There is the legend of the old southern dive (hopefully with a jukebox loaded with B.B. King or Ben E. King), a waitress who calls you honey and Atticus Finch in the next booth dispensing fatherly advice to young Scout who ill advisedly followed Daddy into town. And y'all from up North keep looking for that place in the middle of little old dried up towns where the only businesses making it are the Mexican restaurants and antique stores and the one surviving Qick-E-Mart. Thing is, the guy who ran that dive saw that all that traffic that was running up and down 301 had long ago moved to the interstate, and closed up shop and started up one of them buffet type restaurants. Sure he missed some of the ones hunting for authentic South in all the dead places, but all his regulars and truck drivers, and maybe a Yankee or two, was spending their coin in his new place, and his dive had been barely earning a cent. So, it's in places like this where you will find southern cooking today. Lots of it. Done by home style cooks who know how do a proper Sunday mid-day dinner, in a big giant room that was updated with ruffles and ducks in the 90s sometime. Get the fried chicken, the vegetables cooked in various meat juices, the east Carolina bbq (vinegar--try it, it's as good here as anywhere) and a chicken and dumplings variant they called chicken pastry. Heck, even the turkey was moist and flavorful (a triumph in a buffet - which can dry out a glass of water). All for less than $13.00 per person. But adjust your expectations on ambience. The place is dated and there might be a Confederate flag on a bumper sticker in the filled (overflowing) parking lot. read more

They 5 stars is based on that we arrived 10 min to closing since we got lost. Not only did they direct us here over the phone, the owner made sure we got everything we needed from the buffet. They were so nice and the buffet filled us up. If you like country cooking and friendly people I highly recommend this place. read more

Robbins Nest Restaurant - The aftermath lol - Southern Near Me - Selma, North Carolina

Very good country food. Fried flounder is fresh. Pulled pork straight off the hog. Nice simple place. family place. read more

Robbins Nest Restaurant - Southern Near Me - Selma, North Carolina

Nicest folks, tasty home-cookin food, excellent service. Loved the fried flounder and I usually don't eat friend anything! The greens were excellent! Will come here again next time I'm passing through! read more

Would have put no stars. Horrible food, sucky service, and as we where eating a mouse fell from the ceiling and broke his back. The mouse laid squirming on the food until we got up and told someone. Then we wanted a refund but the manager/owner not refund our money. Very disrespectful and unprofessional. My husband found an eyelash in his food. Do not recommend. read more

Awesome #Southern Lunch in North Carolina... Nothing fancy here, but it's legit Southern food and a great break to the never ending chains on I-95. The fried flounder is the clear winner. Excellent sweet tea. Chicken and Dumplins, black eyed peas, and all sorts of cobblers and pies. Basically looks like a big cafeteria but for $9pp it's pretty great southern food and lots of nice people. #FriedFlounder #FriedChicken #BlackEyedPeas #Dumplins #RobbinsNest read more

Robbins Nest Restaurant - Excellent #Southern Lunch in North Carolina... #FriedChicken #FriedFlounder #BlackEyedPeas #Dumplins #SoulFood. - Southern Near Me - Selma, North Carolina

Whenever I travel I try to eat local stay out of the chains and experience the culture. In Selma North Carolina that place is called the the Robin's Nest. I'm not a big fan of buffets but they also have a menu to order from my friend went with the buffet I ordered off the menu I had the fried pork chops they were very good can't have pork chops so that applesauce so that was my side its family style seating so you can talk to some other people and have a good old dinner so overall it was an excellent experience the food was good not spectacular but that's not really what I was looking for anyway read more

Robbins Nest Restaurant - Southern cooking at hospitality at its best. - Southern Near Me - Selma, North Carolina

See all

Service and food very good. Wish my cafeteria in school had food close to this! Right next to the Days Inn in Selma! read more

What a great hidden treasure! Check the menu online, super prices, excellent home cooking and whole hog on the weekends! All homemade deserts, sugar free peach cobbler. Service is pleasant and acceptable. If you Do not want buffet, they have great plate prices. read more

Robbins Nest Restaurant - Whole Hog! - Southern Near Me - Selma, North Carolina

Stopped by for lunch today, asked if senior discount was available and was to yes but price was still the same. Cashier told me it was same price which tells me no discount available. 11.25 for lunch with water. I just had lunch at Grandsons 2 days ago...8.64 lunch with water. Grandsons has a lot more to choose from and just down the road. 11.25 kinda expensive for lunch, think I wont go back. read more

Anyone that left a bad review of this place is wrong. My extended family has ate here for years and we always have a great time. The food and service is amazing and it's clean as well. Weekends include a whole pig that you can pick yourself and the banana pudding is great. I love the place and anyone who doesn't is just got a stick rammed up somewhere. It's always crowded for a reason. read more

We got there around 6pm and the pork was already very very dry. They only had one time of BBQ sauce for it and it was too spicy for the members in our party. The vegetables were clearly from a can and not fresh mashed potatoes. Some of the desserts should have been in a cool location (like the banana pudding) and not at room temp. The salad bar was good and so was some of the cakes for dessert. I don't think it was anything special and did not get my $8 worth. My mom enjoyed the crab cakes though and said they were good. Would not go back though. read more

We went on a Sunday night and the food was horrible. Our main reason for coming was to eat BBQ. The BBQ was dry and tasteless. We were charged $26.00, which was too much. We came about 7pm and after complaining to the manager she said they had just put the BBQ out. Well she was rude and lied, they put the BBQ out at 4pm. We requested a refund and was refused. Do yourself a favor and Don't eat there! Go to Fred Chason's Grandsons1273 N Brightleaf Blvd, Smithfield, 27577, NC They have an awesome buffet with plenty of good tasting BBQ! read more

great food!! just like 'mama used to make'~~ only problem i have is they don't stop a dog being brought in~~ it's happened twice. last one what i found out later was a waitress's dog. she claimed it was 'cleaner than most people in there" without lowering her voice enough....it's still a dog & the law states only certified assistance dogs for a handicapped person {meaning a trained clean controlled dog}. restruaunt/food serving & ordinary dogs don't mix. not sanitary at all~~ read more

This past weekend was my birthday and when I was asked what I wanted to do I said "let's road trip to Robbins Nest!" I'm from northern Virginia so it's about a 4-6 hour drive down to NC. My best friend and I stumbled across Robbins Nest 8 years ago on our way back from Florida and we fell in love with the food! Northern VA doesn't have very much as far as southern cooking so to us this food was like heaven on a plate. So we packed up the car and made the drive to Robbins Nest and planned my whole birthday around them lol. Call us crazy but after 8 years the food was just as good if not better then the first time. We ate here for dinner and lunch and also did to-go boxes for road food for the trip home. The staff is super friendly, food is always amazing, and Robbins Nest made my birthday and awesome one. Hopefully I don't have to wait 8 years to come back to eat cause I'm already craving more! read more

I would've given this place zero stars. Food was disgusting and while we were eating a mouse fell from the ceiling onto the floor. It was squirming and screaming so we told the owner/manager and he took it outside. We were all sick to our stomach by now and he unprofessionally and rudely refused to refund any of our money. He plainly said he did not care if we called the health dept. He plainly said he did not care if we called the health department! Avoid this place!!! read more

If you like heeps of canned vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, and cold fried chicken, then this is the place for you! If not, you'd be better off to skip it. read more

I joke around that this is the 'Gravy Shack.' No, it's not healthy. Nothing on the buffet or on the menu is particularly good for you. But my goodness, can these folks cook. I've had better southern comfort food, but the Robbins Nest is some of the best around in Johnston County. If you like southern staples -- fried chicken, salisbury steak, fried fish, mashed potatoes, etc., then you'll be a fan. It's good food served up by local folks. read more

The rutabagas, cole slaw, hushpuppies, BBQ chicken, lima beans, and buttermilk pie were very delicious.The fish was tasty. The BBQ, green beans, meatloaf, and black-eyed peas were okay. The fried chicken was a little over-done. The workers were very friendly. There is no allowance to permit an adult to purchase a child's buffet for medical reasons. The price is very reasonable. This place gets my recommendation; I will be back. read more

Just off I-95 in Selma, NC and near the outlet mall. Friendly staff and good prices. Decent sized buffet filled with Southern favorites. Lemon meringue pie and peach cobbler to die for! read more

Management is SO RUDE to their employees! They look like nice, sweet individuals but treat their employees like they're nothing.

We ate here recently on a Sunday and the buffet was fully stocked and full of great tasting food! Many people thought so because the place was packed! I'm usually particular about my fried fish but theirs was great and was not greasy! I will be back! (I only live 15 minutes away but it was my first visit.) read more

Probably the worst southern food I've ever paid for. Everything was bland. Some items tasted old and had obviously been there since lunch (we were eating at 6:30pm). I'm also 100% sure the mashed potatoes were instant (and really soupy). Do yourself a favor, venture into Clayton (maybe 20 min away down 70bus) and go to McCall's for a good southern buffet. If on 95-S, get a snack to tide you over & hold out for Lumberton and go to Fuller's. I really don't want anyone traveling through my state to think Robin's Nest is what southern food tastes like. read more

Southern county Buffet. Average food. Wait staff was friendly. Both of us ate for $22.00 so wasn't expecting much. Wasn't overly impressed either. read more

I've waited 5 days to actually sit at my computer to write this review of Robbins Nest in Selma, North Carolina. Needed to process my thoughts about treatment we (black, senior citizen's couple) experienced while dining there on Saturday. I was visiting a friend who lives in the area and trying to decide on a place to eat - so we ended up at Robbins Nest (a buffet) Restaurant. Upon entrance to this restaurant, you pay in advance of eating your meal. Friend had already eaten so only paid for my meal. We seated ourselves and I proceeded to buffet leaving friend sitting at the table. Food wasn't that bad (not great either) but cold. So I thought I'd try the dessert (a dry piece of cake & banana pudding). I asked my friend to taste it. Without a word, manager walked up to our table and dropped a bill on the table "you eating from the buffet and you paying for a buffet". I told her that was not right - she walked away and accused my friend of "stealing". A minute or two later, original waitress comes over to ask my friend if he was planning to eat from the buffet, he told her "no" and she said to him "well that isn't right for you to pay for a whole buffet if you only had a piece of cake/banana pudding" so she asked for the ticket the manager had given to him and modified it so cost reflected $1.50 or maybe $2.00 at the most (unsure because when he went up to pay - manager took that ticket and gave him back the $10.00 ticket). I am a strong advocate of social justice (not because I'm Black but because I believe in doing what is right and ensuring all people are treated right). I asked the manager why she was charging $10.00 for a piece of cake (one bite b/c it was dry and banana pudding of which he tasted 2 spoonfuls). I did tell her I thought that was "price gouging" and she again, accused him of stealing. I was shocked that she came after him like that... I asked her to give him the ticket the waitress had given to him because that was a fair and reasonable price - she refused. She asked if I wanted her to call the police and I told her it was fine - she told them "I have an irate customer here and need ya'll to come". Within 5 minutes they showed up, I explained my side and she explained her side - police took her side. My friend had become very agitated with this whole process and to just stop the madness, went back into the restaurant and paid $10.00 for that dry cake and banana pudding. Police asked the manager if she wanted us to ever return to this restaurant and she said "no" then policeman told me if either of us returned, it would be considered trespassing. We left and I telephoned Selma Police Department to report what had happened, but they are only open 8 am - 5 pm (Monday - Friday). I hope the waitress didn't get fired for trying to do the right thing "be fair". As I stated from the beginning, I intentionally allowed myself some time to process and I still know we were not treated fairly. My friend was not trying to steal anything, yet alone food and we are sitting in the middle of restaurant--and oh, manager stated she was "watching us - have us on camera!" We were sitting in the middle of the restaurant, plain view of mostly everyone! read more

The food is horrible !! I guess if you like greasy, tough, tasteless food or if you like to consume large quantity's of food you might like it. My husband said the best thing he had was the salad, for me it was the coconut cream pie. We did not know this place was a buffet, we just wanted to eat local rather than a chain. Big mistake. There really is nothing positive I, or we had to say about this place. Again, if you want to pay $25 for both of you for lunch to consume massive quantities of sub par food, then go for it. We will never go back !! read more

Pretty good buffet right off the highway, lunch on Saturday was $10 for an adult so that's hard to beat. Good fried chicken, pork and shrimp. read more

First time going was 5 November 2016 and it was pretty good. Some people call it chicken and dumplings and some call it Pastry well, it was great either way. Nice buffet to choose from. If you do not feel like cooking and want a home cooked meal this is the place to be. read more

The worst experience every .. I was there along with my family for a birthday dinner. I turned off from even eating after walking pass the buffet.. it look so I'm clean and the flies lorddd the flies was just too much!the 1st witness was rude .. a family member ask for fresh water bc it look like the water been sitting on the table too long. She comes back with hot water . So at this point they just order bottle water! So I then ask for a menu bc I was going order food from the kitchen bc the buffet line look so unkept and nasty! The witness name anderia was sooo rude to point that I'm 100 percent that she was prejudice! She told me No matter what I order it's going be buffet price bc I'm with the party! Ok fine but what's on the menu not even 14.00 dollars! And why do they have rice inside their salt shaker ??? I guess it's ment to keep the salt for sticking,but it would only do that if it's old! I would not recommend this place to no one! Where is the food expected! That place need be shut allll the way down! read more

Wonderful. Southern food. Yankees won't understand the quality and taste the food has. If you can find a seat your in for a treat of southern hospitality. I have been 4 times the place is always packed out. I drive 40 minutes to get here. This is worth the drive. read more

I have been to several excellent "country-style" buffets in eastern North Carolina so I was excited to go to the Robbins Nest restaurant. First of all it was difficult finding the place even with a GPS. The restaurant ha a large, open dining room. You can order off the menu or get the buffet. I went for the buffet which turned out to be the wrong choice. The buffet consisted of two steam tables with trays of various meats and vegetables. They had a whole hog, fried fish, fried shrimp, fried chicken as the meat entrees. I only had the pork (very dry) and the chicken (moist and flavorful) as meat entrees. For the vegetables I had the collards, butter beans, and corn. The food tasted like it came from cans rather than fresh. I'm sure a bad day for the cook is when he misplaces his can opener. I passed on dessert which consisted of banana pudding, peach cobbler, chocolate pie. Maybe I caught it on a bad night but was disappointed in the quality of the food. read more

we went on friday night before 7 pm in may 2014 our first time.the picture on line shows a nice buffet with a picture of the pig pickin looks so good,but their was very little left and it was cremated,when ask owner,s son if more was coming out he said no.but later some one brought out some choped Barbecue and put it on top of the what was left cremated pig picken.we drove a distance to eat their,that night would have been a bad deal even if we were from next door ! ! ! read more