Super Buffet

This place is out of Business, now a Mexican joint, Rey Azteca, which is worth going to.

The abbreviated version of the story? This buffet has risen from the dead more times than I care to keep track of. At one point, it was a definite one star affair with stringy, gross chicken and hardened fried rice that literally had to be scraped from the bottom of the steam pan. While I was never sickened, someone else apparently was as they were shut down for several months by the Board of Health. Eventually we found a sign up stating «new ownership» and just like that, a brand new name was slapped on the building: «Hometown Buffet.»
With a shrug of the shoulders, I gave it another go and man, for a while that go was pretty sweet. From one star to a grand four. The food had a massive improvement: everything was fresh, there were lots of new items (like a huge steak or ham for the carving and the yummy BBQ meatballs) and the dining area was nice and clean. The waitresses were always sweet and the takeout was reasonable. For a long time last spring/​early summer (2008) they were our Saturday lunch spot– we’d do our groceries next door at Walmart, have a tasty Chinese meal then go for coffee at the Barnies across the plaza. What we failed to notice however, was that while the service was great and food fresh, those waitresses looked strangely familiar. A little too familiar.
Sadly just as fast as they came, they went right back to that one star. One Saturday without warning we noticed the chicken was looking pretty terrible, the rice hard and the beef kinda smelling like a foot. I shrugged it off and gave it another chance a couple weeks later and again, same result. Boo. Later in the summer we passed by and not surprisingly, they appeared to be closed down again.
Based on the last couple times I’ve eaten here, it’s a spot to avoid. I’m feeling kind thus the two star rating. Unfortunately it seems they can definitely bring it hot when they put the effort in, but it’s questionable when and if they can keep it up. And while they were closed the last time we passed by (which was mid July or so), with their record of spontaneously reopening under different names, I would assume they’re still there, just not so super.