Buffets can be found here and there throughout the city, but there aren’t too many locally owned all-you-can-eat feasts. Sure, you have your Golden Corral, which now serves beer (it isn’t all-you-can-drink), and national hotel chain breakfast buffets, but there’s a spot in Tucson that truly shines when it comes to healthier experiences.
Residing in the outskirts of a midtown neighborhood, Govindas Natural Foods Buffet at 711 E. Blacklidge Dr. has been around since the early ’90s, dishing out an all-vegetarian buffet to eaters.
Just the other day, LoveFood released its new list of “Best All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants in Every State” — showcasing “restaurants that don’t sacrifice quality in favor of quantity.”
“From lavish brunches to mouthwatering seafood buffets, we’ve found the best all-you-can-eat restaurant in every state for a truly epic meal.”
Here’s what they had to say about Govinda’s:
“Committed to nourishing the people of Tucson (the USA’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy), Govinda’s Natural Foods Buffet has been running since 1992. All the delicious food is vegetarian, with the buffet straining under the weight of curried and baked vegetables, pasta dishes, house-made bread, and daily changing specials such as curried vegetable and lentil croquettes and vegan lasagna.”
Thanksgiving Buffet
The LoveFood mention is here just in time for one of Govinda’s biggest events of the year. The team at Govinda’s is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 28 from noon – 5 p.m.
It’s “all you care to eat” for just $21.95. They’ll have indoor and outdoor seating, two serving stations, and live music out on the patio.
Also, make sure you say hey to Govinda’s pet turkey “Sufi.” It’s one of the safest turkeys on Thanksgiving day being that it’s a vegan buffet. Plus, walk around the property and you’ll find more birds waiting to spark up a conversation with you.
Read our 2024 Thanksgiving roundup for more dining and to-go options.
More about Govinda’s
Govinda’s is located at the ISKCON Tucson Temple — a nonsectarian community dedicated to spiritual education and promoting unity and peace in the world through sanctified vegetarian food, chants, and sharing spiritual knowledge and practices based on ancient practices.
Govindas Natural Foods Buffet is located at 711 E. Blacklidge Dr. For more information, visit iskcontucson.org. Check out the full LoveFood list here.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
