Niagara Falls is almost always on the must see list for every tourist to US and Canada. It is one of the most majestic sights to behold in the world and standing next to it makes one realize the sheer force of Mother Nature.
Thanks to living in Buffalo we are close to the falls and thus end up making a trip 3-4 times a year to check out the falls with our out of town guests who want to visit the world famous Niagara falls :-). Even though the US side is pretty, I personally feel the Canadian Horseshoe falls (part of the complete Niagara Falls) is prettier and thus few weekends back hubby dear and I decided to explore that side and become tourists for a day in our own backyard :-).
As with all touristy tours one needs to find a place to eat and after checking out the usual restaurants, pubs we zeroed in on ‘AlMacs Buffet’. Their restaurant was well located and they offered outdoor patio and indoor restaurant dining. As we had reached the restaurant around 1.20pm the server informed us that the buffet would be closing soon. She seated us at the table and then after leaving our stuff we hit the buffet. As it was a complete breakfast buffet there were various breakfast items like French toast, waffles, toast, muffins, omelets, bacon, potato dishes etc and 2 Greek dishes (loukoumades – donuts ,rizogalo – rice pudding). The spread looked delicious and we were eager to try the 2 new Greek dishes as they looked interesting, so we loaded our plates and sat down at our table. As soon as we had settled in the stewardess approached our table and asked if we wanted anything to drink and when we said we were good and just water would be fine her response took hubby and me by surprise. She said the management doesn’t allow the servers to serve any water to any of their patrons. She said we could order coffee/tea/soda/juice or bottled water but there was no FREE water for any guests as was against management policy.
As we had already started eating we couldn’t get up and leave and thus ended up ordering soda. That interaction created a bad impression in our minds regarding the restaurant. Then it continued to go downhill thanks to the food. The French toast was super dry and tough as were the waffles. The omelets were rubbery (I guess thanks to being under a heat lamp for hours). The 2 Greek dishes (rizogalo and loukoumades) were the saving grace as were very yummy but the rest of the buffet was disappointing.
My husband and I finished our meal and were in for another shock when we received the check. The buffet was advertised as $6.99 which was true (thank GOD), however the soda cost us $4.00 each. We realized that the management had figured a way to gouge its patrons by way of not giving water and making sure they bought their over priced drinks (bottled water/soda/juice/coffee)
The experience at AlMacs Buffet was one which I will not forget as I have never ever come across a restaurant that doesn’t offer water to its patrons. Even 5 star hotels, white tablecloth restaurants etc offer water for FREE to its patrons. And yet AlMacs Buffet seems to have decided that their strategy of not offering water will help them earn more money and thus be more profitable.
If you are looking for a place to eat in Niagara Falls, Canada while doing sightseeing, remember to skip AlMacs Buffet. They are located at 5435 Ferry Street, Niagara falls, Ontario. Parking is free and there are lots of parking slots so finding one shouldn’t be a problem (in case you still want to experience bad food and overpriced drinks and no water service).
They receive 1.5 stars in SRM’s book
Veggie Love Notes 