Can Des Moines support a "healthy" buffet restaurant?

Minnesota's Q. Cumbers has found a successful model

Q. Cumbers is a restaurant with a silly name. But the food is sensational.

This all-you-can-eat “healthy” buffet in the Twin Cities suburb of Edina, Minnesota, defies the odds when it comes to popular dining.

COVID was supposed to destroy the restaurant buffet business, right? It turned the Las Vegas dining scene upside down. And who’s going to line up to eat at a buffet that doesn’t approach it like mountains of Chinese food or inexpensive steak and sides?

The draw that keeps people coming: Lots of fresh salads, incredible soups and a few tasty meat dishes to satisfy the carnivores.

Q. Cumbers is an Edina, Minnesota, buffet restaurant known for fresh produce and more. (Photo by John Naughton.)

I’m a guy who likes a salad bar. And it’s at the heart of this restaurant concept. Lots of greens, veggies and more. Unlike restaurants that end up with a messy area as diners line up at the, ahem, trough, it’s kept clean and well-supplied with a beautiful display.

The soups are truly the star. At a buffet restaurant, they’re supposed to be big pots delivered by trucks that sit around all day. Flavorless stuff. Q. Cumbers offered a selection of delicious soups. The pozole was rich and sparkled with peppery spices and cilantro. The chicken and wild rice soup was creamy and rich.

There are self-serve stations that offer pizza, nachos and a variety of international dishes. The fruit station is heaped with fresh choices. And yes, there’s the soft serve ice cream machine that attracts people.

But in an area like Des Moines, with so many restaurants and a clientele that may hesitate at such a dining concept, can a healthy buffet succeed?

The salad bar is loaded with fresh ingredients. (Photo by John Naughton.)

I think it would take a lot of work. But the city’s palate to try new things — remember when bagels and migrant-owned restaurants seemed “exotic?” — could embrace something like Q. Cumbers.

As a Des Moines native, I spent years enjoying our city’s great dining traditions. Do you want a great Italian meal? Visit a local family-owned restaurant like Noah’s Ark. Want a local treasure? Enjoy Steak de Burgo, creamy Parmesan salad dressing, cavatelli served in a casserole dish, a grinder sandwich made with Graziano’s Italian sausage or even fried puffy tacos found at Tasty Tacos.

But at the same time, when I enjoyed a meal while traveling, I chomped and contemplated.