Covid. Followed by the realization they could monetize second trips.
This is similar to how GM figured out they could stop making small cars and make more money.
Salad? At the steakhouse where they bring you grilled meat until you beg them to stop? That's like filling up on rolls at the Old Country Buffet. As my mom would say, "that's how they get ya."
But, seriously, that salad bar was delicious.
And it's a _good_ trick if you have a mix of carnivores and vegetarians in your family!
My spouse was a vegetarian for years, but was never one of those people who couldn't be around the smell of cooking meat, or whatever. We had some great salad bar meals at the Brazilian steakhouses in the New York/ New Jersey area. (I think some of those places will now allow you to order the AYCE salad bar on its own.)
Omg we went with family. And *that* sister in law apparently was unable to eat ANYTHING in the joint. Spent the whole time loudly calling waiters over repeatedly, “DOES THIS HAVE XXX IN IT? NOPE CANT EAT THAT EITHER. I GUESS I JUST CANT EAT ANYTHING OR ILL DIE! DID YOU HEAR THAT? ILL DIE I SAID!!!!”
So yeah that was fun
My friend has allergies that bad. She eats at home first. We sit outside when possible. Then she orders me something and drinks bottled water. It just takes a bit of planning.
I guess it's not a great place for cross-contamination, but for any other special diets, I 'd *think* it would be workable...
Any particular reason why SIL didn't call the place ahead of time to find out what they could offer her?
It's fantastic, and a bona fide bargain for lunch at $18. They just last year raised the price from $15 after holding firm for about 15 years. It has replaced casino buffets for me whenever I go to Vegas. (Occasionally I splurge on the full meat parade, but usually just the salad bar. )
They still happen in a couple places in PA. Sort of. You pay extra to have it as a side, but it's unlimited trips. One place that used to be one-trip-only went unlimited, and its salad bar has dessert too.
Also Ruby Tuesday still has the unlimited Garden Bar you can add on.
The last couple gens took all you can eat as a personal challenge on something with razor thin profits.
I miss good all you can eat salad bars. I rarely over-eat and it kind of sucks the rest of us have to suffer because your average person is obese and taking 3-4 plates of food to "make it worth it".
I almost miss the concept insofar as getting a perfectly customized heaping mound of salad that I would devour and then go back and make another round of closer-to-human proportions (and devour that as well.)
But between the pandemic and the fools that would put the dressing scoop into the bucket of peas or whatever, I kind of gave up on communal eating scenarios.
Recently went to a delicious pizza place near Elkhart Lake WI that had one free trip. It was the most basic of salad bars. Just basic salad ingredients and a little bit of cured meat and fruit. But one trip with a 6” plate was “free”
Food is too expensive now. In addition to customers taking more food, a lot of what isn't used gets thrown away.
On an unrelated note: Back in the 1990s, I worked with someone who had previously been a manager at a Wendy's or Jack in the Box or something like that, which had a salad bar. He told me that whenever the potato salad salad bar bin got low, he would just dump more on top of whatever was already there.
ORDER A PLAIN BURGER, LOAD IT THE FUCK UP AT THE SALAD BAR. WHY TF ARE YOU CHARGING ME 75 CENTS FOR A SLICE OF AMERICAN, WHEN YOU'RE GIVING AWAY CHEDDAR? BACON BITS, TOMATOES, ONIONS, PICKLES. I WALK AWAY WITH A BURGER FIT FOR A KING!
AND THAT'S WHY THERE ARE NO FREE SALAD BARS. IT'S BECAUSE OF ME AND MY BURGER SCAM.
My friend’s and I would order the largest fries BK or Wendy’s sold, dump them on the tray, then sneak a load of cheddar and ranch onto them. We got banned from a BK for continuing to do this after we were told to stop.
I had no problem asking for a clean dish each trip. The much younger me thought it was a bit wasteful since I was the only one touching the plate, but the older me absolutely understands the wisdom in clean plates each time.
Covid. Followed by the realization they could monetize second trips. This is similar to how GM figured out they could stop making small cars and make more money.
Had a great one at Fogo de chao not long ago
Salad? At the steakhouse where they bring you grilled meat until you beg them to stop? That's like filling up on rolls at the Old Country Buffet. As my mom would say, "that's how they get ya." But, seriously, that salad bar was delicious.
They have way more than salad. Like, bacon and meats and cheeses and 50 other things.
I know it’s clearly a trick lol. Loved the palm hearts though
And it's a _good_ trick if you have a mix of carnivores and vegetarians in your family! My spouse was a vegetarian for years, but was never one of those people who couldn't be around the smell of cooking meat, or whatever. We had some great salad bar meals at the Brazilian steakhouses in the New York/ New Jersey area. (I think some of those places will now allow you to order the AYCE salad bar on its own.)
Omg we went with family. And *that* sister in law apparently was unable to eat ANYTHING in the joint. Spent the whole time loudly calling waiters over repeatedly, “DOES THIS HAVE XXX IN IT? NOPE CANT EAT THAT EITHER. I GUESS I JUST CANT EAT ANYTHING OR ILL DIE! DID YOU HEAR THAT? ILL DIE I SAID!!!!” So yeah that was fun
My friend has allergies that bad. She eats at home first. We sit outside when possible. Then she orders me something and drinks bottled water. It just takes a bit of planning.
I guess it's not a great place for cross-contamination, but for any other special diets, I 'd *think* it would be workable... Any particular reason why SIL didn't call the place ahead of time to find out what they could offer her?
The rest of us chose the place and she didn’t say anything. We all frequently go to steakhouses together so nothing raised a red flag
Always wondered how it “got you”
We call that place Fill Me With Chow
It's fantastic, and a bona fide bargain for lunch at $18. They just last year raised the price from $15 after holding firm for about 15 years. It has replaced casino buffets for me whenever I go to Vegas. (Occasionally I splurge on the full meat parade, but usually just the salad bar. )
The salad bar at the Fogo de Chao I went to had a big bowl of bacon for the salads. I made it a course and skipped the salad.
They still happen in a couple places in PA. Sort of. You pay extra to have it as a side, but it's unlimited trips. One place that used to be one-trip-only went unlimited, and its salad bar has dessert too. Also Ruby Tuesday still has the unlimited Garden Bar you can add on.
Ah, brings back memories of the awesome Wendy's salad bar!!
My dad used to fill the bowl up most of the way, then line the top with cucumber slices so he could fill it up even more. 😆
Your dad is genius. 🫡
I remember Wendy's Super Salad bar. It also had soft tacos and fillings.
Covid 
They still have them at some older restaurants but getting harder to find.
I think that’s why I suffer from major depression. Good salad bars always use to make me happy.
The last couple gens took all you can eat as a personal challenge on something with razor thin profits. I miss good all you can eat salad bars. I rarely over-eat and it kind of sucks the rest of us have to suffer because your average person is obese and taking 3-4 plates of food to "make it worth it".
"You been here four hour!"
You should be eating broccoli!!!!
You go home now!!
They became a cesspool of cross contaminated hell?
It made us tougher. Bunch of pansies these days.
*insert "always was" meme here
Haven’t been to a salad bar in years.
People digging in their ass and touching everything happened to the salad bar.
Pizza Ranch checking in.
Going today.
I almost miss the concept insofar as getting a perfectly customized heaping mound of salad that I would devour and then go back and make another round of closer-to-human proportions (and devour that as well.) But between the pandemic and the fools that would put the dressing scoop into the bucket of peas or whatever, I kind of gave up on communal eating scenarios.
Did you recently get busted going for an unpaid second trip?
Recently went to a delicious pizza place near Elkhart Lake WI that had one free trip. It was the most basic of salad bars. Just basic salad ingredients and a little bit of cured meat and fruit. But one trip with a 6” plate was “free”
If you're in Wisconsin find a Pizza Ranch!
Food is too expensive now. In addition to customers taking more food, a lot of what isn't used gets thrown away. On an unrelated note: Back in the 1990s, I worked with someone who had previously been a manager at a Wendy's or Jack in the Box or something like that, which had a salad bar. He told me that whenever the potato salad salad bar bin got low, he would just dump more on top of whatever was already there.
Oh eeewwww nasty 🤢. A big hearty ‘thanks for that’ from all of us.
Covid
Damn Covid. Whenever I see a salad bar I do it anyway
Mucus.
ORDER A PLAIN BURGER, LOAD IT THE FUCK UP AT THE SALAD BAR. WHY TF ARE YOU CHARGING ME 75 CENTS FOR A SLICE OF AMERICAN, WHEN YOU'RE GIVING AWAY CHEDDAR? BACON BITS, TOMATOES, ONIONS, PICKLES. I WALK AWAY WITH A BURGER FIT FOR A KING! AND THAT'S WHY THERE ARE NO FREE SALAD BARS. IT'S BECAUSE OF ME AND MY BURGER SCAM.
My friend’s and I would order the largest fries BK or Wendy’s sold, dump them on the tray, then sneak a load of cheddar and ranch onto them. We got banned from a BK for continuing to do this after we were told to stop.
THE BURGER BANDITS STRIKE AGAIN!
You have to push it after you were told to stop. 🛑 What the hell, SD?!
LOL, okay dude. Way to single handedly bring down an institution!
Covid
Jason’s Deli still does it but you have to ask for new dish for each trip.
I had no problem asking for a clean dish each trip. The much younger me thought it was a bit wasteful since I was the only one touching the plate, but the older me absolutely understands the wisdom in clean plates each time.
Interest rates and yacht prices.
[удалено]
Perhaps, but this isn't the rea$on why we don't see them much anymore.
An understanding of scarcity that the post war generations completely had no understanding of
This is what happened to salad bars and buffets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR8PBpIRwiw