San Rafael is Marin’s epicenter for buffet lunches, which are the best restaurant bargains in the county.

Most, in our town, are Indian; happily I never met an Indian all-you-can-eat feast in San Rafael that I didn’t enjoy. There are Brazilian and Chinese versions on this list as well.

Buffets have a time-honored tradition in the U.S. Drive anywhere in the country, particularly in the Midwest and you’ll find them in most towns: help yourself extravaganzas of American chow for the price of what would normally be a meat entrée with two sides.

Gambling towns in particular, such as Las Vegas and Reno, are known for buffets. (Feed ‘em good and cheap and you’ll keep the customers — and their money — in the hotel.)

The word buffet evolved from a piece of furniture. In France in the 17^th century, a buffet was a long sideboard on which a collation of foods could be laid out and from which guests could serve themselves. This style of dining became very popular for breakfast in English stately homes in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Now the word is synonymous with culinary abundance as well as good value.

Here are San Rafael’s buffets:

Ω Brazil Marin Market, 1435 Fourth St., Suite E, 456-6132. Self-serve Brazilian food buffet daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; $8.99 a pound to go or to eat in. You’ll find rice, beans, daily-changing pork, beef and chicken dishes, salad and some type of assorted vegetables. The Saturday collation features feijoada, a black bean and pork stew that’s Brazil’s national dish.

Ω India Village, 555 Francisco Blvd., 456-2411. Buffet lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday, $8.95. Choose from 18 different items, including daily-changing meat and vegetable curries, in an atmosphere rich with colorful hangings and comfortable booths.

Ω Lotus Cuisine of India, 704 4^th St., 456-5808. Buffet lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, $8.95. Features  more than 25 dishes, including chicken tandoori, chutney of the day, rice pudding and succulent gulub jaman for dessert. Pretty green and pink decor includes a roof that slides back for open air dining in summer.

Ω Om Indian Restaurant, 1518 Fourth St., 458-1770, Buffet lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Choose from 12 dishes on the buffet table; you’ll also get a crispy South Indian dosa pancake stuffed with spiced potatoes, brought to your table as part of the deal.

Ω Ray’s Hot Pot, 2100 Fourth St. (on the Miracle Mile), 460-1687. Chinese buffet lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, $7.99, includes two kinds of potstickers, chicken drummettes, noodle dishes, vegetables, egg fried rice, soup and more. A slightly more elaborate dinner buffet is available nightly for $9.99 or $11.99.

Ω Taj of Marin, 909 4^th St., 459-9555. Buffet lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday; Saturday until 3 p.m., $8.95 weekdays, $9.95 weekends. Marin’s most elaborate buffet, with more than 30 dishes to choose from, includes a wide range of vegetable dishes, Idli (South Indian fermented rice/lentil-flour pancakes) and mango soft-serve ice cream.