Decided to take another couple here for the Friday night all you can eat crab special. For just under $60.00 per person you get the buffet and platters of crab legs delivered to your table by a cheerful server. We ate prime ribs, crabs legs, crab cakes ,mussels, brisket and endless deserts washed down by gallons of black coffee. Our server Bridget did a great job! Nice Xmas dinner! read more

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We had perfect service from our waitress. She was so kind and efficient. The food was pretty with the exception of the pulled pork. This is my go to at the Back 40 and it was just bad! It was near the bottom of the pan which was overdue for a refill but the worst part was it was so fatty! There was nothing but fat. It was awful! The brisket was the same way. Fatty. The salad bar appeared fresh though we had to wait for plates. The dressings were due to be refilled. The rolls were few and far between. The dessert bar was the best, as usual. read more

We declined the crab legs Friday night; but they did look good! What we had on the buffet was good except for the crab cakes and the sugar cream pie was not to my liking either! The service was good as well. Around $20 for an adult sans drink, tax, and tip, and credit card usage charge. read more

My husband and I decided to try this restaurant. Service was prompt. The bread bar had fresh buns and flavored butters. that was very good. The cheese was warm and not so good. Mac and cheese was very creamy but cold, mashed potatoes were creamy but cold and gravy was cold and had a skim of hard gravy at the top, also cold. shrimp was good but some pieces were stuck together and not cooked. My husband tried the turkey which was very tender and tasted great. The fish was cold and not good. So next thought desert would be better. lemon meringue pie the crust failed it and the merI hue was rubbery. Cherry delight was tasty but crust failed. So one more thing a margarita. ohhh no it was the worst ever. brought out a plastic champagne glass which was basically tequila and ice. It was pleasant atmosphere and one could carry on a conversation and hear each other. read more

Holy cow. The pictures don't do this place justice. The service was fabulous and the food was spectacular! The brisket melted in your mouth and the prime rib was perfect. read more

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Met up with my parents here for lunch. It was an unfortunate choice. The buffet selections are limited. The breakfast area looked sad. We got there right at 11 when they were set to open. Regardless, all of the food was cold. Soup, Mac and cheese, potatoes, everything that anyone at my table had was cold. Even so, the taste seemed off as well on many of the items. The waitress was nice and tried to help when we expressed our concerns. There was a "convenience fee" of 4% added to the receipt. If you are on the fence about trying this place, hopefully this review can sway you. It's just not worth it, you will be disappointed. read more

Prior to the pandemic, Back 40 had one of the most unique buffets with prime rib and crab legs on Friday night. Unfortunately this went away and it finally came back! We were excited to go knowing that the crab legs were no longer part of the included buffet unless you paid the higher price on Fridays which is 30 dollars more per person. We opted to go on a week day where there was less people. Personally the food was just average. I don't know if the suppliers have changed, but the prime rib was just pedestrian. I found the selection to be limited in terms of other food options. I was disappointed that they also tack on a convenience fee without telling you on your bill. Maybe there was a sign for using credit cards, but I did not see any. Unfortunately for buffets in northeast IN we are limited in options so if you like the AYCE this is one to try but don't have high expectations for the meal. read more

They were slammed but the food was always full and delicious. Our server handled our party of 8 with ease. Everyone had a great time! read more

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food was delicious but i never got a refill on my drink and the food was lowkey cold . place is really pretty tho . i would kinds recommend this place read more

It was very dirty. Food was cold. Service was ok. Definitely not worth the drive. Very expensive. Won't be returning.

During a furniture shopping trip to Berne, we decided to grab some lunch at the Back 40 Junction in Decatur, Indiana. Hadn't been there in 40 years. No, not a typo. 40. It's a straight up County Buffett with nice fresh salad bar (try the chicken salad!) hot bar with beef, meatloaf, pork, fried chicken, fish (very tasty) and great mashed potatoes and gravy (my wife's comment) along with variety of other veggies. Kudos to the Mac and cheese. Very tasty. And a very very nice dessert bar with great in house made pies along with various ice creams and cakes. Lastly a bread/cheese bar with a surprising variety of condiments such as BBQ sauce and horseradish and apple butter. Gotta love county food. Service was good. The inside is like being in a huge old barn with so much to look at and take in. Great nostalgia from the early 20th century. Only slight that was a couple dirty dishes found in the buffet line but the manager jumped on it right away. Stuff happens and not a big deal. Everything else was spotless. Well worth a destination trip. Won't break your budget. Weekend lunch was $35 for two people. Will definitely make the trip and bring more family. Gets a 5 star for nice place, good food, and great value. read more

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Food was good, the fried chicken was amazing. Mashed potatoes and corn and gravy were all on point. The noodles needed some salt and pepper but were solid. The Turkey slice was a little dry but was fine. The pot roast was really good. The salad bar was very nice and seemed fresh. The service was very nice and very attentive. The decor reminds me of the old west it's very interesting and I found it cool but my wife and daughter were not as excited about it as me. They have a great desert bar with several types of ice cream. The value at lunch was awesome and I'd recommend this place. read more

Our food was not edible. Way over cooked & dried out. Tasted and appeared to be warmed up or recooked too many times. Not just one particular food. Across the board all bad. Even the rolls...hollow and hard on the inside..reminded me of the Christmas vaca movie. We both have many good memories from eating here. This time will be our last. Our waitress was the best, tho. She was on top of her game. We appreciated her. I hope she gets her tip!! We didn't complain..we just won't comeback. Went to pay and seen a sign that stated there would be a 4% convenience fee charge applied to any cards used to pay bill. Debit or credit. who even does that? I even ran it myself‍ read more

It was our first time here and we drove from over an hour away. They have several stations- salad bar, main course, rolls/soups and desserts. Honestly, my favorite part was the rolls. They were amazingly fresh, soft and just melted in your mouth. They had regular butter, cinnamon butter and apple butter. That cinnamon butter though My next favorite station was the desserts. Soooo many desserts to choose from! I liked the coconut cream pie. Also, they served warm bread pudding with a bourbon caramel drizzle which was also great. They had a cooler with ice cream which was a hit. My least favorite station was the main course. I got ham, mashed potatoes, corn and Mac n cheese. Reminded me of thanksgiving dinner. The reason this was my least favorite was because it lacked variety. I would've liked it more if they offered additional side dishes. The waitress was very friendly. read more

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I didn't think things could get worse a couple years ago. I visited the back 40 and had a really bad experience, I was hoping it was just bad luck. No it was bad again, the waitress was extremely rude. I understand that at times you can get busy but I shouldn't be treated badly because it's busy, I don't appreciate rude behavior, the carpet still looks gross and the decor looks outdated, way outdated. I believe waiting staff should greet their guest like Han dynasty in Fort Wayne there is a cute Chinese waitress named Amanda that greets everyone with a very welcoming smile, the Caucasian male is very energetic and friendly, those are great examples on how to treat guest. When you can do that I might try coming back again. read more

Sure was not the Back 40 as I remember it from years ago. Mediocre at best. The chicken was flavorless , the brisket was so fatty it was nasty, and the prime rib was so tough you couldn't hardly cut it, let alone chew it. Nothing was worth what it cost. So sad. read more

Great food and even better is the price. Will be going back. Little ways from a larger city but worth the travel.

Nice buffet Staff was super friendly and helpful Prime rib is so much better when is fresh The first time through got one of the last pieces and it was very dry and tough The second time through I got the first piece from a new roast and it was excellent They didn't mention that the Au Jus was in a pan beneath the roast The fried chicken was the same much better the second time through the line when a fresh pan was just put on the line Overall was a very good experience I will definitely go back read more

Just grab a freezer meal and save your money! The food here is not homemade, although they want you to believe it is. This place prior to covid was awesome! But it's not worth anything now. We just went Friday night and we paid $127 and change for me and my husband. He had a soda and I had a glass of water. The ham was just a canned ham that was heated but still cold. Crab legs were so small they weren't worth the time. I tried the cajun crab legs and they were terrible. I had a discussion with 2 other gentlemen about them and they agreed that whatever they were putting on them was nasty. Everything seemed to be opened cans of food warmed up. Roast beef was so overdone and dry. I told the manager how terrible it was and her response was just "well I'm sorry". We have tried them twice now since they started serving crab legs again and we won't be back. Please save your well earned dollars! OH and don't be fooled by the whole dessert bar thing, the pies are not homemade. They are frozen pies that have been baked or just thawed out. I do have to add that our server was wonderful though. read more

I am so happy that they have bought the buffet back! The food was well seasoned and the service was excellent. I was also impressed on how much meat I was able to get out of my snow crab legs - I was able to actually get chucks of crab to dip in my melted butter that accompanied crab legs. read more

Back 40 Junction Restaurant - American Near Me - Decatur, Indiana

Stopped in last night for dinner (A Friday). Food was spot on. Prime rib seasoned and cooked perfectly, brisket was smoked well, fried chicken had a great breading, and seafood selections were yummy. Salad bar was standard and desert bar had good choices. For the price you can't beat it. Will be back. Glad to see the Back 40 back on par with its glory days. read more

This is difficult for me to write a negative review of this restaurant because I've such fond memories here. Simply put, it's not what it once was. Besides no longer having the buffet, which was what it was famous for, the restaurant itself is becoming run down and sad. We've been twice before with the new owner and was quite surprised by the salmon. It was possibly the best salmon and dill sauce I've ever had. We went a third time recently last week for a late anniversary dinner. When we first arrived we weren't sure it was open. Google says it is so we went in. First thing we noticed on this trip is that the entry way smelled strongly like urine. After waiting a few moments we were seated. Still smelled like urine. I tried the salmon a third time to make sure the first two times weren't a fluke. Turns out it was. The salmon was hard and dry. Really over cooked. The fried chicken was very dark. Crispy... but dark. It left a weird greasy feeling in your mouth after eating. Possibly old oil? The noodles and mashed potatoes finally had some flavor but was super salty. The spicy tortilla soup was the highlight! Very delicious. Wish the same could be said for the chili. It was awful! During dinner, my husband and I decided this would be our last time eating here. This really makes us sad because the food used to be so delicious and busy atmosphere. Now it's sad, smells like urine and the food is bad. Add in, this last trip gave us stomach issues and that sealed the deal to not return. read more

My family went out to eat and of course we wanted to get the crab legs, we knew they were going to be pricey. My issue with the establishment is that the crab legs were extremely dry, they were not sitting in water when they came out, and many people had complained that the crab legs were cold and mentioned it to them but they kept serving them. Am I out of some money, yes. But I won't be going back. Please speak up if your food is not meeting the standards read more

Ever since Covid. Things have changed big time at the restaurant. New owners. Prices keep going up. Now is $54.95 a person. Crab legs are not the best. Meat always stuck to the legs and prime rib is not tender at all. And it not really a buffet like before. U can only get two clusters at a time now. Waitress's are more rude and never give u a refill. They just walk by your table now until you get their attention. Covid is over and figured it would be back to normal. But not in these guys eyes. read more

They do have outdoor seating where well behaved dogs on leash are welcome. Dining outside you will need to pay for your meal before going to the buffet. I believe that if your well trained dog behaves as well as a service dog, you could bring him in and no one would complain. This was a very friendly place to dine. We did not order Crab or Prime Rib. We ate at the buffet. The selection is limited but the food was delicious and well prepared. Chelsea enjoyed meeting Jasper The Adventure dog and even followed him on his facebook page before we left. read more

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The waitresses are very nice and helpful. The food was very good at a very good price

This place is increadible! The food on the buffet has great flavor, not your typical boring buffet. I'd love to write more but lost my elite status so now you get just a simple review. Sorry.. read more

Back 40 Junction Restaurant - Home made pies.. So yummy - American Near Me - Decatur, Indiana

Tara and Crystal thank you for your wonderful service. Our experience here was so much fun and amazing! We will for sure be back!!!!

I have been here man times and I love this place it's a little crowded sometimes but that just tells you it's great food and the prices aren't bad for what you get I have never had a bad experience here and the people are out of this world I always leave a 20 dollar tip these girls work there back side off here to please you. Sam Cone read more

I called to find out about their hours and if they were serving buffet and the type of menu items. The person who answered the phone was the cook/server. She very rudely told me to go to the website. I told her I did, but I wanted to know if they served roast beef. She again very rudely and an attitude of being inconvenience by answering my call said "we are basically the same except for the roast beef and if you had gone to the website, I would have known that. I can certainly say she was a total b**** . It is not the first time this lady has been rude. When we had gone there before, every single time she cut any type of meat, she would roll her eyes at us. People like her should get out of the customer service industry because she has no People skills. read more

What a cute restaurant! Really cool decor inside and out. Great service. Friendly staff. Now to the food. Buffet was delicious and so many things to choose from surely to please everyone. We went around noon on a Sunday. They had just opened at 11 so everything was hot and fresh. To name a few things they had fried chicken, hand carved prime rib, ham, turkey (my personal fav), ribs, brisket and roast beef. Salad bar and all the fixings, soups, breads, cheeses, pickles. Hot sides like mashed potatoes, gravies, green beans, corn, carrots etc. Best of all was the dessert bar with many homemade pies (including no added sugar versions), bread pudding, cobblers, ice creams and cookies. Great find on our road trip thanks to fellow Yelpers!! read more

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Leaving this review ideally for the benefit of management and owners to give their restaurant some much needed attention. *Mostly all of the food was Luke-warm / cold. *Three separate times I was unable to get food because their were no dishes. *The dishes that did come out were obviously rushed. Dripping wet and still dirty. *Add more light. The dim mood was depressing. *Take a few table out. Our chairs were bumped by walking traffic throughout the evening. *Price - I don't normally complain about price, but the food was the classic low-quality "fake-wholesome" grandmas kitchen style. Not the meal I'd expect to get for $50 for my wife and I. read more

The food has no flavor, the staff working the kitchen service area to get your main course are extremely rude. They act as if you are taking food from their babies mouth when you tell them what you want (i.e. prime rib) . The waitress however was great, she was the only enjoyable part of my $200.00 bill. I do believe most people in this area frequent this location because there isn't many options to choose from. I would go further out to Fort Wayne or Muncie if you are looking for crab legs or prime rib. read more

food looked good. Having family coming in from out of town was wondering it I need a reservation for Saturday evening with a party of 8. But apparently they do not need the money, they wont even answer the phone to check read more

A while back, I stopped in here and found out that it is now a smorgasbord which I was disappointed about because the last time I was there with a friend of mine there was a menu and the food was fantastic and so was the service. And much to my surprise, the service was lackluster at best, the mashed potatoes were too cold to melt butter without having to add hot noodles. The buns were not fresh, the ham was the best part and it was lukewarm at best, the chicken was definitely crunchy, I think you could use the skin as a hammer. The fruit was not bad, but the meal was not worth the price I had to pay and I was very disappointed overall. I wish it was as good as it used to be because then I would want to come back. As far as a smorgasbord goes it's hands down the worst I've ever been to. read more

The Back 40 is the place to go to get your food on! The decor is extremely unique and the buffet had a great collection of home-cooked food! Price was reasonable. read more

The hostess acts like she's doing you a favor, seating you, very unfriendly. They have a woman at the meat carving station that's must be buying the meat with the small portions she served. She wasn't at the station when my wife went to get some meat, so our waitress cut the meat for my wife, and when the carving lady came back, she yelled at the waitress for serving, asking how big of a portion she gave. Understand why parking lot has been almost empty both times we've been there. Not going back. read more

I almost didn't stop here due to the bad reviews about the host/waitress and cleanliness but traveling from out of state and i decided to give it a try. i had a very different experience. everyone was super friendly, checked on us every couple of minutes. fair priced for the huge amount of food to choose from, will definitely be returning in the future read more

It used to be a decent and tasty place to eat especially with AYCE crab legs on Fridays. The Rona and new ownership have changed this. I'm not impressed and the price isn't worth the hype. read more

I grew up in Decatur but rarely ever stopped into the Back 40. I always knew it as a place you went for a 'special' meal. It has always been very well known in the area. I have been away from Decatur for almost 10 years now and my parents took my fiance and I there for a celebration dinner with them. I have always loved the feeling the place has. From the wall murals to the country store, it always feels so comforting and there is always something to look at. Our server was very friendly and made sure that we did not have any questions. She checked in on us often (but not too much). I am not exactly one for a buffet (because I eat too much) but this one offers so many good choices that it is hard to resist. There are really four different areas: Salad bar, Breads/Soups/Cheeses, Hot Dishes (veggies, potatoes, meats, starches) and Desserts. All of the food was still hot and overall, good. My favorite thing was the orange bread. I highly recommend having at least one piece. In my opinion, you can really eat your money worth here. If you go away hungry, it is your fault! As we drove home, my fiance made this comment, "We need to go to places like this more often!" We both enjoyed it. read more