Food: Tony & Pat's

It's rare to find a good pizza buffet. It's even rarer to find a pizza joint that's been in operation for over 30 years.

Tony & Pat's is located in a run-down strip mall a bit south of Archer and 34th (probably the only successful place in that whole shopping center). It's pretty fantastic for what it is: an old-school, beer-and-garlic-rolls neighborhood pizzeria that doesn't mind giving you a lot of food. Right out of the gate, a ticket to the all-you-can-eat buffet and soft drink will run you $8 - not too expensive when a McDonald's value meal costs $5 nowadays.

Thankfully, though, price isn't the only thing T&P has going for it. Their buffet pizza is actually better than the major delivery chains (not that the major chains put out an amazing product or anything) - thick slices of pepperoni, fresh veggies, decent quality cheese. Like all buffets, if you go during an off period you might not get the freshest food, so head out at dinnertime on a Friday or Saturday night and watch fresh pizzas roll out from the kitchen.

They serve other stuff, but I don't see the need. I just walk in, grab a plate, and fill up with some yummy Hawaiian or pepperoni pizza. They even have TVs mounted that are perpetually tuned into ESPN or ESPN2 - talk about knowing your target audience. ;-)

2/4 stars