12 Louisiana Buffets That Haven’t Changed Since The ’80s (And Locals Love It That Way)
I remember the first time my grandmother took me to one of those old-school Louisiana buffets where the carpet pattern looked like it had survived three decades and the steam tables gleamed under fluorescent lights.
The air was thick with the scent of fried catfish, jambalaya, and sweet cornbread—comfort layered on comfort.
Something magical happens when a restaurant refuses to chase trends and instead doubles down on what made it beloved in the first place. These buffets across Louisiana have kept their recipes, their vibe, and their soul intact since the Reagan era, serving nostalgia with every heaping plate of tradition.
1. Court of Two Sisters (Jazz Brunch Buffet) — New Orleans
Walking into this French Quarter gem feels like stepping through a time portal to when jazz brunch was just becoming a New Orleans tradition. The courtyard blooms with wisteria and fountain music while live jazz musicians serenade diners from 9:00 to 3:00 every single day.
Their Creole buffet spread reads like a greatest hits album of Louisiana cooking—gumbo, jambalaya, grillades and grits, bread pudding with whiskey sauce.
Nothing fancy or reinvented, just honest food that tastes like someone’s grandmother made it with love. The building itself dates back centuries, and the restaurant has kept that historic charm alive without trying to modernize what already works perfectly.
2. Louisiana Purchase Kitchen (All-You-Can-Eat Creole Buffet) — Metairie
Some families pass down jewelry or photo albums, but the folks running this Metairie spot have been passing down recipes and restaurant wisdom since the 1970s.
Their all-you-can-eat Creole buffet is the kind of place where regulars know exactly which day the gumbo tastes best and which server remembers how they like their sweet tea.
Every day brings the same reliable lineup: rich gumbo that sticks to your ribs, jambalaya with the perfect spice kick, fried fish with a golden crust, and bread pudding so good you’ll want seconds before you finish firsts. The menu hasn’t changed because it doesn’t need to.
3. Lagneaux’s Restaurant (King of Seafood Buffet) — Lafayette
Crowned the King of Seafood for good reason, this Lafayette institution has been feeding families since the 1960s with a buffet that celebrates everything swimming in Louisiana waters. Their lunch and dinner spreads overflow with boiled crawfish, fried catfish, shrimp étouffée, and sides that could be meals on their own.
Locals treat this place like a sacred tradition, bringing generations of family members to experience the same flavors they grew up loving.
The full menu option gives you choices, but honestly, most folks come for the buffet because why limit yourself when you can sample everything? It’s pure Cajun abundance on every plate.
4. The Market Café (Breakfast Buffet, Live Jazz Weekends) — New Orleans
Tucked in the French Market since 1982, this family-owned breakfast spot serves up morning fuel with a side of nostalgia and weekend jazz that makes your coffee taste even better. Their old-school breakfast buffet hasn’t tried to become trendy or Instagram-worthy because it’s too busy being delicious and dependable.
Eggs cooked every way imaginable, biscuits that crumble just right, grits with enough butter to make a cardiologist nervous, and bacon that crackles with flavor—this is breakfast the way it’s supposed to be.
Weekend mornings bring live jazz that drifts through the dining room, turning a simple meal into a memory you’ll carry with you.
5. Bon Temps Market Buffet at L’Auberge Casino — Baton Rouge
Good times roll hard at this Baton Rouge casino buffet, especially when weekend seafood spreads arrive piled high with all-you-can-eat snow crab legs that make you feel like royalty. Sunday brunch transforms the space into a celebration with bubbles flowing and enough food variety to satisfy every craving in your group.
The casino setting adds a little glamour to the classic buffet experience, but the food stays true to Louisiana roots with Cajun and Creole favorites alongside those coveted crab legs.
Current pricing stays fair, and the hours accommodate both early birds and late risers. It’s the kind of place where winning feels guaranteed, even if the slot machines disagree.
6. Cajun Catfish & Buffet — Ville Platte
Deep in Cajun country, this Ville Platte treasure serves up the kind of homey all-you-can-eat spread that makes you loosen your belt before you even sit down.
Fried catfish comes out golden and flaky, boiled seafood arrives perfectly seasoned, and the Cajun sides taste like recipes stolen from the best home cooks in the parish.
There’s nothing pretentious about this place—just good people serving great food in portions that prove Louisiana hospitality is alive and well. The atmosphere feels like eating at a friend’s house if that friend happened to be an incredible cook with unlimited ingredients. Locals pack the place because they know authentic when they taste it.
7. Mandarin House Chinese Buffet — Metairie
Long before fusion became fashionable, this Metairie mainstay was already blending Chinese classics with Louisiana seafood in a buffet that locals treat like a beloved time capsule.
The space itself feels frozen in the best possible way, with decor that hasn’t chased modern trends because the regulars like it exactly as it is.
Rows of steam tables offer everything from General Tso’s chicken to boiled shrimp, creating the kind of variety that keeps families coming back for decades. Current hours and prices stay posted and reasonable, proving you don’t need constant reinvention when you’ve already perfected the formula. It’s comfort food from two cultures living happily on one plate.
8. Jumbo Buffet — Kenner
Sometimes the best restaurants are the ones that skip the fancy stuff and focus entirely on filling your plate with food that makes you happy. This Kenner classic delivers exactly that—a no-frills Chinese and seafood buffet where the energy goes into the kitchen, not the decorating budget.
The selection stays impressively broad, mixing fried rice and lo mein with Louisiana seafood favorites in a combination that somehow makes perfect sense once you taste it.
Active hours and current listings prove this spot continues serving the community that’s kept it alive for decades. Locals appreciate places that know their lane and stay in it, delivering consistent quality without the unnecessary extras.
9. Ombu Buffet — Marrero
Frequent promotions and a full spread of seafood plus Chinese favorites make this Marrero buffet a smart choice for families watching their budget without sacrificing variety or flavor. The current hours stay accessible, and the menu keeps evolving just enough to stay interesting while maintaining the classics everyone comes for.
What sets this place apart is the generous approach—they pile the buffet high and keep it fresh, treating every customer like they deserve abundance.
Combining Louisiana’s seafood bounty with Chinese buffet staples creates options for even the pickiest eaters in your crew. It’s the kind of neighborhood spot that earns loyalty through consistency and value, meal after satisfying meal.
10. Peking Buffet — Opelousas
In a world where everything moves online, this Opelousas neighborhood favorite has managed to embrace technology without losing its old-school soul. Their up-to-date online ordering system makes takeout easy, but the buffet experience remains gloriously unchanged from decades past.
The listings show it running strong, serving the kind of reliable Chinese buffet food that brings comfort through familiarity. Nothing here tries too hard or pretends to be something it’s not—just honest buffet fare that satisfies cravings and fills bellies without drama.
Locals appreciate that rare combination of staying current with convenience while keeping the food and atmosphere rooted in tradition. Sometimes progress and nostalgia can coexist beautifully.
11. Peking Chinese Restaurant (Buffet) — Ruston
Regional tourism pages and local listings keep this Ruston buffet in the spotlight, proving that community support matters more than fancy marketing campaigns. Live hours and current contact information show a restaurant that stays connected to its customers and responsive to their needs.
The buffet delivers exactly what you expect from a local Chinese restaurant that’s earned its place in the community—familiar flavors, generous portions, and prices that don’t make you wince.
It’s the kind of place college students discover and then keep returning to long after graduation, bringing their own families years later. That multi-generational appeal comes from staying true to what works rather than chasing every new trend that passes through town.
12. Piccadilly Cafeteria (Cafeteria-Style Buffet Line) — Baton Rouge & Multiple Louisiana Locations
Technically not an all-you-can-eat situation, but the classic cafeteria line experience at Piccadilly locations across Louisiana captures that ’80s dining nostalgia better than almost anywhere else. The Sherwood Forest location in Baton Rouge and other spots throughout the state keep the tradition alive—sliding your tray along the line, pointing at what looks good, watching staff plate it fresh.
That cafeteria format brings back memories of school lunches elevated to their highest potential, with Southern comfort food that actually tastes like comfort.
Multiple Louisiana locations mean you’re never too far from mac and cheese, fried chicken, and vegetables cooked the old-fashioned way. It’s a piece of dining history that refuses to disappear.