Old Country Buffet Fills Famished Folks at Reasonable Rates

I admit it. I hate driving and I hate traffic. So, when we needed a new computer desk, groceries and were growing hungry, I decided to find a place in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. where we could do all three in the shortest amount of time and with the least driving.

The thing was, I already knew I wanted a cool desk from Big Lots. I prefer shopping at Wegmans and thought we could eat there, then shop and get the desk. But why go to a busier part of town when there is a Price Chopper and Old Country Buffet right next to Big Lots in the East End Shopping Center? Problem solved.

We arrived at Old Country Buffet at around 5:30 to find that many others had opted for an early, family-style dinner. After paying the $21.19 for two adult dinners, we managed to find a booth. That's a good thing because neither of us prefers tables in the center of restaurants. We both made a beeline for the salad bar first. I have always loved salad bars, especially when they have peas, bacon bits, sunflower seeds and Chinese noodles. Oh yeah- and anything other than iceberg lettuce. I piled on all of my favorite salad fixings, opting for romaine lettuce as a foundation. I added some cottage cheese and I was set for my first course. I also had a small cup of corn and potato chowder, which was a little bland.

After my soup and salad, I loaded up on a combination of things: meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, an enchilada, stuffing, corn and taters and gravy. Still having room, I had a third small plate of another slice of meatloaf, baked beans and another enchilada. All was pretty good. The stuffing was sweet, not sure why. The meatloaf was great; by far the best thing on the buffet. (And, perhaps even better than some diners.)

Dave took quite a few trips, too. His favorites were mashed potatoes and the macaroni and cheese. He also had the wings, which I did not, and said they were pretty tasty. The beverage selection was diverse--many kinds of soda, even Sprite Zero on tap, as well as coffee and tea. The chocolate milk is awesome. There is something about a big metal vat filled with a bag of milk. Mmm!

Overall, the concept of Old Country Buffet works for famished folks who can't decide exactly what they want for dinner: they can choose from just about anything. There are different dishes every night, but always a good selection of meats, side orders and veggies. They have dessert too, but somehow my date and I never have room.

Those with OCD may not like 'OCB'- all sorts of hands touching things. I, on the other hand, just believe that my immune system will take care of me as I indulge buffet style dining.

As for the atmosphere, it's just so-so. With high traffic to and from the buffet, there are bound to be spills, crumbs and other debris on the floor and spoons in the wrong serving pan. During our visit though, there were employees constantly cleaning and replacing fresh foods in the buffet serving area; a good sign.