Good news: all-you-can-eat affairs are no longer reserved for ritzy hotel stays. Between bottomless breakfasts, long lunches and dinners that don’t stop, it's the humble buffet Gold Coast/Kombumerri Country excels at.
But it begs the question. Apart from unlimited meals, what makes a Gold Coast buffet one of the best? For me, it's unique dishes, the occasional delicacy and the ability to satisfy nearly every craving in one, dangerously delish place.
Whether you and your crew can’t agree on a feasting locale, are battling cravings no one will back down from, or you’re certain you have an insatiable hunger that no single meal can satisfy, make your own rules at a buffet. Serve yourself a plate (or twenty) at one of the best buffets on the Gold Coast according to Urban List.
Best Gold Coast Buffet's At A Glance
Buffets Under $50
Penguins
122 Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
$25 | Breakfast
This all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast offers an array of cold goods. Think fresh salads, fruit and cereals as well as breads, Danishes and pastries. For a neat $25 for everyone over 13 and free for those 3 and under, Penguins offers the perfect Gold Coast buffet when you’re on the run.
For those keen for a little extra, choose from the add-ons menu for the likes of waffles with soft serve, toasted brekky wraps, smoked salmon and smashed avocado on sourdough or loaded omelettes. Book here.
Flower Garden Chinese Restaurant
1168 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach QLD 4221
$30 per adult | Dinner
The clever folk at Flower Garden realise that it's common practice to share a couple of meals with mates at Chinese. So they’ve taken the split bill and awkward ‘who takes the leftovers?’ moment out for you. Eat ‘til your heart’s content with favourites like chicken and corn soup, steamed dim sims, fried wontons, spring rolls, calamari, beef and black bean, lemon chicken, sweet and sour pork and pork ribs.
Only available Friday to Sunday, this centrally located Palm Beach buffet dishes up a mega buffet for just $30 for adults, kids 2 and under free and there are affordable options for kids 12 and under. Book here.
Season Buffet
80 Scarborough St, Southport QLD 4217
$39.80 - $42.80 | Lunch and dinner
Cater to your buffet dreams with a Korean feast at Season Buffet smack bang in the centre of Southport. It's one of the Gold Coast’s few, and best, buffet options for Korean BBQ and hot pot dishes. Fill your belly with an indulgent selection of hot chicken wings, special fried rice and marinated beef as well as lamb rolls, crispy noodles, soups and a whole pot more.
With 100 ingredients, 10 slow cooked soups and catering to all dietary requirements, this is my pick for the best lesser known buffet on the Gold Coast. Stop in for a flaming hot celebration of flavour at Season Buffet for $39.80 on Thursdays and $42.80 Friday through Sunday. Book here.
Catch
6 Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise 4217
$45 per adult | Breakfast
If you’ve been on the hunt for the best Gold Coast breakfast buffet for vegetarians, carnivores and kids, look no further than Catch. With walk-ins welcome, drop in and fill your plate with fresh fruits, an extensive bread selection, crisp waffles, fruity muffins and pancakes galore.
I'll admit it, unlimited pancakes sounds great to me, but it's the noodle station that wins my heart. At $45 for adults and $22.50 for kids 13 to 17 years, score complimentary breakfast for kids under 13 when you book your stay at The Hilton. Book here.
SkyPoint
Q1, Hamilton Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
$46 per adult | Breakfast
I've heard that breakfast is the meal of champions, so when I've started my day with an indulgent buffet breakfast at SkyPoint, it's always been sunny side up. Watch the world go by from the top of one of the tallest residential buildings in the world at Q1’s SkyPoint, 230 metres above the ocean.
Here you'll find a humble buffet of fruits, pastries and continental cereals as well as a hot station of scrambled eggs, hash browns and mushrooms for $46 per adult. Get in early by around 7:30am, to beat the crowds and score a seat by the breathtaking view. Book here.
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- The Gold Coast's Best Cheap Eats
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Brazilian Flame Bar & Grill
Soul Boardwalk, 4 Esplanade, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
$39.95-$62.95 per adult | Lunch and dinner
Is your mouth salivating already at the thought of unlimited Brazilian BBQ? You’re in luck, because this self-professed ‘flame bar’ offers a daily banquet from 12pm for $62.95 a pop. Choose from meats like succulent beef ribs, pork belly and fried chicken. Or opt for the vegetarian buffet for $39.95.
Make your way through to pasta salads and coleslaw at the salad buffet and onion rings, fries and beef stroganoff in the hot buffet because why not. Did I mention the menu features Brazilian delights like cheese fingers and churros or pineapple and cinamon desserts? This is a unique buffet Gold Coast Brazillian lovers flock for. Call 0452 235 751 to book.
Buffets Over $50
Il Barocco
94 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach QLD 4217
$52 - $89 per adult | Breakfast and dinner
The Imperial Gold Coast's own Il Barocco is touted one of the best Gold Coast buffets in a five-star venue where you can well and truly slide into your fancy pants for. Taste your way around bugs, crab claw and oysters, as well as fresh sashimi while overlooking the dazzling pool area.
There is a daily breakfast buffet for $52, including a barista-made coffee. Or dine in for dinner Friday and Saturday for their Coastal Carvery and Catch Buffet which features the widest selection of desserts of any buffet on the Gold Coast I've hunted down for a neat $89 per adult. Book here.
Southport Sharks
Cnr Olsen and Musgrave Ave, Southport 4215
Up to $58.90 per adult | Breakfast and dinner
Frenzy’s is one of the best-known Gold Coast buffets for its array of offerings. Build your own burgers, plate up nachos, scoop out salads and gobble down Asian dishes in one sitting.
With all-you-can-eat dishes seven nights a week, take your pick from Monday to Thursday’s plentiful feast for $40.90 for members and $50.90 for guests—or opt for Friday to Sunday prawn and mussel buffet at $48.90 for members and $58.90 for guests. Book here.
Come weekends, their 730-10am buffet breakfast gives you bottomless access to crispy hash browns, fluffy eggs, flaky cronuts and cinnamon-sprinkled French toast for $30.90 for members and $35.90 for guests. Need more convincing? There’s açai soft serve. Don’t walk, run. Book here.
Harvest Buffet
The Star Casino, 1 Casino Dr, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Up to $99.90 per adult | Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Relive the infamous ‘but they said all you can eat’ Simpsons scene (without actually getting kicked out) at Harvest Buffet’s decadent buffets. Choose from a daily breakfast buffet for $39.90, an oyster and prawn buffet on weekend lunches for $69.90, a prawn buffet on Monday to Thursday evenings for $69.90 or a seafood buffet on Friday to Sunday evenings for $99.
These impressive buffets layer seafood delicacies with carvery cuts, fresh pastas, Mediterranean plates and dessert dishes stacked next to a legitimate chocolate fountain. Save up your hunger and book your spot at The Star’s own Harvest Buffet available seven days a week. Book here.
Citrique
158 Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
Up to $99 per adult | Breakfast and dinner
Like the old saying goes, a breakfast buffet is only as good as its egg chef. And Citrique’s comes with a goodie dedicated to whisking and flipping your eggs to perfection. Expect crispy bacon, sausages and hash browns followed by house-baked pastries, fresh waffles and Asian breakfast delights. Load up on fresh fruits, cold meats and breakfast cheeses—because they're a thing now.
Dinner buffet? Sure. Their seafood and grilled meats buffet runs every Friday and Saturday night for $99 per adult. It's available lunchtime Sunday too and features Moreton Bay bugs, Pacific oysters, wood-fired pizzas and mimosas. The Tastes of Thai buffet is also available on the same days, featuring family recipes passed down from Chef Aony Poolpipat's grandmother for a divine dining experience with mimosas for $99. Book here.
Akoya
38 Old Burleigh Rd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
$59 - $145 per adult | Breakfast and dinner
If you’re yet to experience the extravagance that is Surfers Paradise’s tallest Jewel tower, look no further than The Langham as your go-to way in. Set on the iconic shores of the Gold Coast coastline, it's Akoya’s mouth watering buffets inside the sophisticated culinary home that’ll have you feeling like a food critic in a tasting store.
Daily buffet breakfasts are $59 per adult and dinner buffets on Saturdays are a neat $145. Either way, there’s a plate (or several) with your name on it. Akoya dishes up freshly shucked oysters at the seafood bar, top-tier seafood, grilled and smoked meats and a smattering of fragrant curries, making this one of the top Gold Coast buffets not to be missed. Book here.
Looking for more? Check out:
- The Gold Coast's Best Gluten-Free Restaurants
- Southport's Best Restaurants
- Coolangatta's Best Restaurants
Main image credit: Citrique | Supplied
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