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Season 3 Episode 19

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Golden Corral feat. Ben Cassil

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In this episode of Fine Dining: The Quest to Compare All Restaurants to Chili's:

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○ Part 1: This week, we dive into the sprawling buffet empire that is Golden Corral. From hygiene scandals to military youth camps, this chain has been through it all and somehow, it’s still opening new locations.

Joining me is Ben Cassil, host of Live from the Big Apple, to help unravel the chain’s bizarre history, including its long-standing relationship with the troops, a giant brawl over steak, and a game of hide-and-seek with their meat because of an impending health inspection.

Plus, Ben pitches a Discworld-themed restaurant, and we dig into some unhinged Yelp reviews from our local Golden Corral.

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○ Part 2: This week, we return to Golden Corral - this time, to eat. Joined by comedian and podcast host Ben Cassil, I finally test the buffet itself, from rock-hard bread to surprisingly okay tacos. We found joy in the strawberry shortcake Fanta ICEE and the sheer chaos of none of the food being accurately labeled.

Also, someone talked to their mom on speakerphone…from the toilet. This one had layers.

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Location: Covina, CA

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Michael's Score:                                     3.00

Ben's Score:                                          4.52

Tchotchke of Mediocrity Score:       3.76

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Host: Michael Ornelas

Guest Host: Ben Cassil

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Music by: James McEnelly

Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez

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Segment Transitions Voice by: Sandy Rose