Talk about a blast from the past! No menus needed buffet style! We were in Sumter for my daughter's swim meet and drove past Shoney's. Where we're from, every Shoney's closed down years ago, so I probably hadn't eaten at one in close to 30 years. I grew up eating that breakfast buffet, so when I saw that sign, there was really only one option: MAKE THE U-TURN. We had driven about three hours, hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and rolled into Sumter around 11:30 a.m. Thankfully, they serve breakfast until 2 p.m. on Saturdays, which immediately made this place a winner in my book. The buffet itself isn't huge, but it had the classics: scrambled eggs, sausage links, pancakes, French toast, biscuits and sausage gravy, home fries, grits, fatback, little chicken bites, strawberry topping, syrup, plus a salad bar. And then there was the bacon... Apparently everybody in Sumter had the same idea we did because the bacon was GONE when we got there. We stayed about 40 minutes and never saw another batch come out. Bacon was clearly the celebrity of the buffet that morning. Thankfully, the sausage links came through! They had a slightly sweet, almost maple-sausage flavor and were really good. My wife enjoyed the salad bar too. She wasn't a fan of the beets and said they tasted a little strange, but everything else she had was good. One thing newcomers should know: the buffet line is less of a "line" and more of a choose-your-own-adventure. There didn't seem to be a clear starting point or direction, so people would jump in wherever the food they wanted happened to be. Nobody was rude about it, but if you're expecting everybody to start at one end and work their way down... abandon that dream immediately. The only real downside for us was the temperature inside. It was pushing almost 100 degrees outside, and inside felt somewhere around 78-79 degrees. It wasn't unbearable, but after coming in from that kind of heat, I was definitely hoping for that glorious restaurant AC where you need a jacket after 10 minutes. We did not get that. Service, however, was excellent. Everyone we interacted with was friendly, helpful, and welcoming even though the restaurant was pretty busy. They also appeared to allow buffet to-go orders, which I thought was pretty convenient. For two adults and one child, we were right around $55. A little higher than I remembered Shoney's being--but then again, the last time I was regularly eating here I probably wasn't the one paying the bill. Most importantly, the food tasted like I remembered it. And that was worth the stop. There are certain restaurants that instantly take you back to being a kid, and Shoney's did that for me. If you remember places like Quincy's and Ryan's, then you already know exactly the kind of nostalgia I'm talking about. Was it perfect? No. Was I hot? Yes. Did I eat entirely too much? Absolutely. Would I make that U-turn again? Without hesitation. read more

Shoney's - Outside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

See all

So lately we have been trying to come when they have the bread pudding on the buffet. They either don't have it that night or they have the very end of the dish (early in the night too). Anyway going Asian next time. Service is great as usual, the front is great, it might be the kitchen this last time. The place is all decked out in Americana and can't decide if it's too close or too far away from different. read more

...The Sunday Brunch at Shoney's is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! I always leave with a belly full because they have their most popular breakfast foods, AND some of their most popular lunch/supper foods (both with all the fixin's! It just can't get any better than that!!! I have loved Shoney's my entire life and I don't believe that there will ever be a day that I don't love it!!! read more

food good service horrible always have to remind the bar per person that this is out or can you check when more of this or that is out and they quick to get a attitude like you did something wrong for asking them to perform their job. keep the cooks fire the bar staff. what could improve customer service period. read more

Breakfast buffet was excellent. Had southern country style dining that was delicious. The liver pudding and fluffy buttery grits was amazing! Service was average. But overall was a great dining experience for breakfast. read more

Shoney's - Buttery grits with liver pudding, bacon, turkey sausage and eggs. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

Arrived on a Sunday for breakfast at 1020am. Wait was less than 10 mins. This location's buffet table is fairly small. In addition to the many booths (8) and a couple of tables, there are 3 large, round tables that can accommodate more than 4 people. The 2 tables close to buffet which could be moved for a bigger feel. It gets congested with staff seating customers & customers trying to get near and around the buffet. Food was just ok. Sixty dollars for 4 adults and 1 tween was not worth what was available. Powdered eggs were soggy due to too much milk being added. Fried apples weren't cooked through. Coffee was weak. Everyone seemed to have tolerated the French toast sticks the most. Nothing else was appealing or special on the buffet. I would suggest ordering off the menu vs paying buffet prices and not getting seconds during breakfast hours. Lastly, there was a sign outside saying "Breakfast ends at 1030am", however lunch was never set out during our visit. read more

I wanted to mention how much I appreciate the night manager here. She makes the visit so nice with a warm hug and a big smile. The food is good, fresh. The restaurant is clean. Everything meets my expectations The staff are friendly and professional. We fill well taken care of when come. Thank you! read more

The food wasn't all that eye catching but it was good. This is not a high class fancy place so I understand the assignment. I was not stopping by on the road going back home. read more

Shoney's - a man sitting at the counter - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sumter, South Carolina

The food was absolutely amazing. They have everything you can think of. Biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, salads, ice cream, pancake and waffle stations... Though it is a bit of a wait weekend mornings, I definitely think it's worth it. The waiters were attentive and served our drinks quickly. Some seating areas are a little cramped, others aren't. Definitely worth a try! read more

Good food reasonable prices. Service is usually good. Ambiance is okay it's a family friendly restaurant.

I grew up going to Shoney's and I love the Hot Fudge Cake. So when find one I try to stop and get something. Today it was the Breakfast Bar and it was great! read more

See all

I.just got my food.from them.on.my lunchboxes Sorry ass hell. They fixed me a turkey club and it's a.nice sized.sandwhich but only put.one piece of bacon on.it . Then the bacon.is broken.in.half.and one piece on a half and on the other . Pitiful..Never has this been done before and it's still charged the same price for.less of an.product.​ read more

Way too crowded. Not a lot of food selections. People were not very friendly. Long line to get food. Waitress was very inattentive but could be lack of staff. read more

Shoney's are known for their breakfast bar and breakfast potatoes! Shoney's in Sumter, SC did not disappoint. There were a variety of selections on the bar along with fried chicken and fatback. We arrived around 9:00 am and were greeted and seated as soon as we walked through the door. Our waitress was okay. She was friendly and would check-in periodically to ask if we were okay. The highlights were the manager and the individuals replenishing the bar. The manager was ensuring that the staff were checking in on tables, getting customers their checks, and she was even seating people. The breakfast bar attendants would call out what was needed on the bar and I even think she called out what was on the bar. She periodically made announcements. It may have been a little to excessive to some. We will return; overall good experience. read more

See all

Food was terrible soup was burned and awful. Service was not good. They leave the food from lunch out until dinner time and it is terrible. Will not be eating there anymore . I told the waitress and manager and they didn't do anything .ordered hamburger and fries and fries were so greasy couldn't eat. Advised waitress and she said she would get more.I said never mind.took over 30 minutes to get our food read more

Not good with seafood. But the breakfast buffet on the weekends is decent! Definitely needs to rethink their seafood!

Visiting from out of town and popped in for a quick breakfast. I have not eaten at Shoney's in over 25 years. Everything was great!!!!

Great salad bar. Good price for the buffet which has pretty good food...not much variety but its food that any picky eater would eat at least a few things from. Very nice waitress as well. read more

My family and I love Shoney's. We visited on Monday night which was wing night at the bar. What a treat! So many different flavor wings to choose from and all delicious. I started with a salad with all my favorite toppings, then quickly moved to the wings! Any flavor you could imagine and all you can eat.....and a great price! We have always come here as a family and only get greeted with warm smiles. The waitresses remember us and always comment on how big my daughter is getting each time we go in. Just all around family friendly. Now it's hard to decide if we go to Monday wing night or Thursday breakfast night. We are going to keep Shoney's in our family for years to come! read more

The bar was empty and what was left was dried out but we did have a good server . Waited for ever for someone to ring us out. Wont be back for dinner !! read more

Great food and service! I eat at this Shoney's about 3 or 4 times a month. The bar has plenty of selections plus they always have soup, a wonderful salad bar, desserts and ice cream. For the last 3 years my family has even had our Thanksgiving dinner here. I noticed there is one other 5 star review that Yelp decided was "not currently recommended" by there computer. Well, this restaurant "is currently recommended " by this human. read more

My family and I visited this lovely place for lunch a few days ago. My husband had an All American cheese burger that was made to perfection for $5.99 (you can't get a real burger anywhere for that price) and I had an Italian feast which is spaghetti with fried or grilled chicken and it was wonderful. They also have a wonderful buffet and that made it easier to feed my indecisive toddler the server was very helpful and welcoming she made us feel important. If you are ever in the area I'd definitely reccomend you stop in and experience this great place. Shoneys gets an A+ from me read more