8 Best And 7 Worst Things To Eat At Golden Corral

8 Best And 7 Worst Things To Eat At Golden Corral To maximize your dining experience at Golden Corral, it is useful to know the best and worst foods to order.

We have compiled a list of the eight best and seven worst dishes at Golden Corral to assist you on your culinary voyage. From savory delights to decadent desserts, the best dishes demonstrate the menu’s highlights and offer options that are certain to please.

The worst dishes, on the other hand, cast light on menu items that may not live up to expectations, allowing you to make more informed decisions.

Whether you’re seeking flavorful meats, delicious sides, or enticing desserts, this list will help you navigate your way to Golden Corral’s tastiest offerings and avoid potential disappointments.

Prepare to embark on a gastronomic journey and discover the culinary treasures awaiting your discovery at Golden Corral.

Golden Corral menu prices make it easy to indulge in a delicious sandwich without feeling guilty about the cost.

Best: Fried chicken

A fried food appearing on the finest section of the Golden Corral menu may seem improbable, but this protein-rich option aligns with many popular eating plans that prohibit carbohydrates but encourage fats and protein.

The 240 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 460 milligrams of sodium per serving (according to CalorieKing) are certainly substantial, but the food’s 19 grams of protein help to tip the scales in its favor.

Pairing one or two pieces with vegetables or a low-carb green salad can help you stay in the zone while enjoying an all-you-can-eat meal.

Despite the controversy surrounding Golden Corral’s customer service and the news of unsafe food handling (via NBC), which makes some guests reluctant to return, fried chicken-loving diners have not been deterred from enjoying their favorite dish whenever they have a craving for unlimited portions.

According to one Redditor, “I don’t care what anyone else says, their fried chicken is delicious.”

Best: Shrimp

A six-piece serving of golden fried shrimp from Golden Corral contains 210 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 9 grams of protein — not bad for a battered crustacean.

Variations include smokey garlic shrimp skewers, which contain 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 16 grams of protein per two skewers, and mandarin orange shrimp, which contains 220 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 7 grams of protein per six segments.

Being able to choose between fried and grilled shrimp expands your options for preparing a seafood supper to your liking, which is a great feature of a buffet.

But even if you choose the fried version, you can still enjoy a reliably delicious shrimp meal without feeling lost at sea, so long as you eat reasonable portions.

Best: Salad bar

When an all-you-can-eat buffet includes a salad bar, you have a convenient option for preparing delicious food. Vegans and vegetarians can enjoy a variety of spinach and mixed greens topped with fresh vegetables and a variety of seeds, nuts, and other healthy superfoods.

A judicious drizzling of dairy- and egg-free dressing, such as Italian vinaigrette, can also keep added calories and sugar in check, allowing for a meal that is both light and satisfying.

With a side of saucy potatoes from the baked potato bar, you have a well-balanced, plant-based entrée that helps you meet your dietary requirements.

In addition to the standard iceberg lettuce blend, the salad bar may also offer spinach. By incorporating these more nutritive greens into your super salad, you can increase its iron and antioxidant content (Healthline).

If a single portion is insufficient, you can return for seconds without feeling full. Just be wary of the extra calories and unhealthy fats from dressings and some denser toppings, which can transform your cheerful greens into a 1000-calorie salad bomb and derail your well-planned meal.

Best: Bourbon Street Chicken

If online copycat recipes are any indication, this smoky-sweet chicken dish is one of Golden Corral’s most popular offerings. This brown chicken marinated in bourbon teriyaki contains only 170 calories and 9 grams of fat per three-ounce serving.

However, the 19 grams of protein may compensate for the fat content. Even the salt is kept to a manageable 350 milligrams of sodium, which is 15% of your daily sodium allowance. Served on a bed of rice or with a baked potato, this dish can put you on the S.S. Satisfaction without jeopardizing your dietary objectives.

Golden Corral’s to-go menu offers a 10-person serving of Bourbon Street Chicken in a family-style pan for diners who wish to transport the savory goodness home for a family dinner or friendly gathering.

If you are serving a smaller group, you will have plenty of leftovers for sandwiches and dinners the following day.

Best: Baked fish

Baked fish is almost always a healthy option at restaurants, but at Golden Corral, it is one of the finest options. Fish is a healthful source of omega-3 fatty acids, and according to Healthline, baked fish retains more of these nutrients than fried or grilled fish.

With only eight grams of fat per 150-calorie serving, the plain baked salmon hits the sweet spot. If you choose the baked fish with lemon butter herb sauce, you will consume 150 calories per three-ounce serving, along with 13 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein.

Depending on your location, you may find additional baked fish options with added condiments, which will alter the nutritional value.

Since buffet dining permits more than a three-ounce portion of fish, you have ample space to add healthy steamed vegetables such as broccoli. This menu item makes healthful dining an appetizing prospect.

Best: Turkey

Who wouldn’t appreciate a restaurant that serves Thanksgiving dinner year-round? With only 110 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 15 grams of protein per serving, turkey is one of the healthiest options available at Golden Corral.

Those figures allow you to consume a few servings without jeopardizing your health. If that’s the case, it’s best to avoid starchy additions like rolls and mashed potatoes, which can rapidly taint the carefully selected poultry.

In reference to Thanksgiving, Golden Corral has begun offering a complete Thanksgiving spread for diners who prefer a restaurant-prepared meal to cooking for themselves.

Depending on the location, you can find a complete buffet with all the trimmings, with the same items that appear on the standard menu.

Best: Vanilla soft serve

Dessert at an all-you-can-eat buffet is always a gamble, due primarily to the unlimited sugar and fatty dairy available.

However, if you are able to resist temptation and control your portion sizes, you can enjoy a dish or cone of vanilla soft serve without being excessive. A half-cup serving contains only 110 calories and 2 grams of fat.

While there are 22 grams of carbohydrates, this is a far cry from the 240 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of fat in a slice of carrot cake or another dessert option. Because soft serve is dispensed from a refrigerator, it is also the best-maintained option at the bar in terms of freshness and temperature regulation.

Don’t be turned off by vanilla’s flavor, either. According to Food Business News, you will experience one of the most popular ice cream flavors in the United States.You can always add garnishes to your soft serve ice cream if it’s still lacking in flavor.

If extra calories and sugar are a concern, choose a 20-calorie cake cone to add a bit of texture.

Best: Baked potato bar

There is no way to go wrong with roasted potatoes. According to Healthline, they are laden with nutritional powerhouses such as fiber and potassium. At Golden Corral, a potato on its own has 160 calories, 4 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber

. When a classic stuffed potato is topped with broccoli, green onions, a sprinkle of cheese, and a reasonable amount of bacon bits, it becomes delectable and nutritious.

For a spicier version, add a splash of salsa and salad bar ingredients to your potatoes. In addition, serve it with a green salad or other steamed or roasted vegetables.

Golden Corral’s buffet also includes these nutritional powerhouses, which is excellent news for sweet potato lovers. If you omit the butter from this nutritious tuber, you will consume 110 healthy calories, 2 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber.

Worst: Fried cheese ravioli

Perhaps an upscale version of pizza rolls sounds like an excellent party dish, but Golden Corral’s fried cheese raviolis are anything but festive. There are only 146 calories per six-piece serving, but there are a massive 12 grams of fat.

Not the greatest proportion, particularly for an appetizer or side dish. You’re probably going to add these to whatever else you’re consuming, which means extra calories, fat, and sodium without much in the way of protein or other nutrients.

In addition, if these little disappointment pillows are left under the heat lamp for too long, their texture becomes similar to cardboard, adding to the misery of anyone unfortunate enough to arrange them on their plate.

The ravioli should be avoided in favor of something less disappointing. Regarding what else would suffice, we believe that virtually anything else would suffice.

Worst: Mac and cheese

According to Smithsonian Magazine, macaroni and cheese became an authentically American dish in the middle of the 20th century, with the onset of processed and packaged foods.

But if you eat the actual thing, strung with real cheese and real white sauce, you’re almost certainly in for a very unhealthy meal. Beyond the fact that 48% of its calories are derived from fat, there is no flavor.

Everyone is aware of the flavor and texture of authentic macaroni and cheese, right? It must be rich, creamy, and gratifying in a manner that is almost spiritual.

When reviewers describe Golden Corral’s macaroni and cheese as “rubbery” and “well-made mass-produced portions,” you know that the soul of this cherished dish has been stripped away in order to serve the masses.

You would be better off making macaroni and cheese at home, or searching for a menu item that is more meticulously crafted.

Worst: Creamed chipped beef

Some may associate chipped beef with fond memories, but sliced beef floating in a buttery béchamel is best left in the past.

According to Atlas Obscura, despite its flamboyant and even occasionally profanity-laced history, this dish is simply unappealing, regardless of who serves it.

The original purpose of the recipe was to mass-produce inexpensive meals for soldiers, and as a result, it became a familiar, if not wholly elevated, flavor for service members.

Perhaps the most positive thing that can be said about sliced beef is that it is abundant. Because it appears on the unlimited menu at Golden Corral, there are options for diners of all preferences.

However, given the abundance of other, more modern options, it seems rather simple to omit this outdated dish from your meal. Simply stated, you have access to superior foods.

Worst: Bread pudding

Bread pudding, one of the most indulgent desserts outside of gourmet baking, is a carbohydrate-rich comfort dish that has never done anyone any favors in terms of their health. It might taste good, but so do most things drenched in eggs, bread, and sugar.

Because it’s located in the dessert section at Golden Corral, it’s likely that you’ll order it after eating a massive amount of food, which means you’ll consume a lot of additional calories and unfriendly ingredients.

The possibility that day-old rolls that have been lying under a heat lamp will find their way into this dessert nullifies any magic that the sugary custard may add. It’s not precisely beneficial in other ways, either.

At 270 calories per sloppy, soupy half-cup serving, there are significantly healthier methods to consume your daily calorie allowance.

Worst: Pot roast

This down-home staple may be tempting, but ordering a heaping portion of the Golden Corral pot roast would be a monumental error.

Internet rumor has it that this favored roast is slow-cooked for 12 hours to produce meat that is incredibly tender and juicy. Unfortunately, the ultimate product is frequently dry and difficult to chew as a result of all that labor.

To us, this sounds more like pastrami than pot roast. This may be acceptable to some Corral patrons, but not when labeled “pot roast.”

The most disappointing aspect may arise from the fact that this is one of the healthier beef options provided by the chain.

Worst: Mini steakburgers

Despite the fact that these sliders may appear to be a relatively healthy option for a supper, the nutrition facts indicate otherwise. Each slider contains 260 calories, 14 grams of fat, and one-third of the recommended daily allowance of saturated fat, according to MyFoodDiary.

This is extremely troubling for a burger weighing 3.5 ounces. This does not include the bacon-topped version, which contains an additional 290 calories and 16 grams of fat.

And when they’re as adorable and enticing as these, nobody consumes just one. If your eyes are larger than your stomach, you can expect at least a double or even a triple portion.

Adding more to your plate will only exacerbate the problem. Therefore, despite the fact that seeing the adorable little burgers in their endearingly small buns may activate love chemicals in your buffet-addled brain, do not fall for these little saboteurs.

They may appear small and innocent, but they are a huge “no” in the serving line at Golden Corral.

Worst: Chocolate fountain

The chocolate fountain is perhaps the most unsanitary food since unpasteurized milk, but it is at least a compelling topic of conversation. It attracts inquisitive adults and often unsupervised children who select a variety of treats to submerge in the chocolate flow.

 

However, a food inspector does not need to recognize the lack of sanitation in the open, recirculated flow of ingredients.

Cross-contamination from food is one thing, but the possibility of chocolate contaminated with bacteria recirculating for hours is unacceptable.

Chocolate liquid has never benefited anyone.Everyone knows what happened to Augustus Gloop when he got too near to the fudge river in Willy Wonka’s factory, and that was just one child.

There is no telling what might be floating in the Golden Corral chocolate fountain, given the number of children who use unwashed hands to retrieve their delights. No Oompa Loompa song in the world could adequately chastise you for giving in to this temptation. It is best to avoid this sweet microbial trap at all costs.

FAQs – 8 Best And 7 Worst Things To Eat At Golden Corral

Conclusion

The Golden Corral provides a variety of delectable dishes that you should try during your stay. The tastiest dishes, including Prime Rib, BBQ Ribs, Fried Chicken, and the decadent Chocolate Fountain, will satisfy your appetites and leave you wanting more.

Do not overlook the exceptional seafood options, including Fried Shrimp, Crab Legs, and Grilled Salmon. Complement your entree with must-try dishes such as mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and a fresh salad bar.

Desserts such as Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, and warm Bread Pudding will satisfy your sweet tooth. It is essential to note, however, that some dishes, such as Fried Chicken Livers and Vegetable Beef Soup, may not meet everyone’s expectations.