Buffet 101: How to Win at the Las Vegas Buffet

Because only a fool would fill up on dinner rolls

Straddling the line between spectacle and restaurant, the Las Vegas buffet is an entity unto its own. It’s a place where rules are meant to be broken; where diners can wander with towering plates of food in hand, pile in seven different desserts, and say things like, “I think I’ll try both flavors of melted butter.” But in order to have the best time — or at least the most cost-effective experience — there are guidelines to follow, ones that may spare you from long lines, overspending, or going in without a holistic game plan. Below, experts weigh in on the dos and don’ts of dining in a Las Vegas buffet.

Logistics

Visit during the slow part of the day.

The most minimal wait at the buffet is typically between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. — a little late for the brunch crowd, but right at the top of when dinner service starts for most Las Vegas buffets. If you arrive around 2 p.m., you’ll get all the prime dinner fare but with minimal lunchtime crowds.

Make a reservation.

Lines for the Buffet at Wynn and Bacchanal can exceed even two hours at peak times. Reservations mean paying for your entry in advance; give yourself at least an extra 15 minutes before your reservation time to get from the parking garage or porte cochère to the buffet entrance.

Make a game plan.

Rather than dive in at the first station you encounter, hold off on grabbing a plate until you’ve taken a lap around the buffet. Get an idea of your must-have items, then start coursing them out. Plan on a first round of your favorite foods for when you’re at peak hunger. Then, hit the luxe items: the seafood and carved proteins. (Depending on your preferences, your favorite foods and the buffet’s priciest inventory may intersect.) “The third round is the mixed plate,” says Marcus O’Brien, Palms executive chef and senior executive director of food and beverage. “Take smaller portions of items you either missed or enjoyed, but also a dessert or two. The last round is all sweets.”

Request the table you want.

Want to be within throwing distance of the dessert station? Prefer the airy atrium to the bustling dining room? Tell the host. “​​If you have a personal preference or a special request for a table, the team will take it into consideration and accommodate based on availability,” says chef Julio Castillo, executive chef of Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace.

Get Your Money’s Worth

Go all in on seafood and meat.

At any restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip, you’ll pay premium prices for steak or shellfish. The buffet is your only shot at minimizing your price per ounce. “Start with the cold crab legs and lobster claws and fill up your plate with the filet mignon from the carving station,” Samantha Bennett, general manager at Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas, says.

Lyssa Park

Make your favorite foods your first plate.

Think like an economist and maximize your overall satisfaction. Eric Chiang, an economics professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas refers to this concept as diminishing marginal returns. “That just means that when you go to a buffet, you’re thinking you’re going to try everything. But then after you’ve eaten a plate or two, you’re already full,” says Chiang. “I always use the strategy of: start with your favorite thing, then you can go out and try a bunch of other things that you may not have ordered if you were at a restaurant. Things aren’t going to be as tasty when you’re full. So have the most enjoyable things early on when you’re very hungry.”

Try to get in for free.

Nabbing a discount or even a free entry is easier at the off-Strip buffets. But it’s worth checking the on-Strip casino websites for ways to get in for less. Chiang recommends signing up for a player’s card as those sometimes come with buffet promotions. “Wynn used to frequently give new players a free buffet if you play a minimal amount of points. That’s worth almost $200 there if you consider a buffet plus tax is about $90,” says Chiang.

Venture for something new.

In addition to focusing on the more expensive inventory, take the opportunity to try food you wouldn’t otherwise order. If you’re interested in gyros or octopus or a black lemon gouda cheese, but can’t see yourself spending money on it, serve yourself a sample portion.

Buffet Etiquette

Leave your flatware on a napkin.

When you and your party members return to the buffet counters, safely stash your forks and knives off of your discarded plates and on a napkin to prevent them from being swept away when your table is bussed.

Matthew Kang

Don’t fully push in your chair when you leave for another round.

Though it may seem like bad form, when you return to your seat juggling a heaping plate, a bowl of ramen, and a fountain drink, having a small gap between the table and chair will come in handy. Most buffets space out the tables enough that you shouldn’t impede other visitors navigating back to the buffet stations.

Take the outside of the booth.

If you’re seated at a booth, allow your dining companion to slide into the booth first, leaving you unencumbered to leave the table at any time. (If they protest, negotiate so they can take the outer seat next time.)

Should you tip?

Tipping is a hot topic in Vegas and in the dining industry at large, even before you consider the self-serve nature of a buffet. Bennet suggests leaving a percentage of your total when you pay before entering. You’ll have hosts, people working the stations, and diligent bussers helping you navigate the experience, so acknowledge that work before you even sit down. Castillo says you can also leave an ancillary tip at the table if service is outstanding. “We are in the service industry and must pay the bills too.” says O’Brien.