"Even though buffets can be annoying (so annoying that fights have broken out over crab legs), there are still expectations on guests and mistakes you want to avoid. One of those is that you shouldn't sample dishes in line. You're at a buffet, which means you can take as much or as little as you like whenever you like. If there's an item you're not sure you want, take a small portion back to your table to see if you like it."
"There are several reasons not to sample food in line. First, stopping to eat holds up the line. At a busy buffet, this can create a traffic jam. The bigger issue is sanitation. Your hands or utensils get dirty. You may drop crumbs or drip sauce in areas where you could cross-contaminate. Food from your plate, hands, or even mouth might end up in dishes others will eat."
"You don't have to go far on the internet to find horror stories of people using their hands or even serving utensils to sample food while in line. There are stories about people double dipping pizza into soup, sucking soft serve ice cream right out of the spigot, or licking serving spoons clean. Someone even witnessed a person eating chicken wings, then putting the bones back in the serving tray with the fresh ones."
Buffets involve expectations of guest behavior, including proper etiquette. Guests should not sample dishes while standing in line and should instead take small portions back to their table to test unfamiliar items. Sampling in line obstructs traffic and increases sanitation risks because dirty hands or utensils can drop crumbs, drip sauces, and cross-contaminate serving dishes. Reported behaviors include double-dipping pizza into soup, sucking soft-serve ice cream from the spigot, licking serving spoons, returning chicken bones to serving trays, and plunging arms into chocolate fountains. These actions can spread germs and compromise food safety, making buffet hygiene a shared responsibility.
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