Business & Tech

I'm Not Going There, It's a Buffet!

Despite his aversion to this oft-maligned dining option, our royal foodie discovers a local buffet that keeps him coming back.

My 96-year-old grandfather doesn’t get out much anymore but, five years ago, when he was younger and could get out to restaurants, he LOVED the Chinese buffet at some non-descript strip mall in Brighton, Mass. There were 30 different kinds of fried foods he could feast on and never break a sweat. Luckily that gene hasn’t been passed on to me. I like fried food in moderation. It’s how I define moderation where things go awry.

There are many types of buffets in Concord to tickle your fancy—even a Chinese buffet or two–but most people work hard to avoid them because, by reputation, the food doesn’t always cut it.  Admittedly, I’m one of those people who fears what he might run into at a buffet. The love and care usually found in preparing food seems to be non-existent—it's all about quantity. While I have fond memories of the Rio, Bellagio and Paris buffets in Las Vegas, local buffets are not of their caliber.

You can find places like and , at the Sun Valley Mall, or , and that will pique someone in your party’s culinary interest, but for the most part, we choose buffets because we can’t decide on what to eat. Buffets seem to satisfy a variety of cravings. We don't go because of a specific, stellar culinary offering.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

That said, I did find one restaurant that continues to blow me away because it not only has a buffet but can stand on its own merits as a "traditional" restaurant, too. features a full menu of delicious Indian dishes that can be ordered ala carte at dinner. You can find curries, tandooris and an assortment of masalas on the menu in addition to terrific naan breads and samosas.

At lunch time, however, it’s buffet time!  (They also offer the buffet at dinner.) For $10.99 you can select a number of healthy options, like fruit and melon. (Not that I’ve selected them, but I did see them.)  I usually start with the pakoras (deep fried vegetable niblets) and samosas (deep fried vegetable fritters) as an appetizer accompanied by a spicy green dipping sauce and a tangy tamarind sauce that has a distinct sweetness to it. 

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

This is also one of the only Indian buffets I’ve seen that has doughy naan and crispy parathas breads in the buffet station.

From there it is on to some jasmine rice with the decadent Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala. These two dishes alone are worth the price of admission.  The Lamb Karai reminds me of a lamb stew with Indian spices and is also great.

If you’re not a fan of sauces, however, you can go to town on the Tandoori Chicken that is so tender, the meat falls off the bone. This is served clean without saucy accompaniments.

On my last visit, I got a little crazy and tried a couple of new things.  The chick pea—garbanzo bean—dish called Chana Masala was tasty but I would have preferred that the chick peas be cooked longer for a more delicate consistency. What really caught my attention, though, was the Palak Panner. It is a creamy spinach dish that is velvety smooth and delicious on naan. On a whim I tried my wife’s tomato soup and it would make for an awesome Bloody Meera—think Bloody Mary with Indian spicing.

Whatever you do, make sure to leave room for the Gulab Jamon. These are deep-fried dough balls dowsed in a sweet syrup that will have you going back for seconds and thirds. You won’t know why because you’ll be stuffed . . . but you won’t be able to stop eating them.

Swagat Indian Cuisine-Concord

1901 Salvio Street

925-685-2777 ‎

 

In the spirit of buffets, some other Concord Buffet restaurants to choose from:

Fresh Choice

486 Sunvalley Mall

925-671-7222 ‎

 

Todai Sushi And Seafood Buffet

476 Sun Valley Mall

925-825-6265 ‎

 

Buffet City

1400 Willow Pass Road

925-686-2288 ‎

 

China Wall Buffet

1673 Willow Pass Road

925-827-9398

 

HomeTown Buffet

2050 Diamond Boulevard, Concord, CA 94520

925-685-1886 ‎


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here