Some are understaffed. But I think it's just different business model.
Lower the price so they can attract a lot of people, and the table turnover rate is a lot higher.
I rarely see Chinese buffets that are understaffed. They're swarming with servers.
Now I crave Chinese buffet.
Really? I don't know that I've ever been to one that wasn't understaffed. It's one of the things that keeps me from going to them - if you're lucky you'll get maybe one drink refill and then you have to wait forever for the check. I wish they'd let you pay up front.I rarely see Chinese buffets that are understaffed. They're swarming with servers.
Now I crave Chinese buffet.
I don't go that often but the Chinese buffet place I go to constantly refill my drink and clears the empty plates off the table. I get better service there than I do at most sit down restaurants.Really? I don't know that I've ever been to one that wasn't understaffed. It's one of the things that keeps me from going to them - if you're lucky you'll get maybe one drink refill and then you have to wait forever for the check. I wish they'd let you pay up front.
There was this local Seafood restaurant in Clinton, MA, called "Seafood and More". Unfortunately, it closed. But the owner and his cooking / business partner (or maybe just long-time suis chef?) always seemed to be working there every day that I went, and quite frankly, they were by far the best Seafood place around. I was told that they went to the coast (well, this is MA, probably less than an hour away) and bought fresh fish every day to serve.I only eat at seafood restaurants on coastlines, otherwise they're
a) working with frozen seafood (fish and shellfish get rubbery when frozen)
b) overly expensive due to having to buy fresh fish daily
c) using old fish (you have 2 days to use raw fish before you can tell it's off)
People deserve to eat better, and it's not that hard. Unfortunately the restaurant industry is interested in looks + profit rather than quality.
Yep, we have a few really decent Chinese Buffet places around here too, that's probably my easiest go-to place for Seafood, fish, shrimp (they've got some great Coconut Shrimp), for dinner menu they serve Crab, right from the shells, etc. (Not a big fan of having to do that much work for a few morsels of meat, though, even if it is considered a "delicacy".)You can just go to a local Chinese buffet and pig out on their shrimp which is at least two notches better.
IDK, frozen isn't necessarily bad if it's handled properly. Part of the problem is so much 'fresh' seafood is previously frozen. I've been getting these frozen wild caught argentine shrimps at trader joe's that are frankly better than most fresh ones I find. Frozen salmon I caught in Alaska is better than anything fresh I've found in a store. Some more delicate white fishes certainly don't hold up too well. I guess it all depends on availability in your location, I certainly don't have access to a quality fishmonger and any actual decent fresh seafood goes straight to restaurants.Nearly all chains are doing the same thing- premade sous vide meals that are flavor blasted to cover up the cheap ingredients.
I AM a food snob because I've been classically trained to prepare food for a lot of people. I can tell when the guy at the hibachi grill is overcooking the shrimp, I can tell if the sauces are made fresh or canned, and I can tell if the seafood has been frozen or it's fresh.
The difference in serving quality food to the masses is about an extra .50 per person. Chains don't want to spend that and they want everything to look absolutely consistent, so food is shipped in plastic bags, effectively heated with a water bath, and then meats are seared to get grill marks. Premade seasonings are then added in exact measurement to provide a distinct flavor. Red Lobster, TGI Fridays, Applebees....they all do this.
I'm a fan of Cracker Barrel because they still make all of their food fresh and from scratch. Boston Market does too (to a point- some sauces are premade). I only eat at seafood restaurants on coastlines, otherwise they're
a) working with frozen seafood (fish and shellfish get rubbery when frozen)
b) overly expensive due to having to buy fresh fish daily
c) using old fish (you have 2 days to use raw fish before you can tell it's off)
People deserve to eat better, and it's not that hard. Unfortunately the restaurant industry is interested in looks + profit rather than quality.
There was this local Seafood restaurant in Clinton, MA, called "Seafood and More". Unfortunately, it closed. But the owner and his cooking / business partner (or maybe just long-time suis chef?) always seemed to be working there every day that I went, and quite frankly, they were by far the best Seafood place around. I was told that they went to the coast (well, this is MA, probably less than an hour away) and bought fresh fish every day to serve.
Friday nights (maybe Thurs night too), the small parking lot was packed, it was understood that you didn't eat there on those nights, unless you walked, you ordered by phone, and then right around when your food was ready, you would show up and pick it up, to allow maximal use of the parking lot for patrons to get their food.
It wasn't overly expensive, either. It was certainly more expensive, than some of the other pizza and sub places in town, but he kept prices mostly affordable. It was a little local gem. Full of papers with great reviews and stuff too. I don't live that close anymore, but I still miss that place.
For one thing, you know what you are getting at a chain restaurant, and how expensive it will be. A local restaurant is a shot in the dark unless you get a personal recommendation. When we had kids that were picky eaters, we went to them a lot, because we knew which ones they liked, and could count of them getting something they liked. Now that my wife and I are empty nesters, we seldom go to chains other than Outback.Nah - there's a few good seafood joints in my city alone. I mean certainly not as good as on the coasts, but still LIGHTYEARS ahead of RL. Honestly, I will never understand how people go to these chain restaurants over local establishments.
Nah - there's a few good seafood joints in my city alone. I mean certainly not as good as on the coasts, but still LIGHTYEARS ahead of RL. Honestly, I will never understand how people go to these chain restaurants over local establishments.
I really wanted to like the restaurant. Their commericals make their food looks so damn purdy with slow-mos butter dunks.
Their cajun sauce tastes like some artificial offputting plastsic-y taste. You can go to any local crab bake joint and they'd have a much better cajun sauce.
Their biscuit is too damn salty. As a matter of fact the whole food is salty. Those delicious shrimps you see on TV? Yea they're penny-sized baby shrimps. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
I'm not a food snob. I love chains as long as it tastes good to me. I'm also a sucker for fast food chains.
Red Lobster sucks so bad.
No I won't stand down.You shut your fuckin' mouth. Right now.
You went to Olive Garden of seafood. To expect anything less than terrible was your mistake.No I won't stand down.
I so wanted to like Red Lobster. It was terrible.
I hate seafood but their blackened chicken alfredo was one of the best, though a bit salty.never been to one and never will, even the smell of the place makes me gag
(I have an irrational hatred of seafood)
Cheap dateyou guys are snobs. my next date is going to be at RL Lobsterfest.