I felt like an impostor, sidling up to order in the immaculate cafeteria-style dining room. I knew Buster was serious about barbeque when I saw large rolls of paper towels set out where napkin dispensers should be. The menu listed not only the usual chicken, spare and baby back ribs and pulled pork, but also the not-so-usual kielbasa, gator tail and ostrich burger and a lot of choices and combinations between. As I contemplated dinners, combos, sandwiches and substantial separate seafood listing, I noticed the many "All you can eat sides" signs. A preview stroll of the buffet tables hastened my decision-a modest main dish would leave room for those good-looking sides.

A sound theory, but the black bean and salsa burger I finally ordered was by no means modest. Dense, moist and piquant, it could have been the main attraction. As it happened, I used half of it to clear my palate between samplings of those wonderful sides and wrapped the other half in some of the handy paper towels for a midnight snack. (I'm sure Buster would approve, connoisseur of doggy bags that he must be.)

The cold sides consisted of very good, very fresh potato salad and cole slaw, beets, cottage cheese, pickles and citrus sections, a thorough selection of predictable picnic accompaniments. It was the hot sides, however, that made the meal special. Ranch beans and corn were only a beginning. Choices of dirty rice, hickory smoked potatoes and sweet potatoes with citrus sauce produced a familiar quandary-so much food, so little time. I hadn't even approached the other table. When I got there, I found a steaming crock of the soup of the day, beef barley, which I passed on in favor of the spicy french fries, kept crisp by a heat lamp. (That Buster is really attentive to detail.) French bread and tasty little squares of corn bread posed the final hurdle of carbohydrates.

I've listened to hour-long discussions of barbeque sauce and its subtleties, if such sauce can be said to allow subtlety. There I was in a Barbeque Place, and in deference to sauce aficionados, I felt compelled to sample the house sauce, irrelevant as it might have been to my plate of diverse goodies. I squirted a puddle, dipped some corn bread and roll, spread it on some sweets and bathed some burger in it. I inhaled deeply. Would it clear the patch of sinus that the wind off White Lake couldn't? It proved to be not too hot, not too sweet and somewhat acidic. Admittedly, judging barbeque sauce without the meat is a dubious undertaking. Let's just say it tasted good.

I enjoyed all of the above with unlimited drink from a deck table overlooking the lake for $8 and change. Buster's has its own dock for lake traffic and is family friendly. Game machines and a large play area command the entry and kids under 10 can order from the sandwich menu for $4.50 with unlimited sides and a make-your-own-sundae as well. Adult sandwich portions are $6.95, dinners and combos range from $8.95 to $14.95 and most fish dishes are $9.95. Again, all choices include unlimited hot and cold sides, soup and bread. Wings, nachos and chicken tenders are also available as appetizers, and chocolate cake, apple cobbler or a sundae makes dessert for anyone with room for it. Beer is offered as well as soda.

I didn't get to personally meet Buster during my visit, but the business is obviously in good paws. "Buster's" is a wonderful answer to "Where can we go to eat?" especially for a large group with diverse needs. As another option, take-out is convenient.

Hours: Open 7 days for lunch and dinner; Sunday breakfast buffet 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Handicapped access

Parking lot