Tennessee’s buffet scene offers hungry diners a taste of Southern hospitality alongside global flavors. From mouthwatering country cooking to international cuisine, these all-you-can-eat spots attract locals and visitors alike. We’ve rounded up 6 buffet gems Tennesseans swear by and 6 others that might leave your taste buds and wallet disappointed.
1. Aunt Granny’s All-You-Can-Eat Buffet (Dollywood, Pigeon Forge)
Named after Dolly Parton’s nickname for her grandmother, this Dollywood treasure serves up authentic Smoky Mountain cuisine that has locals returning again and again. The star of the show? Golden fried chicken with a perfectly seasoned crust that rivals any Southern grandmother’s recipe.
Alongside traditional favorites like pot roast and country ham, you’ll find seasonal vegetables harvested from nearby farms. The scratch-made desserts, particularly the banana pudding, transport diners straight to a country porch swing on a summer evening.
2. Brook Shaw’s Old Country Store (Jackson)
Housed in a charming replica of a 19th-century general store, Brook Shaw’s delivers an authentic taste of Tennessee’s culinary heritage. Locals drive from counties away for their legendary Sunday brunch featuring over 100 homestyle items.
The atmosphere alone – with antique farm implements decorating the walls – creates a nostalgic backdrop for enjoying their famous fried chicken. Their turnip greens, seasoned with just the right amount of pork, and melt-in-your-mouth cornbread have earned them national recognition on USA Today’s 10Best list multiple years running.
3. Austin’s Steak & Homestyle Buffet (Knoxville)
A hidden gem tucked away from Knoxville’s tourist traps, Austin’s has perfected the art of the steak buffet. Unlike many all-you-can-eat establishments, their hand-cut steaks are cooked to order right before your eyes at the carving station.
Family-owned for three generations, Austin’s maintains quality through small-batch cooking throughout service hours. Their mac and cheese – crusty on top, creamy underneath – inspires fierce loyalty among regulars. Weekend visitors should arrive early; the line often stretches out the door by noon, especially when their famous bread pudding is on the dessert bar.
4. Asuka Hibachi & Buffet (Smyrna)
Shattering the stereotype that Asian buffets sacrifice quality for quantity, Asuka has become a destination dining experience for Middle Tennessee residents. The centerpiece hibachi station features chefs who prepare fresh selections with theatrical flair, creating personalized stir-fry combinations.
Their sushi bar – restocked hourly with glistening fresh fish – rivals dedicated sushi restaurants. Seafood enthusiasts rave about the weekend crab leg special, when steaming clusters appear alongside buttery lobster bites. Even dessert impresses with green tea ice cream made in-house and crispy-outside, gooey-inside sesame balls.
5. Red Ginger Buffet (Elizabethton)
This unassuming strip mall treasure has earned national recognition, landing on USA Today’s 2024 top buffets list. Red Ginger breaks the mold by focusing on authentic regional Chinese cuisines rather than Americanized versions.
The Szechuan section delivers genuine numbing heat in dishes like mapo tofu, while Cantonese offerings include delicate dim sum made fresh daily. Owner Mrs. Chang personally oversees quality control, often visiting tables to ensure satisfaction.
Their legendary hot and sour soup – rich with wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots – has converted even soup skeptics into devoted fans.
6. Farmer’s Family Restaurant (Columbia & Murfreesboro)
True to its name, this family-owned operation sources ingredients directly from surrounding farms, with a chalkboard listing the week’s local providers. Morning crowds gather for their country breakfast buffet featuring impossibly fluffy biscuits smothered in pepper gravy.
Lunchtime brings out their famous fried catfish, caught from Tennessee rivers and coated in cornmeal with a generations-old recipe. Sweet tea – brewed in sunshine on the restaurant’s back porch – flows freely into mason jars.
The warm banana pudding, topped with vanilla wafers that maintain their crunch somehow, has ended countless meals on a high note since 1977.
7. Golden Corral (Various TN Locations)
Despite its nationwide presence, Golden Corral’s Tennessee locations struggle to maintain consistency. The endless food options – from tacos to pot roast – sound appealing until you realize quantity has trumped quality.
Vegetables often sit too long under heat lamps, losing both nutrition and flavor. The steak – advertised as the crown jewel – frequently disappoints with tough, overcooked cuts that require significant jaw strength.
Weekend crowds create chaotic scenes with long lines and messy serving stations. While budget-friendly for large families, the inconsistent food temperature and cleanliness issues make many locals opt for smaller establishments despite the higher price point.
8. King China Buffet (Nashville Area)
What began as a Nashville staple has gradually declined into mediocrity. The once-vibrant flavors have faded into bland, one-note dishes that bear little resemblance to authentic Chinese cuisine.
Frequent visitors note the shrinking variety of offerings while prices continue to climb. The sushi section – consisting mainly of California rolls with barely-pink imitation crab – sits largely untouched for good reason.
Health department scores posted near the entrance have shown a concerning downward trend. The sticky tables and frequently empty serving trays suggest management issues that extend beyond just food quality.
9. Hibachi Grill / Supreme Buffet (Kingston Pike, Knoxville)
The fluorescent lighting does this establishment no favors, highlighting every smudge on the sneeze guards protecting lukewarm food. Despite “Hibachi” in the name, the cooking station often sits unmanned, with pre-cooked items languishing instead.
Seafood offerings present particular concerns – the crab legs arrive frozen in the center yet somehow rubbery on the outside. Mystery sauces coat many dishes, tasting suspiciously similar despite different colors.
The dessert section’s ice cream machine has become locally famous for being perpetually “out of order.” Weekend dinner prices have steadily increased while portion sizes and quality have moved in the opposite direction.
10. Grand Buffet (Knoxville)
The “Grand” name creates expectations this establishment consistently fails to meet. Located in a former chain restaurant building, little has been done to update the tired interior beyond adding more buffet tables.
The food selection attempts to cover too many cuisines – American, Chinese, Mexican, and Italian – resulting in mediocrity across all categories. Pizza sits with congealed cheese beside egg rolls that could double as building materials. The salad bar’s wilted lettuce and watery dressing options discourage healthy choices.
Staff members seem overwhelmed, leaving empty trays unfilled during peak hours and dirty plates accumulating on tables.
11. Golden Oak Buffet (Oak Ridge)
Located near Oak Ridge National Laboratory, this buffet seems to survive solely on its convenient location rather than culinary merit. The lunch crowd of scientists and engineers file in more from necessity than enthusiasm.
Food temperatures remain the biggest complaint – hot foods served lukewarm and cold items approaching room temperature. The “fresh” fruit section features melon cubes with translucent edges indicating multiple days on display.
The steam table’s macaroni and cheese develops a skin thick enough to require serious utensil strength. Management’s cost-cutting measures become apparent when examining the thinly-sliced meats and strategically placed filler items like bread and pasta salad.
12. Generic Chains like Hometown Buffet / Old Country Buffet / Ryan’s
These interchangeable chain buffets – many now shuttered across Tennessee – represent the steady decline of once-popular family dining destinations. The remaining locations operate like ghost ships with skeleton crews and food that tastes mass-produced rather than cooked.
Mashed potatoes arrive suspiciously uniform, likely reconstituted from powder rather than actual potatoes. Dessert offerings consist mainly of artificially colored gelatin and pudding cups.
The sad salad bars feature iceberg lettuce and mealy tomatoes beneath flickering fluorescent lights. These establishments serve as cautionary tales of corporate cost-cutting eventually driving away even the most loyal customers.
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