My dad absolutely loves Hometown Buffet. There’s one he passes often while traveling, and he stops whenever he can for a meal.
Hometown Buffet is part of Buffets, Inc., which operates several similar brands. Much of the information below likely applies to Old Country Buffet, Ryan’s, Fire Mountain, Country Buffet, and Granny’s Buffet as well.
After years of teasing him about his preference for HTB, we had an interesting conversation recently. He insisted the salad bar is good and argued you can assemble a healthier meal there than at many fast-casual restaurants. Curious, my partner and I tried it on a recent trip. After the experience, I’ll admit he’s mostly right.
The Upsell
The cheerful cashier confirmed our order and asked if we wanted the unlimited beverage option, claiming they offer over 120 varieties. I chose water, and she pressed again, asking if we were sure we didn’t want coffee or tea and reiterating the 120-plus beverages.
That number struck me as odd. They had a touchscreen soda dispenser with many drink permutations, tea, coffee, and slushies. If you count sizes and ice options as separate beverages, you might reach a large number, but it felt like marketing more than a useful fact.
The Salad Bar
The salad bar is solid though not spectacular. Besides iceberg, they had spinach and mixed greens, hard-boiled eggs, beans, corn, sliced mushrooms, beets, and several other fresh vegetables.
There are downsides. The dressings weren’t labeled and most appeared to be high in calories and sodium. On the positive side, the “Spice Market” included olive oil and three vinegars — malt, red wine, and balsamic — which are better choices for dressing.
Temptation Abounds
After making large, healthful salads we still felt slightly unsatisfied. Seeing the rest of the buffet, it was hard not to feel we were missing out — especially after paying nearly $22 for the meal. Buffets create a tricky psychological dynamic: you want to get your money’s worth, and that often pushes people toward overeating.
I went back for a second plate. The baked fish (likely tilapia) was lightly seasoned and not oily, though a bit overcooked. A spinach-based quiche was extremely salty, so I left it after one bite. I also gave in to a few popcorn shrimp.
After round two we both wanted dessert. Neither of us typically buys dessert with fast-casual meals, but once seated with the dessert options in view, we each took a single sugar cookie. The cookie was small, but the decision to take it was driven by the fact that we had already paid and it was right there.
The buffet’s psychology had worked on us. Even when the food doesn’t look exceptional, the variety and presence of so many options make it difficult not to sample. I focus heavily on healthy eating and have many resources and advantages, yet I still gave in to fried foods and cookies. If I struggle, most people will too.
So my dad is mostly right: Hometown Buffet offers healthful options and you can eat reasonably well, but it requires significant knowledge, determination, and willpower to avoid consuming large amounts of high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sodium items.
Survival Strategies
If you’re on a road trip, starving, and the choices are limited, you can still tip the odds in your favor at HTB or a similar buffet. These strategies helped us:
1. Save money and choose water instead of the unlimited beverage option. Decide this before you go through the line so you don’t need to rely on willpower later.
2. Eat a salad first. The salad bar is typically right after the cashier. Fill your plate with spinach and fresh vegetables before you view the hot foods. Avoid premade salads, which can add 200–300 calories per spoonful.
3. After your salad, drink a full glass of water and either:
3a. Leave the restaurant immediately, or
3b. Wait five minutes before returning to the buffet. Spend time talking with friends or family so your brain has time to register fullness. If you still want more, choose sensible hot-food items.
4. If you must have dessert, consider one small cookie. It’s a finite treat (around 100 calories) that can satisfy a craving without excessive indulgence.
5. As soon as you finish the cookie, leave the restaurant.
Below are recommendations based on calories and common-sense estimates for sodium. Hometown Buffet doesn’t publish full sodium data for many items, and the menu rotates, so availability varies.
Salad Bar – Better Choices
Olive Oil & Vinegar 
Avoid the premade dressings. Use a small cup, mix half olive oil with your choice of vinegar, and drizzle on greens.
Cucumbers, Mushrooms, Radishes, Red Onions, Cherry Peppers, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cherry Tomatoes, Peel & Eat Shrimp, Corn, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, Peas, Raisins, Hummus, Pickled Beets, Sunflower Seeds 
All are excellent choices to build a filling, nutritious salad.
Artichokes, Cherry Peppers, Cottage Cheese, Olives, Jalapeños, Pepperoncini, Chicken Breast, Corn Salsa 
Good options but likely higher in sodium—use sparingly.
Salad Bar – Worst Choices
Prepared salads are usually high in calories, fat, and sodium. Nutrition here is often measured per spoonful (roughly 100 grams).
Seafood Salad 
310 cal, 26g fat
Chicken Pasta Salad 
240 cal, 18g fat
Macaroni Vegetable Salad 
240 cal, 18g fat
Strawberry Whip 
230 cal, 11g sat fat, 18g total fat
Italian Pasta Salad
190 cal, 13g fat
Seven Layer Salad
190 cal, 17g fat
Broccoli Bacon Salad
180 cal, 13g fat
Creamy Pea Salad
180 cal, 15g fat
Ambrosia
160 cal, 8g sat fat, 9g total fat
Entrées – Better Choices
Entrées at HTB are usually meat-focused. Baked fish is often the best option. For poultry, choose a wing or drumstick rather than thigh or breast to save calories.
Baked Fish 
90 calories
Lightly seasoned and appeared low in fat and sodium.
Traditional Baked Chicken, Rotisserie Chicken, Roasted Jerk Chicken, Country BBQ Chicken 
80–100 calories per wing or drumstick
Oven Roasted Rotisserie Style Turkey, BBQ Beef, Kung Pao Beef, Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry, Carved Ham, Chicken Zucchini Stir-Fry 
80–100 calories per piece/spoonful
Entrées – Worst Choices
Avoid breaded or fried items and richer sauces when possible.
Hand-Breaded Fried Chicken 
310–360 calories per breast; 180–200 calories per thigh
Orange Chicken 
340 cal
Clam Strips 
320 cal
Grilled Cheese (1 sandwich) 
310 cal
BBQ Beef Ribs 
300 cal
Carved Rope Sausage (3 ounces)
270 cal
Creamy Penne Carbonara
260 cal
Shrimp Scampi
260 cal
Pizza (cheese, BBQ chicken, or pepperoni)
150–250 cal
Carved Roast Beef
230 cal
Chicken Alfredo
230 cal
Wood Seared Salmon
220 cal
Chinese Chicken Livers
200 cal
Sides – Better Choices
Green Beans, Broccoli/Cauliflower Medley, Broccoli Florets 
15–25 cal
German Boiled Cabbage, Grilled Vegetables, Seasoned Green Beans, Steamed Carrots 
Around 40 cal
Broccoli with Cheese Sauce, Cauliflower Au Gratin, Sauteed Zucchini 
About 50 cal
Vegetable Rice Pilaf, Green Cabbage, Corn on the Cob, Sweet Potatoes 
60–80 cal
Sides – Worst Choices
Cornbread Dressing 
220 cal
Fried Okra 
220 cal
Spinach Marie 
190 cal
Very high in sodium and overly salty.
Grilled Cowboy Potatoes 
180 cal
French Fries (22 fries) 
170 cal
Jo Jo Potatoes (1 tong) 
160 cal
Baked Potatoes
150 cal
Bread Dressing
150 cal
Soups – Better Choices
Soup sodium varies widely, but these are lower-calorie options per 4-ounce ladle.
Chicken Tortilla Soup, French Onion Soup
40 cal
Italian Sausage & Bean Soup, Navy Bean Soup with Ham, Vegetable Beef Soup
50 cal
Chicken Rice Soup, Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, Minestrone Soup
60 cal
Soups – Worst Choices
New England Clam Chowder 
150 cal
Potato Cheese Soup 
120 cal
Taco Bar – Better Choices
Not ideal, but some taco-bar options are better than others.
Steak Fajita
120 cal
Chicken Fajita
150 cal
Chicken Taco Meat
70 cal
Red Beans with Ham
50 cal
Pinto Beans with Bacon
70 cal
Refried Beans
80 cal
Taco Bar – Worst Choices
Enchiladas, all 
250 cal
Chicken Chilaquiles 
240 cal
King’s Ranch Chicken 
200 cal
Taco Shell Baskets
160 cal
Nacho Chips
70 cal
Breads – Better Choices
None of the breads are whole-grain, but these are lower-calorie options.
English Muffins (dry), Pumpernickel
60 cal
Garlic Bread, Loaf Bread (wheat, French, rye, white)
70 cal
Breads – Worst Choices
Some baked goods can rival a slice of cake in calories and fat.
Corn Muffin 
320 cal
Blueberry, Cranberry Walnut, Strawberry, Banana Walnut Muffins 
230–270 cal
Plain Bagel 
250 cal
Garlic Cheese Biscuit 
220 cal
Zucchini Muffin 
220 cal
Don’t assume zucchini makes it healthy—it’s still calorie-dense.
Biscuits
180 cal
Honey Cornbread, Jalapeño Cornbread
160–170 cal
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This guide highlights better choices when eating out. Choosing the healthiest available options and using simple strategies can make a buffet meal more reasonable.
denotes the best choices and 
marks the items to avoid.
Photo credit on original.