this must be a regional thing because Golden Corral my way are not that good. The one by me closed and the other one that is on the side of town is in a truckers stop. It is trashy and it usually frequented by deplorables from the rural area nearby
They are not meant to be good in that way. They are a quick way to get a hearty and delicious meal on the cheap. A lot of the folks I have seen there are usually gastric bypass candidates.
Golden corral has 60% healthy and 40% highly unhealthy foods. The choice is on you, the customer, to make. If you stick with a salad bar, many options of vegetables, and steaks, you are good. If you are hooked to baskets of moist bread, loaded deli products, cakes, chocolate, fried chicken, and the rest, then go there every other month.