Originally Posted by aquamarinesteph
I don't eat at buffets for three reasons. First of all, I usually do better cost wise by ordering off the menu. I don't eat enough to make a buffet a cost effective option. Second, I find that many buffets (at least, around here) may have many different dishes, but they all taste suspiciously the same. And last, I have seen too many people use their hands at a buffet to make me decide that I'd rather skip that visual.
While buffets as a rule do not really exist up here in Canada, never having socially caught on per say, the US ones I have a chance to frequent are only usually in Las Vegas, and that's just because of the potential variety of product available to pick from. I agree with everything you said as those are also my main reasons for avoiding them. That, and the crowds..
To answer the OP directly, one plate is always enough.
Get me into a really good churrascaria in Rio however and all the rules go out the door, as i will sit and eat meat for 2 hours straight until I am in a coma.