The Lure of the Buffet

I have a friend who has never been to Vegas. After a brief convo of all the things that make Vegas lovely for me like pools and partying, she goes, do you know what I really look forward to in Vegas? Buffets!!!

What is the lure of the buffet in Vegas?

 

It is what outsiders are shown and told about Vegas, even still today. When we went for the first time, we were drawn to them as well. Some are ok and some are crap. Since we have been to Vegas plenty now, we will go if we have a good coupon or myvegas comp, but we don't seek buffets out anymore. But, I will say, if you want to save some money on food, just load up in the morning at a cheaper breakfast buffet and you are good until dinner.

 

I don't see the allure at all unless you are going to Wicked Spoon, Bacchanal, etc... The others.... good value maybe but for the most part you get what you pay for.

 

We like to do the Buffet of Buffets once each trip. As we have gotten older, we don't seem to eat as much and our tastes are very different which makes it tough to share plates at sit-down restaurants. The portions are just too big for us and we waste food, which we hate to do. Therefore, the buffets work well for us for the 2 days we do the B of B. We can get small portions of the foods each of us like. Granted - it is not usually high-end dining...lol but we enjoy being able to pop in at the buffet if we only want a small salad or a dessert. The remaining days....we just wing it....

 

The lure? For me, it's the selection. I wander right past the salad-bar and head for the good stuff. I get all of what I want and none of what I don't. Even though I'm a good-sized man, I've never been one for eating a lot at one sitting though. I have friends who can just mound the plate and go back and back and... I've never been that kinda eater, though I'll be hungry again in a couple hours. I'm usually not big on hitting the deserts either, as I'm too full from the main courses. Once, I'd like to go in and just eat nothing but deserts!

 

I doubt that many people have vegas quality buffets near their homes so the convenience and quality of vegas buffets is appealing. Even suburban Chicago which has every type of restaurant you can imaging is lacking quality buffet options.

 

I think for many it is a novelty, not just a buffet but so many buffets and such variety. I used to go to several and as has been mentioned have cut back to once or twice maybe in a week. I often not only go when I feel like a huge salad, a little bowl with a steak just doesn't do it for me. Also I generally eat 2 meals a day and sometimes portions at a sit down won't carry me.

Jimvo338

 

For me buffets are just "okay". I really cannot imagine paying to go to one, or even standing in a long line, (thankfully I have am MLife gold) but comped or buffets through MyVegas allow me to spend some of my food budget on a nice restaurant or two on my trip.
I also really prefer to have someone wait on me. I don't have much patience waiting behind someone who spends 10 minutes putting shrimp on their plate (1-2 at a time, lol). I can see the value, though. Variety, and you can eat as much or as little as you would like.

 

Whether its a big fancy buffet like Bellagio or a cheap lower end one like Excalibur the big draw of buffets is mostly the variety and different choices everybody can make to what they eat.

For the high end buffets they also have the added draw where you can sample/try some fancy higher end foods for overall much cheaper than ordering each dish separately.

 

Buffets have zero lure for me. I will only eat at one if it is free, because even at the better buffets in Vegas I find that the food is just alright.

The worse thing about a buffet is the fact that many people feel they have to "get their money's worth" and often eat a lot more than they had intended. It is easy to find yourself wanting to sample everything and end up overstuffed.

I would much rather eat in a regular, nice restaurant and have one delicious plate of food than four plates of mediocre food. That is all I really need.

 

That's exactly the part that we like about a buffet ... and many times, the buffet is cheaper than a standard sit-down meal. We don't go to buffets to stuff ourselves ... mostly it's the variety, and the value (especially with a 2/1 coupon).

 

My thoughts exactly! Before I ever went to Vegas, I always loved it when - at a wedding reception or something - I had a chance to eat at a buffet. We don't really have buffet restaurants over here (or at least not that I know of), so the thought of numerous buffets to chose from in Vegas, was a huge drawn for me. Now it has kind of lost it's lure though. The foods that I really fancy, like steak filet for example, are not really available and I tend to over-eat as well, which I always regret afterwards.

 

I like the variety of food choices

 

Don't know if its a lure.. because there Chinese buffets in virtually every other towns. No I DO understand they aren't on the level of LV. And there also many restaurants that do weekend brunches that border on the very good LV level. That said.. there are mid to major casinos and MOST of those probably have buffies. The one in CT where I live esp Mohegan are in the mid to upper end range of LV. But it aint Vegas and that's the "LURE".

 

I don't see the allure at all...I don't eat at them.

 

^^^^This^^^^

 

Agreed--I've been to 4 buffets in well over 100 trips to LV. I'm not in a hurry to make it 5.

 

agreed .........

 

Lots of choices and no waiting for them to bring it to you.

If you want 3 helpings of lima beans you can have that. taste 3 different deserts, no one cares.

try that at a regular place and you will get looked at funny

 

Palms all you can eat Crab Legs/ Prime Rib/Beer Under $14 is enough for me.