John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints
|
Family Steakhouse Restaurants in the USA and Canada
Introduction
Many of the family steak restaurant chains in the USA have the following features in common:
- The "semi-cafeteria" system is used. On entering you line up at the counter and collect your drink, soup bowl and salad plate (if desired), and place your order. You then find a table. After a suitable delay a waitress then brings up your main course and keeps your drinks topped up. You help yourself to soup, salad and dessert from various food bars. You usually pay on entry, sometimes on exit.
- Instead of a steak you can usually choose chicken or seafood or the serve-yourself salad bar (which often also includes non-salad items as well) as your main meal. The latter option means that many of the steak restaurant chains offer a similar arrangement to the true buffet chains. Alternatively, you can opt for the salad bar to accompany your main dish if you wish (in which case you need to be mighty hungry).
- Endless free soft drink refills are offered.
- The word "family" in the name indicates that the restaurant is not licensed and this in turn usually implies that prices are extremely reasonable. These establishments are very popular, especially on Friday evenings.
- Several of the family steak restaurant chains offer serve-yourself buffet breakfasts. Providing you have sufficient hunger and time these can be very good value for money. For example, the Sizzler chain were offering a buffet breakfast for $3.99 in November 2000.
Golden Corral
The Golden Corral chain of family steak restaurants is extremely highly
recommended, with excellent food, low prices, good service and a good family atmosphere. Golden Corral's tend to receive considerable patronage from local people.
Some Golden Corral Prices (June 1996)
12oz Ribeye Steak (plus baked potato, fries or rice) $7.99
8oz Ribeye Steak (plus baked potato, fries or rice) $6.59
Buffet (serve-yourself soup, salad, dessert, etc.) with meal $1.99
Soft drink with unlimited refills $0.99
Senior citizen discount 50c per customer
Ryan's
Ryan's are very similar in concept and pricing to the Golden Corral, and equally highly recommended. They have locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Some Ryan's Prices (June 1997)
Large sirloin (plus baked potato or fries, and unlimited dessert) $5.99
Petite sirloin (plus baked potato or fries, and unlimited dessert) $4.19
Soft drink with unlimited refills $0.99
Ryan's Locations List
Western Sizzlin'
Western Sizzlin' are very similar in concept and pricing to the Golden Corral, and equally highly recommended. This chain only operates in the East.
Some Western Sizzlin' Prices (Summer 1997)
Large sirloin (estimated by us as being at least 12oz) (plus baked potato or fries, and unlimited dessert) $7.79
Regular sirloin (estimated by us as being at least 8oz) (plus baked potato or fries, and unlimited dessert) $5.49
Soft drink with unlimited refills $1.19
Bonanza and Ponderosa
The Bonanza and Ponderosa steak restaurant chains are also recommended, though I personally would rate them as not quite so good as the other chains mentioned on this page.
Restaurants
Home | States/Provinces | Subjects
As with all the other pages on this personal web site, all the information on this page is solely the opinion of the author, who has no connection whatsoever with any of the companies and organisations mentioned other than as an actual or potential customer.
About this personal web site JohnCletheroe
EMail me
Most recently modified 10-Aug-04