News Every Day | 07 August 2022, 15:50

I went to Golden Corral for unlimited chicken wings, but I stayed for the salad bar

I went to Golden Corral a year after my initial visit to see how the buffet chain was faring.
I found the food mostly bland and unappealing.
The salad bar was the unexpected highlight of my trip.

Golden Corral just announced a promotion featuring all-you-can-eat chicken wings, fried chicken, and chicken tenders, so I decided to visit and see how they are.

I first went to the buffet chain a year ago, in the summer of 2021, when it introduced a to-go option.

Golden Corral to-go — Golden Corral now has to-go options.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Source: Insider

This time around, I planned to eat in the restaurant for the first time and get the full experience.

There were signs on doors and windows advertising the chicken wings.

The to-go option was also still available, and this time around I saw a few people use it.

When you enter you're immediately in line for the register, where you pay for access to the buffet and get a drink.

There are regular and to-go cups available and a standard self-serve Pepsi soda fountain.

There were printed out signs posted all over the restaurant with instructions, like this one requiring that all customers must be present at the register before entering the buffet.

A hand drawn sign at the register reminded customers that steak isn't available until dinner service starts, which is also when the chicken wings appear.

Menus and prices are different between lunch and dinner. An adult lunch buffet costs $12.49 in my location, and dinner costs $17.59.

The cashier handed me utensils and my receipt, and I was ready to hit the buffet.

I started out grabbing a plate, still warm, from the large stack.

Golden Corral plates — Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The number of choices can be kind of overwhelming, so I took a lap to see what my options were.

Most of the options were what I anticipated: varieties of carbs, proteins, and vegetables separated by type of cuisine.

There were plenty of side dishes and snack type foods, like chips and salsa.

Many of the dishes weren't labeled, which made it a bit tricky to decide what to eat.

The fried chicken, though, was instantly recognizable.

Golden Corral fried chicken — Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Many of the available dishes are fried, and those tended to look more appealing than some of the other untouched options.

The hush puppies and breaded shrimp were some of the tastiest items I had.

On my first time around, the wing and chicken tender trays were empty.

Golden Corral wings — Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

There were two wing stations on opposite sides of the restaurant, and I hurried over when they were refilled.

I was happy to see celery and bleu cheese available to go with the wings ...

... but the semi-erased hand drawn sides made it feel like an afterthought.

I tried lots of Golden Corral staples, which were unfortunately not very good. There was so much food, but it was so bland it didn't feel satisfying.

The wings were okay but fairly bland, and the macaroni and cheese was shockingly flavorless.

After trying all the fried foods, I was sorely in need of a vegetable.

I'd wrongly assumed the far side of the buffet was empty, because no one was over there, but it actually held the salad bar.

Golden Corral salad bar — Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I can't even remember the last time I went to a salad bar aside from my college dining hall, and they were largely killed off by the early days of the pandemic.