The Buff

I grew up in Boulder, and yet every time I return I'm amazed at just how many Boulder institutions I've never actually made it to. Like the Sink or the original Old Chicago or until very recently, the Buff.

I was in town to visit a friend from a million years ago who was in town for just a few short days. She suggested the Buff, which, somehow after 18 years in Boulder I had never actually been to (how did Man v. Food get there first??).

The Buff is at 28th and Canyon, oddly situated in the parking lot of a Best Western that is in dire need of an update. Parking was very scarce on the day we arrived and I'm sure it's like that on most weekend mornings.

We showed up sometime around 10:00 am on a Saturday, to what I understand is a typically busy weekend service at the Buff.  We were promised a 10-15 minute wait, which surprised me with the number of people mulling around outside. We were seated on time and I suppose the vast number of tables inside helps them keep the line moving.

The Buff is actually kind of an unusual restaurant for Boulder in that they just serve regular ol' good food. There's no guarantees of your eggs being freshly retrieved from a local farmer, no fancy seasonal menus and no promises of everything required to operate the place being eco-friendly. The food is cheap, the portions are huge, and I can't imagine a place more appealing to a poor college student.

My friend started the morning off with an enormous latte ($3.25):

Latte

Followed by an enormous portion of Eggs Benedict ($10):

Eggs Benedict

Is that Eggs Benedict or is that soup? Who knew there was such thing as too much hollandaise sauce? I didn't try any of the benedict but my friend felt the sauce was too greasy and way too generously applied.

I ordered the California Omelet ($10), which came with red potatoes and wheat toast.

California Omelette

My omelet contained avocado, bacon, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and green onions. With that combination of ingredients, it's hard to go wrong, and the giant omelet was basically pretty good. The potatoes were fresh and well seasoned. Like the latte and the eggs benedict, the portion size of this plate was way too big.

Service at the Buff was good, but like Snooze was a bit rushed for the sake of managing the wait outside. I loved the lively atmosphere, but the food was below average for Boulder.

Everyday Dining

  (6 of 10)



Pros: Cheap, "normal" food in Boulder, lively atmosphere
Cons: Portions too large, Eggs Benedict drowning in hollandaise