10 SHOCKING BUFFET FACTS THAT WILL MAKE YOU CRINGE!

The display of varieties of sumptuous delicacies at buffet restaurants does not only make us eager to dine.

It also allows us to eat as much as we like for a fixed price. Who doesn’t love this?

Buffet restaurants have gone super popular for their unending display of mouthwatering dishes, and exciting desserts.

It also allows filling your plate while enjoying the restaurant’s ambience.

But, there are some shocking things about buffet restaurants you don’t know.

If you are a lover of buffets and want to continue eating without a care in the world then you might not want to continue reading this article. (just a friendly warning).

Also if you eat at buffet restaurants and are just curious about what they are like, or you don’t eat at buffet restaurants but want to know if you should eat there.

We are about to give you some shocking facts about buffet restaurants.

What makes buffet restaurants popular is being able to eat whatever you want at a fixed price.

Instead of being limited to just a particular meal off the menu, a buffet allows you to be in control of what you eat and how much you want to eat.

That said, they are all not hygienic.

The reality of what happens in the kitchen will have you running up the hills!

In reality, what buffet restaurants seem on the front is a far cry from what happens behind closed doors in the kitchen.

Due to the huge amount of food that needs to be prepared, the kitchen is mostly a mess.

Pans falling over, uncovered sliced vegetables, too much heat, people shouting, rushing and trying to get meals ready in time.

Also, talking over dishes in the kitchen to sweaty faces and brows.

This is not to say that there are not buffet restaurants that don’t make food safety a priority.

But many do not and it can be hard to tell which is which sometimes.

Welcome to the flip side of buffet restaurants.

10 SHOCKING BUFFET FACTS THAT WILL MAKE YOU CRINGE!

1. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A BUFFET RESTAURANT TO BE GERM-FREE

 Buffet lovers will probably not like reading this article and might feel most concerns are exaggerated.

Let’s face it, it is nearly impossible for a buffet restaurant to be germ-free.

There is probably a buffet restaurant that upholds strict hygiene and high food safety rules, and we applaud them.

But the greatest enemy of such is a walk-in guest.

You might be wondering, it takes one person for the buffet to get contaminated and messed up for everyone.

You may spot someone sneezing over their food and then leaving it on the buffet table.

People with colds are more likely to touch their nose, face and mouth which causes cross-contamination.

No matter how clean a buffet restaurant is, contamination at some point is inevitable.

2. FOOD OFTEN SIT-OUT FOR HOURS

The food served at the buffet is always not fresh.

It often sits for hours at a time which leaves it susceptible to bacteria that can make you sick.

One of the biggest problems with buffets is that if the food is kept at the wrong temperature, it can quickly breed bacteria and cause food poisoning.

Unfortunately, a lot of restaurants do not make sure the food remains at the appropriate temperatures because doing so is harder than it seems.

3. LEFTOVER FOODS GET RECYCLED

Don’t be quick to assume that any leftover foods at the end of the day are thrown away.

Sometimes, buffet leftovers are wrapped up and served the next day.

Even if it’s highly perishable, like crab legs or oysters.

We’re all for reducing food waste, but when people’s health is at risk, that is taking it too far.

4. TRUTH BEHIND ICE MAKING MACHINE

Regardless of how much of a clean freak you are, tell me this: how many times do you clean your cooler?

Well, buffet restaurants hardly get time to clean them either, since they are working 24/7.

It’s even worse in their case, as a lot of perishables are stored.

They don’t get to clean the ice-making machine often and thoroughly.

When they do, there’s usually mould and all sorts of gooey stuff that’s removed from the filters and the ice-tray bins.

5. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE FRESH, HOT FRIES

Let me let you in on a little secret, just because it’s hot doesn’t mean it’s fresh.

We all love to believe that our fries have been freshly peeled, fried and served on our plates.

Although life has been made easy with ready to fry, The reality is much more horrifying.

No other food gets refried as much as fries. These babies are a caterer’s dream, simply because there’s not much work involved in serving them.

A caterer could cook up one large batch, and ride on it for the next three days!

You can outwit them though; you have to ask for fries with no salt, and chances are they’ll have to whip up a new batch for you.

6. MOST SALAD BARS ARE NOT FRESH

Great detail is paid to aesthetics, of course, you would never tell by looking at the salads.

It’s just a pity they don’t pay that much attention to the freshness of the food!

Good thing for you, it’s easy to tell the difference.

For instance, if the salad is not crispy when you bite into it, abort the mission!

For the sake of your poor lavatory, which will have to deal with the sights, sounds, and smells of the aftermath, do not risk it!

Plus, employees often refill containers without washing them.

You never know how old the ingredients are! That’s not a good look for veggies.

7. THE FOOD IS CHEAPER FOR A REASON

Buffets are a great way to get a variety of food, it also tends to be cheaper than going to a sit-down dinner.

But according to Psychology Today, there could be a reason for that.

The site says that all-you-can-eat buffets are “built around ingredients and foods that are available cheaply.”

Oftentimes, these restaurants buy cheaper meats and vegetables to save money.

Cheap food isn’t always a bad thing, but it’s also not always ideal.

Especially if you are loading up on it.

8. BUFFER ARE NOT EXACTLY ALLERGY-FRIENDLY

In case you have a food allergy, you must find out exactly what you are eating.

Here’s the blow, in a buffet, you can never be too sure of what you are eating, even if they ‘label’ it.

Apart from labels getting pushed around all day, the serving spoons and tongs get all mixed up at some point.

In case you have a severe allergy to nuts, for instance, then you better be careful.

If someone uses a serving spoon in a dish containing dairy, and then uses it in a dish that’s supposed to be dairy-free, then it’s no longer dairy-free.

If you have any allergy really, it’s best to avoid buffet restaurants altogether.

You will never be sure of what you are eating since food is prepared in vast quantities.

You cannot even confidently declare that the vegetarian food wasn’t cooked in animal fat.

9. THE SCRAMBLED EGGS MIGHT NOT BE REAL

If you’re headed to a breakfast buffet, keep in mind that the scrambled eggs you’re being served might not be real.

Most restaurants, especially buffets, use processed powdered eggs that contain additives and other artificial ingredients.

They’re cheaper and easier to prepare, while the substitute is fine to eat, it’s just not a real egg.

If you’ve ever witnessed a leftover puddle of milky water on your plate after enjoying your scrambled eggs, then you just ingested an egg substitute. 

10. DON’T GET CLUMSY WITH YOUR FOOD

Getting clumsy during meals happens a lot especially when you are hungry which is quite understandable.

If ever you drop food on the table that is not covered with linen, then don’t pick up the food and eat it.

Most buffets use the same old rag to clean the tables, transferring the same old filth from one table to the next.

You don’t want to know what kind of recipes you might be inventing when you eat from the table.

The same goes for trays, their cleaners rarely have time to clean them, and when it is done, it is probably not cleaned well.

There you have it. We hope this article has helped you to understand the sometimes chaotic and crazy world of buffets a little better than before.

Some of these facts may be gross and shocking, but knowing them can help us understand what we’re getting ourselves into when we head out for a buffet! (Or, conversely, they could help us NOT get ourselves into that situation!)

I hope you find this helpful. Check out this post,  and please drop your comments and share.

Author: Wendy