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How to Eat at Buffets? Etiquette Matters

Submitted by Serena Mason on May 17, 2010

Buffets have become a trend and with it fine dining etiquette has taken a place of prominence. Whether in a corporate event, wedding, or with just a bunch of friends, buffets are cost-effective and a quick way to serve meals to large numbers of people. However, there are chances that you may end up embarrassing yourself amidst the group or crowd, especially if it is a corporate event. So it is a necessity to have a planned approach before going to eat at a buffet. Moreover, if you have a plan, you will eat right.

Buffets inspire bad habits such as overeating.
Buffets are a real etiquette challenge where you have a long queue of people waiting to eat their fill. Here are some points to educate you on the dos and don’ts of buffet etiquette:

Take a look: Before you load up your plate with food, do preliminary scoutings of the buffet.

This will help you plan your course in the right way.

When in the queue: As it is a polite social occasion, gauge the crowd and take your position at one end. Wait for your turn in the queue and don’t push others. Also if the person ahead of you is slow, go slow, but never start serving yourself from the middle of the line.

Be patient: As you have approached the buffet station, politely wait for your turn to choose the servings.

Even if multiple serving spoons are available don’t reach into the same dish as another diner.

Serving yourself: When your turn comes, don’t heap the food on your plate. Take a petite sampling of the food selections as it is permissible to return for a second helping.

Once served, leave the serving spoon or tongs next to the platter or dish.

Going for seconds: If you want to eat more, make sure you do it in the second round instead of heaping your plate into a mountain of food at the first go. As a buffet is a self-service meal, don’t ask the servers to clear your plate or get you a second serving.

Grab a new plate: It is considered wise to get a fresh plate for every food trip. This is because when you serve the food on the used plates there are chances that the serving spoon may contact the food in the plate which becomes unhygienic for the other diners. You will find lots of plates during a buffet, so why use the same one.

Ask if you don’t know: In case you don’t know how the food or dressing tastes, don’t perform a taste-test; instead ask the server and return if you like it. Never taste the food while in the queue. When deciding whether to eat or not, don't sniff the food.

Limit yourself to one ethnic cuisine: In case you have different cuisines in the same buffet don’t fill up with foods from different cuisines on the same plate. If you want to sample another cuisine, do so in your second helping on a fresh plate.

Be courteous: Never assume that if you are serving your own food, polite phrases don’t hold good. While serving your food, don’t forget to say please and thank you to the staff, buffet line servers, and other personnel who attempt to make your dining experience a pleasant one.

Tips are important: This is one mistake which many diners fail to realise. Even though the buffet staff isn’t involved in serving the food, it doesn’t mean that tips are unnecessary. Without their help, you may face a stack of dirty plates or empty glasses. So it is considered polite to offer a tip even at buffets.

Understanding the appropriate buffet etiquette can help you and others enjoy a myriad of different treats without devolving into a feeding frenzy. Proper etiquette can always make any meal a pleasant affair.