Loudon Square Buffet

I finally made it back to Loudon Square Buffett in Lexington, KY on 5÷4÷2016. The food was as good as ever. Max still runs the place and keeps the food flowing. The place is cash only — but than again my meal was just $ 8.00! Definitely my favorite buffet anywhere. Plus, this time I took photos.

Yeah it looks like a run down place but the food is exceptional. It’s a great Hole-​in-​the-​wall resturant and for the price you just can’t beat it.

This buffet features a good selection of home-​cooked Southern entrees and sides.
Thumbs up to the Fried Chicken thigh, cole slaw and the deserts.
Building is run down pretty badly, and the neighborhood is a little sketchy, but the buffet was well-​maintained and there was plenty of helpful staff.
The price is a bargain ($ 8 for an adult, including drink). Even cheaper for kids under 9.
Off the beaten path but worth it (as long as you’re not superficial or too fancy). Adding a star for value.

Most disgusting place in Lexington to eat. Made me sick and for people that say this is real southern food. Just because it looks like something precious would eat does not make it southern food that is just straight up insulting.

Excellent fried chicken and down home fixins! I really enjoyed this place. I can’t wait to come back.

$ 8.00 cash gets you a drink and all the homestyle food you could want to eat. Fish, chicken, greens, beets, meatballs, and tons of other stuff. The place is a dive but the owner works hard to make good food and likes his customers. Don’t let the appearance of the place keep you from trying it. It stays busy so go check it out!

The food was good. reminds you of Thanksgiving. Excellent price and good quality!

I left this joint stuffed and full, but not satisfied. The food was salty and lacked flavor. Food options were decent. I’m rather surprised they had fried catfish! Their fried chicken was dry and cold, even though we came in at dinner rush. I generally enjoy comfort food, but this was not good comfort food.

Is this a soup kitchen? I paid 8 dollars to eat at a soup kitchen… I took a bite and left, my family all got very sick. :(save your pennies and go somewhere nicer for the same price.

It is what it is, a country old folks down home joint. Nothing fancy, just what country folk eat, the way theyd make it themselves. Its a hole in the wall and on occasion smells a bit like cat urine and bleach… which nearly makes sense, lol… but worth a shot if you like old style cheap grub. Your meal is $ 8 which includes tax and drink. They also make Beer Cheese which you can try off the table and you can order a Burger and Fries if say you wanted one, especially as a to go lunch. Say hello to Max!

This is a hidden gem. Good southern cooking buffet style and cheap as can be. I’ve been twice and would recommend it. There are lots of options on the buffet. It’s well worth the price and everyone is very welcoming and friendly.

This is a good place, but as others have said: «It is what it is».
What is is, is a hole in the wall, total dive joint little Southern/​Soul Food buffet in a kinda sketchy part of town. It’s a little run down, it’s a tad grimy, and it’s not exactly well polished.
That said, it’s a really good place, at a good value. It’s $ 8 (tax included) for a buffet and drink. The food is some of the most authentic Southern food you’ll get at a restaurant anywhere. It reminds me a LOT of my Grandmothers old cooking. The food is an awful lot like you got invited in to Sunday dinner with someones grandparents at a small town somewhere here in Kentucky.
Chain places like «Country Kitchen Buffet’ are trying to be the mass production knock offs of what this place is an original «mom & pop» version of.
The buffet itself is a mix of Southern/​Soul Food styles, along with various things you’d normally only see at a picnic (potato salad, pasta salad, that bright green pistachio whipped cream dessert you often see somebody bring to a picnic). They’ve got real, bona-​fide cornbread there. The fried chicken is decent, and so is the fried catfish.
The food is greasy and heavy, it’s definitely not fine dining, and it’s not exactly in line with any gourmet, locavore or organic sensibilities. Then again, neither was my Grandmother. Dining there feels like stepping back in time about 30 years (in fact, except for a single patriotic poster on the wall that is clearly post 9/​11, nothing in there at all would make you think it’s after the mid 1980’s).
Now, be warned. They don’t take credit cards, it’s cash only. Also, parking is kinda bad at lunch when the rush hits.
If you’re not from around the area, and want to see the most authentic «Southern» food out there, this is it. If you grew up eating country ham and fried catfish with turnip greens and butterbeans and ever had a nostalgic longing to have it again, it’s a good place to stop on by.

Came into town starving. Looked up chicken restaurant and found this place. We are so happy to have found it. The food is so good the food channel needs to be notified. Do not let the exterior scare you away. This is memorable food.

Its been toooooo long since I’ve been here. Home Country cooking in the middle of the city. They have a huge selection of items including my favorites of kraut and wieners, pinto beans, pickled beets and fried cornbread. It is real cornbread folks not that sugar infused excuse for cornbread. The corners of my mouth are filling with saliva right now. Good God I can barely type!!! Do get there early because parking can be a little tight at times. Its not that there isn’t enough parking, the place is just that popular.

I’ve known of and about Max’s Loudon Square Buffet for years but had never ventured in. It lives in my family’s history as the site of my parents’ wedding rehearsal dinner over 40 years ago!
Whenever I’ve heard of anyone (friend, colleague, etc) tell about Loudon Square Buffet it’s almost always in glowing terms, with the caveat of «it is what it is». What it is: Kentucky-​style southern cooking for real. $ 7.50 (includes salestax) for an «All You Care To Eat» buffet line. Like others have written, forget Golden Corral, forget Ryan’s, go here instead. Max himself, running the show for 40+ years, hustles behind the line to keep everything fresh as well as working the tables to make sure regulars and newbies alike are attended to. Aside from drinks being brought and refilled, the two folks working the floor for the Sunday after-​church crowd kept everything running smoothly, quickly clearing used dishes and bringing refills and genuinely friendly, attentive to the tasks at hand.
There’s a cold bar and a hot bar, then there’s the dessert bar. Max crams a LOT of options onto the buffet and it’s all good, fresh, and COMFORT FOOD! I couldn’t tell that it was heavily food-​service items, I’m strongly inclined to believe that most everything is made from scratch in-​house.
Of special note, to me and to others I’m sure, is that I could happily indulge in the soupbeans, the green beans, and the greengreens! No pork! I love all of these items but usually have to make them at home to ensure that no pork is used for flavoring. I couldn’t visually detect any pork in the items as presented under the lights so asked Max himself. He verified that «many folks don’t want pork in their vegetables» and said he uses margarine instead. A bit of an odd choice perhaps, but I’ll gladly take it over pork. Also note that there’s not a pork prohibition going on here, there were more than one sausagey/​hotdoggy options, so don’t sweat it!
The cornbread, too, was a treat. I usually prefer my cornbread to have that crunchy crust from cast iron cookware but Max makes his (as does the not-​too-​distant Meadowthorpe Café) as griddle cakes… flat, maybe 4 or 5 inches diameter, thicker than pancakes, little bit of a crisp crust. Very nice, and I had several since I was able to indulge in restaurant soupbeans for once!
My girlfriend pointed out, but I didn’t get a chance to try since it was always «occupied», that Max sets out on a table in the middle of the restaurant but near the buffet line, a tub of homemade beer cheese with accompanying saltine crackers! Excellent idea, especially since she says he successfully sells quantities of it to-​go. Next time I’ll be sure to sample his recipe.
Some folks may be a little disconcerted about the restaurant’s immediate surroundings but you will be fine. All manner of people are coming and going during the business hours, from construction workers to suited businesspeople, from hungover hipsters to the kindly after-​church crowd. Not a thing to worry about, folks.
So «it is what it is» and if you’re southern comfort-​food inclined you’ll enjoy it. Keep your expectations realistic and try Max’s Loudon Square Buffet instead of the franchise hog-​troughs and I wager that you’ll return sooner than later.

At first, I was not impressed with the outside of the building and was trying to convinced grandparents that we could find someplace else to eat. They wanted to check it out and good we did. I travel a great deal, so a buffet for $ 7.50 is awesome sauce. Additionally, the décor is homely, but clean. The owner is great and had a conversation with me Andy family. Nice place to visit before catching a late flight.
If you are open to having some down-​home cooking, with a mom and pop flare, check this place out!

This isn’t fine dining by any means, nor is it meant to be. Sure the furniture doesn’t match and it looks like it is from the 70’s: that is part of the experience! The food is amazing, cheap (7.50 all you can eat), and homemade. Try finding that at any of your corporate restaurants. This is a great local place that serves the community well, you are missing out if you don’t try it.

I grew up going to this family owned place and it hasn’t changed a bit! It still looks exactly the same inside and still has great food! You can’t beat the price either. Just don’t go in this place if you are snooty and expect some type of fine dining. It is old school and great homestyle food. You can’t beat the fried chicken and fish as well as the chocolate cake and the banana pudding! This will always be one of my stops when I come home to visit! It is a little piece from my childhood! FYI, they do only accept cash.

I recently discovered Loudon Square Buffet while trying to appease my parents. These are real country people who love real country food and that’s exactly what Loudon Square Buffett offers. They were not dissappointed.
The dinner buffet is only 7.50, they have a wide selection of country dishes including desserts.
You can’t beat the food or the price. Forget Golden Corral or even Ryan’s. This is the place to go.