Cook's Buffet, Cafe & Bakery

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#8 of 174 Restaurants in DeLandAmerican, Vegetarian friendly, $$ - $$$

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Cook's Buffet, Cafe & Bakery

Review

At a glance

Opens in 25 min

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Website

+1 386-734-4339Improve this listing

About

The restaurant in an old home, built in 1910. It has recently been restored to accentuate it's original beauty and craftsmanship. It is warm and homey, just like home. The beautiful stained glass windows are the homes original windows. The grounds are landscaped with lush green and colorful plants.

Features

CUISINES

American

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Buffet

Highchairs Available

Parking Available

Seating

Table Service

Takeout

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

704 N Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32720-2707

Parking Available

Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?

Yes

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Hours

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Opens in 25 min

Sunday

11:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Monday

11:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Tuesday

11:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Wednesday

11:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Thursday

11:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Friday

11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Saturday

11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

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4.2

605 reviews

Excellent

352

Good

121

Average

Poor

Terrible

travelbug41563

Boston341 contributions

Birthday celebration!

Feb 2024 • couples

We go to Cook’s every year we are in FL. As always it won’t disappoint. We were celebrating a birthday, which is the only time they take reservations! The Birthday person gets a free meal & splits a cake with the group. We had a total of 8 people in our party and everyone chose to get the roasted turkey with stuffing. It is so good. Salad bar & other sides are just as delicious. Desserts are all very awesome. We usually take a slice of something home with us. The buffet with a non-alcoholic drink & dessert, I believe is $20.00.

Written February 14, 2024

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Tom B

1 contribution

Great home style buffet.

Dec 2024 • family

I have been eating at Cook's since 1965 when I was a student at Stetson University. We now live in the Deland area, and we eat there at least once per month. Most of the time we go there is to take friends, especially for birthdays or other special events. Today we had a birthday dinner a free birthday cake provided by Cook's. Cook's is our favorite place to dine.

Written December 15, 2024

Mark D

Camden17 contributions

Fantastic option especially if you love vegetables!

Feb 2025 • solo

Was absolutely amazed at the value of this meal option! $13.99 with a nice salad bar and unlimited vegetables included. Meat options were roast beef, lamb, fish, shepherd pie, or turkey with stuffing. The deserts looked absolutely amazing. They had a $19.99 option that included desert and beverage. I was to full to consider the dessert options which again looked amazing.

Written February 6, 2025

Jones

Vero Beach70 contributions

Like a cafeteria!!

Jan 2025 • friends

Well, if you want to feel like you are in a cafeteria or nursing home, you will love this place. Firstly, it is buffet only, except for one sandwich on the menu. There are lots of rules...if you want more meat, you pay extra. The salad bar was fresh and very good. There was roast beef being carved, fish was basa ,pork and leg of lamb which unfortunately I didn't see until my beef was already carved. Vegetables were overcooked, except the turnip which was hard as a rock. Mashed potatoes were good. We both chose the Rhubarb pie...full of goopy pie filler and the rhubarb was non existent . I asked for whipped cream and the waitress kindly went for some, but it wasn't cream, it was the synthetic stuff from an aerosol, for which she charged extra!!! The waitress was very pleasant. Overall, it was quite an experience, but at least my 91 year old friend enjoyed it!! Not the place to go, if you are looking for a quiet, pleasant dining experience! But people love this place...it was packed...!!!🤣😁😅

Written January 15, 2025

j-cm

Palatka16 contributions

What a nice place

Mar 2024 • family

What a nice way to celebrate my wife's birthday. We arrived at Cook's at about 2;30 and were seated immediately. There were four of us and each got the buffet with drinks. Cook's has a birthday club that rewards diners with a special on their birthday. The birthday person receives a free lunch and drink if the rest of the party gets the buffet and drinks as well. They also provide a small delicious cake with a candle and singers! Our party had a wonderful time and enjoyed the excellent salad and buffet. Such a nice place to celebrate a special occasion! We'll be back soon.

Written March 12, 2024

martindupre

Naples27 contributions

I would go there again in a skinny minute if ever in Deland again.

Nov 2023 • solo

For me, somewhat like going back in time to Morrison's cafeteria, or if you are a South Carolina Boomer like me, Robertson's in Charleston. There was a meat carver, with choice of five meats, and you served yourself from salad buffet and vegetable buffet. A server brought beverage and bread to the table, and dessert, if you order it. A choice of about eight different desserts; whole cakes and pies that the server would slice for you. The food was delicious and service OK.

Written November 8, 2023

Lucy_Port

Alberta31 contributions

Quite A Tricky Deal / Poorly Treated

Dec 2022 • none

Been wanting to try this sweet looking restaurant out for awhile now and stopped in today for a late lunch. Told our waitress it was our first time there. Price was $11.95 BUT waitress told us for $17.95 we get our choices plus our beverage and dessert. NOT SO. For $17.95 you get the same one meat that you get for $11.95 and one plate full of everything else. (Also one small salad plate.) An extra meat is an extra $5.00 . (Wow!) One dessert ONLY. (But I wasn't told that til after.) I made the mistake of going up to get my own dessert (you know, because it's called a buffet.) I cut a piece of Boston Cream pie in half and was just about to cut a chocolate cake piece in half when I was yelled at by one of the other waitresses. Told "What are you doing!!! Give me that!! Go back to your table! Your waitress serves you that! ) When I told our waitress back at the table, all i got was a shrug. She asked me what I wanted and I was then told I only got one piece of one thing. (Remember it's called a buffet and there were several choices.) I said I guess Boston cream and my husband ordered chocolate cake. She came back after many minutes and asked me if I'd cut a piece. I said yes and she brought the plate back with the 2 bits on it. When I asked her where that had been, she wouldn't tell me. I was uncomfortable eating it, not knowing. False advertising as far as I'm concerned. Won't go back, period. Fool me once... You won't get my money again.

Written December 29, 2022

Harold B

1 contribution

Arrive well, leave very sick

Sep 2024 • family

Check out the health department scores. Cooks should have been shutdown based upon the scores but yet continued to serve customers. This was our first visit and of course our last. Maybe I should have known something was up as we approached the door and a sign said … “closing at 7:30 tonite for remodeling”. Should have said closing tonite to clean up to keep you from getting sick. Well, early the next morning my wife started vomiting and continued on and off until late into the evening. I had to leave work to take care of her and she couldn’t go to work. She wasn’t the only one sick. Customers were getting sick from 9-11 until they closed on 9-22.

Written September 28, 2024

Kristina H

2 contributions

Old school!

May 2023 • family

My sister and I both worked at Holiday House in the 80's! She worked on the lake front in Sanford and I worked in NSB where CVS stands today. Back then an additional meat was $1.25!!!!. People complained but where could you get a whole additional meal with turkey, roast Beef, lamb, ham, fish, and various other entrees! I loved working there for almost 13 years! Desserts were one of the highlights of the meal for another $1.25! Coconut cake, chocolate cake, bread pudding, pies, tapioca pudding. The list goes on! I still run in to some of my old customers. Always happy to see each other. Steaks were always special at DeLand location! They were special! I went to Stuart to open an HH there! Trained staff and lived there for a month! Great memories and can't wait to revisit DeLand!

Written April 9, 2024

travelbug41563

Boston341 contributions

Turkey dinner!!

Feb 2025 • friends

Best roasted Turkey dinner ever!!! We go back every year that we are in FL & always end up getting the turkey!!! ( the roasted turkey is not available till after 4pm) Their mashed potatoes, carrots, gravy are also very good & the salad buffet & desserts are also delicious. You can’t beat the price either.

Written February 27, 2025

sabrina b

1 contribution

Stay Away!

Sep 2024 • family

First and last time visit on Sunday Sept 23, 2024. Ordered the roast Turkey, it didn’t taste bad but was not good. Then noticed that it didn’t seem to be cooked throughly. Did not eat all of it. Other food was not good and we were not impressed. About 3 hours later I became violently ill. After doing some research I found that there have been several instances of people getting sick after eating there. I called the Dept of Health and also the code compliance office and found that others had also called. The restaurant has been cited for 9 infractions with 4 being top priority. This place should have been shut down and not allowed to remain open until all of the infractions plus deep clean had been completed. The owner has never apologized or really acknowledged responsibility for the incidents that occurred. I would avoid this place at all cost

Written September 28, 2024

Andrew D

1 contribution

What a refreshing change for lunch....

Aug 2023 • friends

We were looking for a new place to have a nice casual lunch. I had read a number of negative reviews about Cook's Buffet and was on the fence, so to speak, as to whether or not I wanted to go. I sure am glad that we decided to visit Cook's today for lunch. We were greated and escorted to our table overlooking a beautiful garden. Our server, Amy, was gracious and respectful while explaining the many menu selections. We asked a few questions about the arrangements and Amy made process very clear. We proceeded to the wonderful salad bar where freshness and the abundance of different options awaited our senses. I could have made my meal at the salad bar without the help of the entre items. Once finished with our salads we ambled our way to the main course line, it all looked so good. We made our selections, returning to our table we dug in. We were more than pleasantly surprised at the tenderness and flavor of the meat, the color and freshness of the vegetables. We just sat there, once finished, wondering where we were going to put the wonderful deserts we had chosen when Amy said, not a problem, she would be glad to pack them up for us take home. We found that Cook's is a keeper and we will be returning on a regular basis to enjoy the culinary delights offered by the caring people of Cook's Buffet. A word to those naysayers that pinned those unsubstantiated remarks about Cook's on the web, I'm glad that you are no longer going to visit this great restaurant because that will leave more for those of us that really appreciate the time and effort that goes into making a small town resturant such a great sucess. I'm sure that you must have a chip on your shoulder about something, so please don't bother bringing it here. We are enjoying our home town resturant without any help from you. Many thanks to the owner and crew for such a superb culinary delight. Andy

Written August 9, 2023

LibbyBuche

Plainfield131 contributions

Fun find

Nov 2023 • couples

Being new to the area, we stopped at Cook’s because it had many cars in the parking lot. The wait was 45 minutes due to several large parties (the bus load didn’t help!) 😄. Our waitress, Kim, explained everything to us and we were off to the buffet. The selections were many and we tried to sample as many as we could. The homemade desserts looked so delicious, another tough choice to pick one. Pecan pie for one of us and multi-layered chocolate cake for the other did not disappoint! Definitely need to return

Written November 17, 2023

Nickingainesville

Gainesville75 contributions

An Old Favorite Now Disappoints

Feb 2023 • none

We have been going to the Holiday House, now Cooks, for decades. The buffet-style restaurant across the street from Stetson University in Deland, Fl is an institution. The variety of salads is amazing. The carving station is astounding with lamb, roast beef, ham and fish. And the desserts! They are simply amazing. I always get the lamb because you rarely find it in restaurants any longer and it's always delicious. We ate a late lunch at Cooks on February 18, 2023, and could not have been more surprised. The food was spectacular as usual but the hostess/cashier was the rudest I have ever seen in the service industry. Loud, disorganized, and offensive this woman left us and a foyer full of people waiting for no apparent reason with a dining room full of empty tables. I watched her berate a customer having trouble with the credit card machine. When I asked how long the wait would be I was told as long as it takes. A great first impression you gave there lady. Our waitress, by contrast, was pleasant, but clueless. She was slow, "forgot" our drink order, and failed to clear the table before bringing dessert. I won't say we'll never go back to Cook's because the food is really that good, but I'll need to wear a thicker skin next time I visit Cooks in Deland, FL.

Written February 19, 2023

Ralph Buddy M

Sanford96 contributions

Perfect

Mar 2023 • none

Just absolutely wonderful. Best roast beef I’ve had in along time. Vegetable’s were delicious as was the salad.great service from Christine as well as the whole staff. Hint!! ( Chocolate Cake is to die for. While you only get one meat serving all the rest is all you can eat.( you can pay a small fee for more meat) but WHY,,

Written March 5, 2023