In 1946, the El Rancho Vegas, the first resort on what is now the Strip, introduced the first all-you-can-eat buffet, creating a tradition that would help define Las Vegas’s dining culture. The $1 Chuckwagon even served a complimentary breakfast at 4 a.m., all in the name of keeping gamblers fueled and near the tables. Over the decades, buffets have become a destination for some. Although the city’s emergence as a world-class food city has introduced stiff competition, buffets have stood the test of time.
Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, the largest buffet in Las Vegas, offers over 250 dishes from around the world in one massive, 25,000-square-foot space. Think truffle-roasted chicken and wagyu beef. If it’s unlimited crab you’re after, reserve weekend brunch or on Mondays and Thursdays only between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. The atrium-lit Buffet at Wynn has 16 separate kitchens with everything from sushi to carved meats to a dessert room that would make Willie Wonka jealous. Make it a major event by booking the Ultimate Buffet Experience, which includes priority seating, endless pours, and a pound of Golden King Crab legs delivered right to your table.
Wicked Spoon at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas serves brunch daily and is the perfect choice for those who don’t like to share tongs. Each of its many dishes is served in individual sizes (take as many as you’d like), from fried chicken baskets and Gochujang braised eggs to individual cheese platters with local honey and bourbon white chocolate bread pudding. Skip the line at the Buffet at Bellagio with prepaid priority entry and enjoy brunch (served seven days a week) or dinner (weekends only). A live omelet station and crepes are stars at brunch, and dinner rolls out choices like prime rib, bone marrow presentations, and oysters Rockefeller.
If you are that person (you know who you are) who loads up your plate with crab legs, A.Y.C.E. Buffet at Palms Casino Resort is for you. Seven food stations serve guests morning through night, but the draws are the specialty nights: Lobster on Wednesdays and Thursdays; Prime Rib and Snow Crab on Fridays. As in every buffet trip, it pays to have your own strategy in place: At A.Y.C.E. lobster nights you may take one whole lobster and one tail per trip, so start there. (And watch for the lobster mascot that will present one lucky table with a five-pound lobster.)