Friday, June 18, 2010

Golden Corral New Feature - Babyback Ribs!

There are now two major buffet chains - Golden Corral and Buffets, Inc, which operates Old Country Buffet and what is left of Ryans. There was a time that all of the chains would have special menu features - and make a big deal about these. Only Golden Corral does this any longer. And they do it very well.

There is a new feature currently at the Golden Corral buffet restaurants across the US. The feature is babyback ribs. That is what is being advertised on television and on the posters, but this feature actually consists of a lot more and it will please barbecue fans! As with most features, this is offered for a limited time and I hope that I can get to a Golden Corral while it is still offered.

Let's start with the main feature, the babybacks. Golden Corral has taken babyback ribs and seasoned them with dry rub. Then they cook them until they fall off the bone - my sign of the best cooked ribs! Once cooked like that they are brushed with barbecue sauce and then flame-grilled. When you get the ribs you are offered three sauces to put on them yourself - more traditional barbecue sauce, sweet hickory bourbon sauce, or spicy habenero bbq sauce. Oh my! I love babybacks when they are cooked right. These sound perfect!

Another part of this feature are Kansas City Full Rack Spare Ribs. Here the ribs are seasoned with a barbecue blend and then slathered in traditional barbecue sauce and flame grilled.

If that all was not enough the feature keeps going with Hawaiian Glazed Split Pork Ribs. The same ribs that are used for the Kansas City ribs are covered in a Pineapple Dijon sauce and flame grilled. They are then hand cut and served hot.

Had enough barbecue? I hope not because there is more - North Carolina Slow Roasted Pulled Pork and Kentucky Hickory Bourbon Smoked Beef Brisket. The a whole pork roast is seasoned with a special barbecue blend and then cooked for five hours! It is then hand pulled and seasoned with the barbecue sauce that is well known in eastern North Carolina - a vinegar-based sauce. This is served up hot on the buffer server. North Carolina style barbecue is a bit different from the sweeter barbecue in other regions. But if you crave the sweeter style then go for the Brisket which is hand carved at the buffet. This brisket is first cooked until tender and then flame broiled with hickory bourbon sauce.

Of course, all great barbecue needs a great side dish and Golden Corral has added Homemade BBQ Potato Chips. What? Potato chips that don't come in a bag? Yes! Hand slice whole potatoes very thin and then fry them up. The chips are then sprinkled with BBQ seasoning. They are fresh and they are crispy! I have had homemade chips before but I have never seen them offered on a buffet.

It all sounds great and readers report that it all tastes great! This feature will not last forever. If you want to enjoy this do not wait. This is a summer time feast that is served along with all of the other Golden Corral favorites including flame grilled steak. This is the season to eat barbecue and Golden Corral lets you enjoy for very little money! AND OF COURSE, IT IS ALL YOU CAN EAT! Or perhaps we should say - all you care to eat!

1 comment:

David Deal said...

I stumbled upon the rib fest quite by accident a few weeks ago, and it was a delicious find! I found all of the rib selections to be well cooked (fall off the bone - unlike the ribs I've had at OCB) and quite tasty. I was a little confused, as there were the various rib types and flavors you mentioned available on the buffet, but then there was one type that you had to have cut up and served to you (just as they do with steaks). I hadn't been to a Golden Corral in a while, so it was also interesting to see that they now let you get your own fresh plates (rather than having to wait for them to bring them to you), which is definitely a plus. This was at the Golden Corral outside Steven's Point, Wisconsin.