Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas reopening Thursday

At least one Strip buffet is back, albeit with a few tweaks.

The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas is set to reopen Thursday with a serviced all-you-can-eat concept. According to a Monday news release, it’s the first buffet on the Strip to return after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

The restaurant will bring the buffet to guests by offering unlimited servings of nearly 90 “well-portioned” dishes to diners’ tables. Customers will be able to reorder as many times as they want within a two-hour period.

The buffet will follow new health and safety protocols, including social distancing, touchless technologies and both QR code downloadable menus and single-use menus. Reservations are not required, but available online at www.wynnlasvegas.com/dining/casual-dining/the-buffet.

Dishes include double-cut lamb chops with truffle spinach and crispy onions, steak and lobster topped with a bearnaise sauce, lobster ravioli with roasted red peppers, fennel and saffron sauce as well as Old Bay braised shrimp and scallops. Desserts include chocolate-dipped Rice Krispies, creme brulee and 13 flavors of ice cream and sorbet.

The buffet will open Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Weekday brunch and dinner are $36.99 and $59.99, respectively, while weekend brunch and dinner are $48.99 and $65.99, respectively.

Limitless pour packages are available for $24.99 and $29.99 and offer beer, wine, sparkling wine, rose, signature cocktails and more.

It’s still unclear when other buffets in Las Vegas will ramp back up, but Amanda Belarmino, assistant professor for strategic management at UNLV, said the opening could offer a taste of what other Las Vegas buffets will look like in the near future.

“The two main things guests want in a buffet is variety and quantity, both of which Wynn are including in their new model,” she said via email. “This model, with enhanced service and reservations, not only helps to mitigate the dangers of self-service but also helps the buffet to control its costs, gain important knowledge regarding guest preferences, and provide a memorable experience.”

Caesars Entertainment Corp. spokesman Richard Broome said Bacchanal in Caesars Palace is being renovated. It will reopen “when ready” and in accordance with government directives and updated health and safety plans, he said. The company has not decided what to do with its other Las Vegas buffets.

Representatives of MGM Resorts International and Boyd Gaming Corp. said the companies do not have any updates on their buffets. A Station Casinos representative declined to comment.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.