Since the first buffet opened at the El Rancho in the early 1940's (all-you-can-eat, for a dollar, from midnight through 5:00am), there have been Buffets in Las Vegas. Over the years the buffets have evolved and improved their offerings. There are now over 40 hotels in Las Vegas that offer buffets, and it would be easier to list the few hotels that don't offer one. Competition among the casinos has forced the buffets to improve the quality of their food, or to compete by offering low prices, or a little bit of both.

The highest quality buffet in Las Vegas is the Sunday morning brunch at Bally's Steakhouse. Their menu includes caviar, Beef Wellington, and lobster. The desserts are superb, and everything is top shelf. Priced at over $40 per person, it is also the most expensive buffet in Las Vegas.

The best seven-day a week buffet in Las Vegas is the Buffet at Bellagio. You can count on gourmet food, prepared impeccably at this lavish buffet. Chances are high that they will be serving food that you have never tried before. You can also count on paying $25-$40 per person, depending on the time of week and year.

Not surprisingly, the Wynn Buffet is also excellent, with sushi and excellent shellfish, and high quality steaks for meat eaters. The desserts are outrageous and worth the calories. Again, as is the case with all of the very best buffets, you will pay for the honor.

Other truly excellent buffets include the slightly less expensive Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood (a really good hold over from when the hotel was known as the Aladdin), the very solid Bay Side Buffet at Mandalay Bay, Le Village Buffet at Paris, and the Carnival World Buffet just off of the Strip at the Rio. The Rio really deserves credit for the current crop of excellent Las Vegas Buffets, they raised the bar when they opened the Carnival World Buffet in the early 1990's.

The best values on the Strip include the Round Table buffet at Excalibur. The food isn't nearly as good as the food at Bellagio, but the price makes it a great value and the quality is acceptable. The buffet at the Las Vegas Hilton is a bargain if you can get ahold of a two-for-one coupon, either by signing up for their slot club or by finding one in one of the free tourist guide magazines.

Truly cheap meals are available at the "locals" casinos. The Station Casinos are inexpensive to begin with (with the exception of Green Valley Ranch and Red Rock Casino), and they are incredibly cheap with a two-for-one coupon. These coupons are available in the American Casino Guide, which contains dozens of coupons, and are sold in the gift shops at the Stations. It is possible for two people to eat breakfast or lunch for fewer than ten dollars, and dinner for slightly more.

The variety of Las Vegas Buffets reflects the variety of Las Vegas Hotel Casinos, you can opt for first class or you can choose a bargain.