If you ask my husband, he'll tell you that I have extraordinary luck at the casinos. Unfortunately, gambling is illegal in Tennessee. Luckily, there is pack of casinos about 35 minutes outside of Memphis in Tunica, MS. In the past ten years, Tunica has become a mecca for gamblers looking for Las Vegas-style action without having to trek all the way to Nevada. Most people know that at many casinos, food is an afterthought, often given away for free as part of generous comp packages. I don't mean that the food is bad; actually, it's quite the opposite. Several casinos in Tunica have twenty-four hour buffets with many choices. However, they're all pretty much the same. If you've been to one, you've been to all of them.
Food Network's reigning queen of all things butter and mayonnaise, "Lady" Paula Deen, sought to change the monotony plaguing the casino buffets by offering her name and likeness to the newly renovated Harrah's Tunica, formerly The Grand Casino. In May of 2008, the all-new Paula Deen Buffet opened with a whirlwind of commercials and high expectations.
I have a feeling that Paula had creative control over almost every aspect of this restaurant, from the southern colonial decor to the large gift shop featuring a wide array of Paula Deen merchandise. This place is so huge that there is a map given to the diners when they enter. There are several different dining rooms, each with their own names and themes, as well as five different buffet stations- The Lady and Sons (signature comfort food such as fried chicken and southern-style vegetables), Captain Michael's Smokehouse (smoked meats like ribs and brisket), Granny Paul's Garden (the salad bar), Uncle Bubba's Oyster House (seafood), and Little Jack's Corner (desserts).
Having made several trips to The Lady and Sons in Savannah, I was really excited about the prospect of being able to get Paula Deen food so close to Memphis. The hubby and I visited the buffet on a Saturday night to grab a bite to eat before hitting the blackjack tables. Because I tend to taste a little bit of everything in a buffet setting, I'll only hit the highlights and the low points in this review.
THE GOOD: The chicken pot pie, while not as refined as the version that is served at The Lady and Sons, had great flavor, and the crust had good texture. The collard greens and boiled cabbage were well cooked (not at all mushy) and well-seasoned. The fried shrimp was flavorful and had just right amount of breading. The cheesy biscuits were light, fluffy, and a perfect accompaniment to the meal. The gooey butter cake was just as good as the one served at the Savannah restaurant.
THE BAD: The sqaush casserole was very bland, runny, and contained a large amount of bell peppers that were way under cooked. The hubby said that it was the worst squash casserole he had ever eaten. The green bean casserole was incredibly mushy and flavorless. The cheesy meatloaf had these strange crunchy bits in it, and the sauce tasted like melted Velveeta. The brisket was so tough that I couldn't chew through it. I honestly had to spit it out. The chocolate covered cream puffs were soggy, and the pastry cream was extremely gritty. The bread pudding was so hard and dry, that even a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream couldn't save it. But, the biggest disappointment had to be the macaroni and cheese (which is pretty standard as far as southern cuisine goes, and should hold up well on a buffet). However, the macaroni had no flavor, the cheese sauce had weird chunks in it, and the noodles were way over cooked, making the whole thing a mushy, soggy, mess.
Final Impressions: Our service was great, but unfortunately, a lot of the food was not. There was more bad than good, and the bad was really, really bad. With a price that exceeds the dinner buffet price at The Lady and Sons in Savannah by five dollars (when you visit on Friday or Saturday night), I expected the food to be amazing. However, upon leaving, I had to admit that the experience was at best mediocre. If you want a great southern-style buffet that is worth the price of admission, make the trek to Savannah. While I've always left The Lady and Sons feeling satisfied, I walked out of the Paula Deen Buffet extremely disappointed.
Tiffany's Favorite Part: Chicken Pot Pie and Cheesy Biscuits
Tom L's Favorite Part: Fried Shrimp
Tiffany's Rating :) :) out of :) :) :) :)
Paula Deen Buffet
13615 Old Highway 61 North
Robinsonville, MS 38664
(800) 964-4946
Breakfast Buffet Price: $8.99
Lunch Buffet Price: $10.99
Dinner Price (Monday-Thursday): $17.99
Dinner Price (Friday and Saturday): $22.99
Sunday Supper Price: $17.99
Operating Hours
Breakfast: Monday-Sunday 7:00am-10:30am
Lunch: Monday-Saturday 11:00am-3:00pm
Dinner: Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-10:00pm
Friday-Saturday 4:00pm-1:00am
Sunday Supper: 10:30am-10:00pm
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