Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Eighty years ago, for the first time las vegas The buffet starts with the $1 Western-themed Buckaroo Buffet, which offers cold cuts and cheeses. Today, visitors can pay $175 for a deluxe buffet that includes lobster tail, prime rib and unlimited drinks.
The buffets in old Las Vegas didn’t make much money, but they fed people cheaply and quickly, giving them more time to spend their money on the casino floor.
But the number of buffets has been reduced to about a dozen las vegas strip. Many stores closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and chose not to reopen due to rising prices.
Before the Carnival World Buffet rio It closed in 2020 and was replaced by Canteen Food Hall, which claims to be the largest buffet in Las Vegas, with more than 300 international dishes to choose from. Las Vegas food tour guide Jim Higgins says it has all the food you can eat for about $30.
ARIA’s buffet, which stood out for its Indian dishes and freshly baked naans, also closed permanently in 2020 and reopened as a Proper Eats food hall. The food court offers a variety of options including ramen, sushi and burgers. Last March, the pyramid-shaped ancient Egypt-themed buffet restaurant in Luxor closed its doors. It costs about $32, but many people eat for free through the casino.
Many of the city’s old-school buffets have been replaced by trendy food courts and expensive celebrity chef-run restaurants, as well as so-called luxury buffets that have become an attraction in their own right. Al Mancini, a longtime Las Vegas food journalist and founder of the Neonfest food guide, said the rise of Las Vegas as a foodie city is driving demand for higher-quality dining.
Las Vegas regulars liken the decline of buffets to the disappearance of the 99-cent shrimp cocktail, another iconic product that earned the city a reputation as an affordable resort.
“You walk in, eat, stuff your face and then stumble across the slot machines. It’s just part of the culture and it’s sad to see that change,” said Ryan Bohac, an Arizona resident and frequent Las Vegas visitor.
Professor of History, Las Vegas native Michael Green Remembering the days of the $1.99 buffet, his plate was piled high with fried chicken, corn and dessert. Advertisements for the Old West-themed casino’s “Silver Slipper” buffet paint a picture of sumptuousness, with the words “Diet tomorrow, sumptuous buffet today.”
Las Vegas icon
Mancini said Las Vegas is a city where visitors like to pretend they are richer than they actually are, and that buffets allow people to live like kings and feel “inner excitement” when they load up their plates with crab legs.
Jeff Gordon, a Las Vegas regular from California, loves the “spectacular” of high-end buffets, such as the Wynn Buffet or the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, which showcases mountains of crab legs and elaborate carving stations of prime rib and smoked brisket.
Still, Gordon misses the affordable buffets that once had ample supplies.
“It’s like going to Costco “You’re probably not just buying that $1.50 hot dog, you’re probably spending $150 at Costco and other things that you may or may not need,” Gordon said.
He believes the decline of affordable buffets has contributed to the city’s reputation for exorbitant prices. Gordon believes this hurts the entire tourism industry and discourages middle-class Americans from traveling.
Locals say the buffet has adapted to the needs of the changing city.
“It was a good choice at the time,” said Jim Higgins, a Las Vegas food tour guide. “I think the city is just starting to move forward.”
Luxury experience
“The buffet in Las Vegas is an attraction at this point, and you pay for the attraction,” he said. “You’re not there to make a deal.”
At the Palms’ AYCE buffet, visitors can pay $80 for unlimited lobster, shrimp cocktail, sushi, snow crab legs and fresh pasta such as lobster mac and cheese. They offer special theme nights with performances by hula dancers or mariachi bands. Occasionally a lobster mascot walks around.
It’s almost like a circus, said Marcus O’Brien, executive chef at Palms Casino Resort.
Mancini said buffets will always be part of some visitors’ Las Vegas experience, and to be successful, they will evolve with the surrounding restaurant scene.
“The buffet in Las Vegas will never go away,” he said.