with a light coating of spices, too. While you could enjoy the flavors of both the fish and spices, neither were overpowering or trying to cover up anything fishy — honestly, the baked fish offered a great bite every time. Think salt, pepper, and a little something extra thanks to that rice. Try them as a pair as advertised, and you won't be disappointed.

While I've been touting Golden Corral's seafood, I have one item to leave off my list: The fried fish. I assumed this option would be way better than the baked, and that's exactly why I love these taste tests. I sort of enjoy it when my presumptions are proven wrong.

All I can say here is that something was simply off about this fish. The breading was gritty and made for a bad mouthfeel, and the flavor was just salt with something gross. I'm not sure if they were trying to cover up another flavor or just missed the mark with the breading mix, but this one was a big no. There were no other discernible flavors or spices to be found. Next time you're at Golden Corral, stick with the baked fish and leave the fried.

I finally found a chicken dish I loved at Golden Corral. And to be honest, one I'd never tried before: The chicken and dumplings. And please, ignore the way it looks. Because the taste conquers all!

If you like chicken pot pie, this one is for you. This dish tastes exactly like the inside of a Willow Tree chicken pot pie. It's almost identical. The chicken pieces were juicy, the gravy was creamy with just the right amount of salt, and the dumpling pieces were divine. The look is a hard no, I get it. But the taste is a hard yes. If you try no other chicken option at Golden Corral, this one is it.

From one look, I knew the pot roast was going to be dry. Spoiler alert: It was dry and bland.

What I love about pot roast is that, when cooked correctly, it can act like a pulled pork, falling apart in a juicy gravy. Add some carrots and potatoes and you have a meal of champions. In this case, the roast was dry, the gravy was thin and lacking flavor, and there was no real depth to either the meat or liquid. Bottom line: This was an icky bite. No one wants dried meat unless it's jerky. 

I'd never been to a Golden Corral before, but I heard they recently had an epic comeback. Walking in, I was a little overwhelmed. I decided to take it slow, since I had to cover every dinner entree, which meant 20 plates of food. I worked my way up and down the offerings, ensuring I grabbed one of everything without wasting food. Thankfully, my partner can eat!

I ranked the food "try" or "leave" based mainly on flavor, but texture played a large part when it came to things like meat. If the food was bland or if the texture was off, they went to the "leave" list immediately. With so many options, I left the "unsure" placements off the "try" list. Life is too short to eat bad food.