This is a wonderful place for your casual and cannot decide on what to eat but in the mood for some delicious food with a bit of southern twist. This casual buffet is off the beaten path. Not off the main highway. So it may be a bit of challenge to get there. It is not purely soul food. That is why I said it is more southern style food. But you will find notable examples of soul food on the buffet choices. I was amazed to find turkey necks and rutabaga as one of many delicious dishes. You never see that unless you search for it. If you never had it. I encourage you to try it out and form your opinion on them. It is a great atmosphere and decent size restaurant. They have plenty of parking spaces in the front and back of the restaurant. I ask you proceed with caution. You have to time it right on Sundays. The place is very busy and hard to find a parking spot and a table due to the church crowd. Once they leave, they have plenty of space. The staff is very friendly and helpful. It may not seem like they do not have enough staff. However, they do very well and great customer service. Both at the front desk and at your table. The outside tables are mainly booths with an interesting view of the outside. They also have a unique little hook to hang your purse or jacket on the outside of the table. The inside of restaurant has regular tables and chairs. They can easily accommodate your large party. However, may take some time to arrange the right conditions for you and your guests. They definitely handicap accessible dining and especially for the little ones. The tables regular with chairs with some padding. If you want better seats. I encourage you to sit in the booth. They accept cash and cards. First responders and military discount with valid ID. I believe they do discount for others. Please refer to the website for details and more information. Great choice of your in the area and cannot decide on what to eat and do not want to cook. Great food and great staff! read more

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We went to this restaurant several years ago. It was horrible and we never went back -- until recently. The chef that took over cooking duties has given several cooking demonstrations on local channels, (in fact, I think the restaurant got an update to its name - "Nelson's Barnyard Buffet") so we decided it was time to give them another try. The food quality is SO IMPROVED since the last time we went. We frequent many AYCE buffets in the Mobile and Baldwin county areas. So, we know the good ones, the bad ones - the consistent ones and the inconsistent ones. In the three times we've recently been to Nelson's Barnyard Buffet, the food has been consistently excellent. Service and cleanliness are spot on. I'm GLAD this place is a bit of a drive, for us, as overeating is practically unavoidable, there. For AYCE Country cooking, (mostly country cooking) this place is at the top of our list. (It even beats Saraceno's (our favorite AYCE Buffet, in Baldwin County) Try it. You won't leave hungry. read more

Our group of forty-one rolled in at 7:05 pm, just twenty-five minutes from closing. Nothing but helpfulness and smiles. The food was fresh and hot as if they had just opened the doors for the day. The fried chicken is stellar, and the pot roast is sneaky good. Don't sleep on the meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and fried chicken gizzards either. The sides are too numerous and good to list, but the corn soufflé and the mashed potatoes and gravy are wonderful. Our drinks never went empty. Blueberry and peach cobblers, fried apples, ice cream, and humongous cookies provide delightful "meal closure." A little off the beaten path, but worth the trouble for weary and hungry travelers. read more

A decent buffet but probably wouldn't drive across town for this again. The extra adder catfish filet wasn't that great, nor was the standard catfish. Very nice servers and very clean place. I'd come back with a large party that I had to feed quickly. read more

Missing one star because it sucks when the line is out the door and one cashier is working. The food is seasoned so much better than most buffets and they have rutabagas which is not normal for any restaurant. They waitstaff appears to have been there many many years. The restaurant could stand to be a little cleaner but it's good for how busy they get. I'm from Texas and when I visit my mom in Alabama we always come here and always will. read more

First time here so I tried a lot of different things. I did not eat one thing that wasn't full of flavor and delish. Pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere is a little lacking and you wouldn't expect it to taste so good. Waitress was very good. She was right on top of things and working hard without being in your face. Desserts waaay better than Golden Corral. Most I know were homemade. They have ice cream too. Also drinks are included in price. Around $16. Do offer a small military discount. One of the best Mac n cheeses I've ever had. Good selection and clean salad bar. Great food and I'm a great cook and we are very particular. read more

On the road, needed dinner. When you're traveling it's hard to find vegetables (other than French Fries :-) ) so we decided to try the Buffet. It was food. The staff was OK. The vegetables had a LOT of pepper in them (cabbage, green beans, creamed corn). I appreciate people seasoning southern veggies (I was born in the South) so I appreciated the fat back in the cabbage, etc. But the amount of pepper was overwhelming. I had the fried fish and it was well prepared. The salad bar Lettice could have been fresher, I had to pick a few pieces out. But I would go again in the same circumstance. It beat another fast food meal. read more

Best country cooking around, awesome fried chicken and all their vegetables are amazing

Ooooh weeee, this was such an awesome soul food treat. Definitely a place to revisit when in the area. Firsf, let me say, they are doing the COVID safety and social distancing very well. The establishment is rather large and they have drive thru. There are also boxes of clear plastic gloves at each of the buffet islands but sadly not many people used them. I've must say, I'm leery about buffets but they had a hawk watching and correcting folks (even me when I reached across to get food with tongs lol), so that provided a lil relief lol. However, this was my very first time EVER seeing ham hocks on any buffet in my life and these were not any ordinary hocks....baby, these thangs were plus sized and plump altogether. The moment I saw them, I was like, "oh yeah, we's in da country." Baybee, country folks know a lil something bout good eating. They also had huge turkey wings, turnip greens, big mama sweet potato yams, mac n cheese, and ooooh their fried chicken (paused while I relish). Oh, the fried chicken is better than Popeyes to me. It was so moist, seasoned, juicy and "fresh" like straight from the farm y'all lol. I'm telling ya. Oh and the salad bar was amazing. It was stocked with all sorts of veggies, fruits, dressings and toppings. There was also a dessert island and ice cream station next to a cobbler station. They had banana boats for banana splits and best believe I made one lol. I'm telling y'all, I really enjoyed this place and will return for more pics. The buffet hawk had me scared to take pics lol. Now Ms. Cleo was my gal. She was serving us nine (9) non stop, (including five kiddos) .....the absolute best server to us. God wiling, we'll see ya again soon! A definite yes for recommendation! read more

Barnyard Buffet - the front of the restaurant - American Near Me - Saraland, Alabama

Fantastic !! Get there early Often crowded Food is seasoned well Plenty of choices. Best buffet in Alabama 5 stars. .Clean read more

We were passing through, looking for a place to grab meat and veggies and stumbled across The Barnyard Buffet. The parking lot was full at 11:00. When we walked in we were greeted by a cashier with a smile on her face. We paid for the buffet and seated ourselves. Our waitress immediately approached us for our drink order. She was on top of our refills and clearing our plates the entire time. I really enjoyed the salad bar. The veggies were good. There are a ton of options to choose from. My husband had some catfish and fried chicken. He said both were "ok". Overall you can't beat the price( $14.00 or so, includes a drink). If you're passing through give them a try. I can't imagine you will walk away hungry. read more

The food was good. The buffet was well stocked (I really enjoyed the salad bar). Service was excellent. But, the best part was the fantastic manager, JJ. He went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed our visit and had everything we needed. We will be returning. Thanks read more

I was in sarahland for two months. Working at the nearby power plant. I came here on four different occasions, two breakfasts and two dinners. I gotta say, usually buffets are like a jack of all trades and master of none when it comes to there food. The barnyard buffet actually had some all around good food. And for a pacific northwestern they had a lot of southern classics that I could try. Fried cat fish, fried gizzards, collared greens, etc. The food was always fresh and they were always keeping an eye on the food levels and refilled when it was getting low so you didn't miss out on whatever you were craving. Lots of proteins to choose from. Great fruit and veggie selection and salad bar. I highly recommend stopping here if you have an opportunity to. read more

Great, southern soul food and wonderful service!!! Great value .. love their fried chicken! Special thanks to our server Cleo!! Looking forward to coming again!! read more

As far as buffets go, you never really know what you're going to get. After moving to Chickasaw and being really excited to try the local food, I was nervous about this place, but man, it's absolutely astounding. I recommend it to ANYONE who comes through to visit and always bring them here! There's something for everyone, it's always freshly stocked, the service is prompt and kind, and it's airy and clean in the dining area. We have been for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it's always wonderful. So many selections, a huge salad bar, great dessert options, and the proteins are all excellent!! The roast beef is always tender and tasty, the fried chicken--ugh, it could stand on its own!! The country options are homey and cooked so perfectly, you feel like you're at your grandma's house for supper. I love the biscuit buffet they have for breakfast, and the fresh fruit has never been a disappointment. The veggie options are fabulous also!! Keep in mind you might need to salt and pepper it up, they've got to consider folks who can't eat a ton of salt so you may need to tweak to your taste, but they've got pepper sauce and seasonings at each table that are always full. They think of everything! I love my Barnyard Buffet and I'll always be a loyal customer. :-) read more

The food was decent, but some of the staff were rude. The person checking us in was insistent that we had to give at least a 15% tip if paying by credit card before we ate even though it is a buffet and we are serving ourselves. It is customary to tip after your meal so you can tip more or less based on the service. I suggest bringing cash so you can tip how much you want. I generally tip at least 20%, sometimes much more, but requiring people to tip before they get service is strange to me. One of buffet attendants got snippy with me because she did not like how I was spooning green beans onto my plate. I was trying to reach around an elderly lady and not crowd her and so I pulled the serving spoon across the serving tray and she yelled at me telling me no and to leave the buffet. It was not a welcoming place for me and my family and I will never go back. read more

Great food! If you enjoy Country Cooking this is the place to eat. Great selection! We will be eating here again.

Almost all the food was overcooked. Everything else seem to be OK. The people are very nice.

I drive for work and hate fast food, hard to find veggies on the go so I decided to give it a try for take out buffet. There was a metallic or plastic taste to veggies, strange unknown things in the white limas, salad was ok, the lady refilling the salad bar came and pummeled me for reaching to add 2 slivers of romaine to my salad, (there was literally no one near me or on the other side that I would've been impeding) She acted like I just blew my nose on her salad bar. The lady working, the cash register was the best part of my entire experience, she was very helpful and friendly, only reason for 2 stars. The food was truly disgusting, rolls were ok, however, I'm not a complainer and never post reviews in yelp unless positive. If you're looking for a mediocre Golden Corral experience, this rates much lower. read more

customer service great, so many options to choose from, amazing southern food. Highly recommend!!!

Food was disgusting. Cookies were burnt. The service was okay. The walls of the place were all dirty and filthy. There was food on the floor. And it was very cold I would recommend bringing a jacket. Also, the floor had water all over it. read more

Great take out choices. Seasoned fresh veggies and unbeatable salad bar. Need one in bay minette!

Salad good, veggies- some okay , meats mostly fried ( I don't eat fried anything ) my husband does however and said the chicken was good. Fish, not so great . Maybe I should have tried the meatloaf . My daughter who has been before said I would have like it. If I Lived in the area I would return but not somewhere I would drive out of my way for. Ambiance ( not much of) it Is however a buffet so it wasn't expected. Service-good. read more

The main food was just ok. Southern golden coral. Spicy fried chicken and fried fish are probably the best things on the buffet other than the desserts. The dessert bar saved it from a 2 star. For a buffet, wait staff super attentive to take away used plates or refill drinks. About $15 for buffet with drink included. read more

I went here after reading a review of this place from "Only in Alabama." What a great buffet! There was literally a line waiting out the door when I arrived. The fried chicken is like your grandma used to make. Excellent. read more

Barnyard Buffet - Fried chicken - American Near Me - Saraland, Alabama

Probably the worst food especially for the price. Every single thing was extremely cold. Most disappointing experience. And this was me giving them a second chance read more

Great food and the service is down to earth. I will be back soon! Good veritery of food to selects from.

Listen... listen... I don't care what your friends say, I don't care what your momma says or even the next door neighbor... if you want some good, down south, grandma expected company, "getchu another plate baby", I'm feeling tired I'm so full. Type of food. Then this is the place to get it. You walk in and you're immediately greeted with a less mainstreamed experience and more old fashioned "it just works" experience. You go and sit down and if basically immediately asked what you want to drink (doesn't matter how busy they are, they're on you, unless you're sprinting to the buffet!). Then when you get to the buffet you're presented with Four rows of food. From left to right: Deserts, Mostly sides "complimentary sides", salad bar/fruit, main meats. That's literally all you need. Now when it comes to the flavor of the food, it ain't screaming at you like a Popeyes chicken sandwich where it's good.. but you know you're going to feel all that grease & sodium afterwards. No, this stuff has pure unadulterated Food from your childhood flavor. Where everything taste like YOU the customer were thought of when preparing all the dishes. The fried chicken is crispy and flavorful, the sides are steaming hot & tasty. Some of the better cornbread I've had from a restaurant (you don't really hear that now a days because most places don't know how to make cornbread lol), and the deserts... oh man the deserts. Now don't get me wrong, it's all according to the person eating it and what they like, with that said though. I honestly believe if you like some fraction of southern food.. they've got a little bit of everything here for you to eat. You won't be disappointed & if you are.. well your momma didn't raise you right. read more

Great food and great service. Always look forward to dining there. Try to stop there when we are in the Mobile area. Great selection to choose from. read more

So I've been avoiding this place like the plague for months now due to the name. Turns out it's actually not bad at all! Especially for $10. I had the baked chicken, Brussel Sprouts, green beans, and just a small helping of mashed potatoes. It was actually very good. The entire fried section looked amazing but I steered clear of it! It had fried fish, chicken livers, country fried steak, mushrooms, chicken, and fries on it. The chicken must have been good because it was going fast! They have a huge salad bar with a broad variety that I will definitely try next time I stop by. So yes, I would recommend this little place to a friend. read more

Went for breakfast and the food was horrible. The bacon had a strange plastic like taste to it and nothing else I ate was really that good. A few hours afterwards my girl was throwing up and I can only assume it was from the garbage we ate here. On the upside the wait staff was very good. read more

Food is disgusting for one and the only good thing about this place is the drinks I will never eat here again

Advertised as "soul food" but there was "no food" selection was grim. Fried chicken, baked chicken, fried pork chops and fried fish were the only meats prepared, everything else was sides. Out of all the food I got everything tasted either bland or super salty, so much so that's all you really taste and I use tons of salt in my own cooking so that says a lot. Place seemed kind of dirty as far as appearance, nothing really special about this place at all besides the magic trick they did.. made me have to rush to the restroom before I even finished eating.. ta-da. read more

Wow. So clean and a meal for teo at $25. Lori our waitress was great. The food was prepared wonderfully. The fried chicken breast was large enough to be a WWE wrestler. They had a tender at each food counter constantly cleaning and restocking food. Good job to all read more

I've eaten at this restaurant many times and the food was decent.. Yesterday I took my daughter and granddaughter ..It was awful (only speaking of the food we chose).. The fried chicken was soggy nothing crispy about it, I was told it had been out for a while and more was coming 45 to 50 mins later.. Some of it was cold. The waitress advised mgr of my dissatisfaction and was told no refund ok, but you would think if a customer spends $49.00 and change (not including tip) ..you would think management would have at least​ come to apologize and advise they could not give a refund, but offer at least one comp meal..Please keep in mind I never asked for a refund the waitress notice the dissatisfaction and food on our plates ..(she took the Initiative to ask on my behalf) She gave the best service she could.. So since I knew they did not care I made sure we wasted what we should have been able to eat and no more.. I couldn't walkout and just give them that kinda money with no satisfaction, knowing what was paid and still hungry.. So just before we left this Mgr had the nerve to stand and watch me and my daughter.. never once cared about our dissatisfaction... read more

I always enjoy my visits to Barnyard buffet in Saraland,Alabama. It a classic buffet restaurant that features all you can eat. Free drinks and coffee. It a great deal for your money. Lots of excellent items on the hot bars.A large Salad bar that sure to please those salad lovers. A large selection of deserts and soft serve Ice cream is the perfect finish to a good meal. The ladies who take care you and your needs at your table are friendly and work hard to make your dining experience enjoyable. Finally and most importantly Barnyard has local family owners.who care about their customers and community. Nancy and her son JJ are the owners. Crystal is chief assistant. They work tireless to provide a good meal and experience for everyone. I highly recommend Barnyard buffet restaurant to all my friends when their in Saraland. I Been eating at Barnyard for years. Their website is filled with more information About varies special items every day of the week. read more

Barnyard Buffet - the new food bars at barnyard buffet in Saraland. - American Near Me - Saraland, Alabama

We arrived at Barnyard at around 5:15 pm on a Saturday, it was very busy and I could not wait to see what all the buzz was about. We quickly paid the cashier found us a table and began fixing our plates. The first things I went for were the bbq ribs, catfish, fried chicken and shrimp. The chicken was delicious, nicely fried not greasy and well seasoned as well as hot and fresh. Next I went on to review the rib, the rib was warm, but that is about as far as it would go. It was dry and not very flavorful. It was disappointing. The catfish was hot but overall undercooked and not as crispy as I would have liked, not well seasoned. The shrimp were butterflied and fried nicely and were just decent. I then got some of the wings, while the flavor was there it was a very mushy wing and not at all a lot of snap on the bite. Next sides were fixed, I selected turnip greens, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy as well as steamed squash. The turnip greens and squash were absolutely delightful, well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The mashed potatoes were cooked well but overall a bit bland and the gravy did not have much flavor. The macaroni looked delicious with plenty of cheese pull but looks were deceiving as it was extremely under seasoned and bland. Finally I went for dessert and chose peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. It was decent although not much to write home about. Overall the best experience from this place came from the staff. The staff was very friendly and helpful with everyone and that is the reason this review is not 2 stars but 3. I can't say I will go back because we were just not impressed with the food for the cost of close to 70$ for us to eat. read more

Not bad, not bad. I like buffets, and this was my second time here (that's a clue). Aside from getting blocked in by some idiot in the parking lot, it was a good experience. The food is good, about what you'd expect for a buffet, but with a bit more of a Southern/ Mom and Pop flare. I am by no means a detractor of places like Golden Corral, because you will find a bigger selection there. But at Barnyard it is more Southern. Butterbeans, rutabagas, greens, things like that. The fried fish was very tasty- as a matter of fact, I filled up on it and the veggies before I could sample the delicious-looking fried chicken. I did find room for a sugar-free dessert. Definitely no disappointment there. Ya'll be sure and leave the light on for me- I'll be back! read more

Barnyard Buffet - American Near Me - Saraland, Alabama

The food was great & service was great! Went with my mom on Thanksgiving as family was sick. Everything tasted like it is supposed to taste instead of being commercially bland. Will definitely be going back and will recommend to anyone. read more

The best buffet I have ever been to! They have all the southern cooking you could imagine at an incredible price!