At some unnoted moment in the past, a brave restaurant owner took a chance and let starving patrons eat all they could for a single fee.
The scheme proved successful, and buffets soon saturated the dining world, fattening restaurant owner’s wallets and eaters’ bellies.
There are no limitations to what kind of foods can be found at the many buffets in Baton Rouge.
But, before dining at a buffet, one must know that buffets are to obesity as staring at the sun is to blindness.
However, buffets can be a healthy place to dine if the one uses good judgment when selecting portion size — but that sort of defeats the purpose of the buffet.
Dominating the buffet niche is the Chinese buffet.
Loaded with meats, vegetables and a variety of fried foods, the Chinese buffet is the preferred stop for many buffet-goers.
Located just a stone’s throw away from its previous location, the Great Wall Chinese restaurant on College Drive is one of the most popular buffets in town.
With several dozen quality dishes to choose from, patrons at Great Wall are sure to get their money’s worth.
The new Great Wall has the same atmosphere and interior design as the old one, but it is a little smaller.
The menu has stayed the same and is still loaded with standard Chinese dishes, such as lo mein, Mongolian beef, fried rice and sesame chicken.
One of the best aspects of eating at Great Wall is the price — just $8 for a buffet and a drink.
Cliff Courville, a biochemistry senior and buffet connoisseur, said Great Wall has his favorite buffet.
“There is a lot of each type of food and nothing ever runs out,” Courville said. “It also has a great variety and tastes good.”
Another popular buffet is the Italian-style buffet.
Sicily’s, located off of Siegen Lane, is an excellent place to satisfy your Italian cravings.
A buffet and drink at Sicily’s costs about $10 and includes all of the common Italian dishes.
Aside from all-you-can-eat pizza, the restaurant has other delicious items, such as thick lasagna and pastas with several creamy sauces to choose from.
There is also a small section containing a few American items, like fried chicken and mashed potatoes.
The dessert bar at Sicily’s has an excellent selection of cakes, puddings, cookies and dessert pizzas.
“The best thing about Sicily’s is the guy who makes the steaks,” Courville said. “It makes the buffet feel more like a fresh meal, as opposed to a bunch of food that’s been sitting out for a while.”  
If you have a less worldly taste for food and prefer the standard meat-and-potato- style buffet, then Ryan’s Family Steakhouse may have the buffet for you.
There are two Ryan’s locations in Baton Rouge — one on Florida Boulevard and one on Coursey Boulevard.
A buffet at Ryan’s, popularly known as the Mega Bar, costs about $10 with a drink.
The Mega Bar selection at Ryan’s varies with each day of the week and may include barbeque ribs, salmon, mashed potatoes, steak and various beans and vegetables.
The dessert bar at Ryan’s is also excellent, almost matching up to the one at Sicily’s.
“I’m very fond of the mashed potatoes at Ryan’s,” Courville said. “Their vegetables are also excellent.” 
Besides the three listed above, many other quality buffets can be found in Baton Rouge.
Happy eating.