Royal Buffet, Dickson City

Sigh. I really don't want to write this. This is one of those places that everyone raves about, but we're not feeling it. Maybe it's us. Maybe we're too picky. Or maybe uncooked chicken and gristly meat are all the rage around here. Or maybe we're just jaded from eating out all the time. But wouldn't you agree that if you have to spit a mouthful of food out into your napkin, you're probably not going to go back to that establishment?

Ok, let me tell you about the place. It's across the street from Home Depot. We loved the decor. The floor has lights in it! The staff is very attentive and very nice. And that's why it pains me that we just weren't impressed with the food. We were impressed, however, with the sheer variety of food availabe. There is a complete salad bar. They have tons of seafood. There's a sushi bar. There is a hibachi bar, where you pick out your meat and fixins and the guy cooks it for you before your eyes. There's an unbelievable dessert bar. There's an American food section, complete with pigs in the blanket and mac n' cheese. Name it, and they have it.

But I think that therein lies the problem. If you have hundreds of items on your menu, then it's safe to say that it's impossible to have prepared even half of them fresh daily. Then again, it is cheap ($7), proving the old axiom "you get what you pay for".

I had a salad, chicken w/broccoli, rice, steamed dumplings, and sampled various desserts. The chicken and broccoli was a stir fried dish, and the chicken was sliced paper thin. However, it was raw. I mean slimy raw. And I didn't realize this until it was already in my mouth. Gross. I'm praying I don't get sick today. Danelle bit into what the sign said was a cream cheese wonton. She realized after she took a bite that it had seafood (which she hates) in it. She not-so-demurely spit it out into her napkin. Because she's a classy lady.
Then I bit into my steamed dumpling, which had pork in it. It was tasty, but had a huge hard gristle piece in it. So I spit it out into my napkin. Because I'm a classy lady.

Now that we've no doubt whetted your appetite, here's the deal: if you're really hungry, or just like to eat and you're not picky, this is the place for you. If you do go, and have to spit something out into your napkin, please tell us about it. And stay classy.