What is the ruling on eating at an open buffet, where one pays a fixed price and eats as much as he wants?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Recently, some restaurants have appeared that set a specific price upon entry, and then the customer enters and eats whatever food he wants. Is this practice permissible, such that one pays, for example, fifty riyals and eats as much as he wants?

Answer:
This is an error and is not permissible, because this is an error, because what he eats is unknown, and it is not permissible to sell the unknown or that which involves gharar (excessive uncertainty in a contract). It is necessary to specify and clarify the food that will be offered and state the value, so that the matter is clear and free from gharar. As for saying, "Pay ten or twenty riyals and enter and eat whatever you want," that is gharar and ignorance. The customary and regulated practice is that the one who enters the restaurant orders the items he wants, and each item is charged at its specific price. There is no gharar or ignorance in this.