Souplantation

I was going to do 4 stars just because the restaurant was built too small and it's always packed and noisy, with a bit of a wait for tables, especially for large parties. However, I was very impressed with the management. They looked up recipes for me because of a food allergy so I knew what was safe to eat. They even especially made a foccacia bread just for us (with the pans and cutting utensils cleaned first to avoid cross allergen contamination), AND they delivered most of the tray to our table. Impressive. The restaurant was mostly clean. Just very busy. It's a buffet, so there's a lot of traffic through the restaurant as customers flit from buffet to tables. We chose to enjoy the covered patio which was much quieter than inside. There is a wide variety of food. Plenty to choose from for salads, and then soups, pastas, potatoes, muffins, breads, desserts, etc. All of it was delicious. The only other thing that detracted from a stellar experience was the small bathrooms that were always in use. Be forewarned, especially when bringing young children.

Really, really NOT my fave. The concept is a great one, but the reality is... not very clean, super crowded for some reason, and just not my cup of tea. I have some photos here of a situation I repeatedly reported to the management as we waited in the huge line. A man and woman were both snacking from their plate while in line, licking their fingers, then handling the food service tongs. Finally, I think maybe because they saw me taking video of the event, the manager stepped in- she replaced the tongs on that side, said she spoke with the guests about WHY they aren’t supposed to eat in line, etc. After that, they did a nice thing and basically took 50% off our bill. Not worth it to me really, as I’ve had a kidney transplant, and this inattention to detail could spell disaster for my weakened immune system. I’ll go to a full service restaurant I trust, instead, I’ve decided.