With seven different action kitchen stations and more than 200 different items at 7 Kitchens buffet, guests have virtually limitless possibilities to enjoy the meal of their lives.

How they choose to strategize their visits, however, is entirely something else. 

While there’s no wrong way to hit up our buffet, there are several different approaches endorsed by the guy behind the food: Chef de Cuisine Dustin Tuthill. Here, in no particular order, are Dustin’s favorite plans of attack.

Hunt and Peck

Dustin advises that guests who come into 7 Kitchens seeking one or two special items should lean into this expectation and make direct and concerted forays into the food area to obtain nothing but the items they seek. While this means guests may make numerous trips over the course of one meal, it also guarantees that guests won’t waste food, and that they won’t overeat.

Station-by-Station

If you’re craving one or two types of cuisine, Dustin recommends focusing on trying everything from those stations instead of grabbing items from each of the seven kitchens. Think of this as depth over breadth. And remember, you can always hit up other stations on your next visit.

Clean Plate Method

We admit it: It is very natural to want to pile plates with food every time you swing by the stations at 7 Kitchens. Instead, try limiting yourself to four or five items each time you go up. Dustin said this is a great strategy to celebrate quality and deemphasize quantity. He added it’s also a great way to keep food hot.

Spin Around

Can’t decide which goodies to grab first? Dustin suggests playing a simple game we like to call “Spin Around.” Stand in the center of the buffet floor, stick your plate out in front of you, then close your eyes and spin around until you feel it’s time to stop. Wherever your plate is pointing when you open your eyes, that’s where you start first.