There’s a whole bunch of hibachi grill and supreme buffets, some of them have slightly different name variations. i think they’re like a loose chain or something. i’ve been to 2 and both were great! Your Japanese buffet sounds good, wish it was closer. 
South Plainfield? You are in the heart of my younger stomping grounds. I see you didn’t mention the China Buffet located at 2000 Park Ave. South Plainfield NJ. It’s not a great Chinese Buffet - I’ve only eaten there once for sentimental reasons, back in the mid 80’s - 90’s that was a restaurant called "2000 Park Ave. " - yours truly was a maître d’ / manager during that time. The owners at that time were Alan Bilis (Flame and Ale’ on Rt. 1 Edison and the Forge in Woodbridge) and Nick Minas, Chef from Forge and eventually just he and his family owned 2000 Park Ave. Prior to that incarnation the restaurant from the 70’s was called Jacques. Jacque himself was a restauranteur of yester-year…places like these are so few and far between today, God I miss those times.
I grew up on Park Ave as a child, in Edison though just over the bridge. Tony’s Pizza by Shop Rite was my childhood pie and I still grab a slice when in the area. Tony is still there cooking! Ran into him over this summer. Man, you have me caught up walking down memory lane my friend.
How is Sherban’s doing? That was one of our late nights, after closing spots. All Greek owned restauranter’s at the time would go out to the Greek diners after hours and we would eat, drink and hang out till 4-5-6am sometimes. That was the life back then. Across the street is KC’s Corner, small shot and beer joint, sometimes they get decent bands, it use to be called Normans. That was the first bar I got served in as a sit-down customer vs. take out. I was 17 years old. They use to do $ .50 drafts and $ .50 Hot Dogs on Monday Night Football. I’ve probably had 500 hot dogs there over those years. (I was actually 15 the first time I got served packaged goods, but I had to ride my moped to Perth Amboy for that lol)
I went to Bishop Ahr High School now St. Thomas Aquinas - just a few miles away. Because it was a Catholic School, I had to wear a dress shirt, slacks and a tie. Perfect outfit for a working man to take a late lunch at Normans. I would walk in at 2:30 after school and pretend to be a traveling salesman, stop in pull down my tie and complain about making enough money to pay the rent and keep my wife happy. ( I was 17 ) lol
I just recently sold a restaurant I owned near there as well, my last in that area. Literally broke my heart selling it but the pandemic made is necessary. I literally bought a pack of matches from someone on the Marketplace because they had a pack from 2000 Park Ave. so I couldn’t resist buying a little part of my younger years.
Wow…enjoy the area, I’ll hit you up next time I have business up that way. Unfortunately, a good friend who recently passed, use to live on Chambers Lane (two blocks past 2000 Park Ave towards Plainfield) however since his passing I haven’t had any reasons to be up there, now I’ll find a reason.
Thank you so much for the memories, I could sit here and type all day.
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LOVE these stories, but especially the idea of you at 17 pretending to be a traveling salesman! 
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I was always a big guy and looked older than my years, something I believe is still true. lol When I was 15 I would ride my moped, leather jacket and helmet all the way to Perth Amboy. (20–30-minute moped ride) I would park around the block, walk in with my helmet doing my best “biker walk” and buy a case of beer, tie it to the fender of my moped and drive back to Edison. LOL
I had my back up wallet. I had one of my parents’ old credit cards, gym card, blockbuster card AND baby pictures of my nephew and nieces as my kids. On the rare occasion I would get proofed I would pull the wallet out, empty the cards etc. and say, OMG I left it at the bank when I cashed by paycheck. Act panicked a minute or two and the guy would be like; “Ok, ok just bring it next time”.
That is how a young man becomes a lifelong alcoholic! lol
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Dare I ask what brand of beer?
Funny you ask. They had a brand called HOME BEER, don’t know where it came from nor who produced it. Came with a white label and brown letters that said: " HOME BEER". If memory serves me correctly it was something like $ 10. per case. The only problem besides the taste was this;
No matter what length of time we left it in the fridge, you take one out, it’s room temp / warm. Put it in the freezer, still room temp. lol Nothing we did could get the beer cold, so it was room temp beer for $10 a case!
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Unless Maxwell’s Demon is living in that fridge/freezer, or you’ve forgotten to turn it on, I would have to say this is physically impossible.
Mind over matter, as us less scientific folk would say.
When I drank beer, yes, there were some cheapies that NEVER were quite cold enough regardless of how long they were chilled.
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Oh my Jr!! What a post, I’m so happy to have this South Plainfield connection with you! I have indeed been to the buffet you talked about, I checked out the goods but chose to not eat there since they don’t have a hibachi station, but in your honor I will go back and have a meal there!
For Tony’s pizza, you talking about the ShopRite on Rt 1 in Edison? I will have to pop in, I will say hello to Tony for you.
I have not seen or heard of Sherban’s or KC’s Corner but the KC place definitely has my interest!! Seems like my kind of place. Just when I’m trying not to drink too dangit!
It really is a great food neighborhood, you get all the good Asian stuff in Edison, but you also have a good latin/black population food too. My kind of place to live!
One update on the Eat Well Modern Buffet, for lunch they have significantly upped their sushi game, and it’s one of my favorite spots to eat now. Highly recommend this place!
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Nah, it wasn’t very good. lol I wouldn’t recommend it to you, but for me it was all about the memories.
Re: Tony’s Pizza: No, I’m talking about right down Park Ave. to Oak Tree Road, the Golden Acres Sopping Center. There is a Shop Rite there with a Wendy’s in the parking lot. Tony’s is on the corner spot now, that’s where/what pizza I grew up on.
Now if you were to take a right onto Oak Tree Road from Park Ave, you will dead end into Sherban’s parking lot. KC Corner will be immediately on your left-hand side, once you reach the end of Park Ave.
Ah yes, I have been to that ShopRite plaza many times, as that’s where the Flaming Buffet place is. Speaking of Park Ave, I LOVE the burgers at Park Ave Diner. They are always cooked perfect, super meaty and beefy and the price is right. Never had a subpar burger there.
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Yes, they were closed for a long time and the new owner is doing a good job there. My most recent visit to the dinner was just over a year ago. I had a good friend / mentor who lived a couple blocks away and I use to take him to breakfast there.
Quick story, I picked him up last year about a month before my daughter’s wedding. I picked him up at 8:30am and when he answers the door, he’s in a tuxedo!?!?! I asked him WTF he was doing, and he said, I haven’t worn this in 20 years, wanted to make sure it still fit for the wedding. So 8:30am we had breakfast with him in a full tuxedo. lol
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He must really trust his eating skills to eat a meal in a tuxedo he was going to need.
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