One of the best lunch values in town, this Indian restaurant offers a lunch buffet that’s $14 on weekdays and $15 during the weekend where you can score all the chaat, tandoori-grilled meats, and vegetarian options your stomach can handle. If you struggle to pick just one style of curry, sample them all, including creamy egg, chicken, and prawn versions, and then hit up the salad bar, which offers unlimited naan made fresh — a perfect way to beat the mid-day slump.

As popularized on TikTok, this Vegas-esque buffet, which is as touted as the largest buffet in Katy, is a steal. At $18 a person, the food is divided by region, with each section providing a snapshot of classic dishes from each designated area, including Japanese sushi, Chinese noodles and salt and pepper shrimp, and a Mexican food station filled with tacos and fajitas. Save room for dessert, which runs the gamut, with cookies, ice cream, a fruit bar, and regional specialties like flan and tapioca pearl rice pudding. 

For a comprehensive South Indian food AYCE experience open for lunch and dinner on Mondays and Tuesdays only, head to this humble restaurant. The buffet plays all the hits — with chicken biryani, mutton curry, chicken tikka masala, and prawns and whole fish dishes that are rotated in and out of the buffet. The salad bar and chaat station perfectly accentuate the main dishes, along with the freshly made bread, a perfect vehicle to soak up all of the coconut-milk sauce-y goodness.

Brazilian churrascarias are popular in the Houston area, but this national chain’s local outpost is a favorite. Keep your card flipped on green to sample over 12 cuts of meat, including the house picanha and fall-off-the-bone cordeiro leg of lamb, all of which are served tableside, and make sure to try out the salad bar, a fan favorite.

Pakistani cuisine is plentiful at this South Asian restaurant and buffet. Expect a grand array of dishes like its chicken tikka and beef Bihari kebabs alongside vegetarian favorites like palak paneer and daal. The buffet also features Chinese cuisine, with dishes like fried rice, plus fried chicken, and a goat curry that is a must-try.

With a growing spotlight on Korean cuisine, the craze of tteokbokki, a Korean rice cake cooked in a thick, spicy sauce, has hit Houston in a major way. In August, Bellaire welcomed its first AYCE customizable tteokbokki and fried rice-centered restaurant, complete with instant ramen and hot food stations. Start with the tteokbokki soup by spicing up your broth with a mix of sauces, then let it brew at the table while loading on rice cakes of all shapes and sizes. Mix them in before picking out food from the hot food buffet, and then get to slurping and dunking. Save room (and some of the broth) for the second part of the experience — the kimchi fried rice, which is created with a separate food bar of ingredients. And if you’re ready for some more, fill up on all the bulgogi, spicy pork, japchae, and ice cream you can get your hands on.

From the same team behind Duck N Bao, this new AYCE Korean barbecue restaurant aims to recreate the buzzy nightlife of Seoul with neon lights, a lively atmosphere, and late-night hours — all at just $33 per person. Grilled meats are front-and-center here, with premium cuts such as USDA prime brisket, pork jowl, seafood options like garlic-butter shrimp and spicy baby octopus — all of which are complimented by a plethora of banchan. Up the experience by splurging on prized cuts of R-C Ranch New York strip and American Wagyu, and Hongdae’s rare collection of sojus, makgeolli, and cocktails.

With over 60 different dishes, including mezze, kebabs, and desserts, this buffet is a one-stop shop for all things Mediterranean. Grab some house-made pita and choose from its various dips, like cucumber mint yogurt or avocado hummus, for the dunking, and then indulge in its dishes like the Dimassi eggplant, made with pomegranate molasses, and the house-specialty lamb shank. Dessert promises its namoura — a semolina, coconut, and yogurt-based Levantine classic.

Hearty and healthy, shabu shabu, the ever-popular Japanese hot pot dining experience, is a great option for groups and families looking for an interactive and communal dining experience. Choose a soup base, like miso, curry, or spicy bone broth, and pick an assortment of meats ranging from pork belly, New Zealand lamb leg, or beef brisket to boil. Finish off this bubbling cauldron of goodness with noodles, vegetables, and seafood options then watch it simmer.