Once again, very disappointed in the two piece chicken dinners I had them prepare for take out while I waited. First of all, I was charged for two extra sides of coleslaw and got home and only one. Lesson learned, always check the entire order before leaving. It's expensive enough as it is (Along with everything else, I get it.) But even more so to take care of the people who are spending the money at your restaurant. The chicken was mid. Sort of dry & looked like it had been sitting there for a while, I looked and actually hoped they didn't take from there but they did. My daughter thought the mashed potatoes tasted "off". I told her and she agreed definitely not enough gravy. Would've been nice to have that separate. Do better, plz. Money is tight for everyone, maybe try to go the extra mile for the ones who are willing to spend. Won't happen again here. read more

Service was below par acted like party coming in later was more important. Turkey was dry shrimp was under cooked. Rolls were hard like they were made yesterday. Bread sticks were hard enough I was afraid to try to bite into it. This place is hit or miss. Today was a big miss read more

The food is always hot, the chicken fried or the bourbon st are the best! Mac and Cheese is always a hit. Dessert you have to go for the banana pudding. The service is fast and always nice. My only note is since they have an ice cream area that needs served by staff to also have the whole deserve cack area that was as well, will prevent cakes from drying out from being pre portioned. read more

Impressive for a buffet! They had 2 tables of hot food, 2 of cold/salads and one of desserts. They had soft serve and hard ice cream. Everything we tried was very good. They came around for plates pretty frequently and checked on drink refills. The restaurant was rather smoky from the kitchen. read more

The waitress scooped my cup of ice, filled it with sprite and I saw black floaty things in it. Asked for a new one but when I saw her get the new one it had the same black floaty stuff, dirty ice or soda nozzle. If the soda is like that idk how clean the food is. I didn't each much. Left thirsty read more

First time here. Even at 2:00 p.m. the food was fresh and warm. Everything tasted great, love their broasted chicken. They have multiple food stations to choose from...I mean, whole tables of salads, desserts, american food, taco bar, etc. The employees, cooks, waitresses were awesome. The cafe is huge, but it is also a cozy environment. read more

See all

Food was good but no fish options on buffet except crab salad. They did have tarter sauce, cocktail sauce and lemon so I really looked for the fish option. read more

Saints Avenue Cafe - We never saw our server. I did here a girl w red hair tell tran several times table 5 was theirs. Never came to the table..disappointed - American Near Me - Boone, Iowa

I honestly hate this place. Plain as day that all the food is old and nasty. I would not recommend this place to anyone. The employees are also very rude, DONT COME HERE read more

This is a buffet that on first appearance looks inviting, but other than the fried chicken everything was way over salted. So much I couldn't eat anything else. The desserts were old and nasty. read more

Standard buffet fare, but the fried chicken is good. The service is very friendly and it's very clean.

The food is good, not great, but there is plenty to choose from. For a buffet it is standard fare, not overly priced but good comfort food.

Green beans where loaded with garlic, roast beef was hard as a rock probably for sitting on the buffet to long. Daughter ordered a hamburger and fries. Did not get fries had to ask. Server did apologize for that. Place is hit or miss when it comes to service and food. read more

Awesome family atmosphere and great food. The fried chicken is amazing, the mashed potatoes are great. Smashing selection of salad toppings, sliced to serve ham, and so much more. This is one of my families favorite places to go. Tables and floors are always clean and upkept, the owners and staff are perfectly friendly. Not a bad thing to say at all! read more

Overall, good food. Great service. Not many choices is Boone but they do a nice job of putting out a consistent buffet. Your cardiologist will not love that you stopped for lunch, but it's as good as mom's. read more

The food is always top notch! The owner is the sweetest lady ever and it's always so calm and quiet. Very much highly recommend. We come from Altoona every couple weeks to visit! Great job staff!!! read more

A pretty standard, low end American buffet, that is known for subpar chicken in Boone, would rather go to Pizza Ranch lol

It's a buffet and there's a fair share of variety. The food is prepared well, but could use more seasoning. I'd shy away from their attempts at Mexican, but their meat heavy dishes are fantastic, and the salad bar looked decent. The desserts are pretty stinkin good, and this is where they shine. It's a nice place if you're in Boone county and looking for a varied buffet. read more

Excellent food! Amazing variety of every entree imaginable. The service is friendly and super efficient. Can't say enough about how good everything is. read more

Saints Avenue Cafe was a very pleasant surprise. A much better experience than your typical chain buffet. Restaurant was clean and had a pleasant atmosphere. Staff was friendly and helpful. Food is very good. Vegetables on the salad bar were fresh. Some of the items looked like they were your standard pre-made items. There are two buffet tables of main dishes. A wide variety. We tried chicken noodle soup, meat loaf, beef and noodles, green beans with bacon were all homemade. Fried chicken was very good. Mashed potatoes were made from real potatoes! There were many items we didn't have room to try this trip. Tacos, spaghetti, mac and cheese, and plenty more that I can't remember. Children and adults should all be able to find something that they enjoy. No buffet is going to be "the best meal" ever. What the Saints Avenue Cafe provides is very good midwest comfort food with great taste. I recommend giving them a try. We will definitely return. read more

Saints Avenue Cafe - Very good chicken noodle soup. Nice pieces of chicken with carrots and celery. Yumm! - American Near Me - Boone, Iowa

See all

Now I know a lot of people don't like buffets, so if you don't, don't bother reading my review..ha! ha! This place was close by the motel we stayed in and so in the morning we gave it a shot on our way to the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. We thought the place was clean and organized and moderately busy. The food was all fresh and warm and servers were constantly attending to it. There were signs instructing people not to allow young children to visit the buffet unescorted which I thought was a nice touch. I get tired of seeing little hands dipping into pans of potatoes or tossing silver ware on the floor and then picking it up and putting it back with the clean...*sigh* Anyway, we though the fare was diverse and delicious. The price was reasonable but it was not inexpensive but when one considers the variety, it was a good value. I would definitely come back here again. read more

See all

This is a review on the buffet spectrum, not a review of restaurants overall. This former Golden Corral (they still have a van in back covered in Golden Corral decals, to my amusement) has done a fairly good job replicating the experience without having to pay the franchising fees. Although I was greeted immediately upon entering, there's not much guidance as to where to move. Step to your right and you'll find the cashier station. The chili on the buffet was spicier and thick, closer to a stew almost. The recipe used here was a nice change in pace from the typical chili found on many lines--soupy, thin, and without flavor. Nice punch from the cumin and chili powder. The green beans had bacon and onions in them as well. Downside is there's not much for "featured entrees". On the Monday I went, Saints Avenue feature mini cuts of sirloin. Unfortunately, most of these were cooked medium well or well done; there wasn't much pink available. They also use Sysco food service steak sauce; I didn't see any indication that other choices were available. Salad bar was uninspiring--most seemed to be prepackaged selections. Bread options on this visit included garlic toast, garlic breadsticks, and corn muffins, which I assume were to be sided with the ham and beans (I didn't sample either). Service is friendly considering the age of the employees--most appeared to be high school students.. Interesting that Boone can support this place, but there's not a homestyle buffet over in Ames. read more

We drove here because it is advertised as a golden corral. When we got in there to sit and eat noone welcomed you in they weren't even aware we didn't pay or get drinks yet. The food was horrible tasting, old dried out and lukewarm to be best not even temped correctly, needless to say the food served here made us All sick and they even tipped themselfs off our credit card without our consent. read more

I have never been so utterly disappointed at purely, downright, horrendously septic food for OVER TWENTY DOLLARS! Everything tasted like dish soap and feet. Mashed potatoes were chunky, fried food was floppy, and the pineapples were way past due. When I went to get ice cream, the lady getting ice cream reached down to grab some and her hair went straight into the ice cream flavors AND MY BOWL. The only saving grace was the bread rolls, but even those were mediocre at best. I am proud to say I will never visit that musty, health hazard, hellhole of a buffet again. The buffet was mostly empty except for a few older couples and the staff was mostly just standing around and talking to each other in the front of house. Unprofessional, expensive, and nasty. read more

We saw their billboard out on US 30 , big juicy steak and when we got there, all it is a buffet with old dry food, so we saw we could order inside for table service. We ordered a chicken sandwich, a ruben, a small pepsi my wife paid $32 for that. We sat at a table, 30 min later, the help came out an stared at us still waiting for our order. Then the hostess and waiter started laughing and pointing at us. They could have said that it was coming, but no, we must have been the butt of some joke. So we left, no one came to us at any time. I think this is a terrible place, it is where locals go when they don't have anything else to eat. I won''t be coming back and we are going to stop payment. Should have opted for the two chain fast food places instead. I will never go there again . I see other reviews that had the same terrible reviews. read more

not greeted when we came in. the food was worse than freezer meals. not worth spending 40$ for 2 people. absolutely horrible food and will never come back read more

This was formerly the Golden Corral. By all appearances, all that has changed is the name & the sign out front. Not bad, but not a step up. read more

Saints Avenue Cafe - American Near Me - Boone, Iowa

See all

There are so many things to love about Saints Ave Cafe. #1- The variety. Whether you are 8 or 80, there will be something you like to eat. #2- The food is always fresh. You can arrive 15 minutes before closing and the food is as fresh as the moment they open. #3- The staff is amazing, helpful, kind and always smiling. Once you have been there you will keep returning! read more

I have many food limitations, but this is one place I can safely eat. There is a wide selection of meats, side dishes and salads. The service is wonderful. The price is moderate and it has a lovely updated look. We LIKE this place. read more

It was great food, clean, foid presentation was perfect and price inexpensive staff was awesome!! Great place to eat I totally recommend it!!!! read more

Giving a 1 star cause I can't give a 0! We use to love this place way back when. But we moved. I was back in town last night so me and my daughter stopped for dinner. $35!!! For 2 people to eat at a buffet?? WHAT! Ok so fine... but then they have moved the buffets around in a circle cause of covid, I'm assuming, so that means you cant reach the far side very well so they left many of the spots empty so not as many choices as before. You get your drinks when you enter and pay, so we get our first plates....eat.... no waitress/waiter... there's a young kid kinda cleaning some tables maybe checking some tables. At this point I'm not sure if he is a sever or a bus boy. Then comes a young girl who goes to the table right next to us who got there about the same time. Gives that table her server card, never comes to us. I hear the girl and boy discussing who was taking which tables....still neither come over to us. So we've finished our plates and drinks...still no one has checked on us. So I head back up to the buffet and I ask someone where you pay as you come in if we can get a server to get some refills on my way back to the table. So I sit down at the table take off my mask, cause covid can't get ya at the table! And up comes the same girl from before.....she walks up to the table as I'm removing my mask puts her hands up in the air like she isn't gonna touch something and says oh did you just get here? Huh? NO I said as I point to the empty 1st plates and drinks sitting at the table. Did she really think I sat down with a new plate of food at a dirty table? Especially when there were a LOT of clean tables?? And if you get your drinks when you pay why would it be empty if I just got there? Sorry sweetie I left no tip cause there was no service! Horrible experience won't go back! read more

This is the reincarnation of Golden Corral and is quite similar to it, although the best feature of that former restaurant, the chocolate fountain dessert, is gone. The restaurant boasts a menu in addition to the buffet, but the "menu" consists of only about a half a dozen items, mostly hamburgers and steaks. (It's not a printed menu, just a couple of items on a board above the cash register.) Both my wife and I had the buffet (11 dollars plus 2 dollars for pop). The food was adequate but not great; this is basically a place where you go for quantity and variety rather than quality. Meats included on the buffet tonight included steak, chicken wings, fried chicken, bourbon chicken, spaghetti with meat sauce, and others. (I believe some items change from night to night.) Side dishes included (among others) baked potato, crispy fried potato, mashed potato, and corn. There's also salad with a variety of dressings and sides, and two kinds of bread: rolls and garlic breadsticks. Deserts included soft-serve ice cream (although I didn't notice any whipped cream or toppings), some tarts, and chocolate cake. The cake was the only thing we tried, and that looked somewhat better than it tasted. There are no descriptions of the food, and though the identity of most of the items was pretty obvious, there were some things that I couldn't figure out: my wife and I wondered, for example, whether one item was fried fish or calamari. My first piece of steak (one of the last ones in the bin) was dry and overcooked, but then a new batch came out that was really quite juicy and tasty. The chicken wings were also pretty good, and the garlic breadsticks were excellent (unfortunately, there was only one when we first came in; my wife and I split it, and then had to wait about ten minutes for the empty bin to be replenished). Bottom line: a bit overpriced, but worth a visit if you're hungry and not looking for excellent food. read more

I have enjoyed this restaurant. They are friendly and always attentive to your needs. The food is good and fresh. They have a variety of items to choose from which makes it great to take multiple people there. read more

Love their remodel! Food is great! And the price is very reasonable! We have never been disappointed eating there! It is a weekly trip for us. It's well worth the drive (:45) read more

My wife and ate here for the first time since it was taken from Golden Corrall. I'm not sure if it is privately owned, but things are definitely better than they were before. I sampled a little bit of all the proteins and did not have anything that was dried out of poorly seasoned. My wife said she would give the pot roast a 5 star rating. While there was not one particular thing that jumped out at me, all of it was very good. I was very pleased to note that the dining room was clean and cared for. The carpets even looked in good shape, which is a surprise in buffett places. I would gladly go back and bring a group of folks. I would recommend it to any family. Agree with previous that it is a little pricey, but worth it and you certainly can't expect prices stay like this is the 90's. read more

I was surprised by this place I thought it was just a family restaurant but it was a buffet. I'm not a buffet fan since they tend to be dirty and have bad food. This was NOT this way. There was great selection including lots of vegetables. There was all the comfort meats like meat loaf but there was really good local source pot roast. There was also good soup and even some Chinese dishes. There was a great dessert bar too. With soda it was $11. Service, even if it was a buffet, was good. They kept checking on us. I think it's a family run place. read more

I went to Saints Cafe on Mother's Day with my husband. Many women were eating there without their children. However EVERY OTHER woman was asked if she was a mother and given a flower EXCEPT me. I have three children. I was not asked. Not given a flower. You failed. read more

Terrible quality food. It all looked like it had been sitting there for days. Mom asked them where the fish was because they had tarter sauce and cocktail sauce out... they don't have any. read more

Very over priced buffet. Has let itself slide as far as food standard. Will not be wasting any money here. Last two times going have been very disappointed in the quality of food put out, as well as the way it is set up. read more

I was worried when I heard the Golden Corral was gone. Much to my surprise I found this had gone in its place. It's almost identical to what it used to be. I came here for lunch. Lunch plus a pop was a little over 11 dollars. A lot of choices for food, decent price, and excellent service equals 4 stars for me. read more

I would rate this place a 4.5. Let's just start with, I don't like buffets. Somehow I missed that in description. But...I do have to say this one was actually pretty good. The variety was quite amazing. There were fish fillets, Tacos, beef tips, chicken and biscuits, pot roast, broasted chicken, baked chicken, lasagna, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes and another that I don't know what they're called, cooked cabbage (which I love) carrots, spinach, corn, Brussel sprouts, 3 different kinds of soups, an amazing salad bar, (eat your heart out Ruby Tuesdays) and a dessert bar, filled with 4 different cakes: carrot, Pistachio it was green anyway, chocolate with cherry in it, and one I wasn't sure of. There were also brownies, cookies, cobbler, soft and hard serve ice cream and too many other things I can't recall. For $8.59 it's a great deal. We went in the middle of the afternoon and the food was fresh, the service was great, the atmosphere pleasant and we left satiated and full. I would give it a 5 rating, but remember I don't like buffets.' read more