This report will focus on the buffet at Main Street Station. I am one
of those low rollers who get the 4 free nights and $40 in food cupons
offers so I frequent the buffet quite a bit.
I find the restaurant facility itself to be very pleasant. It
resembles what I would imagine a fine garden area of New Orleans to
be. It has grand Spanish antique (real?) furniture pieces, lots of
wrought iron and artificial greenery including a tree. The floor
space is very large but feels more intimate due to its configuration
into several sections. The food service area is compact and easy to
access.
The staff is efficient and very friendly.
I will focus this report on the breakfast offerings. Serving time is
7am to 10:30 am and the price is $5.75. There is a more expensive
brunch on the weekend. (I use one of my $5 cupons and pay the
difference). The serving area is divided into stations. The salad
area has fresh and tasty fruit. The strawberries are usually very
good. There are also donuts and other sweets here as well as items
such as yogurt. For the morning adventurous try the bagels with the
cream cheese/lox spread. The next area has homemade cinnamon rolls
and a variety of pizzas. You can also get hot cereal here.
The main service area features an omelet station, which I usually
bypass due to the line. There are the usual breakfast meats, all of
which are tasty and properly cooked. An incomplete list would
include, bacon, sausage patties, corned beef hash, biscuits with
country gravy and a specialty sausage, which I do not like. Eggs come
in a variety of forms, the most unusual of which is egg foo young
with a great brown sauce. There is also at least one soup served such
as miso or won ton.
Cold drinks are served in very large glasses and the servers keep
them filled to your satisfaction. I am not a coffee drinker so I
cannot tell you how tasty your cup will be. I believe but do not
guarantee that hot chocolate can be ordered.
This is not a gourmet meal, but it is a good offering. On my personal
scale, breakfast rates an 8/10 for food quality and 9/10 on value,
setting and service. I would rate the dinner buffet lower but that is
a tale for another opinionated report. Hopefully this more detailed
commentary on the Garden Buffet at Main Street Station will allow you
to see why I formed my view of this offering.
I end this report with a challenge. For those of us who eat at a
buffet more than once (either on a single trip or on repeat trips)
what can we do to make the experience less repetitive? I will start
the ball rolling by suggesting a daily theme. For example the first
morning, I will be health conscious and stick with the fruit and
yogurt (I get extra browny points for skipping the chocolate donuts).
Here's hoping you get one of those rare $5 scratch cards and your
breakfast will be covered.