The Embers Restaurant (Ocean City, MD) - Variety

For our final night in Ocean City, Morgan and I decided to treat ourselves to one of the area's famous all-you-can-eat buffets. We had a tough time deciding which place to go to, with our choices including The Bonfire Restaurant, The Embers Restaurant, Hall's Restaurant & Buffet, Phillip's, and many more. All the restaurants were similarly priced, and most of them had comparable menus, but after reading over a few (dozen) reviews, we finally set The Embers Restaurant as our destination.

The Embers Restaurant is conveniently located on Philadelphia Avenue, by 24th Street, and is open a majority of the week during the off-season, and daily during the on-season. Prices might seem a bit high for both their buffet and à la carte menus, but in truth, the prices are competitive to similar restaurants in the area, with a $20 buffet special available every weekend. The Embers is kept clean, well-lit, and is staffed with friendly, helpful employees. The buffet offers an almost overwhelming variety of food, from typical seafood fare, to American diner-style dishes, to freshly-made Italian pizza and pasta, and even Asian-inspired cuisine; one thing is for sure when you dine at The Embers Restaurant - you will get your money's worth. There's even a carving station that offers up prime rib, top round of beef, and ham. For those who still have room in their stomachs after all that food, The Embers also sports a full dessert bar. All the essential food groups, of course.

Me? Well, I couldn't help but sample a little bit of everything. And by "little bit," I mean I tackled this meal with the mindset of a death row inmate.



Let me start off by saying that I have eaten at my fair share of all-you-can-eat buffets: some good, some bad, some so foul that I can only imagine that the chef was attempting to capture the flavor of a make-out session with Satan's armpit; however, after trying the food offered at The Embers Restaurant, I can easily say that it ranks among my favorite buffets of all time. While not every dish was a masterpiece, the food was clearly of a higher caliber than your average smorgasbord. The pastas I tried (including one of my favorites, tortellini alfredo) were cooked to perfection, and served with a variety of bold, flavorful sauces. The fried foods I ate were not suffocating in batter, nor did they taste like they had spent too much time in the oil. The meat from the carving station practically melted in my mouth, each slice served fresh, after being cooked in its own juices. All the crab meat I tried (including some excellent Crab Imperial) embodied that perfect blend of salty-sweet seafood flavor that has established crab as one of my favorite meals of all time.

I could go on and on about the high-quality food, the great staff, and the wonderful atmosphere, but the true reason Morgan and I loved The Embers Restaurant so much was the fact that it felt like it truly represented our time in Ocean City: an eclectic collection of some of the brightest laughter and experiences life has to offer. If you're ever in the area and want an excellent way to wrap up your evening by the ocean, The Embers Restaurant is guaranteed to leave you feeling warm from head to toe - especially your stomach.

Score (out of 10): 9

Location: 2305 Philadelphia Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842
Phone Number: (410) 289-3322
Website: http://www.embers.com/

International Buffet - Variety

Note: I don't have a picture of the International Buffet's logo, nor could I find one online. If anyone out there has a picture of it or could take one for me, just shoot me an e-mail at BLongCA04@gmail.com. Much appreciated!

International Buffet is located in Greece Ridge Mall in Greece, NY, right by the Barnes & Noble Bookstore. Much like its predecessor I Eat Buffet, International Buffet is a hodgepodge of primarily Chinese food, with a smattering of Japanese, American, and other international (go figure) cuisine. Dessert, including ice cream, is also available.

For my first plate, I chose some chicken with broccoli, sesame chicken, lo mein with vegetables, and a piece of pepperoni pizza (just to give the "American" food a try).

For seconds, I got a bowl of wonton soup (not pictured), and some more lo mein with vegetables.



Let me start off by saying that I would have eaten a larger variety of food, but I somehow became quite full after what I did manage to eat (my norm is somewhere around 3 - 4 plates).

For my first plate, I found the chicken with broccoli to be quite well-prepared, albeit a little more bland than I hoped for. The sesame chicken had a great flavor, but was unfortunately somewhat softer than it was crispy, from sitting under a heating lamp for so long. The lo mein with vegetables complimented the chicken with broccoli perfectly, and absorbed the flavor of the sesame chicken quite nicely as well. The piece of "American" pepperoni pizza was unfortunately not my favorite, but that was expected; crusty cheese and a lack of sauce made it fall flat in my opinion, but those looking for a piece of more familiar food might enjoy it. The wonton soup was great: the broth wasn't too salty, and the wontons were stuffed full of hearty and flavorful meat.

The food definitely had more pros than cons, and those cons were expected; this was a buffet after all, not a five-star restaurant. But for a buffet, I gotta say it ranks up there on my list. If you're exhausted from a day shopping at the Greece Ridge Mall, the International Buffet is definitely worth checking out.

Score (out of 10): 7.5

Location: 326 Greece Ridge Center Drive, Rochester, NY 14626
Phone Number: (585) 368-9988
Website: N/A