for real old folks
all the meat is overcooked, you can only get beef medium or well and the medium is actually well done. the vegatables taste like the water they are cooked in    [20 Apr 2007 21:55:01]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: none

     ­Anonymous   

Hostile House
I love the Holiday House near me in Orlando, so I thought it would be fun to take my college freshman daughter to the one near her school, which happened to be the original.

We are both still getting over the shock. Everyone who waited on us was grumpy and hostile. The guy behind the buffet refused to give my daughter any rice because he said it "didn't go" with what she was eating. (Which was baked ham.) My son wanted the rice with no meat and I had to argue with them to get that -- and he just turned 6!

The waitress who brought out drinks was really cold and snippy. We rarely saw her, but that was a good thing.

When we were ready for dessert, my son and I went to the dessert buffet and there was no one to serve us. We waited and waited. Finally a waitress showed up and started dishing dessert for someone else. I asked if my son could have a piece of coconut cake. She told me to tell my waitress. I told her that we hadn't seen our waitress in a long time. She asked for the waitress' name. I said I didn't remember. She asked what the waitress looked like. I didn't remember. There was nothing memorable about her. "Older woman with brown hair" would have described half of the waitresses.

The woman behind the dessert buffet finally broke down and gave my son a piece of cake. Since she had said, after much frowning, "Tell me what you want and I'll get it," I asked if I could also have a piece of chocolate cake for my daughter. This really annoyed her. She rolled her eyes and sighed and said, "You can't remember what your waitress looks like at all?" I said, "Never mind, I'll go back to my table and wait." She was extremely happy with that suggestion.

Those are the things I remember, but we broke several other rules that now slip my mind. The man in the booth said, "They have a lot of rules here."

Beyond the rules and the snarky service, the food was not worth what you have to go through to get it.

But the Holiday House on Lee Road in Orlando is delightful. I will not be bothering the one in Deland with my rule-breaking tendencies any more.    [26 Aug 2007 22:11:17]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: The pineapple upside down cake wasn't bad.

     ­Anonymous   khall3565 at aol dot com

Save your money!
We heard about Holiday House from coworkers and thought we would give it a try with our visiting mother. Having never been to this particular restaurant, we just assumed it would be similar in style to other Buffet-style restaurants--WRONG! When we entered, although several employees were standing in the front, not one greeted us or directed us.

Apparently one is supposed to get a plate and a waitress meets you at the end of the line. Unaware, we assumed by the gesture that was given in response to the question "Do we seat ourselves"-- and our puzzled expressions --that we should find a table--WRONG! After an aggravated look from an employee, we were finally told to get plates first. So we each got a salad from the incredibly meager salad bar. All items seemed to be of the cheapest quality, and the greens turned out to be poorly washed, leaving an after-taste of dirt.

Unlike typical buffets, the customer is to choose only one entree meat--fine, except that no one ever told us. Any additional meat selected is at additional charge--which can lead to quite a surprise in your bill. The meat selections were not of particularly high quality--think Barnhill's or Golden Corral, and the portion was not particularly impressive. Furthermore, the vegetable selection was pitiful--think canned from the grocery aisle--and not particularly warm. The maccaroni and cheese looked to be days old. After we were seated the waitress dropped (mini-sized) drinks and three very slim slices of bread on the table and left without a word.

Because we were unfamiliar with the procedures, we decided to ask a passing employee about the "buffet". At first she seemed flustered that we even asked, then she brought a menu w/prices that we saw for the first time. What a shock---a single meat entree, and unlimited vegetables--unlimited IF you take them on your one and only trip through the line--for $10.25. AT LUNCH! Based on the lack of pricing on the menu for beverages and dessert we thought it was bit high, but not too bad if it included these items--WRONG! (The waitress who finally brought us a menu made a statement that was very misleading.) Beverages and dessert are additional charges (which is in very small print on a sign in the lobby that we didn't see until we were on our way out.)

All-in-all a lunch for 3 came to almost $60 for a cold, unimpressive, and inhospitable meal. And everyone left almost as hungry as when we arrived. I would strongly suggest saving your money and visiting any one of the vastly better establishments located in downtown DeLand!!    [28 Dec 2007 22:14:49]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: NONE

     ­Anonymous   

Usetoworkthere
I worked at the Hoiday House in the 70's when I was 18 and the food was wonderful. We had a Hostess that was from England and she always greeted the customers. All of the waitresses were 18-30 and we all enjoyed being there. We were paid 30 cents an hour plus tips. We made good tips. We knew a lot of our customers by name and had fun serving them. I am sorry to hear that the service has gone bad along with the food. I haven't been there since 1975. I do know that Mr Cooks son did not know how to run a restaurant. But Mr Cook was great at it, picky but great.

   [26 May 2008 10:45:45]

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     ­Jenny Davids AKA Jenny Price