When Does Golden Corral Stop Serving Breakfast?

Whether it's filling a plate up with meatloaf and fried chicken drenched in gravy or piling up brownies and cookies for a smorgasbord of dessert, the buffet-style dining of Golden Corral ensures that a little something is offered to each type of consumer. Known for the promise of being an endless buffet to the scene of an extreme all-out brawl over steak (via Philly Voice), the Golden Corral has certainly made quite the impact on the American dining scene, both good and bad.

While the restaurant is known for being a place to go when you want a bottomless dinner, what about breakfast? According to Golden Corral itself, its breakfast line-up consists of Southern breakfast favorites like biscuits, casserole, and pancakes, along with a build-your-own omelet station. This isn't surprising, considering that Golden Corral offers an incredible amount of variety in its other menus, so why not offer customers endless French toast and hash browns?

But when exactly does Golden Corral stop serving breakfast? When do they start? Do you have to be one of those "early bird" type dinners to satisfy your cravings for buffet-style dining and endless breakfast foods?

According to Breakfast Hours, Golden Corral's breakfast is not 24/7. Most Golden Corral locations will start serving breakfast at around 7:30 a.m. daily, although some locations have been reported to serve breakfast only on weekends. No matter when breakfast is served, however, the chain stops serving breakfast at around 11 a.m., making early noon the cutoff time for when you can get breakfast. 

If you find yourself down because you can't enjoy a 24/7 bottomless breakfast bonanza, don't worry. Breakfast Hours explains that brunch options are available from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., meaning that even if you can't enjoy a pancake lunch, certain breakfast options could be open to you well into the afternoon.

Brunch isn't something that Golden Corral is unfamiliar with. In 2017, PR Newswire explained that Golden Corral launched what it called the "Ultimate 7-Day Brunch," an extravaganza that included everything from "New Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast" to bacon to carved glazed ham. It was also reported that Golden Corral briefly experimented with brunch options back in 2016 and seemed to receive positive reviews regarding it.

Who knows? Perhaps one day Golden Corral will have an all-day brunch buffet, giving early birds and breakfast enjoyers something to look forward to for lunch or dinner.

With all of this talk about Golden Corral's breakfast, one has to ask — is it any good? How could you decide whether or not Golden Corral's breakfast is worth getting up early for if you don't have some idea of what to expect? Some customers on TripAdvisor gave their stories about experiencing a Golden Corral-style breakfast. "Have eaten here for lunch (very good) but today did the breakfast ... great selections, staff is very friendly," wrote one customer from Virginia. "Some lunch items also out so it is like a brunch ... it's great food and very economical."

Another user from Texas gave their description of a pleasant experience at a local Golden Corral, describing it as being a clean and well-organized buffet with friendly staff. The reviewer noted that drinks such as milk and juice are included in the bill and had endless refills, alongside an impressive and delicious line-up of food.

One reviewer from Zomato had some good things to say about their experience at a Golden Corral breakfast, noting that their omelet was prepared on time, there was fresh produce, and the buffet was clean. The reviewer did note that, since it was a Golden Corral rather than a high-end all-you-can-eat buffet, one should "set your expectations accordingly."

While Golden Corral's may differ slightly from location to location, it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot at least once, just to say you were there.

If you are lucky enough to make it to your local Golden Corral in time for the first meal of the day, you will not be disappointed in the array of breakfast food options. The company's website offers the ultimate guide to Golden Corral's breakfast buffet offerings, including both hot and cold breakfast favorites, and an entire selection of desserts — because there's never a wrong time to satisfy your sweet tooth.

At Golden Corral's omelet station, guests are offered a choice of three types of meat — diced ham, bacon bits, and sausage crumbles — along with a variety of veggies including mushrooms, green peppers, and diced onions. And of course, no omelet station is complete without the option to add cheddar cheese. 

In addition to traditional breakfast items like scrambled eggs, French toast, and sausage links, Golden Corral's breakfast buffet offers unique items like creamed chipped beef. There are also items such as corned beef hash, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, and breakfast casserole. If a cold breakfast is more your speed, the restaurant offers a selection of fresh fruits, yogurt, and donuts, along with different flavored jellies and whipped creams that pair perfectly on top of its baked goods. Beverages are aplenty with various fruit juices and coffee options. Even in the early morning, Golden Corral offers customers a full spread of desserts, including sweet treats like fruit cobbler, bread pudding, soft-serve ice cream, and of course its daily cakes and pies.