Old Country Buffet

We HAD to go to OCB because of a group gathering.
I was not happy about going to this restaurant but thought what the heck it has been 10 years since I had stepped into one, maybe things have improved — –NOT.
CONS
Today you get to pay for more expensive and less tasty food
YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR DRINK in addition to the food
Drinks are watered down yukky!
Selection during lunch is lacking
PROS
NONE

In years past I really like Old Country Buffet. Now I have a hard time convincing my family to even venture out to the restaurant. it seems like every time we go there we are met with another disappointment. I received an email from Old Country Buffet for my birthday I print out the coupon for the free dinner with purchase of another adult dinner. I realize that it was best to come during the family night as I wanted my kids to be able to eat with me and my wife. I received notice that I could not use the coupon the way I had intended and I ended up paying almost full price regardless because they charged $ 3 from my kids drinks. I have tried to use coupons in the past that seemed to offer some advantage but I found that it was just a simple bait and switch. the maximum amount of money that you can say with any Old Country Buffet coupon is about $ 0.50. they overcharged you for the drinks and they give you small cups in which to drink from. I often complain about the lack of food at certain times at the buffet. on this occasion I asked the manager why it seemed like the stuffing that I requested was not cooked properly he only was concerned with making sure that it was the right temperature it look like they had just taken a whole lot of stuff in an added hot water and then put it out on the buffet. I thought that when the other buffet open down the street that was in competition with the Old Country Buffet that somehow they would increase the level of service and that you would say mark difference in the food selection. this was not the case they don’t seem to have any idea is that people are riding their restaurant online on an ongoing basis. they don’t have to worry about mystery shoppers anymore because everyone is is connected to to the web and can give their opinion instantly. It seems like the manager or the owners of Old Country Buffet do not even take time to read these reviews because it is absolutely ridiculous but nothing seems to change. I have decided that I am going to avoid Old Country Buffet at all costs because I invested more in them then they invest in themselves.

I have never been a fan of old country buffet, I prefer Golden Corral, but I decided to give OCB another try since I live near it. First, I don’t understand for the life of me, why there are two buffets in the same shopping center??? I went to the other buffet first but decided not to eat there. I will say, the other buffet initially looks more inviting with bright lights, a cleaner sleeker presentation and more variety. Old country buffet is dark when you walk in, it feels stuffy. There was hardly anyone in the place. The hostess was nice and smiled. I don’t get why they charge an extra 3 dollars for a drink. Shouldn’t a drink be included in the buffet? I never understood that.
So the food… it’s annoying having to ask someone to go to the meat station to cut ham and roast beef. For a long time no one was over there to cut it. Eventually I asked the manager looking guy and I got him to cut me a lot of meat since there was no telling when he’d return to that station. The ham was great, the roast beef was bland but tender and kind of juicy. The fried chicken was good but not as juicy as I remember it and no where near as good as golden corrals. The worst thing I had was the mac n cheese. Disgusting. It was dry hard noodles floating in a cheese sauce. I was craving mac and cheese and tried it and almost vomited right there at my table. Literally felt nauseous. The string beans are amazing, perfect pepper seasoning. The rolls were chewy and nasty. Overall, the food was mediocre as to be expected at a ghetto buffet in ghetto laurel. But the dingy feel of the buffet doesn’t exactly increase your appetite. I had this uncomfortable feeling the entire time as if I were some where I wasn’t suppose to be. Another thing that pissed me off was the small glasses they provide. If you’re going to charge me extra for beverage rights, then you need to provide decent sized glasses. You are expected to fetch these tiny plastic Dixie cups from a dishwasher tray. And by the time you take three sips, your drink is gone, especially if you like ice like me. It was annoying having to CONSTANTLY go get more soda. For mediocre food, a lackluster divey ambiance, (when your competition feels like a Vegas hotel) and an enormous up charge for Dixie cup sodas, I give this 2 stars. Your competition is blowing you out of the water OCB! Step your game up!

Came here with a co-​worker around 12pm. The place was empty. This location needs a serious update. Looks like a place from the 50’s.
The food was ultra subpar. Even the mashed potatoes were bad & watery. The chicken was not even warm. Half of the food is missing labels. So your looking at mystery food. ???
Lastly The soda machine is like FORT KNOX. Everytime someone got up to either refill their water cup which are the red ones. Or even go to the bathroom. The employees watch you from point a to point b. ???
After having just one plate we got up and left. F– RATING.

Where do I begin? «Sighs»…“Puts hand on head, and stares in disbelief”
I Knew it, I knew it! So today is Friday July 3^rd, and everybody and their mommas momma seems to be off of work. I’m riding around trying to have a nice day with my kids when all of a sudden they had to be hungry… lol So i’m like cool where you wanna go? Golden Corral was the request so we drove there, and like usual theres a line out the door. So i’m like nope! i’m not gonna do it. i am not going into Golden Corral. So i’m like what other buffets are close? She’s like old country buffet, and they’re never packed. So i’m like yeah, you’re right. So we headed over. Got there and just we suspected we got in no hassle. There was a good size crowd. but it wasn’t pack. I paid, we picked a table, and we got our plates. I’m walking around the buffet looking for food to get my smaller daughter… Nothing! I’m looking for something for me… Chicken! I look for anything else but chicken… Chicken! oh, and what looked like steamed sauerkraut with kielbasa in it (YUCK!). There was literally fried chicken, some breaded chicken with a sweet sauce, sauerkraut and kielbasa, and some weird looking country fried steak. Everything else was side, salad, or dessert. No seafood what so ever. Just the cheapest food you could put out on a buffet thats not Bologna and ramen noodles. Which I honestly may have preferred. My other issue was that while I was getting my food my oldest gave my youngest corn bread (Not good). She’s 2, so she made a mess with it like any 2 year old would. When I come back from getting my plate there is some crumbs on the floor, and I mind you that the lady cleaning is already sweeping the table right behind mine. Soon as I get to the table she’s like can you wipe that on the floor so I can clean it up? i’m looking at her with my plate of food in my hands like «With what, my hands?». Now I completely understand that just because it’s their job to clean up after us doesn’t mean we should be slobs about the situation, but she could clearly see that I had no control over the situation. The deed was already done when I got there, and I spoke to my daughter afterwards, but as far as me wiping my hands across the seat after I just washed them, and fixed my food was just unrealistic. So I pick my daughter up and put her on my side, so she could clean it. I just thought how she approached it was kind of rude, and then she kept coming back to rudely take the plates away when we were done. I don’t get it. Actually I don’t like that fact that the bussers come around like the severs do and expect tips. We get our food and drink and have to tip you for clearing the table? that’s always been my one pet peeve with buffets… though I do tip. Anyways this buffet serious need more selection. The best thing about this experience was the ice cream cone me and the kids walked out with into the hot sun. I doubt I will ever be coming back to old country buffet. It seems to be a far cry from its glory days of pop corn shrimp, fish, carving stations, and beef and veggies they had in the past. I should’ve went to the cinese buffet thats right down the sidewalk… this was a horrible experience. maybe the worst buffet i’ve ever been to.

Some friends and I decided to go to Old Country Buffet Saturday for lunch around 1pm because we wanted something different than the Chinese Buffet all of the time. It costed about $ 12.50 which included unlimited drinks which was a very reasonable price. First of all the yeast rolls were the bomb, just like the ones my Grandma would let rise and place in the oven then melt butter all over them!!! The fried chicken, string beans, collards, cabbage, mashed potatoes and gravy, Cole slaw, rice and corn was all great. I also ate two of the very small banana pudding in cups which is a great size so you don’t waste food and I also enjoyed the slush ice machine they had raspberry, cherry and coke which is great for a hot day!
My only complaint is that I think they need more meats to choice from other than fried chicken, baked chicken, orange chicken and very small serving of some type of pot roast in a Metal dish that I didn’t try.
I will be going back someday maybe for dinner because I was told they have more of a selection although it’s a few dollars more.

Ugh… Sunday before noon was hoping to catch a breakfast buffett-​nope :(Cashier was nice and very friendly but I wasnt given a slip for my table so every time I left the table I was worried it would be cleared… The place was pretty empty despite the location. Food selection was quite limited-​by far the smallest I had ever seen at an OCB. The ham was warm but the other entrees I tried were hot. I never saw my «server» until I was ready to leave-​but i tipped her anyway. Bathrooms were a mess-​there was a wet floor sign in the mens but it was obvious it had been there quite a while… toilet paper and hand towels were on the floors, the towel dispenser didnt work so ther was a roll sitting on the counter in a puddle of water… floor felt «sticky»… $ 12 for lunch and they add $ 2.49 for a drink-​I guess thats on the honor system because how would they ever know? The honest person in me paid for a drink… next tine ill wait an hour at the neighborhood Dennys or Ihop!

My wife had some coupons (groupon deal) that gave $ 10 off per person. She had come here with a friend about a week ago, and called me this afternoon asking if I wanted to meet her at OCB for dinner after work. I had not eaten at an OCB in many years, even though I have been in this shopping center many times. I usually go to Sullivan’s a few doors down.
We arrived at about 5:15 and the place was almost empty. The young lady at the register took a few minutes to process the coupons, apparently having to punch each one in by hand, but she was friendly and efficient. We found seats, and proceeded to take turns going to get our food.
The food was good, typical buffet fare. They had roast beef and ham on the carving station, and many other choices on the buffet. The woman working the carving station was also taking care of most of the buffet refills, so there was a slight wait for her to come over, but she was friendly and the portions were much larger than many buffets where they give you tiny pieces of meat, hoping you will fill up on less expensive food.
Everything is self serve, other than the carving station. Even the beverages are self serve, with coffee tea and soda dispensers in the middle of the dining area. One hint, the soda selections are different on each side of the counter, meaning you may want to check to see if your favorite that is not on one side is on the other.
The only thing that I found to be a problem was the size of the beverage glasses. They were very small, reminding me of the cups you find in a motel room. This meant more trips for refills, or bringing multiple cups to the table .
All in all, it was not a bad experience and I am likely to return

I should have known better but the $ 5.99 lunch coupon was calling my name. I should have listened to Kelly G’s review from 2010. Apparently nothing has changed. It’s unfortunate that 98% of the customers were senior citizens and handicap elders who probably shouldn’t be eating those unhealthy food options. I did the best I could by getting the baked chicken, baked yams, overcooked broccoli, canned corn, and steamed carrots. If you don’t want microwaved, convenience or frozen food don’t come here. One could argue that Golden Corral is better and I wouldn’t even eat there.
The service: eh! The cashier didn’t tell us we needed to seat ourselves as I stood and the entrance looking for a place to go with my toddler and infant. The place was not busy it was 2pm. No one offered to help me to a table while I lugged my car seat around to eventually sit in a those tiny booths that can’t be adjusted. The waitress came over and introduced herself and that was it. I asked about the drinks and she said they don’t have kids cups. O_​o how do you have an extensive kids menu but no kids cups or kids anything. I happened to see a kiddy coloring place mat and crayons which No one offered to me so I just grabbed it. I also had to go get my own booster seat. I feel like the waitress could have gotten that for us. She was not busy. The she never refilled our water. Barely took our garbage off the table.
The setup: the food is organized in a strange way. The signs say vegetables and salad but it’s mixed up. There was no rhyme or reason to why the food was grouped like it was. The French fries were hard As a rock. The baked potatoes for cold and tough. How do you mess up French fries. The fish sticks were tough as well. Horrible. I didn’t bother with dessert. We just left. I won’t be going back.

Before the actual review, I would like you to know they have an ICEE machine as part of the buffet.
As a buffet connoisseur, I have not yet had the pleasure of a dining experience at Old Country Buffet. The prices were comparable to those of the other buffets in the area so we’ re already off to a good start ($ 15 per person with drink and tax). It did take a couple minutes for the hostess to get to the podium and take our payment, but Teshanna was quick to help us and even showed us around before we took our seats. Our server Mercedes was very nice and always made sure our table was clean of finished dishes and even offered to bring us a refill of whichever beverage we were drinking.
The food for the most part was very good with very little complaints. I’ve pretty much tried everything they had to offer. I started off with cornbread, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, fried fish filet, and something I have no idea what it could be. Everything I had on that plate was great except for the last item. It tasted like the yellow parts of a crab. except not as pleasant. The corn bread was crispy on the top and I got a piece on every plate.
My second plate had the chicken pot pie, a mashed potato and steak dish, and a barbecue pork dish with potatoes. All three of those were very good.
My third dish was a taco from the taco/​nacho bar. The taco shells were brittle, but not to the point where they fell apart. It was the best taco shell I ever put anything in. I also had their general tso’s chicken and a chicken fried steak.
Dessert. peach cobbler, blueberry pie, ice cream, brownies, and more. It was a standard dessert section, but what I liked about the place overall was that they had individual sized dishes like the peach cobber and the chicken pot pie in their own ramekins.
I will definitely come back again!

I can’t believe people still eat here… This place needs to close, last week went in a had a slice of meatloaf that tasted like the 90’s. Used to be a nice one is southern Maryland but definitely not here. Wouldn’t recommend.

My husband and I have been eating at OCB in Laurel for several years. Within the last several months, the menu keeps changing. They stopped serving the baked fish on Mon, Tues, Wed. My husband has difficulty eating solid foods (cancer). We never got a valid answer as to why they took it off the menu for those days Seems to us, they would decrease the fried foods. The carrots, most of the time, are too hard. He has to smash all food. He eats there Mon-​Friday every week and has been doing so for years. I would like to talk to someone personally about all the concerns. Thank you for your time.
Mary Jane Bradford 301−776−6520 or 240−393−1183

Pretty good meal overall. When available, the steaks are good. Decent selection of sides. Salad bar has a good mix of options. Some desserts are good, however, some (especially carrot cake) gets left out a bit too long. Servers and staff are always friendly and professional.

Great meal for the price. The restaurant was clean, and the staff was friendly.

Decided to go here on a whim with a few co-​workers during lunch as we had $ 5.99 coupons for the lunch buffet. The service was pretty good and the staff was friendly. It was a lot more crowded (mainly comprised of elderly people and a bus load of Asian tourists) than I figured it would be at 11:30 on a random Thursday. I can’t even imagine what it would be like during the weekend. Overall, the food was very bland and gave me an upset stomach. I guess you get what you pay for!
You’re honestly better off spending a few more bucks and eating at one of the many regular sit-​down restaurants nearby.

The reputation may be Jeff Foxworthy, but it’s got its niche. The fruit and salad bar is expansive, there are usually fresh vegetables depending on the season, and healthy alternatives (roasted chicken as well as fried, nonfat frozen yogurt as well as ice cream) are available. Yes, the proteins tend to be industrial grade, but you can spoon a bite to taste. That’s the joy of buffets, and why I’ll hit it occasionally when I have an nonspecific appetite. Fourth star is for value rather than taste. And note that Thursday is family night, whether you hate kids or have some you need to feed cheaply.

No food here, just «human feed» and you deserve better. Although the tea is good!

When I used to live in VA, specifically Central VA, there was an OCB that I absolutely LOVED. It was the classic definition of ‘down home goodness’ and ‘Southern hospitality’; they had it down pat. Everyone was pleasant, the food was excellent– well prepared and cooked, I never had a single item that I did not like. Granted, I focused primarily on the fried chicken– back then, I’d put away 3 or 4 plates of fried chicken, mashed pots w/​gravy and string beans (cuz I knew even then you had to have your veggies) — I don’t know how the hell I did it, to be honest, and not be big as a house. Youth and high metabolism, wherefore art thou now? It broke my heart when they closed that location, in ’98 I think… good times. But I digress…
I first visited this particular OCB in 2001; had a female roomie and we decided to try this out on a Sunday; we got their early which was a good thing– when the churches let out, it looks like they all come here for brunch. Still, it was almost as good as the VA location– I think due to the location itself, and the high amount of traffic, the place wasn’t as clean as it should’ve been and the staff seemed more hurried than anything else but I didn’t come there for the service.
Let’s fast forward 9 years– decided to take my wife there one Sunday for the brunch; great selections as is typical of OCB but the crowds, noise and general level of cleanliness put us off– we have not been back since. If you’re into buffet style, Golden Corral’s a better experience.

I feel like, more than one of my friends have raved about this place in the past, and I ate here for the first time a few weeks ago. I came into it expecting a lot more than what I got.
First, the woman waiting our table probably came over to us maybe once. I could barely understand her. Though she seemed nice, I didn’t feel like I should have been obligated to tip her for anything. I did anyway though. Second… the food was so… blah. I honestly would choose Golden Corral over this. It was virtually the same, only not as good. I was annoyed by large tables of obnoxious customers in every direction. It’s reasons like crappy food and loud people that I don’t care for buffets. The place was less than aesthetically pleasing. Our table was barely what you’d call clean. And the silverware was suspect. I was none-​too-​pleased.

Dutiful, disrespectful, devil daughter that I am, I came to Old Country Buffet for Fathers Day dinner with the ‘family’…
See picture. The line was OUT of the door on Fathers Day. My father is now in a wheelchair. I did not want to bring him here on Father’s Day. And I was called all manner of disrespectful, rude, and even the devil-​child, for not wanting to bring this wheelchair bound man into this den of craziness on this particular Fathers Day. I was told it was one of his favorite places to eat. I was told not to deny him this opportunity to go out to eat. And I did not dispute any of that. I was just thinking «hey, have you ever heard of Saturday?» or «Monday?». This might be getting too theraputic for Unilocal but my dad didn’t even have time to finish his food before the Metro Access van returned to pick him up.
Anyway, it was large quantities of mediocre food. Bland baked fish. Tasteless fried shrimp and gortons of gloucester fish. Hand-​carved (steamship round of? not!) beef, ham, and turkey-​loaf. Macaroni ‘n’ cheese soup. Some kind of chicken-​pasta dish that I should have liked. Mashed potatoes that tasted like they were from a box and likewise gravies (chicken and beef, I presume that was the reason for the color differential) from the jar. Green beans, carrots, and corn from the can. Need I go on?
The beverage choices: high-​fructose corn-​syrup galore. Sodas, sweet-​tea, icees, coffee, tea. And the dessert choices. Whoa. Hunks of cake: carrot, chocolate, cheese. Apple pie, peach cobbler, bread pudding, some kind of warm chocolate cake thing. Soft-​serve: vanilla, chocolate, swirl, or orange.
The standouts in during my turns at the trough were the baked chicken, the orzo salad, rolls, the baked sweet-​potato (in the skin), and the chicken noodle soup.
If you have family members who want to consume large quantities of average quality food at a very cheap price (which *I* should have liked), bring ‘em on to Old Country Buffet. You could also duplicate this meal for them by going to the grocery store, purchasing frozen/​canned/​or even fresh food, and popping it into the oven or onto the stove. At least thay way, you can eat with relative certainty there’s no elephant in the room.