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| - Avez-vous faim? Oui, bien sur.
Are you hungry? Yes, of course.
If you are hungry and like foods from different parts of the world, decently prepared, with a lot of variety, with friendly enough service, and at reasonable prices, Buffet des Continents might be your cup of tea. If you are a food snob, move along, there's nothing to see.
Buffet des Continents is just that - a buffet and one with foods from different continents, primarily North America, Europe, and Asia. The decor is super kitsch but that's what also makes it fun. It almost feels as if one is on the "It's a Small World" ride at Disneyland, but while eating at a buffet. In the St.-Jerome location, the massive eating space cleverly has an interior column disguised as the leaning Tower of Pisa. It's tacky but hilarious. In seeing the photos for the location at Mascouche, also a far flung suburb of Montreal on the Rive Nord, the column in their large dining room is disguised as the Eiffel Tower. Note that there are 6 Buffet des Continents in Quebec. Only 2 are in the greater Montreal area, with both being on the Rive Nord (North Shore). They don't even have one in closer-in Laval which tends to have all the chain places, not to mention lots of parking at its commercial centers. The other locations are in Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Gatineau (Ottawa area), and, badda bing, Trois-Rivieres. I could see Buffet des Continents as being a "happening place" in sleepy Trois-Rivieres!
The main food types are North American, Italian, Greek, Mexican, and Asian. You can sample a little bit of this and that, or you can concentrate on the cuisines you like. Also, since they have various desserts and they are good, save some room for indulging in those. Most people appear to be getting soft drinks, coffee, or tea, which they can refill. In my case, I "stockpiled" some American, Italian, and Greek food. I like Mexican and Asian (Chinese) food, but the selection of what I found in my preferred cuisines filled up some two plates to begin with. I had salads, various meats, various pastas, souvlaki, side dishes, desserts, and coffee.
I look at the other critical reviews and wonder "WTF?" Where are you going to get all this food, which is good to very good, in a nice, clean, modern locale for less than $ 20 CDN, if I recall? It's a lot nicer than any of the buffet chains encountered in the U.S., and by a wide margin. Also, I did not see much in the way of surly service or obnoxious customers. The server was actually quite pleasant and on point. And, from observing the interactions at nearby tables, the same held true.
Are people expecting fine dining at this price? Get real! So, because it's not fine dining and because some of the dishes are simply good as opposed to great, I'm not giving Buffet des Continents 5 stars. However, because they have tasty offerings in my favorite cuisines under one roof and in a buffet format at a very fair price, I am definitely a fan.
Quatre etoiles pour Buffet des Continents!
Four stars for Buffet des Continents!
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