Sunday morning breakfast buffet. It's hard to go wrong there and Abele's did a very good job. A friendly waitress brought our carafe of coffee and while Mrs. K. decided to order from the menu, I started on the buffet. Before I was back with my first plate, her French Toast arrived. A great selection of proteins on the steam table and a nice variety of the classic breakfast offerings. A big plate of scrambled eggs and I was able to add cheese sauce and mushrooms on one side of my plate. On the other, some sausage links (very overdone) and some sliced ham (extremely salty). Lots of other high carb options available including biscuits, pancakes, French toast sticks, cheese and plain grits, home fries and tots. Something that might have been fried chicken livers and also some pieces of fried chicken. A dessert bar with banana pudding, jellos and fruits was also available. The place is clean and the service was great, clearing dirty dishes and restocking coffee creamer. A satisfying meal for sure. [Review 542 of 2026 - 4637 in North Carolina - 25724 overall] read more

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Nice size buffet & priced right. Service was great and welcoming. Very popular place. Don't let long lines discourage you, they move fast. Buffet has a bit of everything! read more

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The go to restaurant in Morganton, very consistent good food and excellent service which saying a lot. Menu is extensive, something for everyone or you always get the salad , soup and hot bar. Nothing fancy but is exactly what you may want. The restaurant is eclectic with all kinds of signs and pict, something to see. Their booths are nice and large. They have tables too if booths are not your preference. They have lighter dinners and their normal meals are large. Fries are always good and baked potatoes are hot! Large burgers, several kinds, Try the chicken salad sandwich on a croissant. One of my favorites. They also do a breakfast bar in the mornings and later Friday nights. read more

When we walked in we had to wait to get a seat. There was hardly anyone in the restaurant. We got the buffet. A big part of the food was over cooked and cold. The staff came to the table twice the whole time we were there and they had a bad attitude the whole time. This is one restaurant that I would never recommend for anyone to eat at. read more

I was in Morganton on business and looked for a good place for lunch. I ventured into Abele's. The first thing you notice upon entering is the odd, almost weird, decor. It took a few minutes but I was seated at a table. The building is huge and easy to get lost trying to find the restroom. The men's room was a mess. I ordered a BLT and fries. After a long wait, the waitress brought my meal. The BLT was okay, not great. The fires were hot but undercooked. I will not make the mistake of stopping here again. read more

Stopped here on our way home from the mountains. They have a great looking buffet for breakfast but we opted for a made to order menu ite. Food was very good, home cooking style, served hot and fresh. A good place to eat... when you come I highly recommend sitting in Tammy's section. She was ultra polite, just the right amount of attentive, and double checked my order was right before bringing it to the table (I know because she said they buttered my dry toast by mistake). Wow! You just can't find her kind of service very often. We'll definitely be back soon!! read more

The mushroom and Swiss burger is amazing. Most of the other food that I have had there is good. The hot bar needs a little work though. The staff are friendly and service has been good everytime I have been there. The prices are reasonable. read more

We came here for breakfast buffet thanksgiving morning and left with a very full stomach. Our waitress was pleasent and the food was good. The restaurant has all sorts of funny plaques and statues around that are funny you don't get board. Vety relaxed and homey kind of place. You can't beat the price for what's offered. The buffet had everything from fruit, sausage, biscuits and gravy and pancakes. If you leave hungry it's your own fault. Judging by yje line waiting for lunch buffet when we left that must be good too. read more

Love the country vibe and all their quirky signs and sayings on the walls. Prices are great. Moved away from Morganton, but when I visit, I make a point of having breakfast there., read more

New to us! But definitely well known by the locals. We went there for lunch on a Sunday and it was packed, but the hostess was super nice and sat us right away. It's such a cute old country place with lots of entertaining signs and posts all around. Definitely a conversation starter . The food was okay. We ordered the steak off the menu and paid 5.99 for the Buffett to try the sides and the deserts. Overall a good experience and reasonably priced. read more

Abele's Family Restaurant - Jamaican steak - Seafood Near Me - Morganton, North Carolina

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They really need to work on the waiting line and seating order. Very unorganized. Service is terrible. Always waiting for silverware, beverages, no attention to customers. If it weren't for fabulous food, i would never eat here. And what's with the not to cheap buffet price, then having to order am entre to get a meat? That doubles the cost! read more

Best place on Morganton for breakfast. Anything you want is on the buffet from biscuits and gravy to fruit and cottage cheese. Line may be long but it moves fast. We eat here every chance we get. read more

Good quality food. Service adequate, facility quality somewhat dated. Will return. Will

More like cafeteria food. Ribeye was tough and salty. Waitress super nice. Disappointed.

Convenient to the highway and easy to find. The parking lot was pretty full- a good sign at 7pm on a Monday. The decor is "nostalgic from the last 50 years," like Cracker Barrel, but less "old timey" - it feels like home, not like a museum. They've been proudly "serving Burke County since 1979." Started with drinks- Cheerwine for the Kid, sweet tea for me. My Bride is a better person than we are and stuck with healthy, sensible water. Then we all got burgers. They offer an amazing looking Soup, Salad, and Fruit Bar, which you can add to your burger for only $4.59, but I was trying not to eat too much, because I was thinking about dessert. They have homemade pies. The Kid got a "Wild and Crazy," which is topped with bacon, jalapeños, chili, and cheddar. He decided to go with the ground bison (+$3) and a side of fries, bringing the meal to $13.99. My Bride got the Teriyaki burger- bacon, pineapple, teriyaki sauce and cheddar on a regular cow burger with fries, at $10.99. I got the Mushroom and Swiss burger, because of course I did. A burger with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss- how can you go wrong? I opted for the beef patty and fries, so $10.99 was my total. For dessert my Bride and I split a piece of coconut cream pie, made by a local church lady. Never pass up a slab of church lady pie, people! The Kid had a walnut brownie with Mississippi Mudslide ice cream. We swapped bites, and I'm not gonna lie- his was the better dessert. But it was a very near thing. Total before tip was $55.40 - taxes here are much lower than up home. TL;DR- if you find yourself in the vicinity of Morgantown, NC, I highly recommend a meal at Abele's! read more

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Great food and prices very affordable, I had the double burger lunch special and the wife had the slim sandwich we both enjoyed our meals very much. The service was great friendly and fast. We love the down home atmosphere, funny signs to read every where. We always stop by when we can. read more

If I could give this place negative score I would. We arrived at 10:33 and didn't get a table until 10:45. We were talking to gentleman behind us while we waited and they got sat beside us. The manager was extremely rude and disrespectful to my mother. I went to check out the breakfast bar while my mother ordered our drinks. When I came back she told me the server was rude when she ordered me a root beer. The gentleman that was sat beside us also left as we did.This place also has a horrible smell to it and it was not even clean .I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. read more

Food is great. Jayda is the best waitress. She is so thoughtful and attentive. We always ask to be in her section when we go

Super packed, with an old Steak House feel. Atmosphere was nice, waitress was super nice and friendly. I could have done without the food. The salad bar was pretty good and was able to fill me up. The price was around $10, so cheaper than a Golden Corral, as it should be since the selection was so small. What they did have on the bar seemed fresh and clean. I ordered the Texas potato, I was hoping for a super nice tasting potato but it was just kind of blah. Typical southern type buffet, that I'm typically not a fan of , so wasn't a fan. Three stars based off my preference, if you love fried southern foods this is the place for you. read more

Abele's Family Restaurant - Texas potato - Seafood Near Me - Morganton, North Carolina

Was in NC for vacation and Morganton was the halfway point to meet up with family. Decided on this place. Prounonced "Abe-Lee's". We brought our dog so we sat outside. Very pleasant August day with a breeze. Our server Jayme was personable and very engaging and informative. She was super attentive and even offered to take one of the small boys to the restroom while Mom was at the food bar inside. They're known for their burgers and have quite the extensive menus and choices. All the meat is hand ground and cut on site! Food was ordered and kids meals were brought out first (yay! ) followed by the adults food. Would def recommend if you're in the area. Kitschy inside. She also hooked us up with a bag of ice for the husband's bad back. Thanks for making it a nice, enjoyable experience. read more

The food was great but there's one woman working there that has a terrible attitude. I'm fairly crippled, walk painfully with a cane, so when she seated us I asked if we could get a seat close to the buffet, she quickly snapped at me saying there weren't any closer seats. I personally watched her seating the next few people close to the buffets. I just think she's a mean and hateful person and she definitely needs to be placed in a job away from the public. I really have enjoyed going to this restaurant but now I really don't want to deal with her. Everyone else is wonderful. read more

Food was great lots of items on the buffet..It was crowded when we got there but we didn't have a long wait. Food was fresh and staff was great.. read more

Had breakfast here. I can't say 100% but it appears the gravy might have been leftovers from the night before! Had pieces of green beans in it and there were no green beans on the buffet. This leads me to think either the utensils or the tray the gravy was in had green bean pieces left on it after washing, or it was the previous nights gravy and someone used the green bean utensil to scoop gravy out. Either way it's gross! The two pieces of green beans I found were in the white gravy- they were half pieces of green beans about an inch in size. Service was great though. read more

Nice local spot. Love trying local places when traveling. The parking lot was nearly full on a weekday. That's always a good sign. The wait staff were really friendly. The coffee...THE BEST cup of coffee I've had in a long time. No joke. read more

A friend of mine who lives in Morganton told me to try this place and we were glad he did. When walking in it kinda felt like a 50's diner, with old decorations and signs all over. Our waitress we had was very friendly and attentive, she was like this with every one, I think she enjoyed her job. We decided on the buffet which you can choose a meat they bring to you and you get salad bar, hot bar, soup bar all you can eat included. You could get just the salad bar or hot bar with no meat. We did choose the country fried steak ,that the waitress recommended. I am glad I did try it, I don't usually like it but it was good here. My husband got it too. Everything we tried was fresh. There is 3 different soups to pick from. The cream of broccoli was pretty good too. The place is pretty big, when you check out it feels like your in a candy shop! There was so many different ones to pick from , if you like candy you will have a hard time picking something!! The lady checking us out was not too friendly, she just cashed us out and put our receipt down and started talking to another worker. Otherwise it was pretty good! Oh I almost forgot they provide gloves or hand sanitizer at the buffet. read more

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I went here this morning at 6:10am with my Cousin for the Breakfast Buffet and it was the best Breakfast I have ever had at a restaurant everything was so good and fresh, The Best choices and multiple choices of one thing two different hams, Grits and Gravy, The server was super nice and even brought me ranch, Decor was perfect even the statue of the Clark Superman I will definitely be back for breakfast again! I highly recommend this place everything was perfect! read more

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It's a great place,,,food is excellent,,I've been going there for many years..Very friendly people

If you are low on time but want a nice big hearty meal in the form of a brunch buffet this is the place for you! I was in town for a wedding and the morning after I wanted to stop by somewhere for a quick breakfast before sightseeing nearby. As I arrived at around 11:30 on Sunday I was seated immediately and got up to get myself a plate of that awesome brunch buffet. There were a lot of options (french toast, pancakes, eggs bacon, liver mush, etc.) And several things I recognized at typical large buffets such as the canned oranges, fruits, and jello. It made for a great hearty morning breakfast! Love the value I got for the brunch buffet. This isn't any fancy restaurant but it definitely has that local feel and I am loving the cozy vibe of what I see to be regular locals who stop in for a familiar meal. Will be returning if I am ever in town again! read more

We love the atmosphere of this place after a trip down from the mountains. It's very "divey" but the buffet for breakfast and lunch are awesome. We don't really do buffets these days, but this place harkens back to an old-school 90's mom and pop joint. Affordable and worth the stop if you're passing. read more

Food was ample and soup was great. Not glamorous but good food, good service and decent price for dinner.

The food was average and my mom, who never complains, refused to eat her meatloaf - said it was the nastiest food she's ever tasted. The server was sweet but not very attentive and was distracted and spending time with her spouse and child who came to "visit and have dinner" and the atmosphere is very boring. The hostess was really a rude and unfriendly woman. She doesn't need to be the face of the restaurant or working with the public. I have no interest in ever returning. read more

Abele's Family Restaurant! Nestled just off of I-40 out side of the gorgeous town of Morganton. What doesn't look like much from outside sure will overwhelm your eyes once you walk through the door! Every wall and empty space is filled with signs, knit knacks, and antiques, it truly is a sight to see! Theres two ways to enjoy your experience at Abele's, the first way is to choose something from the kitchen off of their generously large selection menu, the second way is to chose one meat fresh from the kitchen and enjoy their buffet style vegetable, soup, and salad bar. We chose to do the meat and vegetables. We had country fried steak and meat loaf along with an assortment of southern vegetables from the buffet and it was all delicious! Recommend to anyone who is starving, you will not leave hungry! read more

Abele's Family Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Morganton, North Carolina

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Sooo good!! Great find!! The place is a little bit of everything and soo much to look at..great food and good service

Breakfast on the breakfast bar is always great here. Better get here before 9 am as it usually gets to be standing in line all the way out the door. However; the dinner and lunch bars could be better like the bar at Golden Corral! read more

Very good country breakfast buffet. Lots of food you don't see on breakfast buffets,fried liver mush, fried bologna and about 5 other meats. Two kinds of gravy and sliced tomatoes. Too much to list. And great service, waitress remember I drink lots of coffee, so brought me a big carafe of coffee the second morning I went. Well visit again when I am in the area. read more

One of the most enjoyable places I've been able to eat dinner and have a conversation quietly. Food is good quality, and the prices are very valued driven the staff is fantastic the hot foods hot, and I really enjoyed the fish for lunch. We did read through all the items on the menu we decided to go with the meat and salad bar, which is absolutely fabulous. read more

We had heard good things about Abele's Restaurant but hadn't had an opportunity to try it. We were finally close by to try get to try it. We will seated promptly. We explained to our waitress that we had never been there and didn't no how the process worked. She took her time explaining everything that was a available. We decided on the buffet. You have an option of the buffet without meat or meat. The food was delicious. The ambience and decor is very appropriate for it being a family restaurant. read more

I just had to take a minute and give praise where praise is due. Abele's is an awesome place to eat, actually more of a dinning experience. But had to give a special shout out to the best waitress ever, Sarah ! You are doing a great job and keep smiling, I hope the 50% tip was enough. :) read more

Abele's Family Restaurant - a sign for a restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Morganton, North Carolina

OMG! This place was absolutely delicious. My wife and I stopped by here after a video shoot in Nebo, that's nearby. The service was excellent and the place had some cool decor and a friendly family environment. Brittany and I both got the Brunch burger, it was a 6 ounce burger with onions, bacon, cheese and topped with an over easy egg, nom nom nom! I got some cornbread and we finished off with milkshakes that were a great topper to the meal! Don't hesitate on this place, we will be back! read more

Abele's Family Restaurant - You need this Cappuccino Crunch milkshake in your life, right now. - Seafood Near Me - Morganton, North Carolina

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We came here for lunch and had the buffet with meat option... I think... the menu is rather large and a bit confusing. First the place looked grimy and they are definitely understaffed. That being said our server was great, but when we arrived we had to wait a while for someone to seat us. Staff would walk by us and not even acknowledge us... like "Hi, someone will be with you in a minute". Finally someone came from the register area to seat us and all the tables were dirty, no one was clearing tables so we had to stand around while the lady cleared out a table for us. Anyways I had chicken tenders for my meat and my girlfriend had fried fish. Both were average. My tenders maybe slightly below average. The salad buffet was pretty lacking. None of the dressings were labeled (or anything for that matter including the soups) so I had no idea what was what and opted for some super sketchy looking bottles of oil and vinegar. The other stuff in the buffet was also not labeled and mostly fried flavorless stuff. Collard greens, lacked flavor, cheddar biscuits had good flavor but were undercooked and kind of raw inside, corn completely flavorless, corn bread very eggy and salty with no real corn taste (maybe they used the flavorless corn in it). Overall there really wasn't anything I enjoyed in the buffet except maybe the bread. Definitely would not return, honestly could have had a better meal for the same price at Bojangles. read more