What’s Happening With Buffet Restaurants?

By Judi Curry

In talking to a friend the other day, he mentioned how much he missed going to Soup Plantation for his meals.  He said that they had everything he wanted, be it for lunch or dinner.

That started me thinking about all of the various buffet restaurants we have or had in San Diego – so I thought I’d begin in our general area. This is what I found:

Fairouz Café – 3166 Midway Dr., San Diego, 92110 – 619-2250-0308

No longer has the buffet as we know it. However, they have daily specials and it is possible to order off the menu.  They open at 11:30am and close at 7:30pm.  They also do takeout and have tables outside the restaurant for “dine-in” dining.

Himalayan Palace Indian Restaurant – 3760 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego, 92110 – 619-510-4966.

They are open but do not have the buffet as such. Their menu contains Kabobs, sizzlers, meat lovers specials, Naan, Appetizers, etc.  They have outside dine-in and pick-up also.

Himalayan Yan & Yeti -6874 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92115 – 619-303-3155

They are open but no buffet. There is an extensive menu on-and your order is made to order. You can eat outside, or take-out. If you spend $30 you get a $5 credit.

Village Indian Cuisine, 9187 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, 92123; 858-874-3663

They are open from 11:00am – 9:00pm and there is a menu available for dine-in and take out.

Manna Heaven Korean BBQ – 4428 Convoy, San Diego, CA 92111, 858-278-3300

They are open for take-out and dine in. You must reserve a table on-line because space is limited.  It is still an “All You Can Eat”. They are open from 12:00pm – 10:00pm.

Jeong Won Korean BBQ – 4690 Convoy St., San Diego, CA 92111, 858-292-4670

I spoke to “Sue” when I called for information. At this time the restaurant is closed because she doesn’t have the space for outside dining. She feels that they will be opening soon. She took my name and number so she can call me when they are open. A very nice lady!

Closed Temporarily or Permanently

I found that at the present time the following buffet restaurants are either temporarily closed or closed for good.  I could not find an American buffet that was currently open. (Rather a surprise since the restaurants listed above are all foreign cuisine.)

Yummy Restaurant – 2855 Midway, San Diego, CA 92110 – temporarily closed.

Great Plaza Restaurant – 1840 Garnet Ave., San Diego, 92109 – temporarily closed

Natsumi Restaurant – 7040 Miramar Rd., San Diego, 92121 – temporarily closed

Home Town Buffet – all locations closed

Soup Plantation – all locations closed

Crown Room – Hotel Del Coronado – temporarily closed

100’s Seafood Grill – 2828 Camino del Rio S., San Diego, 92108, 619-906-4886, opens at 5:00pm – according to their advertisement the outdoor dining buffet menu is available for $28.99. It appears that they are closed on Tuesday, but open the rest of the week from 5:00-10:00pm.  (I could never make contact with anyone to confirm this.)

Sunrise Buffet, 3860 Convoy Street, San Diego, 92111, temporarily closed

Golden Corral Buffet and Grill, 390 W. Main St., El Cajon, 92020, 619-332-8396 – closed.

There are more buffet restaurants in San Diego, but it appears that these might be among the most popular and all seem to have the same fate.  If the restaurant didn’t have a menu besides the buffet originally, they are really struggling to stay open and make a living.  After talking to several of the proprietors of the restaurants that are open, the possibility of closing is still very real.

One restaurateur told me that he is down 70% over what he was before the Covid-19 virus.  He’s trying to stay open but will make a decision before the end of the year.  The situation is very, very tragic, not just for the owners of the restaurants, but for their employees also. Remember to tip when you take out food; the workers are putting their lives at risk for us.