eating out --buffet-style
 

hi again! would like to know if there are any nice buffet- style places to get b'fast/lunch/dinner for a reasonable price? also is there anywhere to pick-up discount coupon booklets for dining out and attractions discounts??

Where (in what city/town/resort) are you looking??

I assume you mean for Toronto (I read your other posts) - but for future reference, that is VERY IMPORTANT information to add to a thread!

This is a VERY VALUABLE website.(It is like this site, but all about food!) :

http://www.chowhound.com/canada/boar...o/toronto.html

Buffets are not a big deal in Toronto, except for expensive Sunday brunch.

There's the Mandarin chain of Chinese buffets that are pretty good, but, as far as I know, none are downtown.

Town and Country is a chain of buffet restaurants; again, I don't know of any in central Toronto.

Golden Griddle pancake houses have breakfast buffets in some areeas. Again, I'm not sure of downtown, but the nearest Golden Griddle to your hotel is a few blocks away, at Jarvis and Front Street.

Closest good bargain breakfast to the Hilton is either in metro Hall at John abd King St. West, or at Dunn's, on King Street West between Duncan and John.

Discount coupons for central Toronto are few and far between, but you might find some. Go to the Toronto and Ontario tourist offices and pick up the various brochures.

I think the Niagara Falls brochures you can get will have discounts in them.

And check www.Mirvish.com for discounts on theatre.

There's a discount theatre ticket seller at Dundas Square, at Dundas and Queen, near the north end of the Eaton Center.

BAK

Kally's, Town & Country, Mandarin.

It's not at ALL like all the wonderful buffets you have in the States.

I understand there is a Le Commensal in Toronto (I go to the ones in Montreal). I can't recommend this small chain highly enough. Le Commensal is a vegetarian buffet of very high quality with foods of every description. Don't let the vegetarian aspect of it turn you off - they have pastas, Mexican, Asian, Indian, salads ,desserts, wines, etc etc, all in a very comfortable upscale atmosphere. If you want reasonably priced, interesting buffet type food in a pleasant environmnet , you can't beat this place. The food is sold by weight, except for the soups and beverages.

I am so very sorry! Carlow1 is going to Vancouver NOT Toronto. I meant to say "I assume Vancouver..." but I had Toronto on the brain because that is where I am going.

Sorry.

I forgot to add that this is a VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY THE OP SHOULD ALWAYS INCLUDE THEIR DESTINATION :D

Ok, Now I am really embarrassed! (Sorry, I have the flu) I was right the first time. It was Toronto. - I got confused with someone else ...

Ok, I'll stop now. (I'm really embarrassed)

I can vouch for the excellent breakfast buffet at the Radisson on Highway 7 and Woodbine area of Markham.

The closest alternative to a buffet experience in the downtown core would be the Marche in Bell Canada Centre at Front and Yonge - one of the few 24X7 restaurants in Toronto.

Ooh, Wallace - I hope you're feeling better! :)

hello wallace!!! what nasal spray are you using dude?!! yep i am definitely going to TORONTO actually this time next week we shall be in the air---yipeeeeee---

Sorry Carlow,
I knew you were going to Toronto ;) But then a few days later I was trying to take my mind off my pain ... and well, I got you confused with Let's_Go. Honest mistake. :D

Anyway, got my Toronto Visiters' Guide today. Here are the "buffet places":

Mandarin Franchise Corp. www.mandarinbuffet.com

Sisters Great Buffet www.sistersbuffet.com

Town & Country Market Fresh Buffet www.townandcountrybuffet.com

Their restaurant section of the guide is VERY LIMITED! (but it is a start)

Forgot to mention some good looking Indian buffets I found in my research

Don't know if you like Indian, so I'll just post one.

http://www.toronto.com/infosite/311117/1.shtml

Bak is correct, Toronto is not really known for it's buffets. Unless you are a really big eater it is not worth the money you spend, often times it is cheaper to eat al carte.

There are several Tucker's Marketplace restaurants in the greater Toronto area (Etobicoke, a short drive from the airport on Dixon Road and another in Mississauga). They're really pretty good. Rather than a buffet, per se, Tucker's has a series of staffed stations where some of the food is actually being prepared. You can take a look at their website to get a fix on the locations:

http://www.tuckersmarketplace.ca/

Unfortunately, the website is very spartan, so that is about ALL you're going to find out. I wouldn't call it CHEAP, but it is an excellent value.

We like Mandarin although we are well aware of its limitations as a Chinese experience - it's pretty watered-down, but there's lots of food, lots of variety, and they're reasonably priced for a weekday lunch. There's one near my office, so we use it as a special-occasion place quite often.
The restaurants in the "Little India" area of Gerrard Street near Coxwell almost all have buffets and they're very good and quite cheap. Our current favourite is Siddhartha, but there are other ones nearly as good.
Don't know if Town and Country is any good - I would actually like to know, because there's one near us. I used to go there a lot many years ago because it was owned by some distantly-connected family members. It was great then, but that was literally decades ago.