Here are some that I have tried and a few comments about them:
-Bellagio: My first impression from the name alone told me I needed to dress up big time for this one...not the case. Once inside it is very casual and the seating is similar to any other buffet situation you could think of...booths, tables, and booth/tables (the kind where you fight for the booth seat). Dinner was about $30 and they had so many options. My favorites here were the sushi selection, the meat selection, and the fresh tossed caesar salad. All in all it was pretty good, a bit pricy, but a fun experience.
-Imperial Palace: Pros of this one...no line at all and quiet if you are looking for a place away from the crowds. The food is not anything impressive, but more comfort foods...think of a clean Denny's in a buffet style. One benefit of the low traffic at this buffet was that the food was practically untouched and I had full reign of the crab...so instead of the unwanted small pieces, I got the best pick of the bunch. Not anything to brag about on Facebook or worth taking tons of pictures, but you could do a lot worse.
-Harrah's: This one is a couple notches up the scale from Imperial Palace, but has a lot more cultural food choices. The highlights here were the Gelato ice cream choices, the hot steamed crab legs rather than the chilled you get at most buffets, the fried shrimp (I never saw fried shrimp at any other buffet), and trying crawfish for the first time. Not a long line here, but not empty by any means. The only downer here was when I grabbed the last piece of cookies and cream cheese cake and set it at my table to go grab a few other good looking items, one of the waitresses took my untouched cheesecake...kinda ruined the mood there for a bit. Advice for visiting this buffet: enjoy, but leave someone at the table to guard any prized possessions...like the last piece of cookies and cream cheesecake.
-Caesar's Palace: This one is brand new. I can only say I went to the old one for breakfast once. It had the usual breakfast fare and had quite a long wait. I did enjoy the belgium waffles and orange juice...lots of breakfast options for everyone, but nothing out of the norm or extra special. I'm looking forward to trying the remodel they've been working on.
-Planet Hollywood: This is a fun one. It still has the look of a buffet, but lots of familiar and unfamiliar options. The line for this one is a bit daunting, but once you are there the choices go on and on and can fill almost any craving. Japanese, Chinese, American, Mexican, and Greek are a few of the fun stations to visit--don't miss the baklava in the greek area. The desert area is full and they have someone making crepes that you can add your own toppings to. Overall its a great option and I have gone more than once...in one trip.
-Flamingo: I only had lunch here one time. It isn't anything great, but the seating is near their (real) flamingo area and has a cool and tropical feel to it. If you are tired of the heat mid-day and want a more subdued less crowded lunch then this is an okay place. The food is pretty similar to Imperial Palace in the comfort food area, but can work for most people who don't want to go overboard during lunch.
-Paris: Is it too cliche to save the best for last? I think not. I have had both breakfast and dinner here and both are pretty amazing and a great experience from the norm. This one is completely French themed and the inside will make you feel like you are in another place. They have different stations based on the different areas in France. The meat is good, the veggie dishes are good, but by far the standout is the crepe station. It's not just for deserts, but can also be a main dish. My recommendation though is to have it as a desert...with nutella...and then covered in chocolate sauce. There is chocolate sauce at other buffets, but they can not compare. The rest taste like Hershey's syrup and this tastes...amazing. There are long lines at certain times of the day, but it's definitely worth it at least once...or twice.
I will admit I have not tried any buffets off the strip, I'm sure there are a few gems out there, but I stay close to all the excitement on the strip while in Vegas. The best deal by far though is through a few of the hotels who are a part of the same base company. For just around $50 a person you have 24 hour access to Flamingo, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Rio, Imperial Palace, Bally's, and Harrah's (Caesars Palace used to be included before the remodel. I'm not sure if this will be part of the deal when they are done). Sounds expensive when you first hear it, but consider in 24 hours--if done right--you can have breakfast, lunch, and two dinners covered and realize that dinner at buffets are the most expensive. If you ate at buffets for all those meals separately you could pay up to $90. This little beauty is called Buffet of Buffets.
My advice would be to start out the first buffet you go to in this deal to be late one night...like around 8-8:30pm. You have 24 hours from when you pay so standing in line the first night is a freebee, but the rest of the lines will be part of your 24 hours. You need to have made it to the cashier 24 hours from when you paid the first night. By starting late the first night you get dinner, then breakfast the next morning, lunch, and dinner again..I would recommend around 6pm to make sure you make it in the 24 hours.
While buffets aren't exactly off the beaten path or trying anything exotic, it's a great way to get full non-fast food meals that don't require reservations or deciding on something that everyone will eat. Just beware...this pass should only be done once per trip...you will get tired of it quickly and food starts to look less appealing after the 24 hours...which can also be a bonus on your wallet!! Bon Appetit!!
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