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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Tuesday, June 2, 2009 6:11 PM CDT
Noble Family Buffet offers wide-ranging menu

By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com

CHARLESTON — Fried chicken, roast beef, walleye, shrimp scampi pasta, side dishes, desserts and much more are on the menu at the new Noble Family Buffet.

Owner Tim Noble, a Charleston native and restaurant consultant, opened his buffet restaurant on May 6 in the Charleston Commons shopping center, adjacent to Wal-Mart. This restaurant space was previously home to the A1 Chinese and Mexican buffet.

Noble said he worked with A1’s proprietors as customers, and they asked if he wanted to operate a restaurant in this space. Noble said he was interested in running a restaurant in Charleston and saw an opportunity to use the space’s existing equipment to offer an American-style buffet.

“Charleston has definitely got a need for it,” Noble said.

Noble said he opened with no fanfare so he would have time to start perfecting his new buffet restaurant’s operations and to get customer feedback on possible menu items.

“Our chef has done some real miraculous things with the flavor of the food,” said Tom Noble, uncle of Tim Noble. Some of his favorites are the tender roast beef and the flavorful seasoned cottage cheese, Tom Noble said.

Examples of other menu items include hamburger steak, honey-stung chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken noodles, macaroni and cheese, roasted potatoes, braised cabbage, fried apples, lettuce and pasta salads, fruit cobblers, cheesecake and brownies.

Noble said the fried chicken is made from a recipe given to him by a customer who owned and operated a local restaurant for many years.

The buffet restaurant’s walls are bare for the time being. Noble said he has left space on the walls to display the work of local artists and crafters as well as artwork from Charleston school students. He said he hopes these displays can help raise money for local charities and schools.

His stated goal is to market the buffet restaurant to the entire community and not just be reliant on customer traffic from Eastern Illinois University.

“You have got to get the community behind you,” Noble said.

Noble Family Buffet is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for Sunday brunch each week. Noble said he plans to offer early-bird specials at 2-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Carry-out orders are available.

For more information, contact Noble Family Buffet at 345-8686.

Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 238-6861.

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longflower wrote on Jun 1, 2009 9:22 PM:

" I really like the idea of the buffet... but... ummmm... the food needs a lil work.... just my opinion. not trying to be negative here... very, um... diplomatic? lol "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Jun 1, 2009 10:58 PM:

" I haven't been here yet but this place sounds like a good idea. An American style buffet sounds like a winner to me. Good Luck Noble family. "

The Question wrote on Jun 2, 2009 7:01 AM:

" It's delicious, and reasonably priced. "

medic57 wrote on Jun 2, 2009 9:13 AM:

" His stated goal is to market the buffet restaurant to the entire community and not just be reliant on customer traffic from Eastern Illinois University.

Yeah right! His stated goal is to make me fatter. I will be checking this out today, I hope the food is good. Doesn't matter much how much it costs, if the food is not good, it won't last. "

Becky wrote on Jun 2, 2009 9:59 AM:

" All of the sudden I'm really hungry ;) Sounds good! "

medic57 wrote on Jun 2, 2009 1:43 PM:

" Wellll, Food was ok at best, could use more flavor. Had one plate of food and one plate of fruit, they cleaned my table twice but never offered a refill on my drink. Also, when you give someone dinnerware, give them a knife too. "

city girl wrote on Jun 2, 2009 2:14 PM:

" Didn't Mr. Noble have a restaurant in Mattoon before? "

Hooligansmom wrote on Jun 2, 2009 3:26 PM:

" Yes I think he ran Gill's for a while and he and his wife(ex wife now) had a restaurant on Broadway in the old Knight's Lounge building. "

name_hidden_to_protect_the_innocent wrote on Jun 2, 2009 8:56 PM:

" My family and I have eaten there. A lot better than the disgusting A1!!

I thought it was a little pricey....Our meal was $40.95 for 2 adults and 2 children ages 3 and 6. "

two cents wrote on Jun 2, 2009 9:43 PM:

" I'm sorry to say that I had high expectations after reading about this place...The food was very bland, some of it had been sitting out way too long. It cost us a little less than 25.00 for two adults. They are gonna have to do a lot better than this if they wanna make a go of it. "

Chad(USAF) wrote on Jun 2, 2009 11:18 PM:

" I have to concur with others sentiments so far. At $40 for two adults and two kids under 7, it's a bit pricey for a buffet. Can eat at Villa for $10 less.

The food definitely needs an upgrade. I understand buffet food is bland by necessity but what flavor there was certainly could have been better. We were there at typical dinnertime and the food seemed to have been sitting there since lunch. Further, the person taking at the checkout was more concerned with being on the phone than taking our money and ended up arguing with me over whether I got back the right change or not.

I hope for Charleston's sake the place improves and makes a go of it, but I doubt I'll be back till it does. "

Harry Potter wrote on Jun 3, 2009 8:17 AM:

" Seriously, we need more Chinese buffets in this area... "

medic57 wrote on Jun 3, 2009 10:46 AM:

" Harry Potter wrote on Jun 3, 2009 8:17 AM:

" Seriously, we need more Chinese buffets in this area... "

I really second that idea. "

Jim1969 wrote on Jun 3, 2009 10:56 AM:

" If I was going to open a restaurant the last one I would consider is a buffet. Way too hard to maintain a profit while maintaining the quality of the food on the tables. "

shoshanna wrote on Jun 3, 2009 4:13 PM:

" charleston is in great need of this kind of resturaunt. we recently ate at nobles buffet. the meal was good, but the food somehow looked old as if it had been sitting in the steamer since noon. to keep food fresh, they need to keep the trays half full, this way there is no waste and fresh food is always presented for each meal served. we sure hope noble's buffet is successful. please paint those ugly green walks. "

ogras wrote on Jun 3, 2009 5:01 PM:

" Here is the pricing they have posted, 2 adults 2kids under 7 and 4 drinks was 33.30.

lunch M-F 7.19 senior 6.69
dinner M-Th 8.99 senior 8.24
Weekend Dinner & Sunday Brunch 9.99 senior 9.24

kids 3 to 6 - lunch 2,99 dinner 3.49
kids 7 to 10 - lunch 4.49 dinner 4.99

They have 50 different hot dishes Villa has 10. The price is only 3 dollars more, huge selection and much tastier, it blows away Ryan's flavors in Effingham. Key to buffet eating is going when the food is fresh between 11-1:30 and 4:30-7, if you go during off times be aware that the food won't be like it was cooked 10 minutes earlier because it wasn't!. With 50 hot dishes you will find plenty of great food to completely stuff yourself on not counting the 10 dessert pans, 10 cold salads, and the lettuce salad bar. Pot shot if you want but we need a good restaurant that supports the local community kids and senior programs and doesnt send our hard earned money overseas! With 70 different items you are bound to find some you dont care for and if you cant find enough you like that you can fill up on your probably never ever satisfied. Hang in there staff Charleston should be thanking you! "

name_hidden_to_protect_the_innocent wrote on Jun 3, 2009 7:35 PM:

" Ogras:

Then I definitely will not be back because evidently I got ripped off! I paid $40.95 for 2 adults and 2 children ages 3 and 6. This was last Sunday around 6:30 PM. This doesn't include the $4.00 tip I left!!! For that price, should have driven to Ryan's......would have spent about the same and it would have been much better. "

name_hidden_to_protect_the_innocent wrote on Jun 3, 2009 7:54 PM:

" One other comment (LOL)....

since the weekend buffett is 9.99 each add $1.80 for your drink since that isn't included in the price and you get one buffett for around $11.80 plus tax!!!

I'll stick to Villa, QQ, or Lincoln Garden.....yes, Charleston does need another chinese restaurant or how about mexican?!?!!? LOL "

bandit62 wrote on Jun 3, 2009 10:13 PM:

" I know the chef personally and know he could not be there for a few day's.I know his reputation and have eaten his food many time's.I know he would not allow tasteless and old looking food to be served. I will go back because Ryan's is to far to go for crap. I think if anyone who went there when the chef was not absent would change there mind's "

medic57 wrote on Jun 3, 2009 10:13 PM:

" OGRAS Wrote:

Key to buffet eating is going when the food is fresh between 11-1:30 and 4:30-7, if you go during off times be aware that the food won't be like it was cooked 10 minutes earlier because it wasn't

Nope, that doesn't cut it, I went to Ryans in Champaign once, they were 15 minutes from closing, I told the manager I would come back another time, he ask why, I replied, the Buffet won't be full or fresh, His Reply, we're not closed yet, the Buffet better be as full and fresh as it was at Noon. "

john wayne wrote on Jun 6, 2009 1:42 PM:

" my wife and I are from paris and we came over and tryed your restaurant and
we thought it was very good. we are telling our friends that they need to try it out. I wished we had one like it in paris. "

eating wrote on Jun 8, 2009 8:31 PM:

" We have eaten there 2 times.We thought they had a wide variety of choices and the food was very good. I agree some looked like it had sat awhile but all in all we give it a good rating! Been a long time since charleston has had something other than fast food, chinese or mexican. We have told several people about Nobles! We hope it grows and is a success! As far as the price it's no more costly than other places ! Good Luck Nobles!! "