Western Sizzlin Steak House / Crazy Buffet, 1111 Knox Abbot Drive: 2006 25 comments
That plan's so crazy it just might work!
Or not.
Crazy Buffet was on Knox Abbot Drive in Cayce just down the hill from Krispy Kreme (and on the other side of the road) in a building which has seen several restaurants come and go. In the beginning I think it was a Western Sizzling steakhouse. After that I'm a bit hazy, but think it became some sort of seafood operation. That was followed by an independant Mexican-run Mexican restaurant. I stopped there once and am afraid I found it pretty dreadful. When it too had had its day in the sun and passed, the place became an Asian buffet.
When the end came, it came quickly: If you click on the last picture you may be able to make out the soy-sauce and other condiments still sitting on the tables. I'm guessing the end came in 2006 since the Free Times issue sitting on the table is not from 2007 or 2008 (I checked their cover gallery), and I remember the closing as "recent".
I'm not sure why the place failed, but it certainly wasn't from lack of parking!
UPDATE 4 December 2009: Added full street address to post title.
UPDATE 21 July 2010 -- Added "Western Sizzlin" to the post title, and this ad from the 1974 phonebook:
also this note: The follow-on operation to Crazy Buffet Hot China Buffet has opened and closed.
25 Responses to 'Western Sizzlin Steak House / Crazy Buffet, 1111 Knox Abbot Drive: 2006'
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Yes, this building used to be the Western Sizzlin' Steakhouse, owned by my grandfather back in the 70's/80's. My grandfather was one of the first restauranters to introduce the concept of the all-you-can-eat-buffet (at least here in Cola town), and he could tell some great stories about people lining up all the way to the street corner waiting for him to open up. Ah, those were the good old days.
amy
14 Mar 08 at 1:15 pm
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Amy, thanks very much!
ted
14 Mar 08 at 10:45 pm
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I'm a fan of the Knox Abbott corridor. This place does seem doomed to fail, but I think the whole area is primed for a boom. Yeah, I'd say a bit of that parking lot could stand to be sold off! :)
Brian
18 Mar 08 at 12:09 pm
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It does seem strange that businesses struggle along Knox Abbot. To some extent it still seems very 60s over there, from the old Howard Johnsons, and the space age Hardee's building housing Silver City to Tony's Pizza.
ted
18 Mar 08 at 11:46 pm
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Oh come on now - those of us who remember know that Knox Abbot Drive was restraunt row for many decades!!! We had a restraunt back during the 60's-90's where a deli is now, next to the Lizards Thicket. I remember going to the Sizzler many times - that was what we called it anyway. I watched the army of different ventures that took up residence in that site over the years & always felt sad that it didn't do better - - but when the huge malls began opening up out away from the city, Cayce & W. Columbia kinda starting dying off.... It was always sad to me to see so many little empty shops where I remember spending time w/ my Mom as a kid.... I keep thinking, when I win that multi million lottery - - I'm going to buy up all those little places & revive them!! New business of course, but I thing Cayce & W. Columbia are great little neighborhoods - - there should be more going on there - and I DON'T mean those stupid cash checking places - unfortunately those usually signal the (close to-)final death rattle for communities that were once proud areas [sigh]
Lisa B.
29 Mar 08 at 12:46 pm
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I'd like to see it come back. I think the growth has been on the north-east for a long time and that will change *sometime*.
ted
30 Mar 08 at 6:29 pm
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I think it's happening already in little bits. The riverfront growth is phenomenal. The revitalization will continue to spread westward. I hope the character is preserved, however. Some of those old buildings are great.
Brian
31 Mar 08 at 1:02 am
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I still kind of miss the "Cinderella" coach at the old Howard Johnson's...
ted
31 Mar 08 at 12:20 pm
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The "Cinderella" coach was acquired by the City of Cayce and now sits repainted in the small park near in the City of Cayce Municipal Complex.
Heather
1 Jul 08 at 1:34 pm
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The seafood place was called "Key Largo," and the Mexican place was "Cuatros Caminos."
badger
26 Dec 08 at 2:43 pm
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This now houses the Hot China Buffet. I wonder how long it will last.
jamie
8 Jul 09 at 10:09 am
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It doesn't look good. I drive by it everyday and there's never anyone there. They had a small sign out front when they first opened. It said, "WE OPEN". So far I have no reason to want to try this place.
MR BILL
8 Jul 09 at 12:48 pm
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I've been by there at lunch a few times and see 10-20 cars. I've been hesitant to try it since they didn't show too well on the restaurant report card, IIRC.
jamie
8 Jul 09 at 1:19 pm
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It looks closed now...
jamie
19 Nov 09 at 2:27 pm
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Yeah, I've got some pix, but haven't gotten around to doing a closing on it yet.
ted
19 Nov 09 at 2:29 pm
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There is still a Western Sizzlin and Quincy's in florence
Alciai
31 May 12 at 10:20 am
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I believe the Quincy's in Florence is the last one in SC.
ted
31 May 12 at 10:40 am
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West Columbia time has moved on and forgotten. I use to live in West Columbia it seems every place but Knox Abbott drive was growing changing. Love Chevy moved out to Harbison Blvd. I love my home town but I do get worried if anything can survive.
snailboy
5 Feb 13 at 1:49 am
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What happened was the Love Chevrolet built the Parkridge Drive location and operated Knoxx Abbot location concurrently for several years but then decided to consolidate into the Parkdrige Drive location. I think the Knoxx Abbott location was a used car dealiership for a while but it's now a Mitsubishi dealership as well (btw, the Knoxx Abbott location is in Cayce and the new Love Chevrolet is actually on Parkridge Drive as opposed to Harbison Blvd.)
Andrew
5 Feb 13 at 12:10 pm
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As I've noted on the Hot China Buffet page (which came and went after the two mentioned in the same page had gone), this building is currently being razed...
Andrew
16 May 13 at 10:16 pm
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1111 Knox Abbott Drive
• 1971-1990 – Western Sizzlin Restaurant
• 1991-1992 -Key Largo Seafood
• 1992-1993 – Speranza Italian Trattoria
• 1995 – Vacant
• 1996-1998 – Eric’s San Jose Mexican Restaurant
• 1998-200? – Cuatro Caminos Mexican Restaurant
• 2004-2006 – Crazy buffet
• 200?-2009 – Hot China Buffet
• 2009-2013 - Vacant
• 2013 – the building was demolished
• 2013-Present – Vacant lot -
@Paul -- thanks for all that!
ted
1 Sep 20 at 10:10 pm
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Does anybody remember the name of the larger steakhouse just down and across the street from western sizzling where a seafood restaurant currently is?
Darrell
2 Aug 22 at 10:42 am
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I see from other info on this site that the steakhouse in question was western steer
Darrell
2 Aug 22 at 11:44 am
This is one of those locations that no matter what is put there...seems doomed to fail.