If you want to know what so many Americans are overweight, all you need to do is take a look at all the all you can eat establishments that are popping up all over. The craze is beyond out of control. It's become an absolute epidemic with each place trying to outdo the other in price and selection. If you've never experienced this phenomenon, sit back and take a deep breath. If you love food, you're going to love this review.

All you can eat restaurants are just that. You walk on, pay one price and you can stay as long as you like and eat as much as you like. I guess they figure that most normal people can only eat so much and won't consume more than what they're charging, which is still reasonable in most cases. However, with the stiff competition these days, many of the restaurants are practically giving the food away. It isn't unheard of to walk into one and get an all you can eat buffet for under $10.

So what exactly DO you find at an all you can eat restaurant? Well, that's not an easy question to answer. Unlike other types of restaurants they usually specialize in certain types of foods or at least have a limited selection, all you can eat restaurants have just about anything. And unless you specifically know what a particular restaurant has before you walk in, there is just no way of knowing if they're going to have something that you'll even like eating. Some places will have some kind of a features list posted outside on a sign so you'll at least have some idea. Others will have the kind of food they serve included in the name of the restaurant itself. For example, one place in the states is called "Country Buffet". So you at least have a clue what you're going to find.

The way these places operate are simple. You walk in, pay your fee, which is anywhere from $9 to $20 per person and then find yourself a table. They'll give you a marker for your table that you have to keep there for your entire stay so they know you're still actively eating. After that, you simply walk around the place and pick out the foods you want. Yes, it's self serve. However, they have quite a full staff at these places. You've got the people who have to clean the tables, the people who restock the food trays and the folks who serve you special items that they keep behind counters. These vary from counter to counter. Most of the workers are simply there to restock.

The quality of the food varies from place to place. Some are good, others are just okay. It's hard to find a place where the food is what you would call excellent because they have to cook these things quickly so there's no time to make anything really fancy. So if you're expecting top quality food, you're going to be disappointed. But if you're looking for something that tastes good and is relatively cheap, especially if you're a big eater, then an all you can eat place may be just the thing you need.