Bear Bites: Joy’s Home Cooking Buffet

All-you-can-eat buffets exemplify everything exceptional and abhorrent about being American.

The bright hotlamps, staggering variety and snot-nosed children who don’t understand the concept of tongs are ever-present working cogs in America’s most nauseating capitalistic ventures. They result in shameless gluttony and elastic jeans. It’s beautiful if only for its cavalier attitude towards taste.

Want seven plates of food that’s saltier than Meek Mill’s 4/4 mixtape? You’ve come to the right type of place.

Some rise above the noise and provide a wonderful meal. Joy's Home Cooking Buffet isn’t quite there yet; serviceable is a better descriptor.

Most of the patrons at Joy’s are the elderly — a group whose sense of taste and smell is not as sharp as it once was — or blue collar workers who want something edible for cheap. As a college student, I can sympathise. It’s the one thing Joy’s has going for it, aside from serving great wings.

The GOOD:

The Wings

The meal itself was just shy of $10 after you order your drink but before you tip. If I could just eat 3 (or more) pounds of these wings for $10, I'd be a very happy man. The wings were baked then bathed in a pan of Buffalo sauce and butter as they sat on the buffet line. I expected this to be the worst part of my meal. But the tangy heat of the wings kept me filling my plate.

The Fried Green Tomatoes

I'm a fan of the fried green tomatoes — thinly breaded and just a little soggy, so they fall apart. They are a mess to eat, but these sour tomatoes are great. Justin agreed. He doesn't even like green tomatoes, but he ate a few himself.

The Price

It's a buffet. What else do you need to say? It's $7.95 for as many plates as you want, and an additional $3.95 per-pound of carry out. That's insane.

The QUESTIONABLE:

Salisbury Steak

The steak has all the faux grill markings and taste of a Stouffer's Salisbury Steak. It wasn't awful, — I’ve been known to eat a TV dinner when it's the end of the month and funds are low — but I don't expect that at a sit-down restaurant.

The BAD:

Baked Chicken

This was the driest and toughest chicken that has passed my lips. The seasoning — what little of it there was — had strong garlic flavors. I couldn't eat more than a few bites before the toughness was too much.

Fried Chicken:

Again, the chicken was dry. Not as dry as the arid baked chicken, but enough for me not to get a second piece. Note: Justin disagreed with this assessment. He said that his piece was not nearly as dry.

Rating:

Nick 2/5 (Below average)

Justin 2.5/5 (Average)