I’m “live-blogging” my spontaneous road trip to Las Vegas.
At long last, as we approached Los Angeles, our Las Vegas road trip was nearing an end. But not before one more fitting stop for dinner: the Golden Corral.
Golden Corral In Hesperia, California…A Fitting End To The Road Trip
I had planed to stop in Baker, California at Mad Greek Café or if we were not yet hungry, stop at Cracker Barrel in Victorville, California for a hearty dinner.
But Augustine had something else in mind.
“Daddy, I want a buffet please.”
“Why?”
“Because you get a choice and don’t have to wait for food.”
“You’d rather go to a buffet than Cracker Barrel?”
“Yes, as long as it Golden Corral.”
Our friend in Oxnard, California took us to a Golden Corral last year. We haven’t been back since, but Augustine loved it and in his mind, being able to choose what you want and go back as often as you want is pure bliss.
I’m not sure that’s the type of eating I want to encourage, but was happy to stop at his preferred place when I found there was a Golden Coral in Hesperia, California.
We got in fairly late at 7:40 pm, jsut 20 minutes before closing, but that was a blessing in a way becuase it forced us to eat quickly and get back on the road. Augustine began school the day after we returned, so I did not want to be out late anyway.
Quite honestly, the food isn’t bad. $20 for dinner ($10 for him) is reasonable enough and I limited myself to some protein and a nice salad.
Sure, I would have preferred Mad Greek Café or Cracker Barrel. But it got us home and was somehow fitting of the budget nature of the trip.
After dinner we safely made it home…it may not have been the trip I envisioned, but it was a nice one with Augustine…and also one I may make again before the MGM-Hyatt relationship ends in late September.
Went to the HomeTown Buffet (now Golden Corral) in Oxnard a few times when I lived in Ventura. Crazy place but food was decent for the price.
I miss the people watching at our local Golden Corrals before they closed down. My favorite was watching people build what my wife termed the NASCAR salad, which consist of a small amount of vegetables topped with lots of cheese, gobs of bacon, croutons, and of course ham, all with so much ranch dressing that you literally can’t see more than 20% (max) of the underlying ingredients. Not our thing but fun to watch.
ROTFL
You should never eat at those places if you care at all about your health. Anything that comes off a Sysco truck should never find it’s way onto your dinner plate. It’s the ultimate in processed foods. At Golden Corral et al. everything they serve is processed corporate food of the type that even animals should not eat.
I guess you have never snacked at the White House, Sysco has/ had provided the treats for years
As to the Golden Corral, I was taken to one by an elderly driver. What I will say, after walking the buffet I asked for the manager and pointed out some obvious health violations. It was closed by corporate three weeks later. ( I doubt that had anything to do with my complaint). The food appears far more edible in this post and I probably would eat that.
Sysco is the largest food distributor in the country. As such they have diver scallops or morel mushrooms if that’s what you want. What a place orders is their business but I’m not sure I’d blame the company that just legally sells people what they want.
I admit I am both shocked (you are doing this) and enjoying reading this because it’s more … well, normal. Not that I’ve eaten at a Golden Corral this century, but I am a sucker for cheap salad bars with low quality cuts of beef. And I go to Cracker Barrel everytime I leave my German home for my Florida one. Like Augustine, I too love the Luxor … or did when it was new and had rides. You should show him a video of the boat ride that circled the place in the mid-90s.
This gives me hope that despite your crazy love of my second home (Ben might even be worse in this), you might do something really American with the kids and … say, take them on a proper California National Park road trip ending with 3-4 days at Disneyland, California Adventure and Knott’s. Every kid should get that!
P.S. Just back in Germany after an Alaskan cruise, time with friends in Vancouver and Victoria and family in the Bay Area (don’t ask about how Alaska lost my suitcase and says it’s likely stolen now after giving me and my wife free first class upgrades for what I am not sure, any advice on how to get the real value of what was lost would be appreciated by anyone), but drove by a Sizzler Saturday afternoon and it gave me childhood feels. I loved that place. But the wife said they no longer do salad bars, so it was a Jack in the Box kinda day.
Love this. Thanks for your comment. I do hope to take the family on a great American road trip one day.
And we like Sizzler too…I grew up going there after church on Sundays! (Acapulco or Marie Callender’s too…)
Steak.Seafood.Salad.Sizzler.
Great to hear. There is something about a family trip, including fast food and greasy spoon cafes and local tourist traps as well as breathtaking places like Yosemite and then … where the magic began in Anaheim that is better than any Lufthansa flight and German village (and I am typing this from one).
I miss Sizzler. I think the last meal I had in one was 2005 in El Segundo about a mile from LAX. It closed about five years later and there’s an In-N-Out on the site now, which I had a quick meal in last fall before a flight.
And I miss Marie’s too … used to love the salad and soup bars. I know they still exist in a few places, but the one I last dined in (Ontario) in 2016 has closed.
I used to go to Sizzler too with the family when I was a kid. Always loved the all you can eat shrimp or when they had Alaskan King Crab. Good memories.
There is such a great attitude in this blog post, and this Las Vegas report series, about the budget, the togetherness, and the flexibility of this trip. It is so nice to see this “freestyle” side of the blogger, even if there’s no plane involved, with acceptance of necessity and not having to try to fit in anything in particular.
I am very fond of buffets, even with all the health risks and nastiness, so I am delighted but also shocked that you went there.
Agree. This is a wonderful series.
A stark contrast to taking Kilometer to yet another comped PR trip to Four Seasons because General Motors ‘won a prize at work’ (as if, lol).
Texas Roadhouse is even better as you can pick your steak!! In Floria but not sure in all states..