Palomina's Texas Buffet

When Palomina's first opened up, it was the talk of the town. Weekend buffet lines stretched out of the restaurant and people gladly waited their turn. It was well worth the wait. This place was like a supermall of buffet food with a wall's worth of salads alone.

Yet it seems that in today's economic slump (not a recession- according to the government, of course), Palomina's has had to cut back on the variety and the quality of the food served.

Gone are the delicious goodies of yesteryear. Even the aguas naturales and iced tea are now missing from the drink serving stations. This time the only clear winner that I tried from the buffet line was the chile relleno, filled with a smooshy meatlike substance. So yummy, so yummy!!

Besides that, the macaroni was lacking cheesiness. The turkey ham was processed and tasted like a cheap version of Spam. Even the flour tortillas weren't as tasty as I recalled. Or maybe that's just wishful reminiscing. However, the place still serves ribs, steak, and the fixings. There are still salads, and plenty of desserts.

Too bad the cleanliness of the buffet line wasn't as good as a girl would wish. While serving myself it was easy to spot several used dessert dishes lining the counter. What?! Does nobody see these dishes? It only takes a second for an employee to spot one and whisk it away to be washed. The little dishes could have been the work of the children who ran amuk unaccompanied by responsible adults. Yet that's only an explanation, not a valid excuse. Picky, am I? Well, yeah! Come on, now... Who wants to eat at a dirty restaurant, right? Yeah, thought so. ;-)

Anyhow, the place wasn't as amazing as I remembered it. It's still a nice enough place to go, but I could have saved some money and avoided the disillusionment by eating at Pancho's or Cici's instead. If I recall correctly, the Arlington Pancho's sells booze, too. Next time, next time!

Place? Palomina's Texas Buffet

Location? 701 North Watson Road, Arlington, TX 76011 (on the west side of 360)

Number to call when you get lost? (817) 652-1313

Cost? Not too bad. $10.49 for the Saturday evening buffet, $1.99 for the soft drink

Kid-friendly? Yes. There were children galore when we went.

Date-friendly? Yeah, why not?

Place to meet those of the opposite sex? Nope. This is more a family restaurant.

Place to go with friends? Yes.

Bathroom cleanliness? Not too bad. I especially like the automatic paper towel dispensers and the trashcan in close proximity to the door. That way there's no need to touch dirty door handles upon exiting. :)

Good service? Pretty good.

Would I do it again? Probably not. At least not until the economy is better and the place can afford to return to its previous glory. As R.T. (my fellow Palomina-er) said, Palomina's deserves only 3 out of 5 stars. R.T. also says the place is better after a quick smoke out in the parking lot. Not that I would ever advocate smoking, of course!