My friend asked me to go to this restaurant on our birthday but I can't make it. I just looked at the pricing and they have a special pricing structure for bypass patients. I have never seen that before! Not quite right for the band (I sent an email asking if they can change it to bariatric surgery pricing) but it's still pretty cool.

http://www.shady-maple.com/smorgasbord/daily-menu-pricing/

I would be interested in knowing this as well. We have planned a summer vaca to Lancaster county; and you know the rest of the family would like to go to these family style smorgasbord type places. I don't mind going but i hate the idea of paying full price when I am not going to be eating s full share. In a restaurant I don't care as much I can take home leftovers but in a place like this it irks me.

I just had an issue this week with my mom, she wanted to go to an upscale brazilian BBQ buffet place for her birthday dinner. They charge $21.95 per person....I told her that I would not go because I cannot justify paying that much money when I am only going to eat about a cup or so of food (I've only had 1 fill, and not at full restriction yet). She got very hurt and upset that I was not willing to go there for her birthday, but I dont feel that is fair to me either. The thing that bothers me most is BOTH my parents had gastric bypass surgery (about 25 yrs ago) so if anyone, they should understand. I wish places around here had special pricing for bariatric patients, that would be awesome

I've never been a fan of buffets because I'm vegetarian. When we went to Vegas my friends didn't understand why I didn't want to pay $30 for some heavy buffet when i'd probably just end up eating salad. They've never been worth it for me, especially not now.

I have to admit....I had my visit to Shady Maple a month before surgery. LOL

I've never been a fan of buffets because I'm vegetarian. When we went to Vegas my friends didn't understand why I didn't want to pay $30 for some heavy buffet when i'd probably just end up eating salad. They've never been worth it for me, especially not now.

i'm in exact same boat - vegetarian - even before surgery HATED paying big bucks to pay for all the steak/lobster/crab whatever everyone else was eating when i was eating cheap salad/mac cheese/bread. Double my displeasure now that i will be lucky to get down 1/2 plate of a salad. LOL oh well - i am usually successful in talking everyone into going where i want to go instead of the buffets - and if i have to "suck it up" and pay for a buffet - i just tell myself i'm paying for that atmosphere/social time. It has become amusing to watch just how much others eat there - i mean talk about ripping our stomachs apart with that much food!!! LOL BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!

I just had an issue this week with my mom, she wanted to go to an upscale brazilian BBQ buffet place for her birthday dinner. They charge $21.95 per person....I told her that I would not go because I cannot justify paying that much money when I am only going to eat about a cup or so of food (I've only had 1 fill, and not at full restriction yet). She got very hurt and upset that I was not willing to go there for her birthday, but I dont feel that is fair to me either. The thing that bothers me most is BOTH my parents had gastric bypass surgery (about 25 yrs ago) so if anyone, they should understand. I wish places around here had special pricing for bariatric patients, that would be awesome

Wow sorry to hear your Mom took it so bad. Seeing that she walked your (similar) shoes years before I would expect she would understand completely. Then again 25 years is a long time. Maybe she forgotten how restrictive the eating was. She also had bypass and not a band so maybe she just doesn't understand.

I agree there should be a pricing difference. I got my lapband card 2 weeks after surgery but I have yet to use it in a restaurant. I 've order childrens plates but in some places I was charged adult charge, They would probably get more peoppe into the restuarants if they knew they would not be hassled about amount of food they will eat (and won't it make it easier on the cools?)

Kim - is your dog a Newfoundland?

I just had an issue this week with my mom, she wanted to go to an upscale brazilian BBQ buffet place for her birthday dinner. They charge $21.95 per person....I told her that I would not go because I cannot justify paying that much money when I am only going to eat about a cup or so of food (I've only had 1 fill, and not at full restriction yet). She got very hurt and upset that I was not willing to go there for her birthday, but I dont feel that is fair to me either. The thing that bothers me most is BOTH my parents had gastric bypass surgery (about 25 yrs ago) so if anyone, they should understand. I wish places around here had special pricing for bariatric patients, that would be awesome

Ahh - sounds like sabatoge. I would pay the price and go though. Its a birthday - now if it were just any old day forget it. You might ask - and see if the buffett will let you pay a children's or "one plate" price.

Odd though that people who have been in our shoes sabatoge us. My step-daughter, who had the surgery too gave me a bag of hersey's kisses at christmas. Says "these will slide through" What the heck? Luckily sweets aren't my problem...still have the full bad.

Kim - is your dog a Newfoundland?

She's a cocker spaniel. Please vote for her in this photo contest! https://apps.faceboo...rticipant/52711

I tried, but I don't have a facebook account. Hope she wins. She's a doll!

I would pay and go. It is about the celebration not the food. I have never once used my LB card and probably never will. The food on the kids menus here is stuff that you wouldn't really want to eat - nuggets and stuff like that. I go to a restaurant and order off the normal menu, sometimes it irks me that they don't have smaller(lady sized ) portions but I normally find something i can eat. If I end up wasting something then so be it - it's not the end of the world.

I went to a buffet for dinner with my family tonight, we were out running errands and the kids and ex got hungry, so they wanted to go to a buffet. Well, I asked if they have special pricing for bariatric patients and was told they do. So, they charged me the kids price (was like $4.45 with drink). It was nice. Then I ran into the lap band coordinator for my doctor there and told her about that, she didnt even know they had special pricing for band patients. I would have never even thought to ask if it wasnt for this group! Thanks, I saved over $6 just on my dinner tonight!! (and it was great to have a little steak for dinner since Chicken doesnt seem to agree with me and gets stuck)

Sometimes the resuratant give the senior discount which has smaller ants of food but not kiddie food with nuggets ect. B

At a restaurant you can always try asking if they will do an appetizer portion of the main dishes for you. That was a weight watchers trick I learned. See, WW wasnt a complete waste of money lol