This Once-Struggling Pizza Chain Ranks Among The Worst All-You-Can-Eat Buffets

The only thing better than pizza is all-you-can-eat pizza, right? That's what pizza buffet chains would have you believe. And, while delicious pizza buffets exist, others aren't worth your money or your time. In our ranking of all-you-can-eat pizza buffet chains, Cicis landed in last place.

While Cicis filed for bankruptcy during the pandemic and reduced its footprint significantly, new ownership and resumed expansion efforts are giving the chain new life. While we'd like to rally around this comeback, the pizza buffet was by far the worst of the chains, according to our reviewer, who took into account numerous scathing reviews across Reddit and Yelp. The only thing that was moderately appealing was the low $9.99 cost of all-you-can-eat pizza. However, if you decide to head to a Cicis anytime soon, reviews warned that it may be hard to go back for seconds or thirds of soggy, greasy, undercooked pizza. In fact, you may not even want to finish your first round. Our pizza buffet chain review did note that you will get a wide selection of pizza, pasta, and salads, not to mention creative dessert pizzas. 

However, Cicis reviews note that the chain is often dirty and unkempt, as well as overrun with kids drawn to the Game Zone arcade, which Yelp customers complained was full of broken machines. Cici's appeals to families, which brings in plenty of business, but could also be the reason many find the atmosphere chaotic. In fact, we've all felt our stomachs churn when we see kids make the buffet faux pas of touching food without putting it on their plates.

Customers on Reddit deemed the buffet "certified garbage," with one Redditor proclaiming, "Never went to one as a kid so when I finally ate at one I was like ... 'How? How do these people actually like this?' The cheese pizza was edible but soggy, but I don't even remember what this one pizza was and it made me gag, it had a weird aftertaste." Another Redditor theorized that the pizza is "always doughy and greasy; they probably do this so it can sit out longer."

While negative reviews for Cicis' buffet abound, not all customers were dissatisfied with the experience. In fact, many customers have a love-hate relationship with it. "Is it garbage? Yes. Would I still go? Absolutely," said one customer. Most customers give the chain points for nostalgia, as many ate there often as kids. Kids may love it, but adults often aren't keen on eating "garbage." So, if you're looking for the best buffets for kids that'll also satisfy adult tastes, we compiled this list. The dessert pizzas at Cicis also received major praise from customers, with flavors like Bavarian cream and cinnamon.

Other customers are more complimentary of the customized order menu that you can pick up and eat in the cleanliness of your own home. "Skip the buffet floppy pizza and order custom flatbreads," said one Redditor. If you're looking for a better pizza buffet, check out this Southern staple that customers say beats Cicis by a long shot.