Good food for the value. But it's nothing super tasty to write home about. I felt like it was a good home style buffet. We enjoyed the pot roast and the chicken tenders. Kind of expected there to be more meat options. We went early around 11:15 and it was perfect, hardly any line and as it got closer to noon it picked up a lot. It was very clean and we loved the taxidermy animals in the dining place! Really memorable and I think for the price you expect to pay at an attraction like this it was good. read more

Came by this buffet as we were visiting the ark encounter! This was recommended by many people! It is walk in only, they don't take reservations. We came around 11:30 and got seated right away. The good variety is so good, there's a bit of everything. I loved the Brussels sprouts, the best in the world & I'm not exaggerating. I also tried a few of their other items such as the fried chicken, kale salad(LOVE!), fried fish - everything was so yummy!! Price is reasonable as well, definitely recommend if you're visiting the ark encounter. I will be back!! read more

Came here for the first time after visiting the amazing ark encounter. The price was reasonable for two with senior citizens discount applied . My husband and I both weren't really impressed with the selection of food ! They needed more entrees and desserts as well ! Would we come here again ? Probably not - I am however giving two stars as the restaurant was clean and the coffee was hot - and no real cream ? It was powdered :( do not recommend this place read more

For a buffet they have a great variety. You can be sure you'll find something everyone can enjoy. I think because it's a big variety nothing is hugely amazing. It gives a home/cooked feel. There is a great amount of dining space. I went on a very busy day and there was still plenty of seating upstairs. read more

Emzara’s Buffet - Filled plates - Buffets Near Me - Williamstown, Kentucky

It's cafeteria food but when at the ark you can't jus leave the place to go out to eat somewhere else. Price is decent but buffet quality. There's some other options as well at the ark. read more

They have a large selection of food- the kids were able to find things they would eat- prices were unbelievably reasonable for families It was clean and a great way to take a break at the ARK encounter read more

My experience at Noah's Ark was great , although the food at the buffet was HORRIBLE!!! From the Mac & Cheese to the green beans was absolutely Disgusting! The chicken was burnt, fried in old grease, chicken hard as a rock as well as the corn .. Completely lifeless.. No seasoning what so ever & the nerve to charge basically $20 per person was embarrassing!!! I encouraged my organization into coming here and as far as I'm concerned I will NEVER EVER come back nor persuade anyone else to come here Again..... This was wrong you don't do this to people especially those who pay this much for garbage, as far as I'm concerned who ever is in charge of the establishment should be removed, Fired,Erased, Completely from the Ark and Banned from the premises for life!!!!! read more

Standar buffet for a reasonable price. Nice that it was indoors on a windy day and on the property made for an easy lunch

My family and I decided to stop in at Emzara's during our day at the Ark. my husband and son sat here for more than 2 hours while my daughter and I went on the zip line and my son had some work meetings he needed to attend. No one said they couldn't or had to leave. By the time my daughter and I joined them and we all went down for lunch this place was PACKED!! Especially on the bottom floor which is close to the bathrooms and buffet but I recommended trying the top floor for a little more quiet. Seems like most people stay on the bottom. Tips: get two plates when you get in line and grab EVERYTHING you want on your first visit. Why? Because if you get your salad first then come back for meat and sides, you have to start all over at the back of the line. Now they do a really good job with the layout of the buffet and getting people through but it's still quite a line. So just get it all in one go and come back for dessert. Unless, like us, you skip dessert for Uncle Leroy's Fudge and Kezia's ice cream. Also, try the brussel sprouts! Best I've ever had!! Hands down!! Oh and don't turn your nose up at it because it's a buffet. It's actually really good food! I'm giving 5 stars because in spite of the shear number of people the served in a short time, the food was fresh, hot, and tasty, the venue was clean, the ambiance spot on, the service friendly, and there were a lot of food options! Sure to please everyone! read more

See all

While the people who work here are great, the food is not. The foods served are either oddly flavored or flavorless. If you have food allergies, beware, and if you are the least bit health-conscious, there is NOTHING for you here. Save your money and eat at one of the many restaurants near the attraction. read more

** Kind Service ** ** Clean ** ** Convenient ** With enormous amounts of people and huge group numbers, a buffet is a no brainer. The line to get in wrapped around the building but it kept moving. The options were not the greatest but I can say the fried chicken was very tasty. Also try their pudding, it was fantastic! My only gripe would be the styrofoam plates, not great for the environment and was not great for carrying food. It may be that these were not their normal plates because I saw a few different varieties brought out. There are tons of employees working here and that was very cool to see. The place was spotless except for the drinks section, that was chaos. Our experience was good all and all. read more

See all

They had a wild range of food and it was hot and fresh. We ate after touring the arc and doing the zoo area which was about 4 and they closed at 5. I noticed the food wasn't kept full and seem like once things went empty they didn't replace it so i would recommend going around 12 or 1 not 4 like us. read more

See all

This buffet is so amazing. There is something for everyone and if you go away hungry thats on you. I wish you could go here to eat without having to go to the Ark. Warning though it usually gets very crowded and a little loud with that many people. read more

Has a nice wild wood beam animal like feel. Food is mediocre. Great fried chicken, brussel sprouts, and pot roast, Everything else was sub par. Styrofoam plates and flimsy forks could be upgraded. Nice drink selection. read more

Emzara's Kitchen was an inexpensive lunch option with a large variety of food to choose from. They have plenty of indoor seating to escape the heat too. This restaurant is a buffet. Adults are $16.99 per person, kids four and under are free. There is a large indoor dining room with more indoor dining upstairs. The covered patio offers outdoor seating if you prefer. The buffet was well laid out with two sides, offering identical options. The front section is the salad area and hot entrees are along the back. Off to the side is the dessert bar, soft drinks, and coffee. The selection here was impressive. The salad bar had varieties of salads, fruit, and breads. The hot food area had fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, fish, mashed potatoes, and more. There were at least half a dozen dessert options. The coffee area had brewed coffee as well as options for fancier coffees and a large selection of creams and sugars. The food wasn't bad! I'd say it's better than most buffets at this price point. We arrived shortly after opening so everything was fresh and hot. I enjoyed the fried chicken and all of the tasty vegetable options. The variety was perfect for my toddler and she ate a good amount of food. The to go cups for coffee were great so that I could continue enjoying my coffee as we explored the zoo. I'd definitely eat here again if I find myself at The Ark again. read more

Good place to eat had a ton of food great place to visit If your in the area check out the Ark cool place read more

Great gf options! And we really enjoyed the fried chicken. There is lots of space in the sitting area.

Overall 3/5 s! Emzara's Kitchen is really convenient because the Ark Encounter does make you pretty hungry with all the walking and learning you do! I'm not sure how often their food choices vary/change throughout the week, but ours was good. On my plate, I had Beef Stroganoff, Garlic Breadsticks, BBQ Meatballs, Pasta Salad, and Ravioli; my family also had a lot of the same choices as me. We ate at Emzara's because we wanted to see the Christmas lights and I would say it was pretty good for the price we paid ($16.99/adult) because they have a wide enough selection as well as refillable drinks, coffee, and hot tea. I would just say to maybe add a few other food items to their hot meals section as well as desserts. It was also really crowded inside and different families/groups had to sit at the same table, however there was a second floor if you wanted that, but the downside is that it's farther from food. Other than that it was a good eat & I'm glad they have this option just outside of the Ark Exhibit itself. read more

Emzara's kitchen is the main sit down buffet restaurant at the Ark Encounter. There are two entrances both of which you pay your price fixed buffet meal and then get in line to serve yourself cafeteria style. Scattered throughout the restaurant are taxidermy animals to replicate some of the ark's animals. My husband and I were there during the lunch hour and again the two lines were exceptionally long. There was plenty of seating available. It wasn't overly long of a wait until we got our tri compartment paper plate and started to make our way through the salads and side dishes. There is a sign telling you that you must take a clean plate if you return to a station. With this line I had no intention of doing that. Most of the sides are clearly labeled and then over to the back was an area for hot foods. Here you find fried chicken, meatballs, chicken tenders, barbecued pork, pasta, and fried fish. The dessert station sits off by itself with paper plates of their own. The plasticwear was wrapped at the eating end to protect the user but I found it a pain to open my fork. With my husband's help I managed. Beverages again are served by machine and when I got my ice tea I was looking everywhere for sugar packets. Finally an employee showed me a machine that dishes out the "perfect" scoop. Really? By the time I got back to my table the ice in my drink had melted. The food was average quality. Again nothing to hit home about. All the sauces and condiments were off to the side and I must say I liked the meatballs and chicken tenders best. For dessert I took what looked like an apple mixture and a small piece of chocolate brownie. Again they were alright but this is a place for tourists and one needs to expect that. They also sell the refillable plastic drinking bottle here which you can use anywhere in the park for $19.99 but to me it wasn't worth the money. Bottom line. The Ark encounter has a number of family friendly fast foods both inside the ark and in Noah's village for less money. You are probably better off going there however, I recommend if visiting this buffet come after 1:00 when the lines are less crowded. Enzara's restaurant is located next to the Ark itself. read more

See all

Large variety of food, all well prepared. The night I went they ran out of 3 of the hot entrees, and they weren't refilled. Still, there we plenty of other choices. Staff was friendly and helpful. They were constantly cleaning!!!! You never saw any food or waste on the floor or tables. I never saw a buffet that was so immaculately clean before. Normally I avoid them for fear of not being kept up, but this one was the exception! Staff was sweeping and quilting everything down. Always cleaning!!!! I felt very confident the restaurant and food was fresh and clean, and safely prepared. read more

Emzara’s Buffet - a woman sitting at a table - Buffets Near Me - Williamstown, Kentucky

See all

The food is great. Military discount is a plus and variety is good for all ages in our family.

Dining at Emzara's was a great way to end this fantastic experience. The food was delicious and the place was really clean. All of the workers were very nice and there was plenty of seating when we came in. I also thought it was wonderful that they had many options for people that have allergies. It was very affordable for all that was being offered (only $15 for seniors and $17 for adults) which includes drinks and dessert with your meal. They even had 2 soup options when we went which was very convenient since it was cold that day. After dinner we also helped our selves to some coffee for the long ride back. It was nice that they offered hot drinks as well. We will definitely eat here again the next time we visit. read more

This is a $9.99 buffet at best. The coffee was decent, green beans decent, white cake decent. Everything else is pretty much school cafeteria food. read more

A really neat place to eat while visiting the Ark. the food was better than expected for a buffet place. We ate our fill while relaxing from a lot of walking. Definitely a place the children will enjoy looking around. Some of the food choices were not available which was a little upsetting, and i wished hey had better choices for desserts when we were there. read more

Emzara’s Buffet - Fried chicken w/ beans, corn & mac n cheese. - Buffets Near Me - Williamstown, Kentucky

We stopped by Emzara's Kitchen while visiting the Ark Encounter. We checked the prices and they were reasonable. Kids 5 and under eat free, ages 6 - 12 eat for $5.99, adults are $12.99 and seniors are $8.99. Upon entering, I noticed dozens of taxidermied animals all over the dining area. There was a limited selection of food, but it still wasn't bad for the price and convenience. The salad bar was decent, offering some fresh options, which I opted to skip. The main buffet has six stands, but they all have the same food to serve large quantities of people. Unfortunately, you will not realize they all have the same food until you go through the line once. After you've gone through the line, you will realize that waiting in line was foolish as the other five buffets all have the same food and lines are not necessary. There was no one around to guide the guests to the other buffets, however. In fact, the only services happening were people restocking the buffet, others taking out trash, and a cashier. No fancy plates or silverware are provided. Instead, we ate off of black Styrofoam plates with black plastic silverware. Whatever it takes to keep the costs down, I suppose. The sliders were okay, but over cooked and a little dry. The fried shrimp was delicious! My kids loved the mac n cheese. The corn and green beans were very tasty. The meatballs were pretty good too. For dessert, they were out of chocolate ice cream, so vanilla soft serve hit the spot. We will probably skip the buffet next time, but it was worth a try. Plus, I added Emzara's to yelp so others can share their opinions too. read more

See all

The line moved very fast for both the cashier and the buffet. All the employees were very helpful and nice. There was a descent selection of food and it was good, esp the pot roast. For the number of people in there it was not too loud. read more

We went at Lunch time and even though it was very busy it is well organized and they kept everything moving. There are two lines in, two lines for food and drink so it wasn't an issue. The food was good and there was a lot of variety for everyone's needs and tastes. The chocolate cake was divine lol. We got to sit outside just after the rain so it was cool and less busy. Would recommend. read more

Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars but we will round up! What we loved about this place (besides the convenience obviously) was the value. Kids were much cheaper than adults and our 3 year old was free! Plus, all u can eat is hard to beat! Most of the food was very good and there were plenty of options. Our 3 year old spilled an entire soda and one of the very sweet employees mopped it all up thoroughly. It was the perfect time of rest to break up exploring exhibits on the Ark, the zoo and the playground. We liked the animals/ambience too. Just a lovely day and Emzara's was an important part of it! read more

Great selection at an affordable price. The buffet line is set up well, especially considering how many people this restaurant is set up to feed. Definitely one of the best experiences I've had at a theme park restaurant! read more

This is an overpriced, crowded KFC buffet where the chicken isn't very good. I guess you can see a giant Noah's Ark, though? read more

Emzara’s Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Williamstown, Kentucky

The onsite buffet at The Ark Experience was very reasonably priced and the food was very good! Well worth it!

Very nice meal served cafeteria style, meatballs, ham and chicken were available and we had a small serving of each. Vegetables like corn, green beans and mashed potatoes had little seasoning and there were not salt and pepper shakers out because of Covid I guess. Workers all wore masks and tables were disinfected as soon as people left. We had chocolate eclair (tasted like a cool whip version) and banana pudding- both serviceable but not great.. Good place to eat at the end of the long Ark walk, but not a destination itself. Set up was great for feeding groups and middle of the week it was no problem to social distance. read more

Emzara’s Buffet - Mashed Potatoes, green beans, meatballs, chicken and ham. - Buffets Near Me - Williamstown, Kentucky

Great place to have lunch while visiting The Ark Encounter. Price includes all you can eat. Food was fresh and tastefull.plus they offer a senior discount. Give it a try you will be surprised how good it is for a buffet. Actually the best meal we had while visiting Kentucky. The above opinion is mine, my money my opinion. You may have a different opinion and that's fine also. That would be your money and your opinion. read more

This was a great choice since we did not want to leave The Ark. it had a good balance of something for everyone. The service was excellent.

I highly recommend making this your last stop while at the Ark Encounter. Wear your comfy pants. This the biggest buffet I've ever seen. There's two of everything (just like God said for the Ark ). There's a salad bar, hot entrees, all of the fixings, but the deserts! OMG! They don't just have soda, the have a juice and milk machine as well for the kiddos. There's something for all appetites and diets. Unlike inside the Ark, the animals are real. If you're okay eating around taxidermy, you'll be cozy here. It's family style seating. Meaning you'll share a table with another family. Which was great for meeting new people and talking about all that you've seen for the day. read more

See all

Super impressed with my experience. My sister has to avoid soy and dairy and I am vegan. They were happy to talk to and accommodate us, and make food in the back. Great staff! Anything in the buffet line also had allergies on each item, so that was very nice. For vegan options they had vegan meatballs (I feel like it was impossible or beyond meat because it was really good!!) and they had salad and side options and fruit. I also liked that it was wheelchair accessible. The only reason I gave 4 stars was I would like to see a few more main course vegan options as well as dessert options. Overall great experience! read more

Emzara’s Buffet - Vegan food - Buffets Near Me - Williamstown, Kentucky

Let me tell you this place has it all!!! They have a kids area for food and so much to choose from if your kin folks are hungry this is the place for you. To much to post it all. This is a Military friendly place!!! read more

Emzara’s Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Williamstown, Kentucky

See all

This spot converted from buffet to two dining options: a la carte or cafeteria style. Both offer serviceable comfort foods. Sandwiches, salads, wraps, and snacks are on the a la carte menu. Drinks aren't included and you can easily spend more than the cafeteria option. A pulled pork sandwich was satisfactory. The cafeteria option offers much more variety and much more food. Salad, two entrees, bread, two veggies, a starch, two desserts, and drink are included in the price. Those aren't options: you select two meat, fish, or fowl from a variety; and two desserts, and a starch (rice, potato, or bread pudding) in addition to your two veggies and the other sides. Though fairly priced it's a lot of food. Lamb stew over mashed potatoes was satisfactory but fried chicken and everything else were overcooked. Sweet corn tasted reheated. Emzara's offers convenience: It's feet from the Ark entrance so you don't have to ride the shuttle to your vehicle and drive miles to a fast food spot. Alternatively, places scattered around the grounds and inside the Ark offer snacks and drinks at theme park pricing. read more

Delicious! Good for folks with gluten and dairy allergies too. Something for everyone. Good value.

We came hungry and were not disappointed, there were tons of options and there was something for everyone in our family and even though it was extremely busy at the time that we got there, we paid and got in line and we were able to go through very quickly and eat. We really enjoyed the free refills and the coffee. read more