Endless steak and shrimp for dinner? Golden Corral the latest buffet to open in Fresno

Bryant-Jon Anteola
·4 min read

When it comes to eating as much as your heart desires — as well as much as your stomach can handle — there are only about a dozen full-time buffet restaurants in the Fresno/Clovis area.

And the majority of these would require customers to be a bit adventurous in their food tastes.

But a new buffet recently opened in Fresno, offering a variety of traditional American food options like ham, turkey and fried chicken.

Golden Corral made its long-awaited return to the Fresno area late last month, attracting long lines and leaving many customers feeling full and satisfied as they exited the new buffet restaurant’s location in northwest Fresno.

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Golden Corral, a national chain that originated in North Carolina in 1973, is one of the few buffets still seeming to go strong while many other buffet restaurants have either closed shop over the years, or changed their format and did away with the once popular all-you-can-eat concept.

Golden Corral made its long-await return to the Fresno area late last month, attracting long lines, and leaving many customers feeling full and satisfied as they exited the new buffet restaurant’s location in northwest Fresno.
Golden Corral made its long-await return to the Fresno area late last month, attracting long lines, and leaving many customers feeling full and satisfied as they exited the new buffet restaurant’s location in northwest Fresno.

Those in Fresno don’t have to think too far back to recall buffets that once operated locally but have since closed.

Remember Tang Dynasty? Or King Buffet?

Golden Corral once operated in Clovis only to close more than 10 years ago then finally came back with the new buffet location in Fresno.

And now, Golden Corral is located where perhaps coincidentally another defunct buffet, Hometown Buffet, once offered similar food options.

One could argue, though, that the buffets are not the same, with quality of the food, cleanliness and service all seeming to be better at the new Golden Corral.

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Had a chance to try Golden Corral’s sirloin steaks?

Or their fried shrimp that was featured for the longest time on commercials aired during sporting events?

Golden Corral became the latest buffet to open in Fresno. The number of buffets have declined but there are still some all-you-can-eat restaurants.
Golden Corral became the latest buffet to open in Fresno. The number of buffets have declined but there are still some all-you-can-eat restaurants.

But if “traditional, American” food seems a bit boring or you’re looking for other food options or flavors, there are a few other buffets in the Fresno area to consider.

There are also a handful of restaurants that offer buffets on certain days.

And there’s the buffet restaurant’s cousin: the all-you-can-eat establishment that provides menu/waiter service, yet allows customers to still enjoy endless food through limited portions at a time through the server.

Sure, the food isn’t already cooked and on display to immediately put on your plate like a buffet.

And there’s a wait time between orders that can slow down one’s consumption.

But all-you-can-eat is all-you-can-eat.

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Here’s a quick look at other endless food options in the Fresno area.

Golden Corral became the latest buffet to open in Fresno. The number of buffets have declined but there are still some all-you-can-eat restaurants.
Golden Corral became the latest buffet to open in Fresno. The number of buffets have declined but there are still some all-you-can-eat restaurants.

Buffets

  • A Star Buffet and Banquets (4984 Cesar Chavez Blvd.)

  • Brahma Indian Cuisine & Buffet (3050 W. Shaw Ave. #108)

  • Golden Harbor Buffet (3273 W. Shaw Ave.)

  • Indian Market (2811 W. Clinton Ave.)

  • John’s Incredible (7095 N. Cedar Ave.) ... people typically come here for the games and the kid entertainment but the fried chicken is solid, and different pizzas are offered

  • La Torta (2405 Capital Street Suite 106)

  • Lin’s Fusion (5155 N. Blackstone Ave.)

  • Mitsui Buffet (117 W. Shaw Ave.)

  • Ole Frijole Restaurant buffet (5279 N. Blackstone Ave.)

  • S 21 Sushi & Sake Bar (5754 N. First St.)

  • Sanger Buffet (1839 Academy Ave.)

  • Sher-E-Punjab Restaurant (7050 N. Cedar Ave)

  • Sizzler (3121 W. Shaw Ave.) ... recently remodeled, offering those classic buffet options

All you can eat but not buffet style

  • Shila Korean BBQ (1205 Herndon Ave.) ... as long as you don’t mind cooking your own meats on the grill, this is another good option to eat as much as you want and enjoy a variety of foods

  • Texas de Brazil (7634 N. Blackstone Avenue) ... pricey but worth it considering the variety of flavorful and tender meats that are constantly brought out for customers, as well as the food options offered through their salad bar, ambiance also is fancy.

  • Tsukiji Japenese Cuisine (7985 N. Blackstone Avenue) ... fairly new restaurant with artful sushi, tasty nigiri and a selection of teppanyaki fried rice

Offers buffets on select days only

  • Aromas (568 E. Olive Ave.) ... only on Sundays, featuring breakfast staples like bacon and sausage, and lunch items that sometimes includes ribs and chicken fajitas

  • Eagles Landing Steakhouse (777 Jackpot Lane, Friant, CA 93626) .. Wednesdays is the seafood buffet and Sundays is brunch buffet at Table Mountain’s main restaurant. The seafood buffet is not like how it used to be 10-plus years ago when Table Mountain offered both snow crab legs and dungeness crab legs, as well as beef ribs on a certain day of the week. But today’s buffets at the popular casino are still really good and the ambiance is much improved

  • Los Amigos Mexican (5088 N. Blackstone Avenue) ... only Sundays, can add mimosas for $5

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