The Buffet Chain Restaurant That Serves Breakfast On The Weekend

You've heard of bottomless mimosas for Sunday brunch, but we prefer an endless breakfast that we can enjoy either Saturday or Sunday. That's what's on offer at Golden Corral, which bills itself as the country's top buffet restaurant. America's largest buffet, Shady Maple Smorgasbord, is in Pennsylvania, but Golden Corral is no slouch, and there's probably a location a lot closer to you. Golden Corral is ready and able to feed your whole fam-bam, and the pricing is reasonable for what you get... which is a ton of your favorite breakfast foods.

Some locations are open as early as 8 a.m., which means that you can get your munch on bright and early. Golden Corral's breakfast buffet features an omelet station with all the fixings, pancakes and waffles made to order, cut fruit, breakfast meats like bacon and sausage, fruit juices to sip alongside your morning coffee, and even desserts like Rice Krispies treat skewers and soft serve. Picky eaters and big eaters alike will find common ground here, since basically the entire pantheon of popular breakfast fare is up for grabs. The restaurant boasts options for plant-based eaters, those watching carbs, paleo diners, and those who are gluten-free, among other dietary restrictions. 

As of April 2025, there were 399 Golden Corral restaurants in the United States, with a whopping 55 of those being located in Texas. Once upon a time, however, Golden Corral was a single-location steak restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina that prided itself on serving homestyle food for a reasonable price that families could afford. Today, Golden Corral still values serving its communities, offering appreciation nights for military families, as well as its Camp Corral program for the children of sick, injured, or fallen soldiers.

Nowadays, many breakfast buffets are confined to hotel lobbies. Buffet restaurants in general have had to claw themselves back as a species from near-extinction during the COVID-19 pandemic, when folks serving themselves with the same utensils from common pans of food was understandably undesirable. Golden Corral is something of a rarity among nationwide buffet chains by offering a breakfast option, which makes it worth a visit. If you can't find a Golden Corral near your, here are 15 buffets in the US that give the chain a run for its money. Since McDonald's stopped offering all-day breakfast (but has hinted that it's coming back) it's nice to have options.