Iama Critic Rating - Ryan's - 2 Stars 2426 Laurens Road, Greenville, SC Our Experience: Ryan's says they are "America's Best Buffet". And if that were true and accurate we would all eat there, but smart connoisseurs avoid Ryan's like the plague they are to your taste buds. I have been to this Ryan's several times over the years as my friends seem to delight in dragging me there to watch me suffer! But frankly I never posted a review because I did not want the professional photos I take to promote their awful food! Even bad advertising is still advertising. My last visit was so bad my waitress actually yelled at me for pouring my own drinks. Which I found rather humorous considering my size and temperament, but If she would do her job I would not have to get up and pour drinks for my guests. Nevertheless my critic friends saw some Ryan's ads that said they have "changed", so my friends once again dragged me to Ryan's. So I decided to go with an "Open Mind and Mouth", and frankly wished I had kept my mouth closed! What a waste of restaurant space! The chefs only know how to cook one way OVERDONE! How hard is it to simply STOP COOKING when it done! And inconsistency is rampant, the fried chicken I had was good but my guest critic's piece was dry as a bone! Only the salad bar was consistent and decent. And the dessert bar is almost non-existent with only a dozen choices. The Service - 3 Stars (15% tip) The service we received was average. Our waitress was a perky as can be and was very social, but did little more than fill our glasses. She was attentive, and social but not very helpful. For her very happy attitude we gave her a 15% $5.76 tip despite wishing we had just stayed home. We typically provide 20% or more for 5 star service on the pre-tax portion of the bill, 18% for 4, 15% for 3, 12% for 2 and 0% for 1 star service. The Buffet: $11.49 Buffet - 2 Stars I am very thankful I had no idea how much I paid for me and my guest critics to eat at this buffet, or I would have become very bitter. I have eaten at buffet literally half this price and enjoyed the experience more. If you want a decent American buffet at this price Golden Corral, on a bad night, puts Ryan's to shame without effort. And Golden Corral's meat selection is great! Various Buffet Items: Hard Shell Tacos - 3 Stars I have never tasted ground beef so bland, even the pico de galo was bland. My tacos looked great but tasted boring. Fried Chicken - 2 Stars My fried chicken was good, but my guest's was extremely dry. Fried Baby Shrimp - 2 Stars I am sure there was shrimp in the thick coating, but I could never find it. Fried Butterfly Shrimp - 3 Stars Perfectly cooked, golden brown, crispy, but lacking flavor. Very odd. Fried Catfish - 2 Stars Cook way too long, but it made getting the flesh off the bones real easy. Fried Okra - 2 Stars Coating did not stick to okra and the okra just fell apart. Mashed Potatoes - 3 Stars Thick as could be and creamy but mine was served stone cold. Yeast Rolls - 4 Stars If you like yeast rolls, these were awesome. I just hate yeast rolls. Fried Pork Chop - 1 Star I never thought a fried anything could taste this bland. Get the grilled instead! Grilled Pork Chop - 3 Stars The waitress said Ryan's pork chops were "Large". She was perky, but she must be a vegan on a diet! However the tiny chops were pretty good. Grilled Steak - 3 Stars Can you can a piece of beef this small be considered a steak? It is more like a "medallion". It was decent though. Sauerkraut and Sausage - 4 Stars The only four star meat item I sampled, this sauerkraut and sausage was quite fantastic. And it proves that Ryan's can cook if they actually tried. Salad Bar - 3 Stars If you like salad, Ryan's salad bar was good, about average, but not nearly as many choices as at Golden Corral. Total Bill: $47.93 for three adults including tax, a tip and two $2.29 soda fountain drinks. Final Thoughts: Between Ryan's Buffet and Green Tomato Buffet it is a toss-up as to which is the worse major buffet in Greenville. And seeing that The Green Tomato is several dollars cheaper, I supposed the "Horrid Buffet" crown goes to Ryan's! Which is a shame because Ryan's buffet could easily be fixed, all they have to do is add some spices and stop cooking everything into oblivion before they serve it.
(2)
Steve S.
I just don't know where to start. We selected an area with about 10 tables. This is about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and a steady crowd, but not crowded. Two of the tables in this section already had dirty dishes stacked on them. There were four other tables of diners in this section. The server just kept taking the dishes from current diners and stacking them on the tables of other dirty dishes. As she got busier, she started to use another clean 6 top table for dirty dishes instead of picking them up and taking them to the kitchen. As diners left, no dishes were taken away. By the time we got finished eating, we were the only ones left in the section with tables stacked with dirty dishes surrounding us. But, there was no problem with picking up the tips, but couldn't pick up the dirty dishes around the paying customer. I had to discard three plates on the buffet line before I found one that was somewhat clean with no food residue. They need to service their dishwasher or perform a light scrub of the dishes since they are old and scratched. The coffee cups are stained on the inside and need a good cleaning. The back of the chairs where people pull them out are sticky and dirty. The whole place needs a good scrubbing and deep clean. The staff is friendly, the food presentation is ok, nothing special. Their food tends to be very salty, so if you have a salt problem, this probably isn't a good place to eat unless you are eating salad. The other problem letting kids serve themselves at the buffet line and ice cream machine. We watched two children making their own ice cream cones. Once they had wrangled the overfilled cones, they decided to lick their fingers, the sides of their cones, and then help themselves to all the toppings with their fingers. Finally, the parent showed up after she saw what a mess they were making, but too late to avoid their sticky, saliva ladden fingers in the toppings. Is there no way to control children dispensing ice cream themselves and have carte blanche with toppings? It was disgusting. KIDS under 12 have no business helping themselves to food or dessert without a parent at their side. This needs to be watched carefully, or someone is going to get real sick. There is not one sign in this restaurant about kids need to be accompanied by an adult at food tables. BTW, the manager was there, but instead of getting on the servers about picking up dirty dishes, he was last seen at the kitchen area talking to a server. I never saw him make rounds of the dining room or seen again while we were there.
(2)
Stacey M.
I do not plan on returning. We requested a refund after finding our table and looking around. No silverware and no glasses. We were told we could not have any drinks. Took a look at the buffet and the "clean" plates has food on them.
(1)
Toby J.
At Ryan's now no clean plates or silverware been waiting for 5 minutes. Staff brought out three plates several people waiting to eat. Already paid kids are eating but I'm not pleased.
(1)
Rose M.
Pleasantly surprised! Didn't expect much when we walked in, but the dinner buffet was fresh and the food was pretty damn good. Highlights: rolls, STEAK, fried chicken super moist and crunchy, and lots of stuff for kids to eat.
(4)
Furman L.
FUN FACT: Ryan's is owned by parent company Ovation Brands. Their corporate offices are housed right here in Greer, SC. The CEO, Anthony Wedo, has an apartment in Greenville. ************************* This Ryan's leaves a lot to be desired. Like all other Ryan's, it is an establishment that is comprised of several buffets featuring different foods. Options range from salad to dessert to made-to-order steak. The location is great, right on Laurens Rd. Easy to get to with plenty of free parking in their private lot. Minus one star: Cleanliness. This place needs a deep clean by a professional company. The carpet has to got go (yuck)...I can't imagine how much bacteria is in that carpet with spilled food and spilled drinks over the years. Minus one star: Environment. This place feels drab and old. It does not feel like it has been remodeled in a very long time. Minus one star: Food quality. The quality of food served at this location is low. While you do get very full after a visit here, you can tell you are eating food made from extremely cheap ingredients. The price of the buffet does not reflect the quality of food that is served. Of course, their warm rolls are absolutely amazing. Service by the wait staff is excellent. I would recommend this restaurant to large groups, because Ryan's does a great job of keeping hot food on the bar. This is also an easy way to satisfy different food preferences. I do not recommend this restaurant to a family looking for a nutritious meal. Source of Fun Fact: gsabusiness.com/news/493…
(2)
Teri S.
I went here for lunch when I was out of town on business. Food was ok, best thing was the baked chicken and the sweet tea, not bad for a lunch place and lunch price. I found it funny that the lettuce used for the salads was empty right at the lunch rush and no one was tending to it. Oh well, that was the only complaint. Pecan pie was pretty good too.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : No
Iama C.
Iama Critic Rating - Ryan's - 2 Stars 2426 Laurens Road, Greenville, SC Our Experience: Ryan's says they are "America's Best Buffet". And if that were true and accurate we would all eat there, but smart connoisseurs avoid Ryan's like the plague they are to your taste buds. I have been to this Ryan's several times over the years as my friends seem to delight in dragging me there to watch me suffer! But frankly I never posted a review because I did not want the professional photos I take to promote their awful food! Even bad advertising is still advertising. My last visit was so bad my waitress actually yelled at me for pouring my own drinks. Which I found rather humorous considering my size and temperament, but If she would do her job I would not have to get up and pour drinks for my guests. Nevertheless my critic friends saw some Ryan's ads that said they have "changed", so my friends once again dragged me to Ryan's. So I decided to go with an "Open Mind and Mouth", and frankly wished I had kept my mouth closed! What a waste of restaurant space! The chefs only know how to cook one way OVERDONE! How hard is it to simply STOP COOKING when it done! And inconsistency is rampant, the fried chicken I had was good but my guest critic's piece was dry as a bone! Only the salad bar was consistent and decent. And the dessert bar is almost non-existent with only a dozen choices. The Service - 3 Stars (15% tip) The service we received was average. Our waitress was a perky as can be and was very social, but did little more than fill our glasses. She was attentive, and social but not very helpful. For her very happy attitude we gave her a 15% $5.76 tip despite wishing we had just stayed home. We typically provide 20% or more for 5 star service on the pre-tax portion of the bill, 18% for 4, 15% for 3, 12% for 2 and 0% for 1 star service. The Buffet: $11.49 Buffet - 2 Stars I am very thankful I had no idea how much I paid for me and my guest critics to eat at this buffet, or I would have become very bitter. I have eaten at buffet literally half this price and enjoyed the experience more. If you want a decent American buffet at this price Golden Corral, on a bad night, puts Ryan's to shame without effort. And Golden Corral's meat selection is great! Various Buffet Items: Hard Shell Tacos - 3 Stars I have never tasted ground beef so bland, even the pico de galo was bland. My tacos looked great but tasted boring. Fried Chicken - 2 Stars My fried chicken was good, but my guest's was extremely dry. Fried Baby Shrimp - 2 Stars I am sure there was shrimp in the thick coating, but I could never find it. Fried Butterfly Shrimp - 3 Stars Perfectly cooked, golden brown, crispy, but lacking flavor. Very odd. Fried Catfish - 2 Stars Cook way too long, but it made getting the flesh off the bones real easy. Fried Okra - 2 Stars Coating did not stick to okra and the okra just fell apart. Mashed Potatoes - 3 Stars Thick as could be and creamy but mine was served stone cold. Yeast Rolls - 4 Stars If you like yeast rolls, these were awesome. I just hate yeast rolls. Fried Pork Chop - 1 Star I never thought a fried anything could taste this bland. Get the grilled instead! Grilled Pork Chop - 3 Stars The waitress said Ryan's pork chops were "Large". She was perky, but she must be a vegan on a diet! However the tiny chops were pretty good. Grilled Steak - 3 Stars Can you can a piece of beef this small be considered a steak? It is more like a "medallion". It was decent though. Sauerkraut and Sausage - 4 Stars The only four star meat item I sampled, this sauerkraut and sausage was quite fantastic. And it proves that Ryan's can cook if they actually tried. Salad Bar - 3 Stars If you like salad, Ryan's salad bar was good, about average, but not nearly as many choices as at Golden Corral. Total Bill: $47.93 for three adults including tax, a tip and two $2.29 soda fountain drinks. Final Thoughts: Between Ryan's Buffet and Green Tomato Buffet it is a toss-up as to which is the worse major buffet in Greenville. And seeing that The Green Tomato is several dollars cheaper, I supposed the "Horrid Buffet" crown goes to Ryan's! Which is a shame because Ryan's buffet could easily be fixed, all they have to do is add some spices and stop cooking everything into oblivion before they serve it.
(2)Steve S.
I just don't know where to start. We selected an area with about 10 tables. This is about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and a steady crowd, but not crowded. Two of the tables in this section already had dirty dishes stacked on them. There were four other tables of diners in this section. The server just kept taking the dishes from current diners and stacking them on the tables of other dirty dishes. As she got busier, she started to use another clean 6 top table for dirty dishes instead of picking them up and taking them to the kitchen. As diners left, no dishes were taken away. By the time we got finished eating, we were the only ones left in the section with tables stacked with dirty dishes surrounding us. But, there was no problem with picking up the tips, but couldn't pick up the dirty dishes around the paying customer. I had to discard three plates on the buffet line before I found one that was somewhat clean with no food residue. They need to service their dishwasher or perform a light scrub of the dishes since they are old and scratched. The coffee cups are stained on the inside and need a good cleaning. The back of the chairs where people pull them out are sticky and dirty. The whole place needs a good scrubbing and deep clean. The staff is friendly, the food presentation is ok, nothing special. Their food tends to be very salty, so if you have a salt problem, this probably isn't a good place to eat unless you are eating salad. The other problem letting kids serve themselves at the buffet line and ice cream machine. We watched two children making their own ice cream cones. Once they had wrangled the overfilled cones, they decided to lick their fingers, the sides of their cones, and then help themselves to all the toppings with their fingers. Finally, the parent showed up after she saw what a mess they were making, but too late to avoid their sticky, saliva ladden fingers in the toppings. Is there no way to control children dispensing ice cream themselves and have carte blanche with toppings? It was disgusting. KIDS under 12 have no business helping themselves to food or dessert without a parent at their side. This needs to be watched carefully, or someone is going to get real sick. There is not one sign in this restaurant about kids need to be accompanied by an adult at food tables. BTW, the manager was there, but instead of getting on the servers about picking up dirty dishes, he was last seen at the kitchen area talking to a server. I never saw him make rounds of the dining room or seen again while we were there.
(2)Stacey M.
I do not plan on returning. We requested a refund after finding our table and looking around. No silverware and no glasses. We were told we could not have any drinks. Took a look at the buffet and the "clean" plates has food on them.
(1)Toby J.
At Ryan's now no clean plates or silverware been waiting for 5 minutes. Staff brought out three plates several people waiting to eat. Already paid kids are eating but I'm not pleased.
(1)Rose M.
Pleasantly surprised! Didn't expect much when we walked in, but the dinner buffet was fresh and the food was pretty damn good. Highlights: rolls, STEAK, fried chicken super moist and crunchy, and lots of stuff for kids to eat.
(4)Furman L.
FUN FACT: Ryan's is owned by parent company Ovation Brands. Their corporate offices are housed right here in Greer, SC. The CEO, Anthony Wedo, has an apartment in Greenville. ************************* This Ryan's leaves a lot to be desired. Like all other Ryan's, it is an establishment that is comprised of several buffets featuring different foods. Options range from salad to dessert to made-to-order steak. The location is great, right on Laurens Rd. Easy to get to with plenty of free parking in their private lot. Minus one star: Cleanliness. This place needs a deep clean by a professional company. The carpet has to got go (yuck)...I can't imagine how much bacteria is in that carpet with spilled food and spilled drinks over the years. Minus one star: Environment. This place feels drab and old. It does not feel like it has been remodeled in a very long time. Minus one star: Food quality. The quality of food served at this location is low. While you do get very full after a visit here, you can tell you are eating food made from extremely cheap ingredients. The price of the buffet does not reflect the quality of food that is served. Of course, their warm rolls are absolutely amazing. Service by the wait staff is excellent. I would recommend this restaurant to large groups, because Ryan's does a great job of keeping hot food on the bar. This is also an easy way to satisfy different food preferences. I do not recommend this restaurant to a family looking for a nutritious meal. Source of Fun Fact: gsabusiness.com/news/493…
(2)Teri S.
I went here for lunch when I was out of town on business. Food was ok, best thing was the baked chicken and the sweet tea, not bad for a lunch place and lunch price. I found it funny that the lettuce used for the salads was empty right at the lunch rush and no one was tending to it. Oh well, that was the only complaint. Pecan pie was pretty good too.
(3)