Walking into this place, I immediately knew I was walking into a relaxed Southern atmosphere. The walls where covered with a shade of yellow wood panels festooned with random memorabilia crap that someone found a space and decided to hammer a nail to hang it. Some call in ole country chic, I call it beyond tacky and quite frankly, a useless distraction.
You have to go through a double-laned cash register channel before you get to the buffet. Sardonically, it reminded me of how pigs are probably queued before they pay they meet their maker. The entrance winds into a narrow hallway that wraps around the parameter of the restaurant and opens up in the middle of the restaurant to- tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and honey for sale (all at pretty reasonable prices).
I could tell by this sales structure that they either a) may have been overwhelmed by large crowds b) may have experienced people that didn't pay on their way out c) needed to figure out a way so that a hostess doesn't have the headache to find you a table or d) all of the above. I think there could have been a smoother, classier way to handle this but it did bring about a burning question- if the food is purportedly good, why relegate customers to this?
It was rush hour and I had to forage for a table before food. I had to mark my territory with an empty plate before heading to the buffet. It was every man for himself. It's funny when you're the paying customer and you have to fend for things. After being initiated into all things Ole Times, I sat down to eat. The food was surprisingly tasty. And that's the only reason why this restaurant made it on to my blog. Everything seemed to have been freshly readied and maintained. There was a cold buffet bar with salads, dressings, and toppings as well as a long warm buffet island with fried chicken, various kinds of prepared beans, fried catfish (on the bone and filleted), smoked sausage, smoked ribs, and bbq pulled chicken among other things.
Let me tell you about the vegetables- they were simply prepared but yet so flavorful. I couldn't help but notice smoked ham hocks bobbing in most of them. Though some many find it revulsing, I actually liked that they didn't shy away from where their flavor profiles were hailing. I enjoyed the collard greens and the stewed cabbage- both of which were not cooked to death but were soft enough for nuanced texture while still imparting their juicy earthiness. The mashed potatoes were perfectly fluffy and salted. All in all, the first plate really rejuvenated the lunch experience. What can I say?When food is good, you stop griping and you start paying attention to what's in front of you.
The fried catfish fillets were so perfectly done. A perfect cornmeal coating gave the right amount of crunch before my teeth sunk into some of the moistest fish meat that I have had in years. Matter of fact as soon as I had it, my mouth screamed for more even though I wasn't particularly hungry. This was the only item that I went back for seconds. Speaking of fried, you probably are wondering by now how the fried chicken was. Yes, I'll admit it- I'm a fried chicken snob. But this restaurant's was quite good. It doesn't take the first place prize of the most amazing crispy skin of my dreams, but the meat was moist and the batter-to-meat ratio was nearly exact to what I always look for. And speaking of chicken the Smoked Chicken and BBQ Pulled Chicken were really good. The smoked chicken had a great rub with a very evident smoke ring that showed the penetration of the flavors into the meat that only happen skillfully. The meat was moist when I broke into it and the skin had a good char that made the palate happy. I loved the BBQ Pulled Chicken rendition- it was sweet with an addictive meat-to-sauce proportion.
The smoked sausage needed some added dimension. It was too Plain Jane and unlike the fried catfish, I did want this meat to have been elevated somehow with added spices during it's preparation. On the other hand, the ribs were dry but spiced well. The smoke muted and married the ingredients almost too well and I couldn't discern if cumin, paprika, or sugar were the leading ingredients for the rub. I could have preferred some more heat on the ribs but looking around the dinning room, I think the rub mix was neutral enough for everyone to enjoy. Similarly, the Mac-N-Cheese was okay and probably more for the kids who lust for it's cheese sauce than for adults who want a bright cheddar flavor to come through. However, the spaghetti and meat sauce was very tasty and delicious. It had been a while since I had last tried this classic dish so it was a welcomed surprise to see it on their buffet.
What I understood from this experience is that this restaurant understands good southern food. Southern food tastes best with few ingredients but cooked with a higher skill set so the flavors speak for what home cookers cannot pull of. I also enjoyed the service here. The server was friendly and the employees replenishing the buffet line were more than helpful when some standard questions were thrown at them. I even was brazen enough to ask the attendant about the spices that were smothered on the smoked chicken and he offered to bring the chef out to describe his preparation for me. The attendant went on to say that each cook has their own particular vegetable that they like to prepare in a certain way- which means, if you go there, you may not get the exact product that I got. Yes, in a way, that's job security. But in another way, the freedom that the chain gives for the cooks to pour their love into their signature side dishes can only benefit the customer by ensuring a quality product is presented.Ole Times has been in business for over 8 years now. They have several outlets in South Georgia including sister restaurant chains by the names of Mama June's and Smok'n Pig.
Additionally, there are some quirks to this place- they have a separate counter for fried pork skins, a soft-serve machine (if this is by popular demand, tell those people to go somewhere else), and pies for dessert that are pre-sliced into tiny slivers and then served on styrofoam plates (while everything else is not).
IN A NUTSHELL: For less than $9 per person for lunch, I can see why there was a crowd. The food is good. I just wish they would explore different options of corralling the masses while still retaining it's casual dining experience. Regardless, it's worth the awkward pay-up-front-Golden-Corral experience because some of the food was indeed yummy. You don't want to take someone here for a first date- it's way to casual for that. But you do want to take your long time partner when food in the fridge is running low and you need a low cost, but delicious restaurant to go to. Do try the fried catfish, smoked chicken, and BBQ pulled chicken. I realize that with the masses, price is king. But I do want Ole Times Country Buffet to understand that they have a better food product than most in their league- and that deserves a higher platform for in my book.
The fried catfish fillets were so perfectly done. A perfect cornmeal coating gave the right amount of crunch before my teeth sunk into some of the moistest fish meat that I have had in years. Matter of fact as soon as I had it, my mouth screamed for more even though I wasn't particularly hungry. This was the only item that I went back for seconds. Speaking of fried, you probably are wondering by now how the fried chicken was. Yes, I'll admit it- I'm a fried chicken snob. But this restaurant's was quite good. It doesn't take the first place prize of the most amazing crispy skin of my dreams, but the meat was moist and the batter-to-meat ratio was nearly exact to what I always look for. And speaking of chicken the Smoked Chicken and BBQ Pulled Chicken were really good. The smoked chicken had a great rub with a very evident smoke ring that showed the penetration of the flavors into the meat that only happen skillfully. The meat was moist when I broke into it and the skin had a good char that made the palate happy. I loved the BBQ Pulled Chicken rendition- it was sweet with an addictive meat-to-sauce proportion.
The smoked sausage needed some added dimension. It was too Plain Jane and unlike the fried catfish, I did want this meat to have been elevated somehow with added spices during it's preparation. On the other hand, the ribs were dry but spiced well. The smoke muted and married the ingredients almost too well and I couldn't discern if cumin, paprika, or sugar were the leading ingredients for the rub. I could have preferred some more heat on the ribs but looking around the dinning room, I think the rub mix was neutral enough for everyone to enjoy. Similarly, the Mac-N-Cheese was okay and probably more for the kids who lust for it's cheese sauce than for adults who want a bright cheddar flavor to come through. However, the spaghetti and meat sauce was very tasty and delicious. It had been a while since I had last tried this classic dish so it was a welcomed surprise to see it on their buffet.
What I understood from this experience is that this restaurant understands good southern food. Southern food tastes best with few ingredients but cooked with a higher skill set so the flavors speak for what home cookers cannot pull of. I also enjoyed the service here. The server was friendly and the employees replenishing the buffet line were more than helpful when some standard questions were thrown at them. I even was brazen enough to ask the attendant about the spices that were smothered on the smoked chicken and he offered to bring the chef out to describe his preparation for me. The attendant went on to say that each cook has their own particular vegetable that they like to prepare in a certain way- which means, if you go there, you may not get the exact product that I got. Yes, in a way, that's job security. But in another way, the freedom that the chain gives for the cooks to pour their love into their signature side dishes can only benefit the customer by ensuring a quality product is presented.Ole Times has been in business for over 8 years now. They have several outlets in South Georgia including sister restaurant chains by the names of Mama June's and Smok'n Pig.
Additionally, there are some quirks to this place- they have a separate counter for fried pork skins, a soft-serve machine (if this is by popular demand, tell those people to go somewhere else), and pies for dessert that are pre-sliced into tiny slivers and then served on styrofoam plates (while everything else is not).
IN A NUTSHELL: For less than $9 per person for lunch, I can see why there was a crowd. The food is good. I just wish they would explore different options of corralling the masses while still retaining it's casual dining experience. Regardless, it's worth the awkward pay-up-front-Golden-Corral experience because some of the food was indeed yummy. You don't want to take someone here for a first date- it's way to casual for that. But you do want to take your long time partner when food in the fridge is running low and you need a low cost, but delicious restaurant to go to. Do try the fried catfish, smoked chicken, and BBQ pulled chicken. I realize that with the masses, price is king. But I do want Ole Times Country Buffet to understand that they have a better food product than most in their league- and that deserves a higher platform for in my book.
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