What makes a buffet the best?

Buffets are serious business in Las Vegas. Their lines litter the Strip and are a constant point of contention among tourists: Which buffet offers the best bang for the buck? Where is the best dessert? Quality over quantity, or quantity over quality?

Over the years, a mix of higher-end and more inexpensive buffets have taken the title of Las Vegas’ “Best Buffet,” but we wanted to know, what makes a winner?

Desserts

It’s the little things that make buffets worth $30 or $40, like dozens of different pastries, tarts, cakes, pies, pudding and ice cream. The Bacchanal at Caesars Palace, a past winner of Best of Las Vegas’ Best Buffet, has an extensive dessert selection, and it’s more than cheesecake and soft-serve ice cream: try the gelato, shaved ice, crepes and more. The best buffets reach beyond cookies and cake, and oftentimes the dessert bar can be a meal on its own.

Getting What You Pay For

The swankier hotels along the Strip have a reputation for having better buffets, and with that reputation typically comes a steeper price. But that price comes with higher-end, better quality food. With the best buffets in Las Vegas, you get what you pay for. With a $50 dinner buffet price, the Bacchanal serves up decorative concoctions and small plates. The Buffet Bellagio’s tiered pricing gives diners a choice of dressing the buffet up or down, and the concept remains the same: the higher the price, the better quality and more specialized food you will get, and vice versa.

Variety Matters

Good, win-worthy buffets go the extra step to spice up the line and offer up a variety food — not just different dishes, but tastes from different parts of the world, too. Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood, a past winner, takes an international approach to the buffet and gives customers cuisine from around the world, sometimes even at a Groupon rate. Have a taste of the Middle East, or Mexico or Italy just a few steps away.

Other past winners include Feast Buffet at Palace Station, which prides itself on its “Incredible Variety” and global reach as well. That same span of international cuisine can be found at several buffets along the Strip, and that variety has been a consistent theme among winners.

Location is Key

It may seem like a given, but year after year, Las Vegas’ best buffets are easy to reach, especially for those coming into the city and staying on the Strip; it’s often about easy access and seamless transit from hotels, shopping and casinos.

Roll ‘Em Out of Here

At the end of the day, a buffet is just that — a buffet, otherwise known as an array of endless food ready for the gorging. Tourists and locals line up to eat a lot and eat well. Maybe it’s the culmination of a skipped meal and exhaustion from walking up and down the Strip, or maybe it’s just a normal dinner date, but it’s perfectly normal see people wobble out like bloated cattle, knowing they got their money’s worth.

Tack on an unlimited drink special, coming in at around $12.99 at many of the buffets, and the bloated cow effect really comes to fruition. Take away the fancy gourmet small plates and innovative dishes, and the beauty of Las Vegas’ buffets still remains.