Whole-table rules
The first rule that surprises groups is that the table, not the person, picks the deal. Most AYCE places price by the seat and serve by the table, so they do not want one person on the cheap menu eating the premium plates everyone else ordered. A few published examples:
- Same menu for everyone. At Buga Korean BBQ in San Diego, "everyone at your table must agree to the same menu," according to the San Diego Reader (April 2022). With one grill in the middle, it would be too easy for one person to pay for the $39 menu and share its ribeye with friends on the $29 one.
- Same tier. Gen Korean BBQ says all guests at a table must order from the same menu tier.
- Same format. At a KPOT in Springfield, Missouri, the table has to agree on hotpot or Korean BBQ, or everyone pays $5 more per person for both, per 417 Magazine (November 2025).
- Everyone pays. At 99 Favor Taste in New York, "everyone gets a hot pot, and everyone pays," the Village Voice reported in March 2014.
So settle three things in the group chat before anyone leaves home: which restaurant, which tier, and whether the light eater in the group is fine paying full price. If someone only wants a bowl of rice and a few bites, AYCE with a whole-table rule may not be the right place for that dinner.
Upgrades are a group decision too. If the premium tier costs $10 more, the swap math from our Korean BBQ guide says each person needs about two premium plates in place of regular ones to make it pay. With a same-tier rule, that has to be true for the whole table, not just the one friend who wanted it.
Kids' pricing
Families usually get a break, but the ages differ from place to place:
- Gen Korean BBQ: kids 4 and under eat free, and ages 5 to 10 eat for half price.
- Fogo de Chao: kids 6 and under dine free, and ages 7 to 12 pay half price for the full churrasco experience, per its FAQ.
- KPOT, Mishawaka, Indiana: prices are about half off or more for kids, depending on age, according to the South Bend Tribune (March 2024).
Half price makes a kid's break-even easy. On a $34.99 tier, half is about $17.50, and two plates do it.
2 plates worth $23.50 against a $17.50 bill. Paid off on plate 2, $6.00 ahead.
- $15.50Beef brisket
- $8Steamed egg
Ask about kids' prices when you book. Each restaurant, and sometimes each location, sets its own ages.
Reservations and group bookings
Plenty of AYCE spots are walk-in only for small tables and take bookings only for big ones. What we found:
- Gen Korean BBQ takes reservations for parties of 10 or more, through your nearest location.
- Fogo de Chao hosts groups of 15 to 300 in its main dining rooms and private rooms, recommends reservations for larger parties and peak times, and typically holds a reservation for up to 15 minutes.
- KPOT Rogers takes group bookings of 12 or more, Monday through Thursday from noon to 5 pm, with a $50 non-refundable deposit that goes toward the meal if you show up, per its booking page (checked October 2026).
Group bookings are not always at prime time, as the KPOT example shows. A weekday lunch slot can also be the cheaper price: the Mishawaka KPOT was reported at $20.99 for weekday lunch from noon to 4 pm, against $30.99 for dinners and weekends.
Time limits for large parties
A big table usually gets the same clock as everyone else, and two hours is the common one. Buga's two-hour window starts once the menu is chosen, per the San Diego Reader. KPOT Rogers gives group bookings 2 hours plus a 30-minute buffer and says slots will not be extended. The Mishawaka KPOT also has a two-hour limit, with last seating an hour before closing.
Groups lose time in ways a table of two does not: waiting for the last friend, debating the tier, ordering for ten people. Three habits help:
- Decide the tier before you sit. If your clock starts when you order, as at Buga, every minute of debate costs a plate.
- Send one person to order. One orderer with a list is faster than ten people calling out cuts.
- Make round one fast. Thin brisket on the grill or thin-sliced beef in the pot means eating within a minute. Our hotpot tips have a round-by-round plan for the pot.
Order as a table so nothing is left over
Leftover fees hit groups hardest, because ten people ordering "one more plate" is ten plates. Fees we found:
- $5 per unfinished plate at Korea House in Houston, per Houstonia.
- Full menu price for any dish you ask for and cannot finish at Buga, per the San Diego Reader.
- $13.99 per pound of leftover add-ins, which the Springfield KPOT reserves the right to charge, per 417 Magazine.
- A posted leftover fee and no carry-out boxes at Gen.
The fix is to order by the table, not by the person. Order a mix of cuts for the group, finish them, then reorder the favorites. One plate of something new is enough for everyone to try it. Our guide to AYCE rules and leftover fees shows how a single fee changes the break-even math.
Grill and pot roles
A table of eight around one grill needs a little structure, or the meat burns while everyone talks.
- Grill master or pot keeper. One person per grill or pot drops things in, flips, and fishes them out. Burnt or lost food is wasted value, and at a place with a leftover fee it can cost you twice.
- Orderer. One person keeps the running list and places each round.
- Clock watcher. Someone asks when last call is and slows the ordering as it gets close, so the final round is one you can finish.
Rotate the grill job if your table is big, so the cook gets to eat too.
Splitting the bill fairly
AYCE is easier to split than a normal dinner, because most of the bill is a flat price per seat. A fair split goes in four steps:
- The AYCE price goes by person. Each diner pays for their own seat at their own tier and age price. It does not matter who ate the most; that is the point of all-you-can-eat.
- Personal extras go to whoever ordered them. Drinks, alcohol and dessert, when they are not included.
- Shared extras are split by the people who shared them. A $5 combination upcharge, a split broth, or a leftover fee the whole table earned.
- Tax and tip follow each person's share. If an automatic gratuity is on the bill, it is already the tip, so do not add another by accident.
Ask about separate checks early. Some restaurants cap how many ways they will split a check. The Portland Mercury (October 2017) explained one restaurant's four-way limit as a way to keep food hot and service quick on a busy night. If you hit a cap, one person pays and the others pay them back.
Big tables often come with a set tip. KPOT Rogers adds an 18% gratuity to every group booking. Our guide on how much to tip at a buffet and AYCE covers automatic gratuity and what to tip when there is none.
What a table has to eat back
Here is what the whole check looks like for a few example tables at a $34.99 Korean BBQ tier, with 9% tax and an 18% gratuity on the pre-tax price. The plate counts use the same premium ($18.20) and filler ($3.25) averages as the buffet calculator, and the family row uses Gen's kids' pricing as the example.
| Table | Before tax and tip | Real bill | Premium plates | Filler plates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 adults | $139.96 | $177.75 | 10 | 55 |
| 2 adults, a kid at half price, a kid free | $87.48 | $111.09 | 7 | 35 |
| 8 adults | $279.92 | $355.50 | 20 | 110 |
Each adult still owes $44.44 of food, the same as eating alone. The table total just makes it easier to see that ten plates of good beef cover four people, while 55 plates of rice and soda never will.
The table total hides who is carrying the group. In the Plate Debt app, group tables let friends join from their own iPhones with an invite link, a QR code or a 5-character code. Each person enters what they paid and races their own plate debt, with a live leaderboard, predictions and a table timer for the two-hour clock. On Premium, a receipt scan can split shared dishes evenly across the table.
For the habits that work at any AYCE, group or not, see how to beat the buffet.
Sources
- Ian Anderson, "The all you can eat lessons of Buga Korean BBQ", San Diego Reader, April 15, 2022.
- Gen Korean BBQ, genkoreanbbq.com, checked October 14, 2026.
- Tessa Cooper, "How to Hot Pot: Know Before You Go", 417 Magazine, November 2025.
- Hannah Palmer Egan, "Navigating the Wonderful World of 99 Favor Taste", The Village Voice, March 17, 2014.
- Ed Semmler, "Long-awaited KPot restaurant offers friends and families the chance to cook together", South Bend Tribune via AOL, March 28, 2024.
- Fogo de Chao, FAQ, checked October 14, 2026.
- KPOT Rogers, group booking page, checked October 14, 2026.
- Houstonia, Korea House listing, checked October 14, 2026.
- Chad Walsh, "The Reason Behind Restaurant Check-Splitting Policies", Portland Mercury, October 25, 2017.
FAQ
Does everyone at the table have to order all-you-can-eat?
Often, yes. Buga Korean BBQ in San Diego requires everyone at the table to agree to the same menu, Gen Korean BBQ requires every guest at a table to order the same tier, and a KPOT in Springfield, Missouri has the whole table choose hotpot, Korean BBQ or the combination. Ask before you sit down.
How do you split the bill at Korean BBQ?
Split the all-you-can-eat price by person, since each diner pays for a seat, not for the plates they ate. Give drinks and add-ons to whoever ordered them, and split shared extras among the people who shared them. Then add tax and tip in proportion, or check whether an automatic gratuity is already on the bill.
Do kids pay full price at all-you-can-eat?
Often not. Gen Korean BBQ lets kids 4 and under eat free and charges half price for ages 5 to 10. Fogo de Chao lets kids 6 and under dine free and charges half price for ages 7 to 12. Policies vary by location.
Can you make a reservation for a group at all-you-can-eat?
Many places take them for big groups only. Gen Korean BBQ takes reservations for parties of 10 or more, and Fogo de Chao hosts groups of 15 to 300. KPOT's Rogers location books parties of 12 or more with a $50 deposit.
Is there a time limit for large parties at all-you-can-eat?
Usually the same clock as everyone else, often two hours. KPOT's Rogers location gives group bookings 2 hours plus a 30-minute buffer and will not extend the slot. Get the first round in fast.
Do large groups pay an automatic gratuity at all-you-can-eat?
Sometimes. KPOT's Rogers location adds an 18% gratuity to every group booking. Thresholds and rates vary by restaurant, so check the menu or booking terms, and read the bill before you add a tip.