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Some folks give all-you-can-eat buffets a bad rap. That's likely due to the glut of the lackluster, lukewarm options out there, not to mention that thin is in. To some, wallowing in the delight of eat-'til-you-drop gluttony screams taboo. But after cruising a few establishments that do it right, I've developed an appreciation for the buffet. So loosen your belt, grab the tongs and step in line for a quick tour of some buffets to brag about.

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BUFFET ETIQUETTE • Always use a clean plate. No matter how many repeat trips you make to the buffet, use a fresh plate. If there are none around, don't be afraid to ask. • Don't mix tongs. Who wants bits of catfish in their green beans? Only use a food item's respective tongs. And don't let the handle touch the food. • No nibbling in line. If you can't wait to eat until you're back at the table, you may have a problem. To sample an item, take a little taste with you back to your table. You can always come back for more. • Take what you touch. If you touch an item and then decide against it, don't put it back. Take one for the team. • Always tip. Who do you think buses your table, the buffet fairy? Just because you serve yourself doesn't mean it's OK to skip the tip. RELATED LINK: • PHOTOS: What's on the buffet line • More restaurants news

BLUE WILLOW INN

Social Circle has all the Mayberry charm you'd expect in a quaint small town about an hour east of Atlanta. But the Blue Willow Inn firmly remains its crown jewel. Don't be intimidated by the massive white columns and twinkling chandeliers. The true Southern charm begins the moment you hit the hostess stand.

Most guests start at the salad bar, where the inclusion of fluffy banana pudding tempts you to skip all the way to dessert. But don't miss the cuddlesome chicken and dumplings located among the soups. Of course, the main attraction is the U-shaped hot buffet. Stellar turnip greens, fried chicken, sweet potato souffle, fried green tomatoes and more Southern classics beg for repeat visits. Just save room for apple cobbler, chocolate cake, peanut butter pie or one of the other confections resting on the dessert island in the middle of the room.

On Friday and Saturday nights, seafood — think fried shrimp and Alaskan snow crab legs — and other additions join the usual suspects. Unlimited tea, lemonade and coffee come with each meal.

The décor ranges from Southern elegance to Georgia Bulldog fanaticism. A collection of books by the late Lewis Grizzard, a die-hard fan of the place, sit on a shelf in a doorway. The adjacent gift shop sells the Blue Willow cookbook, Blue Willow china and Southern-centric gifts. Just behind the restaurant, construction workers are currently building Blue Willow Village, which is expected to be completed by spring. According to the staff, a '50s-style diner, retail shops and a museum are scheduled to occupy the space.

• THE 411: Lunch $12.95-$1495, $6.50-$7.50 children ages 4-11; Dinner Mondays-Thursdays $14.95-$23.95, $7.50-$11.95 children ages 4-11. Prices higher on some holidays. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 5-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 5-9 p.m. Fridays; 4:30-9 p.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays. 294 N. Cherokee Road, Social Circle. 770-464-2131, www.bluewillowinn.com.

LITTLE BADAYORI

Northside sushi addicts were likely crying in their sake when Badayori in Sandy Springs shut its doors. But the intimate Alpharetta version, nestled in an office park district, keeps the fishy dream alive. The interior stays basic with paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, a flickering flat-screen TV mounted on the wall and a massive stuffed swordfish presiding above the buffet. Each weekday, chefs roll out 30 types of sushi including popular grabs like the California, Philadelphia and Atlanta rolls, the latter stuffed with tuna and imitation crab meat.

Sushi-shy diners gravitate toward hot selections, 20 in all, including white fish, red snapper and beef teriyaki. Gather up a serving of raw veggies, hand it to a hibachi chef and he'll stir fry it with the meat of your choice. Guests choose from chicken, beef or both during lunch. Oysters, shrimp, crab legs and other seafood selections join the proceedings at dinner, available Fridays and Saturdays only. Other options include miso, udon and crab soups; 10 salads (seaweed, chicken and more) and 10 tiny items such as bite-size cream puffs, pear tarts and lime cakes. Drinks are extra.

• THE 411: Lunch Mondays-Fridays $11.95. Dinner Fridays-Saturdays $14.95. Discounts for children based on height. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. 5-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. 390 Cumming St., Suite A, Alpharetta. 678-762-0112, www.badayori.com.

PARK 75 CHOCOLATE BUFFET

Leave it to a luxury hotel to create one of the most decadent buffet spreads imaginable. From 9 p.m. to midnight every Friday and Saturday through March, Park 75 offers a chocolate buffet in the terrace between the lounge and the restaurant. The after-show theater and symphony crowd typically partake in this lineup of 20 desserts.

A gurgling chocolate fountain allows chocoholics the opportunity to dip strawberries and pineapple chunks into the luscious stuff, and a chef is on hand to whip up personal chocolate soufflés on demand. He uses the nearby small oven to cook the soufflés and finish baking batches of chocolate chip cookies. An assortment of bite-size chocolate nibbles, which change each week, might feature s'mores and raspberry chocolate tarts. Guests often pair the treats with a port wine or cocktail like the espresso martini.

• THE 411: $19. 9 p.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays. Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, 75 14th St., Atlanta. 404-253-3840, www.fourseasons.com/atlanta.

CAPTAIN BILLY'S FISH HOUSE

The restaurant's sign on the faded blue awning may look as if it's been soaked in sea water, but landlubbers have been gathering here for 18 years and still do on Thursday through Saturday nights. Other than the sign near the entrance that reads "Please no shoe skates," the ornamentation at Captain Billy's comes directly from the beach town seafood shack template. An ocean scene adorns the wall. Nets and plastic sea creatures hang throughout. And a lifesaving ring bearing the name Scarlett O'Hara is a reminder of the port of call.

The buffet runs along the back wall with an exhaustive amount of seafood gems from crab legs, crawfish and steamed shrimp to clams, scallops and stuffed crab. A salad bar equipped with lettuce, fixings and prepared salads sits near a dessert bar housing a cast of sweets such as strawberry shortcake and chocolate cake. Afraid temptation will grab ahold and not let go? Guests can order off a menu from selections including chargrilled chicken, fried oysters, perch plates and more.

• THE 411: $15.99-$19.99; children 11 and younger $6.99-$10.99. 5-8:30 p.m. Thursdays; 5-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. 108 N. Berry St., Stockbridge. 770-389-5430.

ANGAN RESTAURANT

Traditional Indian furnishings provide an air of authenticity, and a steamy field of color fills the buffet bins at this northern Indian, Delhi-style eatery. In the evenings, diners have to order off the menu, but the buffet is available for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Both vegetarian and meat dishes are available. Papad, crispy lentil wafers with a dotting of pepper and cumin seeds, prove just right for scooping helpings of raita, a zesty yogurt made on site with cilantro, onion, cucumber, tomato and mint. Don't miss the saag paneer, a green-colored concoction of creamy spinach with cubed cheese. Onion slices bring additional flavor to juicy cuts of chicken tandoori, which sport a shiny crimson glaze. Cooks deliver hot slices of naan right out of the clay oven. It's yet another dipping tool for tasty selections like the aloo chapp, potato slivers wading in a milky tomato sauce.

• THE 411: $10.99; $6.99 children 8 and younger. Lunch buffet 11:30-3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Regular menu dinner 5-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 5-10 p.m. Saturdays; 5-9:30 p.m. Sundays. 1475 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell. 770-993-0010, www.anganusa.com.