Think Twice Before Ordering Meatloaf At Golden Corral

Meatloaf is a staple of American comfort cooking, and many families have their own coveted recipe. Golden Corral is also a steadfast part of American society, serving up traditional dishes in an all-you-can-eat buffet style. It seems the two should be a match made in heaven. However, when it comes to comparing chain restaurant meatloaf, Golden Corral is frankly near the bottom for a few very good reasons. Granted, not everyone agrees the dish is terrible.

Some folks on Facebook have stated the meatloaf tends to be overcooked and dry which can make the texture absolutely horrible. Other online reviews describe the texture as mushy. Others describe the meatloaf as simply nothing to write home about, even if it's not the worst thing on the menu.

Still, many Golden Corral fans find it craveable and copycat recipes are numerous across the internet. These recipes rarely agree, though, possibly because what the meatloaf tastes like can be pretty inconsistent. The dish can vary in quality between visits even at the same restaurant, with it sometimes being delicious and other times being difficult to stomach. Sitting under a heat lamp for hours can do that to food. When you think of the best all-you-can-eat buffet chains, Golden Corral may very well be iconic, but it doesn't necessarily hold up as the most delicious dish. It's near impossible to tell what the meatloaf will be like, making the option more risky than we personally would prefer.

One shady thing about Golden Corral you ought to know is the fact it doesn't always list what's in its food. Some other restaurant chains do this, too, but when it comes to a dish like meatloaf it can be concerning. The restaurant claims it's a mixture of beef and pork, but the specifics are nowhere to be found on the website. What you will find, however, is there are two types of meatloaf listed on the company's allergen information sheet (listed as Homeward and Homeward All Beef) with no way to tell which type you're actually getting at the buffet. They have the same allergy warnings, but are a little different in their cholesterol, sodium, fat, and caloric content. It may very well be that the difference comes down to meatloaf that only contains beef versus beef and pork, but the lack of transparency makes us hesitate.

The menu does claim the meatloaf is made daily. However, the storage and cooking of Golden Corral meat has come under fire after former employees revealed they'd been paid to keep quiet about safety concerns. In one case, an employee claimed the dates on ingredients (including beef) were simply changed and used anyway until they were gone rather than being thrown out. Given the dubious reputation of its ingredients and all the unpredictability in terms of results, this is a Golden Corral buffet item you should definitely skip.