These Illinois Buffets Locals Say Still Serve Like It’s The ’80s
Remember when buffets meant mountains of food, unlimited refills, and nobody counting your trips to the dessert bar?
Some Illinois restaurants haven’t gotten the memo that all-you-can-eat has changed. These beloved spots still pile plates high with classic comfort food, just like they did decades ago.
If you’re craving that nostalgic buffet experience your parents told you about, these seven gems are keeping the ’80s spirit deliciously alive.
1. Red Apple Buffet
Walking through the doors feels like stepping into a time machine powered by mashed potatoes. Red Apple Buffet hasn’t changed its recipe for success since shoulder pads were fashionable.
The steam tables groan under the weight of fried chicken, roast beef, and enough side dishes to make your grandmother weep with joy. Locals swear the mac and cheese tastes exactly like it did when they were kids sneaking extra helpings.
The salad bar still features that mysterious ambrosia salad nobody makes at home anymore. Prices remain shockingly reasonable, proving that not everything from the past needs updating when it works perfectly fine.
2. Golden Corral
This chain location refuses to modernize its approach to feeding hungry Illinoisans by the truckload. Golden Corral maintains that glorious chaos of endless choices that defined ’80s buffet culture. You’ll find everything from pot roast to pizza under one fluorescent-lit roof.
The chocolate fountain still draws kids like moths to a delicious flame. Sure, fancy restaurants serve deconstructed this and foam-topped that, but Golden Corral keeps dishing out straightforward comfort food.
No apologies, no pretensions, just good old-fashioned eating until your pants protest.
3. Player’s Buffet
Attached to a casino, Player’s Buffet understands that gamblers need fuel for those slot machines. The philosophy here is simple: eat enough to justify any losses at the blackjack table. Carved meats, seafood nights, and desserts that could cause sugar-induced hallucinations fill the counters.
Staff members carve prime rib fresh at the buffet’s carving station, offering that same classic presentation reminiscent of ’80s dining halls. Weekend crowds prove that locals haven’t forgotten where to find authentic buffet abundance. The crab legs disappear faster than your lucky streak, so arrive early and hungry.
This place serves nostalgia with a side of possibility.
4. Yoder’s Kitchen
Amish cooking hasn’t changed much since the ’80s, which makes Yoder’s Kitchen accidentally retro and intentionally delicious. Homemade noodles, fried chicken that could convert vegetarians, and pies tall enough to require engineering degrees dominate the spread. Everything tastes like someone’s grandmother made it because that’s basically the business model.
The buffet rotates with seasonal favorites but never strays from tried-and-true recipes. Locals drive considerable distances for the meatloaf alone, which speaks volumes about its legendary status.
No trendy kale salads or quinoa bowls here—just honest-to-goodness comfort food that sticks to your ribs and your memories.
5. Pearl’s Place
Soul food doesn’t follow trends, and Pearl’s Place proves it with every perfectly seasoned bite. The buffet line showcases fried catfish, collard greens, cornbread, and sweet potato casserole that could make angels weep. Recipes passed down through generations haven’t been modified for modern tastes because they were perfect from the start.
Sunday after church, the place fills with families maintaining a tradition older than most smartphones. The peach cobbler alone justifies the trip, served warm with a smile that feels genuinely welcoming.
This isn’t fusion or farm-to-table experimental—it’s authentic comfort that transcends decades beautifully.
6. Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet
Before food halls became trendy, places like Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet offered international variety under one roof. The massive space houses everything from sushi rolls to Mongolian barbecue to American classics for picky eaters. It’s cultural diplomacy served on steam tables.
Watch chefs prepare custom stir-fries while you contemplate your fourth plate strategy. The ice cream station still features those bizarre flavors like green tea and red bean that seemed so exotic back then. Families celebrate birthdays here because feeding twelve people affordably elsewhere requires a small loan.
Variety remains the delicious spice keeping this buffet relevant across generations.
7. Aurelio’s Pizza Buffet
Aurelio’s turned their legendary pizza into an all-you-can-eat experience that locals guard like a delicious secret. Lunch buffets feature rotating pizza varieties, pasta dishes, and that salad bar you’ll probably skip anyway because pizza.
The thin crust recipe hasn’t changed since disco balls were considered sophisticated lighting.
Kids still beg parents to take them here for birthdays, continuing a multigenerational tradition. The garlic bread could probably be classified as an addictive substance in some states. Sure, you could order a single pizza like a normal person, but where’s the nostalgic fun in restraint and moderation?