Everything on the buffet is very delicious. They replenish the buffet quite often, and sometimes have different choices. The servers are very attentive and refills drinks often. The restaurant is very clean and well maintained. We like coming here because of the variety! Fried chicken, Catfish, salads, fried mushrooms.... everything you'd want! read more

I was enamored by the existence of a smorgasbord after taking the scenic route and ending up in Chester. After running around to all the Popeye statues we worked up an appetite, so we were ready to eat! The food was nothing to write home about, but it was tasty, home-style food. The meatloaf was a highlight for us. The only bad thing was the cornbread muffins were awfully stale. Our server was super sweet and bubbly. The place definitely looks like it hasn't been updated since the 90's, but I think it adds to the charm. read more

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Self serve buffet in a family friendly casual setting. Southern Illinois favorites like chicken and dumplings, liver and onions, fried chicken. Plenty of salads and toppings and side dishes as well. Desserts which work on a buffet line such as jello, pudding and soft serve. Servers available for drinks, table settings. Iconic restaurant in Chester for simple, like homemade food and plenty of it. read more

Great comfort food, the buffet gets a little sloppy but the staff do their best to keep up. Freshness and good tasting food is most important. read more

First visit and drove an hour to get there. The staff was very friendly. The salad section was fresh and had plenty of items to choose from. The rest of the food was mediocre. Most tasted bland and needed seasoning. The fried chicken was tough. Also with fried chicken, whoever heard of brown gravy out of a pack! Yuck! Cream gravy isn't that difficult, come on. With a little thought and adjustments this place could be stellar. As is, I'll never drive an hour to eat there again. read more

A few weeks ago we had a group of 22 motorcycles and 31 people (coordinated in advance) arrive at Reid's' Harvest House. The staff and service was awesome and food was pretty delicious. Thank you for accommodating us and I'd recommend your business to all who transit Chester. read more

Came here straight off a red eye and a lot of waiting to get my car. I was starving and the locals said the food was good. Well it is really good. The service is nice and the prices are really good! Next time I'm in town I will def come back! read more

Reids' Harvest House - Mother's Day buffet - American Near Me - Chester, Illinois

I know this is one of Chester's classic restaurants, as it has been around for nearly 40 years. And I'm sure locals and people from nearby love coming here - but I just wasn't blown away. I was aware that it was buffet-only. It was basically like the same stuff you get at Pondegrossa and Golden Corral. Salad bar, taco/nacho bar (which was alright) and fried chicken and some other southern foods. Dessert was bread pudding, brownies and soft serve ice cream. I still managed to fill myself up but again this was a straight-up reminder of why I don't do buffets these days. As most people should know, if you're expecting quality food for a buffet place, this is not it. The service was great and the price was decent (around $10-15 with soda). read more

Back at Reid's again for Good Friday. Best around. Drove 425 to get here. And well worth the trip! Been eating here over 45 years and still delicious! read more

staff is fri but food is horrible had lady tell me to wear my pants a certain way and to show her respect when not a word was said to her food was like it was from a school lunch very over priced read more

I'd heard a ton of great things about Reids', so I decided to stop in. Sadly, it didn't live up to the hype. As many have said, the decor is dated and the buffet is heavy on fish -- so, if you're not a big fish fan, this probably isn't the best place for you. That's not to say this is a bad restaurant. There are good things to say, too. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. The salad bar had TONS of options. And I liked the fried chicken and taco bar. Overall, I give Reids' three stars, as a run-of-the-mill buffet. read more

Food was old and cold. Definitely overpriced. I went there in the early 90's and the food was great so I bragged it up to my wife; we stopped in on our way back from Missouri and it was a major disappointment. Even the waitress at the checkout was rude. Never going back. read more

We stopped in for breakfast on a Saturday, and they didn't have the buffet up and running because of COVID (which was fine with ME!). We ordered off the menu and our food was okay, but definitely not great. I tried finding a menu on their website, to jog my memory about what I had, but they don't have one online. They just list what they put out on their buffets. I guess if you're all about quantity, this might be a good place for ya. read more

Lots of microwaved buffet food. Not much else around here tk eat though. The waitresses were nice to us.

Way overpriced! I used to enjoy going there once in a while but no more. I can't wait for The Homestead in Bonne Terre, Missouri to reopen after their recent fire. Much better food and definitely cheaper. If Reid's wasn't so expensive it might be a different review. Thanks to Bidenomics/Bidenflation, eating out is a rarity anymore. read more

Having family thanksgiving dinner here, as we do every year. Always good, I enjoyed the turkey and gravy More than last year. I'm full happy and will return. read more

Very friendly and welcoming server. She explained exactly how everything works to a first time visitor. I was there at mid afternoon on a Saturday. The buffet was home cooked and tasty, but it was obvious it had been sitting there awhile. This is THE place to go in Chester for home cooked food. I'm sure it would've been five stars had I visited during prime time dining. read more

I have not been to the Friday Seafood feast or breakfast- I can only write of the Saturday Night Smorgasbord. For about $10 I was a hog on fried fish, chicken & okra that a put Tabasco on. I did also enjoy the wheat rolls, pulled BBQ and a pasta salad. The salad bar gave more choices than most place (IE- iceberg, romaine and spinach were all available in quantity). The service was nice & kept me well satisfied with unsweetened tea that was brewed correctly. The decor is dated & none of the food made me think "wow" ... BUT the service & all-you-can-swallow says A-OK. read more

PSA: Reid's harvest house just don't go!!! . This place use to be amazing not so much now. The buffet was worse than Ryan's at its worst. Sorry not sorry! The only thing that was even partially good was the salad section, I guess you can't ruin a salad. A whole lot of $ for just gross, cold, dried out food. Go at your own risk. I did email them asking what has happened to the food Because this place use to be on my favorites list and the response was horribly rude! read more

We were on a Sunday drive and found this nice restaurant stating they had smorgasbord so we decided to try it as we're from St. Louis, Mo. The restaurant is very much a part of the small town of Chester, IL and when we were seated the waitress was friendly and spoke to various customers that seem like they're regulars with their families or self after taking our drink order. Great variety of homemade foods and Savannah was checking on how we liked the food or if we needed refills. A little bit of history to be seen inside the main area when entering the restaurant which gives more of the hometown feel. read more

Great food and service was there yesterday with our Corvette club and was taken care of the minute we came through the door.

This was my first visit to the harvest house and probably won't be my last. That being said, there could have been a few more options. They had plenty of fish out on the buffet. But not being a huge fan of fish I had to eat the fried chicken. The fried chicken I had the first round through was great, second piece wasn't as good. May have been a little old. The pan it was in was not full either time I went to get a plate though. Could of been bad timing though. Other than that I had their mashed potatoes and gravy which were great, a salad, corn, roll, and a brownie. All of them were superb. Service was outstanding as well. The place was super busy as well which somewhat surprised me for a weekday lunch crowd. I would have liked to see some roast beef. Not perfect but for the price it was definitely a good spot. read more

Reids' Harvest House - Outside on a cold winter day. - American Near Me - Chester, Illinois

Reid's is a Chester classic. A MUST anytime you're in town. Best Midwest fresh home cooked buffet in the U.S.! Enjoy their delicious white or wheat rolls with some regular or cinnamon butter ;) read more

Reid's has been around for about 30 years now, and there's a good reason for that: both the food and the service are great. They are open Tuesday-Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's a buffet style restaurant (except weekday breakfast) serving the types of down-home, country cooking you would expect (e.g., fried chicken). I think the value is great; sometimes I wonder how they make a profit with such reasonable prices. Many of their regular customers drive quite awhile to eat at Reid's, and I personally eat there about once/week. If you're in the mood for a buffet-style meal, this family owned and operated restaurant is definitely your spot. read more

This place is awesome, food is always delish and service is great, fast and friendly , will definitely return more and more.

It doesn't get much better than this!! The catfish, the fried chicken, the roast beef, the sweet potatoes & of course the bread pudding with ice cream in top is just like grandmas. It's all awesome every single time!! And all of that & more on the buffet so you can sample it all!! And cheap too!! Very comfy atmosphere too. Can dress up or not. Doesn't matter. read more

Down home country food, you feel like family when you come in! Love the fresh salad bar, but my favorite is the roast beef and potatoes. You can't come to southern Illinois without visiting the birth place of Popeyes and eating at Reid's. Dessert has to be their famous bread pudding!!! We like to put soft serve vanilla ice cream on it with a little Carmel. Family friendly and everyone will leave thanksgiving level full. read more

We've only been here for breakfast, and the quality of the offerings seem to get better in quality. Service is always friendly. They offer several egg options, poached and scrambled, as well as an egg casserole. Bacon, sausage links are cooked to perfection. French toast, two kinds of pancakes, french toast casserole, bread pudding, muffines and pastries cover the carbs end of the menu. And not to forget the fresh fruit offerings, as well as fruit cocktails, apple sauce, cottage cheese and prunes. All good stuff. Hope they keep it up. read more

Best Buffet in the area I especially love their fried chicken and fish. The chicken is most moist and flavorful, that I can find Randolph county. They have many good salad options as well. If you're attending the World Shooting Events in Sparta, and hear that "There's nothin' good in town", go down to Chester for some better options. read more

My family and I love this buffet restaurant! The food is always fresh and good and the staff are so friendly.

A Smorgasbord of Seafood, my Friday Dinner at Reid's Harvest House As a child, still immune to the beauty of a great buffet, I rued each dinner at Reid's Harvest House that my parents drug me to as we came back from long drives and outdoor adventures in Southern Illinois. At the time, I could not comprehend eating any 'homemade' food that was not in fact made in my home, by my mother. This buffet stuff was just all too fake, and tasted almost but not quite 'there'. I have memories of coming here that serve as different stopping points in my maturation from a kid, to whiny youth, to bored teenager that I can use to clearly see through to the past, thanks to Reid's Harvest House. It wasn't until my most recent trip back here, as a 29 year old adult, that I realized how wrong I was not to love this smorgasbord. It was a Friday night, and we were coming back from a day at Kinkaid lake, a wonderful day that turned out to be one of the few times in recent memory that all three of us kids and mom and dad spent the day together, something that due to geography, timing, and circumstance, will probably will not happen again for a long time. The sun was late in the afternoon sky as we slowly towed into the parking lot, piled our sun burnt and boat weary bodies out of the F150 and shuffled into RHH. Despite the full waiting room, we were promptly sat at a large round table, in a room adjacent to the actual buffet line. The place was full, and our perfectly small town waitress welcomed us to their Friday Night Seafood Dinner, and went to fetch us our drinks. Friday Night Seafood Dinner?! We were in for a treat! Despite not being here for at least 10 years, I knew exactly where to go. Places like Reid's don't change, they don't need to, they need to change about just as much as the surrounding farm families, landscapes, and road signs do, which don't care to and don't have a need for much of that. I stood there, in line at the salad end, watching the other diners scoot ahead of me, encased in the brown floor and brown wood walls lit up by the bright buffet table lights, like the glow inside a cocoon lamp, we were all drawn zombie eyed towards the food. For salads, everything was available, even your own halved hard boiled eggs, bacon bits, and red beets. In the middle, you were hit with bread pudding and brownies, to save room for the spectacular cornucopia of seafood delights at the end. Needless to say, the line buckled a bit down there. You had, fried split shrimp, steamed mussels, clam strips, shrimp cocktail, crawfish, yes crawfish!, crab cakes, stuffed crab shells, cat fish, seafood pasta, baked tilapia, and frog legs! Along with this, you had your standard buffet fare, several kinds of potato, veggies, pastas, breads, fruit, jellos, mac n cheese, and on and on, all with boys coming out of the back at the ready to dump for hot food in front of you just when you needed it. And yes, there was an ice cream machine that was not that weak soft serve, it was almost like real ice cream, and you had Oreos, sprinkles, or Heath Bar crumbles for toppings. I, after drinking malt beverages all day, and wasting away in the sun, was glad for RHH, glad for the fried or not food I was shoveling in my mouth, glad for the full tummy it made, glad for the family I was with, and glad for all of the happy and contented Southern Illinois people with me in that dining room. My people, people in overalls, people in their 'goin out' clothes, people in their lake clothes, people in camo clothes, people in church clothes, people who just were happy to be eating a big meal on a Friday night. And whether you're in a family owned countrified smorgasboard of a place in Chester Illinois, or eating tuna tar tar at some place on Washington street, if you don't feel like you're with your people, your seafood ain't never gonna taste right. If you are looking for an authentic buffet experience or are coming home from a long hike, or a visit with Popeye, take your family to Reid's Harvest House, see if they enjoy it, before your kids are too old to go back to it one day when they themselves have grown. read more

Food can be pretty bland at times but the Friday night Seafood buffet is something everyone should try.

I think this is the best buffet I ever had. Usually most places just have lots of flavorless food. This is home cooking at its best in a spacious clean area. I will drive back to this town to eat here. Yum. read more

Good down home country cooking that fills your belly and makes you happy. :) My family and I are glad we stopped by while sightseeing Popeye's hometown. My 10 yr old son was craving fried chicken and he walked away satisfied after eating four pieces (breast, wing, thigh and leg)...half a chicken!! Lmao! Only thing missing is the spinach to make us strong. ;-) read more

Ate there numerous times since they opened years ago. I heard Reid's changed ownership a while back. Ate there last week on a Wednesday around 5 o'clock. Young waitress (looked like she was high school age) was nice. The fish,liver and chicken wasn't hot, even though they just restocked it in the buffet. Mushrooms were barely warm. We waited 15 minutes for hot rolls. All of the employees looked 21 and under,no kidding. This place used to be much better. I will probably go back but it will be a long time. Hopefully it will be better. read more

Great food, great service and decent prices... Try to go about once a month. Handicap accessible, inside and out. Enjoy the salad bar, fruit selection and the kids always enjoy the large desert bar...food bar always has fried chicken and several other meats and fish, soup,and variety of steamed, cooked, baked or fried vegetable sides. read more

Reid's is great for what it is-country cooking that's plentiful & good. Looking for something trendy? Then don't come here. But if you like great fried chicken & catfish, mashed potatoes with creamy sausage gravy, & bread pudding to die for, then give this a try. We love coming here on our annual fall trip to Carbondale. The service is fast & friendly & we've yet to be disappointed. read more

Breakfast is ok. Dinner buffet is horrible. Nothing is seasoned and the decor looks like my grandmas house. Very outdated.

Absolutely amazing food! Amazing waitstaff! Paid extra for the crab legs, which are not part of the buffet. Asked for a to go box for our leftover crab legs, but were denied one. The manager said, " I would rather throw them away, than let you take them home, even though you paid for them. I'm losing money by letting you take them home." In short manager is an ass. Don't think that we will be back. Here for 10 days every year, won't waste our time back at this restaurant. read more

There is a reason people come from other towns to eat at this buffet.The food and service is always great 100% of the time.The owners and employees are super friendly.We go here often to eat and will continue to do so. read more