Lupton’s Buffet has apparently been around for a couple of decades but no one needs to tell you this. You can figure this out yourself from the pictures on the walls once you make your way inside. Little League team photos from the last thirty plus years dot the wood paneled walls of this tiny little restaurant.
They can serve as inspiration or sheer entertainment based on which ones you are seated close enough to. It is hard not to pity some of the kids and their hair styles, but I am getting off topic. Back to the barbeque!
Lupton’s is a tiny little building tucked between a liquor store and another less awesome restaurant on Busch Blvd about ½ a mile from 56th street in Temple Terrace. It used to be a much larger place right off of Fowler and 30th but they have since moved and down sized. There is also another location over in Zephyrhills that I am eager to visit!
Back to there Temple Terrace location. The sign outside advertises that they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the breakfast session only costing 5.99 – that is a real deal anywhere in this town.
The place is small as I have already mentioned, when you walk in the door there are huge price schedules listed on the walls. You know exactly what you are paying as soon as you walk in the door.
The front foyer area is decorated with some serious antiques and even a suit of armor.
There are no menus. You just pick a seat, give your waitress your drink order, park your purse or whatever you brought along and head to the buffet line.
By the way I highly recommend that you order the sweet iced tea. Not only is it included in the price of the buffet, which soda is NOT but it is also delicious!
Buffet dinners are roughly $10 which is about the same as the much more well known BBQ place down the street ( rhymes with bunny’s) but trust me Lupton’s atmosphere, service and sheer quality of food can not be touched.
The front room of the restaurant is ringed with booths and the center has more of a lunch room look, more booths but they are long enough to sit roughly 15 people in each aisle. So if you like friendly conversation with a stranger you can sit here and wait for someone to park there purse or whatever next to yours.
The back room offers much more intimate seating. There are larger longer tables in the middle of the dark back room but it is also rimmed with booths. There is also a bar back there. They serve beer and wine.
Now the décor in the back room might turn some people off, there are a few stuffed game animals mounted on the walls. Don’t let this turn you off though, I mean you are there to eat BBQ after all, right?!
Just don’t look up and you probably won’t even notice Smokey the Bear looming over your plate.
Alright now we are ready to finally make a plate. Finally!
The end of the bar is stacked high with clean white oval shaped plates. You pick one up and immediately you are bombarded.
There are so many things to choose from! Mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits, rice, carrots, chopped cabbage with bacon, my husband's favorite spicy green beans and lots more!
Now you are heading up to the main selections. My personal favorites are the mashed potatoes and the biscuits, which are probably the best that I have ever eaten outside of my own kitchen. The biscuits are light, flakey and fluffy with just the right amount of crunch around the edges. The potatoes are perfectly seasoned and thick, no runny, wimpy potatoes here!
Chopped steak with onions and gravy are also highly recommended and absolutely delicious. Lightly breaded fish white fish that even my kids would eat! Shredded beef, pork and chicken are delicate, tender and perfectly cooked. There are also fried chicken, full size ribs and even big fat pieces of Texas toast garlic bread!
By the time you make it to the end of the bar your plate is going to be stacked high but then you see that they also have a full salad bar, with some really awesome coleslaw. I dare you not to try it and love it! There are soup selections, usually chili and vegetable beef which are both good.
After you are done with your plate or plates and assuming you still have any room left in your tummy you might be in the mood for something sweet.
Don’t worry folks the nice people at Lupton’s have got you covered. There are usually at least two kinds of desert available. My daughters really love the strawberry shortcake. On our last couple of visits they offered a chocolate cake that was also good and once there was a lemon cake that I liked quite a bit.
Lupton’s offers take out service also. For the same price as a regular sit down meal you can have a take out container and stuff it to your heart’s content. I mean that literally, as long as you can carry it, you can take it. They just remind you not to be greedy with the meat.
There is a sign posted that reminds you, “Take what you want but eat what you take”
You also have a pretty good chance of actually meeting or even sitting next to the owners of Lupton’s. After all they are there everyday and they also happen to live right behind the restaurant. They are very nice people and they love to hear what you really think about Lupton’s and their food.
After all they have been in this business for decades and they know that their ability to keep the customers full, satisfied and happy is what really makes Lupton’s a great place to eat!
P.S.
Forgot to mention that there are also multiples tv's mounted on the walls of the place. They don't watch anything boring here either, it's usually Cops, WWE or even the Britney Spear's Primetime interview! There is no seat in the place that doesn't have a view.
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