Alone at the Buffet

Location:  40 Noble Blvd, Carlisle, PA 17013

Time:  2:36 PM
Date:  April 5, 2014

I eat out a lot by myself.  My wife and friends do not always share my taste in the latest fast food monstrosity, and are rarely interested in gorging themselves at a cheap Chinese buffet.   This blog celebrates the typical American food, cheese steaks, breakfast platters, and of course, buffets.

Once, I found one good Chinese buffet, a bright, airy place in Austin with multiple tofu dishes and a fresh ambiance.  In South-Central Pennsylvania, a mediocre buffet is top of the charts, and even that is tough to find.  Buffets traffic in quantity, constantly refilling steam tables of chicken resting in different congealed sauces. 

Super Buffet in Carlisle is my place of choice, a solid three out of five.  Spread across six islands is a motley crew of Chinese standard dishes, two salad bar, deserts, and American food, satiating fussy eaters who find Sweet & Sour Chicken too exotic.  The most consistent foods are the white rice and with crispy fried noodles.  A woman, who looks like an aged version of Jaime Pressly in ‘My Name is Earl’, makes fresh sushi rolls, but I never tried them, and have no opinion to share. 

This meal qualified as a lunch/dinner hybrid, justifying the massive amount of food.  

Plate #1

White rice, broccoli from a tofu and broccoli dish where there is rarely tofu, chicken from the chicken and broccoli, General Tso's chicken, BBQ rib tips, and crispy spicy chicken.  The crispy chicken, which is barely spicy, stays crispy thanks to no sauce, while the General Tso's is soggy, no matter the freshness.  The BBQ tips taste like mystery meat, the broccoli is fine, maintaining a crunch.

Plate #2

Fried noodles with a cup of duck sauce. 

Plate #3

More crispy spicy chicken, a chicken egg roll, teriyaki chicken on a stick, and sweet & sour chicken.  When fresh, the egg rolls are fine, if a little dense, and the duck sauce compliments the filling.  But when they sit under the heat lamps, they turn limp and unappetizing.  The chicken sticks are tough to screw up and are enjoyable, if too salty.  Sweet & sour chicken is a low point, the breading is too thick; and the sauce has a questionable top layer, and not sweet enough. 

Plate #4

Fried donuts, cream puff, chocolate pastry, and sugar nuts.  The fried donuts, rolled in white sugar, are a highlight, but this time, they were overcooked and tough.  Both the cream puff and pastry clearly come frozen, and the consistency makes up for the blandness.  The sugar nuts are great, and I could eat them for hours.