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In America, Italian food is pretty popular. We know. Shocking, right? In fact, it’s hard to imagine a culinary scene in the United States without it, given how embedded it is in the national psyche (and taste), the result of successive waves of immigration throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. What’s interesting, though, is that while Italian food remains a perennial favorite, all-you-can-eat Italian buffets are slightly less common these days. To us, that’s somewhat surprising, given how buffet-friendly Italian cuisine is: This is food that’s built for sharing, and its crowd-pleasing and delicious nature makes it an ideal choice for heaping onto serving dishes and giving to the masses.
With all that said, though, Italian buffets are far from extinct — and there are still plenty of places out there doing it well. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to more unassuming locations like Camp Springs, Maryland, the best Italian buffets combine freshness, quality, and a reasonable price point, wrapped up in a cozy and friendly atmosphere. To compile our list of the best Italian buffets, we looked far and wide across the country and examined recent customer reviews and write-ups to figure out which places really shone. Get ready to chow down.
Cinzzetti’s, Kansas City
If you’re ever over in Kansas City, there’s one place you have to try. We bring you Cinzetti’s, an Italian buffet that actually has two branches, but those in the know are aware that its Overland Park location is the winner. This restaurant doesn’t do things by halves with its buffet options: With 14 stations that boast more than 60 dishes, including pastas, pizzas, salads, and desserts like cannoli, there really is something for everyone — and it does its dishes very well.
Don’t believe us? Sure, that’s fine; you’ll probably believe its customers, though. “I’ve never heard of an Italian buffet, but it blew my mind. I’m not exaggerating when I say I had four helpings of tiramisu,” said a particularly rapturous Google Review, which also stated that its gnocchi was “lights out.” We also love that they accommodate people who might not be the biggest fans of Italian cuisine, with diverse dishes that will suit almost every palate. It’s a local favorite, and at just under $23 per head for its dinner buffet, it’s reasonable to boot. Cinzetti’s, you’ve got this Italian buffet thing down.
https://www.cinzzettis.com/
7201 W 91st St, Overland Park, KS 66212
(913) 642-0101
Domenicos Italian Steak House, Monrovia, California
Craving pizza? Pasta? Chicken marsala? Italian salad? Oh, and don’t want to spend too much money on all of it? Then Domenico’s Italian Steak House is the place to be. This Monrovia-based restaurant has a lunch buffet that folks generally agree is one of the best around, so much so that people have made repeated trips in successive days to try out all the dishes. While you only have two hours to sample its buffet (it runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Mondays to Fridays), the amount of selection at Domenicos is pretty wild. Alongside the aforementioned Italian staples, you’ve also got chicken wings, beef ribs, whitefish, and a host of sides. All of it tastes good, which is quite a feat.
The best part? Each person pays under 20 bucks for their meal, which kinda feels like a steal for what you get. On top of that, Domenicos doesn’t sleep on its service standards or atmosphere during its buffet. Its staff is friendly and attentive, while its ambience is inviting, romantic, and quintessentially Italian. It’s not hard to see why people love this place.
https://www.domenicositaliansteakhouse.com/
236 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia, CA 91016
(626) 357-7975
Angelo’s Steak & Pasta, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Angelo’s Steak & Pasta is a bit of a local legend in Myrtle Beach, and has been for quite some time – and it’s all down to its awesome food. This restaurant has won more awards and recommendations than we can count, especially in the last couple of years, and it’s frequently cited as one of the best eateries in the area. We’d say that its buffet has a lot to do with that. The buffet at Angelo’s is not only a bit of a steal (it costs just $18.95 per head, or $16.95 if you’re grabbing its Early Bird Special), but it’s also excellent: The sheer amount of selection on offer is impressive, its quality is up to scratch, and it all feels like good value for money.
We also love that Angelo’s has an eye on some of the regular worries that buffet patrons can often have around cleanliness. Instead of having to pile food onto your plate yourself, it’s dished up by service staff, thereby helping you avoid any concerns around sanitation or cross-contamination. Add in good customer service and a nice atmosphere, and a short stroll down to the beach after dinner, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
https://www.angelosteakandpasta.com/
2311 S Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 626-2800
Buddy V’s Ristorante, Las Vegas
Buffets in Las Vegas are ten a penny, and there are some pretty excellent options to choose from – but they can often suffer from two issues. The first is that they’re way too expensive, and the second is that they don’t feel like they specialize in anything, resulting in patchy quality and a generally chaotic atmosphere. It’s not what you want, right?
Well, that’s not what you get at Buddy V’s Ristorante, the Italian restaurant founded and headed up by “Cake Boss” star Buddy Valastro. Instead, this eatery, located in The Venetian, focuses squarely on serving up awesome Italian food, inspired by Valastro’s family recipes. Buddy V’s Italian brunch buffet, served on a Sunday, is perhaps the pinnacle of its offer: One customer over on Google Reviews called it “the highest quality, best value buffet in Las Vegas today,” which speaks to how much people love it. For around $55 per head (an undeniable steal in Vegas), you get access to a host of tailored dishes, like porchetta sandwiches, truffle pizza, Italian sausage, chicken Parmesan, and even a carving station. Everything’s fresh, everything tastes genuinely authentic, and the atmosphere is convivial and friendly, while still having all of that Las Vegas spirit. In a city where you can get anything you want, go for a place that does one thing well.
https://www.venetianlasvegas.com/dining/restaurants/buddy-v-ristorante.html
3327 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 607-2355
Topolino, Camp Springs, Maryland
Topolino isn’t the flashiest Italian restaurant out there, but it’s the kind of red-checkered tablecloth joint that announces itself as a friendly, warm place to eat without spending too much money. Its buffet offer is perhaps the epitome of this. Running on Sundays, its brunch buffet costs $29.99 per head, and for that price, you get a pretty exceptional amount of food that you can enjoy in an unhurried environment. This buffet goes heavy on the pasta, with all of the classics that you’d expect, including carbonara, spaghetti and meatballs, and three cheese tortellini. Alongside that, though, are a host of other dishes that add that little touch of value, with blackened tilapia, shrimp, and roasted chicken nestled alongside its pizza and salads.
All of these dishes would be nothing without a good atmosphere to go alongside them, but Topolino has that nailed. This feels like the kind of place that family can come together and relax at, with the servers working hard to make sure that everyone feels welcome and enjoys their experience. Oh, and if you have kids under five, then here’s the best part: They eat free. We don’t need to be told twice.
https://topolinorestaurant.com/
6320 Old Branch Ave, Camp Springs, MD 20748
(301) 449-6160
Valentino’s Grand Italian Buffet, multiple locations
Valentino’s Grand Italian Buffet is a bit of a Nebraska institution. This chain restaurant has long been known for its extensive selection of food, with over 75 items to sample spread across eight individual stations. While it’s slowly but surely been shrinking in size and transitioning into a new service model in certain places, it still retains a lot of charm, thanks to its traditional, old-school approach to Italian cuisine. All of the classics that you expect to be here are on fine display, and for the fussy eaters in your life, it’s got a few items that are sure to go down a storm. S’mores pizza, anyone? Don’t mind if we do.
As well as this, while Valentino’s is a chain restaurant, there’s clearly still a lot of love and care put into every service day. The staff works hard to make sure that everything’s clean and that the food is fresh, and there’s a friendly atmosphere that leaves everyone with a smile on their face. This isn’t the kind of place where you should expect Michelin-star cuisine, but if you want a good meal with a lot of choice at a reasonable price, you can do far worse.
Multiple locations
La Reggia, Secaucus, New Jersey
La Reggia feels like a bit of a local spot that its regular customers want to protect – and honestly, when its buffet is this good, we get it. La Reggia, based in Secaucus, New Jersey, mixes up its buffet offer every now and again, but as of publishing, it currently runs a business lunch buffet for just $19.95 per head. For this price, you get access to pizza, antipasto, hot dishes, a pasta station, a salad bar, dessert, and fresh fruit. Sure, it’s perfect for taking your clients to, but honestly, this is a steal for pretty much anyone.
Plus, unlike a lot of other Italian buffets, La Reggia (which also operates as a regular restaurant) feels pretty fancy. It’s got a classic Italian ambience that makes your meal feel that much more special, and the service is personable and warm. Add in the fact that its food is genuinely very good — one person on Yelp stated that its buffet penne alla vodka “was one of the best I have had in a very long time” — and consistently high ratings on sites like TripAdvisor, and you know that you’re in for something good.
https://www.lareggiaus.com/
Meadowlands Plaza Hotel, 40 Wood Ave, Secaucus, NJ 07094
(201) 422-0200
Mario’s Ristorante, Galveston, Texas
Mario’s Ristorante might not have the same palatial outside as some other Italian restaurants, but you know what? It knows a thing or two about a buffet. This restaurant, which dubs itself Galveston’s oldest Italian eatery, runs a Wednesday night buffet and a lunch buffet option that locals agree is one of the best there is. This reasonably priced option, which costs around $17 per head, is a treasure trove of well-cooked dishes that exude quality. We’re talking hand-tossed pizzas, tailored pastas, seafood bisque, and meatball subs that sing with flavor. You can tell a lot about an Italian restaurant by the way that it treats its most simple dishes, too, and word on the street is that its spaghetti more than hits the spot.
The secret to Mario’s Ristorante’s success is pretty clear: The owners bring a lot of knowledge to the table. “What makes the food so good? They are 3rd-generation Italians using quality ingredients (especially olives!) for over 50 years,” said one customer on Google Reviews, who didn’t spare any time saying how excellent their experience was. “Their pride shows in their food.” There are a lot of Italian restaurants in Galveston, but we know which one we’ll be going to next time we’re in town.
https://www.getmarios.com/
2202 61st St, Galveston, TX 77551
(409) 744-2975
Methodology
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To approach this list, and to figure out which Italian buffets were the best around, we first had to make sure that the restaurants featured were actually focusing on the cuisine they promised. Genuine Italian buffets, which prioritize classic Italian dishes over newfangled fare, are somewhat difficult to come by. As such, any restaurants that felt like they were going for a wider approach, or diluting their quintessential cuisine with too many options, didn’t make the cut, and we kept the focus on places that championed traditional Italian food in buffet format.
Then, we looked at what people were saying about them. We went far and wide with our research here, looking at customer reviews and comments from Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google Reviews, but also digging deeper to look at Facebook comments and posts and YouTube vlogs. We picked restaurants that demonstrated that they had maintained their quality and had passionately positive reviews within the last 12 months, and which also felt like they balanced price, selection, and food quality well. As many Italian buffets are on the cheaper side, expecting truly gourmet food from all of them might feel a bit of an ask, but restaurants that exhibited clear care and authenticity in their food won out.
Dining and Cooking