GLUTTONY 202 Golden Corral may not be glamorous, but come prepared with a solid appetite and you can stuff yourself to oblivion. A reminder, class: this is a mid-tier feasting program that requires prior knowledge of both Gluttony '101' and Gluttony '102'. If you feel you might be in the wrong section, "Intro to Overeating" is down the hall to your left. Now then, on with today's lesson... I grew up with the beloved Old Country Buffet, and while those restaurants are no more, Golden Corral is still here to appease the masses. This location is north of Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, just west of Route 59 on E New York St. It's $17/adult for dinner, $14/seniors, and kids under 3 are free. Drinks are separate ($2.25), and a staff member has to refill it for you. There's a LOT to pick from, including a nice variety of savory items, sweets, healthier fare and fried goodness. I scoped out the always-helpful Reddit pages for recommendations at Golden Corral, and I'm glad I did as they steered me toward some delicious finds. Pre-buffet weigh in: 157.4 lbs Post-buffet weigh in: 164.2 metric tonnes I left no culinary stone unturned: meatloaf, fried shrimp, mac 'n cheese, whipped potatoes w/poultry gravy, carnitas, green bean casserole, a corn bread muffin, Nashville hot chicken, pot roast, homemade potato chips, a beef & bean taco, orange "chicken", loaded chili, sweet potato casserole, bread pudding w/hot caramel, banana pudding, and a vanilla-chocolate twist cone. The house definitely lost money on me this visit. Somehow I managed to not only keep it together long enough for goodbyes, but I drove everyone home and stayed awake for another hour before lapsing into a heavy food coma. The next morning, I exploded like a supernova. * TL;DR * I did my homework, studied, and set the curve. The "Best in Show" had to be the whipped potatoes w/gravy, followed by the fried shrimp (2nd) and mac 'n cheese (3rd). The carnitas and homemade chips were unexpected delights that flew under most people's radar, and both the warm bread pudding and cold banana pudding were fantastic. "Worst in Show" goes to the questionable orange chicken, which as far as I could tell were chicken feet drizzled in chili sauce. I heard the bathrooms were in shambles, yet I managed to avoid them completely. It helped not having to worry about downing a few beers and breaking the seal (Golden Corral does not serve alcohol). Though I aced this particular test, there will be other....oral...exams in the future, so I'll keep my palette sharp and belly ready. read more

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill - Come with an appetite, and you can easily eat 3-4lbs of tasty food at this buffet - American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

The food at Golden Corrall buffet was excellent. There was a great variety. The food was displayed well and pleasantly. I was grateful there was ample good and tasty food. The dining area looked inviting and hospitable. read more

Where do I begin? Let's first start when you walk in the soda. Fountain machine is a horrible mess. It was so dirty. Sticky soda dripping out of the machine everywhere. I can't believe how dirty this place is ,now let's get to the food. What a horrible mess. it was 12 in the afternoon and I can't believe how terrible the food was but more than anything This place was so dirty ,went into the washroom and nearly threw up from the stench ‍‍‍ please stay far away from this place. It should be shut down. read more

The server was good and the food kept coming. However serving utensils weren't cleaned when restocking. For example, the mashed potato scoop was in the Mac and cheese. The potatoes were refilled and the mac.and cheese filled scoop just popped back in the potatoes. I realize.gutem sensitive people take a risk at the buffet, but this is just lazy. The bigger let down was asking the server about the advertised backyard grill that mentions grilled bacon cheddar ranch chicken for lunch and dinner. I asked the server and he said it is Monday-Thursday, but I told him it doesn't say that on the advertisement. He then said it is only for lunch, which I corrected, but he had no answer. There were no strawberries either, and this was a big push as well. I don't like being mislead. Here are the words from the site: The NEW! Grilled Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Breast will be available during both lunch and dinner hours. Prefer something fresh and light, Build-Your-Own Summer Strawberry Salad using items already found on the bar including Spring Mix, sliced Almonds, Strawberries, Grilled Chicken & Balsamic Dressing. Come hungry and enjoy the taste of summer for a limited time! Pretty bogus. read more

One of the cleaner ones for sure. More put together and staff is usually around and I can find someone for help. We sit by the salad bar so it's less people. This one I haven't been when it's too crowded which is nice. The ICEE machine is working most of the time which is nice. If you wait a bit, then they bring out the new hot refills of food which is nice. The bars don't stay empty and without food for long. They are replacing a good amount of time which I'm happy about because I want to get my fave piece of chicken. read more

We've normally had not too bad of an experience at the Golden Corral Community Trough. I've maintained if you choose wisely you can eat well there. The floor show is usually pretty good too. However. There are rules, and among them: Don't send your little kids up to the buffet solo, and Don't stick your fucking fingers in the food. Yesterday, some lazy bastard and his porcine wife allowed their 6-year old to wander freely and sure enough, fingers in the mashed potatoes, then to her mouth, and back to the potatoes. Good thing the Mrs. and I were finished with our feed. The Mrs. saw that little escapade (repeated with other items on the buffet) and informed the manager of same. The manager, nonplussed, brushed the complaint off and said it "was not company policy to address such behavior". The urge to puke was strong, but stifled. Mrs. then went over to the Parents who were belligerent and called my Wife a liar. (She isn't) And so ends our patronage of Golden Corral... read more

I had been craving a salad bar for a while and thought what the heck. Not at all my typical choice. Service was fine, though dirty plates piled up while the server sat with friends or family. The biggest issue was the salt. Why would dressing be salty? The ambience was as to be expected. read more

The Aurora IL location is nice. We came in at eight pm. The place was clean. The food was still out. My attendant Paula was on it. Friendly and attentive. Nice smile clean uniform. I can say that for everyone. Especially Rosie. I'll br back soon. read more

Everything was great could not complain about anything All the food was great, especially the fried shrimp read more

I'll be honest never have i ever been to a golden corral, but since the closing of OCB years ago i was convinced by a friend to try them out. I'll keep it short , i've probably gone to the bathroom at least 10+ times & it hasn't even been 24 hours. My stomach has been completely unsettled every since & i'll never in my life convince myself again that i'm not too good to indulge in the worst quality cafeteria food i've ever eaten in my life. Definitely a "NO" for me. read more

The food was dry, hard, unflavorful, and straight up disgusting. Why does the ice cream look like throw up. Barf. WHY IS THE CARAMEL SAUCE STRETCHING. The cake and the cornbread were very dry- almost choked. The selection is very big but food overall is not good. Staff was nice. read more

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The food was amazing and it had a slurpy machine and ice cream machine, The service was excellent. The only thing they need to improve on is to have more fruit and entrees read more

I'm a senior. Went to have early bird special at 2:30. Early bird starts at 2pm. I was charged full price and charged for drinks. Before Covid, early bird for my wife and myself cost about $20.00. Yesterday it cost us just under $35.00. Their website says that early bird is $12.49 with free drinks which would be $10.00 less. Rip off. read more

The food has never been great, but it's been adequate. The kids liked it, so we would go occasionally. Tonight was different. The food looked and tasted awful. The bathroom was filthy. The price for what we got was too high. I doubt I will be back. read more

PRICES Breakfast Buffet $10 Lunch M-Th Buffet $10 Lunch Saturday Buffet $15 Dinner M-Th Buffet $15 Dinner Weekend Buffet $16 This was my first time to a Golden Corral Buffet and not my first choice by any means since I've managed to avoid it all these years. I was very surprised by how full the restaurant was! They have a variety of food to select from, including salad, fruit, pizza, pasta, steak, prime rib, cotton candy and desserts. The prime rib was decent. They also have made to order steak and a turkey carving station, all yours if you can get someone's attention from behind the counter. The fried chicken liver was actually pretty good. The fruit selection wasn't the best (honey dew, cantaloupe, canned mandarin and hard pineapple). I'm not sure how they did it, but there was a bowl of rock hard strawberry by the chocolate fondue station. The cotton candy is made fresh by the dessert section. ....| \ _ , , , - - , , _ , .../ , ` . - ' ` ' . _ \ - ; ; ; , _ ..| , a - ) ) _ . ; . ( ` - ` - ' - ' ' - - - ' ' ( _ / . _ ) - ' ( _ \ _ ) 2020 read more

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They charge dinner price all wknd but you do get steak for lunch then. The steak is good when you can get a medium rare piece! Things I liked... meatloaf, Mac n cheese, popcorn shrimp, ice cream, fudge brownies... there were surprisingly a handful of other things I liked but I can't remember. Overall the food is aiight! read more

Good selection, service and food quality is ok but way too expensive for a mid tier buffet!

Nice variety, but the food is overall subpar. We went with the family on Thanksgiving. I was looking forward to helpings of some holiday food. While they had many of the things you would expect, many of them were not good. The turkey was most, but had a lot of gristle. Apparently it was pressed meat, which is closer to lunch meat than actually turkey. The sides were decent. The corn was great, but you can't really mess that up! The stuffing was like layered as the ingredients weren't mixed up... weird. Rolls and cornbread were good, but again, hard to mess up. I tried the steak, it was horribly overcooked. I could go on, but long story short, I won't be back. It was pretty disappointing. You would hope for a semi decent replacement for a home-cooked meal, not even close. read more

The food is awful. Not even close to being worth the price. They left out old, dried up food from breakfast out. It's 12:32pm and they are just switching the food out. Don't waste your time or money here. read more

Go elsewhere. You have to dig through several plates or bowls in a stack to find one that's clean. The food is old, dried out, or not replenished. The wait staff is nonexistent, and I have no confidence their food safety and cleaning plans are being followed. read more

The cleanest buffet around is at Golden Corral in Aurora Illinois. Wonderful food choices, restocked when they are empty and the servers are friendly and do a top notch job. Very clean restaurant. Love the fried chicken. Good selection of fresh steamed vegetables and the salad bar has hralthy selections. read more

The food stations are always very clean and pretty well stocked with food. I'm always happy because of the various Keto-friendly food choices they have there and my family can still eat what they like. Only negative is their bathrooms are always disgusting and I really try to avoid having to use them unless I truly don't have a choice. read more

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill - Keto Friendly Meals! - American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

My wife and I used to come in for breakfast in the past. We could have a good meal for under $20 for the two of us. I haven't been in for a couple of years due to the pandemic and other reasons. This was our first time back for a long time, and were really looking forward to a nice, Saturday morning breakfast. I didn't notice the receipt until after we were done eating. But imagine my SHOCK at being charged $44 for what used to be under $20. This was absurd! And it really saddens me that this is something we can no longer do. You have priced us away from your establishment. And be sure, we have been warning all our friends about this. I think tactics like this are how Golden Corral fades into oblivion. It's a shame too, because you used to be good AND a good value. read more

After seeing all of the negative reviews of late, I wanted give it a try with an open mind. First visit since pre-COVID. Arriving at 6pm on a Wednesday the parking lot wasn't full but it wasn't empty. The people leaving were all in a good mood. All great signs. You get your drinks before you pay, Unsweet tea was empty and 3 of the soda had paper tags on them saying they didn't work. Paid for a party of 6 and sat ourselves. The restaurant wasn't full or empty and had a mixture of ethnicities (asian, cauc, hispanic, black). Went up for food and one of the first things noticed was there was almost no plates or bowls. Plates were in the center (almost empty) or only on the other side from us. My son commented that you have to pick through several plates as many were not clean. (I remembered that from another reviewer). Our "waitress" stopped by and said if we needed anything to just ask her. Ended up never seeing her on our side again to be able to ask for anything. I eventually went up to the cashier and asked if we were supposed to refill drinks ourselves or what. She said the server was supposed to but we could do it on our own. (Another same comment from another review). I purposely went to the side station where the servers use so I would be obvious but nobody saw me. The center location of plates emptied out and other customers were asking where they were. The manager simply pointed them to the desert side of the buffet line. (Eventually more plates arrived). As we went through our bowls and places, there were never removed. We started stacking them on the next table. This obviously lets the food dry on them and that's probably why the "new" plates were still dirty, when they had been washed and returned to the floor. I think the problem is actually with the management. There was a (minimal but) good staff but it looked to me like they weren't being used properly. Several times, employees and the manager were just standing around talking with each other. My granddaughter commented "I remember that I used to like coming here, not anymore." Oh and the ice cream machine was only chocolate but no sign so people would grab a cone then waste them when there was no vanilla. I suggested to the manager that they should have a sign saying no vanilla and she shrugged me off. Very disappointing, Won't be going back for a long time. read more

Between 7-7:30pm, getting late for the dinner period, this location kept its food trays stocked fresh and hot as if it was actually hours earlier. The slower traffic on a rainy Monday also helped keep the place cleaner with less food on the floors as is typical for many GCs. Just one question: In a self-serve place why do the "servers" have to get your drinks from machines that are easily assessable to diners? read more

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill - While "farm fresh" is clearly a laughable exaggeration, one of Golden Corral's benefits is the variety of fresh veggie and fruit items. - American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

Horrible. Or at least it is now. Came in and grabbed drinks, they're fine (duh). Got our seat, it was relatively clean and the service was okay. But heres when things turned for the worse. Grabbed a plate that was for some reason wet and scorching hot? Had to rummage through them to get a clean one. Grabbed a fried chicken drumstick, fries and a small slice of pork to start. The drumstick skin had this weird and awful taste with dry and old chicken on the inside. Fries were more dry than sand and the pork was not any different from the fries and chicken, with an additional skin hard as a rock. I left that crap in a heartbeat and went to go get some salad and some new orleans southern chicken or something like that. The chicken was not dry this time, but extremely greasy and salty and the salad was slightly better but not good. I must say I will not be coming here again due to the lack of good food. read more

Came for good food, only stayed for the ice cream. Pizza was old. Service however 10 out of 10

first off everything is so yummy and delicious . I had four plates of sirloin a very tough meat to nail on a grill and also while cut in half. the cook nailed it perfect sear and perfectly medium rare the manger got so jelly he tried to take over I told him no I'm still eat ur cook steak a great cook again I had five servering of steak with no sauce perfect!!! the salad bar was awesome so fresh and ton of options I had two plates so good for my body my body ended up so deliciously and made me get too servings of the wonderful salad bar the pizza was so delicious it reminded me of a kid in Disney world the fried shrimp and the many sauces were also wonderful the only complaint that day was that the manager tried to take over the steak and take the cooks before LOL I wouldn't allow it or my stomach also the desserts were very delicious the chocolate cake wonderful the cookies wonderful softer ice cream so delicious and they had cotton candy that day wow what a wonderful experience my only downside is that the wait staff doesn't really wait on you but it's a buffet and you can pretty much get it all yourself and also it's good if they don't wait on you because then you don't feel obligated to tip obviously if the Trinity really good you would have to tip so if the guy wants to be a bum and not serve you then I don't feel like I have tip and here did my wife who always wants me to tip a lot because our daughter is working the industry and she feels I have to pay her forward for my girls again I don't know why anyone would say this place is garbage or the food's no good they might just be a hateful person inside and like K-pop demon hunters would say they're uncaring people with no feelings that deserve to be K-pop demon Hunter to the staff at Golden corral don't let the manager take your Glory you guys are Great Cooks read more

Way to pricey for breakfast buffet, it was $22 person. So glad I just went solo and not with the wife. They are pricing families out of their restaurant. No wonder the parking lot was empty read more

Well, today was my first time here after quite a long time, and I really wish that I would not have gone because I left hungry. There was nothing really that looked edible. Everything looked old a lot of the recipes have changed. I couldn't even get drinks. I had to go and get mine and the other parties drinks three separate times Just overall just horrible. I can see why they're almost empty and I don't anticipate they'll be open much longer. I could've saved that money and got a whole weeks worth of food. The other person in my party also agreed that the food has taken a huge nose dive, and also said I wish we would not have come ! read more

Went for breakfast but they hardly had any choices it was the same kn each side. The workers were very rude and cursing to each other.

I usually enjoy my visit. This time we weren't happy. The first thing I go to turkey and the guy cutting it gives me all the skin no meat. Then the server Felipe comes to table asked if we want refills then put a stack of dishes on our table then leaves. I asked him to take them and he get a attitude about it. Didn't come back to the table for our dishes. Not a nice guy. read more

Yesterday we decided to visit this place with our friends for Dinner. The buffet was very nice. Lot of items were there to select. We loved the food as the quality and quantity was good. Pizza, Potatoes wages, Burritos, Mexican Rice, Hash Brown, fried Okras, Salad Bar. Kids as well as we loved the desert section. Ice cream, Cone Softies, Chocolate Fountain with strawberry and marshmallows and Finally the Cotton Candy. read more

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill - Outside Photo - American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

this felt like a jail i dont even want to go back here the food was salty the water was thick and my chair had dewkie stains on it

Like I said when I did the check-in, we heard of the Golden Corral and all you can. So we thought we try it out. Walked noticed the smell of tasty food. There are well stocked food stations. Each has a description of what was in front of you. There are also calories listed for each item. In addition there are suggestions for healthy eating ideas. I thought that is a nice to bring up. The Golden Corral is very clean. I have been to all you can eat buffets before but they always seem scuzzy. Not here! Now onto the food. 3 of us tried many different types. Corn bread was a bit tastless. Otherwise food was quite tasty. No other complaints from this table. Food and atmosphere was good. I would come come back. The staff was friendly. Fast cleanup of plates. The restaueant was a bit crowded which speaks at the type of cooking that goes on here Our server, Rosali was super friendly and she offered to fill our drinks. Look for Rosali' s table when you come. Yes I reccomend Golden Corral. read more

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill - This is a shot of signs showing food stations. As seen from a booth. - American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

I'd like to give them 2-3 stars, the place was clean enough and the food was fresh enough. And Juana was a very good server. I'm not even complaining that it was $11+ when it said $8+ on the internet for a Saturday lunch. So far ok... Our server, Juana was professional and attentive when we had a problem and this is the problem- I got a steak and asked for it well done. At the buffet line, I could smell there was something wrong with it. It smelled rancid. When I got to the table, I told myself that maybe I'm just imagining it. Nope. Smelled a bit rancid. Still gave them the benefit of the doubt. Took a bite. Spit it out. Rancid. We sat there for about 15 min. wondering how to best handle it- complain? Just leave? Try something else? Juana sensed something was wrong asked about the issue- was reassuring. She went and got a manager. I may have even been able to handle a bad steak. It happens. A bad one can slip in! But my problem was how it was handled by TWO managers- DENIAL. Both managers passed on smelling it. The first one claim he unpacked them personally and were within date and cooking requirements. He walked away. We were about to leave when Juana asked if things were resolved- she politely got a second manager. This guy made it a point to check the receipt and let us know we've been there 30 mins as if we had 30 mins of stuffing our faces, so whats the problem??? I'm thinking- is this guy serious? We are going to choose to try the Golden Corral, but secretly just to try to scam them for a meal??? Seriously??? He offered to take (inspect?) the steak and came back later saying it met their standards. Did he at least smell it? No. My wife smelled it. She agreed- rancid. She also got a steak. Hers was fine. We both agreed on that. The manager gave us a coupon for 50% off for both our meals next time. We took it, but most likely wont be back. An apology would have been good enough. I told him once I got the steak it ruined my appetite. It was well done like I asked. How could something be wrong with a simple steak? How can you screw up a well done steak? Overcook it? No. Over season it? No. Undercook it? No, you can always cook it more. But serve a rancid steak? Thats the only way to screw it up. We just left. Not mad. Not insulted. Just disappointed. Thought it'd be a reasonably good experience. Maybe even fun?! Instead left there kind of feeling sorry for the place. With TWO managers on duty, both quick to assume someone's try to rip them off and BOTH deep in denial. We'll we had our curiosity resolved about the Golden Corral. Everything except that one steak was ok. We would have come back and tried it again. Not that big of a deal. But the condescending management? ...inexcusable. The steak was rancid. Don't believe me? Give it a test or a whiff. But don't tell me there was nothing wrong with it then try to buy me off. I thought I had reasonable expectations of the buffet. Had few expectations of the place. Didn't expect tacky. read more

The food was delicious and hot, but what I enjoyed the most was the real average of the meat, and I can only say that the service was EXCELLENT, CARMEN, our assigned waitress, super attentive, helpful, smiling, always aware of what was offered. not only to me but to all the tables, also the cleanliness and harmony in the place, I wish each and every waiter had a lot of Carmen. read more

Yesterdays food on the buffet was not at all fresh and most was cold. Even the rolls which are usually delicious were very old, cold and rubbery from sitting out too long. Never once did I see any fresh ones made and we were inside for an hour.The food was old and cold. Seems like they need to switch out the old food after so long of being on the buffet but this was not done. In the past when we've been here it was good, not so yesterday which has made us decide to not come back for awhile until things have changed. I didn't want to pay the price just to come in and eat old crusty food. I asked when the fresh food would be coming out they looked at me then just ignored me all together which was very rude. Even the desserts were old and cold. The pudding looked like it had been out since they first opened that day, lots of lumps and fluid sitting on top but all they did was just keep stirring it, so no I would not let my son eat it. The cakes had set out so long they were all dry and crusty couldn't eat them. The pies didn't look very fresh either. The pizza was cold cold, shrimp was cold and had an odd taste. Tried the taco/nacho chips, they were very stale and the cheese sauce was cold as well. Even the salad bar didn't look very healthy to eat as I never saw anyone change out the old for fresh, not once. I wasn't the only person while dining in that was complaining about these issues, several ppl around our tables were disappointed and disgusted in how this restaurant has changed. Like I said we used to come here for lunch or dinner but it had been about three months so we decided to go in to enjoy what we had thought would be a nice buffet, instead I paid $41.19 for old cold and crusty food. Until things change we won't be back and I don't recommend. read more

Name one buffet that you will give 5 stars.... Seeing how I've never been to any of the white house buffets I can't give 5 stars either. (Going to have to talk to my mailman to see why I keep missing that invite.) Think Old Country Buffet, think Chinese buffet... think spending $15 and eating ALL YOU CAN EAT. There should be certain expectations for this kind of place. They provide a Chinese see through kitchen experience for certain food sectionsthat way you can SEE that it's clean and that they are prepping/storing/cooking the food the right way. The place is okay. but how many buffets are worth coming to more than once every two three years? read more

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill - American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

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Let me begin by saying that I don't come here for the service or the other people eating there. The service isn't that great and most people are rude and let their kids run wild. That being said, lunch is only $8.69 and dinner is $11.99, add a beverage for $2.19. I got there at 3:40ish, so dinner at lunch prices. This may sound smart, but I learned that shifts change at roughly 4 to 4:30, so no one has an incentive to attend your table. I usually prefer to be left alone while eating, but when you want a simple refill and there is no one around and plates are piling up, it sucks. Again if your shift ends at 4:30, why would you refill a drink if you are not going to get a tip? My recommendation is don't order a beverage and drink water, save yourself $2. As far as the food goes, the steak is superb IMO. I had a craving for carne asada fries which are popular in California, they consist of fries, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and steak. If I made this at home, it would cost nearly $20 just to buy the ingredients plus I would have to cook. Instead, I paid $12 at Golden Corral and still got to eat a ton of other things like 3 more steaks, fried chicken, bbq chicken, shrimp, tacos, pizza, hush puppies, coleslaw, potato salad, cornbread, sweet potato casserole, banana pudding, brownies, cookies, apple pie, and ice cream to name a few. How anyone complains about this is beyond me. I was going to deduct a star for a lack of service, but the value preposition far outweighs poor service. Besides, maybe the server was having a bad day or suffered a string of no or bad tips. Just put yourself in their shoes. read more

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