It’s not everyday that we get to do binge eating but when the circumstance calls for it, we have to maximize it, right? Be it birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, or any little big celebrations you may have, buffet is a good option. But are you getting your penny’s worth whenever you’re going at a buffet restaurant?
Worry not! Here are some tips to help you on your next smorgasbord event.
1. Eat before you feast
Never let yourself starve prior to eating at a smorgasbord restaurant because this will only shrink your intestines. You won’t be able to eat as much as you want if you have a tiny stomach right? We don’t want that. And give at least four hours space before digging in. If possible, also take a dump prior to going to the resto.
2 Go during lunch and on a weekday
This combination is the cheapest you can avail of for a buffet. Weekend rates and dinner are more expensive so weekday lunch is the best option.
3. Try something new
Explore your options, if you don’t like what you got on your first try, you can easily go back and try another one.
4. Eat in small portions
Take note: greed is good in small servings. Sample on everything, little by little.
5. Focus on quality more than quantity
Aim at the more expensive ones to have your money’s worth. Feast on the meat, the fresh ones, and stay away from bread and liquid as they easily fill you up. Sodas in particular, make you feel bloated so drink sparingly if you can.
6. Stay alert
Keep an open eye when they refill so you can go and line up as early as you can, no need to wait for longer queues.
7. Kids eat for free
Most buffet restaurants nowadays offer their food for kids at little to no cost. Great way to save.
8. Go early, stay late
Nothing beats resting when you have all the food lined up waiting for you. Free your day, don’t squeeze eating buffet in between a meeting.
9. Take a break, have a chocolate
To regain your appetite after feeling full, eat a small piece of chocolate and in time you’ll be out there eating again. And isn’t that the goal of dining at buffets? 🙂
Now, dig in!

via Tumblr
Got some tips? Share them in the comments! 🙂
I’m going to be eating at a buffet in a few days’ time for my Mom’s birthday and these tips will definitely help. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Sure, Jam. You’re welcome and advance happy birthday to your mom 🙂
Love the eat before you feast tip as well as the stay alert. Alert talaga? Hahahaha but it its true. I find it frustrating when I go and the food I like is all gone then I need to wait for the refill.
Yeah, diba? haha Some people in the buffet do hoarding so we should be alert. ahaha
Nice tips. Oo agree ako sa eat before you feast. Yung iba kasi hindi kumakain para daw madami makain. Pero end up having upset stomach after 1-2 plates palang. Waley!
Tomooo! pag ganun pahinga na lang muna. kaso sa ibang buffet may time limit so waley nga!
I totally agree especially with rule #5! I usually scan the buffet spread before eating to scout the expensive ones. Haha. Most of the time, I stay away from the salad section. :p
Couldn’t agree more. Yup, only Wendy’s deserves a different kind of appreciation for salad because of their unli salad hahaha
I agree and do #5 and9 hahahaha! Most often than not, I always stay at the dessert section of the restaurant. 🙂 Seriously though, eating in small portions really help me maximise the buffet setup. 🙂
Me, I enjoy looking at the sweets section but not so much eating them because I want to maximize the meat selection hehe 🙂
Great tips! Another tip I’d like to add – don’t eat too much rice! I made a mistake of having too much rice that I wasn’t able to taste the other food anymore. Vikings pa naman, so many choices! Haha
Couldn’t agree more! Rice, breads, and drinks are our ultimate enemy when eating at buffets! hahaha!
I love the part of “Take a break and have a chocolate” I’m always looking forward to the dessert after a good meal and also the “focus on quality over quantity” there are some restaurants that serve too much food but the taste is not so good. Thank you for sharing these tips! 🙂
I agree with you. Some restaurants no matter how diverse the food is, they just taste like meh. So every once in a while, it’s okay to ask for some reviews first before trying, to save money and time. 🙂 you are welcome, gracia. 🙂
I usually need to prep for a buffet. Hyuk! Translation … I need 1 day of light meals so that what I pay for at the buffet won’t be wasted. 🙂
To my dismay, I just don’t have the appetite I used to have when I was a kid. 😀
haha. I thought the same too before! you know what, once when we went to a buffet, I ate almost everything that I almost threw up but I still want to eat. LOL! gluttony ._.
Well I am a big fan of Buffet and this post really hits me especially tip #1. Well there was this instance that I starved myself, I never ate anything, from 6AM to 5PM. Then I went to a japanese buffet, ordering everything on the Menu. Sucks because there’s no buffet table and I am literally thinking from my stomach, me and boyfie ended up a full table of food and we were stucked eating everything from 6pm til 10pm. I didn’t enjoy the food because I was thinking a lot on how to eat ALL of the food ordered. Lesson learned in deed!
awww, japanese buffet is filled with rice so I rarely stay there. But I love the rawness and freshness, depending on the resto. yep, lesson learned. 🙂
#4 is a must! it not only helps you pick which one to eat more but it also avoids food wastage. 🙂
true that! thanks Justin 🙂
I make sure to practice numbers 4 and 5, always. Hehehe! Another thing is I don’t drink a lot, and if I absolutely must, I just sip some water. Hehe!
you are right, I don’t drink a lot as well! exception is unli wine like in Niu! you have to make space for that lol