I've never been to this joint, but I've heard lots of chatter about it.
What's the deal with it? Is it all you can eat, or is it the bowl stacking system?

What is the nutrition like?

3/31/2008 10:35:44 AM

well only like 50% of tww used to work there

this'll go well

3/31/2008 10:36:17 AM

the large samoan cook scares small children

i've seen it with my own eyes

3/31/2008 10:37:09 AM

there is a 50% chance that you will have explosive diarrhea after eating there.

3/31/2008 10:38:05 AM

right, which is why i'd like some info from here.

i'm sorry if it was not a good place to work. i'm just concerned if it is a good place to eat.

3/31/2008 10:38:10 AM

I love the place... it's been a while. I do believe it is all you can eat... or you can do like 2 bowls instead and pay less. Just don't go crazy with the seasonings you can add, My first bowl I added a ton of a bunch of different sauces and seasonings... Less is more

3/31/2008 10:38:41 AM

^^^That's fine, i'm trying to lose some weight anyhow for my wedding.

^thanks. What kinds of sauces are there? are they all sugary corn syrup based sauces or are they actually good for you?



also what's the cost?

[Edited on March 31, 2008 at 10:40 AM. Reason : ]

3/31/2008 10:38:49 AM

you can buy it by the bowl or all you can eat. The meat is low quality, but it still tastes pretty good

3/31/2008 10:39:45 AM

I have never been there but I know fatasses love it. They must give you a lot of oily stir fry.

3/31/2008 10:40:18 AM

I love going for lunch and getting one bowl then stacking it like a foot high.

3/31/2008 10:42:59 AM

its a good place to eat.

you get upset stomach a lot because most of the chefs there dont understand the whole uncooked food rule.

so you have 10-15 bowls spread across that grill and they just go in order. so the person who put their food on there first will be done by the time the 15th person comes in line, so after putting the 15th persons bowl down and mixing it, they'll go strait to the first persons food and use the same tongs and sweep your food into the plate. thats how people get sick there.

i used to work at the falls one as a griller and "manager"

good business. just a buncha slackasses

3/31/2008 10:46:52 AM

disgusting place

i always get a stomach ache after eating there


and no matter what combination of food i put on my plate it tastes exactly the same each time in the end

worst place to waste $6 on earth

3/31/2008 10:53:13 AM

Quote :

"and no matter what combination of food i put on my plate it tastes exactly the same each time in the end"

3/31/2008 10:54:18 AM

guess i've been lucky b/c i've eaten there over 20 times and never been sick, along with the people i've been with...

really good restaurant

and it is always the same 2 cooks everytime I go b/c i recognize their voice "what riiii...?"

3/31/2008 10:54:38 AM

Quote :

" and no matter what combination of food i put on my plate it tastes exactly the same each time in the end "

thats hard to believe.

a lot of people go in there with some creative dishes. that turn out really well. if you are just some old joe that doesnt know how to cook, then yeah. perhaps they all taste the same

3/31/2008 10:54:55 AM

I never understood why they put the meat first. This is just pure business, but I would put the meat at the end because people would fill their bowls up first with the cheaper stuff and not use as much meat.

Anyway yes it is the herald of explosive diarrhea.

[Edited on March 31, 2008 at 10:57 AM. Reason : ]

3/31/2008 10:57:24 AM

if you want an egg cooked with your food, hold it in your hand so you don't take up space in the bowl. They give you rice, so unless you really want noodles, don't get them and eat the rice so you have more room in your bowl for meat and veggies

3/31/2008 10:58:34 AM

i don't get the stomach problems other people get from eating there.

and i have a very grumpy stomach.

3/31/2008 10:59:29 AM

yeah, packing down the veggies with meat is the way to go. well, first packing down the veggies with your hand, then smashing the meat on there.

we had no rule on how much food. bossman said however much they can put in a bowl.

ive been pwnt several times there with folks getting one bowl and could have easily charged then for all you can eat.

3/31/2008 11:01:00 AM

I prefer the one on capital for some reason(Bali Hai), you don't have as many options and its not as fancy, but it seems more cozy...plus I can never get my sauces as good as theirs.

Downside is that theres not much in the way for seafood, besides 2 bucks extra for a little platter added :/

3/31/2008 11:10:48 AM

i've only had the one on buck jones and its pretty damn tasty. A+++ would go again.

3/31/2008 11:16:31 AM

when i go, i just fill up 2 or 3 bowls and take them up there at once. i see lots of people do this..
but then again, i go at night when it is all you can eat

3/31/2008 11:16:46 AM

i love crazy fire. in fact maybe i'll go there this week, haven't been in a while.

3/31/2008 11:17:12 AM

Sometimes I get a serious craving for it, and consider going


And then I remember the shit that went down while I worked there, and all of a sudden, that craving becomes a 'it'd be nice to have, but it's not worth it'

(I used to have a bowl of pineapple and carrots with a shitton of sesame seeds and the cajun powder with an egg...god, that was good)

3/31/2008 11:20:35 AM

This place is sub-par

3/31/2008 11:21:09 AM

it's good food, but it's also a buffet, so I wouldn't recommend it if you are trying to lose weight.

3/31/2008 11:21:28 AM

I hope you like...

3/31/2008 11:21:42 AM

i went there twice

if you can eat alot, it's worth it, but being a person that eat's like 5-6 small meals a day, i feel like i waste my money

as for the quality of the food- it was pretty good, but you're you own chef for the most part, so it's all up to you

3/31/2008 11:22:44 AM

Quote :

"it's good food, but it's also a buffet, so I wouldn't recommend it if you are trying to lose weight."

and why is that? you prepare your own foods, and you tell them how you want it.

if you're talking about the price, then yeah, its not worth the money to eat select foods.

3/31/2008 11:23:57 AM

bali hai > crazy fire

3/31/2008 11:26:25 AM

yeah i used to be all about some bali hai

3/31/2008 11:37:42 AM

Quote :

" packing down the veggies with your hand, then smashing the meat on there."

that's called cupping and they charge you for another bowl if they catch you doing that. saw a guy get charged like that just 2 weeks ago

3/31/2008 11:40:19 AM

Have they posted conditions along the lines of 'here's what you may not do WRT to your 'one bowl' ' guidelines?

If they haven't, charging someone extra in unacceptable.

3/31/2008 11:42:06 AM

yes. they do where i go.

[Edited on March 31, 2008 at 11:44 AM. Reason : h]

3/31/2008 11:43:55 AM

They have an equivalent chain in the northeast, forget the name.

but they have a scale there so you can weigh your food to see how much you're eating.

We always had contests to see who could eat the most, and the winner didn't have to pay.

I won a lot

3/31/2008 11:47:31 AM

Quote :

"that's called cupping"

Well then, I'm the fucking cupping master. I can get like 4 pounds of meat in that bowl.

3/31/2008 11:47:56 AM

bali hai > crazy fire

3/31/2008 12:07:58 PM

I fucking LOVE crazy fire

3/31/2008 12:19:33 PM

I am a fan. Even if my stomach sometimes doesn't like me afterward. (I've never "gotten sick" from eating there, but I often either eat too much or spice it too heavily...)

3/31/2008 12:24:37 PM

I've eaten there probably 5 or 6 times, never had any complaints. I really like the place. Haven't been in a long time, but this thread reminded me it exists, so I may pay a visit this month.

Quote :

"^thanks. What kinds of sauces are there? are they all sugary corn syrup based sauces or are they actually good for you?"

Uhm... I dunno - I mean they have teriyaki, soy, a hot sauce, mild sauce, etc... I am sure there ones that are good for you and ones that are not... But then they have dry spices which obviously would be healthier. I don't pay much attention, when I hit up a buffet I am just concerned with stuffing myself with the best tasting stuff.

3/31/2008 12:40:02 PM

It's an ill spot for eating challenges. Food is pretty good... haven't been there in a while actually.

And the one on Falls closed a long time ago. I went there once and it was so dead. It seems they opened a couple Crazy Fire's and then closed them down. The nicest one is on Leesville Road by 540. Way nicer than the one in Cary.

[Edited on March 31, 2008 at 12:51 PM. Reason : Leesville]

3/31/2008 12:51:13 PM

I think Bali Hai on Old Wake Forest Rd/Falls of Neuse is FAR FAR FAR SUPERIOR for this type of food. Sometimes it's hard to catch their hours, and I don't think they have an unlimited option (haven't had a chance to go lately), but 2 bowls (you can stack as high as you want) is as much as anyone needs at one meal anyway. I can never finish my 1 bowl and rice (I have perfected the art of stacking, though ). I just think their food and seasoning tastes better.
They will probably be hard to find if you dont know where they are though-- so here are a few clues: near Southern States Buick Dodge Mazda, on the side of the road with Biscuitville, but closer to downtown, AND it may look like a run down hole in the wall but it just doesn't have chain funding & it has been there for a long time. The lines get long at lunch, but I like going for lunch better than dinner.

/words [sorry]

http://www.balihainc.com/

[Edited on March 31, 2008 at 1:42 PM. Reason : link]

3/31/2008 1:33:51 PM

Bali Hai on Wake Forest > Crazy Fire

I wouldn't go to the one in Durham though.

3/31/2008 1:53:01 PM

bali hai > crazy fire

3/31/2008 2:46:40 PM

Crazy Fire > Bali Hai

3/31/2008 2:52:17 PM

bali hai > crazy fire

3/31/2008 2:52:43 PM

SODIUM

3/31/2008 2:55:13 PM

I've never been to Crazy Fire (or Bali Hai) and I think that's a good thing.

3/31/2008 3:08:15 PM