The Buffet Line Mistake That Could Ruin Your Appetite Fast

Buffets have earned their place in the American restaurant scene, with hard-to-beat deals for diners who prioritize a good quantity of food. But if you want to get the most out of your experience, you want to make sure you eat smart so you can eat a lot. And one common mistake could set you off on the wrong foot.

Buffets often concentrate their inexpensive yet filling dishes toward the front of the line. From the restaurant's perspective, it makes sense. Diners arrive quite hungry and, excited by the first few things they see, over-serve themselves on such dishes before exploring the rest of the buffet.

It's ultimately a matter of money. Guests who get more of these foods tend to get less of the more complicated, and thus expensive, dishes further down the line. Restaurants often run on thin margins, and buffets are no exception, so keeping food costs down helps them survive challenging markets. But if you get too much of the cheap stuff, you might deny yourself the actual good food.

It may not seem like it from many such restaurants today, but the origins of the buffet are surprisingly classy. It extends from a centuries-old Swedish feasting tradition called a smörgåsbord, which was also a large table full of self-serve dishes. But, unlike today's buffets, foods on a smörgåsbord are traditionally meant to be eaten in a certain order. Modern society may have dispensed of that rule, but the wisdom behind it is still worth listening to.

Thinking about your meal beforehand is also key to a professional eater's buffet-conquering strategy. Filling items near the front may be attractive, but they're a distraction. To successfully feast through the entire meal, start with lighter fare and choose your heavier dishes to savor later.

However, if you simply want to eat what you want at a buffet without making it into a game of strategy, that is also valid. Maybe the bread and Caesar salad really are that good. But whatever your buffet strategy or lack thereof, don't break the basic hygiene rule of a buffet and reuse your dirty plate. Always bring a clean one up to the line, without exception.