Las Vegas Buffets
 

Can anyone give me their ideas on the best value in food buffets. There seems to be endless choices-some good and others bad. I would greatly appreciate any help. Thanks!

See post labeled <BR>"The Mirage Las Vegas How to get an upgrade , buffets and other tips" for info (you can do a 'text search ' on the top of this page with "las vegas" alone or with words like 'buffet') <BR>(My message there: <BR>Author: Barbara ([email protected]) <BR> Date: 6/19/2001, 6:08 pm ET <BR> Message: See article in July/August Travel/holiday magazine for tips, especially re 'upscale' buffets)

Paula, The one rule of thumb I've learned when it comes to buffets is: You Get What You Pay For! If it's a cheaply priced buffet it's going to be a cheaply presented and prepared buffet. My favorite was the buffet at The Excalibur, but I am sure there are better ones in town. Good luck (at the buffet and the slots!).

Paula - <BR> <BR>1) Bellagio <BR>2) Paris <BR>3) Mandalay Bay <BR> <BR>If you really want over-the-top, try the Sterling Brunch at Bally's. Price tag is high but they serve Perrier-Jouet champagne, caviar, lobster, rack of lamb, etc. <BR> <BR>Lynn <BR> <BR>:-)

I was suprised how good Harrah's was. Luxor takes the cake though.

So far I've tried MGM's buffet which was horrible, Rio's buffet which had a large variety but too many kids running around. The Paris buffet is very nice. I can hardly wait to try Bellagio's. Heard a lot of good things.

Bellagio has a great buffet. The lunch buffet was incredible and for what they served you the price was a deal - you will not need to eat the rest of the day. They have a lot of gourmet stuff, not just meatloaf and fried chicken type stuff. Very nice and desserts are unbelievable! Worth the price of $14.00 at lunch.

How do you define value? If it great quality at a moderate price ($20 for dinner) Bellagio's Buffett is really nice and worth the cost. If value only means that you want to pay rock-bottom price and quality doesn't matter, there are plenty of low-priced places to go to instead under $10. <BR>Just an observation, I was shocked at how many people don't tip the staff at a buffett. Yes, they didn't bring you your food but they are getting your drinks and taking away your plates. A $1 a person is just the right thing to do.

Mirage has an excellent buffet.. i live in the area and everyone who visits is always pleased with it. Rio has more than one buffet...if you do the seafood buffet you get all you can eat crab, shrimp etc and it's very good. I agree with other posts..a cheap buffet usually means food that isn't so good. <BR>

The buffet at the Paris Casino was excellent!!

Buffet breakfast and dinner at Bellagio was second to none. The quality and variety of the food was excellent. I just couldn't believe the long line up for the dinner. Well over an hour wait and it was 8pm on a Monday!! I slipped the hostess $10 and she sat us right away. Just a tip!!

Main Street Station has one of the better buffets in town. It is not quite on par with the Mirage buffet, but is considerably less expensive. It has everything from brick-oven pizza, Chinese, Mexican, to your usual buffet fare.

The Bellagio and Paris both have excellent buffets...they are pricier than most so look into their prices, and if okay for you, go for it. When we went with the family last year, we found that the buffets at Mandalay Bay and Caesars Palace were really very good and an excellent value if taken at lunch time or in the late afternoon....ten dollars at the MC and a little less at CP. I had done a lot of reading up on buffets and read that the ones at MC, Luxor, Excalibur, MGM, etc. did not have a very good reputation. Even the one at Rio, which has been known to be excellent , has lost its appeal and quality. Treasure Island's was really not very good...we had the champagne Sunday thing and it was just a pass. Hope this helps.

RIO, RIO, RIO!!! <BR>The Rio hotel is not on the strip, but not far, you can take the free shuttle bus from Harrahs to the Rio. Or take the cab. Worth the money.. Rio has the worlds largest buffet- Carnival World Buffet. Food is wonderful!!

Paula - <BR> <BR>The Rio used to be wonderful but has fallen from grace lately. I must admit I haven't been recently but almost everyone I talk to says the same thing; it's not worth it anymore. <BR> <BR>Stick with Bellagio or Paris and you'll do well. <BR> <BR>Lynn <BR> <BR>:-)

Rio's buffet is like upgraded fast food, but as noted, there's plenty of it. No question there. <BR>

Did not care for Caesar's buffet that much, but loved the Rio's buffet! I must admit, the atmosphere almost put me off the first time I saw the Carnival World buffet, but having given it a chance, it's our favorite in Las Vegas, and we go everytime we get to Vegas! Love the Mongolian stir-fry part of the buffet and the dessert selections are phenomenal and they have a lot of sugar-free desserts as well for the diabetic person

Just got back from Vegas last week. Do not miss the breakfast buffet at the Paris. It's $13 per person, but worth every penny. Harrah's also had a very good buffet that's more affordable. We usually eat early dinner there once each trip. And yes, the seafood buffet at the Rio is excellent. I can't speak for the Bellagio, but I'm sure it's great as others have posted.

I'll echo Dave on the Paris buffet for breakfast. The bonus is that if you go there at around 11:00 am, they start putting out lunch at around 11:15 so you can have the more expensive lunch at the breakfast price.

Monte Carlo. <BR>I am a bit surprised nobody mentioned it. <BR>We've been there 2 years ago. Inexpensive and very rich variety, and good food. <BR>Yes, MGM has been known for years as maybe THE WORST buffet in LV. <BR>Bon Apetit. <BR>Amik.

I've been to Las Vegas 3 times in the last year and eat mostly at buffets. Last time 3 weeks ago. The buffet quality seems to change rather quickly. What was good 2 years ago might not be anymore. So here's my short reviews for what they are worth. <BR>Mirage: Best buffet in town for food, value and atmosphere. <BR>New Orleans: Excellent value and food. Like the Rio but much better.(Need a car or take shuttle to get there.) <BR>Rio Carnival Buffet: Success has ruined it. Food quality is bad and lines are long. <BR>Paris:Excellent but not really French food. Great desserts. Show up before 4PM(?)and get lunch price and stay for dinner. Only thing different at dinner is cheese and crab and $10 higher price. <BR>Note: If you want to eat crab, I advise you bring your own crab cracker. Most places don't put them out(Theft?) and I won't risk my teeth. <BR>Bellagio: Excellent but expensive and not the best atmosphere or service. <BR>Monte Carlo(lunch): Good service but mediocre food and poor selection. A disappointment. <BR>Golden Nugget: Good food, long lines, limited selection. Ditto Treasure Island <BR>(where we stayed). <BR>Ceasars Palace(lunch): lousy food, poor selection, poor atmosphere high price. <BR>Sahara:Great value for brunch($4.99). Good selection, good quality. Don't expect atmosphere or gourmet food. <BR>Main Street Station : Quality of food is deteriorating rapidly. <BR>Excalabur and Circus Circus: You'd be better off at the salad bar at Wendys or Carl's Jr. <BR>Don't go for the cheapest. It may be cheap for a reason. <BR> <BR>Good Eating, <BR> <BR>Gerry

Wow Gerry, thanks so much for a very informative post. It's people like you who makes this all worthwhile. I'll be sure to check out Mirage's buffet next month. I can hardly wait.

Rhonda - We're going in August. Please to a trip report and let me (us) know what you thought about the buffets you tried including info. on good times to go to avoid lines/waits. THANKS

Thanks everyone for your tips! I'm gathering info for an article so anything else you can add will be most appreciated!<BR>

I was just in Vegas last week. The Paris Breakfast buffet is excellent. It has a playful Disneyland like atmosphere. Painted blue sky, and a setting that makes it look like a small French village. Very cute and comfortable. They have several food stations where they serve potatoes, sausages, crepes, omelettes, fruits etc... I highly recommend it. It was about $12.00. HAVE FUN!!!

Any article based on information obtained at an anonymous travel chat board should be grounds for dismissal or flunking, depending on the article's intended audience.<BR><BR>If you're for real Paula, you're one sorry author. Doesn't validity and responsible reporting mean anything to you?<BR>

I'm preparing for the trip to write the article and I asked for recommendations beforehand. I didn't intend to "write" the article based on the replies I received from my request. Last year Fodorites made my trip to Tuscany a great success and I wouldn't consider any major trip without checking this board for advice.

I went to LV in Jan. and March. Went to a dozen buffets and all I remember is MGM...AWFUL and Bellagio...THE BEST. How many ways can you serve Salmon? Let the Bellagio show you the way. Yummy

Was in Las Vegas last week. Had lunch buffet at Paris Hotel for about $17.00. It was very good, if a bit pricey. Had dinner buffet at Mandalay Bay with my brother. We both thought it just okay -- one bonus was all the shrimp and crab legs you want, and they provided a nutcracker.

How are the lines at the most popular buffets such as Belagio, Paris and Mirage? Can you walk right in, wait just awhile, or wait a long time? <BR>Thanks, <BR>Margery

The buffet at The Mirage is very good, but there's always a humongous line to wait in. I'd rather spend more and go to The Bellagio's buffet. It's fantastic!! It has a line too, but not that long, compared to others. I agree that the MGM'S buffet is horrible!!

Waiting time depends on the popularity of the buffet, size of the restaurant, location, day of the week and time of day. If you try to go at normal dinner time you will encounter the most crowds. If you go at off times eg. early you may just walk in. Also late(after about 8:30 pm) but this leaves you less time to enjoy your diner. At normal dinner time the buffets often fill up and you have to wait for the early birds to leave. I would guess an average wait at normal dinner time for popular buffets would be 20-40 minutes. It can be longer on weekends. Lots of variables. So these are just rough guesses. Weekend brunches can also have long lines. At lunchtime lines tend to be the shortest.

I agree that Bellagio buffet is amazing. I also highly recommend the weekend brunch buffet at the Aladdin - many types of ethnic food, free-flowing mimosas, and most of the food was surprisingly good. Can't remember the exact price, but it was around $16 I think.

Any hotel guests at Paris have luck getting Paris buffet line passes without being a rated casino player?

We got 4 line passes at Bellagio simply by walking up to the concierge and asking for them. She didn't even ask if we were guests (we were). Not that I recommend this strategy...doubt it works most of the time, but saved us an hour wait.

The Rio Suites...They have the best buffet in all of Las Vegas and it is very reasonable...If I were you I would only eat breakfast that day because there is so much food at the Rio you can't imagine.

Where have you been, Maria? <BR>Or...where haven't you been? <BR>Rio's buffet has been summarily relegated to the large list of mediocre buffets now pocking the casino-hotel landscape. <BR>Food quality is lacking at the Rio buffet. Quantity? It's there with plenty to spare. But quality is not to be found. <BR>Vegas' best buffet? Not by a longshot.

Even with a $20+ price, it was almost like a priviledge to eat at the Mirage Buffet. I went to the Rio Buffet, World Carnival, had a plate of food and felt full, but I still hadn't eaten at their Itailian, Mexican, British, Japanese, Monogolian, or Chinese station. I walked away but felt I had wasted part of the $16 entry fee. But, for the price, 5 or 6 dollars at the Sahara or Stratosphere is probably the best value.